better life the life of grace the life of glorie Alleluia Alleluya Alleluia II. POINT CONSIDERATION He is rysen he is not here Noe for Magdalene and the rest of the good women who had carefully obserued where he was layd and who as earely as carefully sought to find him where they had seene him layd find indeede the monument open but misse of their Masters body nor know they where they are to find it Marie spies two Angells but misses of the Lord of Angells till she heares Marie pronounced and so see 's and knowes her deare Rabboni who sent her backe while she sought his dead body among the deade to be the first preacher to his brethren of the glorie of his liuing body among the liuing Affect See my soule what ioyes sorowes bring forth see how the returne of our deare Lord wipes away the teares from our eyes See how true it is that he foretold vs. I goe from you but to returne to you I will not leaue you orphants See the fruites of a carefull attendance and due perseuerance which meetes with more then it lookes for and finds all euen amidst doubts distrusts and seeming despaire where it feared to haue lost all It finds not Angels onely but the verie God of Angells truly pious truly good the God of all consolation who makes the weake ones of the world to confound the strong a poore desolate Marie to be first Apostle of the most important point of the faith of Christ Alleluya Alleluya Alleluya THE SECOND MEDITATION The 3. Christian ioy THE I. POINT CONSIDER that our best friend our pious Lord the dearest husband of ourhartes who out of a goodnes beyond all comparison died ignominiously these dayes past for our loue is this daye gloriously risen The newes is certaine The best beloued mother the mournefull maides the fearefull Apostles haue all seene him â—e is risen he is truly risen Alleluya O what ioy what ioy the poore innocent lambe that we saw barbarously treated and butchered and slaine to take awaye the sinnes of the world with laying downe his life is risen with peace and reconcilement to the world Alleluya Alleluya Alleluya Affection Ah my soule the spouse of thy hart who spent his harts blood for thy saluation is risen againe and appeares to manie for thy consolation which though thou seest not as they the Apostles c. did with thy bodily eyes yet faith makes thee as sure of it as they were that thy best friend thy most pious Master thy dearest spouse is risen liues and raignes If then thou hast indeed the hart of a friend the dutie and tendernesse of a child the ardent loue of a spouse reioyce my soule reioyce and with exultation pay benediction and honour and glorie and power to the tender lambe who was slaine for thy loue for euer and euer Amen The 4. Ioy. II. POINT CONSIDERATION Yes my soule the newes is most certaine He 's returned back with the woundes he receiued he carries the markes about with him certaine witnesses as well of his painefull death as his excessiue loue his glorious resurrection The incredulous Thomas hath seene him had his fingers in holes of his hands his in the hole of his side through his wounds he hath felt his bowells Affection O singularly good newes my soule ô admirable graciousnesse ô what ioy what ioy It was not iudged enough to that maker and louer and Sauiour of mankind to haue spent 33. yeares in a familiar and common manner amongst men nay to haue spent the laste droppe of his most pretious blood in the view of all the world vnlesse he returned to them againe in his glorified bodie to make good in effect that he left them not orphants but made the wounds which he had suffered for them the louing and palpable arguments of his Resurrection and presence THE THIRD MEDITATION The 5. Ioy. I. POINT CONSIDERATION Yes my soule Our harmelesse brother Ioseph liues and raignes not ouer Egipt only but euen ouer all the world Gods sweete prouidence and milde mercie hath made vse of his bretherens malice to magnifie his owne power and singular goodnes and euen to relieue their and all our miseries and wants Our innocent Isaac liues Our Ionas is come safe to the shore Our sauing Noe hath passed the floud and is secure vpon the toppe of the Mountaine Affection See my soule how graciously he hath consummated all that was foretold of him Obserue how all the tipes of the olde lawe are accomplished in him Our deare Ioseph liues and raignes and hath turned the worst of mans malice to mans aduantage Our Isaac dies not but is reserued to afford the world a frutefull progenie of the faithfull Our Ionas seemed only to be deuowred but is indeed kept safe from shipwrack to preach gods power where mans wisdome gaue all for lost Our Noe is secured from the Deluge not so much to people the world with sinners as Heauen with Saintes Liue then and raigne for euer my sweete Sauiour ouer my soule and turne all seeming disasters to the aduantage of thy glorie The 6. Ioy. II. POINT CONSIDERATION Yes my soule the tender child which was borne in Bethlehem that true Nazarite that innocent milde young-man of Galilee is become now a Lion of the Tribe of Iuda hath made a swift course and returned with victorie Vicit Leo de Tribu Iudae Yes he hath wrought wonders he hath killed death ransaked Hell subdued the world and sayes to our hartes Be confident children by sufferance I haue ouercome the world and so too you may and ought to ouercome it Affection Ah my soule if that tender heauenly babe who was no lesse then the wisedome of heauen marked thee out the waye to it by Crosses contumelies and contempts let not the wisedome of the world which is true follie point thee out an other and deceiue thee If that lambe of God by suffering death it selfe be returned a victorious Lion neuer hope for victorie ouer the world the flesh and sinne but by patient sufferance of whateuer Gods prouidence shall permitt to fall vpon thee and by dyeing to the world and all its vanities Suffer then or dye my soule that with Iesus thou maist victoriously rise to a glorious life THE FOVRTH MEDITATION That Christ being risen is to be sought I. POINT CONSIDER that our lately dead Lord is risen indeede an Angell assures vs so Surrexit he is risen nor is there anie more doubt to be made of it yet haue we assurance too by the same mouth that he his not here nor indeed can Magdalens care learne where they haue put him If we loue him then we must looke him and looke him faithfully not with despayring feare but with confidence to find him in his good tyme for we are willed not to feare nolite timere Not among the dead for we are told be is risen and dyes no more Not finally in wordly delights ease and securitie but in the
who could profit thee nothing could bring nothing tothyne immensitie since indeede thou art thence conuinced to be our God because thou standest in neede of nothinge that is ours Howbeit if in lieu of gratitude we render nothing but ingratitude coldnesse and neglect we may iustly feare my soule that he will turne his loue into wroth and destroye vs disloyall wretches THE SECONDE POINTE. Many be called but few elect CONSIDER that this short sentence from the mouth of Truth it selfe ought most iustly to sticke to the verie rootes of our harte and continually to mynde vs that we are to worke our saluation with feare and trembling since God workes in vs both the velle and perficere the will and performance according to his good pleasure Many are called for the sound of the Apostles went out into all the earth and yet it is sayd who beleeueth our hearinge Many are called and giue credit to their calling too yet complie so ill with their vocation that Gods name is blasphemed in them Many againe are called and begin to run yet they perseuere not to be end they comprehend not Affection When I duely reflect dreade Lord vpon this doubtfull doome which issued from thy sacred mouth whence neuer any thinge issues but infallible truth in what a doubtfull perplexitie ought I not to stand Many are called and of those I haue had the happinesse to be one But few elected and who is wise enough to know that he is of that number What are we then to doe my soule but to be carefull to giue eare to the diuine call to lay faste hold vpon discipline least we might perish in a iust way to make sure our vocation by good workes and incessantly to pray for perseuerance to the end that we may so run as to comprehend THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XX. SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY There was a certaine Lord or Prince whose sonne was sicke in Capharnaum Iohn 4. CONSIDER that as noe greenesse of yeares in our infancie nor vigour in youth nor strength in our more riper age can exempt vs from the assaults of infirmities sicknesse and death so can noe dignitie highth of power or principalitie free vs from the same Well may Potentates Lord it ouer townes and nations but against the deseases which growe upon them and the approches of death the most powerfull haue noe warrantie but all conditions of men are equally lyable to sicknesse and death the iuste punishments of sinne Affection My soule howeuer the greate power we may seeme to haue and the highth of dignitie wherin we are placed makes vs oft forgett that we are the banished sonns of Eue condemned to dye before we attayne to the vse of the light yet wholsome sicknesse makes vs all equally know that man be he neuer so powerfull is but man that is a poore creature borne of a woman liuing a short tyme replenished with many miseries The sicknesses the death the forgotten dust of all your Alexanders and Caesars crye out this truth that all men without exception are doomed to dye Make a vertue of necessitie my soule by willingly accepting Gods iust iudgementes herein which none euer yet or to the end of the world euer shall be able to auoyde THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that it oft happens with vs as it did with this afflicted … ce that that which we apprehend to be most disaduantagious and disasterous to vs proues the verie meanes which Gods sweete prouidence makes vse of to worke both our temporall and eternall felicitie For who I pray amongst vs doth looke vpon sicknesse with a good eye And yet had not this younge Princes sicknesse made his life be despaired of by his father he had happlie neuer thought of Christ neuer approched to him neuer sued for his sonns cure and so as well the father as the sonne had bene left to perish in their infidelitie Affection O happie affliction my soule which giues vs vnderstanding to knowe our selues O happie corporall infirmitie which brings forth the life of the soule Were we not some tymes thus lost to our owne apprehension we should forgett our selues and be lost for euer The deuoute Psalmist experienced this truth when he said it is good for me that thou didst humble me because before I was humbled I offended But being once humbled by aduersities I learnt thy iustifications I learnt that euery punishment was the punishment of sinne So that sinne brought out paine paine moued the harte to pennance and pennance couered the multitudes of sinne And thence bonum est mihi quia humiliasti me THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY The Prince saide come downe with me before my sonne dye THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that this good Prince in being refused what in formall tearmes he demanded obteyned more then he either as yet wished for or euen thought of He stoode absolutly perswaded that vnlesse our Sauiour descended and went with him to his sicke sonne the cure could not be wrought His demande therfore was that Christ would come downe with him But our Sauiour though he went not wrought the cure notwithstanding at the same tyme and at that distance and thence powerfully perswaded him that he was God indeede who could doe equally all that he would as well in absence as presence Affection Learne hence my soule neuer to prescribe to God either the tyme the place or meanes how he is to performe what we demande of his mercy Leaue that vast power to worke as it pleases with out limiting the same to our narrow conceipts It reacheth from the one pole to the other and sweetly disposeth all thinges bene omnia fecit Haue patience my soule whether in his wisdome our great God refuse vs either absolutly what we desire or at least in the way we desire it and we shall find in the close that he did all graciously and to the best aduantage of the faithfull soule Ah should he grant vs all our owne desires we were lost for euer THE SECONDE POINTE. Goe saith our Sauiour thy sonne liueth The man beleeued the word which was said to him and went home CONSIDER the great fruites and comforts which accrued to this good Prince and all his by his simple faith obedience and good example He beleeued our Sauiours words and presently departed And loe he had not yet recouered his owne house but his seruantes came out to meete him and ioyfully assured him of his sonns perfect health He examined the tyme of his recouerie and found it to be the verie houre in which our Sauiour said goe thy sonne liueth whence he and his whole familie beleeued Affection Let vs humbly my soule giue credit to euery word of God whether it be written or spoken to our hartes by his frequent inspirations without disputing how it should come to passe or by what meanes it should be accomplished hope in his fidelitie and goodnesse leauing the rest to his sweete prouidence In his good tyme and euen
Behold the man a man of dolours a man humbled if euer man were humbled Behold the man nor is he a brute beast but a man and as such might deserue to be looked vpon with an eye of pittie But noe pittie was found for poore Iesus for the High Priest and people hauing seene him cryed out Crucifie him Crucifie him Affect In vaine Pilate in vaine dost thou striue to appease madd men in vaine is reason imployed whete furie raignes in vaine is innocencie pleaded where malice hath resolued the sentence before hand These reproches this pubblike derision these scornefull garments and scepters this crowne of thornes this gorie bloud alreadie powered out will not doe it noe lesse then his sacred harts bloud will be able to glutt their bloudsucking humour Behold thou then the man my soule behold the man who for thy sake is readie to powre euen that out to the last droppe Behold the man I say but behold him in a quite other manner with a hart full of veneration gratitude and compassion resoluing firmely for his loue to be willing to be exposed to what euer scorne disgrace contempt c. THE XV. MEDITATION Vpon the same subiect Cons 1. COnsider Christian yet further and behold this man againe and againe the deeper to imprint this lamentable spectacle in the very bottome of thy hart Pilateinuites thee to behold him a man and in that he tells thee noe newes for thyne eyes reade that in his bloud the most pittifull plight in which thou discouerest him speakes him a frayle poore miserable man to thy hart were it euen of flinte But behold him with the eyes of faith and thou shalt at the same tyme see him a God too And howeuer he appeares at present a worme and not a man by this abismall abiection of his yet is he no other then thy verie God who created thee and is now with all made an obiect of contempt to redeeme thee Affect Deare Lord I behold thee and most willingly acknowledge thee a man yea I cordially venerate imbrace and loue thee as the dearest mildest and best of men euen amidst this thicke cloude of reproches which inuolue thee Yet forgett I not nor blush nor feare to publish the King of glorie vnder thy crowne of thornes the Lord of Maiestie though couered with a mantle of scorne The Authour of order comelynesse and beautie in the midst of thy deformitie and confusion And while I see and touch thy wounds as it were I confidently with S. Thomas professe thee my Lord and my God and with my whole hart fall downe and adore rhee Beseeching thee euen for the same charitie and mercy to engraue the sadd idea I now make of thee so deeply in my hart that conceiuing a sound sense of sorrow and compunction I may neuer more affect to behold any vaine and curious thinges nor eye any lustfull or carnall obiect for euer Cons 2. Consider how painefull reprochfull and ignominious a procession our Sauiour Iesus Christ had of it Hee s taken and ledd like a theefe or malefactour to Annas and there receaues a boxe of the eare Hee s thence haled to Cayphas and there is receaued with reproches spitts blowes and scorne Thence to the Councell where he meetes with iterated iniuries and fowle blasphemies Thence to Pilate where he is loaden with false accusations Thence to Herode where he is treated like a foole in a white garment From thence he is hurried backe againe to Pilate and there a seditious rogue is preferred before him Thence he is trayled into Pilats yeard and whipped Thence by Pilate he is exposed to the peoples scorne in a purple robe and a crowne of thornes wherby not preuayling to appease the iewish rage he causeth him to be ledd into Lichostratus and pronounces sentence of death against Iesus and his owne conscience Affect O deare Iesus what strange indignities are these which thou daignest to suffer for me thy poore and miserable seruant thy rebellious subiect thy prodigall sonne Ah how powerfully doe these things preach to a hart that hath anie sense of Christianitie left in it what is it that man should finde strange to suffer after these prodigious sufferances of his God who made and created him Thou art happly true and honnest neither dost wrong thy neighbour in thoughts wordes nor worke yet thou art reputed a theefe a malefactour c. So was thy God Thy best actions are misconstrued and paid with reproches blowes and iniuries so were thy Gods Thou art made a scorne to others they make thee passe for a foole thou art openly derided calumniated falsely accused vniustly condemned whilst thou art indeede innocent and acknowledged to be such euen by those that condemne thee and is not here thy Christ thy God innocencie it selfe so dealt withall too for thy loue for thy example Endeuour to print this deepely in thy hart to haue it readie vpon accasions making a firme resolution patiently to endure such and such things as are wont to trouble thee for Christ his loue that by imitation thou maist become like to thy Master THE XVI MEDITATION Hovv Iesus carried his heauie Crosse tovvards Caluarie Cons 1. COnsider that the sentence is pronounced not because iustice would haue it so but the people for Pilate finds him who is iudged a iust man Iesus is deliuered ouer to their wills and dye he must And that of a death both for the kind and manner of it most ignominious that it might so be sutable to the rest of their violences Iewrie knowes noe death more disgracefull then that of the Crosse Vpon the Crosse then Iesus must dye Nature knowes nothing more barbarous then to compell a sentenced person to beare the instruments of his owne punishment to the place of execution vpon his owne shoulders and yet a heauie loade of a Crosse about 15. or sixteene foote longe is placed vpon the poore Isaacs backe Ah my soule what a sadd sentence is this Thy innocent Iesus thy spouse of bloud thy God must dye Crucifie him Crucifie him is the generall voyce of Hierusalem and dye he must It is not onely Pilates iniustice will haue it so but his heauenly Fathers mercy hath resolued it so in the Court of Heauen and his obedient sonne in earth hath charitie abundantly enough to performe it O what a strange conspiracie is here for the same thing to witt the death of Iesus but by how diuers ends and meanes and motiues Pilate is lead by iniustice least he might appeare an enemy to Cesar The people by rage to raze his memorie out of the earth But God the Father by mercy to saue the world and to glorifie his innocent sonne The sonne by louing obedience to magnifie his Fathers mercy in redeeming man that man might for euer singe Gods Mercyes Cons Consider how the meeke Lambe who came to take away the sinnes of the world is ledd out as a sheepe to slaughter He mutters not he murmurs
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
Iustice exacted satisfaction and his mercie found the meanes which to effect he spared not his owne onely sonne but deliuered him vp to death for vs all Nay but euen Christ himselfe too both accepted the hard commission and complyed with the painfull dutie and willingly offered himselfe vp If then sinne gaue the cause if mercy found out the meanes if transcendant chartiie executed the office by the death of a God deteste sinne my soule extolle that so admirable mercy and magnifie that boundlesse charitie for euer And least we who are most concerned may seeme least sensible let vs take a deepe share with all the creatures in this dolefull mourning If there be any sense of mans miserie left in vs if any gratitude for greatest mercy if any loue for most admirable charitie weepe my soule weepe If thou art a sunne for light brighnesse and beautie farre beyond all the other creatures eclipse thy glorie for a while in lamentations If a Temple of God burst in peeces If earth and ashes putt thy mouth into thy dust weepe in thy ashes and let thy earth quake to see thy God dye If thy hart be euen a rocke let it rend in peeces at least with the rockes laying a close seige to it make the Crosse the hammer and the nayles the wedges to riue it à sunder If it be yet harder then the rockes and be growen to the hardnesse of a diamāt which nothing but bloud can mollifie oh take the streames of the innocent bloud of the Lambe and applie it continually till it relent and bring out a shewre of teares at the king of heauens funeralls who dyed for our loue 2. Point Consideration O all yee that passe by the way attend and see whether there be any sorow like my sorowe cryes out our Sauiour by the mouth of mournefull Ieremie O all you spouses of Christ then ô all you Christian hartes doe not slightly passe by or passe ouer this saddest sight but make a stoppe ponder deeply feelingly obserue whether there was euer sorrowe comparable to the sorrow of your deare Lord and spouse who lyes deade for your loue deuoyde of all beautie and comelinesse For we haue seene him all disuigoured and deformed contemptible miserable and the last of men a worme and not a man a man of dolours and ouerloaden with all the extremitie of miseries We haue seene him like a leprous person to the eyes of all men strucken by God and made abiect Affect And yet my soule this last and most dolourous of men was in the Begining without Begining before the Angells yet were his owne souueraigne ioy and Beatitude O what a huge distance there is betwixt that Begining and this ignominious dolourous and dismale end He was there selfe-happie or happinesse is selfe here miserable and ablect There framinge all thinges all the vaste varietie of creatures of nothing here forsaken by all his creatures and reduced to nothing there before the day starre inhabiting an inaccessible light here dyinge and deade in darknesse O prodigious change of the Highest by the hand of the Highest O daunting disproportion betweene such a Begining and such an End O then at least le ts attend and see vvhether there be any sorovve like his sorrovve Resolution My beloued spouse shall be to me a posie of mirre and shall for euer dwell betwixt my breastes THE XXXII MEDITATION Our Sauiours side is opened by the Lance. 1. Point COnsider that as Christs loue and the iewes malice goe on and increase euen till death so rest they not there but euen out-liue death it selfe He is now subiect to noe more paines his soule being departed yet he is subiect to more iniuries his dead body is capable of more wounds markes of more malice in them and more dearenesse in him to whom nothing happened by accident Yet thy malice profits thee not ô cruell Iewe. since thou hurtest not him and thou profitest me All thinges concurre to the aduantage of those that loue him whom you hate Affect Ah deare Lord thy charitie is boundlesse It leades thee with ioy to death for ioy being proposed vnto him he sustayned the Crosse saith S. Paule It victoriously raignes in death and ouer death It out-liues death Ah was it not enough to haue payd the first droppe of thy pretious bloud which was more then sufficient to haue redeemed a thousand worlds vnlesse thou payedst the laste droppe too O too too plentifull a price O too too diuinely deare and prodigall a loue which payes an infinitie of millions more then is due prouing Christs loue to be incomparably greater then the Iewes malice and his mercy infinitly out-speaking mans miserie 2. Point Consideration We wanted not indeede streames of innocent bloud wherin to washe our leprosie and to cure the deepest wounds of our soule We wanted not deare argumentes and euen open conuictions of infinite loue since we saw our selues written as it were in his bored hands But we wanted as yet the best treasure which was left for Longinus his launce to open We wanted an open side for our languishing faith to enter into with incredulous Thomas his hand and grope out a God We wanted yet a passage to his hart wheras nothing can euer speake so much dearenesse or so absolutly subdue a hart as a kind hart lying open to it Affect Let vs then my soule yeald our selues vp to this last batterie which comes indeede the conquering way Let vs not fayle by this blessed breatch to find out our God and to adore him Dominum nostrum Deum nostrum our Lord and our God For by this blessed wound we gett free accesse to his fatherly tender bowells and learne the secreetes of his diuine hart Dominus meus Deus meus Here is my Lord here is my God indeede Here will I enter here will I adore him here will I loue him here will I rest here will I taste how sweete my God is Here finally will I safely singe his mercyes for euer Resolution As this open hart speakes powerfully to me my beloued is myne so shall my hart replye to him And I am intirely thyne for euer THE XXXIII MEDITATION 1. Point COnsider Iosephe of Arimathias great religion and courrage who went boldly to Pilate and demanded the body of Iesus He might iustly haue feared to haue mett with resistance from the Synagogue wroth and reuenge from the high Preists and a shamefull repulse at Pilates handes The cold prudence of the world would easily haue suggested that the best way was to lett their furie passe ouer least losse or ruine might haue followed Yet Gods prouidence for whose loue he vndertooke the worke so prouided that neither Synagogue preist nor Pilate either opposed refused or did any thing els to Iosephes preiudice Affect Learne my soule by Iosephs pious courage seconded with wished successe not to let thyne be shaken by imaginarie feares so thou be truly called vpon by the interests of Christs necessarie
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
harte by the hole of his side and confirmes vs in faith by the familiaritie of his presence and makes vs absolutly conclude with the same S. Thomas Dominus meus Deus meus Affection Obserue my soule what aduantages accrue to vs by this vigilant care of shutting the doores and liuing retiredly at home to our selues Iesus doth againe and againe visite vs. He answers our secrete desires We touch him we talke with him we behold him by faith and by that secreete and sweete communication he affords so much delight to our mynds that our weake faith is more and more confirmed so that we cannot doubt but that it is indeede our Lord Iesus God and man who is present with vs and makes our hartes burne AN ENTERTAYNEMENT FOR THE ASCENSION OF OVR B. SAVIOVR THE FIRST MEDITATION That it is the Feast of most absolute ioy I. POINT CONSIDER that of all the feastes of Christ this bringes the most absolute and accomplish't ioy to all Christians which truly loue Christ The Natiuitie gaue him to teares labours pouertie and miserie The Circumcision to bloudsheding The Epiphanie how euer he was adored by a few to the malice of many but this wipes away all teares and bloud and makes him to be adored by men and Angells And albeit his glorious Resurrection shewed him Conquerour ouer the world death sinne and the Diuell yet did it restore him to the world againe but this restores him to heauen to the Angells to his heauenly Father Affection Let heauen and earth then and all those that haue bene so happie as to was he their stoles in the bloud of the Lambe conspire togeither with great ioy and iubilie to sing tbe Canticle of the Lambe saying with a loud voyce The Lambe that was slayne is worthy to receiue power and diuinitie and wisdome and strength and honour and glorie and benediction on this most triumphant day and for euer and euer Amen That it is a confirmation of our faith leauing noe doubt behind it In their sight he was cleuated c. II. POINT CONSIDER that the rest of the feastes of Christ left still some doubts in the heauie hartes of men who are slow in beleeuing The Angells gloria at the Natiuitie was comfortable but the childs teares then and bloud in his Circumcision litle perswayded the Presence of a God To dye for sinners was an argument of greatest loue yet it was deemed a follie by many His Resurrection though glorious and apt to conuince yet was it doubted by the most and found some incredulous Thomases who would giue credit to it vpon noe lesse assurance them putting his hands into the wounds of his side But this best and brightest of dayes leaues noe mistes of doubte behind it where the eyes are witnesses of the power of a God in raysing God-man aboue the cloudes At this sight we are forced to to crye with S. Thomas Dominus meus Deus meus Affection Most iustly therfor my soule may we conclude with blessed S. Augustine that the Ascension of our Lord is the absolute Confirmation of our Catholike faith The ioyfull Natiuitie indeede brought the first hopes the Circumcision gaue the earnest pennie in dropps the sacred passion plentifully payd downe more then the whole debt in flouds of pretious bloud the glorious Resurrection comfortably raysed drouping hartes But this day signes seales and deliuers the whole Deede of mans Redemption neuer more to be doubted of let vs exult and reioyce in it Alleluya Alleluya Alleluya THE II. MEDITATION The first fruite of Christ's Ascension I. POINT CONSIDER that if by the first Adam man was banished out of Paradice By the seconde Adam he was restored to Heauen If by the first he fell lower then man by the second he is raysed aboue the Angells Archangells Cerubines and Seraphins being placed at the right hand of his heauenly Father There is our nature praysed magnified adored by all those celestiall Courtiers in the person and vpon the sight of that God-man Affection O admirable dignation To what a stupendious hight is this that mercy hath raysed poore lost man O great God what dost thou discouer in man that thou dost so mightily magnifie him and what is the matter that thou dost so put thy heauenly hart vpon him Ah my soule looke vp to this dignitie with a louing and gratefull astonishment and learne from it a holy pride to looke downe with disdayne vpon the world and all earthly thinges knowing that thou art better then they The 2. fruite of Christs Ascension The raysing of our hopes II. POINT CONSIDER to what a high pitch our hopes must needes ascend in the Ascension of Christ to see our humane nature in the person of him inuested in his heauenly fathers glorie Since in Iesus Chr. as saith holy S. Augustine there is a portion of the flesh and bloud of euery one of vs bones of our bones and flesh of our flesh For thy Sonne our God did not take vpon him the nature of an Angell but the seede of Abraham being made like to vs in all thinges saue sinne alone witnesseth S. Paule Affection Say then my soule in an humble confidence with B. Sainte Augustine where any part of me raignes there I conceiue my selfe to raigne where my flesh is glorified there I apprehend my selfe to be glorious where my bloud beares dominion there I find my selfe to rule Though my sinnes keepe me backe yet my substance and communication in bloud calls me on to a stronge confidence My deare Lord loues the flesh which he tooke vpon him to seeke vs out and saue vs. Herein my soule let vs place our whole confidence THE III. MEDITATION The third fruite of Christs Ascension The sending of the H. Ghost I. POINT CONSIDER that our Iesus hauing now absolutly accomplished his Fathers will in performing the worke for which he was sent and hauing put a happie periode to his painefull pilgrimage hath left vs yet we ought to reioyce since it is to returne to his father yes to his father and our Father to his God in qualitie of man and to our God He hath left vs but it is expedient for vs it is to send vs another comfortinge Spirit which would not come to vs vnlesse he departed from vs. Affection Reioyce my soule reioyce and how euer comfortable the presence of Iesus may seeme to thee be alwayes willing to leaue Iesus for Iesus for the accomplishment of his will for the aduancement of his glorie If you loued me saith that deare brother of ours you would reioyce because I goe to my father That is to rest after labour to glorie after ignominie from the societie of men to that of Angells from man to God to your father Ah my soule let not selfe loue deceiue vs we loue not indeede Iesus as we ought if we loue the sweetnesse of his presence more then the accomplishment of his euer best and most adorable pleasure Nor can we loose by that
rayse to life Affection Haue we then my soule pleased our selues in thought and consented to what wisdome prohibiteth Hope in gods mercy and by his assistance this death will rather proue a sleepe then death it selfe the Mayde is not deade but she sleepes Or haue we bene vnhappie enough to haue committed in worke what pleased vs in thought all hope is not yet past the deade man is not yet buried God has power enough to say Younge man I say to thee ryse Or are we happly so extreamely miserable as not onely to haue offended in thought and worke but euen to be deade buried and corrupted in a longe and dissolute custome of sinning Enter not yet into despaire neither Lazarus who stunc ke in his graue is raysed to life God neither wants goodnesse nor power to pardon so we haue resolution by his grace to quitte our ill wayes c. Resolution Le ts run ouer our life in the bitternesse of our harte humble our selues vnder the powerfull hand of God and incessantly begge for pardon for what is past and grace for the tyme to come THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XVI SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY And they the Parisies obserued him Luc. 14. CONSIDER that the Parisies inuited our Sauiour Iesus Chr. to dinner not so much out of respect to him as with a malicious intention to prie into his actions and to obserue his words and comportements to censure him Whence we may gather that it is not the spirite of a Christian but the proude and malicious humour of a Pharisie to leaue the care of our selfe as being in selfe conceipt aboue the pitch of other men to obserue the words and actions of our neighbour which concerne vs not especially those which are the worst or by our malice we turne to the worst Affection Let vs not trouble our selues my soule with what concerns vs not Euery one stands or falls to himselfe Euery one shall be iudged according to his owne not his brothers workes It behoues vs then to haue compassion of him and to pray for him not to censure him Nay rather let vs turne our zeale where it ought to be imployed to weepe vpon our selues and our owne deffaults That poore sinner whom we reprehend is a sainte for any thinge we know in the sight of God THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that though our B. Sauiour who sees into the hartes of men knew well enough with what a blacke designe he was inuited by the Pharisies yet he disdaygned not for all that to goe among them to doe the worke of his heauenly father by miracles to proue who he was by wisdome to confound their craft and by patience and myldnesse to subdue their malice Affection Let vs neuer my soule cease to doe God's worke and our dutie to glorifie his name vpon the apprehension or euen knowledge we haue that the peruersitie of others may but make an ill vse of it By saying and doing what belonges to vs we saue our owne soules which is our greatest dutie And with all we giue good example and sowe seeds of vertue for others In God's good tyme they will sproute vp and produce wished effects God is a hammer which teares rockes a sunder Let vs neuer fayle to sowe and water leauing the increase to his blessed prouidence THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY When shou are inuited to a mariage sitt not downe in the first place CONSIDER that we are all inuited to the mariage of the Lambe and the way to arriue happily at it is the imitation of his wordes and workes by whose goodnesse we are inuited to it Pride was the great sinne he came to decrye Affecte not saith he the first place but learne of me who am mylde and humble of harte All his life from the crybbe to the Crosse was humble and abiecte He was discribed by his Prophete to be the last of men Finally he humbled himselfe being made obedient euen to death and the death of the Crosse Affection This is the way to heauen my soule which Christ marked out to vs nor is there any other who takes not this way runs quite countre The abiect way of the Crosse is the way to the crowne of glorie Pride can neuer ascende with humbled Christ Our ambitionating of the first place in earth will neuer bring vs euen to the last in heauen O let vs learne then my soule this deare lesson humilitie of him who by word and worke shewed himselfe mylde and humble of harte and we shall infallibly find rest and peace to our soules here belowe and eternall repose with him aboue in glorie THE SECONDE POINTE. Sit downe in the lowest place c. He that humbles himselfe shall be exalted CONSIDER that if we did well ponder our owne miserie we should neede noe other motiue to chuse the lowest place Our owne sinnes we well know but of other mens we are alwayes ignorant We are nothing but by Gods conseruation we haue nothing but by his gift we can doe nothing but by his assistance This alone I say should be sufficent to humble vs and neuer suffer vs to preferre our selues before any Howbeit our good God giues vs yet another motiue which is our owne interest exaltation and true honour And for this we haue the word of Truth that can neuer fayle He that humbles himselfe shall be exalted Affection O my soule that either the knowledge of our owne miserie and nothing or the comforts of Gods sure promises of exaltation and glorie would once make vs effectually imbrace that dea re vertue of Christs humilitie So should we alwayes inioye a calme and permanent peace so should we easily appease our angrie neighbours wroth against vs. So should the holy Ghost repose vpon vs and multiplie his holy grace in vs which in his good tyme he would crowne with exaltation and glorie THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XVII SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY The Pharisies came to Iesus faying Master which is the greatest commandement of the lawe Matt. 22. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the Pharisies come togeither to Iesus which was the true way to their eternall happinesse But as they come Pharisies so they returne Pharisies that is full of pride and presumption They call him Master but it is not to become his true Disciples but to tempt him and to pose him A learned Doctour among them askes him which is the great commandement in the Lawe while yet he is ignorant in the lesser to witt that he who comes to God ought to beleeue that he is which they did not So that they were rather mockers then Masters or euen good schollers Affection Let vs approche to God my soule as S. Paule taught vs with a true harte in fulnesse of faith not as the Pharisies did with pride and presumption Let vs come to him in simplicitie and humilitie of mynde as poore ignorant schollers to learne his blessed will not as greate Masters puffed vp with our owne
torments but solace my smale sufferances in the same THE XXI MEDITATION Our Sauiours Prayer vpon the Crosse Father pardon them c. 1. Point COnsider how our high preist who is now readie to sacrifice himselfe a torne and bloodie host such as you haue seene him for the sinns of his people begins first to offerr vp his praiers for them to his heauenly father saing Pater dimitte illis non enim sciunt quid faciunt Father pardon them for they know not what they doe Affect O ineffable mercie mildnesse and longanimitie While their inhumanitie hath left him neither hand nor foote free he wantes not a tongue to pleade for his persequutors peace and reconcilement O my soule let vs Learne le ts learne by this example to pardon our enemies be the offence neuer so great 2. Point Consider that thus it was that our Sauiour Iesus Christ taught vs from the Crosse euen amidst his greatest torments when the most innocent person that euer liued receiued the most barbarous treatie that euer malice inuented and euen in such circumstances this lesson of praying for our enemies c. he left vs to followe Obserue with shame how we Christians complie with it Is our first addresse to God when we meete with Crosses tribulations contradictions c. Is our first sute for pardon for those that iniure vs Doe we studie to finde out some excuse for them or rather doe we not indeede fall to muttering and murmuring and impatience and euen offend God by returning euill for euill because others offende vs In lieu of pardoning or begging pardon for them doe we not desire and seeke for reuenge Doe we not insteede of extinuating striue by the sophistrie of the Diuell to aggrauate little and inconsiderable deedes words or mistakes And yet we are not Christs we are not innocencie it selfe yea contrarily we are faultie enough and as subiect to doe as to receiue iniuries Affect Alas alas my soule the Copie hath no resemblance with the originall it s as farre differēt as light from darknesse This is not to expresse Christ in our actions but the Diuell his mortall enemie It is but in words and in name to professe Christ and infacts to denie him and to sweare with S. Peter that we know not the man whose language wee speake whose liuerie we weare and beare his name And yet this was a lesson he alwaies taught in his life A lesson which he preached and practised dying A lesson which he left written in letters of blood for vs to practise after his death Resolution I vvill pardon such and such a vvrong in memorie of this excessiue mercy THE XXII MEDITATION Of the Ievves tauntes scornes and blaspheamies 1. Point Consider how their tygerish rage runs still on against this innocent dying Lambe which mutters not The streames of blood which flowe downe from euery part gluts not their malice extreame torments which their rude violence puts him to appeases not their furie It seemes not enough to their hellish madnesses to leaue no member without its torture vnlesse they fill his eares and hart with scoffes and scornes and blasphemies If he be the king of Israel let him come dovve from the Crosse and vve le beleeue him If thou beest the sonne of God descend from the Crosse He saues others and cannot saue himselfe Vau avvaie vvith him vvho destroies the Temple and vvithin three daies builds it vp againe Affect Ah my deare dying Lord what extreamitie of torment is this that thou sufferest for me and by thine owne nation what hart conceaues not an absolute detestation against those most barbarous bloodsuckers yet beware my soule that by the same iudgement which thou zealously conceauest against them thou condemnest not thy selfe Looke home and see with confusion whether a great part of that rage that malice that madnesse be not lodged in thine owne hart As often dost thou crucifie him with them as thou preferrest the concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eyes or pride of life before him And as often dost thou add new woundes ouer and aboue the wounds they inflicted as often as thou comest downe or callest others downe by ill example or counsell from the Crosse which is putt vpon them for Gods glorie or despairest of his power to be able to helpe thee in thy greatest Crosses afflictions and temptations Let sinne therefor be most hated as it is indeede most criminall and truly put thy Christ to death 2. Point Consider that though this so hugely afflicted person is he who is only said to be free and subiect to no restraint yea he who alone giues power to others to tye and vntye hath often been tyed for our loue and our libertie as in the stable in poore clothes in the garden and from thence to Annas Caiphas and Herods howses in cordes in the Pretorie to the Pillorie to be whipped yet neuer was my deare Lord and spouse so closely and cruelly tied and torne as I see him here vpon the hard Racke of the Crosse where he neither findes nor hopes for any case or libertie at all but that which he must purchace with the price of his life when death shall free his afflicted soule out of his barbarously tortured body Affect Ah my soule must thy deare Lord treade the wine presse alone Must thy Master and Redeemer who is alone free among the dead purchace him selfe and thee libertie by the losse of his owne life And must the bounden slaue liue still at libertie and ease Whereas indeede we are neuer free so long as we liue vnder false libertie which is true slauerie and not vnder the true seruitude of Christ which is true libertie Gods seruice is a true raigne Happie saith your holy father is that necessitie or tye which compels vs to better vnhappie that libertie which lyes open to our ruine Resolution My calling is and shall be my happie Crosse to vvhich the consideration of these cords shall tye me for my Masters loue and honour for euer Hic habitabo quoniam elegi eum Here vvill I euer dvvell because it vvas mine ovvne choice THE XXIII MEDITATION Of the Princes of the people and Priests blaspheamies 1. Point COnsider that though all these bodily torments of my deare innocent crucified Lambe be inormiously greate beyond all measure yet they are but as it were the body of torment whereas the life and soule of torment indeede is the torment of the soule Those cruell Deicides tooke him they bound him they haled him they boxed him they whipped him they spitt in his face they crowned him with thornes they nailed him hand and foote to the Crosse they brought him to the verie doore of death but all this was performed vpon his bodie But when he heares his Fathers power and loue to him called into question by the Princes and Preists and People saying he saies he is the sonne of God in him he is confident let God now deliuer him if he will
inferiour motiues We offer gale to Christ when we complie with the world more then with his loue We offer a mixed cuppe of vineger and gale when we thinke to serue God and Mammon to liue piously and yet follow our owne inclinations passions and pleasures In fine we offer vineger and gale to Christ when knowing much we performe but litle knowing his blessed will we endeuour not to accomplish the same 2. Point Considera Noe sooner was this inhumane and barbarous present made but my sweete Sauiour pronounced againe Consummatum est all is consummated or ended All the ancient sacrifices types and figures For here the true Abel is slaine by his owne brother The harmelesse Ioseph is sold to the Ismaelites The saueing Noe is turned naked and mocked by his owne children The innocent Isaac is sacrificed by his owne father being otherwise the same Fathers onely hope and ioy So that vpon the Crosse we find the accomplishment of them all Affect To witt my soule our deare all-sauing Noe may seeme to conceiue the Deluge ouer because he drawes neere to the periode of his life sending out this voyce as a gentle doue to bring the good tydings of the same All is accomplished Our peace my soule is neere vpon the point of being concluded with his heauenlie father Our saluation is neere at hand O how many haue desired to see what we now see and to heare the Consummatum est which we haue the happinesse now to heare and yet saw and heard it not Resolution We wil be for euer thankfull for this so singular a grace which God out of his free mercy pleased to bestow vpon vs. THE XXVIII MEDITATION Of the same subiect 1. Point COnsideration All is accomplished or fulfilled All the Prophecies He hath giuen his body to the strikers and his cheekes to those that boxed them He hath not turned his face away from rebukers and spitters He hath bene despised and made the most abiect of men He hath borne our infirmities we haue seene him as à leper and strucken of God He hath putt vpon him the iniquities of vs all He hath bene offered because he himselfe would and opened not his mouth He hath bene ledd as a sheepe to slaughter and as a lambe before his shearer His soule hath laboured he hath bene reputed with the wicked and deliuered his soule vp vnto death As the Prophete longe agoe foretold We haue seene him in his thirste presented with vineger and gale We haue seene lotts cast vpon his garments We haue seene him à worme and not a man a reproche of men and out-caste of the people We haue seene him compassed with calues and dogges and beseiged by fatt bulls We haue heard him crye out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Euen as it was foretold by Dauid Affect Is it not true then my soule that all is consummated all the Prophecies fulfilled Is it not true that sicut audiuimus sic vidimus that what was foretold we haue seene accomplished Is it not true that all these testimonies are made but too too credible exceeding apparant to all the world But ah my Iesu thou dearest Authour and Consummatour of our faith Is it not true too that thou didst strugle through strange cōtradictions the while for my sinnes for my saluation for the loue of me Ah this consummation was purchaced at too too deare a rate If euer I forgett these abismall labours let my right hand be forgotten and let my tongue sticke to my iawes if I euer cease to magnifie these ineffable mercyes of thyne 2. Point Consideration All is accomplished in fine to witt the whole law for our good law giuer came not to breake the lawe but to accomplishe it nor is the accomplishment of the Law any other thinge but the loue of God and our neighbour nor can any expresse a greater loue then to lay downe his life and such a life the life of a God not for friends neither but for enemyes for vnworthy seruants for loste slaues and that too in circumstances of greatest tormentes abismall abandonnements infamie and scorne Affect Yes the Law is indeed accomplished my soule since loue is the fulnesse accomplishment and perfection therof as to dye for the beloued is the fulnesse and perfection of loue Our louing Lawgiuer then hath performed his owne law in perfection since he dyes for loue and that not for his friendes onely but euen for his enemyes euen while they persecuted him to death Ah how pure how generous how disinteressed is this loue of his He finds himselfe forsakem by his Father and yet he is noe lesse readie to dye for his loue and honour He finds vngratefull man paying his loue and labours with iniuries and yet for his loue he will lay downe his life This ought to be the rule of our proceeding We must not lesse loue and serue God because he seemes some tymes to leaue vs in afflictions in temptations c. nor leaue off to loue our neighbour because he renders euil for good Noc for our ayme and obligation is to accomplishe the lawe with Christ and the accomplishment of the law is loue THE XXIX MEDITATION 1. Point COnsideration Finally all is consummated his obedience to his heauenly father euen vnto death and the death of the crosse All the great worke of mans redemption imposed vpon him and imbraced by him with such an infinite measure of charitie that he was pressed and oppressed by the same till he accomplished it All his labours and paynes and dolours All the mysteries of infirmitie and documents of vertue Affect It s true my deare Sauiour the lesson of obedience is cōsummated Thou hast left vs so perfect à paterne of it that contempt scorne ignominie tormentes death it selfe could not shake it Thou hast bene in labours from thy youth and thy paynes and dolours haue increased with thy yeares Thou hast past through all the Mysterie and as I may say all the miseries of infirmitie a cold stable a hard manger a locke of hay poore cloutes heate cold hunger thirst and much bodily wearinesse And thou hast left vs all the documents of vertue of humilitie myldnesse pouertie patience c. so that thou mightest wel say to mans hart what could I haue done to my vinyarde which I haue not done And we should as we might most iustlie answer nothing deare Lord for thou hast absolutly performed all that might be glorious to thy heauenly father all that might conduce to our plentifull redemption and spirituall instruction and putt the highest commendations vpon thy loue to poore man that could be putt by cruel torments streames of bloud and the most infamous death of a God 2. Point Consideration Hitherto hath my sweete Sauiour looked vpon his heauenly father as a sterne Iudge by whom he is smitten as he himselfe professes saying propter scelera populi mei percussi eum for the sinnes of my people I strucke him By whom
his humanitie is lefte to struggle with his cruell tormentes and to satisfie for those sinnes of ours in the verie rigour of iustice But now hauing consummated and fulfilled all the figures types sacryfices prophecies and euen the whole Law and hauing punctually obserued all his fathers orders with filiall obedience and admirable humilitie euen to the last gaspe he beings to behold him as a tender and louing father and so testifies with a lowde voyce that it is into the hands of such a father that he deliuers vp his spiritt Pater in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum Affect May thy wearied soule ô my kind Pelican happily returne into its rest May thou our too too kind Prodigall ioyfully returne into thy fathers house out of this forraigne land of ours where thou hast spent all thy substance euen to the last droppe of thy pretious bloud vpon vngratfull man from whom thou meetest with noe better returnes then euill for good hatred for loue vineger and gale to drinke where thou art readie to perish with thirst Ah my soule my soule Haeccine reddis Domino Deo tuo are these the kindnesses which thou rendrest to thy Lord thy God for his loue for his labours for his bloud for his life which here he is laying downe for thee Resolution Be my afflictions neuer so many be my temptations neuer so great and importune I will appeale from a rigourous Lord to a louing father and cast my selfe into his bosome THE XXX MEDITATION 1. Point COnsider in this action of Christ where he commends his spirit or soule into the hands of his heauenly father where the true hopes of a Christian ought to be placed to witt in the hands that is in the will and disposition of our heauenly father to be dealt withall according to his good pleasure Accursed is that man who places his hopes in man or in the heapes of his riches which he must leaue behind him or in the multitudes of his merites which are none without mercy but in Gods mercy alone which is indeede our merite nor shall we euer want merit so long as we cleaue to that mercy Affect Returne into thy rest my wandering soule which is alone in the bosome of thy heauenly father and fixe thy confidence there Trust not in the sonnes of men in whom there is noe saluation noe truth mendaces filij hominum Leaue not the care of thy selfe to such as haue noe care of themselues much lesse of thee Such as thou hast found thy selfe to others such at the best will others proue to thee Our dearest friends doe easily forgett vs they will not they cannot goe along with vs. O how good it is then while we haue yet tyme to make him our friend aboue all our friends who when they all fayle hath as much power as goodnesse to make good our trust Into thy handes then ô dearest father doe I commend my soule In those mercifull hands of thyne not in my miserable ones doe I repose the whole confidence of my saluation 2. Point Consideration Well may Gods prouidence my soule which we are not able to found permitt vs to be tempted with Christ to be in agonie in our deuoutest prayers with Christ and giue vs ouer as it were into the power of darknesse with Christ Well may we suffer wronges crosses calumnies tauntes and scornes with Christ Well may our bodyes be left in tormentes vpon the Crosse with Christ yea our poore soules suffer a strange anguish with Christ when we seeme to be forsaken by our God Yet still by adhearing to Christ and by following his foot-stepps we shall infallibly wade out of all and come to a happie consummation with him and find a louing fathers bosome layd open to receiue our soules Affect Doe not then ô my soule so much regarde what thou sufferest or by whom or how as for what for whom and with whom It is not for a smale prize thou fightest but for an eternall waight of glorie It is not for some ordinarie person but for the loue of thy Lord and Master to become in some sorte like to him Nor art thou left alone but in his companie and vnder the guidance of his grace I am with him saith he in tribulation I will deliuer him and I will glorifie him Looke ouer thy afflictions then ô my soule be they of what nature they will and with a liuely faith looke vpon Christ Iesus the Authour and Consummatour of faith who ioy being proposed to him sustained the Crosse contemning confusion It is not too much that the coheire should be treated like the true heire the adoptiue like the natural sonne Resolution Come then what will and from what hand it will I am resolued to looke vpon it as coming indeede from the hand of a tenderly louing father for my eternall good THE XXXI MEDITATION Christ giues vp his Ghost 1. Point COnsidera Christianes draw neere and see death shutt vp thy sweete Sauiours eyes See life dye see thy God dye Not that death man or diuell had right to exercise any such power ouer the Author of life who saith nemo tollit animam meam none takes away my soule or life but because he himselfe would when he pleased and as he pleased And to what end but to be the death of death it selfe ero mors tua ô mors I will be thy death ô death To ransacke Hell it selfe ero stimulus tuus ô inferne To be Iesus that is a Sauiour to man and to leaue him the greatest testimonies of loue imaginable by man or Angell And therfor bowing downe his head he of his owne accorde deliuered vp his spirit or soule Affection Ah my soule what 's this we heare The soule of thy Sauiour is deliuered vp to death In death then must we find true life with Christ Nolo viuere volo mori cupio dissolui esse cum Christo Dye dye then my soule to all thinges which are not his verie selfe Ther 's noe liuing without life Christ is my life mihi viuere Christus and my Christ being deade my life is deade and dye I must mihi mori lucrum I desire to dye that I may see my Christ I refuse to liue that I may liue with my Christ Ah my deare deade Master fcra pessima deuorauit te the worst of wild beastes hath deuoured thee Ah my soule thy sinnes haue slaine thy Master Thy enuie sought him thy auarice sold him thy Hypocrisie betrayed him thy rashnesse deliuered him vp thy licenciousnesse bound him thy crueltie whipped him thyne ambition crowned him thy sluggishnesse loaded him thy pride putt him vpon the Crosse thy irreligiousnesse taunted scorned and blaspheamed him thy vnmercifulnesse caused his thirst thy forsaking of God made him be forsaken by God thy disloyaltie disobedience hard hartednesse ingratitude for all his benefits putt him to death And thence my Sauiour dyed Nay it was God the fathers mercy which sacrificed him His
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
refuge that there I may securely liue and dye and euen be buried to this vvicked vvorld in that glorious TOMBE that so I may ioyfully rise vvith thee and to thee eternally Amen IHS REFLECTIONS IN forme of prayer vpon the particular partes of our Sauiour vpon the Crosse To his feete I Giue thee thankes my most humble Iesu for thy incomprehensible loue and the great paines which thou didst suffer in thy wounded feete casting my selfe wholy into those holes togeither with all the sinnes and delightes of my life past especially My pride vaine glorie and arrogancie My selfe will disobedience and irreuerence to thee and thy vicars My impatience anger and rancour My tatling detraction and the like to th end they may be abolished and expiated by thy pretious bloud beseeching thee by thy humilitie obedience patience and admirable silence to daigne to bestow vpon me all the same and all Such other vertues that hence forth by the assistance of thy grace in all my thoughtes words and workes I may be truly Humble reduceing my selfe to nothing vnder the feete of all creatures Obedient renounceing myne owne will vnder thee and all men Patient most willingly receiuing all aduersitie from thy holy hand Moderate in speaking interiourly and in high silence giuing eare to thy words alone And that all my life long butt especially at the terrible houre of my death my most certaine Refuge may be in those most sacred wounds of thine To his heade I Giue thee thankes my most wise Iesu for the loue and dolour of thy sacred and most holy heade which was wounded and torne with such excesse of crueltie and inhumanitie hyding my infirme heade togeither with all my senses and powers as also all my sinns and transgressions in the multitude of those sacred wounds in particular All obstinacie in sticking to myne owne prudence and iudgement as also the dissolution and abuse of my senses The neglect of thy feare and the feare and flatterie of men My indiscretion and too great want of moderation My impuritie of intention and seeking of my selfe and all other vices of the like nature to th end they may be expiated by thy most pretious bloud And I humbly beseech thee by thy wisdome feare discretion and vnspeakable simplicitie that thou wouldst voutchsafe to bestowe vpon me those vertues and all other of the like kind That hence forth by the assistance of thy grace I may in all my thoughtes words and workes be truly Wise being vnited and conioyned to thee by a disinterressed vnderstanding and will Piously fearefull keeping an inward and outward watch ouer my selfe least I might offend thée Discreete making choyce of vertue which is placed betwixt two extreámes Simple and internall dwelling onely in thee and purely seeking thee alone And that all my life long especially in the agonie of death I may find a most assured Refuge in thy wounded heade To his hart I Giue thee thankes most amiable Iesu for thy infinite loue and for the sorowes of thy sweetest hart which was run through with a lance while thy most sorowfull mother looked on deposing resigning and plunging my whole hart into that fountaine of all blesse as also all my sinnes and transgressions especially All priuate and vicious loue to created thinges of what kind soeuer and the abuse and neglect of thy sacramentes and benefits bestowed vpon me Diffidence infidelitie and errour Timerousnesse pusillanimity and despaire My carelesnesse and inconstancie in the thinges which belong to my state and calling and all vice leading thervnto to be abolished expiated in thy pretious bloud And I beseech thee by that charitie faith hope and vn speakeable constancie of thyne be pleased to grant me a share in those and such other vertues that henceforth by thy grace I may be in all my thoughts words and workes truly Feruent still breathing after thee and louing thee alone with all my strength Full of faith and hope wholy relying vpon thee as well in prosperitie as aduersitie Constant aymeing at nothing els by all my earnest endeuours but my aduancement in vertue And that all my life long but especially at the houre of my death this sacred wound may be my assured Refuge To his right hand I Giue thee thankes my most iust Iesus for the incomprehensible loue and doulour which thou didest expresse and suffer by the wound of thy most holy right hand casting my selfe wholy into it togeither with all my sinnes and transgressions especially All my iniustice to thee and thy creatures Biternesse of hart displeasure and enuie Falshood lying and hypocrisie Ingratitude to thee for all thy benefits to th end that all may be abolished and expiated in thy most pretious bloud and beseech thee by thy ineffable iustice mercy truth and gratitude to please to indue me with these and such other vertues that hence forth by thy grace I may be in all my thoughtes words and workes truly Iust giuing euery one what is due to them Mercifull wishing and doing good to all creatures Zealous of thy honour with puritie of intention conforming my selfe in all thinges to thee Gratefull rendering dayly thankes to thee and all my benefactours And that all my life longe but especially at the dreadfull houre of my death I may find and assured Refuge in these sacred wounds To his left hand I Giue thee thankes most strong Iesu for thy incomprehensible loue and for the paines of thy left hand casting my selfe wholy into it togeither with all my offences especially All my slouthfulnesse and mispending of tyme. All impuritie of body and soule All intemperance in meate drinke and clothes All couetousnesse vnlawfull desires and the like to be abolished and expiated in thy pretious bloud And beseech thee by thy ineffable power puritie temperance and pouertie to grant me those and such other vertues that hence forth by thy grace I may be in all my thoughtes words and workes truly stronge and diligent c. Chaste conseruing my senses and soule in all puritie Sober seeking onely necessaries Poore in meanes and mynde wholy relying vpon thee And that all my life long but especially at the houre of my death I may haue my certaine refuge in this wounde Amen A CONTEMPLATION or Meditation for Good friday 1. HAVING with what recollection quiet of mind and compassion you possibly can placed before your eyes three crucified demand who they are that suffer in such ignominious wise especially that one in the midst who seemes to be the capitall criminall Aske St. Iohn and he 'le tell you that it is the Sonne of God Sic Deus dilexit mundum vt filium suum vnigenitum daret St. Paule vsque ad mortem mortem autem Crucis Dauid Isaias and other Prophets foretold this truth Aske his mournfull mother Marie and if she can speake for griefe she will mournefully answere you that alas yes it is euen her deare sonne Iesus God and man S. Marie Mag. will tell you the
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
it That hand which drawes vs into sinne must be cutt off its mercy to our selues not crueltie Better it is saith Truth it selfe that one of thy limmes perish rather then that thy whole bodie goe into Hell fire THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Certaine Scribes say within themselues he blaspheameth THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that as charitie and goodnesse makes the best of all thinges by a friendly interpretation so pride and malice turns all to the worst Our B. Sauiour graciously daignes as well to cure the infirmities of the sicke man's body as the wounds of his soule and the Scribes with their wordly wisdome crye out he blaspheames Wheras lesse learning then they proudly pretended to might easily haue fitted them with a better consequence To witt none can forgiue sinns but God alone But this man Iesus forgiues sinns therfor he is God the sonne of God the Messias whom we expect Affection It is the venimous propertie of the spider my soule to turne all into poison while the gentile honie bee makes honie of all shee meetes with Le ts not iudge and we shall not be iudged for in varie deede if we obserue it well we condemne our selues in the verie thinge wherin we iudge another while we doe our selues the same thinge Let vs learne hereby to be slow in censuring for we seldome fully vnderstand the businesse as also to haue patience to haue our best actions censured by others who vnderstand them not since we best know how subiect we are to offend in many thinges THE SECONDE POINTE. The multitudes seeing it c. glorified God who gaue such power to men THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that while the proude and malicious Scribes turne Christ's best actions to their owne perdition the simple multitudes turne them to their aduantage and Gods glorie They both heare and see the same things To witt thy sinnes are forgiuen thee arise take vpp thy bedd and goe into thy house The Scribes find blaspheamie in it the simple people contrarily Gods power and wisdome which they acknowledge with admiring reuerence and glorifie him who gaue such power to men Affection The high conceipts we haue my soule of our owne knowledge was neuer the way to know God He is high indeede but he graciously lookes downe vpon lowe thinges while high hartes he places a faire off It is not my soule it is not the viuacitie of vnderstanding but the simplicitie of beleeuinge which saues the most parte of men saith holy S. Augustine as here we see it happens with the vnlearned multitude The myndes of men haue noe sure accesse to wisdome and saluation vnlesse humble faith first prepare them to reason and true knowledge which pride is not capable of THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XIX SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY A Kinge made a mariage to his sonne and sent his seruantes to call them that were inuited to the mariage Matt. 22. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the Kinge who made this mariage was the Kinge of heauen who decreed in his high counsell from all eternitie that his onely begotten sonne should espouse mans nature and become like to one of vs. His seruants who were sent to inuite were the Patriarkes and Prophetes first Then the sonne himselfe who spoke by his owne mouthe and after that the Apostles and Disciples who were sent into all the earth to preach The inuited were men dispersed ouer all the world Affection O the infinite goodnesse of God who while he inioyed himselfe in his blessed eternitie in selfe beatitude without any want or possibilitie of want of any thinge could euer be ours who I say had thoughts of loue for vs while we yet were not to make vs bee and so to bee as euen to be capable of himselfe and of the happinesse he inioyed from all eternitie And wheras he had but one onely sonne he would not haue him alone but sent him downe to make men his adop tiue brethren to share with him in that eternall kingdome of his He sent I say a sonne to inuite seruants to that same sonns mariage Banket which is to be made in heauen and to continue for all eternitie THE SECONDE POINTE CONSIDER how vngratefull man dealt with those who were sent to inuite him a thinge so honorable to him to the mariage of a kinges onely sonne and so aduantagious withall to witt not onely to feaste with him but to be coheires with him of his Kingdome He did not onely refuse to come but euen layed violent hands of those who were sent to inuite yea of them you kill and crucifie and of them you scourge in your Synagogues and persecute from citie to citie Nay mans malice went yet further the Kings onely sonne is sent and of him they say this is the heyre let vs kill him and the inheritance will be ours Affection Admire my soule to see Gods free mercy so continually resisted by mans miserie his longanimitie bountie and benignitie by mans obstinacie ingratitude and rebellion This we easily grant in the Iewes but alas Let vs looke but diligently into our owne hartes and we shall finde the like come home to our owne dores for doe we heare the teachers of Gods word as God himselfe who sayes who heares you heares me Or rather tho we kill them not are we not deafe to their counsells and euen contemne them Nay doe we not alas doe we not by our crymes crucisie the sonne of God againe and againe and make him a mockerie to his enemyes THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY When the Kinge heard that his inuitation and fauours were despised and his seruants murdered he was wroth and sending his hosts destroyed those murderers THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that as God is most gracious and bountifull in the generall distribution of his blissings and heauenly guifts so is he most exacte and rigorous in punishing the contempt and neglect of them He made his goodnesse and bountie appeare in this that while there was nothinge to moue him to inuite man to his sonns mariage and in that to the possession of an eternall Kingdome with him but his owne infinite goodnesse noe accessions of power or greatnesse by poore man since to infinite nothing can be added Noe foresight of the merits of his workes seeing he knew that noe workes were euer or could be truly good but by his gracious assistance he pleased yet to inuite him But when he sees nothing but hatred returned for his loue he makes his rigour appeare in sending his hostes to distroye those murderers Affection Not to vs then ô Lord not to vs but to thy holy name to thy free goodnesse to thyne infinite goodnesse let glorie be giuen Thou didst not looke vpon vs and loue vs because we were in our selues louely but because thyne owne mercifull lookes made vs so Without that gracious aspect we had remayned in our nothinge without that being otherwise made we had bene but vnprofitable sinfull lost seruantes