shed for them mine are Injurious against this bloud of the Sonne of God which was shed for mee on the Crosse Then this beeing so how Iust a thing were it that God should haue suncke mee into Hell in the Company of the Deuills making mee partaker of their paines seeing I would needes bee so of their Sinnes O God of Vengeance hovv is it that thou hast not reuenged thyselfe on a man so vvicked as I Hovv hast thou suffred mee so long time VVho hath vvithhelde the rigour of thy Iustice that it should not punish him that hath deserued so terrible punishment O my Soule hovv is it that thou doest not feare and tremble considering the dreadefull Iudgement of God against his Angells If vvith so greate seueritye hee punished Creatures so noble vvhy should not so vile and miserable a Creature as thou feare the like Punishment O most povverfull Creator seeing thou hast shevved thyselfe to mee not a God of Vengeance but a Father of Mercye continue tovvardes mee thy Mercye pardonning my Sinnes and deliuering mee from Hell vvhich for them I haue deserued The second Pointe THe second Pointe shall bee to call to Memorie the Sinne of our first Parents Adam and Eua Genes 3.1 D. Th. 2. 2 q. 163. 164. who hauing beene created in Paradise and in Originall Iustice broke the Commandement of God eating the fruite of the Tree that vpon paine of Deathe hee had prohibited them for the which they were cast out of Paradise and incurred the Sentence of Deathe and other innumerable miseries aswell they as all their Offspring 1. Vpon this Veritie of Faithe I may discourse as vpon the forepassed considering First how liberall God was to our first Parents creating them of his meere goodnesse according to his owne Image and Likenesse and placing them in a Paradise of Delightes giuing them his Grace and Originall Iustice subjecting their appetites to reason and the flesh to the Spirit freeing them from mortallity Penalties to which by Nature they were subject and granting them a happye and ease-full Life And all this hee did of his pure Grace and mercie granting it them not onely for themselues but also for their Successors if they had perseuered in his Seruice 2. Secondly I am to ponder how Ingratefull they weere to God and what motiue they haâ—… thereunto for the Serpent comming to tempt Eue 〈…〉 and promising her guilefully that if shee did eatâ—… of the forbidden fruite shee should not dye bâ—… should rather bee as God hauing knowledge oâ—… good and euill shee suffered herselfe to bee bâ—… guiled and eate of the fruite and inuited Adaâ—… thereunto who to please her eate also thereof treading vnder foote the pleasure of God for the pleasure of his VVife without making account neitheâ—… of the benefits that God had donne him nor 〈…〉 the punishments that hee had menaced and threaâ—… ned him with all 3. Then will I ponder how terrible God sheweâ—… himselfe in chastizing them casting them out 〈…〉 Paradise depriuing them for euer of Originall 〈…〉 stice subjecting them to Deathe and to all the mâ—… series of a corruptible Bodye which miseries 〈…〉 wee his Children incurre because wee all sinne 〈…〉 him Ad Rom. 5.12 Ad Eph. 2.3 and for his cause wee are borne the Childreâ—… of VVrathe and Enemies of God and condemâ—… to the same Deathe And that which more affrighteth is that from this Originall Sinne that wâ—… inherite of him proceede as from their roote thâ—… innumerable Sinnes that are in the VVorlde aâ—… the Inundations of miseryes that ouerflowe it whereby I may perceiue how terrible dreadefuâ—… and hideous an euill mortall Sinne is seeing oâ—… onely depriueth of so much good bringeth 〈…〉 much euell so highely prouoketh the wratheâ—… God Apoc. 15.3.4 Colloquie though hee bee much more inclined to merciâ—… then to the rigour of Iustice VVho shall not feare thâ—… o king of the VVorldes VVho shall not abhorre so greâ—… a mischeife as to offend thee O my Soule if thou knevvest vvhat thou didst vvhen thou sinnest like Adam doubtlesse thou vvouldst tremble at the heauye burden vvherevvith thou lodest thy selfe Psal 37. O Sinne hovv heauy art thou to mee Thou depriuest mee of Grace thou robbest mee of Vertues thou chasest mee out of Paradise thou condemnest mee to eternall Deathe thou subiectest mee to temporall Deathe thou takest avvay the life of my Children vvhich are my VVorkes depriuing them of the merit of Glorie thou troublest the kingdome of my Soule and fillest it vvith in innumerable miseries O my God deliuer mee from so greate an euill O my Soule Eccles 21 2. Flye from Sinne as the vviseman counselleth thee more then from Snakes and Serpents for Sinne alone is more cruell and venemous then all they 4. Besides this I am to make comparison of my Sinne with that of Adam like as in the precedent pointe for I wretche beeing tempted by the Diuell suffred myselfe to bee deluded by him not once but often my fleshe hath beene like Eua that hath prouoked mee to Sinne and my Spirit effeminated like Adam to please it hath a thousand times displeased God by breaking his Commaundements and my Pride and Ingratitude hath arriued to that height that I haue often desired to bee as God vsurping to myselfe that which is proper to his Deitye Then if God inflicted such punishment on my first Parents for one Sinne of Disobedience and Pride founded vpon no more then eating one Apple contrarie to the precept of God how greate punishments haue I deserted for so many Disobediences and Prides and for so innumerable offences as I haue committed against him O how lust had it beene that at my first Sinne Deathe should haue swallowed mee or all the miseries of the VVorlde showred downe vpon mee Lastly I will ponder what a long Penance Adam and Eua did for this Sinne of theirs how bitter that morsell was vnto them and how deare it cost them for Adam hauing liued more then nine hundred yeares spent them all in weeping and mourning and suffring a thousand misfortunes which accrewed to him with the estate of his Corruption Sapient 10.2 but in the ende as saithe the diuine VVisdome thorough Penance hee obtained pardon with this example I am to animate myselfe to lament my miseries and to doe Penance for my Sinnes that God may deliuer mee from them imitating in Penance him whome I imitated in Sinne and beseeching our Lord to chastize mee as much as hee will in this life so that hee pardon mee and deliuer mee from the torments of the other The third Pointe THe third Pointe shall bee to call to Memorie some mortall Sinne as Perjurie Carnallitye or such other like for the which many Soules are burning in Hell and that very justly for hauing donne Injurie to the infinite maiestie of God 1. I am then to descende with my Consideration to Hell which is full of Soules among which I shall finde many
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
bodye and contemne that vvhich is present vvith the vievve of that vvhich is to come Amen Finally I will consider that I cannot tell whither it will fall to my Lot to haue so honorable funeralls or whither our Lord will permitte for chastizement of my Sinnes Ierem. 22.19 3. Reg. 9. that I bee buried in the belly of fishes or of wilde beastes or as Ieremie saithe in the sepulchre of Asses or bee eaten by Crowes or by Dogs like vnhappy Iezabel which I haue well deserued for my Sinnes for to a beâ—â—iall life is due the sepulcher of beastes And therefore as much as lyeth in mee I will abhorre the vaine pompe of wordely sepulchers desiring both in life and deathe to choose for myselfe the humblest place of the Earthe I may also spiritualize what hath beene saide in these three pointes applying it to my Soule deade by Sinne which remaineth ougly and deformed and vnabled to doe meritorious woorkes of eternall life her passions carrying her to bee interred in the profunditye of euill couering her with the graue-stone of obstinacye vntill shee descende to the obscure and dreadefull Sepulcher of Hell Ex D. Aug. All which is to mooue mee to compassion for if I bewaile the bodye from which the Soule is absent much more reason haue I to bewaile the Soule from which God is absent And seeing I would giue life to the deade bodye if I could there is reason that I should procure the life of the Soule by those meanes that God hath giuen mee to that ende before bodye and Soule Colloquie dye togither without remedye O eternall God permitte mee not to carrye in a liuing Bodye a deade Soule but quicken it vvith thy grace that vvhen the Bodye dyes the Soule may obtaine life euerlasting Amen Of this Consideration shall bee spoken in the third parte in the meditation 39.40 and 41. meditating on those three that Christe raized from Deathe The eleuenth Meditation of the remembrance of Deathe For Ashe vvednesday and of the dust whereinto wee shall bee conuerted in the Graue THis meditation shall bee grounded vpon those wordes which the Churche vseth on Ashwednesday Genes 3.19 Memento homo quod puluis es in puluerem reuerteris Remember man that thou art Dust and to Dust thou shalt returne which wordes our Lord spake vnto Adam after hee had sinned intimating vnto him the Sentence of Deathe which his Sinne deserueth and by the waye declaring vnto vs what wee were what wee shall bee and what wee are saying that all is but Duste The first Pointe 1. FIrst wee are to consider that God our Lord though hee might haue created the bodye of Adam of nothing as hee created his Soule yet hee would not but made it of a matter of the one side most vile and grosse and on the other visible and palpable Genes 2.7 De limoterrae which is the Dust and slime of the Earthe to the ende that man seeing daily with his corporall eyes this Durte might continually remember his Originall and Beginning for 2. endes First that hee might humble himselfe profoundely and vnderstand that of himselfe hee deserueth to bee contemned trodden vnder foote trampled vpon like Durte and that hee hath nothing though hee haue greate goods whereof to bee prowde for that all haue their foundation in Dust And secondly that hee might bee moued to loue and to serue his so louing and powerfull Creator who from vile Dust raised him to so gâ—â—ate an heigth as to bee a man according to the Image and likenesse of God himselfe 2. So that Dust and Durte may serue for Alarums to recall to my memorye my Originall the matter whereof I was formed imagining when I see them that they crye out to mee and say Remember that thou art Dust humble thy selfe as Dust Loue serue and obey thy Creator that tooke thee from the Dust And when I waxe prowde with the giftes that I haue I am to imagine that they crie vnto mee repressing my Vanitye saying vnto mee Of what art thou prowde Dust and Ashes Eccl. 10.9 Isai 45.9 Colloquiâ— VVhy art thou puffed vp Vessell of claye Bee warned by forgetfull Adam who forgetting that hee was Dust presumed to bee as God and rebelled against thy Maker O Omnipotent Creator permitte not in mee so praeiudiciall an obliuion that I fall not into so greate a daunger Cleare my eyes that I may in spirit beholde the Durt vvhereof I vvas formed and open mine eares that I may heare the clamours thereof so imprinting them in my hearte that I may neuer forget them AmeÌ„ Of this pointe wee shall speake largely in the sixt parte in the twenty and sixt meditation The second Pointe SEcondly I am to consider that God our Lord seeing the forgetfullnesse and pride of Adam condemned him to the Sentence of Deathe and to retourne into the Dust whereof hee was formed wherein principally hee pretended three endes for his good ours First to chastize therewith his Sinne that all wee might perceiue how greiuous an euill Sinne is eeing it is sufficient to destroye and to turne into dust so beautifull riche a frame as is man for if Adam had not sinned hee had not died but had beene translated into Heauen in bodye and soule with all hiâ— Integrye and Perfection But thorough his Sinne the soule is forced to abandon the bodye and the bodye is dismured or vnwalled and turned into small dust according to that of the Apostle Ad Rom. 5.12 By one man Sinne entred into this vvorlde and by Sinne Deathe 2. The second ende was that the memorye of Deathe and that wee are to retourne into Dust might bee a most effectuall medecine for our pride seeing it was not sufficient to humble vs that hee had made vs of Dust So that the Dust and Durt of the earthe which I see and feele is not onely a watch-bell to recall to my remembrance the Originall from whence I began but also the ende wherein I am to staye and when I beholde it I am to imagine that it is crying out and saying vnto mee Remember thou art to retourne to earthe and Duste and that like mee thou shalt bee trampled trodden vpon Then why art thou prowde thou art now fleshe thou shalt shortly bee dust Eccl. 10.9 Colloquie wherefore art thou puffed vp O Father of mercye I giue thee thankes for that vvith the chastizement of my Sinne thou hast made a medicine for my Pride Graunt mee that I may not bee deafe to these cryes that Dust giueth mee that the chastizement of a pious Father turne not into the punishment of a seuere Iudge 3. The third ende was for that the feare of this Chastizement and of this Dust wherein the flesh is to rest might bee a spurre to our backwardenesse to doe Penance for our Sinnes committed and a bridle to our sensuall liuelynesse to curbe our Passions So that if the
consider that God our Lord assoone as Adam and Eua had sinned was willing to reueale vnto them the mysterye of the Incarnation for the Remedye of their Sinne and of the Punishment that therefore they had deserued to demonstrate heerein the greatenesse of his Charitye and mercye towardes men This was resplendent in that comming as a Iudge to take accoumpt of Adam and Eua for their Disobedience and to denounce vnto them the Sentence of Deathe which thereby they had incurred withall as a mercifull Father hee promiseth them not only to make himselfe man for them but also to dye to deliuer them from Deathe pretending heerein that by their Faithe in this Redeemer they should not distrust the Diuine mercye nor of the pardon of their Sinne but that they should forthwith procure it by Penance greiuing to haue offended him that had shewed them so much Loue. So that when God cast our first Parents and all their Posteritye out of the terrestriall Paradise hee then promiseth them him that shall open the Gates of the Celestiall Paradise And when hee chargeth them with Maledictions for Sinne hee offereth them of his meere Grace the Author of all Heauenly Benedictions And when they are vanquished by the Diuell hee assureth them that there shall bee borne of them a man that shall free them from his Tirannye O Father of Mercyes and God of all Consolation Colloquie I humbly thanke thee for that in the middest of thy Wrathe thou art mindefull of thy infinite mercye Abac. 3.2 And when all men by the first Adam deserued to bee accursed thou didst promise vs the second Adam by whome wee should bee blessed Shewe oâ— Lord this thy mercye to mee deliuering mee from the Maledictions which I deserue thorough my Sinnes replenishing mee with the Benedictions which thy Sonne gained by his Merites O Sonne of the euer liuing God Apoc. 13. Lambe that wast slaine from the beginning of the VVorlde for then was published thy Slaughter and true Life was giuen to men that sinned I humbly thanke thee for this fauour that thou diddest vs for the which I beseeche thee to applye vnto mee the fâ—â—ite thereof that beeing free from the Deathe of Sinne I may obtaine by thee Life of Grace Amen I will likewise ponder the Infinite mercye of God in not deferring this promise of our Redemption many Dayes nor yet many Howers but euen the selfe same day that Adam sinned hee came to giue him aduise both of his Transgression of his Remedye for that hee greately desireth that the Sinner allbeeit hee sinne thorough frailtye should not detaine himselfe so much as one day in his Sinne for the greate Hurt that thereof redoundeth vnto him but should presently bee conuerted and doe Penance All this I am to applye to myselfe considering that many times our Lord when I haue sinned in steede of chastizing mee with Iustice preuenteth mee with Inspirations offering mee pardon with mercye For the which I ought humbly to render vnto him many thankes procuring the selfe same day that I sinne to raize vp myselfe presently thorough Penance So that as S. Ephes 4.16 Paul saieth the Sun goe not downe without taking from mee Anger and Pride and euery other Sinne whatsoeuer The Second Pointe SEcondly I am to consider the Conuenience of the Time that God chose to execute the Decree of his Incarnation to the ende to make his infinite Mercye the more eminent Heerevpon I am to beholde in what state the Worlde stood when God came to redeeme it running thorough the Thoughtes Wordes and Deedes of men and comparing them with those of God Isa 55.9 the which as the Prophet Isaias saieth were as different as Heauen and Earthe are distant First I will lift vp my Eyes to Heauen and beholde the most B. TRINITYE in the Throne of his Glorye considering what Thoughtes hee had and what plots hee was then laying to remedye man by the meanes of the Incarnation of the Diuine Worde And as the three Persons of the Deitye when they would create Adam Cant. 1.26 saide Let vs make man to our owne Image and Likenesse so now they sayed Let vs remedye man vhome wee created repairing the Image and Likenesse that wee gaue him O how greate Pleasure had they in this Discourse What Alacritye to beholde the time arriued of executing their Determination And what Ioy had eache Person to prepare themselues for what belonged vnto them in this Worke The Father to sende his Sonne into the Worlde The Sonne to come to vnite his Diuine Person with our nature And the holy Spirit to worke this so soueraigne an Vnion I thanke thee o most blessed TRINITYE Colloquie for that thou hadst pleasure to treate of my Remedye O that I might treate with much Delight of all that belongeth to thy seruice Then will I abase my Eyes to see what then passed in the Worlde considering how it was then arriued to the Abysme of Iniquitye The Gentiles were growen to such a Heigth in their Idolatries that they caused themselues to bee adored as Gods The Iewes were full of Hypocrisies Auarices Ambitions and other innumerable Sinnes The Earthe was wholely drowned with a Deluge of Vncleane-nesses and Carnallities one Waue of Blood as saith the Prophet Oseas ouertaking another Oscae 4.2 All this was God beholding from Heauen for from him nothing is hidden and though this so greate multitude of Sinnes prouoked him to greate furye yet were they no cause to make him deferre his Determination Rather this most mercifull God Abac. 3.2 as saide the Prophet Abacuch when hee had most occasion to shewe his wrathe was then mindefull to doe vs the greatest mercye and in steede of drowning the Worlde againe with another Deluge or burning it with fier like Sodome hee would drowne it with abundance of mercies and burne it with the fier of his Loue giuing it his owne Sonne to remedye it and his Sonne comming to redeeme it Cant. 8.7 O Infinite Charitye whose Flames could not bee quenched with the many Waters of the Riuers of innumerable Sinnes but rather increased with greater Demonstrations of Loue doing the greatest of all fauours to vs that euery day made ourselues more vnworthy thereof I giue thee thankes o most louing and mercifull Lord for this Loue which thou didst shewe vs for the which I beseeche thee though I as a wicked VVretche deserue thy Indignation yet that thou as a good God cease not to fauour mee with the Greatenesse of thy Mercye This Consideration I am likewise to applye to myselfe pondering how it hath many times happened that when I was actually offending God by my Workes then was God doing mee greate Benefits and deuising yet to doe mee greater as to drawe mee out of the Worlde into Religion or such other like for the which I am to giue him many Thankes From hence I may likewise ascende to ponder how much the Infinite Mercye of
to giue them an example of all Vertue thou bee borne in a poore manger thou bee circumcized and persecuted by Herod and the Iewes and that thou bee taken whipped crowned with Thornes and dye vpon a Crosse with greate Dolour and Contempt Therefore seeing thou louest mee for my Loue and for the good of thy Bretheren Ioan. 10.18 14.31 accept these Afflictions To this Will of the Father which our Lord Christ calleth the Commaundement and precept of his Deathe hee readily aunswered offering himselfe with a prompt and ready will to suffer all whatsoeuer and then was fullfilled that saying of S. Heb. 12.2 Paule That abandoning the Ioye of this Life and contemplating the eternall Ioye of the other hee embraced the Crosse not regarding that it was very Ignominious Then allso with an effectuall Will hee dranke the bitter chalice of his Passion and was baptized with the Baptisme of his Ignominies Mar. 10.39 and Dolours perseuering as hee himselfe saide in the bitternesse of this Drinke and of this Baptisme all the dayes of his Life vntill in the ende thereof hee effectually dranke it accomplishing all that his Father had ordained him But his Charitye and Obedience passed yet farther for that allthough that was so much that hee was to suffer yet not contented heerewith with a most generous Hearte and most ardent Thirst hee offered himselfe to suffer much more if his Father would ordaine it and that it might bee needefull for our good Act. 21.13 for if S. Paule when the Prophet Agabus tolde him that hee was to bee bounde Prisoner in Hierusalem aunswered that hee was readye not only to bee bounde but to dye also for the name of our Lord IESVS how much more would our sweete Lord IESVS when his Father related vnto him the Afflictions of his Life and Deathe immediately aunswere that hee was prepared not only to suffer those afflictions but others also much greater for his Loue. And that I may perceiue how much I am indebted to this our Lorde I am to consider how in that instant hee presented vnto his memory all mankinde and myselfe among them and offered himselfe to suffer all this for euery one in particular and for mee myselfe as if I alone had stoode in neede of his Remedye So that then was fullfilled that saying of S. Paul Gal 2.20 Hee that loued mee and deliuered himselfe for mee to Deathe offering himselfe thereunto for my Loue. O tender Babe and valorous Gyaunt Colloquie wherewith shall I repaye thee the Affection with which thou this day offerest thyselfe to runne thy Carreere Psal 18.6 accepting withall all those Afflictions which in the course thereof thou art to endure May the Angells praise thee for this singular fauour that thou hast donne vnto men and may my Soule glorifye thee for the Loue that then thou diddest beare mee for the which I offer myselfe to suffer whatsoeuer shall happen vnto mee in the Carreere of my Life thou fauouring mee with thy grace that therein I may not faile The eleuenth Meditation Of the Iourney which the eternall VVorde Incarnate made in his Mothers VVombe to the House of Zacharias to sanctifye his Forerunner S. Iohn the Baptist The first Pointe FIrst I will consider Luc. 1.44 how the Worde made fleshe beeing yet in the Wombe of his blessed mother with the exceeding greate desire hee had to saue men presently fixed his eyes vpon Iohn who was in the Belly of S. Elizabeth and was to bee his Fore-runner and seeing him to bee in Originall Sinne hee was greiued thereat and determined with himselfe forthwith to free him from that miserye and to sanctifye him taking possession of his Office of Redeemer which was giuen him in charge And to this ende hee effectually inspired his mother speedily to goe visit her Cosin that hee thereby might effect this his Worke. Wherein I am to ponder First the greate Desier that this our Lorde hath of our Saluation thanking him therefore and confounding myselfe for the litle Desier that I haue of mine As also how carefull hee is of the good of his elected and how vigilant in exercizing his office of Redeemer seeing hee began it from the Wombe of his mother not desiring to bee Idle any moment I will likewise ponder what a greiuous euill Sinne is and how much our Lord is displeased that his elect should bee in Sinne but a moment seeing for this cause hee inspired his mother so hastily to vndertake that iourney to free from Sinne his chosen Iohn Baptist O Diuine VVorde that madest thyselfe man to deliuer vs from Sinne Colloquie and deriuedst to enact this office with such speede Isa 8.1 that thou tookest for thy Surname Make speede hasten robbe and take Spoyles seeing thy names are not emptye but full come Lord with speede to free mee from my Sinnes make haste to sanctifye mee with thy Grace robbe my Hearte for thy Seruice and take it for the Spoyle of thy Victorye that from hence forth I may begin feruently to serue thee The Second Pointe SEcondly I am to consider how our Lord hauing power to sanctifye the Baptist from the place where hee was would notwithstanding inspire his mother to carrye him to the house of S. Elizabeth and there to worke this miraculous sanctification for causes very admirable and proffitable for our instruction First to giue newe Demonstrations of his Humillitye and Charitye For as these Vertues mooued him to come downe from Heauen and to come into the Worlde to visite it Luc. 1.79 Beda ibid. and to drawe it out of the Darkenesse and Shadowe of Deathe wheerein it stood so likewise they mooued him to come from Nazareth to visite Iohn and to drawe him out of Sinne the greater comming to visite the lesser to honour him and the Phisicion the Sicke to cure him The second cause was that his most blessed Mother might haue a share in this Action taking her for the Instrument of the first sanctification that hee wrought in this Worlde iustifying by her meanes the Childe Iohn that was in Sinne and replenishing with the holy Spirit his mother that was just to the ende that wee Sinners might vnderstand that to obtaine Pardon of our Sinnes the blessed Virgin was to be our Mediatrix that the Righteous might vnderstande that by her meanes they were to obtaine fullnesse of the holy Spirit and of his grace with the vertues and giftes that descende from Heauen and that therefore all might endeuour to loue and serue her and to be much deuoted vnto her O soueraigne VIRGIN Colloquie seeing to day togither with thy Sonne thou takest possession of the office giuen thee for our benefit prosecute it this day with mee obtaining for mee pardon of my Sinnes and abundance of spirituall Craces Amen The third cause was Inspirations of our Sauiour Christ for that it is the propertye of our Sauiour Christe in entring into a Soule to
that are there burning for one onely Sinne. Some for one Perjurie others for a dishonest Thought consented vnto and others for some other Sinne of VVorde or of Deede And then I will consider how all these condemned Persons were men aswel as I and many of them as I Christians that enjoyed the same Sacraments and Sacrifices and those Sermons and sacred bookes that I enjoye and were perhaps sometime very holye and highly in fauour with God but by litle and litle they grewe carelesse and came to fall into that mortall Sinne and by the Iust Iudgements of God Deathe attached and set vpon them therein and for it they were most justly condemned Iacob 2.10 For as the Apostle S. Iames saieth VVhosoeuer falleth into one onely Sinne breaking a Commaundement is made guilty of all as hee that breaketh manye for hee offendeth the God of Infinite maiestie who commaundeth them all to bee obserued 2. Then am I to make Comparison of this Sinne with many of minne pondering with how much more reason I deserued to bee in Hell as those Soules are for hauing offended God not once but many times and in other kindes of Sinnes without number O hovv iustly had I deserued that Deathe should haue attached mee in committing my first Sinne and that God should haue giuen mee no time of Repentance VVhat moued thee o my God to expect mee more then these I confesse that I deserued to bee in their Companye but seeing thy Maiestie hath vvith so much mercie expected mee I resolue vvith thy grace to bee very truely and intirely penitent 3. I may also consider that it is no lesse a benefit of God to haue preserued mee from Hell detaining mee from descending to euerlasting Torments then if after I had beene descended he had diliuered mee from them For the which I may say that of Dauid I vvill confesse to thee o Lord my Psal 85.12 God vvith all my Hearte vvill glorifie thy name for euer for thy mercie hath beene very greate towardes mee deliuering my Soule from the deepest Hell And to knowe how to esteeme aright of this merced so repaye it as I ought I am to speake to myselfe saying If God should deliuer one of these Soules out of Hell and giue it a time of repentance vvhat rigourous penance vvould it doe hovv thankefull vvould it bee to God and vvith vvhat feruour vvoult it serue him Thou therefore art to doe the like considering that God hath donne thee so singular a fauour as to deliuer thee from the Daunger before thou didst fall into it The fourthe Pointe Of the greatnesse of our Sinnes by the Paines that Christe our Lord suffered for them THE fourth Pointe shall bee both matter of a sweete Colloquie and of a most deuoute consideration to knowe the greatenesse of Sinne and the dreadefullnesse of Gods Iustice by another example much different from the forepassed but no lesse effectuall then they that is by the Chastizements which the diuine Iustice inflicted vpon Christe IESVS our Lorde not for his owne Sinnes but for mine and for those of the whole VVorlde that I may vnderstand how hee will chastize man loden with his owne Sinnes that so chastized him that bore the burthen of other mens Sinnes and how the guiltye Slaue shal bee handled when the innocent Sonne was so terribly punished Calling to minde that dreadefull Sentence which our Redeemer spake to the Daughters of Ierusalem Luc. 23.31 If in the greene vvood they doe these things in the drye vvhat shall bee donne As if hee should say to mee If I bee treated with such rigour being a greene tree and full of fruite with what rigour shallt thou bee treated that arte a drye tree and without any fruite at all Then I am to set before mine eyes Christe IESVS crucified beholding his Heade crownde with thorâ—es his Face spit vpon his Eyes obscured his Armes disioincted his Tongue distasted with gall and vineger his Handes and Feete pierced with nailes his Backe and Shoulders torne with whippes and his Side opened with a Launce and then pondering that hee suffereth all this for my Sinnes I shall drawe sundrye Affections from the inwardest parte of my Hearte sometimes trembling at the rigour of Gods Iustice who as the Prophet Zacharias saide vnsheathed his Sworde against the man that was vnited with him in person Zacha. 13.7 sometimes bewailing my Sinnes which were the cause of these Dolours and sometimes animating myselfe to suffer somewhat in satisfaction of my offences Isai 53. seeing Christe our Lord suffered so much to redeeme them And finally I will beg pardon of him for them alledging to him for a reason all his Troubles and Afflictions saying vnto him in an amorous Colloquie Colloquie O my most svveete Redeemer vvhich descendedst from Heauen and ascendedst this Crosse to redeeme men paying their Sinnes vvith thy Dolours I present myselfe before thy Maiestie grieued that my grieuous Sinnes haue beene the cause of thy terrible paines Vpon mee o Lord these Chastizements had beene vvell imployed for I am hee that sinned and not vpon thee that neuer sinnedst Let that Loue that moued thee to put thyselfe vpon the Crosse for mee moue thee to pardon mee vvhat I haue committed against thee By thy Thornes I beseeche the dravve out of my Soule the thornes of my Sinnes by thy Scourging pardon my Theftes By thy Gall and Vinegre pardon my Gluttonyes By the nailes of thy Handes pardon my Euill VVorkes and by those of thy Feete pardon my Euill Steps Psal 83.10 O eternall Father behoulde the face of thy Sonne and seeing in him thou diddest chastize my Sinnes let thy vvrathe vvith these Chastizings bee appeased and vse tovvardes mee thy mercies Michae 7 19. throvving all my VVickednesse into the bottome of the Sea in Vertue of that Bloud that vvas shed for them Amen This point wee shal prosecute largelie in the fourth parte The third Meditation of the multitude of Sinnes and of the grieuousnesse of them for being so many and contrarye to Reason The first Pointe 1. THE first pointe is to call to minde the multitude of Sinnes that in all my former Life I haue committed to which ende I am to runne thorough all the Ages thereof and thorough all the places where I haue liued and thorough the Offices Occupations and Imployments that I haue had regarding how and wherein I haue faulted in euery one of the seuen Sinnes wee commonly call Mortall and in euery one of the Commaundements of the Lawe of God and of his Churche and in euery one of the Lawes and Rules of my Estate and Office To which ende it will helpe mee to knowe the sortes of Sinnes that may bee committed in these matters as they shal bee put in the first pointes of the eighteenth meditation and of the nine following And this Remembrance of Sinnes must not bee drye but moistened with teares full of Confusion and Shame as was that of the
not hee thy Father that hath possessed thee and made and created thee God that begatte thee thovv hast forsaken and hast forgotten our Lorde thy Creator and Redeemer 2. Secondly I will ponder the benefits of my Redemption where enter the Incarnation of the eternall VVorde and all the Labours and Trauailes of the Life Passion and Deathe of our Lord Christe beholding him as our Father Pastor Phisition Master and Sauiour So that with my Sinnes I haue injuried him that holdeth all these Titles with mee And as the Apostle saithe I haue crucifyed IESVS Christe within mee Ad Heb. 6.6 10.29 I haue trodden vpon the Sonne of God I haue trampled vpon his bloud I haue despised his examples I haue troden vnderfoote his Lawes and his Precepts and I haue liued as if no such Redemption for mee had euer passed in the worlde Colloquie Then hovv is it o my Soule that thou meltest not in Toares hauing offended such a Father such a Master such a Pastor and Redeemer Hovv is it that thy Hearte doth not cleaue asunder vvith Griefe for hauing offended vvith thy Sinnes him that dyed to deliuer thee from them O my Redeemer hovv much grieueth it mee to haue offended thee Pardon o Lorde my offences VVashe vvith thy bloud the spots of my Transgressions by vertue vvhereof I purpose vvith thy grace no more to retourne to pollute myselfe vvith them 3. In this sorte I may ponder the benefits of my Sanctification where entreth Baptisme and the rest of the Sacraments especially that of Penance and Eucharist and the Inspirations of the holy Ghoste and other innumerable both manifest and secret Benefits as also the promise of future benefits in the Glorification and Resurrection with all the which I am to charge myselfe and with greate astonishment to admire at myselfe that I haue aunswered so many benefits with so euill seruices holding competencie or sufficiencie with God hee by doing mee fauours and giuing mee greate giftes and I by doing him Injuries and committing grieuous Sinnes considering that euery Sinne after a sorte is an Infinite Ingratitude for beeing against an Infinite Benefactour and against infinite benefits that from his hande I haue receiued giuen with infinite Loue without any merits of mine To exaggerate the more the grieuousnesse of my Sinnes in this respect it shall bee good to profit my selfe of some Histories that make to this purpose as of that of Ioseph Genes 39 9. that it seemed vnto him impossible to sinne with the wife of his Lorde of whome hee had receiued so many benefits And that of Saul 1. Reg. 19 6. who though he were a cruell persecutor of Dauid yet hee grewe meeke when hee heard tell the greate Seruices that hee had donne him And when hee sawe that Dauid killed him not when hee had power to kill him hee had compunction and saide Thou arte Iuster then I 1. Reg. 24 18. for thou hast donne mee good turnes and I haue rendred thee euill O my Soule hovv canst thou sinne against thy God Colloquie and Lord from vvhome thou hast receiued all the Good thou hast O God of my Heart hovv much more iust art thou then I for thou ceasest not to doe mee mercies and I cease not to doe thee offenses Thou hauing povver to take avvaye my Life and my Beeing yet doost it not and I hauing no povver to take avvay thine yet as much as it lyeth in mee I attempt to doe it Thou didst cut of the Heade of the Giant and didst breake the Heade of the Serpent to deliuer mee frem Deathe and I subiect myselfe thereunto by offending thee VVho is it that hauing povver to kill his Enemye killeth him not and yet thou vvilt dye that hee may not dye Pardon o Lord my bestiall Vnthankefullnesse and ayde mee vvith thy abundant grace that I may no more returne to fall into so horrible a miserie The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider what motiue I had to Sinne for doubtlesse it encreaseth the greatenesse of the Injurie when it is donne vpon a very light cause and Occasion For why did I offend God For a Litle VVantonnesse of the Flesh for a Punctillo of Honour for a Small Interest of VVealthe for a slight pleasing of myne owne VVill finally for things most vile that passe like Smoke and are as if they were not in Comparison of God And yet beeing such for them I denyed by my VVorkes the liuing God Ad Titū 1.16 and made of them to myselfe an Idoll and false God esteeming them more then the true God crucifying Christe within mee to giue life vnto Barrabas which is Sinne. O my Lorde Ierem. 2.12 Colloquie vvith greate reason sayest thou to the Heauens that they should bee affrighted and to the gates of Heauen that they should breake and breake vvith amazement for tvvo euils vvhich thy People committed and yet I vvretched Sinner haue committed them infinite times leauing thee that art the fountaine of liuing VVater to dravve vvith Labour out of broken Cisternes that cannot containe VVater O Labour ill employed◠O Inconsiderate Chaunge I left the infinite God and the perpetuall Fountaine of infinite and eternall Good for a thing of nothing of Temporall and perishing Good vvhich like a broken Cisterne looseth vnperceaueably the vvater that it holde Gen. 25.34 and remaineth drye O my Soule if the Deede of Esau seeme so vile vnto thee that solde his birth-right for a small Dishe of Pottage Ad Heb. 12. hovv much more vile shall thine bee that sellest thy birt-bright of Heauen for a litle interest of Earthe Hee soulde it to redeeme his Life and thou to sell it incurrest Deathe And if hee founde no place of Repentance to reuoke the sale it vvere very iust that thou also shouldst not finde it seeing thy sinne vvas greater then his But set seeing that Gods mercie is greater approache vnto it vvith Humillitye that hee may defeate by his Grace the euill sale that thou madest by thy Sinne. Finally in this meditation and in the following I am to laye fast holde on this Veritie for it is an incredible follye to beleeue by Faithe what I beleeue and yet to liue in that manner that I liue that is to beleeue that Sinne is so euill as wee haue described it and yet for all this to committe it to beleeue that God is so good and so right a Iusticier and yet notwithstanding to offende him and so in the rest The fourth Pointe THE fourth pointe shall bee to breake out with these Considerations into an exclamation with an Affection vehement and full of Amazemene As that the Creatures haue suffered me I hauing so greiuously offended their Creator and Benefactor Genes 3.24 That the Angells who are the ministers of Gods Iustice haue not vnsheathed their fiery swordes against mee That they haue garded mee and beene the Aduocates of so wicked a man as I. That the Sunne Moone and
Starres haue illumined mee with their Light and preserued mee with their Influences That the Elements the birdes of the Aire the Fishes of the Sea the Beastes and Plantes of the Earthe haue helped to sustaine mee I confesse that I deserue not the Bread I eate nor the VVater I drinke nor the aire I breathe neither am I worthy to lift vp my Eyes to Heauen I haue rather deserued that flashes of fier should discende from thence to burne mee like Sodome Gomorrha or that the Earthe should open and swallowe mee aliue like Dathan Abyron that newe Hells should bee founde and newe Torments inuented to chastize my grieuous Sinnes And seeing that the Goodnesse VVisdome Immensenesse Omnipotencie Liberallitie Beneficence and Charitye of God haue not beene sufficient to bridle mee it had beene Iust that his Iustice should haue appeared to auenge the injuries donne to these diuine Perfections Sap. 5.18 and Soueraigne Benefits and should haue giuen Licence to all Creatures as shall bee giuen at the Daye of Iudgement to take Vengeance on mee for the injuries that I did to the Creator and to them Colloquie to offende him But o my God my Creator seeing that of thy Mercie thou hast thought good to suffer mee adde this benefit to the former thinking it good likevvise to pardon mee Amen The sixt Meditation of the grieuousnesse of Sinne by comparison betweene the temporall and eternall Paines wherewith it is chastised The first Pointe FIrst I am to consider the greiuousnesse of mortall Sinne by comparison with all the paines and miseries that are in this life pondering that it is the cause of these temporall euills God thereby chastizing it most iustly For proofe hereof I may runne in Discourse thorough the exteriour Goods which wee call the Goods of Fortune and thorough those which belong to the Bodye of the which Sinne is the Destruction First it destroyeth Riches God depriuing Sinners of them because they abuse them as hee spoiled the Egiptians of their Iewells and the Iebusites and Cananites of their Countries Sinne likewise destroyeth Honour for whosoeuer taketh as much as lyeth in him the honour from God and from his Neighbour deserueth to loose his owne Honour For this the high Preiste Heli and his Sonnes lost the Honour of Preisthood with their life God saying vnto them Qui contemnunt me 1. Reg. 2.30 1. Reg. 13 14. 15 23. Dan. 4.23 erunt ignobiles They that contemne mee shall bee base Sinne destroyeth the Scepter and the Gouernment For disobedience God tooke from Saul the kingdome that hee had giuen him And Nabuchodonosor with vaine-glorious boasting lost his also liuing seuen yeares like a Beaste God cutting downe that sightly Tree for that his Sinnes deserued not that hee should stand vpright And it is a iust Chastizement that hee should neither haue Dignitie nor Commaunde on Earthe that subjecteth not himselfe to the king of Earthe and of Heauen and that hee should haue no preeminence ouer men who by Sinne makes himselfe like vnto Beastes Besides this Sinne destroyeth the Healthe God chastizing Sinners with manifoldnesse and Varietie of Infirmities and Sores from Heade to Foote Isai 1.6 For hee deserueth not to haue Healthe that employeth it to offende him that gaue it him and whosoeuer hath his Soule sicke beeing albe to heale it is worthy to haue his Bodye sicke and not to bee able to eure it as the Lame man that in eight Ioan. 5.2 and thirty yeares could not bee healed in the Probatiea pond where others were healed Sinne taketh away Content and Alacritie causing a mortall Sadnesse which dryeth the bones giueth a Life worse then Deathe itselfe Thren 3.15 Like vnto the Citty that saide God hath filled mee vvith bitternesse and made mee drunke vvith VVormevvod Or as the miserable king Antiochus that saied 1. Mach. 6.11 2. Mach. 9.11 To hovv much Tribulation and to vvhat VVaues of Sadnesse am I come I that vvas merry and beloued in my kingdome Sinne taketh away Life procuring Deathe by a thousand disastrous meanes Exod. 12 29. 14 27. for the Sinnes of Pharao and his kingdome an Angell killed in one night all the first begotten and another day drowned his Armye of innumerable men And another Angell in the Campe of Senacherib 4. Reg. 19 35. Exod. 32 28. Leuit 10.2 Num. 11.33 2. Reg. 24.13 killed one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand men and many Israelites perished in the Desertes with diuerse straunge kindes of Deathe Finally Sinne causeth those three terrible euills that were offered to Dauid to choose one of them in punishment of his Offence Famine VVarre and Pestilence with the which innumerable men perishe with exceeding greate miserie and rage For Sinne likewise come Earthquakes Tempests at Sea Deluges Fiers Lightenings Haile Stormes and other such chastizements for as Sinne is the Injurie of the vniuersall Creator all the Creatures are Instruments of his Vengeance Then I will applye all this to myselfe beholding my euills and miseries and I shall vnderstand that they haue all come vpon mee justly for my Sinnes that I may knowe and see by Experience as Ieremâ—e saithe how euill Ierem. 2.19 and bitter it is to forsake God and not to feare him And so from the horrour which I haue of these paines I shall extract a horrour of my Sinnes saying to myselfe Seeing thou art so much afraide of temporall miseries Colloquie vvhy art thou not afraide of Sinne vvhich is the cause thereof If thou tremblest at Pouerty and Dishonour vvhy tremblest thou not at Sinne from vvhence they both proceede And if thou flyest the sicknesse of the bodye vvhy flyest thou not the sickenesse of the Soule seeing that endes vvith a temporall Deathe but this hath a Deathe euerlasting O eternall God illuminate mee vvith thy Soueraigne Light that thorough the feare I conceiue of the euills of the bodye I may learne to feele the euills of the Soule The second Pointe SEcondly I am to consider that Sinne is an euill incomparably greater then all the temporall euills that haue beene spoken of and that with them wee cannot paye the leaste parte of the paine that one onely mortal Sinne deserueth pondering some manifest reasons of this Veritie alledged by the Saintes 1. The first for that all the euills that haue beene spoken of depriue of Goods created which are very much limited Ex D. Th. 1. p. q. 48. ar 6. Luc. 18.19 but Sinne depriueth of an Infinite good which is God And as God onely is for Excellencie called Good because the other things created though they haue some goodnesse yet being compared with that of God it is as it were nothing so Sinne onely may bee called absolutely euill and the malice of other miseries is as if it were not in Compatison thereof nor all togither are sufficient to impose vpon mee the title of euill D. Dionis c. 4. de diuinis nominibus if I
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
will consider the extreamest that may bee truely saide of Sinne which is that though the euills of paine onely which are suffered in Hell are so terrible yet it is Incomparably a greater euill then all they In such sort that if one man should suffer the paines of Hell without Sinne and another should haue but one mortall Sinne onely this last should bee more euill and miserable then the other And if all the paines of Hell deuoyde of Sinne were put on one side on the other side one mortall Sinne onely and that I must of necessity choose one of these two I saith S. Lib. de similitudinibus c. 190. Bern. sermo 35. in Cant. Anselme would choose rather to throwe myselfe into Hell then to committe onely one mortall Sinne. And with holy Eleazar I would say Praemitti velle in infernum That I would rather enter into Hell itselfe without Sinne then remaine with Sinne in the VVorlde for the Deathe of Sinne saieth the VViseman is most wicked and the worst that may be Eccle. 28 25. Colloquie Et vtilis potius Inferus quam illa The graue yea Hell itselfe as touching paine is more profitable then it O Infinite God settle this Truthe in my Hearte that I may feare Sinne much more then Hell seeing in truthe there is no vvorse hell then to bee in Sinne. O my Soule bevvaile bitterly thy Sinnes not onely for Hell vvhich thou hast deserued but much more for the greate euill thou hast committed against God Cease presently to Sinne that God may not strike thee vvith a cruell chastizement and vvith the stripe of an Enemye Ier. 30.14 permitting thee to vvaxe obdurate in thy Sinnes to chastise thee vvith neuer ending paines Concerning this last Ponderation it is to bee considered that it is not set downe because it is needefull to make this Comparison For Hell is neuer without Sinne neither can there bee any case wherein Hell may bee chosen not to committe a Sinne but onely that heereby wee may see how greate an euill Sinne is and how worthy it is to bee much more extreemely abhorred then Hell yea allbeeit there were no Hell at all VVhereupon S. Ambrose saithe Lib. 3. de offic c. 4. 5. That there is no paine more greiuous then the VVounde of Conscience nor no Iudgement more rigorous then the Domesticall where with euery one iudgeth himselfe guilty And though the Iust man saieth hee had Giges ring with the which hee might doe what hee would Inuisible yet would hee not Sinne for hee departeth not from Sinne for feare of Punishment but for the horrour of VVickednesse and Loue of Vertue That which in this meditation hath beene declared in generall shall more manifestly bee seene by that which shall bee declared particularly in the ensuing of the Last things of man and in the speciall Punishments that corresponde to the seuen deadely Sinnes Meditations of our last things to mooue vs to a Detestation of Sinnes THE meditations of the last things of man which are Deathe and the Graue Iudgement particular and Vniuersall Hell Purgatorie and Glorye are of most efficacye to moue vs to a Detestation of our Sinnes and to an effectuall Resolution neuer more to retourne vnto them Heereupon saide the Ecclesiasticus Eccles 7.40 Deut. 32 29. In all thy vvorkes remember thy last ends and thou shallt not Sinne foreuer And for the same reason saide Moyses to his People O that they vvere vvise and vnderstood and vvould prouide for their Last thinges giuing to vnderstand That our true VVisdome Vnderstanding and Prouidence consisteth in well meditating and ruminating those things which are to happen to vs in the ende of ouâ— Life and to bee prouided therefore And especially the meditation of Deathe as Experience teacheth vs is very proffitable for all those that walke in any of the three wayes Purgatiue Illuminatiue and Vnitiue wherein all men ought often to exercize themselues though with different endes The Principiants to purge themselues of their Sinnes before Deathe assaile them and take them vnprouided The Proficients to make hast to store vp Vertues seeing the Time of meriting is very short and Deathe cuts it of on a sodaine The Perfect to despise all things created with a Desire to vnite themselues by Loue with their Creator And therefore wee will pointe out Considerations that may proffit all but most especially those that aide to the ende of the Purgatine Life whereof at this time wee entreate The seuenth Meditation of the Properties of Deathe IN this meditation wee will consider some Properties of Deathe and what endes our Lorde pretended in them for our Proffit reducing them to three which are the most Principall The first Pointe THe first Propertye of Deathe is to bee most Certaine Ad Heb. 9.27 from the which none can escape in the time that God hath determined 1. VVherein wee are to ponder first That God our Lord from all eternitye hath determined the yeares of our Life Psal 38.6 and assigned the moneth the Day and Hower wherein euery one is to dye so that it is Impossible sayeth Iob to passe one minute thereof Iob. 14.5 neither is there any King nor Monarke that can adde to himselfe nor to any other one moment of Life aboue that which God hath determined So that as I entred into the VVorlde the same Daye that God would and not before so shall I departe out of the VVorlde the same Daye that God will and not afterwardes That by this I may Vnderstand that what daye soeuer I liue I receiue it of Grace and that those I haue liued haue beene of grace for our Lord might haue assigned mee a shorter time of Life as hee assigned to others that died in their Mothers wombe or in their Infancye And seeing my Life so dependeth vpon God there is just cause why I should spend all the time thereof in his Seruice that gaue it mee holding it for a greate Ingratitude to employe one onely moment to offend him 2. Secondly I am to consider that God our Lord in this his Decree shortned or inlarged the dayes that some men according to their naturall Complezion might haue liued for the secret endes of his soueraigne Prouidence For to some either for their owne praiers or for the praiers of other Sainctes hee inlarged the dayes of their Life as to king Ezechias hee added fifteene yeares 4. Reg. 20.6 because with Teares hee required it And the like hath succeeded to the Deade who miraculously haue beene raized to Life To some others hee shortneth the dayes of their life for one of two endes either for their Saluation Sap. 4.11 cutting them off as the VViseman saithe in their youth lest Malice should chaunge their vnderstanding or lest fiction might deceiue their Soule Or contrarily to punish their grieuous Sinnes and to stop their passages that they might not make an addition of greater Psal 54.24 VVhereupon Dauid fayed
That the men of Blood that is men very wicked and cruell shall not liue halfe their dayes And sometimes hee shorteneth them for Sinnes that seeme but light 3. Reg. 13 19. as it happened to the Propher who beeing beguiled by another did eate in the place where God had commaunded him that hee should not eate Out of all this I will extract a firme Resolution so to order the dayes of my Life that God shorten them not for my Sinnes saying with Dauid Psal 101 25. Call mee not backe o Lord in the halfe of my dayes by a sodaine Deathe but remember that thy yeares are eternall and haue compassion of mine that are fewe The second Pointe THE second Propertye of Deathe is that concerning the Day Place Manner it is most secretly hidden from all men manifest onely to God 1. In the which I will ponder first that wee are not able to knowe the Day nor the Hower wherein wee are to dye neither the Place nor the Occasion nor Seas on wherein Deathe may attache vs nor the manner how wee are to dye whither its hal bee with a naturall Deathe by Sickenesse by what kinde of Sicknesse or whither it shal bee with a violent Deathe by Fier or VVater by the handes of men or by Beastes or by some Lightning or by the tile of a houset hat may fall downe vpon vs. This onely wee knowe that Deathe shall come sodainely or Sicknesse and the Occasion thereof and that when a man is most carelesse Luo. 12.39 1. Ad Thes 5.2 Apoc. 16.15 it comes like a Theefe in the night to scale his house and robbe him of his VVealthe So saieth Christ our Lorde shall the Sonne of man come to scale your house which is the bodye and to robbe and sacke the Soule of it and to giue Iudgement thereof 2. Secondly I will consider what endes our Lord had in this plot of his Prouidence that is to say to oblige vs to bee alwayes watchefull Eccles 9.2 fearing this hower prouiding ourselues for it doing penance for our Sinnes before Deathe seaze vpon vs and making haste to merit Ioan. 12.35 and to labour before our light bee ended least the Candle dye sodainely and wee remaine in the Darke This Christe our Lord concluded in his Parables concerning this matter Sometimes hee saide Matt. 25 13. Matt. 24 42. Luc. 12.40 Vigilate qnia nescitis diem noque horam VVatche daily and howerly because you knovve not the daye nor the hovver of your Deathe Other sometimes hee saide VVatche because you knovve not vvhat hovver your Lord vvill come and bee you readye for at vvhat houre you thinke not the Sonne of man vvill come VVith these wordes I will often exhort my selfe saying Girde thy body with the mortification of thy vices and passions and take in thy handes the burning torches of Vertues and good workes and bee allwayes watchefull expecting the comming of Christe for hee shall come when thou leaste thinkest of it and that hower wherein thou are most forgetfull shall bee peraduenture the hower that hee hath assigned and if hee finde thee not well prouided thou wilt bee miserably deceiued 3. Thirdly I will ponder that all sodaine vnexpected Deathes that haue happened and daily doe happen are remembrances of this Veritie giuen mee by our Lord that I may feare and prepare myselfe for Deathe that striketh euery man may likewise strike mee And therefore when I see or heare say That some dye sodainely by the sworde some by the handes of their Enemyes and other some lying downe to sleepe in good healthe slept the last sleepe of Deathe out of all this I am to drawe feare and aduise for that it may possibly happen that such a kinde of Sodaine Deathe shall light vpon mee 4. VVhereupon I am deepely to consider that any mortall Sinne whatsoeuer if I doe not penance for it deserueth that Gods Iustice should chastize mee with this Deathe as Christe our Lord aduertised to the purpose in two like cases that happened in his time the one That Pilate killed sodainely certaine Galileans the other Lue. 13.2 That the Tower of Siloe fell vpon eighteene men thinke you saithe hee that these men were the greatest Sinners of Galiley or Ierusalem Non dico vobu sed nisi poenitentiam habueritis omnes similiter peribitis No I say vnto you for this hath happened that you may vnderstand that vnles you doe Penance you shall all likevvise perishe as if hee should saye VVhen you see any dye sodainely and of a disastrous Deathe bee not vainely secure saying This happened vnto them because they were greate Sinners for verily I say vnto you that what Sinner soeuer hee bee though hee bee not so greate if hee doe not I enance hee is worthy of Punishment and shall perishe as these perished Then if this bee truthe as indeede it is why doe not I tremble to liue one hower in mortall Sinne in what sorte soeuer it bee VVho can secure mee that the Punishment shall not fall vpon mee that I so justly haue deserued VVho hath excepted mee from this generall threatening that Christe our God menaceth to all Sinners Eccles 30 24. O miserable Sinner bee mercifull to thyne owne Soule and endeuour to appease God with Penance before so horrible miserye light sodainely vpon thee The third Pointe THe third Propertye of Deathe is that it happeneth but once according to that of the Apostle S. Paul Ad Heb. 9.27 Statutum est omnibus hominibus semel mori It is appointed to all men to dye once whereupon it ensueth that the hurt and errour of an euill Deathe being the worst of all hurts is irremediable throughout all eternitie as likewise to die a good Deathe is thoroughout all eternitie durable So that if I once dye in mortall Sinne there is no meanes to remedie this hurt For as Salomon saithe If the tree shall fall Eccles 11 3. when it is cut to the South or to the North in vvhat place soeuer it shall fall there shall it be If by Obstinacye in Sinne it falleth to the North of Hell there is no remedye to recouer grace nor to escape from paine But if by perseuerance in Grace it falleth to the South of Heauen there is no feare of returning againe to Sinne nor of the losse of Glorie VVith the liuely consideration of this and of the former Verities I am on the one side to bee astonished at myselfe that beleeuing this with such certainety of Faithe I doe yet liue so carelesse of my Saluation and so forgetfull in a matter that so much importeth mee And on the other side to animate myselfe to procure with greatest speede Penance and Amendement of Life and feruencye therein humbly beseeching our Lorde to cut the tree of my Life in such time place and in such an occasion that it may not fall to the side of Hell but of Heauen And with all I will
examine as S. Bern. saieth to what side I should fall Serm. 49 paruoruÌ„ if God should now cut mee off and will endeuour to assure my good Successe doing fruites worthy of true Repentance with the which the Tree inclineth to the parte of Glorye and beeing then cut off shall be transplanted therein The experienced Deceites that men suffer concerning these three Verities that haue beene declared shall bee set downe in the twelfth Meditation The eigth Meditation of those things that cause Anguish and Affliction to the Man that is neere his Deathe THose things that may cause mee greate Affliction and Anguish at the hower of Deathe may bee reduced to three rankes Some passed others present and others to come And to haue the more feeling heereof I am to present vnto myselfe that hower as if I were in my bed forsaken by the Phisitions and without hope of Life which is not difficult to perswade for it is possible that while I am saying or reading or thinking vpon this I want no more but one daye of my Life and seeing that one daye must bee the last daye I may imagine that it is this present Daye The first Pointe FIrst I will confider the greate Anguish and Affliction which the remembrance of all things that are passed will cause mee running thorough the most principall 1. First I shall bee greately afflicted with the remembrance of my forepassed Sinnes and of all the Liberties Carnallities Reuenges Ambitions and Couetousnesses that I haue had in the course of my Life Also of the slacknesse in the Seruice of God the negligences and Omissions all the rest of my Sinnes that haue not beene much bewailed and amended I am to imagine that there is at that instant an Armye made of all my Sinnes like as of Bulles Psal 21.13 Lyons Tigers other sauage Beastes that rent in peeces my Hearte or like an Armye of terrible VVormes that gnawe and bite my Conscience and neither the Riches nor Pleasures that I enjoyed can auaile mee to close vp their cruell mouthes for the delight of Sinne beeing past there remaineth nothing but the sharpenesse of paine and seeing I dranke the sweete wine of sensuall Pleasures Psal 74.9 I am forced to drinke the bitternesse of their Lees. Then shall bee fullfilled what Dauid saithe Psal 17.5 The Sorrovves of Deathe haue incompassed mee and the torrents of iniquitie haue troubled mee the sorovves of Hell haue compassed mee on all sides the snares of Deathe haue preuented mee vnawares O what bitter Dolours O what furious Torrents O what pinching Snares shall these beeâ— from the which myne owne forces are so farre from beeing able to deliuer mee that I shall hardely knowe how to make any vse of them for the bitternesse of these Dolours will prouoke mee to Distrust the vehement furye of these Riuers will trouble my Iudgement and the streightnesse of these snares will pinche my Throte that I may not aske pardon of my Sinnes Colloquie the Diuell making vse of all this that I may haue no issue out of them O my Soule bevvaile and confesse vvell thy Sinnes in thy life that they may not disquiet Eccles 5.4 nor torment thee in thy Deathe Say not I haue sinned and vvhat sorovvfâ—â— thing hath chaunched to mee for thy ioye shall soone passe avvaye and the stroke of Sorrovve shall come Loose not absolutely the feare of Sin vvhich thou supposest to bee pardoned leaste that Sinne bud out at thy Deathe vvhich thou bevvayledst but euilly in thy Life These and such other aduises which Ecclestasticus noteth in his fifth Chapter I am to collect from this Consideration with a Resolued minde to begin presently to put them in practize 2. Secondly I will ponder how at that Instant I shall not onely bee tormented and afflicted with the remembrance of my Sinnes but also with the losse of the time that I had to negotiate a businesse so Important as that of my Saluation and with letting slippe many occasions that God offered mee to that ende Then shall I desire but one daye of those many which now I loose in sleeping playing and talking for pastime and recreation and it shall not bee graunted mee Then it shall afflict mee that I haue not frequented the holy Sacraments nor the exercises of Praier that I haue not aunswered diuine Inspirations nor hearde Sermons nor exercized workes of Penance that I haue not giuen almes to the poore to gaine friendes to receiue mee in the eternall habitations that I haue not beene deuoted to the Saintes that in that narrowe streight they may bee my mediators and Aduocates Then shall I make greate Resolutions to doe that which when I might I did not desiring to liue to accomplish them and all peraduenture without proffit like those of the wretched king Antiochus the cruell Persecutor of the lewes who beeing at the pointe of Deathe though hee made greate promises and praiers vnto God 1. Mach. 6.12 2. Mach. 9.13 yet saithe the Scripture That this vvicked man prayed to our Lorde of vvhome hee vvas not to obtaine mercye not that mercye was wanting to God but for that there was wanting to this VVretche a true disposition to receiue it for all those Resolutions of his sprung meerely from seruile Feare and were but to wrest out his bodily Healthe as if hee could deceiue God as hee deceiued men From this Consideration I am to collect that the hower of Deathe is the hower of vnbeguiling in in the which I shall iudge of all things differently from what I doe now Eccles cap. 11.8 holding as the Ecclesiastes saithe for Vanitie that which before I helde for VVisdome and contrarily holding for VVisdome that which before I esteemed as Vanitie And therefore the truest VVisdome is to resolue effectually vpon that which then I would doe and forthwith to accomplishe it For the ordinary Lawe is that hee that liueth well dyeth well and hee that liueth very euilly seldome happeneth to dye well And especially I will make a full Resolution to loose no iotte of Time nor to let slippe any occasion of my proffit Eccles 14 14. remembring that of Ecclesiasticus Be not defrauded of the good day and let not a little portion of a good gift ouerpasse thee but make thy Proffit of all to the Glorye of him that giueth it thee The second Pointe SEcondly I will consider the greate affliction that my Soule shall feele in leauing all things present if I possesse them with an euill Conscience Psal 48.18 or with a disordinate Affection whereupon I am to perswade myselfe that in that hower perforce and in spite of my teethe I am to leaue three sortes of things 1. First I am to leaue the Riches Dignities Offices Delicacies and Possessions that I had and shall not bee able to carrye any thing with mee And the more goods I haue the more bitter it willbee to leaue them For Deathe saieth
I had to Gods benefits aswell generall as speciall as are Sacraments Inspirations c. I shall also bee charged with the euill circumstances that I mixed with my good workes Psal 74.3 For heereupon it is saide That when his Time commeth hee shall Iudge righteousnesse itselfe making a very rigourous examination of those workes that appeare good The second Propertye of this examination is that it shall bee euident to the examined himselfe for the proofe of all these charges shall bee a cleare light where with God will discouer to my Soule all its Sinnes without omitting any one euen those which it had forgotten and supposed were not at all Sophon 1 12. D. Bern. serm 55. in Cantica And heereupon heesaithe by one of the Prophets that hee would searche Ierusalem by candle-light that is to say That hee will not onely Iudge the wicked that dwell in Babylon but also the Iust that liue in Ierusalem and that hee will inflame such a light to searche into their Soules that they themselues may see the very corners of their Consciences Colloquie O hovv afflicted shall my poore Soule finde itselfe vvith so straight rigorous an examination O hovv astonied shall it bee vvith the euidence of so certaine and cleare proofe O eternall God enter not into Iudgement vvith thy seruant Psal 142 2. for none that liue shall bee justified in thy presence Feare o my Soule although thou findest no greate Sinnes in thyselfe for hee that is to examine and Iudge thee is God that seeth more then thou and can finde them Examine thyselfe vvith the greatest rigour thou canst and Iudge rigorously thy selfe for the Sinnes thou shalt finde 1. Cor. 11 31. for if thou iudgest thyselfe vvith Dolour thou shalt no more bee iudged to thy Damnation These are the principall resolutions that I am to collect out of this consideration endeuouring to accomplish them euery night when I make examination of my Conscience or when I am to Confesse mee as in the 28. and 31. Meditations shall bee declared Lastly I am to consider that in this examination God will also discouer to the iust Soule all its good workes wordes and desires yea euen those which it had forgotten 〈◊〉 doubted whither they were good or no. There shall shee see her Obediences and Penances her Praiers and mortifications cheering herselfe much with this viewe for hereupon saide the voice from Heauen Blessed are the deade Apocal. 14.13 vvhich dye in our Lord for their vvorkes folovv them And with this consideration comparing the examination both of good and euill I shall animate myselfe to liue such a Life as in the last examination may bee approoued by God The fourth Pointe FOurthly I am to consider how Christe our Lord in the Instant of Deathe by his lust Sentence depriueth and vnclotheth the wretched Soule of the Sinner of those supernaturall graces and giftes which remained with him after Sinne that hee may without them enter into Hell-fier The terriblenesse of this Sentence and the paine that the Damned shall suffer in this Conflict I may ponder by that which happeneth to a Prieste who hath committed some crime for the which hee deserueth to bee burned For not to disgrace the Sacerdotall dignitye with so Infamous a punishment first a Bishop degradeth him taking of from him one by one his Priestlike garments saying vnto him Seeing thou hast made thyselfe vnworthy of the Honour of a Preiste wee take from thee thy Preistlike Garments and depriue thee of the honour that thou hadst and so beeing degraded they deliuer him to the secular Power who executeth vpon him the punishment of fier that hee deserueth In this manner I may Imagine that Christe our Lord the Bishop 1. Pet. 2.25 and Pastor of our Soules degradeth the Soule of the Sinner to whome hee gaue in Baptisme the dignitie of spirituall Priesthood and adorned him with Sacerdotall habilliments depriuing him of them for that with Sinne hee made himselfe vnworthy of this honour stripping himselfe naked of the principall Vestment of Grace and Charitie First in that Instant God will take from him the light of Faithe which was his Spirituall Girdle saying vnto him Because thou madest thyselfe vnworthy of this girdle and didst not gird thyselfe therewith leading thy Life according to thy beliefe I take it from thee that thou mayest remaine bound hande and foote in perpetuall Darkenesse Then will hee take from him the Vertue of Hope saying vnto him Because thou madest thyselfe vnworthy of this Vertue not making thy proffit thereof I take from thee the hope of those aydes which I had offered thee to carrye the sweete yoke of my Lawe and the Stole and pledges of Immortalitie and eternall life that I had giuen thee and I pull from thee the Maniple of VVeeping and Repentance that thou maiest haue no hope of my pardoning of thy Sinnes and I vnclothe thee of the Amice of my Protection that thou maist neuer more hereafter enjoy it Hee will likevvise take from him the Graces giuen gratis or freelie that hee had Matt. 7.22 of Prophecying and doing miracles saying vnto him For that thou madest thyselfe vnworthy of these Graces vsing them for thyne owne vaineglory treading vnder foote my holy Lawe I dispoile thee of them and of all grace whatsoeuer because for thee there shall bee nothing now bur rigour of Iustice In this sorte the vnfortunate Soule shall remaine with infamous nakednesse fullfilling therein the terrible menaces of Ezechiell Ezech. 23.26 They shall strippe thee of thy Garments and shall take avvay the vessels of thy glorye and they shall leaue thee naked and full of Confusion O what terrible confusion shall the vnhappy Soule suffer when it shall see itselfe stript naked of that which before did adorne it 1. Petr. 2 25. O Redeemer of the VVorlde Prince of Pastors and Bishop of our Soules degrade not nor strip not naked my Soule of the Vestments thou gauest it in Baptisme clothe mee anevve vvith the garment of thy Grace vvhich I haue lost through my Sinne that I may free myselfe from this nakednesse and eternall Confusion Then am I to ponder how the Soule remaineth with one of these Vestments which is D. Tho. 3. p. q. 63 art 5. ad 3. the Character or marke of Christianisme which was giuen it in Baptisme and that of Confirmation and Priesthood if a man receiued these two Sacraments but this shall bee for his greater torment for the Pagans and Moores that shall bee with a Christian in Hell beholding the Signall of an edifice that was begun and not ended shall scoffe at him saying O mad Luc. 14.30 and Inconsiderate man that hadst so much good in thy handes and letst it bee lost thorough thyne owne fault why didst thou not finishe thy building seeing thou hadst so much aide thereunto If wee had beene Christians wee would haue endeuoured to flye from the miserie that now
bee declared in the twentie and fourth meditation meditating vpon the Deathe of the Couetous Riche man and of poore Lazarus which is a liuely Stampe of that which here hath beene meditated The tenth Meditation of that which hapeneth to the Bodye after Deathe and of the Graue ONE of the principall Vtillities that wee ought to collect out of the Meditations of Deaine is that noble exercize of Vertue much like vnto it VVhat mortification is which wee call Mortification which is nothing else but the Deathe of our Passions and disordinate Affections depriuing them of the life they haue in vs endeuouring to represse and burye them vntill they bee turned into dust nothing as Dauid saide Psal 17.38 I vvill pursevve myne Enemies and ouertake them and I vvill not returne vntill they faile I will bruize them vntill I ouerthrowe them and put them vnder my feete Lib. 6. de bono mor tis cap. 3 For this cause saide S. Ambrose That the Iust mans Life is an Imitation of Deathe for his continuall Studye is to kill the carnall Life that hee feeleth in himselfe depriuing himselfe of all those things that his fleshe and his owne will doe most disordinately couet suppressing the desires that sproute out vntill hee remaine as Deade to all that is Sinne according to that of S. Paule Ad Rom. 6.11 Ad Colos 2.20 3.5 Bee you as deade to sinne but aliue to God and seeing you are deade with Christ from the elements of this worlde touche not nor handle not that which shall bee to your destruction but mortifye your members that are vpon the Earthe that is the workes of earthly Life Vncleanenesse Concupiscence Auarice and the rest The practise of this mortisication like vnto Deathe wee will set downe in this meditation whose ende shall bee the Imitation of Deathe itselfe And And all beeit therein wee proceede by the affections of Feare which are most proper to the purgatiue waye yet of themselues those of Loue are most effectuall Cantic 8 6. of which it is saide That it is strong as Deathe and harde as Hel. For that it killeth burieth and defeateth all that is contrarye to its beloued as hereafter wee shall see By the waye also In the 6. part meditation 10. 11 in this meditation wee will put in practize a very proffitable manner of meditating spiritualizing the exteriour things that are perceiued by the Senses applying them to the Interiour and collecting out of them rules and aduises of perfection The first Pointe 1. THe first pointe shall bee to cōsider what my bodye shall bee after it is deade abandoned by the Soule pondering especially three miseries First that it looseth the vse of its members and Senses without euer more beeing able to see heare or speake nor to mooue to one side nor other nor to enjoy the goods of this mortall life Now noe beautifull things nor sweete musicke nor pleasing odours nor sauourye meates nor things that are loft doe any wise affect it all this is to it as if it were not For it hath lost the Instruments which it had whereby to enjoye it and all that it hath enjoyed serueth it to litle proffit The second miserye is to remaine discoloured disfigured deformed horrible stiffe starke and stinking walking with greate haste to corruption In such sorte that it who a litle before recreated the eye with its beautye now puts horror in it with its deformitye From whence proceedeth the third miserye that all leaue it alone in the Chamber in possession of those that are to shrowde it in a sheete and euen those of the house and the dearest friendes holde it for a kinde of pietie to dispatche quickely and to carry it out of doares 2. From this Cōsideration I will collect how assured a thing it is in my life time to doe by degrees somewhat of that which shall afterwardes bee dōne perforce without proffit carying myselfe as deade to the VVorlde to all that is flesh blood procuring to Imitate Deathe in three other things like to the aforenamed mortifying my Senses and depriuing myselfe of the Delightes thereof not onely of the vnlawfull but euen of some lawfull and not necessarye So that like a deade man I am to haue neither feete nor handes nor eyes nor eares nor taste nor tongue for any thing that is Sinne or is against the perfection I professe And for this reason the beautifull and pleasing things of this Life are to bee to mee as if they were not putting them veder my feete Homil. 13. in Euangel beholding as S. Gregor saithe not what they are now but what they shall quickely bee for attyre fleshe in clothe of Golde and in silke neuer so much nor so gaiely yet still it is fleshe Isai 40.6 And what is fleshe but grasse and what is the glorye thereof but the flower of the fielde that withereth with a blaste Finally I am to followe Vertue with a generous minde that like as a deade man complaines not that all flye from him and forsake him so it should bee nothing to mee that the VVorlde for sakes mee flyes from mee and abhorres mee like one deade and crucified rather I am to holde for a happinesse that of the Prophet Dauid Psal 30.12 Those that savve mee fled forth from mee I am forgotten from the hearte as one deade I am made as a vessel destroyed because I haue heard the reprehension of many that abyde round about Colloquie O that I vvere deade in Hearte that I might not porceiue that men vsed mee like one deade Ad Ga lat 6.14 O that I vvere so deade and crucified to all that is in the VVorlde that the VVorlde also holde mee for crucified and deade Graunt mee o svvete IESVS that by the Lavve of thy grace I may die to the Lavve of Sinne Ad Gal. 2.20 to liue to God delighting to bee nailed vvith thee on thy very Crosse so that novv not I may liue but thou in mee vvorlde vvithout ende Amen The second Pointe THe second pointe is to consider the clothing the bed and the Lodging that is prepared for my deade bodye The Clothing for the most parte is in a manner the worst of the house and very slender for it is nothing more but a poore Sheete for a Shrowde without any other more precious Ornaments of silke or of Golde and if they put any of this vpon mee to carry mee to buriall they take it againe from mee before they put mee in the Graue The Bed is the harde Earthe and as the Prophet Isay saithe the mattresses shall bee mothes Isai 14.11 the Couerlets wormes and the Courtaines and Pillowes the bones of other deade And after this fashion shall bee the House and the Lodging for it is nothing but a straight pit of seuen foote long that is built in halfe an hower for the other sumptuous buildings of sepulchres serue
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
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
by vvhose sentence the faint hearted and slothefull perished in the desert vvithout entring into the lande vvhich thou hadst promised them I confesse that for my slothe I deserue to bee cast out of thy house to bee excluded from thy kingdome and beeing bounde hande and foote to bee cast into vtter darkenesse I am grieued o Lord for my former slackenesse deliuer mee from it for they mercie that I may merit to enter into the lande of eternall promise Amen The third Pointe THirdly I will consider the greate benefits that I shall obtaine by vanquishing slothe and imbracing spirituall alacritye and feruour in the seruice of God Mat. 20.12 for First the workes of vertue shal bee easie and sweete vnto mee I shall labour litle and thriue greately encreasing much in a litle time like to those workemen who comming late to the vineyarde laboured so feruently that thy merited as greate rewarde in one hower as the slacke did that had laboured many howers bearing the burthen of the daye and of the heate which burthen they had not felt if they had feruently laboured for the alacritye of the spirit maketh the burthen of the lawe very easye and the yoke thereof very sweete And besides this it augmenteth merites it doubleth the talents receiued it causeth greate peace in the soule and it much assureth Perseuerance to the obtaining of glorye 2 I may likevvise ponder that God our Lord exceedingly delighteth to bee serued with zeale and alacritye for as hee is essentially alacritye itselfe and as all the workes that hee doeth and the rewardes that hee giueth vs are with greate alacritye reioicing in dooing vs good most iustly hee commaundeth mee to serue him and giue him what hee requireth not with yrksomnesse and sadnesse not perforce with repugnancye but with feruencye and alacritye of harte Hilarem enim datorem Psalm 103.31 Psalm 99.2 2. Corin. 9.7 Psalm 36.4 Psalm 50.14 Colloquie Psalm 18.6 diligit Deus For God loueth a cheereful giuer To such a one hee doth greate fauours and heareth the petitions and desires of his hearte And finally hee giueth him a taste of that alacritye that is enioyed in heauen because hee fullfilleth cheerefully Gods will vpon earthe And therefore I am most earnestly to begge of God our Lord this most noble spirit of alacritye in his seruice saying vnto him with Dauid Render vnto mee the ioye of thy saluation and confirme mee vvith the principall spirit O sauiour of the vvorlde that reioycedst like a giant to runne thy carreere though it vvere very sharpe graunte mee that healthe and allacritie of spirit that thou gainedst for mee that I may in such manner runne my carreere that I may merit to gaine an eternall crovvne Amen The XXV Meditation D. Th. 1.2 q. 100. ar 4. 5. seq vpon the ten Commaundements of the lawe of God FOr the ende of this meditation it will much helpe to forme in the imagination a figure like the vision which the Prophet Zacharie had Zachar. 9.1 wherein hee sawe a volume or parchment extended which was ten cubits in breadth and twenty in length wherein were written the sinnes of him that stealeth and of him that sweareth falsely and the malediction that shall therefore light vpon him which volume came flying to his house and destroied it vntill it had consumed all the wood and the stone In the same manner I will imagine before mee a greate booke or parchement very broade and long and in one side thereof I will beholde written my oathes theftes murmurations and all other sinnes that I haue committed against the ten commaundements of the lawe of God for as I goe writing them in the booke of my conscience God goeth writing them in the booke of his iustice to chastize the in his time And on the other side I will beholde written all the maledictions and punishments that God menaceth to such as breake these ten commaundements or any ofthem making comparison betweene the sinnes and the punishments in number grieuousnesse and continuation For if my sinnes bee many the punishments shall bee manye and if they were very grieuous and of long continuance the punishments shall bee very grieuous and of so long continuance that they shall bee eternall And for that chastizements when they are behelde very farre distant terrifye but litle I will imagine that this booke of Gods iustice commeth flying very swiftly to light vpon the house of my soule Volumen volans and peraduenture it is allreadye very neere and will this day light vpon it deathe or chastizement seazing sodainely vpon mee For if I make haste to sinne God will likewise hasten his punishments and make desolate my bodye soule honour wealthe and all that I haue VVith this holesome apprehension I will beseeche our Lord to illuminate my soule that I may knowe the sinnes that are written in this booke and the chastizements that I haue deserued ayding mee with his grace bitterly to bewaile them that with my penance I may blotte out the sinnes and that his mercy may likewise blotte out the maledictions that hee had written against them This beeing presupposed I will begin the meditation discoursing vpon the ten commaundements of the lawe of God with aduertissement that as Cassianus sayeth the commaundements of God haue Collat. 14 two senses one literall and the other spirituall Collat. 14. cap. 11. D. Bonauent opusc de dieta salutis tit 3. sermon de 10. praeceptis tâ—mo 2. Exod. 20.3 The first serueth for ordinarie people that pretende no more but to saue themselues The second for those that desire greater perfection who are not content to flye onely mortall and veniall sinne but also desire to flye whatsoeuer imperfection is contrarie to the ende of the precept And according to this second sense I will declare in what manner wee sinne against euery commaundement The first Pointe FIrst I am to consider what God commaundeth and prohibiteth in his holy lawe and in what sorte wee doe sinne against it running through the ten commaundements and thorough that which spiritually they include within them The first commaundement commaundeth the principall workes that appertaine to the vertue of faithe hope charitie and religion that is to say to adore one onely God to beleeue firmely all such things as hee hath reuealed to his churche to expect those which hee hath promised and to loue him more then all things that are created Against this I may sinne First by idolatrie or infidelitie adoring false Gods or denying that which God hath reuealed or doubting thereof I may likewise sinne as the holy scripture sayeth adoring the idole of mine owne iudgement 1. Râ—g 15.23 Ad Phil. 3.19 Ad Tit. 1.16 and will rebelling against the will of God or holding for my God my belly or money or denying God by my workes or not obseruing due loyalltye vnto him Secondly I sinne in despairing that I shall obtaine heauen or pardon for
may ponder discoursing first of the terrible catalogue that Moyses maketh of these maledictions in two chapters of Deuteronomye Deuter. 27.15 28.16 saying vnto the people that if they broke the lawe of God these maledictions should come vpon them and ouertake them Thou shalt bee cursed in the city and in the feelde Cursed shall bee the fruite of thy wombe and of thy flockes God shall sende downe vpon thee famine and pestilence hee shall chastize thee with pouertye burning feuers colde heate corrupt ayre and rottennesse vntill thou perishe The heauen that is aboue thee shall bee of brasse and the earthe that thou treadest shall bee of iron It shall raine dust vpon thy lande and the ashes of heauen shall fall downe vpon thee Hee shall deliuer thee into the handes of thy enemyes and thy deade bodye shall bee foode for the birdes of the aire and for the beastes of the earthe And in this manner hee goeth on with other horrible maledictions which after hee hath reckoned vp as if they were but litle ones hee saieth God shall augment these plagues adding others that are greater And because the curse of God is not onely in worde but in deede there is none of those that infringe his lawe that shall bee able to escape what God shall inflict vpon him An finally all shal bee ouertaken with that last which Christe our Sauiour shall pronounce at the daye of iudgement Mat. 25.41 the terriblenesse whereof hath already beene declared The effects of these maledictions the miserable people of the Iews had experience of in their time and many of them â—ee experiment in ours which with all are aduises for our amendment for that the desire of this diuine Lawgiuer is not to intangle vs in these maledictions but to terrifye vs that wee may keepe his lawe and bee deliuered from them O most iust lavvgiuer Colloquie I confesse that in very greate iustice the heauen should bee to mee of brasse and the earthe of Iron and that I deserue neither the fauour of earthe Prou. 21.13 Iob. 15.16 Psalm 108.18 Ad Gal. 3.13 nor heauen I deserue that thou shouldst stoppe thy eares against my praier beecause I stoopped mine against thy lavve I haue drunke vvickednesse like vvater and therefore it is reason that malediction should enter like vvater into my bovvells But remember o Lord that thou didst subiect thyselfe to the curses vvhich the lavve cast vpon him that dyed orucified to deliuer vs froÌ„ the curses that are menaced by the lavve Applye vnto mee then the fruite of thy deathe pardoning mee the sinnes that against the lavve I haue committed and freeing mee from the maledictions that for them I haue deseruea 2. I may likewise ponder the chastizements that God inflicteth vpon those that breake the ten commaundements of his lawe as they are â—epresented in the ten plagues of Egipt with the which they are many times punished that are rebells to the commaundement of God as Pharao Exod. 8.6.17.24.9.3.23.10.13.22.12.29.14.24 and his vasialls were there comming vpon them frogs flyes gnattes pestilences and grashoppers thunders lightnings and haile and darkenesse exceeding thicke yea and the Angell of God with his sworde drawen entred their houses killing their first begotten and destroying what they loued most vntill at last the sea of tribulations which giueth free passage to the iust drowneth and strangleth them for their sinnes sinking like leade to the bottome of hell where they shall bee melted tormented in that fier euerlasting 3 And that wee may not imagine that these Plagues touched onely the auncients before the comming of Christe when our Lord was called the God of vengeance there is mention also made of them in the Apocalips Apoâ—al 8.2.15.6 16.1 For Gods prouidence which is benigne to the obseruers of his lawe is rigorous against those that infringe it wherefore hee hath in readinesse seuen Angells with seuen terrible trompets and other seuen with seuen cups full of his wrathe and indignation which they powre out vpon the earthe striking sinners with horrible plagues Colloquie O my soule vvhy doest not thou tremble to trespasse that lavve that hath such terrible and zealous reuengers Hovv is it that thou art not terrified vvith the sounde of these trompets Hovv is it that horrour is not caused in thee vvith the horrible vvine of these cups Hovv art thou not affrighted vvith the dreadfulnesse of these plagues O most mercifull IESVS that receiuedst fiue vvoundes on the Crosse and from heade to foote vvast vvounded theron cure vvith thy precious blood the vvoundes of my sinnes that I may bee free from so horrible plagues 4. Lastly Eccl. 23.12 I will ponder some particular chastiz ements that God threateneth in Scripture to such as breake any speciall commaundements that is to say Eccl. 2.3.12 A man that svveareth much shall bee filled vvith iniquitie and plague shall not depart from his hovvse VVherein are set downe two most grieuous hurtes of this vice which are to fill the house of a man with sinnes and punishments with spiritual and corporall woundes and to lay it euen with the foundations Zach. 5.1 as it is manifest by the malediction of the volume which wee put in the beginning of this Meditation Also against him that despiseth his father Prou. 30.17 and mother hee sayeth That the rauens shall pull out his eyes and the Eagles shall eate them for such a one is not worthy of long life but of an infamous deathe and in the other life the infernall crowes and Eagles shall pull out his eyes blinding him with obstinacye eating his bowels with dolour And in this sorte wee may ponder other chastizemets collected from what hath beene declared in the seuen Meditations precedent The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider the benedictions that God powreth out vpon those that obserue his lawe as well corporall as spirituall benedictions and aswell temporall as eternall 1. This I may ponder first running thorough the catalogue that Moyses maketh of them in the same booke of Deuteronomye Deuter. 28.3 saying to his people that if they obserued the lawe of God all these blessings should come vpon theÌ„ ouertak them Thou shalt saithe hee bee blessed in the citie and in the feilde blessed shall bee the fruite of thy woÌ„be of thy lande of thy flockes Blessed shall thy garners bee and what thou shalt take out of them blessed shall bee thy commings in and goings out and all the workes of thy handes Our Lord shall open his most excellent treasures to inriche thee and his heauen that it may raine vpon thee plentifull showers He shall make thee the heade and not the feete thou shallt bee superiour and neuer inferiour and thy enemies shall fall before thee Our Lord shall exalt thee to bee his holy people and all shall respect thee because thou art fauoured by his holy name These and other benedictions Moyses goeth on with
lawe to those that obserue it and for the experience that I myselfe haue of the greate good I shall get by obseruing it feeling greate peace and serenity of conscience and greate allacritie and confidence in God And contrarilie of the greate euill that befalleth mee when I breake it hauing my Hearte broken with sinnes excessiue feares remorses of conscience and many other miseries And finally because at the houre of deathe nothing will more torment mee then to haue broken the lawe of God nor nothing more content mee then to haue obserued it because vpon this dependeth my damuation or saluation Hereup on I will coÌ„clude as Ecclesiastes coÌ„cluded his booke saying feare God and keepe his Commaundements Cap. vltim 13. for this is the whole man that is to say Heerein consisteth the whole beeing of man and the accomplishment of the obligations of the whole man and whosoeuer faileth heerein faileth in the integritie and perfection of a man and doeth like a beaste The XXVI Meditation vpon the fiue Senses and exteriour Faculties The first Pointe THe first pointe shall be to recall to my remeÌ„brance the sinnes that I haue committed by my fiue senses and exteriour faculties of my bodye accusing myselfe thereof before our Lorde 1 First with my eyes I haue sinned delighting to see beautifull vaine curious or hurtfull things onely for vanitye or curiositye or sensuallitye with immodestye and libertye of fleshe and disedification of others So that many times I sinne in the things that I beholde or in the intention wherewith I beholde them or in the manner of beeholding them carrying faulcons eyes and lightly mouing them to one side and to another My eares I haue had open to heare vaine and curious talke impertinent nouelties flaterings and praises of myselfe murmuringes and detractions of others without reprehending them or stopping them or as much as shewing an euill liking of them when I was obliged thereunto And hauing so much gust in hearing these things I haue beene disgusted to to heare good talke and displeased to heare sermons and the aduises and corrections of those that were obliged to giue me them VVith the smell taste and touching I haue manifoldly sinned in gluttonye and luxurye as hath beene declared in the meditations of these vices 2 But of the sinnes of the tongue what shall I say For some wordes I haue spoken against the due respect to the name of God some against the honour and fame of my neighbour And some to the greate hurt of my soule as appareth by what hath beene set downe in the first pointes of the precedent meditatioÌ„s Other some wordes haue beene vicious by failing in the due circumstances speaking things vndecent for my estate and profession or in places and times prohibited as to talke much in the churche at masse or at sermon time to the scandall of others or when by my rules if I bee religious I am obliged to keepe silence or when I speake after an ill fashion hastily inconsiderately very affectedly and vntunedly In such sorte that considering the sinnes of my wordes I may affirme with the apostle S. Iacob 3.6 Iames that my tongue hath beene vniuersitas iniquitatis a whole worlde of iniquityes where they haue all beene assembled and a fier that hath inflamed and burnt the wheele of my natiuitye thoroughout the whole course of my life 3. VVith these sinnes I may ioyne others of immodestye and disorder in the vse of the rest of the members and exteriour faculties as are ouermuch laughter scorning mocking and light gestures of the heade feete or handes or going affectedly vntuâ—edly and ouerhastily and other such like which shewe but small grauitye Eccles 19.27 of which the VViseman saieth That the attire of the bodye the laughing of the teethe and the going of a man discouer what hee is and what vertue hee hath Pondering these sinnes I am greately to confounde myselfe for hauing so much abused the faculties that God gaue mee vsing them for my owne pleasure pampering and honour Colloquie O greate god hovv hast thou suffred in mee so greate disorder O miserable man hovv is it that thou hast dared thus to denounce vvarre against God! The seconde Pointe THen will I consider the greate hurt that commeth to mee by these senses ill guarded and vnmortified 1. For first they are the gates and windowes whereby as the Prophet Hieremye saith the deathe of sinne entreth into the house of my Soule Hierem. 9.21 destroyeth the life of grace and suffocateth the vitall heate of charitye for by them enter the temptations of the diuells who like theeus robbe the house of my conscience dispoiling it of the guiftes of God and of all vertue whereupon saithe the same Prophet Thren 3.51 My eye hath robbed my soule For as the eye robbed Eua of her Originall iustice Dyna of her virginitye and Dauid of his chastitye and iustice so it robbeth mee sometimes of my temperance sometimes of my deuotion And the like doeth the eare and tongue Prou. 25.28 For as a citty beseeged by enemies if the gares bee left open and vngarded is entred sacked and destroyed so is the soule that hath no garde ouer its senses 2 These also giue entrance to the images and figures of visible things which disquiet the imagination and memorie with distractions and vagations these disorder the appetites with disagreement of passioÌ„s and disturbe the hearte casting vs out of it And for this cause likewise it is truthe that my eye robbeth my soule because it robbeth my attention cogitation and affection causing my soule not to bee so much within mee as out of mee in the thing that it meditateth and loueth And I myselfe likewise by theses portes issue out of myselfe to wander thorough the whole worlde and after mee issueth out the spirit of deuotion praier and contemplation So that when I would returne to enter into myselfe I hitte not the right way nor finde anie quietnesse in mine owne howse because of the tumultes that I experiment therein and from hence procede innumerable defectes and damages in praier and the priuation of the fauours of heauen for God is not pleased to put the liquor of his giftes Deuteâ— 19.15 Aggei 1.6 in a vessell that hath no coouer and that in fiue partes is full of holes 3. Finally greate are the chastizements that God hath inflicted vpon those that haue beene notably rechlesse in the garde of their senses and tongue giuing them liberty against the precepts and counsells of Gods lawe as may appeare by what hath beene related in the precedent meditation VVhereupon saithe Ecclesiasticus Eccl. 28.28 hedge in thy eares with thornes and hearken not to the euill tongue make a dore for thy mouthe and a locke for thy eares take heede thy tongue slippe not and thou fall before thy enemies for thy fall may bee irremediable and the cause of thy death sometymes of thy temporall death and sometymes
of thy eternall in hell where the fiue senses as allready hath beene noted shall suffer incredible torments in chastizement of their vnbrideled appetites Therefore o my soule shut the dores and vvindovves of thy senses if thou vvillt not haue deathe disorder enter in thereat Stoppe and bridle thy mouthe that thyne ovvne tongue doe not kill thee Hedge in thy eares vvith Thornes that others mens tongues doe not pricke thee dravving from vvhat thou hearest sinnes of thyne ovvne The third Pointe THe third Pointe shall bee Mortification of the Senses to consider the greate good which the holy curbing and mortification of the the senses bringeth with it First for that besides shutting the dore against so many euills as haue bene spoken of it openeth it for the spirit of God to enter into the soule which willingly inhabiteth in soules mortified to the fleshe and to the delightes of the senses It likewise openeth it to let in the spirit of praier deuotion and contemplation for our Lord loueth to conuerse with soules that are inclosed gardens and there hee speaketh vnto their hearte conforting and communicating vnto them his giftes And for this cause when wee pray Math. 6.6 hee commaundeth vs to enter in to the closet of our hearte and to shut after vs the gate of our senses that nothing may enter in to disturbe our praier to interrupt the conuersation wee haue with our celestiall Father 2. Besides this the senses when they doe their actes according to the will of God which is the ende of their mortification are the dores and windowes whereby life entreth and what they seee and heare taste and speake aydeth them to obtain the spiritual life of grace and augmentation therof From whence I am to inferre what S. Iaâ—ob 3.11 Iames the apostle saithe That as a fountaine giueth not forth out of one hole sweete and sowre water so from the selfe same tongue ought not to procede blessing and cursing good wordes to blesse God and euill wordes to curse our neighbour but all ought to bee good wordes pleasing to God profitable to my neighbour and sweete to my owne conscience and in like manner in at the selfe same eyes and eares ought not to enter life and deathe but they ought allwaies to be shut to all that is an occasion of deathe and open to that which should giue mee life herein consisteth their true abnegation 3. To this I am to adde that the modestie and mortification of the senses is a signe and testimony of the interiour vertues it much edifieth our neighbours and casteth from it such a fragrancie that it filleth the house of the Churche Ex D. Ambr. lib 2. de virginibus and religion with good credit and renowne for as a good portall honoreth the house and giueth a desire to enter in to see what is within so the modestly and composing of the senses and exteriour membres is the most beautifull portall of vertue and a religious life making it so amiable that it prouoketh a desire to enter in to enjoy what interiourly is inclosed within it wherupon saide S. Ad Phil. 4.5 Paul That our modestie should bee manifest to all men for that God is nigh and present with vs and in the presence of so potent a king all wee his seruauntes ought to carrie our selues very modestly Finally the fiue senses shall receiue in heauen as afterward shall be seene particular crownes of glory with greate pleasure in rewarde of the mortification that they suffered on earthe And so with the hope of all these benefits I will encourage myselfe to mortyfie them with greate feruour I wil conclude this meditation with a sweete colloquye with our Lord Christ crucified pondering the mortification of his fiue senses which hee suffered on the Crosse The which on the one side was most holy casting forth resplendent rayes of admirable vertues and on the other side was most paineful with the mixture ofterrible dolours which hee suffered for the sinnes that I with my fiue senses committed And discoursing how his eyes were obscured with spittle his eares tormented with blasphemyes his smelling with the smell of mount Caluarye his taste with gall and vineger and his touching with VVhippes thornes and nailes beeing compassionate of all this I will say vnto him Colloquie It grieueth mee o svveete Sauiour for the sinnes that I vvith my fiue senses haue committed for the vvhich thine vvere so direfully tormented by the dolours vvhereof pardon I beseeche thee the many sinnes of mine With the blood that issued out of thy fiue precious vvoundes vvashe the staines that haue issued from these my fiue impostumated fountaines Cease novv o Lord their abhominable current and ayde mee vvith thy grace to destaine it that imitating the mortification that thou didst exerctze in thy life and sufferedst in thy deathe I may meritte to obtaine thy glorie Amen The XXVII Meditation vpon the Interiour Faculties of the Soule The first Pointe THe first pointe shall bee to consider the vices and sinnes that haue their particular seate in the vnderstanding and the hurtes that proceede therefrom examining that parte which appertaineth to mee in euery one of them which may in all bee reduced to seuen 1 The first is D. Th. 2.2 q. 77. ignorance of those things that I am obliged to knowe as are those which I ought to beleeue to aske to receiue and to doe which are included in the creede and praier of pater noster in the sacraments and in the commaundements of God and in the other obligations proper to euery mans estate and office for I can but ill accomplishe them not vnderstanding them And as S. 1. Corin. 14.38 Paul saieth if any man knowe not hee shall bee vnknowen God saying vnto him I knowe thee not VVith this vice ciphreth much the culpable forgetfullnesse of God and of his lawe and of such things as I may and ought to remember of which wee may likewise say that whosoeuer forgetteth shall bee forgotten for if I sinfully forget God and his things God willbee forgetfull of mee and mine 2 The second vice is Imprudence D. Tho. 2.2 q. 53. oâ— Precipitation VVante of consideration in those things that I haue to doe or say casting myselfe into them with violence of passion without first considering whither they bee lawfull or vnlawfull or without taking concerning them conuenient counsell From whence proceede innumerable errours and defectes in all the matters of vertue 3 The third Vice is Temeritie 2.2 q. 60. ar 3. in iudging the sayings and doings of my neighbours condemning them or supecting amisse of them without sufficient foundation wherein I doe iniurie to God our Lorde vsurping his authoritie and interposing myselfe to iudge that secret that is properto his tribunall I likewise doe iniurie to my neighbour condemning him without sufficient reason therefore and I doe hurt to myselfe for ordinarily I come to fall into that
and humbly to subiect mee to vndergoe what penaunce soeuer that reason shall dictate and the Confessor shall impose vpon mee And dolour as an executioner is to torment mee breaking Psal 4.5 and shiuering my hearte for the offences I haue donne to my creator These foure Iudiciall actes am â—to doe within the hall of my hearte quickening them with the considerations which to this ende are ordained Iob. 23.4 35.14 Isai 43.26 and much more with the remembraunce of the presence of God the iudge of the quicke of the deade whom I am to beholde seated in the Throne of his maiestie as in the 9. Meditation hath beene declared for that the viewe of this most righteous Iudge will bee a cause to make mee doe it with greater diligence The first Pointe FIrst I am to consider D. Tho. 3. p. q. 90. act 2. that our Lord Christ would that our owne actes should bee partes of this sacrament to witte contrition confession and satisfaction which aunswere to the three sortes of sinning by thought worde and deede that I myselfe might concurre to the grace of my Iustification and that seeing I sinned with my actes with the same I might dispose myselfe to receiue my pardon And now that it hath beene the good pleasure of our Lorde to ennoble my actes making them the Instruments of his grace it is reason that I should exercise them with the greatest excellencie that I may Eccles 33 23. labouring as the VViseman saithe to bee in them superexcellent requiring of the three Persons of the Godheade particular fauour for euery one of them Of the holy Spirit to whome is attributed Charity I will begge contrition of hearte beseeching him that hee will kindle in my soule the fier of his loue from the which may proceede such a dolour as may consume all the drosse of my sinnes Of the SoÌ„ne of God who is the word of the eternal Father to whome is attribued wisdome I will begge light to knowe my sinnes and such humble wordes to coÌ„fesse them that I may bee purified and cleansed of of them Of the eternall Father to whome is attributed Power I will begge force for the workes of satisfaction with perseueraunce vntill I haue paide all the paines that I owe for my sinnes Colloquie O most blessed Trinitie assist in my hearte in my lippes that I may vvorthily confesse all my sinnes and obtaine compleate remission of them Amen Then am I to consider all that is necessarie to exercize these three actes with greate perfection discoursing of euery one of them The Second Pointe 1. AS coÌ„cerning the first acte Of Contrition which is sorrowe for sinnes I am to procure to haue it the most perfect that may bee not contenting myselfe with an imperfect sorrowe which they call Attrition proceeding from feare of the paines of hell but procuring the perfect sorrowe which they cal ContritioÌ„ and procedeth from the loue of God aboue all things as before hath beene saide And this sorrowe must bee the greatest that possiblie may bee because it is the measure of the grace that is giuen in this sacrament So that if the sorrowe bee imperfect and little the grace shall bee litle if it bee perfect and greate the grace shall bee greate for looke as sorrowe encreaseth so shall grace and if there bee no sorrowe no grace shall bee giuen And therefore the principall parte of this preparation consisteth in the perfectioÌ„ of sorrowe vnto the which I am to mooue myselfe with the coÌ„siderations that were set downe in the fift Meditation and with some similitudes deduced out of holy scripture to mooue vs vnto the teares of loue 2. Of the teares of loue Hierem. 6.26 Sometymes it telleth mee that I should weepe bitterly as a mother weepeth for the deathe of her onely begothen vpon whome shee had laied all her loue and repose so will I weepe for the spirituall deathe of my soule which is my onely one and by reason is much to bee loued yet I myselfe haue cruelly slaine her by sinne and subiected her to deathe euerlasting And seeing I haue so greate a feeling of the losse of those things that I loue a much greater feeling am I to haue of this because it is the greatest of all and herein teares are well employed For a mother let her weepe neuer so much shee shall not giue life to her sonne that is deade but I with the teares of Contrition shall obtaine life for my deade soule O infinite God Colloquie I am very much greaued for the iniurie I hune donne thee by killing vvith sinne the soule that thou gauest mee and seeing it is more thine then mine haue mercie vpon it Deliuer my soule from the svvorde of death Psalm 21.21 my only one from the dogg of Hell that I may liue to thee and confesse thy holy name amen 2 I will likewise weepe for my sinnes because with them I haue killed the only begotten Sonne Zacha. 12.10 Ad Heb. 6.6 who through excellencie meriteth this name Christ Iesus my Lord whome within myselfe I haue crucified againe and haue as much as lieth in me giuen occasion that he should die O only begoten Sonne of the Father I am exceedingly sorroufull for my sinnes Colloquie for hauing binne thereby a cause of thy death returne a Lord to liue in my soule vvith thy grace seeing thou dydst die to giue it life 3 Othersometimes it telleth mee that I should weepe like a Bride that hath by death lost her beloued spouse vpon whome depended her whole remedie and reliefe thereby remaining a widowe poore and abandoned And so will I weepe for my sinnes by the which I haue lost God the spouse of my soule and with him haue lost the iewells of his grace and Charitie and the giftes that he had giuen me remaining like a widowe not able to engender children of good workes merittes of life euerlasting but abandoned Colloquie and left dessolate without the protectioÌ„ of so sweete a spouse O if my harte vvould shiuer and breake vvith the force of dolour for hauing lost such a spouse such Ievvells and such amiable protection And yet notwithstanding if I perceiue that my harte is still hardned and melteth not with the considerations of loue Ex D. Bern. serm 16. in Cant. I will make vse of those of feare before mentioned that feare as S Barnard saieth may quickne me and open the dore to loue excitetur vt excitet Let feare be awakned that it may awake me Feare o my soule the face of the Iudge whome the powers of heauen doe feare the wrathe of the Omnipotent the face of his furie the noise of the worlde that shall perish the fire that shall burne it the voice of the Archangell and the most rigorous wordes of the finall sentence Feare the teeth of the DragoÌ„ the belly of Hell the roating of fierce beastes that stand readie to
it with mentation of grace and glory 4 Finaly I am to make another most effectuall resolution to amend my life and no more to returne to the sinnes that I haue committed For if this purpose be wanting the Contrition is fained the Confession sacrilegious the satisfaction litle auailable and the absolution of no effect for his sinnes are not remitted to him that hath a purpose to returne vnto them and though it were but a veniall sinne it shall not be pardoned vnlesse there bee a purpose of amendment of it 1. VVith this preparation conseruing these holy Affections and purposes I may securely come to this holy saerament putting in practise what I haue determined with a defire to renew my life to make a great change therein Hierem. 31. iuxta 70. D. Hier. ibi cogitationes operibus tunge imagining that that of the Prophet Hieremie is spoken to me Get thee vp to a watch tower set before thee thy bitternesses bewailing bitterlie thy sinnes direct thy harte in the right way wherein thou wast wont to walke da cor tuum super humeros tuos And put thy haite vpon thy shoulders taking with loue the yoke of obedience to fulfill what God and his ministers shall commande me The xxxii Meditation of Thankes-giuing after Confession Hauing ended the ConfessioÌ„ of my sinnes receled AbsolutioÌ„ it is very coÌ„uenieÌ„t to giue some litle time to the Confession of praises for the fauour that God hath donne me for both Coufessions our Lord exacteth of vs according to the saying of the Prophet Oseas Oseae 14.3 Turne o Israel to the Lord thy God seeing thou hast fallen thorough thine owne Iniquitye take wordes with you and conuert you to our Lord saying vnto him Take from vs o Lord all our sinne receiue our good Intention for wee offer vnto thee the calues of ourlippes that is in steede of the ealues which of olde they offered thee in sacrifize wee offer vnto thee now the calues of wordes confessing our sinnes that that thou maiest remitte them and confessing thy mercyes when thou hast remitted them Psalm 49.23 This sacrifize of praise as Dauid saithe honoreth God much and in it consisteth the waye and meanes to obtaine perfect healthe which is coÌ„firmed thereby to the gratefull is ordinarily much debilitated in the ingratefull Luc. 17.17 To this ende it will helpe to consider how much our Lord Christe was pleased with the leprous Samaritan who going to present himselfe to the preist was cured as hee went of his leprofie and forth with returned backe to giue thankes for the health that was giuen him contrarily how much hee was displeased with his other nine companions who hauing receiued the like benefit retourned not to acknowledge it and to giue vnto God the Glory which thy owed him as wee shall farther consider in the meditation of this miracle Therefore hauing ended my Confession I will recollect myselfe in the Churche before the most blessed Sacrament or in some other conuenient place where beeing set in the presence of the euer-liuing God I will reuiue the Faithe of the fauour hee hath donne mee wherein with my bodily eares I haue heard that fauorable sentence and most sweete word I absolue thee Psalm â—0 10 D. Thom. 2.2 quastiâ— 107 art 2. A worde powerfull to doe what it signifieth to giue ioye to my eares and gladnesse to my humbled bones And so trusting in the goodnesse and mercye of God that hee hath made good and ratified this sentence I will endeuour to exercize three actes of thankes giuing which are to acknowledge the benefit to praise God for it and to offer vnto him some seruice The first Pointe FIrst I will ponder in my heart the manifolde benefits that in this holy sacrament I haue receiued of the which the prophet Dauid made a breife catalogue by waye of praise in the 102. Psalme Psalm 102. and they may bee reduced vnto sixe The 1. is to pardon mee all my sinnes not onely the confessed but also the forgotten sinnes and those which without my fault I could not haue knowledge of The 2. is to heale the spirituall Infirmities of my soule as are vices and passions heauinesse and feares and other afflictions putting a moderation in all according to reason The 3. is to deliuer mee from the eternall Deathe whereunto I was condemned by my sinne and from the most bitter deathe which the priuation of Gods grace bringeth with it The 4. is to crowne mee with mercye and the workes of mercye fauoring mee to gaine the victorie of temptations wherwith I haue beene and shall bee combated delinering mee from other innumerable miseries and offering mee his ayde that I may no more retourne to them The 5. is to fill my desier with good things giuing mee his grace and Charity with the rest of the vertues or newe augmentation ther of The 6. is to renewe my youth like the eagle vnclothing mee of the workes and customes of the olde man clothing mee with those of the newe man and restoring vnto mee the first feruour-of spirit with newe gladnesse of my hearte to exercize newe workes of vertue with greate perfection These benefits our lord for his parte graunteth to those that confesse themselues as they ought Ex D. Tho. 1.2 q. 106. act 2. And so much the greater are the benefits by how much more freely they are giuen without any merit of ours and in this behalfe the true penitent ought to bee the more gratefull And with this spirit I will greately exagerrate the infinite liberalitie of God towardes mee and with a silence of admiration I will yeilde myselfe vanquished thereby The second Pointe THen will I breake out into a canticle of praise with greate affection saying the wordes of this Psalme Psalm 102. Blesse our Lord o my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name blesse our lord o my soule and bee not forgetfull of the fauour that hee hath donne thee hee remitteth all thy sinnes and healeth all thy Infirmities hee redeemeth thy life from deathe and crowneth thee with mercy and mercifull workes hee filleth with good things thy desire and like an eagle reneweth thy youth hee hath not chastized mee according to my sinnes nor inflicted on mee that punishment that my iniquities deserued as farre as the east is distant from the west so fare hath hee put from mee all my Impieties as the father hath compassion of his children so our lord hath compassion of those that feare him for hee well knoweth our weakenesse and the masse wherof we were formed Colloquie O God of my soule if the mercies are so greate that thou hast donne mee vvhat shall I doe not to hee behinde kande in thankes giuings I desire to procure vvith thy Aide that vvhich thou hast begun in mee by thy mercy and seeing thou hast pardoned my sinnes I vvill neuer more retourne vnto them Seeing thou hast deliuered
55. § 12. Of the ordinarie and extraordinarie time that is to be imploied in mentall praier and of iaculatorie praiers pag. 64. § 13. Certaine aduertisments concerning the meditations ensuing pag 70. The first part of the meditations of sinnes and of the last endes of man vvith formes of praier apprropriated to those vvhich vvalke in the Purgatiue waye to purifie them selues of their vices The introduction concerning puritie which is the end of the meditations of the purgatiue waie 75. The first fundamentall meditation of the end wherfore man and all things that serue him were created pag. 78. The II. meditation of the grieuousnes of sinne by the examples of the sinne of the Angels of Adam and other particulars pag 88. The III. medit of the multitude of sinnes and of the grieuousnes of them for being so many and contrary to reason 100. The IV. meditat of the grieuousnes of sinne by the basenes of man that offendeth God and by the nothing that he hath of his owne 104. The. V. meditat of the grieuousnes of sinnes by-the greatenes of the infinite maiestie of God against whome they arcommitted 108. The VI. meditat of the grieuousnes of sinne by comparison betweene the temporall and eternall paines wherewith it is chastized 116. Meditations of our last things to mooue vs to a detestation of sinnes 125 The VII meditat of the properties of death 116. The VIII meditat of those things that cause Anguish and affliction to the man that is neere his deathe 131. The IX meditat of the particular iudgment that is to bee made of the soule in the instant of death 140. The X. meditat of that which hapeneth to the body after death and of the graue 154. The XI meditat of the remembrance of death of the dust whereinto wee shall bee conuerted in the graue 162. The XII meditat of the most griueous deceites and daungers which the forgetfulnes of death bringeth with it and of the manner how they are to be remedied 167. The XIII meditat of the generall iudgment and of the signes and thinges precedent to that day 175. The XIIII meditat of the resurrection of the dead and the comming of the Iudge and what he wil doe before he giue sentence 183. The XV. meditat of the sentences in fauour of the good and against the wicked and of the execution of them 196. The XVI meditat of Hell as concerning the eternitie of the paines and the terriblenes of the place and of the inhabitants thereof and the tormentors 212. The XVII meditat of the paines of the senses exterioure faculties and of the paine of losse or damnation which is suffered in hell 222. Other meditations and manners of praier to obtaine puritie of soule and parfect mortification of her vices and passions 230. The XVIII meditat of Pride and vaine glorie 232. The XIX meditat vppon the vice of Gluttonie the vertue of Temperance 239. The XX. meditat vpon the vice of Luxurie and the vertue of Chastitie 244. Actes of perfect Chastitie 247. The fauours and rewardes of perfect Chastitie 249. The XXI meditat of Auarice 252. The XXII meditat of vvrathe and Impatience 258. The XXIII meditat of Enuie 263. The XXIV meditat of Slothe 268. The XXV meditat vpon the ten commaundements of the lawe of God 273. The XXVI meditat vppon the fiue Senses and exteriour faculties 287. The XXVII meditat vppon the interiour faculties of the sowle 293. The XXVIII meditat wherein is set downe a forme of praying making euery night an examination of the conscience 301. The XXIX meditat wherin is set downe another forme of praying at three times of the day making a particular examination of some one vice to pull it vp by the rootes 307. The XXX meditat of the excellencies of the holy sacrament of confession of the vertues that are exercised therein and of the graces that are receiued 313 The XXXI meditat of preparation to receiue the holy sacrament of penance 320. The XXXII meditat of thankes giuing after confession 328. The XXXIII meditat of the most blessed Sacrament of the altar before Communion 333. The XXXIV meditat of spirituall Communion which is a disposing for sacramentall Communion and for hearing masse profitably 340. The XXXV meditat of thankesgiuing after Communion 345. The XXXVI meditat of purgatorie to encourage vs to the workes of penance 351. A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATter 's contained in this first part Abstinence Acts and rewards of it pag. 242. Adam How great his fault was pag. 91. Adoration How it must be made to God at the entering into praier pag. 32. Affections Those of deuotion be the ende of meditation 11.52 Affections of the loue of God 25. Affections of deuotion be of three sorts 53 affections of sinners that be repented 76. Ambition It is the doughter of pride and the acts thereof 234. Angells The euill fell thorugh pride 88. How wee may talk to them in praier 20. They assist those that pray 74. They especially assist those that be chast 249. Angre The acts and punishments thereof and the rewards of those that doe mortifie the same 359. Ashes See Lent Aspirations How wee may pray with them 49. Attention in praier The meanes to get it and to resist distractions 35. Auarice The acts damages and chastisments of it 252. The benefits of mortifying it 255. S. Augustine His counsel to those that loue God 2.3.5 His order of mental praier 14. Author The autor of this woork hath drawen it from three principall fountaines 6.7.8 Benedictions Promised to those that keepe the lawe of God 282. Benefits That come of mortifying pride 137. That come of mortifying Gluttonie 242. of chastitie 249. of mortifying Auarice 255. of mortifying wrath 261. of mortifying Enuie 267. of mortifying Sloth 272. Of God towardes vs. 111. Blessinge See Benedictions Canticles VVhat spirituall canticles bee 16. Charitie The acts thereof to be practised in communicating 344. Chastitie The acts and excellencies the fauours and rewards thereof 247. Colloquie See Speeches Commaundements See Lavve of God Communion The manner how to prepare our selues worthelie for sacramentall Communion 333. The manner of communicating spiritually 340. The manner of thankesgiuing after Communion 345. Confession The excellencies of sacramentall confession 313. The vertues that at practised in it 315. It is a greate meanes to surmounte tentations 316. The manner how to prepare our selues vnto it 320. The manner of giuing thanks after it 328. Confidence in God See Hope Conscience How we must heare thee good inspirations and instructions of it and how it will accuse vs in our particular iudgment 145. and how in the vniuersall iudgment 196. Consolation See delite spirituall Contrition VVhat it is and wherein it consisteth 108.305.322 Conuersion That towards God how perfect it must bee 76.77 Death The properties of it 126. It is hastened somtimes for our sinnes 127. Three thinges must afflict in it 131. VVhat passeth therein with
fower things 9.10.11 The order of mentall praier according to S. Augustine 14. Two principall ends of mentall praier 14.17 How in it we may haue conference with our owne soule with our B. Ladie Angels and other Saincte 19. what vertues accompanie mentall praier and the excellencie thereof 21 23. VVhat the matter of mentall praier is 23. How it is reduced to there orders fit for three estates of those that meditate 24. Entrance in to praier how it ought to be made 29. How we may aide our selues with our imaginations tongue and other faculties for mentall praier 40. The examination of praier ended and the fruites thereof 43. Diuers formes of praier in diuers matters accommodated to sundry persons times 46. How mentall praier may be vsed of some without manifoldnes of discourses 52.53 Formes ordinary extraordinary of mentall praier and how diuersly God communicateth himselfe therein Presence The presence of God necessarie to be had by vs in praier 20. Pride The acts and punishments of it 233.235 Profit Spirituall profit and aduancement is gotten by dooing and suffering 26. Prouidence That of God towards such as resigne them selues to him 86. Psalmes Interiour psalmes what they be 15. Punishments Punishment of the Angels that sinned 89. Of our first parents 92. Of anie mortall sinne 94.116 That which Christ suffered for sinnes 96. Punishments of pride 235. Of gluttonie 240. Of luxurie 245. Of auarice 154. Of Of wrath 259. Of enuie 295. Of slothe 270. Of those that breake Gods comaundements 279. See paines Purgatorie The terriblenes of it with other circunstances of the soules that be therein 35â— How godly a thing it is pray for the soules that be there 358.359 Puritie Purenes of heart is the end of the purgatiue way 75. Purposes Good purposes and determinations how they ought to bee made by vs in the morning at praier time 308. Reading In reading of good bookes God speaketh vnto vs. 70. It is the first steppe of the spirituall ladder 74. Religion It with three waies thereof is a spirituall imitation of death 157. Resignation That which we ought to haue in the vse of thinges created 85 Resurrection The generall of all men with many circumstances 183. Reuerence That which is due to God in praier 31. Satisfaction Of that which we must make for our sinnes and meanes to stire vs vp vnto it 326. Scripture Holiescripture the principall fruite of spirituall science pag. 7. Seeing How God is seene spirituallie and what is seene in him 57.58 Senses Sinnes of our corporall exteriour senses and their chastisements 287. Mortification of them 291. Internall spirituall senses 56. Sinne. It is most contrarie to ouâ— last end 87. The griuousnes of it by diuers examples 88. By the paines that Christ endured for them 96. By the multitude of them and for the being against reason 100. By the basenes of them that committeth them 104. by the greatnes of God against whome they are committed 108. By the vile motiue that induceth to sinne 115. By compariâ—on betwixt the temporall and eternall paines thereof 116. It is worse then all the euils of paine laide together that are suffered in hell 123. Of the seauen called deadlie sinnes by order 230. Sinnes against the commaundements of God 273. Senses and sinnes of them and of the tongue 287. Sinnes of the vnderstanding 293. Those of our owne selfewill 296. How much veniall sinnes is to bee abhorred for feare of purgatorie 352. Sloth what it is the acts and harmes and chastisement thereof 268. The reward of him that mortifieth it 272. Smelling How we doe spiritually smell God 60. Sorovve Sorowe for sinnes some riseth of loue 322. Some of feare preparing vs to that other sorowe of loue 323. Speeches Colloquies or speeches how they must bee made in praier with God 11.17 with ourselues with our B. Lady Angels and Saintes 19. Talke How we may talke with God in mental prayer 14. Talke with God cause of greate good 21. Talke of God with vs what it is and what it woorketh 22.59 See Speeches Tâ—st How wee doe tast God spirituallie 61 Teares Those of loue and feare how they are obtained 322. Temperance See Abstinence Tentations Those that be against praier and their remedies 39. Thankesgiuing VVhat they are 16. The acts thereof and how to bee practised after Confession 328. How euerie day in the examination of our consience 302. How after communion 345. Thinges The last thinges of man mouing vs effectuallie to detest sinne 125. Tongue The sinnes thereof and the manner how to mortifie it 288.291 Touchinge How wee doe and may touch God with vnion of loue 62. Vaine glory The acts and hurtes thereof 233. Vertues They ar not obtained by consideration only but by mortification of our vices 231. Vices See Sinnes Virginitie See Chastitie Vnion Diuers formes and manners of it pertaining to contemplatiue life 62. VVayes Three wayes Purgatiue Illuminatiue and Vnitiue accommodated to three states of persons â—4 VVill Selfe will what acts it hath the harmes and punishments thereof and meanes how to mortifie it 295.296 VVoorde That of God with what spirit to be ruminated 48. VVrath See Anger Faultes escaped in the printing Pag. 52. contended reade contented p. 53. then them p. 51. him hir p. 172. the thee p. 194 wich with p. 195. regaled recaled ibid. vould would ibid. out our p. 196. perfocre perforce ibid. accumsemee accuse mee ibid. the them p. 202. whosoeuet whosoeuer ibid. mother mother ibid. haut haue p. 203. peruersc peruerse p. 204. thee the. p. 206. haut haue p. 207. danmed damned ibid. neighbout neighbour ibid. hec her p. 210. might night ibid. on wicked on the wicked p. 212. his this ibid. Cod God p. 213. fuffer suffer ibid se so p. 215. deliuee deliuer p. 220. vs as ibid. man many p. 122. which the damned which the exteriour senses of the damned p. 224. ane and. p. 225. and and. p. 227. from all from all this p. 234. these there p. 235. shall shalt p. 296. puritie purifie ibid. bening being ibid fillowing following p. 297. in good in the good p. 299. thee the p. 230. thee there Good Reader if thou finde any other which I haue ommitted I pray thee of thy curtesie to correct them 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 SECOND 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 Goâ— forâ—â—â—â—d and the two last for 〈…〉 And all six doe
communicate vnto mee thy Greatenesse Graunt that I may humble myselfe to serue thee as thou diddest humble thyselfe to remedye mee and that I may doe all that I can for thy seruice seeing thou diddest all that thou couldest for my Remedye O my Soule doe for thy God all that thou canst for all is but litle Ex D. Leo serm 1. de Natiuit considering how much thou dooest owe him Learne to esteeme God as hee esteemeth thee and seeing hee hath exalted thee to such a Greatenesse doe not thou any thing that may bee vnbeseeming it The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider how in this worke of the Incarnation our Lord God pretended withall to discouer vnto vs the infinite Excellencye of all his Perfections and Vertues employing them with the greatest perfection that was possible and to our greatest commoditye This may bee pondered discoursing breifely of the most principall First hee shewed his infinite Bountye in communicating himselfe with the greatest coÌ„munication that might bee giuing his personall beeing to a humane nature and in this manner joyned in kinred with the whole Linage of man Hee shewed his Charitye in vniting to himselfe this nature with so strict an vnion that one and the same might bee man and God to the end that all men might bee one and the same thing with God by the vnion of Loue giuing them freely and liberally the thing that hee most loued Ad Rom. 8.32 and esteemed and with it all other things whatsoeuer Hee shewed his infinite Mercye brothering it meruailously with Iustice Psal 84.11 for there could not bee a greater mercy then for God to come personally to remedye our miseries and to make himselfe capable of sorrowe that hee might bee truly compassionate of them Nether could there bee greater Iustice then for God himselfe made man to pay our proper debt suffring therefore the paine of deathe that our sinnes had deserued neither could there bee greater Brotherhood then to applye to vs men by mercye that rewarde which God man merited by Iustice giuing mee an assurance to obtaine all things that are conuenient for mee seeing this our Lord gained them all by Iustice and applyeth vnto mee his merits by infinite mercye Ex D. Damaso lib. 3. de Fide orthodoxa a principio Hee also shewed his immense Wisdome in inuenting a meanes how to conjoine things so distant as are God and Man Eternall and Temporall Impassible and Passible and in plotting how to vnloose the most difficult knot of our Sinnes the Diuine mercye pardoning them without preiudice of his Iustice Hee shewed his Omnipotencye in doing for man all that possibly hee might to honour and to inriche him for among all the diuine workes there is none greater then for God to make himselfe man Finally hee demonstrated his Sanctitye and all his Vertues imprinting them in God made man that hee might bee a visible patterne of them all animating vs by his Example to imitate them and ayding vs by his Grace to procure them which not doing no man can bee excused For if God loue his neighbours who should not loue them If God doe good to his enemyes who should doe euill to his If God humble himselfe who should bee prowde If God suffer and endure who should bee impatient and ill suffering And if God obey why should not man bee obedient These seuen Diuine Perfections resplendent in this worke are to moue mee to praise God seuen times a day yea seuen thousand if I may desiring to loue and to serue him with the greatest perfection that may bee possible For if before God made himselfe man hee required that wee should loue him with all our Hearte Soule Spirit Forces Dâ—ut 6.5 with how much greater reason may hee now require of mee this degree of Loue and Feruour in his Seruice D. Greg. homil 36. in Euang. And seeing workes are the proofe of Loue I am in them to demoÌ„strate this my Loue endeuoring to imitate those most excellent Perfections that hee discouered in this worke to witte his Bountye Charitye Liberallitye Mercye and the rest which are imitable and especially those Vertues that this God Incarnate exercised in the worlde for our Example O most blessed Trinitye Colloquie what thankes shall I giue thee for hauing discouered in this worke those infinite Greatenesses that thou heldst closed in thy breaste VVhat shall I giue thee that shall not bee all to little for so soueraigne a gift How shall I loue and serue thee therefore Behold mee heere wholely dedicated to thy Seruice with a Desire to loue thee as thou louedst mee and to imitate those Vertues that thou discoueredst vnto mee And seeing thou hast giuen mee that which is more giue mee also that which is lesse graunting mee that I may loue thee for the infinite gift that thou gauest mee Amen The Second Meditation Of GODS infinite Charitye resplendent in this Mysterie of the Incarnation and of the greate Benefits that wee receiue thereby ALlbeeit all the Diuine Perfections are as hath beene saide resplendent in the Decree of the Incarnation yet aboue them all Charitye most florisheth of which this meditation shall bee leauing the others to the sixt parte And it shall bee founded vpon that which our Sauiour Christ saide to Nicodemus Ioan. 3.16 1 Ioan. 4. â— So God loued the VVorlde that hee gaue his only-begotten Sonne that euery one which beleeueth in him perish not but may haue Life euerlasting In which wordes our Sauiour disciphered three most principall things of this Soueraigne mysterie to witt The principall Fountaine from whence it proceeded The Greatenesse thereof The Endes and Admirable effectes thereof The first Pointe FIrst Sic Deus dilexit mundum I am to consider the infinite Greatenesse of the Person that loued vs and did vs this soueraigne benefit and the infinite Basenesse of him that is loued and to whome this fauour is donne comparing the one with the other First I will ponder how the Originall of this soueraigne benefit was the infinite Charitye and Loue of God who as touching his owne Proffit and Blessednesse had no neede to loue any bodye but himselfe for with only beholding and louing himselfe hee is infinitely blessed Yet for all this of meere Grace hee would loue the Creatures and doe good to them only because hee is Good and to demonstrate in them the Riches of his Bountye according to that of the Apostle God which is riche in mercye Ephes 2.4 for his exceeding Charitye loued vs that is to say Hee loued vs not because hee had neede of vs nor because wee of right did merit it but only for that his Mercye was compassionate of our miserye and his Charitye would needes breake forth from him to loue others Secondly I will ponder how Gods infinite Charitye passed yet farther in desiring so to loue the Worlde hee beeing who hee is I call the Worlde the multitude of
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
the offering that was presented him Secondly I will consider the Spirit wherewith this most blessed Childe offered himselfe in the Temple to his eternall Father Beholde heere might he say o eternall Father thy only begotten Sonne who was made man to obey thee and commeth into the Temple to honour thee heere I present myselfe before thy maiestie and I offer myselfe to thy seruice and to the accomplishment of thy Will Psalm 36.77.51 And for that neither the Deathe of so many first borne as perished in Egipt nor the offering of the first borne of Israel hath beene acceptable vnto thee for the saluation of men I offer myselfe to dye for them that my Deathe and the sacrifize of my blood may appease thy wrathe and deliuer thy people from the seruitude of sinne In this sorte was fullfilled that speeche of S. Paul Qui dilexit nos Ephes 5.2 tradidit semetipsum hostiam oblationem Deo in odorem suauitatis Who loued vs and deliuered himselfe for vs an oblation and host to God in an odour of sweetenesse And it is to bee beleeued that this offering happened in the morning at such time as in the temple was offered the sacrifize of the Lambe Exod. 29.39 Num. 28.4 called the morning Lambe that there might be a correspondence betweene the figure and the figured O how sweete was this offering to the eternall Father how content remained he therewith as one that was desirous thereof for that the offrings of all the other first-borne were of no value but as they were representations of this Thirdly I am to imagine that albeit our Sauiour Christ made this offering for all men yet he made it likewise particularly for mee holding me present in his memorye Hearte And with this consideration in the Temple of my Soule I will present myselfe in spirit before the eternall Father and in companye of the blessed VIRGIN and of the Childe himselfe I will offer him vnto him in Thankesgiuing for hauing giuen him to me for my Redeemer and master beseeching him to accept this offering and for it to reconcile mee to himselfe and to make me partaker of his giftes O soueraigne Father with all the affection of my Hearte I offer vnto thee thy only begotten Sonne Colloquie and though it being I that doe offer him I deserue to be reiected yet the offering being such as it is I hope to be admitted receiue it o Lord in an odour of sweetenesse and for it graunte mee remission of my Sinnes that with a pure Hearte I may appeare in thy presence in the Temple of thy glorye Amen The third Pointe THe same Lawe likewise commaunded that these first-borne should be redeemed for fiue sicles Exod. 13.13 Leuitic 27.6 and so the blessed VIRGIN redeemed her Sonne paying them to the Prieste who tooke them and retourned her Sonne vnto her Vpon this passage I am to consider who maketh this sale of the Childe who it is that buyeth him with what price and for whome and what benefits arize thereof First I will consider how the eternall Father to whome this Childe offered himselfe will not keepe to himselfe that which was giuen him but would a newe giue him to the Worlde and to men and sell him to them for their good demonstrating heerein his infinite Liberallitye and Bountye which is so farre from repenting to haue giuen vs what he once gaue vs that he ratifieth the Donation inuenting newe respectes to giue vs what he hath giuen vs. She that buyeth and redeemeth him is the blessed VIRGIN to bring him vp as her Sonne and yet she also will not detaine him to herselfe but will nourish him for vs and buy him that he may be employed for our good The price is no more but fiue sicles O eternall Father Colloquie how cheape doest thou sell a thing that is so precious why doest thou equall this first-borne in price with the rest if the rest were redeemed for fiue sicles this was to be redeemed for many millions for he is infinitely more worth then all the rest But I now perceiue o Lord that this is to aduise me that although the name of this ransome soundeth sale and price yet he is giuen vs freely and of meere grace that I may incessantly thanke thee for this newe grace for the which mayest thou be glorifyed and praised by all thy Creatures worlde without ende Amen I may also consider the Spirit that is included in the price of these fiue sicles by the which is signified the price wherewith is bought the most precious golde of diuine Wisdome which is Christ Apoc. 3.17 Isa 55.1 in such sorte as it may be bought This price is the mortification of the fiue senses and the actes of the fiue Vertues which dispose vs to obtaine Grace and the perfection thereof that is to say Liuely faithe Feare of God Dolour for Sinnes Confidence in Gods mercye and an effectuall Resolution to obey God and wholely to accomplish his holy will Therefore Colloquie o my Soule if thou desirest to haue Christ to be thine consider that he is not bought with golde nor siluer but with these fiue sicles of the Spirit offer them to the eternall Father and he will giue him vnto thee Fourthly I will ponder the ende wherefore he is redeemed and bought which is to be the Slaue and Seruant of men and to deliuer himselfe for them vnto Deathe O sweete IESVS Colloquie how willingly doest thou suffer thyselfe to be solde and redeemed to vndoe by thy sale that which I by sinning did with my Soule and to redeeme it with thy ransome that it might bee perpetually thine and yet thy Loue stoppeth not heere for thou art readye to be solde againe by a false Disciple and bought by thy enemies to take from thee thy life making an ende of our redemption with thy Deathe Blessed be thy immense Charitye that is neuer satisfied nor wearied in doing vs good O my Soule reioice that the blessed VIRGIN hath bought her Sonne for thee be glad that IESVS is alreadye thine seeing his Father hath giuen him thee for fiue sicles O good IESVS thou art mine by this newe buying but I yeilde myselfe to be thine Cant. 2.16 and with greate Confidence will say My beloued to me and I to him bee it so o Lord that thou leaue not me nor I neuer leaue thee Amen The XXV Meditation Of what happened in the Presentation Luc. 2.25 with Simeon and Anna the Prophetesse The first Pointe IN those dayes there was a man in Hierusalem named Simeon and this man was iust and religious expecting the consolation of Israel and the holy Ghoste was in him and he had receiued an aunswere from the holy Ghoste that he should not see deathe vnlesse he sawe first the Christ of our Lord. Vpon this pointe I will consider first how the holy Ghoste desiring to manifest IESVS Christ newly borne raised vp two
kinsfolke he would soonest haue beene with his mother To these three things was added the fourth of feruent and long Praier And especially I will ponder what a sad night that was to the blessed VIRGIN how solitarye she was without her Sonne and how she spent it wholely in meditating and mourning like a Doue praying with greate zeale and beseeching the eternall Father not so soone to depriue her of the care of her Sonne but to looke after him wheresoeuer he was and not long to deferre the restoring him againe O Soueraigne VIRGIN thou art entred into a perillous Sea Colloquie there is no remedye for thee but to praye the losse of thy beloued hath beene to thee a bitter and tempestuous Sea the waues of Sorrowe haue entred into thy Hearte and afflicted it with many Cares the Darkenesse of night hath stopped thy passage and thou art as is were ouerwhelmed in the depth of Disconsolation thou findest no ease vpon Earthe and therefore with the cables of praier thou doest presently cast forth the Anchor of thy hope into Heauen hoping for remedye from thence and thy hope shall not be deceiued for the Heauenly Pilot who is thy Father knoweth not how to loue and to abandon nor forsaketh he for euer those that hope in him With this Successe and the cause thereof The absence of God in the Soule I am to lift vp my Spirit to consider the mysterye that it signifyeth Poudering how our Lord God many times absenteth and hideth himselfe from men they not knowing nor perceiuing it according to that of holy Iob If he come to me Iob 9.14 21. I shall not see him and if he departe from me I shall not vnderstand all though I shall be simple the self same my Soule shall be ignorant of And this ignorance vseth to last all day vntill it be discouered at night as in this case it happened to our blessed LADYE the VIRGIN to S. Ioseph and it happeneth diuerse wayes First it happeneth thorough hidden mortall Sinne being committed with culpable Ignorance or by the Illusion of the Diuell vnder the Cloke of Vertue And then God absenteth himselfe man not knowing it and this ignorance vseth sometimes to last the whole daye of this life vntill the night of Deathe when man thinking he hath God findeth himselfe without him whereupon sayeth the VViseman Pro. 16.25 There is a waye that seemeth right vnto a man and the ende thereof leadeth vnto Deathe And this Absence is most terrible because after it followeth the eternall and therefore I am to beseeche our Lord not to absent himselfe from me in this manner and to say vnto him with Dauid Psal 18.13 24.7 Cleanse me o Lord from my hidden Sinnes and call not to minde my Ignorances Other times it happeneth thorough a secret Pride and Vaineglorye the which consumeth substantiall Deuotion and depriueth the Soule of the fauorable presence of God but this is not knowen during the daye of Prosperitye for Vaine-glorye vseth to put a relish vpon good things but the night of Aduersitye and Humilliation comming man beginneth to perceiue the absence of God and the want of true Vertue and findeth himselfe disconsolate and pusillanimous Sometimes againe it happeneth thorough the secret Prouidence of our Lord God who absenteth himselfe and depriueth vs of sensible Deuotion to exercize vs in Humillitye and this vseth to happen vpon solemne festiuall dayes and in the exercizes of good exteriour Workes and albeit we sometimes perceiue not this during our exteriour imployment yet we afterwardes perceiue it in our recollectednesse In these cases it is alwayes most secure to presume that this absence is thorough my Sinnes and in chastizement of my negligences and Omissions albeit I knowe them not saying with the royall Prophet Dauid Ps 118.67 75. Before I was humbled I sinned and thou in thy Truthe didst humble me because iustly for my Sinnes I merited this Humilliation But yet all this notwithstanding I am to beleeue that when I want the grace of Deuotion and the fauorable visitations of God whither it be thorough my fault or no that all happeneth by the disposing of Gods Prouidence for my greater good Ps 118.71 according to that of the Prophet Dauid It is good for me that thou hast humbled me that I may learne thy Iustifications In all these Cases I am to exercize those foure Vertues which were resplendent in the blessed VIRGIN and in S. Ioseph laying deepe roote in Humillitye arming myselfe with Patience animating myselfe to seeke God with Diligence and soliciting him with feruent Praiers for it is written Aske and it shall be giuen you Luc. 11.9 seeke and you shall finde O sweete IESVS that spakest generally to all Colloquie VVhosoeuer seeketh shall finde graunt me such feruour in asking thy sight that I may obtaine it and ayde me to seeke thee in such sorte that I may finde thee for euer and euer Amen The second Pointe THe next daye in the morning S. Ioseph Luc. 2.45 and the blessed VIRGIN retourned to Hierusalem to seeke the Childe IESVS and the third day entring into the Temple they founde him sitting in the middes of the Doctors hearing them and asking them at the which they meruailed greately Vpon this pointe I am often to consider the Time and Place where the blessed VIRGIN founde the Childe the Companye and businesse wherein he was employed and the Ioye that she had when she same him collecting out of all this the Spirit included therein First the Time was the third day after he was lost in the which time the sacred VIRGIN suffered so many howers litle more or lesse of Affliction and Desolatenesse as she did from the Passion to the Resurrection wherein he appeared vnto her liuely and glorious And the mysterye heereof is to signifye vnto vs that when the Soule looseth God and the grace of Deuotion it findeth him not presently rather he vseth to hide himselfe for some time either to chastize it for hauing lost him if it were in fault or to exercize it in Patience and Humillitye and that with this delay it care and Diligence to seeke him may encrease that it may be made worthy to finde him more speedily and with more abundance of grace And this is signifyed by the number of three dayes to encourage our Hope that we be not dismayed by thinking that our remedye shall be long deferred according to that saying of the Iust in Affliction Osea 6. mysticè After two dayes he will reuiue vs and the third day he will raize vs vp againe and we shall liue in this presence Secondly the Place where he was founde was the Temple and House of God which is the house of Praier and of Recollection dedicated to the Worship and Workes of Diuine seruice to signifye that our Lord Christ is not founde in flesh and blood nor among the Pamperings and Vanities of the Worlde but
Ecclesiasticus is very bitter to him that hath peace with Riches Eccles 41 1. and Dignities and is desirous to liue to enjoy them longer and the Sinnes hee committed in procuring and in abusing them shall augment this bitternesse Gods Iustice so ordaining it that those things which in their life were the Instruments of their vicious Delightes should in their Deathe bee their Executioners and Tormentours Then shall bee fullfilled that which is written in Iob of a Sinner His breade in his belly Iob. 20.14 which hee did eate with much Sauour suallbee turned into the gall of Aspes vvithin him the riches that hee hath deuoured he shall vomite out and God shall dravv them forth out of his belly He shall suck the Heade of the Aspes and the Vipers Tongue shall kill him that is to say his Delightes shall bee turned into Gall his Riches shall make him disgorge but hee shall neither haue Courage to dispose of them nor to leaue them vntill Deathe take them away by force the Serpents and Vipers of Hell tormenting him for hauing gotten and possessed them with Sinne. Secondly in that hower I must forcibly departe from my Parents and Brethren friends and Acquaintance and from all those that I loue whither it bee with a naturall Loue or with a Lawfull or vnlawfull Loue. D. Greg. 1. moral 13. And as wee leaue not without griefe what wee possessed with Loue and by how much the greater the Loue is wherewith it is possessed so much the greater griefe is felt in abandoning it exceeding greate will the Sorrowe bee that I shall feele to departe from so many persons and things that are so fastned to my Hearte And in these Anguishes I shall say with that other king Siccine separat amara mors Doth bitter Deathe thus separate 1. Reg 15 32. Is it possible that I should leaue those whome I so loue And shall I neuer more see them nor enjoy them O cruell Deathe how much doest thou exasperate my Hearte depriuing mee with such Sorowe of what I possessed with such Ioye 3. Lastly in that hower my Soule is to departe from my Bodye with whome it hath helde so strict and auncient Amitye and consequently it is to departe from this VVorlde and from all things therein contained without hope for euer againe to see heare taste or touche them And if the Loue I beare to my Bodye to my Life and to the other things of this visible worlde bee a disordinate Loue of force I must needes feele exceeding greate griefe to departe from them which I may easily make experience of by that sensible feeling I haue when they take from mee my VVealthe my Honour and Fame or exile mee from my Countrey and force mee to liue from my friendes like a Pilgrim among Strangers or cut of some member of my Bodye For all this together in a troope succeedeth in Deathe after another and a more painefull manner which is without hope euer to retourne againe to possesse it in this Life In euery one of these three Considerations pondering a while what is to bee noted I will enter into myselfe examine whither I carry a disordinate Loue to any of these things repeated which if I finde that I doe I will endeuour to vnroote it with the force of this consideration and with the exercize of Mortification for this is to dye in life and with proffit taking as it were by the hande Deathe Sap. 3.1 so not to feele Deathe as Religious men doe that abandon all things for Christe our Lorde whome I am to beseeche to ayde mee herein saying vnto him Colloquie O eternall God in vvhose hande the Soules of the Iust are and vnder vvhose Protection the Torment of Deathe doth not touche them take from my Soule the disordinate Loue of all visible things that in departing from them it may haue no feeling of Torment O my Soule if thou desirest that these three bitternesses of Deathe should not touche thee Loue not those things that Deathe can take from thee for if thou possesst them not vvith Loue thou shalt leaue them in Deathe vvithout Dolour or griefe I am likewise to ponder in these considerations how greate a madnesse it is to offend God and to indanger my eternall Saluation for things that I am so soone to abandon resoluing valourously with myselfe presently to auoyde any person or thing whatsoeuer that may expose mee to this perill dying to it rather then for its cause to dye to God and separating it from mee rather then it should separate mee from God Matt. 10 34. Luc. 12.51 Colloquie Seeing for this saide our Sauiour Christe that hee came to sende the sworde and Diuision vpon Earthe separating from men all Persons and Things that might hinder their Saluation O svveete Redeemer put forthvvith into my hande the svvorde of Mortification that I may separate from mee vvhatsoeuer might separate mee from thee dying to all that is created to liue to thee my Creator vvorlde vvithout ende Amen The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider the greate Affliction and Anguishe that the feare of the Account I am to make with God and of the rigorous Iudgement whereinto I am to enter will cause mee at that hower as also that I know not the Sentence that shall bee pronounced in the businesse of my Saluation VVherein I am to ponder the dreadefullnesse of this feare for three causes First for that the euill that is feared is the Supreme of all euills yea it is an eternall euill and remedilesse and I am now at the gates thereof Secondly for that the Sentence which is to bee giuen is definitiue and irreuocable and at the Instant is to bee executed without resistance Thirdly for that the cause on my side is very doubtfull because the Sinne that I committed is apparent to mee but not the true Penance that I did and my Conscience accuseth mee to haue offended the Iudge but I knowe not whither I haue appeased him Eccl. 9.1 1. Cor. 4.3 For no man knovveth vvhither hee bee vvorthy of Hatzed or Loue and though I finde no Sinnes in myselfe yet it may bee that God will finde them For all these Causes the feare will at that time bee most terrible For if those that haue a Sute in any waighty businesse wherein all their VVealthe their Honour or Life is Interessed haue very greate feare the day that they expect the Sentence how much greater feare shall I haue when I am neete the day wherein the diffinitiue Sentence is to bee giuen of my Saluation or Damnation And if the greatest Saintes are then afraide how much more shall I feare that am a miserable Sinner This Anguish and Feare vseth to bee augmented by the craft Apoc. c. 12.12 and Subtletye of the Diuell who in that hower tempteth most furiously because hee seeth hee hath but a litle time remaining and therefore hee stirreth vp greately all that may prouoke to