her age wheÌ„ she vvas offered vp and presented in the Temple Admirable in her life and conuersation and aboue al admirable in that she vvas both Mother and Virgin Admirable also in her constancy at the foot of the crosse admirable in knowledge in grace and in all kind of vertue These thinges and the like considered will giue vs perfect vnderstanding how she is indeed Mater admirabilis an admirable Mother 2. The second point is to ponder the admirable departure of her Blessed soule out of her sacred body and out of this life For she liued 72. yeares dyed not of any disease or distemper of disordered humors but of pure loue and longing desire to be with Christ her dearest Sonne which was an admirable death Besides all the Apostles then liuing were miraculously gathered togeather at her departure and most solemly performed the dutyes of her exequies After three dayes our Sauiour descended from heauen accompanyed with his Quires of Angells and assumpted her into heauen body and soule where she vvas seated in such maiesty and crowned with so great glory there to raigne for euer 3. The third point shall be to admire this Elected Queene of Angells passing through the Blessed company of Virgins leauing behind her the constant Confessors glorious Martyrs the holy Apostles Patriarkes and Prophets mounting aboue the nine Quires of Angells seated aboue the Cherubims and Seraphims in a Royall Throne by her selfe as best befitted so glorious admirable a Mother And if we will at length come to the height of admiration let vs behould this diuine Empresse vested with the Sunne crowned with stars and treading the Moone vnder her victorious feet that is in exceeding great glory answerable both to her admirable titles and singular vertues For as we haue already meditated she was enriched with more grace and spirituall gifts then al Saints and Angels besides and therfore must haue a Crown of glory answerable thereunto which must exceed the glorious crowns of them all And by these three points we see how she was admirable in life admirable in her departure admirable in glory so most worthily called Mater admirabilis an admirable Mother O most admirable and euer happy Mother who art in all points so much to be admyred Colloquium be now vnto vs a powerful aduocate that we may as far as our weaknes will permit imitate thy admirable vertues in our life that we may find comfort at our death and deserue to receaue a Crown of glory with thee in heauen for all eternity Amen O gloriosa Domina THE XIII MEDITATION Mater Creatoris ora pro nobis Mother of the Creatour pray for vs. MANY of these Titles are the same in effect with Mother of God yet we will so consider them that we may conceaue some particuler reason of this the like titles whereby the great dignity of the B. Mother of God may the more appeare For although sometymes we vse to attribute Omnipotency to God the Father Wisedome to the Sonne and Bounty to the holy Ghost yet being all but one God they are all equally Omnipotent Wise and Bountifull And because in their outward actions as the Deuines speake ad extra they work inseparably so that whatsoeuer the one doth they are sayd to worke all three togeather Creation is as well attributed to the Sonne as the Father and in this sense the B. Virgin is called Mater Creatoris Mother of the Creatour For indeed so he was since as S. Iohn sayth omnia per ipsum facta sunt all thinges were made by him Heere therfore we are to consider how the infinite wisedome of God found out so sweet meanes to communicate himselfe to man as to shut himselfe within the B. Virgins sacred wombe whereby we worthily say Quem caeli capere non poterant tuo gremio contulisti He whome the wide heauens could not contayne thou hast inclosed in thy sacred womb 2. Secondly consider that the B. Virgin being mother of our her Creatour she is the fittest Patronesse for all sinners to chose that the worke of their creation may not be frustrate seeing then that God hath created all thinges for vs and our selues for himself â—t vs make recourse to the Blessed Mother of the Creatour of all things that by her powerfull intercession we may vse them according to the end for which they were created make of them a â—adder to clime and ascend to the â—eight of that dignity for which we vvere ordayned by the eternal Prouidence of God 3. Thirdly we may contemplat how Creation is nothing els but the making of a thing of nothing and this can only be performed by the Omnipotent hand of God we then considering our selues to be nothing we may say with the Kingly Prophet Cor mundum â—rea in me Deus spiritum rectum innoua in visceribus meis Create a cleane hart in me O God and renew a right spirit in my bowels since of this nothing of ours he is able to make most excellent work by the sending his diuine spirit amongst vs. For as we see the scorched fields in the middst of Summer refreshed by some gentle shower or the face of the earth after a long and tedious winter renewed by a pleasant spring so doth the presence of this diuine spirit make vs all new againe Therefore if we feele our vertues dying or our resolution fayling let vs not cease to cry Emitte spiritum tuum creabuntur renouabis faciem terrae Send forth O Lord thy holy spirit al things now turned to nothing wil receaue another being and thou wilt renew the face of the earth and to obtayne our petition of the Creatour of all thinges let vs not be vnmindfull of his Blessed Mother but with this worthy title say Mater Creatoris ora pro â—obis Mother of our Creatour pray for vs. THE XIV MEDITATION Mater Saluatoris ora pro nobis Mother of our Sauiour pray for vs. THIS most Venerable Title doth inuite vs to contemplat a while vpon the sweet name of Iesus for Iesus and Sauiour are the same and to be Mother of our Sauiour is to be the Mother of Iesus let vs therfore vvith attention diligently ponder the greatnes of the gift that our deuotion towardes the giuer may increase the more 1. First then let vs consideâ— how vve vvere all lost in perpetuall boundage in euerlasting thraldome and captiuity of sinne vntill this B. Mother brought 〈◊〉 forth a Sauiour a Redeemer vvhose most pretious bloud vvas the only ransome of our sinnes vvhose death vvas vnto vs life and vvhose bleeding woundes vvere the only cure and most soueraigne balme of our festred soules For darke night she brought vs cheerefull day for a hard and sharp winter a svveet pleasant spring for our mortall vvounds immortall medicines for our pining soules bread of life and lastly for all our misery the Father of mercyes This the glorious Angell song vnto the seely
and deed and therefore most vvorthily deserues the shining Title of most Pure and Vnspotted giuing vs also courage when the foule monster and enemy of mankind shall assault vs to cast our eyes vpon her and say Mater purissima ora pro nobis most pure Mother pray for vs. For the Diuell being excessiue proud and insolent and hauing beene conquered and foyled by this glorious Queene he dares not stay at the inuocation of her sacred Name nor can he endure to heare vs call for her soueraigne ayde and assistance vvho is most pure and most ready to help all those vvho truely call vpon her 2. The second poynt yealdeth vs matter to meditate and ponder how this pure and vnspotted Virgin-Mother did not only keep her selfe free from all tainture of mortall sinne but did also auoyd the least blemish of any venial sinne into which ordinarily euen the most Iust do fall and that many tymes a day as holy Writ doth witnes in these words Septies in die cadit iustus resurgit seauen tymes a day the iust man doth fal rise againe which is to be vnderstood of smal sinnes and light offences Neither are they tearmed light because we do carelesly commit them or make light of them for one of them ought not to be committed to saue the whole world but they be so called because they be of their own nature such as they do not extinguish the grace of God in the Iust man nor are directly against Charity therefore may stand both with grace and charity and may the easier be forgiuen Yet I say from the little blemishes that taint euen the best this B. Virgin was alwayes free euer so perfectly vnited with Almighty God and so wholy imployed in his diuine seruice that the least blast of any venial sinne could neuer stayne the flourishing beauty of her excellent vertues This consideration made S. Augustine say Cùm de peccatis agitur Aug. l. de natur grat cap. 36. nolo de B. Virgine mentionem fieri When there is any speach of sinne I will haue no mention made of the B. Virgin for right well he knew how free she was not only from the deadly wounds of mortall sinne but also from the least shaddow of any veniall sinne and therefore most pure and worthyly called vpon by that Title Most pure Mother pray for vs. 3. The third point is to contemplate the vndefiled purity of the B. Virgin euen from the generall spot of originall sinne vnto which all the children of Adam were subiect if they descended by naturall propagation as this sacred Queene did yet by particular priuiledge was she excepted from that generall law For the infinite wisedome of Almighty God did not thinke it fit that she who was chosen from all eternity to be the Mother vnto his only Sonne should euer be sayd to haue been in the power of Sathan And therfore with his particular grace did preuent the effect of the general curse whereby our most pure Mother did remaine most beautifull in the sight of God pleasing vnto his Sonne and euen from her first beginning in her immaculate Conception espoused vnto the Holy Ghost by heauenly grace And by this indeed the Title of Most pure doth fitly agree vnto her For we may say she was pure in that she fled all mortal sin yet more pure in that no veniall sinne could euer taint her but in this most pure that euen from the spot of originall sinne she was preserued and by singular fauour exempted from that curse as indeed befitted the chosen Mother of God O most pure and vnspotted Mother Colloquium cast thy diuin eyes vpon thy deuout seruants and let not the impurity of our former sins defile vs. We must all confesse we are conceaued the children oâ— wrath and borne in wickedness by originall sinne yet Mater purissima ora pro nobis most pure Mother pray for vs That as we haue by Baptisme drowned the one so we may by true Pennance and Contrition wash away the other that being sprinkled with the dew of diuine grace and made more white then snow we may appear most ioyfully in the sight of thy sweet Son whose pretious bloud hath beene the medicinable riuer Iordan to wash away our Leprosy Pray for vs O sacred Queen that we may so imitate this thy Angelicall purity be most pure children of a most vnspotted Mother Amen O gloriosa Domina c. THE VIII MEDITATION Mater Castissimae ora pro nobis Most chast Mother pray for vs. VVE haue already in the fourth Meditation spoken of the excellency of the virginity of this powerfull Queene Now are we to consider the renowned title of her singular Chastity by which we salute her whé we say Most chast Mother pray for vs In this Angelical vertue of Chastity I find three degrees which if we consider how eminent they were all in the B. Virgin we shall easily perceaue how worthily she is called Mater Castissima 1. The first degree of Chastity is coniugall that is such as may be kept betwixt man and wife at least for a tyme as S. Paul counselleth those that be maryed to do that they might pray the better and be the fitter for the seruice of God This degree of Chastity the B. Virgin had in the highest perfection for although she were truly despoused to S. Ioseph and was his vndoubted wife yet as S. Gregory sayth he was but Custos integerrimae Castitatis the keeper of her most pure Chastity For as the sacred Text of holy Scripture doth lay open vnto vs before they euer came togeather the mystery of the incarnation of Christ was knowne though not as a Mystery and therfore as S. Hierome writeth Celabat silentio cuâ—us Mysterium nesciebat he coueâ—ed with silence the mystery he knew not So that the B. Virgin was a wife but alwayes most chast and therefore called a Most chast Mother 2. The second degree of Chastity is of holy Widdowes who after the death of their husbands most earnestly imbrace this heauenly vertue In this also the B. Virgin was most eminent for it is very probable that S. Ioseph was departed this life before the Passion of our Sauiour And therfore Christ commended his B. Mother to S. Iohn as himselfe witnesseth after whose death the B. Virgin lead a widdowes life and was the mirrour of all chast Widdowes Besides she may be sayd to be a Widdow after the Ascension of Christ in that she was left as it were Viduata columba a doue without her mate alwayes groaning euer mourning like the forsaken Turtle vntill she came to meet him againe in the happy pallace of eternal blisse she therefore was a most chast Widdovv and that in a most remarkable manner 3. The third and most renovvned degree of this noble Vertue is called Virginal Chastity which is vvhen Virgins wholy dedicate themselues vnto Christ by holy vow and take him for their only
fall flat downe before it it was a terrour vnto the enemies of God and the curious beholders of it were not a little punished for their fault so the Blessed Virgin hath and is the destroyer of Idolatry the terrour vnto the enemies of the Church and a seuere Chastizer of those who be more curious then wise in matters belonging to her Behould then how fittly she is compared to the Arke of the Couenant who is also ready to help vs to keep the Couenant vve haue made with God both in the spiritual generation of Baptisme as also in our good purposes vowes and all other deuotions wherein we giue our selues to God Let vs therfore deuoutly cal vpon her holy Name by this worthy tytle say Foederis Arca ora pro nobis Arke of the Couenant pray for vs. Salue Regina THE XXXII MEDITATION Ianua Caeli ora pro nobis Gate of heauen pray for vs. THIS Metaphoricall speach doth signify vnto vs that as into stronge walled Citties there is no hope of entrance but by the gate so he that preteÌ„deth to enter into the glorious Citty of the heauenly Hierusalem must knock at this beautifull gate the Blessed Virgin who therfore by the holy Church is so intytled as in that diuine hymne Aue Marris stella she is said to be Felix caeli porta the happy gate of heauen and in the Anthym Aue regina Coelorum we say Salue radix salue porta ex qua mundo lux est orta All hayle o B. roote all hayle o heauenly gate And conformable to this in these deuout Letanies composed in her honor we salute her by the name of Ianua Cali gate of heauen 1. First therfore we may meditate hovv vve are created for Cittizens of heauen where all our chiefest treasure is layd vp by sinne the gate was shut against vs as rebells against Gods sacred Lawes vntill Christ by his Omnipotent power did open it again vnto vs and left this beautyfull gate patent vnto all that who so vvould enter into this blisfull paradise should first haue this Gate vvell knovvne by vvhich he might freely enter into Eternall happines and therfore she is called Felix caeli porta the happy gate of heauen 2. Secondly vve may consider that if this gate be shut against vs vve can haue but little hope to be able to attain vnto our longing desire of entrance into the Citty that is if our life manners conuersation be such as may hinder our accesse vnto this stately Gate vve can haue but small hope of her holy intercession especially if we cease not to offend her Blessed SoÌ„ne which is the only cause that vvill bread a deniall to our approach vnto that shyning gate vvho vvith her beautifull beames of light inuiteth al men froÌ„ the works of darknes to the fountaine of light from the snares of death to the fruits of life from the valley of extreme misery vnto the height of all goodnes O let vs not be so blind Colloquium as not to see this light let vs with holy Moyses put off the shooes of our earthly affection and vvith deuout S. Bernard fall before her feete and as these deuout Letanies doe teach vs let vs say Ianua Caeli gate of Heauen pray for vs and Felix caeli porta o happy gate of heauen be not shut against vs who so much desire to enter by thee and to reigne with thee for euer Amen Aue Maris stella THE XXXIII MEDITATION Stella matutina ora pro nobis Morning starre pray for vs. FOR the better vnderstanding this worthy tytle we must consider first what the Starre of the morning doth denote vnto vs and also the tyme of its appearance by which we shall easily perceaue how fittly the Blessed Virgin is called stella matutina the morning starre 1. First as this bright shyning starre of the morning appearing vnto vs giueth vs to vnderstand that the darke night is ended the cheerfull day at hand therfore the dismall clouds of the night were shortly to be dispersed by the comming of a glittering light to wit the Sunne Euen so the first appearing of the Blessed Virgin in this world was a fore-running of that great light her sweet Sonne Christ Iesus whose ioyfull beames were to expell the mysty darkenes of former ignorance with his shyning light of doctrine 2. Secondly this morning starre doth not only foretell the comming of a light that should be the ending of a sad and melancholy night but also the beginning of a most ioyfull day so the happy birth of the Blessed Virgin did foretell vnto the world that happy day that now was at hand when the Angell should denounce vnto the whole world and first vnto the poore watchfull sheepheards gaudium magnum quod erit in omni populo the great â—oy which should not be confined â—â—ed to the land of Iury only but should be common to al Nations â—mni populo to wit the birth of Christ Sauiour and redeemer of mankind 3. Againe the day-starre appeareth more bright and light some then the rest of the starrâ— that shyned before in the night and the Blessed Virgin was iâ— brightnes of sanctity and cleerne of vertues beyond all Stars that is all the Saints that went before or came after her her Sonne alâ— waies excepted as in al such speaches is most fit and thus by this glittering light we may easily seâ— truly say nox praecessit dies aut appropinquauit that the night iâ— past and the day drawes nigh therefore vsing the holy Apostle Counsell let vs cast away thâ— workes of darknes and arme our selues with light and as at mydâ— day let vs walke honestly in sighâ— of all the world for in such workâ— we shall be sure to haue this Bâ— starre to guide and conduct vs which God graunt Amen Aue Maris stella THE XXXIIII MEDITATION Salus infirmorum ora pro nobis Health of the sicke pray for vs. ALL manner of sicknes may be reduced to two kindes of Infirmities the one corporall that vexeth and sometyme taketh away the life of the body the other spirituall which weakeneth and sometyme extinguisheth the life of the soule of both which we may easily perceaue the Blessed Virgin to haue been and dayly to be a soueraigne remedy by which she is iustly said to be Salus infirmorum the health of the infirme or sicke 1. First then to consider the Blessed Virgins bounty and liberality towards sicke persons vve need no further persuasion then the manifold examples written by graue Authors of the almost infinit miraculous cures wrought by the Blessed Queene of Angels vpon diseased persons of all sorts and of the deuotion of the places yet extant with the frequent concourse of sicke and weake people vnto them with miraculous restoring of their health when it is more conuenient for their good or the honour of God This I say may serue for sufficient proofe of this point for