REmembring the excessive labour and paynes which our Saviour tooke day and night for our sake journiig and preachiâ—g and offering his help to every body begge of him knovvledg how thou mayest be gratefull to him for it and a will to put iâ— practise what thou knowest And First I. Consider that as the Jevves out of envie and emulation against our Saviour were the more mad against him the more good he did and the more wonders he wrought and they met in councell and studied â—ow they might apprehend him by somâ—â—raft and lay hands on him and kill him so we contrarievvise considering he hath done so much for vs and is still doing must with all diligence study how we may serve him with a sincere hart often begging and often offering it to God now specially when we see before our eyes in his passion so maniâ—est and so vnquestionable signes of his sincere and constant and vnchangeable love towards vs. II. Consider secondly that as the Jewes though thier malice were greate yet feared the people and sought therfore privately by craft to circumvent our Saviour so we in the service of God must not be afrayd what people will thinke or say of vs but banishing all humane respects and worldly reasons go on with that which we know to be good and acceptable to God with Courage and resolution in the face of the world for the grearer glorie of God as much as provident reason will allow III. Consider thirdly As the divell entred into Iudas as a fit instrument for the Iewes towards thier malitious intents and he of his ovvne accord went and offered himself for mony to find means to betray our Saviour so detesting his treacherous and covetous minde begge earnestly of the holy Ghost that he will vouchsafe to take possession of thy hart and soule and body and of all that thou hast to vse it as a means and an instrument for his glorie and with a noble resolution offer thyself voluntatily to doe whatever lyes in thee for the honour of God and seeke convenient occasions to advance it though it be with pauning thyself and all that thou hast to redeeme him and his blessed sonne our Saviour from disgrace c IV. And againe consider 4thly As the Ievves weâ—e gladd of this offer of Judas and accepted it and concluded the bargain with him and he watched vpon thâ— occasion of betraying our Saviour without tumult so out whole joy must be to happen vpon any special means or occasion of serving our Saviour to accept of â— when it is offered and to enter covenant betvvixt God and ourselves to performe it and to bethinke ourselves how and by what means and when we may best effect it without noyse in regard of discretion and humilitie and yet though it be with noyse in regard of good example and the hinderances with which oft times we must be forced to breake or els â—othing will be done Prayer To our Saviour offering to him as is a foresaid chiefly a sincere hart voyde of humane respects couragious resolute and watchfull by all convenient means to doe him service See the prayer of the sunday with in the Octave of the Ascension A meditation of the Paschall Lambe Matth. 26. Luke 22. I. THe first day of the feast of vnlevened bread the disciples came to Iesus and sayed where wilt thou that we prepare for the to eate the Passover VVherin we may reflect that we must not allvvayes expect to be bidden but prevent rather the time in things belonging to order and approved custome and shew therin our esteeme of the service done to our Saviour and be constant in it and though the benefit therof redound also to ourselves yet our intention and desire must be chiefly fixed in him for himself and hovv to prepare a place in our soules which he may thinke worthy of him II. And Iesus sayed goe into the citty and there will a man meete you bâ—aring a pitcher of waterâ— follow him and say to the master to the house our master sayth my time is at hand with thee I make my Passover O welcome nevves come ô Lord and doe not delay doe not decline this poore habitation Lord I am not worthy yet come and with thy grace prepare my soule give me the water of sorrovv teares of true compunction grace to follovv thy commands bearing the crosse which thou shalt lay vpon me for thou doest follovv with the revvard of thy companie those who doe thus follovv thee VVhen shall I come into that 〈◊〉 where I shall meete with the fountaine it self of living 〈◊〉 which here I beare but in an earthen pitcher subiect to be broken by infinite chances and doe beâ—â—e it with labour and difficultie but there is câ—ase and securitie III. And he will shew you a large roome furnished there make ready Hovv readily should we at all times and all occasions welcome our Saviour and those whom he accounteth his though they be poore and in distresse and then most of all Enlarge thy hart tovvards his service and furnish it with thoughts and deeds befitting him and see that it be allvvayes furnished for him for we knovv not the time which he hath chosen see that it be not taken vp by others Our Saviour and his Apostles had no certaine accommodation yet God provided Consider thier punctualitie in observing the lavv though it were but a figure of that which thou receiâ—est O blessed lamb of God slayne fot our sakes and broyled vpon the crosse be thou my everlasting food both in this dangerous passage and for all Eternitie Amen A meditation of our Saviours washing his disciples feete 10. 13. Preamble Beholding our Saviour with a bason of water in his hand and a tovvel ready girt and vpon his knees begge of him that thou mayest profit by this admirable action of his And first I. COnsider that our Saviour knowing that his houre was come that he should pâ—sse out of this world to his father when he had loved his who were in the world he loved them to the end and to shew his love the more he applied himself to this humble and necessarie action We that knovv not at what houre we shall passe out of this world but may every moment be taken avvay have the more need to cleanse our soules and wash them by humble confession and harty conâ—rition hovv â—ls shal we shevv that we love ourselves to the end for which we should Or how shall we shevv that we love God and our Saviour as we should Specially seeing our Saviour sayd to S. Peeter Vnlessâ— I wash thâ—â— â—hou shalt not have parte with me Amplius lava me aâ— iniquitate mea c. II. Consider secondly That hovvsoever we may find repugnance in laying open our soules to our Ghostly Father either by reason of the troble of searching into ourselves or the foulenes of our offenses or the frequency of our negligences or for bashfulnes or
other respects yet if we consider well that all things lye open to God and that which we ourselves discover God doth wash and cover the ease of our mind for the present the satisfaction of our ovvne soules at the houre of death the necessitie of it at one time or other we shall say with S. Peeter Lord not my feetâ— only but my hands and my head That is not only that in which I have lately transgressed but whatsoever I have done good or badd from the beginning to the ending I will willingly lay open that I may have full remission and direction III. Consider thirdly That comfortable and with all fearefull saying of our Saviour He that is washed needeth only that his feete be washed but is all cleane and you are cleane but not all for he knew who it was that would betray him That is he that is once washed by a good confession and performeth accordingly that which he there purposeth to wit the keeping of the commandments for the time to come needeth only that his feete be washed that is those lesser offenses which cleave like dust to our feete and no man is able to avoyde them more or lesse who travelleth in this world but yet to the end that through the benefit of being cleansed by confession we should not grow into Pride and presumption or neglect for the time to come we must remember that though by the grace of God we are cleansed he only knovveth who shal persever IV. Consider fourthly And admire at large the humilitie of our blessed Saviour in regard wherof S. Peeter sayd Lord doest thou wash my feete Thou My feeteâ— And learne hovv grateful it will be to our Saviour that thou by his example stoope to humble and charitable ofâ—â—ices tovvard thy neighbour that is tovvards him in them And also hovv we ought to conceale to excuse to diminish and wash avvay as much as we can the faults and imperfections which we see or heare of in others to preserve thier good name to help them out of them to compassionate them c. Prayer To our Saviour according to the present subiect and affection A meditation of the parting of Iudas from the rest of the Apostles Ihon 13. I. OVr Saviour having washed his Apostles feete and among them Judas which is particularly to be reflected on and gave them wholsome instructions hovv they should imitate him the servant not being greater then his Lord and againe did infinuate that all were not yet cleere though outvvardly washed to the end that Iudas might take notice that he knevv what he was going about and repent but seeing he did not Hâ— was â—robled in spirit and protested and sayed more playnly Amen Amen that is in verye truth I say vnto you that one of you will betray me A heavy saying and no wonder that every one of the disciples looked one on the other doubting of whom he spoke and were much contristated and every one asked him the rest with feare and trembling but Iudas boldly and impudently Am I the maxâ— II. Our Saviour declining the direct ansvver and leaving every one to examine his ovvne conscience and to looke vpon that more then vpon one another vpon intreatie of S. Peter sayed vnto S. Jhon wo leaned vpon our Saviours breast He it is to whom I shall give the bread dipped and when he had dipped it he gave it to ludas who probably did not heare what our Saviour had sayed tâ— S. Jhon having had warning enough before neither did the rest of the Apostles vnderstand the mysterie but Judas being ready to receive any courtesie from our Saviour the more to dissemble his wicked intent tooke the bread and after the morsell sâ—tan entred him bitter â—orsell not novv bread to sustaine life but by malice of the receiver turned into deadly poyson Our Saviour probably with the bread gave him an invvard hint againâ— that he knevv what he was going about but his obstinacie refusing such gentle and charitable admonitions tending to the concealing of the falt and preserving of his good name if he would repent Satan tooke full possession of him III. Andour Saviour sayed vnto him that which thou doest doe it quickly for I am as ready to suffer as thou or thy master to put an affront vpon me And immediatly hâ— went out and it was night Darke night indeed to him and cause if vtter perdition See what it is to part with our Saviour and with devout companie He that walketh in darkenes knoweth not wheter he goâ—th But by severing the bad from the good our light grovves the cleerer therfore when he was gone forth our Saviour sayed now the sonne of man is glorified and God is glorified in him For there can be no greater glorie to God by any humane action then was that which rose from our Saviours vertue and sufferings Endeavour by imitating him in occasions to increase his glorie and as S. Paul speakes accomplish those things that want of the passions of Christ in our flesh A meditation of the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament Preamble Beholding our blessed Saviour distributing his blessed bodie and blood among his disciples vnder the shapes of bread and wine begge of him that thou mayst with true and due affection receave this heavenly gift And. I. COonsider first That the worthynes of this blessed Mysterie was partly the cause why our Saviour a little before so humbly washed his disciples feete who were to receive him to give vs to vnderstand with what acknovvledgment of our ovvne vnvvhorthines and with what puritie of soule and affection and also of bodie we ought to approach to this heavenly banqueâ— Therfore also in the Catholick Church all things about the Altar are so neate and costly because nothing spirituall or temporall can be precious or curious enough to bestow in the intertainment of so divine a guest If thou know him if thou esteeme him as thou oughtest and as he deserveth Bestow all the care thou canst in cleansing the roomes of thy soule and dressing vp the Altar of thy hart to receive him II. Consider secondly That by this heavenly mysterie it is manifest how much Christ our Saviour doth love vs seeing out of love he desireth allwayes to be with vs and being to go out of the world would by this admirable Invention stay still among vs as if he could not be without vs To the end we should dayly increase in the love of him and vnderstanding that really we cannot be without him we might desire the more earnestly his blessed companie and conversation by all the means which are possible for vs. O my love whether doe I wander from thee III. Consider thirdly that this miraculous act of love is the more to be valued and admired because when he was going about it as some doe hold there was at board one that would betray him divers certayne that would forsake him and he foresavv
They know not what they doe who can be slovv to excuse or hard to accept of an excuse of an others falt hearing our Saviour excuse so apparent malice Also sayth S. Augustin no man must despayre of remission seeing it offered to them that were auctors of our Saviours death No man must be sullen when he is offended and thinke himself charitable enough if he sayes nothing or remits his quarell to God but remember they are sonnes of one Father and put on the bovvels of a brother and not be as strangets one to another III. Father forgive O. in hovv many things doe we all offend and dayly and hourely need forgivene Hovv much doth it import to forgive seeing our Saviour hath so often inculcated it vnto vs and put it in our dayly petition and absolutely told vs we shall have no mercy vnlesse we forgive our brethren from our harts Make vse of thy weake vnderstanding in spirituall things or apprehension of thy danger to pleade before him for thyself who is so willing to excuse and say Lord I did not knovv what I did when I did offend thee be a Father vnto me and forgive me say with the prodigall Child Father I have synned against heaven and thee and am net worthy to call thee Father but seeing thou lovest that tiile acknowledge me for thy Sonne though vngratefull and forgive me Father c. Of the words of our Saviour II. PART Preamble As in the former I. NExt after our Saviour had besought his Father to pard on his persecutours he pardoned the theefe vpon the Crosse and promised him the kingdome of heaven for his fervent confession for wheras there were tvvo crucified with him one on the right hand the other on the left and our Saviour in the middle one of them blasphemed our Saviour with the Iewes the other defended him acknovvledging his ovvne offenses and deserts and proclayming our Saviours Innocencie and begged that he would remember him when he came into his kingdomâ— Ponder first the disgrace put vpon our Saviour to be as it were the principall malefactour of the three crucified wherin notvvithstanding holy Fathes doe discover tvvo greate Mysteries the one that he lovingly presented himself both to Ievv and Gentill if the one should refuse and thirst his Innocent blood to thier ruine the other might make benefit of it to eternall welfare endeavour to be among them that make benefit and thirst after his sacred blood with love and veneration The other Mysterie is that in the very manner of thier crucifying thy represent that which in the latter day will happen when thse on the right hand shall be revvarded and those on the left cast of into eternall punishment II. Consider secondly The noblenes of this act of the good theefe standing for our Saviour when all the world allmost forsoâ—ke him see also what it is to be patient in affliction and humbly to acknovvledge that we have deserned it On the other side hovv little it did advantage the other theefe through his owne perversenes to be so neere our Saviour and reflect on the Judgments of God and that as no man must presume so none must despayre III. And Iesus sayed vnto him Veryly I say unto theâ— this day thou shalt be with me in paradise Ponder every word who to whome and with what assurednes This day with me in Paradise O blessed day and more blessed companie See hovv the peniteut and the innocent are associated and learne to contemne no body to judge or flight no body This day thou shalt be with me O let this day never end it is Paradise enough to be with thee blessed is he who vuderstandeth what it is to love Iesus c. Tho. a Kemp. l. â— c. 1. Of the words of our Saviour vpon the Crosse. III. PART Preamble as before I. THere stood beside the Crosse of Iesus his Mother ond his Mothers sister Marie of Cleophas and Marie Magdalen And the beloved deciple S. Ihon as appeares by that which follovveth But consider first with what constancie and resolution they all remayned there looke into the breast of every one of them one by one and thier affections of love and sorrow and faith and resignation see with whaâ— teares of compassion and love they lifted vp thier eyes to the crucifyed and then cast them dovvne vpon themselves hovv some of them embraced the Crosse and kissed the staynes of blood remayning vpon it Hovv they Harkened to every tittle that he spake Stand with them and harken for he speakes not to those rhat passe by be not ashamed be not afrayed stand by his Mother cast thyself vpon thy knees with the Magdalen bevvayle thy ovvne offenses c. He that persevereth may justly expect a word of comfort II. When Iesus had seen his Mother and the disciple standing whom he loved he sayed to his Mother woman behold thy Sonne and to the disciple behold thy Mother Consider what impression this speach made in the harts of both in regard of the thing itself and of the manner so vnexpected and at such an exigent ponder hovv in different senses these words might worke different affections in our blessed Lady Woman See hovv all looked vp but his eye was directed to his Mother Behold thy sonne Which Sonne Him vpon the Crosse Or by the Crosse Hovv ever what a change is here and yet what love and care doth my Sonne shevv concerning me c. And to S. Jhon Behold thy Mother What an honour was this vnto him and in him to vs all making vs adoptive Children to our Blessed Lady brothers to our Saviour so greate a good is it to stand hy the Cresse sayth Theophilact so greate a good to suck wisdome from our Saviours breast say S. Ambrose III. And from that houre the disciple tooke her to his owne Into his ovvne charge sayth S. Augustine to have care of her and to attend her Conâ—ider with what respect and dutifulnes and veneration he ever beheld her and provided for her remembring ever whose Mother she was Imitate this loving and beloved disciple and begge of her also novv that shee wil take the into her protection that by her means thou mayst obtayne according to those Mysteries forgivenes of thy synnes the kingdome of thy Saviour here and in the other world the companie and love of his saincts constancie in adversities and never to part from svveete Iesus whatever befall thee Of the words of our Saviour IV. PART Preamble Behold the sunne suddenly eclypsed and the heavens darkened at noone day and begge that this vnvvonted accident may stirre in thee some vnvvonted good affection And I. First to take heed that in middest of the graces of Allmightie God which shine vpon thee as the sunne at noone day darknes doe not suddenly through thy falt come vpon thee by the withdravving of his heavenly beames and vpon every change that thou findeâ—t bevvare
depart not in his love he leaveth not vs but we die leaving him Othervvise so long as we live he inviteth vs and worketh vs to his love desiring nothing more then that his love and ours should be Eternall III. O svveete Eternitie O strong and never fayling but ever loving Eternitie VVhat can a mortall and ever fading creature doe in requitall of such immortall love Of mortall to immortall of temporall to Eternall of man to God what comparison is there Betvvixt such bitternes as we offer him and such infinite svveetenes of love with which he inviteth expecteth and receiveth vs betvvixt such weakenes of affection on our parte and such infinite strength on his what equaliâ—ie may be expected Ours lyeth dead a long time before it begin his ever liveth with out beginning ours when it beginneth to live languisheth yet betvvixt life and death and staggereth oft whether it shall choose to live by loving him or die by leaving him though the difference betvvixt such a loving life and such a hatefull death be infinite his lasteth and liveth never decaying never wavâ—ting never fayling but allvvayes follovving and persuing vs till our dying day when both life and love must either live our die Eternally O love Eternall The first means to perpetuate our love to God by desires that our love had been eternall I. IT is not possible that our love should be eternall without beginning for our life is not with out beginning as there was a time in which we were not so there was a time in which we could not love 〈◊〉 was no time in which God was not he 〈…〉 time and before all time he loved vs VVhat shall we doe in recompense of this love Let vs at least stretch forth the armes of our soule which are our desires and fervently wish our love had been eternall without beginning shall we wish we were God For nothing is eternall with out beginning but God perhaps nothing can be so eternall but God alone But it is the propertie of love not to consider whether the things be possible which it desireth or not possible it is sufficient if affection be satisfyed in doing all that it can doe and in desiring a greate deale more then it shall be ever able to effect And even these impossible desires as they are pleasing to men when expressed by some outvvard signe because by them we see the harts of those that doe affect vs much more are they pleasing to God to whom all harts are open and who doth not measure our love so much by the shevv of the worke as by the poyse of the affection if the worke be not wanting when there is means to performe it let vs therfore wish that our love had no beginning but had been eternall as God not only in himself but also in his love tovvards vs is eternall God is more loved then vnderstood sayth Hugo Victorinus love entreth where knovvledge stands with out O that I could from all Eternitie have been with God and loved him Eternally as 〈◊〉 deserveth II. Let vs wish againe that at least from the first instant of our Conception we had been so happy as to have no sooner begun to be then begun to love that infinite goodnes by whom we had our beginning For as all gifts when they deserve least doe yet deserve we should love the giver this being of ours being the beginning of all other gifts even then deserved our love and if it had been possible for vs we should have presently turned our harts to God and as S. Ihon Baptist not long after his conception in presence of our Lord have leaped for ioy and love at the voyce of our creatour commanding vs to bee For even then he did greate things vnto vs and things most worthy of his povverfull hand when out of his infinite love he made vs capable of loving him That which was wanting then let vs supply novv and with inflamed affection love him the more fervently the more time hath been spent before We began to love him III. O Blessed Virgen Mother of the eternal lovel thrice happy doe I account thee though it were but for this alone that even when thou weret in thy Mothers wombe thou didst more perfectly love the giver of thy life then did ever pure humane creature love him in most perfect yeares were it not possible for vs novv to supply this want which we find in ourselves of love tovvards thy loving Sonne VVe may I hope by thy assistance and by conioyning our love with thyne not only love him from the beginning of our life but from the beginning of both thy life and love and restore him not only as many yeares as are past of our love but in recompense of former losses give all those yeares which betvvixt this and that time in which thou first didst begin to live thou didst spend in his love Therfore humbly trusting in thy favour but what doe I say I feate I am too bold Noe. Thy love doth beare it his love deserveth it all love requireth it I humbly conioyne my love and life with thyne that this little drop of my love being drovvned in that sea of thyne and both made but one life and love as a drop is made one with the liquor into which it is infused I may love him as he deserveth noâ— only as soone but before I began to be O blessed coniunction Thou didst desire that thy love had been Eternall to make it such thou didst ioyne it with the love of thy blessed Sonne and Eternally with him thou desiredst and beganst to love him My love therfore being novv one with thyne and thyne one with his all three make but one eternall love which triple knot of love God of his infinite goodnes ever please to continue Amen The miserie of most men bewayled and the happines of younger yeares I. THe happy coniunction which we may make of our love with the love of God and of our blessed Ladie may be an exceeding comfort to vs farre greater comfort would it have been if besides the condition of being but in time there had been no further distance But alas Hovv often besides have we made a breach of love betvvixt vs and God we were no sooner Masters of our love but we began to wast it lavishly as the prodigall child did his substance in a farre country from God cleaving in affection to the husks of his Creatures which the swine doe eate the externall appearance of the things of this world in which worldlings doe delight For they never enter by consideration into the substance of things created to feed thier soules with the goodnes and mercy and wisdome and povver and other infinite perfections of God who made them neither doe they consider to what end they were made to wit to incite vs and help vs the more to his love but as the psalmist speaketh like a horse or a mule who have no
Our glorie must be in our hope of heaven and that by Gods goodnes we are in a way towards it all other thingâ—â—vayle vs little but as these are accoÌ„panied with humilitie and other vertues Whosoever rejoyceth in that which another hath not by his very abundaÌ„ce he becometh the worse because his joy is noâ— of the common good but of his private interest III. In that very houre he rejoyced in spirit and sayed I confesse to thee Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to little ones and turning to his disciples he sayed Blessed are the eyes that see the things that you see for I say vnto you many prophets and Kings desired to see those things which you see and saw them not and to heare the things that you heare and heard them not Our Saviour rejoyced not at the synne of those by whose falt and presuming to be wise these things were hidden from them but at the goodnes of his heavenly Father who did not disdayne to reveale thâ—Ì„ to those who in the world were coÌ„teÌ„ptible And what are these things But that by humilitie and by suffering we must go to glorie and that in this is the happines of this life not in the wealth and honour and pleasurs which men so much hunt after and think themselves only then happy when they injoy them at will and miserable whenever they are bereaved of any of them Blessed are the eyes which see these things in our Saviours life and doctrine now as well as when the Apostles saw him vpon earth Many Prophets and Kings before our Saviours coming desired to see and heare them we have the same blessing according to his owne saying to S. Thomas Blessed are they that have not seen and doe beleeve The ninth Application to the most Blessed Sacrament I. HEre we are to admire the goodnes of God and of our Blessed Saviour towards vs who notwithstanding that we are so imperfect and all the good we do if we do any so much mingled with things distastfull to him that we deserve to be kept aloofe of as the lepers and oftimes perhaps to be shutout of the citty of heaven for greater offenses yet vpon our crying to him for mercy and shewing ourselves to the Priests in the Sacrament of confession he admitteth vs so familiarly to his holy table O with what gratitude should we magnifie him for so great mercy and love with what humilitie should we cast ourselves vpon our faces before his feetâ— giving thanks and purposing to be perpetually mindfull of so greate a benefit But where are our thoughs oftimes eveÌ„ when we should most attend Our repeditie and negligence is much to be lamented and pittyed that we are not drawne with more devotion to receive our Saviour Christ. In whome is all the hope of them that be to be saved and all their merit If one in ten of out thoughts be imployed this way we think it a greate matter wheras our whole atteÌ„dance were indeed nothing in coÌ„parison of that which this greate goodnes of our Saviour deserveth II. Our Saviour to cure the blind man and to give him his sight layed clay vpon his eyes which seemed quite contrarie to the cure we also if we will see the truth of this mysterie must close vp our eyes to humane reason according to that which our Saviour answered the Iewes vpon this occasion for they asking him Are we also blind He sayed to them if you were blind you should not have synne but now you say we see your synne remayneth S. Lewis of FraÌ„ce when his courtiers brought him newes that there was a little child to be seen in the Priests hands as he was lifting vp the sacred host would not stirre to see it but answered that he beleeved the reall preseÌ„ce of our Blessed Saviour vpon better ground then that sight could affoard him He was truly illuminated with the light of faith shutting his eyes to curiositie and opening them to the words of our Saviour who is true light and cannot deceive I am the light of the world He that followeth me walâ—eth not in darkenes however darke the mysteries of faith seeme to be III. And if we reflect vpon the other title which he giues himself of good Pastour In what could he shew his goodnes more then that having once offered that greate oblation of himself vpon the Crosse and given his life for vs he resteth not content with that but dayly would have it offered for vs yea hourely through the whole world for our greater comfort and satisfaction providing that his sheepe may never want so fertill a pasture but vpoÌ„ all occasioÌ„s may haue such celestiall food at haÌ„d See how they who record the passioÌ„ aÌ„d sufferings of our Saviour in time of the holy sacrifice drinking of the spirituall fountains springing from that â—orrent of love doe delight themselves with sweete teares above all delicacies And how much sweetenes they do suck into their soules inquiring and consâ—dering where their God is Certainly this one word and this one consideration that God is so neere them not only as to the whole world but in this particular familiar and constant way is able to melt the hart of any loving soule and abundantly to fill it with all delight â—â—This good Pastour giverth his life for his sheepe in that he delivereth his Body and Blood in this Sacrament and with the substance of his owne flesh doth feed the sheepe which he redeemed The parable of the man wounded in his way to Iericho I. ANd behold a certaine lawyer stood vp tempting him and saying Master by doing of what thing shall I possesse life everlasting He sayed to him in the law what is written How readest thou He answering sayed Thou shalt love thy Lord thy God with thy whole hart and with thy whole soule and with all strength and with all thy mind And they neigbour as thyself And he sayed to him thou hast answered right doe this and thou shall live How many doe say would to God I knew the direct way how to be saved or how to overcome my passions And having it before their eyes they heed it noâ— the weake resolution or difficultie which they have about forsaking either their will or their companie or their wonted steps blinding them life everlasting when they think of it is a greate attractive and deservedly but whether they perswade themselves thoroughly that it deserves so much paines as they conceive is to be taken that is the question and yet as this man confesseth the way is love which makes all things in the world easy for vnlesse worldly people did love their employments they would find no lesse difficultie in serving the world then they apprehend in serving God Love God and they neigbour and nothing will be hard II. But â—e desirous to iâ—stifie himself
what he indured for even in the garden after his prayer he was another man then when we went in Then he was sorrovvfull as he sayed vnto death and it appeared in his very countenance and cariage but novv he was couragious and ready to meete his enimies and in all the affronts and indignities which were offered him either at Cayphas or Herods or Pilats palace he did not blanche III. Yet it could not but be very irksome and paynfull to him and with whar a Crosse did they load him when he was scarce able to stand and hovv cruelly did they rend of his garments from his bleeding shoulders and streach him and vnmercifully nayle him This is the sword of which old Simeon told me so many yeares since it cannot but pearce my very hart and soule with griefe and though he sayed he would rise againe the third day and I veryly beleeve it will be so yet what hart can think of these things and not even burst with sorrovv It will be night with me till that day comes which he hath promised O light of my â—yes when shal I see thee Me thinks I still heare him crying with a lovvde voyce Father into thy hands I commend my spiritt O Father returne this happy soule so commended returne it againe with glorie that we may see his face as in mount Thabour which mount Calvarie hath so defaced I â—ommend my soule into thy hands O hands of pitty Thou hast done justice enough vpon thy Sonne restore him that we may joy togeather in the meane time I shall expect with sorrovv yet resigned to thy will as he hath taught me Not my will hut thyne be done Amen Introduction to the Mysteries of the Resurrection of our Saviour I. THe Mysteries of the Resurrection of our Saviour being full of ioyful Communication with him who is in himself the fountaine of all happines and to vs hath been and is the source and conduitâ— of all goodnes the affections which are properly to be raysed and someÌ„â—ed by the consideration of them be those of love and ioy and Congratulation Admiration also and prayse of his loving goodnes desire of his presence in this world and in the next horrour of being separated from him detestation of the least beginning of a gap or distance betvvixt our soules and him And in these and in the like our time is more to be bestormed then in discourse 〈◊〉 every action and word indeavouring to fall vpon some such short reflection as may â—indle in ouâ— hart these flames of love II. The chiefe ground wherof the Apostle doth represent vnto vs and placeth in that God who is rich in mercy his exceeding Charitie wherwith he loved vs even when we were dead by synns quickned vs togeather with Christ and raysed vs up with him and made vs sit with him in the Celestiales Chiefly therfore we are to ponder from what and to what we are raysed where we lay and where we might justly have been layed by our offenses and where he offers to seate vs if we concurre with his grace and love Hovv Rich he hath been tovvards vs in what infinite proportion his Charitie hath exceeded and doth exceed When we were dead he gave vs life when we were buryed in synns he raysed vs and hath made himself our Harbinger going before to prepare a place for vs at the right hand as his father with him III. O Iesu is it possible that I should 〈◊〉 Companion to thee in Glorie who hast been so farre from consorting with thee in thy will and commandment O vnspeakable love ô vnconceivable Goodnes I wretched synner not worthy to lift vp my eyes to heaven with thee in the heavenly places ô Charitie exceeding all thought ô Mercy with out bound or measure What can I say of myself but that I am worthy of all confusion and thou preparest Glorie for me I have nothing to say for myself but that I have synned Blessed be thy infinite Mercyes towards me and blessed be thou with the Father holy Ghost for ever and ever Amen Our Saviours going downe to limbus Patrum I. NO sooner had our Saviour given vp his blessed Ghost but troopes of Angels who wayted against that houre attended him as after his victorie in the desert and accoÌ„panied his glorious soule towards limbus PatruÌ„ with songs and hymnes farre more full of lubilee then that which they sung at his nativitie The infernall fiends hovvled and roared at the arrivall of his forerunners commanding them to avoyde but much more at his glorious and triumphant presnce shining brighter then the sunne at noone day and more resplendent then all the heavenly hoast togeather Here they were forced to adore his glorified soule who had refused due homage at first to thier Creatour when themselves might have been in glorie by one act of humble dutie what a corrasive was this to them VVhat a document to vs VVhat comfort to the iust that had been confined so long to darknes novv to see so much light approching II. But he appearing in the midst of them and saluting them with the like salutation as aftervvards his Apostles Pax vobis what exultation VVhat Jubilee was there VVhat wellcomes on all sides VVhat congratulations tovvards him in regard of his victorie Tovvards themselves in regard of thier speedy releasement And if he appeared vnto them with his glorious body also as many affirme what admiration VVhat acts of compassion VVhat wondering that he would retaine the marks of his wounds What are these wounds in the midst of thy hands sayd Zacharie the Prophâ—t and he ansvvered these I received in the house of them that loved me And David remembred that prophecying he had sayed they have digged into my hands and feete and have numbred all my bones S. Ihon Baptist most ioyfull of any repeated his wonted saying Behold the lambe of God behold who taketh away the synne of the world and hath born the smart of it vpon his ovvne shoulders And all generally from Adam to the good thiefe extolled his mercies and novv not only vnderstood of what they had beeÌ„ a figure but gave him the ioy of having fullfilled all to his greater glorie III. Our Saviour also tooke particular content to see them all at once who had been subservient to the mysteries which he had accomplished and congratulated the iust for concurring with his graces tovvards the preserving of thier iustice and with the penitent for having recourse to his mercyes with those who had suffered persecution torments and death for his love and lavv for thier fidelitie and constancie giving them all novv with more feeling to vnderstand hovv wei bestovved was all that which they had done or suffered in the world and hovv greate mercy it was that they persevered to the end among so many millions who fayled and that they were not overvvhelmed in the deluge of synne but preserved in that of his sacred blood
boate and you shall find they did so and now they were not able to draw the net for the multitude of fishes It is very profitable sayth S. Prosper for a man to obey the commandment of God though he vnderstands not the reason of the coÌ„mand because God by commanding makes whatever he commands to be profitable And we have the more reason to submit with our examining because we are of ourselves Children and consequently ignorant and we are his Children and if passion doe any thing sway that makes night which othervvise would not hinder VVhen this night is over and the light of reason hath scope to appeare then we discover on which side to cast our net and that before we were wrong obeying brings abundance both of meâ—t and successe III The dâ—sciple therfore whom Iesus loved sayed to Peeter it is our Lord Simon Peeter hearing that it is our Lord girded his coate vnto him and cast himself into the sea but the other disciples came in the boate drawing the net of fishes The elder some times may learne by the yonger The tendernes also of his love might make him râ—flect the sooner yet Peetâ—r as more fervent ventured further and cast himself among the waves which as signifying the world he was to governe and â—hevved that novv he neither feared nor refused any troble for his Saviour Thâ— others came dragging their net to shew as S. Bernard discourseth thâ—t even the Elect come not without difficultie out of the depth to heavâ—nly illustrations Inlighâ—en me svveete Jesus with the clearnes of internall light aâ—d drive all darknes from the closet of my hart Th. a Kemp. l. 3. c. 23. n. 8. Our Saviour appeareth to some of his Disciples while they were fishing II. PART I. VVHen they came on land they saw coloâ— of fire lying and fish layed vpon them and bread Iefus sayed to them bâ—ing of the fishes which you have now caught Simon Peeter went a board and drew the net to lâ—nd full of greate fishes one hundred fiftie and three and though they were so many the net was not broken God of little things as wâ—il as of greate makes vse to shevv his povver and it is hard to say in which he is more to be admired His bountie and goodnes tovvards vs in them is no lesse we need the little as much as the greate and here wâ— may reflect that in this his happy state he not only kept companie with people of mean condition as before but accoÌ„modated himself to their kind of fare not of necessitie but for example and incouragement besides that the My sterie of Christs passion is againe represented in the fish vpon the coles though with this difference that the Apostles presented him hony with it and he them with bread because in this life we must more seeke solide vertue as our chiefe sustâ—nance then comfort even in our most spirituall actions There also the fish was allready broyled as signifiing his passion that was past here it is vpon the coles because here we must expect to suffer II. Therfore also he bids them bring of the fishes which they had then caught to wit to be added to the fiâ—h allready vpon the coles to make vp their meale to signifie that we must not think because our Saviour hath suffered for vs therfore we need not suffer but ours must be added to his ours of themselves are not sufficient as fish â—ot dressed is not meate for man but qualified by the sufferings of our Saviout and vnited with his they are a gratefull Sacrifice to him and to vs very meritorious Therfore Peeter went joyfully and readyly a board to draâ—v the net and though it were full loaded it was not broken because â—od adds strength to a willing mind though weake of itself and not able of itself to go through II. Iesus sayed to them come dine and nene of them durst aske him who art thou knowing that it was our Lord and Iesus came and tooke bread and gave it them and fiâ—h in like manner Here we may see the vncertainty with which in this life we must be content to wit to knovv and not to knovv many things which doe very neâ—â—ely concerne our saluation or our progresse in vertue c. and satisfie ourselves in some things with beleefe in others with probabilities and not be over curious in inquiring but reverence that which we cannot or ought not dive into This humble dispositioÌ„ doth invite our Saviour to come the more familiarly and to give vs that which we dare not aske bread of solide comfort and strength together with what ever affliction we suffer for him or as for him S. Gregorie more over doth put vs in mind by occasion of this meale with his seven disciples that they only are admitted to the eternall refection who here are replenished with the seven gifts of the holy Ghost Begge them by the intercession of these seven disciples My Lord my God I am thy poorest servant and contemptible worme of the earth much poorer and more contemptible then I knovv or dare say Thâ—â— Kemp. l. 3. c. 3. n. 6. Our Saviours question to S. Peeter thrice repeated I. VVHen they had dined Iesus sayed to Simon Peeter simon lovest thou me more then theseâ— He sayth to him yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee he sayth to him feed my lambs He sayth to him againe Simon lovest thou met He sayth to him yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He sayth to him feed my lambs He sayth to him the third time Simon lovest â—hou mâ—t â—eeter was grieved because he sayed to him the third time lovest thou me And sayed to him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee He sayed to him feed my sheepe A triple confession is required for his triple deniall that his tongue might not be lesse pliable to love then it had been to feare or imminent death have forced from him more expressions then life novv present And reflect with S. Ihon Chrysostome that he doth noâ— so much as mention his deniall or any way touch vpon it much lesse cast it in his dish but puts him in mind what is chiefly required of those who preteÌ„d to follow our Saviour neerest to wit love of God and of our neighbour in no ordinarie degree for hovv can it be ordinarie specially in those who are to governe if it must be more then that of the rest of the Apostles S. Ihon not excepted That which most of all doth gaine vs the love of God is the love of our neighbour and to lay dovvne our life for one another which we offer sometimes with S. Peeter to lay dovvne for our Saviour II. Beare no grudge feed greate and little that is be obsequious to them go to them and doe not expect that they should come to thee He that sayth he is in light and hateth his brother is yet
must be God himself the measure of our love to love him without measure God of his love inspire our thoughts to conceive worthy things of him and inflame our harts in the love of them that hovvever weake our love may be it may increase to that measure which his immeasurable goodnes hath designed Amen An act of humble acknowledgment of our owne weakenes I. O My God what am I or what is thy loveâ— Thy infinite love my God tovvards man what is it That I sylly worme of the earth so easily venture not only to lift vp my head to behold it and ponder it and esteeme it for to this end thou hast shevved it vnto vs that we should behold it and love it but dare scanne in my thoughts and vndertake to discypher the greate greatenes of it in these fevv words the broken ofâ—alls of my shallovv conceits Or is thy love peradventure a thing which can be comprehended by man or declared by the highest Angel or defined by any but thyself for thy love is thyself and the greate greatenes of it is the immense Immensitie of thy loving self by which thou dilatest thyself tovvards vs and in vs thy creatures and through the infinite length bleadth depth and heigth of thy inflamed charltiâ— comprehendest vs all in the bovvels of thy love loving vs before we were that we might be and ever loving vs while we are that we may never leave to be but ever live in love with thee II. Who therfore can reach so farre as that infinite length or who is there that can measure that breadth which is immeasurable Who can sound the depth or take the height of thy infinite love but thy only self who art sole equall and sole equally infinite to thyself And yet thou wilt have vs measure it in our thoughts and sound it in our harts and stretch ourselves to that length and dilate ourselves to that bâ—eadth and lift vp ourselves to that heigth and drovvne ourselves in that depth of thy love that finding hovv farre we are from the true measure of it we may reach if not as farre and as wide and as high and as deepe as it deserveth yet so farre in all these kinds as by thy grace our harts will serve vs which is acceptable in thy sight though too small a measure in regard of thy infinite deserts III. O Imalnes of our measure O greatnes of thy deservings VVho hast moved heaven and earth for our sakes and searched all the corners of thy infinite treasure and poured forth thy riches to the bottome to help vs to reclayme vs to winne vs to thy love And when thou hadst as it were spent all that thou hadst to gayne our affection forall that we see or heare of or can imagine are thy love-gifts as I may tearme them to dravv vs to thyself thou sparedst not thy ovvne bovvels but gavest thyself vnto vs and in that loving and free manner that there was not any part of the breath of thy sacred body which thou didst not dedicate to our service nor one drop of thy pretious blood which thou didst not shed for vs but for the greater satisfaction of our vnbeleeving minds and the more effectually to move our stony harts even after thy death thou wouldst have thy side opened with that cruel speare that we might see with our eyes that there was no more blood left when after the blood spent there issued water IV. O sacred bath rempered for my soares soseen the hardnes of my hart alay the immoderate heate which I find tovvards temporall occasions moysten the droughth of my faint desires cure the blindnes of my eyes that at least through this gap layed so wide open I may discover some parcell of thy love and inamoured with it may be dravvne further and further into the depth that being wholy absorpt in it I may leese myself while I go about to measure and never find myself againe but wholy drovvned in thee who art my God and my only love Amen The length of the love of God is the Eternitie of his love I. THe length of the charitie of allmightie God is the Eternitie of his love If we cast our eyes vpon that beginning of his Eternitie which hath no beginning even then before we were and when he only was he loved vs as novv he loveth and determined then to give vs all that good which we find he hath since performed or hath for hereafter layed vp in store for vs in that Eternitie before all time before all thought and to which no thought of creature can arrive when he was delighting himself with his only self and with the infinite riches which he hath within himself the Father with the Sonne and the Father and the Sonne with the holy Ghost then he vouchsafed to think of vs to love vs to ordayne all things for vs and to desire our love Then when not only he had no need of vs but when he had no other reason to think of vs but his ovvne sole infinite goodnes He disposed all things sweetly to the end in time to gayne that which in Eternitie he desired to wit our love and beholding vs with in himself and seeing that we were all good and all very good because we were all in him he would in time appointed that we shoul have part of that good in ourselves by him which we had from all Eternitie in him And therfore he made vs out of himself that acknovvledging from whence we derived all the good we have we should seeke not only in duty or gratitude to returne all to him who best deserved it but also by nature we should be eveâ— â—orne tovvards him as every thing naturally is ever bent tovvards that from which it hath its beeing II. If againe we cast our thoughts vpon the end of his loving eternitie which hath no end we shall find his love not contayned with in the short limitts of a month or a yeare or ten thousand yeares but that he loveth vs to the end with out end and desireth nothing more then that we should live and love him world with out end And as in his Eternitie with out beginning he disposed all things sweetely for our good and saluation with out any desert of ours so in this Eternitie with our ending he reacheth strongly striving against all our deserts to bring our love to that perfection that his and ours may have no end If the least of those iniuries which we offer to God thousands perhaps in a day were done by man to another man it were enough insteed of further love to inflame a mortall and as much as lyeth in him an Eternall aversion But that which seemeth impossible to man is possible to God who with infinite charitie doth dayly and hoverly and every moment put vp infiâ—â—te disgracefull actions and remayneth ever strong in love rill our dying day when if we
understanding they rest in that to which sense doth lead them and like svvine feede greedyly vpon the husks and attend to fill thier bellies that is thier inordinate appetite with things which for the present and by reason of thier vnbridled hunger and distempered mind doe seeme to content them and in the meane time let thier soules pine avvay for want of the food they were created to feed on II. VVhat a dreadfull distaÌ„ce is there betvvixt such soules and God when not thier love by which alone we caÌ„ approch to him but thier hatâ—ed by which we goe further and further from him begins by little and little to be eternall tovvards him who deserveth eternall love for the too much love of Creatures doth insensibly breed disâ—ast of the Creatour the cleaving to the visible blinds vs â—owards the invisible the eye that lookes much vpon earth is loth to looke vpon heaven as too farre from its purpose If wishes will supply with what weeping and lamenting ought we to wish that such a gap had never been made but that at least we had begun the love which we ovve eternally to God so soone as it was in our power â—o love him and that when we began first to have the vse of reason we had reflected how greate reason there was not to desire to live but only for his love III. Happy are they who have thier yeares before them for by the benefit of thier age having not settled â—hier affections vpon any thing els they have them still wholy in thier hands to bestow vpon him who beft deserveth our love for all things beside him are either naught or nothing in comparison to him Happy yeares which make thier possessours able to say to God my loving Lord Thy infinite love hath been towards me eâ—â—rnall without beginning because the being of thyself was the beginning of thy love both eternall without beginning This beginning therfore of my life shall also be the beginning of my love tovvards thee that when by thy grace and continuall assistance I shall enter into that other Eternitie which hath no end my love may be found to have been so long as my life both equally eternall for it would be a greate confusion to me in that doubtfull day of thy judgment to have it layed to my charge that I had lived longer then I had loved thee who hast not lived one moment longer then thou hast loved me IV. Thrice happy in this kind oâ— blessed Gonzaga who coulâ—st lovingly glorie that at seaven yeares of age thou didst perfectly turne thyself to God and with greate fervour of mind consecrate thyself wholy to him Thou knewest then how gratefull to God would be these first fruits of thy love Begge of him pardon for my neglect and vnmindfullnes and promote the desires of those who are yet yong that they may follow thy steps and place thier love betimes where if it be not placed it will finally either be lost or mispent lost if bestowed vpon things which doe not deserve our love mispent if vpon things which rather deserve our hatred O hatefull expence of love that is so preâ—ious A second means to perpetuate our love towards God I. THey who have let sâ—ip time so pretious â—ust repayre thier losse so well as they can not with often sighs and sorrowes only for that which is past buâ— with constant purposes for the time to come and say with the Psalmist Now I begin o Lord to love thee This love by thy grace I will continue for ever till it be perfected after this changeable life in thy never changing Eternitie O that I were able to say with they Apostle or rather with that confidence and with that love which he did Cerius sum I am certayne thaâ— neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers neither things present nor things to come neither might nor heigth nor depth nor other creature shall be able to separate me from the charitie which I owe which I beare to thee my God for thy loving self and for thy loving Sonne Christ Jesus our Lord. II. But how oft have I sayed thus to God And may not I with reason feare least he slight my words having experienced that the worke doth so slowely follow Of this I am 〈◊〉 that were not his goodnes immeasuâ—able he would long care this have loathed so much instabilitie of hart and so often change of love no maâ— would have abided it Buâ— God knoweth himself and knoweth vs He knoweth himself to be eternall ever permanent ever the same He knoweth that as we have had a beginning in this life and shall have an end so all our life standeth vpon beginnings and endings and consequently it is no wonder that we have in vs so many changes but even this condition of ours must be to vs an incitement every houre in the day and every moment to begin as if that houre or that moment were the first and last of our life How many have been to thier ovvne and others thinking able and strong and likely to outlive many dayes and yeares and have been suddenly taken avvay Let vs therfore make vse of this our nature and beleeve this truth that we have not one day nor one houre certayne of life why therfore should we neglect this houre and not imploy it wholy in his love III. O that our love were tovvards God so fervently earyed as it is some times foolishly bent towards creatures hovv short would these dayes of our life most iustly seeme to bee O love hovv justly may I complayne of thy sottish ignorance and blind measure Greate and long love towards creatures little and short towards our Creatour what a monster is it Few be the dayes of my life â— my God the dayes of my life be few compared with the Eternitie of the love which I ovve thee they be fevv compared with the love which I wish thee O that I had a thousand lives to bestovv in they love from this houâ—e if I had them I would bestovv them all in thy love from this houte I doe consecrate all the houres and minutes of my life hovv long or hovv short soever thou knowest it will be wholy and intirely to thy love Hovv to wish it I cannot tell The longer I live the oftener I offend against thy love perhaps the more I shall doe or suffer for thy love here thou must be the chooser grant me only thy grace that that which is and shall be may be wholy thyne Grant that hovv long soever I live it may seeme little in respect of the greatnes of thy love which I desire to shew cersaynly it will be little in comparison of that which â—â—ou deservâ—st my God my love Amen Of the desire of being dissolved I THe greate saincts of God out of the abundance of love which they beare him doe oftimes desire most earnestly that this thier miserable life were quickly at
leaving thier malice they may beleeve in thee ô Lord Therfore he picked out a choosen people to shevv his wonderous povvre more signally to all the world by them that hearing all his precepts they should say behold a wise and vnderstanding people a greate nation Therfore he came himself and tooke flesh vpon him to satisfie for the synnes of everre one of vs and to give vs example of obedience to the lavv of God which he came to promulgate and aftervvards sent his Apostles and thier successours into the whole world with commandment to preach the Ghospell to every creature testifying that with the like assistance he will be with us to the end of the world II. To this vniversalitie belongeth the sweetnes of the lavv of Grace and the easynes by which we may come to the remission of our synns and to saluation for what ceremonie could be instituted more easy then that of baptisme VVhat means of remissioÌ„ of synns aftervvards committed more indulgent then that of private confessionâ— For whatever people ill disposed may think of it if an earthly Prince had appointed such a way of pardon for crimes committed who would not runn vnto it And this not once or tvvice but ten thousand thousand times to be had and in fine as oft as we shall have offended and when ever we will have recourse vnto it after never so long delayes or relapses VVhat shall I say of the helps internall by remorse and inspiration and externall by exhortation and example of which in the Church of God there is continuall succession and abundance what of the presence of our blessed Saviour in the Sacrament continually as it were wayting vpon vs and by it inviting vs. and puting vs in mind of our duty tovvards him That he would be in every Countrey Church attending vs is no small token of his vniversall love tovvards vs refusing no body neither rich nor poore nor lame nor blind nor the most noylomest creature that we can imagin Come to me allyee that labour and are burdened and I will refresh yee III. That he refuseth no synner though never so greate is particularly to be pondered as a signe of the vâ—niversalitie of his love of which though we see dayly example the Apostle testifyeth it in himself extolling this grace and giving speciall thanks that though before he was a blasphemer and a persecutour and contumelious in his thoughts and speeches tovvards Christ our Saviour yet he received mercy Ponder the hardnes which naturally we find among men to forgive offenses and compare it with what we experience in God and be confounded at thy ingratitude have recourse to his mercyes inlarge thy haâ—t in hope and confideÌ„ce and give not way to thoughts of diffidence for if thy synns be as scarlet they shall be whitened as snow and if they be as red as crimson they shall be white like wooll He gave vnto Salomon latitude of hart as the sand which is on the sea shore but what is this compared with the largenes of thy mercyes my God ready to forgive more offenses then there be sands on the shore and to receive into thy armes more offenders then the whole world is capable of One drop of thy pretious blood was capable to satisfie for millions of worlds what a sea then of mercyes hath all humane kind offered vnto it by thee my God to plunge and cleanse itself to the full O let me not be vngratefull Amen The love of God towards vs is vniversal because to every one in particular I. THis is testifyed vnto vs by the Apostle when magnifying the grace received by Christ he sayth I live in the fayth of the Sonne of God who loved me and delivered himself for me And is seconded by ovr Saviour to S. Gertrude saying Behold thou seest how for thy love I did once hang vpon the Crosse naked contemptible disjoynted in every member and wounded in every part of my body and yet to this very day my haâ—t is so sweetely affected towards thee by love that if it were convenient for thy good and that thou couldst not othervvise get to heaven I would for thee alone suffer all that which I suffered then for the whole world O my God! what am I in particular that thou shouldest thus lovingly expresse thyself Or what doth my particular import thee that thou shouldst be so tender of me O that I had the loves of all in particular to bestovv vpon thee who deservest all Blessed is he that vnderstandeth what it is to love Iesus c. II. That which our Saviour sayed to S. Bridget expresseth an other degree of latitude in this love for thus he is recorded to have spoken My love tovvards mankind is novv as greate and as incomprehensible as it was at the time of my passion And if it were convenient that I should die as many deaths as there be damned souleâ— in hell I would most willingly and with the greatest love that may be deliver my body to be tormented and would suffer the same death and passion againe for ech soule in particular which I indured for all This infinite charitie seemeth strange to men who measure the perfections of God by thier ovvne imperfection But the heavenly wisedome pronunced rightly of him Thou loâ— vest all the things which are and hatest nothing of that which thou hast made neither hast thou ordayned or made any thing hating it In so much that the very damned soules are punished though excessively yet beneath the desert of synne and hovvever he be a rigorous judge yet he desiâ—eth that in the later day he might find nothing to be punished for which end he gives vs day to repent to the very last and so many means to blot out synne and the remaynders of it III. To this end he reserved the blessed marks of his sacred wounds even in his glorifyed body that we should â—â—nd as it were so many gates layed open to his mercyes and that these might be a never dying memoriall of his paâ—t and future love both to vs to excite vs and to his heavenly Father with our further words to plead for vs for though neither he nor his heavenly father doe need incitements to love vs or remembrances not being subject to forget or to forgo thier ovvne loving natures yet out of thier superabundant goodnes they would that these marks should be reserved more efficatious to assvvage thier anger against synne then could the rayne bovv be against a second diluge O Blessed wounds layed wide open for my sake it seemes by you that the divine soule of my Saviour had more love for me then the earthen vessell of his body could contayne O that my soule were capable to receive the remaynder I did runne in the way of thy commandments when thou didst dilate my hart sayed they holy Proâ—het supply it with thy ardent affection stretch it to all
thy commands that as there was nothing which thou refusedst for the love of me so there may be nothing at which I may shrinke which ought to be done suffered for the love of thee Amen How we may imitate the vniversalitie of the love of God I. PART I. THe vniversalitie of the love of God may be imitated first by loving and esteeming all that he loveth and esteemeth and disesteeming and hating all that he disesteemeth and hateth To which we must indeavour to attayne by continuall mortification and inure ourselves not to affect things which deserve not our affection that is all earthly things so farr as they have not connection with his service vsing them meerely as instruments to doe him service and othervvise wholy neglecting them and making no account of them nor giving them any place in our thoughts or affections which is that to which the Apostle exhorteth vs by his example allwayes bearing about in our body the mortification of Iesus that the life also of Iesus may be manifested in our hodys Hovv came it that some saynts were so perfect and so contemplative because they laboured to mortifie themselves alltogeather from all teâ—rene desires II. How large accordingly this measure of love towards God was in the Apostle himself and in divers other Saints is apparent in thier lives and writings and in some of them we find it expressed not with inke but with the spirit of the living God not written in tables of stone but in the tables carnall of thier hart and body such as may say with the same Apostle from hence forth lâ—t no man be troblesome to me that is let no man think he shall be able to take Christ from myhatt for I beare the marks of our Lord Iesus Christ in my body In which kind S. Francis founder of the Order of friars minors might justly glorie in our Lord for having expressed his love towards God in that strict povertie and perfect renuntiation of all things to the end to give himself by prayer and good works wholy to God Our Saviour testifyed to the world that he was wholy his printing the marks of his sacred passion in his hands feete and side and as it were designing in his body that longitude and latitude and height and deepth of love which was long before ingraven in his soule ô blessed Sainct c. III. Blessed Mother Teresa of Iesus for her exceeding love towards him had a favour not farr inferiour when the saw and felt another Seraphim digging in her hatt with a daâ—t of gold to make way for the incomprehensible greatenes of the love of God towards her and to inlarge her hatt that it might be more capable of love towards him And S. Francis Xavier late Apostle of lapan was also often seen and heard when walking in the garden at home or on his journies abroad he inlarged his garments with both his hands to give scope to the love which burned in his breast or by externall cold to suppress from outvvard shevv the internall fire with which he was excessively inflamed often repearing those words It is enough O Lord it is enough IV. These blessed Saincts and many more had enough of that of which no body can ever have enovgh because though in effect they never had so much but that they desired more and eveÌ„ then when they sayed they had â—nough not content with what they had they enlarged themselves to receive yet more which is a pregnant signe that indeed they had very much VVe that feele not these inflamed desires because we never were throughly possessed by love and none but such caÌ„ ever feele theÌ„ not being able to inlarge our harts into such fervent affections what can we doe lesse then by attentive ponderation of his love and thiers and humble indeavour try whether by often striking the steele of our consideration vpon our stony harts we may at last beate-out some one sparke of of true love which taking in the tinder of our affections and blowne with the most svveete breath of the heavenly spirit may increase into a greater and never quenched fire of love Amen How we may imitate the Vniversalitie of the love of God II. PART I. AN other means of imitating the Vniversalitie of the love of God is by exteÌ„ding it to the love of our Neighbour in that measure as we see God doth to vs and his Saints have done in imitation of him God out of his meere goodnes when we were not gave vs our being and all the good which we have and though we deserve it not continues his goodnes tovvards vs making his sunn which he hath at command rise over good and evill and rayning over just and injust which kind of love he requires we should beare towards others not considering what they deserve but what is sitting for vs to doe to the end to be like God in love tovvards them and therfore also it is sayed the second commandmeÌ„ is like the first because it mâ—st have the conditioâ—s of the first that is as we love God with our whole haâ—t our whole soule our whole vnderstanding and our whole strength so must we imploy all these wholy vpon our Neighbours good not loving him by halfs or coldly and remissely but with much heate of affection solidly constantly couragiously nobly not giving way to what ever opposeth it and imbracing largely whatever may be for his advaÌ„age aÌ„d prosecuting it with our whole streÌ„gth aÌ„d forces II. This vniversitie requireth also that we extend our love â—o all sorts of people to the poore as well as to the rich to the infirme as well as to the strong and the more infirmities we discover in another the more should we be inclined to assist him in imitation of our Saviour who where iniquities did abound gave superabundance of his grace and of S. Paul who out of the largenes of his hart sayed to the Cotinthians who gave him not the best satisfaction our mouth is open to you O Corinthians for your 〈◊〉 instruction our hart is dilated you are not streightened in â—â— And againe to the same Corinthians when I was free from all I made myself a servant of all that I might gayne the more To the weake I became weake that I might gayne the weake to all men I became all things that I might save all III. In conformitie to this love our good God hath not only set a part in his Church those of the Clergy to attend to the help of all sorts of people by administration of the holy Sacraments and of his divne word but hath instituted all sorts of religions both of men and women that those might be houses of refuge for all sorts of humours and that at least by prayer and example others might be benefitted by the most retired the obligation of which vocations is duly to be considered and specially of those who out of an
should depend vpon our correspondence with his graces and consequently that his infinite merit should be in a manner in greate part lost by our vntovvardnes or at least hazarded which as on the one side to those who indeavour to make vse of his love it is a greate incitement to love him the more who for the fruite in a fevv would suffer and taketh from all men all occasion of despayre so on the other side by reason of our weakenes it doth necessitate vs not to presume but to live in feare for the time of our seiourne and to labour by good works to make sure our vocation and Election VVhich designe of his we must everence and lovingly submiting to his divine ordination industriate ourselves to concurr the more diligently with it and with his love tovvards vs in it III. The depth of his love appeareth in the extraordinarie vocations of some and graces extraordinarie bestovved vpon persons oftimes in which we cannot only not discover any merit but rather much demerit and desert of the contrarie of whom that saying of God and of the Apostle comes to be verifyed I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew it And with good reason for he is Lord of his gifts and free to give of them more or lesse to whom and when he will So that as we may admire and must reioyce and not envy when he doth bestovv them so we must not grudge when and where he doth not bestow them but attend that our eye become not naught because he is good as our Saviour himself once answered IV. O my God! give me grace so to consider this thy love that I may increase in love tovvards thee give me grace that by measuring this thy greatenes I may grovv greater in thy favour and by reaching to thy height wax higher in thy sight and by diving into the bottomles depth of thy infinite charitie sink deeper into thy love that being wholy absorpt in it I may ever find myself wholy drovvned in thee my God my love Amen The depth of the love of God II. PART I. FInally in this matter of the love of God it will be profitable to reflect with a devout personage of this age I. First that it was not possible for God to create man after a heigher modell then according to the image and similitude of God 2. It was not possible to create him for a heigher end then the cleere vision and fruition of God 3. It was not possible to give him a greater Gift then God himself and all creatures 4. It was not possible to give him a heigher or more noble imployment then to serve God and in some sort to serve himself of God to deâ—â—â—e in a manner himself and others 5. It was not possile to give him a more perfect Guide in his pilgrimage then our Saviour and the holy Ghost 6. It was not possible to feed him with more choyce sustenance then the body and blood and divinitie of our blessed Saviour 7. It was not possible to expresse a greater esteeme of man then by shedding his blood for him 8. It was not possible to give him a greater motive to abhorre synne then that God dyed to abolish it 9. It was not possible to give a greater ground never to despayre then by constituting himself his Advocate 10. It was not possibble to inable synfull man to coâ—rrespond to these and other his benefits but by giving him the merits of Christ dignified infinitely in his divine person by which we satisfie to the full for our offenses and gayne a proportion in our good works to the rewards promised II. O infinite goodnes O immense charitie O love imcomparable Where shall I find either conceptions or words or strength to expresse the least part of my greate obligation to thy love â—hat hart can love thee enough 〈◊〉 tongue prayse thee VVhat forces serve thee as thou deservest Help me yee blessed Angels and saints of heaven Assiste me all yee oreaâ—utes of my loving God O that I had so many tongues to prayse him so many harts to love him I knovv not what to say but with hart confounded and blushing countenance to offer my love and service such as it is conioyned with his because he is so pleased and begge of him that he will please himself with it and with his ovvne merits for otherwise whatever I can offer is nothing and that all creatures in whom he is most pleased will incessantly praysâ— him and glorifie him Amen The coming of the holy Ghost vpon the Apostles in firie tongues I. PART I. OVr Saviour vpon his Ascension had willed the Apostles to remayne in Hierusalem till they should be induâ—d with power from above which they observed carefully persevering together in prayer with our blessed Lady and others when behold the tenth day â—arely in the morning there was suddenly heard a sound from heaven as of a mightie wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting and there appeâ—â—ed to them parted tongues as it were of â—ire and it sat vpon every one of them and they were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speake with divers tongues as the holy Ghost gave them to speake Prayer and obedience and agreement together were dispositions novv as well as afterwards effects of the holy Ghost He came suddenly vpon them to teach vs perseverance in our devout imployments for we know not at what houre our Lord will come in prayer or reading or charitable action the wind was a token of dispersing the Cloudes of ignorance and deceite to which we are subiect with out the assistance of the holy Ghost and no wonder that is was a strong wind considering hovv closse the fallaciâ—s of the world doe stick vnto vs and hovv they are apt to possesse themselves of every corner of our house that is of soule and body The parted tongues as of fire signified the spirituall flame and fervour infused into thier harts and was then to manifest itself by thier tongues publikly and privately to be imployed in the prayses of our Saviour and of his law according as the holy Ghost gave to every one Begge of him every one of these his gifts and dispose thyself to receive them II. Consider that though the wind and firy tongues were figures of the inward operation yet the gift this day communicated was not only the proportionable effects wrought by the holy Ghost but the very person of the holy Ghost communicated vnto them and vs working these effects And as in the Incarnation of our Saviour the holy Ghost in person overshaddowed our blessed Lady so here he descended vpon the Apostles and the rest there gathered together though in such different measure as he thought good to communicate himself where we have cause to admire and adore the goodnes of God who would imploy his owne person in our
points enough both for beleefe and practise which might have averted them Prayse God for all and have confidence in him c. The Mysterie Of the Mysterie of the most Blessed Trinitie I. A Principall effect of the coming of our Saviour into this world was the declaration of the Mysterie of the most Blessed Trinitie hidden even from the Iewes though the chosen people of God and not mentioned but in very darke and hidden resemblances But our Saviour did openly proclayme it specially after his resurrection commanding his Apostles to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost as three persons equall in all things and one in name that is in povver auctoritie and essence wherin we have cause to admire and adore the force of the light of the holy Ghospell by which our Saviour intending to abolish the beleefe and worship of many Gods brought in by the craft of the divel working vpon mens corrupt affections and desires established the beleefe of one true God yet so that they should beleeve in that one essence three persons equall to one another though vnder Appellations which according to our meane expression might signifie inequalitie it being impossible for vs to conceive the divinitie cleerely as it is â—ayth therfore must supply that which reason cannot comprehend and with reverence submit to what our vnderstanding cannot reach Adoring equally in three and one the Omnipotencie Eternitie infinite knowledge and goodnes and all Perfection the Immensitie the Immutabilitie the Beautie the sanctitie of God contayning all and more then we can imagin by the help or comparison of all creatures and all most perfectly and with out multiplicitie in one II. Adore the Father as the incomprehensible source of the divinitie with out beginning and of all things created in time when he thought fit to give them a beginning Adore the Sonne who being equall to the Father vouchsafed for our sakes to take vpon him our humane nature to instruct vs by word and example and by his sacred blood shed vpon the crosse to wash avvay our synns and open vs avvay to the eternall inioying of God by perseverance in his commandments Adore the Holy Ghost as the mutuall and recipâ—ocall love of the Father and Sonne the Auctour of our love tovvards God the cause of our adoption by his grace infused and by himself inhabiting in our soules the spirit of truth which leadeth vs into all truth and by his heavenly lights disperseth the clouds of darknes and facilitates our way to heaven by his heavenly vnction III. Adore all three in one one in nature one by consent one in operation Begge of him that we may be one with him by submission to him and to his blessed will one by constant fayth one by never decaying love one by operation esteeming ourselves in all our woâ—ks as instruments of his divine pâ—wre and goodnes and so disposing ourselves in thought and action that we may not differ from him in the least which he of his goodnes grant Amen The obligation which we haveto love God I. PART I. SO soone as Moyses had declared to the people of â—srael that God was one he instantly inferres the commandment of loving him Heare Israel our Lord God is one Lord. Thou shalt love thy Lord God wiâ—h thy whole hart c. And our Saviour in his answer to the lawyer tells vs it is the greâ—test and the first commandement and with reason ought we to think so and accordingly apply ourselves to love him For as we were worse then beasts if we did not love those who are beneficiall to vs much more if welove not God from whom we have absolutely all that we have The law therfore of nature doth impose this vpon vs so soone as we come into the world vpon which account S. Thomas and other divincâ— doe hold it a greate offense if so soone as we come to the vse of reason in our Childhood we doe not turne ouâ—â—arts to God with loving acknowledgment that he is ouâ— creatour and Lord. And the holy Text infinuates as much presently after the commandment saying And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy hart and â—hoâ— shalt 〈◊〉 them thy Children to wit that they may knovv thier duty in time II. It is also the first commandment in dignitie and excellency for it hath the highest obiect that can be to wit God and the noblest way of service to wit for love not for feare of punishment oâ— hope of reward but riseth vpon consideration of his greate excellencie With in himself and greate goodnes tovvards vs. And besides it gives vs the greatest excellency that we can attayne vnto in this world and prepareth farre greater in the world to come for as by loving base things we become base and contemptible so by loving God and other things as they belong to God we become â—onoâ—rable in the â—ight of God and men and there can be no greater honour and excellency imagined then that to which those have risen who have loved God in perfection Iâ—I It was like wise first in the intention of the lavvgiveâ—s all other commands and directions and indeed all the works and wonders of God which he hath shevved vs tending finally and properly to this that in thought word and deed we should expresse our love to him for how could any thing subsist if it had not been thy will or been preserved if not called by thee Thou sparest all because they are thyne â—o Lord who lovest soules As he therfore did and doth all things out of love so is it expected from vs that all should proceed from love and further more as in the naturall love of one an other we must not only not shew aversion from the thing which our srend doth not synfully love but even observe his wayes of proceeding much more ought we to love that which God loves and commands because we love him and he loves vs for which reason the Apostle sayth The fullnes of the law is love even of our neighbour because we love him for God IV. It is the greatest command because most necessarie of all other precepts as with out which no other iâ— thoroughly avaylable or â—â—â—ly commendable Foâ— the feare of God is but an introduction to love and some way or other must be perfected into some degree of love els it will fall of the effect we desire and how many things doth the Apostle reckon which are nothing with our Charitie If I have the tongues of Angels if Prophecie if Fayth if knowledge if I give my goods to the poore if my body to the fire and have not Charitie it avayleth me nothing On the other side it doth set an inestimable price vpon the least of our actions when ever they are done for the love of God so that with out it all with it nothing is lost V.
Finally it is greatest because it is the most lasting and worketh greatest and most lasting effects Charite never fayleth Faith instructs hope rayseth our mind to heâ—venly things Charitie vnites vs to God and makes vs one spirit with him And as in nature so in grace love breakes through all difficulties and accordingly we may see the efficacy of it in the Apostles and Apostolicall men in the Martyrs and Confessours Eâ—emites and Virgins by things done and suffered beyond all compasse of other consideration then of love Our Obligation to love God II. PART I. VVE may love those things which we have nor seen with our eyes we cannot love that which doe not some way know we know God by Fayth by discourse or contemplation and by fruition or injoying him The readyest and easyest way is by Faith as we may discover by the difficultie which the greatest wits of the world anciently had with out Fayth to know there was a God one eternall Omnipotent all seeing all disposing Therfore we must both thank God for the light of Faith and often exercise acts therof submitting all contrarie suggestions vnto it This kind of knowledge was delivered first from hand to hand by our forefathers to thier Children successively then renewed in the old law by God appearing pearing to Moyses and the children of Israël lastly by the sonne of God himself our Saviour coming into this worldâ—â— confirming by signes and miracles both the being of one God and that himself was sent to establish his law in the harts of men and to vnfold and perfect all that which formerly was delivered and practised in figure of what was to come The record wherof is holy Scripture and Tradition both which concurring are a proofe so invincible that vnder heaven there is not any more forcible II. We may confirme this knowledge by discourse and contemplation as for example finding nothing to be in this world which hath not some cause or many causes concurring to its being we begin to think there can be nothing which hath not some cause wherby it begins and yet in all absolutely it cannot be so and consequently there must be a first cause caused by nothing els and that is God Then the order and government of the world and seasons of the yeare shewes there is some greate thing that governeth it as order among men cannot be without a directour and the like We must not think notwithstanding that we can comprehend his Essence or his attributes which are in him one single Essence but by admiring them and adoring them and acknowledging our owne weakenes to decipher them we shall come to vnderstand more of him for if we know allmost nothing of these inferiour things but the outward appearance of them and cannot dive into the substance and essence of them though we see them and touch them how shall we be able to comprehend the least attribute of God in whom nothing is not infiniâ—e III. Perfect inioying of God is not the state of this life neither can any creature even in any life come vnto it but by the speciall grace of God vouchsafing to communicate himself yet in some measure through his graceâ—â— we may even in this life inioy him and so increase also in his knowledge by beleeving him to be as he is allwayes present with vs and that there is not a place or creature in which he is not giving it life and motion and subsistence and consequently loving him for this continual and loving assistance and ioying in it for as by continual conversation with men we come to knovv them so God is also knowne by looking vpon him and because all that is in him or proceeds from him is good there cannot but be insinite cause of loving him with out any cause at all of distast which can hardly ever be among men Blessing him therfore exalt him so much as you can for he is greater then all prayse Exalting him put forth all your strength be not wearied for you shall not comprehend him Our obligation to love God III. PART I. THou shalt love thy lord God By how many titles is he Lord First he is God 2 Creatour 3. Conserver 4. Prince over all the kings of the earth 5. Redeemer 6. Sanctifyer 7. Judge 8. Rewarder And even those qualities which naturally are awefull are not in him without motives of love for though he be judge he is also our Advocate and our Father and though he be so greate a Prince he haâ—h particular care of vs all and doth nothing injustly III. How many wayes is he thyne As Creatour and Conserver and Prince he gives himself in all creatures which are all for our vse and in them and with them he is continually serving vs. As Redeemer and Sanctifyer he gives vs againe himself and as the Apostle argues He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him for vs all how hath he not also given us all with him Finally as Rewarder he gives himself eternally and in so compleat a manner that nothing can be mote desired III. What is there in the world among the things which either we accouâ—t or desire to be ours which are more ours or more to be desired then God Honour Pleasure Wealth Quiet Power Frends in the world are all short superficiall transitorie short because they satisfie but part of our desire superficiall because they are â—ore outward then inward 〈◊〉 our mind transitorie because soone lost and oftimes so soone as we think we have them All things which are desired cannot come in comparison sayth the VViseman If all things fall short certaynly every thing in particular is much shorter and who in the world hath all but he that loveth God who is all in all And againe if honour be to be desired the greater honour is more to be desired and so of wealth and pleasure which greatnes nothing vnder God can clayme IV. As therfore by naturall obligation be thou also by thy owne choyce wholy his acknowledging thy subjection to him and doing him due homage by observing all his commands and follovving his counsels and flying all things which may breed a distance Let thy tongue attend vpon his prayses thy eares harked vnto his inspirations thy eyes behold his wonderous works thy feete be ready to go vpon his errands thy hands to labour in his affayres and thy hart be wholy his c. Our Obligation to love God IV. PART I. THou shalt love thy Lord thy God with thy whole hart when he sayth with thy whole hart he leaveth no part of thy life vacant no place to be given to any other love Secondly love him with thy whole hart that is with much heate and affection not coldly and remisly Thirdly with thy whole hart that is solidly constantly vndantedly not giving way to whatever opposeth and bearing whatever crosseth and going through whatever concerneth the divine love Fourthly with thy whole hart
to be subiect to thee the greatest charitie is to conforme myself to thy holy disposall I yeald myself therfore wholy and freely to thee for I will be no more myne owne but thine III. But this in love and â—inceritie I must make bold to tell thee that the lesser my abilitie is or my vertue thyne must be the greater care for I account myself to be but thy instrument in what soever good worke thou art the directour thou art the workman I am as it were the Playne or chisill in thy All-skisfull hand Jf therfore I be blunt or crooked the more is thy payne the more is thy care I in so good a hand cannot but doe well only give me grace not to shrinke out of thy hand but to remayne as thou hast made me for the very remayning will better me the very benefit of thy vsing me in thy service will give me new servour and set a sharper edge on my decayed desires IV. To thee a greate deale more then to me it appertayneth that thy businesse be well done Watch therfore and be carefull and vse me as thou pleasest I know thou doest not vse me because thou needest me but only of thy infinite goodnes for thy glorie and my good as therfore thou art carefull of thy glorie and desirous of my good so carefull art thou and so desirous of my faithfull discharge The tenth Paragraphe I. VVHat more to say I know not not because there is not infinitely more to be sayed of thy infinite goodnes and of my wants but because I know not where well to beginne or when I should end if I should enter any further I feele besids that all finally must be resolved in this that thou must help me thou must instruct me thou must guide me thou must strenghthen me thou must be All in all and I suffer myself in thy hand to be dealt with as thou pleasest I see not what I need greately say more but yeald myself ioyfully to thy disposition and dayly purpose and indeavour by thy grace not to hinder thy worke and seeke to redresse what I may find doth disturbe it II. But alas whether shall I go to seeke Here againe I enter into an other wood and how shall I get out of so many busshes such thorny briars and deep-rooted brambies as I find in my soule well may I be pricked among them with sorrow and griefe well may my soule be rent with affliction but to pull them all away and give thee free passage how shall I doe it It is possible to thee to whom nothing is impossible but for me iâ— is wholy and absolutely impossible III Yet why doe I say it is absolutely impossible I remember a greate servant of thyne was wont to say that if we did but in a whole yeare roote out one only vice we should be quickly perfect O infinite goodnes hast thou so greate patience or is it possible to be so Iâ— is doubtlesse for thou leavest not thy frends to be so fouly deceived as they should be if it were not so Therfore seeing it is so I dare be a little more bold and offer vnto thee my indeavour not every yeare alone but everie month oâ— two to doe the best I can to roote out some one thing that I may find to be a hinderance to thee In which I have this comfort that fighting against one â— I shall certainly together with that one pull vp manie more besids because when I pull at one principall one I shall shake the roots of all that be about it and dependant of it and plucking it out I shall pull the rest with it IV. And not so must Iayme at one but that of all I must have a speciall care O infinite care No I presume if I can sometimes in the day amidest all my trobles recall my mind to thee it will be sufficient thy grace will be ready when at other times busines will not leâ— me be so attentive to thee if when I can I be carefull to accustome myself to think of thee Yet more trust I in thy infinite goodnes that though sometimes I should be so carelesse as not to think vpon thee when there is occasion yet if I be carefull to enter into myself and acknowledge and iudge my offenses though it were but once in a day and bewayle them in thy sight in my secretretirement with purpose of amendment and humble confideÌ„ce in thy grace â— trust I say in thy infinite goodnes thou wilt perdon me for the present and give me plentie of thy grace to be more watchfull over myself an other day and more mindfull of thee my God ever after The eleventh Paragraphe I. BEhold o my love how bold I am with thee how farre I have stretched and strayned thy love thy infinite goodnes Beginning with sorrow that I was not wholy with thee and ending with care that I be not wholy from thee O Creature that I am what can I say other but that it is the propertie of all creatures in this changeable world to be thus subject to change Thoâ— knowest it better then I myself that feele it and smart dayly for it And therfore thou hast patience with me greater then I can many times find in my hart to have with myself and yet alas I have too too much patience or rather Indulgence when I see and say nothing and let myself go so farre that where to find myself I cannoâ— oftimes tell but only that I am sure I am too too farre from thee II. O my God my love Behold I come againe and desire to draw as neere thee now as I was farre gone before I am bold to say so I am bold to doe so because of thy infinite and ever permanent love which cannot be overcome with ten thousand times ten thousand changes of myne in this kind thou lovest me though I leave thee that I may returne vnto thee Thou lovest me when I approch vnto thee that I may be ever more inward with thee love me now for ever that I may ever stay with thee for this is my only desire never more to part from thee III. To this purpose I give myself wholy vnto thee now and for ever This gift of myne I dayly intend to renew till that everlasting day comes when there will be no more renewing because transformed into thee we shall be allwayes new and ever permanently conjoyned in love with thee without decay which that it may quicly be I humbly beseech thee my God my love Amen The twelfe Paragraphe I. O happy day when shall I see thee O everlasting day when shall I injoy thee Too too long be these short and ever decaying dayes the evens of that one day which never fayleth when will they passe Too too many be these changing dayes the fore-running nights of that which never changeth when will they be at an end O end The breake of that
6. Intertaynment of our Saviour as he is a spirituall banket I. MEate and drink is for necessarie sustenance a banket is moreover for pleasure and contentment not only of the taste but generally all other delights concurre in it Now if the wiseman â—ould say of the Manna in the old law that it had in it all delight and the siveetnes of every thing that we taste doubtlesse if we apply ourselves vnto it we shall find also in this heavenly Sacrament where of that was a figure all sort of spirituall delights And first occurs the exquisitenes of the food it being the bread of Angels and senâ— vs downe as farre as from heaven prepared to our hand without other labour on our part then as in all bankers to dresse ourselves handsomly that we be not found to appeare at so greate a table and in such companie without our nupâ—iall or wedding gaâ—â—ent that is without Charitie the love of God and our neighbour or puritie of hart from mortall breach of his commandments though we be otherwise poore and lame and weake he doth not disdayne our companie but gives vs a most harty welcome Come vnto me all yee that labour and to whom it is paynefull to serve me and are burdened with evill customes and passions and I will refresh you O sweete and frendly word in the eare of a syâ—â—er that thou my Lord God doest invite this poore and needy Creature to the feeding vpon thy sacred body The heavens are not pure enough and thou sayest come vnto me all II. Besides this exquisitenes of the food and companie and harty welcome if we attend we may find that which will please the eye of our soule very much to wit the death and passion of our blessed Saviour to put vs in mind VVherof this holy Sacrament and sacrifice is instituted and as it were to Act it before vs. And what can be more comfortable to a synner then to see before his eyes the price of his redemption layed downe to receive into his breast the forgiver of his synnes the sacred body and blood by which they are more and more dayly washed away If we doe vnderstand what synne is and how much it doth import vs to be cleare of it we cannot but take greate contentment thus to receive our Saviour the lamb of God who taketh away the synns of the world Reioyce ô my soule and give thanks to God for so noble a gift and such singular comfort left thee in this vale of teares for as often as thou recordest this mysteric and receivest the body of Christ so oft doest thou work the work of thy redemption and art made partaker of all the merits of Christ. Thom. à Kemp. l. 4. c. 2. n. 6. III. As to our tast and other senses if we consider the refreshment which we receive by this holy Sacrament we shall find that the effect of it is to cure the palaâ—e of our soule to take away our false appetites which egge vs to feed vpon things that are hurtefull and poysonsome to breed satisfaction and contentment in our devotions and spirituall exercises and a right temper of body and â—oule in which our health doth consiste By often receiving devoutly we shall come not to thirst so much after vanities nor to be altered vpon every suggesâ—ion or temptation as being strengthened with this fruite of the Tree of life And as by the practise of vertue we shall find the sweetnes of it so the same sweetnes will diffuse itself to others by good example and the house will befilled with the odour of the oyntment that is we ourselves and others will be pleased with it O admirable aÌ„d hidden grace of the Sacrament which is knowne only to Christs faythfull people In this Sacrament spirituall grace is given the strength of our soule is repayred the beauty therof lost by synne is restored The grace is sometimes so greate that from the fullnes of devotion â—ot the mind only but our weake body also doth feelâ— more strength bestowed vpon it Thomas à Kempis lib. 4. cap. 1. num 11. IV. VVho could by contemplation rayse vp his soule so high would not fayle to heare the musick also of the Angels singing glorie to God in this blessed mysterie for that the Angels doe assist in multitudes both at the consecration and receiving there is no doubt Holy Fathers confessing it and many visions confirming it and seeing in his life time in the desert after his tempâ—ation they came and ministred to him now in glorie they certaynly never leave him and attending him they cease not to sing his prayses and also thy happines who hast the favour to intertayne so greate a Lord to lodge so greate a Guest to have so pleasant a companion so faythfull a frend so noble and so beautifull a spouse ô happy soule which hast been made worthy devoutly to receive him and receiving to be replenished with spirituall ioy Thom à Kemp. l. 4. c. 3. n. 4. Intertaynment of our Saviour with the blessed Virgen and S. Ioseph I. THe time which our Saviour lived with our blessed Lady and S. Ioseph may be distinguished into three parts the time of his Childhood the time of his youth till mans estate and the time after of his preaching In the time of his infancie and Childhood though he were in most things like other children yet some rayes of his divinitie at times appearing did not fayle to put them in mind that he was more then a Child he carying himself with more discretion and more pliablenes then vsually infants and Children doe never froward never vntoward modest in his sports moderate in his desires so that besides the naturall love which parents have to thier little babes they had a particular sweetnes and contentment in that he was such a babe so qualifyed above all others and accordingly when they beheld him or tooke him into thier armes or provided necessaries for him they did it not only with extraordinarie love but with loving reverence and respect thier minds being elevated to a higher pitch by the continuance of his divine comportment and never having any the least cause of distaste by him This is he whom we receive into our breasts and as so qualified he doth commend himself vnto vs he having as it were lessened himself into this forme to the end we should take him between our aâ—mes and imbrace him and reverently kisse his feeâ—e and hands assuming the affections of father and mother so farre as to expâ—â—sse the â—tmost of our tender love towards him in regard that for vs he would become an infant first and then in this blessed Sacrament be as tractable to vs as a little infant in whom is all that a fatherly or motherly hart can desiâ—e II. VVhen his Child-hood was past we cannot but think they tooke so much the more soqâ—d comfort in him by how much they observed in all his
the Messias who would instruct her in all those high matters whervpon our Saviour differred her no longer but told her he was the Messias expected which she instantly proclaymed with greaâ—e ioy through the whole citty from whence she came and he was received in it with much satisfaction O powerfull word I am he who speakes with thee It is the Saviour of the world who doth thus familiarly impart himself vnto vs. Too greate a person to be put in balance with whatever thing created and his blessed presence too greate a favour that any thing should be admitted to stand in competencie with it Come and sâ—â— the man who is able to satisfy you in all your doubts and from whome you shall receive all goodnes take these things into your consideration that you may inioy the living waters which he promiseth and in which you will find eternall comforâ— V. His disciples returning from the toâ—ne with provision wondered to find him talking with the woman but 〈◊〉 more when inviting him to take his refection vpoâ— what they brought he answered that he had other meatâ— to feed on which they knew not and to take away thier â—ondering he declared himself that his food was to doâ— the will of his father and wheras it was then neere harvest time his harvest was the good of soules in all things indeavouring to rayse our thoughts from these temporall things to that which doth infinitely more import vs to wit our spirituall food and the harvest of which we arâ— to make ouâ— eternall living for which end he would remaine with vs continually vnder the shapes of bread and wine that as we cannot forget nor forgo for any thing our corporall food so we should be as mind full at leas of our spirituall food and sustenance and not neglect it or differâ—e it long for any temporall occasion whatsoever O Lord my God prevent mâ— with the sweetnes of thy blessings that I may devoutly and worthily approch to thy Sacrament stirre vp my hart towards thee and â—ake away the heavy dullnes â—hich possesseâ—h me Tho◠〈◊〉 Kemp. lib. 4. c. 4. Intertaynment of our Saviour with the penitent Magdalen I. S. Mariâ— Magdalen is set before vs as a patterne of the best love after harty repentance for our synns her teares bearing testimonie of her sorâ—ow her incessant kissing of our Saviours feete witneâ—â—ing her love and her annointing them her desire of making satisfaction to her power which three though at all times it behoveth vs to practice yet chiefly in order to the holy table of our Lord before and after receiving him wich might be the cause among others why he ordered her conveâ—sion to happen while he was sitting at board with the Pharisee whose invitation he accepted the rather because as in the Samaritan he had other food to feede on then was outwardly set before him and accordingly he wished him to take notice of what this woman was then doing to receive instruction how it had beeâ—â—itting for him to have behaved himself towards our Saviour in his receptiopn by discoverie of his errours comâ—itted in it II. The paâ—able which our Saviour vsed to the Phaâ—isee of two debters wherof one owed a greate summe of money the other a lesse and were both forgiven may serve vs for the first document and â—each vs that we are all debters to our Saviour more or lesse and that he that â—hall think himself lesse debter then another shall runne greate hazared to be grossely mistaken as we find this Pharisee was and that other who comparing himself with the Publican however in his owne eyes he thought he deserved better was found in the eyes of God to be farre behind Let every one therfore retire himself into the closet of his hart and looke over his obligations new and old he will not find them all cancelled if those for which he was eternally to lye in chaynes have been delivered vs vpon repentance and promise of amendment as to the servant that fell at his Masters feete and craved his patience let vs looke whether the obligation which we have to our Neighbour to deale by him as God hath dealt by vs be dischaâ—ged And if we fiâ—d no greate summes of this nature owing yet besides infinitâ— little debts which we dayly incurre we have the greate debt of his patient forbearance still lying vpon vs and of his more then patient love out of which he hath not been overcome with our often offenses but still favored vs with his graces in regard of all which we must prostrate ourselves with the Magdalen at our Saviours feete with teares acknowledging our Arriers More in numberâ— then the hayres of our head and poure them out largely as water confessing that all we can doe is not sufficient to discharge even this new obligation of his gracious admitting vs poore synners to his table What doth this pious condescendencie meane and this frendly invitation How shall I dare to approch who have nothing good wheron to presume Th. a Kempis lib. 4. c. 1. n. 3. III. But â—o draw so neere as we can to our discharge we must chiefly in this occasion practise acts of love which is two fold towaâ—ds God fignifyed by her incessant kisses and towards our Neighbour signifyed by the oyntment bestowed vpon our Saviours feete These two are the fullfilling of the law and in these two consisteth our Plenarie Indulgence and remissâ—â—â— for having received â—bsolution of all greate offenses which we could remember in the Sacrament of confession in this are forgiven more fully those which we could not remember and what other veniall synns we may have committed since confession being sory for them with purpose â—o amend and by acts of love and true contrition which are proper to this Sacrament of love much of the payne due to synne is â—eleased and the more the more we love as our Saviour sayed in conclusion of this blessed saint Many syns are forgiven her because she loved much he that finds lesse forgiven him it is signe he loved lesse And of that love which we owe our Neighbour the holy Ghost telleth vs that almes giving or works of mercy deliver from all synne and from death and will not suffer a soule to goe into darkenâ—sse Lord what is my confidence in this life or what greater comfort among all things vnder heaven is it not thou my Lord God IV. The Magdalen vnderstood her vnworthynes yet did not forbeare to approch to our Saviour but knowing the greatenes of her disease she came with humilitie to the Physitian whom she found able and willing to cure her she placed herself behind 〈◊〉 his feete shame commanding her to be bashfull love drawing her on to a reverent confidence she began with teares but never ceased to kisse his feete for whoever hath least cause to weepe hath most cause to love his synns being either forgiven him or prevented She considered what
with as much love and confidence say vnto him Lord it is good for vs to be here and insteed of the tabernacles of Moyses and Elias make vse of the figures of the old testament which represented this blessed mysterie as the Sacrifices of Abel and Abraham here accomplished and the Manna outgone by many degrees and the Paschal lambe and the bread of proposition and the dayly Sacrifices and what ever elâ— is recorded in all the ceremonialls with all the prophecies and consider how much the person of our Saviour and the manner of his being present with vs and the inrent and effect of this my sterie doth exceed all that is gone before and taking vp thy rest in the tabernacle of thy hart with our Saviour say often to him how amiable are thy tabernacles o Lord of hosts My soule longeth and languisheth after the cours of my Lord my hart and my flesh have exvlted in my living God c. II. S. Paul had a desire to be dissolved that is even to dye that he might be with Christ esteeming better then life or any thig that that this life can affoard that was a desire of seeing him in an other world yet if we did conceive things in thier right value we should in reason with as much fervour lay aside all worldly busines to be with Christ in this blessed action at convenient times saying with the same Apostostle To me to live is Christ and to die is gayne that is Christ is my life and though I forsake all the world to be with him I shall be a gayner by iâ— Who therfore shall sever vs from the Charitie or love of Christ. Tribulation Or distresse or famine Or nakâ—dnes Or danger Or persecution Or the sword I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers neither things present nor things to come nor might nor heigth nor deapth nor other creature shall be able to separate c. I desire to be dissolved from this mortall body that I may see thee face but seeing it is thy pleasure that I only injoy thy in this covert manner I willingly forgo all worldly content all companie all pastime or intertaynment to be with thee for thou art my God and all things III. S. Andrew with another seeing our Saviour once passe alone by him and hearing S. Jhon Baptist whose disciple then he was say Behold the lambe of God accosted our Saviour and asked him Master where dwellest thou And he sayed come and see they came and saw where he abided and taried with him that day VVhat can be more beseeming thee in this blessed action then even out of compassion to aske our Saviour where he dwelleth here below seeing his glorious habitation is so adorable in heaven VVhat are our Churches be they never so sumptious And how many of them are more like stables then Churches And what is thy breast Come neere and home to thyself and see where and how thou intertaynest him and how long thou vsest to stay with him S. James and S. Ihon vpon occasion that the Samaritans once did with discurtesie refuse to give passage to our Saviour through thier citty would have commanded fire from heaven vpon them which zeale though our Saviour repâ—ehended as vnreasonable yet it behoveth vs to reflect how deepely we are apt to take an indignitie offered where ourselves are concerned and how slight oftimes we make of this so greate a curtesie of our Saviour though it wholy concerne vs and againe how that really that punishment was not exorbitant considering the person contumeliously rejected and yet how little oftimes we value him IV. Finally therfore joyne with S. Ihon who deserved the name of the beloved disciple and seeing our Saviour is pleased to remayne in thy breast as he gave vpon his a resting place to S. Ihon be not backward nor streight laced in point of love but as the favour is greater so to thy abilitie straine thyâ—elf to greater love give him his full rest in thy soule doe not disquiet him with vâ—â— quiet thoughts words or deeds Begge of him that he will stay with thee even beyond the time limited by the species say with the two disciples Mane nobiscum Domine quoniam advesperascit And with the devout Thomas a Kempis VVould to God that thou wouldest totally inflame me by thy presence stretch forth thy hand with S. Thomas and touch his sacred syde and hands and frete and kissing them say My Lord and my God Intertaynments of our Saviour with the Angels and Saints I. VVHile the Apostles at our Saviours Ascension were looking towards heaven after him two Angels appearing sayed what stand you looking into heavon This Iesus who is taken vp from you into heaven shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven And really if we should consider only the worth and dignitie of his person it were but fitting he should in all occasions appeare in so much and much greater glorie but stooping to our weaknes and to our commoditie behold how he cometh not clad with glorie but clouded vnder the shapes of bread and wine yet this is the same Iesus who then taken vp into heaven sitteth at the right hand of his heavenly Father in glorie Stand therfore and looke earnestly into this heavenly mysterie Admire and love his goodnes once he will come to judge but to doe mercy vpon vs to increase his graces to bestow himself in so frendly a manner he comes millions and milleons of times and will continue so till the end of the world This is Iesus this is my Saviour my Redeemer my all things O that I could say he shall never be taken from me Come sweet Jesus and come so that I may ever inioy thee Amen II. His taking vp into heaven betokeneth not any need that he had of assistance for he ascended of himself but the reception or intertaynment which the Angels and Saints gave him at his ascension all the nine quiers ranking themselves in order from the highest to the lowest heaven and taking him in the midst of them singing prayses of his divinity and humanitie and of the wonderous things which he had done and suffered for mankinde and rejoycing at his exaltation even above themselves the Cherubims not daring to stretch thier wings over his head as anciently over the Arke and the Seraphins hiding thier faces in reverence of the splendour of his glorious countenance the Thrones and Dominations and Principalities proftrating themselves vnto him as king of kings and Lord of Lords and the rest of the heavenly court doing homage every one in his degree VVhy stand we looking only vpon him And not industriating ourselves to doe him with the holy Angels all the honour and homage thar lyeth in our powre or perhaps doe not so much as looke after him but let our thoughts aÌ„d feete waÌ„der instantly after other
with so contemptible a weapon he was able alone to doe such execution vpon such a multitutâ— S. Hierome deservingly accounting it as greate a miracle as any other done by him we have reason to dread and to beware least through our misdemeanours his heavy hand doth not at last light vpon vs. Wealth will not avayle in the day of revenge but iustice will free vs from death III. The Iewes sayed to him what signe doest thou shew vs that thou doest those things Iesus answered disâ—olve this Temple and in three dayes I will rayse it againe the Iewes sayed in six and fourtie yeares was this Temple buylt and wilt thou rayse it in three dayes But he spake of the Temple of his body It was true of both the one and the other he had been able to have raysed in three dayes the materiall Temple if it had been demclished and he would insinuate that the Temple and all that which was done in it was but a figure of his body and of the humane nature which he had assumed to accomplish those figures in it so sayth S. Ambrose The body of Christ is truly the Temple of God wherin is wrought the purgation of our synnes that flesh was truly Gods Temple in which there could be no conâ—agion of synne but was itself the sacrifice for the synnes of the whole world that flesh was truly the Temple of God in which the image of God did shine and the fullnes of divinitie did corporally dwell The Iewes required a signe of his commission to vndertake such greaâ—e things as if that very Action had not been signe sufficient Yet our Saviour did not deny them a signe but referred them to that which had been figured in Ionas of him and prophecyed that is to vse thier owne Industrie and the ordinarie means of vnderstanding the mysteries so faire as is necessarie and not to be still asking new signes and still remaine vnsatisfyed because things were not according to thier fancy He instructs Nicodemus I. THere was of the Pharisees a man called Nicodemus a Prime man among the Iewes This man came to Iesus by night and sayed Rabbi we know thou art a Master come from God For no man can doe these signes which thou doest vnlesse God be with him He came by night held back as yet by the infirmitie of his profession as S. Ihon Chrysostome reflects and loved God but by halfes the other halfe the world had still in possession And by his speech it appeares he did not beleeve as yet that our Saviour was God but some speciall teacher or prophet sent from God testifying his mission by those signes Our Saviour finding that he retayned too much of the Pharisaicall spirit told him three things very strange and wholy contrarie to his and the worlds apprehension and humour for first he sayed Amen Amen that is in every truth I say vnto thee vnlesse a man be born againe he cannot see the kingdome of heaven as if he would have sayed you talk to me of greatnes but I say you must all become little and begin of new and take new wayes if you will enter the kingdome of God and when Nicodemus asked how can these things be done how can a man be born when he is old Our Savior repeated the same againe and told him moreover that now he must withdraw his thoughts from materiall and wonted obiects and things concerning this corporall life and think of a spirituall life the beginning and entrance wherof is baptisme and so to be born of water and the spirit was necessarie towards it This to naturall reason and common apprehension seemes strange and to some perhaps impertinent But no man hath ascended into heaven to know the secrets of Gods eternall disposition but he who descended from heaven the sonne of man who is in heaven To him the greatest Clarks must stoope and humbly receive from this greate Master that to which by strength of wit and industrie they cannot reach And to our dayly purpose besides the thanks which we owe to God for the benefit of baptisme and of faith S. Augustin puts vs in mind dayly to renew ourselves for sayth he wherfore should a body be borne againe but to the end to be renewed And wherfore should he be renewed but for that he is become old II. The second strange thing was that wheras Moyses had set vp a brasen serpeÌ„t in the desert to the end that they who were bitten by serpents should be cured by casting thier eyes vpon that figure so sayth our Saviour must the sonne of man be exalted that every one that beleeveth in him may not perish but have life everlasting as if he had sayed this very man whom thou doest so much reverence as a man of God must be exalted vpon the Crosse and die a shamefull death and vnlesse people doe notwithstanding beleeve in him aÌ„d follow him they cannot have life everlasting His person will be hated among you as much as those serpâ—nts of the desert yet you must fix your eyes of faith vpon him or ells you will perish As Moyses by Gods appointement placed that serpent for a corporall reliefe of those who were stroken by the same Gods appointment shall I be placed vpon a Crosse for the cure of those who have fallen into spirituall serpents jawes by synne III. And yet a stranger thing I doe tell thee God so loved the world as to give his only Sonne to be so misvsed and so tormented to the end that every one that beleeveth in him perish not but have life everlasting Thou takest me to be man only as other men and doest wonder that I so much favoured by God should come to suffer as I tell thee But the love of God is greater then to content himself to imploy a man only I am not man only but the only Sonne of God and yet I am to suffer as I sayed for mankind O strange thing o infinite love Tell vs ô blessed Ihon what doth this short word so signifie Tell vs the measure declare the greatnes teach vs the excellencie of this love God so loved ô love incomprehensible by man or Angel So that none can comprehend the reason of it why so why not otherwise O deapth vnsearcheable renew thy love dayly testifie it by thy actions declare it by thy conformitie to him in beleefe and life serve him night and day in publike and in private let no part of thee be wanting to this love that thou may not perish but live and love eternally Amen The Conversion of the Samaritan I. IEfus cometh to a citty of Samaria called Sicar and there was a fountaine or well of Iacobs Iesus therfore wearied of his journey sat so vpon the fountaine it was about the sixt houre There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water Iesus sayth to her give me to drink His disciples were gone into the citty to buy
III. And here most of all must we take our Saviour as he is and as he is pleased to present himself vnto vs vnder the shapes of bread and wine and whatever wind of contradiction rise from our sense or from our weake ynderstanding say vnto it Peace be still and beleeve the power of the mighty hand of God who wiâ—h a word made all things and the infinity of his love who as he gave himself to be rudely handled by the Iewes gives himself here to be lovingly handled by vs vnworthy creatures not valuing that he is sometimes also misused by vs wherin his love is the more manifest and more to be valued by vs. Present him thy hart and soule as a pillow to rest on and attend him resting Afford him the curtesie which the spouse in the canticles received doe not rayse him nor cause him to awake till he wilâ— himself He sleepes but his hart watcheth over thee Let not thy eyes go of from him least through thy negligent attendance thou receive not with him the fruite which he bestoweth vpon the watchfull I rose sayth the spouse to open to my beloved I opened the bolt of my doore for my beloved but he was gone a side and passed away my soule was melted when he spake I sought and did not find him I called and he did not answer me Be devour and quiet and Iesus will stay with thee He rayseth the daughter of Iayrus and cureth the woman of her bloody issue I. THere cometh one of the rulers of the Synagog named Iayrus and seeing him faleth at his feete and besought him much saying my daughter is at the point of death come and lay thy hand vpon her that she may be saved and live And he went with him and a greate multitude followed and thronged him In diseases and death of our soule what expressions ought not we to vse These bring vs truly to the last cast for after our temporall death there is another death to be feared farre more grievous because ever and never dying In these occasions therfore bestirre thyself fall at our Saviours feete beseech him follow him thou seest his readynes to concurre with thy indeavours and to go along with thee feare not that the multitude feare not that the greatnes of thy synnes will divert him from thy help if thou prostrate thyself with a syncere hart and beseech pardon as thou oughtest II. And a woman who was in an issue of blood twelve yeares and had suffered much from many physitians and haâ— bestowed all that she had neither was any thing better but rather worse when she heard of Iesus came behind him in the presse and touched the hemme of his garment for she sayed if I shall touch but his garment I shall be safe and forthwith the fountaine of her blood was dryed vp and she felt in her body that she was healed of that maladie Search into the causes of thy long diseases consider how thou spendest thy time and thy spirituall and temporall substance and vpon whome and why thou goest rather backward then forward come with humilitie and confidence to the Sacraments Let the very name of Iesus give the assurance of remedie specially if thou touch with reverence the garment with which he is pleased to cover his sacred body in the holy â—ucharist which are the resemblances of bread and wine in which he gives vs his sacred flesh and blood and doest not come rudely and disorderly vpon him as the multitude for when Christ remaynes in vs he cooleth the raging law of concupiscence he strengthens devotion and quailes the vnbridled motions of our mind And Iesus turning sayed who hath touched my garments His disciples sayed thou seest the multitude thronging thee and sayest who touched me But the woman fearing and â—remkling fell downe before him and told him the truth and he sayed daughter thy faith hath made shee whole go in peace See how he takes notice of the reverent and not of the rude and how greate a grace it was that she who was ashamed to be seen was not ashamed to confesse her imperfections hide not thy falts acknowledge that which he knowes allready III. As he was speaking they come to the ruler of the Synagog saying thy daughter is dead why doest thou troble the Master any further But Iesus sayth to him feare not only beleeve And be admitted not any to follow him but Peeter Iames and Ihon And seeing folk weeping and wayling sayth why weepe you so She is not dead but sleepeth and they derided him but he having put forth all but the Father and Mother and them that were with him taking her by the hand sayth wench I say to thee rise and forthwith she rose vp and walked and they were greatly astonished and he commanded them earnestly that no body should know it and bad that some thing should be given her to â—ate and the fame of it was spread through the whole countrey God so disposing that the more we are carefull that the good which we doe should be secret God should be more glorifyed by it She rose and walked because a sonle raysed from syâ—ne must be stirre itself that it fall not into a relapse but be dispersing noysome thoughts and dispositions by vertuous actions it must also cast of the multitude of worldly occasions and weepe and wayle those losses only which most of all deserve the name of losses converse with a few and good exercise the fayth of Peeter the hope of Iames the love of Ihon finally frequent the Sacraments to the end to get strength and vigour after so dangerous infirmities He cureth the sickman at the Poole I. IN Heerusalem there was a Poole having five porches in these lay a greate multitude of sick persons blind lame withered expecting the stirring of the water and an Angel of out Lord descended at a certaine time into the poole and the water was stirred and he that had gone downe first into the poole after the stirring of the water was made whole of whatever infirmitiâ— he was holden God in all ages and all times even among the faithfull provideth certaine places where constantly miracâ—es are wrought for the increase of the devotion of the faithfull and to confirme thier fayth of the omnipotent power of God who as he created all with a word can in an instant restore all things to thier perfection yet will not doe it with out our particular concurrence and according to the times and wayes which in his wisdome he hath ordayned But for our spirituall diseases he hath left in all places present remedie with out expecting times and seasons for the holy baptisme may in necessitie be administred by any body and for the Sacrament of penance there be in all places those who are appointed nor for one only or for the first or second but for all and the sooner the infirme come vnto it the better
beware of those synnes which we have lately confessed begging assistance to avoyde them Thirdly we must indeavouâ— to increase in the knowledge and love and respect to our Saviour For the man before â—e presented himself this second time knew him not knowing him he proclaymed that it was Iesus who had done that greate miracle vpon him O sweete and mercyfull Iesus how much reverence and thanksgiving with continuall prayse is due vnto thee for the receiving of thy blessed body the dignitie wherof no man is able to explicate The narrow way commanded I. ENter by the narrow gate for broade is the way and large is the gate which leadeth to perditâ—oâ— and many enter by it But narow is the gate and straight is the way which leadeth to life and few there be that find it Blinded by their owne worldly and carnaâ—â— desires which they choose rather to follow and because they are pleasing to sence the way they walke in seemes large and pleasant but in fine it leads them to eternall perdition and they are hardly recoverable in this world when they are once entred because it is harder to leave the wayes of the world when one hath once pleased himself in them then if he never rasted them yet we must not think that the gate aÌ„d way to life of is so narrow as to be allwayes irksome but as S. Gregorie advertizeth The way of God to beginners is narrow to those who are perfect it is broade for the narrowest gate is widened by love and when a man considers that for temporall commodâ—ties forsaken he is to receive eternall ioy he begins to love that which otherwise would afflict him II. Not every one that sayth vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven he shall enter into the kingdome of heaven For what kind of confession is it so to beleeve in God as not to care what he commandeth or how can we say Lord from our hart if we contemne his precepts whome we acknowledge to be our Lord and Master Our hands therfore must go with our mouth and our works according to our belâ—â—fe for otherwise there will be many that will say in the latter day Lord have we not prophecyed in thy name and in thy name cast out divells and wrought many wonderous things and then I will confesse unto them that I never knew them depart from me you that worke iniquitie III. Every one therfore that heareth these my words and doth them shall be likened to a wise man that built his house vpon a rock And the raine fell and the fluds came and the winds blew and they beate against that house and it fell not for it was built vpon a rock And every one that heareth these my words and doth them not shall be like a foolish man that built his house vpon the sand and the rayne fell and the flouds came and the wind blew and they beate against that house and it fell and the fall therof was great The Rock on which we must build is our Saviour whose only merits doe vphold vs for of outselves we can doe nothing nor pretend any thing in the sight of God towards eternall life His doctrine is the ground of our faith His life is the sampler according to which we must frame ours to the end to be accepted at the later day and to be able in the meane time to withstand al our Ghostly enimies S. Ihon Chrysostome tells vs more over that a strong resolution to go forward in Gods service is the rock on which vnder our Saviour we must build our spirituall building For the other building sayth he was easyly overâ—â—rowne not by the violence of the Temptatations for so the first also might have fallen but by reason of the weakenes of the foundation that is of our resolution Temptation is not the cause of our fall but the vnconstantie of our mind and our want of courage by which oftimes even without any temptation we come to be overthrowne for sand of itself doth yeald but a diamond resisteth the force of the hammer Our Saviour cureth the servant of the Câ—nturion I. ANd he entred Capharnaum and the servant of a certaine Centurion being sicke was ready to dye who was deare vnto him and when he had heard of Iesus he sent vnto him the Ancients of the Iewes desiriug him to come and heale his servant They being come to Iesus besought him earnestly saying he is worthy that thou shouldst doe this for him for he loveth our nation and hath buylâ— a synagog for vs and Iesus went with them The Centurion went not to our Saviour in peâ—son with the strength of faith he went vnto him an Alien by birth by faith pertayning to his household And wheras others had recourse vnto him for divers infirmities this man alone intercedeth for his servant saying within himself this is my servant and I am servant to my Creatour if I doe not take pitty of my servant how shall I expect that my my Creatour will have mercy on me II. And when he was not farre from the house the Centurion sent his frends to him saying Lord troble not thyself for I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter vnder my roofe for the which cause neiâ—her did I think myself worthy to come vnto thee but only say the word and my servant shall be cured For I also am a man subiect to authoritie having solders vnder me And I say to this go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my servant doe this and he doth it Beleeving and professing that as he being in command though a subiect had his servants and soldiers obedient vnto him much more our Saviour being Lord of the whole world could coÌ„mand any creature and it would obey without resistance Be ashamed at thy stownes in doing his commands whome sunne and moone and starres earth and heaven doe obey upon his word He beleeved also that it was not necessarie that our Saviour should so much as see the sick person but that whatever disease he had it would leave him upon his command wherfore though he received him not under his roofe he had him in his harâ— so much the fuller the more humbly he did demeane himself III. And Iesus hearing this message marvelled and turning to the multitude sayed Amen I say to you neither in Israel have I found so greate faith And I say to you many shall come from the East and west and shall sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of heaven but the Children of the Kingdome shall be cast out into the exteriour darknes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth and he sayed to the CeÌ„turion God as thou hast belâ—ved be it done unto thee and the servant was healed at the same houreâ— The Iewes certanly
and submission will also find him a loving Father easy to forgive the offenses of his children And with all we must remember that he is our Father which is in heaven Creatour of heaven and earth every where present but chiefly shewing his glorie in heaven above and consequeÌ„tly adoring his Omnipotent power togeather with his love behave ourselves not carelesly and disrespectfully but with greate submission and attention when we pretend to appeare before him in our prayers representing to ourselves by faith the maiestie of the heavenly court and the royall attendance vpon him II. Holowed be thy name That is be thou and thy holy name worshipped and reverenced with all holynes and puritie of action and intention Be thou for ever glorified and magnified for all eternitie This he put first in our petition to give vs to vnderstand that it is the chiefest thing which we ought to ayme at in all our actions and our whole life It is that for which heaven and earth and all that is in them were created The heaven set forth the glorie of God and the firmament declare his works how wonderfull they are This is the occupation of the Angels and saints and of all creatures and nothing more to be lamented then that they who have most reason every minute to prayse and magnifie him because they are made reasonable creatures and capable of his knowledge and love that they I say should be the most backward and most vndutifull above all others and insteed of honouring him and glorifiyng him doe the quite contrarie as much as in them lyeth though he out of his omnipotent power turneth all to his glorie whether they will or no which at last they will find to their cost in thâ— punishments which he will most iustly lay vpon them III. Thy Kingdome come By the parable which our Saviour delivered to the people we find that his kingdome is two fold first that which he came to establish here oâ— earth which is his holy Church and this we begge may be propagated and inlarged through the whole world Secondly that kingdome which he hath prepared in heaven for vs from the foundation of the world we desire may come and we be translated into it as a thing better then all the happines which we can inioy in this world which because those who are wedded to the world finding the sweetnes which sense taketh in the inioying of temporall commodities can hardly conceive therfore he would have vs dayly repeate this prayer to rayse our thoughts to that which being not only eternall but superabounding with all contents imaginable is much more to be desired then to live here vnder the Princes and Potentates and greate men of the earth or to be a Prince or Potentate ourselves for all this below is vncertaine perishable full of troble full of danger to body and soule which being immortall it is fitting and necessarie it should dayly and hourely think more of that who it may be happy forever then by neglecting it become eternally miserable for if we be not in his Kingdome by glorie we shall be eternally subiect to his enimies over whom notwithstanding he reigneth to punish them O most blessed mansion of the heavenly citty O most cleare day of eternitie IV Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven This is tâ—e way to that heavenly kingdome to doe his will delivered vnto vs in his commandments and counsels and though the infirmitie of our nature will not permit vs so perfectly to execute his will as the blessed doe in heaven yet the greatnes and the goodnes of God doth deserve that we should ayme at the best way of doing it and imitate the heaveÌ„s as neere as we can esteeming it not only the most necessarie busines which we have in this world as oâ— which depends our eternall happynes or miserie but the thing in which we must place most content in regard of what God is and by which we shall receive most content within ourselves for nothing is so solidly satisfactoâ—e to mans mind as to consider that the will of God is performed and to take contentment in it because it is the will of God for which end his kingdome also is chiefly to be desired because it is his kingdome and his â—â—me to be â—anctifyed because it is his name wherby we â—hall rayse our thoughts and affections from seeking ourselves even in these things which so maynly concerne vs but in all seeke the glorie of God consisting in that his name be hallowed his kingdome come and his will be done He teacheth his disciples to pray II. PART I. GIve vs this day our dayly bread After that which concernes vs most as belonging to life eternall he teacheth vs to aske our temporall sustenance in order to maintayne ourselves in this life so long as it shall be his will and pleasure that we should remaine here and will have vs aske it dayly to acknowledge the continuall dependence which we have of his omnipotent power and goodnes for if he blesseth vs not nothing can prosper he can when he pleaseth send seven yeares of famine as to the Egyptians and recompense them when he pleaseth with seven yeares abundance and in an instant send that which shall destroy all our provisions therfore we must pray to him this day And yet not be too solicitous about it but content ourselves with moderate care and rely vpon his providence who as this day he hath mayntained vs and blessed vs with that which is necessarie for vs so he will the next and the next over much solicitude nothing conducing to the time to come which to vs is vncertaine and cannot be by vs mended or pared II. And forgive vs our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against vs. After the care of ourselves he pleaceth Charitie towards our neighbour whome we are commanded to love as ourselves and therfore no wonder that he measures his resolution of forgiving vs by the proportion which we vse in forgiving our neighbour For he that will not forgive another who is his equall at least in nature a man like himself subiect to infinite imperfections and mistakes how can he think that God deales hardly with him in not forgiving him seeing betwixt God and man there is no comparison at all The words of the Text are forgiue vs our debts as we forgive our debters for even in temporall debts owing vs we must not be hard dealers but consider how ourselves may desire to be forborne in occasions which may happen to vs. VVe should rather imitate God who notwithstanding the distance betwixt him and us by which our offences are infinitely aggravated yet is the first that openeth the way to forgivenes giving vs motions and helps to repent vs that vve may be forgiven by him III. And lead vs not into temptation but deliver vs from evill Amen VVe have spirituall and temporall evills
him and extoll his goodnes and begge of him so much participation of it as he shall please to communicate to thee II. Iâ—sus sayed to him If thou wilt be perfect go sell the things which thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalâ— have treasure in heaven and come follow me and when the yongman heard this word he went away sad for he had many possessions Perfection consisteth in that coniunction with God which we may attayne vnto in this life that is in Charitie and the love of God to which perfection all are bound in some degree so that at least they never preferre my thing in thought word or deed before the love of God and observance of his commandments and to this perfection it seemes this yong man conceived that he had arrived But our Saviour shewed him that there was a higher degree or a more advantagious way to increase perfection and the love of God then he had hitherto thought on If thou wilt be perfect go sell all c. Greate things sayth S. Hierome are allwayes left to the will and free choyce of the hearers they are not commaÌ„ded but counselled The yong man when he asked what good shall I doe Did desire eternall life God was desirous to give it him in perfection but he found his hands full God was ready to give and found not where to place his gift Go and sell and give to the poore place those things in heaven which here on earth doe hinder thee of what art thou affraid Thou shalt not leese them they will be reserved for thee in heaven Thou art affraid to leese thy money and doest thou not feare least thyself perish III. And Iesus sayed to his disciples Amen I say to you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of heaven It is easyer for a Camell or a cable rope to passe through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heaven And when they heard this the disciples marvelled very much saying who theÌ„ caÌ„ be saved And Iesus sayed to theÌ„ with meÌ„ this is impossible but with God all things are possible This saying of truth itself is much be to weighed he doth not say a rich man shall not enter though he retaynes his riches but he sayth he shall hardly enter and in the other Evangelists he expresseth it by way of admiration How hardly shall they enter who have mony Esteeming it a miraculous thing and above the course of ordinarie grace without extraordinarie helps To which purpose S. Ambrose sayth whosoever is puffed vp with honour inlarged by his treasures of gold like a beast loden and hampered will not be able to passe through the narrow way of the Kingdome of heaven Yet the advise which S. Augustin gives is greately to be taken heed to that whoever can glorie of povertie must beware of pride least the humble rich men go before them and beware of floth and want of devotion least the devout rich men be perferred and take heed of intemperance least the sober go beyond them what avayleth povertie if thou follow not Christ. The reward of loving all to follow Christ I. THen Peeter answering sayed to him Behold we have left all things and followed thee what therfore shall we have And Iesus sayed to them Amen I say to you that you who have followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit in the seate of his majestie you also shall sit vpon twelve seates iudging the twelue tribes of Israel S. Peeter representing to our Saviour that he and the rest of the Apostles had done that hard thing of which the rich yong man was afraide and sad when it was moved to him our Saviour did not check him nor say thou hast forgotten thy povertie what is that which thou hast left in comparison of the whole world which vpon my promise thou art to receive He leaveth much who leaves not only what he hath but whatever he might desire to have for what poore snake doth not swell with the hope which he hath in this world Who is there that doth not dayly desire to increase that which he hath This desire this greedines is here taken away S. Peeter did also well observe that it was not enough to leave all vnlesse he followed our Saviours vertues and doctrine neither can he indeed be truly sayed to leave all who retaynes so much of sense and self-love as to draw back from the perfect performance of whatever vertue he is inspired vnto for though he leaveth all which he had without he leaveth not that which is with in himself and which is of more importance and more deare into vs then whatever we have without vs. II. The answer of our Saviour doth import that for our leaving all we must not looke for reward in this world but take thankfully whatever doth happen aÌ„d reserve our hopes to the regeneration that is to the next world when rising glorious we shall be regenerated into immortalitie here we must looke for labour there for reward and however though it were reward enough to follow our saviour and to receive so much grace as perfectly to love him yet he promiseth for the honour which we might 〈◊〉 in this world by our wealth and possessions much â—ore honour in the world to come and so much as to 〈◊〉 seated by him not as people who are to give account of their actions and how they have imployed the goods which were lent them but as iudges of others actions and pioceedings VVhat can be more glorious sayth S. Bernard let the sonnes of Pride now iudge and censure at their pleasure let them sit with their kings that king who choose to himself the northen quarter let them be exalted as the cedars of Libanus we shall passe to out throne when they shall not be regarded III. And every one that hath left house or brethren or sisters or Father or Mother or wife or Children or lands for my name-sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall possesse life everlasting Here be promiseth not only a reward in the other life but also in this life as it is expressely in S. Luke which temporall reward though it be not to be looked for yet our Saviour out of his superabundant liberalitie promiseth it and performeth it partly by the inward content and quiet which those find who have left all for him and by the facilitie with which they performe the actes of vertue which deservedly is valved above an hundred fold of temporales partly also he performeth his promise by providing so as seldome or never they want any thing who left all for him but have within themselves all the comfort of assistance which either father or mother or brother or sister or frend or land could have affoorded them in the world And in the meane time from whence-soever this hundred fold doth
worke vpon him beware of such hardnes and insensibilitie The parable of the King that made a mariage for his Sonne I. THe Kingdome os heaven is likened to a King that made a mariage for his sonne And he sent his servants to call them that Were invited to the mariage and they would not come Againe he sent other servants saying tell them behold I have prepared my dinner my beeves and fatlings are killed and all things are ready come to the mariage But they neglected and went their wayes one to his farme another to his marchandise and the rest layed hands vpon his servants and spitefully treating them mudered them And when the King heard of it he was wroth and sending his hostes destroyed those murderers and burnt their citty This happened literally to the Iewes who being invited to this spirituall wedding with our Saviour refused and were destroyed but mystically it concernes vs all For eery living soule is invited to a mariage with our Saviour by consent to his commandements Who would not desire this mariage sayth S. Ihon Chrysostome invited by a king and to a mariage with his intirely beloved sonne It is styled a mariage that we might vnderstand both the love which God doth beare vs and the galantnes of it where there is nothing that can contristate but every thing full of spirituall ioy All things are ready Greate therfore must their falt needs bee who neglect so greate a benefit so loving an invitatioÌ„ so plentifull a feast so greate a person so advantagious a match and turne to that wherin there is nothing but labour and toyle and hourely hazard of eternall perdition I have seen all things which are done vnder the sunne and behold all vanitie and affliction of mind The wicked are hardly corrected and of fooles the number is infinite II. Then he sayth to his servants The mariage indeed is ready but they that were invited were not worthy Go yee therfore into the high wayes and whosoever you shall finde call to the mariage And his servants going forth into the wayes gathered together all thy found bad and good and The mariage was filled with guests Literally the Jewes refusing the Gentils were called in to be the Church of Christ dispersed through the whole world and in severall wayes of living but gathered together in vnitie of Faith good and bad doe beleeve and make vp a nuÌ„ber here but in the sequell the bad are rejected though also for the time the bad become good for being baptized they are cleansed of their former wickednes in which sence by the bad those are vnderstood who were very inteÌ„perate aÌ„d wedded to evill customes by the good such as were lesse vitious For S. Paul speaking of himself and all others sayth we were also our selves found synners and no man can brag of his deserving to be called but it behoveth vs to think of the way in which we were and were like to be and of the mercy of God in calling vs by his servants or by his inspirations or by watever other accident and to be thankfull to him III. And the King went-in to see the guests and he saw there a man 〈◊〉 attired in a wedding garment and he sayed to him frend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment And he was dumb Then the King sayd to the wayters bind his hands and feete and cast him into the utter darknes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth For many be called but few elect If any man at the time of judgement sayth S. Hierome be found vnder the name of a Christian not to have the garment of the heavenly man but the cast clothing of the old man he will be instantly apprehended neither in that day will there be place for penance nor power for to deny the falt So that faith alone is not sufficient we must retayne the garment of charitie and the love of God in which we were wedded and not think that in the multitude we can escape the eye of God one is here mentioned because not one can be hidden He is stiled notwithstanding frend to signifie that he is not punished out of hatred but justice so requiring His â—ands and feâ—te are sayed to be tyed because no man will have power to avoyde the punishment And though exemplified in one it will happen to many because many are called but farre the lesse number doe make good vse of their calling as appeares by a world of infidels and heretiks which either have not accepted of the faith of Christ or have willfully lost it Tribute to be payed to Cesar and of the Resurrection I. THen the Pharisees departing consulted among themselves to intrap him in his speech and they send to him their disciples with the Hâ—rodians saying Master we know that thou art a true speaker and teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any man for thou doest not respect the person of men Tell vs therfore what is thy opinion is it lawfull to give Tribute to Cesar or no These people were malitious hypocrites and not only in their speech buâ— in their outward cariage fained themselves just as S. Luke records and sought to cloke their malice by the Herodians who were of another sect taking Herode for their Messias and so to decline the envie of taking our Saviour out of the way by geting him apprehended by the Gentils for denying the duties to the Emperour but by them we may see both the straine of dissemblers and how people ought in reason and honestie behave themselves in this world for what themselves did not practise they commended in our Saviour that he had truth in his sayings vprightnes in his proceedings respect to God above all men fortitude not to care what the wicked world thought or sayed of him not respecting either power or wealth or greatnes of men so much as to varie from the truth or from the way of God in any thing How oft have I not found faithfullnes where I thought to have had it II. But Iesus knowing their naughtines sayed what doe you tempt me Hypocrites Shew me the tribute coyne and they offered him a penny and Iesus sayth to them whose is this image and superscription They say Cesars Then he sayed to them Render therfore the things that are Cesars to Cesar and the things that are God co God aÌ„d hearing it they marvelled aÌ„d leaving him went their way Their dissembling speech aÌ„d behaviour could not hide their malice from his all seeing eye and he by his answer turned all to his owne more glorie and repute Coyne is the tribute due to Cesar man himself is the tribute due to God In the Coyne you may see the picture of Cesar in man the image of God As he that falsifyeth the Coyne of Cesar is most grievously punished so the corrupters of the image of God are eternally tormented
This must be our study and profession in this life to mayntaine the beauty and due proportion of this image which we beare that our vnderstandings and our wills be not blurred with things vnbeseeming God claymes it as his due He hath put his owne stampe vpon vs which can never be razed quite out so long as we have a soule it will be found to be the image of God however it be vsed III. That day the Saducees came to him who say there is no resurrection and asked whose wife shall she be that had seven husbands Iesus sayed to them you erre not knowning the scriptures nor the power of God for in the resurrection neither shall they mary nor be maried but are as the Angles of â—od in heaven And concerning the resurrection have you not heard that of God saying I am the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Iacob He is not God of the dead but of the living These men had the Scriptures but had not the right vnderstanding of them because in the reading of them they did not take with them the right rule of vnderstanding them which is tradition and humble submission to approved authoritie they also doe erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God who condemne in this life those who doe not mary or doe vow virginitie which state notwithstanding being approved by our Saviour himself hath by all ancient Fathers and continuall practise of the Church been esteemed an Angelicall life vpon earth In like manner is prayer to saints a holy practise for they are not to be esteemed as dead but living and knowing much more by the power of God then by nature they could and more powerfull to doe good then ever they were in this life however strange things God was pleased to worke by them even here on earth The greate Commandment I. THe Pharisees hearing that he had put the Saducees to silence came together and one of them a doctour of the law asked him tempting him Master which is the greate commandment in the law Iesus sayed to him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God from thy whole hart and with thy whole soule and with thy whole mind This is the greatest and first commandment It is the first and greatest commandment because first in order of promulgation first in dignitie by reason of the person whom we are commanded to love first also in perfection because love is the chiefe of our passions and placed vpon so noble an object doth greately innoble a soule it is the greatest because it comprehends all other vertues and draweth them after it aÌ„d vpon it dependeth our whole good and salvation and in regard of the greatenes of God and his infinite deserving to be loved it requireth that no part of vs be vacant from being imployed in his love our whole hart and affection our whole soule and invention our whole mind and application must be to his love Iâ— And the second is like to this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and Prophets Our Saviour answered the doctour more then he demanded and put him in mind that he was not to aske such questions by way of tempting but doe what the law prescribeth that is doe by others as we would be done by Love thy neighbour as thyself This commandment is like the former because we must love our neighbour also in his degree with our whole hart and soule and mind and not suffer hatred to possesse the least part of vs It is like the first because as we love God for himself so must we love our neighbour not for our owne sakes but for his and for God It is like the first because vpon this as vpon the other depends our salvation and that of S. Jhon is very true He that loveth not his brother whom he seeth God whom he seeth not how can he love III. Then Iesus spake to the multitude and to his disciples saying vpon the Chayre of Moyses have sitten the Scribes and Pharisees all things therfore whatever they shall say vnto you observe yee and doe yee but according to their works doe yee not for they say and doe not To shew vs how truly and how sincerly we are to practise the love of our neighbour by this document he giveth vs to vnderstand that however he misliked the proceeding of the Pharisees and often reprehended them sharpely yet he had care of their honourand authoritie and held with them so farre as was reason He teacheth vs also not to carpe at superiours being men as others and subiect to be misled for in what their authoritie leads them in order to the instruction of others God hath so much providence over every body that he doth particularly assist them besides that every one is more apt to say then to doe well The Pharisees sayeth S. Augustin did that in their life which was their owne but an others that is moyseses chayre did not suffer them to teach what was their owne They benefited many by teaching that which they did not but they would have benefited farre more if they had done what they taught Sonne he that indeavoureth to withdraw himself from obedience withdraweth himself from grace The fifteenth Application to the most Blessed Sacrament I. GEntils desired to see our Saviour S. Philip and S. Andrew were their mediatours and brought them to his sight if we follow the conduct of the Apostle and Apostolicall men teaching what they have received from hand to hand we shall be able to see our Saviour really present in the most Blessed Sacrament and how that graine of wheate comes to die from what it was and to be transsubstantiated into the body of Christ by the powerfull word of our Saviour This is my body This word a multitude of misbeleevers will have to signifie otherwise then it is taken by holy Church but as our Saviour concerning the voyce which came from heaven declared that it was neither thunder nor an Angel that spake but a voyce for our sake so this word by which the Sacrament is perfected he commands should for our sake be spoken in his Church and that done by it which he then did at his last supper in perpetuall remembrance or commemoration of him and of his death for our sake so that as he then did really give his Apostles what he sayed This is my Body so their descendents who are commanded to doe the same thing which he did doe really consecrate and give the same body by vertue of the same words of our Saviour By this the name aÌ„d power and love of our Saviour is glorified to the end of the world For what a poore thing had it been to have left only bread and wine for a memorie of him and of his vnspeakable love in dying for our sakes But leaving himself vnder these shapes and leaving himself so as by the consecration of them
the knowledge and vnderstanding though not without feruent acts of the will and resolution Contemplation hath more of the acts of the will imploying itself vpon things already known II. From the morning till Mid-day the sunne is in continuall motion yet still sending forth its beames with heate proportioned to the height in which it is At noone it resteth in a manner and hath doble the heate which at other times it had So must our soules endeavour to mouÌ„t vp by degrees to contemplation and be still increasing till we arrive to that posture of altitude to which God shall be pleased to rayse vs in this life then we must not think that we are licensed to decline againe but be rising still as to another world better and in which are things stranger and more admirable then in this It being therfore our ayme in this life to coÌ„e as neere the happines of the other as we can and that happines consisting in the perfect knowledge and love and fruition of God we must be continually vsing means to come neerer and neerer to that fruition beginning it here soe farre as is possible III. The practise of Meditation is the high way to it yet as travellers cannot so continually walke but that they must have their resting places to refreth themselves and gather new strength and those resting places are so farâ—e from hindering their journey that they doe much advance it so in this our spirituall journey besides Meditaeion by which we increase in knowledge and besides those heates which that knowledge breedeth still carrying vs along with good purposes and actions sureable if we take vp our rest now and then at some principall station we shall find so much refreshment that we shall not so much feele the wearynes which oftimes may come vpon vs in our journey as be lightened as after an houres or a nights rest and be fresher then when we first set forth IV. According therfore to the seven dayes of the weeke I have disgested seven resting places or Seates wherin siting downe without much discourse we may looke vpon our beloved in them and take that content and profit which may be for our advaucemeÌ„ut for as a green field sowed all through with severall Kinds of flowers doth recreate the eye and refresh the brayne without labour and if there be varietie of hills and plaiâ—es about it it is the more pleasing so will the sight of our beloved delight our soules and refresh our wearyed vnderstanding and the severall positions in which we find him may make the sight of him the more delightfull not that he is not allwayes exceeding delightfull but because severall people are of severall humours and the same partie is not allwayes of the same and varietie doth naturally both please and ease vs for which cause also that which is here set downe at every station or seate may serve as a short declaration of the intent of this discourse but is no wayes meant as a paterne for any body to follow much lesse to consine himself vnto for as vpon a ground in musick severall artists doe make severall Kinds of division and the same man doth varie as his phancie leads him much more doth the holy Ghost in every body suggest diversitie of loving expressions towards the beloved of our soules of whome he is the infinite love O Blessed spirit allwayes one and allwayes manifold being one I beseech thee by thy many graces to that one love of my Saviour which I ought only to have that being one vvith him in this life I may inioy him in the life to come with the many whose multitude being but one hart and one soule cannot divide me from him but increase my love towards him by their never divided affection to him Amen The first Seate the Seate of Puritie I HIs seate of Puritie is in the armes of the blessed Virgin his mother for she was immaculate from the first instant of her Conception and did not only preserve but increase that Puritie to her dying day that of the Canticles being verifyed in her Thou art all beautifull my love and there is no spot in thee And againe How beautifull art thou and how comely my deerest in delights Or spirituall delicacies bestowed vpon thee Salomon is reported to have made for himself a greate throne of Ivoris and to have adorned it with the finest gold there was not such a thrâ—ne in all the kingdomes of the world Our Saviour did no lesse for our Blessed Lady adorning her puritie with all kind of vertues and chiefly with as much charitie and love towards her blessed sonne as could be found among Creatures and there was not such a creature not only in the world below but not in the kingdome of heaven itself Admire this Puritie with the Angels and say Who is this that cometh forth and advanceth as the aawning of the day when it first riseth fayre as the moone choosen and cleare as the sunne This is the bed and seate of the true Salomon which threescore valiant men doe compasse of the most valiant of Israel to defend it from the beginning to the end from all incursions of whatever enemie she is beautifull and sweete and comely as the heavenly Hierusalem and there is not a cittizen of it among vs that is to be compared to her How truly might she say of herself my soule doth magnifie our Lord and my spirit exult in God my Saviour because he hath done greate things for me even he that is powerfull for if there be any greatenes in heaven or earth it is to be found in her in measure incomparable The moone is fayre but not fayrer then shee the lilly is white but not whiter then shee as a lilly among thornes so my love among the daughters All are but as thornes to her If thou knowest it not by reason of thy humilitie o fayrest of women go forth after the foote steps of all the companies of heaven and earth and thou wilt find that neither Cherubins nor Seraphins not Principalities nor dominations nor any of the quires of Angels or Saints will contend with thee but reverence thee and admire thee and love thee as a well ordered armie of all excellencies within thyself How beautifull are thy marches o daughter of a Prince And mother of the Prince of Princes II. But as a tree is much more beautifull when it hath the proper fruite hanging on it and a vine when it is full of ripe bunches of grapes so is the blessed Virgin with her blessed sonne in her armes A sonne who alone is to her as a thousand sonnes having all the perfections in him of which the world is capable A sonne who did nothing prejudice her puritie but raysed it to a value inestimable the remayning a perpetuall Virgin both before and after he was borne and in conceiving him A sonne who beautified her soule as the sunne doth
beautify the moone when it is at full and leaveth no part of it which doth not sparkle with heavenly light O mother O sonne How pleasing are those doue-like glances which you cast vpon one another How doe they inflame both your harts with the purest love and set your affections on fire with mutuall correspondence How sweete are those cheeks saluted with each others lips as a bed of sweete spices and followers and as a pomegranat when it is broken How pleasing are those imbracements and a thousand expressions of love and esteeme which it is not for peâ— to vndertake but a devouâ—e soule may imagin and yet fall short because the sonne is infinite and the mother hath been capable of that infinite of which no other creature hath been thought capable O blessed mother May I be so bold as to salute those little hands of thy greate sonne or to kiffe his feete I am not worthy give me leave at least to put my head vnder theÌ„ acknowledging him to be my Lord my God my soveraigâ—e and commander whome I will eternally obey O sacred feete tread downe the pride of my hart give me grace to treade the steps of thy humilitie and thy patience and thy meeknes and thy obedience O blessed feete why are they so â—aâ—e but that thou lovest Puritie How come they so warme but that thou lovest Charitie And nothing can make them cold but my want of love of thee O love give me grace to love thee III. Love Puritiâ— that thou mayest be welcome to this payre of turtles VVash thy hands and feetâ— thy works and they affections from all filth and dust let thy lips breath nothing but the prayses of this mother and this sonne and of whateuer hath relation to them let thâ— eyes bee modest thy comportment humble thy thoughts respectfull and sit vnder the shadow of this most fruitfull tree for the shade will be delightfull and the fruite sweete to thy tast Passe from branch to branch and see whether hâ— bâ— more lovely in his cralde or in his mothers armes comforting old Simeon or incouraging good S. Ioseph in his flight to â—gypt in the Temple preseâ—ted or found in the midst of dostours working at his trade or praying vpon his little knees lifting vp his sweete hand and eyes for thee to his heavenly Father O â—esus have mercy vpon me a synner I put myâ—sel into thy hands and begge that thou wilt have me in thy thoughts The second seate the seate of Authoritie I. HEre we are to represent vnot vs our Saviour as he was preaching in the Synagoges of the Iewes with power and Authoritie and not as the Scribes at which and at his doctrine they were greately asâ—onished Sit downe therfore at his feete as S. Paul at the feete of Gamaliel behold his countenancâ— his gesture his comportment his fervour in reprehending tempered with vnwonted mildnes his zeale of Gods glorie and the good of every particular The Prophecie of Esay being fullfilled in him according as himself declared The spirit of our Lord is vpon mee for that he hath annointed me to evangelize to the poore he hath sent me to heâ—le the contrite of hart to preach deliverance to captives light to the blind remission to the bruised to denounce the acceptable yeare of our Lord and the day of retribution And the more thou findest want in thyself of spirit and spirituall oyntment of contrition of sight of freedome apply thyself with the more attention to heare his words for the words which he speakes are spirit and life Begge that he will open thy eares and say thou as followeth in the Prophet But I doe not gayne say I have not gone back Stirte vp thy affection not only to imbrace his doctrine with courage and love because a greater a wiser a more consrderate a more infallible teacher thou canst not have as in whome are all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge hidden And really they are treasures of wisedome which only can inrich a soule and affoord it plâ—ntie and content for all eternitie They are hidden vnder the outward shape of an ordinarie man a Carpenters Sonne from the eyes of worldly given thoughts but not from the eye of faith which enters further thâ— corporall eyes caÌ„n reach andZ he that hath spirit will find hidden Manna in him II. From the Synagoges passe with him to Mount Olivet where he often preached but chiefely give care to that prime sermon of his when opening his sacred lips he proclaymed those eight blessings which the world accounteth rather follie and miserie Blessed be the poore of spirit Blessed the mâ—eke Blessed they that mourne Blessed they that hunger and thirst after instice Blessed be thâ— mâ—rcyfuâ—â— Blessed the cleare of harâ— Blessed the peace-makers Blessed they who suffer persecution And inlarging himself vpon this last point declared what Kind of perâ—ecution we ought to account happines to wit when they shall revilâ— you and speake all naught of you vntruly for my sake Be thou ever praysed Lord God of heaven and earth who hast hidden these things from the wisâ— and prudent and revealed them to the little ones Doe not paâ—â—e these steps lightly over but see how he did not only preach but practise theÌ„ and made theÌ„ steps to his eternall glorie aÌ„d the glorie of all his saincts Happy is he whome truth doth teach by himself III. Then follow him with multitudes of people round about the Countriâ—s sowing his celestiall doctrine and curing all disceases commanding the winds and the sâ—a and the euill spirits Heare the people with admiration saying never man spake as this man speaketh what word is this For with power and aâ—ctoritie hâ— commandeth thâ— vncleane spirits and they go forth See how he enters the Temple and casts out the traffickers there with â—is majesticall countenance and a small little whip of cords Magnifie him with his disciples for if thou hold thy peace the very slones willcry him vp O stony hart of myne that is so hard so covered and incombred with earth so much inclined allwayes downewards that this heavenly Master caÌ„not find 〈◊〉 into it Soften it I beseech thee with thy most 〈◊〉 blood hold it vp with thy powerfull hand 〈◊〉 from the earthly thoughts which clog it and if it 〈…〉 strike it with thy heavenly Charitiâ— that som 〈◊〉 at least may fly out of it and take in the tinder 〈…〉 doctrin to inlighten and inflame my soule which without it will be eternall darknes froÌ„ which sweete Iesus dâ—liver me Amen Exercise thy power and authoritie over my passions as thou didst over the winds and sea saying Peacâ— be still Teach me to doe thy will in all things instruct me how to performe the particular obligâ—tions of my state and calling with perfection Teach me above all how I may prepare my self for thy loving presence here in the most
thousands and thousands that would negligently vnreverently vnvvorthily misuse his blessed presence labour thou to be none of these IV. Consider fourthly How our Saviour giving outvvardly this blessed bread of life did invvardly inlighten the harts of his Apostles and tâ—ach them that this was the bread which he had promised before bread in outvvard shape but really his bodie and blood And hovv they according to thier weake capacitie as then appâ—chending and beleeving it were filled with admiration and love and thanksgiving which are the acts which we must exercise begging that he will strengthen our faith establish our hope and take possession of our soule and bodie and make vs wholy his transforming vs into himself by love and perfect vnion with him A meditation of our Saviours Prayer in the Garden Matth. 26. Preamble Beholding our Saviour sadd and heavy and full of feare and agonie and the blood trickling dovvne his forehead while he was earnest at his prayers begg of him that thou mayest profit by this dolfull sight I. COnsider first if thou didst truly love thy Saviour how thou wouldst compassionate him seing him so sadd so pale so pensive with teares in his eyes beginning to trickle dovvne his cheeks novv hanging dovvne his head novv looking vp to heaveÌ„ sighing and scarce able to bring forth three words togeather yet at last breaking forth into this mournefull note my soule is sorrowfull vnto death And with this he suddenly leaves his disciples and having gone but a stones cast he falls dovvne vpon his knees and vpon his face and prayes a long houre Father if it be possible let this Chalice Passe from me but not my will but thynâ— bâ— done II. Consider secondly That it is God who suffers this Agony to come vpon him for thy sake to teach thee hovv thou oughtest to take the Crosses which thou foreâ—eest or feelest For condescending to our infirmitie he shevveth that we may earnestly begge of God to be delivered from them In which respect thou oughtest greately to love him and thank him for his compassion over thee And on the other side hovv we must begge with Resignation to his holy will in regard that these Crosses may be many wayes beneficiall to ourselves and much for the glorie of God And it is reason we should leave ourselves in his hands it being a fearefull thing to be out of them at our ovvne choyse and say often from our hart that which we say dayly in our Pater noster thy will be done III. Consider thirdly That at the end of his first prayer he comes againe to his disciples as it were â—o refresh himself and also to instructe them and â—ebuks S. Peeter for sleeping when he should have prayed so couldst thou not watch one houre with me And returnes againe to his wonted prayer and so againe the second time To shevv vs that he is willing we should take comfort by the help of creatures though our chiefest comfort must still be in God For creatures of themselves have it not in them though we imagin they have it and oftimes they breed more affliction insteed of comfort as it could not be but some affliction to our Saviour to see his beloved Apostles in steed of helping him and arming themselves by prayer to sleepe and as it were forget both him and themselves IV. Consider fourthly Hovv at his last returne he fell more earnestly to his prayers and out of meere anguish and agonie svveating blood that it fell in greate dropes vpon the ground an Angell came and comforted him with which he went couragiously on to death Shevving vs that in our afflictions we must never leese our courage and our hope For when crosses are in thier height and we in our greatest agonie then comes the Angell of comfort and the spirit of God and either blovves all over if it be expedient for his Glorie and our good or puts nevv courage into our harts and makes vs bold to looke death and disgrace and losse of frends and fortunes in the face and rise and goe forvvards to meete them Prayer To our blessed Saviour that he will vouchsafe by the merit of this blessed action of his to give me courage both in my prayer to persever with constancie till the end and in all other occasions of difficultie and distast to conforme my self to his blessed will A meditation How our Saviour was betrayed and apprehended Preamble Reflecting hovv busy Iudas and the Jâ—vves were about thier mischievous intentions while our Saviour savv all at his prayer begge of our Saviour grace to profit by his behaviour in this action I. COnsider first with what peace and quiet of mind our Saviour after his last prayer came to his disciples and sayd vnto them sleepe now and rest with what courage he attended the blow and when he savv the officeâ—s dravv nigh sayd againe to his Apostles Rise let vs go He doth not say let vs fly but go and meete and confront our adversaries Behold hovv vndauntedly he went and met them and asked them whom seeke yee and told them I am he Admire all and in all the povver of the grace of God and of a good resolution settled vpon that sole povverfull grace for of ourselves we are weake but let vs to our povver ply God as our Saviour did and we shall have his grace II. Consider secondly Hovv little malice can prevayle against good but when God sees time and permits it I sat by you dayly sayth our Saviour teaching in the Temple and you held me not but this is your houre and the power of darkenes We must therfore neither be wrath nor over fearefull but discreetely confident in the povver and providence of God for his glorie and we shall see his wonders and multitudes of Good spirits to defend vs. III. Consider thirdly Hovv vsuall a thing it is for vs to be accounted-and spoken of and handled as male-factours But this is our glorie that doing well people should detract of vs as S. Peeter sayth as of malefaâ—tours You have come sayth our Saviour as to a theeâ—e with swords and cluâ—s to apprehend me Let vs not leeâ—e our patience but remember for whom and like to whom we suffer vndiscreete defending of ourselves by words or actions makes the matter worse as S. Peters striking IV. Consider fourthly Hovv the Traytour kisseth the officers apprehend and binde and hale thy lord avvay with shoutes aâ—d cryes and taunts and a thousand iniuries And all this for thy synns O what have my synns deserved He on the other side like a lambâ— suffers himself to be bound and led as they please he speaketh mildly to Judas Frend wherfore comest thou He healeth the eare of Malchus appeaseth Peâ—câ—rs vntimely wrath offers himself to drinke the chalice of his passion though he could have had thovvsands of Angellâ— to defend him Indeavour to benefitt thyself by all The Prayer O my love Draw me after thee and we will