coÌ„fession by the viewing of our sinnes thus altogeather and make vs more ready and prompt to satisfy by good workes more capable of the mercy of God by our humility it stirreth vs vp more effectually to the loue of God making vs see his long patience hauing so long tyme mercifully supported so many faultes of ours It giueth meanes to repaire our negligences which might peâ—hâ—ps haue happened in the precedent Confessions and putteth the Conscience in great peace ioy and tranquillity for afterward And therefore it is good to vse it often namely from yeare to yeare not of all their life but of the sinnes of that yeare though they haue beene often confessed within the yeare but that it be done alwayes with the counsell of a sage and discreet Confessour The Diuell who is Father of the Proud hateth all confessions of Christians Why the Diuell hateth coÌ„fession but specially those who doe more humble the deuout soule put it in better estate more easily to obtaine pardon and grace therefore as a crafty and malicious workemaÌ„ he withdraweth them by feare and shame as much as he can and by other lets whereof the Pilgrime must take good heed and arme himselfe with a strong resolution to breake couragiously through all the snares of this deceauer There is also another Confession generall in another sense Generall confessioÌ„ in common before chap 8. in the Pilgrims preparation when one confesseth to God without a Priest which may be called Generall which should be made often in the day with the ordinary Confiteor or otherwise as we haue sayd before This we speake of heere is the Generall Sacramentall But whether the Pilgrime maketh this Generall or els hauing made it already confesseth now since his last confession he must vpon so good an occasion exactly cleanse his conscience of all sinne and therefore to prepare himselfe well he shall bestow that morning in the meditation of pennance well to doe it in confessing himselfe and attending to other good workes his Meditation shall haue the whole and entiere pares The accustomed prayer preparatory The first Preamble shall represent Adam and Eue put out of Paradise to doe pennance all their life long and our Sauiour and his Precursour Saint Iohn Baptist Matth. 2.1.4.17 beginning their preachings to men themselues hauing â—â—ad all their life in pennance What penance is The first point shall shew that pennance is a Sacrament wherein the sinner duely confessed and contrite receaueth absolution of his sinnes which power of absoluing was giuen to Priests by Iesus Christ Conc. Tri. sess 4. c. 1 Can. 1. Conc. Câ—st sess 15. Ambr. l. 1 de Poenit c. 2. 7. Conc. Tri. sess 14. c. 6. Can. 10. Ioan. 20. when he sayd to his Apostles in their person to all Priests Receaue the Holy Ghost whose sins you forgiue shall be forgiuen and whose you retaine shal be retained And againe All that you bind in earth shall be bound in heauen and all that you loose in earth shal be loosed in heauen It is God then that absolueth by the seruice of the Priest and not the Priest by his owne power The second point shall note that to obtaine the fruit of this Sacrament and to be reconciled to God three thinges must be done The first to leaue and detest his sinnes and make a firme purpose to sinne no more for such is truly contrite The second to confesse The third to satisfy for as we haue offended God in three sorts by hart by word worke so by the same meanes we must recouer his fauour grace as the Scriptures Psal 50. 1. Ioan. 1. and the Holy Fathers doe teach vs Thou shalt not despise a contrite and humble hart this is the first Let vs confesse our sinnes this is the second Redeeme thy sinnes with almes this is the third Ioan. 4. So it is sayd that the Niniuites turned themselues to God cryed vnto him cloathed themselues with haire and fasted Luc. 15. And the prodigall Child rose cried Peccaui and submitted himselfe to punishment S. Chrysostome sayth Contrition is in the hart De poenit tâ—ni 5. Confession in the mouth and all humility in worke This is perfect and profitable Pennance And S. Augustine God healeth those that haue a contrite hart healeth those that confesse healeth those that punish themselues In Psal 146. The other holy Doctours and Saints write in the same stile The third point shall first consider that the detestation hatred of sinne required to contrition is grounded in the loue of God True peÌ„nance fouÌ„ded in the loue of God and not in the feare of hell or other temporall euill that is to say the Penitent must be sorry that he hath sinned because he hath offended his Creatour not that he hath incurred punishment of Iustice to purpose also heereafter to auoid sinne for the loue of God with a filiall feare and not for any other euill which shall be a seruill feare In the second place he shall renew in his memory the principall qualityes of true Confession which are ConditioÌ„s of true Confession that it be whole and entire that is of all his sinnes he can remember since his last confession that it be Simple without affectation of superfluous or choice wordes also Faythfull declaring his sinnes with their circumstances in truth as before God who seeth all accusing not historically that is in way of accusing our selues and not as telling a tale or story and finally Humble and respectiue as comming from a contrite and an humbled hart accusing it selfe before the Maiesty of so great a God offended and asking pardon In the third place he shall note Satisfaction a marke of the goodnes and Iustice of God that Satisfaction which maketh the third part of pennance doth not any thing derogat to the Passion of our Sauiour but doth honour it more for this Passion hath truly satisfyed for vs paying for vs to the diuine Iustice that fine which we could not pay to deliuer vs froÌ„ eternall death but it was with a condition that we should contribute of good will what we could satisfy also by the merit of the same Passion But as it is more honourable to God to worke miracles not only by his owne handes but also to giue power to his seruants to do the like so is it greater glory to our Sauiour to make his seruants works meritorious satisfactory then if himselfe alone had merited and satisfyed But in tne end of the reckoning as al good coÌ„meth from him as from the first fountaine and spring so all the prayse of our satisfaction will redound vnto him as to the last end Prayers and thankes-giuing to God and the Blessed Virgin CHAP. XLVII O Lord behould me at last arriued by thy fauour at the place I haue long desired there to cleanse the spots of my soule and to beautify it with the
we can alleadge notwithstanding as we belieue that this soueraigne wisedome doth not will or worke any thing but to a good end and with good lawes for the instruction of men so may we discerne by that light it pleaseth him to communicate vnto vs in the secret of his principall actions some reasons of this inequality as well in the workes of Nature as in those of Religion In nature the first reason He hath diuersly diuided his guifts of Nature First to giue vs to vnderstand that he is the first author of all good If euery thing had growne euery where men would haue thought that it proceeded only of the vertue of heauen and earth but seeing this diuersity and not seeing the cause they haue good occasion to haue recourse to that supreme power to belieue The 2. reason that there is a God that commandeth nature making it fertill or barren where he thinketh good Secondly so much the clearer to make the beames of his bounty wisedome shine vnto vs beautifying adorning the whole world with this variety of effects and linking togeather the society of men by the plenty and wants of the countryes where they dwell taking one of another what they want and yielding that wherein they abound In his Kingdome of the Church he vseth the like variety also The Saints differ in glory in heauen 1. Cor. 15 first to shew that it is he that distributeth his graces according vnto the counsell of his prudence without dependaÌ„ce of any other cause or subiect Secondly to honour in earth the memory of his Saints one aboue another euen as he maketh their soules differently like diuers starres to shine in heauen and finally to succour his children according to their necessity which are greater in one place then in another and to giue occasion to diuers nations to visit one another to linke them togeather by Pilgrimages made by occasion of such places Why God hath glorifyed the B Virgin in so many places specially in Loreto All which reasons may serue for an answere to the demaÌ„d made in particuler why God hath much in so many places honoured the name of the B. Virgin and especially the place whereof we speake It is in glorifying her to let vs see the glory of his treasures to make glorious aboue all creatures in the earth the mother of his Sonne as he hath made her shine aboue all in heauen And if he hath honoured his seruants liuing and dead in euery thing that appertayned to them working miracles by their hand-kercheâ—s their girdles Act. 5.15 〈…〉 their shadowes their bones the dust of their bodyes why should we wonder that he would honour the B. Virgin in all these maÌ„ners in her habits in her Images in all places of Christianity and namely in this where she conceaued the glory of heauen and earth Iesus Christ Where she brought him vp serued him adored him so often with the care charity and tendernes of a mother nurse and daughter most faythfull most feruent most humble And seing by the meanes therof she hath giuen the Sauiour and saluation to the whole world shall it seeme strange that he should gratify mortall men with his guifts and graces by her prayers and intercessioÌ„ and particulerly in this place of her natiuity and dwelling of her most feruent offices and seruices of Religion Let therfore those seduced people who for this honour done to the mother of God doth accuse the Catholicke Church of Idolatry marke heere and els where in these workes the hand of God liberall in her honour and let them accuse their owne misbeliefe and not our deuotion except they will also accuse God who by so many wonders as he doth by her doth inuite and stirre vs vp to honour serue and call vpon her to be by her helped vnto life euerlasting Of the honour of Vowes and presents and guifts of Religion offered at Loreto CHAP. XXI THE vowes and presents of deuout persons are also witnesses and testimonyes of their handes The 8. cause of vowes and reall signes of the sanctity of the place By this meanes haue diuers places of the world become famous and renowned not only among the children of God but also amongst the Paynimes as the Temple of Diana in Ephesus of Apollo in Delphos of others in other Countreyes To honour God with his guifts is a natural inclination this proceeding of the naturall inclinatioÌ„ and reuerence imparted to all men to iudge it an holy worke and a liberality acceptable to God to honour with holy guifts and offeringes places dedicated to his name and sanctifyed with some steepe of his maiesty And doubtles if they had not erred in choosing ill in taking false Gods insteed of the true and had made their vowes and offeringes to their Creatour and not to Idols they iudged aright of the ceremonies For this instinct being a branch of diuine and humane law the action proceeding from being good in the root could not faile to be well receaued of him who is the author of nature and iustice bounty it selfe But leauing these places renowned amongst the Gentils to speake only of those that are famous amongst the children of God amongst the Iewes vnder the law of Moyses the Temple of Hierusalem was greatly honoured with presents not only of the Kinges and people of the Iewes themselues but also of diuers Pagan Lordes and Princes 2. Macha 32. The Kings sayth the history of the Machabees and Princes esteemed the place of Hierusalem worthy of great veneration and honoured the Temple with many rich guifts After the comming of the Sonne of God when the Church hauing ouercome the rage of Tyrants and of Paganisme had once calme seas ChristiaÌ„ Temples honored through ChristeÌ„dome and sure footing then might be seene through all his Kingdome Temples erected and holy places honoured in this sort In Asia Europe Africa and els where as the Ecclesiasticall historyes doe teach vs with the testimony of the Temples yet standing heeretofore founded and endowed by Christians Emperours Kinges and Princes frequented to this day by Pilgrimes with vowes and presents from all partes of the world where Christianity and Catholike fayth doth reigne But to the point of our purpose and in one word to shut vp this discourse I say that if euer ony place was illustrated by the guifts of Christian Princes children of God in any age it is this of Loreto for the Kinges and Potentats of al Europe the Popes and the great Prelates of the Church communalties and cittyes and an infinit number of people comming froÌ„ all parts of the Christian world haue thither sent and brought their riches to honour God in the memory and house of the B. Notable offerings to the House of Loreto Virgin the mother of his Sonne for all these earthly guifts or offerings they haue receaued and carried backe the notable guifts of
whole world shall be iudged when the iustice of the Iudge shall be made manifest to all the world when the iustice of the good shal be published by open iudgement in the full assembly of Angells and men and rewarded with a crowne of immortall glory There sayth one Saint shall be no complaint Aug. l. 20. ciuit c. 11. such as often in the presse of this world saying one to another why is this wicked man so happy in his wickednes VVhy is such a good man vnhappy and miserable in his vertue VVhy do Robbers prosper and poore Pilgrimes haue their throtes cut For then true felicity shall be reserued only for the good and extreme and true misery reserued only for the wicked This then is called the day of our Lord all other dayes are the dayes of men this which is the shutting vp of them all shall be our Lords day for therein he shall shew manifestly the treasures of his infinit mercy and iustice making for his glory the heauens and earth to leape all the most strong peeces of his power wisedome bounty O my soule tremble with feare The Prayer at the remembrance of this fearefull day for if Dauid Iob the Prophets if the pillars of vertue haue shaked how great ought thy feare to be poore sinnefull and feeble creature that thou art With what sense feeling shouldest thou meditate vpon the holding of this day the Iudgement of iudgements and the last of all What wilt thou then doe What Aduocate shalt thou haue Who dareth defend thee from this iust Iudge if he be offended with thee How shalt thou heare the irreuocable sentence when it shall be pronounced What shalt thou do if he condemne thee O sweet Iesus keep me from thy wrath to come if it please thee and giue me now a penitent hart that may deserue both now and then the voice of thy mercy Let me in this banishment suffer a thousand deathes but at that day let me liue with thee Afflict me whippe me cut me burne my soule my life my flesh my bones with al sorts of tribulation persecution trauaile and torments but may it please thee to pardon me then for euer O Lord. O Blessed Virgin my good Aduocate whome I often see represented in this Iudgement by the pious pictures of the holy houses in the Church of thy Sonne as suppliant for all mankind intreat I beseech O Virgin for al and for me who am of the number and the most needy and performe what the pictures represent They signify that thou art now Aduocate of mortall men to the end that at that day they may be out of paine and danger Aske now O B. Virgin for this is the tyme of asking and mercy and not then when there shall be no question but of iudging rewarding and punishing aske and in good tyme obtaine for me and for all those that seeke vnto thee obtaine for me O puissant Aduocate the grace throughly to bewaile my sinnes vertuously to correct my faultes wisely to order my senses and actions that at that day I may confidently behould the eye and countenance of that soueraigne Iudge set in his throne of Iustice ioyfully heare the sentence he pronounceth and happily be placed on the right hand in the number of his beloued The After-dinner and Euening of the nineteenth dayes Iourney The separation of the good from the wicked after Iudgement CHAP. XLIII AFTER dinner the Pilgrime shall imploy his deuotioÌ„ in meditating what followeth Iudgement setting before his eyes how the one sort take their flight vp to heauen with Iesus Christ and his Angells there to reigne with him happy and blessed for euer The other full of misery and anguish broken-harted desperate shall be swallowed downe body and soule to the Center of the earth with the Diuells whome they serued and hauing gone foreward a while in this thought he shall also in the euening make some prayer to our Lord and to the B. Virgin his glorious Mother to the same end with that before dinner and shall looke about to lodge himselfe in some place proper for a poore wearied Pilgrime to repose The twentith Day A Meditation of Hell CHAP. XLIV THE Pilgrime hauing purposed to cleanse his soule in this his Pilgrimage and in good earnest to sweare emnity for euer against sinne the better to moue himselfe to peÌ„nance and to conceaue contâ—ition requisite for such an effect he shall help himselfe with the meditation of Hell the second death and reward of sinne as he helped himselfe hitherto with the meditation of the first death and iudgement This is a thundring peece Eccl. 7.40 to beat at the eares and soule of a sleepy sinner and with a wholsome alarum to awake him and make him take armes and looke to himselfe Good men are also holpeÌ„ therby for though they follow vertue rather for loue then for feare and serue God for himselfe which is the seruice of true children it profiteth them notwithstanding to meditate as well the punishmeÌ„t as the reward drawing from theÌ„ce matter to prayse God in his iustice and mercy and to stirre vp themselues to serue him well The Meditation shall haue his partes The prayer preparatory accustomed The first Preamble shall represent an obscure and darke bottomlesse dungeon in the Center of the earth ful of horrour and stench of fire brimstone and smoke and soules inclosed in their bodyes plunged in these flames The second shall demand particuler grace well to meditate of Hell for euer to auoyd it Hell most intollerable The first point shall consider that as there is nothing in this life more horrible then death nothing so dreadfull as Iudgement that followeth after so nothing is more intollerable then Hell and the punishments therof Matth. 8.33.22.24 There sayth the Scripture is weeping gnashing of teeth there is the worme gnawing of the soule and neuer dying and killing alway without killing Marc. 9.44 There is the fire that neuer quencheth there is the darke Countrey couered with the cloud of death There is the shaddow of death where no order but perpetuall horrour inhabiteth Iob. 10.25 Apoc. 21.14 There the portion of the damned is in a lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death where the wicked shall be tormented world without end The second point shall represent the diuers sortes of paines ordayned according to the diuersity of sins Diuers paines for diuers crimes for notwithstanding the horrour and disorder of this gulfe the order of Gods iustâ—â—e neuerthelesse shall be kept as the Apostle signifyeth when he sayth that he heard a voice from heauen condemning the Lecher to paynes saying Apec 18.7 Giue him torments in that measure that he hath had glory and delight in this life Therfore there the Proud shall be oppressed with an extreme confusion and shame The Couetous suffer an vnspeakable hunger and thirst The Adulterers buryed in fire and
he cometh weake out of the wombe of his Mother yet mightily he preserueth the virginity of his Mother he is swadled in poore cloathes but is enlightned with the splendour of heauen In his Circumcision he was reckoned among sinners Phil. 1. but he took a Name aboue al names whereat euery knee should bow in heauen earth and vnder the earth In this apparition and visitation of the Sages he seemed obscure and a poore man among men but he is honoured by the Starres and adored by the Kinges And so in all the rest of his life and especially in his Death wherin we may see a wonderfull weauing togeather in one webbe of thinges contrary and opposite which encounter in this Tragedy The Sonne of God is nayled to a tree as feeble faulty and yet as soueraigne he giueth letters of grace and as an Almighty God of a great thiefe malefactor he maketh a great and holy Confessour he endureth the torments of temporall death and promiseth the Paradise of eternall life men blaspheme him on earth and the starres do moane him in heauen The Iewes more hard then stones haue no compassion of his anguishes but the Rockes rent the Graues opened the Sun darkened to mourne for his death Of al these encounters the deuout soule shall learne the wisedome and power of this Lord hauing giuen vs so goodly instructions to teach vs to admire loue and serue him The third parte of the Meditation Of the Returne of the three Kinges CHAP. XXXVII The prouidence of God towards the Iust Psalm 33.16 THE third point shal containe the Meditation of the Returne of the three Kinges who being from heauen aduertised in their sleep not to returne by Herod tooke another way towardes their country In this aduertisement we must acknowledge and confesse the prouidence of God watching in the protection of them that serue him with a royal mind to deliuer them from danger and conduct them to a sure hauen notwithstanding all the stormes and contrary windes of this boysterous world and her worldlings By the same consideration is discouered the folly of the Tyrant Herod who thought by his craft and subtilty to deceaue not only men 1. Cor. 3.19 but God also and to catch him in the snares of his cruelty but the soueraigne wisedome deluded his folly and calling vnto him in spite of this worldly bloudy King these stranger-Kings to take honour and homage of them signifieth vnto vs that happy prey of soules The Magi the first fruites of our faith S. Leoser 2. de Ep. which in the sight of Sathan signifyed by Herod he did carry with him in the person of these conuerted Kings as the first fruits of our fayth Christian calling gathered out of the haruest of the Gentils And this is that which God before by his Prophet sayd of his Sonne newly borne Call his name Hasten to spoile for before the Child can call Father or Mother the strength of Damascus shall be taken away the spoile of Samaria Isa 8.3 in presence of the King of the Assyrians This is Iesus who not tarying as other men do for age fit to fight hath being but a child gotten the victory this noble spoile and subdued vnto him the force of Damascus and Samaria tho strength of Idolatry and the errours of the Pagan world and this in the sight of the King of Assyria Sathan the king of this world and vpon this consideration the good Pilgrime may say as followeth speaking to himselfe and to his God What sayst thou heere my soule And where shall thy eyes rest in the variety of so many wonders To his soule Wilt thou consider the greatnes or the littlenes of this Child Eyther of theÌ„ exceed the conceites of man Wilt thou behould the Maiesty the modesty the ioy of this heauenly Mother holding in her armes this litle-great King whilest the other Kinges did honour and adore with their deuotion and guifts Thyne eyes are dazelled in the light of this Maiesty and cleane lost in the depth of this humility Contemplate the deuotion the piety the submission the bounty of these thinges Thou art not capable to conceaue this do better then and confesse thyne incapacity in all adore this King as well in his littlenes as in his greatnes admire the vertues of his Mother imitate the humility and deuotion of these Kinges and say with an humble and feruent hart O my King and Sauiour gouerne me To God saue me be my guide in my pilgrimage my confort in afflictions my strength in temptations giue me of thy Gold Incense and Myrrh of thy bounty of thy diuinity of thy humanity to make vnto thee a pleasant offering of my presents and to returne by thy direction and vnder thy protection to myne owne country whence my Father and all his posterity were banished With these three Meditations he shall end this day The thirtith day and the ninth and last of his Aboad A Meditation of the Presentation of IESVS in the Temple CHAP. XXXVIII IN this last day of our Pilgrimes aboad he shall prepare himselfe to confesse and receaue happily to end and conclude his nyne dayes of stay there to depart the next morning with the greater light and courage being purged of his sinnes and armed with this pretious food and Viaticum His meditation shall be of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin and of the oblation she made of her deere child in the Temple fourty dayes after that he was borne The Law of Purification Leuit. 1â— Luc. 2. At midnight he may briefly remeÌ„ber the history of this old Ceremony of the â—ews which giueth the grouÌ„d to this Christian solemnity and to his meditation The history is that it was coÌ„manded by an expresse law that the woman who was brought to bed should be vncleane a weeke if she brought forth a sonne and two if a daughter and should remaine sometyme in her house The Sacrifice for Purification Leuit. 12. Luc. 2. before she came into the Temple not touching any thing that was holy to wit fourty dayes for a sonne fourscore for a daughter which dayes being expired she came to the Temple to offer her fruit with a Lambe of one yeare old or a Pigeon or Turtle which were sacrificed the Lambe as an holocaust for thankes-giuing the Pigeon or Turtle for expiation of sinne If the Mother could not haue a Lambe either for the tyme of the yeare or by reason of her pouerty The males consecrated to God she offered two PigeoÌ„s or Turtles to the same effect Moreouer the Male first-borne by right of being the eldest was consecrated to God and pertained vnto him to serue in his house but because God had chosen all the Tribe of Leui for the seruice of his Altars he permitted them of other Tribes to redeeme their first-borne with fiue sicles of siluere and so to be deliuered of that obligation The B.
of a good man as of the Hermites who in those times lyued in those desarts Also that he assailed our Sauiour where he thought he was weakest by hunger and principally in that he demanded but a small matter The sweet pretences of the Diuell and that as it seemed reasonable to wit to turne stones into bread to help his present necessity So he maketh his hole little to enter in subtilty and with greater ease So for one bit of an Apple he destroyed man so also he asketh at the Witches handes but a haire of their head Genes 3. to tye a knot of friendship betwixt them but one veniall sinne of deuout persons but one litle imperfection of Religious men by such little pathes to draw them at last to destruction And as therefore Queene Semirami◠hauing obtayned of her sonne the king of the Assyrians to raigne but one day Dion de rebus perficis tooke from him his crowne and his life euen so this our aduersary if he become maister but once by one mortall sinne depriueth vs at last of the kingdome of heauen Lazarus also learned of our Sauiour how to resist the malice of this enemy Diod. Sicul l. 3. c. vlt. which is in not giuing him any aduantage though neuer so smal but repelling him euery where and in euery thing for such is the aduice of the Apostle saying Giue not place vnto the Diuel Phil. 4. Our Sauiour serued by Angells And so he was sent away with shame he that was tempted by the wicked Angels was at the last serued of the good shewing vs that after the victory we shall be admitted to the table of God filled with delightes and crowned with the garland of glory Thus meditated Lazarus and said vnto our Sauiour O prudent puissant Captaine giue me the grace to vse those weapons wherewith thou hast ouercome to teach vs how we also should ouercome For thy selfe there was no necessity of this triall or victory heauen and earth knew full well that thou with thy Almighty power wast stronge inough to reiect thyne enemy And turning to our B. Lady O vailant warriour saith he who hast in this warre ouercome thy sexe To the B. Virgin and the valour of the most valiant Amazones that euer were who didst first crush the head of our enemy this old serpent take me O heauenly warriour vnto thy protection arme me in the warre of thy Sonne with his weapons and thine direct me in this combat that I may vse myne arme after his and thine example that vnder thy defence I may get the victory and that to him and to thee for the loue of him may redound the glory of my warfare 1. An admirable combat 2. A Pilgrime togeather with Serpents nourished by a stone 3. The foundation of dreames 4. The three bandes of the world 5. How to chuse a Religion 6. The end of worldly ioy CHAP. XII SVCH was the meditation and prayer of Lazarus Theodosius and Vincent held the same points with other veines of deuotion Their prayers ended they tooke a draught of wine and would haue reckoned with their Host but he sayd he would haue none of their siluer himselfe was rather in their debt and so put in their hand the Crowne which the Merchant had left the night before for their supper of which himselfe would take nothing but restored it whole to them as their owne They desired him to bestow it on other Pilgrimes that passed that way or on the poore saying they had God be thanked good prouision thanking him very hartily for his charity they departed very well cōtent and he remained much edified with their piety and deuotion After they had sayd their prayers for their iourney and their beads they began to discourse of their meditation whereupon Lazarus sayd he had had that night a dreame that was all of warre and wild beastes He affirmed moreouer that this tentation was the most liuely and goodly patterne of a combat that could be represented An admirable cōbat as contayning therein the manner well to assault valiantly to resist and ouercome Doe not you marke sayth he how this old Dragon disguiseth himselfe into the forme of a man and of an honest man How craftily he directed his battery The Diuell tēpteth our Sauiour in a holy habit to that place which he thought weakest easiest to enter at assailing hunger with the hooke and enticement of gluttony changing his weapons according to occasions from the desart to the Temple from the Temple to the toppe of the mountaine heere battering with guns of Gormandise there with presumption and after of ambition and auarice and still in euery one shewing himselfe a maligne and impudent assaulter See you on the other side our good Redeemer couered with the cloke of our infirme nature suffering himselfe to be carryed by his enemy to bring him to confusion See you how his great humility quickly pulled out the eyes of pride which appeared by the second assault when Sathan sayd vnto our Sauiour If thou beest the sonne of God cast thy selfe downe Which was the discourse of a distracted spirit ioyning a conclusion of phrensy to an Antecedent of Diuinity for it is as if he had sayd Thou art Almighty do therefore an act of extreme infirmity for that to precipitate himselfe is an act of a base and cowardly hart he should rather haue sayd if thou beest the sonne of God fly vp to heauen or demand some such thing which might haue shewed some worthy proofe of such power and might haue made some reasonable illation And do you not thinke that our Challengers haue been at the schoole of this distracted Skirmisher Against Chalengers when pricked with a point of honour as they cal it but in truth with a point of some phrensy they send letters of defiance to their enemies in these termes If thou beest an honest man come try a sword with me that is come shew a tricke of dastardy and cast thy selfe downe togeather with me into euerlasting death and ignominy And should we not answere to the humming of such a hornet Go thy wayes ill aduised fond fellow because I am an honest man Duellists I detest thy defiance as a summon proceeding out of the mouth of a frantike man or scholler of Sathan and the Diuells disciple not a Christian Caualier Moreouer what shame think you receaued this King of the children of pride when becōming yet in the second encounter more blind and presuming of the victory in the third he was reiected with these byting wordes Get thee gone Sathan pronounced with disdaine and anger of our victorious Sauiour of whome he would haue beene adored on both knees In truth quoth Vincent it was a meruailous combat in euery respect and the victory notable as also these two were the greatest Captains that euer were the one in power and wisedome the other in strength and malice as I
is he that hath powred downe these deluges of water and fire vpon the impiety and fifth of the world that hath beaten downe the Tyrants of Egipt made wayes for his people through the waues of the sea opened the bosome of the water the earth to swallow down armed pride or the proud army who sent his Sonne to tye an euerlasting knot of amity and friend ship with men to make himselfe litle humble in his litlenes and humility to confound the counsell and arrogancy of the proud and to ouerthrow the power of hell and the world 7. He hath put the mighty from their seate hath exalted litle me◠So is he King of Kings it is he that placeth and displaceth according to his pleasure he maketh the little great and the great litle he changeth times and ages translateth kingdomes Dan. 2. Ec. l. 10. Iob. 11. and establisheth them he giueth the scepter of one people to another because of iniustice and iniuries he shall vnlose the girdles of Kings and gird their loynes with a rope he taketh the needy from the dust and the poore from out of the smoke to make him sit in the company of Princes and inherit a seat of glory 8. He hath filled the hungry with good things and hath sent the rich away empty This is the worke of the mercy and iustice of God to relieue the necessity of the needy and to leaue empty the pride of those who do sumptuously solace themselues in the abundance of their riches 9. He hath receaued his Child Israel remembring his mercy He seemed to haue forgotten but he sheweth well the contrary for as the father taketh his child in his armes so hath he shadowed vnder the protection of his wings poore Israell afflicted vnder the Tyranny of a Paynim poore mankynd which was to be his people oppressed vnder the tyrāny of the Diuel cometh now in person true King and true Redeemer of Iewes and Gentills to help both to winne the Roman Ruler make him one people with the Iew his vassall and ioyne all in a sweet liberty and obedience of one law of one faith of one King and herein he sheweth that he hath remembred the old promises of his mercy and that he meant to performe what he had spoken Gen. 13.3 15.3.17.19.18.9 21. 10. As he did speake to Abraham and to his seed for euer For this is the holy Patriarch Father of the Iewes and head of all the children of God to whome he first promised expressly that in his seed all nations of the world should be blessed Gen. 26 4 and after to Isaac Iacob Dauid and others who followed after and this blessing should last as long as the world and the effects thereof vnto all eternity This is the song and sense of this Canticle Gen. 28.14 O diuine finger of the praises of thy Sonne Gabriel Elizabeth the Angells and men sing thy honour Psal 131.11 and thou singest the glory power bounty mercy and iustice of him that made thee worthy to be praised and exalted by men and Angels in what measure they cast their eyes vpon thy greatnes the more thou humblest thy selfe The ten Verses of the Magnificat is the B. V. Harpe with ten stringes and dost oppose thy humility to the greatnes of God Dauid thy great Grand-father was a meruailous singer out of the great workes of the Creatour thou art not inferiour to him in any thing and thy Harpe often stringes reacheth as neere to the throne of Maiesty as his soundeth as loud as his for euer in the sanctuary of the church of God Learne heere O Christian soules to humble your selues when you are magnifyed and when any prayse doth sound in your eares be you stirred vp to prayse him whose guifts haue made you prayse-worthy Teach me O B. Virgin teach thy Pilgrime the manner to sing after thee the meruailous workes of the Creatour teach me to acknowledg his good deedes and my miseries to extol him in his power to despise my selfe in my basenes that my soule may magnify him that my spirit may reioyce in him that my tongue and hart may sing to him thankesgiuing for euer and euer Amen After this meditation he shall heare masse and the diuine Office and then go to his dinner The After-dinner and Euening of the eight and twentith Day VVhat the B. Virgin did in the house of S. Elizabeth CHAP. XXXI THIS After dinner the Pilgrime shall employ himselfe in his wonted exercises according to the time in reading conference hearing the Sermon and Euensong and occupying himselfe in such like exercises towards the euening he may make some short meditation taking for his subiect the rest of the history discoursing in his thoughts vpon those good workes which the B. Virgin did in the house of her Cousin S. Elizabeth during the three moneths she stayed there For now he shall see her praying in her Oratory then lifting vp her hart to God then humbling her selfe to his maiesty the more she did see discerne it sometime sighing for mankynd whose Redeemer she carried in her bowells at other tymes heare her discourse with her Cousin of heauenly things of the greatnes of God of his goodnes of his prouidence of his wonderfull workes and other points of deuotion which she had touched in her Canticle He shall behold her also in her lesse businesses working with her needle and employing her selfe with all humility and charity in the meane seruices of the house for the solace and help of her Cousin Elizabeth Two great Ladyes big with two great Saints Finally lodging in this house by contemplation he shall set before his eyes these two admirable Ladies the one great with a Saint that neuer had greater before him the other great with Sanctity it selfe A heauenly Guest of S. Elizabeth with whome she lodged and an heauenly hostesse of God whome she lodged in her wombe both mother and Virgin rauishing with admiration both heauen and earth with the most excellent beauty of her vertues And hauing at her returne accompanied her from the house of S. Elizabeth to Nazareth he shall end the euening with thankes-giuing shal go to his lodging there to end the day and take his rest and resection The nine and twentith Day and the eight of his Aboad The Meditation for midnight of the Natiuity of our Sauiour CHAP. XXXII THE nine and twentith Day shall contayne 3. meditations at 3. times at midnight of the Natiuity of our Sauiour in the morning of the Circumcision and at night of the adoration of the three Kings For preparation to the first after hauing demanded the assistance of God he shall first seeke and follow in spirit the way which the B. Virgin with Ioseph had held frō Nazareth to Bethleem whither they of the house of Iuda came then as to their chiefe Citty to giue vp their names to the enrolment