law of God in what sort soeuer and in the end say Pater Aue. In the 4. point he must say Confiteor knocking his breast for his faults found with dolour and dislike and also with hope to knocke at the gate of Gods mercy humbly crauing pardon for the snnes we find our selues to haue committed The 5. point is to make a firme purpose neuer by the help of Gods grace to fall againe into the like and with the first commodity to goe to Confession so to end with Pater Aue And Credo This is the dayly exercise of all that be carefull and solicitous of their owne saluation commanded by the Scripture and practised by the Saints Eccl. 28.29 Locke vp thy gold siluer sayth the Wise man and make a weight vnto thy wordes and put a strict bridle in thy mouth That is vaunt not of thy vertue nor glory in thy good actions weigh and examine all euen vnto thy wordes and keep thy selfe from euill and haue a purpose to abstaine for afterward Iob sayd I feared all my workes Iob. 9.28 knowing that thou dost not pardon the offender And this without doubt was because he weighed all in the ballance of Gods iustice which he knew left nothing vnweighed Dauid Psalm 76. I meditated in the night with my hart I did exercise my selfe I did sweep cleanse my spirit Vpon which wordes S. Augustine sayth He enquired of himselfe he examined himselfe and he iudged himself within himselfe He examined in the night the fit and proper tyme in silence with attention hauing his eyes shut to other thinges he exercised himselfe in good earnest with all his hart with feruour and vigour of deuotion and not with a distracted and wandering cogitation dead without motion of life and sorrow My sinne is alwayes before me Psal 50. Because he was in continuall examination of his actions alwayes finding some defect and heereof he sayd to God Psal 18.14 Who is he that knoweth his faultes Deliuer me from my secret sinnes and pardon thy seruant the sinnes of others He that doth not his diligence to performe this once a day sheweth himselfe to haue no great care of his owne soule for he putteth himselfe fondly in danger to be surprised and sodainly arrested by the executioner of the supreme Iudge hauing the accountes of his life ill ordered charged with debts which he shal neuer be able to discharge The deuout Christian doth it often in the day How often in the day the deuout ChristiaÌ„ should examine his conscience Our Pilgrime shall do it thrice in the morning when he riseth he shall examine the night past at noone examine the morning and at night when he goeth to bed shut vp the account and reckoning of the whole day A generall distribution of what the Pilgrime should do euery day And first of the Credo CHAP. VII Clem. Const Apost l. 7. c. 25. THE dayly prayers and spirituall exercises of the pilgrime are distributed into three tymes of the day Morning after dinner and Night according to that distribution of K. Dauid who sayd In the Euening and Morning and at Midday I will pray to thee O Lord and speake thy prayses and myne owne necessityes Psal 54. Which also Daniel practised in his captiuity as before him all iust men in their owne dwellings Dan. 6.10 In the Morning he shall make the principall meditation at Noone and after he shall make others or els if he be loath to change the subiect hauing some tast thereof in the Morning he may goe ouer it againe by way of repetition at euery one of these three tymes of prayer he must still repeate the Credo Pater Aue Confiteor as a true child of the Church who reciteth them in the midst among other prayers she maketh he that prayeth must haue Fayth Hope and Charity Fayth is the foundation of the others by fayth he doth often say in his prayers the Creed as making profession of his fayth comprised therein by these 12. Articles 1. I beleeue in God the Father almighty creator of heauen earth 2. And in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord. 3. Who was conceaued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary 4. Suffered vnder Pontius Pilat was crucified dead and buried 5. Descended into hell the third day he rose againe from the dead 6 He ascended into heauen sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty 7. From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead 8. I belieue in the holy Ghost 9. The holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints 10 The forgiuenes of sinnes 11. The resurrection of the body 12. And life euerlasting AmeÌ„ This is a summary of fayth called the Symbole collection or gathering because it was composed by the Apostles euery one bringing and contributing his part as they doe at a reckoning after a banket representing by the number of the Articles the 12. Authors and compounders thereof for which cause S. Ambrose calleth it the Apostolike fayth Amb. ser 38. Aug. ser 1â—1 de tempore Leo c. 13. ad Pulchr composed by those 12. Artificers also the key whereby is discouered the darknes of the Diuell that the light of Iesus Christ might appeare S. Augustin calleth it the Apostolike fayth because it contayneth the abridgment thereof and would haue euery one learne it by hart The Symbole or Creed sayth he is short in wordes and great in mystery let euery one therefore that is come to the yeares of discretion learne the Apostolike fayth which he hath professed in Baptisme by the mouth of his God-father These twelue Articles containe all that euery Christian ought distinctly to belieue of God and his Church The 8. first teach vs the beliefe we must haue of the B. Trinity one God and three persons and specially of the mystery of our Redemption The foure last deliuer vnto vs what to belieue of his Church Of the Pater Noster Aue and Consiteor CHAP. VIII THE Pater noster is the summary of our hope as the Creed was of our fayth contayning seauen petitions in forme of prayer as followeth 1. Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy Name 2. Thy kingdome come 3. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heauen 4. Giue vs this day our daily bread 5. And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. 6. And lead vs not into temptation 7. But deliuer vs from euill Amen The foure first demand the guift of good thinges the three last deliuerance from euill The 3. first aske that which pertayneth to life euerlasting the foure last that which concernes this temporall to attaine vnto the other as S. Augustine sayth Aug. euch c. 115. serm Dom in montel 2. cap. 17. This is a prayer made and dictated from the mouth of the Sonne of God the richest and worthyest of all the
these meditations he shal haue others which are set downe for euery day of his voyage which he shall do the same day at diuers tymes Being in the fields he shall take matter of praysing God as those thinges he beholdeth shall giue him occasioÌ„ beholding the Heauens he shall admire God in those immortall bodyes and lights seeing the mountaines the plaines the riuers the plantes the beasts and other creatures he shal giue thâ—nkes for all to God as made for the behoofe of man and of himselfe in particuler and shall inuite them to prayse the same Creatour to the imitation of those wise and stout Hebrews who song in the midst of the Furnace Benediâ—â—e omnia opera â—omini Domino O all yee workes of our Lord blesse yee our Lord c. In faire wether he shal thanke God for that particuler benefit of his way and iourney if it doth rayne hayle or storme he shall thanke him also for this crosse and aduersity and take it patiently to make his merit thereof and his spirit all profit Passing by the Cittyes and Townes he shall visit the Churches holy places the Hospitalls such like where he may get any profit or increase of deuotion Going out of his lodging he shall say Lord shew me thy wayes Psalm 24 teach me thy paths or some such verse and shall salute his Angell-keeper that he may accompany him in the way Luc. 10.5 and beginning to march he shall say his Itinerarium and ordinary prayer for pilgrimes and trauailers entring into his lodging by day or in the night to his bed he shall say The peace of God be heere and shall giue good example and edification to euery one in his talke gestures and all his cariage sitting at the table he shall say grace or heare some other better then himselfe say it and in tyme of relection if there be company he shall beginne some discourse of honest recreation fit for the tyme or shall heare others talke If he eat alone he shall feed his spirit also with good cogitations whilest he refresheth his body with corporall food Hauing sayd grace taken some rest he shall retire himselfe and hauing sayd his Litanyes or other prayers and made examen of his conscience and hauing thanked God for his benefits receaued that day demanding pardon and purposing amendement he shall craue the ayde of the glorious Virgin of his Angell-keeper other Saints and hauing ended his deuotions for that day he shall take his rest THE PILGRIME HIS SETTING FORTH And first dayes Iourney A meditation of the condition of man which is to be Pilgrime in this life CHAP. I. OVR Pilgrime hauing obserued all this ordered and settled his affaires specially if he be maister of a family discharged his iourney of all let and hinderance made prouision of what is necessary The first dayes iourney being confessed and communicated and well prepared and furnished both in soule and body and of whatsoeuer the circumstance of Christian and ciuill prudence may require he shall choose the day of his setting forth and shall take his iourney vnder the protection and safe conduct of Almighty God and of the glorious Vigin whome he goeth to visir of his good Angell The meditatioÌ„ of the morning of the 1. day The meditation and prayer of his first dayes iourny beside that which he shall take proper for the day as we sayd before shall be of the condition of mortall men which is to be pilgrimes and strangers vpon earth The prayer preparatiue shall demand of God that it would please him to direct his intentions and actions to the glory of his holy name as we taught before The first essay or preamble of the Meditation The first preaÌ„ble shall represeÌ„t first Adam chased and driuen out of earthly Paradise to liue heere on earth as a banished man he his wife all his posterity Secondly it shall represent vnto vs diuers holy men and Saints as leauing their homes and houses to walke to strange countryes Abraham going out of Chaldaa to dwell in the land of Canaan Iacob going out of Canaan to dwell in Syria and at last to dye in Aegypt a strange countrey the Apostles after the comming of the Holy Ghost leauing their country to walke pilgrims euery one according to his lot into an vnknowne world The second preamble shall demand of God a cleare light to see this verity and liuely and profitably to apprehend The 2. preaÌ„ble how al mortall men are pilgrimes in this world that we must seek for our countrey els where The first point of the Meditation shall be taken of the wordes of the Prophet Dauid and of the Apostle S. Paul Psal 38. I am a stranger with thee O Lord and a pilgrime as all my fore-fathers haue beene Also We are pilgrimes and strangers before thee Psal 29.15 as our Fathers haue beene Our dayes are like a shaddow vpon earth and passe without any stay S. Paul also We haue not heere a dwelling or permanent Citty but we seeke another which is to come Heb. 1. The second point shall consider the practise of the foresayd words verifyed in the examples of many holy men Saints who from the beginning of the world haue carryed themselues as true Pilgrimes in this life Gen. 4.4 Abel the first iust man in the house and family of God had neither house nor Inne vpon the earth attending only to prayer and keeping his flocke Gen. 4.17 Cain contrarywise the first of worldly reprobates built a citty as being a Cittizen and Inhabitant of this world Gen. 12. Abraham the Father of the faythfull dwelt as we haue sayd a stranger in the â—and of Chanaan in tents and moueable houses not buying one â—oote of Land all his life but a place of buriall for himselfe his children The whole people of God the posterity of the foresayd Abraham was pilgrime in Aegypt 400. yeares and 40. in the desert of Arabia Our Sauiour also was a true Pilgrime not thinking of any thing but of his iourney not possessing any thing yea lesse then Abraham for he borrowed his tombe and Sepulcher which Abraham bought His Apostles also were dispersed ouer the whole earth liuing as pilgrimes and trauailers not ayming at any thing but to gayne way towardes heauen and to draw other men thereunto by preaching of Christ Iesus 3. Why man is pilgrime in this life The third point shall containe the cause why man is pilgrime in this life seeing that the whole visible world is made for him and also why this pilgrimage is so painefull of griefes and sorrowes The cause of the first is the excellency of man consisting in his soule an immortal or heauenly essence bearing in it self the image and likenes of that soueraigne and supreme beauty by reason wherof there was due vnto him a perpetual habitation more proportionate to his dignity a more noble
thee in her thoughts my will in her desires my memory in her capacity and all my senses in their functions seruices and that I take no strange Gods before thee Alas what folly is it to admit and follow another seeing thou art so great and all alone in thy greatnes and all others be false Defend me from the vanity of false Gods and their Idols not of Paynimes from which we haue beene long freed by the cleare light of our fayth O sweet redeemer Iesus Christ but from those Gods and Idols which vanity and peruersity doth forge in the soules of those False Gods Idols are vices who vnder false banners carry the name of Christians which are proper will pride auarice impurity enuy rancour gluttony slouth and such like abhominations of vices and aboue all from obstinate errour and heresy which this malignant abuser of men and infernall workeman doth forge and furnish to the world insteed of the old Idols of Pagans which he seeth hath long since lost all honour and credit Keep me Cypr. l. de vnit Ecc. O my Creatour and Sauiour from being abused by those false Gods let not my soule seeke after these vanityes nor euer bow her knee to these Idols that she acknowledge no other God but thee honour thee alone in thy Church and in the communion of thy Saintes and with a sound faith and place her chiefe hope in thee alone God to be honoured with a true faith hope charity and loue thee alone withal her hart and honour and respect for loue of thee all others that are honourable by thy guifts and graces in heauen and earth Angells and men These and the like shall be the Pilgrimes discourse this after dinner In the Euening he shall say his beades or some other prayer to salute the B. Virgin and shall take vp his lodging for his rest that night The fifth Day A meditation vpon the second Commandement Thou shalt not take the Name of God in vaine CHAP. XII THE second Commandement shall be the chiefe meditation for the morning of the fifth Day contayning the prayer preparatiue two preambles and fiue pointes The prayer preparatiue The first shall containe the accustomed demand to wit the assistance of Gods grace by the which all our actions and prayers may be made to the honour of God The first preamble shal be like that of the precedent meditation differing in matter only setting before the eyes of our soule the second Commandement grauen in great letters in the first Table of the Law THOV SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF GOD IN VAINE The second preamble shall aske grace to make particuler profit of this meditation The first point shall obserue that this Commandement informeth and teacheth the tongue one of the most excellent members of man Our tongue giuē to prayse God with to honour God as the first instructed the hart and as the tongue dependeth of the hart so this commandement is a dependance or conclusion of the first for if God must be honoured with a soueraigne worship as the first teacheth then it followeth that we must honour his Name What is meant by the name of God which is the note of his Greatnes as the name of a King is the note of Roialty that we should not take it in vaine that is without reuerence iust cause otherwise it is a dishonour to him This is therfore one consequence of the first commandement yet God would giue it a part and in expresse termes the better to particularize the markes of his honour more distinctly to bridle tongues of worldly men too much inclined to iniury his maiesty with false and vaine oathes It teacheth vs therefore to employ our wordes to the honour of God and if we must sweare to sweare holily and not in vaine now the name of God as farre as we can know is euery saying or word that signifieth the infinit Essence wisedome bounty as are God Lord King of kinges Almighty Lord of Hostes These names and the like vsed in holy Scripture are soueraignely honourable because they appertaine to God and God is honoured and dishonoured in them as the King in his by the vertue or malice of men and namely by their language The second shall be employed to meditate Diuers wayes of honouring the name of God how we honour the name of God m ny wayes to wit when we confesse him stoutly before all when we professe Iesus Christ his Sonne authour of our saluation God and man when we attend holily to heare the word of God when we singe his prayses when we pray to him when we thanke him as wel in aduersity as in prosperity as holy men haue alwayes done Dauid Iob and the like who were they in peace were they in affliction sayd alwayes The name of God be blessed How the the name of God is honoured by swearing But specially and according to the principall sense of this Commandement we honour his name when we sweare with piety that is when with necessity truth and respect we call God to witnesse of any thing saying God is my witnesse God knoweth by God I call God to witnesse as God help me or any other wayes that a mā may sweare to which also are referred the oathes made by Saints Angells men the Ghospell by heauen or earth or other Creatures all which appertaine to the prayse of the Creatour as they are vnder his rule and seruice The third shall meditate the three conditions necessary to a good Oath that is Verity Iudgement and Iustice Three conditions of swearing Verity commandeth that what we sweare be true be it in affirming denying or promising saying so it is or so it is not or so I promise and I call God to witnesse he that sweareth without this condition is forsworne and doth a great iniury to the diuine Maiesty calling him to be witnesse of a lye who is the first and soueraigne Verity Iudgement teacheth vs to thinke well of that we sweare and not sweare at aduenture without necessity and he that doth it sweareth in vaine abuseth the name of God Iustice wills that what we promise by oath be iust and honest otherwise it is one sinne to sweare it and another to keep it such was the oath of the Iewes binding themselues not to eate or drinke before they had killed S. Paul Act. 23.21 The fourth shall be to meditate that as he offendeth God grieuously who taketh his name in vaine so doth he honour him greatly who sweareth with the foresayd three conditions by such an oath he confesseth him first to be the first Verity which cannot lye the supreme Maiesty most worthy of respect and reuerence and the soueraigne Iustice hating all sinne So we read that Abraham Moyses Dauid S. Paul and other great seruants of God haue sworne holily Gen. 21.23 24.31 2. Reg 19 7. Rom. 9.22 Cor. 11.31 Gal. 1.20 Gen.
48.13 and made like vnto them yea and worse also The constancy of al creatures to do well but of man For they not only are not idle in that occupation trade thou hast taught them but worke continually according to their law and order and wanting reason do follow reason But my selfe a reasonable creature remaine idle against reason one peece and parte of my life or do workes contrary vnto reason Other creatures haue receaued thy commandement but once to do that which they doe and they haue continually discharged their duty vnto this present But I hauing read and heard thy will a hundred tymes thy promises thy menacings do sleep and slumber notwithstanding wretch and benummed that I am and when I do wake my workes are worse then sleep and idlenes O Maker and Redeemer of man reforme this same man by the same power and mercy wherewith thou hast created redeemed him Giue vnto him giue vnto me O my Lord as to the most weake and needy strength and meanes well and holily to employ what thou hast giuen me that my Vnderstanding Will Memory my whole soule and body may be in perpetuall action to bring forth workes of life to the praise and glory of thy holy name The After-dinner and Euening of the fifteenth dayes Iourney Markeable documents and instructions for Good workes CHAP. XXXV AFTER dinner and at night the Pilgrime shall for his spirituall occupation discourse vpon the most markeable sentences of Scriptures and Saints spoken to shew that oÌ„ly fayth sufficeth not for saluatioÌ„ The Talents Matth. 25.16 without good workes The parable of the Talents holdeth the first place in this doctriné for thereby our Sauiour doth plainely instruct vs and with authority that we must negociate in the house of God and put the mony of his graces to profit and vsury which to that end he put into our handes with the condition of a good reward if we be diligent and obedient or of punishment and confusion The workeman Matt. â—0 if we be slouthfull Also the parable of the workemen sent to worke in the Farmers vineyard payd at night for their dayes labour Also the counsell which our Sauiour gaue to the young man saying If thou wilt haue life euerlasting keep my Commandements Matt. 19.17 Also those wordes He shall enter into the kingdome of heauen who doth the will of my Father not euery one that sayth Matt. 7.21 Lord Lord. But especially he shall weigh the clause of that generall decree which shall be published at the last day in fauour of good workes against the slouthfull Rom. 2.13 Come my wellbeloued Iac. 1.22 Matt. 25.34 Iac. 2. possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the Creation of the world I was hungry and you gaue me to eate c. And thereunto he shall add the plaine saying of S. Iames What shal it profit my brethren if any man sayth he hath fayth without works shall his faith saue him And S. Gregory Nazianzen Doe good workes vpon the ground of thy instructions for fayth without workes is dead Isa 26. as also workes liue not without fayth And Saint Hierome vpon these wordes of Esay 26. Our citty is a fortresse saluation shall there be put for the inward wall and outwâ—rd By the inward wall sayth he is meant good woorkes and by the other fayth for it is not inough to the outward wall of Fayth vnles this fayth be grounded and sustayned by good workes These workes are Prayer The principall good workes Fasting Almes and other workes of charity which we spake of before in the afternoone of the eight day In these and the like discourses shall the Pilgrime passe the after-dinner thereby stirring himselfe to the loue and practise of Christian workes In the euening either alone or with others he may sing this Canticle that followeth to shut vp the euening with ioy and profit A Canticle of good VVorkes The pious Pilgrime that doth walke Vnto the Chappell of Loret Must worke with hand his soueraignes workes And keep his soule still pure and nett To heare alone and not performe The law of God doth worke no meed To know the way and not to walke Nothing doth our iourney speed The tree that bringeth nothing els But leaues and breathing verdure Is fit for fire and not for fruit And doth greet wrong to nature Our Sauiour chiefe and iustest Iudge The fruitlesse Fig-tree strooke with curse If man in vaine doth wast his dayes Shall he not blame and strike him worse How hoat shall then be his reuenge To those that nothing els doe bring But poisoned grapes and fruites of death Of sinne and shame and els nothing Each thing doth worke and nothing sleepes In Earth in Sea in Heauen aboue Each thing doth moue in his degree Mans end is God to know and loue Then these short dayes of this short life Let be in vertuous workes well spent That last long day shall all workes try VVhen ech shall b' either crown'd or shent And hauing made his particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall take himselfe to his lodging in good time not to be surprised by night in the fieldes The sixteenth day A Meditation of sinne CHAP. XXXVI THE morning Meditation shall be vpon sinne an actioÌ„ opposite to good workes which were the matter of the precedent meditation This order shal make a fit opposition of vertue to vice The opposition of vice to vertue and by setting their faces one against another we may better discerne the beauty of the one to loue it and the foulnes of the other to hate it What sin is The first point shall put the definition of sinne the better to know both the corps and countenance and duly to meditate of the foulnes thereof Sinne sayth S. Ambrose is a straying from the law of God and a disobedience to the heauenly Commandmâ—nts Ambr. de Poenit c. 8. Aug l. 22. cont Faust c. 27 l 1. cont ep 1. Peâ—il 113. By S. Augustin it is What is sayd done or desired against the law of God so that one word spoken one deed done one thought conceaued against the law of God that is against any of his commandements is a sinne great or small mortall or veniall according to the diuers motion of the will sinning either with full consent or by some light motion or suddaine surprise and according to the great or small importance of the thing and other circumstances Of which definitions he shall learne that there is nothing so foule and deformed as sinne For what can be found more monstruous then that which is opposite to the law rule of the highest wisedome beauty and goodnes The second point shall consider two sortes of sinnes Originall and Actuall and this mortall and veniall Originall sinne Aug. ench 164. is that spot which flowed from the sin of Adam wherewith all men are stained in their conception and
no religion to abuse all for to preuaile in their intentions to oppresse vertue and authorize vice and namely pleasure couetice and ambition to loue and sow discord to promise rest and honour and to yield at last nothing but wind and smoke Her faith is to betray her friends and most cruelly to handle and destroy her most faithfull seruants which commonly are three great and ancient families of the same bloud with those three sortes of courtiers of Merefolly whome you saw yesterdaye And to the end that this towne doe not rebell being oppressed and offended with his cruelties An encharmed drinke he hath dressed a feast of purpose where he giueth them a certaine drinke wherby the guests are so well charmed that they lose the remembrance of all that is past and belieue that all that were killed died in their bed and that they are happy and haue alwaies a good opinion of their maister if by good chaÌ„ce they be not vncharmed by seeing the perfidiousnesse folly of men which trust vnto him and serue him with so great loue for such wages Those whome you saw euen now compasse about this house like mad men are not men but wicked spirits in the shape of men who reioycing in any tragedy acted to their desire came to see if peraduenture they could entrappe any one to cary him to the towne and to make him slaue to their great maister by the means of their gouernour Now there be neere vnto this Citty some good men that enter therinto somtimes but as strangers and forennners and as neither he nor his Citty doth trust them so do they trust it as little and it falleth out well for them For if they should be made Denizens or take any right of burgesse amongst them they must needs vndergo the same fortune with the naturall Cittizens Our King hath purposed a loÌ„g time to raze it down to the ground and to cut in peeces these rake-hels but by reason of those good and faythfull seruants of his Maiesty he hath deferred and temporized hitherto chusing rather like a good Prince to pardon many enemies in respect of some friends than to hurt his friends in chastising his enemies Pereaâ—t amici modo pereant inâ—mici vox Tyranni which is the humour of a tyrant Behold my good Brother out of what Citty you are come if it may be called a Citty and not rather a labyrinth or enclosure of many parkes filled with lions serpents foxes rhinocerots basiliskes and other sauage and cruell beastes Heere Theodosius and Vincent remeÌ„bred againe the dream of Lazarus al three did highly prayse God of this great fauour in hauing pulled them out of so dangerous a place and they tooke a singular pleasure in the narration of the good man but they did not vnderstand what Citty he had described neyther did they remember that euer they set foote iâ— any that was of such situation figure and quality neither in Aegypt Palestine nor in Christendome Lazarus suspected that it was a Parable and a mysticall description allegorizing some spirituall Citty and they requested him more plainly to expresse what Citty it was Theodosius and Vincent who had almost taken all his wordes according to the letter made yet more instance but the Hermit for feare of holding then too long and the better to prepare their hart and eare aduised theÌ„ to eate somthing first and rest a while and that the houre of his prayer approched promising for the rest to satisfy their demand in the morning if they desired they tooke a small refection which serued for their supper and after they went altogether to say Letanies in the Chappell whence the good Hermite brought them to a litle place neere his Cell where there was a table and certaine mats layd vpon bordes to rest vpon so he left them with his blessing and retired himselfe to his Cell to his accustomed deuotions charging his man to haue ready early in the morning all thinges necessary for the Altar The Pilgrims examined their conscience tooke for subiect of their meditation the sermon of the 8. Beatitudes as they are called which our Sauiour made in the mountaine to his Apostles The six and thirtith day and the sixt of his Returne The Hermits prayer CHAP. XV. THE Hermit watched all night in prayer and demaunded of God the grace happily to shut vp the last period of his mortall Pilgrimage and to fauour his Pilgrimes whome of his good assistance he had sent vnto him that they might performe their course like true Pilgrims and come at last to their heauenly home and couÌ„try He prayed also in generall that it would please him The Hermits praier to cast forth the beames of his mercy ouer so many poore mortall creatures who allured with the baytes of the world and caryed with the wind of her vanities posted vnto euerlasting perdition O Lord sayth he what is this mortall world and how great is the blindenesse of man The shortnes of this life who suffereth himselfe to be seduced by such a cosener taking at his handes straw for gold and shadowes for truth I haue liued 80. yeares vpon the earth alas what is become of these yeares and all that hath beene done since the Creation of the world They came from nothing and to nothing they are vanished againe and nothing can I make account of but of a few houres employed in the seruice of thy Maiesty if I haue employed any well what is life but a passing shadow and the pleasures and presents of the world but deceitfull vanities In such prayers desires passed the good man al that night talking to God in the closet of his hart without sound of tongue Lazarus and his compainions were vp soone after mydnight and in great silence began their Meditation A Meditation vpon the eight Beatitudes CHAP XVI EVERY one remembred the history of the Gospell which sayth Iesus seeing the multitude ascended vp into a mountaine Matt. 5 2â— and when he was set his Disciples came vnto him opening his mouth he taught c. They noted in these words the signification of some great and high doctrine pronounced in a choice place in a mountaine as a singular and high Law giuen by our Sauiour sitting and opening his mouth as the Doctour of doctours who hauing hertofore opened the mouth of his Angels and Prophets openeth now his owne and speaketh in person not to the coÌ„mon sort but to those whome he had ordained of the priuy Councell to his prouidence the pillers of perfection and the noble foundations of his Church and that which they had noted in generall in this Preface they did obserue in euery one of the eight clauses which make this sermon The first saith Happy are the poore of spirit 1. The poore of spirit Louers of pouerty The humble for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen The poore not by fortune but by will and vow the humble and
life to the pilgrimages of deuotion The spirituall habits of the Pilgrimes CHAP. II. GOING on his way after he hath sayd the prayers of trauailers admited blessed the diuine Maiesty at the behoulding of the Heauens the chiefe and principall worke of his handes he shall ruminate his morning meditation to draw thereout some new tast and deuotion For this is the force of prayer to giue alwayes new light according vnto the measure and manner that it is vsed To ruminate or chew the Cudde and the proper exercise of deuout persons is often to remember in their mindes what they haue once learned to the imitation of those Beasts who in the law of God are called cleane whose property is to chew the cudde and to take thereof new gust and new substance Cleane beastes Leu. 11.3 he shall gather then a new and consequently of that he hath meditated that the pilgrimage he maketh to Loreto and all others that men make vpon the earth are but figures and similitudes of the pilgrimage that all mortall men do make from their birth to their graue and comparing the figure to the truth he shall find the one most liuely expressed and represented in the other The likenes of the earthly pilgrime to the spiritual The true Pilgrime hath alwayes in his thought the place whither he tendeth he chooseth the shortest and surest way he goeth forward without any markable stay The Citties buildings paâ—laces fields gardens places of pleasure if he musâ— needes see them yet he seeth them only as in passing by them being alwaies attentiue to his end He endureth in towne field all the incommodities and dangers of men and beasts contempt iniury hunger thirst want heat cold haile snow sometyme lying vnder the house-roofe sometyme vnder the cope or canopy of heauen sometimes merry and wel disposed somtime againe weary crazed humble patient courteous wise and circumspect in all his actions He shall find all this point by point practised in the pilgrimage of mans life The spirituall Pilgrime by those that are well aduised pilgrimeâ— these walking vpon the earth haue heaueÌ„ in their hart whicâ— is the end of their mortal course they striue walke withouâ— rest towards vertue holding the directest surest way whicâ— is that which the Catholike Church our good and commoâ— Mother doth shew vs in her great Itinerarium of the lawes anâ— commandments of God The Itinerarium of the lawes of God they make no reckoning of worlâ—ly magnificence and take with an equall mynd prosperity aduersity If their affaires goe well forward they thanke thâ— diuine prouide are without pride if they suffer shipwrack they lift their hands to heauen blesse the same prouidence They are sober in aboundance abound in want they are humble in honours and magnanimous in the midst of disgraces Finally there is no accident in the variety of this changeable inconstant life wherof he reapeth not some profit towardeâ— eternity Our pilgrime shall marke all these similitudes to thâ— true pilgrimes and shal contemplate in the figure of his thâ— forme and tenour of the other and make his profit thereof He shall also allegorize all the parts of his furniture and appartell and shall attire his soule to the likenes of his body For his Hat he shall take the assistance of God his shooes shaâ— be the mortification of his affections Patience shall be 〈◊〉 mantle or lether cloake Ciuility shall be his coate or caâ—ssacke Chastity his girdle contemplatioÌ„ meditation shall his bag and bottle the loue of the Crosse his pilgrimes staffe Faith Charity and good workes shal be his purse and mony so shall he spiritually attire the inward man of the spirit to the imitation of the Apostle S. Paul who arming the Christian souldier giueth him his furniture framed of the stuffe of such like allegories and armes forged of the same mettal Ephes 6. The shield of Verity a breast-plate of Iustice shooes of the preparation to the Gospell the buckler of faith the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirit of God In such exercises shall he passe the after noone talking to God and himselfe making his prayers and examen as before saluting the B. Virgin in her houres saying his beads singing some hymne proper for the tyme or some spirituall song drawn out of his meditation as this that followeth A Canticle of the Pilgrimage of this world O brightsome day which makes me cleere perceiue The state of this life mortall And in my soule for to conceiue A liuely expectance of th' eternall Heere I seeke in Pilgrimes weed The way that vnto heauen doth lead This path mâ—â—â— faire I walking winde By shaddow of my pilgrimage Wherein at euery steppe I find An heauenly draughâ— and image Of my fraile mortality Tending to Eternity O mortall men who tread the ground Of this false earth disastrous As though beneath were to be found The blisse of life delicious You mâ—cke your selues this world below No such pleasure can bestow The woods affoard no fish nor wine Nor from the Sea doth timber flow In this vaine world naught els in fine But thornes and fayned fruite doth grow Of fayned ioy vnfayned griefe The fruit of this our dying life This life we lead heere in exile All fraught with danger and deceyte Resembleth passengers by Landes hostile Seeking after Heauens retraite Such was Adam and such was Eue Whilst in earthly Paradise they liue Such was IESVS though God and Man Such was MARY his Mother deare Such were all Saints both now and than In this vale of woe and feare Teaching vs to seeke by hand The milke and hony flowing land Merily then let 's march apace Vnto this Blessed Virgins Hall There shall we see the Heauens Grace Inclosed in a Chappell small And learne to be of this mayde-wife Perfect Pilgrimes all our life At night he shall take vp his lodging such as he shall find to take some rest and to get new strength of body and spirit the more cheerfully to continue his iourney the next day The second dayes Iourney The meane and way happily to performe the pilgrimage of this life is to suffer and fight vnder the banner of Iesus Christ and goe alwayes forward in vertue CHAP III. IN the second dayes iourney a good while before the Sun rise the Pilgrime shall examine his actions of the night past he shall say the Credo Pater and Aue and after continuing the matter begun he shall meditate of the meanes and manner how to performe happily the Pilgrimage of this humane life hauing already obserued in his first meditation that euery man must of necessity make it seeing that euery man is a Pilgrime vpon the earth and that some make it well of which number he desireth to be one and others ill whome he would not follow The prayer preparatory heere after shall be alwayes as before The first Preamble shall represent
22.17 and effectually to assure themselues of some important truth and God himselfe did sweare by himselfe to fortify his promise that he made to blesse Abraham to multiply his seed as the Starres of heauen and as the sand of the Sea Thereof it is that in publicke iustice they cause men to hold vp their hand or to put it vpon their breast to the honour of God the soueraigne Iustice and in fauour of innocency and right The fifth shall meditate how God is not content to giue this commandement but also would add a threate to those that should break it God will not hold him innocent who shall take the name of the Lord his God in vaine This is to shew the enormity of the sinne to put a bridle in the mouth of men who doe easily fall into this fault and to giue them to vnderstand that thereof doe come the greatest part of tribulations and aduersities wherewith men are afflicted in their body wiues children and goods And therfore Ecclesiast sayth Thy mouth shall not be accustomed to swearing Eccl. 23. for there are many inconueniences therein And againe The man that sweareth much shall be filled with iniquity Matth. 5.34 and the sword shall not depart from his house And the same Wisedome not to giue footing or food to such a custome cōmandeth a contrary extreme that is not to sweare at al Sweare not neyther by Heauen nor earth nor by Hierusalem let your words be yea yea no no an aduertisement also giuen by S. Iames in the same words Iac. 5.12 The prayer or speach to God shall be thus My Lord thou hast giuen me a hart to belieue in thee hope in thee and to loue thee with all my capacity and my tongue as an interpreter of my hart and an instrument accorded and tuned thereunto to exalt thy holy Name with the harmony of a liuely Fayth and stronge Hope and sincere Charity to sing the prayses of thy greatnes all the dayes of my life continue if it please thee to deale well with thy seruāt for thy bounty is bottomlesse and giue me grace to employ my tongue to that vse for which thou hast placed it in my mouth let it be only to prayse thee to thank thee for thy benefits to confesse thee Creatour of heauen and earth Redeemer of mankind and iudge of the quicke and dead Keep it if it please thee that it be neuer loosed not only to vanity against thy holy name but not so much as vnto any idle word that it may name thee with verity iudgement and iustice sing to thee with sincerity and exalt thee with thankesgiuing for euer and euer Amen The after-dinner and Euening of the fifth dayes Iourney Diuers Meditations and Prayers CHAP. XIII AFTER dinner the Pilgrime shall make this meditation vpon some other matter proper for the day or he shall resume some point of his morning meditation or shall say his beades or some other prayer to the B. Virgin admiring her vertues purposing to imitate her and to that end demanding her help and assistance In the euening he shall bewaile the sinnes that are so cōmonly committed against this holy commandement and the euills that come therof demanding of God for himselfe and others grace to amend and shall say O Lord thy name is holy for it nameth the Holy of holyes none do comprehend the Maiesty thereof but thy selfe and the ignorance of many mortall men is lamentable in that they know it not and the peruersity of men is abhominable in that knowing it they do most wickedly dishonour it their mouth is full of blasphemy and their tongue eloquent in vanity Language of vanity their discourses interlaced with vnprofitable oathes and detestable periuryes The Souldier is not gallant except he braue it in swearing the Merchant cannot sell except he forsweare the Doctour the Priest the Iudge the women children venture to sweare and forsweare and to profane with their tongue that Name which is only to be adored And do we meruaile if the wrath of thy iustice doth rayne vpon our heads so many calamityes If warre plague famine doe persecute vs If heresy armed with our sinnes ouerruning Christendome so many yeares doe trouble the peace ouerthrow trafficke bring in robbers and tread vnder foot all lawes of God and man Let vs rather meruaile that we feele no greater euills But O Lord notwithstanding be gentle and mercifull as thou art keeping vs from incurring thy iust anger pardon vs if it please thee our faults past and keep vs from committing any more heerafter and giue vs grace alwayes to employ our tongue to the Confession and prayse of thy holy Name And so he shall betake himselfe to his lodging whither his good Angell shall bring him The sixth Day A Meditation vpon the third Commandement Remember to sanctify the day of Rest CHAP XIV The seruice of God with preparatiō THE morning meditation of the sixth day shall be of the third Commandement with the accustomed preparation and the first preamble shall set before his eyes the wordes of the Law as grauen in stone REMEMBER THOV SANCTIFY THE DAY OF REST as in the other And the second shall demand grace to reap spirituall profit of this present meditation The pointes shall be these In the first must be obserued that this third Commandement is giuen that solemnely with leasure and preparation and without any disturbance of worldly affaires and businesse we might put in practise the two precedent that is to adore God confesse and giue thankes by first fruites sacrifices offeringes and almes to prayse and sing forth his holy name Euery day we should remember this day and therefore it is sayd expressely Remember thee and thinke thereof expect it seruing God the best that we can euery man apart by himselfe the other dayes of the weeke amidst the presse of our temporall affaires But when that day is come al the children of God come togeather vnto his house to find tyme and place for this deuotion as the most important of all that they may performe it in common as perfectly as may be The second shall consider This feast is the remembrāce of the worke of God that this seauenth day of rest was giuen to the Iewes to acknowledge the benefit of the Creation of the world and with a continuall and weekly memory renew the remembrance thereof also to signify the eternall rest and repose which Iesus Christ was by his death to gaine vnto vs regenerating vs into new creatures first by his Sacraments in this life and after by his Resurrection to glory He therfore being come and we hauing gotten this rest and glory figured by the Iews Sabboth he would that the church should leaue the figure put in place thereof our Lords day Why the Iewes feast is turned to Sunday the Sunday the day of his glorious Resurrection and the closer of
all the workes of our Redemption as the seauenth day before was the end of all the workes of Creation on which day we celebrate the memory of this great benefit specially with the holy Sacrifice of the Masse the liuely representation of the same in the oblation and sacrifice of the Body of our Sauiour The third shall obserue The cause of the institution of feasts that Iesus Christ hath ordained feasts for his Church as dayes of spirituall rest and repose and running tables which in a yearely course doe containe and caâ—y the memory of all his benefits to the end as S. Augustine sayth that by fall of tyme they be not forgotten Aug. ser de tempo And these feastes are as well those which containe the celebration of his mysteries as of his Natiuity Easter Pentecost and the like â—s those that are dedicated to the B. Virgin Mary his glorious mother his Apostles and Saints The fourth shall discourse concerning our deuotion in â—â—uly celebrating the Sundayes and holy dayes How we must celebrate Sundaies feasts which consiâ—â—eth first in flying all that may hinder the exercise of deuotioÌ„â—n those dayes as are seruile workes of the field of ploughâ—â—g or of the towne as are any occupation or attending to â—â—mporall affaires as suites buying and selling and such like â—uill negociation Secondly to obserue what the Church coÌ„â—andeth and teacheth to be kept as to heare Masse which is an ordinance of the Apostles To heare Masse on holy days is an Apostolicall Tradition renewed by diuers holy Councells to receaue the precious Body of our Sauiour with precedent preparation of Confession fasting other preambles of pennaÌ„ce humility if not euery Sunday and holy day yet oftentimes to heare the word of God and diuine seruice that is sayd in the Church of God to attend to praying and reading some good booke of deuotion and to other pious works The day of rest for other creatures The fifth shal note that this rest regardeth not onely man but also beastes not that they are capable of reioycing or hallowing the day of rest but that they be not wearied ouer-loaden with too much and dayly trauell this diuine prouidence hauing care not only of his reasonable creaturs but also of all others Matt. 10.29 Luc. 12.6 euen to the little sparrowes The speach and end of the meditation shall be taken of the foresayd pointes in this or like manner O my Lord most iust and most wise in all thy Lawes The greatnes of God appeareth in his law O how thy perfections do admirably shine in the framing thereof Thou commandest me to remember to sanctify the day of Rest but what should the eye of my memory sooner looke vnto then to this day of repose which representeth vnto me not only the goodly fabricke of the vniuersall world prepared for my vse but also the admirable worke of the Redemption of man without the which The day of rest represeÌ„teth that of Creation redeÌ„ption the first benefit had turned to our damnation and by which the gates of eternall blisse is opened to vs in heauen and in earth the enioying of a heauenly peace and tranquility where shal then my rest be Rather in this life then in remembrance of this rest and meditation of this day In hope of this eternity In celebration and exhibition of this seruice Lord let this day be alwayes before myne eyes and that al my dayes may be this rest in thee in thy house in thy seruice that all the course of my life may be a continuall trauaile in this heauenly rest and a continuall rest in this heauenly trauaile a trauaile without trauaile and a rest without rest a figure of that which is reserued within the Temple of thy Maiesty there aboue in heauen for those that heere below haue holily sanctifyed the memory of thy diuine infinit benefits The After-dinner and Euening of the sixth dayes Iourney Of the Commandements of the Church and deuotion to the Blessed Virgin CHAP. XV. IN this afternoone the Pilgrime shall choose for his meditation the Commandements of the Church The fifth CommaÌ„dement of the Church which are giuen the better to performe the other and are these 1. To keep holy the Feastes instituted by the Church 2. To heare Masse on Sundayes and Holy dayes 3. To fast Lent Vigills and Ember dayes Conc. Lug. 2. Conc. Agath caÌ„ 47. Aurel. 1. can 48. 3. Can. Apost 68. Conc. GaÌ„g c. 19. Conc. Lat. cap. 22. Conc. Trid sess 14. can 8. 5. Conc. Later Trid. sess 23. cap. 9. 4. To confesse our sinnes at least once a yeare 5. To receaue at least at Easter To which are added 6. Not to celebrate marriage in tymes forbidden 7. To pay Tithes All which help vs to discharge our duty in obseruation of the Sabboth He may also take some of these mysteries which happened vpon Sunday as the Natiuity of our Sauiour his Resurrection the comming of the Holy Ghost in all which he shall behould the Blessed Virgin to haue the highest place of vertue and honour amongst men and Angels He may meditate also the singular diligence she shewed going in pilgrimage euery yeare to Hierusalem with her wel-beloued Iesus there to celebrat the feast of Easter and other solemnityes coÌ„manded by the Law O with what memory did this B. Virgin remember this day of rest With what deuotion did she expect it With what feruour celebrate it What prayers What eleuations of this royall Virgin all rauished in the loue of her God whome she caryed in her hart saw with her eyes honoured and serued with all the forces of her soule Thus may the Pilgrime question with himselfe to find the matter wheron to fasten his mind and take spirituall refection of his Iourney for the rest of the day vntill he come where he shal lodge at night saying for the shutting vp of all his deuotions the Pater Aue Credo and other deuotions The seauenth day The Blessed Trinity figured in the three Commandements of the first Table CHAP. XVI IN the seauenth day the Pilgrime for his morning meditation shall contemplat in these three Commandements the mystery of the ineffable Trinity one God and three Persons The prayer preparatiue shall be as alwaies before The first preamble shall place for guide of his imagination the first Table of the Lawe contayning these three Commandements The second shall demand abundant light holily to contemplate this maiesty for the first point of the meditation the Pilgrime shall remember what the holy Scripture and faith teacheth vs One God three persons that there is one God in three Persons which we vnderstand by this word Trinity one essence and one nature in three Persons The Scripture saith Harken Israell the Lord thy God Deut. 6.4 is One God the word God twice put and Lord once signifieth three Persons the word One signifieth the vnity of essence The
of neighbours and for him is made the first commandement which shall make the meditation of the eight day in this sort The Morning Meditat on of the 4. Commandement Honour thy Father and thy Mother to the end thou maist liue long vpon the earth CHAP. XIX THE Prayer preparatiue as before The first Preamble shall set before his eyes The first Preamble the wordes of this Commandement HONOVR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER The second shall aske grace of God to gather profit of this meditation For the first point the Pilgrime shall meditate the equity of this commandement taught by the wiseman saying The 2. Honour thy Father thy mother and forget not the paines of thy mother Eccl. 27.9 and remember that without them thou hadst not beene borne and render vnto them as they haue done vnto thee He meaneth they are cause that thou art in the world Why Fathers should be honoured and haue suffered much for thee they haue nourished and brought thee vp with great labour and trauile thou art then bound by law of nature to render them honour to succour them if they haue need of thy help to obey them so they command thee nothing against the commandments of God or the counsells of our Sauiour as to kill another to be an heretike not to follow the way of perfection if God call thee for then we must sticke to that exception taught by our Sauiour himselfe He that hateth not his father Luc. 14. Act. 5. and mother is not worthy to be my disciple And that which S. Peter sayth VVe must obey God before men The name of father extendeth to all parents and Superiours For the second point the pilgrime shall marke that in this Cōmandement are comprehended Fathers Mothers Vncles Ants and all sortes of superiours spirituall and temporall as are Prelats Pastours Priests Maisters Kings Princes Magistrats Tutors and such like to whome to euery one by this law is due honour respect and obedience in all that toucheth their charge with the foresayd exception that they command nothing contrary to God In the third point he shall note that this law doth secretly teach that Fathers and Mothers should carry themselues Christianlike towards their children to the end they may deserue and retaine worthily the right of this honour commanded by God to them to loue them with a Christian loue to giue them good example and edification in wordes and workes to bring them vp in vertue and in the feare of God Eph. 6.4 You Parents sayth the Apostle bring vp your children in the doctrine of our Sauiour To prouide for their necessityes but specially that concerne the life of their soules for this is the end of true and fatherly loue as all the care of beastes toward their yong ones is the life of their bodyes the like should other Superiours performe with due proportion to their subiects The speach shall prayse the diuine Maiesty in the iustice of this his Commandement The speach and shall demand grace for all children that they may honour and serue their parents for al subiects that they may respect and obey their Kinges Superiours and Magistrates for Fathers Kinges Pastours Magistrates and Superiours that they may discharge toward God that fatherly care they owe to their children subiects and that both by the one and the other he may be praysed blessed in the execution of this his Commandement shall end with this prayer It was not inough for thee O Lord to giue vs lawes cōcerning thyne owne honour thou hast made lawes also for thy creatures seeking to haue euery thing wisely and iustly ordered in thy house for this is the house of thy soueraigne Wisedome and iustice the creature with his Creatour the creatures among themselues giuing and taking euery one his due that appertayneth vnto him and that man should honour thee not only in thy selfe but also for the loue of thee in thy workes Powre forth O Lord thy holy spirit in aboundance vpon all fathers and children subiects and superiours and namely those that liue in the compasse of thy holy Church that they may holily accomplish thy commandement and by a reciprocall performance of honour and obedience prayse thy holy name and merit eternall glory the reward of good and faithfull subiects The after-dinner and Euening of the eight dayes Iourney The corporall and spirituall VVorkes of mercy CHAP. XX. IN this afternoone the Pilgrime shall frame some Meditation of the workes of mercy both corporall and spiritual for in them we make proofe of our loue to our Neighbour The corporall are 1. To giue meate to the hungry 2. To giue drinks to the thirsty Matth. 25 3. To cloath the naked 4. To lodge the pilgrime 5. To visit the sicke 6. To visit prisonners 7. To bury the dead Tob. 1.2 2. Reg. 9. The spirituall are 1. To correct the sinner 2. To instruct the ignorant 1. Tim. 5.20 3. To counsell those that doubt 4. To set those that erre into the right way 5. To comfort the afflicted 6. To pardon iniuryes 7. To beare patiently the troublesomnes of others 8. To pray for the liuing and the dead By all these workes men make triall of the loue they beare vnto their Neighbour and principally by the spirituall which concerne the health of the soule by those also principally the Son of God hath shewed his infinite loue towards vs attending to no other exercise euen to his last breath In particuler for that which concerneth this fourth Commandement the Pilgrime shall haue ready some examples of holy Scripture of such as singularly haue beene true children of their Fathers and Mothers as were Isaac Iacob Tobie and such like Plin. l. 7. cap. 36. as also among the Gentils that Roman Damsell who nourished many dayes with her own milke her Mother being condemned to dye by famine in prison by visiting her in the way of comfort Vai Max. l. 5. c. 4. secretly giuing her her breasts to sucke and was the cause that the Iudge wondring at this piety not only deliuered this prisonner but gaue her also a perpetuall pension out of the publicke treasure The piety of Storkes The like is written of a Grecian Lady towardes her Father Cimon prisonner in his extreme age He shall consider also the like piety in some vnreasonable creatures as in Storks who nourish their father and mother growing old and impotent bringing them their prey into their neast as they were wont to nourish them when they were yong But aboue all he shall admire the Sauiour of the world who not only honoured his heauenly Father by his obedience but also his Mother and Creature the B. Virgin Mary and his presumed father Ioseph He was subiect to them sayth the Scripture that is Iac. 2.51 he respected them he honoured them he obeyed them O sweet Iesus O Creatour of heauen and earth O
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
the spirituall leprosy dead in sinne buried in her filth abhominable before thyne eyes a marke for thy fury a prey to death and eternall confusion O my Redeemer immortall thankes be to thy infinite mercy for this great benefit since thy mercy hath no boundes add also O sweet Iesu to this benefit the firmnesse of a holy perseuerance whereby I may alwayes preserue the Temple of my soule body pure neat from all filth ordure of sinne Conserue O Lord the house thou camest to purify 2. Mach. 14.36 Psal 50.5 by the light heat of thy holy Spirit cleanse it beautify it alwayes more and more and more and more wash me from my sinnes purge me of my sinnes giue me grace that as I haue hitherto serued the Flesh the World and the Diuell the most cruell enemies of my good and saluation so I may with all my force loue honour and serue thee for heerafter O my life my Creatour and Sauiour descended into earth and made man to seeke me poore strayed sheep and make me participant of thy deity ascended also vp to the Crosse there to shed thy precious bloud to wash and cleanse me there to dye to giue me life Graunt O Prince of mercy that for all thy benefits I may affoard thee an humble an entire seruice vnto my last gaspe to liue after this mortall soiourning eternally with thee and to glorify thee in heauen where thou liuest and reigning with the Father in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen This shal be the shutting of the 21. day and third weeke finishing the first period of his pilgrimage the which representeth as we haue sayd the life of those which beginne the way of vertue the way of Purgation by vertues purgatiue In the morning the Pilgrime shal begin his second part which representeth the estate of those that are gone forward and aduanced in the way of perfection and light THE PILGRIMES ABODE AT LORETO The two and twentith day and the first of his abode A Meditation vpon the holy Eucharist CAHP. I. FOR the meditation of the first dayes iourney of this second Part of his Pilgrimage the Pilgrime shall fitly take the subiect of the Eucharist for he cannot better begin to honour this holy place then with so holy an action nor more refresh solace the trauaile of his pilgrimage then by this refectiō nor better open the doore of his soule to the light of the Holy Ghost then by the receauing of such a Sacrament and this should be the first meale and the last banquet of euery true Pilgrime he shal make his Meditation early in the morning at the holy house with these partes The prayer preparatory accustomed shal demand grace to direct all his actions to the glory of God and saluation of his soule In the first preamble he shall set before his eyes the history of the two Pilgrimes Luc. 14. Aug. epist 50. ad Paulin. who first of all other Christians receaued at our Sauiours handes after his resurrection in the village called Emaus The second shall demand a speciall light well to penetrate the maiesty and profit of this mystery The first Point Of three figures of the Holy Sacrament CHAP. II. THE first point of the meditation shall containe three old Figures Gen. 14.18 among diuers others of this B. Sacrament The first is the Sacrifice of Melchisedech sometyme King of Salem and high Priest who entertayning Abraham as he returned victorious from the battaile offered to God Bread and VVine in thankes-giuing for the victory blessed him and refreshed him and his companie Our Sauiour the true Melchisedech in figure of the Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ the Christian Eucharist which the same Iesus Christ the true Melchisedech the true King of peace and high Bishop did institute and ordaine when in his last supper he did communicate his Apostles giuing them his Body to eat vnder the figure of Bread and his Bloud to drinke vnder the figure of Wine after the order and forme of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and making them his Vicars and Deputies commanded them and their Successours in their person to do the same Luc. 22 1◠and to continue this Sacrifice and Supper in his name remembrance which hath heene alwayes performed hitherto and shall be alwayes heereafter vnto the worldes end For as Iesus Christ is Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and not of Aaron whose Priesthood togeather with the sacrifices were ended and fullfilled on the Crosse so his Sacrifice according to this order of Melchisedech shall be perpetual and euerlasting in yielding of thankes to God and in the feeding and refection of Christians the spirituall children of Abraham Psal 109. fighting in the Church heere militant on earth and shall one day triumph altogeather in heauen returning cōquerours from the combat The second Figure is the sacrifice of the Paschall Lambe which was ordayned the night before the deliuerance of the Hebrewes Exod. 12. from the captiuity of Aegypt and continued in remembrance of this great benefit vntill that our Sauiour the true Lambe did institute our Eucharist of his precious Body and Bloud in the euening before his Passion and our Redēption and shall continue as a memoriall thereof vntill he come againe not to be iudged and condemned to death as he was at his first comming but to iudge the world by the weights of their workes to kill death for euer after and to deliuer his children from all euill The third Figure is the Manna Exod. 15.16 giuen from heauen to the Hebrewes whilest they were Pilgrimes in the wildernesse walking towardes the land of promise euen so the Eucharist the true bread of heauen and the true drinke is giuen in the Church of God for the solace and sustenance of our soules in the desert of this world and for our prouision and food vntill we be brought to the land of the liuing in heauen The second point Of the Maiesty of our Sauiour in this Blessed Sacrament CHAP. III. THE second point shall be to meditate in this Sacrament first the power of our Sauiour Power conuerting by his almighty word the Bread into his body and the Wine into his bloud Second y the goodnes of the same Sauiour who hauing giuen himselfe a price and ransome for our Redemption Goodnes hath also vouchsafed to giue himselfe for food and to vnite himselfe with his creature soule to soule body to body in the straitest manner that can be imagined Thirdly the diuine wisedome Wisedome seasoning and tempering this precious food in so familiar and easy a fashion vnder the forme and taste of bread and Wine of the one side facilitating our senses to the taking of his flesh and bloud without horrour and on the other side instructing our fayth to vnderstand and acknowledge the vnion of faithfull Christians made heerby one
nightes and men that liued in those dayes liued in darknes altogeather or at most in that small weake light of the Moon and starres of the law of Nature and Moyses Be thou therefore O day of such a Natiuity blessed aboue all the dayes of the world and be thou O chamber honoured aboue all the Princely palaces of the earth for hauing receaued into thy bosome this rysing starre O people of Sion reioyce yee in the birth of this Virgin whome your mysteryes haue so much celebrated your Prelats so much foretould your Fathers so desired as the best and most noble flower of the race of your Kinges of your Synagogue Reioyce also O yee Gentils behould the morning that endeth the night of your ignorance and bringeth you the light of heauen a Virgin that shal beare you a Redeemer a Queene that shall giue you a King that shall make you all Kinges Reioyce thou also O my soule that thy eyes doe see the place where this morning this Virgin this starre was first seene and pray her there with a deuout hart that with the aboundance of her graces she wold obtayne of this great God whome she gaue vnto the world light to vnderstand his holy lawes loue to imbrace them force to performe them as long as thou shalt walke Pilgrime vpon the earth that thou mayst prayse him eternally in heauen Hauing made his prayer he shall heare Masse and communicate with his accustomed preparation and employ all the morning in like exercises The After-dinner and euening of the foure twentith Day Of the B. Virgins Auncestours and of the vanity of worldly greatnes CHAP. XVI IN the Afternoone hauing taken some honest recreation in reading some good booke or talking with his Ghostly Father or some other of good conuersation he shall heare Euensong and the diuine Office and shall haue his meditation ready against night The B. Virgin her Auncestours which shall be of the same matter of the first gathering some new instructions and points as of the nobility of the B. Virgin hauing for her Auncestours the holy Patriarches Abraham Isaac Iacob so many Kinges Princes and Lords as are recited and named in the Ghospel of the day The vanity of worldly greatnes Of the vanity of worldly greatnes and the solidity of vertue and eternall goods setting before his eyes on the one side the long list of those Princes and that notwithstanding the house of Dauid was brought to the condition of a poore Artificer the Scepter thereof being vsurped by Herod a straÌ„ger and forrenner How god raysed the house of Dauid Considering on the other side how God would rayse this royal house of Dauid not by ordinary wayes by aboundance of honours and worldly treasures but by giuing a Virgin that should surpasse the nobility of all the Kings of the earth and who should bring forth a Sonne that should restore the Kingdome The spiritual kingdome of Dauid established by Iesus Christ and seat of his Father Dauid by a way worthy of an Almighty King changing earth to heauen tyme to eternity writing his heauenly lawes in the harts of mâ—n and making them to be published ouer all the world establishing with the price of his owne precious bloud an heauenly and euerlasting kingdome therin to crowne for Kings all his friends and seruants and to heape on them glory and euerlasting riches Of these and like considerations he shall take occasion to prayse our Lord so wise as to find such wayes to repaire the ruines of mankind so liberall to communicate his goods and graces to his creatures and namely to this sacred Virgin to make her Mother of his Sonne and his Sonne Redeemer of the world And hauing made his speach and conclusion of his deuotion he shall draw towardes his lodging shall finish the rest of his Iourney saying our Ladyes Litanies or other prayers to take his repose and rise the more fresh fit for his morning exercise The fiue and twentith Day A meditation of the Presentation of the B. Virgin in the Temple CHAP. XVII THIS day The B.V. presented to the Temple the Pilgrime hauing sayd his accustomed prayers at his lodging shall goe to the holy House there to performe his principall Meditation which shall be of the presentation of the holy Virgin when her father Ioachim and Anne her Mother Niceph. l. 1. cap. 7. Niss ser de human Christi S. Euod epist. ad Antioch did bring her to the Temple of Hierusalem at three yeares of age there to offer and consecrate her to God The prayer preparatory as before The first preamble shall represent S. Ioachim and S. Anne as standing at the gate of the Temple to offer their little creature this Virgin to the high Priest to be admitted receaued among the virgins consecrated to Almighty God The second preamble shall demand grace duely to vnderstand this mystery The first point shall be to consider Our Bl. Ladyes childhood wonderfull euery way that as the Conception of the B. Virgin was a worke beyond the ordinary course and law by a singular grace wherby she was so conceiued of barren and old parents and by a speciall priuiledge aboue all the children of Adam preserued from all sinne and vncleanes being all pure and heauenly as also her Natiuity was diuine correspondent to her Conception so her childhood exceeded the common course of others and was endowed with all the blessings that might make that age admirable And if the holy Scripture sayth nothing thereof The son of Cresus Zoroastes Hercules S. Ambrose Plato it is because it may necessarily be presumed Some children haue beene meruailous for speaking a little after their birth others for laughing when they were borne others for hauing killed serpents S. Ambrose was honoured with a prodigious swarme of Bees that set themselues on his mouth who will not then belieue that the infancy of our B. Lady was honoured with all spirituall and rare graces and that this part of her life was agreeable proportionate to the two preceding The vertus of this virgin infant and ensuing parts thereof which were all admirable therfore heere the contemplatiue soule must represent her a little creature as a wonder of creatures a child prudent sage aduised modest deuout hauing nothing childish but body and yeares and hauing a great soule in a small body and finally a Virgin bearing in her childhood all the qualityes conditions that should make the fouÌ„dation of vertue for the most noble wise couragious and most vertuous Lady of the world And in such discourses he shall prayse the greatnes of the workeman for hauing made such a creature and shall stirre vp his loue and deuotion to the seruice of him and of this Virgin for the loue of him Why she was presented The first cause The second point shall containe two causes among many other of this oblation wherof the neerest
foster-Father not manifesting himselfe by the markes of his greatnes to any but to his glorious Mother whose soule he enlightned at euery moment with the brightnes of his Deity to men he shewed himselfe as a little child and as such was subiect to this Father and Mother being adored of them both He was Cittizen of Nazareth as before Pilgrime of Aegypt and ruling in the heauens he suffered vpon the earth and being greater then the heauen was inclosed in the walles of a little Cottage O Nazareth O happy citty of such a Cittizen happy house of such a Guest happy chamber of such an Inhabitant how often hast thou beene honoured with the steps of this heauēly child walking vpon thy ground how often sanctified by the prayers the sighes the talkes and desires of this little Sauiour preparing himselfe betymes with the sweat of his face to our redēption for the which he descended from the bosome of his heauenly Father and sanctifyed also with the charitable offices of his heauenly Mother O my soule canst thou expresse it canst thou comprehend it It is easier to honour them in silence and to beg of the mother and the Sonne grace to follow and imitate them I aske it of thee O my Redeemer withall my power grant it me if it please thee for thy goodnes I aske it of thee O holy Mother obtaine for me for thou canst do it Let the memory of this mansion and of this Chamber which by thy grace I haue visited be vnto me a continuall spurre to stirre me to the loue of him who hath passed his youth in humility and voluntary pouerty for me 1. The fountaine of Bees 2. The dinner and meetinges 3. Presages of eloquence and the nature of Bees obserued fifty yeares by Aristomachus 4. The wonders of our Sauiour going into Aegypt 5. The tree Persis adoreth him 6. The Idols of Aegypt ouerthrowne CHAP. III. THVS prayed Lazarus in the morning according to the light God had imparted to him Vincent for his part hauing made the same meditation and recommending themselues to the protection of the B. Virgin and their good Angell they began their iourney saying their Itinerarum and their other accustomed prayers And they walked thus ioyfully vntill about noone ouer the wild plaines and barren but only of briers and broomes wherof they saw good store in the bare Champion without meeting either man or beast and they felt themselues now well wearyed tyred as wel for hauing eaten little that morning as for the excessiue heat of the Sunne At last looking heere and there about them searching some place to refresh themselues in they spyed on their right hand certaine willowes behind a little hille and hoping there to find some water they went straight thither and they found in the midest of these thicke shadowy trees a fountaine cleere as Chrystall which bubling out plentifully made a litle brooke full of cressits which was a signe that the water was good It was some what deep the bankes being high and couered partly with mosse and partly with herbes and floures of that season for it was the moneth of May. Then sayd Vincent Our way agreeth not ill with the matter of our meditation for this morning we passed in spirit through the desart of Arabia desiring to suffer somewhat to the imitation of litle Iesus and his good Mother who suffered there diuers incommodities we haue also passed this with some paine It is true replied Lazarus we haue suffered but little and good Iesus and his Mother had quickly compassion of vs hauing at a pinch prouided vs of a resting place The Pilgrimes dinner so fit for our dinner and refreshing and so they stucke their staues in the ground and set them downe to take their repast They had in their sackes two or three manchets a peece of cheese with a few aples and a little wine in their botles and as they sett forth their prouision vpon their greene napery they perceaued a farre off one wandering hither and thither seeking as they throught either his way or some fountaine they had compassion of him and thought it a worke of charity to set him in his way or to make him partaker of their good fortune therefore they hung their dinner vpon the bough of the neerest willow least some wormes or venemous beast might touch it vpon the ground and ranne speedily where they had espied him But they were amazed so soone to haue lost the sight of the man and could not conceiue that he should so quickly be walked out of their view in so large and open a champion and they did not perceiue that as soone as he saw them taking them for theeues he hid himselfe in a ditch behinde a little bush through which he saw them not being seene and beheld them running from one part to another being sore afraid to be foūd and spoild of that little siluer he had which he caried to buy stuffe for his shop for he was a merchant So they returned softly vnto their fountaine againe persuading themselues that this fellow made such hast thinking they were theeues or els that it was some spirit which they iudged more likly because he vanished sodenly Being returned to the willowes they go for their dinner and behold they found a swarme of bees lighted vpon one of their loaues and had all couered it with their hony dew Oh saith Vincent our Lord would sweetē our bread and our trauell we must hope so quoth Lazarus for this little people is commonly a presage of good lucke and benediction So it is sayd S. Ambrose that a like swarme did sit on the mouth of Saint Ambrose being a little child in his cradle and the like is sayd to haue happened to Plato Plato in signe they should be such as they proued Oratours endewed with a heauenly honylike eloquence the one amongst the Paynims the other more happily in the chaire of truth in the Church of God so they tooke the other two loaues and the rest for their dinner leauing the third to the Bees not to scarre them so soone But holding their bread in their hands they perceiued in the bodies of diuerse trees certaine hides out of one of the which this swarme came they went to visit it tooke out two or three combes of hony for their dinner when they had said grace and began to fall to their meat these little creatures came flying and buzzing about them some lighted vpō their bread some vpon the grasse kissing and pinching with their little mouth the flowres wherewith the beauty of the fountaine was diapred and sucked out the liquour to make their hony diuers drunke of the riuer stryking at the little greene froggs who lay like spies to entrappe them Frogges ◠enemies to Bees they came often about them without doing them any harme but onely serued them for a sweete recreation Vincent seeing their so great familiarity began to
vow of Pilgrime go to our Lady of Loreto euen when the Turkes were ready crying to lay their hands vpon their barke They had no sooner pronounced their vow but streight behold a sodaine furious tempest arose which scattered the vessels and separared them one farre from another and so disordered the Pursuers that they were forced to seeke rather some shore to saue themselues then to take the ship they followed These three that had thus fled did see the other terribly tossed by the waues caried sometimes hither and sometimes thither sometimes aloft sometimes below whome they knew by their turbants which made them be seene a farre of Themselues in the meane time held on their course as in the calme Sea driuen with a fauourable wynd blowing in the poope which did comfort them with a sweet admiration seing in such contrariety of wether of tempest and of calme in the same time almost in the same place that it was the stroke not of the Sea but of heauen an euident testimony of the fauour of God towards them They sailed happily vntil they arriued at the port of Catara from thence went to Loreto where cleansed from their sinnes by the Sacrament of PenaÌ„ce and made partakers of the Table of our Sauiour they rendered immortal thankes to God and the B. Virgin by whose intercession they were deliuered from a double danger of boÌ„dage and of death A French man of Prouence deliuered The second history is of one of our Nation a French man of the CouÌ„try of Prouence who hauing had newes of the death of his Father at Constantinople whilst he followed the Embassador of France being before Almener to the Duke of Mercury returned in a common vessell and as he came to the I le of Zant he saw himselfe enuironed with 4. Frigots of the Turkes who approched swiftly vnto his shippe prepared themselues to the prey both of men merchandize which they hoped to find This good Gentleman seeing his danger so desperat recommended himselfe hartily to our B. Lady of Loreto as also did all his company at the same instant almost they found themselues brought vnto a hauen of Calabria without knowing which way they came thither nor yet what was become of the Pirats They came immediatsly to Loreto to yield thankes to God and the glorious virgin and told their good fortune to one who told it me againe not long since I doubt not but you haue heard of the first miracle for it is one of the most ancient and recorded in the histories of Loreto perhaps also of the second but you haue forced me to tell what you knew before and brought me in danger to be importune were it not that as I persuade my selfe you do willingly heare repeated the miracles which concerne the praise of our good Lady not only without wearines but also with delight My good father answered Lazarus I learned alwayes haue now learned by this your narration what I knew not for of the later miracle I neuer heard before the other you haue represented with a greater Emphasis and force then I had heard it hitherto And I haue taken a singular pleasure in your discourse do confesse by all these great miracles more clearely then euer that with good right and reason the Church calleth the B. Virgin The Starre of the Sea for by her intercession The B.V. the starre of the Sea as by the aspect of an heauenly starre not only are defended those that saile the Seas but are deliuered also from many great dangers which commonly the stars do not performe The good old man would willingly haue entertayned Lazarus longer to heare him discourse for he did perceiue vnder the habit of a Pilgrime some thing generous extraordinary in him but thinking he was weary that it was late he durst not aske him any more demandes and therefore hauing caused their collation to be brought he conducted them both to a little chamber where were prepared two beds and a little Oratory to pray in some of the houshold came to wash their feet after the custome of Christian hostes but Lazarus thanked them harrily aledging for his excuse that it would mâ—ke their feet tender more easy to blister and take hurt and so euery one retired themselues The host caused according to his custome the Letanies to be sayd to all his houshold Lazarus said them with Vincent which being done they coÌ„ferred togeather about the subiect of their meditation for the morning following which was of little Iesus when his mother lost him found him againe in the Temple The points were these 1. The going of the B. Virgin and holy Ioseph with little Iesus to the Temple 2. The seeking enquiry they made when he was lost 3. How they found him in Hierusalem and brought him to Nazareth These points being noted in their memory either of them made their examen of conscience praiers for the Euening The practise of the examen of confessâ—â—e The examen of Lazarus was such after he had sayd the Credo My God enlighteÌ„ my soule to see thy benefits I thaÌ„ke thee for the assistance I haue had of thy liberality and specially this day by the meanes of this good housholder thy seruant who hath receaued vs into his house Enlighten me also if it please thee that I may see my faultes and amend them by thy grace I confesse O my soule that in my morning meditation I did not present my selfe before thy diuine Maiesty with that reuereÌ„ce I ought nor made my prayer with due attention and that by my only fault for I did not well prepare my selfe according to the rules of deuotion as neither to my examen in the morning and after dinner I haue wandered in my senses and thoughts my phantasy hath often carryed me out of my selfe I haue twice or thrice loosed the reines to my proper will with some vaine delight complacence and to foolish impressions in my imagination opened my eyes to a carelesse and curious beholding of thy creatures my eares to curiosity and my tongue to many idle words I confesse these sinnes and belieue I haue committed many more which I know not and who is he that knoweth his secret sinnes I confesse them all O Father of mercy humbly demand pardon of them with a firme purpose to amend them by the assistance of thy holy spirit Giue it if it please thee O Lord to me and to all of this house and graunt that we may passe this night without offending thee without illusion of him who day and night lyeth in watch to defile our body and spirit and whilest our body sleepeth taking its rest Cant. 5 2. that our haâ—t may wake in the light of thy grace Glorious Virgin assist vs and thou my good Angell-keeper This was the tenour of his Examen for the conclusion he sayd the Credo the Pater noster
and Aue Mari◠and cast himselfe vpon his bed in his cloathes as his custome was Vincent did the like and being weary of their way they fell a sleep straight About midnight Lazarus had a dreame which frighted him for hee seemed to see Theodosius his companion present himselfe before him Lazarus his dreame all disfigured with a face pale blacke desiring him to call for the ayde and help of the B. Virgin for him for that he was brought to a pittifull estate and extreame danger both of body and soule he leaped off his bed and asked Vincent if any body had beene in their chamber Vincent answered that he thought no body and knew well it was the violence of some vision whereof he would question no further at that tyme but wished him to go to bed againe and not trouble himselfe with dreames and that he himselfe had dreamed also he could not tell what and so they slept againe Lazarus sayd not one word more vnto him but prayed God in his hart in this sort O my sweet Iesus Lazarus his prayer I haue been depriued of the company of my little Brother who I hope is now with thee thou gauest me him as a faythfull companion of my Pilgrimage him whose image was presented vnto me this night thou knowest if he be in that distresse my dreame told me help him according to thy fauourable prouidence wherwith thou assistest thy children and seruants Content thy selfe if it please thee with taking one and forbeare this other for a while aboue all keep him from offending thee or committing any thing against thy holy Law conserue in him the will which thou didst giue him to serue thee alwayes with an entire and perfect hart and if that which was represented to myne imagination were only a dreame and not a presage of some misfortune and if my companion be not in that danger I feare I know notwithstāding that in what estate soeuer he standeth he taketh care of me as I doe of him do vs the fauour once againe to see ech other And thou glorious Virgin help thy deuote if he be tossed on the Sea by any furious tempest thou art the Starre of the Sea reach him thy helping hand if he be in danger of Theeues thou hast deliuered many deliuer him also that we may togeather alwayes sing this thy fauour among thousands of others we haue receaued of thee Hauing thus prayed he slept vntill three of the clocke when the day began to breake and the Cockes to crow Then he arose and awaked Vincent to make their prayer who was quikly ready The two and thirtith Day and the second of his Returne A Meditation of the history of little Iesus lost and found amidst the Doctours in the Temple CHAP. V. LAZARVS began his Meditation in this manner 〈◊〉 2.42 I presume to present my selfe at the feet of thy Maiesty hauing confidence in thy infinit Clemency which vouchsafeth to harken to the prayers of thy seruant It is to meditate the Pilgrimage of thine only Sonne my Redeemer when being twelue yeares old according to his humanity he wēt from Nazareth to Hierusalem to celebrate the feast which thou didst command thy people to obserue euery yeare He hid himselfe from his mother three dayes and at the end of the third day he was found againe in the Temple among the Doctours hearing and demanding Heere is presented to the eyes of my vnderstanding thy deare and only Sonne that walked with his Mother a litle Pilgrime towards thy Temple where he was honoured with thee but was hidden in the cloud of his humanity and was not seene but to those to whome thou hadst giuen the eyes of fayth He went thither on foot and grew in labour as he did in yeares when he fled into Aegypt he was carryed in the armes of his deare Mother now he is carryed vpon his owne feet with more paine O Lord make thy light shine vpon the eyes of my soule that I may see the points of this mystery and to thy glory reape profit therby By expresse Law it was commanded to all the Iewes to go offer sacrifice at Hierusalem where the Temple was Thrice yeare mē went to Hierusalem thrice in the yeare at Easter Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacles The women were left at liberty whether they would go or no by reason of the inconueniency of their sexe yet the deuout did willingly vndertake the paine choosing rather to vse their deuotion Exod. 34.23 then their Priuiledge The B. Virgin then watchfull of all occasions to doe well went to Hierusalem as alwayes in the company of women leading her little sonne with her Ioseph with men went another way Take heere O my soule matter to condemne thine owne coldnes and flouth and to stirre thy selfe vp to thy duty thou seest Ioseph came from farre to adore God in his Temple how often hast thou omitted it being hard by How often hast thou omitted to heare Masse when thou wert bound to be present Or hast thou at least adored and serued God in the Temple of thy body Our body the Temple of the holy Ghost the Temple of his holy spirit which thou carryest alwayes about thee The B. Virgin taketh her iourney choosing rather to haue merit with paine then to vse her priuiledge for ease and how often hast thou better liked of exemption then of merit How many tymes hast thou beene glader of some occasion or let that hindred thee 1. Cor. 3. 6. 2. Cor. 6. to watch fast or to performe some other worke of piety then to be constrained to do thy diligence and walke with others to the seruice of God Iesus goeth with his mother his mother with him Iesus and Mary fit company and who should rather walke with the Virgin of virgins then purity it selfe and who rather with Iesus then the Virgin of Virgins O heauenly company O little Pilgrime O way of my soule and the goale guerdō of my Pilgrimage Graunt that I may be Pilgrime with thee and with thee and thy holy Mother walke in this exile to enter in your companie into the Temple of the celestiall Hierusalem But heere behould a meruailous accident Luc. 2.45 Iesus is gone from Mary Mary hath lost Iesus Iesus without the knowledge of his Father or mother Our Lady seeketh Iesus remayned behind in Hierusalē but without disobedience for himselfe was maister might dispose of himselfe at his pleasure and that he was subiect or obedient to any creature it was humility and not duty Mary and Ioseph returning from Hierusalem to Nazareth walked without him the first day thinking he returned with his Vncles or kinsefolkes another way as often it happened thinking to meet him againe at night But Iesus appealed not and Mary was amazed and not without reason for though there were no fault in her and that the will of her Sauiour was the only
the ground three or foure pace before him This fal was an occasion froÌ„ heauen for me to saue my selfe I rose quickly others got the wood I left my horse and my spurres for I had no need of them to go on foot and came to find you where you attended me without any appointment as I found you without searching for you Behould in few wordes the course of my fortune since I haue beene absent from you But sayth Vincent you tell vs not what you sayd to the Captaine in his eare when you parted from him That is also a secret quoth Theodosius smyling yet I wil not sticke to tell it to my friends It was that I recoÌ„mended hartily vnto him good Tristram if by fortune he should fall into his handes and he promised to remember my commendations and haue regard to the good will of him who recommended him God be praysed sayth Lazarus for this fauour done vnto you for deliuering you out of so great a danger and for restoring vs our companion In such discourses they spent their tyme in the chamber vntil super tyme after which they retyred themselues quickly sayd Letanies made their examen and tooke the points of their morning meditatioÌ„ of the subiect of our Sauiour youth or adolescence which were three 1. How our Sauiour remayned with great humility in Nazareth vntill thirty yeares of age without manifesting himselfe 2. The exercises of the deuotion and piety of Iesus and his glorious Mother and Ioseph liuing in Nazareth 3. Of their offices and seruices Hauing marked these points in the Table of their memory they cast themselues vpon their beds to take rest The three and thirtith day and the third of their Returne A Meditation of the youth and dwelling of Iesus Christ with his Mother and Ioseph at Nazareth CHAP. VIII ABOVT three of the Clocke in the morning the Pilgrimes began their meditation that they might depart by foure euery one by himselfe a part The humility of our Sauiour in not making himselfe knowne Lazarus greatly tasted in the first point the wonderfull humility of our Sauiour hauing remayned in that litle house of Nazareth from twelue yeares to thirty obedient to his Mother nurse-father bearing himselfe only for a Carpenters sonne and an inhabitant of this poore vnknowne village O great God of Israel sayd he before thou madest the world thou wert hidden from the world an infinite number of ages knowne only to thy selfe and now being made a Cittizen of this little Towne of Palestine thou remaynest in silence the most part of thy tyme preparing thy selfe to speak vnto the world to teach it and redeeme it O heauenly humility of my Redeemer and foolish presumption of thyne O vaine man that thou art who before thou knowest how to hold thy peace wilt preach vnto the world and vndertake to reach it wisedome and wilt teach others the knowledge of heauen before thou hast learned thyne owne ignorance to make thy selfe be knowne before thou knowest thy selfe O miserable pride how foolish and senseles art thou who wilt be a guide vnto the blind thyne owne eyes being out The admirable silence of the scripture Theodosius stayed vpon the second point considering the admirable silence of the Scripture telling nothing of all that our Sauiour did in this priuate dwelling the space of eighten yeares which no doubt were wonderfull but it had rather haue it to the beliefe and consideration of wise ContemplaÌ„tes of the workes of God then to record them to the end that the fruit of such knowledge might be reserued for them who search them worthily as also to teach men to send their workes before their wordes The obedience exercise of Iesus in Nazareth Vincent was rauished in the Meditation of the third point and he thought he was in Nazareth saw little Iesus going heere and there about that happy house sometime seruing his Mother sometyme Ioseph sometyme praying sometyme labouring O heauenly house O diuine family O happy Ioseph more happy Mother and most happy Child 1. A discourse with two Merchants 2. The manner to liue well 3. A sinner repulsed from entring Loreto 4. It is impossible to serue God and the world 5. How a man may be a good Christian and a good Merchant 6. No estate without difficulty CHAP. IX THEIR meditation being ended they tooke their leaue of their Host who would take nothing of them and departed at foure a clocke in the morning They sayd their accustomed prayers and walked with great comfort courage to a place called Maisonette foure leagues off where arriuing about noone they tooke their refection and there stayed some tyme discoursing of their deuotion the way informing themselues thereof by their host who knew it very well Beaurepoâ—â— so they departed all lusty to finish their iourney reach Beau-repos to bed distaÌ„t from thence three leagues Hauing walked one league they saw on their left hand two Horse-men accompanied with two foot-men running by them who galloped towardes them They were two Merchants who ouertaking them saluted them courteously One was called Gratian the other Ludolph Gratian sayd vnto theÌ„ Well my friends you come from our B. Lady of Loreto Lazarus as being the last and neerest vnto them A discourse with two MerchaÌ„ts marry do we Syr it is not replyed the Merchant without hauing learned some good thinges In truth sayth Lazarus we haue had good occasions but to learne well in a good schoole one must be a good scholer also euen as to become rich by trafique a man must be a good Merchant and know well how to buy and sell Gratian sauouring this answere wel as stuffe out of his owne shop It is well answered sayth he and this your answer maketh me belieue you are come from that holy place good maisters of deuotion and we pray you hartily make vs partaker of that you haue learned For though we be not Pilgrims as you are that our estate is to trafique in merchandise yet are we also Pilgrimes in that we are mortall haue no continuall aboad in this world no more then you Lazarus perceiuing that they were merchants and coniecturing by their wordes that they were men of vnderstanding and conscience thought it would not be time lost to hold them some spirituall discourse and sayd vnto them My masters I would I had digged so deep in the treasures of Loreto that I might enrich you with bestowing freely vpon you what we haue learned there by experience and haue often heard before that this place is a heauenly repaire of deuotion for there is not any man so cold who is not warmed in the loue of heauenly things at the very sight of this sacred house which is without doubt because God is there singularly present as he shewe by an infinit nuÌ„ber of miracles which are done in fauour of those who call for his help by the intercession of the mother of
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
sinner and of my corrupted nature which seeketh earth and not heauen Pursue my Sonne thine enterprise better and perfecter then thy Father seruing God farre from this Babylon and the confusion of this peruerse world liue happily in the houshold of his soueraine Maiesty follow hardly the voyce of him who sayeth vnto thee Go out of thy country and out of thy kindred and out of the house of thy Father and come into a land which I shall shew thee And leauing me feare not to be cruell towards me for this kind of cruelty is an exploite of great piety It is the Father of the whole world who coÌ„mandeth and calleth thee and who am I worme of the earth to oppose my selfe to his voâ—ce And what an vnnaturall Father were I to enuy thy soules health thy rest thy glory for the desire of my commodity And to hold thee at my chymney corner to crouch to the seruice of my sensuality hauing but three short dayes to liue and to the meane tyme to hinder thee from following in good tyme the King of Kings and raigning in his Court Pauline would haue spoken to haue stayed the course of his Fathers teares and to solace his griefe which he saw was great But the old man went forward saying Go then my ioy my happines myne owne deere Pauline I am well worthy to want thee for my sinnes go thou with good fortune and succour me with thy Christian vertue and not with any compassion contrary to the counsell of God I giue thee for gage of my fatherly loue the best things that I haue and my greatest blessing and I beseech the King of heauen that he would plentifully blesse thee with his fauourable hand and make thee great with his graces rich with his treasures and happy with glory And saying this he kissed him fastly bathing him with teares instructing and exhortiing him with many graue wordes to constancy courage and magnanimity and to shew allwaies and in euery thing that he caryed the hart of a true Gentleman Pauline wept bitterly and humbling him selfe vnto his feete thanked him of these his fauours promising that all the dayes of his life he would remember his benefits and good inâ—tructions and so tooke his last farewell Vincent came a litle after tooke his leaue of him also and was praysed for his fidelity towards his maisters All three tooke their leaue of theiâ— brother that remayned and of their sister recommeÌ„ding their Father vnto their carâ— as they did theÌ„selues to their prayers Theodosius returned that night hauing bid his father farewell and the next morning they departed all foure and with in three d y s they arriued at the house where they were to continuâ— iâ— the sâ—â—uice of God all their life according vnto the vow watch they had made and so was fulfilled the â—â—st 〈◊〉 in prophecy of the good Hermit vpon Lazarus and Pauline And being seene after their funerals kept Shall to the 〈…〉 to heauen reuiue Tristram also became Religious and the Baron the Sonne of the Marquâ—â—se a moneth after by a chance from heauen was receiued Religious in the same house where Lazarus and his companions were which was an incredible ioy for the one and the other These are the ten dayes Iourney of Lazarus for the vse of our Pilgrime There is nothing in the whole web of this discourse which is not true eyther in deed or in allegory or morality I beseech the diuine maiesâ—y that it will p ease him to accept with a good eye this offering of his owne gifts this litle worke of ours for the health and prosperity of our most Christian King of the Queene his deerest spouse of Monsieur the Daulphine and all the Royall house Realme and that he would giue grace to all that shall make or read this Pilgrimage to pray effectually for the same to the same end and also drawe thence for themselues wholsome and profitable counsell to the glory of God and of the sacred Virgin the mother of his Sonne the most faythfull Aduocate of his Church and specially of her Pilgrimes and Deuotes FINIS LITANIAE LORETANAE B. MARIAE VIRGINIS KYRIE eleison Christe eleison Kyrie eleison Christe audi nos Christe exaudi nos Pater de caelis Deus Miserere nubis Fili Redemptor mundi Deus Miserere nobis Spiritus sancte Deus Miserere Sancta Trinitas vnus Deus Miserere nobis Sancta Maria. ora pro nobis Sancta Dei genitrix ora Sancta Virgo Virginum ora Mater Christi ora Mater diuinae gratiae ora Mater purissima ora Mater castissima ora Mater inuiolata ora Mater intemerata ora Mater amabilis ora Mater admirabilis ora Mater Creatoris ora Mater Saluatoris ora Virgo prudentissima ora Virgo veneranda ora Virgo praedicanda ora Virgo potens ara Virgo elemens ora Virgo fidelis ora Speculum iustitiae ora Sedes sapientiae ora Causa nostrae laetitiae ora Vas spirituale ora Vas honorabile ora Vas insigne deuotionis ora Rosa mystica ora Turris Dauidica ora Turris ebuâ—nea ora Domus aurea ora Foederis arca ora Ianua caeli ora Stella matutina ora Salus insu morum ora Refugium peccatorum ora Consolatrix afflictorum ora Auxilium Christianorum ora Regina Angelorum ora Regina Patriarcharum ora Regina Prophetarum ora Regina Apostolorum ora Regina Martyrum ora Regina Confessorum ora Regina Virginum ora Regina Sanctorum omnni ora Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi Parce nobis Domine Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi exaudi nos Domine Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi Miserere nobis In Aduentu in die Annunciationis Vers Angelus Domini nunciauit Mariae Resp Et concepit de Spiritu sancto Oratio GRatiam tuam quaesumus Domine mentibus nostris infuÌ„deÌ„ vt qui Angelo nunciante Christi filij tui incarnationeÌ„ cognouimus per passionem eius crucem ad resurrection is gloriaÌ„ perducamur Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum Amen Post Natiuitatem Vers Post Partum Virgo inuiolata permanfisti Resp Dei genitrix intercede pro nobis Oratio DEus qui salutis aeternae B. Mariae virginitate foecunda humano generi praemia praestitisti tribue quaesumus vt ipsâ—m nobis intercedere sentâ—amus per quam meruimus auctorem vitae suscipere Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filiuÌ„ tuum Qu tecum c. Amen A Purificatione vsque ad feriam Vâ—in Câ—ena Dom ni Vers Dignare me laudare te Virgo â—acrata Resp Dâ— mihi virtutem contra hostes tuoâ— Oratio COncede misericors Deus fragilitaâ—â— noâ—trae praesidium vt qui sancte Dei geâ—itrâ—â—â— memâ— eriam agunus intercessioni eius auxiâ—io a nostri in quâ—atibitâ—â—e surgamus Per euÌ„dem Christum Dominum nostrum A Sabbato sancto vsque ad Sabbatum post Pentecosten Vers Gaude laetare
THE PILGRIME OF LORETO PERFORMING HIS VOW MADE TO THE GLORIOVS VIRGIN MARY MOTHER OF GOD. Conteyning diuers deuout Meditations vpon the Christian Cath. Doctrine By Fa. Lewis Richeome of the Society of IESVS Written in French translated into English by E.W. PRINTED At Paris Anno Dom. M.DC.XXIX TO THE MOST HIGH AND EXCELLENT PRINCESSE MARY BY GODS SINGVLAR PROVIDENCE QVEENE OF GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE AND IRELAND c. MADAME This Pilgrime being drawn with a great desire to present himselfe and his seruice to your Maiesty was driuen backe by a double feare the one of offending with his ouer-boldnes in presenting himselfe poore Pilgrime to so great a Princesse the other least the very name of Pilgrime might debar him of all accesse and Audience Yet at last he resumed his first resolution considering that he was to appeare before a Queene not so Great as Gracious as all that conuerse in your Royall Court do try and testify You are the daughter of that great and Gracious King who heertofore hath with gracious acceptaÌ„ce intertained this same Pilgrim in FraÌ„ce presented vnto him by that eloquent learned and Religious Frenchman F. Lewis Richeome Accept then MADAME in England what your renowned Father imbraced in France He desireth only to be graced and honoured with your Maiestyes Name and to shroud himselfe vnder the winges of your Princely protection and to be admitted your Maiesties poore beadesman For the bare Name of Pilgrime though it may chance to breed some iealousy at the first yet whosoeuer shall but search him and examine his instructions and directions find nothing but of deuotion meditation prayer and particulerly for your Maiesty he may hope rather to be admitted for his innocency and loyall Intention then excluded for the only name of Pilgrime which Name though now strange hath heertofore beene so vsuall and esteemed in our Court S. Helene and Country as Kinges and Queenes haue not only vndertaken it but gloried therein Canutus And so great sayth an ancient Authour 900. yeares since was the deuotion of Englishmen in that tyme Ceadwalla after all the Country was conuerted and christened that not only the Noble men and the meaner sort Clerickes and Layickes but the Kinges the Kinges children leauing their kingdomes and the wealth of the world Marcelliâ— in vita S. Switbâ—râ—â— haue out of their great deuotion chosen for a tyme to go Pilgrims for Christ on earth This Pilgrime was presented to your Maiestyes Father in France of purpose to offer his prayers for the then Daulphin now King the benefit and fruit whereof he hath found and felt in good successe of his affaires and for all the Royall house Realme of France wherein your Maiesty had a part he commeth now wholy and particulerly to do the like for both your Maiesties that God by the intercession of his Blessed Mother would blesse your Royall persons your people and kingdome with all earthly and heauenly benedictions And namely that hauing vnited you in the sacred bandes of holy Matrimony and lincked your hearts with so fast Loue and Affection as all your Subiects do ioy to see and heare that he would also blesse you with the happy fruit thereof and make his Maiesty a ioyfull Father and You a Mother of many goodly and Godly Princes who may longe sway the Scepter of great Britaine after you may imitate in vertue and sanctity S. Edward and S. Lewis your Maiesties glorious predecessours and in wisedome and valour your Maiesties noble Father of famous memory Neither doe I see MADAME why this Pilgrime should feare to come to any Court or company seeing he coÌ„meth euery where but among his fellowes for though all be not Pilgrimes of Loreto neither is this booke only or principally to direct such yet whilest we liue in this world we are though as Kinges Queenes and Emperours all Pilgrimes as a great King sayd of himselfe Aduena peregrinus sum ego Psal 38. Who though they haue thousandes of Castles and Citties yet haue they not heere any one Ciuitatem permanentem which shall not be taken from them before they dye or they taken from it by death but futuram inquirimus hauing no mansion-house or byding place in this world we goe seeking one in Heauen where be multae mansiones Which this Pilgrimage vnder the shadow of his other Pilgrimage doth exactly teach vs to do exhorting vs with S. Peter 1. Pet. 2. as strangers and Pilgrimes to abstaine from carnall desires which fight against the soule and to seeke the spirituall and eternall the increase whereof will make your Maiesty greater before God and man For the honours and glory of this mortal life your Maiesty hath as much as your heart can reasonably desire You haue for your Ancestours great Emperours and Kings of Hungary and Bohemia for your Progenitors the great Dukes of Tuscany for your Father Great Henry of France and for your husband the King of Great Britaine all Great Being placed in the top of these honours there is no roome for more nor cause to desire any greater fortunes but only those which may and alwayes should increase in vs in this life and prouide matter for a Crowne of glory in the next These MADAME are holy vertues which adorne noble deuout soules as silke siluer gold pearles and precious stones doe the body these are the ornaments which haue aduanced meane women aboue Queenes Queenes aboue theÌ„selues as they did Hester who though she were exceeding beautifull yet her humility modesty charity wisedome other diuine qualities of her soule made her more admired in her life theÌ„ the beauty of her body or the Diademe of her head and after her death hath left her Name grauen in the memory of all following ages These goodly ornaments I say togeather with the corporall guifts which the hand of God hath liberally cast vpon You wonne the harts of those who knew you in France and were the titles wherby you were iudged to be a Princesse worthy of a Kingdome and a fit Consort for so great a King To conclude these are the treasures which only You shall carry with You departing this life to raigne for euer in the other with the Blessed The other guifts as beauty riches honour Iewelles the Crowne it selfe and all other earthly treasures the spoyle of tyme do passe from their being to their buriall as a shadow that vanisheth as a Post that gallopeth away as a Ship on the sea as a Bird in the ayre who leaue no path nor trace behind them as dust or a lock of woll hoysted with the wind as the froth and fome of the Sea broken with a storme as smoke dispersed in the ayre and as the memory of a guest which stayeth but one night Thus sayd Salomon out of his owne experience and we see as much euery day by ours Sap. 5. How vaine then O most Christian Queene is all this world
What are her pompes honours and pleasures and their lasting in comparison of that glory which expecteth vs in eternity A Glory worthy of Kinges and Queenes and Princely soules who know how to prize it in equall ballance and to seeke it with high and constant courage A Glory which I and this Pilgrime and all good Pilgrimes besides do most hartily wish vnto both your Maiesties after that you shall haue left vs many fayre and sweet Princes such as should come of the Lilly and the Rose who may all represent the image of their Predecessours their vertues who may be all worthy to weare Crownes and to be with their Father Mother crowned in heauen hauing first raigned heere after them long and worthily on earth Amen Your Maties most loyall Subiect and Beadesman E. W. A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS and Argumentes of this Booke Chap. 1. PILGRIMAGES are agreable to God and commended in holy Scripture Pag. 1 Chap. 2 The Places most noble and famous in the world pag. 2 Chap. 3. Causes that make a place venerable Places meruaâ—lous in their beginning and of the admirable foundation of the house of Loreto pag. 3 Chap. 4. The house of our Lady called of Loreto is one of the three places most famous of the holy Land and of the causes why it was caried thence pag. 6 Chap. 5. How the house of our Lady was caried from Nazareth to Sclauonia and from thence to Italy and there also to diuers places pag. 8 Chap. 6. Why this Chamber of the B. Virgin hath beene so often remoued pag. 8. Chap. 7. How the Chappell of Loreto was knowne to be the ChaÌ„ber where the Virgin was borne and saluted by Gabriell and of the forme thereof pag. 9. Chap. 8. How the transport of the house of Loreto was verified by the Sclauonians and Recanatines pag. 11 Chap. 9. Of certaine meruailous transportes pag. 12 Chap. 10. Why diuers Historiographers of that time did not writ of that meruailous transport of the house of Loreto of many strange things not perceiued or neglected pag. 14 Chap. 11. Historiographers that haue written of Loreto Popes that haue adorned it pag. 18 Chap. 12. Dâ—uine proofes of the truth of this Chappell pag. 21 Cha. 13. Of the meruailous situation of the house of Loreto 22 Chap. 14. Places honourable by reason of their Antiquity That of Loreto most honourable in that respect pag. 24 Chap. 15. Places renowned by reason of diuine apparitions made therein and of those of the Chamber of Loreto pag. 26 Chap. 16. Places made famous by the habitation of holy men and Saints the house of Loreto most Noble in this respect pag. 29 Chap. 17. The house of Loreto admirable for diuerse diuine touchings pag. 31 Chap. 18. Places famous for some great and mysticall effects and Loreto more admirable then all pag. 32 Chap. 19. Loreto most renowned in miracles pag. 35 Chap. 20. How God doth miracles more in some places then in others pag 36 Chap. 21. Of the honour of vowes and offerings of Religion made at Loreto pag. 39 The Pâ—eparation and furniture of the Pilgrime Chap. 1. THE end and allegory of Christian Pilgrimages compasse of our mortall course signified by the number of Fourty pag. 43 Chap. 2. Of Praier Meditation and Contemplation pag. 47 Chap. 3. How Praier should be made and of the parts and vse thereof pag. 51 Chap. 4. Of Iaculatory praier pag. 53 Chap. 5. Of the Beades and the manner to say them pag. 53 Chap. 6. Of the Examen of Conscience pag. 56 Chap. 7. A generall distribution what the Pilgrime should do euery day and 1. Of the Credo pag. 58 Chap. 8. Of the Pater Aue and Confiteor pag. 59 Chap. 9. Of the signe of the Crosse pag. 61 Chap. 10. What the Pilgrime should do euery day pag. 62 The Pilgrime his setting forth first dayes Iourney Chap. 1. A Meditation of the condition of man who is to be Pilgrime in this life pag. 64 Chap. 2. A resemblance of the Pilgrimage of this life to Pilgrimages of deuotion The spirituall habits of a Pilgrime pag. 69 A Canticle of the Pilgrimage of this world pag. 71 Chap. 3. The meanes happily to performe the pilgrimage of this life is to suffer and fight vnder the banner of Iesus Christ and go alwaies forward in vertue pag. 72 Chap. 4. Euery Christian must suffer and beare his Crosse p. 76 Chap. 5. The true Christian must alwaies go forward in vertue pag. 78 Chap. 6. The commandements of God are the way of the Pilgrimage of this life pag. 79. Chap. 7. A Meditation vpon the 10. Cammandements of God in generall The 1. and 2. point Why the law was giuen with so great ceremony in 10. articles and two tables pag. 80 Chap. 8. The 3. and 4. point of the Meditation precedent The loue of God and of our neighbour is the end of the Law and the obseruation of the law proueth the same loue Motiues to the loue of God pag. 83 Chap. 9. A Canticle of the law of God the way of our life pa. 85 Chap. 10. A meditation vpon the 1. Commandment Thou shalt not haue no other Gods Thou shalt not make any grauen Idol pag. 87 Chap. 11. How the Iustice of God doth shine in this first CommaÌ„dement Praiers to auoid the Idols of false Christians pag. 90 Chap. 12. A Meditat. vpon the 2. Commandment Thou shalt take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine pag. 92 Chap. 13. Diuers Meditations and Prayers pag. 95 Chap. 14. A Meditat. vpon the 3. Commandment Remember to keep holy the Sabboth day pag. 96 Chap. 15. Of the Commandments of the Church and deuotion to the B. Virgin pag. 99 Chap. 16. The B. Trinity figured in the 3. Commandements of the first Table pag. 100 A Canticle vpon the three first Commandements a figure of the sacred Trinity pag. 101 Chap. 17. A thankesgiuing for the first weeke accoÌ„plished p. 102 Chap. 18. Of the loue of our Nighbour That one man is neighbour to another pag. 103 Chap. 19. A morning meditation vpon the fourth Commandement Honour thy father and thy Mother to the end thou maist liue long vpon earth pag. 104 Chap. 20. The workes of mercy spirituall and corporall p. 105 Chap. 21. A meditation of the fifth Commandement Thou shalt not kill pag. 107 A Canticle of the loue of God and our Neighbour 110 Chap. 22. Threates punishments against murtherers p. 111 Chap 23. A meditation of the 6. Commandement Thou shalt not commit adultery pag. 112 Chap. 24. How to keep chastity fly the vices of the flesh p. 115 Chap. 25. A mediâ—ation of the 7. Commandement Thou shalt not steale pag. 116 Chap. 26. Diuers considerations vpon couetousnes punished and liberalitâ— praâ—tised by the Saints pag. 119. Chap. 27. A meditation vpon the 8. Commandement Thou shalt not b are false witnesse against thy neighbour pag. 120 Chap. â—8 Of the nature and basenes of ly
ng pag. 121 Chap. 29. A m dita ion of the 9. and 10. Commandements Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife nor his house nor his asse nor any thing that is his pag. 122 Chap 30. The Decaloge is a branch springing out of the law of nature A canticle of the Decaloge pag. 124 Chap. 31. Of the Euangelicall counsels of Grace gratuite and making gratfull and of the effects thereof pag. 127 Chap. 32. The 4. and 5. point of the precedent Meditation The 7 guifts of the Holy Ghost and the 8. Beatitudes pag. 131 Chap. 33. The Councels do facilitate the keeping of the Commandements pag. 134 Chap. 34. A meditation of good works pag. 134 Chap 35. Instructions remarkeable for good works pag. 137 A Canticle vpon good workes pag. 139 Chap. 36. A meditation of Sinne. pag. 139 Chap. 37. Of the 7. capitall sinnes commonly called Mortall and of their branches pag. 143 Chap 38. Of the 1. sinne which is that of Angels and of the 2. which 〈◊〉 Adam 〈◊〉 of the effects of â—â—em of sinne which euery man comâ—â—â—eth 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—eth the thâ—rd sort pag. 144 Chap. 39. Effectâ— of sinne and diuers punishments pag. 147 Chap. 40. A meditation of death the first effect of sinne p. 148 Chap. 41. Diuers sentences of death pag. 150 Chap. 42. A medit of iudgment particuler generall p. 151 Chap. 43. The separation of the good from the wicked after Iudgment pag. 154 Chap. 44. A meditation of Hell pag. 154 Chap. 45. Other meditations of the paynes of the damned p. 157 Cha. 46. Of generall Confession the parts of pennance p. 158 Chap. 47. Prayers thankes-giuing to God and the B. V. p. 161 A Canticle to the glorious Virgin pag. 162 Chap. 48. Of choosing a good Gostly Father or Confessour p. 163 Chap. 49. Of the examen before Confession pag. 164 Chap. 50 How to examine our conscience before ConfessioÌ„ p. 164 Chap. 51. A prayer to say before Confession pag. 166 Chap. 52. The order we must keep in Confession pag. 167 Chap. 53. A prayer to say after Confession pag. 167 The Pilgrimes abode at Loreto Chap. 1. A Meditation vpâ—n the holy Eucharist pag. 169 Chap. 2. The first point Of three figures of the holy Sacrament pag. 170 Chap. 3. The second point Of the Maiesty of our Sauiour in this Blessed Sacrament pag. 171 Chap. 4. The third point Of the effects of this holy Sacr. p. 172 Chap. 5 A speach to God and thankesgiuing pag. 173 Chap. 6. How to heare Masse pag. 174 Chap. 7. How a Christian should behaue himselfe in euery part of the Masse pag. 176 Chap. 8. Of the Communion pag. 179 Chap. 9. A prayer before receauing pag 1â—9 Chap. 10. A prayer after receauing pag. 180 Chap. 11. How to heare a Sermon pag. 181 Chap. 12. Exercises of deuotion pag. 184 Chap 13. A meditation of the Conception of the B. Vir. p. 185 Cha. 14. Of the purity of ChristiaÌ„ actions in their intentioÌ„ p. 188 Chap. 15. A meditation of the natiuity of the B. Virgin pag. 189 Chap. 16. Of the B. Virgins auncestours and of the vanity of worldly greatnes pag. 192. Chap. 17. A meditation of the Presentation of the B. Virgin in the Temple pag. 193 Chap. 18. The third point of the Meditation Of Virgin and men consecrated to Almighty God pag. 195 Chap. 19. A Meditation of the Espousal of the B. Virgins with S. Ioseph pag. 199 Chap. 20. The second point of the Meditation Of the causes of the Mariage betwene the B. Virgin and S. Ioseph pag. 201 Chap. 21. Of the rare vertues of S. Ioseph pag. 205 Chap. 22. Of the incarnation of the Sonne of God Of the misery of mankind when this happened pag. 207 Chap. 23. The third point of the Meditation The desires of the Saints dead and liuing of the comming of the Messias pag. 210 Chap. 24. Of the Annunciation made to the B. Virgin by the Angell Gabriell pag. 212 Chap. 25. How the Sonne of God was conceaued in the wombe of the Virgin pag. 216 Chap. 26. Of the goodnes of God in the mistery of his IncarnatioÌ„ pag. 218 Chap. 27. Of the VVisedome of God in the same Mystery p. 220 Chap. 28. Of the power of God in the same Mystery pag. 221 Chap. 29. Of the Visitation of the B. Virgin pag. 222 Chap. 30. Of the Canticle of the B. Virgin Magnificat pag. 225 Chap. 31. VVhat the B. V. did in the house of S. Elizabeth p. 228 Chap. 32. A Meditation of the Natiuity of our Sauiour p. 229 Chap. 33. Our Sauiour encountreth and ouercometh vices in his Infancy pag. 232 Chap. 34. Of the Circumcision of our Sauiour and of the Name of Iesus pag. 234 Chap. 35. A Meditation Of the Adoration of the three Kinges pag. 238 Chap. 63. A demonstration of the power of Iesus in the adoration of the Kinges pag. 240 Chap. 37. Of the Returne of the three Kinges pag. 242 Chap. 38. A meditation of the Presentation of IESVS in the Temple pag. 243 Chap. 39. Ceremonies and feastes instituted for men to acknowledge Originall sinne the root of all the misery of mankind pag. 245 Chap. 40. Of the Canticle Nunc dimittis pag. 247 Chap. 41. The Pilgrimes prayer at his departure from Loreto pag. 250 Chap. 42. How the Pilgrime departed from Loreto pag. 253 The Returne of the Pilgrime of Loreto Chap. 1. THE first Day of his Returne pag. 254. Chap. 2. Meditations vpon the flight of our Sauiour into Aegypt togeather with his glorious Mother and Ioseph p. 256 Chap 3. 1. The fountaine of Bees 2. A dinner and meeting 3. Presages of eloquence and the nature of Bees obserued fifty yeares by Aristomachus 4. The wonders of our Sauiour going into Ae ypt 5. The tree Persis adoreth him 6. The Idols of Aegypt ouerthrowne 261. Chap. 4. The arriual of the Pilgrimes at the Farme-house 1. Tables of Loreto and of the flight of our Sauiour into Aegypt 2. The ship of the Ragusians deliuered 3. Two Capuâ—hines and three country men a Supper 4. Three Slaues 5. One of Prouence The B. Virgin starre of the Sea 6. The practise of the examen of Conscience p. 269 Chap 5. A Meditation of the historâ— of little Iesus lost found in the midst of the Doctours in the Temple pag. 2â—9 Chap. 6. 1. Our Sauiour manifested not himselfe vntill 12. yeares 2. Theodosius found 3. Caried away by the Bandites 4 Made prisoner with Lazarus and Vincent 5. The plea and answere of Lazarus 6. All three deliuered pag. 283 Chap. 7. 1. Theodosius taketh againe his Pilgrimes weed 2. recouÌ„teth his fortune 3. The conuersion of Tristram 4. how he spred an occasion to saue himselfe 5. Of the Bandites who left their sort 6. Theodosius escaped out of their company pag. 293 Chap. 8. A Meditat of the youth and dwelling of Iesus Chriâ—t his Mother and S. Ioseph in Nazareth pag. 303 Chap. 9. 1. A discourse with two
people more worthy of punishment then prayse and those who trauaile with honesty indeed and ciuility but whose chiefe intention is to see diuers countreyes cittyes peoples and to feed their curiosity with the sight and knowledge of many thinges as they are not of the worst so neither deserue they the prayse of a true Christian pilgrime no more then their end doth But they are such pilgrimes as Vlisses Aeneas Plato or such like trauellers that raÌ„ ouer the world to enrich store themselues with humane knowledge and prudence and to frame and fashion their life after the skill and manner of wise men of this world The Christian aymeth at a higher marke and directeth his steppes to a more rich conquest The prâ—pall enâ— of a christian â—grime for although he doth not refuse nor omit to learne all the good that others learne trauayling in diuers countreyes as modesty humility patience temperaÌ„ce and other gaine of morall vertues whereby he may adorne his life with ciuill carriage fashions yet his principal marke is to make himselfe wise by christian wisedome to Godward to enrich himselfe with piety and charity to liue christianly that is to say perfectly before him according to euery mans state and condition and finally by trauelling vpon earth to gaine heauen Our pilgrime therefore shall not only haue in horrour the fashions of the first debauched wanderers but also shall beware of being curious about vaine and vnprofitable thinges and only seeke and search after such thinges as may help him happily to attaine vnto this end The forme and partes of Christian pilgrimages In the third place he must learne the formes and tymes of his pilgrimages which I diuide vnto him in three partes his going his arriuall or stay there and his retourne and these in fourty dayes iourney shewing what he should doe in euery one of them The three partes are the three estates of Christians the three wayes are the three kindes of Christians vertues Three sorts and estates of wayes vertues The first signifyeth the estate of beginners the way and vertues of purgation The second the estate of the Proficients and the way and vertues of illumination And the third the estate of the perfect and the way of vnion and exeÌ„plar vertues which by likenes loue hold vs alwayes straitely conioyned with God The nuÌ„ber of 40 the figure of our mortal abode heere The fourty dayes iourney signify the mortall abode or time of men in the pilgrimage of this life as our Doctours doe obserue and for such signification hath this number beene often vsed applyed in the Scrtpture The Hebrewes passing towardes the land of promise trauailed as I sayd before fourty yeares in the desert Moyses was twice fourty dayes in the top of the mountaine Sina to receaue the Law which should guide and direct vs in this life Elias fasted fourty dayes as also our Sauiour shewing vs the painefull and penitentiall course of this life And this mystery is well founded sayth S. Augustine for that this number is composed of foure and ten Aug. l. 2. de consen Euan. c. 4. wherof the first containeth the second and both togeather bring forth fourty for the parts numbers that are found in foure that is 1. 2. 3. 4. make ten and ten tymes 4. or 4. tymes ten make 40. so that foure is the matter and substance of ten and ten is the perfection of foure and both togeather the generation of fourty and euery where foure doth rule and is predominant 4. Elements To the proportion then of this number it seemeth that the production and continuance of thinges in this mortall life is framed and disposed for the Elements wherof all thinges heere below are compounded and produced 4. Times of the yeare are foure the ayre the fire the water and the earth The tymes that rule and gouerne these productions are foure the Spring Summer Autumne 4. Humours 4. Ages Winter In men there are foure humours Blood Choler Flegme Melancholy also there be foure ages Infancy Youth Manhood and Old age and foure bringeth alwayes ten a perfect number that is to say it maketh the thing perfect and accomplished according to the owne nature foure Elements make a Body as a Stone a Tree a Bird foure Seasons make a Yeare and the 10. with the 4. make 40. that is to say the thing being perfect taketh his race and runneth vnto the but and end of his 40. making his whole continuance the tree his man his and so of the rest The generation of mâ—n perfected in 40. dayes The same nuÌ„bers doe reigne in the generation of man in particuler for he is perfected in his mothers wombe in foure tymes ten dayes that is fourty if it be a man child in twice fourty if it be a femall and therefore it is that Philo the Iew doth call it the number of life Our pilgrimage therefore shall be of fourty dayes whereof shall be allowed for going 21. 〈◊〉 de vita Mosis The 21. dayes of the pilgrims going is a marke of pennance which is thrice 7. the number which signifyeth pennance and purgation according to the signification of the first part which we haue sayd doth expresse vnto vs the estate of them that are penitents beginners and walking in the vertues and way purgatiue Nine are allowed for his arriuall and stay there which signifyeth the estate of illumination as the number is a signe of light consecrated to the 9. Orders of Angells the intellectuall light Ten are allotted for his returne which is a note of a perfect life and the number of perfection and because in euery one of these iournyes the principall and most frequent exercise of the pilgrime is to pray meditate and contemplate to the end to be vnited and conioyned to God and to find him fauourable also to make examen of his conscience to amend his vices and imperfections and to goe forward in Christian purity as he doth in his way and iourney it is necessary before all thinges that he learne how to performe these thinges duly before he set forward in this way Of Prayer Meditation and Contemplation CHAP. II. THE principall most familiar and necessary instrumeÌ„t of a Christian and of him that goeth in pilgrimage for deuotion is prayer for that is it that holdeth vs vnited with God and draweth from him force and necessary prouision to discharge our voyage and therfore it is altogeather necessary to vnderstand it well and to know how to vse and handle it with dexterity which he shall doe by the proper definition thereof as it were by a toole or instrument which discouereth the nature of the thing and by declaration of the parts conditions and vse thereof Aug. l. 2. de sermon Dom. in monte c. 7. Basil hom in Mart. Iulit Damas l. 4. de side orthodoxa cap. 24. Greg. Nâ—s lib. de ora Aug. serm 226. de
tempore Chyrs l. 2. de orando Deo Prayer is a conuersion of the hart of God sayth S. Augustine It is a demand of some good thing sayth S. Basil S. Iohn Damascene comprehending them both sayth Prayer is an eleuation of the spirit vnto God and a demand of things conuenient Prayer sayth S. Gregory Nâ—ssene is a contemplation or talke of the holy soule with God a contemplation of inuisible thinges a certaine fayth and beliefe of things we should desire it is an angelicall state vocation an increase of good and subuersion of euill It is the key of heauen sayth Augustine and the sinnewes of the soule This is sayth S. Chrysostome the instrument that should alwayes be in the Christians hand day and night in the towne and field in prosperity aduersity in peace and warre in health and sicknes and in all thinges It is good reason then to learne the manner of praying well It appeareth by the foresayd definitions that the essence and foundation of true prayer consisteth in the soule that which is made with the mouth and voice only deserueth not the name of prayer It is the language of a Parrot that speaketh it knoweth not what Prayer of the spirit speaketh properly to God and maketh himselfe to be vnderstood as an Angell though the lips stirre not and he cryeth aloud to God in profound silence Exod. 14.15 Moyses moued not his lippes when God sayd vnto him Why cryest thou It was the crye and voice of his prayer which he then made in the closet of his hart The prayer of the mouth is not good except it be caried with the wings of the spirit both togeather make a perfume that pierceth the heauens a sacrifice most acceptable to God and a pregnant request to obtaine whatsoeuer shall be demanded of his Maiesty The inward is the roote and fruit of deuotion the outward is the flowre and budd To doe it well he must learne to meditate well for meditarion and contemplation do illuminate the vnderstanding do heat the wil eleuate the soule to God and ioyneth it to his loue which is the very essence and vigour of prayer Fire is kindled in my meditatioÌ„ sayth Dauid that is to say My prayer shall be feruent if I meditate well To meditate Christian-like is to discourse in the vnderstanding of some diuine subiect of the creation of the world of the Natiuity of the Sonne of God of his death of his resurrection of the purity and humility of the B. Virgin Mary of some vertue or vice of death iudgement hell heauen and such like matters This discourse is made in noting the causes The discourse of Prayer and effects and deducing conclusions agreable to the honour of God and our good For example meditating of the creation of the world I obserue that God is the supreme cause of all thinges who hath made all of nothing by his only word that heauen and all the creatures with them are the workes of his power wisedome and bounty heereof I conclude Conclusion of our Prayer that he is almighty hauing brought forth such goodly effects of nothing all wise hauing so diuinely ordered them all good in hauing giuen them all to men againe I conclude that I am bound to feare him as my soueraigne Lord adore him as the supreme wisedome and loue him as the infinite bounty and to serue him with all my hart and with all my forces as my Creatour my King my Maker my Father and my all in all By this discourse my vnderstanding is delighted in the meruailous workes of God my will is warmed in his loue and of them both my soule taketh a tongue to speake vnto him and maketh her prayer adoring his greatnes admyring his wisedome magnifying his bounty casting her selfe into the armes of his holy prouidence declaring her infirmityes offering her abilityes her vowes teares sighes and desires and al that she hath demanding what she hath not perfect humility fortitude patience charity and other vertues and finally drowning her selfe in praying to this supreme Deity as before she did in meditating Contemplation is a regard of the eyes of the soule fastened attentiuely vpon some obiect DefinitioÌ„ of Contemplation as if after hauing meditated of the creation she should set her eye of her vnderstanding fast and fixed vpon the greatnes of God vpon the beauty of the Heauens or hauing discoursed of the passioÌ„ of our Sauiour she behouldeth him present seeth him crucifyed and without any other discourse perseuereth constantly in this spectacle Then the soule doth contemplate vpon her meditation CoÌ„templation more theÌ„ Meditation so that contemplation is more then meditation and as it were the end thereof and it groweth and springeth vpon it many tymes as the braunch doth vpon the body of the tree or the flowre vpon the branch For the vnderstanding hauing attentiuely and with many reasons to and fro meditated the mystery and gathered diuers lights togeather doth frame vnto her self a cleere knowledge wherof without further discourse one way or other she enioyeth as I may say a vision which approcheth to the knowledge of Angells who vnderstand without discourse although it may so happen The knowledge of Angels that the deuout soule may enter into contemplatioÌ„ without any meditation going before according as the diuine wisedome shall affoard her inward obiects after the manner of visions as it did often to the Prophets and his most familiar friends and seruants or els where the party himselfe doth choose some one where he feeleth greatest gust and there stayeth without stirring It may happen also that meditation may follow contemplation as if one hauing attentiuely beheld an obiect doth thereof afterward ground some discourse as Moyses did Exod. 3.3 when hauing seene the visioÌ„ of the burning Bush he approched discoursing why it consumed not Heereof we learne the difference betwixt these two actions The difference between contemplation meditation for meditation is lesse cleere lesse sweet and more painefull then conteÌ„plation it is as the reading of a booke which must be done sentence after sentence but contemplation is like casting the eyes vpon a picture discerning all at once Meditation is like eating Contemplation like drinking a worke more sweet cooling and more delicate lesse labour and more pleasure then eating is For he that meditateth taketh an antecedent doth behould weigh and consider it as it were shewing the meate with some paine and afterward doth gather conclusioÌ„s one after another as it were swallowing downe of morsells and taketh his pleasure by peeces but he that contemplateth receaueth his obiect without paine swiftly and as it were altogeather as if he tooke a draught of some delicate wine such is Meditation and such is Contemplation All prayer therefore and all eleuation of the spirit for to carry it selfe with a strong and swift flight before the throne of the diuine Maiesty must be carryed by them or by the
meanes of one of them as hauing their force and vigour from them This is the essence of prayer let vs see now what are the conditions partes and vse thereof How Prayer should be made and of the partes and vse thereof CHAP. III. THE Prayer of a Christian must be attentiue deuout The principal partes of Prayer full of loue respect and reuerence to God before whom he speaketh who is King of Kinges and very wisedome bounty and maiesty it selfe It hath three principall partes as haue all other well ordered discourses The entry the body or corps and the end and conclusion The entry or beginning contayneth a short and generall preparatiue prayer also a locall representation of the matter we meditate of which is as the first essay and preamble of prayer It contayneth a particuler prayer which is insteed of a second preamble the generall prayer demandeth of God that it would please him to direct all our intentions to his honour and glory which may be done with hart alone or with hart and mouth also vsing the accustomed prayer of the Church framed for the same end in these termes We beseech thee O Lord to preuent our actions with thy aspiration and to follow them with thy help that all our prayer worke may euer begin at thee and by thee be ended Amen The representation or first preamble The first preaÌ„ble is a certaine imaginary composition or framing of a place where the thing we meditate of was done or of the thing it selfe as of the desert where our Sauiour fasted Mat. 4. if we meditate of his victory against the Diuell or the mount Caluary where he was crucifyed if we meditate of his death or of the B. Virgins chamber where she was saluted by Gabriel if we meditate of the Annunciation and so of other mysteries But if the subiect of the meditation be spirituall insteed of this composition of place The representation of sinne we must imagine some thing conuenient and agreable in maÌ„ner of a parable as if we meditate vpon sinne we may imagine the soule shut vp and imprisoned within the body as in an obscure and loathsome prison and sinne as a cruell and monstrous tyrant a dragon a serpent and such as the Diuell is painted and all the holy Doctours doe sometymes describe it It will help also to haue before our eyes some picture or image of the matter we meditate which may serue insteed of these representations to them that cannot frame this themselues This preamble is very profitable to meditate attentiuely for thereby is setled and restrained our imaginaition which is a flying and wandering faculty going for the most part out of the house without leaue carrying our thoughts sometymes before they are aware as far from the marke or matter as the North is from the South The secoÌ„d preamble The particuler prayer and second preamble is a demand or petition we make to God to graunt vs the grace to reape the fruit we seeke for in the subiect of prayer For example to giue vs charity if our prayer be of that vertue or compunction if we meditate of our sinnes The body or substance of the prayer The body or corps of the prayer contayneth the points of the subiect of the meditation one two three or more as if meditating of the ResurrectioÌ„ of our Sauiour we should make the first point of the tyme or houre of his rysing the second of the glory of his body the third of the souldiers feare that kept the Sepulcher the fourth of the apparition and testimony of the Angells and so in other matters The speach or colloquy endeth the Prayer The end of the prayer containeth a speach which the soule maketh vnto God either with the hart alone or with hart mouth togeather thanking him for his guifts offering our selues to his seruice asking pardon of our sinnes and grace to amend for afterward and finally speaking vnto him as the nature of the meditation shall require and communicating it self in such sort as a deuout and respectiue hart may doe before God This is the right prayer of a Christian which the Pilgrime shall performe euery day Those that haue not yet learned to meditate and contemplate may also pray saying their houres or reading some deuout booke or taking some prayer which they can say by hart as the Pater noster Credo or the like meditating sentence by sentence or word by word Of Iaculatory prayer CHAP. IV. THERE is another kind of prayer Why it is called Iaculatory which is commonly called Iaculatory because it is made shortly and sodenly as if one should throw a dart which is very ordinary and familiar to spirituall persons It is a sodaine excursion and eleuation of the soule ayming at heauen praysing or praying to God or his Saints in short tyme and in few wordes according vnto the occasion we shall presently take of place tyme or other thing saying with hart or mouth God be blessed My God show me thy wayes Iesus help me Glorious Virgin pray for me and such like verses taken out of the Scripture or out of our owne deuotion which manner of praying is figured by the Brocâ—es of gold that were set on the top of the Temple of Hierusalem Ioseph l. 6. de bâ—â—â—o Iudaiâ— c. 6. to the end the Birdes might not perch or sit therein nor either file it with their donge or nestle there and the similitude agreeth well for these prayers being our highest and most subtill thoughts are like little golden Rods sharp on the top of our soule hauing alwayes the point towardes heauen and are very proper to chase away euill suggestions of the Diuells those soule birds and to make all sortes of temptations vanish away at all tymes and places in night and day in coÌ„pany and alone in the citty in silence in talke and discourse the soule may cast out a sodaine sighe a request a desire a prayse of God or some Saint and pray in secret effectually without disturbance Therefore the well aduised Christian must alwayes haue this prayer at hand help himselfe with it as often as he can in the day and specially our Pilgrime all the tyme of his pilgrimage to the end to entertaine himselfe in continuall deuotion and to ouercome temptations alwaies to haue his eare harkening after the mercy of God and to obtaine help and succour of him We will now speake of the Beades and Rosary and of the examination of our conscience Of the Rosary and the manner how to say it CHAP. V. AMONGST the Prayers and meditations which should be frequent and familiar to our Pilgrime of Loreto it is good reason to reckon the Rosary Corone Chaplet in French Of the name of Chaplet oâ— Corone For seeing that all Christian Catholikes doe vse it in the honour of the mother of God much more should her deuoted seruant pilgrime This word
and seeke all the possible meanes to attaine it And seeing that euery man is thereunto obliged by nature is not the Christian much more bound then other by reason of the law he professeth which is a law of perfection How can he worthily beare his name if he endeauour not to be a perfect Christian according to his name and degree The King a perfect Christian in his rule and roialty the Captaine a perfect Christian in his warres and managing of Armes the Magistrate in gouernment the Iudge in administration of iustice the Merchant Artificer Labourer in then trafike shop and trauaile as the Religious in his vocation Is heauen only for Religious If it be for all why doe not all seeke the way with Religious Heauen is not oÌ„ly for Religious euery one as we haue sayd according to his estate and degree This instruction will teach the Pilgrime to make dayly progresse in good life as he doth in his way and with so much the more courage as the merit and fruit of vertue is more precious and to be desired then the wynning of way in the world and this shall suffice for the afterdinner and euening of the second day The third Day The Commandements of God are the way of our pilgrimage of this life CHAP VI. IN the third day our Pilgrime being well forward on his way and iourney and hauing attentiuely meditated the conditions and qualityes of his mortall pilgrimage The way to heaueÌ„ is the coÌ„mandements of God Psal 118. â—2 he shal enter into meditation of the heauenly way by which he must come to the heauenly countrey as by the other he shall come to Loreto marching with the feet of his body he shall cause his soule also to walke with hers which are her affectioÌ„s This way is the keeping of the law coÌ„mandments of God wherof Dauid sayd I haue runne the way of thy commandements when thou hast enlarged my hart This way is Iesus Christ who comming into this world hath from point to point fullfilled the law giuen by himselfe he hath cleered bettered it with his doctrine and instructions and hath made it easie both to the eye and to the hand and in his owne pilgrimage hath traced the true path of saluation for which cause he is called Ioan. 14 1 The Way Verity Life This is the spirituall way which the pilgrime shall first consider a far off and in generall as if he were vpon some high mountaine like vnto Moyses when from the mountaines of Abarin Nebo in the land of Moab Deut. 32.9 he beheld the way and countrey of the land of Promise and after he shal run ouer all the commandements in particuler from the first to the last one by one A Meditation vpon the ten Commandements of God in generall The first and second pointe why the Law was giuen with so great Ceremonies in ten Articles and two Tables CHAP. VII THE Prayer preparatory as alwayes before The first preamble shall frame in the imagination the figure of the mountaine of Sina couered in the top with a thicke bright cloud rebounding with the noise of trumpets and thunder God appearing in soueraign Maiesty to Moyses to giue him his law and the Hebrewes incamped in the plaine by terrifyed and attending the issue of this new spectacle In the second Preamble he shall demaund grace of God whereby he may throughly vnderstand the beauty and importance of this law and the whole length and continuatioÌ„ of the way that leadeth vnto Heauen The first point shall recite the law with the clause going before it Preface of the Law where God speaketh thus vnto his people I am the Lord thy God who hath brought thee out of the land of Aegypt and the house of bondage And after giueth the same Law contayned in ten Articles 1. Thou shalt not haue strange Gods before me Exod. 20. 2. Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in vaine for our Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 3. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabboth day 4. Honour thy Father and Mother 5. Thou shalt not kill 6. Thou shalt not commit adultery 7. Thou shalt not steale 8. Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy Neighbour 9. Thou shalt not couet thy Neighborus house 10. Thou shalt not couet thy Neighbours wife nor his seruant nor his mayde nor his Oxe nor his Asse nor any thing that is his In meditating the foresayd Preface he shall make this coÌ„clusion God when he would dictate his law putteth in the beginning what he is saying I am the Lord thy God as also the deliuerance of the Hebrewes he would haue vs therefore in the first place set before our eyes his greatnes and maiesty afterwardes the benefits he hath bestowed vpon vs to the end we may be stirred vp to the keeping of his commandements by that obligatioÌ„ we owe vnto him by the title of our Creatour and soueraigne Lord and our Benefactour our Conseruatour and rewarder meditating the rest he shal gather these or the like conclusions God published the law with great ceremonies with thunder and lightning Exod. 19.16 trumpets with cloudes and fire and smoke earth-quakes he will therefore that it be receaued of vs with great reuerence Psal 11â— feare and humility For the Feare of God is the beginning of wisedome He would haue it sinke deep into our soules seeing it was sent with fire voice and extraordinary noise and by whatsoeuer might most mooue our eyes and eares our two most noble senses and might most deeply print any thing in our harts He published it in the top of an high mountaine therfore would haue vs meditate thereof with a spirit eleuated and lifted vp from the earth this is the conclusioÌ„ which Dauid practised often and aduised others also to practise Psal 811.24 Psal 118.14 Psal 118.47 Psal 1.2 Thy testimonyes are my meditation Also Giue me vnderstanding I will meditate thy law I haue meditated vpon thy commandements which I haue loued Happy is the man that thinketh of thy law day night He gaue it to Moyses to communicate it vnto the people and make them to keep it he would haue them put it in execution and that as we ascend to meditate it so we should descend to execute it This is the signification of that heauenly Ladder which Iacob saw in his sleep vpon the which Angells did ascend and descend Gen. 28. for the children of God do mouÌ„t and ascend by the steppes and degrees of contemplation in the knowledge of the Law of God descend againe by the workes of the same law as it were by the same steps in the actiue life for the loue of God and profit of their Neighbour The nuÌ„ber of 10 a note of perfection He hath giuen it in ten Articles signifying by the number of perfection that it
the good we haue in body and soule and in all the whole world and at whose handes we expect eternall felicity By these such like discourses the Pilgrime shal kindle the fire of his meditation to heate himselfe in the loue of God and to make his soule diuinely amorous of him whome he is bound to honour and serue withall his hart and all his strength and shall shut vp his discours with this speach or a better if God shall put it in his mouth A prayer to God O Lord how iust and absolute is thy Law in al respects and how reasonable are thy precepts Is it not iustice it selfe that he hath ordayned who is al wise that he hath commanded who is Almighty That he may be acknowledged who is all good Is there any thing more iustly due on our part or more fit and conuenient for vs thy creatures then to loue the supreme beauty To admire the supreme wisedoeme To adore thee supreme Deity To serue thee supreme Power To embrace thee to reuerence thee to accomplish all thou commandest with so many titles of right and maiesty But to whome shall I giue my loue and seruice if I refuse it to thee to whome I owe seruice and homage of all that I possesse hauing receaued all of none other but of thy holy handes And who dost further promise to giue me thy selfe also in recompence if I acknowledge thy benefits in keeping thy holy Law And what profit hast thou of my loue and seruice Why God would be loued serued by vs. or what harme if I doe not loue and serue thee None at all O my Lord what then moueth thee to demand this deuotion at my hand but thine owne infinit bounty thereby to find occasion to shew thy selfe yet more liberall vnto me Be then more liberall still O my King and most mercifull Father grant me if it please thee sufficient light vnderstanding to penetrate the beauty of thy Lawes The mouÌ„taine of God is the knowledge of his Law and the bond I haue to keep them Take me vp into thy mountaine that I may heare thee speake kindle in me the heauenly fire of thy holy loue that I may cleerly see thy holy will and happily descend to the practise of thy commandements that I may walke with a light foot and a fiery affection the way of thy holy Law and that at the end of my course I may find thee aboue in heauen there to admire and adore thee for euer in the mountaine of thy eternall felicity The after dinner and the euening of the second day CHAP. IX AFTER dinner the Pilgrime eyther alone or with coÌ„pany shall for his spirituall recreation sing the Canticle following concerning the ten Commandements A Canticle of the Law of God the way of this life Now fellow-Pilgrimes euery one Our harts and voices let vs tune To sing with a glad courage The Law which must vs alwayes lead And teach vs truely how to tread The paths of this our pilgrimage Adore one God that 's Soueraigne Take not his holy Name in vaine Rest vpon the Sabboth day To holy workes see thou attend Thy sighes vnto thy maker send Him in all thinges prayse and pray Honour with a reuerence milde Father and Mother as a child The soueraigne high Iustice Shall be thy helper alwayes And will prolonge thy dayes On earth for that seruice Stretch not thy murderous hand nor knife To kill or hurt thy Neighbours life Nor with aduoutry staine his couch Fly all light and wanton nicenes Forbeare eke of couetousnes Thy Neighbours goods to touch False witnes see thou beare gainst none Speake good not ill of euery one Let thy sayings be sooth and true Couet not of others good Neyther VVife nor liuely-hood Nor ought of any value These are Gods ten holy Sawes These are his ten diuine Lawes This is the Harpe of ten stringes Which King Dauid playd vpon That sweet Psalmist and whereon The soule deuout Gods prayses sings Let this Harpe be day and night Our hart our loue our whole delight Alwayes sounding in our eare Let our eyes still this behould Let our hands this Harpe fast hould Let our feet still this way weare This sayd he shall repeat his morning meditation or meditate some other matter that may seeme proper to the circumstances of the time place and his owne deuotion And he shall not faile to bespeake the B. Virgin for his Aduocate to God that he may well hold the way of his Law in this banishment and exile and attaine the end of his great pilgrimage which is heauen He shall say the old deuout Salue Regina or some other Hymne to the honour of the sayd Mother of God And in these and such like exercises solacing his trauaile he shall end his iourney when tyme shall aduertise him to take his lodging to repose if he find any Inne or to merit by patience if he must endure some discomodity of the seraine or ayre without dores at the signe of the Starre The fourth Day A Meditation vpon the first Commandement Thou shalt not haue any other Gods before me Thou shalt not make any grauen Idol CHAP. X. AFTER the Pilgrime hath meditated in generall of the Law of God Thou shalt adore and loue one oÌ„ly God perfectly he shall come to euery Article in particuler and goe forward in spirit as well as in body and therfore his principall meditation vpon the fourth day shall be of the first commandement The prayer preparatiue and the first preamble shal be as before The second preamble shall frame in his imagination the two Tables of the Law and shall behould them as before his eyes In the first he shall read the first Commandement written with the finger of God in great letters THOV SHALT NOT HAVE ANY OTHER GODS BEFORE ME THOV SHALT NOT MAKE ANY GRAVEN IDOLL The first point of meditation shall marke The expâ—â—â—tion of the wordes of the CoÌ„mandement that this commandement is the conclusion of the clause precedent I am the Lord hy God as if God had sayd I am thy God therefore thou shalt haue no other but me And the meaning is that as he is the only God so only should he be acknowledged for God and Lord Almighty all wise all good Creatour of heauen and the first cause of all thinges This acknowledgement is called of the Deuines by a Greeke word Latria which soundes as much Argu. de â—â—â—ip Deâ— l 10. c. 1. 4. Idem con Faust. lib. 19. 20. cap. 21. as soueraigne honour and supreme worship due to God only and to none other and comprehendeth two parts the one inward in the soule which requireth that we haue such esteeme and beliefe of God in verity as we should without any mixture of errour or heresie the other outward in the body whereby we honour him with sacrifices visible adoration and the fruites of our goods The second
therfore it is that he shewed himselfe to accept the sacrifice of Abel and checked Cain for hypocrisy Gen. 4.4 and after speaking to Abraham Father of his people Walke sayth he before me and be perfect I will make my couenant with thee Gen. 15. and I will multiply thee exceedingly Walke that is do well I will giue thee a rich reward of thy fidelity and good works and as he sayd a little before I am thy reward too-to great The last iudgmeÌ„t shall be vpon our workes In the new Testament there is nothing oftener or more earnestly recommended vnto vs then good workes All the sermons of our Sauiour are founded vpon this Theme and in one of them he foretelleth that at his great day at the shuting vp of the world he will iudge men for their good or bad workes Matt. 10.42 to eternall glory or confusion and in one place he promiseth reward euen vnto a cupp of cold water giuen for his sake shewing that he will leaue nothing though neuer so small without recompence Rom. 2.10 Matt. 25. Apoc. 22.12 so carefull he is to encourage vs to do well His Apostles and seruants S. Paul S. Iohn and others haue spoken in like sort preaching alwayes that God will render vnto euery man according to his workes and liuing agreeably to their preaching How good workes merit paradise The second shall note that good workes measured by the foot of bare nature without any other quality and as an effect only of free will doe not merit eternall glory a limited action hauing no proportion to a recompence of an infinit valew but being considered not in it selfe but as grafted in heauenly grace and the infinite vigour of the holy Ghost dwelling in the soule giuing it the right of adoption towardes God by the merits of Iesus Christ The woÌ„derful beginning oâ— birth of naturall thinges it contayneth in this respect the price of euerlasting glory And as we see in nature a little liuely seed to containe in it a hidden vertue and force to bring forth a great tree and fruit without number as for example a little nut incloseth in the seed a Nut-tree and millions of Nuttes and as many trees by succession for euer after so in a supernaturall sort the action of morall vertues quickened by the grace of God carieth a title and seed of the kingdome of heauen this is a meruailous strength vertue Prosper in Psal 111. and it is also from God whereupon S. Prosper sayth What can be found more strong and puissant then this seed by the growth filling wherof is gained the k ngdome of Heauen We know also that inheritance is due by iustice to adoptiue children in like sort is the inheritance of heauen due to the Christian that serueth his heauenly Father with the Charity loue of a true child And in title of this grace and adoption God promiseth felicity to his children and by his promise bindeth himselfe in iustice to giue vnto their vertue the reward of life euerlasting 2. Tim. 48 and therefore S. Paul sayth confidently I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the fayth for the rest there is reserued for me a Crowne of iustice which our Lord the iust Iudge shall render to me at that day and not only to me but to all that loue his comming He would say I haue done good works How â—od bindeth himselfe by his promise and by them deserued a crowne which God hath promised to all those that serue him and therefore I expect it as a thing due from his hand who gaue me the grace to worke well who by his promise is bound to crowne my workes and all that serue him And elswhere speaking of the adoption of the children of God If we be sonnes sayth he then heires that is Rom. 8. by right of adoption we haue heauen for well doing Now God had giuen this right grace freely to Adam he hauing lost it by his owne fault the Messias that is the sonne of God Iesus Christ How Iesus hath recouered what Adam lost was promised to recouer him and his posterity who at last comming into the world and being made Man hath meritted by his Passion in fauour and behalf of all men his brethren past present to come wherewith their workes are made liuing workes in iustice meritorious of life euerlasting Iesus the root of al merit if they be lyuely members of their head Redeemer Therefore in the first fountaine that is by the merit of Iesus Christ we merit life euerlasting and our recompence which is the glory of the goodnes and iustice of God and such as say that our merits do derogate â—rom the honour of God are ignorant of the law of God and of the vertue of our Sauiour iniurious to the same God himself to the merit of the same Sauiour The idle person is worse theÌ„ the beast The third point shall consider how he that doth no good workes doth abase his owne dignity vnder the vnreasonable and vnsensible creatures al which do worke according to their power The heauens do compasse the earth make it fertill with their influence the sunne and starres doe shiâ—â— the beastes plants elements cease not to moue and labour all the partes of the vniuersall world are in perpetual Action and employ themselues without rest to the end to which their Creatour made them If the idle be punished how much more the ill occupied That man therefore who standeth idle is a monster amongst insensible Creatures hauing so good helpes aboue them and the promise of eternall felicity which they haue not if he labour not nor serueth the maister that made him to woâ—ke and serue him is worthy of eternall misery and confusion although he should do none other ill but what death deserâ—eth he that not only dooth no good but also committeth sinnes withoâ—t number The prayer The speach shall be to God vpon the misery of man and shall begge grace to attend to good and holy Actions to his seruice in these or like termes O Lord of Angells and men what shall I â—ay after this mâ—ditation of thy workes and the workes of men Vpon thy lawes and their loyalty and obedience What shall should saâ— in my prayer of the mâ—sâ—â—y of man of thy greatnes Of his ingratitude and thy liberaâ—ity Of my pouerty and thy strength and vertue Thou hast made man O Lord that is chief Captaine of all thy other corporall creatures to thyne owne image and likenes furnished and coupled his nature with an immortall soule with an vnderstanding and freewill two noble instruments to do noble actioÌ„s and highly to prayse thee in them I contrary wise for getting my selfe and my degree only amongst all creatures haue ceased to do well and haue beene compared vnto bruit beastes Psal
plagues to the families of Men and hath marked them all with her infernall brood her malignity was so great and strong that there must be an eternity of punishments to chastice it the infection so deadly that the quickening and life-giuing bloud was necessary to cleanse it O mortall men whereof thinke you when you do the works of death Where is your memory not remembring what is passed Where is your prouideÌ„ce not regarding what is to come Where is your hart and wit yielding your loue to so monstrous and detestable an enemy O sweet Iesus made man for my sinnes crucifyed for my sinnes and raised againe for my iustice pardon me my sinnes which were too great to be pardoned were not thy mercy infinit and by the same mercy keep me from offending thee any more giue me tears to bewaile those I haue committed force to forbeare heerafter both which guifts are worthy of thee and both most necessary to me O Blessed Virgin yet againe To the B. Virgin now alwayes be my Aduocate it is the honour of thy sonne that I may obtaine my suite and the saluation of thy poore and deuoted Pilgrime The after-dinner and Euening of the seauenteenth dayes Iourney The effects of S nne and diuers paines CHAP. XXXIX THE rest of the day the Pilgrime shall imploy his houres to ruminate and repeat some particuler effects of sinne the better to know and detest it He shal see how it made the chief Angell so impudent and wicked The first exploit of the diuel that with the first vse of his language he durst accuse his Creatour of enuy and malice in that he had forbidden the tree of knowledge of good and euill to Adam and Eue that they might not be like Gods carrying vnder the colour of this blasphemous calumniation Gen. 3. that poisoned â—art wherewith he stroke to death this poore ill aduised woman and by her her husband Adam by him all mankind he shall cast his eyes vpon the enuy of Cain Gen. 7.21 which made him lift vp his hand to embrew the earth with his brothers bloud to the dissolution of all mortall men togeather buryed in the reuenging waues of the vniuersall Deluge to the pride of the Babylonians bâ—ilding against heaueÌ„ to their owne confusion the impurity of the fiue sinning Cittyes drowned in fire and brimstone the auarice of Giezi Gen. 11.4 Gen. 19.25 4. Peâ— 50. â—atth 26 Luc. 16.19 and of Iudas to the riot of the rich Glutton and other sinners and sinnes By the view whereof he shall conceaue an immortall hatred and shal firmely purpose to serue God withall his hart for the tyme to come without euer offending him neuer so little willingly and towards night hauing made some particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall thinke of his lodging The eighteenth day A meditation of Death the first effect of sinne CHAP. XL. To whoÌ„ the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of death is grieuous to whom profitable THERE is nothing more vnpleasant then the memory of death to them that doe not liue well nothing is more profitable to those that desire well to gouerne their actions for to liue and reigne alwayes and therefore the Pilgrime shall help himselfe with the meditation of death very fitly after that of sinne the father of death This meditation shal haue all his whole and entire partes The Prayer preparatory as alwayes before The first Preamble shall represent a man stretched on his bed in the agony of death The second shall demand grace to reape particuler profit of this exercise The first point shall set before myne eyes that decree and sentence of death giuen by the supreme Iudge on the person of our first Father Adam Gen. 3. Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne againe and executed on the body of him al that haue come of him except Enoch and Elias who notwithstanding shall dye also in their tyme. And therefore S. Paul sayth It is ordayned for all men once to dye Heb. 9.17 Of this meditation he shall marke that as there is nothing more sure and certaine then Death so also there is nothing more vncertaine then the houre and manner thereof and the estate wherein it shall find the soule Eccles 9. whether in grace or in sinne when it shall dislodge and remoue from her body By which circumstance he must stirre vp himselfe to watch and seeke all the meanes and wayes he can to put himselfe in good order and preparation for feare of being surprised and taken vnawares by reason of such vncertainty The second shall be to consider the accidents that do accompany this last conflict The conflict of death as well in soule as in body the remembrance of thinges passed the feare of that is to come the prickinges of griefs and desires the assaults of the Diuell the fayling of our senses and facultyes the coldnes of our members and the benumming of all partes of the body the dole and extreme anguish in the distresse of death all which thinges foreseene will teach vs what danger it is Math. 25. to deferre our preparation to the concurrence of so many calamityes miseryes and infirmityes and to go buy oyle for our lampes What followeth after death the soule saued oâ— damned when it will be tyme to enter into the bridegroomes chamber The third point shall meditate what followeth incontinently after death which is the iudgment of the soule either to saluation or damnation for she is eyther placed among the children of God be it by passing by if she need purgation oâ— presently if she be cleane to enter into heauen reigne there for euer or els carryed away in company of the Diuells to hell there to suffer eternall torments if she left the body seized with any mortall sinne The body in the meane tyme is put into the ground for food to wormes serpents his goods are parted to the liuing who will make merry therewith perhaps will laugh at him for hauing laboured so much for them The speach shall be to Iesus Christ in these wordes O my sweet Redeemer thou hast suffered death to deliuer me from death and hast ouercome death to make me conquerour thereof graunt me by this thy infinit charity and diuine victory the grace to vse and enioy the benefit which thy death hath brought to me and so well to prepare my selfe against this combat of death so valiantly to wrastle with it Psal 115. and so happily to ouercome it that my death may be of those the Prophet speaketh The death of his Saints is precious in the eyes of God and not of those of whome the same Prophet sayth Psal 33. The death of sinners is most miserable Thou saydst sometimes to thy Apostles and Disciples VVatch and stand ready for the Sonne of Man will come at an houre when you thinke not of him And againe Math. 24. 25. VValke
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
to our profit and of his whole holy Church Suscip â—â— Dominus ho. sacriâ—cium c. After he shall offer vp his soule and body with all that he hath in holocaust to this soueraigne Maiesty who hath beene so liberall and so gentle to vs as to giue himselfe after so many fashions and to familiarize himselfe in this action Per â—mâ—â—aâ— sâ—â—ula â—e 〈◊〉 Dominus â—oâ—â—â—â—m Suâ—â— coâ—â—â— with so amiable a presence and so straite an amity When the Priest pronounceth the foure precedent clauses of the Preface he shall answere therto with hart and mouth and withall his might shall excite his fayth and loue towardes God especially at these words Sursum corda Our harts on high what is myne Come O my Lord and enter into the house of thy poore seruant to strengthen it to beautify it to make it pure with thy purity and beautifull with beauty capable of thy blessings enriched with 〈◊〉 â—races and happy with thy present goodnes Amen After he shal receaue the body of our Lord at the handes of the Priest withall the humility that a poore seruant can bring receauing into his house the Maiesty of his God and if any foolish conceit happen to fall into his fancy such as the Diuell often vseth at that tyme to cast into the bosome of the deuout soule to breake and disgust the tast of his deuotion he shall contemne it and make no reckoning thereof but shall passe on sticking to the MeditatioÌ„ of the B. Sacrament which he commeth to receaue In the last part of the Masse which is all that followeth after the Communion consisting in nothing but prayers and thankesgiuing he shall thanke God and say the prayer following A prayer after receauing CHAP. X. IMMORTAL thankes be vnto thee for thy fauour O my Creatour Redeemer thanks for this heauenly food this virginall flesh this deified body for this precious purifying quickening and deifying Bloud In this banquet O my Lord I behould the meruailes of thy almighty power of thy infinite goodnes and wisedome and acknowledge that to be true which thy Prophet did sing long since Psal 110. Our Lord hath made a memoriall of his wonderous workes he hath prepared food for those that feare him O my soule now fill thy selfe seeing that hauing taken this food thou hast within thee him that filleth all satisfy thy selfe on this meat which giueth glory life euerlasting O my senses heere be you astonished you my eyes see nothing but the whitenes roundnes of the bred thou my tongue feelest only the tast of a fraile elemeÌ„â— and thou my vnderstanding canst not with the wings of thy discourse ascend to the height and knowledge of this mystical banquet It is true but be not therefore sory O my senses for such a noble dish must be serued to a more noble taste the tast of the soule not to the palate of the body as other earthly meates are taken indeed by the body but chewed and tasted by the spirit considered by the eyes of faith and consumed and digested by the fire of heauenly charity not by the heat of our body or mortall stomacke But you are not here left without your part also for this flesh that seedeth the soule giueth also immortality to the body and will bring you to the immortal glory in the general resurrection of al mankind O flesh immortall O flesh virginall O flesh diuine O fruitfull virgin O most pure Mother who hast seasoned this flesh and bread for vs blessed be thou and blessed be the fruit of thy wombe for euer and euer Procure O Virgin by thy intercession that it may conserue me in the loue of thy SoÌ„ne in the purity of thy grace and nourish me vnto life euerlasting Amen Masse being done and his prayers said he shal retourne to his Inne to his refection How to heare a Sermon CHAP. XI BECAVSE the hearing of the word of God after Masse is one of the most common important actions of Christians and wherein diuers errours are committed which depriue the soule of the fruit it might receaue thereby the pilgrime that will profit The art of hearing is as necessary as the art of speaking wel and get saluation by his deuotion must needes be instructed in this exercise and know as well how to vse his eares as the Preacher his tongue The common sort thinke it sufficient that the Preacher can speake well and mount vp to a pulpit or chaire furnished with goodly stuffe thence to sell his words to the eares of hearers but it is not so for reason doth tell vs that the art of hearing is as necessary as the art of speaking our Sauiour the true wisedome doth teach vs that the greatest part of the hearers of his word loose their tyme for want of this art and preparation For of foure sortes he assigneth he signifyeth Matth. 1â— that three reape no profit thereof The word of God is the meat and medicine of the soule as the body if it be ill prepared insteed of being nourished by its materiall meat The word of God the medicine of the soule or helped by the potion it receaueth into the stomack were it the most exquisite in the world waxeth worse and ingendreth crudities and dyeth by the medicine in like sort he getteth little good by the sermon who heareth it without due preparation and the Aphorisme of that great Physician Hippocrates The more we nourish the body ill affected the more we hurt it is found most true by similitude in the soule for the more that an impure and indisposed soule is preached vnto Why the Pharisies waxed worse by our Sauiours sermons the more it becometh ouercharged and weake And therefore the Scribes and Pha isies waxed worse by hearing the sermons of our Sauiour And that which Aristotle wrote that young men that is such as suffer themselues to be câ—ryed away with the heat of their sensuality and passion are not proper schollers for the schoole of Philosophy may b tter be verified of Chri tians ill disposed and prepâ—red to heare good instructions that they are not capable to heare the word of God How it importe h to be prepared for the word of God Contrarywise a good and due preparation reapeth an vnspeakable fruit euen from a meane Pre cher and we haue knowne sometimes hearers well disposed to haue vndertaken notable resolutions of pennance and vertue by one word yea by some one gesture of him that spake who at other tymes without that disposition haue beene hardened and obstinate to the amplifications and forces of the most fine and rare eloquence One sparke of fire is sufficient to kindle a whole barrell of powder but a great cole is not sufficient to heat a peece of Brasse The word of God is the electuary of the soule This therefore is a most necessary knowledge to heare well the word of God the word of
Christ who cōming then in spirit into the Temple when the B. Virgin and S. Ioseph brought him hauing confessed and adored him tooke him in his armes and song a Canticle of thankesgiuing which the Church hath vsed euer since for the conclusion of the diuine Office sayd Nunc dimittis c. Now thou dimissest thy seruant O Lord according to thy word in peace For my eyes haue seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to the reuelation of the Gentills and the glory of thy people Israell And as the B. Virgin and Ioseph meruailed at these thinges that were sayd Simeon did congratulate them and call them happy and spake to Mary the Mother of the child saying Behould he shall be put for the ruine and the resurrection of many and for a signe which shall be contradicted and the sword of sorrow shall pierce thy hart that the cogitations of many may be made manifest In which history the pious soule shall contemplate the notable faith charity deuotion and ioy of this noble old Man expressed by his wordes and gestures he confessed and adored by his confession the Annointed of God though a little child in the eyes of men He foretold the redemption at hand of mankind which he should bring to passe he straitly imbraced this precious pledge of our saluation he did exalt and magnify him Our Sauiour the ruine of the obstinate and prophecyed of him and of his Mother he foretold that he was set for the fall of many obstinate for their malice such as were Herod the Scribes and Pharisies such like who running against him as against a hard stone should ruine both their soule and body and as since them haue done many Tyrants and persecutours of the same Sauiour his Church all in the end buryed in the ditch themselues diged and strucken to eternall death by the Iustice of him whome they persecuted He foretould also the resurrection of many The resurrectiō of the good who belieuing in him should liue holily and should be raysed from sinne to be made afterwards happy and glorious and by this meanes haue the cogitations of many beene knowne the hate or the loue which the Iewes and Paynimes did beare to our Sauiour he foretould that he should be a signe or marke of contradiction Our Sauiour a signe or marke of contradiction and as a butt for the vnbelieuing to shoot the arrowes of their tongues against this marke but most plainely and cruelly in his Passion when he was not only the marke of the calumniations and blasphemies of the wicked but also of the cruelty of those butchers striking all partes places of his body And this was the sword that pierced the soule of the Blessed Virgin beholder of his cruell Passion The like contradiction hath alwayes followed the mēbers of the same Sauiour his Church by the Iewes and Paynims neither was there euer Religion planted or maintayned with more contrarieties and opposition of all sortes of people then the Christian for as it is the perfectest of al other The height of the Christiā fayth enemy to the flesh the world and the diuell so hath it found most resistance in the corruption of mankynd which were very great very generall Behold the Christiā perfection it eleuateth the vnderstanding of man to the beliefe of things altogether repugnant to fleshly humours It preacheth the Crosse contempt of wisedome of the world as also of her honours and riches and by many Maximes to the world so many Paradoxes striketh iust vpon the face of her pride maketh warre to defiance with the pleasures of the body honoureth Virginity a chiefe enemy to sensuality imbraceth fastings watchings disciplines and such like austerities that hāper the body otherwise then it well liketh promiseth in this life nothing but persecution This world being corrupted could not digest this doctrine nor the flesh vnderstād it but had it in horrour and abhomination Sathan bestirred himselfe and entred into a rage and kyndled fire to those fond and foolish soules and put them in a fury therefore the more maligne the malady was the stronger the medicine so much more obstinate hath beene the contradiction and the sicke so much the more incensed against his Physitian Psal 117.13 as his frensy was fierce and burning But if the Sauiour hath beene persecuted and so contradicted he hath not for all that beene ouercome he hath beene thrust at Why God permitted these persecutiōs but not throwne downe to the ground and God hath permitted these persecutions to shew therein that his Sonne was God omnipotent and too strong for the strength and gates of hell and to draw from them his owne glory and the good of his elect The Pilgrime hauing meditated all this The zeale of Saint Anne shall turne the eyes of his Spirit vpon that which is sayd That at the same houre the most holy and deuout widow Anne did praise our Sauiour in the Temple and spake of him to all the faithfull Iewes whome she found there so was our Sauiour magnified in his Temple by the testimony of two persons diuerse in sex venerable in age singular in sanctity Heere the Pilgrime hauing found in his meditation the sense of this ceremony shall learne the truth in the shadow shal acknowledge the misery and corruption of man from the first instant of his Conception infected with original sinne he shall learne to humble himselfe and to make small account of the nobility of his birth which he seeth to be so base and abiect in the beginning he shal offer what he hath good to God the giuer of all good he shall imitate holy Simeon imbracing in his armes with like loue and purity the litle child Iesus either when he receaueth the B. Sacrament of the Altar couered vnder the visible forme as a child swadled in his litle cloathes or when he doth meditate ioyne himselfe to him by loue He shall praise him with holy Anna the Prophetesse and shall preach him to euery one by good speaches and examples of good workes and finally he shall offer him vnto God his Father as the B. Virgin did for our saluation and shall offer himselfe for his honour and seruice Hauing ended his meditation and heard Masse he shall receaue the blessed Body of our Sauiour the Viaticum of his Returne as it was of all the rest of his Pilgrimage and shll say to God the prayer following The Pilgrimes prayer at his departure from Loreto CHAP. XLI MY Lord and most merciful Father myne eyes behold thy bounty and myne owne misery more cleerly then euer heeretofore by the light it hath pleased thee to giue me It remayneth to finish my vowes and desires and to conclude my most humble prayers and requests at the end of my aboad heere If thy clemency doth willingly harken to the groanes of poore sinners to heare
deceaued any Belieue me only giue it them without feare I would dy rather then deceaue you without feare sayth he I cannot thus deliuer our mony wherein consisteth all our wealth but yet vpon thy word I will deliuer it And so saying he began to distribute his fifty peeces shaking and trembling asking his Wife if he must not taken an obligation of them to whome she answered that it was not needfull and so they returned home Three months being expired he sayd Wife behold the first quarter is come shall we finger any mony to liue on Yea sayth she go to the same place where you bestowed it he went and found there some of those beggers to whome he had giuen his mony and diuers new besides he stayed to see if they would say any thing to him of the matter and he saw that insteed of giuing him any thing they reached forth their hand and begged more instantly then they did before for the old beggers had told the other that this man was a great almes-giuer and very charitable and that not long since he had giuen them a bountifull liberality in such sort as they lookt to receaue so much as they did before whereas the good man had no such meaning but blamed the credulity of his wife in giuing him so bad counsell and his owne simplicity in hauing belieued her Was not my wife sayd he in himselfe very venturous to counsell me any such course And was not I a very foole for letting my selfe be ruled and persuaded by a woman As he discoursed thus angerly walking in the Church he espied vpon the marble pauement one of those peeces of gold that he had giuen and so he returned halfe pacifyed and told his wife that he had not seene this God of the Christians and that his treasurers were but poore officers who were so farre from giuing me any thing that they demanded more Only I found vnder my feet one peece of that I gaue before That was the God of Christians sayd she who sayd it there with that inuisible hand wherewith he gouerneth all the world Well husband sayth she go I pray you buy something therwith for our supper and haue confidence in the prouidence of God he went to the Market and brought among other prouision a Fish and comming home gaue it his wife to dresse who opening the belly found therein a great Diamond of a most cleare and beautifull lustre she wondered at it without knowing the worth she shewed it her husband who wondered also knowing the valew as little as she When they had supped he sayd to his Wife giue me that stone to sell perhaps we may get a Teston for it He tooke it and went to a Ieweller who had already shut his shoppe and presented him this stone to sell the Ieweller beheld it with admiration of the beauty and bignes of the Diamond as neuer hauing seene the like before and sayd vnto him Well what shall I giue you for it He answered what pleaseth you The Ieweller told him he would giue him fiue Crownes he that esteemed the stone worth but two Testons thought he mocked him and sayd will you giue me so much indeed The Ieweller also thought that his merchant iested with him for his part mocked at his small offer and sayd I will giue you ten Crownes The good man thinking he was mocked still sayd neuer a word The Ieweller offered twenty after thirty and seeing he answered nothing he came vp to fifty shewing by his speach and fashion that he was in good earnest When he perceaued the Ieweller to speake without iesting he began to thinke that his Diamond was of a notable valew and sayd Syr you know better then I how much it is worth and therefore without any more bidding referre your selfe to reason and giue me what a man of your estate would iudge it worth The Ieweller was afraid that he would haue gone to some other and so he loose that good bargaine sayd what shall I giue then at a word He answered at all aduenture you shall giue me sayth he three hundred Crownes without abating one groat He tooke him at his word and told him out three hundred Crownes in three hundred peeces So he returned home loaden with mony with an vnexpected ioy His wife seeing him all ioyfull thinking he had for his Diamond some Testons demanded how much he had gotten for it he cast all the three hundred Crownes vpon the table saying Loe what they haue giuen me for my stone Then sayd his Wife My good Husband now confesse that the God of the Christians is faythfull and rich and payeth his Creditours you demanded but 50. in the hundred and he hath giuen you three hundred for 50. And know you also that this is nothing in respect of that he will giue you if you will belieue in him and become a Christian The good man opening his eyes at this miracle and the wordes of his wife caused himselfe to be instructed in the Christian Fayth and being baptized liued afterward holily Behold Maisters an example of trafike and vsury which may be vsed with praise and profit euerlasting Alms neuer without fruit If all that giue almes do not visibly fynd the gaine which this good man found they must yet beleeue if they be Christians that they shall alwayes reape their hundred fold according to the promise of our Sauiour In pruto spirt c. 185 and that by the prayers of the poore God doth by secret blessing multiply their wealth preserueth them from many losses they should endure and defendeth them from theeues and robbers and finally bringeth thē to heauen If I haue troubled you with too long a discourse your piety was to blame in making me begin Friend Pilgrime sayd Gratian your discourse hath beene very pleasing vnto vs. We do iudge it short which hath made both our way and our tyme short and by my consent we shal put in practise this manner of trafike which you haue expressed to vs in this example It will sticke onely vpon our selues sayth Ludolph Not onely saith Gratian but this good Pilgrime must help vs also with his prayers as he hath done with his good precepts that we may faithfully performe what he hath taught vs. Continuing these discourses A cōbat◠betwixt a VVesil a Serpēt they came within 200. paces of Beau-repos where Lazarus and his Companions wēt to lodge that night and behold Vincent espied a Wesel chewing of Rue in an extraordinary manner he stayed a while to behold her and the rest stayed with him looking vpon this little beast One of the Merchants asked Lazarus Arist. l 7. de hist ani c. 6. if he tooke not this encounter for signe of ill fortune That were heathenish superstition quoth Lazarus I thinke cleane contrary that we must take it for a fauour of God Plin. l. 29. cap. 4. who giueth vs occasion to contemplate his wonders
he calleth vs not if he say not Follow me we remayne fast in the presse of the world not able to mooue O my Redeemer and Sauiour reach me thy helping hand that I may rise out of my infirmities turne towardes me that heauenly face and alwayes and as oft as thou shalt se me wandering in chace pursuit of transitory things say vnto me What searchest thou Say vnto me with such successe as thou saidst it to these disciples in another subiect Alas my Lord I haue not alwayes sought thee and so it hath fallen out that I haue not found thee I haue sought the baites of the world and pleasure and repose in present things as all the children of this world do and haue at last found thornes vanities and could find no rest for my soule indeed how could I find thee out of thy selfe but what sought I in the bogs and quagmires of this vaine world And why sought I that repose among the thistles of this earth and out of thee who art the true and solid repose of men and Angels My sweet repose I seeke thee now and I desire to haue thee alwayes and to dwell with thee suffer thy selfe to be found O my Sauiour and let me enter where thou dwellest that I may learne the lesson to liue perfectly before thee and the way effectually to draw soules vnto thee be with vs in the way of our Pilgrimage and let vs alwaies lodge with thee in this time of our mortality that we may walke with thee liue eternally with thee in that heauenly Country we aspire vnto And thou O glorious Virgin To the B. Virgin who giuing milke to this thy precious fruit didst thy selfe sucke from him the milke and hony of his heauenly wisedome his first scholler and learner of his lessons and first nurse child of his sacred doctrine make me by thy intercession a good scholler of this maister help me if it please thee to find him and that with him and in him I may trauell rest whilst I am Pilgrime at last to be receaueâ— into his house and into the company of his heauenly Cittizens 1. The Nightingales 2. The Hermitage 3. The mysticall description 4. The charmed and inchanted drinke CHAP. XIIII HERE ended Lazarus his meditation as also his companions and hauing payd their small reckoning The Pilgrimes espied by a theef at the fountaine and drunke a draught of wine they went out of their lodging onwards of their iourny with their accustomed prayers hauing walked about three leagues and waxed somewhat weary they saw a little out of their way a goodly fountaine at the foot of a little hill hauing on the left hand a copse wood and thither they went to refresh themselues and to eate a little and Lazarus as he opened his bagge to take out some bread found therein a Crowne of gold and Vincent found an other this was the almes which the good host of the Country farme had hidden in their bagge without saying any thing Loe quoth Vincent we are richer in crownes thaÌ„ we tooke our selues to be they sayd grace sopping their bread they did both eat and drinke togeather The Nightingales which were in great number in that wood began to sing striuing as it were who should do best and to make a consort of musike with diuerse tunes and quires and it seemed they had warning before hand to prepare themselues to sing the best aires they had in their bookes of nature whilest the Pilgrimes did eat Lazarus was rauished and a man might see in his countenance that his soule song praises to the Creator moued by the songs of these little birds Theodosius and Vincent also tooke more pleasure to refresh their spirit with this musicke than in feeding their body with meate and drinke and they admired three of these aboue all the rest for in recording and answering one to another they made an admirable melody to the eare neither was there any variety of tunes of accord or voices which they did not furnish they song by nature and did meruailously well mingle their flattes and sharpes together now in the Dorian and the Lydian tune to bring men asleep and refresh them now in the Phrygian and Martiall as it were giuing a signe of battell They song the treble with a clere sound and a high and after the base with a throt stretched out quauering with ascendants descendants fuâ—l and graue They might heare them a part sing the high counter and meane and after together to sing three partes a Trio of two trebles one Concordant a Bourdon and at last euery one song all alone the foure partes they went softly with longs and larges and streight they stretched out their voices in quauering and warbling so thicke and small in so good measure and harmony that it seemed the musike it selfe did sound in the brests of these little Quiâ—isters from heauen And thus these good Pilgrimes tooke their recreation but they were not aduised of a certaine Robber lurking as a spy behind them who cared not one whit for the Nightingales songs but rather for the Pilgrimes purses which he thought had beene full of Crownes by reason of what he ouerheard a little before and watched to worke them an ill turne and harkened for no more but to know which way they went and so crosse their way cut their purses and perhaps their throates too Hauing taken their refection sayd grace they continued their way to go lodge at Meuriers which was 3. leagues off The Rogue failed not so soone as they were departed to go seeke his companions who were seaueÌ„ or eight in ambush a quarter of a mile off in the wood he aduertised them that he had discouered three Pilgrimes loaden with gold and siluer who went towardes Meuriers and that they should arme themselues with their best weapons for that he iudged by their couÌ„tenance that they were stout fellowes of their handes and harts So they departed in post to intrappe the Pilgrimes halfe a league oft in the wood but God preserued them for comming to a crosse-way parted into three wayes they commended themselues to the B. Virgin that she would leade them into the right and insteed of taking the way to Meuriers where the theeues lay in waite for them they tooke another which lead to an Hermitage where there liued after the manner of the old Monks of Aegypt a man of most holy Conuersation As they came in sight of this hermitage The heâ—mitage they mistrusted that they were out of their way and to informe themselues they went straight thither thinking it had beene some farme house where they might find some body to shew them the way but comming neere vnto it they perceaued by a little Bell that it was an hermitage A good old man who serued for porter and clarke to the good Hermite to say Masse and to go a begging was then in his little garden
slept not seeing any of all this Lazarus commended himselfe and them as hartily as he could to God the B. Virgin and their good Angels consulted with himselfe whether he should awake them or no he coÌ„cluded that it was best so to do that they might set themselues to their prayers so he iogged them softly but neuer were men so amazed as they when their eyes were open and saw so many candles and folks they beheld that foule goate that lead the dance drawing his daÌ„cers in a ring skipping about with their backe one against another At the end of the place one vpon a banke raised of earth as vpon an Altar made a sacrifice in derision as may be thought of that which is don in the Church of God Vincent would haue cryed out but Lazarus stopped his mouth with his hands and bad him in his eare commend himselfe to God and sit still And although neither the Goate nor his Synagogue tooke any heed of the presence of these Pilgrims as God would haue it yet they felt the effect of their prayers for they could not performe to their mind their charmes and abominations and stayed many times looking about if they could discouer any person that might trouble them At last the goate listing vp his head perceiued the three Pilgrims vpon the Oake all the dance was dashed and all their action at an end and sodainly he dispatched vnto the oake three of his troope to whome he gaue the figure of Wolues who came straight to the foore of the tree lifting vp their heads towards the Pilgrims The Pilgrimes looked downe sadly vpon them againe without saying word not thinking that they would come vp to them but when they saw them clyme like cattes and come almost to reach them they soddenly made the signe of the Crosse all three cried out together as loud as they could Iesus Maria at which voyce the wolues fell downe vpon the earth like three sackes of corne and all the assembly vanished leauing behind them a smoke stench most horrible as if the plague had there burnt al the rags of her infection Then sayd Vincent neuer in my life was I so high mounted to see such dauncings and such a parlameÌ„t meeting of states or holding of estate and if we be out of daÌ„ger I will say we haue scaped faire I hope saith Theodosius we shal be acquited of feare We must not doubt saith Lazarus for we are in the protection of him who bridleth the fury of these rebellious spirits and without whose permission they can doe nothing the issue of this spectacle may shew vs how weake they are against the children of God for there were diuers diuels in company 66. persons besides against three poore vnarmed Pilgrims and they could not beare the sound of the name of Iesus his glorious Mother but alas in what estate are those poore wretches that by their owne sinne and folly haue enthralled themselues into the chaines of so detestable and shamfull slauery To serue God is honourable O my brethren what difference is there to serue our God and to follow the abominations of this infernall goate How will he handle them when he shal haue them his slaues bouÌ„d in his eternall prisons seeing he doth vse them so ignominiously whilst they attend to his seruice As Lazarus said this and all three gaue thankes to God for their deliuerance they heard a bell souÌ„d as a farre of which was the ringing to mattins at the Conuent of Bon-heur a league and a half from that place they thought it was the bell of some Church but knew not of what they were glad therof slept a litle wheÌ„ the day began to breake and that the starre of Andromades began to appeare aboue our Horizon Lazarus awakened his companioÌ„s aduertising them that it was time to be walking Theodosius and Vincent came downe first by the rope and Lazarus last hauing tyed it with a running knot that he might pull it downe after him They hasted to see the place where these wretches had held their Sabaoth there they found certaine gobbets of flesh rosted blacke of bread fruits which was the prouision of their banquet also a chalice and patten of siluer certaine candles of blacke matter and stinking some what like Pitch a slice of a Turneppe made blacke about the bignes of an host two papers in one whereof was written Hezares and some other barbarous and vnknowne names which were the names of Diuels Hezares In the other was a Catalog of the officers of this Hezares and what euery one should performe in his seruice The workes of witches which were to empoyson bewitch destroy the fruites of the earth make folkes sicke and to heale them or such like things by charmes and characters They found also a wolues skin and a peece of a parchment vnfolded like toile d'oignon and some graines of frankincense and other such abomiable trash some they cast away and some they caried to burne at their next lodging Vincent loaded himselfe litle knowing what imaginations that burden would breed him Theodosius tooke the chalice and the patten and wiping it with leaues put it in his bagge It was full day when they began to walke and sayd their wonted prayers for their iourny After euery one set himselfe to meditate a part the subiect of their meditation was of the Passion of our Sauiour The seauen and thirtith Day and the seauenth of his Returne 1. Of distraction and euagation of the mind in prayer 2. A Meditation of the Passion of our Sauiour CHAP. XVIII THE Pilgrims walked and meditated in the morning in great siâ—eÌ„ce but with much trouble for they felt no gust of deuotion in their soule EuagatioÌ„ of spirit and the more they forced and endeauoured to penetrate the mistery they had vndertaken the more they found themselues dry and distracted and which troubled them most was the matter of their meditation deserued much deuotioÌ„ So euery man examined his conscieÌ„ce to fynd out the cause of this drinesse and euagation of mind without discouering so much one to another Yet Lazarus perceiued somwhat in the countenance of his coÌ„panions outwardly that all went not well within and laboured for his part to follow a good threed of his meditation but when he saw that it went worse and worse The Diuels craft to trouble praier he perceiued it was an assault of those malicious spirits who incensed by the shame they receiued in their Sabaoth do reueÌ„ge themselues as wel as they can sending these waspes and flies of distraction into the fancy of them who shamed them and he remembred the importunate flying of the birds which flittered about the sacrifice of Abraham and which Abraham draue away with all his force and diligence after they had walked a mile the houre of meditation expired Gen. 15.11 Lazarus addressing himselfe to Vincent Well my brother quoth he how goeth