are to our Saviour and how far yet from his Vertue of Meekness If we feel within our selves any bitterness or aversion towards our Neighbours or are backward in releiving the necessities of our poor Brethren when we are able if upon spying a little Fault in them instead of pitying and compassionating him we are forward to reprove him and apt to harbour hard Thoughts of him we have great Reason to think we are not yet become true lovers of our Neighbours or Disciples of Jesus But let not those be discouraged that are still very far from the perfection of his Vertues and yet find to their great trouble much opposition of their corrupt Nature and strong Temptations to the contrary for so long as they do not deliberately consent to them but strive against them to their utmost they may hope they are in a fair way in time to the attaining of it For tho' the Victory come on but slowly yet if they persevere in Fighting with their Enemies in acknowledging their Imperfections and Weakness and humbling themselves before God for them they shall infallibly come at last to the desired conquests of themselves and a true conformity with their dear Lord Jesus To this end they should often be laying hold of his Strength and raising themselves up to the contemplation of his divine Countenance and of the glorious Vertues and Graces shining in his Person and Actions in the several occasions of his doing or suffering the Will of his heavenly Father and from thence fetch every time fresh Vigour and stronger Motives to their desires and resolutions in following him and purifying themselves from all things that offend him And lest at any time they should lose Courage in approaching to him either by reason of their often failings or their former Ingratitude or perhaps out of aw to his Majesty or fear of their Indisposition to come into his Presence let them consider his gracious Invitations every where dispersed in the New Testament as this Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy Laden and I will give you Rest And in another place his provoking them to come to him John 5.40 Ye will not come unto me that ye might have Life with many other such kind Expressions We have also the same loving Saviour who so freely conversed with Sinners and died for their sakes at the Right Hand of God with all the Vertue of his Merits to intercede with him on our behalf and is not only able but delights to bestow upon us if we will but come to him for it all manner of good Things that are essential to our true Happiness which is our Sanctification John 16.23 For whatsoever says he you shall ask the Father in my Name I will give it you Mat. 7.7 Ask and ye shall receive seek ye shall find knock and it shall be opened to you Mat. 7.11 And if ye being evil says he know how to give good Gifts unto your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give good Things Or as it is in another Evangelist Luk. 11.13 The Holy Spirit to them that ask it Let us therefore who are so kindly invited go often and boldly to the Throne of Grace to beg his Holy Spirit with earnest entreaties in all our spiritual Wants and Necessities Let us fear nothing Have we sinned Let us return to him again We are his Sheep and he is our Shepherd and if we have straied let us hasten again into his Fold for he calls us and will be glad to find us there We are his Friends let us converse with him familiarly that we may partake more and more of the glory of his divine Nature to be fitted and qualified for his Company eternally in Heaven O what Happiness What Joy What Honour Rom. 8.35 Let nothing therefore in this World be able to hinder or separate us from the Love of Christ Neither Tribulation nor Distress nor Persecution nor any Difficulties we can meet with after this prospect of his Love and our Happiness in the knowledge of it No sure let every one of us say now nothing but Christ my Love is fixed upon Christ I cannot I will not for any thing take it off again I can have now no pleasure in this World but in and with my dear Saviour Jesus I will therefore now henceforward converse with none else All shall know now and bear witness by my Conversation my Sweetness my Meekness my Patience in bearing Injuries that I have been with Jesus and that I delight to have none for my Companions in this Werld but him and his Friends Now am I fully resolved to apply my self to the imitation of his Vertues and to become his true Disciple indeed too long have I been ungrateful to so merciful a Saviour and kind a Benefactor too much time have I spent in the vanities and fooleries of this World Luk. 15.18.19 I will therefore now arise and go to my Father and say to him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son I do not so much as deserve the lowest place in thy Houshold make me so happy if thou pleasest as to become one of thy hired Servants I am wholly purposed to leave all that 's displeasing to thee and from henceforwards to serve thee all the Days Hours and Moments of my Life whom I tast now and see to be so Gracious and Good With such Holy Resolutions as these should every devout Christian strengthen and confirm himself that hath been considering the effects of our Saviour's Love at the time of his Passion that they may rise again with him to newness of Life and continuing close and faithful to him in the denyal of themselves and in the forsaking the Pleasures and Vanities of this World may be made partakers of the inconceivable comforts of the Holy Ghost here in his due time and the incomprehensible manifestations and communications of the Sacred Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost in the World to come To whom be all Praise and Glory for ever and ever Amen Meditations and Ejaculations on the Life and Passion of our Saviour JESVS CHRIST The Incarnation of Jesus PRaise Honour and Glory be to thee O Blessed Jesus who for my Sake hast vouchsafed to come down from the Royal Seats and from the Mellifluous Bosom of thy Divine Father into this Valley of Misery and to be incarnated and made Man by the Holy Ghost in the most chaste Womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary Make my Heart I beseech thee thy Dwelling-place adorn it replenish it with Spiritual Gifts and wholly possess it O that I were able by profound Humility to unite my self to thee and with an ardent Affection to receive thee and after having received thee to retain thee with me for ever O that I were so fastned to thee that I might never depart or turn away my Mind from thee The Birth of Jesus Praise
Honour and Glory be unto thee O Blessed Jesus who hast vouchsafed to be born of thy Virgin Mother in a poor Stable O that it were thy will to be continually born in me by a new fervour of Spirit And that I may be wholly Burnt with the Fire of thy Love O that thou wert the only comfort desire and delight of my Heart O that I could seek after thee alone think on thee alone and Love thee alone The Swadling of Jesus and his lying in a Manger Praise Honour and Glory be unto thee O Blessed Jesus who being born in the depth of Winter didst not refuse to be swadled in poor Cloaths and weeping to be laid in the Manger and as a little Infant to suck Milk from thy Mother's Breast I adore thee most dear Redeemer King of Glory O Prince of Peace Light of the Gentiles and most desired Saviour Grant O Lord that I may always stand in thy Sight truly humble and truly poor in Spirit Grant that for thy holy names sake I may willingly endure all kind of Mortification and may love nothing in this World besides thee nor wish to possess any thing but thee The Angels celebrating his Birth O sweet Jesus whom the Heavenly Quire of Angels did Honour at thy Birth with joyful Praises and the Shephards devoutly seeking found adored with admiration Grant that I may joyfully and unweariedly persevere in thy Praises and Service The Circumcision of Jesus O sweet Jesus who upon the eighth Day wouldst be Circumcised like other Children and even whilt thou wert a little Infant shed thy precious Blood And for our particular Comfort wouldst be called Jesus which signifieth a Saviour O that it would please thee to Circumcise my Heart from all evil Thoughts Words and Actions that I might be admitted into the number of thy Children Thou O Lord art called Jesus that is to say a Saviour be thou therefore my Saviour and Save me The Wise-men adoring and presenting him O blessed Jesus whom the Wise-men inquiring found by the direction of a Star and having found most humbly adored Offering unto thee Gifts of Gold Frankincense and Myrrh Grant O Lord that with these blessed Men I may always seek after and adore thee in Spirit and in Truth Grant that I may offer daily unto thee the Gold of bright shining Charity the Frankincense of sweat smelling Devotion and the Myrrh of perfect Mortification The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple O sweet Jesus who for our sakes wouldst be subject to the Law and to give us an Example of Humility wouldst be carried to the Temple by thy Mother and be Redeemed with an Offering ordained for such as were Poor Where Just Simeon and Anna the Prophetess rejoycing greatly at thy Presence gave very glorious Testimonies of thy Dignity O that all Pride were utterly thrown down in me O that all desire of humane Favour and itch of Self-love were cooled and cured in me Jesus sought by his Mother and found among the Doctors Praise Honour and Glory be unto thee O Sweet Jesus who staying in the Temple wert for the space of three Days with great Grief sought by thy devout Mother and at length with great Joy found by her sitting in the midst of the Doctors hearing them and asking them Questions O Communicate thy self to me on such sort that I may never be separated from thee nor ever be deprived of thy Comfort Jesus Poor and Vnknown O blessed Jesus who for the space of thirty Years remaining Poor and Unknown hast vouchsafed to be reputed by the Jews the Son of Joseph the Carpenter and of his Wife the Blessed Virgin Mary Let thy Grace I beseech thee pluck up and utterly root out of the very bottom of my Soul all Pride and Ambition O that I may delight to be unknown to the World and to be esteemed Vile and Mean The Baptism of Jesus by John Baptist O Blessed Jesus who hast not disdained to come to the River of Jordan and entring into it there to be Baptised by thy Servant John the Baptist O that thou wouldst wash me throughly from all my Wickedness and cleanse me from my Sin Create in me I beseech thee a clean Heart and renew a right Spirit within me Jesus in the Desert and Tempted by the Devil O Blessed Jesus who for our sakes didst retire into the Desert to remain among wild Beasts there Fasting forty Days and forty Nights and persevering in Prayer and didst permit thy self to be Tempted of Satan And when thou hadst overcome him the Angels came and Ministred unto thee Give me Grace that I may chastise and keep under my Body with all my inordinate and vicious Affections Give me Grace that I may constantly persevere in Prayer and other spiritual Exercises Let no Temptation I beseech thee defile me but rather let Temptations purge me and drive me to a closer union with thee The Preaching of Jesus and his calling Disciples O Blessed Jesus who to the end thou mightst gather together the dispersed Children of God hast vouchsafed to Preach Repentance to call Disciples and out of them to choose twelve Apostles to be eminent Preachers of thy Faith Draw me after thee and powerfully stir up my Heart to Love thee The daily Labours and Sufferings of Jesus Praise Honour and Glory be unto thee O Blessed Jesus who for my sake hast suffered many Afflictions as Heat Cold Hunger Thirst Labours and Miseries Grant that I may receive from thy Hand chearfully all kind of Adversity Thou O most Amiable Jesus thirsting after the good and conversion of Souls hast past whole Nights in Prayer Hast been wearied with Travelling hast past from City to City from Country to Country from Village to Village Let thy Love make me quick and ready to all good Things that I may be never sloathful in thy Service Grant that every where I may have a Zeal for thine Honour and employ my self wholly in thy Service The Miracles and Compassion of Jesus to the Miseries of Men. Praise Honour and Glory be unto thee O Blessed Jesus who Conversing with Men hast vouchsafed most willingly to comfort them and by many Miracles most compassionately to Cure their Maladies and Discases Give me a Heart full of Tenderness and Affection whereby I may pity other Mens Afflictions and may have a fellow feeling of their Miseries as if they were my own Whereby also I may patiently bear with all Mens Imperfections and chiefly to my Ability relieve them in their Necessities The Love and Familiarity of Jesus towards Sinners Praise Honour and Glory be unto thee O Blessed Jesus who hast not shunned the Company of Publicans and Sinners but hast offered them thy most loving Familiarity and ready Pardon of Sin to Matthew Zacheus Mary Magdalen and to the Woman taken in Adultery and to the rest that were Penitent Lord shew thy merciful Compassion to me one of the greatest of Sinners Grant that I may embrace all Men with
whose Death the Sun withdrew his Light the Veil of the Temple rent in sunder and the Monuments opened O Son of Righteousness permit not I beseech thee the Beams of thy Grace at any time to forsake me But let them continually enlighten the inmost parts of my Soul Withdraw wholly from me the Veil of Hipocrisy And shake the Earth of my Soul with wholesome Repentance Rend my Stony Heart That being wholly renewed I may contemn all things transitory and love only that which is Eternal Jesus's Side pierced Glory be to thee O Blessed Jesus who wouldst that thy Side should be opened with a Souldiers Lance And out of it pour out Blood and Water to revive and wash our Souls Thou wouldst O my best Beloved that thy most sacred Heart should be wounded for me O that it might please thee to make a most deep Wound in my Heart with the Lance of thy Love And unite it to thy most sacred Heart in such manner that I may have no power to will any thing but that which thou wiltest Bring in O my Lord bring in my Soul through the Wound of thy Side into the Bosom of thy Charity and Treasure-house of thy Divinity Praise Honour and Glory be to thee O Blessed Jesus that sufferedst all that the Malice of Men or Devils could devise Behold with as much Devotion as possibly I can I admire the Five principal Wounds of thy sacred Body which are the glorious Seales of my Reconciliation and Salvation I humbly desire to abide and be hid in them and so by that means be secure from all Evil. Jesus taken down from the Cross and buried All Love all Glory be to thee O Blessed Jesus who being with great Lamentation of thy Friends taken down from the Cross wouldst be anointed with precious Ointments wrapt in a winding Sheet and buried where no Man was buried before Bury I beseech thee all my Senses all my Forces and all my Affections in thee That being joined to thee through an efficacious Love I may become insensible in respect of all other things Jesus descending into Hell O Blessed Jesus who hast vanquished the power of the Devil and didst in Soul descend into Hell there to make known thy Conquest Let the vertue of thy Passion and of thy Blood descend now I beseech thee upon my Parents Kinsfolks Friends Benefactors and all Christian People to deliver them from the slavery of Sin and all the power of the Enemy Jesus arising out of the Grave All Love all Glory be to thee O Blessed Jesus who like a Conqueror with glorious Triumph didst arise out of thy closed Sepulchre And revested with thy lovely Countenance didst replenish thy Friends with new Joy and Gladness Grant O Lord that leaving the old Paths of my vitious Conversation I may walk in newness of Life And seek and savour those things which are above in Heaven and not those things which are here upon Earth To the end that when thou my Life shalt appear at the last Day I may appear with thee in Glory Amen Jesus ascending into Heaven Praise Honour and Glory be to thee O Blessed Jesus who forty Days after thy Resurrection didst gloriously ascend into Heaven in the sight of thy Disciples where thou sittest at the right Hand of thy Father Blessed for ever O that my Soul might always Languish on Earth and ascend and aspire towards Heaven May Hunger and Thirst always after thee Jesus sending the Holy Ghost All Love all Glory be to thee O Blessed Jesus who didst give thy Holy Ghost to thy Disciples persevering in the practice of thy holy Precepts and joining together with one Mind in Prayer And didst send them to Teach all Nations throughout the whole World Cleanse I beseech thee the interiour of my Heart Enable me I beseech thee to forsake all deny my self take up my Cross and follow thee Give me with a stedfast Resolution and constancy of Mind that being a true Disciple of thine and disengaged from all worldly and vain Desires the Holy Ghost may in due time according to thy Promise descend upon my Soul and make it an Habitation fit for his continual Residence Replenish me with the special Gifts of his Grace till I be totally changed and sanctifyed both in Soul and Body O my Lord and merciful Saviour thou seest how weak and frail I am vouchsafe therefore I beseech thee an extraordinary Assistance of thy Holy Spirit to Comfort and Strengthen me in this my Pilgramage that I may withstand and overcome all Difficulties and Temptations and at last come safe to my Journeys end Jesus coming as a Judge at the last day All Glory be to thee O Blessed Jesus who coming as a Judge at the last day wilt render unto every one according to his Works either Punishment or Reward O my most merciful Lord God grant that according to thy Will I may so innocently pass the Course of this miserable Life That my Soul departing out of the Prison of my Body I may be vested with thy Merits and Vertues And be received into thy everlasting Joy And with all the Saints I may bless and praise thee for ever All Love all Glory be to thee O Blessed Jesus whom I have most grievously offended all the days of my Life Alas I have never ceased to be ungrateful to thee resisting thy Grace in divers Manners and always adding new Faults unto my former Behold O my only Refuge look upon me the very Out-cast of all Creatures bringing with me nothing but bundles of Sin I prostrate my self at the Feet of thy Mercy and humbly implore Pardon and Remission Pardon I beseech thee and save me for thy Name 's sake For I believe and am assured that no Sins are so grievous and heinous but by the Merits of thy most Sacred Passion may be forgiven and washed away Amen Certain amorous Speeches of the Soul to her self to inflame her Desires after Jesus O My Soul when wilt thou be ready to follow the Humility of thy Lord Jesus When shall the Example of his Patience Shine in thee When wilt thou be wholly free from Passions and vitious Affections When wilt thou peaceably and gently endure all Injuries Tryals and Afflictions When wilt thou truly and perfectly love thy Saviour When wilt thou be pure simple and resigned before him How long will it be e're thou be hindred no more from his charming Imbraces O that thou didst fervently love thy God! O that thou couldst inseparably cleave unto thy chiefest good O my Soul where is thy Love where is thy Treasure where is thy Desire where is all thy Good where is thy God when shalt thou most happily enjoy him If thou hast Sinned and art wounded behold thy Redeemer behold thy Physician is ready to own thee Perhaps thou art afraid because he is thy Judge but take Heart for he who is thy Judge is thy Advocate and Intercessor His Mercy is infinitely greater than thine