Bread one Body one Bloud one Flesh in Iesus Christ to the likenes of materiall Bread which is composed of diners graines and wine made of many grapes as our Doctours doe expound The third point Of the effects of this Holy Sacrament CHAP. IV. The effects of B. Sacrament S. Tho. 3. quest 79. THE third shall be to consider the effects of this diuine mystery which are many The 1. wherof is to Quicken and giue the grace of God the life of the soule as our Sauiour sayth He that eateth me shall liue by me The second to Nourish and increase the same grace euen as corporall meate maintaineth life Ioan. 6. and maketh the body to growe The third to Enlighten the spirit as appeareth by the first Communion which our Sauiour after his resurrection gaue vnto his two Disciples at Emaus by the which their eyes were opened they knew their Maister presently Luc. 24. Aug. epist. 59. ad Paulin. whome before they knew not they belieued that he was risen againe whome they thought had beene still in his graue The fourth to Vnite the soule with God and with our Neighbour and to dissolue all emnity and discord so teacheth our Sauiour He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud Ioan. 6. Act. 4.31 remaineth in me and I in him An effect which did manifestly appeare in the first Christians who receaued euery day of whome it is sayd that they were one hart one soule The fifth to Enkindle deuotion and Charity towardes God and men euen as bread and wine doth increase the vitall spirits and heate the body The sixth to Extinguish quench the concupiscence of flesh and to preserue from sinne as a remedy against the flesh of our first Father Adam by the which men were defyled and made prone to sinne The seauenth to Fortify and strengthen vs against all the stormes and tribulatiōs of this mortall life Dauid prophesying of this effect sayd Thou hast prouided a table for me Psal 22.5 against those that trouble me So we read that the Prophet Elias persecuted by Queene Iezabel and constrained to fly through the desert 3. Reg. 19 sustained the trauaile of fourty dayes and fourty nights with the refection of that bread which the Angell had brought him which was a figure of this our Angelicall bread the flesh of our Sauiour The eight to Contente fill and reioyce the soule which of it selfe cannot be satisfyed or filled or find any firme or solid repose in things of the earth although she had them all alone euen so Christians in the beginning of the Church made no reckoning of riches but reioyced in possessing nothing and in suffering some thing for the name of Iesus The last to Bring to euerlasting glory for this deified Flesh holily and deuoutly receaued breedeth in the soule an insatiable desire of her heauenly Cōtrey and transporteth and carryeth the hart and affection to heauen and giueth to the body a seed of the glorious resurrection which is signifyed by the wordes of our Sauiour Ioan. 6.54 He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Bloud hath life euerlasting and I will rayse him againe at the last day After these considerations the Pilgrime shall admire the greatnes of this guift and benefit and in his admiration shall say this prayer following A speach to God and thankesgiuing CHAP. V. O My soueraigne Lord and sweet Redeemer I behould in all thy diuine workes and especially in the Sacramēt of thy Blessed Body that thy power is infinite that thy wisedome is a depth thy bounty a sea without bottome or bounds thou hast made all this visible world of nothing for the vse of man thou hast allied thy selfe to the house of Adam The liberality of our Sauiour and taking thereof a mortall body and matching and marrying it with thy diuinity wast made man to make man God thou hast giuen this body on the Crosse a ransome for our redemption not content with so great a liberality hast also left it in this mystical Table of thy Church for the nourishing of our soules and the resurrection of our bodyes tying thy selfe with this second band of loue and charity neuer heard of with all euery one of thy members What shall I wonder at in this mystery and guift Thy almightines His power Who hast so wonderfully changed this common and mortall bread into thy glorious and immortall Body by the same authority and power wherwith it made the whole world of nothing but with greater meruaile and miracle for this Body is more worth then a thousand worlds Shall I admire thy wonderfull wisedome His wisedome which in the heauēly Table of this thy body dost teach vs Faith Hope and Charity Humility Obedience Prudence Chastity Fortitude Piety Meeknes and all other goodly Christian vertues And whereas other bodyes could not nourish ours but for a tyme this Body duly receaued doth feed and fat the soule with spirituall riches His boūty and powreth into our flesh the seed of immortality Shall I admire thy infinit bounty in making vs this present of thy Body a present that surpasseth the price of al things created a present of thyne owne selfe of infinit valew for with the same Body thou gauest vs thy soule and deity which are inseparable companions and therefore in this holy Table we haue a liuely figure and pledge of the future felicity which shall be to liue in heauen of thy selfe and to enioye the immortall food of thy selfe what shall I then say of this banquet O my Redeemer but only that I am oppressed and ouerwhelmed in the consideratiō of thy infinite power wisedome and goodnes O deere depth O sweet Sauiour what wilt thou worke in them who haue this grace to receaue thee holily Do me sweet Iesus this fauour thus to eate and receaue thee and to see my selfe alwayes drowned in the depth of thy infinite charity How to Heare Masse CHAP. VI. HAVING finished his prayer he shall heare the diuine Office and goe to Confession if he need and shall heare Masse to receaue afterward which to do profitably it is good to know the manner that euery Christian must keep to heare it well Purity deuotion to heare Masse First he must haue his soule not only pure as much as may be from sinne but also prepared with a speciall deuotion for sinne is a generall barre to all blessinges and therefore whosoeuer will fruitfully assist the diuine mysteryes get good by hearing or dealing with them he must be cleansed from sinne by Confession and if he want meanes therto by holy contrition and sorrow for his faults with purpose to confesse at his next commodity as we haue sayd elswhere Attentiō to help deuotiō Secondly he must be attentiue to euery part thereof to enkindle deuotion Our Pilgrime as also any man els that loueth piety shall consider three thinges which he must haue learned in
purgation for their faultes wherof they had not done pennance whilst they liued Aug. epist 99. ad Exod lib 10. in Genes cap. 33 all which soules the soule of our Sauiour did enlighten and deliuer out of paine and prison and put them in possession of the vision of God which was the Paradise he promised to the good theefe The third place was that of eternall prison which properly we call Hell Greg. moral c. 120. where were enclosed the damned soules with that great Diuell the rebellious Angell and his complices These soules were neither deliuered nor enlightened no more then the Diuels themselues Nâ—ss l. de resurr because they dyed in the disgrace of God without pennance and repentance of their sinnes and had no hope in God which the soule of our Sauiour did reproach to them shewing theÌ„ that 〈◊〉 was not long of God that they were not redeemed and saued but of their owne obstinate malice In this descent Lazarus beheld the burning loue and great power of our Sauiour his great loue so soone deliuering those imprisoned soules and making them so soone feele the fruit of his death his power in entring freely into the kingdome of death Psalm 87 there brauing his enemies death and the Princes of darknes frighted with this power neuer hauing seene the like in that region of dead men and in the kingdome of death The Resurrectio of our Sauiour Vpon the second point he obserued how the victorious soule of our Sauiour leading from hell the soules of his elected came to resume his body in the Sepulcher made it liuing and glorious which thing yet neuer happened to any deceased for all the soules departing out of theit bodies remained captiue below and neuer any were so farre remoued from those regions where death had raigned long in peace This was an exploite reserued for the sonne of God thereupon called The first Borne amongst the dead Col. 1.18 and therefore the Poets who feigned that Vlisses Hercules and other heroicall fellowes to haue gone and returned from Hell The vanity of profane Poets spake against the truth being therein both liers and sacrilegious attributing falsly to mortall men that which the Prophets and Sibilles haue written of the Sauiour of mortall men the true triumpher of hell by his death and death by his Resurrection Those that were miraculously raised agayne before him as Lazarus and the like were not victorious of death for they died againe but he issuing out of his tombe killed death with his victory and by his descent he had subiugated Hell for so had he foretold by the mouth of his Prophet O death Ose 1.13 14. I will be thy death O Hell I will by thy consumer Vpon the 3. point Lazarus noted that our Sauiour being risen againe shewed himselfe first to his most honourable Mother Our Sauiour first appeared to his mother after his Resurrection For it was iustice that she who had honoured him by her fayth followed him in his Crosse and did suffer with him in sufferings aboue all other Creatures should be the first in the ioy of his Resurrection O sweet Iesus quoth Lazarus what ioy didst thou bring to thy desolate mother shewing her vpon that fayre Sonday the glory and brightnes of thy body which she had seene the friday before so vnworthily hanled in the conflict of the Crosse What consolation feltst thou O glorious Virgin seeing thy well beloued returne victorious from Hell and his graue clothed with immortall glory and carying with him that noble spoile the soules of his Elect 1. Of the first Resurrection 2. A horrible Spectacle CHAP. XXI THIS was the Meditation of Lazarus Theodosius and Vincent ended at the same tyme and hauing heard Masse The Pilgrims departure and taken a small breakfast they bad Gratian farewell and with the blessing of Dom-Prior and a thousand thankes they began their iourny they sayd first their Itinerarium and after their beads in this manner Lazarus declared the mystery which they must meditate at euery Tenne after recited an Aue Maria. Theodosius followed with Vincent saying another Lazarus began againe and continued praying ouer the beads in turne as those that sing in the quire or recite their houres This being done they began to discourse of the spirituall resurrection of man to the which S. Paul exhorteth Christians after the similitude of the resurrection of our Sauiour The first Resurrection saying As our Sauiour is risen from the dead by the glory of his Father so let vs walk also in the newnes of life Where the Apostle meaneth that the glorious Resurrection of our Sauiour doth teach vs a spirituall resurrection Resurrection spirituall which is made by rising froÌ„ sin which is the death of our soule by lyuing working in the grace of God which is our true life and glory in this world Rom. 6.4 and this is that which S. Iohn calleth the first resurrection necessary to all those who will be partaker of the second Apoc. 2â— which shall be when at the great rising againe of mortall men and the generall iudgement the bodies of the iust shall rise out of their graues and vnited to their soule shall shine like the sunne and the bodies of the damned that made no reckoning of the first resurrection shall rise agayne to dye to death euerlasting Vincent demaunded of Lazarus what shall be the qualities of the bodies of the iust being risen againe Lazarus answered him that neither tongues of men or Angells were sufficient to expresse the glorious beauty and qualities which God shall bestow vpoÌ„ the bodies of the blessed yet the Christian Schoole doth teach vs in generall that these bodies shall be endewed with foure speciall and principall qualities of brightnes agility impassibility and subtility and that whatsoeuer is goodly or beautifull dispersed among all other naturall bodies as heauens starres stones plants birds beasts fishes should be assembled meete all in the body of man For as in the Creation God made in him an abridgment of all nature so shall he in their bodies risen againe make an abridgmeÌ„t of al the corporal beauties of the same nature Theodosius hearing this discourse of Lazarus Alas saith he sighing if men thought of this Resurrection what would they not doe to obtaine it And if they make so great account of goodly and braue apparell and of wearing ornaments which adorne the body and yet belong not vnto the body how should they esteem the glorious array of this future Resurrection which shall be infinitely more beautifull which shall be proper and affects to the body and shall last for all eternity These and such like were their discourses from morning vntill noone about which tyme they arriued at a little village and lay at the signe of the Sunne where after they had examined their conscience they made a light dinner and learned of their host that they
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
to our profit and of his whole holy Church Suscip â—â— Dominus ho. sacriâ—cium c. After he shall offer vp his soule and body with all that he hath in holocaust to this soueraigne Maiesty who hath beene so liberall and so gentle to vs as to giue himselfe after so many fashions and to familiarize himselfe in this action Per â—mâ—â—aâ— sâ—â—ula â—e 〈◊〉 Dominus â—oâ—â—â—â—m Suâ—â— coâ—â—â— with so amiable a presence and so straite an amity When the Priest pronounceth the foure precedent clauses of the Preface he shall answere therto with hart and mouth and withall his might shall excite his fayth and loue towardes God especially at these words Sursum corda Our harts on high what is myne Come O my Lord and enter into the house of thy poore seruant to strengthen it to beautify it to make it pure with thy purity and beautifull with beauty capable of thy blessings enriched with 〈◊〉 â—races and happy with thy present goodnes Amen After he shal receaue the body of our Lord at the handes of the Priest withall the humility that a poore seruant can bring receauing into his house the Maiesty of his God and if any foolish conceit happen to fall into his fancy such as the Diuell often vseth at that tyme to cast into the bosome of the deuout soule to breake and disgust the tast of his deuotion he shall contemne it and make no reckoning thereof but shall passe on sticking to the MeditatioÌ„ of the B. Sacrament which he commeth to receaue In the last part of the Masse which is all that followeth after the Communion consisting in nothing but prayers and thankesgiuing he shall thanke God and say the prayer following A prayer after receauing CHAP. X. IMMORTAL thankes be vnto thee for thy fauour O my Creatour Redeemer thanks for this heauenly food this virginall flesh this deified body for this precious purifying quickening and deifying Bloud In this banquet O my Lord I behould the meruailes of thy almighty power of thy infinite goodnes and wisedome and acknowledge that to be true which thy Prophet did sing long since Psal 110. Our Lord hath made a memoriall of his wonderous workes he hath prepared food for those that feare him O my soule now fill thy selfe seeing that hauing taken this food thou hast within thee him that filleth all satisfy thy selfe on this meat which giueth glory life euerlasting O my senses heere be you astonished you my eyes see nothing but the whitenes roundnes of the bred thou my tongue feelest only the tast of a fraile elemeÌ„â— and thou my vnderstanding canst not with the wings of thy discourse ascend to the height and knowledge of this mystical banquet It is true but be not therefore sory O my senses for such a noble dish must be serued to a more noble taste the tast of the soule not to the palate of the body as other earthly meates are taken indeed by the body but chewed and tasted by the spirit considered by the eyes of faith and consumed and digested by the fire of heauenly charity not by the heat of our body or mortall stomacke But you are not here left without your part also for this flesh that seedeth the soule giueth also immortality to the body and will bring you to the immortal glory in the general resurrection of al mankind O flesh immortall O flesh virginall O flesh diuine O fruitfull virgin O most pure Mother who hast seasoned this flesh and bread for vs blessed be thou and blessed be the fruit of thy wombe for euer and euer Procure O Virgin by thy intercession that it may conserue me in the loue of thy SoÌ„ne in the purity of thy grace and nourish me vnto life euerlasting Amen Masse being done and his prayers said he shal retourne to his Inne to his refection How to heare a Sermon CHAP. XI BECAVSE the hearing of the word of God after Masse is one of the most common important actions of Christians and wherein diuers errours are committed which depriue the soule of the fruit it might receaue thereby the pilgrime that will profit The art of hearing is as necessary as the art of speaking wel and get saluation by his deuotion must needes be instructed in this exercise and know as well how to vse his eares as the Preacher his tongue The common sort thinke it sufficient that the Preacher can speake well and mount vp to a pulpit or chaire furnished with goodly stuffe thence to sell his words to the eares of hearers but it is not so for reason doth tell vs that the art of hearing is as necessary as the art of speaking our Sauiour the true wisedome doth teach vs that the greatest part of the hearers of his word loose their tyme for want of this art and preparation For of foure sortes he assigneth he signifyeth Matth. 1â— that three reape no profit thereof The word of God is the meat and medicine of the soule as the body if it be ill prepared insteed of being nourished by its materiall meat The word of God the medicine of the soule or helped by the potion it receaueth into the stomack were it the most exquisite in the world waxeth worse and ingendreth crudities and dyeth by the medicine in like sort he getteth little good by the sermon who heareth it without due preparation and the Aphorisme of that great Physician Hippocrates The more we nourish the body ill affected the more we hurt it is found most true by similitude in the soule for the more that an impure and indisposed soule is preached vnto Why the Pharisies waxed worse by our Sauiours sermons the more it becometh ouercharged and weake And therefore the Scribes and Pha isies waxed worse by hearing the sermons of our Sauiour And that which Aristotle wrote that young men that is such as suffer themselues to be câ—ryed away with the heat of their sensuality and passion are not proper schollers for the schoole of Philosophy may b tter be verified of Chri tians ill disposed and prepâ—red to heare good instructions that they are not capable to heare the word of God How it importe h to be prepared for the word of God Contrarywise a good and due preparation reapeth an vnspeakable fruit euen from a meane Pre cher and we haue knowne sometimes hearers well disposed to haue vndertaken notable resolutions of pennance and vertue by one word yea by some one gesture of him that spake who at other tymes without that disposition haue beene hardened and obstinate to the amplifications and forces of the most fine and rare eloquence One sparke of fire is sufficient to kindle a whole barrell of powder but a great cole is not sufficient to heat a peece of Brasse The word of God is the electuary of the soule This therefore is a most necessary knowledge to heare well the word of God the word of
of the cleare vision and contemplation of their Creatour the cause of all beauties that are in heauen or earth and infinitly more beautifull then all other beauty put together Of the body He meditated in the second place of the glory which the bodies of the â—ust shall haue after the ResurrectioÌ„ which can not otherwise be declared but as the Apostle declareth the whole felicity That the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the hart of man comprehended â— Cor. 2. what God hath prepared for those that loue h m he could say no more then in saying as he did that it is impossible to conceiue that felicty The scripture sayth that the iust shall shine like the sunne and compareth them to eagles Matt. 15. signifying the beauty agility of their body Our Sauiour to whose similitude we shall rise agayne came out of the graue that he rose out subtile impassible such in similitude shall our bodies be in such qualities shining Phil. 3.20 transpareÌ„t agile subtile penetrant and immortall heere withall euery particular part of the body shall haue a supernaturall beauty as now it hath a naturall with this difference that then all the body being transparent like christall all parts shall be visible in it as well the inward as the outward the bones the muscles the sinewes the veines the arteries the lungs the liuer the hart all shall be cleansed and cleared from all imperfectioÌ„ indewed with their proper beauty in propoâ—tion clearenes and colour This of Saphire that of Emeraldes one of Carbuncles another of Diamonds and aboue all shall be most adm rable those which haue beene employed in some speciall and peculiar seruice of the diuine Maiesty So the skinne of S. Bartholomew stead off for the faith shall shine with a particular beauty the armes and feete of S. Peter crucifyed the head of S. Paul cut of the tongues of true preachers the hands of Almoners the armes of the true souldiours of Iesus-Christ the eyes of chastity the hayres of virginity nothing shall be without recompence without excellency without particular glory Lazarus was plunged in this meditation and sayd O my soule if thou beest rauished meditating these beauties how great shall thy ioy be in enioying them O Lazarus what doost thou to deserue them What giuest thou to buy them What sufferest thou to gaine this honour And with what pace walkest thou to get the goale of this glory O soules redeemed with the precious bloud of Iesus thinke vpon these honours O Christian Dames who so highly esteeme the beauty of the body that not hauing it you would gladly purchase it with great summes of gold and siluer hauing it do hold it so deere tender it so carefully by art by gold by apparell by chaynes carkenets and iewels your beauty is nothing it is foule and ill fauoured in respect of this and if it were any thing you know well it shall finally perish eyther by some misfortune or by touch of sicknes or by age or surely by death Where is the beauty of AbsaloÌ„ of Lucrece of so many men women admired in the world Loue then the beauty of this Resurrection which shall be proper for euer vnto your bodies and to obtaine it loue now the beauty of your soules O my soule be thou amorous and in loue with this beauty O glorious Virgin O faithfull aduocate aduaÌ„ced this faire and ioyfull day aboue all the thrones of the heauenly and happy spirits the wonder of all goodly creatures on earth whilst thou wert aliue the wonder of all the creatures in heauen for euer the honour of the triumphant Church the refuge of the militant the comfort of the afflicted the guide of wanderers helpe vs with thy graces and credit with him by whome thou wert this day carryed vp into heauen with the company of all the heauenly hostes Procure o most B. Virgin that we obtaine grace holily to liue vpon earth to the imitation of thy selfe and happily to dye to thy example and one day to enioy eternally the riches of the triumphant Resurrection in the Kingdome of thy Sonne Iesus 1. An exhortation to a sick person in agony of death 2. The affliction of Lazarus 3. His arriuall at his Fathers house 4. His farewell to his Father and to the world CHAP. XXV THVS Lazarus ended his prayer Theodosius and Vincent ended then also and had felt great inward ioy therein The steward came early to their chamber hauing made ready their breakfast but they would eate nothing saying it was to soone They desired him humbly to salute in their behalfe Monsieur the Marquesse the Abbot the Vicount the Baron his children and to assure them that they would pray to God for their prosperity The steward had closely put into Lazarus bagge ten Crownes wrapped in a paper with these words of the Marquesse owne writing Pray to God for the Marques which Lazarus found at night in his fathers house He imbraced the Steward with many thankes after they had sayd their Pilgrims prayers they went out of the Castle and hauing beene a while silent they began to talke Lazarus praised much the prudence and liberality of the Marques and of his brother the sincere and harty loue of his children full of humility and courtesy the true markes of true nobility as contrariwise pride and disdaine is a true token of a base and rude mynd he commended also greatly the modesty diligence of all the officers and seruants and tooke this for a sure signe of the Marquesse his vertue for commonly like maister like men and the subiects doe for the most part frame themselues after the fashions of their Lord. Theodosius sayd that he noted at supper a meruailous contentment of all in the answere that was made to Syre Cime and that he did neuer better perceiue the leuity obstinacy of heresy then in that man who sought nothing but to talke and shew himselfe though he shewed himselfe alwayes void of good learning Pride the Father of heresy Whereupon Lazarus sayd Pride is the Father of heresy and vanity is her Mistresse and therefore you may not meruaile to see an Heretike both proud and vayne togeather Wherefore then quoth Vincent doth not the Marquesse his nephew shew himselfe like his maister Because sayth Lazarus he is not so much an Heretike as bred and brought vp in heresy neuer hauing beene Catholike knowing nothing but what they haue giuen him to vnderstand without contradictioÌ„ it is well to be hoped that as he is of a noble tractable nature and of a goodly spirit that as soone as he shall haue free liberty to conferre with some learned man or cast his eyes vpon some learned booke he will discouer the deceits of these impostures which his maister hath commended vnto him for rules and maximes of his Religion will imbrace the truth of the Catholike fayth Surely sayd Vincent I longed much
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
we can alleadge notwithstanding as we belieue that this soueraigne wisedome doth not will or worke any thing but to a good end and with good lawes for the instruction of men so may we discerne by that light it pleaseth him to communicate vnto vs in the secret of his principall actions some reasons of this inequality as well in the workes of Nature as in those of Religion In nature the first reason He hath diuersly diuided his guifts of Nature First to giue vs to vnderstand that he is the first author of all good If euery thing had growne euery where men would haue thought that it proceeded only of the vertue of heauen and earth but seeing this diuersity and not seeing the cause they haue good occasion to haue recourse to that supreme power to belieue The 2. reason that there is a God that commandeth nature making it fertill or barren where he thinketh good Secondly so much the clearer to make the beames of his bounty wisedome shine vnto vs beautifying adorning the whole world with this variety of effects and linking togeather the society of men by the plenty and wants of the countryes where they dwell taking one of another what they want and yielding that wherein they abound In his Kingdome of the Church he vseth the like variety also The Saints differ in glory in heauen 1. Cor. 15 first to shew that it is he that distributeth his graces according vnto the counsell of his prudence without dependaÌ„ce of any other cause or subiect Secondly to honour in earth the memory of his Saints one aboue another euen as he maketh their soules differently like diuers starres to shine in heauen and finally to succour his children according to their necessity which are greater in one place then in another and to giue occasion to diuers nations to visit one another to linke them togeather by Pilgrimages made by occasion of such places Why God hath glorifyed the B Virgin in so many places specially in Loreto All which reasons may serue for an answere to the demaÌ„d made in particuler why God hath much in so many places honoured the name of the B. Virgin and especially the place whereof we speake It is in glorifying her to let vs see the glory of his treasures to make glorious aboue all creatures in the earth the mother of his Sonne as he hath made her shine aboue all in heauen And if he hath honoured his seruants liuing and dead in euery thing that appertayned to them working miracles by their hand-kercheâ—s their girdles Act. 5.15 〈…〉 their shadowes their bones the dust of their bodyes why should we wonder that he would honour the B. Virgin in all these maÌ„ners in her habits in her Images in all places of Christianity and namely in this where she conceaued the glory of heauen and earth Iesus Christ Where she brought him vp serued him adored him so often with the care charity and tendernes of a mother nurse and daughter most faythfull most feruent most humble And seing by the meanes therof she hath giuen the Sauiour and saluation to the whole world shall it seeme strange that he should gratify mortall men with his guifts and graces by her prayers and intercessioÌ„ and particulerly in this place of her natiuity and dwelling of her most feruent offices and seruices of Religion Let therfore those seduced people who for this honour done to the mother of God doth accuse the Catholicke Church of Idolatry marke heere and els where in these workes the hand of God liberall in her honour and let them accuse their owne misbeliefe and not our deuotion except they will also accuse God who by so many wonders as he doth by her doth inuite and stirre vs vp to honour serue and call vpon her to be by her helped vnto life euerlasting Of the honour of Vowes and presents and guifts of Religion offered at Loreto CHAP. XXI THE vowes and presents of deuout persons are also witnesses and testimonyes of their handes The 8. cause of vowes and reall signes of the sanctity of the place By this meanes haue diuers places of the world become famous and renowned not only among the children of God but also amongst the Paynimes as the Temple of Diana in Ephesus of Apollo in Delphos of others in other Countreyes To honour God with his guifts is a natural inclination this proceeding of the naturall inclinatioÌ„ and reuerence imparted to all men to iudge it an holy worke and a liberality acceptable to God to honour with holy guifts and offeringes places dedicated to his name and sanctifyed with some steepe of his maiesty And doubtles if they had not erred in choosing ill in taking false Gods insteed of the true and had made their vowes and offeringes to their Creatour and not to Idols they iudged aright of the ceremonies For this instinct being a branch of diuine and humane law the action proceeding from being good in the root could not faile to be well receaued of him who is the author of nature and iustice bounty it selfe But leauing these places renowned amongst the Gentils to speake only of those that are famous amongst the children of God amongst the Iewes vnder the law of Moyses the Temple of Hierusalem was greatly honoured with presents not only of the Kinges and people of the Iewes themselues but also of diuers Pagan Lordes and Princes 2. Macha 32. The Kings sayth the history of the Machabees and Princes esteemed the place of Hierusalem worthy of great veneration and honoured the Temple with many rich guifts After the comming of the Sonne of God when the Church hauing ouercome the rage of Tyrants and of Paganisme had once calme seas ChristiaÌ„ Temples honored through ChristeÌ„dome and sure footing then might be seene through all his Kingdome Temples erected and holy places honoured in this sort In Asia Europe Africa and els where as the Ecclesiasticall historyes doe teach vs with the testimony of the Temples yet standing heeretofore founded and endowed by Christians Emperours Kinges and Princes frequented to this day by Pilgrimes with vowes and presents from all partes of the world where Christianity and Catholike fayth doth reigne But to the point of our purpose and in one word to shut vp this discourse I say that if euer ony place was illustrated by the guifts of Christian Princes children of God in any age it is this of Loreto for the Kinges and Potentats of al Europe the Popes and the great Prelates of the Church communalties and cittyes and an infinit number of people comming froÌ„ all parts of the Christian world haue thither sent and brought their riches to honour God in the memory and house of the B. Notable offerings to the House of Loreto Virgin the mother of his Sonne for all these earthly guifts or offerings they haue receaued and carried backe the notable guifts of
meanes of one of them as hauing their force and vigour from them This is the essence of prayer let vs see now what are the conditions partes and vse thereof How Prayer should be made and of the partes and vse thereof CHAP. III. THE Prayer of a Christian must be attentiue deuout The principal partes of Prayer full of loue respect and reuerence to God before whom he speaketh who is King of Kinges and very wisedome bounty and maiesty it selfe It hath three principall partes as haue all other well ordered discourses The entry the body or corps and the end and conclusion The entry or beginning contayneth a short and generall preparatiue prayer also a locall representation of the matter we meditate of which is as the first essay and preamble of prayer It contayneth a particuler prayer which is insteed of a second preamble the generall prayer demandeth of God that it would please him to direct all our intentions to his honour and glory which may be done with hart alone or with hart and mouth also vsing the accustomed prayer of the Church framed for the same end in these termes We beseech thee O Lord to preuent our actions with thy aspiration and to follow them with thy help that all our prayer worke may euer begin at thee and by thee be ended Amen The representation or first preamble The first preaÌ„ble is a certaine imaginary composition or framing of a place where the thing we meditate of was done or of the thing it selfe as of the desert where our Sauiour fasted Mat. 4. if we meditate of his victory against the Diuell or the mount Caluary where he was crucifyed if we meditate of his death or of the B. Virgins chamber where she was saluted by Gabriel if we meditate of the Annunciation and so of other mysteries But if the subiect of the meditation be spirituall insteed of this composition of place The representation of sinne we must imagine some thing conuenient and agreable in maÌ„ner of a parable as if we meditate vpon sinne we may imagine the soule shut vp and imprisoned within the body as in an obscure and loathsome prison and sinne as a cruell and monstrous tyrant a dragon a serpent and such as the Diuell is painted and all the holy Doctours doe sometymes describe it It will help also to haue before our eyes some picture or image of the matter we meditate which may serue insteed of these representations to them that cannot frame this themselues This preamble is very profitable to meditate attentiuely for thereby is setled and restrained our imaginaition which is a flying and wandering faculty going for the most part out of the house without leaue carrying our thoughts sometymes before they are aware as far from the marke or matter as the North is from the South The secoÌ„d preamble The particuler prayer and second preamble is a demand or petition we make to God to graunt vs the grace to reape the fruit we seeke for in the subiect of prayer For example to giue vs charity if our prayer be of that vertue or compunction if we meditate of our sinnes The body or substance of the prayer The body or corps of the prayer contayneth the points of the subiect of the meditation one two three or more as if meditating of the ResurrectioÌ„ of our Sauiour we should make the first point of the tyme or houre of his rysing the second of the glory of his body the third of the souldiers feare that kept the Sepulcher the fourth of the apparition and testimony of the Angells and so in other matters The speach or colloquy endeth the Prayer The end of the prayer containeth a speach which the soule maketh vnto God either with the hart alone or with hart mouth togeather thanking him for his guifts offering our selues to his seruice asking pardon of our sinnes and grace to amend for afterward and finally speaking vnto him as the nature of the meditation shall require and communicating it self in such sort as a deuout and respectiue hart may doe before God This is the right prayer of a Christian which the Pilgrime shall performe euery day Those that haue not yet learned to meditate and contemplate may also pray saying their houres or reading some deuout booke or taking some prayer which they can say by hart as the Pater noster Credo or the like meditating sentence by sentence or word by word Of Iaculatory prayer CHAP. IV. THERE is another kind of prayer Why it is called Iaculatory which is commonly called Iaculatory because it is made shortly and sodenly as if one should throw a dart which is very ordinary and familiar to spirituall persons It is a sodaine excursion and eleuation of the soule ayming at heauen praysing or praying to God or his Saints in short tyme and in few wordes according vnto the occasion we shall presently take of place tyme or other thing saying with hart or mouth God be blessed My God show me thy wayes Iesus help me Glorious Virgin pray for me and such like verses taken out of the Scripture or out of our owne deuotion which manner of praying is figured by the Brocâ—es of gold that were set on the top of the Temple of Hierusalem Ioseph l. 6. de bâ—â—â—o Iudaiâ— c. 6. to the end the Birdes might not perch or sit therein nor either file it with their donge or nestle there and the similitude agreeth well for these prayers being our highest and most subtill thoughts are like little golden Rods sharp on the top of our soule hauing alwayes the point towardes heauen and are very proper to chase away euill suggestions of the Diuells those soule birds and to make all sortes of temptations vanish away at all tymes and places in night and day in coÌ„pany and alone in the citty in silence in talke and discourse the soule may cast out a sodaine sighe a request a desire a prayse of God or some Saint and pray in secret effectually without disturbance Therefore the well aduised Christian must alwayes haue this prayer at hand help himselfe with it as often as he can in the day and specially our Pilgrime all the tyme of his pilgrimage to the end to entertaine himselfe in continuall deuotion and to ouercome temptations alwaies to haue his eare harkening after the mercy of God and to obtaine help and succour of him We will now speake of the Beades and Rosary and of the examination of our conscience Of the Rosary and the manner how to say it CHAP. V. AMONGST the Prayers and meditations which should be frequent and familiar to our Pilgrime of Loreto it is good reason to reckon the Rosary Corone Chaplet in French Of the name of Chaplet oâ— Corone For seeing that all Christian Catholikes doe vse it in the honour of the mother of God much more should her deuoted seruant pilgrime This word
Chaplet or Corone had in the beginning another signification then it hath now and is ancient in the French tongue for we reade in Froissart that King Edward of England 〈◊〉 vol. 1. ap 1â—2 that raigned in the yeare 1349. gaue a Crowne of pearles which he did weare on his head to M. Eustace of Ribaumont in reward and honour of his valour This Chaplet was a little band of gold folded and doubled after the manner of a crowne or garland hauing pearles set on the outside and it shewed like one of our Rosaryes being set round vpon our head heerof came the name and for some similitude it was applyed to a new subiect for this cause we vse that name as also the name of Corone not to signify an ornament of the head Corone an instrument of deuotioÌ„ but an instrument of deuotion a little booke without words or letters composed of fifty smal beads stringed togeather hauing betwixt euery ten a greater one to distinguish the number though commonly it hath 63. which is the number of the yeares of our B. The B. Virgin liued 63. yeares Ladyes life That which we call a Rosary is a triple Chaplet or Corone contayning 150. beads stringed and distinguished after the same fashion The Catholike Church vseth them for prayer saying vpon euery small bead an Aue Maria and vpon the greater a Pater noster meditating or thinking vpon the same mystery of the Rosary The 15. mysteries 〈◊〉 the Rosary These mysteries are 15. fiue of ioy fiue of sorrow and fiue of glory The first five are 1. The annunciation of the Angell 2. The visitation of the Virgin 3. The Natiuity of our Sauiour 4. The presentation of him in the Temple 5. When he was found among the Doctours The fiue sorrowfull are 1. His agony in the garden of Oliuet 2. His whipping at the pillar in Pilats house 3. His crowning with thornes in the same place 4. His carrying of his Crosse out of Hierusalem 5. And his crucifying vpon mouÌ„t Caluary The fiue glorious are 1. His Resurrection 2. His Ascension 3. The comming of the holy Ghost 4. The Assumption of our B. Lady 5. Her coronation and exaltation aboue all Angells Of which mysteries the pilgrime may choose in saying his beads which his deuotion shall like best This is the little prayer-booke of our B. Ladyes Deuotes in the Catholike Church a booke more rich The profit of the Rosary and noble if it be well vsed and said then the crowne of Kings not only for the simple who cannot read but also fit for the learned who may find inough to meditate vpon that profound and meruailous salutation and vpon the benefit of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God and vpon those heauenly prerogatiues of our B. Lady which are therein contayned Those that haue forsaken the Church and waged warre against this Sonne The sâ—ofs of he heretikes against the Rosary this Mother at the beginning of their pretended reformation did mocke Catholikes for this manner of prayer saying that this was to serue God by count and reckoning and this because al thinges are done without count or reckoning without measure or order in their fayth They shew by this folly that they are ignorant how all that God hath done both vnder nature and vnder the law is done by weight number and measure Sap. 11. 21. Psalm 118. Dauid song prayses vnto God seauen tymes a day Sap. 11. 21. Psal 118.164 Matt. 27.44 Matt. 14.39 Our Sauiour made the same prayer with the same wordes thrice in his agony these works that were done by count do they cease therfore to be diuine What then doe these good fellowes find fault with accusing the Catholike Church for that she prayeth and honoureth God and the B. Virgin Mary with the salutation of the Angell and the words of S. Elizabeth often repeated and by number measured seeing this is to imitate the wisedome of God and of his Saints so to serue him prayse and pray vnto him and his Saints with a certaine number of prayers and prayses Let therefore not only the Pilgrime but euery good Christian as well the learned as the simple say his beades as often as he can in the day assuring himselfe that his deuotion heerein shall not be without reward in full count and measure and let him also account himselfe much honoured that he may so often pronouÌ„ce those wordes which one of the chiefe celestiall spirits pronounced to the prayse of the B. Virgin bringing vnto her the most noble embassage and most important that euer was or can be made for men and he may hold himselfe happy that he may pronounce that blessing S. Elizabeth sanctified at the salutation of the B. Virgin which that great Lady S. Elizabeth great of so great a Saint vsed vnto her when she was visited blessed and sanctified with the fruit of her womb by her first salutation and let euery one persuade himselfe that there is spirituall profit not only in saying them but euen in carrying them at their girdle or otherwise as a signe of a Catholike against the misbelieuer of deuotion towardes the Mother of the sonne of God Of the examination of our Conscience CHAP. VI. In the examen a man speaketh to himselfe PRAYER teacheth vs to speake to God and to aske his grace The examen of our coÌ„science teacheth vs to speak to our selues and to yield thankes to God for his benefits to amend our faults and to preserue our selues in innocency and purity This examen in Christian termes is an exact searching and discussion which a man maketh of his thoughtes words and workes once or oftener in the day and it consisteth in fiue pointes 5. points of the examen of conscience The 1. Is after our Creed recited to consider the benefits receaued God specially that day and to thanke him with an humble hart therefore The 2. With the like humility to aske grace to know our sinnes and auoyd them and say Pater and Aue. The 3. Maketh the very scale ballance and touch of this examen that is to demand an account of our soule and body of all their faults committed since the last examen discoursing from one houre to another from one action to another to enquire if our vnderstanding hath had any euil thought of anger vaine glory auarice impurity enuy wrath gluttony slouth or like cogitations whereunto the will hath constantly or weakely and negligently resisted If the tongue hath fallen to any detraction swearing idle talking if the eye hath beene cast vpon any euill obiect or curiously beheld vnprofitable thinges if the eare hath beene open to detraction cursing pratling vaine mirth and idle wordes if the hand hath byn carryed to any nice or impure touch of our owne body or others if it hath stricken or otherwayes iniuried any body finally make enquiry of all that hath beene thought sayd or done contrary to the
point shal consider that this honour worship is payed by the fine of the three Theologicall vertues How this honour is yielded to God Fayth Hope and Charity By Fayth we belieue that God is an essence infinite eternall incomprehensible one God in three persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost God that hath created the world and gouerneth it with his power and wisedome and hath redeemed it by his bounty and by his iustice shall giue vnto euery one according to his workes This is the subiect of Fayth and the rest that is contayned in the Apostles Creed By Hope we haue our soueraigne trust in him expect of him as of our first cause and last end help and succour in the necessityes of this world and eternall glory in the other By Charity we loue and serue him with all our hart aboue all thinges according to his titles of Maiesty adoring honouring him with the inward acts of our soule and outwardly by corporall workes agreeable to our fayth and inward actions also by first fruits and tithes of our goods but principally by sacrifices as the iust haue alwayes done before the comming of our Sauiour by their sacrifyces made of the bodyes of mortall creatures Masse the great sacrifice of the ChristiaÌ„s and afterward Christians by that of the Holy Masse wherein is offered vnto God the immortall body of his only Sonne in an vnbloody sacrifyce after the Order of Melchisedeth The third point shall obserue as conclusions drawne out of the two precedent that all those that adore many Gods giue the soueraigne honour due to God only to their Idols and false Gods as the Pagans did and doe still that they are Idolatours and breakers of his first Commandement as are also all other Infidels Iewes Turkes Heretikes Magicians Sorcerers and all sortes of superstitious people as also they that despaire or put their chiefe trust or coÌ„fidence in creatures of whome Hieremy sayeth Accursed is he that trusteth in man Ierem. â—7 5. that is as in God and that putteth flesh for his arme and draweth his hart from God They also that loue any creature more then God eyther Angells men women children goodes landes or any thing els whereby they leaue to serue God with all their hart or which is worse doe altogeather forsake him despising his Lawes and Commandements The fourth point shall teach To honour Saints is not against this commaÌ„demeÌ„t that it is not against this coÌ„mandment to honour with a second not soueraigne honour some creatures according vnto that degree of excellency that God hath bestowed vpon them as Fathers Mothers Kings Magistrats with a ciuill honour The B. Virgin the Angels and Saints departed and reigning in heauen with a religious honour to prayse them and pray to them and desire their help as being the friends of God and faithfull Hier. in Vigil epist. 53. Damas l. 14. ortho fidei c. 16. Basil in 40. Mart. Naz. ora 55. Cyp. Athan. Basil and charitable intercessours for our necessityes in heauen as when they liued they were vpon earth And this honour and seruice doth not derogate to the Maiesty of God but doth increase his honour praysing and honouring him not only in himselfe but also in his seruants whome he hath made heeretofore instruments of our saluation in his Church militant and afterwards glorious lightes in his Church triumphant where they pray him without ceasing and intercede for vs are carefull for vs as for the members of the same body In the fifth point he must consider how that Images and the honouring of them vsed in the Church of God Chrys de cateâ— S. Petri. is not repugnant to that part of the commandement which forbiddeth carued Idolls for an Idoll is the representation of a false Deity as those of the Paynimes that represented Saturne Iupiter and other false Gods or those that euery ones fancy did faine and forge vnto himselfe An Image is a representation of a true thing of God of Iesus Christ of an Angell of a Saint and the honour done vnto it is referred and redoundeth to the patterne therof and therefore as it is piety to honour Iesus Christ his Angells and Saints although with diuers degrees so also is it to honour their Images as things appertayning vnto them in that they represent them and as heÌ„ honoureth the King with a ciuil honour The Image of a king capable of ciuill honour who honoureth his Image so he honoureth God and his seruants deceased who honoureth their representations This is not therfore to adore the gold siluer wood stone after the manner of Idolatours but to honour God and his Saints in those thinges that represent their memory after the manner of Christians The speach shall giue thankes to God for the light of this his commandement and shall aske his ayde to performe it The after-dinner and Euening of this fourth dayes Iourney How the iustice of God doth shine in his first Commandement Prayers to auoyd the Idolls of false Christians CHAP. XI IN the Afternoone hauing made some Meditation proper for the day or some other spirituall exercise vpon the occasions of tymes How straitly man is bound to serue God or places he shall resume the pointes of his morning meditation and shall admire the iustice the importance and fruit of this Commandment for what can be more due and agreable then the soueraigne honour to the soueraigne Lord Supreme loue to the supreme Bounty Supreme respect to the supreme wisedome What more strait bond of Obedience can there be then of the creature to the Creatour of the sonne to the Father of the vassall to his Lord Liege To whose glory should man employe all the actions of his soule and body better then on him of whome he hath both soule and body vnderstanding will memory all the interiour facultyes of his soule his eyes eares nose tongue hands and all the exteriour parts and members of his body And finally of whome he hath his being of whome he dependeth by whome he is redeemed and from whome he expecteth endlesse glory So shall our pilgrime discourse and say vnto himselfe A speach to his soule O my soule adore this Lord seeing he is thy soueraigne serue him with all thy might seeing he is Almighty loue him with all thy hart seeing he is all louely serue him with al thy powers seing they come all of him seing thou hast nothing good that commeth not from him that made thee that redeemed thee who preserueth thee and hath giuen thee all this world and his owne only Sonne will giue thee himselfe at the last of himselfe prepare thee a blessed banquet and feast of felicity He shall speake also vnto God and say O my soueraigne Lord my Father my all in all be thou alwayes my Lord my Father my God and let me be alwayes thy seruant and thy sonne Let my vnderstanding adore
48.13 and made like vnto them yea and worse also The constancy of al creatures to do well but of man For they not only are not idle in that occupation trade thou hast taught them but worke continually according to their law and order and wanting reason do follow reason But my selfe a reasonable creature remaine idle against reason one peece and parte of my life or do workes contrary vnto reason Other creatures haue receaued thy commandement but once to do that which they doe and they haue continually discharged their duty vnto this present But I hauing read and heard thy will a hundred tymes thy promises thy menacings do sleep and slumber notwithstanding wretch and benummed that I am and when I do wake my workes are worse then sleep and idlenes O Maker and Redeemer of man reforme this same man by the same power and mercy wherewith thou hast created redeemed him Giue vnto him giue vnto me O my Lord as to the most weake and needy strength and meanes well and holily to employ what thou hast giuen me that my Vnderstanding Will Memory my whole soule and body may be in perpetuall action to bring forth workes of life to the praise and glory of thy holy name The After-dinner and Euening of the fifteenth dayes Iourney Markeable documents and instructions for Good workes CHAP. XXXV AFTER dinner and at night the Pilgrime shall for his spirituall occupation discourse vpon the most markeable sentences of Scriptures and Saints spoken to shew that oÌ„ly fayth sufficeth not for saluatioÌ„ The Talents Matth. 25.16 without good workes The parable of the Talents holdeth the first place in this doctriné for thereby our Sauiour doth plainely instruct vs and with authority that we must negociate in the house of God and put the mony of his graces to profit and vsury which to that end he put into our handes with the condition of a good reward if we be diligent and obedient or of punishment and confusion The workeman Matt. â—0 if we be slouthfull Also the parable of the workemen sent to worke in the Farmers vineyard payd at night for their dayes labour Also the counsell which our Sauiour gaue to the young man saying If thou wilt haue life euerlasting keep my Commandements Matt. 19.17 Also those wordes He shall enter into the kingdome of heauen who doth the will of my Father not euery one that sayth Matt. 7.21 Lord Lord. But especially he shall weigh the clause of that generall decree which shall be published at the last day in fauour of good workes against the slouthfull Rom. 2.13 Come my wellbeloued Iac. 1.22 Matt. 25.34 Iac. 2. possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the Creation of the world I was hungry and you gaue me to eate c. And thereunto he shall add the plaine saying of S. Iames What shal it profit my brethren if any man sayth he hath fayth without works shall his faith saue him And S. Gregory Nazianzen Doe good workes vpon the ground of thy instructions for fayth without workes is dead Isa 26. as also workes liue not without fayth And Saint Hierome vpon these wordes of Esay 26. Our citty is a fortresse saluation shall there be put for the inward wall and outwâ—rd By the inward wall sayth he is meant good woorkes and by the other fayth for it is not inough to the outward wall of Fayth vnles this fayth be grounded and sustayned by good workes These workes are Prayer The principall good workes Fasting Almes and other workes of charity which we spake of before in the afternoone of the eight day In these and the like discourses shall the Pilgrime passe the after-dinner thereby stirring himselfe to the loue and practise of Christian workes In the euening either alone or with others he may sing this Canticle that followeth to shut vp the euening with ioy and profit A Canticle of good VVorkes The pious Pilgrime that doth walke Vnto the Chappell of Loret Must worke with hand his soueraignes workes And keep his soule still pure and nett To heare alone and not performe The law of God doth worke no meed To know the way and not to walke Nothing doth our iourney speed The tree that bringeth nothing els But leaues and breathing verdure Is fit for fire and not for fruit And doth greet wrong to nature Our Sauiour chiefe and iustest Iudge The fruitlesse Fig-tree strooke with curse If man in vaine doth wast his dayes Shall he not blame and strike him worse How hoat shall then be his reuenge To those that nothing els doe bring But poisoned grapes and fruites of death Of sinne and shame and els nothing Each thing doth worke and nothing sleepes In Earth in Sea in Heauen aboue Each thing doth moue in his degree Mans end is God to know and loue Then these short dayes of this short life Let be in vertuous workes well spent That last long day shall all workes try VVhen ech shall b' either crown'd or shent And hauing made his particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall take himselfe to his lodging in good time not to be surprised by night in the fieldes The sixteenth day A Meditation of sinne CHAP. XXXVI THE morning Meditation shall be vpon sinne an actioÌ„ opposite to good workes which were the matter of the precedent meditation This order shal make a fit opposition of vertue to vice The opposition of vice to vertue and by setting their faces one against another we may better discerne the beauty of the one to loue it and the foulnes of the other to hate it What sin is The first point shall put the definition of sinne the better to know both the corps and countenance and duly to meditate of the foulnes thereof Sinne sayth S. Ambrose is a straying from the law of God and a disobedience to the heauenly Commandmâ—nts Ambr. de Poenit c. 8. Aug l. 22. cont Faust c. 27 l 1. cont ep 1. Peâ—il 113. By S. Augustin it is What is sayd done or desired against the law of God so that one word spoken one deed done one thought conceaued against the law of God that is against any of his commandements is a sinne great or small mortall or veniall according to the diuers motion of the will sinning either with full consent or by some light motion or suddaine surprise and according to the great or small importance of the thing and other circumstances Of which definitions he shall learne that there is nothing so foule and deformed as sinne For what can be found more monstruous then that which is opposite to the law rule of the highest wisedome beauty and goodnes The second point shall consider two sortes of sinnes Originall and Actuall and this mortall and veniall Originall sinne Aug. ench 164. is that spot which flowed from the sin of Adam wherewith all men are stained in their conception and
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
honour the estate of virginity and mariage and therin to figure and represent the condition of the Church which being a virgin is notwithstanding marryed to Iesus Christ and remayning a virgin doth bring forth children by Baptisme The 3. first causes concerne the person of our Sauiour the fourth and fifth his Mother and the other the Church and altogeather the honour of God and his Mother and our good and saluation The Espousals being done the Virgin remayned in Nazareth in her Fathers house Philo Iud. de special legib which espousalls were as fast of as great force a the mariage it self so that if the espoused should commit any fault in the house of her Father she should be stoned as an Adulteresse who had broken her fayth in her husbands owne house In the same house the B. Virgin was saluted by the Angell and there dwelt with Ioseph after the death of Ioachim and Anne and not in the house of Ioseph which by likelihood was at Bethleem wherof the Scripture giueth no reason but only that by silence it signifyeth that these espousals were of another quality then others were and that she was alwayes a virgin as those that remayne alwayes in the house of their Fathers and go not to the house of their husband to celebrare the marriage as other marryed folkes do who must loose their virginity The Pilgrime shal marke all this thereby to prayse the diuine Maiesty and to giue him thankes ending in this speach O heauenly marriage The mariage of Adam Abraham Isaac Iacob Tobie and worke worthy of the soueraigne Wisedome a marriage all spirituall and diuine hauing nothing carnall or earthly in it a marriage that did beâ—re the beauty of all the goodliest alliances of the world doth exceed them in honour as farre as the heauens in largenes exceed the earth The marriage of Adam and Eue made and blessed by the hand of God himselfe the mariage of Sara with Abraham of Rebeca with Isaac of Rachel with Iacob of Sara with Tobie All these mariages were nothing in comparison of this and the most worthy of them were honourable in this respect that they gaue seed and beginning to these two maried folkes of this husband and this wife children of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and of twenty other Kinges their ancestours in the house of Iuda married to God by an excellent band of Fayth Charity and inuiolable Virginity O noble paire O noble husband Psal 44.10 and more noble wife and verily the daughter of the great King clothed in gold and adorned with the richest iewells that euer came out of his cabinet O worthy mariage of this couple A mariage most worthy to be honoured with the most glorious fruit that euer woman bare Spirituall mariages O daughter of Sion O Christian daughters learne thus to marry your selues to marry your selues to God to giue him your body and soule feare not either the priuation of that pleasure which passeth like a dreame nor yet the barrennes of your body for your pleasures you shall haue the delightes of earth and heauen and for the children of your body a thousand goodly workes that shall accompany you aboue as an honourable and immortall posterity and a thousand crownes of glory insteed of the children you might haue had but if you be marryed already after the fashion of these holy Dames let it be to the same end for posterity not for pleasure and alwayes with the honour of christian chastity and coniugall fidelity O soueraigne Lord authour of these virginall marriages be thou alwayes praysed in them as in all thy workes O Virgin obtaine for me that spirit that made thee so to marry and thou holy Ioseph a heauenly branch of the house of Dauid giuen for solace and succour to this diuine Virgin solace vs with thy prayers succour vs with thy help that we may follow thy fayth and word and may be made partaker of that reward and recompence which thou hast receaued in heauen This shall be the Pilgrimes meditation in the morning after which he shall heare Masse and doe his accustomed deuotions vntill Noone when he shall take his repast The After-dinner and euening of the six and twentith Day Of the rare vertues of S. Ioseph CHAP. XXI IN the afternoone he shall follow his former exercises only the subiect of the meditation changed which he shall vary according to the diuersity of the thinges he did meditate in the morning Hauing heard Euensong he shall employ some tyme to read or meditate the vertues of S. Ioseph The vertues of Ioseph which without doubt were rare and worthy of a man chosen to be the spouse of the greatest Lady of the world before God and the foster-father of the sonne of God himselfe His innocency his fayth his hope his charity obedience magnanimity prudence humility and other royall vertues appeared in his actions performed in matters most difficult to belieue and most hard to execute Why he is called Iust which may easily be verified by some examples First when it was first perceaued that the Virgin had conceaued not knowing either the cause or the mystery he shewed himselfe a perfect wise man when on the one side he deliberated to dwell no more with her not to consent in his conscience to any suspicion of dishonesty and on the other side he would not defame nor rayse scandall without cause about her reputation Matth. 1 19. for the which cause he is called Iust by the Euangelist by a name that comprehendeth al the qualityes of a holy soule SecoÌ„dly he shewed his fayth and vertue when without contradiction he belieued the words of the Angell aduertising him that his wiues being Great was a worke of the Holy Ghost and obeyed him with promptitude and humility taking againe his Spouse at that instant louing reuerencing her more then euer seeing she was chosen to be the mother of such a child so much the more assisting her with loue and solid respect His respect to the B. V. by how much it was founded more in the soule then in the body more in the beauty of the spirit then in the fairenes of the face and if holy Elizabeth was thought to haue so much reuerenced the Virgin for hauing by sweet inspiration vnderstood that she was the mother of God how great may we thinke was the reuerence that Ioseph did beare her in this respect being informed by so cleare testimonyes and oracles of this truth of her vertues hauing also experience thereof by dayly and domesticall conuersation What care besides what diligence what patience what prudence His prudence must he needes haue shewed in conducting this Virgin from one Country to another flying the persecution and fury of Herod the Tyrant Dwelling so long in Aegypt a strange Country Alwayes firme in fayth and Charity Surely the holy Doctours could not tell with what wordes to expresse his
Christ who cōming then in spirit into the Temple when the B. Virgin and S. Ioseph brought him hauing confessed and adored him tooke him in his armes and song a Canticle of thankesgiuing which the Church hath vsed euer since for the conclusion of the diuine Office sayd Nunc dimittis c. Now thou dimissest thy seruant O Lord according to thy word in peace For my eyes haue seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to the reuelation of the Gentills and the glory of thy people Israell And as the B. Virgin and Ioseph meruailed at these thinges that were sayd Simeon did congratulate them and call them happy and spake to Mary the Mother of the child saying Behould he shall be put for the ruine and the resurrection of many and for a signe which shall be contradicted and the sword of sorrow shall pierce thy hart that the cogitations of many may be made manifest In which history the pious soule shall contemplate the notable faith charity deuotion and ioy of this noble old Man expressed by his wordes and gestures he confessed and adored by his confession the Annointed of God though a little child in the eyes of men He foretold the redemption at hand of mankind which he should bring to passe he straitly imbraced this precious pledge of our saluation he did exalt and magnify him Our Sauiour the ruine of the obstinate and prophecyed of him and of his Mother he foretold that he was set for the fall of many obstinate for their malice such as were Herod the Scribes and Pharisies such like who running against him as against a hard stone should ruine both their soule and body and as since them haue done many Tyrants and persecutours of the same Sauiour his Church all in the end buryed in the ditch themselues diged and strucken to eternall death by the Iustice of him whome they persecuted He foretould also the resurrection of many The resurrectiō of the good who belieuing in him should liue holily and should be raysed from sinne to be made afterwards happy and glorious and by this meanes haue the cogitations of many beene knowne the hate or the loue which the Iewes and Paynimes did beare to our Sauiour he foretould that he should be a signe or marke of contradiction Our Sauiour a signe or marke of contradiction and as a butt for the vnbelieuing to shoot the arrowes of their tongues against this marke but most plainely and cruelly in his Passion when he was not only the marke of the calumniations and blasphemies of the wicked but also of the cruelty of those butchers striking all partes places of his body And this was the sword that pierced the soule of the Blessed Virgin beholder of his cruell Passion The like contradiction hath alwayes followed the mēbers of the same Sauiour his Church by the Iewes and Paynims neither was there euer Religion planted or maintayned with more contrarieties and opposition of all sortes of people then the Christian for as it is the perfectest of al other The height of the Christiā fayth enemy to the flesh the world and the diuell so hath it found most resistance in the corruption of mankynd which were very great very generall Behold the Christiā perfection it eleuateth the vnderstanding of man to the beliefe of things altogether repugnant to fleshly humours It preacheth the Crosse contempt of wisedome of the world as also of her honours and riches and by many Maximes to the world so many Paradoxes striketh iust vpon the face of her pride maketh warre to defiance with the pleasures of the body honoureth Virginity a chiefe enemy to sensuality imbraceth fastings watchings disciplines and such like austerities that hāper the body otherwise then it well liketh promiseth in this life nothing but persecution This world being corrupted could not digest this doctrine nor the flesh vnderstād it but had it in horrour and abhomination Sathan bestirred himselfe and entred into a rage and kyndled fire to those fond and foolish soules and put them in a fury therefore the more maligne the malady was the stronger the medicine so much more obstinate hath beene the contradiction and the sicke so much the more incensed against his Physitian Psal 117.13 as his frensy was fierce and burning But if the Sauiour hath beene persecuted and so contradicted he hath not for all that beene ouercome he hath beene thrust at Why God permitted these persecutiōs but not throwne downe to the ground and God hath permitted these persecutions to shew therein that his Sonne was God omnipotent and too strong for the strength and gates of hell and to draw from them his owne glory and the good of his elect The Pilgrime hauing meditated all this The zeale of Saint Anne shall turne the eyes of his Spirit vpon that which is sayd That at the same houre the most holy and deuout widow Anne did praise our Sauiour in the Temple and spake of him to all the faithfull Iewes whome she found there so was our Sauiour magnified in his Temple by the testimony of two persons diuerse in sex venerable in age singular in sanctity Heere the Pilgrime hauing found in his meditation the sense of this ceremony shall learne the truth in the shadow shal acknowledge the misery and corruption of man from the first instant of his Conception infected with original sinne he shall learne to humble himselfe and to make small account of the nobility of his birth which he seeth to be so base and abiect in the beginning he shal offer what he hath good to God the giuer of all good he shall imitate holy Simeon imbracing in his armes with like loue and purity the litle child Iesus either when he receaueth the B. Sacrament of the Altar couered vnder the visible forme as a child swadled in his litle cloathes or when he doth meditate ioyne himselfe to him by loue He shall praise him with holy Anna the Prophetesse and shall preach him to euery one by good speaches and examples of good workes and finally he shall offer him vnto God his Father as the B. Virgin did for our saluation and shall offer himselfe for his honour and seruice Hauing ended his meditation and heard Masse he shall receaue the blessed Body of our Sauiour the Viaticum of his Returne as it was of all the rest of his Pilgrimage and shll say to God the prayer following The Pilgrimes prayer at his departure from Loreto CHAP. XLI MY Lord and most merciful Father myne eyes behold thy bounty and myne owne misery more cleerly then euer heeretofore by the light it hath pleased thee to giue me It remayneth to finish my vowes and desires and to conclude my most humble prayers and requests at the end of my aboad heere If thy clemency doth willingly harken to the groanes of poore sinners to heare
he saw a Citty oâ— forme foure square great wonderfull spacious compassed with walles of squared Amâ—thystes of India and christall checker wise and pointed diamond wise fastened with gold enamelled with azure The Towres were of the same matter and fashion sauing that their batlements were made of Emeralds Iacinths The houses of the Citty were all great palaces built of Diamonds Saphires Topazes other precious stones of admirable lustre and variety cut most artificially for couerings or roofes they had the seeling of heauen-flaming varying in colours like the rainebow MeÌ„ entred in by twelue gates three towards the east and three towards the west as many towards the North and towards the south euery one made of a whole entire precious stone figured and wrought with art surpassing the stuffe The market place and streetes were paued with bricke of fine gold in the same place was seene a fountaine of liuely water which made a torreÌ„t of pleasure running through the streets and trees alwayes greene loaden with the fruite of life and with floures which cast a most sweet odour all ouer the Citty The Cittizens men and women were diuinely beautifull their bodies subtile shyning like the sunne all went and flew nymbly like to Eagles cloathed like the Kings children some in scarlet some in crimson damaske others in white satine some in beaten gold and others in other stuffe and these habits being wrought and garnished with embrodery and passe main lace of gold poudered with all sorts of exquisite and choice pearle and precious stones were couered with a garmeÌ„t of a glittering color thin swimming after them as a mantle of Cypres through the which the beauty of their ornaments appeared more admirable Their heads were crowned with Tissues of gold set with great orientall pearles Rubies Diamonds and Emeraldes and on their forhead hung a glittering Crosse made of diuers great Diamonds of wonderfull brightnes They caryed a palme of immortality in their hands and euery one had â—is pallace and liued all vnder one King and at his owne table in great aboundance of all good things without feare of any euill with a peace vnion and contentement vnspeakeable and there was heard without ceasing sundry consorts of musike of voyces instruments vpon the Towres which made all the Citty sound with an incredible melody As the Baron was plunged in the rauishment of this vision he awaked about midnight and perceiued well that it was God that shewed him the image of this Citty and of these Cittizens He resolued from thenceforth to be a Pilgrime vpon earth and to serue God with all his hart one day to be receiued in the number of these Cittizens a few dayes after he tooke his Fathers blessing became Religious In the same houre when Theodosius and Vincent had slept Lazarus dreamed that being neer his Fathers house his brother Pauline met him saying all amazed O my brother Aâ—me Dieu are you aliue Lazarus also more amazed imbraced him and said O my deare brother Pauline are you yet in the world I kept your funerals at Loreto and with the shadow of this ioy he awaked perceiued it was but a dreame slept againe Three houres after they a rose and kneeled to their prayers making their Meditation euery man by himselfe as they were wont Niceph li. 15. c. 14. ex lanen Episc Ieros Glâ—a alijs Niceph. li. 2. cap. 23. lib. 15. ca. 14. Lazarus meditated first of the piety and deuotion of the Apostles to our B. Lady perseuering three whole dayes to visite her sepulcher and to honour it with hymnes and canticles togeather with the consorts of Angels who in the same time afforded an admirable harmony of their heauenly melody to the honour of the same Virgin Secondly he considered how S. Thomas comming by the Prouidence of God the third day and desirous to honour the body of the B. Virgin whome he could not serue at her decease as his companions did was cause that they opened the sepulcher to giue him contentment and to behold that sacred treasure layd vp in it and that not fynding it there they acknowledged the glorious Asssiption of the B. Virgin caryed to heauen both body and soule and priuiledged after her death with a prerogatiue of a glorious resurrection before the great and generall day as she was priuiledged with a thousand graces all the course of her life And thereupon came into his memory the prophecy of King Dauid foretelling in these wordes the Resurrection of the Sonne of the mother Psal 133. Arise O Lord into thy rest thou and the Arke of thy Sanctification The wordes also of the Sonne speaking vnto his mother Cant. 4. as vnto his well beloued Spouse Arise my friend my doue and come the winter is now passed the raine is ended and gone make hast my loue without staying for the last general resurrection of men Come betimes from the shadow of the graue and come to the light of heauen for winter is passed with you the showrs of your teares are dried vp he made her make haste not letting her lye three litle and short daies in her Sepulcher So it was meete that that sacred body which had brought forth life should not be swallowed by death and giuen for a prey and foode to wormes nor the matter of incorruption turne to ashes and that she who had by priuiledge beene exempted from originall sin Gen. 3. and the common malediction of women in their childbirth should also be exempted from the paine and malediction incurred by the same which was to be by death turned into dust and ashes Heere Lazarus considered attentiuely the glory of this resurrection which doubtlesse was worthy of the Sonne mother of God and such as the Angels might well admire but not expresse and therefore seeing her ascend they sayd who is she that coming from the desert ascendeth loaden with delights Cant. â— and leauing vpon her well beloued They admired and demaunded and could not otherwise expresse the beauty of this creature And if these celestiall spirits so well seene in all great things do shew by their wondering that they neuer saw the like in heauen what can men say or conceiue of the glory of this Assumption Of the Meditation of this glory particular of the B. The ioy glory of Paradise Virgin Lazarus tooke occasion to thinke of the ioyes of Paradise â—he coÌ„sidered first the essence of that ioy which consisteth in the vision of God a perfect ioy and alone sufficient to satisfy and fill the hart of man which cannot be filled but with the possession of an infinite good and if the knowledge of creatures of the heauens of the starres of other creatures though imperfect and full of obscurity can rauish with ioy the spirits of mortall men in the darknes of this base low world what ioy may redouÌ„d to the blessed soules aboue
haue present the holy Apostles thy seruants wast receiued body soule into the heauenly habitations of the celestiall spirits as Queene of the Angels mother of their Lord maister The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee be my Aduocate in all tymes and places and deliuer me from sodaine and vnprouided death and when I shall passe out of this world defend me from all the temptations of the diuell that my soule may haue free accesse to the ioyes of my God and Sauiour Of the Coronation The Oblation Glori ∣ ous 5 O Most high glorious Lady Empresse of the whole world I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues one Pater noster to the glorious mistery of thy Coronation which was the accomplishment of all thy ioyes and the crowne of all thy deserts when thou wert exalted aboue the Angelicall spirits and to the blessed Trinity the Father Son and holy Ghost thou wert crowned and appointed Queene Lady of all and the defendresse and aduocate of all that inuocate thee The Prayer WE reioyce O B. Lady at thy exaltation and glory and beseech thee that froÌ„ the high throne where thou art placed thou wouldest remember thy poore children which wander heere in this vale of teares and that thou wouldest obtaine for vs plentifull gifts and graces that we may deserue with thee and all the holy Saints to enioy the B. Trinity Amen THE CORONE OF B. LADY THe manner of saying the Corone of our B. Lady consisting of 63. Aues six Pater noster in remeÌ„brance of the 60. yeares of her life euery Pater noster with the 10. Aues are to be sayd and offered in the honour and remembrance of 10. yeares of her life and of what 〈◊〉 did or suffered in that time with a prayer eyther before or after crauing those graces and vertues which most did shine in the actions of those yeares The Oblation of the 1. O Most innocent and immaculate Virgin I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues one Pater noster in honour of the first 10. yeares of thy life and all thou didst therein in honour of thy immaculate Conception miraculous Natiuity of a barren wombe of thy blessed infaÌ„cy and Presentation into the Temple and all thy vertuous exercises and deuotions there whereby thou wert disposed and prepared to be a meete mother for the sonne of God The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that I may offer my best first times to the seruice of God and by exercise of vertue and eschewing occasions of sinne I may dispose my soule to receiue Gods grace in this life and his glory in the next The Oblation of the 2. O Most happy and chosen Virgin I humbly offer vp 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of the high vertues which dayly increased in thee first vowing chastity and espousing thy selfe to chast Ioseph receiuing with ioy humility and resignation the ioyfull newes of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God in thy virginall wombe bearing thy Creatour swadling and resting him in the manger seeing him glorifyed by the Angells visited by the shepheards adored by the Kings circumcised presented and redeemed in the Temple at thy Purification didst nurse him and giue him sucke and stedst with him into AEgypt and there in a strange Idolatrous Country didst worke for his maintenance and thine The Prayer I Beseech thee obtaine for me part of these ioyes which in this tyme thou didst receiue and the imitation of thy chastity and speciall loue of pouerty which thou and thy sonne so greatly did imbrace The Oblation of the 3. O Most B and patient Virgin I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues a Pater noster in remeÌ„brance of thy poore pilgrimage entertaynement in AEgypt and in thy returne from thence the feares thou hadst at returning thy sorrow in loosing and ioy in fynding thy Son in Hierusalem and in honour of all that sweetnes and ioy thou receiuedst in the conuersation company of thy heauenly guest child The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that in all my pilgrimage of this life I may haue thine and thy sonnes company neuer long want the comfort of his gracious presence doctrine and Sacraments The Oblation of the 4. O Most happy gracious Virgin I huÌ„bly offer vp to thee 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of all that ioy and pleasure â—ou hadst in the presence of thy sweet Iesus eating drinking talking and wo king with him that giueth meate drinke speach and strength to all creatures The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that in all my life and actions I may be so conioyned with Iesus so communicate with him that whether I eate or drinke or whatsoeuer I do I may do it in his presence and to his onely glory and praise The Oblation of the 5. O Most ioyfull dolorous Lady I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of those pangs and 〈◊〉 which after all the ioyes thou receiuedst by departing of thy Sonne from thee of thy cares and feares thou hadst of him and the excessiue griefe thou tookest when he was betrayed taken bound led captiue beaten spit vpon mocked whipped crowned with thornes blindefolded buffeted condemned crucifyed blasphemed pierced taken downe and buried in remeÌ„brance also of thy great ioyes in his Resurrection Apparition Ascension sending of the holy Ghost The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that among the comforts discomforts of this life I may remaine firme and constant at the foote of the Crosse with thee and thy blessed company that at last I may be partaker of the ioyes and glory of his resurrection and Ascension and of the comfort of his holy spirit The Oblation of the 6. O Most perfect patient and blessed Lady I humbly offer vnto theâ— 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of thy most holy life heere on earth after the Ascension of thy Sonne of the longing thoâ— hadst to be with him and loathing of this life of the light comfoâ—â— and example thou gauest to the Apostles and all Christians of thâ— zeale for the glory of thy Sonne of thy deuotion to his B. Body and often visitation of the holy places of his life Passion Resurrection The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that being heere on earth I may haue like longing to be with thy Sonne and loathing of this life with deuotion to all his remembrances and Sacraments The Oblation of the 7. O Most happy and glorious Virgin I humbly offer vnto thee 3. Aues and a Pater noster in honour of the last three yeareâ— of thy life of the ioyfull expectation of thy depositioÌ„ with most perfect workes and more feruent desires in remembrance of thy great ioy at the calling of thy Sonne and spouse of thy visitation of Angels and their heauenly melody the presence of the Apostles praysing and lauding him and finally in remembrance honour of thy most happy passage ioyfull Assumption and glorious Coronation The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that I may so liue as I may expect a ioyfull end and a comfortable passage that I may not want the rites and ceremonies of thy holy Church nor the comfort and company of thy seruants but may be protected by my good Angels my soule by them caryed where thou doost sit in glory and behold the face of the most blessed Trinity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Amen FINIS