admits of no division Inclination has its bounds Charity has none To love all things except sin Is to love out of Charity 'T is to be like God 'T is to have a heart as great as God's O how happy should I be Had I an assurance that I lov'd God truly I can have no greater assurance thereof Than to love my enemies for God If I am pleas'd with those that displease me If I oblige those who disoblige me If I love those that hate me If I testifie an affection to those For whom I feel an Aversion I have all the assurance that one can have That I love God sincerely That all my sins are forgiven me Because I love my enemies for his sake O God my Lord I will testifie my love towards you By loving for your sake those who are not love-worthy By doing good to those who do ill to me By conversing with those that displease me By seeking after those that I cannot look upon without pain By that it is that you will know That I am your Child That I am your Disciple That I live not by humour And that I love you with all my heart If you love those that love you what reward will you have do not the Publicans do the fame Matth. 5. If you salute your Brethren only what do you do more do not the Heathens do the fame ibid. Amen I say to you as long as you have not don to one of these little ones neither have you don to me Matth. 25. Their heart is divided now they will perish Os 10. XXXIV MED Of Presumption WHat art thou that thou presumest of thy self What wert thou heretofore What art thou at present What wilt thou be one day Thou know'st that thou hast sinned But thou know'st not whether thy sin be forgiven Thou know'st that thou hast offended God But thou know'st not whether thou hast appeas'd him Thou know'st that thou hast lost grace But thou know'st not whether thou hast recovered it again Thou saist Thou hast been at Confession But was thy Confession good Was it entire Was it accompanied with sorrow Was this sorrow supernatural Was it sincere Was it of all thy sins Was it with all thy heart Was it of all thy life Hast thou been seen to change thy manners Is that sorrow true and real Which dies as soon as it is conceiv'd Thou feelest not thy self guilty of any sin But that does not justifie thee One ought not to be disquieted for what is past Neither ought one to presume of what is to come What art thou at present Art thou in the grace of God Hast thou nothing upon thy Conscience The Heart of man is very hidden The Devil's wit is very crafty Vices imitate Virtues Passions disturb our knowledge One is easily perswaded that what one loves is innocent No man is an enemy to himself We defend all that we love Many times we make a Mortal sin pass for a Venial one We reckon but as a slight Detraction Calumnies of the highest importance Whatsoever good thou do'st secures thee not that thou art good In whatsoever state thou art Thou know'st not whether thou art in a good one For to do a good action thou must have a good intention Who knows when it is good Many go down into Egypt That think they go up to Jerusalem Many are in Illusion who believe they are in Contemplation How deceitful is the heart of man Onely God alone can understand it Thou must not therefore flatter thy self Thou must not over-perswade thy self What wilt thou be for the time to come Art thou sure that thou shalt persever Wilt thou answer for thy own Will How often has she deceiv'd thee Wilt thou answer for God's Will He efficaciously would have thee be saved But thou must cooperate thereunto Does he owe thee all sorts of graces Is he bound to priviledge a presumptuous man Little sins lead us unto great ones Our Salvation often depends upon a small matter Whilst we are here on Earth we may ascend to Heaven Till we are in Heaven we may fall down into Hell I find no assurance but in Humility and in Obedience The fall of great ones shall make me little The ruin of the Proud shall make me humble O my God my hope Give me not over to the Spirit of Pride Take all things from me I care not Provided you leave me humility Draw back your Talents I ask them not Provided that I have Charity If I look on my self I find all things to be feared If I consider you I find all things to be hoped Alas I deceive my self but you cannot deceive me I oftentimes wish harm to my self But you always wish me well My Salvation is more in assurance In your hands than in my own I will always diffide in my self But will always conside in you He that lives without diffidence Deceives himself if he be in assurance Man knows not whether he be worthy of love or hatred Eccles 4. The heart of man is wicked and unsearchable who shall know it Jer. 17. I am not conscious to my self of any thing but I am not thereby justified 1 Cor. 14. Thou standest by faith be not high-minded but fear Rom. 4. Be ye therefore humble under the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5. XXXV MED Of the good use of Time TIme is precious short irreparable Precious because each moment of it is worth an Eternity Short because it lasts only our life Irreparable because it never returns What will it avail you to have liv'd in pleasures If you die in sin What will it avail you to have past your time well If it go ill with you for all Eternity Time is given you to think on your Salvation You have but little of it remaining Death draws on Eternity advances Your life slips away Your health impairs Your Judgment is preparing Poor fool this very night thy soul shall be fetch'd away And to whom wilt thou leave all that thou hast hoarded up To whom will he be good who is naught to himself After your death you will wish for one moment Of that time which you squander away in Pastimes After death you will repine at the loss of that time Which you spend unprofitably Make therefore good use of your time Manage those precious moments Redeem that which you have lost Employ the present well Regulate well that which remains Think on your Salvation Save your Soul An Angel hath sworn by him that lives in all Ages That soon there will be no more time O my God! Give me yet a little more time And I will give you all satisfaction Alas I deserve indeed to be deprived of it Because I have so long abused it But I will henceforth make better use of it I will think on nothing but my Salvation I will repair the time I have lost And employ well the time remaining They were taken away before their time Job 22. Do
because you are a Christian And have a mind to be happy Why does the Devil tempt you 'T is because he hates the Image of God Because he envies man Because he would make you his Slave Because he would have Companions Because he would enter into your heart Because he would ascend God's Throne Because he would profane his Temple Because he would be ador'd therein Because he would Crucifie JESUS Christ And renew all his Ignominies Will you carry on his Designs Will you content his Passion 'T is what you do as often as you consent to Temptation Why does God permit you to be tempted 'T is for his glory and your good He would know whether you love him He would make you know your self He has a mind to try your virtue To keep you in a dependance on him To fit you for a Combat To thrust on your Sloth To take you off from Creatures To oblige you to have recourse to him To make you merit Heaven O my Saviour I wonder not that I am tempted Since you were also tempted 'T is good that I should know you 'T is good that I should know my self I find that Temptation hinders me from entring into Presumption Tempt me O God try me See whether there be no iniquity in me O no! tempt me not Alas I know my own weakness Deliver me rather from my temptation At least fortifie me against my temptation Satan strikes at you as well as me Defend your self in me and through me God tempted Abraham Gen. 20. Fear not for God came for to try you Exod. 20. The Lord your God tempts you to make it publickly known whether you love him or not Gen. 13. Anania why did Satan tempt thy heart Act. 5. Every one is tempted by being drawn and allured by his own concupiscence Jam. 1. God tempted them and found them worthy of him Wisd 3. XXXI MED Of the troubles and pains of Mind HOw these thoughts torment me Why art thou tormented at them I fear I shall give consent to them If you fear you do not consent Your fear ought to secure you I am fallen into sin You must rise quickly out of it God is angry with me 'T is in your power to appease him Walk with more Diligence Labour with more Fidelity Confess your self without delay Humble your self without disturbance One evil does not repair another Sin is not cur'd by Sin This Temptation is importune Yes But it is necessary for you It keeps you in humility It maintains you in your dependance It obliges you to pray It hinders you from presuming Without Temptation one cannot be tryed Without fighting one cannot be crown'd Without a Cross none can be saved O my God! Keep me close to you And I will not fear the Devils Although they were all against me Without you I am nothing but weakness With you I am all fortitude If I have wherewithal to ruin my self You have wherewithal to save me Let not your heart be troubled John 14. Because thou wert acceptable to God it was necessary that Temptation should try thee Tob. 12. God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but he will make profit of your temptation that you may be able to sustain it 1 Cor. 10. Blessed is the man who suffers Temptation Jam. 1. XXXII MED Of natural Inclinations TO love by Inclination is to love like a Beast To love with Inclination is to love like a Man To love without Inclination is to love like a Christian To love against Inclination is to love like a Saint Christian Charity embraces all the World Its motive is singular and universal If for God I love him that pleases me I ought also to love him that displeases me They are both of them created by God Both made to his Image Both redeem'd with his Blood Both call'd to his Glory I am not bound to love all the World equally But I am bound to hate no body Particular Friendships are Universal Hatreds The Unions of Inclination Are Schisms and Heresies of Heart The nearer you draw to one person The farther you remove from all others If you are totally one person 's You are nothing to all the rest You commit an injustice You refuse them what you ow them You wound Charity You divide Unity You slight Regularity You scandalize the Community You fly from Solitude You dare not remain any more before God You commit a great many sins Your Spirit is without Recollection Your Heart without Devotion Your Prayers without Gust Your Communions without Fruit. Your Life without Peace Your Labours without merit O my God! How amazed shall I be at my death When I shall see that I have not lov'd you Unless I love all my Brothers I love not so much as one for your sake If I have an Aversion for one I have no Charity for all the rest O how much time ill spent O how many dangerous Familiarites O how many unprofitable Discourses O how many criminal Entertainments O my God! I will for your sake love all sorts of persons I will love my Friends and my Foes The Rich and the Poor The Great and the Little The good humours and the bad humours Those that do me good and those that do me hurt Since they are all your Subjects All your Children All your Members Since you love them all That you are in them all That you order me to love them all There is no acception of persons with God Rom. 2. He makes his Sun to rise upon the good and the bad and rains upon the just and unjust Matth. 5. Thou shalt not make acception of persons Deut. 16. Is there not one Father of us all Is there not one God who created us why then does every one contemn his Brother Mal. 2. These are those that separate themselves Animals that have not the Spirit Jude v. 19. XXXIII MED Of Aversions THe wounds of the heart are mortal Hatred makes Charity die The fairest of all Victories Is to triumph over our Aversions To love a Friend is the virtue of a Pagan To love a Foe is the virtue of a Christian 'T is the strongest of all loves Because it triumphs over the greatest enemy 'T is the amplest of all loves Because it embraces both friend and foe 'T is the purest of all loves Because Nature cannot love an enemy 'T is the most meritorious of all loves Because there is nothing harder than to love an enemy God loves all things that he made He has an Aversion to nothing but sin The Creatures that fight with each other Are at peace in his bosom He has no Antipathy because his Essence is infinit Great Souls have no enmities They have a dominion over all Objects They are not divided by matter All things are at peace in their heart Sin only alone is not there in quiet Because it makes war against Sanctity Self-love is divided within it self Divine love
great things How beautiful is God Since he hath created such beautiful things How good is God Since he hath created such good things What favours has God don to me From what danger has he preserved me From how many evils has he delivered me What great goods he promises me Who deserves my heart better than he Who offers me a greater price for to have it To whom shall I give it if not to him Who has given me his To whom shall I sell it if not to him Who has bought it at the price of his Blood Is a naughty heart worth the blood of a God Worth the life of a God Worth the heart of a God Worth the Kingdom of God I deserve not to live If I will live for any one but you I ought not to have a heart If I will love any thing else besides you O I have loved you too late Beauty always new always ancient O I have too soon offended you Bounty always amiable always adorable I acknowledge my darkness I abhor my ingratitudes I will always love you O God of goodness I will never offend you O God of majesty Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with all thy forces Luk. 10. In this did appear the charity of God because God sent his only begotten son into the World that we may live by him 1 John 4. Let us therefore love God because he loved us first ibid. I will love thee O Lord my strength our Lord is my establishment and my refuge and my deliverer my God and my helper c. Ps 17. CLI MED How God loves men and how men ought to love God LEt us love God because he loves us Let us love him as he hath loved us The Love of God is ancient He hath lov'd us from all Eternity We were always in his thought in his heart His Love is as ancient as his Being He no sooner was but he loved us And as he always was So he always loved us And he will still love us During all Eternity The Love of God is pure and disinterested He loves us without standing in need of us Without expecting any thing from us Without any desert on our side Without any obligation on his He loves us that he may be loved And to make us happy through his love The Love of God is tender 'T is a Love of sweetness 'T is the sweetness of Love 'T is the Love of a Father And Mother and Nurse The Love of God is strong It triumphs over all difficulties It does good to the ungrateful To Rebels to his Enemies The Love of God is infinit He loves us with the love that he loves himself He has bestowed infinit benefits on us He has suffered infinit evils for us He has given his blood which is of an infinit price He communicates to us his grace Which is an infinit treasure He prepares his glory for us Which is an infinit good The Love of God is universal It embraces all men There is no body that he does not love That he does not visit To whom he has not appointed an Angel Whom he does not help Whom he has not redeemed Whom he is not willing to save O incomparable Lover Where shall I find a friend So faithful and so ancient as you O my Soul Canst thou not love him Who has loved thee so much Canst thou refuse thy heart to him Who has given thee his Compare one with the other Measure the greatness of the one and the other O my God! my Love Was there ever Ingratitude comparable to mine You love me from the time that you were And I offend you from the time that I had a Being You love me from all Eternity And I will not love you now O I will henceforth love you As you have loved me I will love you constantly purely strongly Eternally universally In all places in all times in all states And in the accomplishment of all your wills I have loved thee in perpetual charity Jer. 31. The Father himself loveth you John 6. He will have all men to be saved and to com to the knowledge of truth 1 Tim. 2. He loved them to the end John 13. Is the death of the wicked man my Will saith the Lord God and not rather that he should be converted from his ways and live Ezek. 18. CLII. MED Of the Incomprehensibility of God ALL times together Cannot measure the Being of God All places together cannot inclose him All understandings whatsoever Cannot comprehend him All hearts together Cannot love him sufficiently God is nothing of what I see He is nothing of what I touch He is nothing of what I hear He is nothing of what I know He is nothing of what I imagin He is an invisible spiritual And incomprehensible Being O my God! How rich am I When I have nothing but you How enlightned am I When I see nothing but you How knowing am I When I know nothing but you How contented am I When I relish nothing but you I see all things when I see nothing I tast all things when I tast nothing I hear all things when I hear nothing I possess all things when I possess nothing I am all things when I am nothing I honour the Power of God By the Sacrifice of my power I honour the Greatness of God By the Sacrifice of my glory I honour the Goodness of God By the Sacrifice of my desires I honour the Incomprehensibility of God By the Sacrifice of my thoughts Empty your Memory from its Images And God will fill it with his Essence Empty your Heart of its Affections And God will fill it with his Goods Empty your Understanding of your Conceits And God will fill it with his Lights Great in counsel and incomprehensible in thought Jer. 32. To whom have you compared me and made me like unto Isai 46. My Soul hath refused to be comforted I was made full of God and was delighted Ps 76. All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee Ps 34. Rase it rase it unto the foundation thereof Ps 136. CLIII MED Of Simplicity BE simple in mind Be simple in heart That Spirit is simple That has but one thought That heart is simple that has but one desire Without these two Simplicities You will never arrive to Unity God is a pure Act. There is nothing more simple than his Being He cannot be multiplyed He cannot endure Duplicity He has from all Eternity But one thought and one love He says all in one word And this word is nothing but Truth If you would unite your self to God You must imitate this Simplicity To what purpose are so many thoughts To what end so many discourses Are not you convinc'd of the truth Why should you seek after what you have found Do what you know Tast what you see God is one great Word A great matter for Prayer Cast
You have grace enough not to go thither You have enough to retire from thence But shall you have grace enough if you stay there Is it not a sin of Presumption To promise it your self in the occasion At least it will be very weak And your enemy will be very strong He is a Dog in a chain When we come near him he bites us He expects us in the occasion If you go thither O rash Soul You will yield to that temptation He that loves danger will not escape danger Be not familiar with a cholerick man neither do thou walk with a furious man least thou learn his foot stept Prov. 22. He that touches pitch shall be defiled with it and he that keeps company with a proud man will put on pride Eccles 14. He that joyns himself to Fornicators will be naught Eccles 14. If any one be a Fornicator amongst you do not so much as eat with such an one 1 Cor. 5. He that loves danger shall perish therein Eccles 3. Go off from the Tabernacles of the wicked men and do not touch any thing that belongs to them that ye be not involv'd in their ruin Numb 16. If thy right eye scandalize thee pluck it out and cast it from thee Matth. 5. We denounce unto you brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ That you withdraw your selves from every brother that walks disorderly 2 Thess 3. XX. MED Of a good and a bad Conscience O How good it is to serve God What a pleasure is there in loving him How good is he to those that love him How terrible to those that offend him How happy is a good conscience How unhappy is a bad Conscience How joyful is a sound heart How sad is a sick heart O what quiet is there in a good Soul O what disturbance in a wicked Soul The Conscience of a just man is a Heaven The Conscience of a Sinner is a Hell God is in the Soul of a just man The Devil is in the Soul of a Sinner A virtuous man fears nothing A wicked man apprehends all things A just man is well with himself A wicked man is ill with himself A virtuous man willingly stays at home Because all is in peace there A wicked man dares not enter into himself Because all things are there in disorder O how sweet is Virtue O how bitter is Vice O how precious is the death of the Just O how horrible is the death of Sinners Ah! I will love God now That I may love him in Eternity I will lead a good life that I may have a good death My sin is always before me Psal 50. There is no peace to the wicked saith our Lord. Isa 48. A good conscience is as it were a perpetual feast Prov. 15. Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul that works evil Rom. 2. Hell is my house Job 17. This is our glory the testimony of our conscience 2 Cor. 1. XXI MED Of the peace of the Soul I Would fain be in peace Whence comes it that I am not Is it not because I defer too much to my own sence Because I am too much wedded to my own will Because I rebel against my Superiors Because I will suffer nothing Because I desire something with eagerness Because I am ambitious Because I am envious Is it not because I wage war against God Because I resist his Will Because I oppose my self to his Providence Because I would have what he will not Because I will not what he wills Who can live in peace that fights against God Who can be contented that is at odds with God O my Soul If thou art against God God will be against thee If thou disturbest his peace he will disturb thy quiet If thou keep his orders his orders will keep thee If thou disturb his order His order will disturb thee Desire nothing and thou shalt have all Do the Will of God and God will do thine He will do the Will of those that fear him Ps 144. VVhence come the wars and brangles amongst you is it not from your concupiscences James 4. Glory be to God on high and on Earth peace to men of good will Luk. 2. My peace I give you let not your heart be troubled John 14. Much peace there is to those that love thy law Ps 118. XXII MED Of vain Desires ARt thou contented O my Soul What dost thou desire upon earth Is not God sufficient for thee Is not he thy happiness When wert thou well without him Or when ill with him What dost thou seek besides God Who can content thee but God Thy desires are thy Tyrants 'T is they make thee miserable 'T is they that rent thy heart How happy would'st thou be if thou desiredst nothing What dost thou get by desiring These sort of desires enter not into Heaven They are the Devils in Hell 'T is they that torment the damned Leave off desiring and thou wilt get out of Hell O my God! Out of you all abundance is to me indigence All sweetness is bitterness to me That Heart is very covetous To which God is not sufficient Covetousness is the root of all evils 1 Tim. 6. The desires of sinners shall perish Ps 122. Desires kill the slothful man Prov. 21. Turn away from me all desires Eccles 23. Yield me not O Lord from my desire to the Sinner Psal 139. Martha Martha thou art Sollicitous and troubled about many things Luk. 10. XXIII MED Of Tepidity How miserable is a Tepid Soul She has lost all relish of God She is depriv'd of all comforts She wanders out of the ways of his Providence She sins without fear She does ill without remorse She dares not enter into her self She is Sick and is not sensible of her Sickness She is wicked and thinks her self good She is a slave and thinks her self free She abuses all remedies She rejects all Inspirations She is insensible to all Grace She discredits Devotion She scandalizes her Neighbour She is a burden to Communities She lies heavy upon God's heart She is just upon the point of being cast out She is in danger of never re-entring more Am not I in that state Am I hot or am I cold Am I all God's Or am I his only by halfs If so I have a tepid Soul O divine Saviour How long have I afflicted you How long have I clogg'd your heart Ah! Vomit me not up yet Deprive me not of your love Drive me if you will out of your Heaven But drive me not out of your Heart Draw in your goods from my soul But draw not back your love from thence Alas I more dread your hatred Than I do the pains of Hell My Soul Remember the state thou art fallen from Resume thy first fervour 〈◊〉 tho I dost it quickly Thy Candlestick will be removed And another put in its place JESUS will drive thee out of his heart And thou shalt never more re-enter therein If thou
wert either cold or hot Apoc. 3. Pervent in Spirit Rom. 12. Remember from whence thou art fallen and do pennance and do thy first works Apoc. 2. Because thou art tepid I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth Apoc. 3. XXIV MED Of the hatred of the World THe World is a cheat It must be contemned It never performs what it promises Its goods are not true ones They are not solid not pure not lasting They cannot fill the heart nor content the mind They give many disquiets and never give any rest Have you ever had any whilst you were in its service We ought to hate the World 'T is an enemy to JESUS Christ 'T is the Devil's Confederate He that loves the World believes the Maxims of the World And not those of the Gospel He is therefore a Christian only in name But an Infidel in heart The Devils believe there is a God This belief makes them tremble But they believe not in God Because they do not do his Will The Worlding believes there is a God But he does not believe in God Satan believes and trembles The Worlding believes and mocks He is then worse than the Devil Who ever is a friend to the World Declares himself an enemy to God Is it to be loyal to your King to love his Enemies We ought to fly the World Its company is dangerous We cannot live in it with security 'T is a Sea full of shelfs The World is 1. Judg'd 2. Condemn'd 3. Accursed 4. Excommunicated And can we after all that frequent it 'T is better to be hated by the wicked Than be beloved by them If you are of the World you will die in your Sin Why will you love the World Was it the World that created you That redeemed you That will save you JESUS says That he is not of this World And you say That you are of this World You are not then a Disciple of JESUS Christ Have not you renounc'd the World When you were baptized You renounc'd it before the use of reason And you adore it having the use of reason You renounc'd it without your liberty And you love it with your liberty Doubtless had you had the use of reason You would not have been baptized O JESUS How many adorers has the World And how few servants have you The World cheats all men And yet all men serve it You cheat no body And yet no body obeys you O! I am a Christian I have learnt to contemn the World and not to adore it I had rather be little with humble JESUS Than great with the ambitious World I had rather weep with afflicted JESUS Than divert my self with the voluptuous World Want all with poor JESUS Than possess all with the vicious World VVo unto the world from scandals Matth. 18. I am not of this world John 8. Now is the judgment of this world John 12. I pray not for the world John 17. Have confidence I have conquer'd the world John 10. He that loves the world the charity of the Father is not in him 1 John 2. XXV MED Of the small number of the Saved THe Flood overflow'd the whole Earth There were but eight men saved Of six hundred thousand fighting men There were only two that past the Jordan Of a field sown with Wheat Only the fourth part is fruitful Of many that run a Race only one gets the Prize The way to Hell is broad The greatest part of men take that way The way to Heaven is narrow And few there are that find it God will have all men to be saved He never forsakes them unless he be first forsaken He refuses his grace to no body Whence comes it then that so few are saved 'T is because Nature is corrupted Because it always tends downward Because we use no violence to it Because we are tyed to the pleasure of our senses Because we follow the Maxims of the World Because we do no Pennance Because we do not what we ought Because we begin to do it too late Because we stay to the very last When we are no more able to sin God contemns them at their death Who contemn'd him during their life The Devil keeps those fast at their death Whom he possest during their life Seldom can one in his old age shake off The wicked customs of his youth Every one carries to his Grave The Vices of his first years They hide themselves in his bones And sleep under his ashes with him O my God! Shall I be saved Shall I be damned If I am saved 't will be by your grace If I am damn'd 't will be through my own fault For there is nothing wanting to me for my Salvation What would I wish to have done at my death What sorrow shall I have in Hell Is a short time too long to prepare ones self Eternity Enter in at the narrow gate Math. 7. Many are called but few chosen Thy perdition is from thy self O Israel in me alone is thy help Hosea 13. What more could I do to my Vineyard and have not don it Isa 5. His bones shall be fill'd with the sins of his youth and sleep with him in the dust Job 20. XXVI MED Of Scandal or bad Example BAd Example is a bad Master It teaches evil to those that are ignorant of it It perswades those to it that abhor it It facilitates it to those that apprehend it It commands it to those that hate it It makes it honourable to the great ones It makes it necessary to the lesser sort It makes it lawful to the good It makes it pleasing to the wicked A scandalous person does more harm Than a great Saint can do good Example damns more people Than all the Preachers have ever saved Ignorance is one part of Innocence Evil would scarce ever be don Had it not been seen don One is ashamed to be good When one is amongst the wicked Only those Beings that are perfect Can produce perfect Beings like themselves One must be compleatly wicked To make others wicked A scandalous man is an Antichrist He is a Master of Iniquity He is a corrupter of Innocency He is the Devil's Substitute He is the Minister of his will A scandalous person ruins the Empire of JESUS He extends the Empire of Lucifer He fights under his Standard He draws men to his side He Martyrizes Innocence He damns the Souls of his brothers He commits as many sins As he is the cause of being committed He shall be damn'd as many times As he hath damned people He shall have as many Hells As he hath sent Souls to Hell O Scandalous Soul What has JESUS don to thee That thou shouldst persecute him What has thy Neighbour don That thou shouldst damn him Hast thou reason to be wicked because he is good And to wish him ill because he is innocent Hast not thou committed sins enough Wthout loading thy self with the sins of others What rest wilt
our love Our Desires are our Tormentors We quit not without grief what we possess with love Have you a mind never to be sad Place your hopes upon God Lay open your pains to him Beg comfort of him Persever in Prayer Submit your self to his orders Leave your self to his Providence Conform your self to his good pleasure And you will soon find what you seek Are you desirous not to be sad Conduct your self by reason Correct your imagination Men are not miserable But because they imagin themselves so A grief is light when opinion adds nothing to it 'T is Opinion that creates all our evils One would not be unhappy Unless he fancied himself to be so Regulate your self by Faith And not by your Senses Consult your reason not opinion You are afraid of an evil that threatens you This is to afflict your self without a cause To afflict your self before you have cause You bewail an evil past Your tears will not deliver you from it Why do not you make a virtue of necessity Why do not you make profit of your losses What good does it do you to recal an evil that is no more Why will you make your self miserable Because you have been so 'T is a shame for a wise man Not to cease to be sad But when he is weary of weeping It is better to quit that grief Than to stay till it quit us What is past concerns us no more The future concerns us not as yet What is present is but a moment Why will you prolong your torment We must fit our selves to our evils When we cannot rid our selves of them Sadness increases our losses but repairs them not There is nothing but sin that it destroys For sin only we ought therefore to be sad O how happy should we be Could we correct our thoughts O how joyful should we be If we desired nothing here on earth O how great a torment is a great desire A virtuous man is always contented He has always what he would have Because he always would have what he was Change does not change him Because he rests upon what is immoveable Anna why dost thou weep 1 Kings 1. Why art thou sad O my Soul and why dost thou trouble me Ps 41. He said to her Weep not Luk. 7. My brethren rejoice in our Lord. Phil. 3. Let the hearts of those who seek God rejoyce Ps 140. Is any among you sad let him pray Jam. 5. XLIII MED Of Pride AN humbled God is a great mercy A proud man is a great misery Pride is the head spring of all evils As Humility is the Mother of all Virtues We are angry because we are proud We are sad impatient We would be rich We are envious unchast Because we are proud God humbles the spirit by the body He gives up the proud to shameful Passions He covers with beasts-skins those who aspir'd to be Gods Pride is the sin of the Devil 'T is the first that ever was committed Heaven was the place of its birth Hell will be the place of its punishment Other sins fly away from God This makes war against God And God on his side makes war against it He looks on it as his foe He gives his grace to the humble But he resists the proud He humbles them Corporally Spiritually Temporally Eternally O how great an evil is it to have God for ones Enemy My God! I beg one favour of you For your glory and my salvation That I may know you And that I may know my self That I may know your greatness And my own littleness Your benefits and my ingratitudes Your goodness and my malice What I have from you that I may praise you What from my self for to humble my self O pretious Nothing wherein I find all things O luminous Nothing wherein I see all things O delicious Nothing wherein I tast all things I am in rest when I am in Nothing Because I am then in my place I have no rest when I am out of Nothing Because I am no more in my center O God my All When shall I be void of all that I am That I may be fill'd with all that thou art Every arrogant man is an abomination to our Lord. Prov. 16. Our Lord swore in his soul I hate the pride of Jacob. Amos 6. He that humbles himself shall be exalted and he that exalts himself shall be humbled Luk. 14. Amen I say to you unless you be converted and become like little ones ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 18. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble Jam. 4. XLIV MED Of the pardoning of Injuries GOd commands you to do it And will you not do it You would do it for your King If he should order you to do it Who has right to command if God has not Will you not do what pleases him The Servant's satisfaction must yield to his Masters authority What God forbids you He forbids the whole World What God commands you He commands the whole World As he forbids you to hate your enemy So he forbids your enemy to hate you As he commands you to love all men So he commands all men to love you Is there any thing more just than this Command God orders you to do it as a King He intreats you as a Father He teaches it to you as a Master By his mildness and by his patience By his word and by his example What does he not suffer from you In one hand he holds revenge And in the other patience The one is necessary for him But the other is very dear to him He lays aside his revenge For to conserve patience He pardons with joy He punishes with sorrow He pardons by inclination He punishes out of necessity If we are Subjects let us obey our King If we are Children let us do the will of our Father If we are Disciples let us follow the example of our Master Why do you hate your Brother Is he not a man like you Is he not a Christian as you are If you hate him because he is a sinner You ought to hate all men Were you just when JESUS loved you What would have becom of you If he had not lov'd sinners The wrong that is don you is a small matter If you consider the wrong you do to God You are slighted Have you not deserv'd it Can one that is damn'd be slighted enough Your goods are taken from you Was it not God that gave them to you Has he not a right to recal them When he pleases and by whom he pleases Do not call him an enemy Who makes you get Heaven If he have offended you He shall be soundly punish't for it His damnation is unavoidable Unless he make you satisfaction Can you push on your hatred beyond Eternity Leave the revenge to God 'T is a right that belongs to him Keep patience for your self 'T is the pain that 's due to your
iniquities God is for you a Rule of Mercy You are for him a Rule of Justice Unless you use mercy as he does He will draw vengeance as you do If you love he will love you If you hate he will hate you If you excuse he will excuse you If you condemn he will condemn you If you pardon he will pardon you If you punish he will punish you O JESUS When I see you dying on the Cross I have no more gall in my heart When I hear you praying for your enemies I have nothing but tenderness for mine My Father Forgive those that have offended me They knew not what they did And they did but what I deserv'd Forgive and you shall be forgiven Luk. 6. Love your enemies do well to those that hate you ibid. If you forgive men their sins your heavenly Father will forgive your sins but if you do not forgive men neither will your heavenly Father forgive you yours Matth. 6. XLV MED Of the Judgment of Men. WIll you always be a slave to men Will you never contemn human respect Why do not you declare your self for God Why do not you renounce these Vanities Why do you not frequent the Sacraments Why do you not quit these Companies The World will laugh at you You have more reason to laugh at the World It is God's great enemy 'T is the Tyrant of Faith The Persecutor of Innocency You have renounc'd its friendship When you were baptiz'd If you will not renounce the World You must renounce JESUS What a baseness is it to make ones self a slave to men What a disloyalty to quit JESUS Christ's Party What a Treason to joyn with his enemies What an Impiety to blush at the Gospel Men will laugh at you 'T is a testimony of your merit I should think you dishonoured If you had the approbation of those Who approve of nothing but what ought to be blamed The judgment of the wicked is not the Rule of the good Must you cease to be wise for fear of displeasing fools What right have the wicked to prescribe the Law to you Who has made you their Subject Are you afraid to be defamed by the infamous Do you apprehend to be dishonoured by people of no honour The wicked condemn you The Sentence is null and without authority When he that condemns deserves himself to be condemn'd Is it any marvel that a man should speak ill Who knows not how to do well If the wicked have a tongue to accuse you You have two hands to answer them The contempt of the wicked is the commendation of virtue One cannot be a Christian Unless one contemn and be contemned O JESUS my Lord How few Servants have you on Earth I see many Tyrants But I find no more Martyrs One only What will men say makes more Apostates Than all the Nero's ever made Alas how will they endure the strokes of Scourges Who cannot endure the stroke of a Tongue How will he be a Martyr for his Faith Who dares not be one for Charity For my part I will never be asham'd of your Gospel I will make open profession of your Religion I care not to please those that displease you I abhorr pleasing of those whom you please not And whom you cannot please Be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. 1 Tim. 3. If I should please men I should not be Christ's Servant Gal. 2. For all these things be not counfounded and do not accept of a person to do amiss Eccles 42. For my part I make little reckoning that I am judged by you or by human light 1 Cor. 4. XLVI MED Of Avarice IF you desire the goods of the Earth You will lose the goods of Heaven The Avaricious man loses his faith He has Sentiments contrary to the Gospel He esteems those happy whom JESUS calls miserable And esteems those miserable whom JESUS calls blessed Faith combats his passion and his passion combats faith He cannot preserve both the one and the other If therefore he will preserve his faith He must renounce his passion The Avaricious man loses his Hope For who can hope for what he believes not The covetous man contemns the eternal goods He esteems only temporal ones He does nothing for to gain Heaven He labours only for the Earth He never prays to God He expects no good from him He gives no Alms. He has an unsatiable desire He is an Idolater of money He sacrifices his thoughts to it He makes it his last end He elevates it above God He adores it as the beginning of his happiness He places all his hopes on it The Avaricious man loses Charity His heart is where his treasure is No man can serve two Masters Nor love God and Money Avarice takes up the whole heart It will endure no division thereof One must commit great injustices For to make great gains He that has a mind to grow rich Takes all that he can take Nature contents her self with little But Passion has no bounds He steals without measure Who desires without moderation Lawful gains are slow They follow the course of nature Great profits are great Robberies Great fortunes ordinarily are great injustices How can a covetous man be saved He does not acknowledge his sin He does no pennance for it He never will make any restitution That which is easily taken Is with great difficulty restored Stolen waters are sweeter Than those whose use is permitted All passions contribute to theft They all fight in defence of it O my God! let me not be tormented for earthly goods You know where my treasure is Alas shall we damn our selves for goods that we must leave We brought nothing into this World 'T is certain we shall carry nothing out Happy is he who contents himself with God And who places all his confidence in him Gold and Silver are the Gods of the Gentiles But the God of Heaven is mine Do not labour to becom rich but put a bound to thy industry Prov. 23. Trust not in iniquity and covet not rapins if riches abound lay not your heart to them Psal 61. He that hastens to grow rich will not be innocent Prov. 17. Those that desire to becom rich fall into the temptation and into the snare of the Devil 1 Tim. 6. There is nothing more wicked than a covetous man for his very soul is to be sold Eccles 10. How hard shall those that have monies enter into the Kingdom of God for it is an easier thing for a Camel to pass through the eye of a Needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of heaven Luk. 18. XLVII MED Of Relapse THe more a sin is forgiven The less pardonable it is The more it increases in quantity The more it increases in malice Relapses are dangerous Old wounds are incurable Acts pass into custom Custom becoms a necessity Sins become greater Habits stronger Grace weaker Cooperation slacker The Spirit more blinded The
strong 2 Cor. 12. LXXXI MED Of Modesty A Man is known by his Countenance A Soul is known by her Body 'T is a Looking-glass which represents her And wherein she is painted to the life A light Body shews a light Soul A modest Body shews a modest Soul It does nothing but what it is made to do When the Body is out of order 'T is judg'd that the Soul is so too What figure must that Soul have Which gives so ill an one to her Body A quiet and modest Exteriour Is the mark of a perfect Soul Of a Soul that tends to Union Of a Soul that is without passion God is a tranquil Spirit He is never disturb'd He dwells only in Peace He composes and quiets all things by his presence He imprints his Modesty on that Soul That he gives life to And if he does not imprint it 'T is because the Soul does not obey him When I see a Modest Body I say O here is the House of God! Here is the Temple of our Lord All things are here in peace and in order 'T is the Modesty of this Soul That reflects upon her Body 'T is the Sanctity within That sheds it self without An affected Modesty cannot last long When the Soul is well composed The Body is modest at all times The gestures of an ill regulated Body Com from the irregularity of the Soul She is agitated with Passions She gives ear to Temptations She sinks under her pains She gives her self up to her desires He that has God within himself Goes not elsewhere to seek him The Iron is at rest When it touches its Load-stone A Soul which touches God Is peaceable and without motion O My God! How tranquil is thy Spirit O how agitated is mine How grave is yours How light is mine How Modest is yours How unruly is mine If you were Master of my Heart You would also be Master of my Body If I quit the Out-works The Devil will gain the place I will therefore regulate my exteriour That I may conserve for you the Empire of my heart A man is known by the sight and a wise man is known by the shew of his face The cloathing of the body and the laughing of the teeth and the gate of the man tell of him Eccl. 19. Let your Modesty be known unto all men Phil. 4. The man of the heart that is hidden in the incorruptibility of a quiet and a modest spirit which is rich in the sight of God 1 Pet. 3. I beseech you by the modesty and meekness of Christ 2 Cor. 10. Do you on like the Elect of God Humility Modesty Patience Col. 3. LXXXII MED Of Divine Inspirations GOD holds his peace after he has spoken He scorns after having been scorned He hides himself after that he has sought He withdraws after he has called He punishes after having long endured Inspiration is the Voice of God 'T is a Blast of his Spirit 'T is a Ray of his Wisdom 'T is an Impression of his Love 'T is the Seed of Eternity 'T is the Principle of Salvation 'T is the price of the Blood of Jesus 'T is a Grace that has cost him his life You stifle the voice of God When you stifle an Inspiration You imitate Herod Who put St. John to death You imitate Saul Who put the Priests to death You imitate the Jews Who put JESUS and the Prophets to death You resist the Holy Ghost You sin without ignorance You sin through obstinacy through malice You bury the Talents of God You abuse his Gifts You trample the Son of God under your feet You do an injury to his Spirit You profane his pretious Blood You detain Truth Captive You break off the thred of his Graces You put your Salvation in danger The Justice of God will break out upon you Your Talents will be taken from you The Kingdom of Grace will be translated elsewhere God will speak no more to you The Holy Ghost will breath no more on you The Word of God will touch you no more Your Conscience will no longer molest you Hope will no longer encourage you Charity will no longer warm you Fear will no longer retain you Remedies will no longer profit you You abuse extraordinary Graces You will have them no more O my God! I confess that I am a Prodigal Who have wasted all your goods That I am a Herod Who have put your Voice to death O I will make you wait no longer I will no longer resist your grace You have too long knock't at the door of my heart This very day I will let you in You would have me quit this sin I will quit it You would have me change my life I will change it You would have me renounce gaming I will renounce it You would have me speak to my Enemy I will speak to him You would have me frequent the Sacraments I will frequent them You would have me love you alone I will love you in Time and Eternity Amen Wo to thee that despisest shall not thy self also be despised Isai 33. I called and you refused I extended my hand and there was none that regarded Ye despised all my counsel and ye neglected my rebukes and I will laugh in your destruction Prov. 1. I go and you will seek me and you will dy in your Sin Jo. 8. Extinguish not the spirit Thess 5. This day if you hear his voice c. Ps 44. LXXXIII MED Of the Word of God GOD created the World by his Word And he will not save it but by his Word He redeem'd it by his Word Incarnate Nor will he save it but by his Word Incarnate The Holy Ghost is produc'd in the heart of God By his Interiour Word The Holy Ghost is not produc'd in the heart of Man But by the Exteriour Word You are not a Sheep of JESUS Christ's Unless you hearken to his voice Your heart will bring forth nothing but Thorns Unless it receive this Divine seed JESUS speaks by the mouth of the Preacher 'T is he that rings in his Tongue He is cloath'd with the sound of his Voice As he came forth-cloath'd with a body of Flesh The Word written in Books Is a Sacrament of Salvation The Letter is the Species JESUS is the Sence The Increated Word Unites it self to the Word created That he may enter into hearts sanctify them What an Impiety to despise this Sacrament What a Crime to trample on the Son of God Alas How often have I don it I let it fall down on the ground I stifle it in my heart I eat this heavenly bread And I do not profit by it I hear this Divine Word and I am not converted If it does not convert me it will pervert me If it does me no good it will do me hurt If it give not life to me it will be my death If it doth not save me it will damn me Blessed is the womb that bore thee c.