in the beginning of every Week The same thing I have likewise observed on the Feasts of the Saints for I give Meditations either on the Virtues which they practised or on the Gospel that is Read on their Mass Those who shall Read the Abridgment of their Life may easily joyn their Example to the Truth which they meditate on There are some virtuous Persons who desire every Month to make the Exercise of Death and for to satisfie their Devotion I have at the end of every Month put four Meditations for to prepare them thereunto Those whom this Devotion does not please may make use of the others that are there marked out for them or choose those they have a mind to in the first Table that follows Now for to make profit of these Meditations this I conceive is the Method they are to be made in After the ordinary Preparations of which we have spoken in our Method of Prayer Read with respect and attention the words of the Holy Scripture Weigh each word of them Make Acts of Faith and if you find your Mind to be taken up stop there without going any further But in case it fix not upon that subject Read then the first part of your Meditation and stop at that Truth which makes most impression on your Heart or else begin by the two first lines Endeavour to penetrate the sence of them Make reflexion on your self and see whether your life be conformable to those Truths Conceive a Sorrow and consequently made good Resolutions For example if you meditate upon Patience and that you be com to these two lines All that I endure is nothing in comparison of the Punishment that I have deserved Call to mind for a while the principal Sins of your life compare the place that you are in with that which you ought to be in the pains that you suffer with those that you ought to have suffered Measure the time of your pains with that of Eternity and see whether you have reason to complain Say If God had don with me according to his justice where should I now have been Am not I better here than in Hell If I were there as so many others are would not I reckon my self happy to com out from thence for to endure what I now endure Why then should I complain Does God do me wrong Have not I deserved infinitly much more Push on this Consideration and press your heart until it submits it self to God's Orders Consequently frame your affections give thanks to our Lord for his Goodness and Mercy that he has used towards you Beg Pardon of him for your Impatiences and make resolutions of suffering better than you hitherto have Then you shall pass on to the following line In comparison of the Glory that is prepared for me And you shall meditate on it as on the foregoing lines Thus flying up and down like a Bee from flower to flower until you have found the honey of Devotion But in case nothing do touch you yet quit not your Prayer for all that but remain quiet in the Presence of God or else make use of the Practices that we have taught you in the Method of Prayer You may also Read the words of Devotion which are at the end of the Fourth Part and there doubtless you will find som comfort When at any time you find your self in any extraordinary disposition of Joy or Sadness it will be good even out of Prayer to entertain your self in this manner Lift up your heart to God beg of him to make known to you his Divine Will and Pleasure Then opening your Book stop at that Meditation on which you have lighted and you will oftentimes find therein what you seek after The Providence of God says the Wise man plays upon Earth with Men and takes delight to manifest it self in casual and unforethought-of accidents Since I am commanded to put my Name to this new Edition I conjure all virtuous Persons through the Charity which they owe to those who are in misery to give som place in their remembrance to him and som share in their Prayers Here follow two Tables the First of the Meditations of the two Tomes The Second of those which are to serve for every Day in the Year A TABLE OF THE Meditations Contain'd in the First TOME The First PART For the Purgative Life Med. 1. OF the End for which Man was made Page 1 Med. 2. Of the Dominion of God over his Creatures Page 3 Med. 3. Of the care of our Salvation Page 6 Med. 4. Of disengagement from Creatures Page 7 Med. 5. Of the Will of God Page 9 Med. 6. Of the Obligations we have to love and serve God Page 10 Med. 7. Profitable thoughts fit to draw us off from the World Page 12 Med. 8. Of Death Page 13 Med. 9. Of the Death of the Just Page 14 Med. 10. Of the Death of Sinners Page 17 Med. 11. Of the Last Judgment Page 20 Med. 12. Of Hell Page 22 Med. 13. Of the Two Eternities Page 24 Med. 14. Of Mortal sin Page 25 Med. 15. Of Venial sin Page 26 Med. 16. Of Pennance Page 28 Med. 17. That we ought not to differ our Conversion Page 29 Med. 18. Of the Conditions of a true Pennance Page 32 Med. 19. Of the flight from Occasions and evil Companies Page 35 Med. 20. Of a good and a bad Conscience Page 39 Med. 21. Of the peace of the Soul Page 41 Med. 22. Of vain Desires Page 42 Med. 23. Of Tepidity Page 43 Med. 24. Of the Hatred of the World Page 45 Med. 25. Of the small number of the saved Page 48 Med. 26. Of Scandal or bad Example Page 50 Med. 27. Of outward Pennance and Mortification Page 53 Med. 28. Of the excellency of Mortification Page 55 Med. 29. Of the profit and necessity of Temptations Page 56 Med. 30. Of the causes of our Temptations Page 58 Med. 31. Of the troubles and pains of Mind Page 61 Med. 32. Of natural Inclinations Page 62 Med. 33. Of Aversions Page 65 Med. 34. Of Presumption Page 67 Med. 35. Of the good use of Time Page 71 Med. 36. Of Persecutions Page 73 Med. 37. That it is necessary to be afflicted and persecuted Page 75 Med. 38. Of human Respect Page 77 Med. 39. Of Slander or Detraction Page 79 Med. 40. Of Sadness Page 81 Med. 41. The ill effects of Sadness Page 83 Med. 42. Remedies against Sadness Page 84 Med. 43. Of Pride Page 89 Med. 44. Of the Pardoning of Injuries Page 91 Med. 45. Of the judgment of men Page 94 Med. 46. Of Avarice Page 97 Med. 47. Of Relapse Page 100 Med. 48. Of Customary Sins Page 102 Med. 49. Of Preparation to Death Page 105 Med. 50. How to resolve for Death Page 108 Med. 51. The Affections of a just Soul at the approaches of Death which we should cause to be read to us in our last sickness Page 111 Med. 52. A Paraphrase upon our
Page 381 Med. 6. Of the benefit of leaving our selves c. Page 186 Med. 7. The same again ibid. 7. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 7. v. 15.22 Med. 1. Of the Will of God Page 9 Med. 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of good Works Page 178 4. Of Hell Page 22 5. Of Charity Page 142 6. Of the care of Perfection Page 127 7. Of Faith Page 134 8. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 16. v. 1.10 1. Of the fulness of God's Riches Page 366 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of the good use of Time Page 71 4. The same again ibid. 5. Of Alms. Page 180 6. Of the Last Judgment Page 20 7. The same again ibid. Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 9. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 16. v. 42.48 1. How God loves men c. Page 357 2. Of the Death of the Just Page 14 3. Of the Death of Sinners Page 17 4. Of Inspirations Page 199 5. Of the Vnity of love Page 339 6. Of Prayer c. Page 130 7. The same again ibid. 10. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 18. v. 9.15 1. Of Annihilation Page 347 2. Of Presumption Page 67 3. The same again ibid. 4. Of Pride Page 89 5. The same again ibid. 6. The conditions of true Pennance Page 32 7. The same again ibid. 11. Sund. after Pent. G. Mark 7. v. 31.38 1. Of customary Sins Page 102 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of the end that Man was made for Page 1 4. Of the care of our Salvation Page 6 5. Of Silence Page 191 6. Of the Conformity of our will to the Will of God Page 162 7. The same again ibid. 12. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 10. v. 23.38 1. Of the Love of Jesus Page 337 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of Charity Page 142 4. The same again ibid. 5. Of the Imitation of Jesus Page 217 6. Of the love of our Neighbour Page 164 7. The same again ibid. Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 13. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 17. v. 11.20 1. Of the flight of occasions Page 35 2. Of disengagement from Creatures Page 7 3. Vseful thoughts for drawing us off c. Page 12 4. The same again ibid. 5. The eighth and ninth Canticle Page 381 6. Of Sickness Page 194 7. Of Obedience Page 208 14. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 6. v. 24.34 1. Of the Vnity of Love Page 339 2. Of Avarice Page 97 3. The same again ibid. Or The five degrees of Perfection Page 349 4. Of vain Desires Page 42 5. Of the Obligations we have to love God Page 10 6. Of the care of our Perfection Page 127 7. The same again ibid. 15. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 7. v. 11.17 1. Of Death Page 13 2. Of the Death of Sinners Page 17 3. Of Sadness Page 81 4. The ill effects of sadness Page 83 5. The tenth Canticle Page 383 6. Remedies against Sadness Page 84 7. Of Devotion to the B. Virgin Page 310 16. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 24. v. 1.12 1. Of Humility Page 149 Or Of the holy Communion Page 304 2. Of the judgment of Men. Page 94 3. Of Pride Page 89 4. Of God's Incomprehensibility Page 360 5. The same again ibid. 6. Of divine Vnion Page 370 7. The same again ibid. Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 17. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 22. v. 34.46 1. Of God's Amability Page 355 2. Of the Presence of God Page 341 3. The same again ibid. 4. Of the divine Perfections Page 350 5. Of the Imitation of Jesus Christ Page 217 6. Of the love of our Neighbour Page 164 7. The same again ibid. 18. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 19. v. 1.9 1. Of Sickness Page 194 2. Of Tepidity Page 43 3. The same again ibid. 4. Of Slander Page 79 5. The same again ibid. Or The third Canticle Page 377 6. Of customary Sins Page 102 7. The same again ibid. 19. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 22. v. 1.15 1. Of the love of Jesus Christ in the Sacr. Page 301 2. Of the Kingdom of God Page 231 3. The same again ibid. 4. Of the small number of the saved Page 48 5. Of Inspirations Page 199 6. Of the two Eternities Page 24 7. That we ought to do our actions well Page 175 20. Sund. after Pent. G. John 4. v. 46.54 1. Of the Conducts of Faith Page 136 2. Of Patience Page 152 3. Motives to Patience Page 155 4. The same again ibid. 5. Of the care of our Salvation Page 6 6. The same again ibid. 7. Of the Duty of Fathers and Masters Page 166 Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 21. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 18. v. 23.36 1. Of the Kingdom of Jesus Page 232 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of the Pardoning of Injuries Page 91 4. Of Relapse Page 100 5. The same again ibid. 6. Of Scandal Page 50 7. The same again ibid. 22. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 22. v. 15.22 1. Of human respect Page 77 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of the Profit of Temptations Page 56 4. Of the Causes of Temptations Page 58 5. Of the Obligations we have to love God Page 10 6. Of the Conformity of our will to God Page 162 7. Of the Virtues of Jesus Page 219 23. Sund. after Pent. Matth. 9. v. 18.27 1. Of Death Page 13 Or Of the Communion Page 304 2. Of the Death of the Just Page 14 3. Of Hope Page 139 4. The same again ibid. 5. Of Solitude Page 342 6. Of the hatred of the World Page 45 7. The five degrees of Perfection Page 349 24. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 24. v. 15.36 1. Of the care of our Salvation Page 6 2. Of venial Sin Page 26 3. Of the flight from Occasions Page 35 4. An Exercise of Patience Page 153 5. Of the leaving of our selves c. Page 343 6. How we ought to leave our selves c. Page 345 7. Of the Presence of God Page 341 Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 The End of the TABLE of the Meditations for every Day in the Year A TABLE OF MEDITATIONS For the chief FEASTS of the Year Dec. 6. S. Nicholas G. Matth. 25. Of Alms. 180 Dec. 8. Conception of the B. V. Mary 312 Dec. 21. S. Thomas Of Faith 134 Of our Lord's Wounds 282 Jan. 25. Conversion of S. Paul That we must not deferr our Conversion 29 Febr. 2. Purification of our B. Lady 314 Febr. 24. S. Matthias Of the few that are saved 48 March 19. S. Joseph Of the Peace of the Soul 41 Of Silence 191 Of Conformity c. 162 March 25. Annunciation of our B. Lady 316 Of the Humiliations c. 318 Apr. 25. S. Mark Evang. Of the Causes of Temptation 58 Of the Will of God 9 May 1. SS James and Philip Apostles Of the Troubles of Mind 61 May 3. Invention of the Holy Cross Motives of Patience 155 June 24. Nativity of S. John Baptist Of Solitude 342 Of
Seal of my Predestination I will not therefore forsake it I will not drag it after me But I will carry it and keep you Company O Holy Cross Who wert consecrated with the blood of a God Receive me into thy Arms. Let me repose on thy Bosom Give thy self wholly to me As I give my self wholly to thee Carry me that I may carry thee Clasp me so strongly betwixt thy arms That nothing may separate me from thee Carrying his own Cross he went forth into that which is called the place of Calvary John 19. Com and follow me Mark 10. Then Jesus said to his Disciples if any one will com after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Matth. 16. I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest Luk. 9. We have all strayed like Sheep and God laid on him the iniquites of us all Isai 53. CVIII MED Of Jesus Crucified JEsus was extended on the Cross He was nail'd to it by his Hands and Feet He is fastned to it with violence He is elevated with pain He rests only on his Wounds There issue out of them four Rivers of Blood Which water the Field of the Church And which blot out the sins of the World He is presented with bitter Wine to drink Which would have asswaged his sorrow He takes som of it into his mouth That he may feel the bitterness of it But he does not swallow it down That it may not allay his torments He is blasphem'd he is cursed He is invited to com down from the Cross But he remains on it even to the end O Jesus I adore thee On this Throne of Sorrows and Ignominies O Divine Saviour I cast my self into thy arms Since thou dost extend them for to embrace me O Sacred Victim of love All burnt and consum'd with Sufferings O High Priest of the new Law What dost thou do upon this Cross Com down and all the World will believe in thee O com not down If thou art the Son of God thou must dy on it If thou com'st down they will not believe in thee They will not follow thee Every one will fly from his Cross No body will dy upon it O my dear Cross I kiss thee and imbrace thee I will dy betwixt thy arms I have espoused thee in my Baptism This Marriage is indissoluble There is nothing but death That can separate us Let the World be no more trouble som to me I bear the marks of our Lord Jesus in my Body I am Crucified with him I will dy with him My Soul Look on thy Saviour on the Cross It is thy sins which have Crucified him He was once Crucified on Calvary But how often hast thou crucified him in thy heart As often as thou dost offend him So often dost thou Crucify him Thou must either Crucifie Jesus Or thy own Passions O Jesus make me dy For fear I should put thee to death Crucify my Body For fear I Crucify thy Spirit They crucified him and with him two others on this side and that side and Jesus in the middle John 19. They gave him wine mingled with gall to drink and when he had tasted it he would not drink Matth. 2. All the day long I spread forth my arms to an unbelieving and contradicting people Rom. 10. With Christ I am fastned to the Cross Gal. 2. They that be Christ's have crucified their flesh with the vices and Concupiscences Gal. 5. God forbid that I should glory saving in the Cross of our Lord Jesus-Christ by whom c. Gal. 5. Crucifying again to themselves the Son of God and making him a mockery Heb. 6. CIX MED On the first Word of Jesus Christ on the Cross JEsus was a long time on the Cross Without uttering so much as a word He keeps a profound silence And does not complain of his Sorrows His Blood does not call for Vengeance But for Grace for those that shed it He prays for them in the height of his Pains And whilst they insult over his misery He excuses their Sin and diminishes the malice of it He does the office of an Advocate For those whose Judge he is He forgets his own evils To think on his enemies evils Their loss is more sensible to him Than the Death which they make him suffer Keep silence O Christian Soul When thou art on the Cross Do not complain of thy Evils Do not lose the fruit of thy Sufferings Hide thy self in the bosom of Humility And repose thy self upon thy Patience Pray for thy Enemies Forget their Injuries Excuse their Intention If thou canst not excuse their action Thou art unworthy of favour If thou refuse to pardon them O Jesus I Pardon my Enemies I Pardon all those that crucify me Alas they know not what they do They think they do me hurt And they procure me much good They think they do themselves good And they procure much hurt to themselves They do themselves more hurt Than I could wish to them Lord Pardon them they know not what they do I sin out of malice and they sin out of ignorance If they had as much grace as I have They would not be so wicked as I am If I were tempted as they are I should possibly be wickeder than they Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23. Forgive thy neighbour hurting thee and then shall thy sins be loosed to thee when thou prayest Eccl. 28. Love your enemies pray for those that persecute and calumniate you Matth. 5. To me revenge and I will render it saith our Lord. Rom. 12. CX MED On the Repentance of the good Thief and the Impenitence of the bad one ONe of the Thieves confesses Jesus Christ And the other renounces him The one adores the other blasphemes him The one ascends up to Heaven by his Cross The other falls down into Hell by his Cross The one is saved by the side of Jesus The other is damned by the side of Jesus He is the Redeemer of them both And only one makes profit of the Redemption He gives his life for them both And one of them dies in his obstinacy O Judgments of God! how profound are you O Goodness of God! how amiable are you O Justice of God! how dreadful are you O Conducts of God how admirable are you Who will not fear to be damned Who will not hope to be saved One may be damn'd in all places Since one may be damn'd by God's side One may be sav'd at all times Since one may be sav'd at the end of his life O sweet words to one that is sick This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Lord forget me not now thou art in thy Kingdom I do indeed desery the evil which I suffer But for you what Crime have you committed O Lord let me hear you say This day thou shalt be with me in Heaven One of the two thieves did blaspheme saying save thy self and us Luk. 23.