and wounds and out of it ran on all sides down upon the earth rivolets of his precious blood O what and how sad a Spectacle was this Truly he was wounded for our iniquities he was bruised for our wickedness and by his bruises we were healed Isa 53. 6. The sweet Jesus King of Kings is Clothed in a Purple Cloak to his greater reproach is Crowned with Thornes and Wounded Hence his Purple Blood flowed down plentifully upon his amiable face and neck A reed is put in his hand and he is scoffingly saluted and adored he is stricken with a reed again he is spit upon and buffeted He is exposed to be gazed upon by the people with a Crown of Thorns upon his Head and a Purple Vestment about his shoulders 7. The Sweet Jesus the Creator of Heaven and Earth carrys his own Cross upon his bruised and hurt shoulders He tastes upon mount Calvary wine mixed with myrrhe and gall Again he is stripped and his wounds are renewed by the pulling off of his Garments He is unmerciful stretched out on the Cross and his delicate hands and undefiled feet are transfixed with hard Nailes and the Joynts of his most Holy Limbs are miserably loosed Most Pure Blood Flows abundantly out of his sacred Wounds as out of so many Fountains Go to Ponder and Meditate profoundly these things Take notice of the Bloody and saving wounds of thy Redeemer Salute and Venerate them with a Devout Heart 8. The Sweet Jesus endured most bitter Torments three Hours Hanging on the Tree of the Cross betwixt two Thieves Lo he is Mocked and blasphemed but he prays for his blasphemers he prays for his Crucifiers He deeply Compassionates his Sorrowful and Afflicted Mother standing by and Courteously speaks to her Burning with a most grievous Thirst Vinegar is given him to Drink And forthwith bowing his Venerable Head he gives up the Ghost The good Pastor lays down his life for his sheep He who gives Life to all things dyes for thee Afterwards his Side is opened with a Spear and thence Flows out Blood and Water Last of all his Immaculate Body being taken down from the Cross is laid in a Tomb and buryed 9. Thou hast here a Spiritual bundle of Myrrhe See thou lay it diligently between the breasts of thy Soul But whilst thou ponderest these things behold with thy inward Eyes thy beloved Jesus Christ not as a Pure Man but Contemplate him as God and Man in all things which he did and suffered Consider diligently his deep humility and patience his inestimable bounty and most Ardent Charity Admire be amazed imitate compassionate him and return love for love as thou art able Adore praise and glorifie him and give him thanks Consider I beseech thee whether it be fitting that the Son of the most high the Supream King of Glory enduring for thee a most vile Caitiff so great Abjection and Ignominy and so great labours and torments thou in the mean time as if thou wert secure shouldst give thy self to sports and jests to vanities and delights little or nothing thinking of him and living negligently nay perhaps wickedly O! how ill at the last shall it go with those ungrateful and unhappy hearts who little esteem so great benefits such ensignes of love and care not to ruminate the Passion of Christ Far be it from thee Meditation VI. Of the Imitation of Christ Division 1. LO the Cruel base and horrible Prince of darkness the Devil says to thee hear and follow me be Proud and neglecting God do thy own will love the world and those things which are in the world that thou maist be Tormented with me in the horrible punishments of hell On the contrary side the Mild Gracious and Amiable King of Glory Christ says to thee Hear and follow me be humble and despising the World deny thy own proper will Love God and those things which are above that thou maist rejoyce with me for ever in Heaven Here now enquire and weigh diligently with thy self whether of the two thou oughtest to hear and follow Assuredly thy reason manifestly crys and shews that thou oughtest to follow the Lord Jesus thy most sweet Creator Redeemer Lover and Benefactor Which being so do thou without delay joyn thy self to Christ and say from thy heart O Lord Jesus I despising the Devil from henceforth purpose thy grace assisting me to follow imitate and love thee my King 2. Wherefore as Jesus Christ thy King the most high God humbled and emptied himself by assuming human flesh and the form of a servant by being born of a poor Virgin by washing his Disciples feet by most perfectly obeying his Father and Men so thou must purpose hereafter to humble thy self under all things for his love Thou must willingly submit thy self to all men willingly serve all Willingly take the lowest place seeing thou art not worthy that the earth should support thee by reason of thy sins and ingratitude Thou must willingly perform vile and abject works although thou shouldest therefore suffer some shame before men Thou must willingly readily obey men in lawful and convenient things not only thy superiours but also thy equalls and moreover thy Inferiors 3. Also as thy King Christ was alwaies meek and humble of heart so thou oughtest hereafter to endeavour that all rough and vitious motions of Anger be extinguished in thee Thou must not be obstinate in thy own sense nor adhere to thy own proper Judgement but must wisely prefer the judgement and will of others before thy own judgement and will Thou must from thy heart repute thy self the most unworthy of all men and renounce all vain glory and self complacence as much as thou canst acknowledging thy self of thy self to be nothing to be able to do nothing and to have nothing but sins and defects Thou must therefore never usurp to thy self any thing of Gods gifts but must attribute all good things to God and purely refer them to him Thou must chuse and love rather not to be known and little esteemed by men than to be known or praised 4. Also as thy King Christ abstained from all vanity pomp curiosity and superfluity in meat drink clothing and other necessaries for his life yea and chose most abject poverty in his Nativity and Death so also thou must purpose hereafter to use all things moderately and to be content with simple meat and drink and simple cloathing removing from thee whatsoever is vain proud or altogether superfluous 5. Again as thy King Christ did not follow sensual pleasures and the delights of the flesh but even thirsting drunk Gall and Vinegar and adhered inordinately to nothing and had most pleasing manners and behaviour so thou must purpose hereafter to reject all impure and sensual delights and impure pleasures Thou must restrain all thy senses thy sight hearing tast and touching and also thy tongue from all excess vanity and curiosity Thou must keep thy heart with all diligence clean and
most familiar and perpetual society with Christ and his most Lovely and most Gracious Mother Mary and with all the Blessed Assuredly all the joys of the world Compared with the least joy of Heaven are meer bitterness The vast Ocean does not so much exceed in quantity one single drop of water as the least pleasure of the Blessed does exceed all the delight and pleasure that ever was in the world And the joys of Heaven shall never be ended nor ever be diminished Nor be interrupted for one single moment for all eternity 5. Besides when thy Soul in the Resurrection shall have received thy glorious body what joy shall it thence receive For thy very body shall be most splendid and much more bright than the Sun it shall be most sound most firm most beautiful most pure odoriferous incorruptible impassible most subtil and very agil Whence thy soul with its glorified body can be wheresoever it will in a very short space of time nothing can hinder it nothing put a stop or impediment unto it Thou shalt also after the Resurrection conceive exceeding great Joy from the happy renovation of this visible World which shall be of a far more elegant form than now it is For whatsoever is now in the World unclean whatsoever is obscure and shady in the Earth whatsoever is cold in the Waters and whatsoever has power of burning in the Fire all that shall go down into Hell The Sun and Moon and Starres shall be seven times more bright than they are now Henceforth there shall be no Clouds nor Hail nor Rain nor Winds nor Lightning nor Thunder Night shall cease to be a perpetual Day and Clarity succeeding as well on Earth as in the Heavens The Air shall have more light than it has now the Water shall be purer than it is now The Earth shall be fair as Gold and pellucid as Crystal and plain as the palm of your hand 6. Such things God has prepared for those who love him O how unhappy are they who for the most base pleasures delights and vanities of this World deprive themselves of so great joyes But thou who readest these things aspire and make haste to that never-fading Glory Detest and fly all Sin as much as thou canst contemn all transitory things love God love all Men and spend the time profitably which is allotted thee The Conclusion Admonitions concerning the Practice of these Meditations 1. HE who exercises himself in the foregoing Meditations may nay ought in some of them to wit in those which are more fruitful stay more than three daies especially during the first Exercise which Exercise precedes the repetition of the same Meditations 2. It will be profitable when he is to begin any Exercise our Meditation that he read first the last division of the same Meditation for in it commonly are put some things conducing to the right and profitable performance of the same Meditation 3. If whilst he is exercising himself he be overcharged with sleep let him rise and standing or walking continue the Exercise He must diligently weigh with himself all the points and members of the Divisions and freely stay in them 4. Moreover when he shall perceive himself to be solicited or allured to follow his vitious passions Concupiscences and inclinations if holy love do not restrain him from evil he must forthwith call to mind death judgment and hell that at least profitable fear may restrain him 5. He must very Carefully contain and bridle his tongue and senses for otherwise he will never make any progress in true vertues 6. That he may more speedily attain to a contempt of himself and true humility without which no Vertue is of any value he must very often exercise himself in an attentive and amorous consideration of the greatness of God and of his Fidelity and Charity towards himself and on the contrary in the consideration of his own littleness and of his unfaithfulness and ingratitude towards God he shall say to God these or such like things O Lord who art thou and who am I Thou art the Lord of highest majesty nobility and dignity Thou art the Creator of Heaven and Earth Thou art the Immense God the Omnipopotent God But I am a most vile worme I am unworthy whom the Earth should sustain I am nothing I can do nothing Thou hast been ever most faithful to me loving me most purely and bestowing upon me innumerable benefits but I alas have been most unfaithful and too ungrateful to thee and am so still He must perform the foresaid exercise purely to the honour of God He must in his heart prefer every man how wicked soever before himself and deem him better than himself 7. He must accustom himself frequently to recall and elevate his mind to God and he must do this even amidst conversation and when he is exercised in external works least his mind wandering and forgetful of his purpose and too estranged from God lose its inward purity and antient grace He must piously attend the amiable presence of God knowing that he alwaies beholds all his thoughts words and actions He must aspire after the spouse of his soul Jesus Christ and maintain sweet colloquies of love with him By this means he shall both pass this life with pleasure and after the death of the body he shall come to eternal joyes of immortal life Amen A short Commemoration of the Life of Christ divided into Articles Article I. THe sweet JESUS the Son of the living God the most high God the Creator of Heaven and Earth for the exceeding Charity wherewith he loved me would be conceived by the Holy Ghost and incarnate in the most chast womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary in which also he dwelt nine months My God emptied himself and taking the form of a servant was made my Brother that he might reduce me to his Heavenly Kingdom O Ineffable Piety and inestimable Favor what shall I return to my Lord I offer and resign my self wholly to his good pleasure To him be praise honour and glory for ever and ever Amen Article II. THe sweet JESUS the King of glory the cause of my salvation was born a Tender Infant in a poor stable winter sharply raging He was wrapp'd in clouts He was reposed in the Crib of Beasts He lay upon hay and straw He was suckled by the breasts of a poor mother The Son of God endured so great Poverty for my sake To him be praise honour and glory for ever Amen Article III. The sweet JESUS was circumcised on the eighth day from his Birth his Mother sadly condoling with him He was circumcised and shed his most pure Blood for me a most vile wretch and he would be called Jesus that is a Saviour for my comfort Then he was revealed to the Gentiles when the Sages guided by a star to Bethlehem to adore the little Infant and with joy and reverence offered to him gifts gold frankincense and myrrhe To him
Pilate and delivered up to the will of the Jewes Wherefore they forthwith laid hands on him and loaded with the Beam of his Cross they drew him out of the City The sweet Lord carrying his Cross on his rent shoulders was pushed forward beaten forced to make haste the amiable Redeemer made the reproach of men and disdain of the people humbly went forwards to the place of Calvary O how much did the weight of his Cross load and afflict him but more the weight of my sins But he for my salvations sake willingly bore all Labour and Dolor and all Confusion To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XX. THe sweet JESUS being come weary and out of breath to Mount Calvary he refused not to taste Wine mixed with Myrrhe and Gall which was offered unto him that by this bitter drink he might expiate the faults which I have contracted by eating and drinking intemperately O what a kind of refection was that of my Lord To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XXI THe sweet JESUS was disgracefully stript upon Mount Calvary and by the pulling off of his Clothes his wounds were renewed the mild and innocent Lamb of God was unmercifully stretched out upon the Cross by cruel men his delicate hands and undefiled feet were cruelly bored through with bloody Nails the joynts of his most holy Members were miserably loosed Purple Blood abundantly flowed out of his sacred wounds as out of so many Fountains O how hard a bed had the Spouse of my soul extended on his Cross and nailed to it for my sake To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XXII THe sweet JESUS hanging naked upon the ignominious Gibbet of his Cross in the middle betwixt two Thieves with his hands and feet transfixed powred out most precious Blood and suffered most bitter dolours for my sake he was scoffed at he was reviled with Blasphemies but in the mean time he prayed for those who blasphemed him he prayed for his Crucifiers saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XXIII THe sweet JESUS hanging upon the Cross despised and wounded graciously promised Paradise to the penitent Thief he tenderly compassionated his Virgin-Mother standing by the Cross transpierced with the sword of grief and commended her to his Disciple St. John and to the same St. John and to us all he gave her to be a Mother To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XXIV THe sweet JESUS when he had for me endured immense torments for three hours upon the Cross and his sacred blood being powred out was most vehemently a thirst he had Vinegar given him to drink which having tasted he the Author of Life to all things commending himself to his Father and bowing his venerable head gave up the Ghost To him be praise honour and glory for ever Amen Article XXV THe sweet JESUS as soon as he was dead upon the Cross forthwith descended according to his soul out of exceeding Charity into Hell and delivered the Fathers detained in Lymbus for they at the coming of his soul instantly were filled with the Light of Glory and saw the most Blessed Trinity saw clearly the Divine Essence And this was that spiritual Paradise of which our Lord said to the Thief To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise To him be praise honour and glory for ever Amen Article XXVI THe sweet JESUS the good shepherd laid down his life for his sheep And the right side of his dead body was opened with a Spear whence did flow forth to us blood and water his amorous heart was wounded for me O may this most sweet heart this pleasant treasury of happiness be salvation and comfort to me in my death that after death I may be united to Jesus and contemplate him for all Eternity To him be praise honour and glory for ever Amen Article XXVII THe sweet JESUS dyed for me whose immaculate body when it was taken down from the Cross his most blessed Mother received it into her Lap kist it and wept over it then Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped it in a clean winding sheet and laid it in a Sepulchre so that Jesus the immarcessible Flower of humane dignity was buried for me To him be praise honour and glory for ever Amen Article XXVIII THe sweet JESUS coming the third day victorious out of his closed and sealed Sepulchre by a noble triumph arose from the dead and the clarity of his most pleasant countenance being restored he first exhilarated with a new joy his most dear Mother the Virgin Mary then Mary Magdalen and his other friends To him be praise honour and glory for ever Amen Article XXIX THe sweet JESUS on the Fourtieth day after his Resurrection in the presence of his Disciples filled with ineffable joy gloriously ascended into Heaven and afterwards sent them the Holy Ghost He sits in Heaven at the right hand of his Father and thence is to come in Majesty to Judge the living and the dead To him be praise honour and glory for ever Amen Thirteen short Precepts necessary for one who aspires to a perfect Life Precept I. FOr the love of Jesus Christ who suffered very sharp things for thy sake renounce the pleasures of thy senses When thou hast a mind and desires to see hear smell taste touch or speak any thing remember that thou must not obey thy sensuality inciting of thee but Reason and God speaking in thee Yea even be ready to want spiritual delights according to Gods good pleasure and ordination And when thou art recreated with inward comfort and sweetness have a care thou do not rest in it nor abuse it to thy own proper pleasure Precept II. KEep very diligently thy sight hearing and tongue that they do not decline to unlawful vain and unprofitable things It behoves thee to be vigilant and very wary in thy speech that thou speak not more words nor otherwise than is convenient Let thy speech be succinct plain and quiet Carefully rule and contain in good order all the Parts of thy Body Avoid immoderate Laughter and all lightness of behaviour Precept III. DO not adhere to any Creature by inordinate affection but dye to all perishable things and keep thy heart free from them for in such a death and in such a liberty does lye hid the most true and most pleasant life Precept IV. BY an entire abnegation of thy self and resignation diligently destroy in thee vitious passions and affections and thy own will and self-seeking But love dearly and only the Divine will and ever wish it and submit thy self wholly unto it so that whatsoever God wills do thou also will Every where seek rather the praise and honour of God than thy own profit Precept V. IN all things which happen wisely regard the providence of God and securely commit thy self and all thy concerns