steps by thy conquests made visible thy way by thine own light thou hast watered it with thy precious blood paved it with thy wounds O what a goodly thing it is to walk with thee when thou openest thy sacred mouth as the opening of a temple to discover the beauties and mysteries of it O that it is most pleasing to understand that mouth which distils so much honey through lips of Roses But wherefore My good Lord art thou pleased to hide thy self from a soul which languishes after thee Take away the vail from mine eyes and suffer thy self to be seen in the vesture of thy heavenly beauties If I must bear the Crosse and passe by the throne of mount Calvary to come to Heaven I most humbly submit to thy divine pleasure that I may possesse all that thou art The Gospel upon Tuesday in Easter week S. Luke the 24. ANd whiles they spake these things Iesus stood in the midst of them and he saith to them Peace be to you It is I fear not But they being troubled and frighted imagined they saw a Spirit And he saith to them Why are you troubled and cogitations arise in your hearts See my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me to have And when he had said this he shewed them his hands and feet But they yet not believing and marvelling for joy he said Have you here any thing to be eaten But they offered him a piece of fish broiled and a hony comb And when he had eaten before them taking the remains he gave to them And he said to them These are the words which I spake to you when I was yet with you that all things must needs be fulfilled which are writen in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms of me Then he opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures And he said to them That so it is written and so it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead the third day and penance to be preached in his Name and remission of sins unto all Nations Moralities 1. WE think sometimes that Jesus is far from us when he is in the midst of our heart he watches over us and stretches out his divine hands for our protection Let us live alwayes as if we were actually in his presence before his eyes and in his bosome An ancient Tradition doth observe that after our Lords Ascention the Apostles did never eat together but they left the first napkin for their good Master conceiving that according to his promise he was alwayes with them Let us accustome our selves to this exercise of Gods presence It is a happy necessity to make us do well to believe and apprehend that our Judge is alwayes present I frespect make him formidable love will teach us that he is the Father of all sweetness There can be no greater comfort in this world then to be present in heart and body with that which we love best 2. Jesus is taken by his Apostles for a Spirit because after the Resurrection he pierced the vvalls and appeared suddenly as Spirits do Saint Paul also saith in the second to the Corinthians that novv we do no more know Christ according to the flesh that is to say by the passions of a mortall body as Saint Epiphanius doth expound it We must make little use of our bodies to converse with our Jesus who hath taken upon him the rare qualities of a spirit We must raise our selves above our senses when we go to the Father of light and the Creatonâ— of sense He teaches us the life of Spirits and commerce of Angels and makes assayes of our immortality by a body now immortal Why are we so tyed to our sense and glued to the earth Must we suffer our selves to enter into a kingdome of death when we are told of the resurrâ—ction of him who is the Authour of all lives 3. Admire the condescending and bounties of our Lord to his dear Disciples He that was entred into the kingdome of spirits and immortall conversation suffers his feet and hands to be touched to prove in him the reality of a true body He eats in presence of his Apostles though he was not in more estate to digest meat then the Sun is to digest vapours He did no more nourish himself with our corruptible meats then the Stars do by the vapours of the earth And yet he took them to confirm our belief and to make us familiar with him It is the act of great and generous spirits to abase themselves and condescend to their inferiours So David being anointed King and inspired as a Prophet doth not shew his person terrible in the height of his great glory but still retained the mildnesse of a Shepherd So Iesus the true Son of David by his condscending to us hath consecrated a certain degree whereby we my ascend to heaveÌ„ Are not we ashamed that we have so little humility or respect to our inferiours but are alwayes so full of ourselves since our Lord sitting in his throne of Glory and Majesty doth yet abase himself to the actions of our mortall life Let it be seen by our hands whether we be resâ—scitated by doing good works and giving liberall alms Let it appear by our feet that they follow the paths of the most holy persons Let it be seen by our nourishment which should be most of honey that is of that celestiall sweetnesse which is extracted from prayer And if we seem to refuse fish let us at least remain in the elemeÌ„t of piety as fishes in water Aspirations THy love is most tender thy cares most generous O mild Saviour Amongst all the Torrents of thy Passion thou hast not tasted the water of forgetfulnesse Thou returnest to thy children as a Nightingle to her little nest Thou dost comfort them with thy visits and makest them familar with thy glorious life Thou eatest of a honey combe by just right having first tasted the bitter gall of that unmercifull crosse It is thus that our sorrows should be turned into sweets Thou must alwayes be most welcome to me in my troubles for I know well that thou onely canst pacifie and give them remedy I will govern my self toward thee as to the sire too much near familarity will burn us and the want of it will let us freez I will eat honey with thee in the blessed Sacrament I know that many there do chew but few receive thee worthily Make me O Lord I beseech thee capable of those which here on earth shall be the true Antepasts to our future glory The Gospel upon Low Sunday Saint Iohn the 20. THerefore when it was late that day the first of the Sabbaths and the doors where shut where the Disciples were gathered together for fear of the Iews Iesus came and stood in the middest and said to them Peace
it is very hard to avoid the curiosity of a woman who seeking his presence was thereby certain to find the full point of her felicity A very small beam of illumination reflecting upon her carried her out of her Countrey and a little spark of light brought her to find out the clear streams of truth We must not be tired with seeking God and when we have found him his presence should not diminish but increase our desire to keep him still We are to make entrance into our happinesse by taking fast hold of the first means offered for our salvation and we must not refuse or lose a good fortune which knocks at our door 2. Great is the power of a woman when she applies her self to virtue behold at one instant how one of that sex assails God and the devil prevailing with the one by submission and conquering the other by command And he which gave the wide Sea arms to contain all the world findes his own chains of a prayer which himself did inspirâ—â— She draws unto her by a pious violence the God of all strength such was the fervency of her prayer such was the wisdome of heâ— answers and such the faith of her words As he passed away without speaking she hath the boldnesse to call him to her whiles he iâ— silent she prayes when he excuseth himself she adores him when he refuseth her suit she draws him to her To be short she iâ— stronger then the Patriarch Iacob for wheâ—â— he did wrestle with the Angel he returned lame from the conflict but this woman after she had been so powerfull with God returns strait to her house there to see her victories and possesse her conquests 3. Mark with what weapons she overcame the greatest of all conquerours Chatity drew her from home to seek health for her daughter because like a good mother she loved her not with a luxurious love but in her affliction feeling all her dolours by their passionate reflection upon her heart Her faith was planted upon so firm a rock that amongst all the appearances of dispair her hope remained constant Humility did effect that the name of Dog was given her for a title of glory she making profit of injuries and converting into honour the greatest contempt of her person Her words were low and humble but her faith was wondrous high since in a moment she chased away the devil saved her daughter and changed the word Dog into the name of a Sheep of Christs flock as Sedulius writes Perseverance was the last of her virtues in the Combat but it was the first which gained her Crown If you will imitate her in these four virtues Love Faith Humility and Perseverance they are the principal materialls of which the body of your perfection must be compounded Aspiration O Jesus Christ Son of David I remember well that thy forefather did by his harp chase away a devil from Saul And wilt not thou who art the Father of all blessed harmonies drive away from me so many little spirits of Affections Appetites and Passions which trouble and discompose my heart This poor soul which is the breath of thy mouth and daughter of thine infinite bounties is like the Sun under a cloud possessed with many wicked spirits but it hath none worse then that of self-love Look upon me O Lord with thine eyes of mercy and send me nor away with silence since thou art the Word Rather call me Dog so that I may be suffered to gather up the crums which fall from thy table Whatsoever proceeds from thy mouth is sacred and must be taken by me as a relick If thou say I shall obtain my desire I say I will have no other then what thou inspirest and I can be contented with nothing but what shall be thy blessed will and pleasure The Gospell upon Friday the first week in Lent St. Iohn 15. Of the Probatick Pond AFter these things there was a festival day of the Iews and Iesus went up to Ierusalem and there is at Ierusalem upon Probatica a Pond which in Hebrew is named Bethsaida having five porches In these lay a great multitude of sick persons of blind lame withered expecting the stirring of the water And an Angel of our Lord descended at a certain time into the pond and the water was stirred And he that had gonâ— down first into the pond after the stirring of the water was made whose of whatsoever infirmity he was holden And there was a certain man there that had been eight and thirty years in his infirmity Him when Iesus had seen lying and knew that he had now a long time he saith to him Wilt thou be made whole The sick man answered him Lord I have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the pond for whiles I come another goeth down before me Iesus saith to him Arise take up thy bed and walk And forthwith he was made whole and he took up his bed and walked And it was the Sabbath that day The Iews therefore said to him that was healed it is the Sabbath thou mayest not take up thy bed He answered them he that made me whole he said to me take up thy bed and walk They asked him therefore What is that man that said to thee take up thy bed and walk But he that was made whole knew not who it was For Iesus shrunk aside from the multitude standing in the place Afterward Iesus findeth him in the temple and said to him Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest some worse thing chance to thee That man went his way and told the Iews that it was Iesus that made him whole Moralities 1. ALl the world is but one great Hospitall wherein so many persons languish expecting the moving of the water the time of their good fortune The Angels of earth vvhich govern our fortunes goe not so fast as our desires But Iesus vvho is the great Angell of councell is alwaies ready to cure our maladies to support our weaknesse and make perfect our virtues We need only to follow his motions and inspirations to meet with everlasting rest It is a lamentable thing that some can patiently expect the barren favours of men twenty or thirty years together and yet will not continue three dayes in prayer to seek the inestimamable graces of God 2. The first step we must make toward our salvation is to desire it That man is worthy to be eternally sick who fears nothing else but the losse of his bodily health Men generally do all what they can possibly to cure their corporal infirmities they abide a thousand vexations which are but too certain to recover a health which is most uncertain And as for the passions of the mind some love the Feavers of their own love their worldly ambition above their own life They suck the head of a venemous aspick are killed by the tongue of a viper They will not part with that
lost their money and their brains Their fathers are causes of their faults by gathering so much wealth for those who know not how to use it Yet if they have the true repentance of the prodigall child he must not deny them pardon But mercy must not be had of those who ask it by strong hand or seek it by a counterfeit sorrow Aspirations IT is an accursed wandring to travel into the countrey of nothing Where pleasure drops down as water from a storm the miserable consequences whereof have leaden feet which never remove from the heart Good God what a countrey is that where the earth is made of quicksilver which steals it self from under our feet when we think to tread upon it What a countrey is that where if a man gathered one bud of roses he must be forced to eat a thousand thorns and be companion with the most nasty filthy beasts in their stinking ordures and be glad to eat of their loathsome draffe for want of other meat Alas I have suffered and such a misery as this is necessary to make me remember the happinesse which I possessed in thy house O mercifull Father behold my prodigall soul which returns to thee and will have no other advocate but thy goodnesse which as yet pleads for me within thy heart I have consumed all which I had but I could not consume thy mercy For that is an Abysse which surpasseth that of my sins and miseries Receive me as a mercenary servant If I may not obtain the name of a sonne Why shouldst not thou receive that which is thine since the wicked spirits have taken that which was not theirs Either shevv me mercie or else shevv me a heart more fatherly then thine and if neither earth nor heaven can find the like to vvhom vvouldst thou have me go but to thy self vvho doest not yet cease to call me The Gospel upon the third Sunday in Lent S. Luke 11. Jesus cast out the Devil vvhich vvas dumb ANd he was casting out a devil and that was dumbe And when he had cast out the devil the dumbe spake and the multitudes marvelled And certain of them said in Belzebub the Prince of Devils he casteth out Devils And other tempting asked him a sign from Heaven But he seeing their cogitations said to them Every Kingdome divided against it self shall be made desolate and house upon house shall fall And if Satan also be divided against himself how shall his Kingdome stand because you say that in Belzebub I do cast out Devils And if I in Belzebub cast out Devils your children in whom do they cast out Therefore they shall be your judges But if I in the singer of God do cast out Devils surely the Kingdome of God is come upon you When the strong armed keepeth his court those things are in peace that he possesseth but if a stronger then he come upon him and overcome him he will take away his whole armour wherein he trusted and will distribute his spoyls He that is not with me is against me And he that gathereth not with me scattereth When the unclean spirit shall depart out of a man he wandreth through places without water seeking rest and not finding he saith I will return into my house whence I departed And when he is come he findeth it swept with a besome and trimmed Then he goeth and taketh seven other spirits worse then himself and entring in they dwell there And the last of that man be made worse then the first And it came to passe when he said these things a certain woman lifting up her voyce out of the multitude said to him Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps that thou didst suck But he said Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it Moralities 1. THe Almond tree is the first which begins to flourish and is often first nipt with frost The tongue is the first thing which moves in a mans body and is soonest caught with the snares of Satan That man deserves to be speechlesse all his life who never speaks a word better then silence 2. Jesus the eternall word of God came upon earth to reform the words of man his life vvas a lightning and his vvord a thunder vvhich vvas povverfull in effect but alvvayes measured vvithin his bounds He did fight against ill tongues in his life and conquered them all in his death The gall and vinegar vvhich he took to expiate the sins of this unhappy tongue do shevv hovv great the evil vvas since it did need so sharp a remedy He hath cured by suffering his dolours vvhat it deserved by our committing sins Other vices are determined by one act the tongue goes to all it is a servant to all malitious actions and is generally confederate vvith the heart in all crimes 3. We have just so much Religion as vve have government of our tongues A little thing serves to tame vvild beasts and a small stern will serve to govern a ship Why then cannot a man rule so small a part of his body Is it not sufficient to avoid lying perjuries quarrels injuries slanders and blasphemies such as the Scribes and Pharisees did vomit out in this Gospel against the purity of the Sonne of God We must also repress idle talk and other frivolous and unprofitable discourses There are some persons vvho have their hearts so loose that they cannot keep them vvithin their brests but they vvill quickly svvim upon their lips vvithout thinking vvhat they say and so make a shift to vvound their souls 4. Imitate a holy Father called Sisus vvho prayed God thirty years together every day to deliver him from his tongue as from a capitall enemy You shall never be very chaste of your body except you do very vvell bridle your tongue For loosnesse of the flesh proceeds sometimes from liberty of the tongue Remember your self that your heart should go like a clock vvith all the just and equall motions of his springs and that your tongue is the finger vvhich shevvs hovv all the hours of the day pass When the heart goes of one side the tongue of another it is a sure desolation of your spirits kingdome If Jesus set it once at peace and quiet you must be very carefull to keep it so and be very fearfull of relapses For the multiplying of long continued sinnes brings at last hell it self upon a mans shoulders Aspirations O Word incarnate to whom all just tongues speak and after whom all hearts do thirst and languish chase from us all prating devils and also those which are dumb the first provoke and loose the tong to speak wickedly the other bind it when it should confesse the truth O peace-making Solomon appease the divisions of my heart and unite all my powers to the love of thy service Destroy in me all the marks of Satans Empire and plant there thy Trophees and Standards that my spirit be never like
and consolations I am cheerfully revived and my heart leaps in thy presence as a child rejoiceth at sight of his dear nurse O Light of lights which dost illuminate man coming into this world I will contemplate thee at the Sun-rising above all creatures I will follow thee with mine eyes all the day long and I will not leave thee at Sun setting for there is nothing can be in value near like thee It belongs onely to thee O Sun of my soul to arise at all hours and to give light at midnight as well as at noon-day The Gospel upon Passion-Sunday S. Iohn the 8. Upon these words Who can accuse me of sin WHich of you shall argue me of sin If I say the verity why doe you not believe me He that is of God heareth the words of God therefore you hear not because you are not of God The Iewes therefore answered and said to him Do not we say well that thou ariâ—a Samaritan and hast a Devil Iesus answered I have no Devil but I do honour my Father and you have disshonoured me But I seek not mine own glory There is that seeketh and judgeth Amen Amen I say to you if any man keep my word he shall not see death for ever The Iewes therefore said now we have known that thou hast a Devil Abraham is dead and the Propheâ—s and thou sayest if any man keep my word he shall not tast death for ever Why art thou greater then our Father Abraham who is dead and the Prophets are dead Whom doest thou make thy self Iesus answered if I doe glorâ—fie my self my glory is nothing It is my Father that glorifieth me whom you say that he is your God and you have not known him but I know him And if I shall say that I know him not I shall be like to you a lier but I doe know him and do keep his word Abraham your Father rejoyced that he might see my day and he saw and was glad The Iews therefore said to him Thou hast not yet fifty years and hast thou seen Abraham Iesus said to them Amen Amen I say to you before that Abraham was made I am They took stones therefore to cast at him But Iesus hid himself and went out of the Temple Moralities 1. THe Saviour of the world being resolved to suffer death as the Priest of his own sacrifice and sacrifice of his Priesthood shews that it is an effect of his mercy and not a suffering for any fault He doth advance the standard of the Crosse which was the punishment of guilty persons but he brought with him innocencie which is the mark of Saints he honours it with his dolours and sacrifices it with his bloud to glorifie it in the estimation of all the just He is without spot and capable to take out all stains by his infinite sanctity and yet he suffered as a sinner to blot out all our sins It is in this suffering he would have us all imitate him He doth not require us to make a heaven nor stars nor to enlarge the sea or to make the earth firm but to make our selvs holy as he is holy according to our capacity And this we may gain by his favour which he hath by his own nature No man is worthy to suffer with Jesus who doth not purifie himself by the sufferings of Jesus If we suffer in sinne we carry the crosse of the bad thief We must carry the Crosse of Jesus and consecrate our tribulations by our own virtues 2. It is said that the venemous serpent called a Basilisk which kills both men and beasts by his pestilent breath kills himself when he sees a looking glasse by the very reflection of his own poison The Jews do here the very same They come about this great mirrour of sanctity which carried all the glory of the living God he casts his beames upon them but envy the mother of murder which kills it self onely by the rayes of golden arrows makes them dart out venemous words to dishonour him yet his incomparable virtue kills them without losing any of his own brightnesse to teach us that the beauty of innocency is the best buckler against all slanders Though it seem to be tarnished for a time yet her brightness will thereby become more lively for it is a starre which the blackest vail of night cannot darken 3. Abraham did rejoyce at this day of God two thousand years before it was manifested to the world All the Patriarks did long after it and did anticipate their felicities by the purity of their thoughts This blessed day hath been reserved for us yet many of us despise it We so much love the day of man that by the force of too much love to it we forget the love of God We should and must contemn those perishing dayes of worldly honours and pleasures which are covered with eternal night that we may partake the eternity of that beautifull day which shall never have evening Aspirations O God of purity in whose presence the Angels ravished with admiration do cover their faces with their wings and have no sweeter extasies then the admiration of thy beauty The stars are not pure enough before thy redoubted Majesty The Sun beholds thee as the trâ—e Authour of his light Thou onely canst purifie all humane kind by a sanctity which spreads it self over all ages Alas I am confounded to see my sinfull soul so often dyed black with so many stains and beastly ordures before those most pure beams of thy glory Wash O wash again out all which displeaseth thee Regenerate in my heart a Spirit that shall be wordly thy self How shall I follow thee to mâ—unt Calvary if I be pursued with so many ill habits which I have often detested before thine eyes How can I goe in company with the first and greatest of all Saints drawing after me so many sins The encrease of my offences would multiply thy crosses I will therefore do my best to drown all my imperfections within thy bloud I will procure light to my nights by that bright and beautifull day which Abraham saw from that glorious day which took beginning from thy Crosse I will no more care for the day of man that I may the better apply my self to the day of God The Gospell upon Munday the fifth week in Lent St. Iohn 7. Jesus said to the Pharisees You shall seek and not find me and he that is thirsty let him come to me ANd the Princes and Pharisees sent Ministers to apprehend him Iesus therefore said to them Yet a little time am I with you and I goe to him that sent me you seek me and shall not find and where I am you cannot come The Iews therefore said among themselves whether will this man goe that we shall not find him will he goe into the dispersion of the Gentiles and teach the Gentiles what is this saying that he hath said You shall seek me and shall
not find and where I am you cannot come And in the last the great day of the festivity Iesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drink He that believeth in me as the Scripture saith out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water And this he said of the Spirit that they should receive which believed in him Moralities 1. TAke for your comfort this excellent word of our Saviour he that is thirsty and desires in this world to thirst after God let him come unto me and he shall quench his thirst at the chiefest fountain S. Augustine saith we are all here as David was in the desart of Idumea our life is a perpetual alteration which will never be settled while we live If we be weary we desire rest and if we rest over long our bed becomes troublesome though it should be all ofâ—oses Then again we thirst to be in action and business which also in a short time tires us and puts us into another â—lteration and that carries us again to a desire to do nothing All our life goeth like Penelopies web what one hour effects the next destroyes We do sufficiently perceive that we are not well in this world It is a large bed but very troublesome wherein every man stirs and tumbles himself up and down but no man can here attain to his perfect happinesse 2. This shews us plainly that we are made for God and that we should thirst after divine things if we desire true contentment There is no default in him because all that can be desired is there yet there is no superfluity because there can be nothing beyond him There only we abound without necessity we are assured without fear glorious without change And it is there only where we find all our sa isfactions perfectly accomplished For to speak truth contentment coÌ„sisteth in four principal things which are to have a contenting object to have a heart capable to appreheÌ„d it to feel a strong inclination to it to enter into an absolute full possession ofâ— Now God hath provided for all this by his infinite bounty He will not have us affect any other object of pleasure but his own He is God therefore can have nothing but God for his satisfaction intends graciously that we shall have the same He will have us thirst after him and quench our thirst within himself to this our soul is singularly disposed for as God is a Spirit so is our soul only spi itual We have so strong an inclination to love God that even our vices themselves without thinking what they do love somewhat of God For if pride affect greatness their can be nothing so great as the Monarch of it If luxury love pleasure God containeth all pure delights in his bosome and this which I say may be verified of all sins whatsoever If the presence of a right object and the enjoyning be wanting we have nothing so present as God St. Paul saith we are all within him within him vve live and within him we have the fountain of all our motions we see him through all his creatures untill he take off the vail and so let us see him and taste of his Glory 3 A true and perfect way to make us thirst after God is to forsake the burning thirst which we have after bodily and worldly goods Our soul and flesh go in the several scales of a ballance the rising of one pulls down the other It is a having two wives for us to think we can place all our delights in God and withall enjoy all worldly contentments A man must have a conscience free from earthly matters to receive the infusion of grace we must pass by Cavalry before we can come to Tabor and first taste gall with Iesus before we can taste that honey-comb which he took after his resurrection Aspirations O God true God of my salvation My heart which feeleth it self moved with an affectionate zeal thinks alwaies upon thee and in thinking finds an earnest thirst after thy beauties which heats my veins My soul is all consumed and I find that my flesh it self insensibly followeth the violence of my spirit I am here as within the desarts of Affâ—ica in a barren world the drought whereof makes it a direct habitation for dragons O my God I am tormented with this flame and yet I cherish it more then my self Will there be no good Lazarus found to dip the end of his finger within the fountain of the highest heaven a little to alay the burning of my thirst Do not tell me O my dear Spouse that there is a great Chaos between thee and me Thou hast already passed it in coming to me by thy bounty and wilt not thou lift me up then by thy mercy The Gospel upon Tuesday the fifth week in Lent S. Iohn 7. Jesus went not into Iewry because the Iews had a purpose to take away his life AFter these things Iesus walked into Galilee for he would not walk into Iewry because the Iews sought to kill him And the festival day of the Iews Scenopegia was at hand And his bretheren said to him Passe from hence and go into Iewry that thy Disciples also may see thy works which thou dost For no man doth any thing in secret and seeketh himself to be in publick if thou do these things manifest thy self to the world for neither did his bretheren believe in him Iesus therefore saith to them My time is not yet come but your time is alwaies ready The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I give testimony of it that the works thereof are evil Go you up to this festivall day I go not up to this festivall day because my time is not yet accomplished When he had said these things himself taâ—ied in Galilee But after his bretheren were gone up then he also went up to the festivall day not openly but as it were in secret The Iews therefore sought him in the festivall day and said Where is he And there was much murmuring in the multitude of him For certain said that he is good And others said No but he seduceth the multitudes yet no man spake openly of him for fear of the Iews Moralities 1. IEsus hides himself in this Gospel as the Sun within a cloud to shew himself at his own time to teach us that all the secrets of our life consisteth in well concealing and well discovering our selves He did conceal the life which he took from nature when he might have been born a perfect man as well as Adam and yet did he hide himself in the hay of a base Stable He concealeth his life of Grace dissembling under silence so many great and divine virtues as if he had lockt up the stars underlock and key as holy Iob saith He keeps secret his life of Glory retaining for thirty three years the light of his soul which should without intermission
his wickednesse for he is just like a fish that playes with the baite when the hook sticks fast in his throat We must waite and â—ttend for help from heaven patiently withâ—ut being tired even till the fourth which is is the last watch of the night All which proceeds from the hand of God comes ever in fit time and that man is a great gainer by his patient attendance who thereby gets nothing but perseverance 3. They know Jesus very ill that take him for a Phantome or an illusion and cry out for fear of his presence which should make them most rejoyce So do those souls which are little acquainted with God who live in blindenesse and make much of their own darknesse Let us learn to discerne God from the illusions of the world The tempest ceaseth when he doth approach and the quietnesse of our heart is a sure marke of his presence which fils the soul with splendour and makes it a delicious Garden He makes all good wheresoever he comes and the steps which his feet leave are the bounties of his heart To touch the Hem of his Garment cures all that are sick to teach us that the forms which cover the blessed Sacrament are the fringes of his holy humanity which cures our sins Aspirations O Lord my soul is in night and darknesse and I feel that thou art far from me What Billows of disquiet arise within my heart what idle thoughts which have been too much considered Alas most redoubted Lord and Father of mercy canst thou behold from firm land this poor vessel which labours so extreamly being deprived of thy most amiable presence I row strongly but can advance nothing except thou come into my soul Come O my adored Master walk upon this tempestuous Sea of my heart ascend into this poor Vessell say unto me take courage It is I. Be not conceited that I will take thee for an illusion for I know thee too well by thy powers and bounties to be so mistaken The least thought of my heart will quiet it self to adore thy steps Thou shalt raigne within me thou shalt disperse my cares thou shalt recover my decayed senses thou shalt lighten my understanding thou shalt inflame my will thou shalt cure all my infirmities And to conclude thou only shalt work in me and I will be wholly thine The Gospel upon the first Sunday in Lent S. Matthew the 4. Of our Saviours being tempted in the Desart THen Iesus was led of the spirit into the Desart to be tempted of the Devill and when he had fasted fourty dayes and fourty nights afterward he was hungry And the tempter aproached and said to him If thou be the Sonne of God command that these stones be made bread Who answered and said it is written not in bread alone doth man live but in every word that procedeth from the mouth of God Then the Devil took him up into the holy City and set him upon the pinacle of the Temple and said to him If thou be the son of God cast thy self down for it is written that he will give his Angels charge of thee and in their hands shall they hold thee up lest perhaps thou knock thy foot against a stone Iesus said to him again It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Again the Devil took him up into a very high mountain and he shewed him all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them and said to him all these will I give thee if falling down thou wilt adore me Then Iesus saith to him avant Satan for it is written the Lord thy God shalt thou a dore and him only shalt thou serve When the Divil left him and behold Angels came and ministred to him Moralities 1. IEsus suffered himself to be tempted saith Saint Augustine to the end he might serve for a Mediatour for an example for a remedy to work our victory over all temptations We must fight on his side Our life is a continuall warfare and our dayes are ChampioÌ„s which enters into the lists There is no greater temptation then to have none at all Sleeping water doth nourish poyson Motion is the worlds soul fighting against temptations is the soul of virtues and gloâ—y doth spring and bud out of tribulations Virtue hinders not temptation but surmount it Jesus fasted saith the ordinary Glosse that he might be tempted is tempted because he did fast He fasted fourty dayes and then was hungry he did eat with his Disciples the space of fourty dayes after his resurrection without any more necessity of meat then the Sun hath of the earths vapours to make us thereby know that it onely appertained to him to teach that great secret how to manage vvant and abundance by vvich S. Paul vvas glorified 2. The first victory over a temptation is tâ— knovv that vvhich tempts us Some temptations are gay smiling at their beginning as those of love and pleasure vvhich end in terrible bitter stormes Others are troublesome and irksome Others doubt full and intricate Others rapide and sudden vvhich cease upon their prey like an Eagle Others are close and catching These are the snares of Satan vvho fomes like a Bore to arsike a Lion and hisseth like a Serpent We should alvvayes have an eye ready to mark from whence the temptation comes whither it tends what is the root of it what the course what the progresse and what power it may have over our spirit 3. Solitude of heart fasting prayer the word of God are weapons of an excellent temper which the word incarnate teacheth us to use in this conflict These things are to be used with discretion by the counsell of a good directour to whom a man must declare all his most secret thoughts and bear a breast of Christall toward him with a firm purpose to let him see all the inward motions of his heart It is also good to note here that our Lord would expresly be tempted in that Desart which is between Jerusalem and Jericho where the Samaritan mentioned in the parable did poure wine and oyl into the sores of the poor wounded man to teach us that by his combat he came to cure the wounds of Adam and all his race in the very place where they were received 4. Sin is killed by flying the occasions of it Absence resistance coldnesse silence labour diversion have overcome many assaults of the enemy Somtimes a Spiders web is strong enough to preserve chastity at other times the thick walls of Semiramis are not sufficient God governs all and a good will to concur with him is a strong assurance in all perils and it will keep us untoucht amidst the flames of lust 5. Since it imports us so much to fight valiantly let us bring the hearts of Lions Where is our Christianity if we do not give testimony of it to God both by our sidelity and courage How many Martyrs have been rosted and broild because
demand a sign of Jesus THen answered him certain of the Scribes and Pharisees saying Master we would see a sign from thee who answered and said to them The wicked and advouterous generation seeketh a sign and a sign shall not be given it but the sign of Ionas the Prophet For as Ionas was in the Whales belly three dayes and three nights so shall the Sonne of man be in the heart of the earth three dayes and three nights The men of Nineveh shall rise in the judgement with this generation and shall condemne it because they did penance at the preaching of Ionas And behold more then Ionas here The Queen of the south shall rise in the judgement with this generation and shall condemne it because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdome of Solomon and behold more then Solomon here And when an unclean spirit shall go out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth not Then hee saith I will returne into my house whence I came out And coming he findeth it vacant swept with besomes and trimmed then goeth he and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked then himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last of that man be made worse then the first So shall it be also to this wicked generation As he was yet speaking to the multitudes behold his mother and his brethren stood without seeking to speak to him and one said unto him behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without seeking thee But he answering him that told him said who is my mother and who are my brethren And stretching forth his hand upon his Disciples he said Behold my mother and my brethren for whosoever shall do the will of my Father that is in heaven he is my brother and sister and mother Moralities 1. 'T is a very ill sign when we desire signs to make us believe in God The signs which we demand to fortifie out faith are ofttimes marks of our infidelity There is not a more dangerous plague in the events of worldly affairs then to deal with the Devil or to cast nativities All these things fil men whith more saults then knowledge For divine Oracles have more need to be reverenced then interpreted He that will find God must seek him with simplicity and professe him with piety 2. Some require a sign and yet between heaven and earth all is full of signs How many creatures soever there are they are all steps and characters of the Divinity What a happy thing it is to study what God is by the volume of time and by that great Book of the world There is not so small a floure of the meddows nor so little a creature upon earth which doth not tell us some news of him He speaks in our ears by all creatures which are so many Organ-pipes to convey his Spirit and voice to us But he hath no sign so great as the word incarnate which carries all the types of his glory and power About him onely should be all our curiosity our knowledge our admiration and our love because in him we can be sure to find all our repose and consolation 3. Are we not very miserable since we know not our own good but by the losse of it which makes us esteem so little of those things we have in our hands The Ninivites did hear old Ionas the Prophet The Queen of Saba came from farre to hear the wisdome of Solomon Jesus speaks to us usually from the Pulpits from the Altars in our conversations in our affairs and recreations And yet we do not sufficiently esteem his words nor inspirations A surfeited spirit mislikes honey and is distasted with manna raving after the rotten pots of Egypt But it is the last and worst of all ills to dispise our own good Too much confidence is mother of an approaching danger A man must keep himself from relapses which are worse then sinnes which are the greatest evils of the world he that loves danger shall perish in it The first sinne brings with it one Devil but the second brings seven There are some who vomit up their sinnes as the sea doth cockles to swallow them again Their life is nothing but an ebbing and flowing of sinnes and their most innocent retreats are a disposition to iniquity For as boild water doth soonest freez because the cold works upon it with the greater force so those little fervours of devotion which an unfaithfull soul feels in confessions and receiving if it be not resolute quite to forsake wickednesse serve for nothing else but to provoke the wicked spirit to make a new impression upon her It is then we have most reason to fear Gods justice when we despise his mercy We become nearest of kin to him when his Ordinances are followed by our manners and our life by his precepts Aspirations O Word Incarnate the great sign of thy heavenly Father who carriest all the marks of his glory and all the characters of his powers It is thou alone whom I seek whom I esteem and honour All that I see all I understand all that I feel is nothing to me if it do not carry thy name and take colour from thy beauties nor be animated by thy Spirit Thy conversation hath no trouble and thy presence no distaste O let me never lose by my negligence what I possesse by thy bounty Keep me from relapses keep me from the second gulf and second hell of sinne He is too blind that profits noting by experience of his own wickednesse and by a full knowledge of thy bounties The Gospel upon Thursday the first week in Lent out of S. Matthew the 15. Of the woman of Canaan ANd Iesus went forth from thence and retired into the quarters of Tyre and Sidon And behold a woman of Canaan came forth out of these coasts and crying out said to him have mercy upon me O Lord the Son of David my daughter is sore vexed of a Devil who answered her not a word And his Disciples came and besought him saying dismisse her because she cryeth out after us And he answering said I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel But she came and adored him saying Lord help me who answering said It is not good to take the bread of children and to cast it to the dogs but she said yea Lord for the dogs also eat of the crums that fall from the tables of their masters Then Iesus answering said to her O woman great is thy faith be it done to thee as thou wilt and her daughter was made whole from that hour Moralities 1. OUr Saviour Jesus Christ after his great and wondrous discent from heaven to earth from being infinite to be finite from being God to be man used many severall means for salvation of the world And behold entring upon the frontiers of Tyre and Sidon he was pleased to conceal himself But
which kills them and if you take from them the worm which makes them itch or the executioner who doth indeed torment them they believe you take away the chiefest of their felicity Happy is that soul which holds nothing so dear in this world but will forsake it willingly to find God and will spare nothing to gain Paradise 3. There is nothing more common nor so rare as man The world is full of vitious and unprofitable men But to find one very compleat in all good things is to find a direct Phenix There are more businesses without men then men without businesses For how many charitable employments might many lazy and idle persons find out So many poor mens affairs continue at a stand so many miserable creatures languish so many desolate persons long to find some man who with little trouble to himself would take some small care of their affairs and make up a little piece of their fortunes Jesus is the man of God desired of all ages to him we must apply our selves since he is both life and truth By him we may come to all happiness by him we may live in the fountains streams of life in him we may contemplate the chiefest of all truths Aspirations WHat patience have I in committing sins and how impatient am I in my sufferings for them I am ever most readie to execute vice unwilling to abide the punishment O good God there are many years in which I have retained an inclination to this disorder to that sin My soul is bound as it were with Iron chains in this unhappy bed wil there be no Angel to move the water for me But art not thou the Lord and Prince of Angels Then I most humbly beseech thee O blessed Saviour do thou command and by thy only word my affairs wil go well and receive a happy dispatch my body will become sound my soul innocent my heart at rest and my life an eternal Glory The Gospell upon Saturday the first week in Lent and the Sunday following out of St. Matthew 17. Of the Transfiguration of our Lord. ANd after six dayes Iesus taketh unto him Peter and Iames and Iohn his brother and bringeth them into a high mountain apart and he was transfigured before them And his face did shine as the Sun and his garments became white as Snow And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him And Peter answering said to Iesus Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here three tabernacles one for Thee one for Moses and one for Elias And as he was yet speaking behold a bright cloud overshadowed them And loe a voice out of the Cloud saying This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him And the Disciples hearing it fell upon their face and were sore afraid And Iesus came and touched them and he said to them Arise and fear not And they lifting up their eyes saw no body but onely Iesus And as they descended from the mount Iesus commanded them saying Tell the vision to no body till the Son of man be risen from the dead Moralities 1. THe words of the Prophet Osee are accomplished the nets and toils planted upon mount Tabor not to catch birds but hearts The mountain which before was a den for Tigers and Panthers according to the Story is now beautified by our Saviour and becomes a place full of sweetness and ravishments Jesus appears transfigured in the high robes of his glory The cloud made him a pavilion of gold the Sun made his face shine like it self The heavenly Father doth acknowledge his Son as the true Prince of glory Moses and Elias both appear in brightness the one bearing the Tables of the Law and the other carried in a burning Chariot as Origen saith which made the Apostles know him For the Hebrews had certain figures of the most famous men of their Nation in books They both as Saint Luke saith were seen in glory and Majesty which fell upon them by reflection of the beames which came from the body of Jesus who is the true fountain of brightness The Apostles lose theÌ„selves in the deliciousness of this great spectacle and by â—eeing more then they ever did desired to lose their eyes O that the world is most contemptible to him that knows how to value God as he ought So many fine powders so many pendents and favours of Glasse so many Towers and Columns of durt plastered over with gold are followed by a million of Idolaters To conclude so many worldly â—ewels are like the empty imaginations of a sick spirit not enlightened by the beams of truth Let us rely upon the word saith Saint Augustine which remains for ever while men passe like the water of a fountain which hides it self in the Spring shews it self in the stream and loseth it self at last in the Sea But God is alwayes himself there needs no Tabernacle made by the hands of man to remain with him for in Paradise he is both the God and the Temple 2. Tabor is yet but a small patern we must get all the piece we must go to the Palace of Angels and brightnesse where the Tabernacles are not made by the hands of men There we shall see the face of the living God clearly and at full There the beauties shall have no vails to hide them from us Our being shall have no end Our knowledges will not be subject to errour nor our loves and affections to displeasure O what a joy will it be to enjoy all and desire nothing to be a Magistrate without a successour to be a King with out an enemy to be rich without covetousnesse to negotiate without money and to be everliving without fear of death 3. But who can get up to this mountain except he of whom the Prophet speaks who hath innocent hands and a clean heart who hath not received his soul of God in vain to bury it in worldly pelf To follow Jesus we must transform our selves into him by hearing and following his doctrin since God the Father proposeth him for the teacher of mankind and commands us to hearken unto him We must follow his examples since those are the originalls of all virtues The best trade we can practise in this world is that of transfiguration and we may do it by reducing our form to the form of our Lord and walking upon earth like men in heaveÌ„ Then will the Sun make us have shining faces when purity shall accompany all our actions and intentions Our clothes shall be as white as snow when we shall once become innocent in our conversations we shal then be ravished like the Apostles and after we have been at mount Tabor we shall be blind to the rest of the world and see nothing but Jesus It is moreover to be noted that our Saviouâ— did at that time entertain himself with discourse of his great future
they have no other sault but that they are not sufficiently carefull of their own health Others do correct with such sharpnesse and violence that they wound their own hearts to care other mens and seem to have a greater minde to please their own passions then to amend those whom they would instruct Correction should be accompanied with sweetnesse but it must carry with all a little vigour to make a right temper and to keepe a mean between softnesse and austerity Jesus in the Prophet Isai is called both a rod and a flower to shew us according to Origen that he carries severity mingled with sweetnesse to use either of them according to the diversity of persons 3. It is not a very easie thing to receive brotherly correction patiently we are so farre in love with being well thought of And after we have lost the tree of life which is virtue it self we would keep the bark of it which is onely reputation All shadows proceed from those bodies upon which somewhat shines honour is the child of a known virtue and many when they cannot get one lawfull are willing to have a Basâ—ard This is the cause why so many resemble those serpents which requite them with poison who sing to them pleasant songs Whatsoever is spoken to instruct them makes them passionate and dart out angry speeches against those who speak to them mild and gentle words of truth and tending to their salvation Rest assured you can never get perfection except you count it a glory to learn and discover your own imperfections 4. There is nothing of more force then the praiers of just men which are animated by the same spirit cimented together with perfect concord They are most powerfull both in heaven and earth When they desire what God will they are alwaies heard if not according to the wishes of their own nature yet according to the greater profits of his grace He is alwayes happy who hath that which he would because he knows how to wish what is fitting and finds means to obtain what he desires by reason of his abstinence from coveting that which cannot be had 5. We must not offer to limit our goodnesse but as it comes from an infinite God we should make it as near being infinite as we can He gives the lie to virtues who will reduce them to a certain number We must never be weary of well doing but imitate the nature of celestiall things which never make any end but to begin again Aspirations O God what spots are in my soul and how little do I looke into my own imperfections Wilt thou never shew me to my self for some good time that I may cure my self by horrour of seeing what I am since I do so often wound my self by being too indulgent to my own naughty affections It is a great offence to break the glass which representeth me to my self by brotherly correction and to think I shall commit no more sins when no body will take liberty to reprove me I will humble my self to the very dust and mount up to thy glory by contempt of my own basenesse Alas must my soul be alwaies so far in love with it self that it cannot suffer the remonstrance of a friend how will it then endure the tooth of an enemy what can she love being so partial to her self if she do not love most ugly darkness O my redoubted Master I fear thine eyes which see those obscurities which the foolish world takes to be brightnesse If I cannot be alwaies innocent make me at least acknowledge my self faulty that I may know my self as I am to the end thou mayest know me for an object capable of thy mercy The Gospel upon Wednesday the third week in Lent Saint Matthew 15. The Pharisees asked Jesus Why do thy Disciples contradict ancient Traditions THen came to him from Ierusalem Scribes and Pharisees saying Why do thy Disciples transgress the tradition of the ancients For they wash not their hands when they eat bread But he answering said to them Why do you also transgresse the commandement of God for your tradition For God said Honour Father and Mother and he that shall curse Father or Mother dying let him die But you say Whosoever shall say to Father or Mother The gift whatsoever proceedeth from me shall profit thee and shall not honour his Father or his Mother and you have made frustrate the commandment of God for your own tradition Hypocrites well hath Esay prophesied of you saying This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me And in vain do they worship me teaching doctrines and commandments of men And having called together the multitudes unto him he said to them Hear ye and understand Not that which entreth into the mouth defileth a man but that which proceedeth out of the mouth that defileth a man Then came his Disciples and said to him Dost thou know that the Pharisees when they heard this word were scandalized But he answering said All planting which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Let them alone blind they are guides of the blind and if the blind be guide to the blind both fall into the ditch And Peter answering said to him Expound us this parable But he said Are you also as yet without understanding Do you not understand that all that entreth into the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast forth into the privie But the things that proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart and those things defile a man For from the heart come forth evil cogitations murders advouteries fornications thefts false testimonies blasphemies These are the things that defile but to eat with unwashen hands doth not defile a man Moralities 1. THe spirit of man is wretched makes it self business by being disquieted with petty little things tormenting it self with formalities whilest it lives in a deep neglect of all that which is most essential to her salvation The Pharises did place their perfections in washing themselves every hour of the day in bearing writs of the Law upon their foreheads and thorns upon their heels but made no scruple to take away the honor due to fathers mothers from their children to make spoil of the world by a ravenous avarice which took upon it the apparance of piety and to give up innocent bloud under shew of justice The world doth now furnish it self with such like devotions Some make it a sin to look upon a fair flower with delight to eat with a good appetite to drink cool wine in hot weather to burn a paper upon which the name of Iesus is written to tread upon two straws that lie a cross But to set mony to usury to remember injuries for ever to keep a poor workmans wages to oppress the weak to accuse the innocent to spoil miserable persons These are the little sins which pass for virtues in this world Assure your self
so liberally 3. Iesus will not be known singly by his words but by his works Our words must agree with our good actions as the needle of a clock agrees with the springs When we have heard or read some good doctrine that Sermon or reading must passe into our manners It is surely a strange thing that many imploy that leisure to know much and yet will not spend some considerable time to make themselves good Christians We must be Philosophers more by imitating the example of God then by any curious enquiry of his greatnesse Our Christianity teacheth us that we should be more knowing skilfull in the practise of our life then of our tongue and that we are rather made to perform great actions then to speak them We must have a speciall care that our hands do not give our mouth the lie What can we gain in the judgement of God by being like those tres which haue a fair outside garnished with leaves yet good for nothing but to give a shadow and to make a little noise when the wind blows God requires of us fruit since he is the father of all fertility nothing is barren in the land of the living Aspirations O My God I know thee because thou was first pleased to know me Thou hast known me by thy goodnesse and I will do my best to know thee that I may obtain all happinesse O that I might know that my name is written in the book of life and also know the life which I may possesse within the heart of Iesus in which so many lives do live O how should I then find my spirit ravished in those beautifull Ideas of glory Fix thine eyes on me O Lord and thou shalt thereby bring me to the fountain of all happinesse The Father hath given me to thee I am the conquest of thy precious bloud Suffer not a soul to be taken away from the which hath cost thee so many sweats sufferings I am thine by so many titles that I will be no more mine own but only to have the right of renouncing that which I am and to establish what shall be thine in this little kingdome of my heart The Gospel upon Thursday the fifth week in Lent S. Iohn 7. Upon S. Mary Magdalens washing our Saviours feet in the Phariseâ— house ANd one of the Pharisees desired him to eat with him And he being entred into the house of the Pharisee he sate down to meat And behold a woman that was in the Citie a sinner as she knew that he set down in the Pharisees house she brought an Alabaster box of ointment and standing behinde beside his feet she began to water his feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with oyntment And the Pharisee that had bid him seeing it spake within himself saying This man if he were a Prophet would know certes who and what manner of woman she is which toucheth him that she is a sinner And Iesus answering said to him Simon I have somewhat to say unto thee But he said Master say A certain creditour had two debtors own did ow five hundred pence and the other fifty they having not wherewith to pay he forgave both whether therefore doth love him more Simon answering said I suppose that he to whom he forgave more But he said to him Thou hast judged rightly And turning to the woman he said unto Simon Doest thou see this woman I entred into thy house water to my feet thou didst not give but she with tears hath watered my feet and with her hairs hath wiped them Kisse thou gavest me not but she since I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feet With oyl thou didst not annoint my head but she with ointment hath anointed my feet For the which I say to thee many sins are forgiven her because she hath loved much But to whom lesse is forgiven he loveth lesse And he said to her Thy sins are forgiven thee And they that sate together at the table began to say within themselves Who is this that also forgiveth sins And he said to the woman Thy faith hath made thee safe Go in peace Moralities 1. SAint Mary Magdalen is under the feet of Jesus Christ as is that work of Saphires mentioned in Exodus under the feet of God It is a work wrought by the right hand of the Highest the wonder of women the most happy of all lovers who made profit of sin which destroys all who sanctified that love which so little knew the way to any sanctity This is the fountain mentioned in the Book of Hester in the vision of Mardocheus A fountain which became a River and after changes it self into the Sun which gives beams and showers at one instant She is a fountain at the Pharisees table she is a â—iver in her solitary grove she is a Sun both in Paradise in that great exaltation wherein the Catholick Church now beholds her Being now in glory she doth not yet forbear to open fountains of tears by imitation of her within the souls of repentant sinners of whom incessantly she procures the conversion Happy is that heart which is pierced with the imitation of her virtues thereby to gain some part of her crowns 2. Every thing is admirable in her conversion A sinner wounded with love cures her self by love She changes the fire of Babylon into that of Ierusalem She plucks out of her wound the venomous dart of worldly love to make large room for the arrows of Iesus which pierce her heart and at an instant make a harmony of heavenly passions within the bottome of her soul She holds the wound dearer then life and goes streight to her conquerour ro desire death or increase of love 3. She appears most ingenious in her affections to provide no water wherewith to wash her Masters feet since she could draw it so fitly out of her own eyes This was the water which Iesus did thirst after when he asked of the Samaritan woman some to drink But the poor woman was so astonished that she forsook her pitcher forgot that which Iesus asked Now the holy Magdalen brings her eyes to the Pharisees table as two vessels full of christal water which was of that puâ—e stream which comes from the holy Lamb. Heaven is wont to vvater the earth but here the earth waters Heaven A soul w ich was before black and burnt up with the fi e of concupiscence provides a fountain for the King of highest Heaven She draws tears from her sins to make them become the joyes of Paradise 4. She sanctifies all that which vvas esteemed most prophane Her hairs which were the nets vvherein so many captive souls did sigh under the yoke of wanton love are now as the ensignes and standards of wicked Cupid trampled under the feet of her Conquerour Those kisses which carried the poison of a luxurious pâ—ssioÌ„
redemption The joy of beatitude was a fruition of all celestial delights whereunto nothing which displeased could have accesse and yet Iesus suffered sorrow to give him a mortal blow even in the Sanctuary of his Divinity He afflicted himself for us because we knew not what it was to afflict our selves for him and he descended by our stâ—ps to the very anguishes of death to make us rise by his death to the greatest joyes of life To be short there was a great duel between the affectionate love and the virginal flesh of Iesus His soul did naturally love a body which was so obedient and his bodie followed wholly the inclinations of his soul There was so perfect an agreement between these two parties that their separation must needs be most dolorous Yet Iesus would have it so signe the decree by sweating bloud And as if it had been too little to weep for our sinnes with two eyes he suffered as many eyes as he had veins to be made in his body to shed for us tears of his own bloud 3. Observe here how this soul of Iesus amongst those great anguishes continued alwayes constant like the needle of a Sea-compass in a storm He prayes he exhorts be orders he reproves and he encourages he is like the heavens which amongst so many motions and agitations lose no part of their measure or proportion Nature and obedience make great convulsions in his heart but he remains constantly obedient to the will of his heavenly Father he tears himself from himself to make himself a voluntary sacrifice for death amongst all his inclinations to life to teach us that principal lesson of Christianitie which is to desire onely what God will and to execute all the decrees of his divine providence as our chiefest helps to obtain perfection Aspirations O Beauteous garden of Olives which from henceforth shalt be the most delicious objects of my heart I will lose my self in thy walks I will be lost with God that I may never be lost I will breath only thy air since it is made noble by the sighs of my dear Master I will gather thy flowers since Iesus hath marked them with his bloud I will wash my self in those fountains since they are sanctified by the sweat of my Iesus I will have no other joy but the sorrow of the Son of God nor any other will but his O my sweet Saviour Master and teacher of all humane kind wilt thou be abridged of thine own will which was so reasonable pure to give me an example of mortifying my passions and shall I before thy face retain any wicked or disordinate appetites Is it possible I should desire to be Lord of my self who am so bad a Master when I see the Author of all goodnesse separate himself from himself onely to make me and all mankind partakers of his merits Of the apprehension of Iesus IN that obscure dolorous night wherein our Saviour was apprehended three sorts of darknesses were cast upon the Iews upon Iudas upon S. Peter A darkness of obduration upon the hearts of the Iews a darknesse of ingratefull malignity upon Iudas and a darknesse of infirmity upon Saint Peter Was there ever any blindness like that of the Iews who sought for the shining sun with lighted torches without knowing him by so many beams of power which shined from him They are strucken down with the voice of the Son of God as with lightning and they rise again upon the earth to arme themselves against heaven They bind his hands to take away the use of his forces but they could not stop the course of his bounties To shew that he is totally good he is good and charitable even amongst his merciless executioners and he lost all he had savng his Godhead only to gain patience When Saint Peter stroke the high Priests servant the patience of our Lord Iesus received the blow and had no patience till he was healed If goodness did shew forth any one beam in the Garden modesty sent forth another in the house of Annas when his face was strucken by a servile hand his mouth opened it self as a Temple from whence nothing came but sweetnesse and light The God of Truth speaketh to Caiphas and they spit upon his brightnesse and cover that face which must discover heaven for us The mirrour of Angels is tarnisht with the spittle of infernal mouths wounded by most sacrilegious hands without any disturbance of his constancie That was invincible by his virtue as the wilfulness of the Iews stood unmoveable by their obduration There are souls which after they have filled the earth with crimes expect no cure of their discases but by the hell of the reprobate 2. The second darkness appeareth by the black passion of Iudas who falls down into hell with his eys open and after he had fold his soul sold Jesus and both all he had and all he was to buy an infamous halter to hang himself A soul become passionate with wanton love with ambition or avarice is banished into it self as into a direct hell and delivered to her own passion as to the Furies The Poets Hydra had but seven heads but the spirit of Avarice S. Iohn Climacus saith hath ten thousand The conversation of Iesus which was so full of infinite attractions could never win the spirit of Judas when it was once bewitched with covetousnesse The tinkling of silver kept him from rightly understanding Jesus He makes use of the most holy things to betray Holiness it self He employes the kisse of peace to begin war He carries poyson in his heart and hony in his mouth he puts on the spirit of Iesus to betray him This shews us plainly that covetous and traiterous persons are farthest from God and nearest to the Devils The third power of darknesse appeared in the infirmitie of Saint Peter who after so many protestations of fidelity for fear of death renounced the Authour of life One of the Ancients said the greatest frailty of Humanity was that the wisest men were not infallibly wise at all times And all men are astonished to see that the greatest spirits being left to themselves become barren and suffer eclipses which give example to the wisest and terrour to all the world God hath suffered the fall of St. Peter to make us have in â—orrour all presumption of our own forces to teach us that over great assurance is oft times mother of an approaching danger Besides it seemeth he would by this example consecrate the virtue of repentance in this fault of him whom he chose to be head of his Church to make us see that there is no dignitie so high nor holinesse so eminent which doth not ow Tribute to the mercie of God Aspirations Vpon Saint Peters tears IT is most true saith Saint Peter that a proud felicity hath alwaies reeling feet Thou which didst defie the gates of hell hast yielded thy self to the voice of a simple woman