the good we haue in body and soule and in all the whole world and at whose handes we expect eternall felicity By these such like discourses the Pilgrime shal kindle the fire of his meditation to heate himselfe in the loue of God and to make his soule diuinely amorous of him whome he is bound to honour and serue withall his hart and all his strength and shall shut vp his discours with this speach or a better if God shall put it in his mouth A prayer to God O Lord how iust and absolute is thy Law in al respects and how reasonable are thy precepts Is it not iustice it selfe that he hath ordayned who is al wise that he hath commanded who is Almighty That he may be acknowledged who is all good Is there any thing more iustly due on our part or more fit and conuenient for vs thy creatures then to loue the supreme beauty To admire the supreme wisedoeme To adore thee supreme Deity To serue thee supreme Power To embrace thee to reuerence thee to accomplish all thou commandest with so many titles of right and maiesty But to whome shall I giue my loue and seruice if I refuse it to thee to whome I owe seruice and homage of all that I possesse hauing receaued all of none other but of thy holy handes And who dost further promise to giue me thy selfe also in recompence if I acknowledge thy benefits in keeping thy holy Law And what profit hast thou of my loue and seruice Why God would be loued serued by vs. or what harme if I doe not loue and serue thee None at all O my Lord what then moueth thee to demand this deuotion at my hand but thine owne infinit bounty thereby to find occasion to shew thy selfe yet more liberall vnto me Be then more liberall still O my King and most mercifull Father grant me if it please thee sufficient light vnderstanding to penetrate the beauty of thy Lawes The mouÌ„taine of God is the knowledge of his Law and the bond I haue to keep them Take me vp into thy mountaine that I may heare thee speake kindle in me the heauenly fire of thy holy loue that I may cleerly see thy holy will and happily descend to the practise of thy commandements that I may walke with a light foot and a fiery affection the way of thy holy Law and that at the end of my course I may find thee aboue in heauen there to admire and adore thee for euer in the mountaine of thy eternall felicity The after dinner and the euening of the second day CHAP. IX AFTER dinner the Pilgrime eyther alone or with coÌ„pany shall for his spirituall recreation sing the Canticle following concerning the ten Commandements A Canticle of the Law of God the way of this life Now fellow-Pilgrimes euery one Our harts and voices let vs tune To sing with a glad courage The Law which must vs alwayes lead And teach vs truely how to tread The paths of this our pilgrimage Adore one God that 's Soueraigne Take not his holy Name in vaine Rest vpon the Sabboth day To holy workes see thou attend Thy sighes vnto thy maker send Him in all thinges prayse and pray Honour with a reuerence milde Father and Mother as a child The soueraigne high Iustice Shall be thy helper alwayes And will prolonge thy dayes On earth for that seruice Stretch not thy murderous hand nor knife To kill or hurt thy Neighbours life Nor with aduoutry staine his couch Fly all light and wanton nicenes Forbeare eke of couetousnes Thy Neighbours goods to touch False witnes see thou beare gainst none Speake good not ill of euery one Let thy sayings be sooth and true Couet not of others good Neyther VVife nor liuely-hood Nor ought of any value These are Gods ten holy Sawes These are his ten diuine Lawes This is the Harpe of ten stringes Which King Dauid playd vpon That sweet Psalmist and whereon The soule deuout Gods prayses sings Let this Harpe be day and night Our hart our loue our whole delight Alwayes sounding in our eare Let our eyes still this behould Let our hands this Harpe fast hould Let our feet still this way weare This sayd he shall repeat his morning meditation or meditate some other matter that may seeme proper to the circumstances of the time place and his owne deuotion And he shall not faile to bespeake the B. Virgin for his Aduocate to God that he may well hold the way of his Law in this banishment and exile and attaine the end of his great pilgrimage which is heauen He shall say the old deuout Salue Regina or some other Hymne to the honour of the sayd Mother of God And in these and such like exercises solacing his trauaile he shall end his iourney when tyme shall aduertise him to take his lodging to repose if he find any Inne or to merit by patience if he must endure some discomodity of the seraine or ayre without dores at the signe of the Starre The fourth Day A Meditation vpon the first Commandement Thou shalt not haue any other Gods before me Thou shalt not make any grauen Idol CHAP. X. AFTER the Pilgrime hath meditated in generall of the Law of God Thou shalt adore and loue one oÌ„ly God perfectly he shall come to euery Article in particuler and goe forward in spirit as well as in body and therfore his principall meditation vpon the fourth day shall be of the first commandement The prayer preparatiue and the first preamble shal be as before The second preamble shall frame in his imagination the two Tables of the Law and shall behould them as before his eyes In the first he shall read the first Commandement written with the finger of God in great letters THOV SHALT NOT HAVE ANY OTHER GODS BEFORE ME THOV SHALT NOT MAKE ANY GRAVEN IDOLL The first point of meditation shall marke The expâ—â—â—tion of the wordes of the CoÌ„mandement that this commandement is the conclusion of the clause precedent I am the Lord hy God as if God had sayd I am thy God therefore thou shalt haue no other but me And the meaning is that as he is the only God so only should he be acknowledged for God and Lord Almighty all wise all good Creatour of heauen and the first cause of all thinges This acknowledgement is called of the Deuines by a Greeke word Latria which soundes as much Argu. de â—â—â—ip Deâ— l 10. c. 1. 4. Idem con Faust. lib. 19. 20. cap. 21. as soueraigne honour and supreme worship due to God only and to none other and comprehendeth two parts the one inward in the soule which requireth that we haue such esteeme and beliefe of God in verity as we should without any mixture of errour or heresie the other outward in the body whereby we honour him with sacrifices visible adoration and the fruites of our goods The second
all the workes of our Redemption as the seauenth day before was the end of all the workes of Creation on which day we celebrate the memory of this great benefit specially with the holy Sacrifice of the Masse the liuely representation of the same in the oblation and sacrifice of the Body of our Sauiour The third shall obserue The cause of the institution of feasts that Iesus Christ hath ordained feasts for his Church as dayes of spirituall rest and repose and running tables which in a yearely course doe containe and caâ—y the memory of all his benefits to the end as S. Augustine sayth that by fall of tyme they be not forgotten Aug. ser de tempo And these feastes are as well those which containe the celebration of his mysteries as of his Natiuity Easter Pentecost and the like â—s those that are dedicated to the B. Virgin Mary his glorious mother his Apostles and Saints The fourth shall discourse concerning our deuotion in â—â—uly celebrating the Sundayes and holy dayes How we must celebrate Sundaies feasts which consiâ—â—eth first in flying all that may hinder the exercise of deuotioÌ„â—n those dayes as are seruile workes of the field of ploughâ—â—g or of the towne as are any occupation or attending to â—â—mporall affaires as suites buying and selling and such like â—uill negociation Secondly to obserue what the Church coÌ„â—andeth and teacheth to be kept as to heare Masse which is an ordinance of the Apostles To heare Masse on holy days is an Apostolicall Tradition renewed by diuers holy Councells to receaue the precious Body of our Sauiour with precedent preparation of Confession fasting other preambles of pennaÌ„ce humility if not euery Sunday and holy day yet oftentimes to heare the word of God and diuine seruice that is sayd in the Church of God to attend to praying and reading some good booke of deuotion and to other pious works The day of rest for other creatures The fifth shal note that this rest regardeth not onely man but also beastes not that they are capable of reioycing or hallowing the day of rest but that they be not wearied ouer-loaden with too much and dayly trauell this diuine prouidence hauing care not only of his reasonable creaturs but also of all others Matt. 10.29 Luc. 12.6 euen to the little sparrowes The speach and end of the meditation shall be taken of the foresayd pointes in this or like manner O my Lord most iust and most wise in all thy Lawes The greatnes of God appeareth in his law O how thy perfections do admirably shine in the framing thereof Thou commandest me to remember to sanctify the day of Rest but what should the eye of my memory sooner looke vnto then to this day of repose which representeth vnto me not only the goodly fabricke of the vniuersall world prepared for my vse but also the admirable worke of the Redemption of man without the which The day of rest represeÌ„teth that of Creation redeÌ„ption the first benefit had turned to our damnation and by which the gates of eternall blisse is opened to vs in heauen and in earth the enioying of a heauenly peace and tranquility where shal then my rest be Rather in this life then in remembrance of this rest and meditation of this day In hope of this eternity In celebration and exhibition of this seruice Lord let this day be alwayes before myne eyes and that al my dayes may be this rest in thee in thy house in thy seruice that all the course of my life may be a continuall trauaile in this heauenly rest and a continuall rest in this heauenly trauaile a trauaile without trauaile and a rest without rest a figure of that which is reserued within the Temple of thy Maiesty there aboue in heauen for those that heere below haue holily sanctifyed the memory of thy diuine infinit benefits The After-dinner and Euening of the sixth dayes Iourney Of the Commandements of the Church and deuotion to the Blessed Virgin CHAP. XV. IN this afternoone the Pilgrime shall choose for his meditation the Commandements of the Church The fifth CommaÌ„dement of the Church which are giuen the better to performe the other and are these 1. To keep holy the Feastes instituted by the Church 2. To heare Masse on Sundayes and Holy dayes 3. To fast Lent Vigills and Ember dayes Conc. Lug. 2. Conc. Agath caÌ„ 47. Aurel. 1. can 48. 3. Can. Apost 68. Conc. GaÌ„g c. 19. Conc. Lat. cap. 22. Conc. Trid sess 14. can 8. 5. Conc. Later Trid. sess 23. cap. 9. 4. To confesse our sinnes at least once a yeare 5. To receaue at least at Easter To which are added 6. Not to celebrate marriage in tymes forbidden 7. To pay Tithes All which help vs to discharge our duty in obseruation of the Sabboth He may also take some of these mysteries which happened vpon Sunday as the Natiuity of our Sauiour his Resurrection the comming of the Holy Ghost in all which he shall behould the Blessed Virgin to haue the highest place of vertue and honour amongst men and Angels He may meditate also the singular diligence she shewed going in pilgrimage euery yeare to Hierusalem with her wel-beloued Iesus there to celebrat the feast of Easter and other solemnityes coÌ„manded by the Law O with what memory did this B. Virgin remember this day of rest With what deuotion did she expect it With what feruour celebrate it What prayers What eleuations of this royall Virgin all rauished in the loue of her God whome she caryed in her hart saw with her eyes honoured and serued with all the forces of her soule Thus may the Pilgrime question with himselfe to find the matter wheron to fasten his mind and take spirituall refection of his Iourney for the rest of the day vntill he come where he shal lodge at night saying for the shutting vp of all his deuotions the Pater Aue Credo and other deuotions The seauenth day The Blessed Trinity figured in the three Commandements of the first Table CHAP. XVI IN the seauenth day the Pilgrime for his morning meditation shall contemplat in these three Commandements the mystery of the ineffable Trinity one God and three Persons The prayer preparatiue shall be as alwaies before The first preamble shall place for guide of his imagination the first Table of the Lawe contayning these three Commandements The second shall demand abundant light holily to contemplate this maiesty for the first point of the meditation the Pilgrime shall remember what the holy Scripture and faith teacheth vs One God three persons that there is one God in three Persons which we vnderstand by this word Trinity one essence and one nature in three Persons The Scripture saith Harken Israell the Lord thy God Deut. 6.4 is One God the word God twice put and Lord once signifieth three Persons the word One signifieth the vnity of essence The
of neighbours and for him is made the first commandement which shall make the meditation of the eight day in this sort The Morning Meditat on of the 4. Commandement Honour thy Father and thy Mother to the end thou maist liue long vpon the earth CHAP. XIX THE Prayer preparatiue as before The first Preamble shall set before his eyes The first Preamble the wordes of this Commandement HONOVR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER The second shall aske grace of God to gather profit of this meditation For the first point the Pilgrime shall meditate the equity of this commandement taught by the wiseman saying The 2. Honour thy Father thy mother and forget not the paines of thy mother Eccl. 27.9 and remember that without them thou hadst not beene borne and render vnto them as they haue done vnto thee He meaneth they are cause that thou art in the world Why Fathers should be honoured and haue suffered much for thee they haue nourished and brought thee vp with great labour and trauile thou art then bound by law of nature to render them honour to succour them if they haue need of thy help to obey them so they command thee nothing against the commandments of God or the counsells of our Sauiour as to kill another to be an heretike not to follow the way of perfection if God call thee for then we must sticke to that exception taught by our Sauiour himselfe He that hateth not his father Luc. 14. Act. 5. and mother is not worthy to be my disciple And that which S. Peter sayth VVe must obey God before men The name of father extendeth to all parents and Superiours For the second point the pilgrime shall marke that in this Cōmandement are comprehended Fathers Mothers Vncles Ants and all sortes of superiours spirituall and temporall as are Prelats Pastours Priests Maisters Kings Princes Magistrats Tutors and such like to whome to euery one by this law is due honour respect and obedience in all that toucheth their charge with the foresayd exception that they command nothing contrary to God In the third point he shall note that this law doth secretly teach that Fathers and Mothers should carry themselues Christianlike towards their children to the end they may deserue and retaine worthily the right of this honour commanded by God to them to loue them with a Christian loue to giue them good example and edification in wordes and workes to bring them vp in vertue and in the feare of God Eph. 6.4 You Parents sayth the Apostle bring vp your children in the doctrine of our Sauiour To prouide for their necessityes but specially that concerne the life of their soules for this is the end of true and fatherly loue as all the care of beastes toward their yong ones is the life of their bodyes the like should other Superiours performe with due proportion to their subiects The speach shall prayse the diuine Maiesty in the iustice of this his Commandement The speach and shall demand grace for all children that they may honour and serue their parents for al subiects that they may respect and obey their Kinges Superiours and Magistrates for Fathers Kinges Pastours Magistrates and Superiours that they may discharge toward God that fatherly care they owe to their children subiects and that both by the one and the other he may be praysed blessed in the execution of this his Commandement shall end with this prayer It was not inough for thee O Lord to giue vs lawes cōcerning thyne owne honour thou hast made lawes also for thy creatures seeking to haue euery thing wisely and iustly ordered in thy house for this is the house of thy soueraigne Wisedome and iustice the creature with his Creatour the creatures among themselues giuing and taking euery one his due that appertayneth vnto him and that man should honour thee not only in thy selfe but also for the loue of thee in thy workes Powre forth O Lord thy holy spirit in aboundance vpon all fathers and children subiects and superiours and namely those that liue in the compasse of thy holy Church that they may holily accomplish thy commandement and by a reciprocall performance of honour and obedience prayse thy holy name and merit eternall glory the reward of good and faithfull subiects The after-dinner and Euening of the eight dayes Iourney The corporall and spirituall VVorkes of mercy CHAP. XX. IN this afternoone the Pilgrime shall frame some Meditation of the workes of mercy both corporall and spiritual for in them we make proofe of our loue to our Neighbour The corporall are 1. To giue meate to the hungry 2. To giue drinks to the thirsty Matth. 25 3. To cloath the naked 4. To lodge the pilgrime 5. To visit the sicke 6. To visit prisonners 7. To bury the dead Tob. 1.2 2. Reg. 9. The spirituall are 1. To correct the sinner 2. To instruct the ignorant 1. Tim. 5.20 3. To counsell those that doubt 4. To set those that erre into the right way 5. To comfort the afflicted 6. To pardon iniuryes 7. To beare patiently the troublesomnes of others 8. To pray for the liuing and the dead By all these workes men make triall of the loue they beare vnto their Neighbour and principally by the spirituall which concerne the health of the soule by those also principally the Son of God hath shewed his infinite loue towards vs attending to no other exercise euen to his last breath In particuler for that which concerneth this fourth Commandement the Pilgrime shall haue ready some examples of holy Scripture of such as singularly haue beene true children of their Fathers and Mothers as were Isaac Iacob Tobie and such like Plin. l. 7. cap. 36. as also among the Gentils that Roman Damsell who nourished many dayes with her own milke her Mother being condemned to dye by famine in prison by visiting her in the way of comfort Vai Max. l. 5. c. 4. secretly giuing her her breasts to sucke and was the cause that the Iudge wondring at this piety not only deliuered this prisonner but gaue her also a perpetuall pension out of the publicke treasure The piety of Storkes The like is written of a Grecian Lady towardes her Father Cimon prisonner in his extreme age He shall consider also the like piety in some vnreasonable creatures as in Storks who nourish their father and mother growing old and impotent bringing them their prey into their neast as they were wont to nourish them when they were yong But aboue all he shall admire the Sauiour of the world who not only honoured his heauenly Father by his obedience but also his Mother and Creature the B. Virgin Mary and his presumed father Ioseph He was subiect to them sayth the Scripture that is Iac. 2.51 he respected them he honoured them he obeyed them O sweet Iesus O Creatour of heauen and earth O
direct all our actions to the glory of God By Vnderstanding we are eleuated to the vnderstanding of the mysteryes of our faith Counsell causeth vs to take good assured aduice against the crafts and subtiltyes of the Diuell to make vs resist and preuent them Knowledge sheweth vs most liuely the will of God as Fortitude giueth vs strength to execute it Piety maketh vs specially deuoute and obedient Feare is as a faithfull Schoole-maister keeping vs from sin Wisedome which is the first guift eleuateth vs to God Aug. 209. de temp and Feare which is the last doth depresse and humble vs in our selues for God sayth S. Augustine and by this counterpoise our soule is kept in an euen estate of iustice But because the hope of reward hath a great force to excite men to good The Beatitudes baites for vertues in the fifth point shall be noted how our Sauiour hath left vs those heauenly lessons of his sermon in the mountaine composed of eight Maximes of heauenly Philosophy putting to euery one his price of the same height and valour though of diuers names and sortes to the end by this heauenly bayte to draw vs to the obseruation of his Commanments and Counsells and to the getting and practising of the foresayd vertues and guifts of the Holy Ghost These eight Maximes are eight aduertisements called Beatitudes for that each one carrieth in his forehead the name and promise of Beatitude and giueth it at the last to euery one in his ranke and order 1. Blessed are the poore in spirit Math. 5. for theirs is the kingdome of heauen 2. Blessed are the meeke for they shall possesse the earth 3. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted 4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for iustice for they shall be satisfyed 5. Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy 6. Blessed are the cleane of hart for they shall see God 7. Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the Sonnes of God 8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for Iustice for theirs is the kingdome of Heauen The speach shall be made by thanks-giuing and request in this sort O my Creatour and soueraigne Redeemer my vnderstanding is too small to conceaue the greatnes of thy liberality my tongue vnsufficient worthily to thanke thee for the thousand part of thy benefits nor all my partes although they could all speake with the tongues of Angels I thanke thee notwithstanding from the bottome of my hart and with the best accent of my language that my mouth can vtter the confession of my insufficiency is a faithfull cleare witnesse of thy great bounty Thou hast dictated to me thy lawes to direct my feet into the way of thy iustifications the path of heauen Thou hast left me thy heauenly counsells to make me a good scholler in the schoole of perfection and to make me capable of greater glory in thy great day Thou hast left me a thousand meanes of thy grace of thy vertues of the guifts of thy holy Spirit a thousand baites and allurements of thy liberall promises to keep accomplish easily constaÌ„tly couragiously all that thou hast commanded counselled What couldest thou do more O my King for thy poore vassal And what can I now doe but confesse that I am ouerwhelmed with thy benefits and confounded for not hauing performed my duty wherto I was bound by so many titles What But beseech thy Maiesty by thyne owne great name by the great merit of thy only Sonne my Redeemer that it would please thee to continue alwayes to be liberall in my behalfe and giue me grace abundant and effectuall that I be no more vngratefull vnto thee but a thankfull child seruing thee with all my hart in this mortall life to the end I may prayse thee for euer in the life to come The after-dinner and Euening of the fourteenth dayes Iourney The Counsells dâ— faciliâ—ate and make easy the obseruation of the Commandâ—ments CHAP. XXXIII THE after dinner shall passe in repeating some points of the morning mâ—diâ—â—tion The couÌ„sels do facilitate the CoÌ„mandements namely of the Counsels of our Sauiour There the Pilgrime shall obserue how the Counsells are more high in dignity of action thâ—n the Commandements are and yet notwithstanding they help to performe them the better As for example none can more easily and exactly performe the first three Commandements more easily and holily adore God hallow his Name sanctify his Feastes then he that forsaketh all things to serue him with al his hart offe ing himselfe an holocaust to the diuine maiesty None do more easily honour Father and Mother lesse iniure their Neighbours in body and goods then he that loueth all with a perfect loâ—e and acknowledgeth in all the Image of God that prayeth for all desireth heauen to all that employeth himselself to all that hath left the vse and right of all pleasure and taken his leaue of all earthly desires not caring but for heauen Counsels like wheeles so that these counsells are as the wheeles of a Cart where though the drawing of the wheeles do increase the weight yet it maketh the drawing more easy to the horses He may also entertaine himself in the meditation of some of the Beatitudes and therein behould the practise of the Son of God of his glorious Mother and of other Saints The glorious Virgin perfect in vertue aboue all Saints who haue beene markeable in pouerty of spirit that is in voluntary pouerty and vowed to God for deuotion in mildenesse and meeknes in cleanesse of hart and in all he shall see that glorious Lady holdeth the highest place of perfection When night is come he shall giue speciall thankes to God and to this holy Virgin his Aduocate that he hath happily ended the second weeke of his way and so he shall end his dayes iourney and retire himselfe to his rest The fifteenth day A Meditation vpon Good workes CHAP. XXXIV IN the morning of this fifteenth day the Pilgrime shall make his meditation vpon Good Workes as order requireth for after the Commandements Counsells Grace Vertues the guifts of the Holy Ghost are giuen and reward promised for working well doth very fitly follow these meditations that haue beene made of all them The beginning shall be as before All the Bible exhorteth to good-works The first point shall be to meditate how as well the old Testament as the new euery where exhorteth man to do wel and to abstaine from euill shewing him that to that end God made him placing him as soone as he was made in Paradise to keep and labour it with a law of obedience not to touch the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill and to the same end after his fall Gen. 2.15 giuing his commandements with promise of reward to those that should keep them and punishment to the transgressours Gen. 17. who shall giue themselus to vice
48.13 and made like vnto them yea and worse also The constancy of al creatures to do well but of man For they not only are not idle in that occupation trade thou hast taught them but worke continually according to their law and order and wanting reason do follow reason But my selfe a reasonable creature remaine idle against reason one peece and parte of my life or do workes contrary vnto reason Other creatures haue receaued thy commandement but once to do that which they doe and they haue continually discharged their duty vnto this present But I hauing read and heard thy will a hundred tymes thy promises thy menacings do sleep and slumber notwithstanding wretch and benummed that I am and when I do wake my workes are worse then sleep and idlenes O Maker and Redeemer of man reforme this same man by the same power and mercy wherewith thou hast created redeemed him Giue vnto him giue vnto me O my Lord as to the most weake and needy strength and meanes well and holily to employ what thou hast giuen me that my Vnderstanding Will Memory my whole soule and body may be in perpetuall action to bring forth workes of life to the praise and glory of thy holy name The After-dinner and Euening of the fifteenth dayes Iourney Markeable documents and instructions for Good workes CHAP. XXXV AFTER dinner and at night the Pilgrime shall for his spirituall occupation discourse vpon the most markeable sentences of Scriptures and Saints spoken to shew that oÌ„ly fayth sufficeth not for saluatioÌ„ The Talents Matth. 25.16 without good workes The parable of the Talents holdeth the first place in this doctriné for thereby our Sauiour doth plainely instruct vs and with authority that we must negociate in the house of God and put the mony of his graces to profit and vsury which to that end he put into our handes with the condition of a good reward if we be diligent and obedient or of punishment and confusion The workeman Matt. â—0 if we be slouthfull Also the parable of the workemen sent to worke in the Farmers vineyard payd at night for their dayes labour Also the counsell which our Sauiour gaue to the young man saying If thou wilt haue life euerlasting keep my Commandements Matt. 19.17 Also those wordes He shall enter into the kingdome of heauen who doth the will of my Father not euery one that sayth Matt. 7.21 Lord Lord. But especially he shall weigh the clause of that generall decree which shall be published at the last day in fauour of good workes against the slouthfull Rom. 2.13 Come my wellbeloued Iac. 1.22 Matt. 25.34 Iac. 2. possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the Creation of the world I was hungry and you gaue me to eate c. And thereunto he shall add the plaine saying of S. Iames What shal it profit my brethren if any man sayth he hath fayth without works shall his faith saue him And S. Gregory Nazianzen Doe good workes vpon the ground of thy instructions for fayth without workes is dead Isa 26. as also workes liue not without fayth And Saint Hierome vpon these wordes of Esay 26. Our citty is a fortresse saluation shall there be put for the inward wall and outwâ—rd By the inward wall sayth he is meant good woorkes and by the other fayth for it is not inough to the outward wall of Fayth vnles this fayth be grounded and sustayned by good workes These workes are Prayer The principall good workes Fasting Almes and other workes of charity which we spake of before in the afternoone of the eight day In these and the like discourses shall the Pilgrime passe the after-dinner thereby stirring himselfe to the loue and practise of Christian workes In the euening either alone or with others he may sing this Canticle that followeth to shut vp the euening with ioy and profit A Canticle of good VVorkes The pious Pilgrime that doth walke Vnto the Chappell of Loret Must worke with hand his soueraignes workes And keep his soule still pure and nett To heare alone and not performe The law of God doth worke no meed To know the way and not to walke Nothing doth our iourney speed The tree that bringeth nothing els But leaues and breathing verdure Is fit for fire and not for fruit And doth greet wrong to nature Our Sauiour chiefe and iustest Iudge The fruitlesse Fig-tree strooke with curse If man in vaine doth wast his dayes Shall he not blame and strike him worse How hoat shall then be his reuenge To those that nothing els doe bring But poisoned grapes and fruites of death Of sinne and shame and els nothing Each thing doth worke and nothing sleepes In Earth in Sea in Heauen aboue Each thing doth moue in his degree Mans end is God to know and loue Then these short dayes of this short life Let be in vertuous workes well spent That last long day shall all workes try VVhen ech shall b' either crown'd or shent And hauing made his particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall take himselfe to his lodging in good time not to be surprised by night in the fieldes The sixteenth day A Meditation of sinne CHAP. XXXVI THE morning Meditation shall be vpon sinne an actioÌ„ opposite to good workes which were the matter of the precedent meditation This order shal make a fit opposition of vertue to vice The opposition of vice to vertue and by setting their faces one against another we may better discerne the beauty of the one to loue it and the foulnes of the other to hate it What sin is The first point shall put the definition of sinne the better to know both the corps and countenance and duly to meditate of the foulnes thereof Sinne sayth S. Ambrose is a straying from the law of God and a disobedience to the heauenly Commandmâ—nts Ambr. de Poenit c. 8. Aug l. 22. cont Faust c. 27 l 1. cont ep 1. Peâ—il 113. By S. Augustin it is What is sayd done or desired against the law of God so that one word spoken one deed done one thought conceaued against the law of God that is against any of his commandements is a sinne great or small mortall or veniall according to the diuers motion of the will sinning either with full consent or by some light motion or suddaine surprise and according to the great or small importance of the thing and other circumstances Of which definitions he shall learne that there is nothing so foule and deformed as sinne For what can be found more monstruous then that which is opposite to the law rule of the highest wisedome beauty and goodnes The second point shall consider two sortes of sinnes Originall and Actuall and this mortall and veniall Originall sinne Aug. ench 164. is that spot which flowed from the sin of Adam wherewith all men are stained in their conception and
which was made there and els where ouer all the world by the appointement of Augustus Caesar who commanded to be made a generall description ouer all countries The description of the world by Caesar as S. Luke saith ◠Cap. 1. He shall then behold the B. Virgin as a Pilgrime walking on foote with her husband light with that precious load which she caried in her wombe burning with loue and charity towards God whome shortly she was to bring forth Secondly he shall draw in his imagination the picture of the place where she was to lye in and be deliuered giuing saluation to the world Our Sauiours Cribbe This place was a desert or forsaken Caue and stable to set beastes in where she was constrayned to lodge not fynding any place in the Inne by reason of the great concourse of people that then repayred thither vpon this imagination he shall demaund of God light well to penetrate the wonders of a Natiuity so admirable in al the circumstances The first point shall be to meditate some figures and prophecies of the birth of our Sauiour Figurs prophecies of the birth of our Sauiour The figures were all the ancient apparitions wherein the Sonne of God shewed himselfe in the forme of man as in Paradise to Adam in Canaan to Abraham and Iacob for he that was borne this midnight was the God who before had spoken to men therefore called Verbum the Word of God and he shewed himselfe to them in humane shape S. Chrys hom 2. Greg. orat 4. de Theo Clem. Ale in exhort ad gentes in paeda cap. 12. but as a passenger not staying in it as it were making a proofe or tryall of that nature which he was once to marry and ioyne by an eternall vnion to his diuinity be borne God and Man to conuerse with men and be to them the Word and interpreter of the mysteries of heauen of the Commandements of his Father And this was in his Natiuity when he shewed himselfe meerly cloathed with our nature performing what he had prophecyed caused to be foretold by his Prophets My delight is to be with the children of men for heere he began to be among the children of men Psalm 8. a true Man already conuersing with them as a little child heere he did first effectuate what I say sayd in his person Isa 52. Behould I that did speake am present and that he sung of the Natiuity Behould a Virgin shall conceaue Isa 7. and bring forth a child And againe A little child is borne to vs Isa 9. Bar. 3. and a sonne is giuen vnto vs. And another And thou Bethleē Ephrata thou art not the least among the principall towns of Iudea for out of thee shall come a Captayne to gouerne my people This therfore is that little Sonne that Prince prophecyed of by these and like passages of Scripture who was borne this night The second point shall consider the circumstances of this Natiuity 1. Circūstance of this meruailous natiuity which being well vnderstood will teach vs a good lesson of the greatnes of God and of the misery of man He was borne as he was conceaued that is miraculously conceaued of a Virgin without man borne of a Virgin without the breach of her Virginity without the panges and throwes or griefe of childbirth which was the effect of the malediction giuen to the first Woman and to all her race So hath the Prophet foretold speaking of this Virgin Before she did labour Isa 66. she was deliuered before the houre of her deliuerance she brought forth a man child Verily a man child hauing nothing effeminate God and man togeather all mighty all wise all good and though the B. Virgin did beare only the body The Virgin verily the Mother of God and not his diuinity which was from all eternity yet was she verily the Mother of God for hauing conceaued that body which was vnited to the diuine person and so brought forth that person euen as other Mothers are mothers of those they beare although the soule is not begotten of them because they ingender that body which is personally vnited to the soule It is therfore a more admirable natiuity Isa 53. then that of al the world in the Creation and so what was sayd of the eternall generation of the Sonne of God VVho shall declare his generation may also be sayd of this temporall Conception and Natiuity He was borne in the sixth age of the world foure thousand yeares or there about after the Creation in the night The circumstāce of the tyme of the sixth age in the hart of Winter when the world was most couered with darkenes and frozen in the filth of all vice and Idolatry when the temporall Kingdome of the Iewes was dismembred and translated to the gouernement of forraine Princes strangers Herod his brethren who deuided it into 4. parts or Tetrachies and made so many particular tyrannies gouerned by the great and soueraine Pagan tyranny of Rome Why Caesar described the world which commanded all and therefore Caesar commanded that description a commandement that carried the signe of soueraignty And these fiue temporal tyranies did in mystery signify the miserable estate of mākind ouerwhelmed oppressed with so many spirituall tyrannies of diuers sinnes which it serued vnder the great and generall tyranny of the diuell who held the world in his dominion as peaceable as Augustus held his Empire At midnight He was borne at midnight in the hart of winter the true sunne of our Night to driue away the deep darknes hard Ice from the harts of men to bring them day and heate them in the loue of heauenly things to bring in the beautifull seasō of the spirituall spring-time of summer and Autumne of sweet smelling flowres of the heauenly heate of the Holy Ghost of the fruit of good workes whereof the world had hitherto beene barren And this is what the Prophet sayd The people that walked in darknes haue seene a great light Isa 9. and light hath risen to them who dwell in the shadow of death He was borne in a stable among beasts Psalm 48.13 to restore man to his old ranke and place who by sinne was cast downe to the basenes of bruit beastes and was made like vnto them The third point of the Meditation Our Sauiour encountreth and ouercometh vices in his Infancy CHAP. XXXIII THE third point shall be to contemplate how this little child beginneth to handle his weapons and to fight for vs betymes euen from his cradle for this being happened not by chance but by his owne prouidence in a stable he bruized in his birth with this onely circumstance the head of the old Serpent which before he had threatned He crushed the pride of the diuell the ancient enemy of our saluation Genes 3. the authour of all our miseries In
of miraculous workes and at last performed the redemption of man therein sanctifying so many places as his holy humanity had touched and especially aboue all other The chaÌ„ber of Loreto the abridgemeÌ„t of all holy places that which we now speake of which iustly we may call a collection of all the holy places of the world and verily the Holy of holyes in the Temple of God as only and alone hauing beene sanctifyed by all those causes togeather which seuerally are wont to make other places holy and honourable as I will now shew more in particuler as it were setting a starre before the Pilgrimes eyes to guide him VVhat causes make a place venerable Places meruailous in their beginning and of the admirable foundation of the house of Loreto CHAP. III. THE titles that make a place venerable are these Titles that make a place honourable The meruailous beginning the Antiquity diuine Apparitions the habitation or touching of some Saints the mysteries the great effect and miracles the vowes and presents of Religion All which God hath ioyned togeather each one as it were stryuing which should be highest in this house to make it admirable to the honour of his mother before the eyes of mortall men Let vs consider each one a part The beginning of a place makes it venerable when it is accompanyed with some notable The beginning 3. Reg. 6.7 strange or wonderful thing So we read that the building of the Temple of Salomon was wonderfull specially in that there was not heard therein the sound of any hammer or saw nor the noise of any Iron instrument where notwithstanding there must needs be an infinit number of workmen and tooles this royall building of the Temple being the most accomplished and perfected in all varietie of the parts and workemanship and the most stately costly in the matter that euer was the nouelty of this wonder had beene incredible if the Scripture it selfe did not warrant vs 1. Pâ—â—al 29. and facilitate the credit thereof telling vs on one side how Dauid left the principall necessary stuffe Salomon caused it to be fetched from other places ready fashioned and framed for the worke on the other side aduertising vs by reason of this meruaile to meditate a mystery of a future Temple which Iesus Christ the true Salomon A mysticall meruaile and true Dauid both triumphing in his heauenly kingdome in aboundance of euerlasting peace shall build of his chosen liuely stones which he causeth to be hewed and polished in this world at the cost charges of his owne precious bloud and with great noyse and blowes of manifold persecution The Temple then was admirable in the beginning with such a wonder Admirable also was in the beginning that wall which Titus the Emperour caused to be made with many Bullwarkes about Hierusalem Ioseph lib. 5. de bello Iud. c. 31. when he besieged it compassing the citty round about with a wall of 39. furlongs which are about two ordinary leagues and building 13. Fortes or Bullwarks in diuers partes thereof hauing each 10. furlongs in compasse which is 250. paces and all this in the space of three dayes This was made to bind in the assieged that none might enter to succour them or come out either to seeke aide or to saue themselues This worke was wonderfull for being extraordinarily aduanced by the secret hand and help of God furnishing and prouiding the enemies of this ingratefull and peruerse people of force and industry thus to presse them and make to them a straight and dolefull prison the head Citty of their country and the place of their delight for euer heeretofore and namely 42. yeares before when they thrust their Sauiour out therof to crucify him And then was fullfilled the prophecy of the same Sauiour when weeping ouer the citty Luc. 19. he sayd Thyne enemies shall besiege thee round about and shall compasse and inclose thee on euery side Iosâ—ph lib. 5. de bello Iud. c. 31. Ioseph the Iew an eye-witnesse of this siege did note this wonder not knowing the cause nor the prophecy and sayth that as soone as Titus had resolued to make this wall the souldiers and Captaines were presently stirred with a certaine extraordinary heate in labouring euery man striuing who should be the best mason or workeman labour most willingly and diligently in his quarter And Titus first besieged them vpon this wall the third day after it was begun being thus encouraged to batter these obstinate mutiners who were greatly amazed to see themselues enclosed in such a wall almost in a moment The Ecclesiasticall history telleth vs Iap to 5. Sâ—â— to 6. that after S. Clement was cast into the Sea with an Anker about his necke there was found a little Chappell of marble meruailously built in the place where he was drowned the Sea by another like wonder retyring it selfe one mile within the channell to discouer this holy treasure hidden within it and to make a drye way to those that of deuotion went to honour it according vnto the common custome of ChristiaÌ„s These and such like places are made honourable by the wonders that happened in their beginning The chamber or house of Loreto hath beene honoured in this kinde aboue all the houses that euer were in the world not in respect of the first building which was finished by the common artizans of Nazareth nor for that it was beautified with a goodly Temple which Helena the mother of Constantine caused to be built hard-by S. Helen built a Temple in Nazareth but in that it hath beene transported by the Angells from one country to another and from one place to another in the same country consequently so often built with miracles neuer heard off before and much greater then if it had beene built by the Angells themselues that transported it For if the Angells had built it where it is or els where as it is it had beene wonderfull by reason of the workemen but not of the worke which might haue beene made by the industry of men as it was at the first but being transported from the first seate as we will shew after it is made admirable both by the workmen and the manner of the worke this transporting and transplanting exceeding all the power and industry of all the Enginiers and Builders in the world though they had the handes of a hundred Briareuses of a hundred Archimedeses Briareus with an hundred handes and therefore we may say that this Chappell is builded with such miracles as neuer any building was before that in this respect it was the most noble peece of worke that euer worldly eyes beheld The which the better to pierce and penetrate we must consider with the obiect of the circumstances How the house of our Lady called of Loreto is one of the three most famous places of the Holy Land and the causes why it was remoued
was carried not long before Afterwardes going from Sclauonia to Palestine they found in Nazareth the same markes and tokens of the place which the Sclauonians had found foure yeares before And their report recorded in the writings of the Citty was kept in the publike Recordes for testimony vnto all posterity Of certaine strange and meruailous transportations CHAP. IX THOVGH this be a wonder the like wherof hath not beene often heard that a whole house should be transported and carried from one country to another as this holy house was which alone had the honour of such a priuiledge yet we read also of diuers transports of the same kind made either by prayer or by art industry of men euen of Paynimes otherwise Wherfore this should not seeme either impossible to the power of God nor beyond the fayth of men S. Gregory Thaumaturge as S. Gregory Nissene reporteth in his life by his prayer remoued a Rocke from one place to another Greg. Thaumat Greg. Niss in his life by this means plaÌ„ted the faith of Iesus Christ in the hart of the Idoll-Bishop before whome and for whome he wrought it Paulus Venetus telleth that a simple Christian of Armenia neere the towne of Taurisium caused also by his prayer a mountaine to moue in the sight of the Saracens Paul Ven. l. 1. cap. 18 whilest they mocked Christians for holding of a fayth that bosteth to remoue mountaines and threatned to kill him if either he did not deny his fayth or performe this miracle which they seeing performed many of them were conuerted to Iesus Christ In the yeare 1571. a great Hill in England somewhat neere the sea changed his place whether it were by some earthquake or by some secret supernatural power Pliny recounteth that in Brusse a towne of Maracko an orchard planted with Ohue-trees appertaining to Vectius Marcellus a Knight of Rome Plin lib. â— cap. â—3 and Procurator generall of Nero the Emperour was carried from one place to another Art also which is a branch help of Nature hath her miracles in the like kind Lib. 7. c. 9 hist Indic For we read in the History of the new world that those of Mexico haue by deuice of water-workes transported Gardens with their trees and fruits into faire countryes Archimedes boasted that he could remoue the earth out of his place Archimed Plutarch in Marcel if he had another place firme whereon to set his mathematicall instruments and there are found Enginers also of our tyme that could pull vp great Okes and other trees as one would pull vp a radish-roote make them leape in the aire with engines which many would thinke a miracle if they should see it and not see the cause this being an effect aboue the ordinary force of men though as strong as Roland or Milo and surely it is a great wonder of art If then we thinke these miracles of S. Gregory the formentioned to haue beene done as the credit of histories doth command vs to thinke they were if the Paynimes haue belieued that by the power of their Gods or by art such wonders could be wrought why should we make difficulty in beleeuing this transport who haue and belieue a God almighty author of Nature and of all the power of arte and to whome Iesus Christ hath sayd about these kind of workes that one graine of fayth should remoue mountaines Math. 17.20 Luc. 17. â— 1. Cor. 1â— cast them into the sea so also sayth S. Paul If then with fayth men may worke these transportations may we not beleeue with the fame that Angels by the will of God haue done this to whom he hath giuen naturall force and strength to doe this and such like workes For we know that the Angell carried the Prophet Abacuc from Iudea to Babylon and carried him backe froÌ„ Babylon to Iudea againe Dan. 1â— 35. more then twenty dayes iourney in a moment And we know by their naturall force they roule about the huge frames of the celestiall Bodys from East to West and from West to East with an admirable swiftnes and constancy now these six thousand yeares togeather without any paine or difficulty a worke without comparison more difficult then to carry a house once or twice from one country to another from Asia to Europe from Nazareth to Sclauonia and from thence to Italy although it be also an effect miraculous and admirable for the rarenes Why the Writers of that tyme did not record in their History this meruailous transport of the Chappell of Loreto and of many strange thinges neglected and not perceeued CHAP. X. BVT heere will be demanded why this cause being so rare and admirable no Historiographer that writ in that tyme made any notable mention thereof The demand is reasonable and the silence may seeme strange Therfore to satisfy it I say first that this might happen because there were few famous writers of that tyme for amongst the Greekes the most renowned Nicephorus flourished about 1297. was Nicephorus Calixtus and amongst the Latines William de Nangu a Monke of S. Denis in France who perhaps were both ignorant of this matter for although in it selfe it were great yet the fame therof was not so soone spread in strange countryes or if they should heare of it so farre off they might not belieue it at the first or if they did beleeue it they durst not publish it in their writings strangers still referring themselues to those that were neerer and might haue better knowledge assurance of the matter The other learned men of that tyme as well Greekes as Latins as Nicolaus Cabasila Nic. Cab. Geor. Pac. Robert of Sorbone about 1296 George Pachimer Robert of Sorbone were occupyed in commenting the Scriptures and handling Theologicall questions rather then in writing of histories they therefore put this miracle first in writing that knew it first and whome it concerned most who were the Sclauonians and Recanatines and that the most authentically they could that is in their publike recordes and stories written for that printing was not yet deuised Secondly I answere that it might happen in this case Two causes of silence in great matters which we often see to happen in great and rare matters that they are not knowne either for that they are not marked obserued euen by those that are neerest being busy in other matters that touch them more neere or els are neglected and omitted by writers as being knowne manifest to al which I can proue by fresh examples of our owne tyme and wherof my selfe haue beene for the most part an eye witnesse also by the testimony of antiquity I was at Auinion the yeare of our Lord 1590. when a little child of the same towne aboute fiue or six yeares old A child fell from a place 24. foote high without harme 1590. named George Caluet the sonne of a worshipfull Aduocate going to see the schollers
Chaplet or Corone had in the beginning another signification then it hath now and is ancient in the French tongue for we reade in Froissart that King Edward of England 〈◊〉 vol. 1. ap 1â—2 that raigned in the yeare 1349. gaue a Crowne of pearles which he did weare on his head to M. Eustace of Ribaumont in reward and honour of his valour This Chaplet was a little band of gold folded and doubled after the manner of a crowne or garland hauing pearles set on the outside and it shewed like one of our Rosaryes being set round vpon our head heerof came the name and for some similitude it was applyed to a new subiect for this cause we vse that name as also the name of Corone not to signify an ornament of the head Corone an instrument of deuotioÌ„ but an instrument of deuotion a little booke without words or letters composed of fifty smal beads stringed togeather hauing betwixt euery ten a greater one to distinguish the number though commonly it hath 63. which is the number of the yeares of our B. The B. Virgin liued 63. yeares Ladyes life That which we call a Rosary is a triple Chaplet or Corone contayning 150. beads stringed and distinguished after the same fashion The Catholike Church vseth them for prayer saying vpon euery small bead an Aue Maria and vpon the greater a Pater noster meditating or thinking vpon the same mystery of the Rosary The 15. mysteries 〈◊〉 the Rosary These mysteries are 15. fiue of ioy fiue of sorrow and fiue of glory The first five are 1. The annunciation of the Angell 2. The visitation of the Virgin 3. The Natiuity of our Sauiour 4. The presentation of him in the Temple 5. When he was found among the Doctours The fiue sorrowfull are 1. His agony in the garden of Oliuet 2. His whipping at the pillar in Pilats house 3. His crowning with thornes in the same place 4. His carrying of his Crosse out of Hierusalem 5. And his crucifying vpon mouÌ„t Caluary The fiue glorious are 1. His Resurrection 2. His Ascension 3. The comming of the holy Ghost 4. The Assumption of our B. Lady 5. Her coronation and exaltation aboue all Angells Of which mysteries the pilgrime may choose in saying his beads which his deuotion shall like best This is the little prayer-booke of our B. Ladyes Deuotes in the Catholike Church a booke more rich The profit of the Rosary and noble if it be well vsed and said then the crowne of Kings not only for the simple who cannot read but also fit for the learned who may find inough to meditate vpon that profound and meruailous salutation and vpon the benefit of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God and vpon those heauenly prerogatiues of our B. Lady which are therein contayned Those that haue forsaken the Church and waged warre against this Sonne The sâ—ofs of he heretikes against the Rosary this Mother at the beginning of their pretended reformation did mocke Catholikes for this manner of prayer saying that this was to serue God by count and reckoning and this because al thinges are done without count or reckoning without measure or order in their fayth They shew by this folly that they are ignorant how all that God hath done both vnder nature and vnder the law is done by weight number and measure Sap. 11. 21. Psalm 118. Dauid song prayses vnto God seauen tymes a day Sap. 11. 21. Psal 118.164 Matt. 27.44 Matt. 14.39 Our Sauiour made the same prayer with the same wordes thrice in his agony these works that were done by count do they cease therfore to be diuine What then doe these good fellowes find fault with accusing the Catholike Church for that she prayeth and honoureth God and the B. Virgin Mary with the salutation of the Angell and the words of S. Elizabeth often repeated and by number measured seeing this is to imitate the wisedome of God and of his Saints so to serue him prayse and pray vnto him and his Saints with a certaine number of prayers and prayses Let therefore not only the Pilgrime but euery good Christian as well the learned as the simple say his beades as often as he can in the day assuring himselfe that his deuotion heerein shall not be without reward in full count and measure and let him also account himselfe much honoured that he may so often pronouÌ„ce those wordes which one of the chiefe celestiall spirits pronounced to the prayse of the B. Virgin bringing vnto her the most noble embassage and most important that euer was or can be made for men and he may hold himselfe happy that he may pronounce that blessing S. Elizabeth sanctified at the salutation of the B. Virgin which that great Lady S. Elizabeth great of so great a Saint vsed vnto her when she was visited blessed and sanctified with the fruit of her womb by her first salutation and let euery one persuade himselfe that there is spirituall profit not only in saying them but euen in carrying them at their girdle or otherwise as a signe of a Catholike against the misbelieuer of deuotion towardes the Mother of the sonne of God Of the examination of our Conscience CHAP. VI. In the examen a man speaketh to himselfe PRAYER teacheth vs to speake to God and to aske his grace The examen of our coÌ„science teacheth vs to speak to our selues and to yield thankes to God for his benefits to amend our faults and to preserue our selues in innocency and purity This examen in Christian termes is an exact searching and discussion which a man maketh of his thoughtes words and workes once or oftener in the day and it consisteth in fiue pointes 5. points of the examen of conscience The 1. Is after our Creed recited to consider the benefits receaued God specially that day and to thanke him with an humble hart therefore The 2. With the like humility to aske grace to know our sinnes and auoyd them and say Pater and Aue. The 3. Maketh the very scale ballance and touch of this examen that is to demand an account of our soule and body of all their faults committed since the last examen discoursing from one houre to another from one action to another to enquire if our vnderstanding hath had any euil thought of anger vaine glory auarice impurity enuy wrath gluttony slouth or like cogitations whereunto the will hath constantly or weakely and negligently resisted If the tongue hath fallen to any detraction swearing idle talking if the eye hath beene cast vpon any euill obiect or curiously beheld vnprofitable thinges if the eare hath beene open to detraction cursing pratling vaine mirth and idle wordes if the hand hath byn carryed to any nice or impure touch of our owne body or others if it hath stricken or otherwayes iniuried any body finally make enquiry of all that hath beene thought sayd or done contrary to the
22.17 and effectually to assure themselues of some important truth and God himselfe did sweare by himselfe to fortify his promise that he made to blesse Abraham to multiply his seed as the Starres of heauen and as the sand of the Sea Thereof it is that in publicke iustice they cause men to hold vp their hand or to put it vpon their breast to the honour of God the soueraigne Iustice and in fauour of innocency and right The fifth shall meditate how God is not content to giue this commandement but also would add a threate to those that should break it God will not hold him innocent who shall take the name of the Lord his God in vaine This is to shew the enormity of the sinne to put a bridle in the mouth of men who doe easily fall into this fault and to giue them to vnderstand that thereof doe come the greatest part of tribulations and aduersities wherewith men are afflicted in their body wiues children and goods And therfore Ecclesiast sayth Thy mouth shall not be accustomed to swearing Eccl. 23. for there are many inconueniences therein And againe The man that sweareth much shall be filled with iniquity Matth. 5.34 and the sword shall not depart from his house And the same Wisedome not to giue footing or food to such a custome cōmandeth a contrary extreme that is not to sweare at al Sweare not neyther by Heauen nor earth nor by Hierusalem let your words be yea yea no no an aduertisement also giuen by S. Iames in the same words Iac. 5.12 The prayer or speach to God shall be thus My Lord thou hast giuen me a hart to belieue in thee hope in thee and to loue thee with all my capacity and my tongue as an interpreter of my hart and an instrument accorded and tuned thereunto to exalt thy holy Name with the harmony of a liuely Fayth and stronge Hope and sincere Charity to sing the prayses of thy greatnes all the dayes of my life continue if it please thee to deale well with thy seruāt for thy bounty is bottomlesse and giue me grace to employ my tongue to that vse for which thou hast placed it in my mouth let it be only to prayse thee to thank thee for thy benefits to confesse thee Creatour of heauen and earth Redeemer of mankind and iudge of the quicke and dead Keep it if it please thee that it be neuer loosed not only to vanity against thy holy name but not so much as vnto any idle word that it may name thee with verity iudgement and iustice sing to thee with sincerity and exalt thee with thankesgiuing for euer and euer Amen The after-dinner and Euening of the fifth dayes Iourney Diuers Meditations and Prayers CHAP. XIII AFTER dinner the Pilgrime shall make this meditation vpon some other matter proper for the day or he shall resume some point of his morning meditation or shall say his beades or some other prayer to the B. Virgin admiring her vertues purposing to imitate her and to that end demanding her help and assistance In the euening he shall bewaile the sinnes that are so cōmonly committed against this holy commandement and the euills that come therof demanding of God for himselfe and others grace to amend and shall say O Lord thy name is holy for it nameth the Holy of holyes none do comprehend the Maiesty thereof but thy selfe and the ignorance of many mortall men is lamentable in that they know it not and the peruersity of men is abhominable in that knowing it they do most wickedly dishonour it their mouth is full of blasphemy and their tongue eloquent in vanity Language of vanity their discourses interlaced with vnprofitable oathes and detestable periuryes The Souldier is not gallant except he braue it in swearing the Merchant cannot sell except he forsweare the Doctour the Priest the Iudge the women children venture to sweare and forsweare and to profane with their tongue that Name which is only to be adored And do we meruaile if the wrath of thy iustice doth rayne vpon our heads so many calamityes If warre plague famine doe persecute vs If heresy armed with our sinnes ouerruning Christendome so many yeares doe trouble the peace ouerthrow trafficke bring in robbers and tread vnder foot all lawes of God and man Let vs rather meruaile that we feele no greater euills But O Lord notwithstanding be gentle and mercifull as thou art keeping vs from incurring thy iust anger pardon vs if it please thee our faults past and keep vs from committing any more heerafter and giue vs grace alwayes to employ our tongue to the Confession and prayse of thy holy Name And so he shall betake himselfe to his lodging whither his good Angell shall bring him The sixth Day A Meditation vpon the third Commandement Remember to sanctify the day of Rest CHAP XIV The seruice of God with preparatiō THE morning meditation of the sixth day shall be of the third Commandement with the accustomed preparation and the first preamble shall set before his eyes the wordes of the Law as grauen in stone REMEMBER THOV SANCTIFY THE DAY OF REST as in the other And the second shall demand grace to reap spirituall profit of this present meditation The pointes shall be these In the first must be obserued that this third Commandement is giuen that solemnely with leasure and preparation and without any disturbance of worldly affaires and businesse we might put in practise the two precedent that is to adore God confesse and giue thankes by first fruites sacrifices offeringes and almes to prayse and sing forth his holy name Euery day we should remember this day and therefore it is sayd expressely Remember thee and thinke thereof expect it seruing God the best that we can euery man apart by himselfe the other dayes of the weeke amidst the presse of our temporall affaires But when that day is come al the children of God come togeather vnto his house to find tyme and place for this deuotion as the most important of all that they may performe it in common as perfectly as may be The second shall consider This feast is the remembrāce of the worke of God that this seauenth day of rest was giuen to the Iewes to acknowledge the benefit of the Creation of the world and with a continuall and weekly memory renew the remembrance thereof also to signify the eternall rest and repose which Iesus Christ was by his death to gaine vnto vs regenerating vs into new creatures first by his Sacraments in this life and after by his Resurrection to glory He therfore being come and we hauing gotten this rest and glory figured by the Iews Sabboth he would that the church should leaue the figure put in place thereof our Lords day Why the Iewes feast is turned to Sunday the Sunday the day of his glorious Resurrection and the closer of
therfore it is that he shewed himselfe to accept the sacrifice of Abel and checked Cain for hypocrisy Gen. 4.4 and after speaking to Abraham Father of his people Walke sayth he before me and be perfect I will make my couenant with thee Gen. 15. and I will multiply thee exceedingly Walke that is do well I will giue thee a rich reward of thy fidelity and good works and as he sayd a little before I am thy reward too-to great The last iudgmeÌ„t shall be vpon our workes In the new Testament there is nothing oftener or more earnestly recommended vnto vs then good workes All the sermons of our Sauiour are founded vpon this Theme and in one of them he foretelleth that at his great day at the shuting vp of the world he will iudge men for their good or bad workes Matt. 10.42 to eternall glory or confusion and in one place he promiseth reward euen vnto a cupp of cold water giuen for his sake shewing that he will leaue nothing though neuer so small without recompence Rom. 2.10 Matt. 25. Apoc. 22.12 so carefull he is to encourage vs to do well His Apostles and seruants S. Paul S. Iohn and others haue spoken in like sort preaching alwayes that God will render vnto euery man according to his workes and liuing agreeably to their preaching How good workes merit paradise The second shall note that good workes measured by the foot of bare nature without any other quality and as an effect only of free will doe not merit eternall glory a limited action hauing no proportion to a recompence of an infinit valew but being considered not in it selfe but as grafted in heauenly grace and the infinite vigour of the holy Ghost dwelling in the soule giuing it the right of adoption towardes God by the merits of Iesus Christ The woÌ„derful beginning oâ— birth of naturall thinges it contayneth in this respect the price of euerlasting glory And as we see in nature a little liuely seed to containe in it a hidden vertue and force to bring forth a great tree and fruit without number as for example a little nut incloseth in the seed a Nut-tree and millions of Nuttes and as many trees by succession for euer after so in a supernaturall sort the action of morall vertues quickened by the grace of God carieth a title and seed of the kingdome of heauen this is a meruailous strength vertue Prosper in Psal 111. and it is also from God whereupon S. Prosper sayth What can be found more strong and puissant then this seed by the growth filling wherof is gained the k ngdome of Heauen We know also that inheritance is due by iustice to adoptiue children in like sort is the inheritance of heauen due to the Christian that serueth his heauenly Father with the Charity loue of a true child And in title of this grace and adoption God promiseth felicity to his children and by his promise bindeth himselfe in iustice to giue vnto their vertue the reward of life euerlasting 2. Tim. 48 and therefore S. Paul sayth confidently I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the fayth for the rest there is reserued for me a Crowne of iustice which our Lord the iust Iudge shall render to me at that day and not only to me but to all that loue his comming He would say I haue done good works How â—od bindeth himselfe by his promise and by them deserued a crowne which God hath promised to all those that serue him and therefore I expect it as a thing due from his hand who gaue me the grace to worke well who by his promise is bound to crowne my workes and all that serue him And elswhere speaking of the adoption of the children of God If we be sonnes sayth he then heires that is Rom. 8. by right of adoption we haue heauen for well doing Now God had giuen this right grace freely to Adam he hauing lost it by his owne fault the Messias that is the sonne of God Iesus Christ How Iesus hath recouered what Adam lost was promised to recouer him and his posterity who at last comming into the world and being made Man hath meritted by his Passion in fauour and behalf of all men his brethren past present to come wherewith their workes are made liuing workes in iustice meritorious of life euerlasting Iesus the root of al merit if they be lyuely members of their head Redeemer Therefore in the first fountaine that is by the merit of Iesus Christ we merit life euerlasting and our recompence which is the glory of the goodnes and iustice of God and such as say that our merits do derogate â—rom the honour of God are ignorant of the law of God and of the vertue of our Sauiour iniurious to the same God himself to the merit of the same Sauiour The idle person is worse theÌ„ the beast The third point shall consider how he that doth no good workes doth abase his owne dignity vnder the vnreasonable and vnsensible creatures al which do worke according to their power The heauens do compasse the earth make it fertill with their influence the sunne and starres doe shiâ—â— the beastes plants elements cease not to moue and labour all the partes of the vniuersall world are in perpetual Action and employ themselues without rest to the end to which their Creatour made them If the idle be punished how much more the ill occupied That man therefore who standeth idle is a monster amongst insensible Creatures hauing so good helpes aboue them and the promise of eternall felicity which they haue not if he labour not nor serueth the maister that made him to woâ—ke and serue him is worthy of eternall misery and confusion although he should do none other ill but what death deserâ—eth he that not only dooth no good but also committeth sinnes withoâ—t number The prayer The speach shall be to God vpon the misery of man and shall begge grace to attend to good and holy Actions to his seruice in these or like termes O Lord of Angells and men what shall I â—ay after this mâ—ditation of thy workes and the workes of men Vpon thy lawes and their loyalty and obedience What shall should saâ— in my prayer of the mâ—sâ—â—y of man of thy greatnes Of his ingratitude and thy liberaâ—ity Of my pouerty and thy strength and vertue Thou hast made man O Lord that is chief Captaine of all thy other corporall creatures to thyne owne image and likenes furnished and coupled his nature with an immortall soule with an vnderstanding and freewill two noble instruments to do noble actioÌ„s and highly to prayse thee in them I contrary wise for getting my selfe and my degree only amongst all creatures haue ceased to do well and haue beene compared vnto bruit beastes Psal
inordinate desire of excellency whether it reigne within the soule only or be manifested or discouered by wordes or workes outwardly This is the King of sinnes altogeather abhominable before God Aug. ep 5â— Greg. 3. Mora. 31. and the Capitall enemy of all vertue thence as from a pestilent root do all vices spring and take life and especially these Disobedience Boasting Hypocrisy Contention Pertinacy Discord and Curiosity Couetice is a disordinate appetit of hauing an insatiable thirst making continually more drye the more it drinketh Basil hom in diuites 117. from thence come Treason Fraudes Deceit periury Disquietnes violence inhumanity and hardnes of hart Lechery is a disordinate appetite of pleasures of the body she bringeth forth blindnesse of spirit inconsideration Isido l. 2. de bono 39. inconstancy precipitation in affaires seâ—fe loue hatred of God greedines of this life feare â—nâ— horror of death and iudgment and despaire of life euerlasting Basil hom 11. de liuore Cir de zelo liuore Enuy is a sadnes or griefe at the good of others and hate of their prosperity or good successe either of their Superiours because they cannot equall them or of their inferiours in that they would not haue them equalls her daughters are Hatred Murmuring Detraction wicked Ioy of the euill wicked Grieft at the good of another Gluttony is an inordinate desire of eating and drinking her children are Foolish mirth lesting Prating Scurrility Stupidity of senses Greg. mor. 31. and Vnderstanding Anger is a disordinate desire of reuenge of whome do rise Debates Swellings Contumelies Clamours Indignation Bern. ser de Asc Blasphemy Slouth is a languour of spirit remisse and flow to doe well Greg. 3. part curae past 10. and a heauines and sadnes in spirituall thinges of her groweth Malice Rancour Pusillanimity Despaire a loathing of necessary commandements Euagations The Pilgrime hauing this afternoone cast his eyes atteÌ„tiuely vpon these bodyes and branches vpon these Captaines and their companies and recommending himselfe in the euening with some particuler prayer to God the B. Virgin his good Angell that he may be alwayes assisted by their ayde against these enemies he shall looke for lodging and rest The seauenteenth Day Of the first sinne which was of the Angells and of the second which was of Adam and of their effects and of the sinnes of euery one in particuler which maketh the third sort CHAP. XXXVIII WELL to penetrate and discouer the deformity of sinne and to conceaue a duâ— hatred thereof the Pilgrime shall bestow one day in the meditation of the effects of sin therein cleerely to see it selfe for as by the fruit the tree is knowne and the workeman by his worke so is the malice of sinne manifest by the euills thereof The sin of the Angells The first point shall bâ— to bring into his mind and memory the sinne of the first Angel and his Confederates in that faction who hauing beene created to the Image of God in estate of grace and endowed with many excellent guifts of nature rebelling afterward against their Lord and Maker of such noble spirits as they were were made Diuels thrown headlong from heauen to hell there for their rebellion to suffer the torments of euer-burning flames Whereupon the Pilgrime vsing the light of his vnderstanding How to discourse of the sin of Angells to enlighten and moue his will and to stirre it vp to a detestation of sinne in generall and to shame and confusion for his owne in particuler shall thus discourse If these diuine spirits and the most goodly and glorious creatures that were in heauen for one onely sinne were so turned and transformed from an extreme beauty to a monstrous foulnes and deformity how abhominable are those who commit many Who doe nothing els Who are plunged in their vices as Swine in their durt 2. Pet. 25 And with what filthines haue I deformed my owne soule by so many as I haue committed And if God spared not these noble CittizeÌ„s of heauen and seruants of his owne houshould but hath cast them as the Apostle sayth with chaines of darknes into the dungeon of hell reserued for that great day and generall iudgement what entertaynement may I expect at the handes of this soueraigne Iudge if I amend not my life The 2. point shal be appropriated to the consideration of the sinne of Adam which is the second sinne in regard of the person which is man differing in nature from the Angells The sine of Adam heere the Memory shal represent to the Vnderstanding the dolefull fall of our first Fathers and their honourable estate chaÌ„ged into a miserable exile banishment how Adam hauing beene formed of durt and quickned with a soule bearing the Image and likenes of God and Eue brought forth to the likenes of man of one of the sides and ribs of Adam suffering theÌ„selues to be persuaded by their capitall enemy did eat of the forbidden fruit and sodainly lost the grace and fauour of their Creatour the life of the soule and all that they had good besides the guifts of the Holy Ghost Iustice Charity their right to heauen and the immortality of their body Our Pilgrime then shall behould them as present driuen out of Paradise cloathed in beastes skins and from the place of pleasures and delights cast into a countrey of death and malediction Gen. 3.2 in which they performed a long seuere pennance that is 900. yeares and more and finally he shall consider the great corruption that hath come from this root hauing like a generall plague infected all mankind and thrust thousand-thousandes of persons to euerlasting death out of which consideration he shall draw light to discouer the poison of sinne to hate and detest it Euery ones proper sins The third point shall be to meditate in himselfe his owne faultes which is the third sort of sinne in regard of the person Heere our Pilgrime calling to remembrance his owne enormityes shall consider that many thousands are in hell that perhaps had committed but one of those sinnes that he hath done himselfe he shall thinke that many are coÌ„demned to the same hell of euerlasting death for sinnes lesse and fewer then his are whereby he shall learne how great the goodnes of God is toward him hauing thus patiently expected him to pennance and how great is the malice malignity of sinne hauing moued and incited the infinite bounty so farre as to ordaine paines vnspeakable for the grieuousnes of them and eternall for the lasting to punish it withall With which consideration being heat and warmed he shall speake in his speach thus to our Sauiour The speach O souueraigne Lord and Redeemer of my soule how great is the peruersity of this monster whose foulenes thy light hath discouered to me in her effects It made a reuolt in heauen among thy domesticalls making them rebell against thee It hath brought confusion and
Bread one Body one Bloud one Flesh in Iesus Christ to the likenes of materiall Bread which is composed of diners graines and wine made of many grapes as our Doctours doe expound The third point Of the effects of this Holy Sacrament CHAP. IV. The effects of B. Sacrament S. Tho. 3. quest 79. THE third shall be to consider the effects of this diuine mystery which are many The 1. wherof is to Quicken and giue the grace of God the life of the soule as our Sauiour sayth He that eateth me shall liue by me The second to Nourish and increase the same grace euen as corporall meate maintaineth life Ioan. 6. and maketh the body to growe The third to Enlighten the spirit as appeareth by the first Communion which our Sauiour after his resurrection gaue vnto his two Disciples at Emaus by the which their eyes were opened they knew their Maister presently Luc. 24. Aug. epist. 59. ad Paulin. whome before they knew not they belieued that he was risen againe whome they thought had beene still in his graue The fourth to Vnite the soule with God and with our Neighbour and to dissolue all emnity and discord so teacheth our Sauiour He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud Ioan. 6. Act. 4.31 remaineth in me and I in him An effect which did manifestly appeare in the first Christians who receaued euery day of whome it is sayd that they were one hart one soule The fifth to Enkindle deuotion and Charity towardes God and men euen as bread and wine doth increase the vitall spirits and heate the body The sixth to Extinguish quench the concupiscence of flesh and to preserue from sinne as a remedy against the flesh of our first Father Adam by the which men were defyled and made prone to sinne The seauenth to Fortify and strengthen vs against all the stormes and tribulatiōs of this mortall life Dauid prophesying of this effect sayd Thou hast prouided a table for me Psal 22.5 against those that trouble me So we read that the Prophet Elias persecuted by Queene Iezabel and constrained to fly through the desert 3. Reg. 19 sustained the trauaile of fourty dayes and fourty nights with the refection of that bread which the Angell had brought him which was a figure of this our Angelicall bread the flesh of our Sauiour The eight to Contente fill and reioyce the soule which of it selfe cannot be satisfyed or filled or find any firme or solid repose in things of the earth although she had them all alone euen so Christians in the beginning of the Church made no reckoning of riches but reioyced in possessing nothing and in suffering some thing for the name of Iesus The last to Bring to euerlasting glory for this deified Flesh holily and deuoutly receaued breedeth in the soule an insatiable desire of her heauenly Cōtrey and transporteth and carryeth the hart and affection to heauen and giueth to the body a seed of the glorious resurrection which is signifyed by the wordes of our Sauiour Ioan. 6.54 He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Bloud hath life euerlasting and I will rayse him againe at the last day After these considerations the Pilgrime shall admire the greatnes of this guift and benefit and in his admiration shall say this prayer following A speach to God and thankesgiuing CHAP. V. O My soueraigne Lord and sweet Redeemer I behould in all thy diuine workes and especially in the Sacramēt of thy Blessed Body that thy power is infinite that thy wisedome is a depth thy bounty a sea without bottome or bounds thou hast made all this visible world of nothing for the vse of man thou hast allied thy selfe to the house of Adam The liberality of our Sauiour and taking thereof a mortall body and matching and marrying it with thy diuinity wast made man to make man God thou hast giuen this body on the Crosse a ransome for our redemption not content with so great a liberality hast also left it in this mystical Table of thy Church for the nourishing of our soules and the resurrection of our bodyes tying thy selfe with this second band of loue and charity neuer heard of with all euery one of thy members What shall I wonder at in this mystery and guift Thy almightines His power Who hast so wonderfully changed this common and mortall bread into thy glorious and immortall Body by the same authority and power wherwith it made the whole world of nothing but with greater meruaile and miracle for this Body is more worth then a thousand worlds Shall I admire thy wonderfull wisedome His wisedome which in the heauēly Table of this thy body dost teach vs Faith Hope and Charity Humility Obedience Prudence Chastity Fortitude Piety Meeknes and all other goodly Christian vertues And whereas other bodyes could not nourish ours but for a tyme this Body duly receaued doth feed and fat the soule with spirituall riches His boūty and powreth into our flesh the seed of immortality Shall I admire thy infinit bounty in making vs this present of thy Body a present that surpasseth the price of al things created a present of thyne owne selfe of infinit valew for with the same Body thou gauest vs thy soule and deity which are inseparable companions and therefore in this holy Table we haue a liuely figure and pledge of the future felicity which shall be to liue in heauen of thy selfe and to enioye the immortall food of thy selfe what shall I then say of this banquet O my Redeemer but only that I am oppressed and ouerwhelmed in the consideratiō of thy infinite power wisedome and goodnes O deere depth O sweet Sauiour what wilt thou worke in them who haue this grace to receaue thee holily Do me sweet Iesus this fauour thus to eate and receaue thee and to see my selfe alwayes drowned in the depth of thy infinite charity How to Heare Masse CHAP. VI. HAVING finished his prayer he shall heare the diuine Office and goe to Confession if he need and shall heare Masse to receaue afterward which to do profitably it is good to know the manner that euery Christian must keep to heare it well Purity deuotion to heare Masse First he must haue his soule not only pure as much as may be from sinne but also prepared with a speciall deuotion for sinne is a generall barre to all blessinges and therefore whosoeuer will fruitfully assist the diuine mysteryes get good by hearing or dealing with them he must be cleansed from sinne by Confession and if he want meanes therto by holy contrition and sorrow for his faults with purpose to confesse at his next commodity as we haue sayd elswhere Attentiō to help deuotiō Secondly he must be attentiue to euery part thereof to enkindle deuotion Our Pilgrime as also any man els that loueth piety shall consider three thinges which he must haue learned in
all wordes the electuary of the soule the bird of Paradise which caryeth in her becke and vnder her wings the Manna of the true and heauenly philosophy Our Sauiour the essential word of his Fa her taught vs this science Matt. 13. in that notable sermon he made of the Seed where assigning foure sorts of hearers wherof three were ill he sheweth what faults they should want Three so tes of ill hearers signified and what qualities they should haue that would reape profit by his word The first sort were those whome he compareth to the high way where the seed of the sower falling and not being couered with the earth is piâ—ked vp and eaten by the Birds The second those who â—ike a stony field where the seed hauing sprung a little vp and not finding root is dryed vp and withered by the heat of the Sunne The third those who are as a good field but full of thornes where the seed growing vp is at last choaked By the first similitude are declared those who negligently heare the Sermon The first are the negligeÌ„t 〈…〉 or only to seed the eares with curiosity to heare some fine wouen discourse 〈…〉 choice wordes some subtill sentences without â—y â—aâ—e to learne how to know or amend themselueâ— and finally who go to the sermon as to some lecture or 〈…〉 Philosopher or Sophister Such people haue their soule◠〈◊〉 with a thousand fond cogitations and are â—â—poâ—â—l to the prekings of the Diuells who like spirituall 〈…〉 snatch out of their memory the graine of that diuine seed and will keep it from bringing forth any fruit or growing to any greenesse The 2. and â—â—ut and sinners By the second is noted the vice oâ— those who receaue and hide this seed in their soule with some spiritual ioy and gladnes but into a small depth of good ground oâ— true deuotion whether it be that they are lâ—â—den with diuerse sinnes as it were inward stones hardened by ill customes or for that they are not throughly resolued to do well and therfore subiect to wither at the least heate of temptation The third worldly and couetous By the third he reprehendeth those who are ouerwhelmed with the solicitude of worldly affaires who though they haue a soule good and well disposed yet the heauenly seed cannot there growe but is stifled and choaked with the presse and multitude of their worldly and thorny businesses True hearers of the word of God To haue then the field of our soule we â—â—isled and our eares well prepared to heare and receaue fruitfully the word of God we must be free and exempt from these vices and haue the contrary qualities and to bring vnto the sermon a sound and straight intention to seeke our owne health and saluation The hireling and vaine preacher which is also the true end of the Preacher For he that preacheth for profit is but a poore Mercenary and a poore merchant in the house of God giuing gold for straw and he that preacheth for vaine glory and to be esteemed is a simple fellow and is like him that chargeth his harquebtize with pellets of gold or Saphires to shoot at Crowes The faithfull Preacher A faithfull preacher seeketh God and the good and saluation of his hearers and his Auditours must heare to that end also and receaâ—e their instruction with a reciprocall eare and equall intentioÌ„ whereby he shall come with great desire well to vnderstand the Preacher with a firme resolution well to amend himself and put in practise what he heareth For to heare it attentiuely only to remember it and repeate it is not to attaine to the chiefe point of profit he must put it in execution shew by his workes and not by wordes only that he doth well remember it Epiâ—tetus in lâ—nchâ—r The sheep sayth a certaine Philosopher doth shew by her good milke by her fine fleece and by her sweet and sauoury flesh that she is well fed and not by casting what she eateth So our Sauiour pronounceth happy not those that heare his word but those that heare and keep it Those that haue their soule and eares so qualifyed before and after the sermon make the fourth kind of hearers whome our Sauiour approueth and prayseth Luc. 1â— 86 and those are only they that take profit in hearing his word and do reap greater or lesser haruest according to the measure that the field of their soule is cultiuated with these vertues by more or lesse preparation Our Pilgrime therefore shall endeauour to be of the best prepared most diligent that he may be of the richest in the reaping of those spirituall blessings The After-dinner and the Euening of the two and twentith day Exercises of Deuotion CHAP. XII HE shal passe the Afternoone in the exercise of pious workes in the reading of some good booke in visiting the holy place in viewing the votiue tables hanging vpon the Church walls contayning the miracles done there by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin in hearing the sermon Euensong Litanies and Hymnes that there are song by diuers Pilgrimes to the honour of the Sonne and his glorious Mother to giue almes if he hath wherewithall to conferre with spirituall men about some matters meet â—or the Virgins Deuote especially hauing that day beene admitted to the Table of our Sauiour Hauing thus bestowed the day he shall retire himselfe to his refection and rest at his lodging with his accustomed prayers taking some point of his morning meditation or of the Ghospell read that day in the Masse or some other subiect which he shall chuse or take of his spirituall Father The three and twentith day A Meditation of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin CHAP. XIII THE Pilgrime in the second day of his ariue the three and twentith of his voyage Epiph. cont Collirid ser 10. ser de laud Mar. hauing prayed a while in his chamber shall go early in the morning to the Chapell and there shall make his principall meditation of the morning drawne out of the subiect of the Conception of the B. Virgin For entry thereunto he shall set before his eyes the history of S. Ioachin S. Anne who being past hope of children but by speciall fauour from heauen Greg. Niss hom de hum Chr. gener 17. finding themselues both barren by nature and ouer-aged they perseuered in prayer demanding of God issue to be deliuered from the reproch of sterility and making a vow to consecrate vnto God what he should send them Niceph. l. 1. c. 17. Germ. CoÌ„stant Pat. de Mariae oblation Niceph. l. 1. c. 7. ex Epiph. Niss The first point shall containe the message which the Angell brought from â—eauen that they should haue a daughter of great vertue Ioachim being on the mountaine praying and S. Anne in her garden The second point shall propose certaine figures of this future Conception the first shal be taken
from the history of the creation of the world where it is sayd That God created light before all thinges This light was the matter whereof God framed the Sunne the fourth day as S. Denu sayth which is a figure of the Conception of the B. Virgin Gen. 1.26 S. Denis c. 4. de diu nominibus the mysticall light whome God brought forth without corruption out of the barenesse of Ioachim and Anne as of nothing therof afterward to forme the humanity of Iesus Christ the Sunne of the world and to cause of her to be borne both God and Man S. Tho. 3. p. q. 60. c. 12. the fourth day that is in the Law of grace which is the fourth estate o◠day of the world the first day hauing beene vnder sinne the second vnder the law of Nature the third vnder the law of Moyses Procl ser de natiuit Deiparat The second figure shall be the earth whereof Adam was made which was free from malediction wherto it was after subiect for sinne As therefore the first earth the matter of the first Adam was in the beginning without any curse or malediction S. Bruno Carth. in Psal 101. so the second earth whereof the second Adam Iesus Christ was to be formed was without the malediction of that originall staine in her conception Pet. Dam. in serm de virg Ass Dominic tract de corpore Christi The third shal be Gedeons Fleece wherein the Pilgrime shall consider that as the Fleece is ingendred without corruption and feeleth no passion of the Body so the Blessed Virgin was in her generation without sinne or any stayne of concupiscence a prerogatiue giuen only to her aboue al other children of Adam ingendred by the ordinary course in respect that she was to be the mother of God by another prerogatiue vnheard of before Luc. 2.44 Ieremy and S. Iohn were indeed sanctifyed in the wombe of their Mother notwithstanding they were first infected Ierem 15. Hier. in 3. Isa they were healed but not exempted from that wound The B. Virgin by a more noble priuiledge was preserued both from the wound and from the scarre thereof The third point shall consider some prophecyes of the same Conception Psal 84. as out of Dauid Lord thou hast blessed thy earth that is the Sonne of God who should preserue from sinne the Virgin that was to be his Mother Ar. ibid. Isid ad Floren. Also The Highest hath sanctifyed his Tabernacle that is the Virgin who was to be the Tabernacle of God and therefore was by him prepared and sanctifyed from the beginning with a sanctificatiō most meet for such a Sonne Psalm 48. and such a Mother In the same sense sayth Salomon Sap. 9. Wisedome hath built her selfe a house It is then a most perfect house seeing Wisedome it selfe hath built it a house all beautifull in the foundation and euery part according to an other prophecy Cant. 4. Thou art all beautifull and there is no spot in thee In the fourth point he must consider that for diuers reasons Why her conception was sāctified The first reason The 2. this Conception was to be exempted from Originall sinne 1. For that it was no way decent that the Virgin which should conceaue the Sonne of God should be marked in her generation with that spot which maketh men children of the Diuell for thereby the Sonne had beene some way dishonoured 2. Seeing that sundry seruants of her Sonne were both before and after her sanctifyed in their mothers wombe as Hieremy and S. Iohn as we haue sayd it were reason that the generation of the Mother of the Holy of Holyes should be honoured with some more noble prerogatiue and that not ōly she should be cleansed from sinne as other Saints were but also preserued from all vncleanesse in her Mothers wombe as she was in all her life The third 3. For that in this prerogatiue do shine the power wisedome and goodnes of God for heere appeared the worke of an Almighty Power in hindring that the poison which infected all the children of Adam in their origen should not in any sort touch either flesh or soule of her who was chosen to beare the soueraigne Physician of mankind There appeared the glory of his infinite wisedome Wisedom in that he could separate vnto himselfe a Mother free from all sort of sin therin appeared the liberality of his soueraigne bounty not only in hauing so plentifully bestowed his graces vpon this glorious Virgin but also in hauing preserued her from all euill Bounty from the first instant of her being These shall be the 4. points of his morning meditation out of all which the Pilgrime shall gather cōclusions either to exalt the greatnes of the diuine Maiesty and to admire it in this his worke or to stirre vp himselfe to the reuerence of the Mother of God and to enkindle himselfe to deuotion in her holy seruice to the glory of the Creatour admirable in th◠framing of this his Creature Be thou therefore eternally praysed A Prayer to God O Creatour of all thinges and soueraigne Maker of the Mother of thy Sonne Thou didst appeare great admirable in creating the heauēs the throne of thy Maiesty and the earth thy footstoole yet dost thou appeare more wonderfull in this worke for thou madest in her an heauen and earth of which stuffe thy Sonne was to make and take the cloake of his holy humanity a heauen which out of her substance should giue the Sunne of the world an earth that should bring forth the Sauiour of the world a heauen and earth conceiued miraculously of the barren to conceaue afterward by a greater miracle him that made heauen and earth and all things of nothing O happy houre that gaue the beginning to this diuine generation and more happy that measured the progresse and most happy that saw it perfect and finished To the B. Virgin O noble Virgin O noble seed of our heauenly light O earth of our fruit O mother of our saluation who can worthily speake of the course of thy life seeing the very beginning thereof exceedeth the tongues and capacities of men and Angells The After-dinner of the three and twentith Day Of the purity of Christian actions in their intention CHAP. XIIII IN the afternoone the Pilgrime shal attend as the day before to pious works shall hear◠the sermon diuine Office shall read some good booke shall conferre with his Ghostly Father or other deuout persons shall say his beads giue almes or beg for himselfe or others sing some Hymne of the B. Virgin or heare the Salue Regina song or some other for the tyme. In the euening he shall make his meditation in the Church vpon some point of his morning meditatiō labouring throughly to know and prayse the greatnes and goodnes of of God in the excellent purity of this Conception shall vnderstand
84. yeares Luc. 2.37 who departed not from the Tēple giuing her selfe to fasting and praying day and night as S. Luke in his Ghospell sayth Chap. 2. In the company then of these Virgins and holy Women was consecrated to God this Virgin of Virgins and Mother of al mothers and Widow of widowes to sanctify and beginne a foundation for other virgins and widowes that should serue God in the Law of Grace consecrating to him by solemne vow their body and soule not for a tyme but for all their life long The B.V. remained in the Temple vntill the 14. yeare of her age ended Niceph. l. 2. cap. 3. Heere the Pilgrime shall meditate attentiuely first what this chosen child might do during her infancy in the house of her Father which was euen this heauēly Chamber wherein he maketh his meditation how many signes she gaue in this her yong age of her present and future sanctity In her cariage In her words and actions In her modesty in her obedience in her going in her eyes and in the gouernement of all her senses and gestures Secondly with what ardour and feruour of deuotion and piety with what innocent purity of body and soule with what consent and harmony of al the great vertues of a celestiall virgin she serued that supreme Maiesty in the Temple for eleuen yeares she remayned there O little habitation O happy house of Nazareth which first didst behould to moue and shine this beautifull shining starre performing the course of her infancy within thy walles closure that first heardst her speake first didst see her go didst first behold her graue modest footesteps and marchings O Temple most honourable in the holynes of this offering in the greatnes of this Queene in the dwelling of this Virgin her selfe a Temple more royall then thou builded of more precious matter and by a wiser workman then he that made thee a liuing Temple a worke of the Holy Ghost built of precious stone and adorned withall sort of graces who was to be a Tabernacle and Pauilion to the King of Kinges and a refuge to mankind O God great worke man of this wonder as of all others be thy name blessed for euer in her thy liberality praysed thy goodnes exalted and magnifyed O glorious Virgin O great-little Lady an offering most pure most beautifull and most acceptable to the eyes of the diuine Maiesty in thy infancy and in all thy youth which thou didst spend in the seruice of thy Creatour obtaine for me that I may be a pure cleane offering vnto his altar that I may serue thee day and night and that if my yeares passed haue beene ill spent at least the rest of my life may be consecrated to the prayse of thy Creator myne that my thoughts wordes and workes may be a continuall offering to his Temple and that such may be the life and pilgrimage of thy deuoted Pilgrime This shall be the speach and the end of his morning meditation after he shall heare Masse and the rest of the diuine seruice vntill dinner tyme. The After-dinner and euening of the fiue twentith Day IN the afternoone he shall vse the same exercises of deuotion that he vsed the dayes before In the euening he may read the history of the Presentation of our B. Lady and gather thence some new profit of admiration loue zeale deuotion towardes God and the B. Virgin the like he may do at midnight except he had rather chuse some other subiect The six and twenty Day The morning Meditation of the Espousall of the B. Virgin with S. Ioseph CHAP. XIX THIS morning the Pilgrime shal take as following the former the Espousall of the B. Virgin with S. Ioseph which was done by diuine dispensation for causes which we must consider afterward after she had remayned in the Temple vntill fifteen years of age at which tyme the virgins were commonly wont to be placed in mariage according to the ordinary course and practise of the Iewes The prayer preparatory shall be as accustomed The first preamble shall represent the B. Virgin and S. Ioseph betrothed togeather The Scripture telleth not by whō but we may thinke it was by the high Priest Iosep lib. cont Ap◠or one of the principall as the common tradition of the Iewes touched by Gregory Nissen or by the chiefe or neerest of kindred in the Fathers absence according to the custome of the Iewes Tob. 7.24 wherof we haue an example in the booke of Tobie where it is sayd that Ragnell maried his daughter with young Tobie ioyning their right handes with these words and ceremonies Vide Gereb in Rituali Iudaorum de Sponsalibus The God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob be with you ioyne you togeather and fullfill his blessinges vpon you The second preamble shall demand a speciall light to know this mystery The first point shall be to consider how meruailous this mariage was The meruailous mariage of the B. Virgin and accompanied with prerogatiues extraordinary of honour and grace as well as her Conception Natiuity Infancy and Presentation and all the degrees of the life of this most happy Virgin as we haue sayd in the former Meditation The wonders and prerogatiues of this Mariage amongst others were these 1. That both parties were not only virgins but purposed so to continue Of the B. Virgin Mary none may doubt for the Scripture doth euidently shew Maried with vow of continence that she had made a vow of perpetuall chastity the fayth of the Church is that she was alwayes a Virgin before in after her child-birth S. Hierome disputing against Heluidius that infamous heresiarch Aug. l. de S. Virg. Greg. Niss de Cr natiuit Ioseph a pertuall virgin adu Helu ad finem Aug serm 15. de nat Domini Thou houldest sayth he without reason that Mary did not continue a Virgin but I hould with reason not only the contrary but that Ioseph also was a virgin by Mary and giueth the reason saying To the end that the Sonne of God might be borne of a virginall mariage S. Augustine of the same spirit Hould thou O Ioseph thy virginity common with the Virgin thy spouse for that the power and strength of the Angells shall be borne of her Let Mary in her flesh be the spouse of Christ in keeping her Virginity be thou also the Father of Christ by thy care of chastity and honour of thy Virginity Againe Reioyce thou Ioseph and be glad of the virginity of Mary who only in thy mariage hast deserued to haue a virginall affection for by the merit of thy virginity thou art depriued of the act of mariage with this gaine that thou art called the Father of our Sauiour And diuers other Fathers Saints Theodoret Beda Bernard Anselme Thomas Gerson and almost all the Latin Doctours that haue written since Petr. Da. ep 11. c. 4. ad Nicol
among such a company of theeues sauing for the comfort I had to suffer some thing for Iesus Christ who endured death for me betwixt theeues and to consider on the one side the grace God had done me in giuing me the feare loue of his lawes and on the other side the misery of those poore rogues who suffered so much euill at the last to endure the heape of all euils Alas said I within my selfe if thou didst endure but as much for heauen as these do for hell if thou wert as constant to employ thy selfe in good works to passe whole nights in prayer to saue thy selfe and others as these do whole dayes in workes of iniquity and vndertake a thousand paines in discomodities of body and soule to destroy other men themselues O Lord of the whole world I render thee immortall thankes for all benefits bestowed on me of thy infinite bounty and beseech thee by the same bounty to enlarge my hart and to make it more capable of thy heauenly loue to increase the strength of my soule that I may suffer more and with a better courage for the glory of thy name Open the eyes of these poore blynd soules giuing them to see the indignity of their condition and the miserable estat of their soule or els take from them all meanes to do any more harme In these and the like discourses did I passe day and night and learned to make purpose of liuing better of the disdaine I conceaued in the ill life of this people as it happeneth oftentimes that by the contemplation of the foulnes of vice men betake themselues more earnestly to the loue of vertue Now there was amoÌ„gst them a certaine yong man called Tristram about 25. years of age born of a good house neighbour to France valiant and expert in armes The conuersion of Tristram and in that respect much esteemed by their Captaine who seemed to haue some particular compassion of my captiuity and came often to visit me asking if I had need of any thing that was in his power he came one day among others and sayd to me in secret Friend Theodosius for now euery body knew my name for that I haue holden you for a man of honour and conscience euer since I first knew you I desire to declare one thing vnto you which is very important but you must sweare secrecy Syr TristraÌ„ sayd I theÌ„ if the secret be against God or iustice I pray you tell it me not no saith he the thing that I meane to tell you is iust and the intention good and therefore I wil tel it you Then I promised him on faith of a Christian Pilgrime that I would keepe his secret he said this is the matter They heere haue resolued either to make you follow our manner of life or els to kill you for ransome they looke for none of you All that haue come to see you haue beene so many spies to sound you and see if there were any hope to persuade you wherein they make diuerse and different reportes to our Captaine and therefore looke to your selfe thus much I know because I was at the counsell and deliberation when it was taken When I heard this sectet I doubted whether himselfe also came to sound me and to feele my resolution neither was I deceaued though he did it with a good intention and meaning and therefore I answered him roundly that I was ready rather to dye theÌ„ make shipwracke of my conscience yea or of my reputation and honour in imbracing a vocation proper not for Christians but for Tartars or Ethiopians who beleeue neither hel nor heauen and I should make a dolefull reuolution of my Pilgrimage to become of a Pilgrime of Loreto a robber thiefe This answer pleased him much though I did not make it therefore but only to declare vnto him my mynd in respect of God and as a man of honour and an honest man as he esteemed me Continuing his discourse he tolde me Friend Theodosius I would know this of you I greatly commend your courage and am not deceaued in the opinion I haue of your vertue But this is not all I tell you further that I am determined with what hazard soeuer to leaue this Labyrinth into which I was drawne fiue yeares since by the â—â—and of some and myne owne folly neitheir can I endure to stay any longer in such a dungeon the very image of hell This is the principall point which I desire you to keep secret and to assist me with your prayers that I may put this proiect in execution and deliuer my selfe from these chaines though for regard of your selfe I aduise you to dissemble a while make no difficulty in leauing your habit and taking another when they shall offer it you for therwith they wil beginne and in the meane time seeke occasion to saue your selfe when it shall be offered which in my opinion will be shortly I shall waâ—te from one houre to another with good deuotion to put in execut on my own designes of leauing this lewd execrable life Here also I thoght he dissembled as it were by digression to persuade me to make me by little little to passe by the midst from one extreme to another so I sayd vnto him A strong resolutioÌ„ Syr TristraÌ„ I haue told you my resolution there is neither death nor torments that shall make me swarue froÌ„ honesty nor to do any thing contrary to the law of God the faith of an honest man for my apparrell it is in their poer to take it away and giue me other such as they please so it be without my fault it is all one to me to be in my shirt or to be clad in sackcloth or silke our Sauiour was spoiled of his cloathes and clad in derision in a royall robe For the rest Syr TristraÌ„ if you speake in good earnest your resolutioÌ„ is worthy of a noble courage and you shall haue the honour thereof towards God and man and doubt you not but he who hath opened your eyes to discerne the danger you liue in will also giue you meanes and direction to performe your desire I shall not faile to help you with my poore prayers if they can preuaile any thing with God in any sort wherein my industry may be employed He seeing me speake so frankly and hartily imbraced me and sayd Syr Theodosius I reade in your wordes the sincerity and the magnanimity of your courage and count my selfe happy in the midst of all my misfortunes to haue beene acquainted with you for not onely you haue confirmed me in my designement but also haue giuen me a certaine hope happily to put it in execution by the help of God and of the B. Virgin vnder whose protection you walke her pilgrime and began to weepe then I doubted no more of his vnfaynednes but firmely belieued that he spake from his hart I
house then the earth a dwelling common to the beasts also and to the creatures of vilest and basest condition yea although he had not sinned this base world had beene assigned vnto him notwithstanding as a land of pilgrimage not painefull and wretched as it is now but gracious and honourable where hauing a while delighted himselfe with the contemplation of his Creatour and his goodly workes and in thankesgiuing for the benefits receaued of that supreme bounty without any death or payne he should haue mounted with his body to heauen his true Countrey there to raigne for euer in the company of Angels his countrey-men and fellow-cittizens The earth therfore was graunted giuen vnto him as a dwelling pleasant indeed yet not perpetuall but only for a tyme as it were in passing so by reason of this preheminence he was still a Pilgrime and no Cittizen Why mans pilgrimage heer is so paineful Now the cause why this pilgrimage is so painefull and full of miseries is the sinne of Adam for the which he was driuen out of the earthly Paradise and became a poore Bandit about the world and in him all his posterity and race of mortall children were depriued for the most part of the dominion of the world which was their portion and inheritance moreouer for this old fault and for other new dayly committed by themselues they are made subiect to cold heat hunger thirst wearines want dangers from men and beastes strangers one to another and enemyes one to another and finally condemned to a thousand miseryes incident to this life last of all to death that dolefull close of all our whole pilgrimage if it be not made in the grace of God The fourth point shall be to consider the course of the pilgrimage limited with two boundes our birth and our death 4. The bondes a small tyme for all whereas the lasting of tyme cannot be but short though the tyme were long yet lesse for some then for some other by reason of a thousand chances and accidents that trauerse and ouerthwart our life and doe hasten vnto many the boundes assignation of death The fifth point shall consider the saying of S. Peter 5. Man must liue like a pilgrime 1. Pet. 2.19 exhorting Christians in these wordes My well beloued I beseech you to abstaine as strangers and pilgrimes from carnall desires that fight against the soule And therupon we must consider the great blindnes of the most part of men who forgetting their condition and pilgrimage do liue vpon the earth as if they should abide there alwayes without euer lifting vp their eyes to heauen mans true country The speach shall be a summary of all these points The colloquy or speach of the prayer where the pilgrime hauing his soule enlightned by the light of this meditation and possessed with a new loue of heauen and disdaine of the earth and so much the more straightly vnited to his Creatour whome he hath perceaued to be so bountifull and wise in disposition of his guifts he shall speake confidently vnto his Maiesty and thanke him and intreat him demanding his ayde and help happily to beginne and end his pilgrimage in these or such like wordes O Lord with what hart shall I loue thee and with what tongue shall I prayse and thanke thee I say not for thy benefits receaued from thy holy hand since my first being but eueÌ„ for that which thou dost bestow vpoÌ„ me at this very time in the cleere knowledge of thy wisedome and bounty of my own estate conditioÌ„ I see O my soueraigne that thou hast created this world with an admirable variety of creatures ordayned for my vse and sustenance and that thou hast made me to be borne vpon earth endowed me with thy owne image and likenes there to liue not for euer as a Cittizen but for a small tyme as a pilgrime there to passe and walke there to serue thee as long as tyme shall last and after come to enioy thee for euer in heauen in that celestial Citty of thy Kingdom a Citty built of gold and precious stones vpon the foundations of eternity and rich in glory infinit treasures I see this world is but a pilgrimage a mortall and short race and that aboue thou hast founded the land of the liuing and the seat of our rest and repose for them that will passe this way-faring habitation in the obseruatioÌ„ of thy holy lawes O how great is thy liberality To make so small account of the guift present of the vniuersall world enriched and beautifyed with so many tokeÌ„s of thy greatnes as to giue it man only for his Inne and passage What a place then may that be which thou hast prepared for him to dwell with thee in all eternity If the common Cabbine for beastes be so magnificall what shall be the Pallace which thy Maiesty reserueth for him in the company of thy immortall spirits the Princes and Nobles of thy heauenly Court O my Creatour may it please thee to graunt me an inflamed desire to serue thee and meanes to enioy thee one day in the dwelling of thy pallace there and an assured direction of all my actions and affections to walke that way and to arriue there keep me from wondering at my Cottage forgetting of thy Pallace Ap ayer to the B. Virgin O most holy Virgin who already reignest there most happily exalted aboue the highest seates of honour help my infirmity with thy authority and whilest I am thy pilgrime towards thy litle-great house of Nazareth obtaine me the grace happily to accomplish my great pilgrimage begun from the wombe of my mortall mother which must be ended in the graue in the bosome of my other mother The earth our graÌ„d Mother If it please thee to aske thou canst not misse to obtaine all that is necessary for my end for how can the Father refuse thee who hath chosen thee for mother to his Sonne And that Sonne being the Sauiour of men how can he repell his Mother treating for my saluation And the holy Ghost equall to them both what can he deny thee by whose worke thou hast brought forth the Sauiour of the world receaued the Title of the Mother of God! Aske then O most mighty gracious Virgin the graunt is assured to thee in thy power grace and to me in this graunt the fauour and assistance of God The Pilgrime hauing armed his soule with this prayer taketh his refection for his body signing his forehead mouth and breast with the signe of the Crosse goeth out of his lodging on his way with the accustomed farewell to thâ—se of the house and he shall begin the steps of his pilgrimage vnder the protection of God and of the glorious Virgin his good Angell who must guide him as Raphael did young Toby The afternoone and euening of the first dayes Iourney The likenes of the Pilgrimage of mans
life to the pilgrimages of deuotion The spirituall habits of the Pilgrimes CHAP. II. GOING on his way after he hath sayd the prayers of trauailers admited blessed the diuine Maiesty at the behoulding of the Heauens the chiefe and principall worke of his handes he shall ruminate his morning meditation to draw thereout some new tast and deuotion For this is the force of prayer to giue alwayes new light according vnto the measure and manner that it is vsed To ruminate or chew the Cudde and the proper exercise of deuout persons is often to remember in their mindes what they haue once learned to the imitation of those Beasts who in the law of God are called cleane whose property is to chew the cudde and to take thereof new gust and new substance Cleane beastes Leu. 11.3 he shall gather then a new and consequently of that he hath meditated that the pilgrimage he maketh to Loreto and all others that men make vpon the earth are but figures and similitudes of the pilgrimage that all mortall men do make from their birth to their graue and comparing the figure to the truth he shall find the one most liuely expressed and represented in the other The likenes of the earthly pilgrime to the spiritual The true Pilgrime hath alwayes in his thought the place whither he tendeth he chooseth the shortest and surest way he goeth forward without any markable stay The Citties buildings paâ—laces fields gardens places of pleasure if he musâ— needes see them yet he seeth them only as in passing by them being alwaies attentiue to his end He endureth in towne field all the incommodities and dangers of men and beasts contempt iniury hunger thirst want heat cold haile snow sometyme lying vnder the house-roofe sometyme vnder the cope or canopy of heauen sometimes merry and wel disposed somtime againe weary crazed humble patient courteous wise and circumspect in all his actions He shall find all this point by point practised in the pilgrimage of mans life The spirituall Pilgrime by those that are well aduised pilgrimeâ— these walking vpon the earth haue heaueÌ„ in their hart whicâ— is the end of their mortal course they striue walke withouâ— rest towards vertue holding the directest surest way whicâ— is that which the Catholike Church our good and commoâ— Mother doth shew vs in her great Itinerarium of the lawes anâ— commandments of God The Itinerarium of the lawes of God they make no reckoning of worlâ—ly magnificence and take with an equall mynd prosperity aduersity If their affaires goe well forward they thanke thâ— diuine prouide are without pride if they suffer shipwrack they lift their hands to heauen blesse the same prouidence They are sober in aboundance abound in want they are humble in honours and magnanimous in the midst of disgraces Finally there is no accident in the variety of this changeable inconstant life wherof he reapeth not some profit towardeâ— eternity Our pilgrime shall marke all these similitudes to thâ— true pilgrimes and shal contemplate in the figure of his thâ— forme and tenour of the other and make his profit thereof He shall also allegorize all the parts of his furniture and appartell and shall attire his soule to the likenes of his body For his Hat he shall take the assistance of God his shooes shaâ— be the mortification of his affections Patience shall be 〈◊〉 mantle or lether cloake Ciuility shall be his coate or caâ—ssacke Chastity his girdle contemplatioÌ„ meditation shall his bag and bottle the loue of the Crosse his pilgrimes staffe Faith Charity and good workes shal be his purse and mony so shall he spiritually attire the inward man of the spirit to the imitation of the Apostle S. Paul who arming the Christian souldier giueth him his furniture framed of the stuffe of such like allegories and armes forged of the same mettal Ephes 6. The shield of Verity a breast-plate of Iustice shooes of the preparation to the Gospell the buckler of faith the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirit of God In such exercises shall he passe the after noone talking to God and himselfe making his prayers and examen as before saluting the B. Virgin in her houres saying his beads singing some hymne proper for the tyme or some spirituall song drawn out of his meditation as this that followeth A Canticle of the Pilgrimage of this world O brightsome day which makes me cleere perceiue The state of this life mortall And in my soule for to conceiue A liuely expectance of th' eternall Heere I seeke in Pilgrimes weed The way that vnto heauen doth lead This path mâ—â—â— faire I walking winde By shaddow of my pilgrimage Wherein at euery steppe I find An heauenly draughâ— and image Of my fraile mortality Tending to Eternity O mortall men who tread the ground Of this false earth disastrous As though beneath were to be found The blisse of life delicious You mâ—cke your selues this world below No such pleasure can bestow The woods affoard no fish nor wine Nor from the Sea doth timber flow In this vaine world naught els in fine But thornes and fayned fruite doth grow Of fayned ioy vnfayned griefe The fruit of this our dying life This life we lead heere in exile All fraught with danger and deceyte Resembleth passengers by Landes hostile Seeking after Heauens retraite Such was Adam and such was Eue Whilst in earthly Paradise they liue Such was IESVS though God and Man Such was MARY his Mother deare Such were all Saints both now and than In this vale of woe and feare Teaching vs to seeke by hand The milke and hony flowing land Merily then let 's march apace Vnto this Blessed Virgins Hall There shall we see the Heauens Grace Inclosed in a Chappell small And learne to be of this mayde-wife Perfect Pilgrimes all our life At night he shall take vp his lodging such as he shall find to take some rest and to get new strength of body and spirit the more cheerfully to continue his iourney the next day The second dayes Iourney The meane and way happily to performe the pilgrimage of this life is to suffer and fight vnder the banner of Iesus Christ and goe alwayes forward in vertue CHAP III. IN the second dayes iourney a good while before the Sun rise the Pilgrime shall examine his actions of the night past he shall say the Credo Pater and Aue and after continuing the matter begun he shall meditate of the meanes and manner how to performe happily the Pilgrimage of this humane life hauing already obserued in his first meditation that euery man must of necessity make it seeing that euery man is a Pilgrime vpon the earth and that some make it well of which number he desireth to be one and others ill whome he would not follow The prayer preparatory heere after shall be alwayes as before The first Preamble shall represent