Reason but Reason tells us That we must submit to faith That that man is not rational Who will not submit his reason To the Principle of his reason That man is without understanding Who would by his reason comprehend What is above his understanding Faith is not evident But reason shews evidently That we have the true Faith The Antiquity of our Religion The Establishment of our Religion The unavoidable continuance of our Religion The Miracles of our Religion The Extent of our Religion The Sanctity of our Religion The Majesty of our Religion The Doctors of our Religion The Witnesses and Martyrs of our Religion Do perswade all Understandings That there is no Religion in the World Or that ours is the true one If the Church deceives me 'T is God that deceives me If the Church leads me astray 'T is God that leads me astray I would not believe the Gospel If the Church did not bid me believe it I should not receive the sence of the Scripture Unless the Church did bid me receive it One believes nothing except he believes all For to be a Catholick one must believe Universally humbly firmly efficaciously O Truth my God! You have plac'd your Throne in the Sun Your Church is as bright as the Sun She enlightens all the World like the Sun She gives life to all the World like the Sun O I will live and dy a Child of your Church I am one of your Sheep I cannot live without a Shepherd I renounce all my own lights I submit my self to the lights of Faith My Religion would not be divine Unless it were above reason You would not be my God If you were not incomprehensible My heart could not adore you If my understanding could comprehend you My heart must submit to your Law And my Understanding to your faith Behold he that is incredulous his soul will not be upright in himself but the just man shall live in faith Hab. 2. Faith is the substance of things to be hoped an argument of things that appear not Heb. 11. Reducing every understanding into captivity to the obsequiousness of faith 2 Cor. 10. Unless ye believe ye will not understand Isa 7. according to the Septuagint We have a firmer Prophetical speech to which you do well to attend as it were to a light shining in the dark 1 Pet. 3. LVI MED Of the Conduct of Faith REason is the light of Man Faith is the light of a Christian To be a man one must be rational To be a Christian one must be a believer God is to be honoured by my Understanding As well as by my Heart I honour God with my Heart When I obey his Law I honour him with my Understanding When I submit unto Faith My Heart submits its self entirely When it does that which does not please it My Understanding submits it self perfectly When it believes what it understands not Faith consecrates the spirit of man It makes him Religious It submits him to the authority of God It sacrifices him to his glory It unites him to his wisdom It fills him with his truth It makes him upright like God It makes him certain and infallible like him Faith discovers to us The Mysteries of our Religion It conducts us to our End It conserves us in Unity It maintains us in Humility It sustains our Hopes It encourages our Charity It disposes us to Grace It makes us merit Glory Without Faith the Spirit is profane It is a Libertin and without Religion It wanders in its knowledge It loses it self in its Ratiocinations It rises not off from the Earth It merits nothing for Heaven It submits not it self to its Creatour It obeys not its Soveraign It will never see the first truth O how great a gift of God's is Faith O how blind is that man that hath not Faith O how rational it is to submit our Spirit to God My God! I believe what I understand not I do what pleases me not I adore you by the submission of my thoughts I love you by the submission of my desires For to obey your Law We must renounce our own proper will For to obey your faith We must renounce our own lights That man is not your Subject Who will do nothing but what pleases him That man is not your Disciple Who will not believe but what he understands We walk by faith and not by sight 1 Cor. 5. I will espouse thee to my self by faith and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Os 2. Abraham believed God and it was reputed to him to justice Rom. 4. He went forth not knowing whither he was to go Heb. 11. VVilt not thou be subject to God O my Soul Ps 61. LVII MED Of Hope and Confidence in God HOpe is a Divine Virtue Which leans upon her beloved She honours his goodness She renders homage to his grandure She acknowledges his Providence Of Men she makes us Gods Of Impotent she makes us Omnipotent Of poor she makes us rich We never ought to hope more Than when all things seem desperate We never ought to fear less Than when all things seem to be feared We never ought more to give our selves up Than when we think all is lost God gives his own subsistence To him that strips himself of his own God gives his Omnipotence To him that acknowledges his own weakness God gives all his Treasures To him who owns his Poverty Abundance seeks out Indigence The weak man leans upon the strong man The strong man takes delight in the weak one God sustains that human nature Which relies only on his Divinity Be you without support And God will support you Have no Human subsistence And you shall have a Divine one Trust not to your own lights And you shall have the Wisdom of God Trust not to your own strength And you shall have the power of God Trust not to your own virtues And you shall have the holiness of God Alas O my God! Who am I And who art thou Thou art my Being And I am a mere Nothing Thou art my strength And I am nothing but weakness Thou art my Holiness And I am nothing but malice O my God and my hope I leave my self to you I repose in you I rely on you If I go astray you shall be the cause of my stray If I fall you shall be the cause of my fall If I ruin my self you shall ruin me For I put all my trust in you You can neither ruin nor lead me astray I therefore will be afraid of nothing Provided that I leave my self to you To know God and not to know ones own misery Is that which begets Presumption To know our own misery without knowing God Is that which begets Despair JESUS is not only a God But he is a God-Mediatour JESUS is no more JESUS If you take his mercy from him He is no more a Saviour If he has no tenderness for a Sinner VVho is she that
the Lord thy God at what time he led thee in the way Jer. 2. What wouldst thou have in the way of Egypt for to drink troubled waters ibid. Thy malice shall argue thee and thy aversion shall rebuke thee ibid. Know and see that it is evil and bitter to have forsaken the Lord thy God ibid. See whether the way of iniquity be in me and lead me in the eternal way Ps 138. LXXVIII MED Of Dryness and Aridities I Believe what I see I hope for what I touch I love that which pleases me I believe amidst light I hope when I have a feeling I love when I am in comfort This is the way of the Sences I believe what I do not see I hope for what I cannot compass I love that which does not please me I believe when I am in darkness I hope even in my dereliction I love even in my desolation This is the way of the Spirit O my God! How sensual is my Devotion I have not yet ador'd you in Spirit O happy State Where the Soul sees God without light Where she hopes in God without support Loves God without any sensible attract This is to see God without species To be united to God without a medium To suffer divine impressions To have no more proper subsistence To lead a supernatural life This is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ In darkness I have made my bed Job 17. Meat and drink is not the Kingdom of God but justice and Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. They shall be dispersed for to eat and if they be not satiated they will murmur Ps 58. It is expedient for you that I should go for if I do not go the Comforter will not com to you Jo. 16. God is a Spirit and those who adore him must adore him in spirit and truth LXXIX MED Of Silence HOw fine a Science is it to know how to speak You will never learn it Unless you know how to hold your tongue To speak well and speak much Are two things which agree not together All the World learn how to speak Few there are that learn to keep Silence And notwithstanding the first of Sciences Is to learn how to keep Silence Where there are many words There is not much sence A Wise man speaks but little Because he is afraid of speaking ill He speaks a long time to himself Before he speaks to others A Fool is always talking Because he thinks of nothing but talking He pours himself all out Because he knows not how to dwell at home God kept Silence for a whole Eternity He made himself heard by Men Only for to instruct and save them Keep Silence as God does Never speak but through necessity A Soul that is full of God Cannot any more speak to men He that speaks much to men Showes that he is void of God For to becom perfect in a short time You need only know how to be silent He that is Master of his Tongue Is Master of his Passions Solitude and Silence are the two Schools of Virtue There it is that God makes himself known There it is that he speaks to the heart Silence produces Prayer And Prayer produces Silence After that Moses had spoken to God He could not speak to men He that comforts himself exteriourly Finds but little comfort within The Holy Ghost loves silence His voice is like a gentle Zephyre One cannot hear it if there be never so little noise Never quit Silence but for something that 's better One cannot without grace speak well And can you hope for it when you speak In a time that God forbids you to speak Every one speaks of that which he loves The Tongue is the Heart's interpreter He that loves the World Willingly talks of the World He that loves God delights to talk of God You may know a man by his tongue And man shall be judged by his tongue My God! give me thy love That I may willingly speak of thee Fill me with thy presence That I may love Silence I shall never be a man of reason Whilst I love conversation Speak but little speak low without passion Never speak but in necessity Never speak against Charity Speak with sincerity simplicity without Affectation vanity when you ought to speak Keep Silence when you ought to keep it If any one offends not in word he is a perfect man Jam 1. If any one thinks himself to be Religious not bridling his tongue his religion is vain ibid. Since thou hast spoken to thy servant I have more impediment and slowness of tongue Exod. 4. Where there are many words there frequently is want Prov. 14. The heart of fools is in their mouth and the mouth of the wise is in their heart Eccl. 21. Let every man be quick to hear but slow to speak Jam. 1. LXXX MED Of Sickness GOD sends us Sicknesses Either to draw his glory out of them As to the man that was born blind Or to punish our sins as to the Paralytick Or for to try us as to Job Or for to keep us in Humility As to S. Paul and to Timothy I am not able to do any thing but I can suffer I can do much if I can suffer much Others labour for me I suffer for others They honour God by their Actions I honour him by my Sufferings I have well deserved what I suffer I merit much by suffering I acquit for what is past I heap up for the time to com God takes my health from me For to give me sanctity He is with me I suffer with him I carry his Cross He carries mine How strong is my Spirit When my Body is weak How weak is my Spirit When my Body is strong Sickness gives me a disgust to life My heart aspires no more but for Heaven O my Body Thou must be punisht And have thy Purgatory as well as the Soul Unless thou hast it here upon Earth Thou must have it in Hell For nothing that is impure Shall enter into Heaven There are but these two places That thou canst have it in Rejoyce O my Soul for thy Enemy is low He is no more in a condition to hurt thee O my God! I deserve indeed to be sick Since I have so much abus'd my health O how much am I indebted to you For having thus afflicted me Since you spare me not at present You will spare me in Eternity Since you chastize me during my life You will be gracious to me after death O how glad am I to make of my Body A Victim of Love and Sufferance There is no Sacrifice more pleasing To your Eyes than that of Patience Son in thy Sickness despise not thy self but pray to God and he will cure thee Eccl. 38. Behold thou art now healed sin no more least something worse do befal thee Jo. 5. This sickness is not to death but to the glory of God Jo. 11. When I am weak then am I
therefore believe it JESUS has don this We must therefore do it His Doctrin is the Rule of our Faith His Example is the Rule of our Manners He is infallible in his words He is impeccable in his actions I am an Heretick in my Spirit If I do not believe what he has said I am an Heretick in heart If I do not do what he has don I shall be perfect if I am like unto Jesus I shall be cherished by God if I am like unto Jesus I shall love God if I am like unto Jesus I shall be saved if I am like unto Jesus O what a happiness to be like unto God To live like God To speak like God To act to suffer and to dy like a God Was it thus that Jesus spoke Was it thus that JESUS acted Was it thus that JESUS suffered My Brethren put on Jesus Christ As a Garment which covers Body and Soul Look on and make it according to the pattern that was shewed thee in the Mount Exod. 25. Whom he has predestinated to be made conformable to the Image of his Son Rom. 8. He that says that he remains in him ought as he walked to walk also 1 John 2. I have given you an example That as I have don so you do also John 13. XC MED Of the Virtue of Jesus compared to our Vices JESUS was poor and I am rich JESUS was humble and I am proud JESUS was mild and I am cholerick JESUS was patient and I will endure nothing Jesus did pardon and I will revenge my self Jesus obeyed and I will command Jesus was hated and I would be beloved Jesus was slighted and I would be honoured Jesus lay hid and I would appear Jesus ascended into Heaven by pain And I would ascend through Pleasure Is it just that the Slave Should be better treated than the Child And the Criminal than the Innocent O how I fear to be reprobated Being so little like to the first of the Predestinate Is thy heart upright as mine is 4 Kings 10. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord. Matth. 10. He is made unto us Wisdom from God and Justice and Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 2. I am the way the truth and the life Jo. 14. XCI MED Of the Nativity of JESVS Christ NEver did God shew himself greater Than when he made himself little Never more powerful Than when he made himself weak Never more amiable Than when he made himself miserable When I see God becom the Son of man I know that man may becom the Son of God When I see him in a stable I know that we ought to humble our selves When I see him on the straw I know that the grandures of the World Are nothing but dung When I see him weep I know that we must suffer All the Wisdom of God Is included in this Child All his Actions are Rules of Wisdom His Stable is the School of Wisdom His Crib is the Throne of Wisdom His Silence is the Voice of Wisdom His Sleep is the Extasie of Wisdom Either Jesus is deceived Or the World is mistaken Which of the two will you believe The Birth of Jesus is the Reprobation of the World He has condemn'd all that he has rejected Unless I am like unto this Child I shall never be saved I Evangelize unto you great joy c. Luk. 1. She swathed him in clouts and laid him down in a manger ibid. A child is born to us and a Son is given to us Is 9. Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this Word that is don Luk. 2. The Word was made flesh John 1. XCII MED Affections of tenderness towards the Infant Jesus O God of Wisdom who hast chosen a Stable For the Palace of thy greatness Who hast chosen a Crib for thy Throne of glory Where shall I hide my self in thy Presence What a confusion is it to a Proud man To see a God on a Dunghil What insolence is it for a worm of the Earth To be yet desirous to raise himself Is it You or the World that is mistaken Can the Wisdom of God be deceived O God of Goodness How have you hid your Greatness But how have you made your Mercy to shine You never render'd your self more amiable Than when you made your self miserable You never appear'd greater in goodness Than when you annihilated your Majesty I did dread you heretofore as you were God But I am forc'd to love you as you are Man Who can be apprehensive of an Infant Who is not melted by the tears of an Infant Your weeping moves compassion but not fear It gives me hopes but not a diffidence If you could make your Son the Son of Man Cannot you make me the Son of God If you could make your self miscrable Cannot you make me happy O divine Babe O the love of all Ages O the fairest of Men O the desires of Heaven When I hear you groan and sigh I cannot hinder my self from loving you I have a long time resisted your power I yield now unto your weakness I have slighted your greatness But I submit my self to your humility I have fought against you as you were God But you triumph over my heart as you are Man I defended my self against your wrath But I cannot resist your love O the greatest of all Kings How does your Majesty astonish me But how does your Humility ravish me How wonderful are you as you are God But how lovely are you as you are Man I am more surprized to see you humbled Than to see you elevated To hear you cry than to hear you thunder One only Tear of yours stirs up in my heart A greater fire of love than all the fires of Sinai O since you have taken on you my Miseries I hope you will give me your goods Since you are com down upon Earth I hope that you will raise me up to Heaven O dear Son of Mary Com into my arms Repose your self on my heart Water me with your tears Warm me with your love Bless me with your little hands Kiss me with your little mouth I forget what I am Since you forget what you are If I fail in the respects that I owe you 'T is your love that is the cause thereof Make your self less amiable If you will not be beloved When I shall see you on a Throne I shall be seized with fright But when I consider you in a Crib I shall love you with all my heart I shall approach you without fear I shall love you without diffidence I shall serve you without disgust I shall give you all without reserve I shall bless you without respit I shall praise and bless you without end Both in Time and Eternity Amen XCIII MED Of the Poverty of the Infant Jesus JEsus made himself poor to enrich us Jesus stripped himself to cloath us Jesus came down on a Dunghil For to raise us up to a
because you are a Christian And have a mind to be happy Why does the Devil tempt you 'T is because he hates the Image of God Because he envies man Because he would make you his Slave Because he would have Companions Because he would enter into your heart Because he would ascend God's Throne Because he would profane his Temple Because he would be ador'd therein Because he would Crucifie JESUS Christ And renew all his Ignominies Will you carry on his Designs Will you content his Passion 'T is what you do as often as you consent to Temptation Why does God permit you to be tempted 'T is for his glory and your good He would know whether you love him He would make you know your self He has a mind to try your virtue To keep you in a dependance on him To fit you for a Combat To thrust on your Sloth To take you off from Creatures To oblige you to have recourse to him To make you merit Heaven O my Saviour I wonder not that I am tempted Since you were also tempted 'T is good that I should know you 'T is good that I should know my self I find that Temptation hinders me from entring into Presumption Tempt me O God try me See whether there be no iniquity in me O no! tempt me not Alas I know my own weakness Deliver me rather from my temptation At least fortifie me against my temptation Satan strikes at you as well as me Defend your self in me and through me God tempted Abraham Gen. 20. Fear not for God came for to try you Exod. 20. The Lord your God tempts you to make it publickly known whether you love him or not Gen. 13. Anania why did Satan tempt thy heart Act. 5. Every one is tempted by being drawn and allured by his own concupiscence Jam. 1. God tempted them and found them worthy of him Wisd 3. XXXI MED Of the troubles and pains of Mind HOw these thoughts torment me Why art thou tormented at them I fear I shall give consent to them If you fear you do not consent Your fear ought to secure you I am fallen into sin You must rise quickly out of it God is angry with me 'T is in your power to appease him Walk with more Diligence Labour with more Fidelity Confess your self without delay Humble your self without disturbance One evil does not repair another Sin is not cur'd by Sin This Temptation is importune Yes But it is necessary for you It keeps you in humility It maintains you in your dependance It obliges you to pray It hinders you from presuming Without Temptation one cannot be tryed Without fighting one cannot be crown'd Without a Cross none can be saved O my God! Keep me close to you And I will not fear the Devils Although they were all against me Without you I am nothing but weakness With you I am all fortitude If I have wherewithal to ruin my self You have wherewithal to save me Let not your heart be troubled John 14. Because thou wert acceptable to God it was necessary that Temptation should try thee Tob. 12. God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but he will make profit of your temptation that you may be able to sustain it 1 Cor. 10. Blessed is the man who suffers Temptation Jam. 1. XXXII MED Of natural Inclinations TO love by Inclination is to love like a Beast To love with Inclination is to love like a Man To love without Inclination is to love like a Christian To love against Inclination is to love like a Saint Christian Charity embraces all the World Its motive is singular and universal If for God I love him that pleases me I ought also to love him that displeases me They are both of them created by God Both made to his Image Both redeem'd with his Blood Both call'd to his Glory I am not bound to love all the World equally But I am bound to hate no body Particular Friendships are Universal Hatreds The Unions of Inclination Are Schisms and Heresies of Heart The nearer you draw to one person The farther you remove from all others If you are totally one person 's You are nothing to all the rest You commit an injustice You refuse them what you ow them You wound Charity You divide Unity You slight Regularity You scandalize the Community You fly from Solitude You dare not remain any more before God You commit a great many sins Your Spirit is without Recollection Your Heart without Devotion Your Prayers without Gust Your Communions without Fruit. Your Life without Peace Your Labours without merit O my God! How amazed shall I be at my death When I shall see that I have not lov'd you Unless I love all my Brothers I love not so much as one for your sake If I have an Aversion for one I have no Charity for all the rest O how much time ill spent O how many dangerous Familiarites O how many unprofitable Discourses O how many criminal Entertainments O my God! I will for your sake love all sorts of persons I will love my Friends and my Foes The Rich and the Poor The Great and the Little The good humours and the bad humours Those that do me good and those that do me hurt Since they are all your Subjects All your Children All your Members Since you love them all That you are in them all That you order me to love them all There is no acception of persons with God Rom. 2. He makes his Sun to rise upon the good and the bad and rains upon the just and unjust Matth. 5. Thou shalt not make acception of persons Deut. 16. Is there not one Father of us all Is there not one God who created us why then does every one contemn his Brother Mal. 2. These are those that separate themselves Animals that have not the Spirit Jude v. 19. XXXIII MED Of Aversions THe wounds of the heart are mortal Hatred makes Charity die The fairest of all Victories Is to triumph over our Aversions To love a Friend is the virtue of a Pagan To love a Foe is the virtue of a Christian 'T is the strongest of all loves Because it triumphs over the greatest enemy 'T is the amplest of all loves Because it embraces both friend and foe 'T is the purest of all loves Because Nature cannot love an enemy 'T is the most meritorious of all loves Because there is nothing harder than to love an enemy God loves all things that he made He has an Aversion to nothing but sin The Creatures that fight with each other Are at peace in his bosom He has no Antipathy because his Essence is infinit Great Souls have no enmities They have a dominion over all Objects They are not divided by matter All things are at peace in their heart Sin only alone is not there in quiet Because it makes war against Sanctity Self-love is divided within it self Divine love
strong 2 Cor. 12. LXXXI MED Of Modesty A Man is known by his Countenance A Soul is known by her Body 'T is a Looking-glass which represents her And wherein she is painted to the life A light Body shews a light Soul A modest Body shews a modest Soul It does nothing but what it is made to do When the Body is out of order 'T is judg'd that the Soul is so too What figure must that Soul have Which gives so ill an one to her Body A quiet and modest Exteriour Is the mark of a perfect Soul Of a Soul that tends to Union Of a Soul that is without passion God is a tranquil Spirit He is never disturb'd He dwells only in Peace He composes and quiets all things by his presence He imprints his Modesty on that Soul That he gives life to And if he does not imprint it 'T is because the Soul does not obey him When I see a Modest Body I say O here is the House of God! Here is the Temple of our Lord All things are here in peace and in order 'T is the Modesty of this Soul That reflects upon her Body 'T is the Sanctity within That sheds it self without An affected Modesty cannot last long When the Soul is well composed The Body is modest at all times The gestures of an ill regulated Body Com from the irregularity of the Soul She is agitated with Passions She gives ear to Temptations She sinks under her pains She gives her self up to her desires He that has God within himself Goes not elsewhere to seek him The Iron is at rest When it touches its Load-stone A Soul which touches God Is peaceable and without motion O My God! How tranquil is thy Spirit O how agitated is mine How grave is yours How light is mine How Modest is yours How unruly is mine If you were Master of my Heart You would also be Master of my Body If I quit the Out-works The Devil will gain the place I will therefore regulate my exteriour That I may conserve for you the Empire of my heart A man is known by the sight and a wise man is known by the shew of his face The cloathing of the body and the laughing of the teeth and the gate of the man tell of him Eccl. 19. Let your Modesty be known unto all men Phil. 4. The man of the heart that is hidden in the incorruptibility of a quiet and a modest spirit which is rich in the sight of God 1 Pet. 3. I beseech you by the modesty and meekness of Christ 2 Cor. 10. Do you on like the Elect of God Humility Modesty Patience Col. 3. LXXXII MED Of Divine Inspirations GOD holds his peace after he has spoken He scorns after having been scorned He hides himself after that he has sought He withdraws after he has called He punishes after having long endured Inspiration is the Voice of God 'T is a Blast of his Spirit 'T is a Ray of his Wisdom 'T is an Impression of his Love 'T is the Seed of Eternity 'T is the Principle of Salvation 'T is the price of the Blood of Jesus 'T is a Grace that has cost him his life You stifle the voice of God When you stifle an Inspiration You imitate Herod Who put St. John to death You imitate Saul Who put the Priests to death You imitate the Jews Who put JESUS and the Prophets to death You resist the Holy Ghost You sin without ignorance You sin through obstinacy through malice You bury the Talents of God You abuse his Gifts You trample the Son of God under your feet You do an injury to his Spirit You profane his pretious Blood You detain Truth Captive You break off the thred of his Graces You put your Salvation in danger The Justice of God will break out upon you Your Talents will be taken from you The Kingdom of Grace will be translated elsewhere God will speak no more to you The Holy Ghost will breath no more on you The Word of God will touch you no more Your Conscience will no longer molest you Hope will no longer encourage you Charity will no longer warm you Fear will no longer retain you Remedies will no longer profit you You abuse extraordinary Graces You will have them no more O my God! I confess that I am a Prodigal Who have wasted all your goods That I am a Herod Who have put your Voice to death O I will make you wait no longer I will no longer resist your grace You have too long knock't at the door of my heart This very day I will let you in You would have me quit this sin I will quit it You would have me change my life I will change it You would have me renounce gaming I will renounce it You would have me speak to my Enemy I will speak to him You would have me frequent the Sacraments I will frequent them You would have me love you alone I will love you in Time and Eternity Amen Wo to thee that despisest shall not thy self also be despised Isai 33. I called and you refused I extended my hand and there was none that regarded Ye despised all my counsel and ye neglected my rebukes and I will laugh in your destruction Prov. 1. I go and you will seek me and you will dy in your Sin Jo. 8. Extinguish not the spirit Thess 5. This day if you hear his voice c. Ps 44. LXXXIII MED Of the Word of God GOD created the World by his Word And he will not save it but by his Word He redeem'd it by his Word Incarnate Nor will he save it but by his Word Incarnate The Holy Ghost is produc'd in the heart of God By his Interiour Word The Holy Ghost is not produc'd in the heart of Man But by the Exteriour Word You are not a Sheep of JESUS Christ's Unless you hearken to his voice Your heart will bring forth nothing but Thorns Unless it receive this Divine seed JESUS speaks by the mouth of the Preacher 'T is he that rings in his Tongue He is cloath'd with the sound of his Voice As he came forth-cloath'd with a body of Flesh The Word written in Books Is a Sacrament of Salvation The Letter is the Species JESUS is the Sence The Increated Word Unites it self to the Word created That he may enter into hearts sanctify them What an Impiety to despise this Sacrament What a Crime to trample on the Son of God Alas How often have I don it I let it fall down on the ground I stifle it in my heart I eat this heavenly bread And I do not profit by it I hear this Divine Word and I am not converted If it does not convert me it will pervert me If it does me no good it will do me hurt If it give not life to me it will be my death If it doth not save me it will damn me Blessed is the womb that bore thee c.
to your holy Mother I choose her for mine and I desire to dy betwixt her arms I recommend my spirit into thy hands and I conjure thee by thy dereliction not to forsake me at the hour of my death but to receive me into thy Heaven there to see thee there to love thee there to praise and bless thee for all Eternity Amen This Prayer may be recited in the time of Mass before Confession and Communion especially when one is sick and on all Fridays in the year at the foot of the Cross You must make a little Pause at each Station and produce in heart the acts that you pronounce with your mouth CXVIII MED On the Burial of Jesus Christ JEsus from the Cross is laid in the Tomb. Here is an end of his labours This is the place of his rest This is the term of his journeys His Disciples do almost lose their Faith By having lost his Presence They are fearful and dejected Because they see and hear him no longer Happy is he who receives into his heart Jesus descending from the Cross The grain of wheat that it may fructify Must dye and be hidden The arms of the Priest at the Altar Are the arms of the Cross Your heart is the grave wherein he would rejoyce Happy is he who is crucified Who is dead and buried Who is hid in the ground Who is trod under foot Who is unknown to men Who reposes in God He will soon rise again with Jesus Immortal and impassible like him Happy is he who conceives his Faith In the death and obscurity of his Senses Who loses not his hope having lost his support Who ceases not to love Having nothing that can comfort him O Jesus Hide me in thy grave Bury me in thy shrowd That I may be no more known by men Let me dy to all my senses I am ready to go along with you Even into the Prisons of Hell Provided that I be in your company I shall have nothing to apprehend Hell with you would be a Heaven to me Heaven without you would be a Hell to me Joseph taking the body wrapt it in a clean Sindon and laid it in his own new monument which he had hewed out of a rock Matth. 27. Woman why weepest thou They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have put him John 20. My Soul was filled with evils and my life drew near unto Hell Ps 87. I was reputed with those that descend into the lake I became like a man without help free amongst the dead ibid. They laid me in the lower lake in dark places and in the shadow of death ibid. Like the vvounded that sleep in their graves ibid. CXIX MED Of the Resurrection of our Lord. JEsus is risen again He enjoys a glorious life He is com out of his grave He has conquered death He has triumphed over Satan He has broken to pieces the gates of Hell He has carried away the spoils He has frightned his guards He has confounded the Jews He is victorious over all his Enemies My Soul weep no more Jesus has resumed a new life He will dy no more in thy heart Unless thy Sin do crucify him there Jesus is risen again in our Souls He is re-entred into his Kingdom He has droven the Devils thence He has triumphed over Sin He keeps our Passions Captives He dwells therein by his Grace He lives there by his Spirit He reigns there by his Love He reposes there by his Peace All the whole Church is risen again His whole Body is out of the grave All his Members are re-animated They are no more dead nor sick My Soul weep no more Jesus has c. Jesu tarry with us for night draws on The day is going down The Devils gather together The Lions roar Our Passions revolt Ill habits awaken The World takes arms Our flesh takes strength again Your life is not in assurance Hell has conspired against you The wicked have sworn your death They will renew your sufferings My Soul c. O ye senceless Galathians What do you intend to do Do not you know Jesus any more But two days ago you lamented his death And now you are contriving To take away his life You are preparing Scourges for to tear him Thorns to crown him with Crosses to nail him to What has he don for to be crucified Is he criminal for having loved you Does he deserve death for having saved you My Soul c. Our Lord is truly risen and hath appeared to Simon Luk. 24. Christ rising from the dead dies no more death shall domineer no more over him Rom. 6. If ye are risen with Christ seek the things that are above not that are on earth Col. 3. Crucifying to themselves again the Son of God and setting him at nought Heb. 6. CXX MED Of our Lord's Wounds JEsus hath Wounds altho he be risen Do not wonder at the Wounds That remain after your Resurrection There is no hurt in feeling them There is merit in enduring them Be impassible to your passions Be immovable in your temptations The Wounds of Jesus enlighten our Faith They support our Hope They inflame our Love We cannot doubt of his affection We see his heart through his Wounds We ought no longer to be diffident Jesus is our Advocate in Heaven He prays for us by as many mouths As he has Wounds in his Body The Nails are the Keys that have opened This Ark of our Redemption All the Treasures which it includes Are now at our disposal O Jesus my Saviour How do your Wounds comfort me Secure me encourage me There issues from thence a Balsam Which cures all my sorrows Who will dare to accuse me Knowing that you are my Advocate Who will dare to condemn me Knowing that you are my Judge Who will dare to declare against me Knowing that you are my Saviour O divine Saviour Imprint on me your sacred Stigmats Imprint them in my Soul and in my Body Who can live without Wounds Seeing you covered with Wounds I cannot love my heart Unless it be wounded like yours Alas that which shall be the joy of the Predestinate Will be the torment of the damned He shewed them his hands and feet Luk. 24. He shewed them his hands and side John 20. What are those wounds in the midst of thy hands With these was I wounded in the house of those that loved me Zech. 13. Behold I have written thee in my hands Isai 49. Whom thou hast stricken they have persecuted and they have added to the pain of my wounds Ps 68. CXXI MED Of the good Shepherd JEsus is a good Shepherd He knows all his sheep He knows them as he is known by his Father He gives them life as he receives it from him He calls them all by their name He conducts them in streight ways He has a particular Providence for them He always walks before them With the Crook of the Cross in his
Draw me quickly For I am weary of living Alas What a life Ah! What a death O my dear Life Give me death that I may dy to my self And live Eternally to you And our Lord Jesus after he had spoken was assumed into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God Mark 16. Ascending on high he led captivity captive he gave gifts Eph. 4. Let not your heart be troubled I go to prepare you a place I will take you to my self that where I am you also may be John 14. And if I be exalted from the Earth I will draw all to my self John 12. Draw me after thee Cant. 5. CXXIV MED Of the coming down of the Holy Ghost WE are not members of Jesus Christ Unless we live by his Spirit The Spirit of JESVS Is a Spirit of Life which animates us 'T is a Spirit of Grace that sanctifies us A Spirit of Wisdom which instructs us A Spirit of Love which unites us A Spirit of Peace which pacifies us A Spirit of Purity which purifies us A Spirit of Liberty which disengages us A Spirit of Joy which comforts us A Spirit of Humility which humbles us A Spirit of Obedience which subjects us The Spirit of JESVS Makes men Gods Of sinners just Of weak makes us strong Of sad glad Of cold fervent Of cholerick mild Of ignorant wise Of timid courageous The Spirit of JESVS Does not descend upon the proud It does not repose in turbulent hearts It has a horrour of impure souls It withdraws it self from vain spirits It is not in agreement with the flesh It makes a mortal War with it It could not com down upon the Apostles Whilst they saw JESUS sensibly It lives in us by Grace It dwells in us by Charity It reigns in us by Love It reposes in us by Peace We afflict it by Venial sin We stile it by Mortal sin We lose it by the love of the World We drive it away by the love of the Flesh O my God! How gentle is your spirit How severe is mine How holy is yours How profane is mine How humble is yours How proud is mine O Holy Spirit Father of the poor Comfort of the afflicted Com and descend down to us and comfort us Enlighten us by your Light Conduct us by your Grace Sanctifie us by your Love Support us by your Strength Penetrate us by your Unction Adopt us by your Charity Pacifie us by your Presence Save us by your Mercy 'T is the Spirit which enlivens John 6. They were all replenisht with the Holy Ghost Act. 2. Grace is diffused in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given to us Rom. 5. If any one hath not the Spirit of Christ he is not his Rom. 8. Whoever are acted by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God ibid. If we live in spirit let us walk in spirit Gal. 5. CXXV MED Of the most Sacred Trinity MAn believes that there are as many Gods As he loves Creatures He adores a Trinity on Earth And contemns the Trinity of Heaven He esteems only the grandures of the World He seeks after nothing but earthly riches He desires nothing but the pleasures of the Senses He despises the Wisdom of God He laughs at the power of the Father He outrages the goodness of the Holy Ghost Is it to believe that God is wise And not to apprehend his Wrath Is it to believe that God is holy And yet offend him by so many Crimes Is it to believe that God is pure And yet to cleave to the pleasures of the Senses Is it to believe that God is good And yet not to love him Is it to believe God to be independent And yet not to adore him Is it to believe God to be beneficent And yet not to thank him O most Holy Trinity I bless thee and I adore thee I will love thee both in Time and Eternity Glory be to the Father who created me Glory be to the Son who redeemed me Glory be to the Holy Ghost who sanctified me Glory be to the Father who supports me by his Power Glory be to the Son who governs me by his Wisdom Glory be to the Holy Ghost who sanctifies me by his Love Glory be to the Father who sustains my Being Glory be to the Son who enlightens my Understanding Glory be to the Holy Ghost who consecrates my Will Let the Holy Trinity be blessed By Angels and Men in Time and in Eternity Amen So be it Going teach ye all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28. Three there are who give testimony in Heaven the Father Word and Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 John 5. Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts the Earth is full of thy glory Isai 6. All that is in the World is the concupiscence of the flesh and the concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life 1 John 8. CXXVI MED In form of a Dialogue Of the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar The Disciple I Will speak unto my Lord Altho I am but ashes and dust O my God! How wonderful is your Wisdom How profound are your Mysteries Whence coms it that you would remain on Earth Since your Body is glorious Ought not the noblest of all Bodies To be on the top of the highest Heavens Your Throne is in the Firmament The Earth is but your Foot-stool Why do not you dwell in your Palace What do you do upon our dunghill The Master I would remain here upon Earth For to content my love I converse with men For to content their desires I am with my Disciples For to content them by my Presence I am amongst my sheep For to defend them against the Wolves I leave my self to my Church For to serve them for a Victim I immolate my self on the Altars For to do homage to my Father You would have no Religion If you had no Sacrifice The ancient ones are abrogated There is only I alone that can be immolated My body is in Heaven as in its Natural place My Body is on Earth as in a Sacramental place When I came down upon Earth I did not for that quit Heaven And when I re-ascended to Heaven I did not for all that quit the Earth The Disciple I will again speak to you O Lord Altho I am but ashes and dust Whence coms it that remaining on Earth You did not make your self visible Why did you hide your self Since you desire to be beloved You would have won all hearts If you had discovered your self to your eyes The Master I am a hidden God One must dy for to see me I hid my Divinity under the form of a Man And I hide my Humanity Under the form of Bread Your life is a state of Faith My Body ought therein to be veyled Your life is a state of Merit Your Understanding ought therein to be humbled Adam did not
having been conceiv'd without sin Mary is more happy In never having committed any sin 'T is a misery for us to have contracted sin 'T is a greater misery to have committed it Mary has always suffered Altho she never sinned I sin continually And I would suffer nothing Mary is Innocent And is treated as a Criminal I am a Criminal And I would be treated as Innocent Mary's first grace Is the foundation of her happiness She co-operated with it all her life long By an inviolable fidelity There are som graces in ones life time Which are the beginnings of our happiness There are somains in ones life time Which are the beginnings of our misery Co-operate with all graces Avoid all sins Dread scandalous sins they are pestilent sins Which are communicated unto others Fear contagious ones which corrupt nature O Holy Mother of God! How beautiful are you and how pure are you There is no stain in you If my Conception is not immaculate At least make my life to be so If I have contracted original sin Make me avoid actual sin Let your Son seeing my Soul at my death say Thou art my well beloved There is no spot in thee Who shall declare her generation Isai 53. Thou art all fair my friend and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4. Our Lord possest me in the beginning of his ways Prov. 8. 'T is a great work for a habitation is prepared not for man but for God 2 Paral. 29. Holiness becoms thy house O Lord for length of days Ps 92. CXXXII MED Of the Purification of the B. Virgin MAry is the Mother of God And she passes for the Mother of a man O what Humility Mary is pure like the Sun And yet she comes to the Temple to be purified O what Purity Mary is not subject to the Law And yet she submits her self voluntarily to it O what Obedience Mary has but one Son who is most dear to her And yet she sacrifices him to God in the Temple O what Charity Imitate these virtues of Mary's Have an humble heart like her Have a pure body like her Have an obedient spirit like her Have liberal hands like her Offer up to God what you have dearest to you Sanctify to him your Children Your desires your thoughts Give him your heart That is your only one and first born Go to the Temple like Simeon Receive Jesus into your arms By the Priest's hands Sing with him that Canticle of love Now thou dost dismiss thy servant O Lord According to thy word in peace Because my eyes have seen thy Salvation Which thou hast prepar'd before the face of all People A light to the revelation of Gentils And the glory of thy People of Israel You will live in Peace If you desire nothing but Jesus You will dy in Peace If you love nothing but Jesus Beg of Mary to take you into her arms And to offer you up to her Son At the end of your life She will do it if you be her child If you be humble chast charitable like her O Mother of God! Disdain not to be the Mother of a sinner I recommend my Soul into your hands 'T is the price of your Son's blood Can you slight him Can you reject him Since you have presented the head You ought also to present the members God cannot refuse what you offer him My salvation is secure if it be in your hands O JESVS I recommend my spirit unto you I put my salvation into your hands Let me go out of this World in peace For I have seen all that I have to see My sins do disturb me O Lord I am thy Servant And the Son of thy Handmaid Can you damn your Mother's Child Can you hate him whom she loved They carried him into Jerusalem to present him to our Lord. Luk. 2. Take thy only begotten Son Isaac c. and there thou shalt offer him in a Holocaust Gen. 22. In the simplicity of my heart I joyfully offered all these things 1 Paral. 29. Now thou dost dismiss thy servant O Lord. Luk. 2. O Lord I am thy servant and the Son of thy handmaid Ps 115. CXXXIII MED Of the Annunciation of the B. Virgin 'T Is a great virtue to be little in grandure 'T is a rare virtue to be humble in honour Mary is the Mother of God Because she was his handmaid Mary takes the title of handmaid When she is qualified the Mother of God How happy is she for having conceived The Word of God in her body But she is more happy For having conceived it in her soul She conceived him in her heart Before she conceived him in her womb The spiritual Conception of God Is more honorable to her than the corporal The one makes her the Mother of God The other makes her the worthy Mother of God Make your self the Mother of our Lord By doing the Will of his Father Conceive him by Faith Bring him forth by Charity Be his Brother by Believing Be his Mother by Preaching Renew by Communion The Mystery of the Incarnation Be you humble and obedient as she was And the Holy Chost will com down on you Be our Lord's Handmaid And you will becom his Mother O most worthy Mother of God! Disdain not to own for your Son him Whom your Son vouchsafes to own for his brother If you are the Mother of God You must be the Mother of men It was for to be the Mother of men That you became the Mother of God You have two Breasts full of Milk Give one to your Son But keep the other for me Give one to the just But keep the other for sinners Behold the handmaid of our Lord be it don unto me according to thy Word Luk. 1. Whosoever shall do the Will of my Father who is in Heaven he is my brother and sister and mother Matth. 12. He is not ashamed to call them brothers Heb. 2. The Holy Ghost shall com down on thee and the virtue of the highest shall over-shadow thee Luk. 1. CXXXIV MED Of the Humiliations of the Son of God and the Elevations of Mary in the Mystery of the Incarnation JESUS of a God was made man Of a Lord he was made a slave Of Omnipotent he was made weak Of rich he was made poon JESUS by making himself man Made Mary the Mother of God JESUS by making himself a slave Made Mary the Mistress of God JESUS by making himself weak Has given unto Mary the Power of God JESUS by making himself poor Has given unto Mary the Treasures of God JESUS cannot descend lower than he descended Mary cannot ascend higher than she ascended There is nothing that is above Jesus There is nothing but God above Mary All that is not God is below Jesus All that is not God is below Mary Rejoyce in these her grandures Choose her for your Mother Acknowledge her for your Queen Take her for your Advocate Obey her whom God himself hath
repose That is the Paradise of my delights There is no noise in the house of God There is silence in Heaven Lord I am no more able to speak Since you have spoken to me I am full of thoughts And I have no more words O my heart Preserv Charity the Treasure which thou possessest The Bridegroom enters the doors being shut He goes out when they are open Shut upon thee the doors of thy Senses Peace Love Secrecy Silence This is what puts the soul in security V. CANT I Have lost all I have nothing more to lose I have found all I have nothing more to seek I am contented I desire nothing else I am God's I apprehend nothing now I have left all for God I have found all in God My desires have there met together As Rivers do in the Sea Without noise without distinction Without motion without violence Without those narrow banks Which locked them in on the Earth As soon as I lost the sight of him I entred into an Ocean I plunged my self into these Abysses I lost my self happily I confounded my Being with that of God's I was in time And I believ'd I was in Eternity I was a Creature And I found my self united to the Divinity O mysterious and fortunate night Where God unites himself to our spirit In the silence of its desires and thoughts O how sweet is that hour but how short Let all flesh be silent in the presence of our Lord. VI. CANT I Am threatned with death I am encompassed with darkness Beaten with storms At the very gates of Hell But all this does not astonish me Love is stronger than death He makes his bed in darkness He sleeps in the midst of Storms He finds Heaven in Hell He carries his Heaven with him Because he has within himself All that he desires He would have all things And would have nothing He possesses all things and possesses nothing God is his treasure and his felicity He to whom God is all All the World is nothing VII CANT JESUS thinks on me and I think of him JESUS works for me and I work for him My heart suffices him And he suffices my heart He is contented with me and I with him This is the Canticle of love Which I sing to him day and night The only good which I would have Is to will nothing To live without care and without desire Is that which makes up all my pleasure VIII CANT WHat do I feel in the bottom of my Soul What passes in the bottom of my heart The Wedding is made in Cana. JESUS there works a Miracle He chang'd the Water into Wine He entred in at midnight The doors of the senses being shut I saw him without seeing him I knew him without knowing him My eye did not see him pass My ear did not hear him walk I smelt the odour of his perfumes I tasted the honey of his sweets O my God! Into what Country do you bring me Am I in Heaven or on Earth Am I in time or in Eternity I see you without Image I touch you without a Body I feel you without an Organ I am doubtless in Heaven O if this lasts long I must dy IX CANT REtire from me my beloved But retire not for any long time Withdraw your presence But withdraw not your love Withdraw your sweetnesses But leave me your sorrows Draw your heaven out of my soul Or else draw my soul into your heaven I can have no joy if I am not on a Cross Unless you make me suffer You will make me dy Your sweets are too many Your sorrows are to few O my God my love All my pleasure is to suffer All my desire is to dy My Soul Sing for ever this sweet Canticle of joy I will content God I will be contented with God He will be contented with me When I am contented with him I shall testify to him my contentment When I am calm in my pains I am not contented with him If I murmur against him X. CANT I Place all my glory In being despised for you I place all my riches In possessing nothing but you I place all my pleasure In suffering much for you I live I live no longer I am and I am no more my self You and I are no longer but one All my wills are destroyed All my hopes are ruined All my desires are extinct All my Being is annihilated I labour no longer but for you I breath no more but by you I subsist no more but in you You in me I in you You for me I for you To be where you would have me To will what you will To do what you would have me To suffer what you would have me Is what makes a man perfect and happy FINIS Words of the Holy Scripture for the chast Spouses of the Son of God My beloved to me and I to him Cant. 2. I found him whom my Soul loveth Cant. 3. I adjure you O ye daughters of Jerusalem that you raise not up nor make the beloved to awake till her self will ibid. I sleep and my heart watcheth Cant. 5. Put me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thy arm c. Cant. 8. Let him kiss me with a kiss of his mouth Cant. 1. Under his shadow whom I desired I sate Cant. 2. My soul melted as he spake I sought and I found him not I called and he did not answer me Cant. 5. For what is to me in heaven and besides thee what would I upon Earth my flesh hath fainted and my heart God of my heart and God my portion for ever Ps 72. v. 25. And now what is my expectation is it not our Lord c. Ps 38. v. 8. I said to our Lord thou art my God Ps 15. Our Lord is the part of my inheritance ibid. To thee did my heart say my face hath sought thee out Ps 26. v. 8. Lord before thee is all my desire Ps 37. The violence of the river maketh the City of God joyful Ps 45. v. 5. The Lord of Hosts is with us our Protector the God of Jacob. ibid. v. 11. In peace in the self-same I will sleep and rest Ps 4. This is my rest for ever and ever Ps 131 He put darkness his covert darksom water in the clouds of the air Ps 17. v. 12. When he shall have given sleep to his beloved to the inheritance of our Lord. Ps 126. I am thine save me Ps 118. Much peace there is to those that love thy law ibid. Thou wilt bless thy people in peace Ps 18. Enter into thy rest because our Lord hath don well to thee Ps 114. My heart waxed hot in me and fire shall burn in my meditation Ps 38. Expecting I expected our Lord and he hath attended me Ps 39. I will hear what my Lord says in me because he will speak peace to his people Ps 84. Unless our Lord keep the city in vain does he watch that