disinteressed loue for by that meanes the God of loue or God-loue Deus est Charitas the holy Ghost is sent into our hartes The 4. fruite of Christs Ascension The taking possession of our inheritance II. POINT CONSIDER that if he be gone and gone to his father and our Father that cōmon father of all of vs it is but to take and keepe possession of that common inheritance which being his owne by birth-right he purchaced for vs his coheires at a huge rate at the price of his owne pretious bloud for we haue heard himselfe say by S. Iohn let not your hart be troubled I goe to prepare you a place Affection O thrice happie Christians yea thrice and a thousand tymes happie I say did we duely ponder and rightly value our owne happines Christ was borne for vs he was giuen to vs he laboured thirtie three yeares in our behalfe he spent his pretious bloud vpon the purchace of his fathers and our fathers yea his owne heauenly Kingdome for vs and now for a happie conclusion of all he is gone to take possession of what he has purchaced for vs. Be not troubled then my soule but reioyce with a greater ioy then euer he is gone to prepare vs a place a permanent place a place of ineffable delight of eternall abode in the bosome of his father and our father We are not seruants but friends but children but coheirs with Christ We are not now pilgrimes we are gott home in him We are citizens with the Saintes and God's Domestikes THE IV. MEDITATION The 5. fruite of Christs Ascension The opening of Heauen Gates I. POINT CONSIDER that if Iesus be gone it is still to be a Iesus to vs still to aduance the worke of our redemption Heauen gates were shutt against man euer since Adams disobedience and he hauing first past the gates of death to breake vp the brazen gates of Hell is gone with with power to command the potentates of that Celestiall Citie to open them saying Lift vp your Gates ô you princes and be you lifted vp ô eternall gates and the Kinge of glorie shall enter in That strong and mightie Lord is at hand who returnes from battell with victorie Affection Take courage then my soule the passage is layd open according to Micheas his Prophesie He ascended laying open the way before them Le ts but follow our Capitaine and the place is ours Heauen is ours He hath shewed vs the way Howbeit we must walke as he walked in humilitie meeknesse obedience chastitie pouertie patience c. Nor must we imagine that malice can ascende with the Authour of goodnesse nor luxurie and lust with the Sonne of a Virgine nor vice finally with the God of vertues The 6. fruite of Christs Ascension He goes our Aduocate into Heauen and sends another into the Earth II. POINT CONSIDER that he is gone indeede for while they all looked on saith S. Luke a cloud has taken him from the Apostles eyes But he is gone vpon a most honorable and profitable imployment for man He 's gone to carie vp man to heauen and to send downe God into the Earth establishing as it were a good intelligence by a mutuall embasie betwixt heauen and Earth Man to God in heauen as Aduocate to plead for man and God to man in earth to teach him all truth to inculcate to him againe and againe what Christ had alreadie taught to inflame our hartes with the holy fire which Christ brought downe into the earth c. Affection Yes my soule he is gone to carie vp that man Christ to be Mediatour betwixt God and man and to pleade the cause of man at Gods Tribunal My sinnes are many and great great I say and many but my Mediatour is infinite I am able to pleade nothing but guiltie dread Lord guiltie But my Aduocate hath wounds to shew and bloud which cryes lowder then the bloud of Abel and claymes mercy as hauing payd more then my malice was able to contract As often as that bloud lookes redd from the side of that sonne who is sett at thy right hand I beseech thee that the spotts of my corruption may be washed away THE V. MEDITATION The 7. fruite of Christs Ascension The presenting of freed Captiues to his Father I. POINT CONSIDER that our most Blessed Sauiour came downe from heauen to to wage warre against the world the flesh and the Diuell and now he returnes with victorie ouer them all and bringes backe the spoyles to the Court of Heauen in tryumphe leading Captiuitie it selfe captiue that is the captiue soules deteyned in Lymbo Patrum which he wrested out of a stronge hand and offers them to his heauenly Father as the first fruites of his longe and painefull labours and part of the purchace of the pretious bloud he had plentifully spent Affection O what tongue of man or Angell is able to expresse or what hart to conceiue how gratefull this returne and tryumph was to heauen how agreable this present was in the Almighties sight and how all the heauenly Israell reioyced to see our heauenly litle Dauid returned with such victorie so ample spoyles If the Conuersion of one poore sinner my soule cause such ioy among the Angells what accesse of ioy must the securitie of so many Saintes who are to be their fellow citizens for euer cause in those heauenly hartes The 8. fruite of Christs Ascension The raysing our affections from the Earth II. POINT CONSIDER that our Blessed Sauiour is ascended to heauen from which he descended to carrie vp our hartes thither from whence they were fallen by sinne and to waine our affections from earth and make them wholye Spirituall according to that of the diuine Apostle if you be rysen with Christ seeke the thinges that are aboue where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God mynde the thinges which are aboue not the thinges which are vpon the earth Affection O Deare Iesus since as well thy descention as thy Ascension yea all the mysteries of thy blessed life and Passion turne all to our vtilitie and vse grant that we may make a right vse of them and wholie turne our hartes from earth to thee that though our bodies be imprisoned in it for a time yet in harte and affection we may alwayes liue aboue with thee that we may truly say with S. Paule our conuersation is in heauen THE VI. MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER finally that since Iesus our deare Lord and Master is returned to heauen as we are assured by faithfull witnesses who deliuer by the mouth of S. Iohn noe other thinge then what they saw with their eyes what they looked vpon and what their hands had handled of the WORD of life there is indeede nothinge left vs in earth worthie to lodge a Christian hart vpon He is our true life and what liuing is there without life He 's our treasure and where should our hartes be but where our treasure is He is our crucified
burnt that thundred that sent out beames of glorie there here is nailed to a Crosse and ignominiously dying betwixt two theeues vpon the toppe of Mount Caluarie Affect Ibo videbo visionem hanc grandem I will vp to Caluarie and see this great sight for it is not as some conceiued the frame of the Vniuerse that is about to be dissolued but the very God of nature which suffers and is readie to dye Dye then my soule dye to this world and to all its concupiscences and dye with this deare Lord and Master of thine Ah my dying Lord ô my crucified Loue Let my eyes and thoughts loath their wonted vanities and fill them selues full of this daunting obiect of a dying God O my crucified Loue let me be nayled to the Crosse with thee neuer seeking to be freed from that tye But grant that all the rest of my life in flesh I may liue in the faith of the sonne of God true God who loued me and deliuered vp himselfe for me Resolution Neuer regard among vvhom thou art numbered so thy actions be Christian Loue to be reputed for nothing c. THE XIX MEDITATION Of our Christian bloody sacrifice vpon Mount Caluarie 1. Point COnsider how at length we haue mett with such a Bishop as we had absolute neede of as S. Paule saith à Bishop who is holy innocent vnspotted separated from sinners who hauing no neede to sacrifice for his owne sinnes wholy imployes it for the redemption of ours Behold him ready to performe this great sacrifice to his heauenly father in his owne blood Caluarie is the vast Temple lying open to the whole world the Crosse the Altar him selfe the Preist and Hoste and that infinite charitie of his heauenly hart to man the fire which burnes all into an Holocaust Affect O dolefull ioyfull Mysterie thy Christ ô Christian is readie to sacrifice himselfe What fountaines of teares are not due to such an ignominious death But it is for thy sake for thy redemption what consolation what ioy Weepe then weepe vpon thy dying spouse yes for his dolours deserue seas of teares yet weepe not so as those others who haue no hope for thou hast mett with a gracious Redeemer a plentifull redemption which is euen at hand to witt our high Priest is gone vp to the high Altar and is readie to put downe his blood more then the price of a thousand worlds While this Abels blood out-speakes his brothers crime Mans malice was not able to committ what Gods mercie was able to expiate Our sinns are great ô Lord huge great we confesse it we pleade guiltie But our Priest is holy vnspotted innocent innocencie it selfe And he is readie for vs poore sinners to paie-backe what he tooke not awaie to appease thy wrath which he neuer prouoked Looke vpon this innocent obedient sonne of thine and pardon the crimes and disobediences of thy poore seruant who of himselfe is altogether insoluable 2. Point Consider that whereas other Bishops goe richly adorned to the Altar poore Christ is turned quite naked to the worke making his publike confusion the ornament which ought to rauish the harts of men and Angells to see their God and ours who couers beautifies and adornes all thinges exposed naked to the eyes and scorne of all the world to couer our confusion to hide our shame and to recouer vs againe the white garment of originall iustice which we lost in our first father Affect Neuer is a Christian man so gloriously adorned in the eyes of God Angells and Men as when he neglects or depriues him selfe of all ornaments by Christs example and for his loue Neuer doe we so neerly resemble Christ nor so securely approch to his holy sacrifices as when we find our selues turned naked not only from all interest humane respects selfe-esteeme and selfe loue but from our dearest desires and best beloued affections to certaine practises of pietie aduancement in verue by meanes of our owne choice whereas our more purified and Christian-like desires indeed ought to be an absolute indifferencie and intire dependence of Gods good pleasure affecting that in all things his holy name be sanctified his raigne be magnified his blessed will be accomplished and glorified for euer whether by our nakednesse confusion ignominie or good fame Resolution We vvill disingage our selues of all other interests but Gods blessed vvill alone THE XX. MEDITATION Our Sauiour stripped naked and putt vpon the Crosse 1. Point COnsider how this publik confusion was accompaigned with excessiue paines for the barbarous rudenesse inhumanitie and crueltie of the soldiers doe not so much teare off the fleece as the very skinne and flesh of the delicate and tender lambe which muttered not against those that shore him and ledd him to slaughter If at the piller their inhumanitie inflicted wounds without number at the Crosse their inraged violence teares them all into one while they snatche off the garment which stickes to the goarie blood of them all Affect Ah my soule let vs here behold the man againe who is placed naked before our eyes He is thy dearest spouse but thy spouse of blood whose sufferances find no end He is thy hartes only delight who is now made an obiect of horrour to thine eyes It is he who was beautifull farre before all the sonns of men and behold he is wholy deformed all couered ouer with wounds and fresh springs of blood shewre downe from euery part and now there is noe beautie in him nor comlinesse Nay he is as it vvere a Leper strucken by God and humbled Towitt we all straied like lost sheepe and this lambe takes all our iniquities vpon him Let vs not then at least spare dropps of guiltie teares where he spends fountaines of innocent blood 2. Point Consider how these vile slaues extend the King of Glorie thus naked thus deformed thus fleaed and torne thus cruelly crowned vpon the ignominious wood with as much barbarousnesse and brutalitie as their diuellish malice could inuent and then with great and rude nailes digge through his hands and feete Foderunt manus meas pedes meos as the prophet longe before had expressed it racking out his armes with huge violence to force them to their designed places vpon the Crosse so that one might count all his bones dinumerauerunt omnia ossa mea Affect O my deare Iesus what excessiue shame confusion and torments must I needs conceiue thou here indurest for the sinfull soule of me thy poore vnworthy lost seruant while I see the waight of thy whole bodie riue the wounds of thy sacred hands and feete still wider and wider Thy bones vnioynted thy veines and sinewes forced to an vniust length My hart my hart where art thou on what thinkest thou while thy innocent Master thus suffers for thy sake without complaint without murmuring one word Is it thus that we suffer infinitly lesse things for his sake and in contemplation hereof Resolution I vvill neuer forgett these huge
SWEETE THOVGHTES OF IESVS AND MARIE OR MEDITATIONS FOR ALL THE FEASTES OF OVR B. SAVIOVR AND HIS B. MOTHER Togeither with Meditations for all the Sundayes of the yeare And our Sauiours Passion For the vse of the daughters of Sion Diuided into tvvo partes THE FIRST PARTE By THOMAS CARRE Preist of the English Colledge of Doway ✚ IHS PRINTED AT PARIS By VINCENT DV MOVTIER M. DC LXV TO THE VERIE VENERABLE HIS MOST HONORED DEARE LADY MARIE TREDVVAY FIRST ABBESSE Of the English Monasterie of Sion of S. Augustins Order established in Paris MADAME These poore productions of myne which were bredd and brought out amidst a multitude of dayly distractions can scarce with iustice flye to any other Patronage then your La. and your vertuous children whose instant desires gaue them beeing while their pietie did not so much and so earnestly begge them as euen force them from my pouertie Howeuer were I free from that iuste tye there is yet another from which I will neuer admitt dispensation which makes these and all that 's in my power alreadie yours and theirs to witt the affection which I owe and haue vowed to your seruice that is your aduancement in vertue As issuing from that sourse they cannot doubt of acceptance What proceeds from knowen loue and respect cannot misse to meete with it mutually in well borne hartes If you find them vsefull for you I haue my designe If they leade you to a neerer approche with IESVS and MARIE and a more liuely expression of their liues in yours I haue my end and you the fruite If finally you profit by them I haue my reward What effect soeuer they may chance to haue with others please not to let them fayle to be to you certayne testimonies that my cheife desires for myselfe and you are as I haue often intimated to you that we esteeme our selues to know nothing here below but Iesus-Christ and him crucified that is that we putt downe for a most Catholike and Apostolicall truth that the life and passion of our sweete Sauiour is the most approued the most secure and best Schoole of all perfection since according to your holy Fathers excellent Sentence Summa Religionis est imitari quemcolimus the perfection end and accomplishment of Religion is the Imitation of him Iesus-Christ whom we worshippe In whom I shall euer be MADAME Your La. and your Religious daughters poore vnworthy Father and Seruant THOMAS CARRE BETHEELEM STABLE Or an entertainement of Iesus For the daughters of Sion A Preparation towards the receipt of Iesus For Chrismas Eue. MEDITATION I. I. POINT CONSIDER that when the world was most desperately lost in Paganisme Idolatrie and in the worshippe of men as Gods and in that of Diuells Yea while Iudea that choyse part of the world where onely the true God was Knowen and adored was ouergrowen with hypocrisie auarice ambition cousenage Lying and innumerable other vices While all the earth was depraued corrupted and sunke in sensualitie and all sorts of sin In a word while man enemy of his owne saluation slept so deepe that he thought not of it while he was so desperately sicke that he felt not his euil and consequently neither merited sought for nor demanded his cure then euen then the eternall God like a most pittifull father cōmiserating his miserie and deliberating as it were the remedie in the consistorie of the most holy Trinitie resolued that the diuine Word should become man and in his owne person should come to cure man Af. O the vnspeakable blindnes insensibilitie and miserie of man O the infinite Mercie of our good God which had no other motiue then his owne infinite Goodnes wherby he cryed out to miserable man conuert your selues conuert your selues Ryse from sleepe and be illuminated Why dost thou die o house of Israël Returne to me and liue 2. POINT Consider this resolution being taken of whom the diuine wisdome and prouidence makes choyse amongst all the creatures of heauen and earth for the perfecting this great worke of the saluatiō of all mankind He doth not after the manner of the world make choyse of the greatest richest and powerfullest princesse that might be found on earth or the brightest Angell of heauen but an Angell is sent from heauē into Earth to a Virgine named Marie wife to Ioseph who liued in a litle towne of Galilie called Nazareth to Marie I say an humble poore obscure vnknowen mayde and she too married to a poore Carpenter Ioseph Aff. Waigh deeply how litle esteeme the great God makes of the riches greatnes and power of this world Ther eare noe worldly creatures great in his eyes but such as are humble low and litle in their owne eyes while I was a litle one I pleased the highest Great ones he throwes downe out of heauen and out of the chaire of Moyses while such litle ones are exalted and wonders are wrought in them by the alpowerfull hand May then the loue of worldly greatnes honor riches power for euer vanish from my thoughtes And may humilitie pouertie virginitie be the deare companions of my hart Since they be the deare vertues which tooke my heauenly spouse his hart and helped to prouide a worthy tabernacle in earth for the king of heauen MEDITATION II. In those dayes there came forth an Edict from Cesar Augustus that the whole world should be inroled And Ioseph also went from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be inroled with Marie his dispoused wife who was with child I. POINT CONSIDER that as our Blessed Lady hyghly commended humilitie and obedience to vs by her reply to the Angell saying behold the handmaide of our Lord be it to me according to thy word so doth she here immediatly before his natiuitie presse the same againe by promptly complying with the commands of a mortall man Cesar cōmands and straight wayes Ioseph Marie and Iesus obeyes Ioseph obeyes Cesars seruant Marie Ioseph her spouse and Iesus being in Maries sacred wombe obeys Marie his mother most punctually She being possessed of the treasure of heauen and heauen and earthes wonderment as though she had bene altogether ignorant of Gods high counsell and of the particular effects of his prouidence giues way to this strict order without reasoning without contradiction without reserue humbly simplely and promptly accompagned with her spouse Ioseph she takes iorney to Bethleem Aff. Oh Iesus my Sauiour how Far ought miserable man subiect himselfe to thy holy commands being a poore and abiect seruant since thou being Lord and master yea Lord and master and maker of heauen and earth becomst subiect to the commands of an earthly Emperour thy creature who is in thy sight as a meere nothing by a secrete and admirable counsell of the Diuine Prouidence Ah how this ought to confound vs in the disputes and inquests we make vpon the iust commands of our lawfull Superiours While we obserue in Ioseph Marie and Iesus an example of a most humble blind and perfect obedience II.
sooner and more abundantly then we expect what may be conducing to our good will be effected For behold while Christ scarce promiseth the cure of the Princes sonns bodie presently before his returne home the child is cured and he and his whole house are become the faithfull of Christ Ah! how good thou art ô God to such as are right of harte THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XXI SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY The Kingdome of heauen is likened to a man beinge a Kinge who would make an account with his seruants Matt. 18. FIRST POINT CONSIDER that by the Kinge who would make an account with his seruants is meant the Kinge of heauen and by the seruant who ought him ten thousand Talentes is represented a sinfull soule guiltie of many huge crymes wherof he is not at all in a condition to disingage himselfe And what could such an one expect from a most iust Master but rigour since he had so vniustly and carelessly run into so great arreares To witt his Master commanded that he should be sold he his wife and children and all that he had Affection Alas my soule in what a miserable state is such a guiltie person He may truly say with Iob behold there is noe helpe for me in my selfe All that I finde in my selfe of my selfe is an accursed libertie to heape sinne vpon sinne to contemne the benignitie and humanitie of Christ and finally to treasure vp anger against the day of anger Whither then must I betake my selfe for ayde What meanes must I vse to shelter my selfe against the rigour of the most iust doome which I see readie to be pronounced against me Alas my soule there is noe flight from God but to God from God offended to God appeased from his iustice to his mercy Let then the residue of our life be spent in crying mercy mercy mercy dread lord acknowledging from the bottome of our hartes that it was his mercy alone we were not consumed THE SECONDE POINTE. But the seruant falling downe besought him saying haue patience towards me c. And his master moued with pittie forgaue him the debt CONSIDER that though that badd seruant 's prodigalitie or negligence in contracting so great a debt had putt him into a certaine morall impossibilitie of euer beinge able to paye so immense a summe and consequently made him most iustly lyable to the punishment which was putt vpon him yet was his good Master so mercifull that presently vpon his submission and prayer he was moued with compassion and forgaue him the whole debt howeuer great it was Affection Take courage then my soule be thy crymes in neuer so greate multitudes be thy arreares contracted in what length of tyme so euer Gods mercyes doe infinitly surpasse thy miseries the accursed power of thy malice can neuer exhauste the riches of his free commiserations Behold behold with admiringe loue how the tender harte of that best Master is presently touched and moued to pittie vpon the first submission and sute of his worst seruant and forgiues him not a part but the whole debt Let then all the poore sinfull seruantes of this most indulgent Master with most humbled hartes replenished with gratitude say to him and all the world quoniam bonus quoniam in aeternum misericordia eius THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY This seruant found his fellow-seruant who ought him one hundred pence c. and layd violent hands vpon him and cast him into prison THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER the vnmercifulnesse and crueltie of this naughtie seruant and in him lets diligently obserue our selues He ought his Lord an immense summe to witt one hundred and twentie french millions His fellow-seruant ought him a trifle onely to witt one hundred pence He vpon his first submission and humble sute found mercy with his Lord and the remission of the whole debt His fellow-seruant falls downe with noe lesse submission and humble prayer and yet meets with nothing but violence and vttermost rigour Affection Alas my soule is it not thus that we deale with one another notwithstanding the many precepts and examples of mercy giuen vs by our mylde Master Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obteyne mercy I will haue mercy and not a sacryfice And is it not by Gods mercy alone that we are not consumed And yet while we heare mercy so highly commended by God while we so easily find mercy and pardon for many and great crymes at his holy hand we can hardly preuayle with our selues to pardon our brother the smale fault he may happen to committ against vs. Let vs deale my soule as we would desire to be dealt with Vse mercy and we shall not fayle to finde it But iudgement without mercy to him that hath not done mercy assures S. Iames. THE SECONDE POINTE. And deliuers him to the tormenters till he pay the whole debt CONSIDER that when our B. Sauiour finds that neither his precepts nor practice are forcible enough to preuayle with fierce man to doe as he would be done to and pardon one another as we desire to be pardoned by him he waxeth wroth and deliuers that vnmercifull seruante to the Tormenters vntill he repay all the debt For howeuer what God remitts is truly remitted nor doth he iudge twice vpon the same thinge yet the horrible ingratitude and crueltie of the naughtie seruant appeared in the eyes of his iustice so enormious that he looked vpon it as the whole debt of ten thousand talents adding withall that so also his heauenly father will deale with vs if euery one of vs forgiue not his brother from his harte Affection With what measure we measure our brethren it shall be measured backe to vs. If we will needs vse iustice without mercy iustice shall we finde without mercy Ah my soule what a daunting reproche shall it be to vs to heare from a Iudge from whom there is noe appeale thou vngracious seruant I forgaue thee all the debt because thou besoughtest me oughtest not thou then too to haue mercy vpon thy fellow-seruant euen as I had mercy on thee But his mercy freely extended to multitudes of offences committed against a diuine maiestie Should not ours then and from our harte reach at least to a fewe and light faults done against our miserie What replye alas shall we be able to returne to this demande THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XXII SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY The Pharisies consulted among themselues to intrappe him Iesus in his words Matt. 22. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that though there be nothinge more conducing to mans good then to haue a docile mynde to take counsell and a readinesse to aduise amongst our selues before we sett vpon any things of moment according to that of the Prouerbes I wisdome dwelle in counsell and againe saluation is found in much counsell So is there nothing more pernicious then when many heades conspire togeither to contriue mischeife to supplante their Christian brother to tempt Christ and
the dumme and our hearts and purses be open to our poore bretheren and such workes will preach louder to their eares and proue more effectuall to conuert their hearts then all the eloquence of wordes imaginable THE II. POINTE. CONSIDER that though Christ now a dayes doth not ordinarily worke the forsaid miracles amongst vs corporally and visibly yet doth he daylie and hourely worke greater ones spiritually and inuisibly in our soules for haue we not bene blind and followed the blind as wel in doctrine as manners and he enlightened vs haue not our peruerse willes bene lame to good and he excited vs therto haue we not bene leprous and defiled with the infection of sinne and he washed vs in the bloud of the lambe haue we not bene deafe to his diuine inspirations and he by his multiplyed graces broke through our deafenesse haue we not bene deade by mortall crymes he by his holy Sacraments raysed vs to life againe So that while we receiue not the same we fayle not of farre greater benefits Affection It s true my soule its most true that while we seeme to want exteriour miracles we dayly meete with greater and more profitable ones in our owne soule For alas is it not true that the continuall miracles of Gods mercys to our deade soules ought farre more to be valued then the greatest infirmities of our corruptible bodies which when they are at the fairest are but dust and ashes and about to proue wormes-meate Let vs then putting iuste rates vpon thinges most admire magnifie and loue those which come most home to our aduantage and make vs appeare liuely beautifull and louely in the sight of God THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY IN ADVENT The Iewes sent Priest and Leuites from Ierusalem into the Deserte to interrogate Iohn Luc. 1. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that true vertue is of that nature that the more it hides it selfe the more it comes to be knowne and admired S. Iohn ledd a life that litle aymed at any humane estimation His conuersation was rather with wild beasts and birds then men His habitation from his youth was a vaste vnpeopled Desert His habit rough camels haire his diet locusts Yet loe while he hardly appeares a man of this world the Preists and Leuites are almost readie to ascribe the dignitie of a God to him Affection Doe we then my soule desire to be truly greate Let vs take our ryse from our owne litlenesse nothing Let vs loue to be vnknowne and to be reputed as nothing Le ts striue to hide our selues from the eyes of the world and the eyes of God and his Angells will be vpon vs. Our lord is high yet beholds lowe things Let honour seeke vs not we honour for if we seeke it it flyes vs. if we flye it it followes vs. Or if we will needs seeke it let vs seeke it in God who honours his friends exceedingly If we will needs seeke it let vs seeke it where is true and is giuen to none vnworthy of it So seeke it my soule and greedily seeke it and feare not to offend THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER S. Iohns profounde humilitie He was sanctified in his mothers wombe Liued in the wildernesse like an Angell of heauen Had testimonie euen from the mouthe of truth it selfe that he was sent out before him as an Angell to prepare his way Was conceiued by the preists and Leuites to be the Elias nor a Prophete in theit sense nor Messias neuer the lesse he humbly confesses that he is not Christ that he is noe more in verie deede but the voyce of one crying in the Desert that in fine he is not worthy to loose the latchet of his shoe Affection O admirable humilie worthy to be looked vpon and imitated by all that loue Christ O admirable humilitie which whilst it makes S. Iohn appeare as litle or as it were lesse then nothing in his owne eyes he appeares more then a prophete nay a verie Angell in the eyes of God Angells and men O admirable humilitie which canst find out thyne owne nothing in the midst of sanctitie While multitudes of crymes which make vs indeede lesse then nothinge cannot preuayle with our proude hearts to humble them selues O my soule how desparatly are we lost since miserie it selfe cannot make vs acknowledge that we are miserable THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME THIRD SVNDAY OF ADVENT Who art thou Gospell THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDFR that S. Iohns humilitie was not so much grounded vpon the examine of himselfe and the dignitie he found in himselfe who was sanctified in his mothers wombe as by comparison to the Word the sonne of God wherof he was the voyce whose shoetye he acknowledged by the light of faith he was not worthy to loose For in that sight he truly beleeued he was nothing in the order of nature but by his gift who is because he is nothing in the order of grace and sanctitie but onely by participation with him who is sanctitie it selfe And therfor in that comparison he truly and iustly humbled himselfe and acknowledged himselfe to be lesse in substance worth and sanctitie then a droppe compared to the whole ocean Affection Let vs thus looke vpon on selues my soule and we shall not fayl to fall to nothinge that is to be truly humble Let vs learne to knowe our selues with relation to the knowing God and our selues ioyntly with Sainte Augustine and pride can finde noe groud to worke vpon He is the sole fountaine of all beeing grace and glorie We haue nothing of all this but by his free gift and without it vniuersall vanitie vniuersa vanitas omnis homo viuens What haue we which we haue not receiued And why then doe we glorie in it as though we had not receiued it Resolution Put downe therfor this truth for certaine from S. Cyprian and S. Augustine We must glorie in nothing because nothinge is ours THE SECONDE POINTE. Let euery vallie be filled and euery montaine and hill be made lowe because all flesh shall see the saluation of God CONSIDER how S. Iohn goes still on teaching vs a fitt disposition to receiue the Messias or Sauiour sent from God by preparing his way which is done by leuelling vallies and throwing downe mountaines and hills our leuelling of vallies consists in erecting our hearts from pusillanimitie and despaire by the confidence of seeing the saluation of God or God our Sauiour now neere at hand whom all flesh shall see And mountaines and hills we shall throw downe by diffidence in our owne strength which is meere weaknes by depressing of our high flowen thoughtes and falling downe into the knowledge of our nothing with our humbled lord Affection O my poore perplexed soule why art thou sadd and why dost thou afflict me It is not vpon our owne workes that we builed our hopes but vpon the infinite mercy of that Sauiour who comes by death to giue life to all men And who trusts
in him shall not be confounded for euer Hearke how comfortably he cryes to vs loose the shakles of thy necke captiue daughter of sion Why art thou worne away with sorrow for nothing were you sold and without syluer you shall be redeemed But are our proud hearts happly raysed into mountaines of presumption vpon the view of our owne vertue Downe with them vpon the sight of a God humbled fall downe groueling vpon him and protest to him since omnipotencie is become impotent as it were and lyes at our Feete miserie rottennesse wormes meate shall not dare to aspire Resolution Humbly begge of him that all weake and lowlie soules may be filled with the multitudes of the blissings he bringes downe for man and that all swollen hearts may share in the same and learne of him who is myld and humble of heart That both of them may meete with the ioyes of these blessed tymes and find rest to their soules ✚ IHS THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FOVRTH SVNDAY IN ADVENT Prepare the wayes of our Lord. THE WORDS OF THE GOSPELL THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER how this voyce of one crying in the Deserte this holy Euangellicall preacher S. Iohn teacheth vs how worthily to prepare our selues against the coming of his and our diuine Master saying prepare the way of our Lord. And how doth he teach vs First by his example by an absolute retreate from the world to liue in a vaste wildernesse by austeritie in meate drinke and clothes secondly by his preaching the penance which he had first practised admirable humilitie and contempt of honour publikly professing himselfe to be nothing Affection None my soule is duely prepared to receiue our diuine Sauiour who doth not first renounce the world at least in affection if not in effect and exercise acts of a penitentiall life Vnlesse we doe pennance we shall all perish togeither None is fit y prepared to receiue the humble sonne of the hūble mother but he that feares not to make publike professiō of humilitie and contempt of honours with S. Iohn saying I am not Christ I am not Elias I am not the Prophete whom you seeke nay contrarily my soule we for our parts are poore miserable sinners We are not worthy that thou ô Sauiour of the world shouldst enter vndter our roofes THE SECONDE POINTE. The voyce of God was made vpon Iohn the sonne of Zacharie in the Deserte CONSIDER that it was in the Deserte that the word of God descended vpon this great Prophete that is there it was that he was replenished with diuine inspirations sacred conferences and heauenly doctrines And there it is too that we ought to heare our lord as he doth promise by O see I will leade her the sinfull soule into the wildernesse and I will speake to her heart Affection If we desire in good earnest my soule to be instructed from heauen and to haue diuinelie sweete conferences with our heauenly spouse our hearts must turne deserts that is things forsaken by the world and freely forsaking it that in solitude and silence we may truly say speake ô lord for thy seruant heares say to my soule I am thy saluation but say it so that I may heare it That good God ceases not amidst the multituds of our follics and vanities to speake to vs but it reaches but to our eares onely the noyse of the world hinders our heart to heare those heauenly inuitations come my loue my doue my spouse and thence it is we answer not as we ought my beloued is myne and I am his THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY OF ADVENT Make his pathes straight Luc. 3. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the great kinge of heauen is daigning to come to vs and it is butt fitting that we prepare his way by making his wayes right and straight that nothing may hinder his gracious accesse to our hearts nothing doth more hinder his coming to vs then our duplicitie and crookednesse of hart our indirectnesse of intention for a double tongued mouth he doth detest but loues to meete with the simplicitie of a doue I know saith Dauid my God that thou prouest the hearts and louest simplicitie Who walkes simply walkes confidently and our lord protects him and directs his wayes Affection It is the great kinge of heauen my soule who by an excesse of goodnesse is readie to come into the earth to comfort vs to instruct vs to redeeme vs. Not now in Maiestie to fright vs but in humilitie in simplicitie in abiection in the forme of a seruant to teach vs in his owne person to be simple and right and fearing God Let euerie mountaine and hill then be humbled all lightnesse of harte be subdued all harshnesse be banished all duplicitie be corrected The humble mylde and simple lambe will onely lodge in an humble mylde and simple breast THE SECONDE POINTE. Who art thou the Gospell CONSIDFR that howeuer this question was put by the Pharisies to S. Iohn captiously it may be or out of some curiositie yet may it be profitably proposed to each one of vs for our spirituall aduantage Who art thou A Christian or one honored with the name of Christ Further who art thou An English Christian Catholike that is one who is not onelie honored with the name of Christ but also blessed for being called to suffer for that name But who art thou finally Not onely a Christian an English Catholike Christian but euen one by a singular dignation called to be the spouse of Christ Affection Good god my soule what titles of honour and dearenesse has not heauen bestowed vpon vs which haue not bene granted to thousands of others But alas may not these honours rather cause feare then ioy for as gifts are increased doe not also our accompts ryse higher By the title of Christian we are bound to be imitatours of Christ and to expresse his life in ours By English Catholikes we are pointed out as the peculiar champions of Christs truth And by spouses we ought to be intirely and without reserue his Alas haue our liues bene answearable therto Haue we not fayld in such and such thinges c. with firme resolution of amendement THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FIRST SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE Iesus remayned in Ierusalem and his parents knew it not Luc. 2. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that as it happened here to Marie and Iosephe so it chanceth often not onely to sinners by mortall sinne but euen to most vertuous and deuoute soules that Iesus some tyme seemes to be lost while he absents himselfe without their knowledge that is while he withdrawes for a tyme the delicious consolations of his presence to trye whether their loue be chaste that is free from selfe interest in that they loue not for any temporall commoditie or any spirituall solace but for his owne infinite goodnesse alone Nor can they oftentymes whithout much patience labour and sorrowe find him againe Affection Here in it is my soule that