soule that we build Or rather doe we not heape negligences tepidities vanities and impurities of intention vpon the good fundation we haue layd Are we not in verie deed cold and slowe in the loue of God and ther vpon as carelesse of our neighbour as though the care of him had not at all bene commended to vs Let vs therfor in imitation of our good Patron say with him Giue me ô Lord to loue thee as much as I desire and as much as I ought and my neighbour for thee and in thee c. THE VII MEDITATION Hovv he behaued himselfe in Faith I. POINT COnsider that he putt down with Saint Paule whose best scholler he was that Faith is the substance of things to be hoped for an argument of things not appearing or as he saith in another place it is the fundation of all good things the verie begining of mans saluation It is an illustration of the mynd by which it is illuminated by the Prime Light to discerne spirituall things AFFECTION and RESOL. Doe we ô my soule ayme at the true knowledge of spirituall things doe we desire our saluation or hope we for those eternall waights of glorie those ineffable things which appeare not to the eye sound not to the eare nor enter into the hart of man which God hath prepared for those that loue him know then that it is by the benefit of the heauenly light of Faith That is the illumination that the fundation that the very substance and somme of all II. POINT Consider that he putt downe for his seconde ground with the same Apostle that without Faith it is impossible to please God I saith he none shall be admitted into the number of the sons of God without it None without it shall obtayne iustifying grace in this world nor possesse eternall life in the next which is giuen to the loue of God alone Nor can any loue whom he knowes not nor doth any know God but he to whom it is reuealed by the Father through faith in his onely son Christ Iesus AFFECTION and RESOL. If without Faith we know not without knowledge we loue not without loue we remayne in the iawes of death if in death there be no grace nor without grace any hope of glorie If we haue no right to the denomination of sons nor consequently iust Title of Heyres Oh of what con-consideration ought faith to be with vs how constantly ought we to imbrace it how carefully to conserue it For alas if we misse to be numbered amongst the sons of God we shall not misse to be counted amongst the slaues of the Diuell III. POINT Consider further with him that the begining of our faith is from Christ from vvhom by vvhom and in vvhom are all things It is not bought by our riches procured by our industries or giuen to our merits but is a pure and free gift of Gods mercy to which he is nether necessitated nor induced saue onely by the abundance of his owne vncompelled goodnes AFF. and RES Blessed be thy goodnes for euer ô my Lord God who daynedst me with this great gift whilst I nether deserued nor desired nor euen thought of it Farre be it from me to extolle my selfe to arrogate it to my self as though I had had it of my selfe Nay contrarily vpon the thought of that singular goodnes I fall downe prostrate before thy Maiestie pronunceing in all humilitie that he vvho doth glorie should glorie in our Lord. THE VIII MEDITAT A CONTINVATION OF the same subiect I. POINT COnsider that though the begining of our faith be from God purely and cannot be merited by vs yet is the increase of it Gods grace being alwayes presupposed left in our hands to be procured by care and cultiuating and by continually accompaigning it with good workes We are not to be as it were secure in faith but we are to accompaignie a right faith with a right life The Apostles saith he had not left all contemning the hopes of the world had they not had some faith nor would they haue said Increase our faith had it alreadie bene perfect AFFECTION and RESOL. Blessed be our good God who doth not onely preuent vs with his benedictions before we deserue or yet thinke of them but also giues vs power by concurring with his grace to multiplie his good gifts yea he hath euen charged vs to negotiate vpon them till he come Le ts vs not therfore be wanting to our selues since the increase is left in our owne hands II. POINT Consider that though it be our part to make good vse of the good Talent which Gods grace freely bestowed vpon vs and by that good vse to multiplie it yet are we to know with our Saint that as no man is sufficient of himselfe to begin or perfect any good vvorke so is none of himselfe able to begin or perfect faith But the increase and perfection of it ought to be procured by our feruent and frequent prayers to the good Giuer saying AFFBCION and RESOLV I beeseech thee and in a most suppliant manner I implore thy mercy ô God who are the fountaine and sourse of all good things the giuer and conseruer of all vertues increase in me holy right and immaculate Faith And make me performe workes sutable to it least a good faith may be defiled by vncleane workes and least I may deny thee by a bad life whom I confesse by a good beleife I beleeue ô Lord Yet helpe my increadulitie III. POINT Consider further with your holy Fa. that for want of good workes and feruent and frequent prayers our Faith in lieu of increasing falls into a deficiencie it sleeps waxes weeke and sicklie yea dyes Iesus some tymes sleeps in vs as he slept in the shippe that is our faith which is from Iesus sleeps in vs and then the winds and waues of temptation tosse vs too and fro We must therfore awake Iesus and the tempest shall be allayed that is we must recollect our faith and call it to practlse AFFECTION and RESOL. vve perish ô Lord vve perish haue mercy vpon vs. For alas why doth our faith sleepe but for want of being excited and stirred vp by feruent prayers whence is it weeke and sickly but for want of the nourishement of good workes whence is it dead but that it is not quickned by charitie We wil therfore Pray worke endeuour to loue God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selfe c. and when all is done we will ascribe all not to our owne strength but to Gods grace THE IX MEDITATION With vvhat modestie and humilitie he looked vpon matters of Faith And hovv high a rate he putts vpon it I. POINT COnsider that he aduentures not to diue into the knowledge of high misteries with hereticall pride and presumption as though witt were able to make way to all but by a truly Catholike submission and modestie vpon many occasions he makes open profession of his ignorance acknowledges the
now a hart as a Heauen or Paradice since thou art made a Mansion for the God of glorie Doe not doe not my hart gadd abrode and by a degenerous conuersation forgett with whose presence thou art honored thou hast by loue gott Deus tuus omnia Contemne for his loue all other thinges saying Dilectus meus mihi ego illi III. POINT Consider whether a greater commendations could be putt vpon Charitie then by saying God is Charitie A short prayse and yet a great prayse Short in speech great in vnderstanding Yes it is quickly said God is charitie but good God whether are our thoughtes carried by that word God is Charitie By possessing Charitie then wee possesse God but God is all good things therfore by possessing Charitie we possesse all that good is in Heauen and in Earth AFFECTION and RESOL. O short and great commendation indeed sith so great as nothing can be added Since greater or better then God nothing can be imagined by men or Angells Nor is it a humane persuasion we haue for it but an assurance of faith that God is Charitie and vvho remaynes in Charitie remaynes in God and God in him O my soule what an honor and comfort is this amidst all the calumnies and afflictions of the world that by loue thou art able to become Gods Mansion and he thyne And if thy beloued be thyne and thou his what can be wanting to a well borne hart THE XVIII MEDITAT A continuation of the excellences of Charitie I. POINT COnsider that Charitie alone is not vexed at anothers felicitie because she knowes no emulation She alone is not transported with her owne felicitie because she swells not with pride She onely is not stung with a bad conscience because she wrongs no body Amidst contumelies she is secure amongst hatreds friendly amongst braules pleasant amidst deceipts innocent lamenting at iniquities and resuming hart vpon the discouerie of Truth AFFECTION and RESOLVT Who is then so happie as one inioying Charitie What hath the world which can giue so solide and sure a content Yea what hath it that is not brimme full of discontent Wheras the charitable man meets with no vexation no emulation no swelling but contrarily ioy peace patience vnder the shelter of a good conscience are that happie mans share O diuine Charitie how thou fillest the harts which thou dost possesse with delight sweetnes and tranquilitie Ah! they seeme euen to enter into the ioy of their Lord. II. POINT Consider that it is Charitie which makes all the good Angells and all Gods seruants compagnions in the bonde of sanctitie and it ioynes vs and them together amongst our selues and subiects vs to him AFFECTION and RESOLV See how it leagues heauen and earth together and putts vs in mynd what title we haue to it makes Angells and men fellow seruants and euen in a manner equall in honor and chaynes them together in linkes of holy loue which is true sanctitie ô wishfull and deare bonds See what a sweete order it establisheth betwixt man and man making each one loue and honor and deferre to an other without forgetting their due subiection to God to whom incomparably aboue all loue honor and glorie is due III. POINT Consider vvhat a huge great good Charitie is vvhich vvithout our labour makes vvhat is good in others our ovvne Hence it was that the Psalmist holily glories that he is made partaker of all that loue God and keepe his commandements AFFEDTION and RESOLV Ah my soule if thou hast but charitie all 's thyne owne There is no good worke done in heauē or in earth but thou hast a share of it Heauen and earth makes but one great Christiā comon wealth wherof Charitie is the Queene and lodgeth in thy hart What euer prayers fastings austerities almes-deeds sufferances are exercised within the compase of the Catholike Church are partly thyne while thou art rooted in Charitie THE XIX MEDITAT OF SOME MOTIVES of the loue of God I. POINT COnsider that S. Augustins first motiue of the loue of God was that he first loued him The loue wherby God loues vs cannot be comprehended nor changed for he loued vs not onely since the tyme we were reconciled to him by the blood of his son but he euen loued vs before the world was made that we together with his onely begotten son might be his sons before we were yet any thing at all AFFECT and RESOLVT While I yet was not and so was nothing my infinitly good God had thoughts of goodnes for me to rayse me out of that abisse of nothing and make me that something which now I am being made he fell in loue with his owne worke meerely out of the abundance of his owne goodnes without any neede he had of it at all and made vs sons sons and heirs of the heauenly Kingdome we had no title too Ah my soule if we will not begin to loue at least being thus graciously preuented let vs not sticke to pay loue for loue The hart is too hard which though it will not freely giue will not a◠least render what it owes II. POINT Consider that his second motiue was the excessiue greatnes of Gods loue to vs such as we were which went so farre that he spared not his owne onely son but deliuered him to death and the death of the Crosse for all of vs vs who where wicked sinners Remember how much he loued that we may not despaire whom or what kind of creatures he loued that we waxe not proude A son for a seruant an that a most wicked one deliuered vp to death and that à most ignominious one AFFECTION and RESOLV O God I cannot looke vpon that great price that infinitly great price the pretious blood of a son spent for the redemption of a seruant but of a son who was a first begotten an onely begotten and an onely beloued one one to thyne owne hart in whom thou wert intirely pleased one in a word in euery thing equall to thy selfe I cannot I say looke vpon it but with much loue and considence Nor can I reflect vpon the seruant the poore miserable and sinfull seruant vpon which it was spent but with much confusion O God what is man that thou shouldst so putt thy hart vpon him but ô man what is God to thee And yet thy hart departs so easily from him III. POINT Consider that his third motiue was not tha◠he loued vs first and most bu◠euē prepared no other reward for our loue then himselfe What then saith he shal◠our worshipe of God haue noe reward Ah yes but noe other then the verie God himselfe whom we worshipe Seeke nothing of him without him he himselfe wil◠suffice thee AFFECTION and RESOL. Ah! that hart is conuinced to be intolerably greedie and vnsatiable whom God sufficeth not At least Augustin◠noble hart finds all plentie meere want to him which is not his verie God And therfore he petitions for
and is a fruite which is onely found in the bosome of the Catholike Church None but a virgine mother brings out virgines Obedience directs all secures all confirmes all and makes a fitt tabernacle for God in the harte of man by banishing thence selfe iudgement and selfe will But heauenly charitie as a glorious mother farr outstrips them all giues them all their begining increase and perfection For why indeede my soule did we first enterprise this holy worke but because we loue What could be able to robbe vs of all we haue but loue What did wowe vs to virginall chastitie but the loue of a virgine spouse What could moue men to depriue them selues of beloued libertie and to liue at the dispose of anothers will but the loue of him alone who chused rather to dye thē not to accomplish the will of his heauenly Father Loue then saith your holy Father and doe vvhat thou vvilt THE II. POINTE. That vvithout charitie nothing is done to secure our happie eternitie Consider that if humilitie put the foundation of your spirituall Towre it was by charities guidance and order for as humilitie goes not without charitie so charitie neuer leaues humilitie If pouertie raysed the walls it was with the treasure wherwith charitie furnished her If chastitie adorned it within it was with the pure burning gold which she had of charitie Finally if obedience confirmed and secured the whole worke it was by the force she receiued of charitie vvhich is as stronge as death In a word all is from charitie and all is for charitie AFFECTION RESOLVT He S. Paule knewe this truth my soule as certainly as he affirmes it vndauntedly to wit that not onely the foresaid vertues profit vs nothinge without charitie but euen that tho vve should haue all faith so that vve could remoue mountaines though vve should distribute all our goods to be meate for the poore finally though vve should deliuer our bodies to burne and yet vvant charitie it profits vs nothing Charitie saith holy S. Augustine is that which discernes the sonns of God from the sonns of the Diuell Charitie is that one necessarie thinge which alone sufficeth Charitie in a word is that Euangelicall gemme for which if a man should giue all his substance he shall repute it as nothing Come thē ô come then ô thou holy spirit Deus Charitas and replenish the hartes of thy faithfull and inflame them vvith the fire of thy loue THE FIRST MEDITAT FOR THE 7. DAY That all the vertues are loue THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that so true it is that nothing is done without charitie that your holy Father makes noe difficultie to teach you that vvithout charitie the rest of the vertues are not indeede reputed vertues nay further that the rest of the vertues are but indeede loue and charitie so or so qualified For what is humilitie but charitie stooping and reputing her selfe nothing What is pouertie but charitie contemning all and stripping herself of all What is chastitie but loue preseruing corruptible man from corruption of bodie and mynde What finally obedience but loue freely and reasonably sacrifycing vp the will of man and making it supple and inclinable to euerie creature AFFECTION and RESOL. Charitie then my soule is that transcendant heauenly vertue without which there is noe true vertue at all It is she which gouernes as Queene giues life vigour and worth to all the other vertues He who loueth not remaynes in death It is she who perfumes them all with the odour and sweeenesse of holy loue since we doe not meerely imbrace them because they are vertues but rather in qualitie of thinges that are desired imbraced and beloued by God To discouer à man truly vertuous we vse not to inquire what he beleeues or what he hopes for but what he loues If earth h'es earthly if Heauen he 's heauenly if God he 's Godlike for as such they become all desirable louing and louelie Let me loue thee then ô Lord let me loue thee and loue all other thinges which I loue and practise for thee and in thee that my beloued may be myne and I wholie his THE II. POINTE. That vve ought incessantly to desire and breath after charitie Consider that if as we haue seene Charitie be all in all our thoughtes ought to be sett vpon the continuall desire of it For what ought we or doe we indeede desire but what euery one proposeth to himselfe for his end and the end of the lavve is loue What ought any Christiā to desire but the accomplishment of the lawe of God and the fulnesse of the lavve is charitie Nor fares it in those heauenly desires as in vaine worldly wishes a million of them puts not one pennie into our purses Wheras by the verie desire of the loue of God we begin to loue God indeed and still the more we desire it the more we loue Yea when this desire waxes stronge and hartie the desire is turned into fire and inflames the couering harte He that desires God vvith his vvhole harte has alreadie him vvhom he loues saith S. Gregorie And S. Augustine a holy desire is the vvhole life of a good Christian AFFECTION and RESOL. But alas my poore soule tho we clearely discerne this desire to be most iust aduantagious and most worthy of a christiā harte yet we somtymes perceiue our selues not to be so happie as euen to haue this desire Let vs then at least say with the Prophete my soule hath desired earnestly to desire thy iustifications at all tymes Let vs not fayle to haue this desire of desiring continually in our harte saying with S. Au. Giue me thy selfe restore me thy selfe for vvhat is not thy verie selfe is verie nothing to me and it will happen with vs as it did with the holie Prophete that in these holy thoughtes and desirs fire will flashe out and so throughly inflame our soule that as the stagge thirsteth after the fountaines of fresh water so shall we vehementlie couet and thirst after our good God that drainlesse fountaine of liuing water which flowes into life euerlastnig THE II. MEDITATION Of vvhom vve are to learne Charitie tovvards one another THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that we ought to learne this most important lesson this one necessarie thinge of him who doth as well teach it as giue it our Sauiour Iesus who brought downe this sacred fire into earth and his vvill vvas it should burne the hartes of men And indeede neuer did he seeme so peculiarly to make himselfe the Master of any thinge as of this vertue and humilitie This is my precept said that deare master of ours that you loue one another My litle children I giue you a new precept that you loue one another In this all men shall know that you are my Disciples if you haue loue one to another Holy Father I pray c. that they may be one as we also are one I in them and thou in me AFFECTION and RESOL. This is the great commandement indeede my soule this Christs speciall precept Loue one another this the badge by which he will haue all his seruants to be knowne If they loue one another If we come without this wedding garmēt we shall be repulsed If we knocke not hauing this oyle of charitie in our Lampes wherby we may be knowne to men to be Gods Disciples God vvill not knovve vs the dore vvill be shut What thinge more wishfull could we haue desired to haue heard thē by affording mutuall loue and assistance to one another which we haue all such neede of to secure our saluation And yet the most louing and beloued Apostle assures vs It is the precept of our soueraigne Lord and Master doe this faith he and it sufficeth Beare one anothers burden and so you shal accomplish the lavve of Christ THE SECONDE POINTE. Hovv vve ought to exercise Charitie to one another Consider that this ought to be done by his example who gaue the commande of it and afterwards came graciously downe to teach it by his owne practise Thus we are taught by the great Apostle Receiue helpe comfort support and loue one another as Christ receiued assisted supported and loued vs. But how did Christ loue vs c Marrie he loued vs first with a free and disinterested loue which looked vpon noe preceedant merites 2. With a right loue not to receiue any thinge from vs but to discharge the ouer-flowing riches of his mercifull breastes vpon our pouertie 3. With a perseuerant loue for louing his vvho vvere in the vvorld he loued them to the end 4. With a stronge loue euen as stronge as death it selfe he loued vs and deliuered himselfe for vs for vs men and for our saluation AFFECTION and RESOL. If then my soule we hope for any consolation in Christ if any solace of Charitie if any societie of spirit if any bowells of commiseration let vs endeuour to fulfill the B. Apostles ioy by being of one meaning having the same charitie of one mynd agreeing in one That nothing be done by contention nor by vaine glorie but in humilitie each counting others better then themselues In a word let vs receiue comfort support and loue our poore brethren and that too as Christ gaue vs the example with a pure and disinterrested loue because it is his blessed pleasure that so it should be With a right loue not seeking that vvhich is profitable in particular to our selues but that vvhich is profitable to many With a perseuerant loue which is not to end but with the end of our liues Finally with a stronge loue readie to wrastle with obuious difficulties and euen with death it selfe for the good of our brother as our deare Lord gaue vs an example