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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17282	The practice of meditating with profit The misteries of our Lord, the Blessed Vergin & saints. Gathered out of diuers good authors, and published by the very Reuerend Master Iohn Alberto Buronzo, chanon of the cathedral church of Verselles. Reuiued and augmented by the same author, & translated into English by a Father of the Societie of Iesus.	Berzetti, Nicolas.; Talbot, Thomas, 1572-1652.	1613 (1613)	STC 4125; ESTC S104826	77,217	308

spoken hartely God is here before me God standeth behoulding what I am to doe God is here present to giue me as gratious audience as if he had nothing els to attend vnto Yf the imagination doe frame this presence of God yt ys to be done by way of apprehension that in diuers manners First by imagining Gods presence in that manner as the paynters vse to paint the blessed Trinity Secondly apprehending a great globe of inaccessable light which may cause in him a certayn pious horrour according to that of S. Iohn God is light in him there is no darknes at all Thirdly representing God vnto himself in that manner as he ys described by the Prophet meditate fruitfully must marwell that yt greatly helpeth attention to conceaue the presence of God in the most liuel● manner he can and to procur with the psalmist that his med●tation be still fixed as much a humane frailty will suffer in vision or contemplation of hi● diuine majesty vsing to th 〈…〉 purpose some especiall diligence vntill such tyme as the good habit thereof procure facillity Yet must not God be alwaye conceiued with the self sam● forme but according to the variety of the meditations sometymes with a benigne pleasant other tymes with a seuer● and terrible countenance no● with a gentle and mild then with a hard and stern look that he may talk with Gods divine majesty in such sort as the matter requireth which he ys to meditate and according to the different apprehensions of his diuine presence Actes to be produced after this of the presence of God AFTER that he hath conceiued the majesty of God present in one of the manners afore said he may reflect on his owne basenes and indignity stirr vp in himself a pious reuerent feare reciting to that purpose some sentēce of holy scripture as Loquar ad Dominum Deum meum cum sim puluis cinis I will speak vnto my Lord though I be dustad ashes or the like Thē let him setle himself to doe reuerence to God vvith an humble externall gesture together vvith an externall act of adoration and vvith Manasses bovving the knees of his hart before his Lord let him kneele dovvne hereby acknovvledging the presence of the most high and diuine Trinity vvith these or the like vvords Blessed be the holy and vndeuided Trinity c. Or els Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost c. Or els Holy Holy Holy Lord God omnipotent who was ys and euer shal be or Benediction clarity wisedoms and thank giuing honour vertue and power to our God world without end Amen Being on his knees for that the just is the first in accusing himself let him professe himself vvith much invvard remorse to be a sinner let him demaund pardō for his defects saying the first foure verses of the Psalme Miserere yf no other more fit occur and at the midst of the fift verse let him add these vvords Confige timore tuo carnes meas à judiciis enim tuis timui Pearse my flesh vvith thy feare for I am afraid of thy judgmēts And let yt not seeme from the purpose to stirr vp in himself this reuerentiall child-like feare and the sorrow for his synnes which ys before described not with standing that he framed the presence of God after a pleasant and gratious māner for euen the Seraphins although they haue God alwayes most fauourable vnto them yet were they seene for our example to couer theyr faces with theyr wings in the presence of God And besides we for our part ought alwayes to retayn feare and sorrow for the many imperfections wherewith we are replenished And yet for all this we must not forbeare on the contrary side to raise our mind with cōfidence towards God euen at the tyme when we frame him present in a seuere and dreadfull manner remembring as the Prophet saith Non in perpetuum irascetur he wil not perpetually be angry And persuading our selues that God being now present to heare our prayers we may conceue ground hereby to moue vs to confidence But heare we must note that all this ys to be done very briefly that yt may not take away the tyme alotted for meditation therefore yt must be done only in such manner as ys necessary for our better dispositiò to treat with the majesty of God before whom yt ys not fit we appeare rashly or vnprepared Preparatory Prayer AFTER recouering a litle boldnes as one who hath obtayned pardō for his synnes let him take hart to lift vp his countenaunce towards the most high majesty of God and acknowledging the obligation he hath to imploy himself wholy in the seruice of God his maker let him with great feeling and deuotion make his preparatory prayer desiring grace of our Lord That all his forces and actions may be incearely directed to the honnour and glory of his divine majesty and this preparatory prayer as yt should be alwayes the same in words so yt should euer be done with the greatest affect that may be The first Preamble HE shall make his first preamble reducing briefly to mynd the history of the mistery proposed and that as though he should recount y● only to some other withou● making any discourse at all fo● beginning to dispose his soul to the matter more immediately the better to rest yt self afterward in euery part thereof by pondering yt well and penetrating yt thoroughly in the tyme of his meditation The second Preamble LET him make the second preamble imagining himself to see those places in which all or part of the mystery was wrought but he must endeuour to represent them so liuely as though really he had them these present And here let him mark that ●e ys to frame so many seuerall ●laces for his meditation as were the places in which any art of the mistery did happon which he ys to meditate although yt should be needfull to ●ame 2. or 3. or more in one only myditation As for example in the most ●oly mistery of the incarnation ●e ys to frame the place of heavē where as in a kingly palace that highest consistory of th● most blessed Trinity was celebrated also the distance betweene heauen and earth b● which the Archangel Gabrie● did passe likewise the superfices of the whole earth in which diuers sorts of men did dwel● diversly busied then also the house of Nazareth in which the B. Virgin remayned and in which the mistery was accomplished Let him also note that wh● he hath framed a place in a● fashion concerning some m●stery with happy successe neede not at any tyme chan● that imaginary place or compositiō so well made althou 〈…〉 he should vse to meditate to same mistery oftentymes v● lesse perhaps yt shal be to add some circumstance therein to perfit yt the more Two wayes of making the second Preamble THE way of framing such places shal be either imagining that

THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATING WITH PROFIT THE MISTERIES OF our Lord the Blessed Vergin Saints GATHERED OVT OF DIuers good authors And published by the very Reuerend Master Iohn Alberto Buronzo Chanon of the Cathedral Church of Verselles Reuiued and augmented by the same Author translated into English by a Father of the Societe of Iesus Imprinted at Mackline by HENRIE IEAY 1613. HENRIE IEAY TO THE Deuont Reader HAuing perused good reader this litle booke written in Italian by a father of the Societie of Iesus though he thought to publish it vnder a borrowed name and translated into English by another of the same Societie I found it likelie to proue as fruitful as acceptable to pioussoules that are desirous to conuerse with almightie God in mētal praier and for theyr help and comfort determined to put it forth with this one aduise vnto them which I had from one wel experienced in spiritual affayres In the places from which we are here taught to draw matter of meditation as condicions of persons words and actions that occurr in any mistery They shal perhapes finde such store and varietie as may to some seeme superfluous at the least if not troublesom But they must consider that this booke is not for one man onlie nor for one sort of vnderstandings but intendeth the common help of al that practise themselfes in this spiritual exercise It was therefore necessarie to make such prouision for al as out of it eueryone might fit himself of matter for his own discourse and take that which he findeth most agreable with his own manner of proceding As he that cometh to a plentiful feast eateth not of al that is sett before him which might cloy his appetite and hurt his helth but rather feedeth discretly and soberly on som few dishes which his stomack lyketh and are wholsom for him In a good garden are a multitude of simples yet are not al ingredients for euery medecine the Gardnier notwithstanding had sufficient reason to plant them al because there is not any one amongst them of which som one or other may not finde som vse I wish thee good reader to choose out of these places those that are most behoosul for thy purpose and let not the plentie left vntoucht for other men trouble thee So I leaue thee to make that profit of this worke which the author wisheth to al that read it to the greater honour and glory of God H. I. THE PREFACE AMongst the many and different exercises of men in this life the meditation of spiritual and diuine thinges without al doubt is one of the most excellent For by meanes therof with our vnderstanding together with the light of Gods assisting grace we doe search find out Gods holy wil which is our sanctification with our wil we desire loue the same with our memory we cal it to mind we apprehend it with our imagination and in some sort do imbrace it with our corporal senses and the faculties of our body the better to put it in execution Most iusty therfore may be said that there remayneth not ●n man any one power either internal or external which by meanes of this holy exercise is not wholy imployed in the praises of almighty God which ●s a great part of that end for which mā was created placed in this world Neither doth man only by meanes of medita●iō attaine his proper end the cause of his being in this presēt ●ife but also by a certain kind of participatiō in some propor●ion doth vnite himself to that which is proper to the other ●ife which consisting in see●ng louing enioying the glo●ious maiesty of almighty God ●ccording to the degree of eue●y ones merit and that without ●nterruption or desire of ought els out of doubt man giuing himself wholy in the exercise of meditation to seeke the most perfect knowledg of the most vnited loue and the most sweetest enioying of God which this wretched life affords he doth participat proportinally of that glorious happines in heauen which is the last and accomplished portion and that happy end for which man was created True it is that through the vnhappy condition of this troublesome world he being di●tracted by other thoughts and surprised by other affections cannot continually or withou● some violence enioy this so great felicity yet neuerthele 〈…〉 he may with the help of God from whom euery good meditation proceedeeh as his perfect gift of whome therein he treateh with whom he then conuerseth and reasoneth together with his own diligence and industry attayn to such vnion with Gods diuine Maiesty that he may if not continually at least for som time enioy his creatour with some perfection Therefore in this as in al other noble exercises there must be vsed much diligence to performe it wel not only for the causes set down already but also for that the nature of meditation it self as it is explicated by holy Doctors doth exact no ●esse For meditation somtimes ●s called a studious intention of ●he mind which diligently at●endeth to the finding out of some matter sometime an especial application of our vnderstanding seriously imployed in searching out the truth at other times an industrious inforcing of the mind endeuouring to find out obscure things and to vnfould the intricat and perplexed as also it is described to be an earnest and vehement applicatiō of our mind to seeke know tast some diuine matter finally it hath other names and definitions al which doe playnly shew that great labour and industry is required on his part who intends to meditate Wherefore it shal not be amisse to set down briefly the practical manner which is to be held in this so holy an exercise to the intent it be not performed negligently or without the fruit which by it is pretended I wil therefore for more facility and cleerenes set down first what is to be done before meditation then what in the very time of meditation and lastly what is meete to be obserued at the end thereof THAT VVHICH IS TO BE DONE BEFORE MEDITATION CHAPTER I. Remote Preparations WHo soe desireth to meditate well and fruitfully the divine misteries must procure to haue great purity of hart that he be not guilty to himself of any thing which may cause great remorse of cōscience He must haue the passions and affections of his soul so cōposed that neither by excesse nor want they be troublesome vnto him 3 Let him keepe his powers and senses so recollected that he neither think see nor heare willingly any thing which may cause distraction briefly let him as Cassian saith so dispose himself before prayer as he desireth to find himself in tyme of prayer The neerer Preparations WHereas to follow th● example of King Dauid who speaking to God said I● matutinis meditabor in te I will meditate of thee in the morning the best tyme of meditation ys when he riseth from his bed therefore to

tibi pro omnibus quae retribuisti mihi My God my mercie what shall I render to thee for all things that thou hast rendred to me And shall not then my hart be melted as waxe before the sūne The fourth ys by way of Oblation Yes Lord so yt ys fit yt should be by any meanes behould therefore here ys my hart which ys become like melting waxe It ys not as yet fully melted but yt will meelt by degres in presence of thy burning beames and yt will become so soft that thou maiest imprint therein any image whatsoeuer or letter or writing as shall best please thee Yf thou wouldest imprint the image of compunction for that yt hath offended thee hath been vngratfull to thee behould yt here made like wax that melteth yf thou wilt haue in yt an image of mortificatiō or pennānce to blot out satisfi for the faults cōmitted behold yt here like melted wax Yf thou wilt haue an image of gratitude and of charitie towards thee for that thou didst scarse expect to here me cry peccaui I haue siuned to see some small fruits which might be thought worthy fruit of pennāce but transtulisti peceatū meum a me Thou didst trāsfer my sinne from me as to thy seruāt Dauid behold therfore my hart becōe as a peece of soft tender wax Yf yt be thy pleasure to write in yt any necessary aduertisemēts to the end I may perseuer the better in thy grace not return vnto my former misrable estate write yt hardly Ecie sanus factus est iam noli peccare ne deterius tibi aliquid cōtingat Behold thou art made whole now sinn no more least sōe worse thing ●appē vnto thee for lo my hart ys now mollified fit to write in Yf yt be thy will to ioyne thy self vnto yt to leaue such impression that yt be alwayes myndfull to doe according to thy deuine inspiration and to preseuer with more facility behould yt here in thy hāds melted so fit tractable behold yt wholy thine behould yt prompt to doe whatsoeuer shall best please thee behold yt can say nothing els but that which yt learneth of the apostle Domine quid me vis facere Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe The fifth ys of Confession And now o my Lord yf thou say vnto me that I haue many tymes before this made like offers vnto thee somtymes more full of affect then now I doe and yet when contrary occasiōs were offered I went back and did the contrary to tha● promised I graunt in deed this I haue done that most often tymes and that my faylings haue beene much more frequent then my purposes to doe well and that thy diuine maiesty hath most iust cause to obiect yt vnto me I confesse o Lord that I am one of those of whom thou didst heretofore lament by the mouth of the prophet saing filij ephraem intendentes mittentes arcum conuersi sunt in die belli The children of Ephraem bending and shoting with bow were turned in the day of battell for being once truly made by the grace thy elected sonne and one that should haue beene fruitfull vnto thee thy māner being to worke increase and to abetter still the harts of those that truly loue thee yet I became like one of those vaine glorious yet dasterdly souldiars who before the day of battell can doe nothing but bend their bow and shoote their arrowes but when they come to try their valour are the first that shew their heeles The sixt ys by way of Purpose I confesse o my Lord that all this ys to to true but I now purpose most firmely in thy diuine presence taking for witnes of this my firme resolution all the saints of thy celestiall court who alwayes doe conssantly continue in contemplation of thy beauty and most worthy praises that frō this time forward I will not omit for any cause at the least seauen times a day to lift vp my mind towards heauen which I see ys drawen down to the earth by the poise of my corruptible body I know well that I offend thy maiesty not so little as seauen times a day and for that I purpose by thy grace at the least so often to honour thee But yt seemeth thou sayest to me o Lord that I will not doe yt and that this ys my ould wont to promise much and performelitle But o Lord what ys yt to remember thee seauen times a day Can I be lesse mindfull of thee then so that should remember thee as often as I breath Certainly o Lord I will remember thee Reddam tibi vota mea quae distinxerunt labia mea I will render thee my vowes which my lips haue distinguished The seauenth ys by by way of Taxing I well fore see o Lord that the Diuell will not faile to put into my head a thousand impertinent thoughts to make me easely forget what I haue purposed I know well there will somtimes fall out so many occasions of busines that eyther I cannot make good what I haue promised or not remember yt I see also that this new suggested purpose will appeare somewhat hard vnto my flesh but certeyne yt ys that I am to doe yt and I may not take yt for a new or sleight suggestion that which ys to turne to my so great commodity VVherfore o my Lord I doe here so freely yt ys much better to suffer a litle while the trouble I shall haue in the carefull practice of this purpose then to continue in the former manner without due memory of thy diuine maiesty Better it is to depriue my self of that content which I had before in the false liberty of a carlesse life then to be debarred of these true consolations which are to be enioyed by treating with thee Meliora sunt vbera tua vino saith the spouse vnto thee in the canticles Better are thy breasts then wine according to the vnderstanding which thy deuout Saint Bernard giueth of these words for that the affect of deuotion which is tasted by treating with thee doth truly and that by many degrees surpasse all the pleasurs and delights which any sensuall thing can bring vs. And the same o my Lord doe I now affirme at this present although I haue not now so much tast thereof as I should if it were not for my owne fault Meliora sunt vbera tua Better are thy breasts that is the sweetnes which is tasted in lifting vp the mind oft to thee vino thenwine which is the licencing our hart to goe wandring where it list without restrayning it to returne and be mindfull of thee Meliora sunt vbera tua vino Better are thy breasts then wine And if thy holy prophet estteemed more one day of abode in the courts of thy pallace rather then to stay thousands of yeares in the most sumptuous and commodious lodgings of the world when he said Melior est dies vna