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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
thou have in Hell Where thou wilt have for tormentors All those that thou hast damned O my God! Forgive me my own proper sins And impute not to me the sins of others I have hitherto been a Tyrant I will henceforth be a Martyr I have lived like a Devil I will now live like an Angel I have labour'd only to destroy Souls I will now labour to save them I shall not be in security Unless I save as many as I have damn'd I am not born for my self alone I must likewise answer for my Neighbour My life is only necessary for my self But my reputation is necessary for others I ow Chastity to my self But I ow Modesty to the whole World Wo unto the world from scandals Matth. 17. He that scandalizes one of these little ones it were better for him to have a Milstone hung about his neck and to be flung into the Sea Matth. 17. If thy hand scandalize thee cut it off Mark 4. VVo unto him by whom scandal cometh Luk. 7. XXVII MED Of outward Pennance and Mortification THere is nothing more united than Soul and Body Nothing less united than Soul and Body When the one goes forward the other goes backward When one goes up the other goes down When the one is well the other is sick When the one is strong the other is weak I am not a man if I obey my Passions I am no Christian unless I fight against my Passions I am no Penitent unless I mortifie my Passions How do I know whether my sins be forgiven me Whether the punishment be remitted me Whether God will chastise me spiritually Or punish me corporally If I spare my self God will not spare me If I punish my self God will not punish me If I hate my self God will love me If I love my self God will hate me O! I will chastise my Body That I may be predestinated I will fight against this enemy of God That I may be crowned I will mortifie my senses That I may live a life of the spirit I will be crucified with JESUS That I may rise again with JESUS I abhor my body unless it have wounds as his had Since I have not the heart to make my self any I will suffer those that God shall make me O Christian Soul Make of thy body a living and dying victim Mortifie thy Passions thy Senses and thy Desires Mortifie thy self at all times In all places In all things Mortifie thy self discreetly and prudently Give thy flesh unto God and he will give thee his spirit Do thou take care of the exteriour And he will take care of the interiour Do thou do what is easie and he will do that which is hard Walk as long as thou art able And he will carry thee when thou canst go no longer The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Gal. 5. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. Those that belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its vices and lusts Gal. 5. If you live according to the flesh you shall die Rom. 8. XXVIII MED Of the excellency of Mortification WHat is Mortification 'T is a death of love which kills the criminal life Which takes the Soul off from the senses Which severs her from the body Which makes her live in spirit What is Mortification 'T is a Martyrdom of love without Crime or Tyrant Less bloody than that of faith but longer and more tedious More free and more voluntary More honourable and more innocent More troublesom and more constant What is Mortification 'T is a continuation of the Sacrifice of JESUS Which fills up what is wanting to his Passion Which makes our Bodies Members of his Which enlivens us with his Spirit Gives us a share of his Sorrows Which merits for us a treasure of his Grace Which disposes us to the throne of his Glory O let me die the death of the Just That I may live the life of the Just O let me be a victim to love That I may die a death of love I beseech you brethren through the mercy of God that you yield your bodies a living and holy Host and pleasing to God Rom. 12. I die every day 1 Cor. 15. I am fastned to the Cross Gal. 2. I fulfil the things that are wanting to the Sufferances of Christ in my flesh for his body which is the Church Col. 1. If by the spirit you mortifie the works of the flesh you shall live Rom. 8. XXIX MED Of the Profit and necessity of Temptations THe evil purifies the good A Storm makes Trees take deeper Roots Wind blows away the Chaff Fire refines Gold Snow warms the Ground A Combat tries ones strength Infirmity conserves Humility Temptation increases Charity Every thing hath its contrary War produces Peace Every thing subsists by opposition You will be saved but by Temptation Unless you be tempted you will not be predestinated Unless you fight you will not be crowned Unless you be assaulted you are already overcome This Combat is troublesom but it is necessary It gives an exercise to your virtue But it gets you a Crown That which encourages you to resist Will crown your patience The feeling of Temptation hurts not Provided the heart consent not God is with you what do you fear You are stronger than your enemy He cannot overcome you unless you will He cannot bite you unless you go near him Be vigilant in the first beginnings Pray to God at all times Fly occasions Be firm in your resolutions Take counsel in your Doubts Seek for succour in your Combats Go up to Heaven there to see your Throne Go down into Hell there to see your place 'T is on this Combat peradventure That your Salvation depends 'T is on this Moment that your Eternity depends 'T is on this Crisis that your life depends 'T is on this Temptation that depends your Predestination O JESUS my King I fight for you and before you You are the Spectator of my labours You are the Witness of my feebleness Suffer me not to betray you Permit me not to ruin my self Arise O God of Hosts make hast unto my succour Defend me against my foes Scatter away those that hate me He that is not tempted what does he know Eccles 34. Gold and Silver is tried in the fire and men that are acceptable in the furnace of humiliation Eccles 12. Esteem it all joy brethren when you fall into several temptations Jac. 1. Vexed in few things in many things they shall be well disposed Wisd 3. XXX MED Of the causes of our Temptations WHy am I tempted 'T is because you are proud Or because you watch not over your Senses Or because you avoid not Occasions Or because you have ill Habits Or because you are not in order Or for that you have quitted your Vocation Or because you are not sufficiently employed 'T is because you are a man Because you are a Sinner And
evil without remedy There is no pardon to be hop'd for Unless restitution be made The sin is not forgiven Unless what is stolen be restored Honour is not to be repaired When once it is taken away The Wound of Slander is incurable The Scar thereof remains for ever O my God! How many Robberies have I committed And how many Murders My Tongue is a Pen that writes lightly And which has prepar'd the Decree Which will be pronounc'd at my Judgment I shall be justified by my Tongue I shall be condemn'd by my Tongue Alas who then shall be saved Who can say I have never detracted I have made reparation For the harm my Detraction has done Fly from Detractions Satan is in their mouth when they speak In your ear when you hearken to them Bear with a Detraction but give no occasion for it Repair those you have spoken in the best way you can That Truth which is not charitable Proceeds from a Charity that is not true I persecuted him who did secretly slander his neighbour Psal 100. Detract not one another brethren he that detracts his brother or he that judgeth his brother detracts the law and judges the law Jam. 4. He that detracts any thing he obliges himself for the future Prov. 13. Neither Robbers nor Slanderers shall possess the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 6. Out of thy words thou shalt be justified and out of thy words thou shalt be condemn'd Matth. 12. XL. MED Of Sadness WHence comes it that you are sad 'T is doubtless because your heart is sick Because you are a slave to som Passion Because you love som Creature Because you feed som desire Because your Conscience is not clear Because you have committed som sin Because you would have what you cannot have Because you cannot do what you would Because you will not do what God would have you do Because you would do what God would not have you do 'T is because you would suffer nothing Because you adhere too much to your own sence Because you fear the World too much Because you seek your own ease too much Because you love your self too much Happy is that man who desires nothing but God How joyful is that man who fears nothing but God How secure is that man who has nothing to lose How contented is that man who lives a virtuous life Have an esteem for nothing but God And nothing will afflict you Think all that you can lose already lost Love not that wealth which may be taken from you Ty your self to nothing that may perish Whatsoever you lose still preserve your peace Live always well and you will never be sad Leave your self to God and you will always be contented Drive away sadness far from you Eccles 30. Rejoyce in our Lord and exult O ye just Psal 31. Let the just exult in our Lord praise becomes the upright Ps 32. Rejoyce in our Lord always again I say rejoyce Phil. 4. As it were sad but always rejoycing 2 Cor. 6. XLI MED The ill effects of Sadness A Man that is sad dishonours God He shews that he believes not his Providence He accuses God of ignorance He tacitly complains of his injustice 'T is I says he that take this good from you 'T is I that permit this persecution 'T is I who send you this sickness And do you dare to murmur Do you dare to complain Can one be sad without murmuring You blaspheme not with your mouth But you blaspheme in your heart You say there is no God Or that he knows not how to govern the World A man that is sad loses himself He wasts himself with Melancholy He shortens the life of his Body He brings death to his Soul His heart is a Hell The Devil has a right to dwell in it He pushes him on to Despair He engages him in all sorts of Vices He proposes to him bodily Pleasures For want of Spiritual ones O strange Disease which needs such a Remedy O JESUS who never wert melancholy And yet hadst always causes of sadness Give me not over to this Passion Plunge me not into this Hell I will always have a contented heart Because you dispose of all things for my good I. will honour your Providence Edifie my Neighbour Begin my Heaven even in this life For to confirm it after my death A discontented Servant dishonours his Master A true Servant of God ought never to be sad He will not be sad nor turbulent Isa 42. Why is thy countenance sad 2 Psdr 2. As it were sad but always rejoycing 2 Cor. 6. A wicked heart will cause sadness Eccles 36. Be not like Hypocrites sad Math. 6. XLII MED Remedies against Sadness WHy do you afflict your self That which seems ill to you is not so Your Miseries are Mercies Your Disgraces are Graces of God They take you off from the World They unite you to our Lord. They make you enter into your self They give you a disgust of this life They make you feel your sin They are marks of your Salvation They are Pledges of your Predestination Did not God love his Son Was there ever man more afflicted than he Your evil is not to be complain'd of If it be light it is easily boren If it be violent it cannot last long A great ill cannot be long Unless it be droven away otherways It must sink under it self Either it bereaves you of your life Or of your feeling of it No where but in Hell evil is immortal Time without your thinking of it will do your buliness Your pain cannot last any longer than your life And what is life in regard of Eternity Do you think to live in this World without affliction How will you be a member of Jesus Christ How can you reign with him Unless you be afflicted as he was Shew me a man without his Cross And I will discharge you from yours Is it just that you should have for nothing That which has cost all the Saints so dear What rank will you take in Heaven In what place shall you be put All the Saints are loaden with wounds Shall you be the only one that has none Think on Heaven and your sadness will away The hopes of a great good produces a great joy All evil is little which delivers us from an Eternity of pains The body feels but little pain when the mind dwells in Heaven Do not you know that Heaven is the in heritance of the afflicted That it is the Kingdom of the Crucified That it is the portion of suffering Souls If you have a mind never to be sad Drive sin out of your Soul 'T is that which saddens Hell it self If they were without sin They would be without sadness What joy can that person have Who has driven God out of his heart What rest can he take who has poison lying on his heart If you fasten your self to nothing You will afflict your self for nothing We suffer in proportion to
dy many times That I may dy once well Remember that death doth not tarry Eecles 14. Watch because you know neither the day nor the hour Matth. 25. VVatch at all times Luk. 21. If thou do not watch I will come to thee like a Thief Apoc. 3. Therefore be ye prepared because in what hour you think not the Son of Man will come Matth. 24. L. MED How to resolve for Death WHat do you fear O Christian Soul VVhence is it that you apprehend Death Cannot you endure that which a little Infant does endure Cannot you do that which an Emmot does All Creatures know how to dy And are you ignorant of this Science VVhat will you do with life If you will never part with it VVas it not God that gave it you Has not he a right to dispose of it He has giv'n you the use of it But has reserv'd the property thereof to himself 'T is a trust that you must restore to him Sooner or later in a good condition To what purpose do you stand trifling You must pass that way 'T is a folly to apprehend too much VVhat one cannot avoid VVe fear things that are doubtful But we expect things that are certain You should not have been born If you had no mind tody Are you in a better condition than Kings Shall you be more privileg'd than JESUS Christ For my part were I immortal I would beg it as a favour To be able to die as he did Are not you a Criminal Are not you condemn'd to death The Sentence thereof was pronounced Against Adam from the time that he sinn'd O how favourable is this Sentence O how much good does it procure us Death is no more a punishment 'T is an inestimable benefit VVe should ask it as a favour If God had not condemn'd us to it The Judgments of God are terrible But his Mercies are infinit It is good to fear But it is better to hope He that hopes in God Shall not be deceived He that leaves himself to God Shall not be forsaken Will your Condition be made better By living yet longer You will increase your debts Instead of diminishing them You say that you will do Pennance And you are yet to begin 'T is a Pennance of great merit To accept of death as a punishment Man can do no action for God Comparable to the Sacrifice of his life O my God! How happy do I esteem my self That 't is in my power to die for you I cannot be a Martyr for the Faith But I will be a Martyr of Charity To dy is no great matter But to dy well is a great matter I give to you O my God out of love VVhat death will take from me by force I give to you out of charity VVhat I cannot refuse out of necessity Better is death than a bitter life and eternal rest than continual sickness Eccles 30. O Death good is thy judgment to an indigent man and whose strength decays in his old age Eccles 41. Fear not the judgment of Death remember what things were before thee and what things will come after thee this is God's judgment on all flesh Eccles 41. VVe know if this earthly house of ours of this habitation be dissolved that we have a building from God not made with hands but eternal in heaven 2 Cor. 5. Unhappy man that I am who will deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 6. LI. MED The Affections of a just Soul at the approaches of Death which we should cause to be read to us in our last sickness I Am told that I must dy O the sweet and pleasant news I am quitting Earth to go to Heaven Going out of my Prison for to re-enter into liberty Quitting a Banishment for to return to my dear Country Passing from Time to Eternity From the figure to the truth From Change to Immutability From Death to Immortality From Misery to Felicity I am going to possess God To enjoy God To be transform'd into God To fill my Understanding with a plenitude of light My VVill with a plenitude of peace My Memory with a plenitude of goods My Senses with a fulness of pleasures I shall there above find all that I desire And nothing of what I fear I shall have no more evil I shall want nothing that is good God will be to me All in all And be so for all Eternity I am told that I am dying O the sweet news I shall be no more opprest with miseries Suffer no more incommodities Be no more afflicted with sickness No more subject to commit sin Nor in danger of damning my self Nor any more have any thing to trouble me I shall see and I shall love I shall praise and I shall bless This I shall do for ever VVithout ever being weary of doing it O what a happiness I am going to dy I am going to the place of my repose To the Land of the living To the Kingdom of peace To the Palace of glory To the Nuptials of the Lamb To sit at God's Table To eat the bread of Angels To see what eye hath not seen To hear what ear hath not heard To possess what the heart of man hath never conceived O the happy News They tell me I am dying Come my Soul Let us quit this miserable life Let us go out of this wretched body What art thou afraid of Jesus is dead for thee He has satisfied for thy sins He has pay'd all thy debts He is becom thy security He has answer'd for thee He has promis'd thee his Heaven He has declar'd thee his Heir He has made thee a surrender of all his Merits He has given thee his Body as a Pledge He has bestow'd infinit benefits on thee He has preserv'd thee from infinit dangers If he would have destroy'd thee Would he have died for thee Would he have conserv'd thy life so long Have expected thee with so much patience Given thee time to do pennance Have illuminated thee with so many lights Called thee with so much love Drawn thee with so much force Favoured thee with so many graces Given thee so many good desires Visited thee in thy sickness Made thee receive his Sacraments Markt thee with the Seal of the Predestinate If thou sighest thou shalt be saved If thou art converted in thy heart Thy sins shall be forgiven thee One sigh is sufficient to gain Heaven The Pennance that is true is never don too late He is always converted time enough Who is converted from the bottom of his heart Behold JESUS calls you Behold JESUS stretches out his arms to you Hark how he prays for you on his Cross Hark how he says with a loud voice Father forgive him for he knew not what he did He bows down his head to kiss you He spreads his arms for to embrace you His heart is open for to let you into it He has given his life for to save you O happy news
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
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
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
deserves He was forsaken in his Soul And consumed with sorrows in his Body All his Senses were crucified His Eyes by the sight of his Enemies His Ears by their Blasphemies His Smell by the infection of the place His Touch by his wounds His Tast by the bitterness of the gall His Memory by the sight of our crimes His Understanding by the darkness His Will by the terrours His Appetite by infirmity By disgust and by sadness He had no Part in his Body Which was not loaden with wounds He suffered like a mere man Who neither had been God nor happy The Victim was indeed flayed But it was still sound within The whips had taken off the skin But they had not touch'd the entrails That he might afflict all the organs Of our Excesses and Gluttonies He suffered a cruel Thirst He makes the bitterness of his Chalice Descend down into his Body Then was the Book of this divine Lamb Written both within and without Jesus complains that he is athirst Knowing that they would give him gall to drink He discovers to us his sorrow And the love that consumed him He thirsts after our Salvation and Perfection He desires to suffer more 'T is Love that makes him dy O Jesus my Saviour What can I do for your relief Cannot I quench your thirst Doubtless you desire something of me What is that thirst that burns you O I know what it is that you require You would have me quit this Sin Renounce that company Draw near unto your Cross Entertain my self with your Sufferings Apply my self a little to Prayer Give my self to Devotion Keep silence when I am provoked and offended This is what you desire of me This is what will quench your thirst Shall I dare to refuse This relief to your Pains O that I did burn with your love As you burnt with mine O that I could suffer for you As much as you suffered for me O how love makes me languish O I have long desired to dy That the Scripture might be fulfill'd he said I thirst John 19. O that som one would give me water of the cistern of Bethlehem which is in the gate 1 Par. 11. Woman give me to drink John 4. They gave for my food gall and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink Ps 98. As the heart desires the fountains of waters so doth my soul thirst after the living God Ps 41. CXIV MED On the sixth Word of our Lord on the Cross ALL is Consummate Jesus having taken the Vinegar said All is accomplished The Holocaust is consummated The Commands of my Father are executed The Gospel is announced The Prophecies are verified The ransom of mankind is paid Their sins are pardoned The Captives are delivered Heaven is opened The Sacraments are instituted The Devils are overcom The World is repaired I have nothing more to say do or suffer I have nothing now to do But to give up my soul 'T is now in the power of men To live well and save themselves O the happy Consummation of the just O the unhappy Consummation of the wicked All is Consummate the sinners will say Our pleasures are past Our pastimes are at an end Our fair days are eclipsed Our hopes are vanish'd away Our time is slid away Our life is ended Our malice is Consummated We must now begin to suffer An evil which can never end We must begin a misery Which will never be Consummated All is Consummate the Just will say Our evil days are past away Our sufferings are terminated Our combats are ended Our troubles are calmed Our sorrows are allayed Our infirmities are cured Our tears are wiped away Our Miseries are Consummated There is no more Cross for us to bear No more evil to suffer No more Pennance to do We are going into a Country of Peace Where our joy shall never have an end Choose O Christian Soul One of these two Consummations You must of necessity one day say All is Consummate Will you say it as Lazarus did Or will you say it as Dives did Will you say it as JESVS did Or as Pilate did When your time is Consummated You will find that all is but vanity O Jesus the Author of our Faith And the Consummator of our Salvation Let me consume my life for you As you consumed yours for me Let me accomplish all your commands Let me spend my self for your glory Let me burn with your love Let me make a victim of my body Let me annihilate my self continually Let me fulfil all your designs Let me acquit me of all my duties Let me say with truth when I dy All is ended All is consummate It is consummate John 19. By this one oblation he consummated for ever the sanctified Heb. 10. Looking upon the Author of faith and the Consummator Jesus Heb. 12. He learnt by those things which he suffered obedience and he was made consummate Heb. 5. If a man lives many years and do rejoyce in all these things he must remember the darksom time and the evil days which when they com the things that are past will be argued of vanity Eccles 11. CXV MED On the last Word of JESVS Christ on the Cross FAther into thy hands I commend my soul Jesus leaves himself to his Father When he is forsaken by him He teaches us how to dy As he taught us how to live He teaches us confidence After he had taught us patience Let us imitate Jesus living Let us imitate Jesus dying Let us rest betwixt his arms Let us recommend our souls into his hands He is our Father Can he forsake us He is our Saviour Will he damn us Let us at our death say to Jesus Christ Father into thy hands I recommend my Spirit It came from thee as from its beginning It returns to thee as to its end It is a blast of thy mouth 'T is an emanation of thy spirit 'T is the price of thy blood 'T is the Sanctuary of thy Grace I recommend it into thy hands Which were pierced for its sake I recommend it to thy heart Which burnt with love for it O Lord take it into thy care And when it hath left its body I beseech thee not to forsake it Unless it fall into thy hands Alas its Salvation is desperate O Lord permit not that Soul to be lost Which has cost thee so dear Go forth O my Soul quit thy Body How coms it that thou apprehendest death JESUS has answered for thee He has recommended thee to his Father When he recommended to him his own Spirit Go forth of thy Body O Christian Soul In the name of the Father who created thee In the name of the Son who redeemed thee In the name of the Holy Ghost who sanctified thee Jesus calls thee to his Heaven Bow down thy head through obedience Fear nothing thou art in security In the hands of JESUS Christ Jesus crying with a loud voice said Father into thy hands
hand He brings them back when they go astray He casts himself into the bryars For to draw out him that is lost He lays him on his shoulders He carries him back to the fold He testifies a joy at it And he does him no hurt Jesus is a good Shepherd He feeds his dear Sheep He leads them into fat Pastures He nourishes them with his Word He fats them with his Flesh He inebriates them with his Blood He fortifies them with his grace He quickens them with his spirit He enriches them with his merits What Shepherd feeds his sheep With his own Flesh and his own Blood as he does Jesus is a good Shepherd He gives his life for his sheep He does not feed upon their flesh Not cloath himself with their wool Not strip them to cloath himself He fasted for to feed them He labours only for them He defends them against the wolves He hinders them from coming near them He helps them to drive them off He lifts them up when they fall He carries them when they are feeble He comforts them when they are sad He cures them when they are sick He raises them to life when they are dead O Jesus How good a Shepherd are you But what bad sheep have you They stray away from your conduct They despise your Pastures They will not eat at your table They go every where to seek after wolves They howl and run after them They devour the sheep as they do O my Divine Shepherd For my part I will follow you every where I will never go astray from your ways I will go up to the Mountains with you I will go down into the Vales with you I will never complain of you I will be always contented with you I am a good Shepherd I know my sheep and my sheep know me John 10. He goes before them and the Sheep follow him ibid. And I am not troubled following thee my Pastor Jer. 17. Our Lord governs me nothing will be wanting to me he placed me in a place of pasture Psal 22. I have gon astray like a sheep that is lost seek after thy servant Psal 118. CXXII MED Of the Sheep of Jesus Christ THe Sheep loves his Shepherd He follows his Conduct every where He hears and owns his voice He is in assurance with him He is lost when he goes a stray He goes well when he follows him Jesus committed to Saint Peter The Conduct of his Flock His voice is heard in the Church Out of the Church it is not heard Virtues without Obedience Are large steps out of the way One goes astray instead of advancing Who advances without being directed A Sheep does not argue He goes whither he is led He never goes righter Than when he follows his Shepherd He leaves himself to his Conduct He fears nothing in his Company 'T is to be without judgment To trust to one's own judgment It is to have no guidance Not to be willing to be guided A Sheep does not murmur He does not fall into impatience Does not take offence at his Shepherd Does not complain of his conduct Suffers himself to be stript Goes quietly to his death Suffers his Throat to be cut Dies without saying any thing There is need of extreme patience For to indure impatient men They would have God to endure from them But they will endure nothing from God A Sheep hath no fangs He does not bite his Companions He is the mildest of all Creatures He has nothing of fierceness or wildness He hates singularity He maintains himself in unity He keeps Society Is pleased in the Community The Mark of the Sheep of Jesus Is Mildness and Charity Are you one of Jesus's his Sheep Do you love the Pastor of the Church Do you follow God's Conduct Do you leave your self to his Providence Do you obey your Superiours Do you renounce your own proper lights Do you complain of your losses Do not you murmur in your pains Do you love your Neighbour Do not you offend him in word Have you a compassion of him Are not you angry as he is Thou that rulest Israel attend who leadest on Joseph like a Sheep Psal 79. My foot has followed his footsteps Job 13. He shall be led like a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb before the shearer he shall be dumb and shall not open his mouth Isai 53. I was dumb and did not open my mouth because thou didst do it Psal 38. In this shall all know that you are my Disciples if you love one another Jo. 13. If you bite and eat each other see ye be not consumed by each other Gal. 5. CXXIII MED Of the Ascension of our Lord. WHither go you O divine Shepherd Is it thus that you forsake your Sheep Whither go you O charitable Father Is it thus that you forsake your Children Whither go you O glorious Captain Is it thus that you forsake your Souldiers What will poor Sheep do in the midst of Wolves What will poor Children do in the midst of the Streets What will Souldiers do in the midst of their Enemies Go my well beloved Quit this ungrateful Earth That has used you so ill An immortal body like yours Ought not to be in the region of death An incorruptible body like yours Ought not to be in a place of corruption An impassible body like yours Ought not to be in a place of affliction Go great Conquerour Ascend up to Heaven which you have gained Take possession of the Kingdom Which is yours from all Eternity Carry along with you your victorious Troops For to honour your Triumph Stop not till you have reach't the highest Heaven Go and sit upon the Throne of God It is just that you should rest After having laboured so much It is just that you should receive glory After having been so mightily humbled Go Ark of our Lord After having been beaten with the Waves Go and rest on the highest Mountains of Armenia Arise O Lord ascend to your place of rest You and the Ark of your Sanctification You have broken down the Gates of Hell Go now and open the Gates of Heaven Enter into the Palace of your glory Go and prepare us a place Go and present your self to your Father Go and shew him your Wounds Go and be our Mediatour Go and send us your Holy Spirit O Jesus Since you are gon to Heaven I find no more comfort here upon Earth My heart is where my treasure is My soul would fain quit her body For to go and enjoy your presence When shall I go out of this exile When shall I return to my dear Country O Jesus The hope of forlorn Souls The comfort of afflicted Souls You promised to draw all things to you When you were elevated from the Earth You are now above all the Heavens Perform now your promise Draw me out of this World Take me off from Creatures Draw me strongly For I cling close to the Earth
is don to the Slaves Who will dispute it to the Queen If her body be not risen again How coms it to be hid Why is it not honoured Every one shall reap what he hath sowed Those who sow in the Flesh reap Corruption Those who sow in Spirit reap Incorruption Mary was laid into the ground But she did not remain there Her flesh did inclose a germ of life Which made her revive and rise again She was buried That she might imitate her Son That she might visit Purgatory That she might sanctifie our Earth For to give an assurance of her death But she ought to return to life again For to give an assurance of our Resurrection There would one Ornament be wanting in Heaven If the Body of Mary were not there O my glorious Princess I have a horrour to think that your body The holiest of all bodies Should rot and be eaten by the Worms That your immaculate flesh Should not be risen again That you should be a slave to death You who did destroy its Empire It was requisit that one Man should rise again For to give assurance of the Resurrection of Men. It was requisit that one Woman should rise again For to assure the Resurrection of Women O how amiable is Purity O how detestable is Impurity Why should we prepare meat for Worms Why should we adore that flesh Which will soon be devoured by Beasts Unless the Victim be salted it will rot Unless the Flesh be mortified it will corrupt Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell nor wilt thou give thy holy one to see corruption Ps 15. I have slept and been at rest and have risen up because our Lord hath taken me Ps 3. Father those that thou hast given me I will have them to be where I am John 17. He that sows in his own flesh of flesh he shall reap corruption but he that sows in spirit of the spirit shall reap life everlasting Gal. 6. Com from Libanus my Spouse and thou shalt be crowned Cant. 5. CXXXVIII MED Of the Assumption of the B. Virgin WHo is this Princess that ascends up to Heaven Leaning upon her well beloved 'T is Mary the Mother of God As she was the purest of all Creatures She ought to be above all the Heavens As she was the most humbled So she ought to be the most elevated As she received the most graces So she ought to receive the greatest glory As she was the nearest related to God So she ought to com the nearest to him As she suffered without measure So she ought to be comforted beyond measure The Divine Salomon Has made his Mother sit upon his Throne He has associated her to his Empire He has established her Queen of the Universe He has subjected all Creatures to her The Father has crowned her with Power The Son has crowned her with Wisdom The Holy Ghost has crowned her with Sanctity Jesus is our Mediatour with the Father Mary is our Mediatrix with the Son Jesus appeases the wrath of his Father Mary appeases the wrath of her Son Jesus shews his wounds to his Father Mary shews her breasts to her Son Who will despair of his Salvation Having such Intercessours with God Mary loves sinners because her Son loved them Because for them it was that he came into the World Because they are miserable Because without them She would not have been the Mother of God Because 't is for them that she is the Mother of God Go my Holy Mother Go and reap the fruits of your long labours Go Ark of our Lord and rest in the Temple of glory There it is that a Throne is set up for you There you are to be crown'd by the Holy Trinity O how I am ravish'd to see you ascend to Heaven With so much pomp and magnificence O ye Angels of Heaven Open the gates to the Mother of God Com and meet your Princess Render your respects to her Carry her up to the very Throne of her Son O Queen of Heaven and Earth O Mother of grace of mercy My life and my hopes after God! I salute you and honour you On the Throne of glory to which God has raised you O you are now in the Haven Whilst we are yet beaten with storms You are now in your Country And we are yet in banishment You are in security and we are in danger O our dear Mother O our powerful Advocate Cast your eyes upon us your poor Children Who weep and sigh in this vale of misery Take care of their Salvation And obtain the grace for them That after this Exil they may see Your beloved Son in Heaven Amen So be it Com from Libanus and thou shalt be crowned Cant. 4. Who is she that ascends from the Desert flowing in delights leaning on her beloved Cant. 8. A great sign appeared in Heaven a Woman cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet and on her head a Crown of twelve stars Apoc. 12. The Queen of Saba entred in with riches Aromatical spices and very much gold 2 Par. 9. There was a Throne set for the Kings Mother who sat at his right hand and the King said to her Ask Mother for it is not lawful for me to turn away my face 3 Kings 2. CXXXIX MED Of the Nativity of the B. Virgin and of the Name of Mary given to her THe Birth of Mary is a Work above nature But for the good of nature Her Nobility ought to make her to be honoured Her benefits ought to make her to be desired Her beauty ought to make her be loved The Name of Mary which was given to her Rejoyces the Angels Comforts men Makes the Devils tremble After the Name of Jesus There is none sweeter than that of Mary None more powerful than that of Mary He that says Mary says a powerful Lady And a Sea of bitterness She is a Lady Because she was a Handmaid She is a Sea of comfort Because she was a Sea of bitterness Have you a mind to command You must obey Have you a mind to be comforted You must suffer O most holy Virgin I will drink in the Chalice of your affliction That I may drink in that of your comfort I will obey as you did That I may one day reign with you O great Princess I rejoyce in your Birth As in the principle of my life and my salvation I salute you in your Cradle As in the Throne of Grace and Innocence You came not into the World Loaden with chains as we did The Sun saw you crown'd as soon as born But it sees us damn'd e're we are born O Queen of Heaven and Earth I choose you for my Lady My Mother and Advocate I will serve you as my Lady I will love you as my Mother I will invocate you as my Advocate My holy Lady take me into your protection My holy Mother give me your blessing My holy Advocate grant me your intercession Thou art the
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