death still conserued in her memory and conferred in her hart as the Euangelist twice telleth vs were the vsuall subiects therof her discourses therein were free from all manner of distractions and by heauenly illuminations cleared so as like Eagles mounted to their high pitch aboue the cloudes she soared with little labour and became in them euer sweetly and diuinely inflamed Of the wonderfull merit of our B. Ladyes actions Chap. 38. LEarned Suarez writing of this fubiect frō certaine groundes of fayth and Philosophy gathered so strong a conclusion concerning the B. Virgins wonderfull manner of meriting and redoubling by ech act her former graces as he dared not to publish his doctrine vntill the learned Diuines of Spayne had with their opiniōs approued it The summe of his discourse is this As naturall habits are produced by naturall acts when they are intense and perfect so supernaturall habits are by the diuine infuser of them conferred on holy soules according to the perfection of those supernaturall acts wherby holy soules merit an increase of them Wherefore since the B. Virgin did in ech holy act done by her cooperate with former graces giuen her fully and according to their whole intension as hauing no sinfull inclination to hinder her so did she still merit according to the full intension perfection of her acts to haue new graces infused into her and consequently to haue former graces redoubled by ech one of them so that she heaped in her soule hourely treasures of merits and by them in the end of her life arriued to an immensity of graces Sinfull Ignorance did neuer darken her illuminated soule Errour seduce or Malice corrupt her Sense neuer rebelled against Reason and Concupiscence the roote of sinne was according to S. Thomas euer kept from growing and totally at length extinguished in her Wherby this heauenly Sulamite became ordered in all vertues so as a high Wisedom guided them in their seuerall operations Charity commaunded them wherby she came as weighty things remayne in their Center to be in them immoueably fixed Pride did at no tyme rayse her or Pusillanimity deiect her Passions did not perturbe her or sensuall Appetites disorder her Sanctity did cleare like a rich pearle her gracious grouth and an Angelicall Purity of mind and body did for her diuine spouse consecrate spotlesly conserue her Humility to conclude made her ponderous in all actions Obedience rounded her and other graces smoothed her in such sort as finally she became in thē a rare and matchlesse vnion of Created Perfection doing all her actions in the substance and circumstances of them so as it is a Catholique point of faith to belieue she neuer offended by omission or commission venially in them Of our B. Ladies Sacramentall graces heere gayned Chap. 39. GReat Authors S. Clement and others haue affirmed our B. Sauiour himselfe to haue baptized his Mother aswell to bewtify her soule by the fairest character of that Sacrament as to take an occasion therby besides the wonderfull merit of her owne actions to heape in his owne bounty on her soule vnconceauable graces The descension of the Holy Ghost vpon her in the day of Pentecost was as an eminent vnction and Confirmation of her graces therein receaued and the most holy sacrifice sacrament of her sonnes body bloud daily with other Christians receaued was as an euer-full and flowing fountayne of heauenly blessings running into her Her oblation thereof in the Apostles hands preparation to receaue it was suitable no doubt◠to the immenfity of actuall and habituall graces in her soule their Clarity did illuminate her their Feruour inflame her Humility prostrated her Piety disposed her faith made her so firmely to belieue her sonnes glorious albeit inuisible presence therein as if she had apparently beheld him humbly thanking him in behalfe of her selfe and vs also for that second annihilating as it were of himselfe to communicate the fruites of his passion to faithfull soules worthily receauing him frequently enioying glimses almost of beatificall Clarity it selfe as often as she sacramentally receaued him he recompencing so in a sorte the wonted and desired Comforts of his visible prefence with her And if S. Mary Magdalen in her holy retyrement neere Marsills in France had bodily rapts Angelicall visits heauenly melody and greater fauours by her louing and beloued Lord daily affoarded her can we reasonably doubt but that in higher more delightfull manners he expressed his loue to her graciously aboue all Creatures indeared vnto him Or do so many authenticall vndoubted histories mention his glorious apparitions to other Saintes men and woomen for yielding them yet aliue particular comforts and instructions and may we not iustly conceaue him to haue byn more open-handed and liberall in shewing his loue to her who best deserued such fauours and had as a gracious Mother from a louing Sonne most right to receaue them Of our B. Ladies death Chap 40. SAint Denis not conuerted by S. Paul at Athens before the 16. yeare after our Sauiours Passiō as Baronius with Suarez and other great Authors haue collected writing as he doth of his hauing byn at Hierusalem with S. Peter S. Iohn and others aswell Apostles as chiefe disciples of our Sauiour at the death and funeral of this sacred Virgin conuinceth her to haue liued well nigh 20. yeares after her Sonnes passion to gayne no doubt a lōg happy haruest of heauēly merits for her selfe to comfort likewise the Apostles themselues in their holy labours and to edify others by them conuerted by her gracefull person exemplar life conuersation amongst them Her happy end may be thought to haue byn prophetically reuealed to the Apostles and disciples that besides their mutuall comfort of seeing ech other they might also enioy so contentfull a blessing as to be hould the ioyfull passage of this sacred Mother to her diuine Sonne take their last leaue of her heere in this world and celebrate her funeralls with due loue and veneration The sicknes wherof she dyed may be thought to haue byn a rauishing excesse and sweet languishment of heauenly loue and longinging to hasten to her sonne calling her vnto him Come my beloued from Libanus thou shalt be crowned which freely yielded vnto by her might cause such a concurrence of vitall spirits to rayse the thoughts and affections of her soule as they failed to conserue a needfull disposition for life in her bodily members and senses So as lying sweetly reposed on her bed with all the Apostles many chiefe Disciples of her Sonne kneeling about her hauing newly before for a happy viaticum to heauen most deuoutely receaued him whom first in her wombe she had diuinely conceaued with an vnexpressible ardour of loue giuing her blessing and farewell to all present she breathed out her gracious soule into her Sonnes hands there present to receaue it waited on by the most glorious Princes of his Court gladly attending him their
Babe to haue byn wholy free from all waywardnesse vncleanenes violency of passions fancyes and other childish imperfections intuitiuely still behoulding those very obiects which experimētally he learned And whereas other children by frequent aspects come to know the faces of their Mothers and beginne a naturall loue towards them for continuall fauours receaued this diuine child did not only exteriously know his Mother but interiourly also behold the humble thoughts enflamed affections of her soule towards him her pure intentiōs and harty gladnes in doing motherly offices vnto him and according to the wonderfull merit of them with heaped graces presently requited them For surely they apprehend meāly the diuinesse of this child Theandricall sublimity of his actions who conceaue his huggings kisses and other like expressions of filiall Ioue towards his B. Mother to haue byn no more then fruiteles and naked signes of childish affectiōs wheras indeed they were continuall breathings of new graces into her soule euer humble and prepared to receaue them Naturall supernaturall loue sweetly conspired no doubt to indeare them to ech other He as his naturall mother and most excellent Creature humanly and diuinly affected her and she as her God and Sonne respectfully adored and delightefully serued him Which harmony of mutuall loue betweene them neuer of her part sinfully interrupted happily still increased so as heauenly Creatures themselues were delighted to behould him recreated and her enriched by their mutuall affections Of our B. Ladyes sorrow in her sonnes Circumcision Chap. 16. THe sonne of God was vpon the 8. day after his birth in the pure partes of his body paynefully circumcised that he might as in the end so in the beginning of his life shed painefully his bloud for vs. For we are not to conceaue that he who was aboue all lawes and the Author of them suffered this wound because the Law commaunded him but rather he made this law that to fulfill the same he might take an occasion to be so wounded for vs. This bloudy ceremony sacramentall remedy of originall sinne in Male children arguing therfore Christs wonderfull humility in vndergoing it was vsually performed in ech parish by some Leuite appointed by his office to do it and the house where the child was borne was the ordinary place of performing it so as the Blessed Virgin may be conceaued cōpassionatly to haue seene this first and painefull wound made in the tender body of her sonne as she did afterwards behould his last woundinges agonyes and torments hauing byn indeed not casually but diuinely ordayned to share in sufferings with him Lust the beastly and ouer-common vice of men was so hatefull to this heauenly Author of purity and Sonne of an immaculate Virgin as in the very entrance of his life he seemed to proclayme war against it by causing the pure partes of his owne body to smart and bleed that from such a fountayne of grace opened in himselfe his deuout children from raging heates and impurityes in theirs might become afterwards cooled and cleansed Neither was this wound only painefully made but as we read of Sichem and his people the stiffnes and smarting payne therof continued many dayes after so as we may well call this wound a paynfull tast which our heauenly Redeemer was pleased to take of his bitter and deadly chalice and a sharpe exercise of patience with-all in his louing Mother dressing this wound whilst it continued and often bathing it with flowing teares of tender compassion as she did afterwards his deeper and deadlier woundes suffering still in her soule his bodily torments Of our B. Ladyes imposing on her Sonne the Name IESVS Chap. 17. WIth the sacramentall signe of Circumcision children then were wont to be enrolled in the number of Gods people and because this name IESVS imported the saluation of mankind he would not without shedding his bloud whereby he was to redeeme vs haue it imposed This Name holy and high aboue all Names as S. Paul telleth vs was misteriously imposed vpon two Iosua's or Jesus'es types of our Sauiour in reducing Gods people from their first and second captiuity but commonly afterwards giuen to children that the mysteriousnesse therof might not become noted in him who was to performe the high office of sauing mankind chiefly by it imported This name IESVS reuealed by the Angell to the B. Virgin first and to S. Ioseph afterwards with the comfortable meaning thereof was as Oyle powred out to mollify the griefe of his wound felt in her hart and still to increase the gracious flame of her ardent loue towards him It was like sweet Musicke in her eares hony in her mouth and a continuall iubily in her hart to name it herselfe or heare others name it Her sons humane diuine greatnes hauing byn mentioned by the Angell vnto her for this end chiefly that she might cōceaue the mysteriousnes of it All vertues exercised by him in the worke of our Redēprion his actions his sufferings and fruites of them in earth and in heauen were continually to her by that holy name IESVS compendiously and sweetely imported so as wee may well affirme her to haue begun that Veneration to this holy Name heere in Earth which is now to the same in heauen also yielded Of the Sages finding the Child with the B. Virgin his Mother Chap. 18. THis humbled king of maiesty and greatnes was pleased to haue his poore birth graced by the comming of Gentill Princes from the vtmost endes of the Earth by the conductiō of a mysterious and miraculous Star in Bethleem to adore him not debased in their high thoughts by his pouerty but appearing therin as a king of heauenly maiesty and greatnes purposely so humbled and disguised in humane nature afterwards to redeeme them more louely and gracious whilst with adorations prostrations and guifts they testified their faith in him And as the Childs greatnes so his B. Mothers Excellency was discouered no doubt diuinely vnto them Wherefore to intimate their ioyes by behoulding her also increased the Euangelist my steriously telleth vs that they found the child with Mary his Mother viewing him as the bright Sunne of heauen newly appearing in our earthly Horizon and her as that cleere dawning which he had chosen to rise in His gracious beames adorned her and she with her naturall bewty had sweetly attired him so as her liuely and louely forme was in his humane face delightfully resembled Who in the silence of her sonne became as we may conceaue his interpreter vnto them and an humble relatour of such mysterious verities as in loue dewty they desired to know of him concerning the miraculous manner of his Natiuity Conception and what the Angell had tould her of his owne future glory with the eternall greatnes of his kingdom how likewise he had byn promised to the Patriarcks Abraham Jsaac Jacob Dauid her propheticall Princely Father foretold by the Prophets and expected by faithfull holy soules throughout
Lord and her his beloued Mother in their triumphāt procession Of our B. Ladies Assumption Chap. 41. PIous eares and harts worthily abhorre to heare spoken that corruption sayth S. John Damascene inuaded and wormes deuoured that sacred flesh a part whereof the Author himselfe of immortality had assumed or that this stately branch of Iesses root euer rotted in the groūd whose flowre was in Heauen so gloriously ripened or finally that this louely Tabernacle of the Highest became in the bewtifull frame therof after death vtterly dissolued No surely as the same had byn whilst it was aliue many wayes graced by her diuine sonne so was it being dead from loathsomnesse and corruption totally preserued as for many reasons it was fitting First in that it had not byn with sinne originally infected as other bodies are when soules void of grace are first vnited vnto them Secondly for that it was euer a most pure habitation of her gracious soule neuer by it actually defiled or viciously inclined Thirdly because it had byn the subiect of heauenly wonders for her Creatours glory and mans eternall saluation wrought happily in it and ech part thereof made sacred by immediate touches and seruices done to the Eternall Word Incarnate within it and nursed by it Her wombe for example was as the Spouse for the wonderfull purity and fertility thereof calleth it in the Canticles a Heape of heauenly Grayne to nourish soules eternally with lillyes inuironed a pure Nest wherein the celestiall Phaenix and Birde of Diuine Loue was hatched the Tyring-house wherin the sonne of God was for high ends humanely disguised finally a Bed-chamber richly prepared for the celestiall Bride to become therin to our nature first and to all holy soules afterwards eternally espoused Her sacred breasts were as two Pearly-bottels tipped with rich rubies and filled once from heauen sweetly to nurse him by whome as the Church singeth in her Office birds are fed and all Creatures sustayned Her lappe was as an easy Couch wherein the sonne of God lay neere to her louing hart contentfully reposed Her armes and hands had byn for many yeares togeather holy instruments fitly made and moued to imbrace and serue him Her lipps were as two Ruby gates at which her soule and her diuine sonnes had often met parlied with mutuall significations of loue and new breathings from him of heauenly graces into her Her eyes had byn as cleare windowes for her soule delightfully to behould for 33. yeares togeather his corporall bewtyes and deepely to imprint in her hart a liuely and louely image of him To conclude all other parts of her virginall pure body for seruiceable acts done to the omnipotent Authour therof were by him after her death highly respected no doubt gloriously perfected and wonderfully exalted Of the glory of our B. Lady assūpted Chap 42. HEr sepulcher is sayd to haue byn placed in the garden of Gethsemani wherein by the Apostles and other chiefe disciples of her Sonne her body was solemnely and deuoutly intombed And as flowers do smell sweetly in their first buddings so this fayre flower about to open it self in its immortall beauty yielded to all present a heauēly fragrancy as S. Iohn Damascene from Apostolicall tradition recounteth and sweetned that stony receptacle and part of the earth whence it was soone after into her sons heauenly garden to be gloriously transplanted So that when the Apostolicall intombers thereof had left it Angelical spirits as a sacred treasury cōserued it attēded it vntill the third day when it was by their Lord and her Sonne ioyfully raysed and with such a glorious change as those celestiall Princes wondred to see agayne in her as before they had seene in their Lord a clodd of earth so curiously molded graciously transformed asking ech other not as ignorant who she was but admiring her greatnes Who is she that ascendeth from the desert in delights leaning on her beloued Delights indeed sayth S. Bernard abounding in her and flowing still in earth and in heauen graciously from her which can be no more expressed then her glories described suitable no doubt to the graces of her soule such sayth he as well beseemed so diuine a sonne to bestow vpon so deseruing a mother His heauenly Father was likewise openhāded at the same tyme in heaping gratious fauours on her who had byn Mother of his eternall sonne and ioint-parent with himselfe of him the holy Ghost was effused no doubt in his boūty then to her whom here on earth he had singularly espoused to himselfe and made mother of a diuine child first from him saith S. Leo in her soule and afterwards in her wombe most graciously conceaued And as they had raysed her in the holy merits of her life far aboue all Creatures so was she at her entrance into heauen highly in throned and supremely exalted for them Of our B. Ladyes Coronation Chap. 43. THe Diademe with which this Queene of Heauen was crowned by her sonne at her glorious entrance into his Kingdome was in the riches thereof suitable no doubt to her wonderfull merits and graced with twelue such Starrs as adorned the head of that mysterious woman mentioned in the Apocalyps importing twelue peculiar Graces conferred by the diuine Persons on her The first of them was her maternall dignity and office of hauing the eternall word incarnate within her wherby she came to haue a singular neerenes and dearenes vnto him The 2. was her immaculate conception happily therein beginning a rich haruest of heauenly merits brought out of her mothers wombe into the world with her The 3. was her preseruation from venially offending afterwards wherby she alone of all Adams naturall children equalled Angells themselues in the vnspotted innocency of her life as in the graces of her soule she incomparably excelled them The 4. added an Excellency to the former arriued to the happiest effect of originall iustice itself which was to feele no Cōcupiscence or rebellion at all in her members senses but to haue nature and grace euer in her harmoniously composed The 5. was her virginall vow of Purity wherby she consecrated herselfe to her Heauenly spouse and before the Ghospell of her sonne in this and other graces arriued to the highest top of Euangelicall perfection To 6. was the pure Conception and manner of her sonnes Natiuity a Priuiledge indeed sayth S. Bernard for Gods mother alone graciously reserued The 7. was her hauing besides Fayth and continuall Illustrations of heauenly Graces in a most affectuous cleare manner an experimentall knowledge of many chiefe mysteries of faith wrought by her Sonne so as her selfe was with him an actour also in them as his miraculous Conception Natiuity c. happily seruing to illminate inflame her The 9. was naturall supernaturall loue towards him as to her God and sonne sweetly conioyned like two fiery wings ray sing her soule incessantly towards him The 9. was her life led for 30. yeares more
THE MIRROVR of Created Perfection OR The Life of the most Blessed VIRGIN MARY Mother of God Written by the R. Fa. J. F. of the Society of IESVS Permissu Superiorum 1632. TO THE VERTVOVS AND RELIGIOVS SISTER AGNES ROSENDALE NOW CALLED Sister Agnes of S. Albert natiue of Brabant Religious in the Monastery of English Carmolites at Antwerpe GODS gracious goodnes in calling you not only to a Religious life in general but to this particular Order so eminently flourishing in Christs Church very House likewise where now you liue cōseruing it self in the primitiue feruour and exact obseruance of your holy Mother S. Teresa her Rule to edify by your holy exāple and help also by your temporall meanes poore Exiles and Strāgers seemeth equally to argue Gods fatherly care of them and speciall loue to your Selfe clay ming withall thankefull respects from their English friends and from my self in particuler as hauing had the fauour affoarded me of holding your Heauenly spouse in my hands whilst by your Profession you espoused your selfe so ioyfully and deuoutly vnto him as to me and others then present the ioy of your Nuptialls seemed to haue byn in heauen and in earth celebrated togeather And indeed the diuine Author of your vocation seemed then to haue much pleased himselfe in beholding his Graces so effectuall in you as it may wel be doubted whether you imbraced them more feruorously at first or put them in executiō more heroically afterwards when deafe to cōtrary persuasiōs of your worldly friends and dexterously freed from that domesticall and vniust Captiuity whereby they had for some moneths together forcibly restrayned you getting alone to the Monastery and well assured that the doore thereof would not but with some better allowance of your powerfull friends be opened to receaue you as the Reuerend Mother Religious of themselues exceedingly desired with an heroicall resolution scarcely to be exemplified you pulled of your secular rich cloathes put your selfe into a small Wheele seruing as the manner is to take in and out things needfull for the inclosed left at that tyme by a rare chance vnlocked and so turned your self into the place you desired by such a strange meanes as it no lesse amazed the Reuerend Mother and Sisters to see a person of your knowne quality kneeling almost naked before them with flowing teares begging their holy habit then it ioyed your selfe to haue gotten in so among them For surely to me and others since this entry of yours seemed almost miraculous the straytnes of the Wheele deuided into foure parts and your tall stature considered the deuise at least your manner of executing it was I doubt not diuinely suggested and not without a mystery performed as the Religious mā preaching the day after your profession in a great Auditory of your owne friends and other principall persons well noted when as he tould them that Christ in his spirituall espousall of you was pleased to obserue in a sort what he had formerly commaunded to the Iewish Captaines and souldiars in marrying their beautifull captiues Deut. 21. by not admitting you captiued by loue vnto him amongst his other pure spouses there louely and beloued by him but stripped first of secular garments and made ready to haue a holier Habit put vpon you exteriourly course but interiourly gracing you in the eyes and hart of your diuine Louer with the hidden bewties of holy soules chiefly delighted wherin I dare say you are not meane amongst such as are excellent so far as an immaculate purity of mind and body with an ingenuous candor of Nature innocency of Life admirable Humility and a continuall ardour of diuine loue often interrupting and hindring whole nights togeather the needfull repose of your senses may argue deepe foundations laid of high buildings likely heereafter by the heauenly Architect to be raysed in you and his Blessed Mother a continuall Leader and Helper of such pure soules into the brideroome and inmost bed-chamber of her sonne there to be imbraced graciously by him Wherfore I haue purposely heer collected her Life a cleere Mirrour Rule of all perfection as S. Ambrose calleth it dedicated it as a sincere testimony of my Religious respect vnto you and that holy family that English gentelwomen also hapning by this occasion to read this history of your exemplar Vocation to Religion and feruourous prosecution thereof rather touched by me indeed then fully related may learne therby how to leaue worldly friends and temptations behind them to enioy abroad such sweet retyrements strait imbracings of their Heauenly Spowse as their owne Homes cannot now affoard them Neither haue they to this purpose your Example alone but the like also in many other eminent Gentle-women of our nation who haue trampled secular Braueryes neglected Worldly contentments and preferments left their Country and forsaken the delicacyes of their Parents houses to enter into seuerall Monasteryes abroad as into so many Bride-chambers of their heauenly spouse temporally first to serue and eternally afterwards to enioy him who lightneth his burden layd on them so by abūdant graces and sweetneth his yoke by heauenly consolations as they feele not almost the apprehended austerities of a Religious life but contrarily find such a peacefull sweetnes of consciēce in the practise of them as S. Bernards saying is truly verifyed in them who speaking of secular iudgments made concerning the paynefulnes of Religious discipline Cruces vident consolationes non agnoscunt they looke vpon our crosses but know not our cōforts this being sayth S. Gregory the difference inter delicias cordis corporis between the delights of the soule and the body that these latter are vehemētly apprehēded but by being experienced quickly come to be loathed whereas contrarily the other are dully apprehended but delighfully tasted tantoqueue a comedente ampliùs esuriuntur quantò ab esuriente ampliùs comeduntur and by being more greedily eaten they come to be more hungerly longed after so as the Prophet biddeth vs first to tast and then to see how sweet God is to his children and seruants I may well rāke your self amōg the happy enioyers of such heauenly delights since your liuing in that place hath byn as a continuall sitting at a full Table of them austerities there apprehended indeed to be farre greater then young tender gentlewomen in experience find them haue as I haue byn certaynely informed byn no more felt by you then bitter pills wrapped in sugar come to be tasted by such as sodainely swallow them Shall I say perchance truly Gods gracious fauors to haue bin the greater towards you for leauing in a sort your Country and friends as your companions haue actually done theirs by liuing so amongst strangers in it as if you were quite out of it If it be so you are worthily to esteeme as to my knowledge you do your pregnant Vocation to that House a singular grace of God and your Admission therein a particuler
chiefe Prince of their Court as a Paranymph to salute this pure Mayden from themselues and obtayne her consent to be diuinely fecundated by the holy Ghost and haue the Eternall Word Incarnate within her Who knowing the wonderful Excellency of her to whome he was sent saluted her with the highest Titles which could be giuen to an vnglorified Creature saying Hayle full of grace c. and he had further perchance dilated himselfe in her prayses had she not by her humble feare sweetly interrupted him Calling her Mary familiarly afterwards which at first for reuerence he did not he made her to know him with whome she had often and familiarly conuersed before as great Authours haue supposed and is gathered from the Euangelists words affirming her to haue byn troubled not as his sight but at his speach and high Titles therein giuen vnto her Feare not said he thou hast found grace with God such a Grace indeed as Hester found in Assuerus eyes and hart togeather when as a louely spouse and Queene he meant to exalt her Telling her further that she shold conceaue in her wombe and bring forth a Sonne promised by God as the rest of his wordes do import foretould by his Prophets Jsay especially whose very wordes he vsed vnto her diuine in himselfe glorious likewise eternall in his kingdome How sayd she shall this be done because I know not man Which question had byn idly made as sundry ancient great Fathers haue obserued had she not byn debarred by her virginall vow from knowing her husband When the Angell had cleared her difficulty told her the diuine pure māner of her sonnes conception with great humility and deuotion she threw herselfe as it were into the opened armes of her omnipotēt gracious Spouse to be purely imbraced and fecundated with admiration and loue yielding herself vnto him Behold said shee the handmaide of our Lord be it vnto me as you haue said O Happy Turtles voyce sayth S. Bernard sweetly vttered heere in earth yet working wonders in heauen by causing forthwith Gods eternall sonne to descend from his Fathers bosome into her sacred wombe and therin to assume humane Nature personally vpon him Of the Eternall Word in her Blessed wombe Chap. 7. IN this miraculous Conception of God and Man our heauenly Redeemer not the Essence but the manner only of humane generation was many wayes altered and of the Virgins pure bloud a humane body was sodainly and perfectly framed but not vnited with a gracious and glorified soule then created also before they were by the diuine Word personally assumed that she maternally concurring in her sacred wombe to vnite them might be the true mother of him that was perfect God and perfect man in one Person vnited This Celestiall Babe behoulding himself at that happy instāt by created graces and a diuine greatnes aboue all creatures infinitely exalted adored likewise by all the Quires of Angells and orday ned to redeeme mortalls amongst all the designed children of glory then presented before him he first and most especially beheld his holy Mother in nature neerest in dignity chiefest in loue dearest vnto him actually then prepared in an humble ardour of heauenly loue to receaue what graces he would giue her whose guifts no doubt equalled his measurelesse loue towards her and aboundantly requited the harty welcome she gaue him And that her loue towards him naturally as to her sonne and supernaturally as to her God might then and afterwards become happly increased he is conceaued by great Authors to haue at that instant infused into her soule a clearer sight of his personall Maiesty and greatnes then Moyses or any other Saint before her enioyed lying in her wombe as a louely Bride in his marriage bed sweetly reposed as a tree of life newly planted in this heauēly Paradise as a fragrant fayre flowre out of her flourishing braunches graciously budded as a pretious Margarite in a cleere mother-pearle safely inclosed finally as an amourous louer sweetly lulled in the Virgin-lappe of her his chiefly beloued corporally growing in her nature and liberally communicating his spirituall guifts and graces vnto her Of our B. Ladyes visit of S. Elizabeth Chap. 8. THis mayden-gracious-Mother was no sooner wakened out of her sweet traunce of loue diuine fecūdity but Humility prepared and feruent Charity incited her to vndertake a paynfull iourney of 3. dayes trauell ouer the craggy mountaynes of Iewry to visit her aged Cosen S. Elizabeth in Hebron and to sanctify S. John her sonnes Precursor by the breath of her salutation of which not the words but effects are by the Euangelist declared to haue byn heauenly light and aboundant graces diuinely infused into the child first and mother afterwards which he with exultation and she with outcryes of ioy and loue prophetically vttered conioyning in her blessings this sacred mother and her diuine son as in nature then and loue she beheld them graciously vnited Blessed sayd she art thou amongst women blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Blessed indeed in herselfe as hauing the height of all created blessings bestowed vpon her and blessed in her sonne the flowing fountayne of them He as the fruit of life growing in her wōbe was blessed and she was blessed as the tree that bore him surely such a heauēly fruit as the Incarnat Sonne of God was could not but haue a tree of rare goodnes to produce him since the goodnes of trees are by their fruites to be chiefly discerned This diuine graine of corne falling from heauen into the earth according to his owne words in the Ghospell had no doubt a fat and fertile soyle to fall into this pretious margarit of Heauen had a cleere mother-pearle to breed it this bright sonne of Iustice finally had a fayre dawning to rise in by his most resplendent beames before other Saints mantled and adorned Whence is it sayd this Saint admiring the B. Virgins Humility and gratefull for her charity in comming to a person so much in dignity and graces inferiour vnto her that the mother of my Lord is come vnto me S. Elizabeth was a great Saint canonized and commēded highly with her husbād by God himselfe yet being humble actually illuminated to know the dignity and wonderfull graces of her Cosin she saw her owne sparcles by the others huge flames incomparably exceeded her smal light by the others sūny brightnes ecclipsed and the mother of a Creature by the blessed Parent of her Creatour and Redeemer himselfe incomparably excelled Then gladly thankefully she acknowledged the holy effects in her child and her selfe of her salutation praysing her beliefe yielded to the Angells speaches prophetically assuring her that all should be fulfilled which he had tould her concerning the greatnes of her sonne redemption of the world by him and glory of his kingdome Of our B. Ladyes Canticle and stay with her Cosin S. Elizabeth Chap. 9. SAint Elizabeth is sayd to haue byn newly replenished
all generations according to the words of her diuine Canticle for merly vttered She knew them to haue made a long iourney and not likely to stay long with her Sonne esspecially after the Angell had warned them for their returne Humility therefore moued by charity euer in holy soules and most eminently in her then and afterwards conioyned yielded to disclose such heauenly secrets of her diuine Sonne vnto them as might confirme their faith increase in absence their present loue towards him So as we may well thinke the day and night which they spent in Bethleem to haue byn a happy tyme for their comfort and instruction Of our B. Ladyes Purification Chap. 19. THis facred Virgin albeit in the Conception and birth of her child rather purified then defiled went notwithstanding as other womē did to be legally clensed carrying Christ into the Temple with her there to be offered and as other children ceremoniously redeemed Who as the Lord of the Iemple himselfe meant therby to make the glory of this second house greater then that of the first as had byn foretould by his Prophets by being more highly graced and exalted by the corporall presence of himselfe in it and that likewise such holy persons as Saint Simeon Saint Anne were might happily enioy the promised and blessed sight of him Sincon is said to haue entred the Temple in spirit diuinely to wit inspired and taught to know amongst so many children as were there continually presented the bright Sunne of heauen albeit then in humaue nature and pouerty wholy obscured ordayned to be afterwards a light to the Gentils and the glory of his people as he sung in his Canticle whilst he enioyed the sweet comfort of holding Christ in his armes for a moment which the blessed Virgin and her Spouse for many whole yeares togeather happily enioyed And as if in ardent imbracings and kissings of this diuine Babe he desired to haue gasped out his holy soule into his sacred mouth breathing sanctity into him he cryed out to be dismissed and let forth of this world that he might not liue perchance to see this beloued and gracious Lord of his hart persecuted in his Infancy toyled in his life calumniated in his actions contradicted in his doctrines hared by those whome he hartily loued and finally to be before his Mothers eyes butchered and disgraced So as he could not contayne himselfe amidst his rauishing cōtentments from sadly fortelling their ioynt griefes sufferings A sword of sorrow sayd he blessing the Mother of God and her spouse shall passe through thy soule metaphorically so expressing that killing-wound or rather those many deadly woundes which shold be made in her soule by behoulding as she did afterwards her sonnes agonies and torments and insinuating withall that noble kind of Martyrdome which she was to suffer without other woundes then such as Loue made by vniting her so neerly and dearly to her sonne as to feele in her very soule by a strang kind of compassion his corporall torments Of our Blessed Ladyes flight with her Child into Egypt Chap. 20. THe Sages entrance into Hierusalem to seeke a new King troubled Herod yet their priuate departure homewards another way seemed to argue that they had not found him but when such holy Propheticall persons as S. Simeon and S. Anne were knowne to haue byn had so publiquely proclaymed him this bloudy Tyrant sent out his murderous guardes to kill all male Children of two yeares old and vnder in and about the Confines of Bethleem When the Angell had forewarned S. Joseph in the night of this danger Loue quickly awakened him and his B. spouse to prouide for the safty of the child by flying into Egypt as the Angell had appointed them Pouerty eased their care of carrying much with them the darkenes of the night serued fitly to hide them from dangers approaching The strangenes of the Country which they were sent vnto did not trouble them the length of the way did not terrify them nor any other difficulty dismay them occurring in their iourney which they made through a sandy vast Desart so blessed thē sayth Baronius by our Sauiours presence as it became afterwards a holy and solitary retyrement of innumerable Saintes gladly leauing worldly noyses contentmēts quietly there and holily to serue him Their manner of carrying the child so long paynefull a iourney may be supposed to haue byn no other then beggars vse when trussed at their bosome or backes from place to place they carry their children Idolls are sayd to haue falne downe as Dagon before the Arke and oracles to haue ceased when the incarnate Word and heauenly Author of Truth in that Countrey appeared Their entertaynmēt is by learned Suarez conceaued to haue byn no other then such as beggars are wont to receaue amōgst strangers vntill S. Joseph by the exercise of his poore trade was towards their reliefe able to gayne something The place of their aboad is sayd to haue byn neere Ramasses a Citty built long before by the Israelites hard labours during their captiuity and in that place is yet shewed a well wherein the B. Virgin is sayd haue washed her sonnes cloathes watring a valley of Balme-trees onely growing in that part of the Country as if from that sanctified fountayne the place had receaued a singular vertue The chiefe and vnspeakable Comforts of these holy Parents in their exile may be thought to haue byn the gracefull grouth of their diuine child his wise speaches after he could speake louing behauiours towards thē Of our B. Ladyes returne with her Child out of Egypt Chap. 21. TAke the child said the Angell the second tyme and his Mother and returne into the land of Israell for they are dead that sought his life c. omitting not to giue the sacred virgin her highest title to wit of being Mother to such a child insinuating withall by this manner of speaking as learned Suarez with other great Authors obserueth that this Blessed Saint was to respect her not only as his wife but as the Mother of his redeemer withall who with a reuerentiall hūble kind of glad loue yielded accordingly his ready seruices vnto her Herod as Baronius gathereth from Iosephus other Authors dyed the 7. yeare after his murder of the Infants at which tyme our Sauiour could not be carried backe agayne in the armes of his Parents as he had byn brought thither nor well vndergoe the trauell of so long a iourney but that his charity was such towards vs as for our greater example merit he would not in his very infancy from labours and sufferings be spared His Parents returned with him to Nazareth a poore Village seated in the cōfines of Galile where till his Baptisme he liued so meanely as he was reputed no other then S. Iosephs naturall Sonne succeeding him afterwards in his poore trade and labouring to make a plow who was able without labour to haue created many
worlds at that instant praying with the Nazarites the whilst as their God prayed vnto by them gazing with his humane glorious soule on the diuine persons and intuitiuely behoulding all created Obiects So as he gayned no knowledg but experimentall from them wherein with his yeares he is by the holy Euangelist said to haue increased and seemed exteriously to mens eyes more and more gracious in his person and behauiour not by any new graces gayned in his blessed soule euer consummated in them but in gracefull manifestations and expressions of sanctity and knowledge ignorance being no defect of humane nature needfull to be assumed by the sonne of God to make increase for our sinnes his intended satisfaction but wholy indeed vnbeseming him who was to be the heauenly teacher of soules and to deliuer the highest verities as a cleere behoulder of them more then all the Prophets before him and able to secure and warrant after an especiall manner the infallible Authority of his speaches vnto vs. With milliōs of holier thoghts then ordinary Soules can conceaue did his holy Parents continually behould him and draw from all his gracious behauiours and speaches his B. Mother especially as bees do gather sweet hony from flowres new motiues increase of loue towards him and he the whilst was delighted in no earthly obiect more then to see the wonderfull effects of graces in her soule to behold modelled as it were his owne vertues in her as in Archimedes christall Sphere the vast Orbes of heauen their seuerall motions were wonderfully expressed her guifts and fauours continually from him receaued being no other indeed then flowings of his fountayne sparcles of his flame beames of his infinite brightnes Sinne for example was repugnant in him to the maiesty of his owne person and she by her neere vnion with him was from the same or any inclinatiō therevnto totally preserued Acts of vertue were Theandricall in him and by the dooers person infinitely dignified and in her they were euer heroicall and highly enobled by her wonderfull graces Finally as in his bodily bewty he was like to her so did she in her soule resemble more more his gracious perfections that so in both sexes humane nature might become graced and exalted as it had byn before vilified by sinne and extremely debased Of our B. Ladyes finding her lost sonne in the Temple Chap. 22. IT was an yearely custome as the Euangelist telleth vs of Christ and his Parents to celebrate as other deuout people did their Easter in Hierusalem the sonne of God being pleased so to dignfy the Temple by his presence therin and grace those legall sacrifices the types of his Passion The mysterious obseruances of that Feast ended S. Joseph and his B. Spouse returned homewards conceauing their diuine sonne then 12. yeares old to haue gone with their kinsfolkes and neighbours out of the citty before them Whome when at night they found not with wearyed stepps carefull thoughts they returned backe againe presently to seeke him and after much labour and griefe they found him the third day amidst the Doctours of the Temple by his wise demaundes wonderfully astonishing them His Mother when she could come to speake cōueniently with him with an humble expostulation of ioy and loue asked him Sonne why hast thou done so vnto vs as wifely knowing he was not absent but by his owne will from them thy Father and I sorrowing did seeke thee naming her Husband first to expresse her humble loue respect towards him and how her owne sorrow by his afflictions had byn increased whilst S. Ioseph by silence shewed his respect to them both his aufull Reuerence restrayning loue from any such boldenes as the B. Virgin with a greater right and neuer but with his leaue gracious allowance vsed towards him Know you not answered our B. Sauiour that I am to be in the things of my Father Giuing them so to vnderstand that for the seruice of his heauenly Father he had so stayed behind them to teach perchance those Doctours guides of his people by occasiō of his wise questions some profitable verities fit to be knowne and taught to others by them that as the Iewes then so now wee might by such a glimse conceaue his sunny brightnes those enriching treasures of diuine wisedome knowledge which in his tendrest yeares were hoarded vp in him We may also piously ghesse him priuatly and alone in those 3. dayes of his absence to haue visited the holy places of his future sufferings and with an vnspeakable ardour of loue and prompt obedience to haue made his primitiue offerings seuerally in them and vented in lasting prayers and prostrations the feruent longings of his gracious soule afterwards to vndergo them His Parents are said to haue wondred at his words and the B. Virgin to haue conserued and conferred them in her hart that so we might come truly to know that she did euer do so letting none of her diuine Sonnes mysterious words and actions to passe but that by conseruing them in her fresh memory pondering them deuoutly in her hart sheenriched and raysed her illuminated soule continually by them Of our B. Ladyes life with her sonne vntill his Baptisme Chap. 23. THe Euāgelist concludeth our Sauiours whole life from his being found in the Temple vntill his Baptisme in these words He returned with his Parents to Nazareth and was obedient vnto them to wit by a voluntary submission of himself and a louing readines to do what they would haue him who priuy to his hidden maiesty and greatnes with a louing boldenes so cōmaunded him as their sonne that as God the whilst and their Redeemer they humbly in their thoughts and affections adored him Wherfore we may well cōceaue the blessed order of that family wherein three persons only liued one of them diuine and the other two eminently holy exercising Humility and Charity towards ech other he in obeying and they in commaunding him for the glory of his Father and future instruction of his seruāts subiected vnto them He with filiall loue respected his gracious Mother as the naturall and instrumentall cause of his humane being omitting at no tyme the duty of a child towards her and to S. Ioseph his reputed Father he yielded a gratefull behauiour for his many painfull labours and fatherly offices towards him with heaped graces no doubt and diuine fauours from tyme to tyme liberally requiting them Their liuing with him alone as his secretaries and seruants for 30. yeares together for S. Ioseph may be thought not to haue dyed long before our Sauiours Baptisme was as a long haruest of heauenly merits plentifully by them both according to their aboundant sowing happily reaped And as this sunne of heauenly brightenes by doctrine and examplar actions did shyne to others with whome he conuersed after his Baptisme for 3. yeares together so with the like and a far greater clarity did he appeare louely and
had hers once wasted graciously agayne and with a great increase happily restored and both were to him in their sweet societyes especially delighfull contemplating his speaches and noting his actiōs to enrich their soules holily by them she especially who from his childhood had byn accustomed to do so considering his miraculous curing of diseased and miserable persons not onely as acts of gracious loue and mercy towards them on whom they were wrought but as misterious representations likewise of the like spirituall wonders which then after he meant to worke in soules by his heauenly graces Honours likewise done and thankes yielded vnto him for benefits receaued delighted her humble soule not only because they were deseruedly giuen vnto him but for that wisely likewise she knew how liberally he meant afterwards to requite thē As cōtrarily his disgraces much grieued her not only as iniuries done vnto him who no wayes deserued them but as they were great sinnes in such as did cōmit them meanes to increase their eternall damnation Of the woman blessing the wombe paps of the B. Virgin Chap. 27. IT cannot be doubted but that such as belieued Christ to be the sonne of God and their heauenly Redeemer highly also respected his gracious mother louely in her person and exemplarly holy in her cōuersation amongst them inso much as a woman rauished with the heauēly sweetnes of our Sauiours words and diuinely raysed in her thoughts to apprehend the blessednes of his Mother vttered first that mysterious outcry Blessed is the wombe that bore thee the paps which thou didst sucke and since enlarged by the Church in that sweet versicle sung by her Blessed are the bowells of Mary the Virgin which carryed the sonne of the eternall Father and Blessed be the pappes which nursed Christ our Lord fulfilling therein her owne humble prophesy that all generations should blesse her Neither did our B. Sauiour in his reply to the woman Yea but blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it cōtradict the blessing of his mother but saith venerable Bede was couertly pleased to intimate a more high and imitable commendation of his Mother for that she had not only corporally but spiritually also conceaued him wherby she deserued not the womans blessing alone but to haue his own prayses added vnto it For as learned Interpreters note vpō this misterious passage of the Ghospell this sacred Virgin may after two manners be conceaued to haue byn the Mother of God first barely to wit according to his corporall Conception and Natiuity and so it was possible for her to haue byn his mother without any graces at all therby obtayned and secondly as she was singularly chosen and prepared with wonderfull graces to that high office of giuing a new nature life and being to her omnipotent Creatour for the glory of himselfe and redemption of mortall Creatures wherby she was raysed to the highest dignity and greatest vnion with himselfe which a pure Creature could be assumēd vnto Gods vsuall manner hauing euer byn as he raysed his seruants to high dignities to bestow on them suitable graces And it were a most detestable wickednes to conceaue that he dealt otherwise with his owne most sacred and beloued Mother who as in Nature was neerest so in Loue was no doubt dearest vnto him It is true indeed that as his creature she was tyed in duty to do all motherly offices and seruices vnto him without any obligation on his part in iustice to requite them But supposing the gracious and free tye of his owne liberall promises not to let so much as a cuppe of cold water giuen for his sake passe vnrewarded togeather with the dutifull loue and piety of children towards Parents commaunded by himselfe and accordingly no doubt obserued may we not reasonably conceaue piously assure our selues that he was neither in the piety of a louing child nor bounty of a gracious Lord wanting vnto her who not only gaue him the integrity of human nature but spent her whole life afterwards in motherly offices and seruices towards him for which other children can make to their parents no equall requitall And supposing the sonne of God was able to rayse his most deseruing Mother to what measure of sanctity and heauenly nobility he would for the good of her and glory of himselfe to whome she so neerely appertayned why should any Christian against the knowne goodnes of such a Lord and Sonne doubt him actually to haue done so Of our B. Ladyes expecting her Son at the doore of a house in Capharnaum Math. 12. Chap. 28. OVr Sauiour teaching doing miracles within a house at Capharnaum being tould that his Mother Brethren for so his Cosins are called in Scripture stayed at the doore to speak with him eyther not willing to be interrupted in his holy discourses or glad rather of the occasion to teach his Auditory a profitable lesson to wit how they also might spiritually become his Mother and Brethren he extended his hands towards his Apostles asking who is my mother and who are my Brethren And then answering himselfe sayd with an earnest asseueration to the future comfort and instruction of his seruants He that heareth my words and keepeth them he is my brother my sister and my mother Insinuating so in the very order of his speach by naming a Mother last the especiall neerenes of a mother to a child and so consequently her dearenes to him who not only in her body corporally but spiritually also in her soule had conceaued nursed and brought him vp to a wonderfull ripenes of heauenly perfection and was like to become in others a fruitefull Parent and Nurse afterwards of him being by her examplar life as a sweet odour to draw others into the bedchamber of her sonne sayth S. Ambrose to be espoused fecundated also diuinely by him Her motherly power sayth an other deuout Author hath byn the protection and helping of innumerables soules to grace and glory her greatnes their gayne her treasures their enrichings by being able and euer ready to obtayne fauours blessings for her sounes children by himself therefore vpon his Crosse recommended vnto her So that they belōg not to him or her as children or seruants who haue vilified her in their thoughtes and debased her in speaches so farre as to teach that her diuine Sonne did in those former words blame her for interrupting him vnseasonably in his doctrine and plainely to renoūce her for his mother wheras the Euangelist only affirmeth her to haue stayed at the dore expecting him And it proceeded out of the respect rather of others towards her that he was could of her being there then that of her selfe she sought to speake importunely vnto him And should she for iust causes or not haue done so had it not byn against the very duty of a child towards a Parent as she was knowne to be vnto him common discretion also morality it selfe for
so small a fault scandalously and publiquely to renounce her O monsters of men and viperous brood of him whose head she crushed happily for vs that dared as some moderne heretiques haue done to vtter such horrid and groundesse blasphemyes agaynst her Whome according to the humble prophecy of her selfe all generations of holy soules were to call and account eternally Blessed as well for those great things which Almighty God did vnto herselfe as for those many vnspeakable blessings likewise which by her he bestowed vpon vs. Of our Blessed Ladies suffering with her sonne Chap. 29. AS Eue sayth S. Austine was made to helpe Adam in mans naturall propagation so was the B. Virgin ordayned to help the sonne of God in our supernaturall regeneration Those two were our old and these two our new Parents they threw vs miserably downe from the happy estate of innocency to sinne and these to more then lost graces happily raysed vs. Humane nature was in them by sinne vilified and debased in both sexes but contrarily by these wonderfully dignified and exalted The sonne of God by his passion soly redeemed vs as Adam by his fault only condemned vs yet withall as Eue our old Mother by eating the forbidden fruit causing her husband to do the same occasioned our ruine so Mary our new Mother by beholding the fruit of her wombe fastned to the tree of the Crosse happily cōcurred to our raysing by sustayning deadly sorrow with her diuine Sonne in his death recompenced in a sort the others fault and satisfyed for Eues sinfull sensualities by her innocent sufferings For albeit she shed nor her bloud nor had the faire Temple of her body by woundes as her Sonne was lamentably defaced yet suffered she a higher kind of Martyrdome when loue so vnited her vnto him as his agonyes became hers by a tender compassion his griefes her dolours his torments her tortures his corporall woundings paynefull rendings of her very soule and sharpe thrusts of that piercing sword of sorrow which good old Simeon had foretold her So that she could not haue liued to the end of them had she not byn supernaturally assisted to offer iointly with him to his Eternall Father that redemptory Sacrifice Iacobus Acosta in his booke de Christo reuelato affirmeth the Royall Psalmist to haue sung the 19. Psalme in the person of this B. Virgin standing vnder the Crosse of her sonne Let our Lord heare thee in this day of thy tribulation the name of Iacobs God protect thee Let him send help vnto thee from his sanctuary and from Syon defend thee Let him he mindfull of thy whole sacrifice and thy holocaust become a fat one Let him giue vnto thee according to thyne owne hart and confirme all thy counsell We will reioyce in thy saluation c. So that when in the Antiphone of Aduent sayth this deuout Author the Church ordayneth me in her office to say before that Psalme Maria dixit I seeme to be therby warned as in the person of this sacred Mother and with a sad memory of her sufferings vnder her sonnes Crosse deuoutly to pronounce it Of our B. Ladyes last leaue taken of her Sonne in Bethania the euening before his Passion Chap. 30. WE find not any where expressed in the Ghospell that the Mother of God was with her sonne the day before his death in Bethania as we read of S. Mary Magdalens being there and his Apostles with him yet is there an insinuation that other guests likewise were there present amongst whome we cannot reasonably conceaue his B. Mother dearest aboue all vnto him to haue byn excluded or that he omitted his affectionate last respect vnto her appointed to share the next day in deadly agonies with him But piously rather prudently we may conceaue him to haue armed her for his farewell against griefes then approaching by manifesting first his Fathers holy will vnto her and the mysterious causes of her sufferinges secondly by telling her the happy fruites which were in heauen and in earth to redound afterwards of them and thirdly how she was with himselfe to be glorifyed Eternally for them Counselling and enabling her by heauenly graces withall to carry her selfe as she did manfully in them when without out-cryes soundings or other passionate and vnseemely expressions of her griefes she stood by his Crosse as the Euangelist telleth vs letting downe silently into her soule the whole bitternes of his Chalice and opening as it were her brest to receaue the saddest and deadliest stroakes which affliction could lay vpon it His last words to her were as we may conceaue vttered with teares and sadde expressions of loue and compassion towards her for those innocent sufferinges which were to be by his tormēts soon afterwards occasioned And she for her last farewell to him may be thought to haue vttered some such words as these with motherly affectionate imbracinges Go my gracious sonne and heauenly Redeemer to pay on thy paynefull Crosse the high price of our Eternall Redemption wisely no doubt and iustly by thy diuine Father exacted Let this goodly Temple of thy sacred body framed of mine and miraculously raised with blouddy woundes in sight also of me thy louing Mother obedient Creature be as thy cruell Aduersaries shall please lamentably and painefully defaced for now I can do no more motherly offices and seruices for thee I offer heere my selfe willingly to suffer all extremities with thee Of our B. Ladies seuerall griefes in her Sonnes passion Chap. 31. AS our B. Lady is expresly said to haue stood neere to her sonnes Crosse in the tyme of his passion so is it most probable that she sadly beheld him in all his other publique torments and disgraces fearing not as the other Iewes did to be defiled by entring the Pretorian Courtes within it sanctified by her sonns presence and sacred streames painefully in them effused So that the accusations vrged by the Iewes to Pilate and ioyned with outcryes against him were as dolefull deadly summons of her sorrow Disgracefull cueltyes done by Herod afterwards his soldiars against him were as vnsheathings of that sharp sword which afterwards pierced her hart The loud blowes and bloudy stripes lamētably tearing all partes of his body were as wide rendings of her soule and deadly piercinges of sorrow His thorny Crowne did sharpen the swordes point and make it enter more deeply and finally Pilats sentence was as the stroke of a deadly thunderbolt vnto her Her iourney after her Sonne to Mount Caluary was to them both mutually grieued for ech other a dolefull processiō where the gaul giuen him did increase the bitternes of her sorrowes when she saw his cloathes plucked off and raggs of flesh cleauing vnto them the smart of his woundes became in her soule freshly renewed when she saw him mercilesly throwne downe on the hard bed of his Crosse she also was cast downe into the lowest depth of griefe with him
and delightfully beholding him Finally as the world from her wombe by his natiuity receaued him so did he in the day of his Ascension from her armes imbracements ascend towards heauen Of our B. Ladyes receauing the holy Ghost Chap. 35. AMongst the Apostles and disciples remaining in Hierusalem expecting and preparing themselues to receaue that Diuine Paraclete and Spirit of truth which our B. Sauiour had promised to send to them after his Ascension S. Luke affirmes the B. Virgin to haue byn one saying after he had named the Apostles All these were persouering with one mynd in prayer with the women Mary the Mother of IESVS numbring her last as the humblest amōgst them naming her alone with her soueraygne Title of the Mother of Jesus to grace that holy assembly the more by the presence of so sacred a person amongst them That diuine Spirit of loue and goodnes came to the rest first with eminent guifts and graces to possesse them but he had come to her twice before to wit in the Cōception of her selfe her Son was both times abōdātly replenished by him This heauēly builder came to rayse in them as from the ground a heauenly habitation for himselfe and the other diuine persons but he came to adorne her soule as a stately pallace already raysed and accōplished by him This diuine Painter and beautifier of soules began only to draw in them a liuely and louely image of their gracious Redeemer wheras he perfected his former draughts in her made her an admirable and matchles maister-peece of heauenly perfection That working fire which Christ longed to kindle and make to flame in the world according to those his words J came to send fire into the world c. descended on the Apostles disciples to consume those drossie imperfections for which their mild Lord had frequently blamed them but on her euer pure and cleane the gracious effects of his diuine presence were cleere illustratiōs inflamed affections and the highest guifts which for any end he cold bestow vpon a Creature They finally as lesser vessells yet great in respect of vs were sodainly and happily filled from the flowing sea of all goodnes but she who had already contayned within her the euer full and flowing fountayne of all graces was as by a deeper tide larger Channell which it bad to runne in made a full sea and a blissefull depth of heauenly waters flowing fully into her If any one should curiously aske me what kind of graces were heaped so on her I can only tell him they were such as in the happy Course of her life afterwards might be vsefull and as the Mother of God serue singularly to enrich and exalt her Of the aboad and manner of our B. Ladyes life after her receauing the holy Ghost Chap. 36. S. Iohn speaking of this sacred treasure recommended by his dying Maister vnto him telleth vs that he tooke her into his owne not that he had any worldly fortunes to bring her vnto but that he had a louing care to performe all filiall dutyes vnto her so that till the Apostles dispersiō abroad she liued for the most at Hierusalem with him sustayned by common almes with other holy widowes and greatly delighted in her pouerty as formerly she had byn where it ioyed her no lesse to see the zealous and fruitfull labours of the Apostles in conuerting soules to the knowledge of her diuine Sonne then it comforted and edified them all to behold her humble and examplar conuersation amongst them blessing her pure wombe which had miraculously conceaued their heauenly Redeemer her Paps which had nursed him her Hands which had cloathed him and the other partes of her louely body which had byn seruiceable vnto him And the more they were illuminated to conceaue the diuine maiesty of their Lord the more highly they apprehended her excellency and with a reuerentiall loue accordingly respected her Afterwards when S. John with the other Apostles left Hierusalem he tooke this B. Virgin to Ephesus with him as the Fathers of the first Generall Counsell holden there traditionally affirmed where she was no doubt holily delighted to behould Iewes and Gentills together with her sonns graces happily and equally enriched holpen no doubt in their first conuersions and much recreated to behould this modell of perfection and second light ordayned to shine in heauen conuersant most humbly and examplarly amongst them Neither were the holy places of Palestine so visited as she is sayd to haue byn by other deuout Christians repayring thither to behold the mother of their Lord ready with an humble gladnes to welcome them and to confirme them in their fayth by relating many mysterious speeches and passages of her sonnes life which none as an eye eare witnesse but her selfe could deliuer vnto them And especially she is sayd sweetly and frequently to haue repeated vnto them these words of her diuine sonne Be you perfect as your heauenly Father is perfect A high lesson indeed and by her fitly taught who next vnto the heauenly Authour therof practised the same and liued so long after him for the comfort instruction of such holy soules as were by his Apostle S. John especially conuerted vnto him Of our B. Ladyes manner of prayer Chap. 37. PRayer sayth S. Augustine is as the breathing of holy soules whereby they draw the pure ayre of heauēly graces into them Light Loue are the chief fruits thereof and best meanes to perfect the same in vs for Light increaseth Loue and Loue when it is ardent augmenteth that heauenly Clarity wherby it is produced and by mutually intending ech other both of them grow in holy soules to such perfection as the one is seldome darkned or the other cooled at any tyme so but that like Ouens frequently throughly warmed with new fyres they euer retayne great warmth holy feruour in them Their fancies in sleep often imitate their Vnderstanding and borrow as it were from the rich store-houses of their memories holy Obiects and Discourses which as heauenly alarums do easily waken their wills make them interrupt often the repose of their senses by breaking forth into holy aspiratiōs as dry wood is with slender sparkles soone kindled and inflamed This great guift of Prayer arriued in the mother of God with her other graces to a wonderfull perfection so as her Soule therein was with a heauenly splendor next to Beatificall Clarity it selfe continually raysed and her Loue naturall and supernaturall to her God and Sonne like two fiery wings mounted her thoughts affections more more towards him by whome they were inflamed An immaculate innocency of life added a most gracious sweetnes to this rising rod of all heauenly perfums and spices sweetly composed Humility raysed it a pure Intention made way for it and a constant perseuerance therin did surely obtayne what by her prayer she intended The high Attributes of God and the sacred mysteries of her sonnes life and
inseparably with him affording her hourely occasions of doing motherly seruices immediately vnto him The 10. was her great sufferinges for him martyrdome finally with him caused by Loue making his wounds torments her own by a most tender Compassion The 11. was her happy end graced by the Apostles present thereat and much more highly honoured by her Sonnes personall readines to receaue her blessed Soule recōmended vnto him The 12. was her bodily Assumption after death wherby she preuented the raysing of other Saints bodies in the generall resurrection and came to be with a complete fulnes of blessed ioyes eternally possessed Where I leaue thee O sacred Virgin and gracious Mother of my heauenly Redeemer in the bright Noone of thy glorious Clarity neuer setting in the ardour of thy loue euer flaming and in the flowing of thy delights neuer ebbing but increasing still so as holpen by thy powerfull intercession I hope albeit a farre of as men gaze on the starres to behould thee on a stately Throne neere thy sonnes right hand gloriously exalted purposing in the meane tyme during my mortall and miserable life in all I may next to thy diuine sonne my Lord and Sauiour himselfe to honour and serue thee FINIS FASCICVLVS MYRRHAE OR A briefe Treatise of our Lord and Sauiours Passion Written by the R. Fa. I. F. of the Society of JESVS Permissu Superiorum 1633. Chap. XVII Of our Sauiours third speach vttered on the Crosse to the good Theefe pag. 92. Chap. XVIII Of our Sauiours mysterious silence on the Crosse for three houres togeather pa. 98. Chap. XIX Of our Sauiours Fourth speach on the Crosse pag. 104. Chap. XX. Of our Sauiours fifth word vttered the Crosse expressing his thirst pag. 109. Chap. XXI Of our Sauiours sixt Word on his Crosse It is consummated pag. 113. Chap. XXII Of our Sauiours last cry and death pag. 118. Chap XXIII Of the Consequences of our Sauiours death opening of his side pag. 122. Chap. XXIV Of our Sauiours Buriall pag. 126. FINIS THE TABLE OF CHAPTERS CHap. I. Of our Blessed Ladyes high holy Pedigree pag. 1. Chap. II. Of our B. Ladyes immaculate Conception 4. Chap. III. Of our B. Ladyes Natiuity 9. Chap. IV. Of our B. Ladies Presentation life in the Temple 12. Chap. V. Of our B. Ladyes Espousalls to S. Ioseph 14. Chap. VI. Of our B. Ladyes salutation by the Angell 18. Chap. VII Of the Eternall Word in her Blessed wombe 22. Chap. VIII Of our B. Ladyes visit of S. Elizabeth 25. Chap. IX Of our B. Ladyes Canticle stay with S. Elizabeth 28. Chap. X. Of our Sauiours Incarnation manifested to S. Ioseph 32. Chap. XI Of our B. Ladies Expecting the byrth of her Child 36. Chap. XII Of our B. Ladies iourney to Bethleem 39. Chap. XIII Of our Blessed Ladies Child-birth 41. Chap. XIV Of our B. Ladies intertayning the shepheards 44. Chap. XV. Of our B. Ladies nursing seruing her diuine Son 48. Chap. XVI Of our B. Ladyes sorrow in her sonnes Circūcision 50. Chap. XVII Of our B. Ladyes imposing the Name of IESVS 53. Chap. XVIII Of the Sages finding the Child with the B. Mother 56. Chap. XIX Of our B. Ladies Purification 59. Chap. XX. Of our B. Ladies flight with her Child into Egypt 63. Chap. XXI Of our B. Ladyes returne with her Child thence 66. Chap. XXII Of our B. Ladies finding her Sonne in the Temple 71. Chap. XXIII Of our B. Ladies life after her Sonnes Baptisme 75. Chap. XXIV Of the B. Virgins sorrow for S. Iosephs death 79. Chap. XXV Of her being in Cana with her sonne at a wedding 83. Chap. XXVI Of our B. Ladies liuing at Capharnaum 86. Chap. XXVII Of the woman blessing the wōbe of the B Virgin 89. Chap. XXVIII Of our B Ladyes expecting her Sonne at a doore in Capharnaum Math. 12. 92. Chap. XXIX Of our Blessed Ladies suffering with her sonne 96. Chap. XXX Of our B. Ladyes taking leaue of her Sonne 99. Chap. XXXI Of our B. Ladies seuerall griefes in her Sonnes passion 103. Chap. XXXII Of Christs speach to his mother 106. Chap. XXXIII Of our B. Ladies particular sorrow in the death and buriall of her Sonne 109. Chap. XXXIV Of our Sauiours first apparition to his Mother 111. Chap. XXXV Of our B. Ladyes receauing the holy Ghost 115. Chap. XXXVI Of the aboad and manner of our B. Ladyes life after her receauing the holy Ghost 119. Chap. XXXVII Of our B. Ladyes manner of prayer 122. Chap. XXXVIII Of the wonderfull merit of our B. Ladyes actions 125. Cha. XXXIX Of our B. Ladies Sacramētall graces heere gayned 128. Ch. XL. Of our B. Ladies death 132. Chap. XLI Of our B. Ladies Assumption 135. Chap. XLII Of the glory of our B. Lady assumpted 139. Chap. XLIII Of our B. Ladyes Coronation 142. FINIS