Seal of my Predestination I will not therefore forsake it I will not drag it after me But I will carry it and keep you Company O Holy Cross Who wert consecrated with the blood of a God Receive me into thy Arms. Let me repose on thy Bosom Give thy self wholly to me As I give my self wholly to thee Carry me that I may carry thee Clasp me so strongly betwixt thy arms That nothing may separate me from thee Carrying his own Cross he went forth into that which is called the place of Calvary John 19. Com and follow me Mark 10. Then Jesus said to his Disciples if any one will com after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Matth. 16. I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest Luk. 9. We have all strayed like Sheep and God laid on him the iniquites of us all Isai 53. CVIII MED Of Jesus Crucified JEsus was extended on the Cross He was nail'd to it by his Hands and Feet He is fastned to it with violence He is elevated with pain He rests only on his Wounds There issue out of them four Rivers of Blood Which water the Field of the Church And which blot out the sins of the World He is presented with bitter Wine to drink Which would have asswaged his sorrow He takes som of it into his mouth That he may feel the bitterness of it But he does not swallow it down That it may not allay his torments He is blasphem'd he is cursed He is invited to com down from the Cross But he remains on it even to the end O Jesus I adore thee On this Throne of Sorrows and Ignominies O Divine Saviour I cast my self into thy arms Since thou dost extend them for to embrace me O Sacred Victim of love All burnt and consum'd with Sufferings O High Priest of the new Law What dost thou do upon this Cross Com down and all the World will believe in thee O com not down If thou art the Son of God thou must dy on it If thou com'st down they will not believe in thee They will not follow thee Every one will fly from his Cross No body will dy upon it O my dear Cross I kiss thee and imbrace thee I will dy betwixt thy arms I have espoused thee in my Baptism This Marriage is indissoluble There is nothing but death That can separate us Let the World be no more trouble som to me I bear the marks of our Lord Jesus in my Body I am Crucified with him I will dy with him My Soul Look on thy Saviour on the Cross It is thy sins which have Crucified him He was once Crucified on Calvary But how often hast thou crucified him in thy heart As often as thou dost offend him So often dost thou Crucify him Thou must either Crucifie Jesus Or thy own Passions O Jesus make me dy For fear I should put thee to death Crucify my Body For fear I Crucify thy Spirit They crucified him and with him two others on this side and that side and Jesus in the middle John 19. They gave him wine mingled with gall to drink and when he had tasted it he would not drink Matth. 2. All the day long I spread forth my arms to an unbelieving and contradicting people Rom. 10. With Christ I am fastned to the Cross Gal. 2. They that be Christ's have crucified their flesh with the vices and Concupiscences Gal. 5. God forbid that I should glory saving in the Cross of our Lord Jesus-Christ by whom c. Gal. 5. Crucifying again to themselves the Son of God and making him a mockery Heb. 6. CIX MED On the first Word of Jesus Christ on the Cross JEsus was a long time on the Cross Without uttering so much as a word He keeps a profound silence And does not complain of his Sorrows His Blood does not call for Vengeance But for Grace for those that shed it He prays for them in the height of his Pains And whilst they insult over his misery He excuses their Sin and diminishes the malice of it He does the office of an Advocate For those whose Judge he is He forgets his own evils To think on his enemies evils Their loss is more sensible to him Than the Death which they make him suffer Keep silence O Christian Soul When thou art on the Cross Do not complain of thy Evils Do not lose the fruit of thy Sufferings Hide thy self in the bosom of Humility And repose thy self upon thy Patience Pray for thy Enemies Forget their Injuries Excuse their Intention If thou canst not excuse their action Thou art unworthy of favour If thou refuse to pardon them O Jesus I Pardon my Enemies I Pardon all those that crucify me Alas they know not what they do They think they do me hurt And they procure me much good They think they do themselves good And they procure much hurt to themselves They do themselves more hurt Than I could wish to them Lord Pardon them they know not what they do I sin out of malice and they sin out of ignorance If they had as much grace as I have They would not be so wicked as I am If I were tempted as they are I should possibly be wickeder than they Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23. Forgive thy neighbour hurting thee and then shall thy sins be loosed to thee when thou prayest Eccl. 28. Love your enemies pray for those that persecute and calumniate you Matth. 5. To me revenge and I will render it saith our Lord. Rom. 12. CX MED On the Repentance of the good Thief and the Impenitence of the bad one ONe of the Thieves confesses Jesus Christ And the other renounces him The one adores the other blasphemes him The one ascends up to Heaven by his Cross The other falls down into Hell by his Cross The one is saved by the side of Jesus The other is damned by the side of Jesus He is the Redeemer of them both And only one makes profit of the Redemption He gives his life for them both And one of them dies in his obstinacy O Judgments of God! how profound are you O Goodness of God! how amiable are you O Justice of God! how dreadful are you O Conducts of God how admirable are you Who will not fear to be damned Who will not hope to be saved One may be damn'd in all places Since one may be damn'd by God's side One may be sav'd at all times Since one may be sav'd at the end of his life O sweet words to one that is sick This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Lord forget me not now thou art in thy Kingdom I do indeed desery the evil which I suffer But for you what Crime have you committed O Lord let me hear you say This day thou shalt be with me in Heaven One of the two thieves did blaspheme saying save thy self and us Luk. 23.
They say I am to dy Come I am content I willingly resign up my life I render it to him that gave it me I remit my spirit into his hands I recommend unto him my body and my soul I am sorry that I have offended him I accept of death for to satisfie him I believe all that he has reveal'd I hope for all that he has promis'd I give him all that I possess I will dy for his glory I will dy for his sake I will dy in gratitude I will dy for justice sake I will dy because he died I will dy for him as he died for me I will dy that I may see him I will dy that I may love him I will dy that I may bless him And for to sing his Praises for all Eternity O Father of mercy Behold a Prodigal Child Who has wasted all your goods Who has spent his life in Debaucheries That returns now to your house And who most humbly begs your pardon Alas I have liv'd without reason Since I have had the use of reason I have don nothing but evil Since I knew what was good My Father I have sinn'd against Heaven and against thee I deserve not to bear the name of thy Child I am not worthy to enter into thy house But have you ceased to be a Father Because I have ceased to be your Child Have you lost your goodness Because I have lost my innocence Are you no more a Father of mercy Because I am becom a Child of misery O my Father O the best of all Fathers Have pity on the miserablest of all thy Children I was lost and I am now retrieved I was dead and I am risen again I was gon far from you and now I am here ready to appear before you O my Father Come and meet your Child Give him a kiss of peace Forgive him his offences Revest him with a Nuptial Robe Receive him into your house Give him a place at your Feast O JESUS The Physician of the poor sick The Comforter of the poor afflicted The hope of poor Sinners Here am I before you without strength Without motion without speech But my heart says inwardly Come O my JESVS come quickly Draw my Soul out of this Prison Recal me out of this exile Conduct me to my dear Country Behold the Just do there expect me My friends hold forth their arms to me O how beautiful are thy Tabernacles O how admirable is thy Palace O how contented shall I be in Heaven O how happy shall I be in your Company I dy with a desire of dying Com divine Saviour and make me languish no more O holy Mother of God! Who didst see thy Son dying Lo here thy Child is sick Forsake him not in this extremity Com and receive his Spirit And defend him from his enemies O ye Angels of Heaven Com down upon Earth to help me Make a guard round about me Drive away from me the Infernal Lyon Preserve me even unto my Death After having sav'd me from so many Shipwracks Suffer me not to perish in the Haven Come let us go to Heaven Let us go to Paradise My heart is ready O my God my heart is ready It is ready to stay here on earth It is ready to go hence It is ready to live It is ready to dy Thy will be don I recommend my body and soul to you I rejoyced in the things that were said to me we will go into our Lord's house Psal 121. Blessed are those that dy in our Lord. Apoc. 14. Blessed are those that are call'd to the Nuptials of the Lamb. Apoc. 19. In thee O Lord have I hoped I shall not be confounded for ever Ps 30. VVhat is there to me in Heaven and what besides thee would I have on Earth my flesh and my heart have fainted O the God of my heart and my portion God for ever Ps 72. I am straitned on both sides having a desire to be dissolved and be with Christ much more better Phil. 1. One thing have I asked that will I require that I may dwell in the house of our Lord all the days of my life Ps 26. How beloved are thy Tabernacles O God of Hosts my soul doth long and faint after the Courts of our Lord. Ps 83. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house O Lord they shall praise thee for ever and ever Ps 83. All this Psalm is full of sweet thoughts to raise in a sick person a desire of Heaven If thou dost observe iniquities O Lord who can sustain Ps 126. VVith our Lord there is mercy and with him a copious redemption ibid. LII MED A Paraphrase on our Lord's Prayer for the comfort of the sick Our Father I Believe O my God that you are my Father who have given me the life of my soul and body for to serve and love you and which you have repaired by the Death of your Son after I had miserably lost it through my sin You are the Father of all men and of the most miserable of all men whom you see here extended on this Bed O how glad am I that I have such a Father So good so wise so holy so powerful I hope that since you have given â—ne a temporal life you will do me the favour â—lso to give me an eternal one O my Father 〈◊〉 render back unto you the life which you have given me I am sorry that I have employed it so ill and that I have used it to offend you therewith My Father I have sinn'd against Heaven and against you I am not worthy to bear the quality of your Child but receive me I beseech you into the number of your Servants My Father if it be possible let this Chalice of Death and Sufferance pass from my mouth and let me not drink it as yet Yet let your Will be don and not mine My Father glorifie your Son that your Son may glorifie you and since I have not honored you upon Earth make me praise you Eternally in Heaven Which art in Heaven Alas you are in Heaven and I am yet here upon Earth You are in a place of peace and I am in a place of warfare You are in Heaven for to reward me and I am on Earth for to honour you I hope O my God that I shall soon be with you in Heaven I hope so on the merits of the precious blood which your Son hath shed for me O when will that day com How tedious is it to live banished from your presence How the Earth displeases me when I lift up my eyes to Heaven O Heaven O Heaven What ought not we to do to gain thee What ought not we to suffer for to obtain thee All that I endure is nothing in comparison of what I hope for Hallowed be thy Name O admirable name of God! I came into this World for to sanctifie thee and I have don nothing but profane thee I came upon Earth
The other rebuked him saying Dost not thou also fear God We indeed suffer justly for we receive worthy of our doings but this man hath don no evil ibid. Lord remember me when thou shalt com into thy Kingdom Amen I say to thee This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise ibid. There shall be two in one bed one shall be taken and the other left behind Luk. 17. CXI MED Of the Passion of the B. Virgin O Good Jesu Why dost thou suffer thy Mother to follow thee How canst thou endure that she should see thee dy Oughtest not thou to have spared her So sensible a grief What Crime has she committed That she should be present at thy Execution God will have Mary to be at the foot of the Cross For to co-operate to our Redemption For to offer up to God this great Sacrifice For to repair Eve's fault For to conceive all the Predestinate For to be declared their Mother For to increase the pains of her Son For to take a part in his Sufferings For to drink in his Chalice For to becom the Queen of Martyrs For to be crown'd with Thorns The Martyrs did suffer for Jesus Christ Mary did suffer with Jesus Christ The Martyrs suffered in their Bodies Mary suffered in her Soul The Martyrs suffered in their criminal Flesh Mary suffered in the innocent Flesh of her Son The Martyrs desired Death Mary could not desire the Death of her Son The hearts of the Martyrs were fill'd with joy The heart of Mary was fill'd with sadness Love diminish't the Torments of the Martyrs Love increased the Sorrows of Mary Jesus was doubly crucified In his Body upon the Cross In his Spirit in the heart of Mary Mary was doubly crucified Spiritually in her heart Corporally in the flesh of her Son Love did imprint in her heart The wounds that were made in his Body Those that were not mortal to the Son Were mortal to the Mother The Lance that opened the heart of Jesus Pierced the living heart of Mary As never Mother loved more So never Mother suffered more O Daughter of Sion To whom shall I compare thee Thy sorrow is without example It is great like the Ocean It s depth is infinit It s extent is unconceivable There is nothing but the sorrow of thy Son That is comparable unto thine He is the King of Martyrs And thou art the Queen of Martyrs He is a Man of Sorrows And thou art a Woman of Sufferings O Christian Soul Go with Mary up to Mount Calvary Beg of her to receive you for her Child Take a share in her Sorrows Mingle your tears with hers Increase not her Affliction Renew not her Passion When you sin mortally You crucify her Son anew O how sensible is this death to her O how it afflicts her sacred heart She consented to his Corporal death But she cannot consent to his Spiritual death The first restored our life to us The second brings death to us Suffer as she did all Privations Remain as she did constant in your pains You will be no child of Mary's Unless you be with her at the foot of the Cross Woman behold your Son Son behold your Mother O Holy Virgin O Mother of Sorrows O Queen of Martyrs O Spouse of the Cross I chuse you for my Mother Receive me into the number of your Children Imprint in my heart the wounds of your Son Fasten me strongly to the Cross Give me a part in your sufferings If I am guilty I ought to suffer If I am innocent I ought to imitate you Pierce my heart with the sword of grief Which transpierced yours Let me drink in that Chalice of gall Wherewith you were inebriated Above all be present at your Child's death Receive my Soul into your hands And convey it up to Heaven A couragious woman who shall find Prov. 31. There stood besides the Cross of Jesus his Mother Joh. 19. He said to his Mother Woman behold thy Son Then he said to his Disciple Behold thy Mother ibid. Thy very Soul a Sword shall pass through that cogitations may be revealed out of many hearts Luk. 2. Thy contrition is great like the Sea Thren 2. CXII MED Of the Dereliction of our Lord. MY God my God why hast thou forsaken me How terrible is that dereliction Which makes a God to groan Which makes a God to weep Which makes a God to cry out Which makes the only one of his complaints Which he makes before his Enemies Before a great number of People Which he makes a little before he dies Which gives occasion to those that hear him complain To doubt whether he were the true Son of God Since he is forsaken by his Father Jesus was never separated from Grace From Glory from the Divinity He was always holy happy God This terrible Dereliction Was only a sensible suspension Of the succours which the Divinity Communicated to his Humanity It was a shadow of the pain Which a Sinner feels who is in Hell Forsaken by Almighty God O my God! I conceive what it is to be damned By the pain which your Son suffer'd on the Cross If the deprival of your sensible and comforting presence Made your Son to groan Who was substantially united to you Who will be able to bear for ever The weight of an infinit wrath Who will be able to suffer in Hell An eternal separation An universal privation Of your Grace Love Presence Comfort Glory Felicity Succour Protection Of all that can be desired Of all that can be loved With a deluge of evils for all Eternity O my God! forsake me not Although I have forsaken you Deprive me if it must be of your Pleasures But deprive me not of your Grace If you forsake me during my life Forsake me not at my Death If you forsake me now Forsake me not in Eternity O Jesus 'T is I that have committed the Sin And you have born the Punishment 'T is I that ought to be forsaken And you were forsaken for my sake O how your Dereliction affrights me O how your Dereliction comforts me You were forsaken at your death That I might not be forsaken at mine Forsake me not then O Lord When all the World hath forsaken me My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 28. Forsake me not O Lord my God go not away from me Ps 37. Cast me not away in the time of my old age when my strength fails me forsake me not Ps 70. My enemies said God hath forsaken him persecute and lay hold of him because there is none to deliver him ibid. Forsake me not wholly Ps 118. He said I will not desert nor forsake thee Heb. 13. CXIII MED On the Thirst of our Lord on the Cross JEsus thirsts and no body gives him to drink They give him gall and vinegar For all his refreshment He was willing to suffer this torment For to punish our gluttonies And to undergo All the Punishments which sin
I commend my spirit And saying this he gave up the Ghost Luk. 23. And bowing down the head he gave up the Ghost John 19. Our King before ages wrought Salvation in the midst of the Earth Psal 73. He that adheres to our Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6. If God be for us who is against us Rom. 8. Therefore let those who suffer according to the Will of God recommend their Souls to their faithful Creator in good deeds 1 Pet. 4. CXVI MED Of the Death of the Son of God JESUS is dead Who will fear death He died for us Who will refuse to dy for him He died wasted with pains Who will refuse to suffer He died for his Servants Who will serve any other Master but him He died for our sins Who will dare to put him to death again O the good Shepherd Who died for his Sheep O the High Priest Who immolated himself for men O the faithful Friend Who lov'd us until death O the Divine Master Who placed his Chair on Mount Calvary O JESVS Since thou didst dy for me It is just that I should dy for thee Since thou hast given me the example I must dy as thou didst Wherefore I pardon all my enemies I hope thou wilt give me thy Heaven Recommend me I pray to thy good Mother Bid her take care of me O forsake me not O my God When all the World forsakes me Sustain me by thy grace When I have lost the strength of my body I thirst I desire to see thee I desire to dy When will my end com When shall I consummate my Sacrifice O my Father I recommend my spirit into thy hands I unite my death with thy Son 's Remember that he redeem'd me with his blood Lose not my soul which is of so great value Bowing down his head he gave up the Ghost John 19. The just man perisheth and no body thinks of it in his heart Isai 57. Think upon him who endured such contradiction against himself from sinners that you may not be wearied in your minds fainting Heb. 12. He died for the wicked Rom. 5. Christ died for us ibid. For this end did Christ dy and rose again that he might be Lord of the quick and the dead Rom. 14. Your are dead and your life is hid with Christ c. Col. 3. CXVII MED In form of Prayer on the seven Stations of the Sufferings of the Son of God 1. STATION O Jesus my Saviour who didst sweat blood and water in the Garden of Olives at the sight of thy torments and of my sins And who didst strip thy self of thy farce for to cloath thy self with my Infirmities I aadore thee all bathed in thy blood I give thanks to thy sacred heart for having afflicted it self for my sake I detest all the sins which did cause so great a sadness I resolve to dy rather than ever more to afflict thee Give me grace that I may as thou didst conceive a great sorrow for my iniquities that I may resist even unto blood the Temptations of the Devil and of the Flesh and that I may conform my self in all things to thy example and to the will of thy Father 2. STAT O Jesus my Lord who wert buffeted and ill treated in the houses of Annas and Caiphas I give thee thanks for having suffered these injuries and these confusions for the love of me Alas how often have I buffeted and injured thee in the person of my neighbour since thou reckonest as don to thy self all the ill that is don to him I beg most humble pardon of thee for it And I resolve henceforth for thy sake to suffer all the injuries that shall be don to me and never more to offend thee in the person of my Brothers either by action words judgment or will 3. STAT O Jesus my King who wert scorned by Herod and by the Jews when they preferred a Robber a Seditious felow and a Man-killer before thee I beg pardon of you for having so often preferr'd the Devil and wretched Creatures before you I promise never more to dishonour you You shall always be the King of my heart and I will rather dy than lay you as I have don under the feet of Lucifer that Robber that Seditious wretch and Murderer of all men 4. STAT O Jesus the purest and chastest of all men whose innocent flesh was torn with the blows of the Whips in Pilate's house for to expiate the Criminal Pleasures that we take in our flesh I acknowledge that it was for my sake that you suffered such cruel torments I am sorry for having given you so many wounds and that I have so often renewed them by the satisfaction which I have given to my Senses I conjure you by your Dolours to sanctifie my Body and Soul and to wash them with your pretious blood from all their Impurities and never to suffer that that flesh which has been washed in your blood be ever stain'd with any sin 5. STAT O Jesus the greatest of all Kings who wert crowned with Thorns and didst wear on thy Shoulders the Royal Marks of thy Principality I acknowledge thee for my King as despised and disfigured as thou art And since thou hast no part of thy body which was not wounded I will take no more pleasure in my body but will live in grief and pain that I may be one of thy Subjects and one of thy Members 6. STAT O Jesus my Redeemer who for my sake wert fastened to a Cross and who didst shed all thy blood for to rescue me from the power of the Devil whose Slave I was I give the thanks for this incomparable love that thou didst bear to me for so many torments which thou didst suffer for my sake I kiss with respect thy sacred feet and thy sacred hands which were pierced for my sake I adore that sacred heart which was opened for my love and I promise rather to dy than ever more to crucify thee in mine 7. STAT O Jesus my life who didst dy for me and who wert forsaken by thy Father that I might not be forsaken at my death O most meek Lamb immolated for the Salvation of men Victim of Love and Patience who wert consummated on a pile of sorrows O the Saint of Saints O the King of Kings What can I do for to acknowledge so great a goodness Why may not I dy for you as you died for me I believe that thou art my Saviour and I should despair did I not believe it I hope that thou wilt pardon me my sins and that thou wilt bestow on me thy Heaven since thou gavest me thy life I detest my Crimes which are the cause of thy death and I will rather lose my life than ever make thee dy in my heart since this death is infinitly more sensible and more ignominious to thee than that of the Cross I beg your pardon for all those who have offended me I give my self
obeyed Serve her whom God hath served Love her whom God hath loved Salute her whom the Angel did salute Say to her often with heart and mouth Hail full of Grace Give us a part of your fulness Our Lord is with thee As Father as Son as Spouse Blessed art thou among Women With infinit blessings Thou alone art a Virgin and a Mother Thou alone wert conceiv'd without Crime Thou alone didst live without Sin Thou alone didst dy without Pain Thou alone hadst God for thy Son and Subject Thou alone art his Daughter his Mother his Spouse Thou art the repairer of the World The Queen of the Universe The Gate of Paradise The Dispenser of Graces O Blessed Virgin give me thy blessing And blessed be the Fruit which thou gavest to the World Most holy Mary and most worthy Mother of God Pray for the Just and for Sinners Now that thou seest them Beaten by so many Temptations Slaves to so many vices Overwhelm'd with so many miseries But especially at their Death When their Salvation is in greatest danger And thy succour will be most necessary for them The Word was made flesh John 1. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that for you he was made poor whereas he was rich that by his poverty you might be rich 2 Cor. 3. He exinanited himself Phil. 1. He was subject to them Luk. 2. All generations shall call me blessed Luk. 2. CXXXV MED Of the Visitation of the B. Virgin JESVS visits S. John Mary visits S. Elizabeth Jesus sanctifies both the Mother and the Son By the mouth of Mary As soon as ever she had spoken John Baptist was sanctified Her speech was a Conduit-pipe of grace which gave sight to a blind man Which delivered a captive Which raised up one that was dead Which justified a sinner Mary applies to the first amongst men The first fruit of our Redemption She conceives man spiritually After having conceiv'd God corporally She becoms the Mother of men After having becom the Mother of God She is the Mother of grace She is the Mother of mercy Of grace for the just Of mercy for sinners O Mother of grace Mother of mercy Visit us frequently together with thy Son You want not grace Since you have the fulness thereof You want not mercy Since it dwelt nine months in your bowels Exercise it on a poor blind man And on a poor captive On a sinner a slave to his Passions On one dead to the life of grace Com and enlighten and enlarge him Com and raise him and sanctify him Make thy voice to be heard to the ear of my heart For thy voice is sweet And thy beauty incomparable Speak and my heart will leap with joy Say the word and my soul will be healed For you have in you the Word of God Which gives life to the World Mary Mother of grace Mother of mercy Defend us from our Enemies And receive our Souls at the hour of our Death For to honour the Virgin You must imitate her Virtues Love Solitude as she did Go not out of it but for to do good Visit the Prisoners Help the Miserable Deliver Captives Sanctify Sinners Be a Mother of grace to their Souls A Mother of mercy to their Bodies Blessed is the Lord God of Israel because he hath visited c. Luk. 1. Through the bowels of the mercy of our God in which he visited us ibid. Visit us in thy salvation Ps 205. Thy visitation hath preserved my Spirit Job 10. As soon as she heard the salutation of Mary Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost Luk. 1. Arise make hast my friend my sister let thy voice sound in my ears for thy voice is sweet and thy face comely Cant. 2. CXXXVI MED Of the Death of the B. Virgin WHat is it that makes the Chalice of Death bitter It is the loss of the World 'T is the separation from the Body 'T is the account that is to be given We feel sadness in quitting the World We feel pain in quitting our Body We dread being to appear before God Mary died without Fear Sadness Pain Because she liv'd without Sin ty Pleasure O let my soul dy with the death of the Saints O let my death be like the death of Mary Live the life of Saints And thou wilt dy the death of Saints Live like Mary and thou wilt dy like Mary Live without sin and thou wilt dy without fear Live without ty and thou wilt dy without sadness Live without pleasure And thou wilt dy without pain If you lead the life of sinners You will dy the death of sinners If you live in disorder You will dy in confusion If you live in sin you will dy in fear If you live in pleasure You will dy in pain That which makes your delight during your life Will make your torment at your death That which is your pain during your life Will be your pleasure at your death O Holy Virgin I care not by what death I dy Provided that I dy in a good state I shall dy without fear if I dy in your arms I shall dy in grace if I dy in your service For you save those that belong to you You never suffer your Children to perish O fail not to be present at your Son's death All the Predestinate must dy in your arms Since you saw the first Predestinate dy I will disengage my self from the World That I may dy without sadness I will afflict my Body That I may dy without pain I will abstain from sin That I may dy without fear I will live in pain that I may dy in pleasure I will live in Pennance That I may dy with assurance I will live in Charity That I may dy in Sanctity I will live a Child of the Virgins That I may dy like a Predestinate I will live in grace that I may dy in grace I will live in love that I may dy in love I adjure you O ye daughters of Jerusalem that if you find my beloved you will tell him that I languish with love Cant. 5. Love is as strong as death Cant. 8. Let my soul dy the death of the just Numb 23. The Death of sinners is very bad Ps 33. He shall laugh at the latter day Prov. 31. Into thy hands O Lord I recommend my spirit Luk. 23. CXXXVII MED Of the Resurrection of the B. Virgin MAry is risen again Her body is no longer in the grave So pure a flesh as hers Ought to be exempt from corruption So holy a Temple ought not to be profaned Mary is the chastest of Virgins She ought therefore to be incorruptible Mary is the best of Mothers She ought therefore to be with her Son If the body of Jesus by its Communion Gives a right to a Resurrection Who ought to rise again If not she who gave him flesh If the Servants are with their Masters Where ought his Mother to be If this favour
in the beginning of every Week The same thing I have likewise observed on the Feasts of the Saints for I give Meditations either on the Virtues which they practised or on the Gospel that is Read on their Mass Those who shall Read the Abridgment of their Life may easily joyn their Example to the Truth which they meditate on There are some virtuous Persons who desire every Month to make the Exercise of Death and for to satisfie their Devotion I have at the end of every Month put four Meditations for to prepare them thereunto Those whom this Devotion does not please may make use of the others that are there marked out for them or choose those they have a mind to in the first Table that follows Now for to make profit of these Meditations this I conceive is the Method they are to be made in After the ordinary Preparations of which we have spoken in our Method of Prayer Read with respect and attention the words of the Holy Scripture Weigh each word of them Make Acts of Faith and if you find your Mind to be taken up stop there without going any further But in case it fix not upon that subject Read then the first part of your Meditation and stop at that Truth which makes most impression on your Heart or else begin by the two first lines Endeavour to penetrate the sence of them Make reflexion on your self and see whether your life be conformable to those Truths Conceive a Sorrow and consequently made good Resolutions For example if you meditate upon Patience and that you be com to these two lines All that I endure is nothing in comparison of the Punishment that I have deserved Call to mind for a while the principal Sins of your life compare the place that you are in with that which you ought to be in the pains that you suffer with those that you ought to have suffered Measure the time of your pains with that of Eternity and see whether you have reason to complain Say If God had don with me according to his justice where should I now have been Am not I better here than in Hell If I were there as so many others are would not I reckon my self happy to com out from thence for to endure what I now endure Why then should I complain Does God do me wrong Have not I deserved infinitly much more Push on this Consideration and press your heart until it submits it self to God's Orders Consequently frame your affections give thanks to our Lord for his Goodness and Mercy that he has used towards you Beg Pardon of him for your Impatiences and make resolutions of suffering better than you hitherto have Then you shall pass on to the following line In comparison of the Glory that is prepared for me And you shall meditate on it as on the foregoing lines Thus flying up and down like a Bee from flower to flower until you have found the honey of Devotion But in case nothing do touch you yet quit not your Prayer for all that but remain quiet in the Presence of God or else make use of the Practices that we have taught you in the Method of Prayer You may also Read the words of Devotion which are at the end of the Fourth Part and there doubtless you will find som comfort When at any time you find your self in any extraordinary disposition of Joy or Sadness it will be good even out of Prayer to entertain your self in this manner Lift up your heart to God beg of him to make known to you his Divine Will and Pleasure Then opening your Book stop at that Meditation on which you have lighted and you will oftentimes find therein what you seek after The Providence of God says the Wise man plays upon Earth with Men and takes delight to manifest it self in casual and unforethought-of accidents Since I am commanded to put my Name to this new Edition I conjure all virtuous Persons through the Charity which they owe to those who are in misery to give som place in their remembrance to him and som share in their Prayers Here follow two Tables the First of the Meditations of the two Tomes The Second of those which are to serve for every Day in the Year A TABLE OF THE Meditations Contain'd in the First TOME The First PART For the Purgative Life Med. 1. OF the End for which Man was made Page 1 Med. 2. Of the Dominion of God over his Creatures Page 3 Med. 3. Of the care of our Salvation Page 6 Med. 4. Of disengagement from Creatures Page 7 Med. 5. Of the Will of God Page 9 Med. 6. Of the Obligations we have to love and serve God Page 10 Med. 7. Profitable thoughts fit to draw us off from the World Page 12 Med. 8. Of Death Page 13 Med. 9. Of the Death of the Just Page 14 Med. 10. Of the Death of Sinners Page 17 Med. 11. Of the Last Judgment Page 20 Med. 12. Of Hell Page 22 Med. 13. Of the Two Eternities Page 24 Med. 14. Of Mortal sin Page 25 Med. 15. Of Venial sin Page 26 Med. 16. Of Pennance Page 28 Med. 17. That we ought not to differ our Conversion Page 29 Med. 18. Of the Conditions of a true Pennance Page 32 Med. 19. Of the flight from Occasions and evil Companies Page 35 Med. 20. Of a good and a bad Conscience Page 39 Med. 21. Of the peace of the Soul Page 41 Med. 22. Of vain Desires Page 42 Med. 23. Of Tepidity Page 43 Med. 24. Of the Hatred of the World Page 45 Med. 25. Of the small number of the saved Page 48 Med. 26. Of Scandal or bad Example Page 50 Med. 27. Of outward Pennance and Mortification Page 53 Med. 28. Of the excellency of Mortification Page 55 Med. 29. Of the profit and necessity of Temptations Page 56 Med. 30. Of the causes of our Temptations Page 58 Med. 31. Of the troubles and pains of Mind Page 61 Med. 32. Of natural Inclinations Page 62 Med. 33. Of Aversions Page 65 Med. 34. Of Presumption Page 67 Med. 35. Of the good use of Time Page 71 Med. 36. Of Persecutions Page 73 Med. 37. That it is necessary to be afflicted and persecuted Page 75 Med. 38. Of human Respect Page 77 Med. 39. Of Slander or Detraction Page 79 Med. 40. Of Sadness Page 81 Med. 41. The ill effects of Sadness Page 83 Med. 42. Remedies against Sadness Page 84 Med. 43. Of Pride Page 89 Med. 44. Of the Pardoning of Injuries Page 91 Med. 45. Of the judgment of men Page 94 Med. 46. Of Avarice Page 97 Med. 47. Of Relapse Page 100 Med. 48. Of Customary Sins Page 102 Med. 49. Of Preparation to Death Page 105 Med. 50. How to resolve for Death Page 108 Med. 51. The Affections of a just Soul at the approaches of Death which we should cause to be read to us in our last sickness Page 111 Med. 52. A Paraphrase upon our
do his will And sacrifice my self to his glory My God! Let me cease to live unless I will live for thee Destroy my being unless I will be thine Oppose my desires if I desire ought else but thee Thou art my Servant Isa 41. I am thine Ps 118. VVhether we live or whether we die we are the Lords Rom. 14. You are not your own for you have been bought with a great price 2 Cor. 6. O Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant and the Son of thy Handmaid Ps 115. VII MED Profitable thoughts fit for to draw us off from the World WHo was it that put me into this World To what end am I in this World What do I do in this World What rest have I in this World When shall I go out of this World Whether shall I go at my departure out of this World What would I wish to have don At my going out of this World Shall I damn my self for the goods of this World If I lose my Soul what will it avail me To have gained the whole World And yet for all that I labour only for the World O my God! Either draw me out of this World Or draw me off from this World Either make the World die in me Or make me die to the World Either separate my Soul from her Body Or take her off from the affection of the World VVhat will it avail a man should he gain the whole VVorld Luk. 19. Ye are of this VVorld I am not of this VVorld John 8. O just Father the VVorld hath not known thee John 4. Ye are not of this VVorld John 15. VIII MED Of Death YOu must die once And you will die but once You know not when you shall die How you shall die In what place you shall die In what state you shall die You will die sooner than you imagin And unless you take heed you will die Before you think of it Such is the Death as is the Life One cannot learn in a moment A Trade which one never practised Nor can one unlearn in a moment A Trade one has still been at After Death you will be judged After Judgment you will be in Eternity What would you then wish to have don What good will these goods do you Which you have scraped up together O Death O Judgment O Salvation O Damnation I am a dead man unless I think of Death I am a Mad man unless I think on Eternity I deserve not to be saved Unless I fear being damned Behold the day of thy Death is at hand Deut. 31. O death how bitter is thy remembrance to a man who has peace in his Riches Eccles 41. Man knows not his end Eccles 9. It is decreed that all men must die once Heb. 9. Be ye therefore prepar'd because in the hour that you think not of the Son of Man will come Luk. 12. Dispose of thy house for thou wilt die Isa 38. IX MED Of the Death of the Just WHat a pleasure is it to die When we have no pleasure to live One quits that without pain Which one possesses without affection Death is sweet to him Who has no comfort at all here The Soul leaves without repining A House that doth not please her A divorce is pleasing to those That do not love each other That which you love during your life Will be your torment at your death That which afflicts you in this life Will be your comfort at your Death What can cause any grief To a spirit disengag'd from all things Love is as strong as Death It prevents what that is to do It separates the soul from the body And leaves Death nothing to do What need is there to pluck up by force A Heart that cleaves close to nothing The Treasure of his merits Is a possession that cannot be taken from him 'T is a precious inheritance That death cannot rob him of O what comfort does the sight Of a good action then afford There is nothing in our life that is goodly But a fair Gate to get out of it Of all the goods that man can desire The greatest is to die well Death is not dreadful To him that has liv'd well It is the end of his combats And the Crown of his merits God preserves in that evil day The Soul which has been faithful to him He makes her sleep in his bosom He strengthens her with his grace He allayes her pains He dissipates her frights He gives order to his blessed Spirits To comfort and defend her To maintain her in peace And to conduct her to Heaven O how precious in the sight of God Is the death of the Just O how honourable is this Sacrifice to him O how pleasing to him is this Victim My God! May I hope for a good death Having led so wicked a life 'T is true I have lost my Innocence But I may repair it by Pennance O I will live like the Vertuous That I may die like the Vertuous O I will lead the life of the Just That I may obtain the Death of the Just Blessed are the dead that die in our Lord. Apoc. 14. To him that fears our Lord it shall be well in his extremity and he shall be blessed in the day of his departure Eccles 2. Precious in the sight of our Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 115. VVhen these things being to be don look up and lift up your heads for then your Redemption is at hand Luk. 21. Ye shall go forth in gladness and be conducted in peace the mountains and hills shall sing praises before you Isa 5. X. MED Of the Death of Sinners DEath is a great evil But Sin is a much greater But Death joyned with Sin Is the most frightful of all evils 'T is an universal evil 'T is an eternal evil 'T is an evil without remedy 'T is the most dreadful threat That a provoked God can make O how evil is the death of sinners How are they seized with horrour Seeing themselves e're they are aware At the last line of time Which they have spent so ill Seeing themselves just ready to go Into the Prisons of Eternity From whence they cannot save themselves To begin to see what they never saw To begin to conceive what they never before conceived To begin to measure What they never before considered To begin to feel what they had never experienced To begin to suffer an Evil as long as Eternity To quit a place of Pleasures For to enter into a place of Torments To descend from a Paradise Into a bottomless Hell To pass from plenty into extream want To fall from a throne of glory Into an Abyss of Confusion O what a dreadful change is this O what a sensible misfortune O how surprizing a novelty O what an amazing downfal That which causes a desire in the good Will cause a fear in the wicked A virtuous man desires nothing more Than to present
die and their fire shall not be quenched Isa 66. Be gon from me ye accursed into fire everlasting Matth. 25. Come ye blessed of my Father Matth. 25. XIV MED Of Mortal sin WHat have I don I have offended an infinit Majesty I have injur'd infinit perfections I would have destroy'd an infinit goodness I have violated an infinit obligation I have then committed an infinit injustice I therefore deserve an infinit punishment God hates Sin with an infinit hatred He hates it as much as he loves his Son As much as he loves himself He hates it entirely infinitly Necessarily Essentially Eternally And I love what God hates I love it in proportion as much as he hates it I love entirely what he hates entirely I love excessively what he hates infinitly I love voluntarily what he hates necessarily I love constantly what he hates eternally O I will henceforth hate Sin As highly as I am bound to hate it I will hate it as much as I am bound to love God I will hate it entirely Infinitly Necessarily constantly eternally The Highest hateth sinners and will render revenge to the wicked Eccles 12. What hast thou don The voice of thy Brother's blood cries unto me from the Earth Gen. 4. The Soul which through pride shall have committed any thing whether he be a Citizen or a Stranger shall perish from amongst his people Numb 15. The impious man and his iniquity are hateful Wisd 14. What profit had you in those things in which you now blush for indeed their end is death Rom. 6. XV. MED Of Venial Sin THat is a great ill that does ill to God An injury don to God is a great injury Every Venial Sin dishonours God It offends the Sanctity of God It saddens the Spirit of God It cools the love of God It diminishes the graces of God It makes us stray from the conduct of God I dishonour God more by one Venial Sin Than I can honour him by my good works 'T is better to abstain from one Venial Sin Than to do all sorts of good works Venial Sin wounds and disfigures my Soul It darkens my Understanding Weakens my Will Raises my Passions By committing of small sins I familiarize my self with great ones A Habit of Venial Sin Leads insensibly unto Mortal O God of Majesty How have I slighted thee O God of goodness How have I afflicted thee O God of Sanctity How ill have I treated thee My Soul fear that evil that leads to death Apprehend the committing of small sins If thou wilt avoid great ones A small matter gains Heaven And a small matter loses it One Venial sin cannot damn thee And yet thy Damnation Begins many times by a slight sin He who is unjust in a small matter will be unjust in a greater Luk. 16. See how small a fire burns a great wood Jam. 3. He that slights small things will fall by degrees Eccl. 19. Of every idle word that men shall have spoken they shall give an account in the day of Judgment Matth. 16. XVI MED Of Pennance EIther Hell or Pennance There are but two ways to Eternity The broad one and the narrow one The broad one leads to Hell The narrow one to Heaven The broad one is the easier The narrow one the harder The broad one is the more beaten The narrow one the less frequented In which of the two are you You walk in the broad ways You live according to custom You imitate only the Vices of others You imitate not their Virtues You hearken to nothing but your own inclinations You follow nothing but your passions You will not be confin'd You seek nothing but to be at large You are resolv'd to sin And you are not resolv'd to do Pennance Unless you do it quickly You will die suddenly Unless you do it now You will do it in Eternity O my God! Spare me not now Provided that you spare me in Eternity Do fruits worthy of Pennance Luk. 3. Unless you do pennance you will all perish together Luk. 13. Enter in at the narrow gate Matth. 7. Do ye pennance for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Matth. 2. XVII MED That we ought not to differ our Conversion UNless you do Pennance you will not be saved Unless you do it quickly possibly you may never do it You will not always have this time This grace this will He that abuses his time is deprived of time He that abuses grace is deprived of grace He that abuses his liberty is deprived of liberty Why do you differ your Conversion Must you be wicked because God is good Must you abuse his patience to your insolence Must you make his justice a slave to your malice To sin in hopes of a pardon Is to sin by presumption It is to preserve vice By the very grace that ought to destroy it 'T is to nourish sin by the very remedy Which ought to be the death of it 'T is to make of Pennance A fund of Impenitence Why will you delay what must be don one day That which will be good to morrow Is it not good to day Shall you be alive to morrow Shall you have this grace to morrow Will you ground upon a May-be The business of an Eternity What may be will be infallibly Unless God hinders it from being The Devil will strike his stroke Unless God hinder him from acting One dies as he has lived Death is the Echo of life How shall we hate at our death What we have loved all our life long A Thief was saved Despair not There was but one Presume not You say nothing presses you And I say all things press you presses you The time that slips away presses you The grace that touches you presses you Heaven that stands open presses you Hell wherein you are like to fall presses you Death that threatens you presses you Judgment that draws near presses you O my God! I put off too long That which cannot be don too soon I continue too long That which never ought to be don I will no longer expect till to morrow Since I am not sure to live to morrow My life is all yours Why have you but a part thereof You give me time for to love you Is it just that I should use it to offend you If I offer up the Sacrifice of Cain I shall be reprobated as he was One can never take security sufficient When Eternity lies at Stake Turn to our Lord and leave thy sins Eccl. 5. Do you contemn the riches of God's goodness and patience c. Rom. 2. Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3. Do not delay turning to our Lord nor differ it from day to day for his wrath will come on a sudden Eccles 5. Ruin will fall upon that man who with a stiff-neck contemns him that rebukes him Prov. 29. XVIII MED Of the Conditions of a true Pennance A True Repentance ought to proceed from the
You have grace enough not to go thither You have enough to retire from thence But shall you have grace enough if you stay there Is it not a sin of Presumption To promise it your self in the occasion At least it will be very weak And your enemy will be very strong He is a Dog in a chain When we come near him he bites us He expects us in the occasion If you go thither O rash Soul You will yield to that temptation He that loves danger will not escape danger Be not familiar with a cholerick man neither do thou walk with a furious man least thou learn his foot stept Prov. 22. He that touches pitch shall be defiled with it and he that keeps company with a proud man will put on pride Eccles 14. He that joyns himself to Fornicators will be naught Eccles 14. If any one be a Fornicator amongst you do not so much as eat with such an one 1 Cor. 5. He that loves danger shall perish therein Eccles 3. Go off from the Tabernacles of the wicked men and do not touch any thing that belongs to them that ye be not involv'd in their ruin Numb 16. If thy right eye scandalize thee pluck it out and cast it from thee Matth. 5. We denounce unto you brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ That you withdraw your selves from every brother that walks disorderly 2 Thess 3. XX. MED Of a good and a bad Conscience O How good it is to serve God What a pleasure is there in loving him How good is he to those that love him How terrible to those that offend him How happy is a good conscience How unhappy is a bad Conscience How joyful is a sound heart How sad is a sick heart O what quiet is there in a good Soul O what disturbance in a wicked Soul The Conscience of a just man is a Heaven The Conscience of a Sinner is a Hell God is in the Soul of a just man The Devil is in the Soul of a Sinner A virtuous man fears nothing A wicked man apprehends all things A just man is well with himself A wicked man is ill with himself A virtuous man willingly stays at home Because all is in peace there A wicked man dares not enter into himself Because all things are there in disorder O how sweet is Virtue O how bitter is Vice O how precious is the death of the Just O how horrible is the death of Sinners Ah! I will love God now That I may love him in Eternity I will lead a good life that I may have a good death My sin is always before me Psal 50. There is no peace to the wicked saith our Lord. Isa 48. A good conscience is as it were a perpetual feast Prov. 15. Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul that works evil Rom. 2. Hell is my house Job 17. This is our glory the testimony of our conscience 2 Cor. 1. XXI MED Of the peace of the Soul I Would fain be in peace Whence comes it that I am not Is it not because I defer too much to my own sence Because I am too much wedded to my own will Because I rebel against my Superiors Because I will suffer nothing Because I desire something with eagerness Because I am ambitious Because I am envious Is it not because I wage war against God Because I resist his Will Because I oppose my self to his Providence Because I would have what he will not Because I will not what he wills Who can live in peace that fights against God Who can be contented that is at odds with God O my Soul If thou art against God God will be against thee If thou disturbest his peace he will disturb thy quiet If thou keep his orders his orders will keep thee If thou disturb his order His order will disturb thee Desire nothing and thou shalt have all Do the Will of God and God will do thine He will do the Will of those that fear him Ps 144. VVhence come the wars and brangles amongst you is it not from your concupiscences James 4. Glory be to God on high and on Earth peace to men of good will Luk. 2. My peace I give you let not your heart be troubled John 14. Much peace there is to those that love thy law Ps 118. XXII MED Of vain Desires ARt thou contented O my Soul What dost thou desire upon earth Is not God sufficient for thee Is not he thy happiness When wert thou well without him Or when ill with him What dost thou seek besides God Who can content thee but God Thy desires are thy Tyrants 'T is they make thee miserable 'T is they that rent thy heart How happy would'st thou be if thou desiredst nothing What dost thou get by desiring These sort of desires enter not into Heaven They are the Devils in Hell 'T is they that torment the damned Leave off desiring and thou wilt get out of Hell O my God! Out of you all abundance is to me indigence All sweetness is bitterness to me That Heart is very covetous To which God is not sufficient Covetousness is the root of all evils 1 Tim. 6. The desires of sinners shall perish Ps 122. Desires kill the slothful man Prov. 21. Turn away from me all desires Eccles 23. Yield me not O Lord from my desire to the Sinner Psal 139. Martha Martha thou art Sollicitous and troubled about many things Luk. 10. XXIII MED Of Tepidity How miserable is a Tepid Soul She has lost all relish of God She is depriv'd of all comforts She wanders out of the ways of his Providence She sins without fear She does ill without remorse She dares not enter into her self She is Sick and is not sensible of her Sickness She is wicked and thinks her self good She is a slave and thinks her self free She abuses all remedies She rejects all Inspirations She is insensible to all Grace She discredits Devotion She scandalizes her Neighbour She is a burden to Communities She lies heavy upon God's heart She is just upon the point of being cast out She is in danger of never re-entring more Am not I in that state Am I hot or am I cold Am I all God's Or am I his only by halfs If so I have a tepid Soul O divine Saviour How long have I afflicted you How long have I clogg'd your heart Ah! Vomit me not up yet Deprive me not of your love Drive me if you will out of your Heaven But drive me not out of your Heart Draw in your goods from my soul But draw not back your love from thence Alas I more dread your hatred Than I do the pains of Hell My Soul Remember the state thou art fallen from Resume thy first fervour 〈◊〉 tho I dost it quickly Thy Candlestick will be removed And another put in its place JESUS will drive thee out of his heart And thou shalt never more re-enter therein If thou
for to give glory to thee and I have don nothing but dishonoured thee I have glorified my own name instead of glorifying of thine I have made known my own name instead of making known thine I beg thy pardon for it O God of Glory and Majesty and since I have not honored thee during my life I will honour thee in my Death I dy for thy glory and for to acknowledge the Immortality of thy Being by the destruction of mine I wish I were able to render you as much glory by my death as your beloved Son rendred you by his O why can I not make you to be beloved by all hearts make you be praised by all mouths O holy name of JESUS Thou art all my hopes Whosoever shall call upon thee shall be saved I invocate thee with love and with respect suffer me not then to be damned Thy Kingdom com My God! When will that time come When will you reign absolutely in my heart When shall I reign peaceably in yours Alas I have not made you reign upon Earth I have all my life long protested That I had no other King but Caesar I have given up my heart which is your Kingdom to the power of the Devil I have made all your enemies to reign therein But my God! Through your grace I acknowledge my fault and my perfidiousness I confess that I deserve death I accept of it with all my heart in satisfaction for my sins I hope that you will admit me into your Kingdom although I have driven you out of mine O my God! How happy are those who dwell in your house for they shall praise you for ever and ever Happy are those that serve you here on Earth for they shall reign with you in Heaven Comfort thy self O my Soul Behold the Kingdom of God is at hand Thou hast but one moment to suffer in and thou shalt have an Eternity to rejoyce in What ought not one to do for to gain a Crown What ought not one to suffer for to get Heaven Thy Will be don on Earth as it is in Heaven My God! I feel great pains My Body is overwhelm'd with Sufferings Death assaults me on all sides I cannot resist its Batteries It presents me my Chalice to drink which is very bitter Is there no means to remove it from my mouth Yet let thy Will be don and not mine My God! My Soul is in her Agony My Spirit is disturb'd at the approaches of Death She apprehends this passage and has difficulty to quit her Body She would fain stay a little longer here upon Earth for to redeem the time past and repair the losses she has been the cause of Must she drink this Chalice Can not she be dispens'd from it My God let your will be don and not mine Let me do it at my death since I have not don it in my life O my God! If it were in my power not to dy I would beg Death of you as a favour that I might sacrifice to you what I have dearest in this World thereby to imitate your Son thereby to acknowledge his love and for to drink in his Chalice O I will be consummated upon this bed of sorrow and upon the Altar of my Cross as a a Victim of your greatness as a Victim of your Justice as a Victim of your Love as a Victim of your Grace as a Victim of your Glory Give us this day our daily bread Happy is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God I thank you O charitable Father for all the corporal and spiritual goods that you have bestowed on me during this life and above all for the bread of Angels which I have so often eaten and with so little fruit O bread of life I am no more afraid of death since I have eaten thee in this my last sickness I will march on being fortified with this bread till I com to the Mount Oreb which is the clear sight of God O Eternal Truth You have promised and sworn That he who shall eat your Body and drink your Blood shall live eternally This is that which grounds my hopes This is that which disperses my fears Since we have been united together in this life I hope we shall not be divided asunder in the next O JESUS Give me my bread this day Strengthen me with your graces that I may compass the great journy of Eternity and that I may persever to the end Without this bread I shall faint and shall never be able to get to Heaven Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us Lord the number of my sins is infinit If you keep an account of our iniquities alas who will be able to subsist I expect my Salvation from your mere grace and not from your justice I can no more do pennance I am no longer in a condition to pray or to fast What shall I then do to appease your justice and to secure my Salvation You have promised to forgive him that forgives to shew mercy to him that shows it I do with all my heart forgive those who have offended me and I pray you to forgive them and not to lay to their charge the ill they have don me Alas they knew not what they did Forgive me my God as I forgive them Forget the evil that I have don to you as I forget that which they have don to me And lead us not into Temptation Now it is O my God that I stand in need of your protection and your assistance See how all my enemies surround me on all sides The roaring Lyon is com out of Hell for to devour me But if you are with me what need I fear Although I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death I shall apprehend nothing being in your company Although I were besieged by an Army encamped round about me my heart would not be astonished Although all the Devils of Hell were ready to enter into combat against me I would not tremble since you are with me and that you make me hope that I shall have your assistance Arise then O God of Hosts com quickly to my succour Send St. Michael with his Troops to relieve me You know my weakness there is none greater in the World Preserve me therefore O my God from Temptation at least suffer me not to yield unto Temptation But deliver us from evil From evil of body which I have very well deserved from the evil of the Soul which I am threatned with Deliver me from the greatest of all evils which is that of Eternity This is the only sole evil that I apprehend I accept of all the rest that you shall think fit to send me I am ready to go to Purgatory for to satisfie your Justice But O God of mercy I conjure you by the pretious blood of your Son and for the love that his holy Mother bore him send me not into Hell where
Creatures It gives us a disgust of this life Makes us desire death Satisfies for our sins Makes us feel the punishment of them Gives us a horrour of them Destroys the habit of them Makes us like to Jesus Christ Makes us drink in his Chalice There is nothing more glorious than to suffer Nothing more sweet more wholsom More necessary than to suffer What an honour is it to be Crucified with JESUS To be treated like one of his Members To ascend up his Royal Throne To carry his Scepter and wear his Diadem To consummate the work of his Redemption To fill up what is wanting to his Passion To express his suffering Figure To continue his Sacrifice To take a part in his Sorrows To help him to carry his Cross To be a Victim like him To be a Martyr like him To be persecuted like him To be immolated like him I adore Torments as Sacraments I look upon an afflicted man As on Jesus crucified I had rather suffer with Jesus Than reign with Jesus God chastizes those whom he loves He spares not the Rod to his Children If I am not corrected I am not beloved If I am not God's Child I shall not be saved God is never more in wrath Than when he puts not himself in wrath I never am more comforted Than when I find my self amidst Sufferings He that chastizes me for the present Will spare me in Eternity God always visits with his grace Those whom he visits with pain Grace is a fruit of the Cross You must climb the Cross to gather it You will never be without grace As long as you are on the Cross There is no virtue without a Cross No merit without patience Take away the Cross from Charity And it has no more tenderness Take away the Cross from Hope And it has no more support Take away the Cross from Humility And it is nothing but Vanity Take away the Cross from Fortitude And it is nothing but Weakness Money is not currant Unless it be stamp't with the Prince's Coin The Wounds that are given to it Give it its value Unless you have Wounds You will have no merit Your Gold will not be currant Unless it be markt with the Cross's Stamp How perfect is a Patient man All his Virtues are Heroick He believes that he is lov'd When he is afflicted That God makes much of him When he strikes him He hopes against hope He is calm in all events Immoveable in his ruin Indefatigable in his labours He loves God without allurements He kisses the rods wherewith he is scourged He thinks himself unworthy of all goods He reckons himself worthy of all evils He leaves himself to his Providence He lets himself be led by Obedience He adores all Crosses as Relicks of the true Cross God is wise he knows well what he does He is good therefore he wishes me well He is every where the sees what I suffer He is omnipotent he can deliver me He is rich he can assist me He is just Why should I complain He is charitable Why should I despair He is patient Ought not I to imitate him He is a King Ought not be to govern He is Soveraign Ought not he to command What a comfort is it to be on the Cross With JESUS Crucified He is with you upon your Cross And you are with him upon his He is united to you by sufferance And you are united to him by patience Is not this to be blessed To be thus united to him The Union in Heaven is delicious The Union on Earth is dolorous God created the World by acting But he repaired it by suffering He acts like a God with those that act He suffers like a man with those that suffer O my Soul What greater joy Than to be with Jesus on the Cross You are a Christian onely by the Cross You are no more one if you be without a Cross 'T is to renounce your Religion To be too much afraid of Sufferings You shall have a part in Jesus his Pleasures If you have a part in his Sorrows You shall accompany him in his glory If you will keep him company in his pains You shall reign with him Provided that you suffer with him One must fight for to be crowned One must suffer for to be saved Man lost himself by pleasure He cannot save himself but by pain JESVS liv'd in pain And You would live in pleasure The Innocent was punisht And the Nocent would go free The Son was crown'd with Thorns And the Slave would be crown'd with Roses The Just man was elevated on a Cross And the Wicked man would ascend a Throne There is no greater Cross Than to have a horrour of the Cross One endures more in damning ones self Than one endures in saving himself The wicked man suffers without pleasure He has no comfort in his pain His Cross has no Unction 'T is the wicked Thief 's Cross It hath neither sweetness nor merit No body helps him to carry it 'T is the Cross of one in despair Let us honour bear love the Cross of Jesus 'T is the mystical Ladder of Jacob. 'T is the Throne of Wisdom The Chair of the Man-God The Trophy of our Salvation The Standard of our Religion The Seal of Predestination The principle of grace The foundation of glory O Holy Cross I adore thee Dear Spouse of the Son of God I kiss thee and I embrace thee Disdain not the Servant because thou didst bear the Master Disdain not the Criminal Because thou didst bear the Innocent Disdain not a man Because thou hast born a God O Holy Cross 'T is to me that thou dost belong The Holy one has no right in thee Thou art the portion of man Thou art the inheritance of the sinner The appennage of a Christian For me therefore thou wert made Come O Holy Cross betwixt my arms Permit me to rest upon thine I have espous'd thee in my Baptism Thy Marriage must be indissoluble Let nothing separate me from thee O Throne of grace and of mercy Raise me up from the Earth As thou didst my Saviour If I dy betwixt thy arms I shall be both a Saviour and saved I shall gain Souls to God And shall not lose my own Blessed is the wood by the which justice is made Wisd 14. Then Jesus said to his Disciples if any one will come after me c. let him take up his Cross Matth. 6. The word of the Cross to those that do perish is foolishness but to those that are saved that is to us 't is the power of God 1 Cor. 1. I rejoyce in Sufferings for you and fulfil the things that are wanting of the suffering of Christ for his body which is the Church of God Coloss 1. God forbid that I should glory saving in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 6. The sinner hath provoked our Lord to wrath he will not seek after him according to the multitude of his
strong 2 Cor. 12. LXXXI MED Of Modesty A Man is known by his Countenance A Soul is known by her Body 'T is a Looking-glass which represents her And wherein she is painted to the life A light Body shews a light Soul A modest Body shews a modest Soul It does nothing but what it is made to do When the Body is out of order 'T is judg'd that the Soul is so too What figure must that Soul have Which gives so ill an one to her Body A quiet and modest Exteriour Is the mark of a perfect Soul Of a Soul that tends to Union Of a Soul that is without passion God is a tranquil Spirit He is never disturb'd He dwells only in Peace He composes and quiets all things by his presence He imprints his Modesty on that Soul That he gives life to And if he does not imprint it 'T is because the Soul does not obey him When I see a Modest Body I say O here is the House of God! Here is the Temple of our Lord All things are here in peace and in order 'T is the Modesty of this Soul That reflects upon her Body 'T is the Sanctity within That sheds it self without An affected Modesty cannot last long When the Soul is well composed The Body is modest at all times The gestures of an ill regulated Body Com from the irregularity of the Soul She is agitated with Passions She gives ear to Temptations She sinks under her pains She gives her self up to her desires He that has God within himself Goes not elsewhere to seek him The Iron is at rest When it touches its Load-stone A Soul which touches God Is peaceable and without motion O My God! How tranquil is thy Spirit O how agitated is mine How grave is yours How light is mine How Modest is yours How unruly is mine If you were Master of my Heart You would also be Master of my Body If I quit the Out-works The Devil will gain the place I will therefore regulate my exteriour That I may conserve for you the Empire of my heart A man is known by the sight and a wise man is known by the shew of his face The cloathing of the body and the laughing of the teeth and the gate of the man tell of him Eccl. 19. Let your Modesty be known unto all men Phil. 4. The man of the heart that is hidden in the incorruptibility of a quiet and a modest spirit which is rich in the sight of God 1 Pet. 3. I beseech you by the modesty and meekness of Christ 2 Cor. 10. Do you on like the Elect of God Humility Modesty Patience Col. 3. LXXXII MED Of Divine Inspirations GOD holds his peace after he has spoken He scorns after having been scorned He hides himself after that he has sought He withdraws after he has called He punishes after having long endured Inspiration is the Voice of God 'T is a Blast of his Spirit 'T is a Ray of his Wisdom 'T is an Impression of his Love 'T is the Seed of Eternity 'T is the Principle of Salvation 'T is the price of the Blood of Jesus 'T is a Grace that has cost him his life You stifle the voice of God When you stifle an Inspiration You imitate Herod Who put St. John to death You imitate Saul Who put the Priests to death You imitate the Jews Who put JESUS and the Prophets to death You resist the Holy Ghost You sin without ignorance You sin through obstinacy through malice You bury the Talents of God You abuse his Gifts You trample the Son of God under your feet You do an injury to his Spirit You profane his pretious Blood You detain Truth Captive You break off the thred of his Graces You put your Salvation in danger The Justice of God will break out upon you Your Talents will be taken from you The Kingdom of Grace will be translated elsewhere God will speak no more to you The Holy Ghost will breath no more on you The Word of God will touch you no more Your Conscience will no longer molest you Hope will no longer encourage you Charity will no longer warm you Fear will no longer retain you Remedies will no longer profit you You abuse extraordinary Graces You will have them no more O my God! I confess that I am a Prodigal Who have wasted all your goods That I am a Herod Who have put your Voice to death O I will make you wait no longer I will no longer resist your grace You have too long knock't at the door of my heart This very day I will let you in You would have me quit this sin I will quit it You would have me change my life I will change it You would have me renounce gaming I will renounce it You would have me speak to my Enemy I will speak to him You would have me frequent the Sacraments I will frequent them You would have me love you alone I will love you in Time and Eternity Amen Wo to thee that despisest shall not thy self also be despised Isai 33. I called and you refused I extended my hand and there was none that regarded Ye despised all my counsel and ye neglected my rebukes and I will laugh in your destruction Prov. 1. I go and you will seek me and you will dy in your Sin Jo. 8. Extinguish not the spirit Thess 5. This day if you hear his voice c. Ps 44. LXXXIII MED Of the Word of God GOD created the World by his Word And he will not save it but by his Word He redeem'd it by his Word Incarnate Nor will he save it but by his Word Incarnate The Holy Ghost is produc'd in the heart of God By his Interiour Word The Holy Ghost is not produc'd in the heart of Man But by the Exteriour Word You are not a Sheep of JESUS Christ's Unless you hearken to his voice Your heart will bring forth nothing but Thorns Unless it receive this Divine seed JESUS speaks by the mouth of the Preacher 'T is he that rings in his Tongue He is cloath'd with the sound of his Voice As he came forth-cloath'd with a body of Flesh The Word written in Books Is a Sacrament of Salvation The Letter is the Species JESUS is the Sence The Increated Word Unites it self to the Word created That he may enter into hearts sanctify them What an Impiety to despise this Sacrament What a Crime to trample on the Son of God Alas How often have I don it I let it fall down on the ground I stifle it in my heart I eat this heavenly bread And I do not profit by it I hear this Divine Word and I am not converted If it does not convert me it will pervert me If it does me no good it will do me hurt If it give not life to me it will be my death If it doth not save me it will damn me Blessed is the womb that bore thee c.
all your Spirit Obey them voluntarily Obey them blindly Imitate Jesus obedient even unto death Lose your life rather as he did Than lose your obedience Would God have Holocausts and Victims and not rather to be obeyed Better is Obedience than Victims 1 Kings 15. It is as it were the sin of enchantment to resist and as it were the wickedness of Idolatry to refuse to obey ibid. The obedient man shall speak Victories Prov. 21. He that resists power resists God's order Rom. 13. Obey your Prelates and be subject to them for they watch as being to render an account for your Souls that they may do it with joy and not mourning Heb. 13. LXXXVIII MED Of Religious Discipline IF Religion is a Building The Rules are the Foundation thereof If Religion is a Body The Rules are the Sinews thereof If Religion is a Fortress The Rules are the Walls thereof If Religion is a Holy Place The Rules are its Inclosure You are no Religious man If you do not keep your Rules If you keep them by halfs You are a Religious man by hafls Or rather you are not at all As it is not to be a true Christian Not to be a believer in all If you do not observe your Rules You will never be perfect Blood runs through the veins And Graces through the Rules Look how many of them you transgress So many Graces do you lose One cannot without danger of life Out the Conduit-pipes of life Without the Rules of Religion One cannot arrive to perfection Observe the Laws of Nature And you will be a perfect man Observe the Laws of Grace And you will be a perfect Christian Observe the Laws of your Order And you will be a perfect Religious man There is no Rule be it never so small Which has not Graces of Salvation Which has not all the authority of God Which has not the ty of his power Which has not the seal of his goodness Which has not the Character of his Sanctity If you do not observe your Rules Your Virtues are Illusions Your Devotions are irregular They are great steps out of the good way You draw off from perfection Instead of drawing near to it The Spirit of Singularity Is the beginning of Heresies 'T is the Plague of Religion 'T is the Enemy of Humility 'T is the ruin of Communities It s Devotion is Schismatical It s Separation is Heretical Its Sentiments are presumptuous Its Examples are scandalous He that is not in order Is ill treated by the Prince of order He that separates himself from the Community Loses the graces of the Community Unless you be a member of the body You will have no part in the life thereof The members are united by the Rules If you cut off the ligaments of graces You must be reckoned among the dead Unless you live in order You will never live in peace Your Rules are the Out-works Which cover and defend you If you quit these defences You run a hazard of being lost Without the grace of vocation One cannot live in Religion This grace is tyed to the Rules It runs through these Channels Whoever breaks this commerce Does draw on himself an infinity of evils That which you break is small But the damage thereof is considerable These light unfaithfulnesses Dispose you unto greater He that is not faithful in small matters Will not be faithful in great ones How will you do hard matters If you do not do easie things A breach be it never so little Breaks the Religious Inclosure This small irregularity will produce a greater It will breed great temptations It will give an entrance to the Devil This Rule say you is small It is therefore easie to be observ'd You do ill therefore in breaking it It has cost many a tear to him that made it A grace ought to be esteemd That cost him dear that made it One sparkle kindles a great fire A Fort is taken by a small breach A small cranny is enough to sink a Ship Every thing in the service of God is great His Will heightens all that it orders 'T is he that made these Rules 'T is he that intimates these Laws to you They all have his hand and seal They all mark his authority He conducts every Being to its end He pushes on all Creatures to their center The Inanimate by their weight The Rational by his Laws If you keep order it will keep you If you disturb it it will disturb you If you destroy it it will destroy you O Christian and Religious Soul Do not disturb the peace of your Sisters Do not undermine the foundations of your Order Do not ruin the prop of Religion Do not lose the grace of your Vocation Do not rend the Breasts of your Mother Do not afflict your Father's heart His Spirit is in his Rules You offend him when you break them You slight him when you neglect them You treat him as imprudent Since you reject his conduct You make him pass for a Tyrant Who commands you things impossible Did you com into Religion For to live without Order and without Religion The Laws do preserve States The Rules maintain Communities To break one through contempt Is a sin of consequence Can one transgress it often and freely Without slighting it Can one desire perfection not being willing To rid ones self of one imperfection O my God! How culpable am I In doing ill in the Land of the Saints I wear the Habit of a Religious man But I have not the spirit of one I dwell in a sacred place With a profane Heart and Spirit I am the Plague of my Order The reproach of my Religion The scandal of my Brothers A grief to my Mother 〈…〉 Founder 〈…〉 his Law A man without Disciplin A Religious man without Religion O good Shepherd run after me Bring back your strayed Sheep Make her re-enter into the Fold If the Wolf finds her alone He will devour her O I will henceforth follow you I will obey your Laws I will perform all my Duties I will henceforth live in order To have Rules and not to keep them Is to seem to be a Religious man And not to be one Keep the Law and Counsel and there shall be 〈◊〉 thy Soul Prov. 3. If you love me keep my Commandments Jo. 14. He that is faithful in a small matter will be faitâ—… a greater Luk. 16. He that slights small things will fall c. Eccl. 19. They afflicted the spirit of the holy one Is 63. Odious unto all as an Out-law and execrable as enemy to his country and citizens 2 Macch. 5. Great are thy judgments O Lord and unutterable a thy words For this undisciplined couls have gone astray Wisd 17. The End of the First Tome THE THIRD PART OF THE Principal Mysteries of the Life and Death of the Son of God and of his Holy Mother LXXXIX MED Of the Imitation of Jesus Christ JESUS has said this We must
Kingdom of God GOD reigns in the heart of man Man reigns in the heart of God God reigns when man does his Will Man reigns when God does his will God does the will of Man When man does the Will of God God obeys Man when Man obeys God God reigns by his Providence And man by his Obedience To serve God is to reign To obey God is to command O my God! How just it is that I should depend on you But is it just that you should depend on us How just is it that I should do your will But is it just that you should do mine And yet you promise to do the will Of those who do yours O you shall henceforth be my treasure Since my heart O my God is yours O the good Master Who does the will of his Servants O the naughty Servant Who will not do the will of his good Master He will do the will of those that fear him Psal 44. I am in the midst of you as one that serves Luk. 22. Thy Kingdom com Matth. 5. The Kingdom of God is within you Luk. 17. XCVIII MED Of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and that of Satan NO Man can be without a Master And he can have but one You must either belong to Jesus or to Satan You are his Servant whose will you do Jesus is the best of all Kings Satan is the cruellest of all Tyrants Jesus loves us to the height of his love Satan hates us to the height of his hatred Jesus reigns in peace Satan reigns in trouble Jesus conducts us to Heaven Satan pushes us on to Hell Jesus is not our King Unless we keep his Commandments He reigns over our Spirit by faith Over our hearts by charity Over our desires by hope Over our soul by peace Over our body by suffering He governs us by his wisdom He sustains us by his power He sanctifies us by his love His Wisdom governs us When we renounce our own lights His power sustains us When we renounce our own forces His love sanctifies us When we renounce our own desires To do what God would have us do To suffer what he sends us To conserve our selves in his grace To keep our hearts in peace Not to do any thing through passion To obey his inspiration To be ready to do all things To be ready to do nothing Not to desire any good thing Not to refuse any evil To be always contented To live and dy on the Cross This is the Kingdom of Jesus This is that which makes his Empire O JESUS my King I am your servant and the Son of your handmaid Alas How can you enter into a heart From whence I have so often driven you 'T is a long time since you have not liv'd in me Since I have been in your grace Since you reign not in me Since you reign not in me in peace Re-enter O Lord into your Kingdom And never go out of it any more Defend your self in it Against the enemies of your Crown Satan says that he is my Master The World says that I am his Slave Pride says that I belong to him Sensuality says that I am hers And I say that I belong to Jesus That I am redeemed with the blood of JESUS That I have no other Master but Jesus That I will dy in the Service of Jesus That nothing shall separate me from Jesus Behold your King John 19. My Kingdom is not of this World ibid. Do thou and thy Son rule over us Judg. 8. Let not Sin therefore reign in your mortal body Rom. 6. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Apoc. 13. XCIX MED Of the Passion of JESVS Christ in general JEsus is the true Son of God He is the holiest of all men He is the greatest of all Kings He is the best of all Friends He never disobliged any one He did good to all the World And all the World did ill to him As he suffered for all men So he suffered from all men There was no Sex nor Condition Which did not contribute to his Passion Jews Gentils Priests and Kings All laboured to his Cross Jesus suffered all sorts of evils In his body and in his soul In his spirit and in his heart In his memory and in his imagination In his honour and in his goods In his parents and in his friends In all his senses and in all his members He is a man of sorrows and pain And I would be a man of pleasures Jesus is the Victim of all times He is the Victim of all men just and sinners He is the Victim of our Crimes As he loaded himself with all our Crimes He was crown'd with all our sufferings As there is no man that he did not love So there was none that he did not suffer for But he principally suffered for me And yet I will endure nothing for him Who did oblige him to dy for ungrateful People Why would he make himself miserable He died for to restore life to us He made himself miserable to make us happy He delivered himself up to his Enemies He did not appeal from Pilate's Sentence He wrought no Miracle for to save himself He was crucified all his life long His Heart was crucified before his Body was He died with a desire to dy His greatest sufferance was That he did not suffer O most sweet Jesus You ought to rest satisfied For you have been satiated with reproaches You cannot suffer more than you have suffered You could not dy more cruelly than you died And I would live in delights Where shall I find Examples of your goodness Examples of my malice Examples of your love Examples of my ingratitude In him dwells all plenitude of the Divinity corporally Col. 2. God anointed him with the Holy Ghost and virtue who passed along doing good and healing all that were opprest by the Devil because God was with him Act. 10. Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. I am to be baptized with a Baptism and how am I straitened until it be performed Luk. 12. From the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is no health in him Isai 53. C. MED Of the Sadness of the Son of God in the Garden of Olives JEsus is sad even unto Death At the sight of his torments Of my Sins Ingratitudes Miseries He was seized with fear for to shew That he was a man like me That he was weak like me That he stript himself of his force And cloathed himself with my weakness That he gave me his courage That he took my timidity He trembles to give me assurance He fears for to encourage me He falls for to raise me up Pleasure and Pain make all the Sins of men Desire and Fear make all the Passions of men Jesus has conquered both these Enemies And has given us his strength for to conquer them He abstain'd from all Pleasures He suffered all Pains He renounced all Desires He
surmounted all Fears He sweat Blood and Water He fought even unto Death O divine Saviour How rough was this first encounter to you How bloody was this battle to you Alas I was in your heart for to afflict you In the arms of the Jews for to torment you My Sins were in the World before you Since it were they that afflicted crucified you O divine Master You give us excellent Examples But no body will imitate them You give us excellent Lessons But no body will learn them You go the first to the on-set But no body will follow you Your Disciples have forsaken you They sleep during your agony They afflict you instead of comforting you They betray you instead of helping you What a confusion is this for me I yield to a human temptation Being supported by the force of a God And Jesus surmounts the temptations of the Devil Being cloathed with the weaknesses of all men O pretious Blood Which bathest an ungrateful ground Warm and water my heart O my Redeemer I will henceforth imitate your courage I will resist even unto blood I will triumph over the flesh I will fight even unto Death O I will drink of your Chalice Since you vouchsafed to drink mine He began to fear and to be heavy Mark 14. My Soul is sad even unto death stay here and watch ibid. His sweat became as drops of blood trickling down upon the earth Luk. 22. He surely hath born our infirmities and our sorrows he hath carried Isai 53. CI. MED On the Prayer of our Lord in the Garden JEsus draws off from his Disciples And prays to his Father in his sadness He prays with Reverence Perseverance Resignation He prays and is not heard He teaches us how to pray He teaches us how to resign our selves O the good Jesus He would not be heard that we might be heard He obtain'd no favour for himself But he obtained favour for us Pray in your Afflictions Pray alone by your self Pray with Humility Resignation Conformity Never be weary of Praying Say to God in all your fears Most holy and most charitable Father Here is a Chalice of confusion Which my Enemies prepare for me to drink Remove it if it please you from me Yet not my will be don but thine Father of Mercy Here is a Chalice of Pain that is very bitter Make it I beseech you to pass from my mouth Yet not my will be don but thine Father of the Poor Here are my Goods taken away from me Here is a Chalice of Poverty Which they will make me drink Cannot I be dispensed from it Let thy will be don and not mine Thus run through all your Pains Represent them quietly to God And conform you self to his Will Going forwards a little he fell prostrate on his face praying Matth. 26. My Father if it be possible let this Chalice pass from me yet not as I will but as thou wilt ibid. Father if this Chalice cannot pass unless I drink it thy will be don ibid. My God I will cry out by day and thou wilt not hear Ps 21. CII MED Of the Outrages that our Lord suffered in Anna 's and Caiphas 's house TO give bussets to a God To spit in his face To treat him as a false Prophet To declare him a Blasphemer To judge him worthy of Death To condemn him as a Criminal O abominable Impiety O detestable Crime This is what you do when you offend God When you offend your Neighbour You strike Jesus when you strike his Members You dishonour Jesus When you dishonour his Members Suffer like Jesus the injuries spoken to you Suffer like Jesus the outrages don to you Are you more noble than he Are you more innocent than he Are you worse treated than he Jesus suffers and will you suffer nothing Jesus does not revenge himself and will you O JESU I deserv to be despised Since I have so often despised you I well deserv to receiv bussets Because I have so often busseted you Behold you are declar'd guilty And I would pass for innocent Behold you are condemn'd to death And yet I will not leav my life O I will dy for you since you died for me I will suffer for you since you suffer'd for me Shut my mouth when I would complain Ty up my tongue when I would speak If I give scope to my choler I shall no more be able to retain it I resolve therefore never to speak in passion One of the servants that stood by gave a buffet to Jesus John 18. He hath blasphem'd what need we any longer of witnesses What do you think And they answering said He is guilty of death Matth. 26. They spit in his-face and beat him with buffets ibid. I have not turned away my face from those that rebuked me and from those that spit upon me Isai 50. He shall give his cheek to the striker he shall be filled with reproaches Thren 3. Why dost thou strike me John 18. I was troubled and did not speak Ps 76. CIII MED Of the Contempt that Herod used Jesus Christ with and that Jesus Christ shewed of Herod HErod desires to see Jesus And Jesus does not regard him Herod asks questions of Jesus And Jesus gives him no answer Herod requires Miracles of Jesus And Jesus works none Herod scorns Jesus And Jesus cares not The Wisdom of God passes for folly With the People of the wide World The Humility of Jesus does not please The Grandees and Sages of the World Jesus does not speak to the Proud He does not manifest himself to the curious He is not delighted with the unchast He abhors Adulterers He withdraws his graces from the ungrateful He despises those that despise him He is silent after that he has spoken He holds his peace after he has called He withdraws after that he has sought Herod thou didst put S. John to death Thou didst stifle the Voice of Jesus Thou hast slighted his Counsels Thou didst sacrifice him to thy Passion Jesus is dumb for thee Thou hast kill'd his Voice Wonder not then that he cannot speak to thee O My God! How dreadful is your silence How I fear least you speak no more to me Alas How many Prophets have I put to death How many Precursours have I killed How many Inspirations have I stifled How many Graces have I rejected I hear your Word and I obey it not I read good Books and I profit not O I will henceforth obey you O I will this day be converted Herod was a long time desirous to see him because he had heard many things of him and he hoped to see him work some miracle Luk. 23. He questioned him with many speeches but he answered him nothing ibid. And Herod with his army set him at nought ibid. That which is foolish of God is wiser than men and that which is weak of God is stronger than men 2 Cor. 1. To thee O Lord will I cry be not
God! I have hitherto laboured much And I have gain'd but little I have given my self much trouble And have treasured up but little I have walked hard but advanc'd but little I have laboured for Earth But have don nothing for Heaven I have laboured for my body But I have don nothing for my soul I have laboured for the time present But I have don nothing for Eternity I have laboured for my self But I have don nothing for you O my Lord Since I am made only for you I will live only for you Since I subsist only by you I will labour only for you The reward of my service henceforth Shall be to have served you The recompence of my love Shall be to have loved you Then shall I seek nothing but you alone I shall find all things with you Is your heart right 4 Kings 10. Whom seek you John 18. Woman why do you weep John 20. Martha Martha thou art sollicitous Luk. 19. To the immortal and invisible King of ages to God alone be honour and glory for ever and ever 1 Tim. 1. I always do things that are pleasing to him John 8. LXII MED Of Humility WHo art thou O my God and who am I Thou art all and I am nothing Thou know'st all and I know nothing Thou canst do all and I can do nothing Thou art nothing but light And I am nothing but darkness Thou art nothing but fortitude And I am nothing but weakness Thou art nothing but sanctity And I am nothing but malice Thou art the Saint of Saints And I am the sinner of sinners Thou art the King of Kings And I am the slave of slaves O how strong am I with thee O how feeble am I without thee My Soul Either humble thy self Or God will humble thee What hast thou that thou hast not received Or canst conserv of thy self What hast thou that thou canst make good use of Thy Virtues without Humility will not save thee Thy Vices with Humility will not damn thee For Humility banishes all Vices And makes Charity enter into their room Wert thou as wicked as Achab If thou humble thy self God will not punish thee He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble Canst thou after this say That thy Salvation is impossible That the way to Heaven is hard Every one cannot exalt himself But who is it that cannot humble himself All the World cannot ascend But who is it that cannot descend I can do all things if I can humble my self I cannot fast but I can humble my self I cannot weep but I can humble my self I cannot pray but I can humble my self The virtue of Humility supplies the want of Charity A Sinner is in assurance betwixt the arms of Humility God will not despise a contrite and humble heart O my Soul Let us suffer contempt Let us contemn contempt Let us desire contempt Let us seek contempt Let us hide our Treasures Least we be robb'd of them Let us humble our selves That God may exalt us Let us have an esteem for those innocent defects Which give us a confusion Let us love all that keeps us in abjection To be good and to appear to be so Is a dangerous thing To appear to be good and not to be so Is a vitious Hypocrisie To be good and not to appear to be so Is a happy condition Humble thy spirit very much for fire is the revenge of wicked flesh Eccles 7. Com unto me all ye that labour and you shall find rest to your souls Matth. 11. VVhoever among you would be made great let him be your servant Mark 10. He that exalts himself shall be humbled Luk. 10. XLIII MED Of Patience ALl that I endure is nothing In comparison of the pain that I deserve In comparison of the glory prepar'd for me Of the evil which I have committed Of the good I have omitted Of Heaven that is promised me If I am without a Cross I am no Disciple of JESUS If I carry not my Cross I shall not reign with JESUS We must either suffer here or in Eternity There 's no passing from Delights to Delights But from Delights to Torments There 's no passing from Happiness to Happiness But from Happiness to Misery When I suffer with patience Jesus suffers with me Jesus reigns in me I am the Victim of Love The Throne of his Grace The Trophy of his Glory I quit all my Debts I heap up great Treasures I practise all Virtues I have the mark of the Predestinate I free my self from Purgatory I secure my self of Heaven O JESUS my Saviour I will honour all my Sufferings Since you have consecrated them I feel my Cross no more When I think on yours All my comfort is to think on your Passion Your torments sweeten my pains I should dy with sorrow Should I live without sorrow The Sufferances of this time are not worthy of the glory which shall be given us hereafter Rom. 8. Through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God Act. 14. Patience is necessary for you that doing the VVill of God you may gain the promises Heb. 10. If any one will com after me let him deny himself Matth. 6. LXIV MED Of the Exercise of Patience SInce we must suffer in this World Let us not lose the fruit of our Sufferings Let us suffer for Jesus with Jesus as Jesus Let us suffer without complaint and murmuring With resignation and indifference With fortitude and constancy VVith joy and love Let us suffer all things from all the VVorld In all things in all manner of ways Let us suffer adore love and seek Crosses O Holy Cross I adore thee and I embrace thee Since I am a Christian and a Child of the Cross I will live and dy on the Cross Thou art the Tree of life And the Salvation of the VVorld Thou art the Sanctuary of Sinners And the comfort of the afflicted O! my greatest Cross shall henceforth be To live without a Cross VVo unto those who have lost their patience Eccles 1. This is a grace of God if for your conscience to God any one does unjustly suffer sadness 1 Pet. 2. Accept of all that is applyed to thee Eccles 2. VVe glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation works patience patience probation probation hope Rom. 5. Be patient towards all 1 Thess 5. Christ suffered for us leaving you an example to follow 1 Pet. 2. LXV MED Of the Cross or several Motives of Patience CArry your Cross O Christian Soul You will find none fitter for you than your own If you leave it for to take another You will lose instead of gaining The Cross is planted every where 'T is found in all manner of places There are Crosses in Kings Palaces As well as in Cloysters God will have all men to be saved He has provided Crosses for all Because none can be saved without a Cross The Cross bears admirable fruits It unloosens us from
in this Action I shall not have the Grace that follows this Action Possibly my Salvation depends on this Action I will therefore do nothing but study To do this Action well Thou shalt justly prosecute what is just Deut. 16. In all thy works be thou excellent Eccl. 33. Cursed is he that does the work of God fraudulently Jer. 48. He will render to every one according to his works Matth. 17. He did all things well Mark 7. LXXII MED Of fidelity in small things GReat Rivers rise from a small Spring Great Trees grow up from a little Kernel A great fire from a little sparkle Great falls from a little sin Great disorders from a small unfaithfulness The great depends upon the little The little leads to the great He that loves esteems all things He that fears neglects nothing Great actions content men Small actions content God He that is unfaithful in small things Will be unfaithful in great ones He that is faithful in small things Will be faithful in great ones Nothing is little on which our Salvation depends All that is esteemed by God is great Men contemplate the hands But God considers the heart Fidelity is a virtue that makes all things great That it gives life to Do you do what you know how to do And God will teach you that Which you know not how to do Do you do what you are able to do And God will help you to do VVhac you are not able to do O my God! Since I cannot do you any great service At least I will render you small ones Since I dare not under take hard things I will do all that is easie for me to do He that slights small things will fall by little and little Eccl. 14. He that fears God neglects nothing Eccl. 17. He that is faithful in the least will be faithful in a greater and he that is unjust in a small matter is unjust in a greater Luk. 16. And though the Prophet had bid you don a great matter you ought indeed to have don it much more then since now he said to you be washed and you shall be cleansed 4 Kings 15. VVho shall find a faithful man Prov. 20. LXXIII MED Of good Works A Christian without VVorks Is a Tree without Fruit. A Lamp without Oyl Land without a Crop His faith is barren sick dying dead He that doth nothing believes nothing He that believes and does not do Shall be judg'd by his belief The more you know the guiltier you are Much is required of him that receives much 'T is to do ill not to do good Sterility is a kind of iniquity The fruitless Fig-tree is cast into the fire The Talent is taken from him that buried it Faith either faves or damns us It makes us better or worse To believe what is good and do evil Is to be judg'd before being judg'd 'T is to be condemn'd before being accus'd He that does not do what he believes Soon ceases to believe what he does not Faith does not live long After the decease of Charity Do therefore good works Do them in abundance Do them in grace Do them for a good end Do them without delay Do as much good as you have don evil Do all that you can And think that you do nothing Do good whilst you have time For very soon you will have no more The Son of man will com in the glory of the Father and then he will render to every one according to his works Matth. 16. Behold I com quickly and my reward is with me to render unto every one according to his works Apoc. 22. See how a man is justified by his works and not by faith alone Jam. 2. As a body without a soul is dead so faith without works is dead ibid. Cut it down why doth it take up the ground Luc. 13. The ground that drinks in the showres that fall down on it and brings forth thorns and thistles is reprobate and next to a curse Heb. 6. Therefore whilst we have time let us work good Gal. 6. LXXIV MED Of Alms. THe rich man depends upon the poor man And the poor man upon the rich man The rich man stands more in need of the poor man Than the poor man of the rich man The poor man receives his corporal livelihood from the rich man The rich man receives his spiritual life from the poor man The poor man depends upon the rich man For this present time The rich man depends upon the poor man For Eternity VVithout the rich man The poor man would dy corporally Without the poor man The rich man would dy spiritually The rich man is the poor man's Judge upon Earth The poor man will be the rich man's Judge in Heaven Favours and Punishments are in the poor man's hands When he requires mercy God grants it to the rich man When he requires justice God executes it on the rich man The rich man's Salvation is lost That has not the favour of the poor One cannot defend him before God Whom the hunger of the poor shall accuse He will have an ill day of it Who has not their favour at the last day Do good to the poor man For he is a man as you are And you are in misery as he is He has need of you And you have need of him 'T is JESUS that will receive your alms 'T is he that is in want He is in the person of the poor man He is covered with his figure He is hid in him as in a Sacrament He has substituted him in his own room He has surrendred him his rights He will give you an account for your Charity He will thank you for them At the end of the World Will you send JESUS to lodge in a stable Will you refuse him cloths to cover him Will you not give him a bit of bread to eat Never be afraid of Poverty As long as you relieve the Poor You will never want any thing As long as you never suffer the poor to want You sow Gold when you give Silver The poor mans hands is a field Which yields to him that gives a hundred fold JESUS makes himself your debter He is the poor man's security He obliges himself by contract He promises you good things at present He promises you the goods of Eternity Will you not trust God Is your money ill placed Has he not wherewithal to pay you O JESUS How tenderly do you love the poor Since you chose their condition Since you were poor upon Earth And that you will be so yet in Heaven You are indeed rich there above But you are also poor withal here below Since you are so in the person of the poor And that you beg an Alms with them Happy is that rich man Who gives an Alms to JESUS Accursed is that rich man Who refuses an Alms to JESUS He will beg an Alms of him at his death And it will not be granted him He
will beg a grace at the day of Judgment And it will be refused him Redeem thy sins with alms-deeds and thy iniquity with the mercies of the poor Dan. 4. He that shall see his Brother to be in necessity and shall shut up his bowels How is the Charity of God in him John 3. I command thee to open thy hand to thy needy and poor Brother Deut. 15. Give and it shall be given to you Luk 11. Blessed is the man that understandeth concerning the needy and the poor in the evil day our Lord will deliver him Psal 40. Come ye blessed of my Father c. I was hungry and you gave me to eat c. Matth. 25. LXXV MED Of the Condusts of God THe ways of God are wonderful They are comly just upright assured They are conducts of grace unknown to nature Of Wisdom incomprehensible to reason Of Peace which calm mens minds Of Love which content hearts God labours for us When he seems to be against us He draws near to us When he seems to draw off from us He does our business When he seems to ruin it He enriches us when he seems to strip us He gives us life When he seems to take it away He leads us to Peace through War To perfection through imperfection To glory through Ignominy To a Throne through Prisons To the Land of Promise through Deserts To Heaven through a long Purgatory O my God! I know not what way to take to go to you That which seems good to me May possibly be naught Thinking to go up to Heaven I may possibly go down to Hell Is it through Prosperity or through Adversity Is it through Peace or through War Through Glory or through Confusion Through Abundance or through Poverty Through Health or through Sickness That I must seek you and that you will save me Only you alone know it I will therefore nothing but what you will I leave my self to your Providence I accept of all that you order concerning me I will go which way soever you lead me I will receive all whatever you send me I will always like to be where you put me I will never go out from thence Until you draw me thence I will henceforth be without choice And without will Since I know not what is good or bad for me I will no more ask any thing Nor will I refuse any thing Conduct me O my God I leave my self to you Take care of me for I rely upon you You are my Shepherd and I am your Sheep In following you I shall not be troubled Leaving my self to you I shall not be damned Our Lord led the just man through strait ways Wisd 20. Her ways are beautiful and all her paths peaceable Prov. 3. There is a way which seems just to a man but the last ends of it lead unto death Prov. 14. Our Lord mortifies and quickens leads down to Hell and brings back 1 Kings 2. He went forth not knowing whether he went Heb. 11. Make known unto me the way in which I may walk Ps 14. As the Heavens are exalted above the Earth so are my ways c. Isai 55. LXXVI MED Of the benefit there is in leaving our selves to the Conduct of God LIsten to God without reasoning Obey God without murmuring Follow God without going aside Let God act without resisting him Rest on God without troubling your self Leave your self to God Without desiring any thing If you listen to him he will speak to you If you obey him he will content you If you follow him he will conduct you If you let him act all will succeed well If you put your trust in him He will conserve you If you leave your self to him he will save you Truth my God! My Wisdom and my Blessing Give me not up to my own sence And to my own conduct If I quit you alas I am lost I am in security only with you If I walk do you conduct me If I go astray do you put me right again If I stop do you spur me on If I fall do you raise me up again If I am weary do you strengthen me If I am feeble do you carry me If I am assaulted defend me If I am lost seek after me I leave my self to be conducted by your wisdom I rely upon your goodness I rest upon your strength I trust to your mercy I fix my self to your pleasure I devote my self to your Service I leave my self to your Providence Both now and for Eternity Lead me O Lord in thy way Ps 85. Protect me under the shadow of thy Wings Ps 16. I have gon astray like a sheep that was lost Seek thy Servant Ps 118. He led them along in a wonderful way Wisd 10. LXXVII MED Of the hurt there comes by straying from the ways of God HE that goes out of the order of goodness Enters into the order of justice He that strays out of the ways of mildness Enters into the ways of rigour He that has not God for his Friend Has him for his Enemy He that flies from his beneficent will Falls under his punishing will If I am where God would have me to be I shall be in quiet and in security His Wisdom will conduct me His Power will protect me His Goodness will comfort me His Grace will sanctify me His Blessing will go along with me His Mercy will encompass me If I am not where God would have me to be All my Steps will be Wanderings All my Ways Precipices All my Projects Illusions All my Labours vain Occupations All my Pleasures Miseries All my Prosperities Punishments All my Adversities causes of Despair I shall have no quiet in my mind No peace in my heart No blessing in my labours No comfort in my pains I shall be given up to my passions I shall be beaten with temptations I shall be destitute of your protection I shall be struck with your curse I shall lead a wicked life I must expect a wicked death I shall live in disorder and dy in despair Am I in the place where God would have me Have I not failed in my Vocation Is it he that gave me this employ Have not I thrust my self into this office Will he have me be in this state Shall I perform it as he would have me O my God! How I dread to deviat from your ways What a pleasure I have In leaving my self to your Providence Is it not to be in Heaven to be with you To be in Hell to be remov'd from you Can one be ill being where you would have him to be Suffer me not O my God To stray away from your Conduct Bring me back if I be gon aside Make me re-enter into the order of your goodness By the severe orders of your justice Make me repair by patience The defect of my action Make me recover my innocence By the rigours of Pennance Was not this don to thee because thou didst forsake