Church maketh to the diuine Maiesty contayning as the foresayd Doctour sayth all that the Christian should desire hope feare and aske for this life for the next and therefore most worthy to be recited often in the day as a testimony of our hope as the Credo is of our faith to demand of God what we want although it be lawfull for vs to pray and professe our fayth in other words which the holy Ghost shall sugest After the Pater noster we salute and pray to the B. Virgin in these wordes Haile Marie full of grace our Lord is with thee Blessed art thou amongst all women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe IESVS Holy Mary Mother of God pray for vs sinners now and at the houre of our death Amen The first words are partly of the Archangell Gabriel partly of S. Luc. 2.28 42. Elizabeth the last clause is a prayer that all holy men make to the mother of God The Church therefore reciteth the Aue Maria after the Pater noster as it were coupling an excellent salutation with an excellent prayer vsing the sayd salutation as a diuine praise to the honour of the mother of God and as a thankesgiuing to God for the benefit of the Incarnation of his Sonne and of his benefites giuen vs by the sayd B. Virgin praying her to be our Aduocate to our Creatour that he would heare vs in the requests we make saying the Pater noster and especially to help vs at the houre of our death a ryme of very dangerous conflict and of our greatest necessity The Confiteor is thus I confesse to Almighty God to the B. Virgin S. Mary to the Bl. S. Michael the Archangell to the B. Saint Iohn Baptist to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul to all the Saints to you my Ghostly-father for that I haue grieuously sinned in thought word and deed through my fault through my fault through my most haynous fault Therfore I beseech the Bl. Virgin Mary the Blessed S. Michael the Archangell the Blessed S. Iohn Baptist the holy Apostles Peter and Paul all the Saints and you my Ghostly-father to pray for me to our Lord God When the Confession is not made to the Priest we must leaue out those wordes and to you my Ghostly Father This is the ordinary and generall forme of Confession that euery Christian maketh to God to the B. Virgin to al Saints to the Priest and to them all present if it be made in company acknowledging himselfe a sinner before the diuine Maiesty before Angels Men asking pardon of his sinnes committed and praying the B. Virgin and all the Saints the Priest all the standers by to pray to this end for him Of this is spoken after in the 21. iourney This confession is the generall and common there is another generall sacramentall and secret which is made in the eare of the Priest at some certaine tyme whereof we will speake after This should be made often euery day eyther alone or with others for as often we fall into faults little or great so often also must we humble our selues confessing our faults asking pardon of God whome we haue offended The pilgrime then praying these three tymes a day morning after dinner and night must recite at the beginning of his deuotions and at the end according vnto the circumstances the Credo Pater and Aue professing his fayth and hope toward God and demanding thinges necessary the Confiteor also at the same time in signe of humility confessing himselfe a sinner and asking pardon of his offences if he findeth his conscience charged with any mortall sinne he shall acknowledge his fault making his confession to God with repentance and purpose at the next commodity to confesse to the Priest for sacramentall absolution as hath beene sayd in the first part of the Examen Of the signe of the Crosse CHAP. IX HE shall remember also the signe of the Crosse the signe of the Crosse must be familiar in all our actions Tertul. de coron mil. Matt. 28.19 not only in his exercises of deuotion but also in all other his domesticall and ciuill actions at his rising and going to bed and putting on his cloathes and putting them off in going out in comming home at the beginning and ending of his reading and refection and in other like workes and occasions This is the signe of a Christian and being made with the words spoken by our Sauiour In the name of the Father and of the Sonne of the Holy Ghost is a briefe symbole or collection and a short profession of the B. Trinity and of our Redemption against the infidelity of the Paynimes and Iewes specially in these tymes it is a marke of a Catholike against Heretikes Amb. ser 43. Athan. in vit◠〈◊〉 Antonij It is a signe of good successe in our actions sayth S. Ambrose serm 43. And a signe of victory against Sathan ouercome by the Crosse sayth S. Athana ius in vita S. Antonij It is an armour and defence against temptations and all our ennemyes sayth S. Ephrem And therefore we must vse at all occasions to blesse crosse our forehead Tertul. de coron â—â—l Basil de spiritusâ—ncto c. 27. Greg Na ora 1. con Iuli 1. Chrys ho. 55. in Matt. Athan. vt supra Hier m. c. 9. Ezech. Aug. l. de cathe rudibus cap. 20. tract 118. in Ioan. our mouth our brest our house our letters our bookes our table our meate and all thinges euery where as hath beene the custome of the Church founded in the Tradition of the Apostles as we may learne by the waitings of the Doctours thereof Tertullian S. Basil S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Chrysostome S. Athanasius S. Hierome S. Augustine and other holy persons And whosoeuer for shame or negligence shall forbeare to signe his forehad and his actions wirh this signe he is vnworthy to beare the name of a Christian deserueth at that great day to heare thundered against his folly and ingratitude the sentence of confusion and eternal paine prepared for the ennemies of the Crosse What the Pilgrime should doe euery day CHAP. X. BESIDES this we haue spoken the Pilgrime must euery day as well working dayes as holy dayes make some meditation proper for the day So he may meditate of our Sauiours Resurrection on Sunday of Death on Monday of Iudgement on Tuesday of Hell on Wednesday of the B. Sacrament on Thursday of the Passion of our Sauiour on Friday and of his Buriall on Saterday On holy dayes he shall take some subiect either out of the Ghospell or mystery of the day or of the life of the Saints as to meditate of the hearing of the word of God on Sexagesima-Sunday on the excellency of Martyrdome on s. Stephens day of the holy Ghost at Pentecost of patience and charity on S. Laurence day or any other Saint vpon the day of his martyrdome or feast with
he saw a Citty oâ— forme foure square great wonderfull spacious compassed with walles of squared Amâ—thystes of India and christall checker wise and pointed diamond wise fastened with gold enamelled with azure The Towres were of the same matter and fashion sauing that their batlements were made of Emeralds Iacinths The houses of the Citty were all great palaces built of Diamonds Saphires Topazes other precious stones of admirable lustre and variety cut most artificially for couerings or roofes they had the seeling of heauen-flaming varying in colours like the rainebow MeÌ„ entred in by twelue gates three towards the east and three towards the west as many towards the North and towards the south euery one made of a whole entire precious stone figured and wrought with art surpassing the stuffe The market place and streetes were paued with bricke of fine gold in the same place was seene a fountaine of liuely water which made a torreÌ„t of pleasure running through the streets and trees alwayes greene loaden with the fruite of life and with floures which cast a most sweet odour all ouer the Citty The Cittizens men and women were diuinely beautifull their bodies subtile shyning like the sunne all went and flew nymbly like to Eagles cloathed like the Kings children some in scarlet some in crimson damaske others in white satine some in beaten gold and others in other stuffe and these habits being wrought and garnished with embrodery and passe main lace of gold poudered with all sorts of exquisite and choice pearle and precious stones were couered with a garmeÌ„t of a glittering color thin swimming after them as a mantle of Cypres through the which the beauty of their ornaments appeared more admirable Their heads were crowned with Tissues of gold set with great orientall pearles Rubies Diamonds and Emeraldes and on their forhead hung a glittering Crosse made of diuers great Diamonds of wonderfull brightnes They caryed a palme of immortality in their hands and euery one had â—is pallace and liued all vnder one King and at his owne table in great aboundance of all good things without feare of any euill with a peace vnion and contentement vnspeakeable and there was heard without ceasing sundry consorts of musike of voyces instruments vpon the Towres which made all the Citty sound with an incredible melody As the Baron was plunged in the rauishment of this vision he awaked about midnight and perceiued well that it was God that shewed him the image of this Citty and of these Cittizens He resolued from thenceforth to be a Pilgrime vpon earth and to serue God with all his hart one day to be receiued in the number of these Cittizens a few dayes after he tooke his Fathers blessing became Religious In the same houre when Theodosius and Vincent had slept Lazarus dreamed that being neer his Fathers house his brother Pauline met him saying all amazed O my brother Aâ—me Dieu are you aliue Lazarus also more amazed imbraced him and said O my deare brother Pauline are you yet in the world I kept your funerals at Loreto and with the shadow of this ioy he awaked perceiued it was but a dreame slept againe Three houres after they a rose and kneeled to their prayers making their Meditation euery man by himselfe as they were wont Niceph li. 15. c. 14. ex lanen Episc Ieros Glâ—a alijs Niceph. li. 2. cap. 23. lib. 15. ca. 14. Lazarus meditated first of the piety and deuotion of the Apostles to our B. Lady perseuering three whole dayes to visite her sepulcher and to honour it with hymnes and canticles togeather with the consorts of Angels who in the same time afforded an admirable harmony of their heauenly melody to the honour of the same Virgin Secondly he considered how S. Thomas comming by the Prouidence of God the third day and desirous to honour the body of the B. Virgin whome he could not serue at her decease as his companions did was cause that they opened the sepulcher to giue him contentment and to behold that sacred treasure layd vp in it and that not fynding it there they acknowledged the glorious Asssiption of the B. Virgin caryed to heauen both body and soule and priuiledged after her death with a prerogatiue of a glorious resurrection before the great and generall day as she was priuiledged with a thousand graces all the course of her life And thereupon came into his memory the prophecy of King Dauid foretelling in these wordes the Resurrection of the Sonne of the mother Psal 133. Arise O Lord into thy rest thou and the Arke of thy Sanctification The wordes also of the Sonne speaking vnto his mother Cant. 4. as vnto his well beloued Spouse Arise my friend my doue and come the winter is now passed the raine is ended and gone make hast my loue without staying for the last general resurrection of men Come betimes from the shadow of the graue and come to the light of heauen for winter is passed with you the showrs of your teares are dried vp he made her make haste not letting her lye three litle and short daies in her Sepulcher So it was meete that that sacred body which had brought forth life should not be swallowed by death and giuen for a prey and foode to wormes nor the matter of incorruption turne to ashes and that she who had by priuiledge beene exempted from originall sin Gen. 3. and the common malediction of women in their childbirth should also be exempted from the paine and malediction incurred by the same which was to be by death turned into dust and ashes Heere Lazarus considered attentiuely the glory of this resurrection which doubtlesse was worthy of the Sonne mother of God and such as the Angels might well admire but not expresse and therefore seeing her ascend they sayd who is she that coming from the desert ascendeth loaden with delights Cant. â— and leauing vpon her well beloued They admired and demaunded and could not otherwise expresse the beauty of this creature And if these celestiall spirits so well seene in all great things do shew by their wondering that they neuer saw the like in heauen what can men say or conceiue of the glory of this Assumption Of the Meditation of this glory particular of the B. The ioy glory of Paradise Virgin Lazarus tooke occasion to thinke of the ioyes of Paradise â—he coÌ„sidered first the essence of that ioy which consisteth in the vision of God a perfect ioy and alone sufficient to satisfy and fill the hart of man which cannot be filled but with the possession of an infinite good and if the knowledge of creatures of the heauens of the starres of other creatures though imperfect and full of obscurity can rauish with ioy the spirits of mortall men in the darknes of this base low world what ioy may redouÌ„d to the blessed soules aboue
THE PILGRIME OF LORETO PERFORMING HIS VOW MADE TO THE GLORIOVS VIRGIN MARY MOTHER OF GOD. Conteyning diuers deuout Meditations vpon the Christian Cath. Doctrine By Fa. Lewis Richeome of the Society of IESVS Written in French translated into English by E.W. PRINTED At Paris Anno Dom. M.DC.XXIX TO THE MOST HIGH AND EXCELLENT PRINCESSE MARY BY GODS SINGVLAR PROVIDENCE QVEENE OF GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE AND IRELAND c. MADAME This Pilgrime being drawn with a great desire to present himselfe and his seruice to your Maiesty was driuen backe by a double feare the one of offending with his ouer-boldnes in presenting himselfe poore Pilgrime to so great a Princesse the other least the very name of Pilgrime might debar him of all accesse and Audience Yet at last he resumed his first resolution considering that he was to appeare before a Queene not so Great as Gracious as all that conuerse in your Royall Court do try and testify You are the daughter of that great and Gracious King who heertofore hath with gracious acceptaÌ„ce intertained this same Pilgrim in FraÌ„ce presented vnto him by that eloquent learned and Religious Frenchman F. Lewis Richeome Accept then MADAME in England what your renowned Father imbraced in France He desireth only to be graced and honoured with your Maiestyes Name and to shroud himselfe vnder the winges of your Princely protection and to be admitted your Maiesties poore beadesman For the bare Name of Pilgrime though it may chance to breed some iealousy at the first yet whosoeuer shall but search him and examine his instructions and directions find nothing but of deuotion meditation prayer and particulerly for your Maiesty he may hope rather to be admitted for his innocency and loyall Intention then excluded for the only name of Pilgrime which Name though now strange hath heertofore beene so vsuall and esteemed in our Court S. Helene and Country as Kinges and Queenes haue not only vndertaken it but gloried therein Canutus And so great sayth an ancient Authour 900. yeares since was the deuotion of Englishmen in that tyme Ceadwalla after all the Country was conuerted and christened that not only the Noble men and the meaner sort Clerickes and Layickes but the Kinges the Kinges children leauing their kingdomes and the wealth of the world Marcelliâ— in vita S. Switbâ—râ—â— haue out of their great deuotion chosen for a tyme to go Pilgrims for Christ on earth This Pilgrime was presented to your Maiestyes Father in France of purpose to offer his prayers for the then Daulphin now King the benefit and fruit whereof he hath found and felt in good successe of his affaires and for all the Royall house Realme of France wherein your Maiesty had a part he commeth now wholy and particulerly to do the like for both your Maiesties that God by the intercession of his Blessed Mother would blesse your Royall persons your people and kingdome with all earthly and heauenly benedictions And namely that hauing vnited you in the sacred bandes of holy Matrimony and lincked your hearts with so fast Loue and Affection as all your Subiects do ioy to see and heare that he would also blesse you with the happy fruit thereof and make his Maiesty a ioyfull Father and You a Mother of many goodly and Godly Princes who may longe sway the Scepter of great Britaine after you may imitate in vertue and sanctity S. Edward and S. Lewis your Maiesties glorious predecessours and in wisedome and valour your Maiesties noble Father of famous memory Neither doe I see MADAME why this Pilgrime should feare to come to any Court or company seeing he coÌ„meth euery where but among his fellowes for though all be not Pilgrimes of Loreto neither is this booke only or principally to direct such yet whilest we liue in this world we are though as Kinges Queenes and Emperours all Pilgrimes as a great King sayd of himselfe Aduena peregrinus sum ego Psal 38. Who though they haue thousandes of Castles and Citties yet haue they not heere any one Ciuitatem permanentem which shall not be taken from them before they dye or they taken from it by death but futuram inquirimus hauing no mansion-house or byding place in this world we goe seeking one in Heauen where be multae mansiones Which this Pilgrimage vnder the shadow of his other Pilgrimage doth exactly teach vs to do exhorting vs with S. Peter 1. Pet. 2. as strangers and Pilgrimes to abstaine from carnall desires which fight against the soule and to seeke the spirituall and eternall the increase whereof will make your Maiesty greater before God and man For the honours and glory of this mortal life your Maiesty hath as much as your heart can reasonably desire You haue for your Ancestours great Emperours and Kings of Hungary and Bohemia for your Progenitors the great Dukes of Tuscany for your Father Great Henry of France and for your husband the King of Great Britaine all Great Being placed in the top of these honours there is no roome for more nor cause to desire any greater fortunes but only those which may and alwayes should increase in vs in this life and prouide matter for a Crowne of glory in the next These MADAME are holy vertues which adorne noble deuout soules as silke siluer gold pearles and precious stones doe the body these are the ornaments which haue aduanced meane women aboue Queenes Queenes aboue theÌ„selues as they did Hester who though she were exceeding beautifull yet her humility modesty charity wisedome other diuine qualities of her soule made her more admired in her life theÌ„ the beauty of her body or the Diademe of her head and after her death hath left her Name grauen in the memory of all following ages These goodly ornaments I say togeather with the corporall guifts which the hand of God hath liberally cast vpon You wonne the harts of those who knew you in France and were the titles wherby you were iudged to be a Princesse worthy of a Kingdome and a fit Consort for so great a King To conclude these are the treasures which only You shall carry with You departing this life to raigne for euer in the other with the Blessed The other guifts as beauty riches honour Iewelles the Crowne it selfe and all other earthly treasures the spoyle of tyme do passe from their being to their buriall as a shadow that vanisheth as a Post that gallopeth away as a Ship on the sea as a Bird in the ayre who leaue no path nor trace behind them as dust or a lock of woll hoysted with the wind as the froth and fome of the Sea broken with a storme as smoke dispersed in the ayre and as the memory of a guest which stayeth but one night Thus sayd Salomon out of his owne experience and we see as much euery day by ours Sap. 5. How vaine then O most Christian Queene is all this world
house then the earth a dwelling common to the beasts also and to the creatures of vilest and basest condition yea although he had not sinned this base world had beene assigned vnto him notwithstanding as a land of pilgrimage not painefull and wretched as it is now but gracious and honourable where hauing a while delighted himselfe with the contemplation of his Creatour and his goodly workes and in thankesgiuing for the benefits receaued of that supreme bounty without any death or payne he should haue mounted with his body to heauen his true Countrey there to raigne for euer in the company of Angels his countrey-men and fellow-cittizens The earth therfore was graunted giuen vnto him as a dwelling pleasant indeed yet not perpetuall but only for a tyme as it were in passing so by reason of this preheminence he was still a Pilgrime and no Cittizen Why mans pilgrimage heer is so paineful Now the cause why this pilgrimage is so painefull and full of miseries is the sinne of Adam for the which he was driuen out of the earthly Paradise and became a poore Bandit about the world and in him all his posterity and race of mortall children were depriued for the most part of the dominion of the world which was their portion and inheritance moreouer for this old fault and for other new dayly committed by themselues they are made subiect to cold heat hunger thirst wearines want dangers from men and beastes strangers one to another and enemyes one to another and finally condemned to a thousand miseryes incident to this life last of all to death that dolefull close of all our whole pilgrimage if it be not made in the grace of God The fourth point shall be to consider the course of the pilgrimage limited with two boundes our birth and our death 4. The bondes a small tyme for all whereas the lasting of tyme cannot be but short though the tyme were long yet lesse for some then for some other by reason of a thousand chances and accidents that trauerse and ouerthwart our life and doe hasten vnto many the boundes assignation of death The fifth point shall consider the saying of S. Peter 5. Man must liue like a pilgrime 1. Pet. 2.19 exhorting Christians in these wordes My well beloued I beseech you to abstaine as strangers and pilgrimes from carnall desires that fight against the soule And therupon we must consider the great blindnes of the most part of men who forgetting their condition and pilgrimage do liue vpon the earth as if they should abide there alwayes without euer lifting vp their eyes to heauen mans true country The speach shall be a summary of all these points The colloquy or speach of the prayer where the pilgrime hauing his soule enlightned by the light of this meditation and possessed with a new loue of heauen and disdaine of the earth and so much the more straightly vnited to his Creatour whome he hath perceaued to be so bountifull and wise in disposition of his guifts he shall speake confidently vnto his Maiesty and thanke him and intreat him demanding his ayde and help happily to beginne and end his pilgrimage in these or such like wordes O Lord with what hart shall I loue thee and with what tongue shall I prayse and thanke thee I say not for thy benefits receaued from thy holy hand since my first being but eueÌ„ for that which thou dost bestow vpoÌ„ me at this very time in the cleere knowledge of thy wisedome and bounty of my own estate conditioÌ„ I see O my soueraigne that thou hast created this world with an admirable variety of creatures ordayned for my vse and sustenance and that thou hast made me to be borne vpon earth endowed me with thy owne image and likenes there to liue not for euer as a Cittizen but for a small tyme as a pilgrime there to passe and walke there to serue thee as long as tyme shall last and after come to enioy thee for euer in heauen in that celestial Citty of thy Kingdom a Citty built of gold and precious stones vpon the foundations of eternity and rich in glory infinit treasures I see this world is but a pilgrimage a mortall and short race and that aboue thou hast founded the land of the liuing and the seat of our rest and repose for them that will passe this way-faring habitation in the obseruatioÌ„ of thy holy lawes O how great is thy liberality To make so small account of the guift present of the vniuersall world enriched and beautifyed with so many tokeÌ„s of thy greatnes as to giue it man only for his Inne and passage What a place then may that be which thou hast prepared for him to dwell with thee in all eternity If the common Cabbine for beastes be so magnificall what shall be the Pallace which thy Maiesty reserueth for him in the company of thy immortall spirits the Princes and Nobles of thy heauenly Court O my Creatour may it please thee to graunt me an inflamed desire to serue thee and meanes to enioy thee one day in the dwelling of thy pallace there and an assured direction of all my actions and affections to walke that way and to arriue there keep me from wondering at my Cottage forgetting of thy Pallace Ap ayer to the B. Virgin O most holy Virgin who already reignest there most happily exalted aboue the highest seates of honour help my infirmity with thy authority and whilest I am thy pilgrime towards thy litle-great house of Nazareth obtaine me the grace happily to accomplish my great pilgrimage begun from the wombe of my mortall mother which must be ended in the graue in the bosome of my other mother The earth our graÌ„d Mother If it please thee to aske thou canst not misse to obtaine all that is necessary for my end for how can the Father refuse thee who hath chosen thee for mother to his Sonne And that Sonne being the Sauiour of men how can he repell his Mother treating for my saluation And the holy Ghost equall to them both what can he deny thee by whose worke thou hast brought forth the Sauiour of the world receaued the Title of the Mother of God! Aske then O most mighty gracious Virgin the graunt is assured to thee in thy power grace and to me in this graunt the fauour and assistance of God The Pilgrime hauing armed his soule with this prayer taketh his refection for his body signing his forehead mouth and breast with the signe of the Crosse goeth out of his lodging on his way with the accustomed farewell to thâ—se of the house and he shall begin the steps of his pilgrimage vnder the protection of God and of the glorious Virgin his good Angell who must guide him as Raphael did young Toby The afternoone and euening of the first dayes Iourney The likenes of the Pilgrimage of mans
a great Desert through which doe passe two sortes of Pilgrimes the one that go vnder a faythfull and good Capraine patiently enduring the incommodity of places and tymes fighting valiantly at all occasions with robbers beastes We must walke while it is day Ioan. 12.35 measuring their refection not by pleasure but by necessity not thinking of any thing all the day long but to gayne way toward the place end of their pilgrimage The other lead by a naughty and treacherous guide walke all the day wandering vp and downe staying to behold curiously euery thing betaking themselues at euery houre to rest and repast like drunkards and vagabondes Those that are surprised by death And at the last being surprised by night in ill termes and ill wether and ill prouided they fall into the mercy partly of cruell beastes Lyons Wolues Beares and such like that deuoure them and partly of theeues and robbers who cut them in peeces and make merry with their spoile and booty In the second Preamble he shall demand of God with humble and feruent hart the grace whereby he may liuely see and know the manner how to be a good pilgrime in this world to auoyd the dolefull end of the bad The first point shall begin with that which God sayd to Adam for the pennance of his dolefull dinner Because thou hast heard the voice of thy wife Gen. 3.17 and hast eaten of the tree I forbad thou â—houldest not eate the earth shall be accursed in thy worke and thou â—halt feed therof in trauaile all the dayes of thy life it shall bring thee forth thornes and thistles and thou shalt eat the grasse of the field in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread vntill thou returne to the â—arth whereof thou wert made By which wordes he shall see that all the race of man wrapped in the condemnation of our first Father hath gotten a necessity to suffer paine and trauaile â—n this life vntill death as himselfe did In the second he shall heare and consider the wordes of S. â—ames saying Happy is he that suffereth temptation for after that â—e hath beene proued he shall receaue the crowne of Glory 2. Tim. 2.5 And that of S. Paul He that fighteth not duly shall not be crowned The third point shal set before his eyes the great multitude of the Hebrewes trauailing in the desert of Arabia amongst whome those that were valiant suffered and fought valiantly vnder the conduct and direction of Moyses the seruant of God in hope to enter into the land of promise to the which they alwayes aspired The other slaues of the Diuell and their own bellies murmurers and rebels sought nothing but to eate and drinke not caring for the countrey for the which they were come out of Aegypt and they perished miserably in the desert made a prey to their enemies their bodyes were a spoile to the earth their soules to hell Iesus Christ pilgrime for men In the fourth point he shall contemplate on the one part Iesus Christ descended from heaueÌ„ to the desert of this world to be pilgrime among the children of Adam the true guide of our pilgrimage and captaine of our warres In the one being made vnto vs the way to leade vs to our heauenly Country and giue vs light and strength to walke directly thither and in the other hauing taught vs by his word and example how we must fight against our enemies the Flesh the World and the Diuell and all the squadrons of vices and furnished vs with instructions weapons forces with the assistance of his grace and Sacraments valiantly to assaile and endure the assault and to beare away the victory and crowne also if we will our selues The blindnes of men On the other part he shall bewaile the blindnes forgetfullnes peruersity of those that straggling from the conduct of their King and Sauiour cast themselues into the wayes troupes of Sathan walking to perdition in perpetual misery darknes slauery to this tyrant and their own sinnes and vices In the fift point he shall weigh how profitable pleasing a thing it is to God to suffer in this life somwhat for his sake not for that he needeth our paynes It is profitable honourable to suffer for God or taketh any pleasure in them of themselues but for that to haue a wil to suffer and in effect to suffer for him is to beare towards him the depth of true charity to giue an assured proofe therof For prosperity is not the true touch and triall of loue but aduersity and therefore our Sauiour the patterne of all perfection to shew his infinit loue to his Father vs hath made choice of this way hath performed his pilgrimage in the thickest of a thousand trauaile and did end it by the torment and ignominy of the Crosse in the meane tyme he hath often with a loud voice exhorted his Apostles Disciples to suffer he councelled euery one to carry his crosse he preached those happy that suffer for his name he promised rest for paine honour for shame eternity for tyme. This exercise is so honourable and so precious that if enuy could find place in the harts of the glorious and happy Spirits they would enuy iust men this honour and happines If Angels could be enuious they would eÌ„uy our suffering that they can suffer for so great a Prince after the example of such a Captaine and for so great pay and reward By which meditation the pilgrime shall not only be comforted in the trauaile of this his pilgrimage but shal also be liuely encouraged and enabled to labour more and more euery day considering that he cannot haue a more high and royall way towardes heauen then that of the Crosse beaten by the King himselfe and as the Apostle sayth 2. Cor. 4. Our tribulation which is heere short and light worketh in vs an eternall weight of endlesse glory he shall be then animated and stirred forward to suffer in fighting and fight in suffering seeing that his tribulations his discommodities his wearynes his teares his watching his hunger his thirst fasting disciplines hayre-clothes and all his afflictioÌ„s and combats thinges of themselues of small worth and short yet suffered for this maister shall be reckoned vnto him for so many crownes of glory and so many increases of felicity in the great day when all true pilgrimes and valiant champions shall enter in triumph to the kingdome of their heauenly couÌ„trey In the end he shall make his prayer and speach to God speaking to him with the wordes and sentences of his meditation and shall say with an humble and submisâ—e hart My Creatour and Lord behold me in the progresse of my pilgrimage full of desire and courage but inexpert and vnskilfull to choose and find my way and weake to support the future difficulties thereof Thou hast giuen me the meanes to vndertake it with
a courage Each one may say this specially beginners and a desire faythfull to finish it giue me also if it please thee strength and force let me suffer vpon the earth of my pilgrimage seeing I am one of Adams children condeÌ„ned to traâ—aile but let it be for thy sake and vnder the banner of thyne only Sonne Iesus Christ for I know that torments and death suffered by such a title vnder such a Captaine containe an earnest of the ioyes of thy felicity and of life euerlasting Aboue all keep me O Lord from being of the number of those who like euill pilgrimes seeke the labyrinthes of this world and not the wayes of heauen who forgetting their owne condition become insteed of wise pilgrimes as they should be mad and senseles vagabondes and after many courses perish in the desert buried in the dust which they should tread vnder foot Alas What seek they in their base dwelling Doe they thinke to find true repose in the countrey of famine of thornes of thistles Life in the region of death The vanity of worldlinges Triumph in the field of battell place of warre Heere is not the place that they must seeke such aduentures nor yet aske them Neither doe I aske it of thee O Lord I desire of thee heere the victory ouer thyne enemies and myne let the honour of the triumph if I deserue any be reserued to a better tyme and place in the spring time of thine eternity in the land of thy children in myne owne home not in a strange Countrey let the wise of this world triumph in their countrey The Romans triumphed in Rome not in strange CouÌ„treys and thy children in heauen the house and citty of their Father O glorious Virgin most pure Mother most puissant Queene in this eternity in this countrey we speake of thou art my Aduocate seeing thou art content to be so to all men that choose thee for such and fight for Heauen vnder thy protection fortify and second my prayers by thy intercession and procure them to be heard that hauing learned to honour and adore with all my hart thy Sonne in thy house of Loreto I may also adore him enioy him and magnify him for euer in his celestiall pallace The Pilgrime being refreshed with this spirituall repast shall march on his morning with his accustomed exercises The after dinner and Euening of the second day That euery Christian must suffer and beare his Crosse CHAP. IIII. IN the Afternoone he shall repeate the points of his morning Meditation and doing it with attention he shall draw thence two instructions The first The errour of worldly men that they are greatly deceaued who carrying the name of Christians and calling themselues pilgrimes vpon earth giue themselues notwithstanding to pleasures enemies of the Crosse of all that may afflict the body and for the good of the soule they thinke it sufficient that our Sauiour hath endured for vs yea and that we doe iniury to the merits of his passion to suffer any thing with him or after him people buried in the blindenes of their sensuality neither acknowledging what they haue receaued of him nor what they should render him againe nor the good they may get by suffering for him The benefit that man reapeth by the paines and passion of our Sauiour is no exemption from al payne An instructioÌ„ but from the eternall which only is to be feared to which sinne hath bound and tyed vs from the which bond no other fine Profitable and glorious to suffer with Christ Ioan. 14. and ransome could deliuer vs but the infinite merits of such a Redeemer as for temporall paynes it is so farre of that he hath therby exempted vs as that cleane contrary he hath inuited and bound vs by his example his wâ—rd and promise of reward recompense I haue giuen you example sayth he that you may doe as you haue seene me doe And againe Whosoeuer will follow me let him deny himselfe take vp his Crosse and follow me And S. Mat. â—6 Peter plainely sayth Our Sauiour hath suffered for vs leauing you an example to follow his steppes And S. Paul Rom. 8.17 We shal be glorifyed with him if we suffer with him And surely naturall reason doth teach vs that to be true which our Sauiour sayth Luc. 6.40 The Scholler is not aboue his Maister And it were a monstrous thing to see a souldier playing at Dice and drinking himselfe drunke in his Pauilion whilest his Generall with his armour on his backe in the field endureth the heat and the dust exposing himselfe to labours and dangers of death By the example and wordes of our Sauiour we haue eternall glory promised to our trauailes Happy are you sayth he to his Apostles and in them to all Christiansâ— when men curse you and persecute you Matth. 5. for great is your reward in heauen A promise that should liuely stirre vs vp if we haue any feeling of true glory to runne with a great courage in this race of tribulations and wants and to endure all paine for the loue of God and thus doing we honour him following and seruing him and accomplish his commandement and winne to our selues therein a crowne of immortality And those that do contrary are the children of confusion vnfaithfull seruants cowardly souldiers very sluggards taking occasion of dastardy of the same thinges that should moue them to fight valiantly The true Christian must alwayes goe forward in vertue CHAP. V. THE second instruction the Pilgrime shall take of his Meditation is that as he that will well performe his pilgrimage must euery day gayne ground so he that will come to heauen must euery day profit in vertue and iustice And as the true Pilgrime doth not cease to walke whilst he is Pilgrime Pern epist 91. 204. so sayth S. Bernard He that is truely iust neuer saith it is inough He is alwayes hungry alwayes thirsty of iustice and if he should liue alwayes he would labour alwayes to be wiser so that if it be a perfect desire to haue a will alwayes to profit and goe forward not to haue this will is to go backeward and where a man beginneth to haue a will not to be better there he ceaseth to be good The true Pilgrime should alwayes winne ground and aduance himselfe to God wardes and this endeauour concerneth not only Religious persons as people doe thinke but all men Inclination to perfectioÌ„ is natural and namely Christians Reason teacheth vs that each thing tendeth to be better then it is plants and trees liue to increase to flourish and fructify which is their perfection and if a Cherry-tree could expresse his naturall inclination it would say that it desireth to grow to the highest degree of goodnes that any tree of that kind could attaine vnto and so would all other creatures say Why then should not man haue the like inclination
giuen vs so notable a pledge of his loue he must needes giue vs great cause of hope and trust in him There was nothing sayth S. Augustine more necessary to vphold our hope Lib. 13. de Trinit c. 10. then to haue some token of his loue and what token greater can there be then to see the Sonne of God vnited to our nature Now by the demonstration of this loue he hath most liuely inuited and incited man to loue him for there is nothing so naturall as to loue him of whome we see our selues beloued August de catech iudâ—â—us c. 4. VVherefore sayth the same Doctour if heertofore we were slow to loue yet now let vs be ready to render loue Moreouer could there be a more noble meanes to make man partaker of this supreme nature our happynes then by this alliance whereby God is made Man and man God To breake the hart and pride of the Diuell then to see the nature of man which he so much despised and abased to be exalted aboue the nature of Angells To tame his arrogancy and presumption and to remoue the yoke of his tyranny by a Man God man alone not being sufficient to satisfy and ouercome for mankind and God alone could not suffer being impassible To teach man humility the foundation of all vertue Phil. 2. seeing God not only humbled but also annihilated taking the forme of a seruant and suffering the death of the Crosse To teach obedience purity liberality deuotion prudence constancy Philip. 2. magnanimity and other vertues whereof he hath giuen so good instructions both by word and worke all his life long and specially in the three last yeares that he manifested himselfe to the world and most clearely and effectually in that admirable conflict of the Crosse To teach finally to doe nothing against the dignity of man so much honoured by this alliance Are these meanes effectuall inough to redeeme man Do they sufficiently declare the infinit wisedome of God Of the power of God in the same Mystery CHAP. XXVIII DOTH not the power of God also diuinely appeare in this mystery The power of God in the IncarnatioÌ„ for therein we see two natures infinitly different to be ioyned togeather the diuine and the humane and by a bound so admirable and so strait that remayning distinct and without confusion they make but one person the closest and neerest vnion that can be of thinges diuerse This therefore is a worke of one Almighty and a most manifest demonstration of an infinit power It is without comparison greater then that he shewed in the Creation of man in ioyning his spirit and body an heauenly soule with an earthly body making as it were an abridgement of the whole world for the soule was not infinitly distant from the condition of the body as the diuine nature is from the humane this was only to ioyne two creatures of diuers rankes and degrees but to ioyne the word of God with our flesh in one person is to haue vnited two natures infinitely vnequall S. Berna serm de Natiuit to haue made an admirable abridgement of the whole world and of the Author of the world and to haue inclosed infinitenes in littlenes and eternity in tyme. This is infinitely more then to ioyne East to West or North to South or heauen and earth together for such a coniunction should be of things farre different yet with some proportion and measure but this is of two natures infinitely distant the one from the other the diuinity with the humanity the infinit with the finit the most souerain maiesty with the least reasonable creature stable Eternity with floting Time the supreme power with infirmity impassibility with sufferance God with man the Creatour with his Creature which are so many exploites and testimonies of an Almighty power Motiues to the loue of God Heere then the contemplatiue soule shal admire shall prayse and exalt the wonders of this soueraigne God in this mystery he shall stirre vp himselfe to his loue seeing the effects of his wonderfull bounty to reuerence and respect seeing the signes of his infinit wisedome to his feare considering the greatnes of his maiesty He shall thanke the Father for sending his Sonne and the Sonne for taking our flesh by the will of the Father and also the Holy Ghost the bond of the Father and the Sonne and shall adore this diuine soueraigne Trinity one God in three persons all and euery one the maker of this admirable and principall worke greater then had beene the Creation of a thousand worldes The eight and twenty day and the seauenth of his Aboade Of the Visitation of the B. Virgin CHAP. XXIX THIS day the Pilgrime shall make his meditation of the voiage of the B. Virgin to the house of her Cousin Elizabeth The modesty of the virgin in her voiage whome she went to visit immediatly after she was saluted by the Angell For the first point of the meditation the Pilgrime shal take the first part of the history In those dayes Mary rose went quickly to the mountaines vnto a towne of Iudea he nameth not this towne as he did Nazareth because it concerned not the mystery of the visitation such a writer puts nothing superfluous in his history he declareth only the courage and diligence of the B. Virgin to vndertake and performe this Pilgrimage which principally he meant to report Here the deuout soule shall first cast her eyes vpon this heauenly mayd great with God Almighty walking the fieldes not with the traine or company of an earthly Queene in Coach or Litter garnished with veluet or cloth of gold with soft beds and cushions but in the simplicity of a daughter of Sion on foot in company of her Spouse Ioseph though assisted with a great company of Angels for the guard of him they caried and of her and followed her foot by foot through all the places she passed Secondly she shall consider the humility of the B. Virgin practising by worke the vertue which she professed in word Her humility in visiting S. Elizabeth calling her selfe the seruant of our Lord the greater goeth to the lesse the virgin to the wife the daughter of Dauid to the daughter of Aaron the mother of God to the mother of a man the mother of our Lord to the mother of a seruant which are so many proofes of an heauenly humility It was also very coÌ„uenient that she should excell in this vertue meete for the Mother of him who descended from heauen to her wombe by humility to beginne to walke in humility The Daughters of this world do not so for when they are by others exalted to any greatnes they make themselues also greater in their own hart and do highly disdayne their inferiours and the ordinary fashion of women with child is to become heauy and to seeke rest and ease of body This B. Virgin goeth another way as she
that with a deliberate purpose despise the riches of the earth This doctrine is very high and altogether a paradoxe to worldly men who call rich men happy and care litle for the Kingdome of heauen The 2. Happy are the meeke 2. The meeke shall possesse the earth of the liuing Psal 2â— 141.6 Orig hom 26 in Num. Bas in Psal 33. for they shall possesse the earth This is the earth of the lyuing This is also a paradoxe to the world who esteemeth aboue all other those that haue their choller and their hand ready at commaundement and know how to be reuenged of their enemies children and heires of the earth but of the earth of the dead not of the liuing The 3. Happy are those that weep for they shall be comforted The world loueth better to laugh in this life although they should be comfortlesse euer after theÌ„ to bewayle their sinnes heere and after to enioy the euerlasting comfort of heauen The 4. Happy are they that hunger thirst after iustice for they shall be filled the hunger and thirst of this world is hungerly to seeke and desire the transitory goods and honours that fill but satisfy not The 5. happy are the merciful for they shall obtaine mercy The worldlings are counted magnanimous if they be vnmercifull and fierce rather seeking to make others miserable for their particular profit than to shew themselues mercifâ—l vnto them in their necessity for Gods sake The 6. Happy are they that are cleane of hart for they shall see God the eye of the soule is the intentioÌ„ cleane hart this is the eye which shall see God the obiect of eternal felicity whereof the foule and vncleane soule is vncapable The 7. Happy are the peace-makers for they shal be called the children of God The louers of peace concord shall carry this goodly title honoured with the marke of their Father who is God of peace as contrariwise they that make onely account of warre to sow discord and dissention shall be called the children of the Diuel The 8. Happy and those that suffer persecution for iustice for to them appertaineth the Kingdome of heauen This last clause encountreth right with the iudgment of men who put their felicity in the friendship fauours and countenance of men and accounteth him accursed that suffereth persecutioÌ„ Iesus-Christ therfore opening his mouth hath controled the false opinion of the world and sheweth how honourable a thing it is to suffer for the honour of God and that by his practise fortifyed the proofe of this his paradoxe hauing himselfe chosen labours persecutions the death of the Crosse the toppe height of all persecution heere Lazarus concluded in these words O sweete Iesus excellent teacher of truth and truth it self The praier giue me the grace well to vnderstand thy doctrine and holily to practise it to be poore in spirit and rich in thy blessings and aboue all for thy loue to suffer the wants and persecutions of this life and with thee to be partaker of that hire which thy doctrine promiseth in the other Thus prayed Lazarus Theodosius and Vincent met in many points of their meditation and all did conceiue A sermon of Perfection that this sermon was a lesson of Apostolicall perfectioÌ„ conteinâ—ng the doctrine of most high Christian vertues the recompence that shall be rendred to euery one according to the measure of their merit This done they prepared theÌ„selues to confession for to receiue for they vnderstood by the Porter that the good man had faculty of the Bishop to administer the Sacraments when occasion should be offered Math. 16.21 Rom. 2.6 He came to visite them in the morning and giuing them the good morrow he inuited them to Masse which he beganne hauing heard their confessions they receiued an admirable comfort to see this heauenly old man celebrate the Sacrifice and yet more in receiuing the body of our Sauiour 1. The description of the world 2. Her lawes 3. Her fayth 4. The good mingled with the wicked in this life 5. Horrible sights 6. To serue God is a thing honourable CHAP. XVII THEIR deuotion ended the Hermite brought them to the chamber to take a litle refection for the necessity of their iourny Lazarus for himselfe and his companions sayd my good Father we cannot eat nor drinke hartily except first we may enioy the performance of your promise may see that Citty neerer which yersterday you shewed vs a farre off and made vs wonder at the meruailous qualities you recounted thereof it is to early to eat yet neyther can we haue a better breakfast at your hand than the hearing of such a lesson I remember well my promise quoth the Hermite I will acquit my self but it shall be in walking with you for I will be your companion some peece of the way you shall be so much the forwarder on your iourny giuing his benediction he deuided the egs which he caused to be sodden in the shell and to giue them example began himselfe first When they had done which was soone well saith he let vs now go on Gods name The porter gaue him in his haÌ„d his staffe of pear-tree to rest himself on shutting the doore after him he went out with them the sunne being about an houre high The Pilgrims were very aager and attentiue to heare the exposition of the allegory which the good Hermit began in this sort The description of the world S. Aug. 14 de ciuit c. 26. The Citty which I haue described vnto you my good friends is the world the assemby and Citty of the diuell fouÌ„ded in the midst of the earth for those wicked persons who make this Citty whersoeuer they be they are in the midst of the earth euery part of the earth being his midst as euery line of a Globe in the midst of his circumfereÌ„ce The situation is a maâ—ith ground a place of durt myre ill assured as her hopes base and vncertaine It is neere to the sea neere I say in qualities tossed with a thousand windes and tempests full of daungers of vices and sinnes as the sea is of rockes sandes monsters and such like S. Aug. in Psal 142. The founder is Self-loue the eldest sonne of rebellion Two loues saith one Saint built two Citties Sel-floue built that of the Diuell to the contempt of God The Loue of God built the Citty of God vnto the contempt of our selues and this is founded in heauen in the midst of the Kingdome of God Hee of it is that Abell the first member of that Citty built nothing vpon the earth Why Abell built no citty but Cain because he was a Pilgrime Cain the first reprobate and cittizen of Satans Citty and of the world built a towne therin This citty is a refuge of rebellion a den of rake-hels enemies to God and preuaricatours of his law Insteed of walles it hath deep ditchs and great rampires
gall to eate and vineger to drinke but himselfe neuer receiued such vsage at the Iewes hands but it was thou O sweet Lambe the true Dauid who didst tast the bitternes of this gall the sharpnes of this vineger Our Sauiour tormented ouer all his body The same Prophet sayd that they had numbred his bones of thee he did speake for he beheld with his foreseeing and Propheticall eyes thy precious body stretched out vpon the Crosse with such violeÌ„ce that men might tell thy bones and there was no part or member in thee which had not his proper torment Thy skinne was torne with the stripes of the roddes thy head crowned with thornes thy feete and hands nayled thine eyes striken with the sight not onely of thine enemies but also of thy friends and namely of thy sorrowfull mother whom I behold at the foote of thy Crosse Our B. Lady at the foote of the Crosse and whome thou seest also striken in her soule with that sword of sorrow which good old Simeon did foretell thou seest her alas with an eye watered with teares and bloud these are the torments of thine eyes Thine eares are beaten with the blasphemies and mockeries of thy persecutors thy hart is afflicted with our afflictions thy backe loaden with the waight of our sinnes and finally Dauid did forsee thee in the light of his spirit which knew things to come he did contemplate thee in this Crosse oppressed with torments and filled with reproaches as a man forlorne without all help or force The reproache of men and the refuse of the people who preferred a murderer and a thiefe before the author of life a man who was thought to be forsaken and abandoned by God there hence it is that thy grand-father wrote that verse which thou camest to pronounce O sweet Redeemer My God my God why hast thou forsaken me wordes that very emphatically doe declare the rigour of thy affliction Deus Dâ—â—â—meus Psal 21. Math. 27. Marc. 15. and with a diuine eloquence dost represent thee as forsaken of God yet by interrogation without affirming in apparence and outward shew not in truth For God had not forsaken thee yea he hath nothing so deere in heaueÌ„ or earth as thee his onely Sonne which he testifyed at that time by the dole and mourning of the whole world when he commanded the sunne to eclipse when he made the moone loose her light the earth to tremble the rockes to riue the graues to open in signe of thy griefes and sorrowes and in detestatioÌ„ of the malice of thy tormentors Why the death of our Sauiour was so long before figured foretold It was therfore the enormity of thy torments which these words declared and not any forgetfullnes of thy Father Heere suffer me O my sweet Sauiour to aske thee why thou didst cause the tenor and forme of so many torments to be so liuely expressed and fortold and why thou wouldest endure them Hast thou foretold them to proue therby that thou wert God that thy death was not by chance but a voluntary charity a designement of thy wisedome and infinite bounty towards man made long before hand a mercy proiected in the closet and counsell of thy Eternity for who could so particularly foretell so many and so diuers actions happened in this tragedy that knew them not Onely God perceiueth forseeth future things Esa 41.13 And who could know them being so remote and so vnlâ—kely but only God but thy self to whose eye all things are present And who could haue belieued that thou wouldest loue vs so soone and so happily and wouldest endure so much for vs if thou hadst not giuen vs aduertisement before hand of all that thou didest suffer vpon the Crosse But why wouldest thou endure so much O the Redeemer of my soule yea why wouldst thou suffer death or any paine at all seeing to the Redemption of man it sufficed that thou wert made man Why our Sauiour suffered so much though thou hadst suffered nothing but liued in the glory of a rich King in commanding the whole world and taking homage of all thy creatures which is due vnto thee by al titles of souerainty Why O Lord making thy selfe man wouldest thou abase thy selfe vnder our basenes after thou hadst left all and insteed of riches pleasures and honours didst choose pouerty paine and humility didst lead a life which was noâ—hing but a continuall pennance thou wouldst besides suffer death the death of the Crosse that is most bitter in griefes and anguishes most cruell in torments most shamefull and ignominious in iniuries a death armed with the fury of all the powers of hell irritated with all the vices conspired together of all notable sinners Kings Princes souldiers Iudges Priests all sorts of people wicked The 1. cause to shew his loue to his Father The 2. to shew his loue to man proper to performe an exploite of enormous cruelty Why O Lord hast thou chosen this thorny way And this field so full of asperities Is it to shew thy exceeding loue to thy Father suffering for him in our behalf whatsouer could be suffered For it is the touchstone of affliction that maketh the sure proofe of firme friendship to any man Or is it moreouer to make man see the treasures of thy charity towards him sparing nothing for his saluation not onely making thy self poore to enrich vs infirme to fortify vs little to exalt vs but also giuing thy life the most precious gift which a man can giue for his friend and vndergoing death with a thousand torments to deliuer vs from eternall death with a pleÌ„tifull aboÌ„dant fine of propitiation paiable to the diuine Iustice and therefore the same Prophet sayd that with our Lord is mercy and with him is found plentifull Redemption Hast thou not suffered so much to make man see the enormity of his sinne Psal 129. which must needs be purged with so precious a life painefull a death The 3. cause to shew the enormity of sinne My sinnes then are they that haue lifted thee vpon the Crosse they haue torne thy skinne they haue crowned thee with thornes they haue nayled thy hands and feete they haue entertained thee with gall and vineger O then my soule sinne no more for thy sinnes are the cause of this parricide bring no more forth the butchers of thy Redeemer after hauing receiued so many signes of his fauour towards thee Finally O gentle Lambe hast thou vndertaken and suffered this painfull and ignominious death To teach thy children how they must suffer 4. To giue vs example to suffer Giuing them an excellent patterne of thy life of thy death to imitate and to suffer for the honour of God and to carry his Crosse For seeing the head captaine is the formost in the fight and assalt seeing the King is the first hath the greatest part in paines and punishmeÌ„t
to haue told the Tutour that he wanted a Head himselfe when he demanded of me why partridges were serued without heads I was not sory quoth Lazarus that the question of the head was proposed for the taile thereof proued good and Theodosius had a doctour who expounded his answere with an honourable glosse surely quoth Theodosius that fellow deserued to be well payed as he was God giue him grace to know himselfe Discoursing in this sort the Pilgrims had dispatched foure leagues which was more by halfe then they had to the house of Lazarus his Father which was called the Castle built neer vnto a towne they came to a place called Bonuoison where they dyned cheerfully and would presently haue beene gone but that a chance stayed them And that was that there were two poore men sicke in the Inne who the night before had confessed demaunded extreme-vnction and euen now entred into the agony of death hauing no body that in so dangerous a distresse might exhort them for the Curate was gone to the obsequies which that day were kept at the Castle They thought that charity bound them to assist vntill the Curate should come who they sayd would returne presently Lazarus tooke one in one chamber Theodosius and Vincent the other in another chamber and seeing that they had perfect memory they exhorted them both Lazarus exhorted his in this sort My dearest brother you know well that death is a common debt which all mortall men must pay without exception An exhortation to the sicke great and small soone or late according vnto the tyme which God the soueraine mayster of death and life hath prefixed He hauing giuen vs this world nor as a permanent Citty to dwell in alwayes but rather as an Inne to lodge like Pilgrims and passengers and to go out when it shall be tyme to walke to a better life then this present is Heb. 13.14 Of the which we must not make any great account for being full of miseries Math. 1.10 and wherein the longer we liue the more we offend and where our sinnes do multiply with our dayes and houres Remember acknowledge my most deere Brother the graces gifts which hitherto you haue receiued of God namely that he hath made you partaker of his grace calling you to his heauenly inheritance by the light of his true and Catholike faith and that in this last conflict period of your life he hath granted you your sense and reason to remember him tyme to repent you of your sinnes and to cry for mercy meanes to obtaine pardon and remission not suffering you to be surprised by sudden death nor to leaue this life loaden with sinnes to be condemned at the tribunall of the rigorous iustice haue therefore great sorrow for your offences and with a profound humility demaund if it please him to shew you mercy through the precious bloud of his onely deere sonne Iesus dead vpon the Crosse for vs and for all sinners Suffer patiently the dolours of your infirmity beseeching him to take your anguishes and your death with those of Iesus Christ in satisfaction of the punishmeÌ„t you haue deserued Recommend your selfe to the glorious Virgin to S. Peter and S Paul to your good Angell and other Saints if the enemy lay before your eyes the enormity of your sinnes to thrust you into despaire lift vp your eyes to the mercie of God which is infinitely more great then your iniquity If he tempt you with vaine glory by reason of your good workes oppose thereunto your owne sinnes to hold you in Christian humility Theodosius said the like to his Patient after this exhortation they sayd the Litaâ—ies which being sayd Lazarus went forward as also Theodosius for his part saying Dearest brother if you cannot speake vnto God with your tongue yet speake with your soule for God vnderstandeth the hart follow me and say I will liue and dye in the fayth of Iesus-Christ in his Catholike Apostolike and Romane Church I belieue the Contents of the Creede the seauen Sacraments and all that God hath commaunded me to belieue by his Church and detest all heresy contrary thereunto I humbly demand pardon of my sinnes and purpose fully to abstaine if God shall perhaps suffer me to liue any longer I pardon all my enemies and aske pardon of all I haue offended I desire to endure these dolouâ—s this death for the honour of God and for the satisfaction of my sinnes They had no sooner done but the Curate came and had leasure to anneile them after which they departed in great peace It came in Vincents mynde to thinke whether these two men should rise againe and if in them should be fulfilled the Hermits verses which he gaue to Lazarus whereof notwithstanding he spake not a word They sayd certaine praiers for the departed without informing themselues of any thing of the place whence the Curate came they went their way that they might come betymes to the Castle which was but a league a halfe distant they went ioyfully remembring now well the coastes of the country and the places they had not seene seauen yeares before Hauing gone halfe a league Lazarus met a country fellow all alone comming from the castle whome he knew well but was not knowne againe he asked how Monsieur of the Castle did I thinke quoth the fellow that he is in health but he hath beene very melancholy these last foure dayes for the death of his sonne whose obsequies were kept this day Lazarus was pierced with this newes and sayd not a word more vnto him but let him go on his way entred into an extreme apprehension and melancholy within himselfe for he ghessed by this newes that Francis his yoÌ„ger brother was dead who onely was left with their Father when he and Pauline vndertooke their voiage Theodosius and Vincent went before he followed alone after and lamented thus to himselfe in silence Alas how shall I present my selfe to this desolate old man this day bringing him newes of the death of one of his dearest children hard vpon the fresh funerals of another who was his onely stay What comfort can I giue him in this griefe for his sonne reporting vnto him the death of his Sonne and his Sonne Pauline whome he loued so tenderly and whome he recommended vnto me so fatherly at our departure Is it not inough to make him dye of griefe and to defile my selfe with the crime of parricide O Noble old man who shall sollace thy sorrowes O my deere Pauline who hast remained in the sepulchers of Africa that thou wert now present to comfort eyther thy father or thy brother O the bitter and dolefull conclusion of my pilgrimage Thus complayned he in his hart Theodosius and Vincent seeing him follow so slowly and so pensiuely stayed for him and perceiuing his countenance changed asked if he felt him selfe ill Alas yea quoth he Why sayth Theodosius I doubt me my good