imployed all her tyme in heauenly contemplations feruent eleuations of harte and inflamed aspirations after her dearely beloued child How often said she with more then a S. Paules feruour that she desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ How often did she adiure the daughters of Sion to stay her with flowers to compasse her about with apples because she languished with loue Tell him saith she that I languish with loue Affection Thus it was my soule that this heauenly hart continually euaporated it selfe out thus while her body was detayned in earth did her soule liue in heauen and thus it is too that euery chaste turtle should behaue herselfe in the absence of her mate sometymes moaning herselfe with holy Dauid saying ay mé why is my seiourning stil prolonged Sometymes with S. Paule Christ is my life and death is my gaine Some tymes againe with the feruent S. Augustine Liue I will not dye I will I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ That her life wasted away like incense in the flames of loue II. POINT CONSIDER that Blessed Marie hauing as truly conceiued in her hart the sacred fire which her Sonne brought downe as she had conceiued him in her Virginall wombe she continually watched it like a holy Vestall and did not onely keepe it a liue but euen added new fewell to it by euery least action of her life so that that holy flame was increased to such a degree that it was impossible for a humane hart to endure it without wasting away like incense in the thurible to imbalme the world with her heauenly odours Affection Ah my soule comme and behold this heauenly VisioÌ„ See how Moyses his burning bush whom noe fire of concupiscence could euer touch begins to melt away in the fire of loue See our sacred Salamander readie to consume in the flames which she loued wherin she liued wherwith she was â—o deliciously nourished O that this cold luÌ„pe were better acquainted with this deare torment with this fire which burnes so delightfully At least ô thou Blessed Holocauste of Loue preuayle by thy powerfull prayers that the fire of the Holy Ghost may burne my reynes and hart that I may serue him with a chaste body and please him with a cleane hart THE II. MEDITATION For the Assumption That she dyed of Loue. I. POINT COnsider that Marie must dye then because she was a child of Adam because she was the Mother of a God who dyed because a pretious delicious death will doe her the right to deliuer her vpp to her Sonne in glorie nor is glorie to be had but by death she must dye then who brought out life But as loue brought her Iesus downe from heauen and by loue she coÌ„ceiued him so must noe other hand then that of loue which is now growen stronger then deathin her breake the band of mortalitie and restore her to her life her loue her Iesus Affection O death louingly vitall ô loue vitally mortall O death of loue the noblest of all deathes And therfor due to the most noble life that euer was amonst creatures whereof the verie Angells would desire to dye if dye they could Be ah returne returne thou Sunamitesse returne that we may haue the happinesse to looke vpoÌ„ thee to craue thyne assistance in our necessities O Marie thou Mother of grace Mother of mercy protect vs against our enemyes in our life and receiue vs at the houre of our death Amen II. POINT CONSIDER that if loue gaue the blow it was the most noble death that euer creature endured If loue gaue the stroke it was the most deliciously deare and desired that euer humane hart tasted And as this death was most noble and most sweete so was it attended by the most noble compagnie All the Apostles as witnesseth the great Areopagite by Gods Prouidence and power and all the Primitiue Christians about Hierusalem being prefent at it Yea euen Millions of Angells and Christ himselfe Witnesse S. I. Damascene with many others Affection O what a mixture of delight sorrow did possesse those Apostolicall and primitiue hartes Of sorrow to see themselues readie to become Orphants hauing both the Mother and the SoÌ„ne taken from them Of delight to behold that diuin-Phenix melting away vpon her bed of hoe nour amidst the odoriferous flames of Sacred loue readie to flye into their Masters Celestiall imbracements O what Canticles of prayses did not they singe what actions of grace did they not render THE III. MEDITATION That her body was free from corruption I. POINT CONSIDER that though a death of loue or a beloued death could separate the soule from that B. Virgines body which was buried by the Apostles c. in Gethse many yet deathes corruptioÌ„ durst not at all fasteÌ„ vpon that incorruptible body which had brought out life As we deney not saith S. Augustine that the Mother of God was subiect to the Law of death so haue we learnt in the Shoole of Christianitie to priuiledge her from corruption whose grace and sanctitie was such that she singularly merited to lodge God in earth Affection Noe my soule the immaculate body of this incomparable Virgine was not subiect to corruption it was not fitting that that chaste flesh which gaue flesh to clothe our humanised God should be deliuered ouer to the wormes Though death was her gaine yet had corruption bene her losse God would not permitt that holy one who was vncorrupt in her Conception in her childbirth and after her childbirth should meete with corruption in her graue That her body was assumpted vp to heauen by her Sonne II. POINT CONSIDER that scarcely had this sacred Depositum of her immaculate body remayned three dayes in the graue after her vitall death witnesse S. I. Da. till he that rose the third day by his owne power came to rayse his blessed mothers body that her body and soule being vnited againe he might inioy his whole mother and she him in his glorie Saying to her ryse make haste my friend or according to S. Augustine come from Lybanus my spouse come from Libanus come thou shalt be crowned taking her by the right hand saith he and conducting her in pompe and magnificence according to his good pleasure Affection O my soule with what heauenly acclamations with what Angelicall admirations and exaltations was this singular triumph accompaigned While euen the astonished Angells cryed out who is this who comes vp from the desert flowing with delightes and has the confidence to leane vpon her beloued our Kinge Let vs my soule earnestly begge her intercession what cannot she preuayle for whom the God of heauen so much honours THE VI. MEDITATION How inthronised I. POINT CONSIDER whither this best of Sonns could leade this best of Mothers but to the best place that euer creature was capable of euen aboue the Cherubins and Seraphins to the Throne of God S. Augustine is my warantie saying of her Thou didst passe the Angelicall
Augustine though such as vowe Virginitie to God hold a more ample degree of honour and dignitie in the Church of God yet are not they without mariage for they belonge to the mariage with the whole Church wherin Christ is the spouse Affection O admirable dignitie of the Virgine where the humble handmayd is raysed to the honour of a Bride to Christ himselfe the Bridegroome whom whē she loues she is chaste whom when she touches she is pure whom when she takes in mariage she is a Virgine O supercelestial mariage from whence fidelitie and fertilitie is expected as well as in other mariages for such as breake this first faith haue damnation saith the Apostle and the happie state of Virgines assures S. Augustine is more fruitfull and fertile not to haue bigge bellies but great mynds not to haue breasts full of mylke but harts full of candour and in lieu of bringing forth earth out of their bowells they bring forth heauen by their prayers Hence issues a noble progenie puritie iustice patience mildnesse charitie followed by all her venerable traine of vertues This is the Virginns worke to be sollicitous of what belongs to God and to haue her whole conuersation in Heauen THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY CONSIDER yet a third sort of mariage wherin the whole Catholike Church that is all faithfull soules are espoused to Christe in faith hope and charitie but especially by charitie which as Queene drawes a longe with her all the powers and affections of the soule to conforme and subiect them to the pleasure of her diuine spouse making but one will and nill of two wills to witt that of God and man And this conformitie saith the deuoute S. Bernard maries the soule to God Whence results an ineffable content and pleasure and such a heate of diuine loue that the soule and all her affections are absorpt therin Affection Let the world then my soule boast as much as it will of the pleasures and contentements which it inioyes they are not like to the lawe of the Lord thy God that sweete law of loue in comparisō of which the most prosperous earthly pleasure is but vile and base The cheife Good is our Good of which Tertulian saith excellently soome goods as well as some euills bring an intolerable waight with them and most dearely and deliciously oppresse the soule Hence it was that that holie Apostle of the Indies cryed out Satis est Domine satis est It is enough ô Lord it is enough THE SECONDE POINTE CONSIDER yet a fourth sorte of Mariage which is made euery day to all kinds of faithfull soules which approche to the B. Sacrament Wherin we are made one with that diuinely deare spouse of ours not onely by charitie but euen in realitie and in verie deede we are mingled with that sacred flesh of his in that celestiall banket which he bestowes vpon vs to shew vs the excesse of his loue Whence S. Christome saith therfor it was that he ioynd himselfe with vs and mixed his body into vs to the'nd we might be come one with him as the body is ioyned to the heade for euen as one who powres melted waxe saith Cyrill into other waxe must necessarily wholy mixe the one with the other so he that receiues the body and bloud of our Lord is so ioyned with him that Christ is found in him and he in Christ Affection O excesse of goodnesse ô ineffable delightes of that most chaste and sacred mariage betwixt the kinge of heauen and poore man Here in this mariage banket is serued in the foode of Angells nay the kinge of the Angells himselfe becomes the whole feaste Nor is there neede there of any other wine then the precious bloude of the Lambe who dyed for our loue say then my soule and let all that loue and feare our Lord Iesus say with vs quoniam bonus quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius that he is infinitly good and his mercys are without end THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE If thou wilt said the Leper to our sauiour thou canst make me cleane Matt. 8. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the poore Leper had found by a longe and painfull experience that there was noe hope of cure by the power of man all his owne and others endeuours prouing vneffectuall and therfor he wisely resolued in an humble confidence to haue recourse to him whom he knew by faith to be able to doe all that he would in heauē and in earth By adoration he acknowledges him to be God and by his words he publishes him to be all powerfull He came and adored him sayinge Lord If thou wilt thou canst and the present effects proue that his faith is powerfull and gratefull to Christ who graciously replyes I will Be thou made cleane and forth with his leprosie was made cleane Affection Our great and good Lord my soule neither wants power nor good will to cure all our infirmites if we aske as we ought If he some tyme delaye vs it is but the better to trye vs and more euidently to acquainte vs with our owne want of abilitie till he putt his powerfull hand to the worke for then our leprosie is forth with cured If he delaye vs and sometyme permitt vs for a longe space to languish and euen to be ouerspredd with our leprosie it is but the more perfectly to humble vs and throughly to cure the more dangerous desease of pride Finally if he delay the cure till we waxe more desparatly sicke it oblidges vs being at length cured the more highly to magnifie his mercy and publish his power to all men THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that there is noe stayne so deeply setled which Gods power is not able to fetch out noe leprosie of body or soule so inueterate and incurable which God with a word doth not cure Our application or addresse is onely to be looked to We must approche to the Lord of life and death as to one such with a liuely faith with an absolute confidence that with a word he can worke what he will his power being onely limited by his will as the faithfull leper plainly expresses Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Affection Be then my soule thy leprosie and other spirituall deseases neuer so peremptorie Be it that they haue growne on with thee since thy youth Seeme they rather to be another nature then natures defects yet haue but a frequent confident humble recourse to this souueraigne Physitian with a true acknowledgement of thyne owne miserable and otherwise desparate estate crying out with afirme faith O Lord if thou wilt thou canst cure all myne infirmities and infallibly in his good tyme we shall heare I will be thou made cleane THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Of the Centurion or Capitaine of an hundred Soldiers who sued to our Sauiour for the cure of his seruante THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that we may
flowres of the field are prouided with feathers to clothe them and fitting nourishment to releiue them much more man then concludes our Sauiour who is the Lord and Master of them all Affection Let a diligent and moderate care my soule be vsed in all thinges but let inordinate care and sollicitude be banished from that Christiā harte which should be wholie free to seeke Christ his iustice and his Kingdome Those other thinges may be sought too but with moderation with iudifferencie without distrust of that great prouidence which doth furnish necessaries for farre lesse cansiderable thinges Let them be sought as thinges to be vsed in the way not to be inioyed not to take vp our thoughtes and ingage our hartes which must be reserued as a place for our Lord and a tabernacle for the God of Iacob THE SECONDE POINTE. For your father knoweth that you neede all these thinges CONSIDER that our Saniour goes still on to breake downe our sollicitude and selfe confidence that our cheife dependance may be of his diuine prouidence not in our owne First by reason of the litle power we haue being not able to adde one inch to our stature secondly because by that strange sollicitude we should be like the heathens who seeke the same thinges Thirdly because therby we forgett our owne happie condition of being children to an almightie Father who knowes that we neede all these thinges Affection To depende vpon our selues my soule is to depende vpon miserie and pouertie and to fayle in our expectation and hope in our Lord and pray to him and thou shalt be fedd in his riches There is noe want to those that loue him We haue a good father who is all-seeing and knowes what we wāt who is all-powerfull and able to giue it Let vs be good children then and intirely confide in his fatherly prouidence he loues vs nor doth he loue and forsake Nay saith that deare father of ours I will not leaue you orphants THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XV. SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Iesus went into a citie called Naim c. And behold a deade man was caried forth Luc 7. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that though God is iustly admirable and ought most iustly to be admired in all his workes yet it happens almost generally by mans stupiditie and dulnesse that he is more admired magnified and praysed for things lesse admirable while greater thinges are past ouer with litle consideration One younge man is here restored to life and the whole multitu de who accompaigned the corps magnified God publishing that a greate prophete was rysen amongst them and that God had visited his people Thousands are daylie restored to the life of the soule by verrue of the Sacramentes of Baptisme and pennance and litle notice is taken of it Affection Aye me my soule we are but litle ones and thence we speake as litle ones we vnderstand as litle ones we thinke as litle ones our thoughtes reach litle further then our eyes are able to see and by them we frame our iudgements not by the light of faith And thence it is that we more magnifie God for some temporall blessing as deliuerie from sicknesse danger or death then for multitudes of mercy which we daylie experience And more admire and loue him vpon the deliuerie of one body from a temporall death then a thousand thousand soules by his grace from an eternall death THE SECONDE POINTE. Behold a deade man was caried forth the onely sonne of his mother CONSIDER that as gray heires length of yeares and frequent infirmities doe daylie and hourely threaten the old man that he cannot liue longe so frequent experience ought to assure vs that young men may and often doe dye soone yea in the verie flowre of their age as did he here being the onely sonne of his mother whose corps was caried forth Wherin all her hopes of a successour fayled and howeuer he might haue fedd himselfe with the expectation of a rich inheritance all that falls to him from his poore mournefull mother mounts to noe more then her comfortlesse teares which fall fruitlessly to the grounde Affection For an old man to promise himselfe longe life is a thinge worthy to be laughed at so farre hath old age robbd him of all rationall hopes And for a younge man be he neuer so younge to giue himselfe assurance of a longe life deserues to be wept at Let noe man thinke he can make a league with death Youth is noe proofe against it Nay it is euen farre more subiect to innumerable dismall occasions therof as daily experience puts vs out of doubt What are we to doe then my soule but to banish all assurance of life from our thoughtes and so to liue as though we were euery houre to dye hearing continually with S. Hierome the trumpet sounding Arise ô yee deade and come to iudgement THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Behold a deade man was caried forth c. accompaigned with a great multitude c. CONSIDER that a day will come God onely knowes how soone when the soule which now animates this body shall be driuen out and the poore senselesse lumpe shall be left to be brought forth as this young mans was to be accompaigned to the graue by some number of friends who happly may bestowe some fewe teares or smale commendation vpon it before they throw that vselesse and loathsome masse into the ground which some tymes had bene ouerualued at an vniust rate both by our sel-and others as now it too plainely appeares Affection This day my soule will as surely arriue as it is sure that man is but man that is a subiect of corruption and death to witt it is decreed in the supreame Court that men shall once dye That is the immortall soule shall be separated from this body of earth which did ouerloade itt and incline it to earthlinesse This masse of corruption was it which we so pampered so cherished so adorned so admired and loued to heare admired by others And loe now a tender mother will giue noe longer lodging to it tho it be all that 's left of her onely child but brings it forth to be cast into the earth THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that we reade in the Gospell of three sorts of deade bodyes restored to life by our Sauiour which perfectly represent three kinds of soules deade by sinne That of the Archsynagogues daughter who was truly deade but was not yet caried forth Representing a soule who consented to mortall sinne in thought without any exteriour action That of the widowes onely sonne who was deade and caried forth expressing one who did not onely consent in thought but performed it in effect Finally that of Lazarus who was foure dayes deade and began to be corrupted pointing out the soule which is not onely deade by sinne but euen deade and buried in the badd custome of sinning All which not-withstanding our Sauiour was mercyfull and powerfull enough to
knowledge to tempt and teache him Le ts first beleeue in him that he is the sonne of the liuing God because without faith it is impossible to please him and learne of him to be mylde and humble of harte and so we shall finde rest to our soules which in high and proude questions can neuer be found THE SECONDE POINTE. Thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God from thy whole harte with thy whole soule and with thy whole mynde This is the greatest and first commandement CONSIDER that this commandement of the loue of God aboue all thinges is most iustly called the first and greatest The first because it ought to possesse the first place in our harte The first againe because it ought to be in mans soule what the first … oouer is in the heauens which giues first motion to all the rest And it is the greatest because its whole ayme is summum bonum the souueraigne Good the greatest too because it comprises all Gods Lawe and all the vertues in a most eminent manner Affection O my soule how sweete how heauenly sweete is this lawe of loue which either finds all thinges easie or makes them such How gracious is this diuine Law giuer who deliuers vs so sweete a Lawe What is man ô Lord thou shouldst so magnifie him and place thy heauenly harte vpon him What is man to thee I say that thou shouldst commande him to loue thee yea and to be angrie and threaten to lay huge punishments vpon him if he loue thee not Alas is it not of it selfe punishment great enough if he doe not loue Alas should poore subiects who holde all of the Kinges of the earth neede any such threates to induce them to loue them THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart c. THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER in what manner and with what measure we ought to loue our Lord God And we are told by S. Bernard that the measure of louing God is to loue him without measure from our whole harte saith our blessed Sauiour by placing all our affections vpon him With our whole soule not permitting any of the passions to contest with it With our whole mynd by making choyce of the best meanes imaginable to accomplish his blessed will in the most perfect manner that man is capable off here belowe Affection This is the onely thinge my soule wherin there can be noe excesse He is infinitly more louely then we are able to be louinge O what a happinesse it is to be oppressed with the abundance of goodnesse Le ts dilate our narrow hartes dare as much as we are able breath after him incessantly and yet humbly acknowledge that we fall infinitly shorte of what is due saying with S. Augustine let me loue thee ô Lord as much as I wishe and as much as I ought wherin that I may not fayle proue as the Authour of the precept so the giuer of the grace to performe it giue what thou commandst ô Lord and command what thou wilt THE SECONDE POINTE. And the seeonde commandement is like to this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe CONSIDER that our B. Sauiour had noe sooner established that right of loue which is indispensably due to his heauenly Father but he falls vpon the dutie of his adoptiue brethren to one another which he also places in loue saying thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe With this difference notwithstanding that the measure of the loue of God is to loue him without measure and the measure of the loue of our neighbour is to loue him as our selues that ought to be exhibited to God because he is infinitly Good this to our neighbour be he good or badd because it was commanded vs by an infinite Goodnesse Affection O deare God how good thou art to men of right hartes O diuine wisdome how wisely and sweetly thou disposest of all thinges My soule if man had bene left to wishe what he would what other lawe could he haue wished then what he has a lawe of loue Wherin God and mans interests are so wouen togeither that the one will not be admitted without the other In vaine doe we professe to loue God if we hate our neighbour whom he commands vs to loue Nay saith the louing S. Augustine this must be putt downe for a certaine truth that there is noe surer way to attaine to Gods fauour then the loue of man to man Ama fac quod vis THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XVIII SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Iesus c. said to the sicke of the palsey haue a good harte sonne thy sinns are forgiuen thee Matt. 9. CONSIDER that Gods goodnesse and bountie is so greate that he often giues vs not onely what we aske but euen other thinges which we aske not which are farre greater and better The poore sicke of the palsey aymed onely at a temporall blessing the cure of his infirmitie and behold he meetes with farre more the remission of his sinnes from the mouth of truth saying haue a good harte sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Affection Such is the goodnesse of our good and bountifull God my soule that when we haue an humble recourse to him in simplicitie of harte he grantes vs often not onely what we desire but what he sees we most neede As at other tymes in exercising his mercy he refuses vs what we desire to grante vs thinges more conducing to our eternall good being still equally good as well in what he giues as what he denyes If we pray then day and night and be not heard as it happened to our blessed Sauiour himselfe let vs rest assured that what we asked was not for our aduantage acquiescing therin to Gods wise prouidence and desiring aboue all thinges to heare sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that this wise Physitian of ours doth not onely shew his goodnesse and liberalitie in the care of the poore mans corporall and spirituall infirmities but manifestes his wisdome also in the manner of the cure to witt he first takes away the cause which is sinne By sinne it was saith the great Apostle that death and consequently all deseases leading to death gott first footing in the world and this woefull cause being once remoued from the soule he proceeds to the cure of the bodie Arise take vpp thy bedd and goe into thy house Affection Let vs learne then my soule of wisdome it selfe to be wise when we endeuour the cure of our deseased soule Le ts obserue the causes and occasions wherin we find our selues It is still in such and such circumstances I finde my fall It is in such companies I continually meete with the desease or death of my soule Let vs in tyme iudge our selues that we may not be more rigourously iudged That eye of scandall must necessarily be plucked out and throwne away without the reach of danger which who loueth shall perish in
then he cries out that intrauerunt aquae vsque ad animam meam the waters of bitternesse haue entred into my very soule Affect O my soule how happie were we if we could once haue the true sense and zeale of Gods honour and haue lesse sense and feeling of our owne short and light sufferances though for our owne defaults We see what a lesson our Sauiour giues vs who is able to looke ouer all that reflects vpon himselfe and only eyes his heauenly fathers honour to witt all the waters of tribulation are not able to extinguish the liuely flame of his charitie But we my soule are selfe louers and selfe flatterers and farre too delicate and tender soldiers to liue vnder a Captaine who with a thornie helmet on his head exposeth his naked body to deadly blowes for his fathers honour Whereas wee if we can sleepe at ease in a whole skinne seeme little concerned when we heare and see our Masters name and fame vilified blasphcamed and euen torne in peeces Is this to be followers of Christ He commends his mother to S. Iohn and S. Iohn to his mother 2. Point Consider that though the waters of bitternesse and a sense of inward sorrow had possessed his hart yet did mildnesse filiall care dutie and dearenesse still raigne therein for with blubbered bloodie and dyeing eyes espying his mother and the Disciple whom he loued he said to his mother pointing at S. Iohn behold thy sonne and then to his Disciple behold thy Mother O how heauenly loue is able to liue and raigne amidst our greatest anguishes And where loue liues and raignes what anguish is able to make vs faile of our dutie Affect Obserue my soule the order and dutie of charitie Christs greatest care is his heauenly Fathers honour and consequently he feeles the greatest torment where he findes it violated and thence his first praiers are imployed for pardon for those that violate it and his first pardon is granted to the good theife that acknowledged him with a repentant hart In the next place he paies the honour which hee owes to his parents and the loue which he owes to his friends Mother behold thy sonne Disciple behold thy Mother Thus are vve taught my soule to loue God incomparably aboue all things and to seeke his glorie euen before and aboue the loue of our parents Next vve are to loue and honour those authors of our beeing and lastly to loue our friends and our neighbours as our selues c. Resolution Zeale of Gods glorie c. and loue of our parents THE XXIV MEDITATION Of the sorrovves of Iesus and Marie 1. Point COnsider and ponder well the circumstances of this sonne and this Mother and this standing and if there be anie sense of Christianitie or euen humanitie left our harts cannot misse to melt with pittie The sonne the most louely the most louing the most beautifull child that euer heauen knew the Mother the most gracefull most gratefull most louing and most beloued virgine that euer the earth produced or can produce The sonne innocencie it selfe and the Mother the most innocent Lady that euer the world beheld And that virgine Mother stands neere the Crosse to behold that sonne that man that God dying vpon that most accursed and ignominious wood in all the circumstances of greatest torment and contempt of body and soule imaginable dying I say for her for vs for those that put him to death for all mankind Affect O my soule stand astonished at this saddest spectacle that euer the amayzed heauens beheld and let the same nayles which through the innocent sonns hands peirced the dolorous mothers hart wound thine also The sonne is plentifully powring out for sinners that pure and harmelesse blood which he receiued in that mothers chast wombe without all spott of sinne and she the most innocent and louing and most beloued of all mothers stands to behold it Ah what swords of sorrow doe not pearce her tender hart Well may we conceiue she paies the panges of childbirth with huge vsurie which she felt not in his immaculate natiuitie She now indeede brings forth Iesus the most painefull waie that euer woeman experienced since the child must absolutly dye and the mother hardly escape The sunne is eclipsed the earth quakes the rockes burst in sunder 2. Point COnsideration But while hard and vngratefull and vnnaturall man wil bestow no compassion neither vpon the dying sonns blood nor vpon the dolorous mothers teares the senselesse elements may seeme to turne sensible to mans confusion and acknowledge the master who made them while he litle considers the God that redeemed him euen in the painfull and ignominious act of his redemption The sunne withdrawing its light for three howres space couers his shame the veyle of the temple burstes in peeces the very rockes rend and all the earth is in a commotion to wit saith S. Iohn Chrysostome the creatures could not indure the wrong done to their Creator Affect Ah sonns of men and may I not adde sonns of God too Christians brothers of Christ Spouses of Christ vsque quo graui corde how longe how longe will you remaine heauie harted and appeare lesse sensible then the verie rockes themselues O God vouchsafe I beseech thee in vertue of the pretious blood of thy deare sonne which so plentifully streames downe either to smite this fleshly hart of mine with thy feare and with thy loue or turne this senselesse fleshly hart of mine into a very rocke that that rodd of Moyses may draw waters out of it that these hammers may bruse and burst it a sunder Smite ô Lord smite I beseech thee this hard hart of mine with the pious and powerfull dart of thy loue that I may be sensible at least among the senselesse creatures and testifie that it is my God that 's dying Resolution I vvill continually lament the hardnes and vnsensiblenesse of myne ovvne hart as to any respects of God c. THE XXV MEDITATION My God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me 1. Point COnsidera And well might all nature stand astonished well might the dumme elements crye out by earthquakes and prodigious signes to stupid man whose crimes had brought the God of nature the true sonne of God to such extreamitie of all kind of torments that the most lamentable and daunting voice that euer was heard vnder the sunne broke out from his mouth My God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me To witt our eyes were witnesses of greatest exorbitancie and vniuersalitie of torments inflicted vpon him that euer creature suffered but his owne tongue alone was able to expresse his inward sense and sorrow of his soule Affection O eternall God the father of my Lord Iesus Christ dispose graciously and looke downe towards vs not vpon me but vpon the glorious face of thy Christ that coeternall sonne of thine in whom thou hast testified thou wert alwaies well pleased who cryes out to the worlds astonishment that thou hast
seruice whether it be in point of receiuing his owne true body or in charitably assisting his owne poore afflicted members For how often haue we obserued our selues to haue quaked with feare wher we mett with noe danger indeede and permitted such fond feares to frustrate our pious designes and resolutions and stifle the seede which was sowen in our hartes from heauen Feare not as longe as thou art imployed about Iesus and him crucified Either will noe danger at all be mett with or none at least be preualent to make vs misse of Iesus And if it be about Iesus that we are imployed if in that name we suffer we ought not so much to apprehend it the sufferance of a Crosse as the assurance of a crowne 2. Point Consider with astonishment the great power which the diuine prouidence giues to Pilate who had indeede noe power ouer Christ but what was giuen from aboue in whose handes the disposall of the body of a God was left Yes of that body which the holy Ghost framed the Virgine mother brought-forth the diuinitie still inseparably inhabited Of that body I say Pilate à sinner an vniust Iudge an infidell hath power to dispose and he giues it to Iosephe Affect O my soule how this Christ this God-man is wholy imployed in the behalfe of man In his life at his death after his death In his life for our instruction at his death for our redemption after his death for our consolation Be we left vnder what power soeuer iust or vniust peaceable or tyrannicall according to our desires or contrarie to our inclinations by our Lord and Masters sweete disposition he that so left vs if we faithfully follow his foot stepps will certainly deliuer vs glorifie vs. Noe vniust Pilates sencence will be able to hinder vs from deliuering vp our soules into the hands of a louing father nor depriue our body of the happie expectation of à glorious resurrection Resolution I will euer admire to see the disposition of the deade body of Christ left in an infidells hands but much more to see his liuing and glorious body and soule left at the dispose of disloyall Christians who beleeue in him and yet crucifie him againe by their dailie crymes THE XXXIV MEDITATION 1. Point COnsider that God being Omniponcie it selfe wanted not power to haue deliuered the body of this deare sonne of his out of the hands of Pilate without his leaue He that was onely free among the deade could easily haue freed himselfe from the deade and haue rysen as gloriously the first day from the Crosse as the third from the graue But the Scriptures were to be fulfilled his sepulcher vvas to be glorious Our Ionas was to remaine three dayes and three nightes in the bowells of the earth And his last lesson after his death as well as his first before he could yet speake was to teach vs by his blessed example an admirable submission obedience abandonnement of himselfe into what hands soeuer Affect O wisdome of heauen how secreete and incomprehensible are thy wayes We are not able my soule to looke into them In thy infancie thou wholy abandonnedst thy selfe vnto thy B. mothers care and custodie In thy youth thou wast subiect to her and Iosephe In thy passion thou wast giuen ouer to the wills of the Iewes remayning obedient till death and the death of the Crosse and now too after thy death thou continuest still at Pilates dispose Let me learne deare Lord by this singular submission of thyne in imitation therof and for thy loue to be willingly subiect to euerie creature neuer desiring to take my selfe out of that order and subiection wherin thy prouidence may haue placed me Ita Domine quoniam sic placitum est coram te Yes sweete Sauiour purely becaus so it is aggreable in thy diuine sight 2. Point Consider that Pilate hauing bene petitioned giues vp the body to Iosephe Iosephs care takes it downe from the Crosse and bestowes à sydon or fine white linen sheete Nicodemus contributes many pounds of oyntments to witt mixed mirre and aloes the body is imbalmed therwith and wound vp in Iosephs syndon according to the iewes rites His mournefull mother Marie bestowes more hartie sorowe and compassion then any tongue can speake or any hart but her owne that is the hart of a mother and such a mother the mother of a God can conceiue who as in that name she farre surpasses all other creatures in dignitie consanguinitie and neerenesse to her sonne so also in loue and consequently in compassion and sorrowe The desolate louing Magdalene and her companions their familiar teares and Ioseph putts the adorable body in his owne new Monument cutt in the side of a rocke and shutts it vp with a great stone Affect Thus my soule haue we at length gott to an end of a wearisome procession Thus haue our sinnes layd the God of heauen and earth in the bosome of the earth Thus haue our hard hartes lodged him in a rocke at whose voyce the very rockes burst in sunder Ah my soule this hard world at his first entrie lodged him in a rocke and a rocke too must receiue him at his going out O deare Master Let it be this rockie hart of myne that may haue the happines to afford thee this last lodging or at least may I be lodged with thee be the rocke neuer so hard that I may truly be according to the Apostles expression consepultus cum Christo buried togeither with Christ neuer to ryse againe but with him in newnesse of life O that my hart as it sympathises too neerely with this Monument in hardnesse had also the rest of its qualities O that it were yet in its primitiue newnesse and puritie O that it had neuer bene prepossessed by any creature But alas alas it fares not so It hath bene too longe and too easely prostituted to the worlds allurements to the Diuells suggestions It hath bene but too too peruious to all approches and remayned onely a rocke to thy holy inspirations to thy heauenly instructions to any true sense of thy excessiue torments and sorrowes A PRAYER BVt ô my deare Lord thou vvho art a hammer brusing rockes bruse this hard hart of myne into true contrition and smite it vvith the rodd of thy Crosse that novv at least though too late alas it may pay dovvne deepest compassion and sorrovve vvith the most desolate Virgine mother flouds of repentant teares vvith those mournefull Maries and finally a most manly courage and resolution plentifull vvorkes of mercy and the pretious oyntements of frequent and feruent prayers vvith the good Ioseph and Nicodemus But ah my dearest Sauiour Christ my true rocke and strength these are indeede the resolutions of my hart but of a vveake and vvauering hart vvhich vvill effect nothing vvithout thy povverfull assistance grant it o Lord for thy pretious blouds sake and let the holes of thy sacred side c. lye alvvaies open to my ayde and
middest of dangers temptations and sufferances for it is Iesus crucified that we seeke Affection Ah my soule since the messengers of heauen haue assured vs that our Iesus is risen from his graue I will no longer lye buryed in earth but will rise and goe to that good father of ours Since our Lord and our life liues we will no longer languish and dye but I will seeke him whom my hart loues without feare we will passe the watch which the Iewish world the flesh and the Diuell may sett to keepe vs from our Iesus If happily where we seeke him we find him not wee wil neuer cease to seeke him till we finde him and hold him and locke him vp in our harts That we are to seeke him by S. M. Magdalens example II. POINT CONSIDER that though it be a most Christian practise with S. Marie Magdalen to follow Christ in his life not to forsake him at his death to reioyce with a great ioy in his Resurrection yet it is not enough wee must with her too vse diligence to find him out being risen In his life she is weeping at his feete At his death neerest to the Crosse and last at his graue but her vnwearied loue leaues not off there she rests not She 's vp againe varie earely in the morning whilst it is yet darke to seeke him at his Sepulcher it beeing her absolute resolution and practise continually to seeke till she finde him whom her soule loues Affection Let vs ô my soule put our selues wholy vpon the search of our deare Rabboni by the example of that blessed penitent at all tymes in euerie place let our thoughts as hers were be vpon him ouer night and earely in the morning resolutly and incessantly crying out thee it is I seeke thee I desire thee I hope for to thee my hart hath said I haue sought thy countenance ô Lord thy countenance will I seeke for euer for all that seeke thee as they ought finde thee and who finde thee finde life euerlasting THE V. MEDITATION How we ought to seeke Iesus by the same example THE I. POINT CONSIDER that it is not enough to seeke Iesus vnlesse we seeke him as we ought truth it selfe assuring that some seeke him and finde him not and dye in their sinne That is with diligence with care with cost with vndaunted courage with feruent loue as S. Marie Magdalen sought him Affection O my soule let this dreadfull Doome pronounced by a Iudge who cannot deceiue or be deceiued you shall seeke me and and dye in your sinne spurre on our drowsinesse to seeke Iesus as we ought with the blessed Magdalene that is with a timely diligence with the whole care of our hart as being the only necessarie thing neither weighing what it may cost vs nor fearing what may befalle vs while with feruent loue we looke for Iesus of Nazareth crucified II. POINT CONSIDER that though the Natiuitie of our Sauiour was a day of great Ioy to all the world because a Sauiour was borne to it and our young Emmanuel began to liue amongst vs yet was that Ioy mixt with teares and soone after with blood as being the life of a Godman borne to labour and sufferances And though the daye of the death of Christ was a subiect of greatest comfort to all Christians yet was it clowded with the teares and lamentations of a God dying But this glorious day where in he is resussitated or regenerated to a new life is a day of perfect Ioy without all mixture of sorrow a day of exultation and triumph when our dead Master is risen to a life of immortalitie and glorie Affection Reioyce reioyce my soule in this great priuiledged day of Iubilie with a full Ioy exempt from all mixture of sorrowe This is a day which our Lord peculiarly made representing in some measure the dayes of eternitie which know no night let vs exult and spring with Ioy in it Our young Emmanuel who whilome wept in cloutes is clad with glorie his lately torne shoulders are now armed with impassibilitie his bodie subiect to death indewed with immortalitie There are now no more bloodie sweates noe more whippes crownes of thorne nayles speares crosses to be feared Death hath now no more dominion ouer him Alleluya Alleluya Alleluya THE VI. MEDITATION We must ryse with Christ I. POINT CONSIDER that as we haue endeuored to dye with Christ in his Passion by compassion diligently to seeke him ioyfully to finde him and happily to ryse with him in newnesse of life so must we especially striue to make that new life become a perfect imitation of the life of Christ that that of the great Apostle may be verifyed in vs and by our actions appeare to the eyes of others to Gods glorie I liue I now not I but Iesus Christ liueth in me That is I am moued to what I doe by his grace according to his example and for his loue Affection For this my soule it is that we liue for this we beare the name of Christians that we might imitate what wee worshipp In vaine doe we celebrate the feasts of Christ if we striue not to imitate the life of Christ If we haue hitherto then expressed the image of our earthly father by adhearing to earth let vs now expresse our heauenly father by aspiring to heauen Le ts then shew his impassibilitie by our eauennesse as well in prosperitie as aduersitie his claritie by making the light of our good actions shine before men our agilitie by our prompt obedience and feruent charitie finally our subtilitie by peircing heauen with our harts by feruent prayer II. POINT CONSIDER what kind of life Christ ledd which brought him to this new life this impassible life this life of glorie And we shall finde it was in pouertie humilitie and abiection in his birth In labours in temptations watching fasting prayer from his youth At his death in extreamities contempts thornie crownes infamous Crosses withdrawings of all comforts absolute abandonements by heauen and earth Affection We all pretend my soule to be followers of Christ must we not then resolue to take the same waye he tooke wee ayme at noe lesse then to haue a part of his glorie and can we wisely hope to attayne to it by other meanes then those that wisedome made choice of in his owne person and left vs to imitate Can we iudge it reasonable or decent my soule that while the Master is in labours the seruant should liue at his ease the Master in pouertie and the seruant in plentie the Master in the middest of contumelies and the â—eruant in honours THE VII MEDITATION Of the blessed fruites of Chr. Resurrection That as well our dying as rysing with Christ are Gods giftes I. POINT CONSIDER that if we haue dyed with Christ by compassion sought him with diligence found him with ioy risen with him in newnesse of life and striuen to leade a life conformable in some smale measure to his they are
nothing els then so manie effects of his free grace without which we are not able of our selues to thinke one good thought nothing lesse then so many new obligations heaped vpon vs obligations I saye to imploy the rest of our tyme here belowe without intermission as the Angells their eternitie aboue in ioyfull Alleluya's that is peales of hartie Prayses and thankes-giuing for so great benefits Affection Say my soule with the great S. Augustine Let our Lord be alwayes magnifyed neuer my selfe in no place my selfe how euer I haue profitted to what degree of vertue soeuer I may haue attayned but our Lord alwayes Am I a sinner let him be magnified that I may be called to pennance Doe I confesse my sinnes let him be magnified that he may pardon me Doe I liue a good life let him be magnified that he may guide me Doe I perseuere to the end Let him be magnified that he may glorifie me Be he therefor alwayes magnified Let this alwayes be the iust mans profession and the profession of all those who seeke our Lord. Fruits of Christs Resurrection II. POINT CONSIDER how necessarie this Resurrection was to confirme our staggering faith to erect our daunted hope and to inflame our drooping charitie Wee did hope said the Disciples as who should saye but now we haue cause to doubt and so should we all haue said had not his resurrection bene rendred vndoubted For what did his poore natiuitie speake but a man borne in miserie And what did his death preach but a man dyeing in torment But his glorious Resurrection by sealing the truth of all the Prophecies wonderfully hightens our hopes and inflames vs with the loue of him who through loue of vs gaue waye to death from which he had strength enough in three dayes to raise himselfe Affection Well might our weake faith my soule haue staggered in seeing our God but a day olde in hearing him weepe like another childe in beholdinge him in pouertie and miserie Well might our faith haue been shaken when we sawe a God most ignominiously dye But now seeing him gloriously rise againe how can we doubt of all the rest Nay what may we not iustly hope for from so much goodnesse as would dye for vs and so much power as could rise againe And how is it possible that our harts should not burne with his loue who dyeing for ours makes good the faith of his Deitie by his so powerfull so manifest and glorious a Resurrection THE VIII MEDITATION Other fruites of our Sauiours Resurrection I. POINT CONSIDER as a second fruite of our Sauiours Resurrection a strong and constant hope of the Resurrection of our mortall bodie being first subdued by death Let the pagan Philosofers doubt and dispute as much as they will the resurrection of the dead is the vndoubted faith of the Christians after the resurrection of Christ and by vertue of the same For saith S. Leo If we beleeue in hart what we professe with our mouth in him we are crucified in him we are dead in him we are buried and in him we rise againe Affection Yes yes my soule the Resurrection of my Sauiour hath put this out of doubt Man is risen in him and therefore we shall also rise and we confidently professe with holy Iob that we know our Redeemer liueth and in the last day we shall rise out of the earth and we shall be compassed againe with our skinnes and in our flesh we shall see God whom we our selues shall see and our eyes shall behold and no other This hope is 〈◊〉 vp in our bosome II. POINT CONSIDER as the third fruite of this ioyfull and glorious day our Blessed Sauiours triumph and raigne ouer all the world happily beginning at Hierusalem and extending it selfe to the vttermost confines of the same thereby making his words I haue ouercome the world appeare in effect For if the world had malice enough to haue razed his name out of the hartes of men by his death vpon an infamous Crosse he contrarily had goodnes and power enough by the same death to imprint his memorie much deeper in their mindes to abolish Idolatrie the worshipp of false Gods and true Diuells and in their places to establish the worshippe of one true God ouer all the face of the earth all which at this day with much ioy to true Christian hartes we see effected Affection Reioyce my soule to see that Gods goodnes hath turned the malice of men to the aduantage of his owne glorie and their Saluation What excesse of ioy ought it not afforde to a true Christian hart to see the faith of a God-man infamously dyeing vpon a Crosse willingly imbraced all the world ouer To see that Crosse erected in triumph in euerie place To see regall and imperiall Crownes fall at the feete of it To see Idolles fall and Diuells flye at the verie signe of it Finally to see Iesus of Nazareth crucified acknowledged imbraced magnified adored in euerie corner of the earth THE IX MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER how our blessed Sauiour appeares a true louer of man not only in his life and at his death but euen after his Resurrection also And still becomes all to all that he might gaine all In the garden he appeares a Gardener to S. Marie To the Disciples fishing at sea as a passinger desiring fish To the two Disciples walking to Emmaus as a Pilgrime who accompaigned them to witt whether we seeke him with Magdalen or we follow our ordinarie imployments according to our state and calling with the Apostles or wee walke betwixt feares and hopes with the two Disciples Iesus sorsakes vs not for Iesus also himselfe approching went with them saith S. Luke Affection Ah my deare Lord to what excesse doth not thy loue goe into what posture doth it not put it selfe to gaine mans loue For him he dyes for him he riseth from death he walkes with him he talkes with him he eates with him he suffers his perfidious hand to sound his deare wounds Ah my euer dearest Rabboni how iustly may we saie with one of thy great Saintes Thou bestowest great blessings vpon vs euen caressest vs least we might waxe wearied in the waye Thou correctest whippest and smitest vs least we might wander out of the waye whether therefore thou dost caresse vs least we might faint in the waye or thou dost chastice vs least we might stray from the waye thou deare Lord art alwayes our Refuge II. POINT CONSIDER with whom it is that Iesus doth willingly walke in the waye of this our pilgrimage with whom he doth comfortably discourse and you shall finde by the example of the two Disciples goeing to Emmaus that it is with such as seriously conferre together or meditate vpon those deare passages of the life and death of our sweete Sauiour According to that of the Psalmist in my Meditation the fire begins to burne vp Affection Let vs. then my soule euer hence-forth make it our
this B. Sacrament was to testifie the greatnes of his loue to his faithfull according to that of S. Iohn Iesus knowing that his houre approched that he was to departe out of this world to his heauenly father wheras he loued his who were in the world he loued them to the end Wherby as in his incarnation he vnited our flesh to his diuinitie by an hypostaticall vnion so doth he in the Euchariste vnite the same to the said diuinitie Sacramentally and doth as it were incorporate it and render it diuine Affection O my euer dearest Rabboni what a huge fire of loue thon laiest to my hart Ah my poore soule must we not needes acknowledge that a deadly colde hath benummed thee if the blood of a God dyeing cannot recouer heate and life into thee He loued thee in the beginning he loued thee before the beginning he loued thee first he loued thee most he loued thee to the end yea after the end sith he applies the blood he powred out for thee daily to thy hart And to what end all this powerfull pressing but to gaine thy hart to loue THE XIII MEDITATION Tbe third Cause That he might remayne with vs. I. POINT CONSIDER that the third cause of the institution of the Blessed Sacrament was that so he might leaue himselfe to vs and be alwayes present with vs that we might familiarly conuerse and coferr with him consult him in all our doubts haue recourse to him in all our difficulties pressures temptations and tribulations making good in effect that of the Prouerbs My delights are to be with the sons of men S. Fran. It is a great miserie and a lamentable infirmitie that hauing him so present we yet should care for any other thing in the world Affection O God thou art truly our gracious Emmanuel our nobiscum Deus our God with vs. No other nations haue their Gods so neere as our God is neere to vs. Thou art alwayes with vs deare Lord and thou hast the words of eternall life to whom then shall we goe for Counsell for comfort for assistance in all our difficulties but to thee alone who hast giuen vs such assurances of thy singular loue and shewen in effect that thou wilt not leaue vs Orphants but wilt gather vs together as the henn gathers her chickens vnder her wings Remayne with vs then deare Lord and we will stay with thee nor will we euer depart or remoue our selues from 〈…〉 at blessed protection of thyne The fourth Cause c. Toleaue vs a representation of his Passion II. POINT CONSIDER that a fourth cause of the inst of the B. Sacram. was that by his last will he might leauevs an Idea formeor representation of his life and Passion which might continually refresh in euery one of vs the memorie of our Redemption purchaced at so deare a price as his owne pretious blood For while we looke vpon the species of the bread alone the dead body of our sweete Sauiour is represented vnto our mynds and by the species of the wine alone we are put in mynd of the effusion of his pretious blood whence S Paule as often as you eate this bread and drinke this cupp you shall announce or declare the death of our Lord till he come Affection O my soule le ts neuer forgett at how deare a price we were bought and thervpon glorifie and beare God about in thy breast This that appeares to thee vnder the species of bread alone is left to represent vnto thee and putt thee in mynd of the deade body of thy deare Master And this which thou seest vnder the species of the wine alone to renew to thee the effusion of his pretious bloud And both togeither crye loude to our hartes as frō his sacred mouth Christians friends at least you my spouses Remember my bloudie sweate Remember the scornes and contumelies I suffered Remember my patience and humilitie in the midst of them Remember my vineger and gale my huge torments my vtter abandonmentes and for loue of you As often as you doe this doe it in memorie of me THE XIV MEDITATION The fift Cause The exercise of all vertues I. POINT CONSIDER that a fift cause of the Inst of the B. Sacrament was to leaue a continuall occasion of the exercise of all vertues Our Faith is exercised while we beleeue that a whole God and man lyes hidd and is contayned really and truly though inuisiby vnder a smale hoste Our Hope while seeing him dayly and hourely bestowe himselfe we cannot despaire of obtayning any thing lesse then himselfe Our Charitie while we looke into his open side which is a fornace of inflamed loue Religion adoreing him with soueraigne worshipe or Latria Our obedience and humilitie while captiuating our vnder standing in obedience to faith we constantly beleeue maugre the suggestion of our senses and our naturall reason that God lyes truly hidd vnder these slender and meane accidens of bread and wine Affection Yes my soule here we may euery day comfortably and meritoriously exercise our faith where sight taste touche fayle Faith with eagles eyes lookes home and assures it is our hiddem Lord that is eleuated before vs. It is my Lord the verie Lord that made me and dyed for me Yes he himselfe tels it me saying This is my body And I imbrace his word adorc him And whom I adore present by a goodnesse which hath nothing like to it how should I not wholy conside How should I but hope in him whome I haue for a pledge in hand that he will himselfe be my reward for euer And how should I not loue him who so graciously stayes with me here below reserues himselfe for me aboue I doe ther-for confesse thee present confide in thee loue worshippe thee ô Lord and stoope downe to this admirable mysterie of Loue with all the humilitie and obedience my hart is able to conceiue The sixt Cause c. A memoriall to preuent obliuion II. POINT CONSIDER that the sixt cause of this Sacred Institution was to leaue a meanes to remoue the greatest mischeife that can befall a poore creature which is the obliuion of his Creatour They forgot God who saued them saith the Psalmist their harts departed from him who made them And what became of it but coruption and abomination corrupti sunt abominabiles facti sunt For by obliuion of God we loose diuine grace waxe vgly and deformed by the infection of sinne and become slaues to the Diuell Affection Ah my soule how should we euer be sovnhappie as to forgett him in whom we liue moue and haue beeing who while we yet were not raysed vs to what we are Who while we abused that beeing and strayed from him had for vs thoughtes of peace and not of affliction thoughtes of reconcilement and saluation Can a Mother saith that Louer of Men forgett the child of her body and though she should yet would I neuer forgett you Ah how should
it and tyde it out 20. Nay my deare crucified Loue thou art indeede smitten by him for the sinnes of his people but thou art not forsaken we haue thyne owne word for it He that sent me is vvith me and hath not forsaken me He will within a short space deliuer thee and glorifie thee Wert thou forsaken by him thou wert forsaken by thy selfe too since thou art one and the same God with him and all your outward actions are common Thou hast povver to lay dovvne thy life and to resume it at thy pleasure Thou art thus treated and sacryficed because thou thy selfe wouldst Ah saith that louing seruant of thyne S. Augustine who is he who so easily sleepes when he would as Iesus dyed when he would who is he that with so much facilitie putts off his garment when he would as thou puttest off thy garment of flesh when thou wouldst 21. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me was noe complainte then but a voyce of the humanitie which yet was neuer separated from the Diuinitie which broke out from the excesse of his anguish Noe repining against his heauenly father but a lesson and reproche to vs my soule who see and heare these abismall excesses with drye eyes as not concerned wheras indeede the whole concernement is ours who had bene abandonned for euer had not our deare Lord for our loue for the loue of lost man dayned to be thus abandonned 22. A strange lesson making an absolute demonstration of the haynousnesse of sinne which can neuer be better knowne then by the inestimable greatnesse of the price and the ineffable strangenes of this abandonnement But a shamefull reproche if after the due consideration of this we liue in league with sinne and therby crucifie againe our crucified Loue. 23. A lesson pronunced with a loude voyce to strike through man's huge deafenesse to rouse vp his ingratitude and insensibilitie But a reproche if he remayne still deafe to so diuine instructions vngratefull for such heauenly benefits senselesse of such prodigious torments of a God 24. A lesson speaking a greater measure of sufferance and consequently a greater excesse of loue then euer the thoughts of men or Angells were able to reach too so that if the rest of his benefits of his Natiuitie c. putt a great waight vpon Christian harts and presse them to loue this seemes not so much a great waight as euen an intolerable and insupportable burden and doth not so much presse vs to loue as euen oppresse and beare vs to it by a dearely sweet force For here indeede God the Father putts the greatest commendation vpon his charitie that euen omnipotencie it selfe was able to putt While that Sainte of Saintes to whom Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus is sung in his Kingdome is abandoned in this direfull soyle to the excesse of torments and left dying for a sinner While he spares not his owne onely sonne but deliuers him vp for an vngratefull vngracious sinfull seruant while finally God is exposed and left to be murdered by and for miserable man But a most confounding reproche if at this moment we make not strong resolutions to deteste and forsake for euer that tyrannicall Monster sinne which putt our Lord and Master our best Benefactour our dearest spouse to such excesse of torments that they forced from him My God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me 25. In so much that he the fountaine of liueing water is exhaust and waxen drie and he cryes out sitio thinke in this you heare him say t was I that created the sea fountaines all other moistures 't is I that rule the clowdes and powre downe rayne in due seaon T is I that offered the Nectarian cupps of eternall beatitude to Angells and Saintes and yet beholde for your sake haue I not a droppe of colde water to coole my exceeding heate But aske him and peraduenture he 'le tell you that his thirst is after another thing to witt Mans redemption for his meate and drinke was to haue his fathers will performed which was Mans Saluation Or els he thirsts after more sufferāce sitio that is notwithstanding these horrible paines and desolations which you haue seene me endure notwithstanding that the blood of my bodie is quite exhaust yet remaines the desire I haue to suffer for Man insatiate and readie to embrace a thousand deathes 26. O loue which alwaies burnest and art neuer extinguished burne my hart burne it wholie that it may liue only for thee and loue only thee and for thee And we my poore soule haue we nothing to offer to our loue our spouse in this his extreamitie haue wee nothing that may helpe to quench his thirst ô yes his drinke is his heauenly fathers will and his fathers will is whatsoeuer good we doe or suffer whether it be a deuout thought a sigh a teare spent in the consideration of this B. Passion or it is a taunt a scorne an infirmitie a temptation a reprehension an affliction corporall or spirituall tolerated for his loue or it is a fast a prayer a vigill a mortification an act of obedience a worke of Charitie or the like offered vp in his honour all this is an agreeable cuppe vnto him all this doth quench his thirst and can we be so mercilesse and vnkind as to offer none of these or shall we peraduenture be so inhumane and cruell as to present him with the contrarie as the barbarous Iewes doe with vineger and gaule for alas this was all the consolatiō offered him in his exceeding anguish 27. O vos omnes qui transitis viam dicite si est dolor sicut dolor meus ô all you that passe by say whether there be any greife like my greife Dolor from all sortes of men Iewes and Gentiles friends and foes by my Apostles absence and my Mothers presence Dolor in my fame honour and glorie Dolor in Bodie and Soule in euerie part in euerie sense à planta pedis vsque ad verticem capitis non est sanitas in me And yet after all this being thristie gaule and vineger are administred Popule stulte insipiens haeccine reddis Domino Deo tuo ô foolish and brainsicke people is this the returne which thou makest to the Lord thy God What haue I done to thee or what fault haue I committed that thou art so cruell towards me tell me is this a fitt exchange for all the benefitts I haue done thee I deliuered thee safely out of Aegypt I caused the sea make waie to thy drye passage I prostrated thine Enemies I fedd thee in the Desert with that heauenly food Manna I haue taken thy nature vpon me and haue peaceably cōuersed amongst you 33. yeares haueing left as it were for your loue my heauenly Raigne and is a cuppe of vineger and gaule the best present you can find in your harts to bestowe vpon me at my departure Popule stulte insipiens haeccine reddis Domino Deo tuo 28. Ah!