difficultie to be great knocks hard to haue helpe from heauen putts downe for a caueat to all that it is better to be ignorant with safetie then knowing with danger And that vnlesse we beleeue humbly we shall not see clearely AFFECTION and RESOL. Let vs beware my soule of bearing our heads too high and of being proudely wise let vs be wise with so brietie it is to the simple and humble litle ones that God giues grace and reueales misteries shutt vp from the wise of the world who vanish in their owne sense and reputing themselues wise are indeed fooles It is the simplicitie of beleeuing not the viuacitie of vnderstanding which saues the troupes of Christians Low layd then ô Lord in my poore nothing humbly will I expect from thee the knowledge of such truthes as thy wisdome may see necessarie for thy glorie and my eternall good This is all I need and all I desire II. POINT Consider the excellences and fruites of Faith wherof the first is that it makes the humble and simple man see the most hidden misteries though with an obscure light perfectly and infallibly without disputation hesitation or doubt at all Faith hath indeed eyes saith he yea eyes both greater stronger and more powerfull eyes which neuer deceaued any eyes which are alwayes fixed vpon our Lord eyes finally which in some sort sees that to be true which as yet she sees not and wherby she most certainly sees that she doth not yet see what she beleeues AFFECTION and RESOL. Who are not content with these eyes haue deseruedly eyes and see not yea with open eyes run to their destruction and descend into Hell aliue because they would preferre their witt before the infallible guidance of Faith which was the proper guide giuen vs by God to direct our stepps in Christianitie O most blessed light who art not seene saue onely by most purifyed eyes purifie thes eyes of myne that flying vanitie they may dwel vpon VERITIE and in thy light see light indeed III. POINT Consider that a seconde excellence of faith is that it is the iust mans foode or his iustice because if he beleeues he vseth precaution if he vse precaution he also begins to vse endeuour and God knowes his endeuour and lookes into his will and obserues his combat with the flesh exhorts him to fight helps him to ouercome expects him strugling supports him falling crownes him ouercoming O how excellent a fruite of Faith is this AFFECTION and RESOLVT Grant ô Lord that this Faith which is the iust mans foode and life may alwayes be found in me so vigourous and liuely that by a wise precaution or fore-sight I may looke ouer temporall and fixe vpon eternall things For those vse my best endeuours vpon the purchace of those to spend my substance for the attayning of those to fight lawfully in his sight who after that good combat and conseruation of faith will bestow vpon me that crowne of iustice which the same faith assuring is layd vp for me and such as loue his coming THE X. MEDITATION A continuation of the fruites and excellencies of Faith I. POINT COnsider as a third excellencie of Faith that their are no greater riches no greater treasures no honors no substance of this world greater then the Catholike faith which saues sinners inlightēs the blind cures the infirme baptiseth the Cathecumenes iustifies the faithfull repaires the penitent increaseth the iust crownes Martirs conserueth Virgins widowes wiues in puritie orders clarkes consecrates Priests prepars vs to the Kingdome of heauen and makes vs partake with the Angells in that eternall inheritance AFFECTION and RESOLV See then my soule how when we thinke to haue left all we possesse all nay while we thinke to haue lost all by persequution we inioy all more happily while our Faith which is the greatest riches honor substance of this world is not impaired but increased by it They may robbe vs of our riches yet while our faith is firme they touch not that aurum optimum which is Charitie They may depriue vs of wordly honors but not of that noble title of being the sons of God They may order our substance to new Masters but they cannot quelle our expectation and hope of a better and permanent substance II. POINT Consider yet further that it is Christian faith which doth rayse our thoughts and conduct vs to the verie highth or topp of WISDOME AND TRVTH the fruition vvherof is no other thing then blessed life or BEATITVDE vvhich is neuer found saue onely in the discipline of our Catholike Mother AFFECTION and RESOL. If Beatitude be that which all men incessantly seeke for and not finding can neuer rest if it can neuer be found saue by the benefit of Faith alone and faith can noe way be procured but by Gods free gift What millions of prayses doe we owe to that infinite Goodnes who freely bestowed this incomparable great gift of Faith vpon vs which inables vs to see all good things O how many hovv many vvould haue vvished to haue seene vvhat vve haue seene and haue not seene it c. Benedicam Domino in omni tempore semper laus eius in ore meo III. POINT Consider for the last fruite or excellencie that though this Catholike faith Eagle-like is able to flie right vp and fixe those stronge and vndazeled eyes of hers vpon the sun it selfe and euen gaze vpon Maiestie without being oppressed by glorie yet doth she graciously accommodate her selfe to euery capacitie be they litle be they great be they weake be they stronge she hath foode wherwith to nourish them to saciate them AFFECTION and RESOLV Yes heauenly father because so it was pleasing in thy sight These things thou didst hide from the prudent and wise of the world and hast reuealed them to the litle ones to those litle ones who seeke thee in simplicitie and humilitie of hart The wisest if they be wise indeed and walke not in wonders aboue them selues and so vanish in their owne presumption must be forced to make their reason stoope in obedience to Faith humbly pronouncing Credo I beleeue what I am not able by witt to discouer And the least and simplest of the children of God doth no lesse ô diuine faith how excellent a Mistrisse thou art who in a moment canst persuade vs more wholsome truthes then all the Aristotles in an Age. THE XI MEDITATION Hovv he behaued himselfe in Hope and vvhat motiues he had to imbrace it I. POINT COnsider with Saint Augustine that Faith indeed shewes vs faire things and such as are worthy of all labour to obteyne them Yet had we no Hope at all whereby we might be inabled as well to obteyne them as to know them we should ether not att all or at least verie weakely loue the things which by faith we discouer to be so beautifull His faith was therfore accōpaigned with hope vvhich is no other thing then that vvherby a man is encourraged to
Lord thy sorowes passe all our sorowes yet my soule it is maiestie that is thus smitten it 's innocencie which thus suffers It 's indeede the God of Gods whose immensitie cannot be comprehended whose perfections excellencies cannot be numbred whose goodnesse is boundlesse whose mercyes cannot be matched Alas my deformed hidden crucifyed Lord whither hath mercy goodnesse loue to miserable man ledd thee was it thought fittinge to this goodnesse that thy wounds should be without number as are thy perfectiōs mercyes to man soe to make an absolute demonstration that as there is noe loue soe are there noe sorrowes like to thyne Let me not liue but to loue thee suffer for thy sake THE II. POINTE. Consider further that he sufferd inall his senses by the presence of all the obiects of sorrow He saw his choysen Apostles sleeping while he was sweating bloud He saw the Trayter whom he had newly fedd with his owne blessed body bloud come in the heade of a barbarous band to apprehend him He saw the execrable crueltie of an vngratefull nation which he had alwayes oblidged and loued by preference Finally his cares were full of blaspheemies scoffes and scornes and his eyes and harte of the sorrowes teares and bloud of a God dying AFFECTION And yet my soule it is the very naturall sonne of God that suffers all this He is the splendour of his fathers glorie and the figure of his substance And shall we his poore sonns taken in by adoption onely see with drye eyes his full of teares and bloud or shall we after this sad sight permitt them any more to be filled with vanitie Shall our eares lye open to destractions adulations and found rumours which hurt our soules whyle his for our sake are filled with contumelies and blasphemies Shall we Christians pamper the rest of our senses with sweetes and delicacies while our Christs so hugely suffers in them all Ah! be it euer farre from vs to pay his loue with such intolerable ingratitude THE III. POINT He suffers in his soule But if his body vniuersally and all his senses be ingaged in the sufference is his soule at least free Ah noe it s sadd to death it s replenished vvith euill or sorrow the bitter vvaters of tribulations haue broken in vpon it The horrour of death the ingratitude of mē the scorne of Nations Pilates iniustice Herods mockerie Annas and Cayphas blasphemie the Scribes and Pharisies circumuentions the Ministers and Soldiers crueltie the peoples preference of Barabbas and their tumultuous and vniust Crucifige See then vvhether there be any sorrovv like to his sorrovv AFFECTION and RESOL. O man of dolours and accustomed to sufferances from thy youth Were not thy sorrowes and in them thy loue to man sufficiently expressed in abandonning that innocent chast and tender virginall body of thyne to the cruell persecutours wills vnlesse thou didst withall permitt the bitter flouds of tribulatiō and deadly saddnesse enter into and take possession of thy blessed soule Consider my soule and see whether their be any sorowe like to this sorrow or any loue like to his loue who gaue vp his soule to such sorrowes for thy sake If the horrour of death inuade thee thy Master went before thee waded through to death it selfe Proue friends vngratefull so they were to thy Lord. Are others of lesse worth preferred before thee but so was Barrabas before thy Master Christ Remember remember my soule that the seruant is not greater then his master c. THE IV. POINTE. He suffers vvithout a comforter Consider his body 's tormented his senses offended his soule afflicted and oppressed Is none left to comfort him Noe none relictus est solus he 's abandoned left all alone to wrastle with all the legions of sorrowes Non est qui consoletur eum There is none left to comfort him Was there euer so pittious a spectacle His Apostles are fled Peter followes a farre of and sweares he knowes him not The dolorous mother stands neere the Crosse indeed but her presence affords so smale solace that her sorrowes serue to redouble his The Angells come not neere His heauenly father abandonns him nay yet more Heauens stand amaysed at it he is euen forsaken by himselfe while he stopps the influence of his diuinitie that it flow not vpon his humanitie leauing it to suffer all alone without all comfort See then vvhether there be any sorrovv like to his sorrovv AFFECTION and RESOL. O my soule looke vpon the face of thy Christ Admire his his vn wearied suffering loue Hartily acknowledge that there is noe sorrow like his sorrow Imprint in thy harte at what a deare rate thou wast bought Ah my soule it was not with gold and siluer and such corruptible thinges but with the sorrowes and teares and bloud and death of a a God-man our Sauiour Iesus With sorrowes which spredd thēselues so vniuersally ouer body senses and soule with teares and bloud so plentifully and freely powred out with death so ignominious so deuoyd of all comfort so abandonned that it forced from the mouth of a most obedient and dearest child My God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me Resolue firmely then that neither sorrowes nor bloodshed nor abandonments nor death it selfe shall separate vs from the loue of that dearest Lord. THE FIRST MEDITAT FOR THE FOVRTH DAY Of Deathe THE FIRST POINTE. Nothinge more certaine then death lesse certaine then the tyme therof COnsider and striue to imprint in our harts that which we all know yet seeme not to know it that which we all beleeue and yet as it were beleeue it not to witt that as there is nothinge soe certaine as death soe is there nothinge soe vncertaine as the houre therof Consult our owne Knowledge vppō these truthes we Know that neither Salomons witt nor Samsons strength nor Absolons beauty were founde proofe against it They were and now are not mortui sunt is certaine Consult the word of truth and we shall finde that we are bound to beleeue what we otherwise Know. Consult our selues againe vppon the vncertaintie of it and we finde that we haue Knowne many taken away when they and their friends least feared it some by violent some by naturall deathes some in their childhoode before they well knew what it was to liue some in theire flourishinge spring when vigourous youth promised them they could not dye Some in the decline of their age while death threatned and yet was not feared soe certaine it is that the houre of death is vncertaine to all as Christ himselfe makes it sure to faith Watch saith he because you neither know the day nor the houre AFFECTION and RESOLV Dye then we must my soule thereis nothinge soe certaine departe we must out of this cottage of clay Gods iustice hath pronounced the sentence Remember man that thou art dust in-to dust thou shalt returne But when must this sentence be put in execution that is noe lesse
is the most comon and dangerous desease of the banished sons of Eue. For who knowes not the eye which scandaliseth and inticeth vs to sinne and yet who hath the courage to pull it out Who sees not the hand which leads vs to iniquitie and yet who resolues to cutt it off indeed I meane the companions and occasions of euil nay we imbrace and hugge them and seeme to haue our hart sliced in peeces if we be deuided from them O how strangly peruerse and senselesly mad is the hart of man Make a firme Resolution of a contrarie proceeding THE III. MEDITATION A CONTINVATION OF the same subiect 1. POINT COnsider that we are not senselesse of our euil onely and fall in loue with our miserie but from the peruersenes of the same loue grovves lust by often yealding to lust vve make a custome and by not opposing to this custome which is a certaine law of sinne vve grovv subiect to a kind of necessitie vvherby the mynd of man euen not vvilling is dravvne and held as in chaynes in bitter seruitude AFFECTION and RESOLV Thus farre was our Augustine gone being carried downe by those stepps euen to the verie bottome of Hell And hither doe we also but too often finde our selues borne downe by the force of the streame But oh what a labour had he and haue we to row backe againe how did he turne and wind himselfe to breake his chaynes and yet was still deteyned and was suspended betwixt a dying to death and a liuing to life whilst he so feared least he should be deliuered from all impediments as he ought to haue feared the being hindred by them whilst begging for chastitie he was astrayd to be heard least he should haue bene instantly deliuered from the desease of concupiscence Whilst the violent custome of sinne shooke the garment of his soule made of flesh and blood and spoke softly to him in this sort Is it possible that thou canst thus dismisse vs And from this instant shall we neuer more be with thee And from this instant shall it neuer more be lawfull for thee to doe this or that any more for euer II. POINT Consider that while the violence of bad custome kept him captiue in sins Gaole he mett with nothing but extreame miserie want and famine His noble and vaste vnderstanding was afforded nothing but huskes of swine to feed vpon and yet was barred to be satisfied euen with such trash thas is idle perswasions of God and godly things emptie fancies glorious fictions which were serued vp deuoyde of that truth which alone is able to saciate it AFFECTION and RESOR Alas how often doe we hope to feed and fill our selues with such like trash in lieu of solide and saciating truth and we are therby onely puffed vp and swelled with the wind and smoke of vanitie which happens as often as we desire rather to appeare knowing then well doing or aspire to high things aboue vs with the neglect of the more profitable knowledge of our selues Let me know thee ô thou who knowest me let me know thee and know my selfe and let all other knowledges which lead not to these vanish like smoke III. POINT Consider that as his vnderstanding discouered no true light while he liued amidst that seruile darkenes but was ouer-wrought with the inquirie of Truth without attayning to the knowledge therof so did his will racke it selfe to meet with and inioye Good and yet could onely light on vnrest and disquiete My soule hath turned and tossed it selfe vp and downe vpon the backe vpon the sides and vpon the breast and it hath found all things hard For when I grew to obteyne my vnchaste desires in the midst of my iollitie I was tyed by miserable chaynes that so I might be beaten with the burning rodds of iealousies suspicions feares angers brawles c. AFFECTION and RESOLV And ô God how good thou wert to him and how good thou art to vs in so doing while being mercifully cruell thou sprinklest all our vnlawfull pleasures with extreame disgusts that so we may be drawne to the desire of seeking true pleasures which haue no mixture of disgusts so that we can find no permanent rest euen in the most prosperous delights the world can boast What meane we then still to trauaile and trudge on through these hard and paynefull wayes where by one torment we purchace another for we see and feele that the burden of sinne doth certainely and heauily oppresse vs. We will therfore returne into our owne harts and be reconciled and vnited to him that made vs we will stand with him that we may stand fast and repose in him that we may be truly at rest THE IV. MEDITATION Hovv he returned to his heauenly Fathers house and by vvhat stepps I. POINT COnsider that if Idlenes bad compagnie and neglect of good counsell did vnfortunately lead our B. Saint from his Fathers house he returned as happily backe againe by the quite contrarie stepps Run but ouer in your mynd the innumerable Treatises and volumes which he wrote and you will be so farr from cōceiuing he could be idle that you will much wonder when he could find tyme the actions necessarie to his function as preaching praying c. and the tyme spent in accōmodating neigh bour-iarrs being considered euen in a manner to write them ouer if you did not vnderstand by himselfe that he was forced to steale it from his rest I droue two workes at once saith he the one by day the other by night tyme when other imployments crouding in vpon me on all sides did euen permitt me so to doe AFFECTION c. See my soule see how now no moment is mispent but contrarily by the good imployment of tyme he redeemes lost tyme. The day is not enough to pay the malice of his lost dayes but the night must contribute to it too He takes the busines of the whole world vpon his shoulders He espouseth the solicitude of all the Churches with Saint Paule and all his tyme is spent in putting a helping hand to their aggreeuances II. POINT Consider that as he imployed an admirable good husbanding of tyme to recouer tyme lost so doth hefly to good companie and counsell for a remedie against the infection of the badd companie and the neglect of good counsell which he had vsed To Saint Ambrofe first who plentifully dispensed antidores or counterpoysons against the infections of bad companie and counsell or rather starued him with emptie huskes Saint Ambrose fedd and filled him with the flovver of Gods vvheate which doth fatten Wheras that made him stubborne and stiff necked S. Ambrose brought him to be supple and tractable vvith the smoothnes of Gods oyle Wheras that with vennimous cupps did intoxicate him Saint Ambrose with the sober delight of Gods wine begetteing virgins doth ingage his hart and regayne him Next to Simplicianus Saint Ambrose his Father and to Potitianus who recounting to him Saint Anthonies life which
and accursed nothing Yet such a nothinge it is that man becomes nothing therby nihil fiuntbomines cum peccant yea worse then nothing since it is the verie death of the soule peccatum mors est animae Or take it from him with the whole Catholike Church in more ample and expressiue tearmes Sinne is a vvord a thought a deede against the eternall lavv or prime reason which is God himselfe What doe we then when we sinne but speake thinke or doe against Gods eternall Lawe or God himselfe AFFECTION and RESOL. Ah my soule my soule it is too hard for thee to kicke against the pricke which by how much more we assault it by so much more we are wounded by it It is against God himselfe that sinne ryseth vp against that great dreadfull all-mightie reuengfull God whom were it in its power it would destroye since the sinner as such would neither haue God wise to know nor iust and powerfull to punish his iniquitie Alas what aduantage can wormes and pismires expect by wrasling with Elephants Our strength is like to a spiders webbe how dare we then strugle with omnipotencie whose will none resistes In wrasling we shall onely meete with our owne ruine In disputing neuer find repose nor be able to ansvver one for a thousand for to conclude with S. Paule ô man vvho art thou that dost ansvver God THE II. POINTE. Of the lamentable effects of sinne Consider what grieuous domages the poore soule receiues by mortall Sinne. It depriues of grace ban̄isheth the holy ghost out of the hart which it did inhabite It breakes the league of freindshippe which was betwixt God vs leaues vs his enemyes and slaues of the Diuell his our worst enemie It robbs vs of the right we had to possesse God for euer leaueinge only Hell for our inheritance It wounds makes hideous euen Kills that otherwise im̄ortall soule of ours in a word it makes vs crucify Iesus Christ againe in effect tread the sacred bloud of Iesus vnder our feete AFFECTION RESOLVT Oh accursed fruites of Sinne O saith God himselfe by the mouth of Ieremie Know see how euill bitter a thinge it is for thee to haue left the Lord thy God Ah my soule these are not dreames imaginations or rethoricall amplifications but euen Christian truthes which none dare deny how doe we then dare to dally with danger to seeke occasions to drinke downe sinne like water If therefore the world the flesh or the Diuell tell of I Know not what delightes let vs haue this generouse replye still before our eyes but they are too dearely bought with the losse of the holy ghost and all his giftes Gods friendshippe and his eternall inheritance become the obiecte of his hate This moment of false libertie is not worth beinge aslaue to the Diuell for euer This honnor lookes fawningly vppon mee but it were madnesse to purchase it with eternall disgrace This gold glitters agreeably yet it is not worth the hauing since it will serue onely to buy Hell THE FIRST MEDITAT FOR THE THIRD DAY Sinne is detestable to God THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider in what horror and detestation wee should haue it since wisdome it selfe doth soe abhorre detest it The Almighty eternall God whose goodnesse cannot be questioned without impiety nor his iustice be impeched without blasphemy nor his mercy be exacted without presumption he beinge indeede not soe much good as euen effentially goodnesse it selfe nor soe much iust as iustice it selfe nor soe much mercifull as mercy it selfe for one sinne of pride throwes downe the third parte of the Angells into hell irrecouerably without any further hope of mercy AFFECTION RESOLVT If my soule this be not lesse a truth which all the Christian world willingly imbraces then the former how comes it to passe that mans follie dare be soe damnably aduenturous as to fall in loue with Sinne which wisdome soe highly detests How how I say dare we liue in league with it be willinge to meete with it at euery turne If it haue made Angells Diuells what priuiledge haue men not to dreade the like effects not for one or a few but euen for thousands of sinnes euery man makeinge reflection in himselfe of the multitude of his sinnes downe then my soule downe place thy mouth in the dust and whilst thou canst not penetrate the rigour of Gods iustice to the Angells turne thy selfe more earnestly to admire his incōparable mercy to thee humbly confessinge that otherwise Hell had beene longe since thy habitation makeinge a firme resolution to singe his mercyes eternally THE II. POINT Adam by sinne turned out of Paradise Consider how the same God who is equally goodnesse mercy and iustice for one acte of disobedience throwes Adam out of the happie state wherin he had placed him and subiects him and all his posteritie to multitudes of miseries of body and mynde such as we all daylie expeperience to heate cold calamities innumerable sorts of sicknesses and euen to death it selfe and that too not onely to the death of his body but euen to a second death the death of the soule so that there was not any saluation left for all the sonns of men at any lesse rate then the death and bloud of a God-man Iesus-Christ AFFECTION and RESOL. O my soule if this truth be taught vs by faith if we feele it by a sadd and vniuersall experience if it be made manifest to vs by the death of a God let it printe in our hartes an absolute horrour and detestation of sinne which is so horrible and detestable in the sight of God and which his iustice punishes so rigourously And let vs noe lesse adore that sterne iustice of his then extolle and dearly imbrace his mylde mercy who to expiate the sinne of an vngracicus disloyall seruant sacryficeth the bloud of a dearely beloued and dearely louing and wholy obedient and onely child Be that Iustice alwayes admired and dreaded and be that mercy magnified and loued by men THE II. MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD DAY Sinne putt a God to death THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that our sweete Sauiours paines the deare price of our redemptió are vniuersall noe parte of his body passes without its particular punishment His head is tormented with pullinge of the haire with blowes with thornes His face with foule spittings boxes His tongue with thirst veneger gale His torne shoulders with the heauie loade of the Crosse His armes with rude extentiōs rackinge His hāds feete with cruell nayles His whole body all ouer with stripes His Sinewes with conuulsions His arteries and veynes with witherednesse His vitall partes with an incredible effusion of his pretious bloud soe that what the prophet foretolde was fully verified from the sole of his foote to the crowne of his head there was noe soundnesse See then whether there be any sorrow like his sorrowe AFFECTION Alas it is but too euident my dearest
and they are not it Le ts make reflection of all that euer we haue heard of honours riches pleasures and all of them are not it Let vs by helpe of imagination put all togeither that we haue either seene or heard and euen adde to them millions of millions more and yet we are not arriued at it Noe for S. Paule assures vs that neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor hath it entred into the mynde of man vvhat God hath prepared for those that loue him AFFECTION and RESOL. O my most bountifull Lord and Master Hath thy goodnesse made me capable of a Kingdome which thy wisdome hath not inabled me at present to comprehend O too too happie we could we truly vnderstand our owne happinesse But ô more then most vnhappie we if we permitt sinne to robbe vs of it or that we otherwise make it a way for a messe of potage or the bitter Mandragores of mixt moments of painefull pleasures for such inconsiderable toyes I meane as are daylie obiects to meanest eyes and fill euery eare Nay euen for the greatest thinges our hartes can conceiue since in a smale tyme they vanish away like dreames and leaue nothinge in our hands Alas were it not a strange miserie and madnesse to make away such inconceiuable permanēt possessions for such knowne transitorie toyes THE II. POINTE. What heauen is Consider againe what this Kingdome or possession prepared for vs may be and we finde it is a state of life perfectly accomplished with the whole collection of all good thinges Not a passage but a state a permanencie without change without end without irkesommesse Perfectly accomplished not by halues and peecemeales With the vvhole collection of all good thinges Not with a few as here below and those good and ill paines and pleasures mixt togeither but with the whole collection of all good thinges so that what euer we desire shall be present and all that we desire not shall be absent eternally AFFECTION and RESOL. We haue Gods word for it my soule and it cannot fayle vs that he will shew vs all good that is all that is aduantagious gaynefull and rich in steede of the transitorie riches of this world all that is beseeming honorable and illustrious in lieu of the vaine and vadinge honours here belowe all that conteynes in it selfe any cause of ioy and iubilie and and all that is deare and delightfull to witt that ineffable vnmeasurable eternall waight of glorie according to S. Paule in place of those short light deluding and euen painefull pleasures as Salomon and S. Augustine experienced them for which poore man looses himselfe Thus my soule doth faith assure vs let not then follie perswade vs the contrarie THE II. MEDITATION FOR THE 6. DAY Of Heauen againe THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider the kingdome prepared for vs is Beatitude come ô you blessed and Beatitude is noe other thinge then to know what is best and to inioy the same And wheras none but God himselfe is our summum bonum or optimum our cheife good or our best it followes that God himselfe the father sonne and holy Ghost is our Beatitude or the Kingdome prepared for vs accordinge to that I my selfe vvill be thy exceeding greate revvarde Him we shall see face to face and in that sight our vnderstanding meets with all truth him we shall see and in seeing him our will meetes with all good Hence the vnderstanding hauing noe more to seeke and the will noe more to loue they fall as it were into a blessed necessitie of truly seeing what they loue and louing what they see for all eternitie AFFECTION and RESOL. Forgett not then ô man thy dignitie By Gods mercy and the merits of Christ thou art made the sonne of God coheire with Christ to share in his heauenly inheritance to possesse the same Kingdome with him that is to knowe the prime truth and loue the cheife good for euer and euer Let not then the fables fictions and vaine lyes of the world take vp thyne vnderstandinge made to knowe so great and diuine a Truth nor the vaine loue of creatures ingage thy will made to loue so souueraigne à Good But crye incessantly here belowe with holy S. Augustine Let me knovv thee ô Lord and knovv my selfe and let me loue thee as much as I desire and as much as I ought Thus my soule may we in some measure while we liue amidst our miseries begin before hand to possesse our Beatitude which consists in knovving louing and inioying our chiefe Good which is God himselfe THE II. POINTE. Hovv Heauen is to be purchased Consider out of the Gospell that the Kingdome of heauen suffers violence and the violent beare it avvay Yes but we must learne of S. Ambrose how we are to make this violence We are to assault it not with swords with clubbe or stone but with myldnesse with good workes with chastitie These are the armes which our faith makes vse of in that onsett But yet to make a right vse therof we must first of all make force against our owne flesh and bloud that so gayning dominion ouer our selues we may imploye all our abilities to force Heauen as it were out of the stronge hands of the Almightie We are not to hope saith S. Gregorie to come to great honours but by great labours and paines We must mortifie our members and all the mutinous people of our hartes our vnrulie passions and badd inclinations So did all the saintes of God scale and winne his Kingdome So did that greate Doctour of the Gentiles beare it away I chastise my body and bringe it into seruitude So did the sainte of saintes enter into his owne Kingdome He suffered and so entred into his owne Kingdome AFFECTION and RESOL. Let vs not hope my soule that we who are but younger and adoptiue children should find any other safe way to heauen then that which the naturall sonne of God and all his saintes were to passe That is through tribulations contumelies and contempts If vve suffer vvith him vve shall raigne vvith him Noe noe the pure wheate reserued for the heauenly granaries must be winnowed the gold found worthy to haue course in that celestiall Kingdome must passe through the hotest fires Sweete S. Augustine putts it at the lowest rate that euer it can be expected and yet according to him it will cost vs noe lesse then all we are The Kingdome of heauen saith that excellent Sainte is vvorth as much as thou art giue thy selfe and thou shalt haue it Doe not stand barganing my soule and grudging at the price The naturall sonne of God purchaced it at noe lesse a rate for himselfe and thee THE FIRST MEDITAT FOR THE 7. DAY A serious reflection to be made as vvell of Gods gracious gifts beflovved vpon vs as minaces pronounced against vs. THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider by way of a serious reflection of all the former Meditarions that since God hath bene so gracious to
intend to rayse the building and to charge more waight vpon it by so much deeper we must digge the fundation Now vnto what a vaste highth is the toppe of our Euangelliall Towre to reach Certes euen into the sight of God that great God that immense and dreadfull maiestie How vastly deepe then ought our foundation to be digged AFFECTION and RESOL. Yes my soule it is euen into the sight of this dreadfull Maiestie that we intend that the toppe of our Towre should reach That maiestie which the Angells prayse the Dominations adore the Powers tremble at the Cherubins and Seraphins with dreade singe to Holy Holy Holy for euer Let vs not hazard so hugely important a peece vpon vnsound ground-workes which will proue at length but ruines Nay contrarily let vs digge quite through this loose earth of which we are made exinanite exinanite vsques ad fundamentum in-ea Let vs neuer leaue digging till we meete without owne nothinge till we knowe it certainly till we confesse it ingenuously that is our safest ground to build vpon where we may iustly hope that God will put a hand too and rayse the worke since his custome is to trade vpon nothinge and to worke wonders vpon it All my soule may we be so truly nothing in our owne eyes that he vvho is potent may looke vpon our abiectnesse and doe great thinges in vs. THE II. POINTE. What this foundation humilitie is Consider what humilitie truly is and you will receiue from your holy Father that it is a voluntarie stooping or lovving of the mynde out of a serious consideration of vvhat our almightie maker is and vvhat vve are in relation to him Or againe humilitie is a vertue vvherby a man vvaxeth vile in his ovvne sight by the true Knovvledge he hath of his ovvne miserie Or els from S. Bernard Humilitie is veritie that is the truth of what God is and what is man which being well knowne and pondered it is impossible but that our hartes should bowe downe to the verie ground and keepe vs there with our mouthes in the dust wherof we were made AFFECTION and RESOLV Now my soule if humilitie be nothinge els but a stooping of the harte vpon the knowledge we haue of what God is and what we are let our consideration be continually fixed vpon those two thinges as the sure solide and true ground therof saying with the humble S. Francis O my God Who art thou and who am I Who art thou but an immense inaccessible ineffable incomprehensible Maiestie And who am I but a miserable inconsiderable contemptible abisse of miserie Who art thou but an infinite rich Master who canst neede nothinge that is myne And who am I but a poore needie beggarly seruant who am constrayned to begge breade at thy dore euery day Who art thou but à permanent independant eternall essence or being And who am I as the scriptures teach but a vapor a morning devve a dreame a fantome a fading flovver a pure vanitie a blast of vvinde as had ovve in aword a thinge which neither hath any other thinge more miserably poore or more vainely proude then it selfe Dust and ashes then vvhy art thou proude THE FIRST MEDITAT FOR THE SECONDE DAY Of vvhom vve ought to learne humilitie THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider of whom you ought to learne humilitie and S. Augustine will tell you that he sends you not to publicans and harlots who yet will be preferred before the proude person in the Kingdome of heauen but to the Kinge of heauen himselfe who cryes out as it were in a publick auditorie of all man kinde come vnto me and learne of me But tell me I beseech thee saith he ô thou sonne of God what must I learne of thee by coming to thee that I am mylde and humble in harte Are then all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge which are hidd in thee reduced to this that we must learne this of thee as some great matter of importance that thou art mylde and humble in harte Is it so great a thinge to become litle that vnlesse we learne it of thee who art so great we shall neuer be able to learne it Yes truly saith he euen so it is for the peace and repose of the soule can be noe otherwise attained to then by dissipating that vnrulie swelling which makes a man seeme great in his owne eyes while he appeares vnsound in thyne ôn Lord. AFFECTION and RESOLV We are here called to Christs schoole my soule to learne a a lesson which the world was neuer acquainted with before The great Rabbys of the Lawe looked ouer it to finde the first places in the synagogue The learned Phylosophers vnderstoode it not and thence vanished in their owne wisdome The great Potentates of the earth looked vpon it with scorne and thence they vvere throvvne dovvne from their seates But the wisdome of heauen made himselfe the Master of it and will haue vs to learne of him not to create newe worlds not to make visible and inuisible things not to worke miracles and raise the deade c. which we should haue iudged a strange since an impossible commande but this onely short sweete and easie lesson myldnesse and humilitie of harte For alas without it what would it profite vs to be able to say as some shall say to God did we not prophecie in thy name did we not east our Diuells did we not worke many wonders What would it profit vs I say since we should onely heare with them I knovv you not be gone from me ô you vvorkers of iniquitie THE II. POINTE. Consider that it is noe wonder that the teaching of humilitie was one of his greatest sermons to all mankind in earth since as it may seeme one of his wisdomes cheife designes in coming downe from heauen was to teache the sonnes of earth that necessarie way to heauen according to that none ascends but he vvho descends To witt he had seene one of the brightest of his starrs with huge multitudes of his accursed crue rushe downe to Hell by their proude ambition of ascending and therfor he would reache the earth by descending to ascende aboue the Heauens They lost their right to Heauen by aspiring aboue their places to more then they were and man was to be taught to cure contraries by contraries and to reintitle himselfe to heauen by humbly staying in his place and by remayning what he was by dwelling in his poore naked nothing which alone were it anything he might properly tearme his owne AFFECTION and RESOL. If the verie brightest starrs fall from Heauen where pride can gett noe safe footing what ought we poore wormes to doe in earth but feare and keepe our selues within the compasse of what we are If they fell to Hell by aspiringe to be like to the highest let our firme resolutiō and whole strife be to ascende to heauē by affecting to be equall to or euen lesse then the lowest since Thruth hath said