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
we see that all Palestine in generall is called the Holy Land because it was inhabited and haunted by Abraham Isaac Iacob and other holy Patriarches but principally because the Sauiour of the world being made man there conuersed with men and hath sanctifyed it by his pilgrimages therein after him the Apostles and other the chiefe and first ornaments lights of the primitiue Church In particuler we read of diuers places inhabited by Saints to haue beene in great honour reuerence Places holy by the habitation of Saints as among others was that Denne in the desert where S. Iohn Baptist dwelt froÌ„ his childhood vntill he came forth to preach pennance testify Iesus Christ Also Bethania the house of Mary Magdalen and Martha neere vnto Hierusalem Io. 11.18 where our Sauiour raysed their brother Lazarus from death at which place S. Hierome sayth was built a Church for christians All Aegypt and Syria Hier. de locu sacru was heeretofore full of places sanctifyed in this sort as there be also many such yet amongst Christians But if euer place were priuiledged in this respect it is this Chamber of the B. Virgin for it hath receaued and entertayned for guests and inhabitants the noblest persons of Heauen and earth Nicâ—ph l. 〈…〉 First the B. Virgin was there borne and brought vp vntill the third yeare of her age when she was presented in the Temple of Hierusalem where hauing remained eleauen yeares or therabout she returned to Nazareth remayned there almost vntill the death of our Sauiour Iesus Christ the holy of holyes dwelt there after his returne out of Aegypt about the seauenth yeare of his age 〈◊〉 9 5â— vntill the thirtenth yeare when he began to manifest himselfe to the world and not to haue as he sayd to those that desired to follow him any house of his owne wherein to rest his head I speake not of S. Ioachim S. Anne Luc. 9.58 S. Ioseph that dwelt there also neither of S. Zachary S. Elizabeth S. Iohn the Apostles and Disciples of our sauiour and all those worthy lights of the Law The Saints who dwelt in the house of the B. Virgin and the Ghospel both before the death of our Sauiour and after who were all often there It is inough of these two starres Iesus Christ I meane and his glorious Mother and especially of the one of them not only to exalt the dignity of this little house aboue the greatnes of all royall pallaces that euer were but also aboue the maiesty of Salomons Temple and aboue the sanctity of all the holy places held in veneration all the tyme of the Law of Nature and of Moyses inough to make this house to be truly called an heauenly Pallace or a terrestriall Heauen where God and his heauenly and angelicall Court doth dwell For who can doubt but that the sacred Trinity was there daily present after a speciall and singular manner the Father and the Holy Ghost with the Sonne when this Sonne the selfe same essence with them cloathed with our Nature dwelt there corporally visible and continually And there being God in his Maiesty The court of heauen could the Angells Archangells Principalityes Powers Vertues Dominations Thrones Cherubims and Seraphims faile to be there in state and magnificall array to admire serue adore this supreme Deity this diuine Humanity O little House 9. orders of Angels O royal Pallacâ— O diuine lodging O sacred Cabinet O paradise not earthly as that of Adam but heauenly seeing thou hast entertayned within thee the God of maiesty the felicity and happines and most bright and glorious light of heauen How the house of Loreto is admirable for diuers diuine touchings CHAP. XVII OF this habitation whereof I speake ensueth another cause which doth greatly aduance the honour of this place in a thoâ—sand manners For since our Sauiour The fifth cause of touching his holy Mother and diuers other Saints dwelt there how often in this their dwelling lid they sanctâ—fy it by their comming and going by their breathing and looking by their holy talke communication by the spirit and fire of their prayers and by so many workes of Religion of piety of mercy and other actions of vertue which they did during their residence there How often hath the holy Humanity sighing for our miseries Iesus Christ honoured this House sanctifyed with his breath the walles of that chamber How many tymes walking and working therein hath he hallowed it with his steppes of Obedience How often longing sighing after our RedeÌ„ption hath he honoured this house by there laying vp his sighes and desires How often hath the glorious Virgin his Mother made this place honourable by the offices and seruices of Charity of deuotion of piety of teares other signes and markes of sanctity Chaines sanctifyed And if by the only touch of the Apostles or Martyrs bodyes bandes and iron chaines haue become more noble then the Crownes Scepters of Kings and haue receaued power and vertue to expell wicked spirits to heale innumerable diseases and to raise the dead what glory and satisfaction shall we thinke that this little ChaÌ„ber hath receaued so often honoured with the conuersation of these most holy guests Which hath beene so familiarly visited and haunted by the presence of such noble bodyes Which hath beene so cleerly enlightned by the beams of these diuine stars And if the Crosse The Crosse which was the bed of our Sauiours last ill rest and torment if the launce which pierced his side if the sponge which reached him Vinegar to drinke if the thornes that crowned his head if the nailes that pierceâ— his handes feet if the other instruments of his paine and Passion if the Sepulcher that lodged his body if so many places as this body touched were made diuine by a short touch and as it were in passin g who will doubt but that ground of this holy house troden on by the feet of this Lord and Lady ayred witâ— their breath touched with their handes for so many yeare hath beene thereby singularly sanctifyed What place therforâ— in the earth what habitation in the whole world is more noble and honourable by this title then that of Loreto Places famous for some great or mysticall effects and that heerein Loreto is more admirable then them all CHAP. XVIII The sixth cause of mystery THE holy Scripture as also profane Histories do reporâ— vnto vs diuers places that are made memoraâ— by thâ— sixt cause that is by some high and secret worke by some action of rare vertue some sacrifice some battaile some victory some sacrament or some other thing verily diuine or sâ— accounted The old Testament recoÌ„mendeth vnto vs the mouÌ„taine Moria made noble by the obedience of Abraham Gen. 22.2 when hâ— layd his sonne Isaac vpon the Altar to sacrifice him The mouÌ„â— Thabor was made famous by the noble victory of
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
22.17 and effectually to assure themselues of some important truth and God himselfe did sweare by himselfe to fortify his promise that he made to blesse Abraham to multiply his seed as the Starres of heauen and as the sand of the Sea Thereof it is that in publicke iustice they cause men to hold vp their hand or to put it vpon their breast to the honour of God the soueraigne Iustice and in fauour of innocency and right The fifth shall meditate how God is not content to giue this commandement but also would add a threate to those that should break it God will not hold him innocent who shall take the name of the Lord his God in vaine This is to shew the enormity of the sinne to put a bridle in the mouth of men who doe easily fall into this fault and to giue them to vnderstand that thereof doe come the greatest part of tribulations and aduersities wherewith men are afflicted in their body wiues children and goods And therfore Ecclesiast sayth Thy mouth shall not be accustomed to swearing Eccl. 23. for there are many inconueniences therein And againe The man that sweareth much shall be filled with iniquity Matth. 5.34 and the sword shall not depart from his house And the same Wisedome not to giue footing or food to such a custome cōmandeth a contrary extreme that is not to sweare at al Sweare not neyther by Heauen nor earth nor by Hierusalem let your words be yea yea no no an aduertisement also giuen by S. Iames in the same words Iac. 5.12 The prayer or speach to God shall be thus My Lord thou hast giuen me a hart to belieue in thee hope in thee and to loue thee with all my capacity and my tongue as an interpreter of my hart and an instrument accorded and tuned thereunto to exalt thy holy Name with the harmony of a liuely Fayth and stronge Hope and sincere Charity to sing the prayses of thy greatnes all the dayes of my life continue if it please thee to deale well with thy seruāt for thy bounty is bottomlesse and giue me grace to employ my tongue to that vse for which thou hast placed it in my mouth let it be only to prayse thee to thank thee for thy benefits to confesse thee Creatour of heauen and earth Redeemer of mankind and iudge of the quicke and dead Keep it if it please thee that it be neuer loosed not only to vanity against thy holy name but not so much as vnto any idle word that it may name thee with verity iudgement and iustice sing to thee with sincerity and exalt thee with thankesgiuing for euer and euer Amen The after-dinner and Euening of the fifth dayes Iourney Diuers Meditations and Prayers CHAP. XIII AFTER dinner the Pilgrime shall make this meditation vpon some other matter proper for the day or he shall resume some point of his morning meditation or shall say his beades or some other prayer to the B. Virgin admiring her vertues purposing to imitate her and to that end demanding her help and assistance In the euening he shall bewaile the sinnes that are so cōmonly committed against this holy commandement and the euills that come therof demanding of God for himselfe and others grace to amend and shall say O Lord thy name is holy for it nameth the Holy of holyes none do comprehend the Maiesty thereof but thy selfe and the ignorance of many mortall men is lamentable in that they know it not and the peruersity of men is abhominable in that knowing it they do most wickedly dishonour it their mouth is full of blasphemy and their tongue eloquent in vanity Language of vanity their discourses interlaced with vnprofitable oathes and detestable periuryes The Souldier is not gallant except he braue it in swearing the Merchant cannot sell except he forsweare the Doctour the Priest the Iudge the women children venture to sweare and forsweare and to profane with their tongue that Name which is only to be adored And do we meruaile if the wrath of thy iustice doth rayne vpon our heads so many calamityes If warre plague famine doe persecute vs If heresy armed with our sinnes ouerruning Christendome so many yeares doe trouble the peace ouerthrow trafficke bring in robbers and tread vnder foot all lawes of God and man Let vs rather meruaile that we feele no greater euills But O Lord notwithstanding be gentle and mercifull as thou art keeping vs from incurring thy iust anger pardon vs if it please thee our faults past and keep vs from committing any more heerafter and giue vs grace alwayes to employ our tongue to the Confession and prayse of thy holy Name And so he shall betake himselfe to his lodging whither his good Angell shall bring him The sixth Day A Meditation vpon the third Commandement Remember to sanctify the day of Rest CHAP XIV The seruice of God with preparatiō THE morning meditation of the sixth day shall be of the third Commandement with the accustomed preparation and the first preamble shall set before his eyes the wordes of the Law as grauen in stone REMEMBER THOV SANCTIFY THE DAY OF REST as in the other And the second shall demand grace to reap spirituall profit of this present meditation The pointes shall be these In the first must be obserued that this third Commandement is giuen that solemnely with leasure and preparation and without any disturbance of worldly affaires and businesse we might put in practise the two precedent that is to adore God confesse and giue thankes by first fruites sacrifices offeringes and almes to prayse and sing forth his holy name Euery day we should remember this day and therefore it is sayd expressely Remember thee and thinke thereof expect it seruing God the best that we can euery man apart by himselfe the other dayes of the weeke amidst the presse of our temporall affaires But when that day is come al the children of God come togeather vnto his house to find tyme and place for this deuotion as the most important of all that they may performe it in common as perfectly as may be The second shall consider This feast is the remembrāce of the worke of God that this seauenth day of rest was giuen to the Iewes to acknowledge the benefit of the Creation of the world and with a continuall and weekly memory renew the remembrance thereof also to signify the eternall rest and repose which Iesus Christ was by his death to gaine vnto vs regenerating vs into new creatures first by his Sacraments in this life and after by his Resurrection to glory He therfore being come and we hauing gotten this rest and glory figured by the Iews Sabboth he would that the church should leaue the figure put in place thereof our Lords day Why the Iewes feast is turned to Sunday the Sunday the day of his glorious Resurrection and the closer of
the spirituall leprosy dead in sinne buried in her filth abhominable before thyne eyes a marke for thy fury a prey to death and eternall confusion O my Redeemer immortall thankes be to thy infinite mercy for this great benefit since thy mercy hath no boundes add also O sweet Iesu to this benefit the firmnesse of a holy perseuerance whereby I may alwayes preserue the Temple of my soule body pure neat from all filth ordure of sinne Conserue O Lord the house thou camest to purify 2. Mach. 14.36 Psal 50.5 by the light heat of thy holy Spirit cleanse it beautify it alwayes more and more and more and more wash me from my sinnes purge me of my sinnes giue me grace that as I haue hitherto serued the Flesh the World and the Diuell the most cruell enemies of my good and saluation so I may with all my force loue honour and serue thee for heerafter O my life my Creatour and Sauiour descended into earth and made man to seeke me poore strayed sheep and make me participant of thy deity ascended also vp to the Crosse there to shed thy precious bloud to wash and cleanse me there to dye to giue me life Graunt O Prince of mercy that for all thy benefits I may affoard thee an humble an entire seruice vnto my last gaspe to liue after this mortall soiourning eternally with thee and to glorify thee in heauen where thou liuest and reigning with the Father in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen This shal be the shutting of the 21. day and third weeke finishing the first period of his pilgrimage the which representeth as we haue sayd the life of those which beginne the way of vertue the way of Purgation by vertues purgatiue In the morning the Pilgrime shal begin his second part which representeth the estate of those that are gone forward and aduanced in the way of perfection and light THE PILGRIMES ABODE AT LORETO The two and twentith day and the first of his abode A Meditation vpon the holy Eucharist CAHP. I. FOR the meditation of the first dayes iourney of this second Part of his Pilgrimage the Pilgrime shall fitly take the subiect of the Eucharist for he cannot better begin to honour this holy place then with so holy an action nor more refresh solace the trauaile of his pilgrimage then by this refectiō nor better open the doore of his soule to the light of the Holy Ghost then by the receauing of such a Sacrament and this should be the first meale and the last banquet of euery true Pilgrime he shal make his Meditation early in the morning at the holy house with these partes The prayer preparatory accustomed shal demand grace to direct all his actions to the glory of God and saluation of his soule In the first preamble he shall set before his eyes the history of the two Pilgrimes Luc. 14. Aug. epist 50. ad Paulin. who first of all other Christians receaued at our Sauiours handes after his resurrection in the village called Emaus The second shall demand a speciall light well to penetrate the maiesty and profit of this mystery The first Point Of three figures of the Holy Sacrament CHAP. II. THE first point of the meditation shall containe three old Figures Gen. 14.18 among diuers others of this B. Sacrament The first is the Sacrifice of Melchisedech sometyme King of Salem and high Priest who entertayning Abraham as he returned victorious from the battaile offered to God Bread and VVine in thankes-giuing for the victory blessed him and refreshed him and his companie Our Sauiour the true Melchisedech in figure of the Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ the Christian Eucharist which the same Iesus Christ the true Melchisedech the true King of peace and high Bishop did institute and ordaine when in his last supper he did communicate his Apostles giuing them his Body to eat vnder the figure of Bread and his Bloud to drinke vnder the figure of Wine after the order and forme of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and making them his Vicars and Deputies commanded them and their Successours in their person to do the same Luc. 22 1◠and to continue this Sacrifice and Supper in his name remembrance which hath heene alwayes performed hitherto and shall be alwayes heereafter vnto the worldes end For as Iesus Christ is Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and not of Aaron whose Priesthood togeather with the sacrifices were ended and fullfilled on the Crosse so his Sacrifice according to this order of Melchisedech shall be perpetual and euerlasting in yielding of thankes to God and in the feeding and refection of Christians the spirituall children of Abraham Psal 109. fighting in the Church heere militant on earth and shall one day triumph altogeather in heauen returning cōquerours from the combat The second Figure is the sacrifice of the Paschall Lambe which was ordayned the night before the deliuerance of the Hebrewes Exod. 12. from the captiuity of Aegypt and continued in remembrance of this great benefit vntill that our Sauiour the true Lambe did institute our Eucharist of his precious Body and Bloud in the euening before his Passion and our Redēption and shall continue as a memoriall thereof vntill he come againe not to be iudged and condemned to death as he was at his first comming but to iudge the world by the weights of their workes to kill death for euer after and to deliuer his children from all euill The third Figure is the Manna Exod. 15.16 giuen from heauen to the Hebrewes whilest they were Pilgrimes in the wildernesse walking towardes the land of promise euen so the Eucharist the true bread of heauen and the true drinke is giuen in the Church of God for the solace and sustenance of our soules in the desert of this world and for our prouision and food vntill we be brought to the land of the liuing in heauen The second point Of the Maiesty of our Sauiour in this Blessed Sacrament CHAP. III. THE second point shall be to meditate in this Sacrament first the power of our Sauiour Power conuerting by his almighty word the Bread into his body and the Wine into his bloud Second y the goodnes of the same Sauiour who hauing giuen himselfe a price and ransome for our Redemption Goodnes hath also vouchsafed to giue himselfe for food and to vnite himselfe with his creature soule to soule body to body in the straitest manner that can be imagined Thirdly the diuine wisedome Wisedome seasoning and tempering this precious food in so familiar and easy a fashion vnder the forme and taste of bread and Wine of the one side facilitating our senses to the taking of his flesh and bloud without horrour and on the other side instructing our fayth to vnderstand and acknowledge the vnion of faithfull Christians made heerby one
which was made there and els where ouer all the world by the appointement of Augustus Caesar who commanded to be made a generall description ouer all countries The description of the world by Caesar as S. Luke saith ◠Cap. 1. He shall then behold the B. Virgin as a Pilgrime walking on foote with her husband light with that precious load which she caried in her wombe burning with loue and charity towards God whome shortly she was to bring forth Secondly he shall draw in his imagination the picture of the place where she was to lye in and be deliuered giuing saluation to the world Our Sauiours Cribbe This place was a desert or forsaken Caue and stable to set beastes in where she was constrayned to lodge not fynding any place in the Inne by reason of the great concourse of people that then repayred thither vpon this imagination he shall demaund of God light well to penetrate the wonders of a Natiuity so admirable in al the circumstances The first point shall be to meditate some figures and prophecies of the birth of our Sauiour Figurs prophecies of the birth of our Sauiour The figures were all the ancient apparitions wherein the Sonne of God shewed himselfe in the forme of man as in Paradise to Adam in Canaan to Abraham and Iacob for he that was borne this midnight was the God who before had spoken to men therefore called Verbum the Word of God and he shewed himselfe to them in humane shape S. Chrys hom 2. Greg. orat 4. de Theo Clem. Ale in exhort ad gentes in paeda cap. 12. but as a passenger not staying in it as it were making a proofe or tryall of that nature which he was once to marry and ioyne by an eternall vnion to his diuinity be borne God and Man to conuerse with men and be to them the Word and interpreter of the mysteries of heauen of the Commandements of his Father And this was in his Natiuity when he shewed himselfe meerly cloathed with our nature performing what he had prophecyed caused to be foretold by his Prophets My delight is to be with the children of men for heere he began to be among the children of men Psalm 8. a true Man already conuersing with them as a little child heere he did first effectuate what I say sayd in his person Isa 52. Behould I that did speake am present and that he sung of the Natiuity Behould a Virgin shall conceaue Isa 7. and bring forth a child And againe A little child is borne to vs Isa 9. Bar. 3. and a sonne is giuen vnto vs. And another And thou Bethleē Ephrata thou art not the least among the principall towns of Iudea for out of thee shall come a Captayne to gouerne my people This therfore is that little Sonne that Prince prophecyed of by these and like passages of Scripture who was borne this night The second point shall consider the circumstances of this Natiuity 1. Circūstance of this meruailous natiuity which being well vnderstood will teach vs a good lesson of the greatnes of God and of the misery of man He was borne as he was conceaued that is miraculously conceaued of a Virgin without man borne of a Virgin without the breach of her Virginity without the panges and throwes or griefe of childbirth which was the effect of the malediction giuen to the first Woman and to all her race So hath the Prophet foretold speaking of this Virgin Before she did labour Isa 66. she was deliuered before the houre of her deliuerance she brought forth a man child Verily a man child hauing nothing effeminate God and man togeather all mighty all wise all good and though the B. Virgin did beare only the body The Virgin verily the Mother of God and not his diuinity which was from all eternity yet was she verily the Mother of God for hauing conceaued that body which was vnited to the diuine person and so brought forth that person euen as other Mothers are mothers of those they beare although the soule is not begotten of them because they ingender that body which is personally vnited to the soule It is therfore a more admirable natiuity Isa 53. then that of al the world in the Creation and so what was sayd of the eternall generation of the Sonne of God VVho shall declare his generation may also be sayd of this temporall Conception and Natiuity He was borne in the sixth age of the world foure thousand yeares or there about after the Creation in the night The circumstāce of the tyme of the sixth age in the hart of Winter when the world was most couered with darkenes and frozen in the filth of all vice and Idolatry when the temporall Kingdome of the Iewes was dismembred and translated to the gouernement of forraine Princes strangers Herod his brethren who deuided it into 4. parts or Tetrachies and made so many particular tyrannies gouerned by the great and soueraine Pagan tyranny of Rome Why Caesar described the world which commanded all and therefore Caesar commanded that description a commandement that carried the signe of soueraignty And these fiue temporal tyranies did in mystery signify the miserable estate of mākind ouerwhelmed oppressed with so many spirituall tyrannies of diuers sinnes which it serued vnder the great and generall tyranny of the diuell who held the world in his dominion as peaceable as Augustus held his Empire At midnight He was borne at midnight in the hart of winter the true sunne of our Night to driue away the deep darknes hard Ice from the harts of men to bring them day and heate them in the loue of heauenly things to bring in the beautifull seasō of the spirituall spring-time of summer and Autumne of sweet smelling flowres of the heauenly heate of the Holy Ghost of the fruit of good workes whereof the world had hitherto beene barren And this is what the Prophet sayd The people that walked in darknes haue seene a great light Isa 9. and light hath risen to them who dwell in the shadow of death He was borne in a stable among beasts Psalm 48.13 to restore man to his old ranke and place who by sinne was cast downe to the basenes of bruit beastes and was made like vnto them The third point of the Meditation Our Sauiour encountreth and ouercometh vices in his Infancy CHAP. XXXIII THE third point shall be to contemplate how this little child beginneth to handle his weapons and to fight for vs betymes euen from his cradle for this being happened not by chance but by his owne prouidence in a stable he bruized in his birth with this onely circumstance the head of the old Serpent which before he had threatned He crushed the pride of the diuell the ancient enemy of our saluation Genes 3. the authour of all our miseries In
And as the Princes of the Church were visibly present at her departure so we may not doubt but that the most noble troopes of heauen were present also with Iesus comming himselfe Damasc de dorm it Virg. to receiue into his owne hands the soule of his glorious Mother being borne into heauen as the had first receiued him into her bosome being borne man into the world And heere Lazarus as if he had beene present in this noble company and had beheld with his owne eyes this heauenly starre ready to leaue the body and take her slight into heauen made this Apostrophe saying O my good Aduocate O faythfull Aduocate of all mortall men who in verity will call vpon thee I call vnto thee from the bottome of my hart and coniure thee by the great name of him who made thee great that it would please thee to succour thy poore suppliant frō thy throne of glory wherof thou goest now to take possession at the hand of thy Allmighty Sonne Obtayne of him for me O puissant Virgin what I demand of thee not gold nor siluer nor pleasures nor delights not renowne or glory of this life nor any other gift of this mortall world this is not the subiect of my suite O sacred Virgin but a feruent loue to his holy seruice a continuall exercise in his holy loue a resolute courage to suffer for his name a constant perseuerance in good workes vnto the last breath of my lyfe that my death may be of those that are precious in the sight of his Maiesty Diuers Farewells 2. A hunting 3. A supper 4. A knight saued a Priest carying his bowells in his hand 5. A spirituall discourse of hunting 6. Of hauking CHAP. XXIII THVS prayed Lazarus sighing and weeping Theodosius and Vincent ended at the same tyme and with the like affections Straight after they went to bid Tristram good morrow and whilst he made himselfe ready Lazarus got a breakfast ready After Tristram had sayd a few prayers they brake their fast togeather and had quickly done for it was too early to eate much Vincent payd their host for all for euery body Theodosius calling Tristram a part and taking his leaue of him Theodosius farewell I would I had the means quoth he to stay longer with you and to do you some seruice worthy of our friendship but seeing we must part I beseech you for the honour of him who hath called you from the fellowship of so dangerous a company as you were with and from certaine danger of death wherein we found you for the health of your owne soule for the loue and affection you beare me and that I beare vnto you that you will take to hart the execution of you purpose you made to forsake vice and to lead a life worthy of a man of a noble house God hath done you these fauours to giue you more if you vse these well And if you shall abuse them so much more rigorous will he be for your ingratitude how much the more liberall he hath beene to you of his mercy choose now for hereafter some estate or vocation wherein you may serue God and the publike profit there be inough such amongst Christians if you will follow armes you haue a faire field in the warres that are made against the Turke other enemies of God the Christiā faith there you may gaine a goodly crowne of imortality If you will serue God vnder the shadow of a peaceable quiet dwelling and at better wages you may enroll your selfe amongst the children of God in some religious house you know many you may choose the best You go now in Pilgrimage to Loreto aske deuoutly the assistāce of the Lady whom you go to visite that she will obtaine for you of her Sonne aboundant light to see and discerne what shall be most expedient for you and make you to touch and feele the breuity the inconstancy the vanity of this life the deceit of the world and worldly things the basenes of all earthly greatnes and to make you amorous and in loue of heauen This is the farewell which I leaue you for gage of my loue there Theodosius left Tristram answered him in few wordes Tristrā◠farewell Most deere friend Theodosius I esteeme the two meetings wherein I met with you amongst the greatest fauours that I haue receiued of the prouidence of God for in the first God hath by you opened the way vnto the liberty of my soule and gaue me courage to vndertake that which hitherto I haue executed In this second meeting he hath by you also deliuered me from the rage of men and beasts hath made me see by your instruction now what is meete for me to do hereafter I promise you my deerest friend that with the grace of him that guideth me I will performe frō point to point the resolution I haue made by your aduice I haue some experience of what is past which is sufficient to harden me against the flattery of the world and make me take part els where I haue begunne to estrange and sequester my selfe from it and to perceiue what od◠there is in seruing it him whome I adore I hope to remoue my selfe further from it to the measure of my trauaile and euery day to finde more and more tast and delight in the sweetnes of Vertue 〈◊〉 go ioyfully to Loreto with a firme hope that the B. Virgin will assist me make the bounty of her Sonne fauourable vnto me that I may choose what shall be best for his honour and myne owne saluation I beseech you remember me in your holy prayers as long as I shall be Pilgrime in this world I will carry in my hart the sweet memory of our cordiall and faithfull friendship Hauing sayd thus Theodosius taught him how he should carry himselfe in his pilgrimage how to pray and confesse and to vse other exercises of deuotion which Tristram learned with a wonderfull greedinesse and both beginning to weepe they imbraced ech other Tristram came after to Lazarus thanked him with a great affection for all his courtesies Lazarus agayne confessed himselfe obliged vnto him for his friendship and fauours afforded to his Cousin Theodosius in prison and in recompence thereof promised him all the seruice he could do him in France or els where as occasiō should be offered Tristram thanked him very humbly and made a reciprocall offer wheresoeuer he should meet him then imbraced him and so did Vincent Lazarus put about his necke a payre of beades like a scarfe for a noble chayne and gaue him three crownes the better halfe of their Viaticum Tristram tooke the beades as an honourable present but he refused the mony saying that it appertained not to Pilgrims to giue almes and seeing he was a Pilgrime he would begge At least quoth Lazarus Pilgrims may take it when it is giuen them and therfore you should not refuse it at
beginning and is cleansed by fayth in the Messias certaine ceremonies in the law of nature Moyses Conc. Tri. sess 5. and after the comming of the Messias by the fayth of the same professed in Baptisme by the which we are made children of God as by a second spirituall birth and generation Actuall mortall sinne Actuall is that which man committeth by his owne free-will and worke which if it be grieuous that is committed in any important matter with deliberate will and full consent is called Mortall because it bereaueth the sinner of the grace of God which is the life of his soule maketh it guilty of death euerlasting called by s. Iohn The second death 2. Cor. 6. Gal. 5. Apo. 21. Rom. 6. Apoc. 21. Rom. 6. And by S. Paul The reward of sinne Such a sinne was the pride of the first Angell his Complices made Diuells thereby Such a sinne was the disobedience of Adam Actuall in himselfe and Originall to all his children If the Actuall sinne be not grieuous that is if it be committed in a small matter without full consent as an idle word a light negligence an euill thought a foule motion without any stayed consent it is that we call Veniall of the Latin word Venia which signifyeth Pardon because it is easily pardonable not making man enemy to God and for defacing whereof no Sacrament is necessary as it is for mortal Notwithstanding we must keep our selues as farre from it as we can for that it cooleth and quencheth charity and christian deuotion and maketh way for mortall and it is well done to confesse them dayly both to purge them and to preuent them Aug. ser de Sanctis 41. epist. 19. Conc. Tri. sess 14. c. 5. Now this distinction taught by the Catholike Church as we learne in the Councell of Trent and the ancient Doctours namely S. Augustine may be vnderstood by a similitude in the body For as there be certaine diseases and woundes deadly of their owne nature as tâ—e Plurisie the hoat ague the wounds of the brayne hart or the like others are not so as the tertian ague and quartaine the Migrame Moratll woundes or diseases and other woundes or blowes on the lesse vitall and noble partes of the body which are small healed soone so it happeneth to the soule the diseases and wouÌ„des whereof are vices and sinnes which if they depriue it of the Grace of God are mortall maladies Sinne the wound of the soule deadly woundes and is mortall sinne if they doe not depriue him thereof but alter a little the harmony of his peace with God these are light diseases and are veniall sinnes The third point shall ponder how sinne beginneth by suggestion groweth by delectation and is perfected by consent By suggestion of the diuell the world or the flesh some of these three enemies casting into our mynd some obiect coÌ„trary to the lawe of God to which suggestion sucâ—edeth a pleasing and lyking of the sense willingly beholding the obiect as Eue was delighted to see the forbidden fruit To pleasure succeedeth Consent and to consent the execution consummation of the sinne So Eue after she had receaued the suggestion of the Serpent cheapening it at the sight The steps of sinne vnto the depth and giuing her hart to delight thereon she reached her hand to the execution and bit of the apple and tooke that morsell that infected all the race of mankind Behold here say our Doctours the linkes Gre. l. 4. mora c. 25 Isido l 1. de sumâ—o boâ—â— c. 23 Psal 118. 2. Reg. 22. Prouer. 5. Aug. l. 8. contest c. 5 Greg. l. 25 moral c. 12 rings of this strong chaine of sinne Of suggestion commeth thought of thought pleasure of pleasure consent of consent the worke of the worke custome of custome despaire of despaire defence of ill of defence boasting of boasting damnation This is the chayne which that old Tyrant made of the worke whereof himself was authour that is of sinne these are the cordes and boltes wherewith he fettereth the poore sinner and in fine doth cast him hedlong bound hand foot into the shipwracke of eternal damnation In the speach the Pilgrime shal desire of God grace to auoid sinne and shall say O infinite bounty keep me from sinne if it please thee The speach and preserue me from any alliance with that abortiue impe so monstrous and infected Let death armed with all sortes of torments pull my soule out of my body rather than I should consent to any sinne though neuer so small against thy holy Law O sweet Iesu and infinit bounty how should I offend thee being so milde good and bountifull Chast Ioseph said to his Mistresse who sollicited him to vnchast loues How can I commit so great an offence against my Maister of whome I haue receiued so many benefits How can I then sinne against thee O my Maister and souueraigne Lord seeing thou hast bound me with many better titles by so many fauours and promises Seeing thou hast bought me not with gold or siluer or any corruptible price but with the ransome of thy most precious bloud how can I then offend thee O glorious virgin Mother of the Allmighty and who by speciall priuiledge from his Omnipotency wast preserued froÌ„ all spot in thy Conception and Birth To the B. Virgin and in all thy actions wast preserued all pure and beautified enriched and adorned with a thousand vertues help thy poore Pilgrime with thy credit and grace and procure me pardon of my sinnes passed and effectuall grace for hereafter to remaine without stayne of any sinne euen veniall if it may be by the grace of thy Sonne Let myne eyes be enlightened with the heauenly beames that they may neuer slumber into this deadly sleep and that myne enemie may neuer say Psal 124. I haue preuailed against him This guift O happy virgin will redound to the glory of the Maiesty of thy Sonne to the health of thy wearied Pilgrime who honoureth serueth thee and by thy assistance desireth to serue with all his soule that Lord whome thy self adorest The After-dinner and Euening of the sixteenth dayes Iourney Of the seauen Capitall sinnes commonly called Mortall and of their Branches CHAP. XXXVII IN the Afternoone and in the rest of the day the Pilgrime shall persist vpon the same matter for though it be but sowre to the taste yet taken with a holy Meditation and digested into the stomake of the deuout soule it helpeth much to deface and detest sinne He shall discourse vpon the seauen sinnes commonly called mortall or more properly Capitall for being the heades and springes of diuers others They are The 7. Capitall sinne Pride Couetice Lechery Enuy Gluttony Anger Slouth hauing so many vertues opposite to encounter them Humility Liberality Chastity Charity Abstinence Patience The contrary vertues Deuotion or Diligence Pride is an
inordinate desire of excellency whether it reigne within the soule only or be manifested or discouered by wordes or workes outwardly This is the King of sinnes altogeather abhominable before God Aug. ep 5â— Greg. 3. Mora. 31. and the Capitall enemy of all vertue thence as from a pestilent root do all vices spring and take life and especially these Disobedience Boasting Hypocrisy Contention Pertinacy Discord and Curiosity Couetice is a disordinate appetit of hauing an insatiable thirst making continually more drye the more it drinketh Basil hom in diuites 117. from thence come Treason Fraudes Deceit periury Disquietnes violence inhumanity and hardnes of hart Lechery is a disordinate appetite of pleasures of the body she bringeth forth blindnesse of spirit inconsideration Isido l. 2. de bono 39. inconstancy precipitation in affaires seâ—fe loue hatred of God greedines of this life feare â—nâ— horror of death and iudgment and despaire of life euerlasting Basil hom 11. de liuore Cir de zelo liuore Enuy is a sadnes or griefe at the good of others and hate of their prosperity or good successe either of their Superiours because they cannot equall them or of their inferiours in that they would not haue them equalls her daughters are Hatred Murmuring Detraction wicked Ioy of the euill wicked Grieft at the good of another Gluttony is an inordinate desire of eating and drinking her children are Foolish mirth lesting Prating Scurrility Stupidity of senses Greg. mor. 31. and Vnderstanding Anger is a disordinate desire of reuenge of whome do rise Debates Swellings Contumelies Clamours Indignation Bern. ser de Asc Blasphemy Slouth is a languour of spirit remisse and flow to doe well Greg. 3. part curae past 10. and a heauines and sadnes in spirituall thinges of her groweth Malice Rancour Pusillanimity Despaire a loathing of necessary commandements Euagations The Pilgrime hauing this afternoone cast his eyes atteÌ„tiuely vpon these bodyes and branches vpon these Captaines and their companies and recommending himselfe in the euening with some particuler prayer to God the B. Virgin his good Angell that he may be alwayes assisted by their ayde against these enemies he shall looke for lodging and rest The seauenteenth Day Of the first sinne which was of the Angells and of the second which was of Adam and of their effects and of the sinnes of euery one in particuler which maketh the third sort CHAP. XXXVIII WELL to penetrate and discouer the deformity of sinne and to conceaue a duâ— hatred thereof the Pilgrime shall bestow one day in the meditation of the effects of sin therein cleerely to see it selfe for as by the fruit the tree is knowne and the workeman by his worke so is the malice of sinne manifest by the euills thereof The sin of the Angells The first point shall bâ— to bring into his mind and memory the sinne of the first Angel and his Confederates in that faction who hauing beene created to the Image of God in estate of grace and endowed with many excellent guifts of nature rebelling afterward against their Lord and Maker of such noble spirits as they were were made Diuels thrown headlong from heauen to hell there for their rebellion to suffer the torments of euer-burning flames Whereupon the Pilgrime vsing the light of his vnderstanding How to discourse of the sin of Angells to enlighten and moue his will and to stirre it vp to a detestation of sinne in generall and to shame and confusion for his owne in particuler shall thus discourse If these diuine spirits and the most goodly and glorious creatures that were in heauen for one onely sinne were so turned and transformed from an extreme beauty to a monstrous foulnes and deformity how abhominable are those who commit many Who doe nothing els Who are plunged in their vices as Swine in their durt 2. Pet. 25 And with what filthines haue I deformed my owne soule by so many as I haue committed And if God spared not these noble CittizeÌ„s of heauen and seruants of his owne houshould but hath cast them as the Apostle sayth with chaines of darknes into the dungeon of hell reserued for that great day and generall iudgement what entertaynement may I expect at the handes of this soueraigne Iudge if I amend not my life The 2. point shal be appropriated to the consideration of the sinne of Adam which is the second sinne in regard of the person which is man differing in nature from the Angells The sine of Adam heere the Memory shal represent to the Vnderstanding the dolefull fall of our first Fathers and their honourable estate chaÌ„ged into a miserable exile banishment how Adam hauing beene formed of durt and quickned with a soule bearing the Image and likenes of God and Eue brought forth to the likenes of man of one of the sides and ribs of Adam suffering theÌ„selues to be persuaded by their capitall enemy did eat of the forbidden fruit and sodainly lost the grace and fauour of their Creatour the life of the soule and all that they had good besides the guifts of the Holy Ghost Iustice Charity their right to heauen and the immortality of their body Our Pilgrime then shall behould them as present driuen out of Paradise cloathed in beastes skins and from the place of pleasures and delights cast into a countrey of death and malediction Gen. 3.2 in which they performed a long seuere pennance that is 900. yeares and more and finally he shall consider the great corruption that hath come from this root hauing like a generall plague infected all mankind and thrust thousand-thousandes of persons to euerlasting death out of which consideration he shall draw light to discouer the poison of sinne to hate and detest it Euery ones proper sins The third point shall be to meditate in himselfe his owne faultes which is the third sort of sinne in regard of the person Heere our Pilgrime calling to remembrance his owne enormityes shall consider that many thousands are in hell that perhaps had committed but one of those sinnes that he hath done himselfe he shall thinke that many are coÌ„demned to the same hell of euerlasting death for sinnes lesse and fewer then his are whereby he shall learne how great the goodnes of God is toward him hauing thus patiently expected him to pennance and how great is the malice malignity of sinne hauing moued and incited the infinite bounty so farre as to ordaine paines vnspeakable for the grieuousnes of them and eternall for the lasting to punish it withall With which consideration being heat and warmed he shall speake in his speach thus to our Sauiour The speach O souueraigne Lord and Redeemer of my soule how great is the peruersity of this monster whose foulenes thy light hath discouered to me in her effects It made a reuolt in heauen among thy domesticalls making them rebell against thee It hath brought confusion and
plagues to the families of Men and hath marked them all with her infernall brood her malignity was so great and strong that there must be an eternity of punishments to chastice it the infection so deadly that the quickening and life-giuing bloud was necessary to cleanse it O mortall men whereof thinke you when you do the works of death Where is your memory not remembring what is passed Where is your prouideÌ„ce not regarding what is to come Where is your hart and wit yielding your loue to so monstrous and detestable an enemy O sweet Iesus made man for my sinnes crucifyed for my sinnes and raised againe for my iustice pardon me my sinnes which were too great to be pardoned were not thy mercy infinit and by the same mercy keep me from offending thee any more giue me tears to bewaile those I haue committed force to forbeare heerafter both which guifts are worthy of thee and both most necessary to me O Blessed Virgin yet againe To the B. Virgin now alwayes be my Aduocate it is the honour of thy sonne that I may obtaine my suite and the saluation of thy poore and deuoted Pilgrime The after-dinner and Euening of the seauenteenth dayes Iourney The effects of S nne and diuers paines CHAP. XXXIX THE rest of the day the Pilgrime shall imploy his houres to ruminate and repeat some particuler effects of sinne the better to know and detest it He shal see how it made the chief Angell so impudent and wicked The first exploit of the diuel that with the first vse of his language he durst accuse his Creatour of enuy and malice in that he had forbidden the tree of knowledge of good and euill to Adam and Eue that they might not be like Gods carrying vnder the colour of this blasphemous calumniation Gen. 3. that poisoned â—art wherewith he stroke to death this poore ill aduised woman and by her her husband Adam by him all mankind he shall cast his eyes vpon the enuy of Cain Gen. 7.21 which made him lift vp his hand to embrew the earth with his brothers bloud to the dissolution of all mortall men togeather buryed in the reuenging waues of the vniuersall Deluge to the pride of the Babylonians bâ—ilding against heaueÌ„ to their owne confusion the impurity of the fiue sinning Cittyes drowned in fire and brimstone the auarice of Giezi Gen. 11.4 Gen. 19.25 4. Peâ— 50. â—atth 26 Luc. 16.19 and of Iudas to the riot of the rich Glutton and other sinners and sinnes By the view whereof he shall conceaue an immortall hatred and shal firmely purpose to serue God withall his hart for the tyme to come without euer offending him neuer so little willingly and towards night hauing made some particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall thinke of his lodging The eighteenth day A meditation of Death the first effect of sinne CHAP. XL. To whoÌ„ the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of death is grieuous to whom profitable THERE is nothing more vnpleasant then the memory of death to them that doe not liue well nothing is more profitable to those that desire well to gouerne their actions for to liue and reigne alwayes and therefore the Pilgrime shall help himselfe with the meditation of death very fitly after that of sinne the father of death This meditation shal haue all his whole and entire partes The Prayer preparatory as alwayes before The first Preamble shall represent a man stretched on his bed in the agony of death The second shall demand grace to reape particuler profit of this exercise The first point shall set before myne eyes that decree and sentence of death giuen by the supreme Iudge on the person of our first Father Adam Gen. 3. Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne againe and executed on the body of him al that haue come of him except Enoch and Elias who notwithstanding shall dye also in their tyme. And therefore S. Paul sayth It is ordayned for all men once to dye Heb. 9.17 Of this meditation he shall marke that as there is nothing more sure and certaine then Death so also there is nothing more vncertaine then the houre and manner thereof and the estate wherein it shall find the soule Eccles 9. whether in grace or in sinne when it shall dislodge and remoue from her body By which circumstance he must stirre vp himselfe to watch and seeke all the meanes and wayes he can to put himselfe in good order and preparation for feare of being surprised and taken vnawares by reason of such vncertainty The second shall be to consider the accidents that do accompany this last conflict The conflict of death as well in soule as in body the remembrance of thinges passed the feare of that is to come the prickinges of griefs and desires the assaults of the Diuell the fayling of our senses and facultyes the coldnes of our members and the benumming of all partes of the body the dole and extreme anguish in the distresse of death all which thinges foreseene will teach vs what danger it is Math. 25. to deferre our preparation to the concurrence of so many calamityes miseryes and infirmityes and to go buy oyle for our lampes What followeth after death the soule saued oâ— damned when it will be tyme to enter into the bridegroomes chamber The third point shall meditate what followeth incontinently after death which is the iudgment of the soule either to saluation or damnation for she is eyther placed among the children of God be it by passing by if she need purgation oâ— presently if she be cleane to enter into heauen reigne there for euer or els carryed away in company of the Diuells to hell there to suffer eternall torments if she left the body seized with any mortall sinne The body in the meane tyme is put into the ground for food to wormes serpents his goods are parted to the liuing who will make merry therewith perhaps will laugh at him for hauing laboured so much for them The speach shall be to Iesus Christ in these wordes O my sweet Redeemer thou hast suffered death to deliuer me from death and hast ouercome death to make me conquerour thereof graunt me by this thy infinit charity and diuine victory the grace to vse and enioy the benefit which thy death hath brought to me and so well to prepare my selfe against this combat of death so valiantly to wrastle with it Psal 115. and so happily to ouercome it that my death may be of those the Prophet speaketh The death of his Saints is precious in the eyes of God and not of those of whome the same Prophet sayth Psal 33. The death of sinners is most miserable Thou saydst sometimes to thy Apostles and Disciples VVatch and stand ready for the Sonne of Man will come at an houre when you thinke not of him And againe Math. 24. 25. VValke
whilest you haue light least darkenes do apprehend you And againe by one of thy Scribes Doe iustice before thy d parture Ioan. 12. Luc. 19. Eccles 14.17 for there is no food to be found in hell These are thy aduertisements most excellent and most worthy of a prudent valiant Capitaine for they comprehend and teach all that is necessary well to defend our selues well to fight and to ouercome well to liue and well to dye Graunt then O my soueraigne Lord that I may follow this point by point execute with a faithfull and constant obedience all that thy loue wisedome hath aduised me for my saluation that my life may be nothing but a prudent and continuall preparation to death my death a doore to life euerlasting The After-dinner and Euening of the eighteenth dayes Iourney Diuers sentences of Death CHAP. XLI THE rest of the day the Pilgrime shall passe his tyme way Psal 101.4.12 meditating some sentences of the Scripture or the holy Fathers written of this subiect As are My dayes haue sailed as a smoke and my bones haue withered and dryed vp like small stickes My dayes haue passed like a shaddow and I haue withered like grasse Iob. 14.5 And againe The dayes of man haue passed and the number of his monthes are in thy handes thou hast set boundes which he cannot passe 1. Pet. 1. And againe All flesh is grasse and the glory thereof like the flowre of the field Eccl. 9.12 the grasse hath faded and his flower hath fallen And man knoweâ—h not his end but as Fishes are taken with netts and Birds with snares so are the children of men taken in an euill tyme when it cometh sodainly vpon them Eccl. 9.10 And againe Labour and doe well with thy handes while thou canst for in the graue whither thou goest there is neyther worke nor industry nor knowledge nor wisedome Aug. l. 50 hom 27. Also The gate of pennance is open to vs and the day of death hidden from vs that by despaire we doe not increase our sinnes Item All the rest of our good and euill is vncertaine onely death is certaine Item Idem de verb. De. serm 21. de ciuit l. 13. cap 10 All the tyme of our life is but a race to death With thâ—se sentences and the like he may also remember the happy death of many persons Martyrs and others borne to heauen dying to the earth of diuers wicked men who by disastrous death haue begunne their hell in this world and so he shall passe this day and the next night and euery night after when he goeth to bed he shall remember death and his graue represented by that action and place for sleep is the image of death as the bed is the graue Death is a long sleep and the graue a long lying sleep and the bed are transitory death the graue firme and lasting The nineteenth Day A Meditation of Iudgement Particuler and Generall CAHP. XLII AFTER death sayth S. Paul followeth Iudgment Heb. 9. After the death of euery one in particuler cometh particuler Iudgement after the generall death of all men The Meditation of iudgemeÌ„t profitable commeth the generall Iudgement The memory and meditation of these two is a strong bridle to hold men from sinne a sharp spur to incite him to pennance and to prepare his pleas and books before he be presented to the examination of a Iudge so iust wise and mighty as he that must heare and iudge him Therfore the Pilgrime shall help himselfe with this consideration to cleare himselfe before the iudgment come and also to make him worthy to enter into the Sanctuary of that noble house the end of his Pilgrimage and to visit it with the profit of his soule The Prayer preparatiue as alwayes before The first Preamble for particuler Iudgement shall be to imagine a soule gone out of the body Matth. 25. as presented before God to be iudged and for the general to behould Iesus Christ coÌ„ming in maiesty accompanied with Angells and Saints to make a publike triall and iudgement of all mortall men both in bodyes and soules and to reward or punish euery one according to his workes good or bad The second Preamble shall demand a holsome feare of this fearefull day The first point shall be to meditate the sentences of Scripture that make mention of that day with some great exaggeration of speach as that Sayings of this IugemeÌ„t 2. Cor. 5.10 Heb. 10. Psal 142.2 Iob. 3. 2. Pet. 4.18 VVe must appeare before the Tribunall of Christ that euery one may receaue in his body as he hath done good or bad And It is a horrible thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God The wordes also of Dauid who though he were an holy man yet trembling at the expectation of that day he sayd Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for none liuing can be iustifyed in thy sight And of Iob VVhat shall I doe when God shall rise to Iudgement and when he shall aske what shall I answere And of S. Peter If the lust shall hardly be saued where shall the sinner appeare With which sayings the soule shall spurre forward her selfe saying If the Saints haue so feared this iudgement what shall I poore sinnefull creature do The maiesty of the Iudg. The second point shall bring in consideration the quality of the Iudge wise to know all iust to punish all mighty to execute all his Iudgements and Decrees Whose power none can escape whose wisedome none can deceaue whose equity none can bow Aug. l. de 10. chordis c 1. 2. Innoc. l. 3. de ciuit mundi and from whose sentence none can appeale as the Doctours say And if we tremble before a Iudge whoÌ„ we thinke will not be corrupted what shall the Proud doe before that Iudge who infinitly detesteth that vice What the couetous before the supreme bounty and liberality The Lecher before Purity it selfe What other sinners before him who is the Capitall enemy of all sinne The generall iugement The third point shall set before our eyes that dreadfull generall Iudgement whereof holy men speaking could not find wordes great inough proportionably to expresse the greatnes of it Sound forth sayth one of them sound forth the trumpet in Sion cry out on my holy mountaine that all the Inhabitants of the earth may tremble for the day of our Lord coÌ„meth it is at hand Seph 1.4.15.16 a day of darknes and obscurity a day of cloudes and tribulation And another The great day of our Lord is after this day this is a day of wrath a day of tribulation and anguish a day of tumult and desolation a day of darknes and obscurity a day of cloudes and tempestes a day of the sound of trumpets and alarums This is the day which properly is called the Day of our Lord. The day of Iudgement when the
prayses S. Chrysostome doubteth not to say That he was eminent in all thinges commendable and accoÌ„plished in all vertues hauing well discharged the office and duty of a true Father to Iesus Christ neither was euer father so carefull of his owne sonne begotten of his body as this spirituall Father was of this child He had sayth he wisedome aboue the law he was alwayes attentiue to meditate the Prophets and by these titles deserued the name of Iust Hom. 2. de B. Virg. which the Scripture giueth vnto him as we haue sayd S. Bernard with the like stile exalteth him for a man of singular fayth and perfection groundeth his proofe vpon that he was the husband of this Virgin VVe must not doubt sayth he but that this Ioseph was a good and faythfull man seeing he was giuen for a Spouse to the Mother of our Sauiour a faythfull seruant and a wise say I seeing our Lord gaue him for a solace to his Mother Matth. 24 Luc. 12.41 a foster-father to his owne body and alone chosen for a most faythfull Condiutor of that great Councell The reason is good for God being Wisedome it selfe did choose no doubt an Espouse agreeable to the vertues of the Mother of his Sonne and to the Maiesty of them both All these great vertues which are not easily found in a young man Whether Ioseph were an old man gaue occasion perhaps to many to thinke that Ioseph was ould when he was espoused to the B. Virgin as the painters with their pensils haue amplified making him all white representing him old and gray headed and whilest on the one side they would make his continency and other qualities seeme more credible by the conueniency of his age they haue on the other side abased the praise thereof laying that vpon nature which was of grace a beginning or root much more noble and not marking that the mariage might haue beene suspected by this inequality of age in the parties It is probable indeed that he was of good years mature and strong and fit to exercise actions of prudence but not old neither needed the Paynters to vse that fiction seeing it is as easy to God to giue chastity to youth as to age And if the anncient Patriarch Ioseph Genes 39.7 who had no vow of continency and was to be Father of many children was at 18. yeares olde chast with an vnchast mistresse might not our Ioseph bound with vow of chastity and specially assisted by the grace of God be so with a most pure Virgin except he were old Heere therefore the Pilgrime shall take matter to meditate of the sanctity and perfection of this holy personage and shall thereby learne that his death was happy Of the time wherof the Scripture sayth nothing Ioseph dyed som years before our Sauiour Epiph. con haeres 78. we may gather notwithstanding that he died before our Sauiour for that it is not likely that in his life tyme our Sauiour would haue commended his mother to S. Iohn not to him Some say he departed when S. Iohn Baptist began to preach The opinion of Epiphanius that he died about the 12. yeare of our Sauiour is more agreeable to holy Scripture which neuer in her narration forgetting to name Ioseph as long as he liued neuer meÌ„tioneth him Luc. 2 after the history telleth of our Sauiour found in the Temple at Hierusalem amongst the Doctours at 12. yeares of age which certainely was because he died about that time After these meditations and the like the Pilgrime shall take his refection and rest vntill his midnight meditation which he shall make vpon the same subiect or what other he shall choose The seauen and twentith Day Of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God Of the miseries of mankind when this happened CHAP. XXII HERE cometh the mayne and chiefe meditation of our Pilgrime all the tyme of his abode at Loreto For it is of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God the most high Sâ— important mystery of our Religion announced â—â—th B Virâ—â—â— and performed in this holy Chamber and 〈…〉 to penetrate the Maiesty as well of the Mysteries as of the Embassage he must appoint three tymes for meditation midnight morning and noone with the euening At midnight for the first point setting before him the fall of our first father Adam his estate and misery he shal meditate withall the goodnes of Almighty God who made so great shew of his mercy to this his poore creature at that very tyme when he was offended for then accursing the Serpent who by a woman had wrought all our misery and in counteruaile threatning him with a woman and the seed of a woman who should crush his head he promised in the same wordes a Redeemer to mankind who should be borne of that woman I will put sayth he to this Seducer emnity betweene thee and the woman Iesus the seed of a woman and betwixt her seed and thy seed and she shall crush break thy head This woman was the B. Virgin and her Sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour truely her seed and borne of her only seed for those who are borne of other women are of the seed of men and women both This promise was signified by the beastes skinnes wherewith Adom and Eue were cloathed after their fall in the euening Gen. 3.13 For this was a figure foretelling that the same God who then did speake should take the flesh of man in the euening of the world and should become a Lambe to be killed and sacrificed and to gaine for vs by his death the robe of innocency in this life couering the confusioÌ„ of our sinnes with the stole of glory in the next life meriting for vs the kingdome of Paradise and this towardes the euening deferring the execution of this his comming by Iustice that the pride Why the Sonne of God was incarnate towardes the end of the world wherby man was fallen into misery might be punished and man might be througly humbled by the long knowledge and feeling of his infirmity and so might crye to the Physician to be cured If the Sonne of man had beene incarnate presently men would not haue acknowledged their maladies or woundes and in tract of tyme they would haue forgotten the benefit of their saluation for if we forget it already it being but fresh and the other day hauing been done towardes the end of the world what had we done if he had come foure thousand years before Besides it was conuenient that many ceremonies prophecies sacraments sacrifices and other preparations should goe before so great a Lord into the world to dispose and prepare the harts of men Fit preparatiues to the coÌ„ming of our Sauiour to receaue him with a liuely fayth profound humility a burning charity In the second point he shall meditate on the one side the increase of corruption in our humane nature going still from ill to worse after
Pilgrime of Loreto and the first of his Returne CHAP. I. LAZARVS a man much beloued of God wise and well versed in the learning of Saints and yeâ— deuour to the glorious Mother of God departed from his CouÌ„trey in the yeare 1583. to goe see the world in Christian Pilgrimage with a little brother of his called Pauline about 18 yeares of age at his departure himselfe being 24. and a Cousin of theirs called Theodosius of the same age a yong man of rare vertue and excellent conuersation with a faithfull and pietis seruant of their Fathers somewhat elder then they who was called Vincent They had already spent togeather six yeares in the most famous Pilgrimages of Christendome and els where and alwayes with these exercises of deuotion which we haue set downe before in the direction of our Pilgrime still continuing the same though not without difficulty but in the beginning of the seauenth yeare by mischance Pauline was taken prisoner and made slaue to the Barbarians in Alexandria and â—s Lazarus being at Constantinople was ready to send his ransome Pauline made prisoner which he had gotten by meanes of the French Embassadour he vnderstood that he was dead which newes did meruailously afllict him notwithstanding being a Gentleman of great courage vertue he bare it patiently hoping that his death was happy by reason of the piety and deuotion which he had alwayes marked in that youth specially towardes our B. Lady The other three returned towards FraÌ„ce came the second time to Loreto for they had beene there at the beginning and still caried themselues as Pilgrimes of Loreto and did their deuotions there certaine dayes not forgeting to pray for the soule of Pauline where also Lazarus caused his funerall to be kept So they parted full of spirituall ioy froÌ„ that holy place and came along vntil they were within few dayes iourny of their Fathers house wheÌ„ good Theodosius was lost froÌ„ his coÌ„pany no man knowing what was become of him notwithstaÌ„ding the enquiry that Lazarus had foure or fiue dayes together caused to be made after him This losse did so much the more grieue him the lesse it was looked for and almost at their home as it were a shipwracke in the mouth of the hauen He offered some vows to God our B. Lady of Loreto for him with a pious resolution continued his way hauing now no companion but Vincent and conceaued a great hope in God by the Protection of the B. Virgin that he would haue a speciall care of her Pilgrimes Now he had changed his name which he had from his infancy which was Aime-dieu and called himselfe Lazarus because he desired not to be knowne but by title of a poore and humble seruant of God which he sought with a Christian magnanimity from his hart and with all auersion and disdayne did eschew the vanity and glory of the world as a plague of al noble actions The first euening therfore of these Ten dayes that I write being at an Hospitall by a forrest before going to bed he tooke for subiect of his morning meditation following The flight of our Sauiour into Aegypt and conferred with his companion Vincent these three pointes following The points of the meditatioÌ„ following The first how S. Ioseph a little after the Presentation of our Sauiour to the Temple was aduertised in his sleep by an Angel from God to take the child his mother to fly into Aegypt by reason of the persecution of Herod at hand who already contriued his death The second the B. Virgins abode in Egypt with her Sonne Iesus The third the returne of our Sauiour to Iury and his retyring to Nazareth Meditations vpon the flight of our Sauiour into Aegypt togeather with his glorious Mother and Ioseph CHAP. II. EARLY in the morning an houre before going abroad Lazarus and Vincent entred into the meditation of these points a part by themselues Lazarus spake thus to God and to his soule My Lord and faithfull guide direct if it please thee my affections and actions to thy honour and glory to the profit of thy poore seruant I behold thy deare Sonne made a litle Infant and feeble for me to fly the persecution of of Herod vniust vsurper of the Scepter of the Hebrewes thy children and thy kingdome and to be caried into Egypt in the armes of his diuine mother as the Sunne in the heaueÌ„ I desire to see the course of this mystery and to profit thereby accomplish my desire seeing thou hast giuen it me and to haue my vnderstanding enlightned with the beames of thy grace well to meditate my Wil heated with the fire of thy loue straitly to imbrace vertue and to walke constantly in the wayes of thy commandements I consider here O my soule the faythfull and sweet Prouidence of this heauenly Father aduertising Ioseph by his Angel to fly and to withdraw his SoÌ„ne from the cruelty of the Tyrant for though he were sent and came to dye yet not in that age nor in that sort but in the flowre of his age and by the death of the Crosse would he accomplish our Redemption and bestow on vs in the meane tyme the benefit and vse of his life to instruct vs by the example of his heauenly vertues and wonderfull workes by the doctrine of his holy preachings to shew in his life and death the signes of his infinite loue with most manifest and cleere proofes If he had beene put to death in his cradle men had wanted all those euident testimonies of his Charity so many motiues to belieue in him and to receaue him for the promised Messias This little child then persecuted so soone by the Princes of the world visible and inuisible taketh his way to Aegypt and as weake giueth place to the Tyranny which he could as well haue repressed by resistance as auoid by flying But he would doe what himselfe had before taught his seruants and would by his example shew his disciples what they should do in like case So Iacob left the house of his Father to auoyd the fury of Esau Moyses left the Court of Pharao to escape his hands so little Iosias 4. Reg. 2. the lawfull successour of the Crowne was hidden from the massacre which cruell Athalia made of the Princes of the bloud I see heere that holy Ioseph obeyeth simply without excusing or asking why he The obedience of Ioseph whome he heard to be come to saue the world would not rather saue himselfe staying in Iudaea then by flying into Aegypt It is inough to obey the voice of him that commandeth without searching the secret or reason of the commandement teaching the true seruaÌ„ts of God to obey their Superiours without pleading or resistance He arose in the night tooke the child with diligence tooke the Mother and went towardes Aegypt by the same desart whereby the Hebrewes passed to Iudaea This tender Virgin bare her little child
And saying this with teares he fell on the necke of Lazarus who also wept tenderly And soone came Pauline and being iofull of this loâ—ing leaue which he saw was granted to his brother and full of hope to obtaine as much for himselfe with the like or more facility cast himselfe at his Fathers feete who was set in his closet sad pensiue desiring to haue his blessing so long desired But behold nature and some contrary and aduerse spirite helping her played her part to trouble the peace of the father and to crosse the designement of the Sonne for as the good old maÌ„ saw himselfe at the point to be depriued of the dearest of all his children pierced with the griefe of the losse and loosing the memory of his former resolution and of all he had sayd a little before to Lazarus he sodainly changed his loue into fury being traÌ„sported with anger as a Lionesse in the losse of her litle ones Well then Pauline quoth he thou wilâ— also abandon and forsake me after thy brother and insteed of succouring my solitude thou preparest to leaue my house destitute and desolate and hereto thou demaundest my blessing Tell me thou vnnaturall child and cruell Impe haue I brought thee into this world and nourished thee so fatherly to be forsaken by thee without piety at the brinke of my graue Haue I fashioned and cherished thy youth with all sorts of fauours benefits to reape in my old age these fruits of anguishe of thy vngratefull ground Doth God command thee to be forgetfull disobedient or cruell to him that begat thee To be his death after thou hast receiued of him thy being and all the good that a child could receiue of a good father But with what face wilt thou present thy offering to God after thou hast left thy father loaden with the burden of a thousand troubles torments endured for thee and wounded with a hartbreake and with a deadly stroke by thy murtherous hands God commaundeth to loue thyne enemies and thou wilt kill thy father and darest thou appeare before the holy Altar of the supreme Iustice soiled with so great a sinne And if thou wilt serue God as a perfect seruant who letteth thee to performe it in the house of thy father whome God commaundeth thee to serue and honour Of thy Father I say who hath alwayes giuen thee by his works and wordes good testimony that he caryeth the feare of God in his hart and loueth vertue and is pleased to see his children perfect in all piety Thinkest thou that there is neuer a good man in the world nor any worthy of thy company Is there no place in heauen but onely for Religious Or may we not liue a perfect life among men without leauing the company and conuersation of men After these periods and clauses shot like sharp and pointed arrowes he paused a while and as if all his choler had beene spent and disgorged yet Nature forced him to apply for a second assault and battery the force of a contrary passion He tooke the language of loue stroaking and imbracing whome he would not anger but winne and resuming his speach O sayth he my well beloued Pauline O my life and my comfort haue compâ—ssion of me thy desolate Father behold these white hayres these hollow eyes these teares hasten not my end lyue yet a while with me and if thou desirest my death thou shalt see it shortly it draweth on apace with the roll of my yeares and infirmities and knocketh already at the doore of all my senses assigning me ouer to my sepulcher Stay a litle that I may giue thee my last benediction in peace and that thou maist take it without offence expect tary till I be put in my graue and then thou maist go which way thou wilt heere he held his peace being stopped with the violence of his sighings and aboundance of teares which trickled downe his cheekes great and feruent and held the head of Pauline fast in his haÌ„ds vpon his knees a man might see in his face inflamed and his body shaking the conflict of an extreme passion that ruled in his soule Pauline was at this anger and commotion of his Father more astonished then offended for he easily perceiued that it was not of any euill will but that the subtilty of the wicked spirit had surprised the good old man by an ambushment layd behind the wals of Nature and fatherly affection and had of him great compassion and with a calme countenance sayd vnto him My most honourable Father if I had thought that my demaund would haue offended you I protest that I would neuer haue made it neither except I had long before perceiued by euideÌ„t signes that my vocation had beene full pleasing vnto you dared I to haue opened my mouth to discouer it And now Syr let not God suffer me to grieue honorable old age which I haue alwais respected as becometh a maÌ„ of honour althogh otherwise it had not touched or concerned me any thing at all nor so farre to forget my selfe eyther of your immortall benefit or of the duty of a true Sonne nor to foule my soule with the vice of such ingratitude contemning your commaÌ„dement which I am bound to obey with a thousand merits and a thousand titles of loue My most deere Lord Father be you in rest I will stay as long as it shall please you and will serue you in your house and will account my self much honoured to liue in your company and vnder your obedience and do verily belieue that God will weâ—l accept this duty done for his loue according to the directioÌ„ of his lawes And if it please you I will also do my best to perswade my brother Aime-Dieu to stay his voiage also to dwell with you and to employ himselfe with me to your contentment and comfort At these words vttered with so great simplicity of hart countenance of a child the good old Syr was in that instant pacifyed and his heat asswaged and it seemed that the speach of Pauline entring at his eares had also mollifyed and transformed his hart as it were with some sweet drinke of heauenly liquour and therefore taking againe his spirits of loue and prudence returning in a sort to himself O my God sayth he where am I And into what errours hath the iniquity of my soule transported me O mercifulâ— Father haue mercy on me and haue not regard to my folly and rashnes in speach O my well beloued Pauline I know well thy obedience and piety towards me thou hast vndertaken nothing but by the inspiration of God with my good will and lyking thou didst long since aduertise me of this desire O soueraigne God pardon me and do thy pleasure with my Sonne or rather with thine owne for thine he is and not myne Pardon me my Sonne and excuse my infirmity this was an excursioÌ„ of a child of Adam that old