we ground al her prerogatiues her singular graces and her supreme glory for natural reason teacheth vs that the mother is more nigh to her sonne excepting the Father then any other kynn Wherefore the B. Virgin being the Mother of Iesus Christ who was Incarnat in her sacred flesh must needs be nigher her sonne in grace and glory too then any else besids Soe he would not ranke her amongst the Hierarchies of Angels for then there had been others higher aduanced then she amongst the Powers and Thrones nor amongst them because the Cherubins and Seraphins surpast them in dignity but next vnto himselfe as was most fitt that his Mother might not be inferiour vnto his seruants nor the Queene vnto her subiects where she sitts enthroned with incredible pompe and Maiesty making a Hierarchie more high and excellent by her selfe then any of them al. But what vnderstanding can comprehend or what tongue expresse the Glory she is possessed of For if the eye hath neuer seen the eare neuer heard nor the hart of man euer conceiued what God Alm. hath prepared for those who loue him how can one conceiue what he hath prepared for her who not only loued him but brought him forth nourished educated and serued him with such affection diligence Only this we may imagine and say of it that glory and felicity next to Alm. Gods is the greatest that is in heauen and that in comparison of creatures she is holy aboue al holyes happy aboue the happiest hath more grace then those who haue most besides and hath more glory then the most glorious The holy Doctors speake marvayles of this Exaltation of hers and amongst the rest S. Bernard sayes that the glory she enioyes in heauen beares a proportion to the plenitud of grace she had on earth aboue al creatures els and adds that as on earth there was not a more sanctified place then the sacred Temple of the Virgins wombe which contained God himselfe so in heauen there is not a more glorious then her Throne where she sitts exalted at the right hand of God In another place he sayes the vnderstanding of man cannot conceiue her glory nor his tongue declare it which puts the Inhabitants of heauen it selfe to their admiration in beholding it Andraeas Cretensis sayes that her glory can not be comprehended for that it exceeds the glory of al the Saints and Angels putt together S. Iohn Damascen that there is a mighty difference betwixt the seruants and the Mother of God S. Iohn Chrisostom that the B. Virgin is more glorious incomparably then the Seraphins B. Laurentius Iustinianus that al the glory and felicity which in scattered peeces is distributed amongst the Saints is found vnited in the B. Virgin And the Seraphike S. Bonauenture sayes that the greatnes and goodnes of God doth more manifestly appeare in the B. Virgin only then in al the rest of creatures and that al their perfections are in a more excellent manner to be found in her then them and he concludes that as in grace and merits she surpasseth al other Saints so likewise doth she in felicity and glory This and much to this effect is sayd by them of the B. Virgins high exaltation answerable to the height of her other merits and prerogatiues who being Mother of God the supremest dignity which any creature could be aduanced vnto on earth Correspondent to it is this ninth Starr and one of the brightest in her glorious Crowne of being aduanc't to so supreme a dignity in heauen The tenth Starr declared THe tenth and that a most resplendant one is the Empire and soueraine command she hath ouer the whole Vniuerse al creatures both in heauen earth and in the deapes below acknowledging her superiority in reuerencing her for it and adoring her there being a congruency sayes S. Iohn Damascen that the mother should partake of the sonnes dignity And since he says S. Athanasius who was borne of her is King and soueraine Lord of al consequently she who bore him is to beheld for soueraine Lady and Queene so says S. Bernard who can deny her a legitimat claime to be Lady ouer al of which her sonne is Lord. Let vs then acknowledge her authority ouer al to be as great and vnlimited as her wil. In consideraton of whose greatnes S. Bernard breakes forth into this exclamation Al power O soueraigne Lady in heauen and earth is giuen you to do what you wil withal S. Brigitt in one of her Reuelations sayes that at the instant of her solemne entry into heauen God aduanc't her aboue al the heauens gaue her the Empire of al the Vniuerse and constituted her Lady and Mistres of the Angels and she confirmes it in these wordes dictated vnto her by the holy Ghost The principality of al people and nations she had says she and by her vertue she treads vpon the harts of the Proudest and highest there And truely a wonderful dignity it is which equals her in a manner with the Lord of al but a more wonderful and stupendious it is that she should haue an authority euen ouer him which that it may seeme lesse strange vnto the eares of flesh and bloud let vs remember only that she is his Mother and our admiration wil cease for that filial obedience he owed her heere on earth he stands not so quitt of in heauen but it induces a kind of obligation in him to grant her whatsoeuer she desires whom there we may Imagine speaking vnto her thus Demand of me deare Mother whatsoeuer you please it is not lawful for me to turne away my face This our triumphant Empresse to expresse vnto vs more vnto the life the greatnes of her dignity declares vnto vs in these remarkable words fower things I alone haue incircled the round of heauen and haue penetrated the depth of the Abisse and haue walked on the waues of the sea and haue the principality of al nations signifying by the first part of the text the dominion she hath in heauen by the second that which she hath in hel by the third the benefit the soules in Purgatory receiue by her and by the fourth her dominion ouer al the world and what can be more sayd of her dignity Vnlesse what a deuout seruant of hers in a certaine prayer vnto her hath sayd O most pure sayes he and singularly happy Virgin al ful of grace and glory the most blessed amongst al women who surmoūtest the Angels in purity and all the Saints in benignity next to your B. Sonne you only cōmand ouer this world in cheife extending your fauourable hand to al who lye and craue your ayde and there is no houre nor moment equally amiable and admired who haue conceiued the Sonne of the Highest and brought for the Sauiour of the world O Mother of saluation fountaine of mercy we miserable sinners in rendring of them vp without last breaths sighe and grone to you praying saluting and acknowledging you Queen
Spes nostra salue hayle our hope the Blessed Virgin with a gratious Countenance returned them their salutation The second that at these word Eia ergo aduocata nostra O therfore thou our Aduocate with a lowly inclination to her B. Sonne she seemed to intercede for them The third that at these wordes Illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos Conuerte Behold vs with those merciful eyes of thine she cast vpon them a most deare and sweet regard And the fourth these words Et Iesum benedictum fructum ventris tui nobis post hoc exilium ostende and shew vs hereafter Iesus the blessed fruit of your wombe she by turnes presented him there present in her armes to al the Religious This vision returning from her extasy she declared to her Confessor a man both holy learned and discreet with great feeling of deuotion and temdernes Which example may moue vs often to haue recourse vnto this our heauenly Aduocate supplicating her by this deuout Antiphon of hers in which she seemes to take soe much delight and complacence The third Condition requisit in a good Aduocate is faithfully to acquit them of their charge it is impossible for vs to comprehend how faithfully and carefully the Mother of God negotiats for vs our affaires in heauen or to conceaue the admirable effects thereof So as shee hath al these requisite parts of a good Aduocate Mary wāts not power sayes the deuout S. Bernard nor right addresse to obtaine what shee Petitions for for she is the Mother of Wisdome nor the will to employ her self to the vttermost in our affaires for she is the Mother of mercy To which last in being our Aduocat she is in manner bound For so the Iurists hold they are bound faithfully to negotiat the cause they vndertake Besides being so good as she is so affectionat towards vs how is it possible shee should not take to hart an affaire of such consequence as is that of our saluation and aboue al being our Mother too as wel as his to whom she interceds for vs a strāge circumstance that she should be both Mother of the King and suiter of the Iudge and Criminal of God and Man which must needs render her much concern'd in the affaire to make an attonement betwixt God and vs and as S. Bernard sayes be euen impatient til she haue performed it In being our Aduocat then we must suppose her incessantly pacifying her sonns anger towards vs and mediating a reconcilement for al those who haue recourse vnto her and implore her assistance which may be clearly perceaued from this following Example recorded by Iohn Grithi of the Order of the Minorits There was sayes he a souldier a man of most wicked life and violater of al things sacred and prophane whose wife not withstanding a holy and pious woman had obtain'd of him by solemne vowe to fast in honour of the B. Virgin euery Saturday saye an Aue Mary as ofte as he beheld her picture which he did nor euer omitted to doe One day more to a voyd the vehement heat abrode then for any heate of deuotion he had within he entred the Church where beholding an Image of the B. Virgin he began to doe as he was accustomed When behold he had an apparition of our B. Lady on the Altar holding in her armes her B. sonne al couered ouer with wounds and the abundance of bloud that issued out of them Moued to pitty at the sight of so pittiful a spectacle the Souldier diuinely inspired drew neerer and had the boldnes to aske our B. Lady who had so wounded her B. sonne Thou and suche sinners as thy selfe replyed she with an angry countenance who exercise more cruelty on him with your daylye crimes then euer the barbarous Iewes who crucified him These words struck the Soldyer into so liuely repentance for his sinnes as he replyed with a sorrowful hart weeping eyes O B. Ladye it is true indeed I haue been as great a sinner as you affirme yet do but obtaine for me of your B. sonne a ful pardon and remission of what is past and I heer vow vnto you to be as obsequious hereafter to him as I haue been rebellious heretofore No sayd the B. Virgin I am resolued to heare you no more nor be any more deceiued by you for whilst you sinners cal me the Mother of mercy you make me with your sinnes the Mother of al greef and affliction Oh B. Lady sayd he be not so inexorable I beseech you to my prayers but remember you are the Aduocat of sinners and haue in a manner contracted by it an obligation to intercede for them and consequently for me the most greeuous of them al and most needing your intercession Heer the B. Virgin moued to pitty with his words cast a pittiful eye towards her sonne sayd Pardon then I beseech you O my sonne this poore sinner who so humbly petitions you no sayd the sacred Infant his offences are too great to be forgiuen but she persisting stil to coniure him by al the charmes she thought most powerful to moue him at last seeing his anger so resolutly bent nothing would moue it she arose and placing him on the Altar went downe ready to cast her selfe vpon her knees before him which when her B. Sonne beheld suspecting her intention he ask't her what she meant to doe why saye she to cast my selfe heer prostrate at your feete and neuer rise til you haue granted me my petition O mother say the tēder Infant you know the force your wil hath with mine For your sake I pardō this wicked wretche and in lieu of satifaction admit him to kisse my wounde encouraged al this by the B. Virgin the soldier drew neere and whilest with incredible Consolation he kist wound after wound behold vnder the touch of his mouth they al heald vpp The B. Infant thus recouering the vision vanished when the soldier presently hauing home distributed al his goods vnto the poore and then by common consent he and his wife separated and entred into Religion O happy soules the while and happy Conuersion which I would to God al sinners would imitate To cunclude then since we haue so powerful an Aduocate in heauen of the B. Virgin let vs make no delay but preferr our supplications to her expose our necessityes and petition her for a redresse of them the meane while more to interest her in our affaires let vs be assiduous in honouring her and ingenious in finding out the way to do it best omitting neither day nor night to salute her with humble reuerence alwayes remembring that a litle of feruorous deuotion is better then a great deale negligently performed THE V. PRIVILEDGE How the Mother of God saues her deuout seruants and renders them worthy of eternal life THE glorious Queen of Heauen is not cōtented yet to cherish her seruants after a deare manner to enoble them with singular prerogatiues to succour them
in their necessities and espouse the care of their affaires but with al she deliuers them with her prayers from merited punishment and directs them vnto heauen which soueraigne fauours ought to oblige vs perpetually to serue her especially this last which I esteeme the principal'st of al and worthiest of greatest admiration in that according to the common opinion of Doctours 't is in a manner impossible that any one should be damned who liues dies deuote vnto her be they neuer so farre gone in wickednes but they recouer at last and through the mercy of God as we haue a daily experience make a happy end Now if any obiect that this cannot be without a praeuious dispose of Grace and a sufficient sorrow for their sinnes I answeer it is true but this the incessant prayers of the B. Virgin obtaineth for them too whose power is so great with her B. Sonne as by vertue of that she obtaines for them a perfect Contrition and entire remission of their sins And this the deuout S. Ambrose in these words affirmes O B. Mary sayes he you embrace with a maternal affection the poore sinner despised by al the World and neuer forsake him til God pacified by your prayers hath receaued him vnto Grace Let vs Confirme this verity by the example of a common Curtezen conuerted by the intercession of our B. Lady We reade in the great Marial of a lewd woman wholly abandoned to vice and licentiousnes who not with standing neuer omitted dayly seauen times to bow downe in reuerence of the B. Virgin and to say an Aue Maria in honour of her Now amongst her frequent prostitutions it happened one of principal quality haunted her company whose wife being a vertuous Lady and one singularly deuoted to the Queene of Heauen did beare her husbands il demeanour so impatiently as one day prostrating her selfe before an Image of the B. Virgin she sayd O most soueraine Lady mirrour of al purity how can you suffer this to see one so shamefully abused and an impudent woman thus glory in my iniury I beseech you punish her so exemplarly that she may be a terrible warning hereafter for al the rest Grant this request O soueraine Lady if not vnto the deseruing of my prayers and heate of my seruices Yet at least to the pitty of my Cause and the intolerables of my iniurye When behold a wonder the Image thus answered her deare seruant it is impossible for me to satisfie your desire I know your wrongs and the iust cause you haue to be offended at them but know whital she is so deuout to me in midst of al her wickednes as I cannot proceed against her as you desire only this I wil doe for your comfort I wil petition my Sonne for her that he would turne her hart and that she may turne vnto amendment which was done for within few dayes after there happened a miraculous Change in both the Adulterers both he and she reforming of their liues and liuing chastly exemplarly euer after And is not this a rare priuiledge then of those deuoted to the Queene of Heauen that let them be neuer so deeply plunged in the abysse of sins yet she can deliuer them thence I cal it a priuiledge since for their particular deuotion to the Queene of Heauen they are particularly exempted from the law of other finners This affectionat deuotion besides to the B. Virgin is a probable and experimented signe of predestination I say only a probable one because 't is true none knowes whether they be worthy of loue or hate and an infallible one in this life there is none With what contented harts then should we liue did we but exercise our selues in good works and frequent acts of deuotion towards the B. Virgin and what hope of eternal felicity should our minds be raysed vnto free from al those doubts and feares of their saluation which those who walke not in the way of God and the seruice of his B. Mother do meet withal so often And from hence proceeded the firme Confidence of Saints grounded on the knowledge they had of the excessiue liberality promises of Alm God to Conquer as it were the Kingdome of heauen by the force of Christs merits and their owne cooperations by which they were so encouraged in the midst of their most greeuous sufferances as nothing could daunt or discourage them S. Bernard in his sermons on Septuagesima sayd that although 't is true no man knowes for certaine whether he be in the grace of God or no since in this life no man hath an infallible knowledge of his saluation Yet sayes he and 't is a saying of vnspeakable comfort those who are perseuerant in good we are not to be disanimated nor giue ouer the working of our saluation with an anxious feare since we haue for our comfort a hope of it arising from so many euident signes of it as it seldome or neuer deceiues our trust Heare himself le' ts neuer trouble our selues says he with any such doubt as this for we haue such certaine markes manifest arguments of our saluation as in those who haue them there is no doubt at al. The Example of S. Hilarion comes wel to the Confirmation of this drawing towards his end and being affrighted with the apprehensions of death in this manner encouraged himself Go out my soule said he What fearest thou 't is seauenty yeares since thou begon'st to serue thy God and now art a feard of death Behold what an assurance and firme hope of saluation a vertuous life can giue to the seruants of God and how cleere and euident the markes are of eternal saluation to those who liue vertuously Let euery Christian then endeauour to liue so and he shal feele in himselfe the contentment of this security which is so great as it exceeds al the other Contentments we can haue in this mortal life Which S. Francis wel experienced when hauing had a reuelation how he was predestinated to be saued through excessiue ioy for a long tyme he could vtter nothing else but Blessed be God blessed be God And if these signes of Predestination are to be seene in any in a most particular manner are they to be seene in those who are deuoted to the B. Virgin which from this following Example wil be made manifest S. Anselme in his booke of the miracles of our B. Lady recounts this story how the Diuel who out of his inueterat hate to man seekes al meanes possible to ruine him once putt himselfe in seruice to a noble man hauing first taken on him a humane shape whose humour he knew so wel to comply withal as in short space he had al the care of his family committed to his charge and pursuing the aduantage he had ouer his wil and his affections he was still suggesting some mischeife or other to him now counseling him to wrong this man now to murther that so as no day past in
of this world reioycing at your greatnes congratulating your glory your souerainty and the place you hold at the right hand of you B. Sonne where becoming wholy in a manner diuine and hauing nothing of mortal in you you gouerne the heauens at pleasure illuminat the Sunn rule the world trample vnder foote the pride of hel and haue dominion ouer the starrs the elements serue you the seasons obey you the Angels adore you the diuels stand in awe of you whole nations and Kings bow their knees before you and doe you honour and reuerence O Lady of heauen and earth hel your Maiesty and Empire is so great a thousand tongues cannot speake it to the ful and euen the foules of the aire the beasts of the land and the fishes of the sea do al acknowledge it at your beck the flowers spring vp plāts grow and seeds sprout forth the earth is fertilized riuers flow winds do blow the lest wil of yours can incline the destinies and order second causes whilest the first is wholy at your dispose Cast a gratious pittiful eye vpon vs poor sinners heere declare the greatnes of your power by helping vs to ouercome our selues and to obtaine remission of our sinns grace heere glory in the life to come by your prayers and merits vnto which is nothing impossible that after this miserable life we may come to enioy that happy life where we shal see our soueraine Lord in whose sight consists al our felicity The declaration of the eleuenth Starr THE eleuenth starr whose splendour not only adornes her head but the rayes of it thēce do likewise reflect on vs crown vs with a supreme felicity is her Mediation betwixt God and man one of the cheif reasōs according to the holy Doctours why God from eternity chose her for Mother that as a most powerful mediatrix her maternal prayers for sinners might moder at the rigour of the diuine iustice and occasion a reconcilement Iesus Christ says S. Bernard was sufficient it is true for our reparation from whom proceeds al that suffiseth thereunto but it was wel for vs he ioyned with him such an one as she for although as he is man he be our most faithful and powerful Aduocat Yet such dayeling beames break through his humane nature from his diuinity that we cannot looke vpon him with that confidence and though he be infinitly gratious yet being Iudge with al offenders haue smal hart to approch vnto him for which reason the B. Virgin was chosen for Aduocat and meditatrix betwixt God and man to whom there is none can feare to approch she hauing nothing in her of formidable or austere but rather being al sweetnes and benignity and abounding in al goodnes and mercy Thus S. Bernard None then how great sinners soeuer they be but may be confident of their saluation if they haue but recourse to this our sweet and pitiful Lady who being constituted the mediatrix betwixt Sinners and Almightie God most faithful performes the charge and like a true Mother of mercy stands alwayes with open armes ready to embrace those sinners who haue their refuge vnto her it is impossible they should perish if they haue but recourse vnto her as they ought if you wil beleeue S. Anselme in his Booke of the miracles of the B. Virgin O happy Mary sayes he as the sinner whom you forsake and detest cannot but perish so who converts him vnto you and you receiue and our Sauiour cannot but be saued To which concords these excellent words of S. Bernard so frequent with preachers to giue hope vnto the desperat sinner O man saye this great Doctor thou hast a sure accesse to God where the sonne beholds the mother and the father beholds the Sonne whilst the Mother shews her sonne the breasts that gaue him suck and her chast wombe the sonne to his father his wounds pierced side where so many louing signes concurr to the entertayning thee thou canst not be repelled And this cannot but be a great comfort to poore sinners that they know they haue with the Eternal Iudge such an Aduocat stil present or rather a mother indeed who is his mother also For so in the person of S. Iohn our Sauiour on the Crosse by these words Woman behold thy sonne commended her for mother vnto vs al at which time she had two sonnes on Mount Caluary both dead the one in body the other in soule one by the torments of the crosse the other by languishing of spirit of which one was her natural sonne the other only by adoption the one innocent the other culpable This in these words S. Anselme would say O shure refuge that we haue sayes he the Mother of God is our mother also and either of her children suffred death in his passion the one vpon the crosse the other by Infidelity Iudge you in what bitternes of mind the while was the B. Virgin c. And so there is no Mother would more reioyce to see her only sonne reuiued from death to life againe then the B. Virgin doth when a sinner repents and hath recourse to her and for me I am of opinion that she glories in no title more excepting that of Mother of God then of being Mother of sinners and consequētly is most glad when she may shew it most Maria mater gratiae mater misericordiae sayes the holy church the very sound of whose name me thinks hath a certaine sweetnes in it that promiseth al grace and clemency In confidence of which S. Ignatius the martyr who liued in the Apostles tymes thus supplicats vnto her Receiue me then sayes he in the bosome of your maternal piety you who are the mother of the soueraine Deity true Mother of our Sauiour and of sinners by Adoption She is painted in a long vestment vnder which many are protected to signify the maternal care she hath ouer them amongst the rest the Fathers of S. Dominicks Order are pictured so vpon this occasion as S. Brigit receiued it by Reuelation S. Dominick neare his happy end thus with teares in his eyes conuerted himselfe vnto the B. Virgin and sayd Receiue O soueraine Queene receiue my brothers whom with such care I haue nourished and educated vnder the spreadīg vaile of your great mercy gouerne them and giue them such force and courage as their ancient Enemy may neuer preuayle against them To whom she answered I promise you my beloued Dominick for that you haue loued me better then your selfe to take a tender care and protection of yours to receiue both them and al those who shal embrace your Rule vnder the couert of my veyle which is my mercy the benefit of which and but demand it I refuse to none From whence we may perceiue how great her mercy is to her deuoted seruants to sinners who haue recourse vnto her and finally to al in that she is the Mother of God the Mother of grace