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A10746	The pilgrime of Loreto Performing his vow made to the glorious Virgin Mary Mother of God. Conteyning diuers deuout meditations vpon the Christian and Cath. doctrine. By Fa. Lewis Richeome of the Society of Iesus. Written in French, & translated into English by E.W.; Pélerin de Lorète. English	Richeome, Louis, 1544-1625.; Walpole, Edward, 1560-1637, attributed name.; E. W. (Edward Worsley), 1605-1676, attributed name.; Weston, Edward, 1566-1635, attributed name.	1629 (1629)	STC 21023; ESTC S115933	381,402	480

Mary sayd Behould the hand-mayde of our Lord be it done vnto me according to thy word And the Angell departed from her Behould first a wonderfull saluation The Angel pronounceth the blessed Virgin full of grace and fullnes cannot be but diuine he sayth that God is with her no doubt with a singular and speciall assistance and therefore he calleth her Blessed among women A salutation neuer heard or giuen to any crearure by a heauenly spirit The most humble and wise Virgin was troubled seeing the Maiesty of this messenger and much more hearing the prayses he pronounced The modesty of the Virg. and not presuming to open her mouth to answere she thought vpon that she heard A spirit very differēt from that of our worldly Dames who insteed of troubling themselues at the prayses which the world giueth them euen without ground or desert they reioyce and tickle at the least blast of glory that bloweth in their eare they lift vp themselues and swell in their hart The lightnes of worldly women and the more is sayd to them in that kind the wider haue they their hart and eares open to heare more of their prayses The Angell seeing the heauenly Mayd to blush and reading as it were in her face and silence her astonishment called her familiarly by her name did assure her and aduised her not to feare hauing cause rather to reioyce hauing so good a place in grace and fauour of God by him cherished chosen to be Mother of a King without a match of a Sonne who should succeed in the throne of Dauid who should reigne for euer in the house of Iacob and of whose kingdome there should be no end finally Mother of the Sonne of God pronounced her Great in that measure that she accounted her selfe little But behould a question and doubt worthy of such a Virgin She had consecrated to God her soule and body The B.V. first vowed virginity by the vow of Chastity the first in this prayse and magnanimity among all the daughters of Israell She was troubled at his first wordes by reason of humility but hearing him speake of cōceauing and bearing a sonne she was troubled by reason of her virginity she highly esteemed the grace promised but she was carefull also of her owne fayth promised and of her integrity which she would not loose for all the treasure of the world How many Virgins be there cleane contrary who willingly abandone their body and soule so they may get the loue of some earthly Lord The Angell doth deliuer her also from this feare and sheweth her that this Generation shall not be like others by the company or seed of man or by any violation of the body but heauenly without hurt of her virginall integrity by the worke of the Holy Ghost by the power of the Highest by the grace of the same Sonne that shall be borne the Holy of God the sonne of God Adding that Elizabeth her cousin being now both old barren Why the Angell maketh mention of Elizabeth had conceaued a Sonne that it is as easy to God to make a Virgin conceaue as an old and barren woman The B. Virgin vnderstanding that her vow of virginity should be kept preserued agreed and gaue her consent belieued that God could doe what he sayd and she that was called the Mother of the most Highest The Dialogue of the Angel and the Virgin differing from that of the diuell and Eue. calleth her selfe his seruant O happy conference dialogue and much more fortunate then that of the seducing Angell and the seduced Virgin in the earthly Paradise who harkening to a promise of Deity if she would eate of the forbidden fruit suffered her selfe to be deluded with vanity and made the first breach and entrance to the fall and ruine of mākind O Virgin happy by thy virginity more hapyy by thy humility yet most happy by thy liuely fayth Thy virginity hath made the Sonne of God amorous of thee thy humility hath made him descend into thy wombe but thy fayth made thee conceaue rather of the spirit then of the body The excellency of virginity O verily full of grace full of God and verily blessed aboue all women blessed aboue all Virgins in purity aboue all Wiues in fecundity aboue all Saints in fayth hope and charity chosen from heauen to be the Mother of the Highest For if a Virgin may be with child nothing can she more fitly bring forth then the ●onne of God and if the Sonne of God will be conceaued and borne he cannot more fitly be borne then in the wombe of a Virgin The third point of the Meditation How the Sonne of God was conceaued in the wombe of the Virgin CHAP. XXV THE third point shall meditate how so soone as the B. Virgin had pronounced the wordes of her consent Behould the hand-mayde of my Lord Luc. 1.38 be it vnto me according to thy word the Word of God was incarnate and made man in her wombe not after the manner of other men whose bodyes are organized after 40. dayes and then receaue a reasonable soule yet without the vse of reason but in a manner altogeather diuine and supernaturall this body was at that very instant prepared to lodge and receaue the soule to be animated He was happy at the same instant S. Thom. part 3. q. 34. art 4. although by little and little it did grow vnto the natiuity And this soule vnited to the word of God togeather with the body had also at the same instant the vse of reason free will was filled with al sort of spirituall graces aboue all men Angels and found it selfe ioyfull and happy in the vision of God And al this in fauour of this admirable vniō though by dispēsation of God the body that was to be the subiect of our Redemptiō remayned passible and mortall which otherwise had beene immortall and the soule subiect to sadnes and sorrow which hath no place with beatitude so desirous was our Sauiour of our saluation and so prodigall of his mercy as willingly and cheerefully and quickly to beare our sorrowes and miseries in part he depriued himselfe of the possession and vse of his happines to make vs thoroughly happy This Conception then was full of the meruailes of the bounty of God in so markeable signes of his loue and of his almighty power in ioyning things so difficill which the Prophet foretold as an effect neuer happened before Ierem. 31. Our Lord hath created a new thing vpon earth A woman hath compassed about a man This is the B. Virgin conceiuing a Sonne in her wombe who was a man as soone as a Child hauing from the first instant of his Conception all the vertues of men of perfect age God made man and man God and that in higher title of perfection then euer was giuen to any creature Behold then God made man

Church maketh to the diuine Maiesty contayning as the foresayd Doctour sayth all that the Christian should desire hope feare and aske for this life for the next and therefore most worthy to be recited often in the day as a testimony of our hope as the Credo is of our faith to demand of God what we want although it be lawfull for vs to pray and professe our fayth in other words which the holy Ghost shall sugest After the Pater noster we salute and pray to the B. Virgin in these wordes Haile Marie full of grace our Lord is with thee Blessed art thou amongst all women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe IESVS Holy Mary Mother of God pray for vs sinners now and at the houre of our death Amen The first words are partly of the Archangell Gabriel partly of S. Luc. 2.28 42. Elizabeth the last clause is a prayer that all holy men make to the mother of God The Church therefore reciteth the Aue Maria after the Pater noster as it were coupling an excellent salutation with an excellent prayer vsing the sayd salutation as a diuine praise to the honour of the mother of God and as a thankesgiuing to God for the benefit of the Incarnation of his Sonne and of his benefites giuen vs by the sayd B. Virgin praying her to be our Aduocate to our Creatour that he would heare vs in the requests we make saying the Pater noster and especially to help vs at the houre of our death a ryme of very dangerous conflict and of our greatest necessity The Confiteor is thus I confesse to Almighty God to the B. Virgin S. Mary to the Bl. S. Michael the Archangell to the B. Saint Iohn Baptist to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul to all the Saints to you my Ghostly-father for that I haue grieuously sinned in thought word and deed through my fault through my fault through my most haynous fault Therfore I beseech the Bl. Virgin Mary the Blessed S. Michael the Archangell the Blessed S. Iohn Baptist the holy Apostles Peter and Paul all the Saints and you my Ghostly-father to pray for me to our Lord God When the Confession is not made to the Priest we must leaue out those wordes and to you my Ghostly Father This is the ordinary and generall forme of Confession that euery Christian maketh to God to the B. Virgin to al Saints to the Priest and to them all present if it be made in company acknowledging himselfe a sinner before the diuine Maiesty before Angels Men asking pardon of his sinnes committed and praying the B. Virgin and all the Saints the Priest all the standers by to pray to this end for him Of this is spoken after in the 21. iourney This confession is the generall and common there is another generall sacramentall and secret which is made in the eare of the Priest at some certaine tyme whereof we will speake after This should be made often euery day eyther alone or with others for as often we fall into faults little or great so often also must we humble our selues confessing our faults asking pardon of God whome we haue offended The pilgrime then praying these three tymes a day morning after dinner and night must recite at the beginning of his deuotions and at the end according vnto the circumstances the Credo Pater and Aue professing his fayth and hope toward God and demanding thinges necessary the Confiteor also at the same time in signe of humility confessing himselfe a sinner and asking pardon of his offences if he findeth his conscience charged with any mortall sinne he shall acknowledge his fault making his confession to God with repentance and purpose at the next commodity to confesse to the Priest for sacramentall absolution as hath beene sayd in the first part of the Examen Of the signe of the Crosse CHAP. IX HE shall remember also the signe of the Crosse the signe of the Crosse must be familiar in all our actions Tertul. de coron mil. Matt. 28.19 not only in his exercises of deuotion but also in all other his domesticall and ciuill actions at his rising and going to bed and putting on his cloathes and putting them off in going out in comming home at the beginning and ending of his reading and refection and in other like workes and occasions This is the signe of a Christian and being made with the words spoken by our Sauiour In the name of the Father and of the Sonne of the Holy Ghost is a briefe symbole or collection and a short profession of the B. Trinity and of our Redemption against the infidelity of the Paynimes and Iewes specially in these tymes it is a marke of a Catholike against Heretikes Amb. ser 43. Athan. in vit● 〈◊〉 Antonij It is a signe of good successe in our actions sayth S. Ambrose serm 43. And a signe of victory against Sathan ouercome by the Crosse sayth S. Athana ius in vita S. Antonij It is an armour and defence against temptations and all our ennemyes sayth S. Ephrem And therefore we must vse at all occasions to blesse crosse our forehead Tertul. de coron ●●l Basil de spiritus●ncto c. 27. Greg Na ora 1. con Iuli 1. Chrys ho. 55. in Matt. Athan. vt supra Hier m. c. 9. Ezech. Aug. l. de cathe rudibus cap. 20. tract 118. in Ioan. our mouth our brest our house our letters our bookes our table our meate and all thinges euery where as hath beene the custome of the Church founded in the Tradition of the Apostles as we may learne by the waitings of the Doctours thereof Tertullian S. Basil S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Chrysostome S. Athanasius S. Hierome S. Augustine and other holy persons And whosoeuer for shame or negligence shall forbeare to signe his forehad and his actions wirh this signe he is vnworthy to beare the name of a Christian deserueth at that great day to heare thundered against his folly and ingratitude the sentence of confusion and eternal paine prepared for the ennemies of the Crosse What the Pilgrime should doe euery day CHAP. X. BESIDES this we haue spoken the Pilgrime must euery day as well working dayes as holy dayes make some meditation proper for the day So he may meditate of our Sauiours Resurrection on Sunday of Death on Monday of Iudgement on Tuesday of Hell on Wednesday of the B. Sacrament on Thursday of the Passion of our Sauiour on Friday and of his Buriall on Saterday On holy dayes he shall take some subiect either out of the Ghospell or mystery of the day or of the life of the Saints as to meditate of the hearing of the word of God on Sexagesima-Sunday on the excellency of Martyrdome on s. Stephens day of the holy Ghost at Pentecost of patience and charity on S. Laurence day or any other Saint vpon the day of his martyrdome or feast with

Rom. Pontif. hold the same And Peter Damianus a noble writer of his age sayth boldly That this is the fayth of the Catholike Church And surely if our Sauiour being to goe out of this world vnto his Father thought it not meet to commit the custody of his Mother a Virgin though of good yeares to the keeping trust of any but of a Virgin Gers ser 5. de nat B. Mariae that is to S. Iohn is it not like that being young not his Mother he would mary her to a man that was not a virgin and that had not made a vow to perseuere in that estate we must thinke therfore that the B. Virgin was assured to Ioseph and he to her againe with purpose of perpetuall continency instructed therunto by the secret instinct of the holy Ghost and strengthned with a liuely fayth that God would able them to liue both virgins and married folkes togeather Secondly this mariage was meruailous in this point aboue other common marriages that notwithstanding the purpose of virginity in them both yet was it a true mariage and the Scripture doth plainely teach this truth Ambr. de inst virg S. Thom. 3. p. q. 29. art 1. for it calleth the B. Virgin the spouse and wife of Ioseph and this is the beliefe of the Doctours and of the Church S. Ambrose sayth The Bl. Virgin the mother of our Sauiour being betrothed to her husband was called his wife euen as mariage is called mariage when it is made by common consent of wills for it is not the losing of Virginity Amb in 2. l. c. 1. in Luc. but the cōiugall consent alliance that maketh the mariage Againe Meruaile not to heare the B. Virgin often in the Scripture called the wife of Ioseph although he neuer knew her for this doth not signify The essence of mariage that she lost her virginity but that she was married vnto him He meaneth as other Diuines do say that the only consent and lawfull and mutuall vnion of willes and not carnall knowledge doth tye the band of Matrimony and the essentiall knot of marriage S. Augustine Ioseph is called an husband S. Aug. de nupt concupis● l. 1. c. 11. by reason of the first fayth of his assurance giuen to the B. Virgin although he neuer knew her carnally nor might doe neither therefore was vaine or false that name of husband for this Virgin ought to be more holily and admirably pleasing to her spouse who was to be fruitfull without the worke of man vnequall in lignage equall in fayth and fidelity And a little before exhorting the faythfull to this continency Wedding without bedding vpon the example of this marriage By this example sayth he is signifyed to married Christians that mariage may be made and vowed by common consent with the mutuall affection of the hart and spirit only without lying togeather And indeed many haue liued in this sort Henry the 2. Emperour with Chunegund both a beautifull young Princes Valerian with S. Cecily Edward King of England with Editha and that noble French-man Eleazarus with Delphinia that noble Lady a thousand others whose names are written in the booke of life though they be vnknowne to men Thirdly this marying is meruailous for the admirable vertues The loue fidelity of this couple and namely for the coniugall fayth and charity of both parties and by the excellency of lignage and by all that may make a marriage complete All the good of mariage was found heere sayth S. Augustine the fruit Iesus Christ Aug. l. 2. de nupt conc c. 11. the fayth without adultery and the Sacrament without diuorce and the issue such as surmounteth the fecundity of all the Mothers that euer were or shall be as also the fidelity charity and all other vertues of married folkes were there found singular and rare The second point of the Meditation Of the causes of the Mariage betweene the B. Virgin and S. Ioseph CHAP XX. THE second point shall meditate the causes of this mariage for both parties being resolued to keep continency seemeth that they needed not to marry at al S. Thom. 3. p. q. 28. art 1. but the more this mariage may seeme to be against reason so much the more may it seeme diuine and considerable The Saints yeild diuers causes whereof one concerneth the person of the Sonne of God others concerne his Mother some others our Fayth Seauen causes of this marriage The first is that our Sauiour should not be reiected of the Iewes who not belieuing that a Virgin could beare a child would surely haue iudged him illegitimate and to haue byn borne of a dishonest woman wherof S. Ambrose sayth Who could haue blamed the Iewes S. Thom. 3. p q 29. art 10. Ambr. in Luc. 7. or Herod persecuting Iesus Christ if he had beene thought to be illegitimate And if they did persecute him notwithstanding hauing a good conceit of his natiuity what would they haue done if they had iudged him to haue beene borne of adultery The second that he might be knowne to be the Sonne of Dauid by the Genealogy of his line and issue which was alwayes done by the line of the Father as appeareth by S. Luke and S. Matthew who deduced it whereby Ioseph being proued to be of the house of Dauid they could not doubt but that the B. Virgin was so also she being an heire who might not be maried out of their owne linage and that the child borne of her was the Sonne of Dauid The third that he might be helped not only by the care of his Mother but also of her husband for whome it was more meet to vndertake and menage such a businesse then for a woman And therefore when he was to execute any thing the commandement was alwayes directed to Ioseph as when there was question of going to Aegypt Matth. 2.13 Luc. 2.48 or returning backe and other like The fourth to the end that the Virgin should not be infamed or punished as vnchast so that our Sauiour chose rather to be accounted the Sonne of a Carpenter then of a dishonest woman whereof very fitly sayth S. Ambrose in Luc. 17. He chose rather that some should doubt of his owne birth then of his Mothers chastity Ambr. in Luc. 17. and would not haue the fayth of his Natiuity sounded vpon the iniury of another that is of his Mother The fifth that she might be comforted by the assistance of Ioseph namely in her long iournyes and voyages and dwelling many yeares in strang countreys as she did The sixth that the Church might haue a certaine testimony in S. Ioseph that Iesus Christ was borne of a Virgin for as none could better tell then he that the Mother was a Virgin so none could giue a more certaine testimony thereof sayth S. Ambrose 7. in Luc. The seauenth and last was in the person of the B. Virgin to

36. Moyses prayed by that great ineffable Name that it would please him to shew his face so much desired Dauid sayd When will my beloued come O Lord my sonne and my Father whome I haue fortould whome I haue song whome I haue exalted in my mortall dayes When will come that little Dauid elder thē his grand-father truly to bury the Giant Goliath whome I killed only in figure and shaddow Esay when shall come that God of whome I sayd to the people of Israell God shall come in person Isay 36. and saue you Micheas When shall he come of whome I prophecied saying Behould our Lord shall come out of his place and descend and all with one voice shall call vnto him In meditating heereof he shall admire the Prouidence of God who in so good tyme did promise a remedy of our fall in a Redeemer his Wisedome in that he deferred the execution thereof so many ages to teach men the grauity of their sinne to make them feele their owne infirmities to humble them in their misery to cause them to cry vnto heauen and to beate at the gates of his mercy with sighes prayers and teares to obtaine that by merit which without merit was promised vnto them In this deuotiō the Pilgrime shal passe the midnight with thankes giuing to the goodnes of Almighty God The Meditation for Morning and Noone Of the Annunciation made to the B. Virgin by the Angell Gabriell CHAP. XXIV OVR Pilgrime hauing taken some rest shall go betimes to the holy Chappell there to make his morning Meditation which shall be of the Annunciation of this mystery which he commeth to meditate Preparation to the Meditation In the beginning of his meditation he shall conceaue in his mind as profound reuerence towardes God as possibly he can as one that is to speake in his presence of a chiefe worke of his of a mystery and Embassage full of maiesty he shall with equall humility demaund a sufficient light to see it and to profit by it He shall not neere need to imagine a place where the history happened as in his other meditations for he shall meditate the mystery in the same place where it was both tould and performed yet he may set before his eyes our B. Lady praying at the now Gospell corner of the Altar when the Angell Gabriel brought her this tydings The Angell saluting the Virgin glittering and shining with an extraordinary light and accompanied with many of the chiefe of Angels as we may piously belieue and as we haue sayd before Cap. 18. The first point shall be taken of the beginning of the history which sayth In the sixth moneth the Angell Gabriel was sent of God to Nazareth a citty of Galily to a Virgin whose name was Mary espoused to a man called Ioseph of the house of Dauid Behould an Embassage in euery point excellent and honourable In the Maiesty of him that sent it who is God of the messenger sent who was one of the principall Angells of the person to whō it was sent who was the greatest Lady that euer was in the sight of God The excellency of the Embassage of the mystery or message it selfe that was brought a mystery of all mysteries which is the marriage of the Sonne of God made with the Nature of man agreed on by the sacred Senate of the glorious Trinity for the comfort of men of the end for which it was sent which was to informe the B. Virgin to haue her consent and accomplish and celebrate the mariage Heere now the deuout soule contemplating the maiesty of this Embassage in the foresayd circumstances shall set before his eyes all the ranckes of the heauenly Court of all those happy Angelicall spirits reioycing there aboue in this mission and the assembly of those iust Soules that before this departed who hauing heard this good newes in Limbo were in an admirable expectation of the comming of their Redeemer It is sayd that this message was done the sixth month This at the first hearing seemeth to be referred to S. Iohn who was six monthes elder then our Sauiour Christ incarnate in the 6. age but in a mystical sense the mention of this number goeth further and teacheth that this Conception of the Sonne of God is annoūced and accomplished in the sixth Age of the world as Beda sayth Also Man created the sixth day which is Friday on which day christ was crucifyed that as God created Man in the sixth day of this world which is our Friday and that at the sixth houre of the day which is our mid-day so he descended into the earth the sixth day and at the sixth houre of the day for on such a day was this Embassage made to wit the fiue twenty of March which that yeare was Friday And vpon the same day and houre he ascended vp the Crosse as the Scripture doth expresly signify Conueniences which doe easily declare that the benefit of our Redemption was no more by chance or aduenture then that of our Creation but proiected of purpose many ages before euen from all Eternity and this long prouidence doth testify the ancient fatherly loue of God towards vs. The Aue Maria thrice a day The Catholike Church in remembrance of this Embassage and Mystery which it teacheth saluteth the Virgin at high noone with these wordes of the Angell as also at morning and night to giue thankes to God for so notable a benefit in those three tymes which we haue shewed before to be remarkeable by the deuotion of the Saints and therein she sheweth that she doth not loose the memory of that immortall benefit The second point shall consider the wordes following When the Angell was entred to her he saluted her thus All haile full of grace Luc. 2.28 our Lord is with thee blessed be thou among women But she hearing this was troubled at his speach and thought what manner of salutation this might be And the Angell sayth to her Feare not Mary for thou hast found grace with God behould thou shalt conceaue in thy wombe The Maiesty of this salutation and shalt bring forth a Sonne and shalt call his name IESVS He shall be great and shall be called the Sonne of the most High And our Lord shall giue him the seat of Dauid his Father and he shall reigne in the house of Iacob eternally and of his Kingdome there shall be no end And Mary sayd to the Angell How shall this be done seeing I know not man And the Angell answering sayd vnto her The Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the vertue of the Highest shall shadow thee and therfore the Holy that shall be borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of God And behould Elizabeth thy kins-woman she hath also conceiued a sonne in her old age and this is the sixth month to her that is called barren because euery word shall not be impossible with God And

is of another ranke for being exalted aboue the highest she humbleth her selfe to the lowest waxeth light with her load and insteed of rest vndertaketh a troublesome iourney to the Mountaines of Iudea O wayes honourable with the steppes of such a Creature carrying in her bowells the Creatour O happy Hills that were troden with the heauenly feet of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of the most high neuer did you beare so precious a burden ne-neuer did you performe a more honourable seruice O my soule see and contemplate here behould this fruitfull Virgin this daughter of Sion this Mother of God to fly with ioy caryed by him whome her selfe doth carry behould her rysing as a faire morning vpon the top of those beautiful mountaines ascending those hilly places like the Sunne rysing from vnder his Horizon behould the beauty of her face and soule surpassing the most glistering starres the modesty of her pace going the fire of her charity the greatnes of her diuine fortitude and courage The salutation of S. Elizabeth The second point shall be taken from the salutation of the Virgin and the effect thereof It is sayd that the Virgin entering into the house of Zachary saluted S. Elizabeth And it happened when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary the Infant exulted in her wombe And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and cryed out with a great voice and sayd Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe And how commeth this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come vnto me For behould as the voice of thy salutation was made in my eares the Infant in my wōbe exulted with ioy And blessed art thou which hast belieued because those thinges shall be performed which haue beene spoken to thee by our Lord. In these wordes he must marke the meruailous vertue and force of the salutation of the B. Virgin hauing so happily strucken the child and the Mother that they were both sanctifyed and filled with the Holy Ghost enabled to effects exceeding the common course of nature The child receaued sense and vse of reason beyond his age and leaped at the voice of the Mother of our Lord honouring the sayd Lord by that his motion Elizabeth did prophesy of thinges past present and to come The Mother was made a Prophetesse knowing by reuelation what had passed when she knew things secret to wit that the B. Virgin had belieued knowing also the present as that she was happy and blessed aboue all women that she was great with a blessed fruit with the Sonne of God our Lord She knew also what was to come foretelling that those things that were tolde her should be accomplished Wherupon the Pilgrime shall consider how much the Sonne of God hath honoured his mother in making her so soone the instrument of the Holy Ghost and his cooperatresse to so high effects in what credit she must needes be now in heauen for the saluatiō of men hauing been enriched since with a thousand merits and prerogatiues and reigning with her Sonne heaped with eternal glory aboue all Angels and men And if her simple voice and salutation that did passe brought the Holy Ghost vnto the soules of men of what efficacy shall be her firme and constant prayer to obtayne vs the heauenly graces of the same Spirit to our saluation O B. Virgin make this heauenly voice of thine soūd vnto thy Pilgrime this voice so pleasing so powerfull this voice whereof the Spouse speaketh saying Cant. 2. Cant. 2. Let thy voice sound in my eares for it doth reioyce me Make it be heard O virgin and therewith obtayne me necessary help happily to accomplish the course of my mortall Pilgrimage The third point of the Meditation Of the Canticle of the B. Virgin Magnificat CHAP. XXX THE third point shall meditate the meaning of that notable Cāticle which our B. Lady vttered after S. Elizabeth had spoken Then saith the Gospell Mary sayd Luc. 1. 1. My soule doth magnify our Lord. 2. And my spirit hath exulted in God my Sauiour 3. Because he hath respected the humility of his hād-mayd for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed c. The B. Virgin hauing heard so many blessings and praises for those graces she had receiued and knowing that forgetfullnes Ingraritude ryseth of Pride ingratitude are two branches of pride very displeasing to Almighty God she tooke occasion to yield thankes vnto her benefactour to reioyce in him and sayd in hart and mouth I acknowledge my Lord my soule doth magnify and extoll him as authour of all the good you haue praised and prophesied in me O my deare Cousin I praise him from the bottome of my hart and with all my soule and glory in his graces and bountifull liberality not in myne owne merit It is he that hath cast his eyes vpon my litlenes and hath exalted me It is his bounty and blessing that is the soueraigne cause that all the nations of the world that shall liue vnder the scepter of his Sonne shall call that Mother happy that did beare him Luc. 1.49 4. For he hath done great things vnto me who is mighty holy is his Name A great thing it is that a Virgin should vow virginity among the Hebrewes a great thing it is that remayning a Virgin she should conceiue without man a great thing it is that she should be the most fruitfull Mother that euer was hauing borne but one child great things and vnheard of that the seruant should bring forth her maister the daughter her father the morning the sunne weaknes power the Creature her Creatour These are the great things and the wonders that are wrought in me his little Creature for the which my soule doth now magnify and exalt his holy Name Luc. 50. 5. And his mercy is from generation to generation to those that feare him For the mercy of our Lord is allwayes and shall be for euer Psal 102.17 but to them that liue in the feare of his lawes It was shewed to our first Father Adam promising him a Redeemer to Abel Noe Abraham to all our forefathers assisting them with gifts and graces and strengthening them in the hope of this Redeemer and will shew it selfe now more then euer sending according to his promise the same Redeemer not an Angel or only man but his owne Sonne God made man to repaire the ruines of men by his owne bloud to exalt their condition aboue the Angells Psalm 71 28.135.4 6. He hath wrought wonders with his arme and hath scattered the proud in the mind of their hart It is he onely that is omnipotent and mightily worketh these meruailes and all others It is he that hath drawne this great All from nothing who hath created these lightes heauenly pallaces these 4. partes of the whole world the fier aire water and all that is made of thē it