§. I. VVHO.

2. The first circumstance is, to consider attentiuely, VVho is the person that doth that worke, or suffer that payne: that it is Iesus Christ God and man, who being God from all Eternity, without any beginning of his Being, for [Page 12]the saluation of the world came downe from heauen, and was made man in the wombe of the sacred Virgin Mary.

3. And in as much, as he is God, he is the Word of his eter­nall Father, second Person of the Blessed Trinity; and as eternall, as great as God, as powerfull as the Father and the holy Ghost, and finally one and the same God, & one and the same Essence with the Father, and the Holy Ghost; who created all thinges, and doth conserue, and gouerne them, and whome all they serue, and praise; and the praise which they giue to him, and those which all creaturers can giue, do not come neere by an infinite distance to that which he deserueth, in praise seruice, and loue. And al creaturs togeather in his comparison are [Page 13]not an Ant before him, nor so much as a sand of the sea, in whose presence the highest Se­raphims tremble and feare, as also all the rest of the Blessed Spirits.

4. As he is man, he is King, and vniuersall Lord of all that is created, because his eternal Father hath put all into his hands, and all creatures ought to obay him, and be subiect vnto him, and by right and authority he may do wrea them as it pleaseth him, not only with natural but also super­naturall things. That he impar­teth al the good included in grace and glory to whome he pleaseth. And all the Angells, and sotiles in heauen, and they who are to go thither must come into glory by his helping hand and by his me­rits. And that his most holy Hu­manity [Page 14]only is more worth and more esteemed, and beloued of Almighty God, & hath receaued more riches, and gifts from God, then all creatures togeather, with such and so great excesse, that there is no comparison.

5. That his holy body, is for­med, by the worke of the holy Ghost, of the purest bloud of a Virgin, the most holy that euer was, or shall be; and therefore hath greater beauty and perse­ction of nature then euer any hu­mane creature had, or shall haue; and also more deli [...]ate and tender then any other man; and he had the complexion of his body more sensible and delicate, then the flesh of a child of foure, or fiue yeares of age.

6. And that his soule being most holy from the instant of his [Page 15]conception, is full of grace and charity, and full of al vertues and giftes of the holy Ghost; and that in so high a degree, that it excee­deth, without comparison, the graces and vertues of all Angels, and men that euer were, are, or shal be. And that not only for him­selfe he hath grace, but also to communicate, as head, to the An­gels and men already created, & infinite others who might be cre­ated; for all the grace they haue receaued, and shall receaue heere­after, all do receaue it from the fulnesse and copious abundance of the grace of Christ.

7. And also from the instant of his conception, that most holy Soule of his, is full of so mer­uailous science, and wisdome, that he knoweth, & can tel perfe­ctly the natures and essence of all [Page 16]things, which are, were, and are to come, and the number and or­der of them all, and euery one in particuler & distinctly; he know­eth their properties, conditions, qualities, and inclinations; he knoweth how many starres be in heauen, and how euery one is called, and how bigge enery one is; and how many drops of water there be in the sea, & how many sands. He knoweth and can tell all the thoughts and desires of men and Angels, good and bad, as well those that now they haue, as those which they shal haue for euer: all these he sees and knowes more clearly, and distinctly then I can see that which I haue before myne eyes.

8. And aboue all from the said instant of his conception, his soule is full of glory, for from that [Page 17]tyme he saw most clearly the Di­uine Essence of God, and did in­ioy it most perfectly: and all this glory and beauty, this our Lord would of his owne proper will and desire haue to lie hidden, and as it were kept there in the chie­fest part of his soule, and for 33 yeares did defraud his most holy body of all this glory which na­turally was due vnto it, that ther­by he might suffer labours and paynes for vs. And that in the in­feriour part of his soule he might suffer sorrow, griefe, and the like as he did very much, & he would not vse power and authority which he had ouer all things, nor his maiesty proper to his person, but be borne and liue in pouerty and despect, subiect vnto so many labours, and so great wearines as he suffered in the same manner, as [Page 18]if he had beene a poore sinner.

9. And besides all that is said, euen in this very same pouerty, & humility which he chose, you must consider the dignity of that most sacred Humanity, that ve­rity of working miracles, that he cōmanded the diuels as his slaues, and they obayed him and feared him; only with a voice he reui­ued the dead, with the touch of his hands he cured al infirmities; the great authority that he had amongst the people, that he was held for a great Prophet, as ne­uer the like was seene in Israel; that the Citties were emptied & great multitudes went after him into the desert, only to heare his doctrine, and held themselues happy who could come so neere, as to kisse the hemme of his gar­ment, for only the touch of it cu­red [Page 19]all diseases. And being his authority was so great on the one side, yet his humility one the other side was profound, such his plainnesse, sweetnes, & affability which he vsed to those with whome he conuersed, and the fa­cility and charity wherwith he did remedie their infirmities and necessities, and many times not being called, nor inuited, that with this he won the hartes, and gayned the good will of all.

10. All these thinges and many others, which are to be considered concerning the person of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, it is iust and fit, we should ponder them very seriously, and commit them to memory; that in what thing soeuer you meditate, that he doth, saith, or suffereth, you may know how to feele it as you [Page 20]ought: pondering who is the person, who doth that worke, or suffer that payne, or speake that word &c. And this is the first cir­cumstance signified by the former word, VVho.

§. II. WHAT.

• 1. THE second circumstāce is to consider VVhat he is that suffereth for thee, which is to be noted that it is the doctrine of S. Thomas, and of al the Deuines, that the griefes and paynes our Lord and Sauiour suffered in his Passion, were the greatest which haue beene suffered, or euer shal be suffered in this world, although all the torments of all the Martyrs should be recounted, for many reasons which concurred in the paynes of Christ, which are not necessary heere to be set downe, nor to enlarge this point so much, [Page 21]for it depēdeth of the cōsideratiō very particulerly of euery thing which our Sauiour suffered, and to consider attentiuely that in e­uery passage of his Passion, you shall find him suffer something in excesse and extraordinary, and in those also may be found very great griefe, dispect, iniurie, scoffs, and ignominious speaches, and so he suffered in all sortes that a man may suffer; that is, not only in the body, but also in the soule, that is, in the inferiour part of it, as presently I will declare.
• 2. He suffered in his face by false testimony, and ignominious titles, with which he was con­demned; in his honour with so many floutes, scoffs, and iniuries; in his goods, which were his [...]oore garments, for he had no­thing els; in his friends, for vnto [Page 22]all of them befell part of his la­bours; in all his members, and senses of his body, for in euery one he had particuler torment, from the very sole of the foote, vnto the crowne of his head, and as we say, from top to toe, as is manifest cōsidering euery passage by it selfe.
• 3. Marke, that to ponder we [...] what our Lord and Sauiour suf­fered and felt in his torments and griefe, it is very good counsel [...] that which S. Bonauenture giuesh and other contemplatiue Saints which is, to proue by experience somthing like to that which h [...] suffered: as to know well what h [...] suffered being whipped, to make [...] good discipline that smartet [...] well, & then to make the cōpar [...] son: If I miserable sinner who hau [...] deserued eternall torments, hard [...] ­ned [Page 23]in my sinnes, do feele and grieue so much to be scourged by myne owne hands, and that so easily; what would so delicate a body as his feele, so innocent, & holy, being whipped, and scour­ged by the hands of such cruell villaines with all their force, and all his body ouer, in publike be­fore so many people. And to pon­der that which our Sauiour did feele in the torments of the Crosse, let them hold their armes spread in the aire, for the space of an houre, or halfe, or a good while, and make comparison: If I feele so much, for standing a while in this fashion, what could my Lord, & Sauiour feele being threo houres vpon the Crosse; hanging there­on, whilest his hands and feet were pierced with great nayles, all the waight of his body han­ging [Page 24]on them; and so in other paynes which we may suffer, that by these little things, which we feele our selues, we may come to know how to consider, what our Sauiour felt in so great griefs and sorrowes.
• 4. And besides all this, by all those which he suffered exteriorly in his body, we must ponder much those which he suffered inwardly in his soule, which were far grea­ter; and those may be reduced to foure, which were, as other foure nayles where with his sacred soule was crucified.
• 5. The first consideration was, the representation which he had of all the sinnes of men; for as his blessed soule saw on the one part the Diuinity, and how worthy it was to be beloued, and serued of all creatures, and he loued it [Page 25]with vnmesurable, & incompa­rable loue, and desired very much the glory of it, and that it might be serued of al creaturs & obeyed: and on the other side he saw clear­ly al the sinnes of the world, both past, present, and to come, and these being so many, he saw that euery one of them was a great in­iury to the Diuinity, and great despect and offence to his diuine Maiesty; he receiued from hence so perpetuall and continual griefe that he was like a huge sea of griefs, so great and so inward that no tongue can speake them, or vnderstanding thinke or imagine them: so as the loue he had to the Diuinity was vnmeasurable, so was the griefe to see it offended and despised; in so much that to see one only was [...]nough to giue him more griefe, then all that he suffe­red [Page 26]exteriourly, particulerly the sinne of his disciple who had sold him, and betrayed him, did much afflict him, & the sinne of that vn­grateful, and miserable people that procured and giue him his death with so great hatred and enuie.
• 6. The second conside ration was to see, and know clearly and distinctly the condemnation of so many soules that had already beene lost, and should be vntill the end of the world: for accor­ding to the measure of the loue of God, so is the loue of our neigh­bour, proportionably speaking: and as his blessed soule did loue Almighty God in the highest de­gree, so he loued, and desyred greatly the saluatiō of soules, & it grieued him much to see so many dead with sinne, and conde [...]aned to so terrible & eternal tormētst & [Page 27]particulerly he did feele great and in ward griefe, for the losle of ma­ny bad Christians, who knowing the mystery of his Incarnation, & Passion, would not profit them­selues of this so deare a remedy, but would chose rather death thē life, and the captiuity of Sathan rather, then the liberty of the sonne of God, and the condemna­tion of Hell, rather then the glory of Heauen.
• 7. The third consideration was a cleare and distinct repre­sentation of all the torments and griefs of his Passion, and of his death, for he had them alwayes as present as when he suffered: and so we must consider that the griefe of his whipping, of the crowne of thornes, and the torment vpon the Crosse, and the scornes of his Passion were not suffered by him [...] [Page 30]were the foure nayles which in­wardly passed through, and cru­cified that most blessed Soule, and gaue him griefs without compa­rison, more excessiue, then all exte­riour paynes and torments.
• 9. And with this interiour Crosse thou must consider that he was crucified all the dayes of his life, & so thou wilt not meruaile at what is written of him, that he was neuer seene to laugh; yea it is a thing worthy of great conside­ration, his fortitude, and magna­nimity, that hauing his Soule in­wardly so drowned, and runne through with so many sorrowes and griefs, had notwithstanding courage to shew outwardly a good countenance, and to con­uerse with all, so mildly, & with so great affability; and all this he did to worke our Saluation. Let [Page 31]him therefore be euer glorified, loued, and serued of all creatures. Amen.

§. III. FOR WHOME.

• 1. THE third circumstance is to consider, For VVhome our Sauiour suffered all this, for if he had suffered it for one who had deserued it, and would haue beene thankfull for it, it would not haue beene a thing so much to be admyred, or if he had suffe­red it for persons of great account and dignity, as for Angels, or S [...]raphims; but to suffer it for men, creatures of so base conditiō that by their owne will had lost themselues, and to suffer it gene­rally for all, without excluding any, which if it had beene only for his friends, it had not been so much, but to suffer it for his ene­mies, and those who actually did [Page 32]offend him, and abhorre him, without excluding euen those, who were tormenting him, accu­sing, and condemning him to death; this doth extoll very much the charity of our most benigne Redeemer, that men mad with enuie, are some accusing him, o­thers bringing false witnesse a­gainst him, others whipping him, others preparing the crowne of thornes, & the Crosse, the nayles, and the rest of the instruments of his Passion; and in this very time he loueth them so truly, that he suffereth for them the same tor­ments which they lay vpon him, and wisheth them so much good, that if it were necessary to gayne any one soule of them, he would suffer againe so much more: this is a thing worthy to be consi­dered.
• [Page 33]2. And that which impor­teth much to draw fruite out of this circumstance, euery one must consider, that he suffered these payns for him, as if he suffered for him alone, for it is infallible truth that for euery one in particuler he suffered those paynes and tor­ments; and so much they profit euery one, and so much his owne is the treasure of Christs merits which he gat with them, as if for him only he had suffered. And so thou oughtest to cōsider this one thing, which was so indeed, that when Christ suffered he had thee as present in his memo­rie, as if thou hadst beene there really present, & he had also pre­sent before his eyes all thy sinnes, and that he set his eyes vpon thee, and said with great loue and ten­dernes: For thee, o man, and for [Page 34]thy sinnes I suffer this, and I suf­fer it willingly for thy saluation and remedy of thy Soule, with great desire that thon profit thy selfe by it: and know certainly that if for thee only it were neces­sary to suffer all this and much more, I loue thee so dearly, that it is sufficient to suffer for thee alone. And this being so it is most iust, that euery one take to him­selfe that which Christ suffered, and make account of it: so did the glorious Apostle S. Paul, when he said: I liue in the sayth of Christ Iesus, who loued me, and dyed for me.

§. IIII FOR WHY.

• 1. THE fourth circumstance is to consider For VVhy; that is, for what cause our Sauour suffered all this. The President who gaue the sentence, after he had very well examined his cause [Page 35]did affirme thrice, that he found no cause at al either to condemne him, or giue him any punish­ment: and indeed it was so, that he had not any fault, for he was most innocent, not knowing what sinne was, neuer did harme to any, but good to all: so that the cause being well examined, it is found that there was no other of his part, but his bounty and mercy, and those bowels of infi­nite charity, with which he tooke compassion of the misery of men, who were all condemned to eternall death, and had no pos­sibility to be deliuered from this sentence. And all that he suffered was only to do good vnto men, & to deliuer them from the euills of their offences, and from eternall paynes which they deserued for them, without any necessity [Page 36]profit, or interest of his part.
• 2. And conformable to this you must consider very well, as you meditate any thing that our Sauiour suffered, that he suffered it of his owne free will, & might haue excused it if he would; and he would not, but suffer so great payne and torments only for our good. This is the cause which was of his part, for which he suf­fered, to wit, his bounty, his mer­cy, his charity and loue: but of our part there were our sinnes, the cause of his suffering. And so when you meditate how they apprehended our Sauiour, accu­sed him, besett him, spit vpon him, whipped and scourged him, with all the rest, consider that thou art the cause of all that, and that they be thy sinnes that ac­cuse him, and abuse him, and [Page 37]giue testimony vnto the processe, that he may be iudged to death, and put vpon the Crosse.

§. V. OF VVHOME.

THE fifth circumstance is to consider, Of VVhome he suffe­red; that is, who be they that in­flict those paynes vpon him, and in this we must cōsider the points following.

• 1. First, that he suffered of his owne Chosen and Elected people, of whome he in parti­cular was Lord and King; to whome he had been promised so many yeares since; whome he brought out of Captiuity of Ae­gypt with so great myracles, and prodigious wonders; to whome himselfe gaue the Law written with his finger; whom he sustay­ned fourtie yeares with bread [Page 38]from heauen; to whome he gaue the Land of Promise; whome he honoured so much as to take flesh of their linage, and came in per­son to preach vnto them, and teach them.
• 2. The seçond: that he suffered of them, to whome he had done so great good, and giuen so many benefits, raysing their dead, deli­uering their possessed, during their diseased, and conuersing a­mongest them, with such loue and beneuolence.
• 3. The third: that he suffered of his cruell enemyes, who for the space of two yeares had sought his life, and to dishonour him, & would haue drunke his bloud, so great was their hatred and de­testation towards him; and to these he cōmitted himselfe wil­lingly, to the end they might vse [Page 39]him at their pleasure.
• 4. The fourth: that he suffe­red of most vile & base Vassales, of no account at all, without any shame, measure, or any other res­pect; for doubtles they who did torment him, were the publike executioners, who were wont to punish the malefactors; if it be not, that perhaps the Chiefe Priests did commit this to some base seruants of their owne, that they might torment him with the more cruelty. Of him, that gaue him the buffet, saith S. Iohn the Euangelist, that he was a ser­uant of the High Priest; and so we may thinke others were also who tormented him. But how­soeuer, wee see they were base fellowes and slaues, very poore and abiect, for they parted his poore garments in foure parts a­mongst [Page 40]them.
• 5. The fifth; that our Blessed Sauiour suffered of all kind of people, Gentiles, and Iewes, of great and small, of the principall, & of the cōmon sort, all it semeth concurred against him; and those who six dayes before had done him so great honour, receiuing him with palmes, and crying out that he was King of Israël; now they perswade themselues, that all his myracles were deuises & craftes, and that he pretended to vsurpe the Kingdome, and now they desire to haue him crucified, and that the thiefe and homicide Ba­rabbas should be set free.
• 6. The sixt; that he suffered of his owne Disciples, which was not the least of his payne, to see, that the Disciple whome he had taught so long, and brought [Page 41]vp vnder his wing, and done him so many good turnes, should sell him, & betray him to his enemies: and another Disciple whome he had honoured about the rest, ma­king him Head of the Church, that he should deny him publick­ly with an oath; and that all the rest should forsake him and runne away, leauing him in the hands of his enemies. And finally he suffered euen of his owne mother, for although the most Blessed Virgin Mary had no fault at all, but very great merit, in being present at the passion of her sonne; yet with her presence she did in­crease greatly his griefe & payne, in so much that he would haue suffered them double, not to haue seene that which his mother suf­fered: and notwithstanding he would passe all this, that our re­demption [Page 42]might be more copi­ous, although so greatly to his cost, and cost of his most Blessed Mother.

§. VI. HOVV.

THE sixt circumstance is, How he suffered; in the which there be three poynts to be consi­dered.

• 1. The first: that he suffered with exceding great charity; in so much that although the works he wrought were so excellent and great, and so excessiue the paynes he suffered; yet we must rather ponder the manner how he suffe­red them, then what he suffered. For how much soeuer it was he suffered, far greater was his cha­rity by the which he was prepa­red to suffer much more, if it had been necessary for vs. And this is a circumstance which ought to [Page 43]be very well considered.
• 2. The second poynt is, that our Lord suffered without any kind of case or comfort, either of heauen or earth, which neuer fell out so to the Martyrs, and others who haue suffered for his sake; that how much the greater the torments were, and the paynes they suffered, so much the greater was the comfort which from heauen was giuen them, that the greatest torments & paynes were conuerted into recreation and fa­uour. But our Sauiour, that his payns might be the greater, would willingly be forsaken of his Fa­ther, and of all comfort and ease that might mitigate his torments, as himself signified when he said: My God, my God, why hast thou for­saken me?
• 3. The third point, is to con­sider [Page 44]the manner that our Saui­our had, in that which he did, and suffered; that is, the vertues which he exercised in all his actions; for if they be considered with attention, in them we shall find most excellent examples of al kind of vertue, and principally most profound humility, that so great a Lord would be so despised and abased; his patience so admi­rable amongst so many abuses, & iniuries; his meeknes, in not contradicting any one, nor de­fending himselfe, but suffer him­selfe to be carried, drawne, and done with whatsoeuer they would, like vnto a lambe; his si­lence, which made the Iudge himselfe to admire, that amongst so many and so false calumnia­tions he answered not one only word; his most perfect obedience [Page 45]by which he fulfilled whatsoeuer his Father had ordayned, al­though it was so hard and diffi­culte to fulfill, as to suffer death vpon the Crosse; his fortitude, by which he offered himselfe into the handes of his enemies, and suffered so many torments with­out euer cōplayning, or desiring them to take pitty, or com­passion on him; his perseuerance, by which he brought to an end the worke of our redemption, although they sayd if he would come down from the Crosse they would beleeue in him: but his charity, is that which most doth shine heere, for he suffered not only for his friends, but also for his enimies; and his mercy, by which he tooke vpon him all the penalties of man, and their mise­ries, to set them free from them, [Page 46]and abhorring sinne so much, he would take vpon him all the sins of the world, that men might be freed from them; his true despi­sing of the world, and the prospe­rities and fauours therof; and his rigorous austerity of life, with voluntary pouerty: and finally all vertues haue most perfect examples in the life, and Passion of our Sauiour.
• 4. All this pertayneth to the manner how our Sauiour did, and suffered all these things: and these be the six principal circum­stances, which we must consider in all his works. To the which may be added other two, that are of the Time, & Place wherin he suffered.
• 5. The seauenth circumstance is to consider, VVhere our Lord suffered, to wi [...] in Hierusalem, one [Page 47]of the most populous Citties of the world, that his floutinges might be more publike; und the Citty very Religious and Holy, where Iustice and Truth should haue preuailed more; and the people vnto whome he had beene most beneficiall; where he had wrought so many miracles, and preached so many Sermons; and finally he suffered on the Mount Caluary, which was an infamous and publike place, where male­factours were put to death.
• 6. The eight circumstance, shall be to consider VVhen he did suffer, to wit, at Easter, the most solemne feast that the Iewes had amongst them; when people of al the world were come thither to celebrate the Paschal feast, who might carry backe newes how they had seene him die; and in the [Page 48]time when euery one was busied in feasting and ioy. And so we may consider that our Sauiour being put vpon the Crosse, euery one departed very well content vnto their house, especially the High Priests and Princes of the people, who doubtles inuited one another & feasted with great ioy, that they had fulfilled their desire. And at the time whilest euery one is thus imployed, our Sauiour suffered on the Crosse such cruel griefs and dolorous torments.
• 7. These be the circumstances which generally may be conside­red in all the mysteries of Christ our Lord, besides other in parti­culer which occurre to euery one. But note, that although all these be put downe heere in this order, yet it is not necessary to ponder them all in euery mysterie, but [Page 49]those which are most to the pur­pose of what is meditated; or those to which their deuotion doth most incline them, and the particuler affect of him that pray­eth doth most draw him vnto.
• 8. But it will be of great im­portance to haue them all well considered, and the poynts they contayne very well printed in the memory, that whilst he me­ditateth anything of those which our Sauiour did, or suffered, pre­sently with facility, and without diuerting himselfe from his me­ditation, he may consider who is the persō which doth or suffereth that, and what affect he had in­wardly in his soule when he did that worke exteriorly, and what moued him to do it, and the rest of what we haue sayd before.

§. I. Of the affect of Compassion.

• 1. THE first affect is of Cō ­passion: and to take compassion of another, is nothing els, but to receaue payne of his paynes, & sorrow of his sorrows. This affect is the easiest of al, and the most sensible, & so naturally it is the first which offereth it selfe: for we are wont to take compassion of some pittiful cases, yea sometyme though they be fa­bulous and voyd of truth; and therfore we ought to be much a­shamed, and acknowledge our hardenes of hart, that this being so natural vnto man, we haue not more feeling, and compassion of things so worthy of it, as those which our Sauiour suffered, and [Page 53]in a person who so much belon­geth vnto vs.
• 2. The motiues vnto this af­fect, are almost the same circum­stances which we touched aboue but especially the two first, for that which is wont to moue vs much to compassion, is to see that he who suffereth, or is put to any great plunge, is a person of No­bility, some principall man, de­licate and innocent, and suffereth without any fault: and that the paynes be great, and that he suf­fereth them for out sake: and all these considerations haue great place in the mysteryes of Christ our Sauiour, as may appeare by the circumstances spoken of be­fore. And so that which we ought to haue compassion of, is, to see so Noble a Person, so Venerable, so delicate, so worthy to be serued, [Page 54]and reuerenced of all creatures, to passe through so many troubles all the dayes of his life, in so great pouerty, and discomodity of all temporall things, the heat, the cold, the hunger and thirst, the wearines, the wayes, and many other things of which his life is full. And principally the great and greiuous torments of his Passion, not only the exteriour: but much more the interiour, as it is said in the second circum­stance.
• 3. For if it be of great merit for vs, to take compassion vpon any of our neighbours which we see cast into misery: how much more will it be to take compassiō of all the labours and paynes of our Sauiour? And therfore it hel­peth much, for this affect to con­sider that we se our father or bro­ther [Page 55]to suffer those miseries, and labours, or els some other person whome we loue much. For verily Christ is more then father and brother; for our father, brother, & friends do not loue in so much as he doth, nor haue done so much for vs, as he hath done; nei­ther owe we so much vnto them, as we do to him.
• 4. Finally this affect of Com­passion dependeth and followeth naturally the consideration of the circumstances aboue said; and therfore about the same there is no more necessary to be spoken, but only to aduertise, that the Compassion which we ought to haue of Christ our Sauiour must not be as a naturall affect, as we should take compassion of a person which we should see dri­uen to some great extremity, or [Page 56]calamity against, his will: for in this sort he commanded the daughters of Hierusulem that they should not weepe for him, when he carried his Crosse vpon his backe: but it must be as an affect of Faith, considering that a per­son who deserued to be reueren­ced and serued of all creatures, would of his owne proper will subiect himselfe to suffer so many labours, and paynes to deliuer me from them, and from eternall tor­ments which I had deserued: and this is the affect of Compassion, the dore, or gate to all the rest.

§. II. Of the affect of Contrition.

• 1. THE affect of Contri­tion is an inward dete­station of sinne, great sorrow for hauing offended All mighty God, [Page 57]and a firme purpose to sinne no more. And for this it is a great motiue to know the malice and turpitude that a sinne conteyneth in it selfe, the which no way is knowne better, then by seeing what Christ suffered to destroy the said sinne; for by the payne we discouer the greatnes of the fault.
• 2. If we should see some prin­cipall Noble man, & much estee­med of the King to be drawne by sentence of Iustice, to be pu­blickly whipped, and lastly to be put vpon the Gallouse like a base slaue or thief; certainly we should vnderstand that the fault he had committed was very great: and if this who was so put to death should be the Prince himselfe, Heyre to the Kingdome, and knowing that his Father had no [Page 58]other child, & that he loued him much; and being a iust and pru­dent man commanded him to be put to death in that manner; we should be certaynly perswaded, that the sinne he had committed was very grieuous. And much more if we knew the Prince him­selfe had not committed it, but some seruant of his, and for only being his surety, and offering to pay for him; yet all this to be done vnto him, it would make vs maruel more that there should be a fault in the world that deser­ued such chastisment.
• 3. Therfore in this manner we must excercise this affect whē we consider Christ our Sauiour in any passage of his life, or pas­sion, to see that he is the only be­gotten Sonne of God, naturall Heyre of all the goods of Glory, [Page 95]and that thirty three yeares he was in banishment in this mise­rable valley of Teares, suffering so many labours, and afflictions; and finally that his owne Father who loued him as himselfe, deli­uereth him vp into the hands of cruell tormenters, who whippe him so cruelly, put on his head a Crowne of thornes, giue him so many buffets, vse him with such scorne and mockery, carry him with publike cryes through the streets, and crucifie him, as if he had beene the greatest and most vile malefactour in the world; & yet of his owne part he had co­mitted no fault at al, but suffereth it only because he offered to pay for the sinnes of men. By this we shall know how grieuous a thing sinne is, and how much God ab­horreth it; for that to destroy it he [Page 60]chose to suffer so great torments, and if it were needfull would suf­fer them againe to excuse one of vs only. And presently to cast our eyes vpon our selues, and consi­der how many we haue commit­ted, to conceiue great hatred of them all, and great anger with our selues, for hauing done them.
• 4. If we should see our Fa­ther, or Brother whome we loue very tenderly, dead before our eyes, al the body stabbed through, and should know who it was that had so slayne him by Treason, how angry should we be with him? Thus when we see our Saui­our taken prisoner, and vsed so ill, whipped & nayled on the Crosse; we must consider that we be there present amongst those villaines, and that our sinnes be they who so abuse him, and take away his [Page 61]life: and let vs beleeue without all doubt that these gaue him more payne then the whipping, nayling, and all the rest of the torments: that we may be very sorry and weep hartily, for ha­uing so offended him, & increa­sed his paynes and griefs: and let vs make very firme purposes, ne­uer more to offend him for all the world.
• 5. Also this affect of Contri­tion is gathered out of the true knowledg of our solues and follo­weth therof, considering the ver­tues of Christ, and presently tur­ning our eyes to our selues consi­dering the contrary vices which euery one findes in himselfe: as cōsidering the humility of Christ, confound himselfe to see pride guide him so much, and with so much vayne glory; considering [Page 62]his patience, be confounded to see himselfe so impatient: and the like of the other vertues.

§. III. Of the affect of Thankes-giuing.

• 1. THANKES-giuing consi­steth in three poyntes. The first, to acknowledg the be­nefit, and to be mindfull of it, e­steeme it much, and acknowledg himselfe bound to him that did it. The second poynt is, to giue him thankes againe; that is, with word and hart for the benefit be­stowed vpon him, and in all oc­cations he must confesse it, and prayse it. The third; to recom­pence by works, according to his ability the benefit receiued.
• 2. This affect is excercised in pondering any of the myste­ryes of Christ our Lord, the great [Page 63]benefit he hath done vnto vs: for by the sinne of our first parents, and for our owne proper sinnes, we were by iust sentence con­demned to eternall payne of hell, and banished for euer from glory, and giuen vp into the power of the Diuell: and all the creatures in the world together were not sufficient to deliuer vs from him, but only the Sonne of God. Nei­ther was there any other remedy (supposing the diuine ordination of God) but his Incarnation, Death, and Passion. Wherefore by euery passage of his life, and by euery action of his, wee are deliuered from sinne, from the Diuell, from death eternall, from the paynes of hell, and from the subiection and Tyrany of all our enemies; and by the same we are restored to the grace and friend­ship [Page 64]of God, and to be adopted children of his, and all the graces and gifts of the holy Ghost are giuen vnto vs, and the title to get the Kingdome of heauen, and to be members of Christ, and par­ticipate of all his merits. All these benefits must be pondered very particulerly, in euery mystery of Christ, for euery one by it selfe, and euery motion of him, was sufficient to gaine vs all this pro­fit; but that his Maiesty would by reason of the aboundance of his charity, that our Redemption might be more copious, offer all his life, death, and passion, as a totall price of our Redemption.
• 3. And heer must be ponde­red (besides the greatnes of the benefit) these foure points. The first, Who is he that doth it, to wit, the Sonne of God himselfe, [Page 65]who troubleth no creature to re­deeme and deliuer vs, but him­selfe in person would do it. The second, that he bestowed these be­nefits of vs, greatly to his owne cost, suffering so much for vs. The third, the loue wherwith he did it, and the desire of our salua­tion, and the mind prepared to do much more, if it had beene ne­cessary for vs. The fourth, to con­sider euery one of these benefits, as if they had beene done only to thy selfe. And this is as much as toucheth the first point, which is to acknowledge, and esteeme the benefit, and be mindfull of it.
• 4. The second point must be to giue thāks to God very hartily for all he hath done, and suffered for vs, and for euery passage of his life; acknowledging that if all our members should be con­uerted [Page 66]into tongues, and harts, & should prayse him, we should not answere to the least droppe of bloud, which he shedde for vs, nor to the least of his labours which he suffered: nor if we should prayse him, as much as all the Angels, and men, and all crea­tures, yet we should come very short. And therfore we must de­sire very hartily, that all, both heauen and earth will help vs to prayse him, & we ought to inuite them to it, especially our Angell-Keeper, and the Saints to whome we are most deuoted.
• 5. The third point is, to an­swere with workes to the bene­fit receaued, how great in grati­tude would it be if to any person, of whome we haue receaued great benefits, we might do some little seruice, & would not do it; [Page 67]and so thou must make firme pur­poses to do whatsoeuer thou dost vnderstād to be pleasing to Christ our Lord, and thou must be very sory that thou hast not done so al­ready, and these purposes must be very free from any interest: for although he were to giue thee no reward at all, it is sufficient that it is so due vnto him, and that he hath so much descrued it, to shew thy selfe gratefull.
• 6. Besides these three points, remember to be thankeful to God the Father, and all the Blessed Trinity, for all the benefits be­stowed vpon the Humanity of Christ, as it is reason that the chil­dren be gratefull for the benefits done vnto their Father, as if they were done to themselues; and the members must be thankefull for the benefits done to the Head espe­cially; [Page 68]for all the benefits and graces which were in Christ; did turne to our profit, for he made vs participate of them all.

§. IIII. Of the affect of Admiration.

ADMIRATION is caused at the sight of a thing that is rare, extraordinary, and mer­uailous. For seeing it, and not knowing the cause of it, a man remayneth astonished & desirous to know it; the which in nothing in the world hath place more, then in the diuine mysteries. For all of them be in themselues very meruailous: therfore the Prophet Esay saith; that Christ should be called Admirable, because all things in him were so very great: and if they do not cause admiration in vs, it is because, though we be­lecue [Page 69]them by faith, yet we do not cōsider them with attention. And heerof it proceedeth, that when with most attention we consider them, they seeme new vnto vs, as if we had not knowne them before, and then they cause admiration in vs; & so much the more, by how much we do con­sider them with attention.

2. And heere vpon it cōmeth to passe also, that they who are very contemplatiue, and whome our Saniour doth illuminate, with particuler light in their soules, to see the diuine mysteries, of pure admiration they remayne absorpt, and so eleuated, that ma­ny tymes they remayne without their senses; & so this affect is pro­per to prayer, for euery thing con­sidered in it, is worthy to cause ad­miratiō: as to cōsider the greatnes [Page 70]of God, his maiesty, his power, his wisdome, his iustice, his mer­cy and the rest of his attributes, and perfections.

3. But particulerly in the holy mysteries of Christ our Sa­uiour, that which must cause ad­miration, is to consider those ine­stimable riches of Charity with which God loued men, who ha­uing one only Sōne which was al his delight, and not hauing, nor being possible that he should haue any other, gaue him for our re­medy, & consented that he should suffer so many labours, and tor­ments and giue his life for them, and that the Sonne himself loued them so much that he would haue offered himselfe with a very good will to haue suffered all that he suffered; for he esteemeth men so much, that the whole B. Trini­ty [Page 71]imploy themselues for their remedy. God the Father sendeth his sonne, the Sonne maketh him selfe man, & suffereth & dieth for them. The Holy Ghost worketh the mystery of the Incarnation.

4. Admire also much to see the wisdome of God who could find such an inuention, and reme­dy for men: for when all the An­gels should put themselues to con­sider the conueniences of it, they would neuer cease to wonder. And euery passage of the life, and Passion of Christ, and all that he hath done for man, haue so many things worthy of admiration, that it is not possible to reduce them to a summe, but leaue it to that which euery one findeth by experience, hauing considered them with attention.

5. It causeth also admiration [Page 72]to see the blindnes of the world and the ingratitude that the Son of God comming to help it, it would not receaue him, but laid handes on him, euen vntill it killed him. The hardnes of Chri­stians, who after they haue fayth and knowledg of these mysteries they are so litle gratefull for them, and profit themselues so litle by them.

6. The excellency of the glory of heauen, that God would suffer so much to gaine it for men. The grieuousnes of sin, that God did so much to distroy it. The rigour of iustice, since so he punished his owne sonne for others sinnes and offences. The greatnes of his mercy, for least men should perish he tooke their sinnes vpon him. The sharpnes of the payne of hell, for to deliuer man from all this [Page 73]the sonne of God suffered. These and an innumerable company of others, are things which do cause admiration in the conside­ration of the mysteries of Christ.

7. And the manner of excer­cising this affect is this: when the soule considereth these or such like things worthy of considera­tion, after he hath pondered as well as he can the reasons of the mysteryes, to cause admiration, let him looke as one astomished to see so meruailous a thing: And desire to haue more light, and cleare knowledge of it, to prayse & loue our Lord more worthily, who would worke such things, and to cry out with the Prophet saying: O Lord, I haue heard thy words, and was astonished, and in a maze: O Lord my God, how meruailous is thy name in all the [Page 74]world. And with this affect to breake into the praises of God, extolling his greatnes.

§. V. Of the Affect of spirituall Ioy.

IOY and spirituall gust, is of great importance to conserue the spirit and perseuere in vertue: as also on the contrary, a great inconueniency, & trouble in spi­rit, is too much sorrow and inor­dinate griefe, especially that which groweth of temporall res­pects: and also the vayne, & too much ioy which is taken in ex­ternall things, is hurtfull to the spirit very much, for it distracteth it, and draweth it to externall things, and is cause of laughter, and idle words, iests, curiosityes, playes, and such like things.

2. Against al this is the holy [Page 75]affect of ioy, & spirituall delight: and for this Saintes haue com­mended much that Religious per­sons, and spirituall men should procure to acustome themselues, to carry great ioy, and spirituall gust in their soules, which maketh a man more composed and more modest in the exteriour, and more recollected in the interiour, and maketh him despise all the ioy of temporall things, and endeauour to do exercises of pennance, and mortification, and casteth out from his soule all idlenes & sloth, which commeth of vicious sor­row and griefe, and doth many other great profits.

3. For this affect of spirituall ioy is to be exercised in the my­steries of Christ in this manner; first, in those mysteries which haue in themselues any ioy, or [Page 76]prosperity to reioyce and be glad at his content and all his glory: as if a man should see some prospe­rous & fortunate thing happen to his Father, or Brother, or other person which he much esteemed, as it is sayd in the Ghospell of those persons, who with good & sincere intention followed and heard our Sauiour his doctrine, that they reioyed, and were glad at al those things which they saw him do with glory and honour.

4. So the soule must reioyce with Christ himselfe, to see the feast the Angels make at his Nati­uity, how the Sheepheards come to adore him, and also the Kings how they do prayse him and glo­rify him: and how S. Simeon, & S. Anne do publish his greatnes; af­terward how the Doctors admire in the Temple at his doctrine: In [Page 77]his Baptisme how his eternall Father did honour and authorize him: in the desert how he ouer­commeth the Diuel, and how the Angels serue him: and in all the tyme of his preaching, how the people honoured him, how the Diuells obayed him: the power and authority wherewith he wrought so many miracles, the maiesty wherwith they receiued him on Palmes sunday: and final­ly in all the passages of his life, yea and in those of his passion, as often, as any honourable thing shall happen vnto him, of autho­rity or prosperity, the soule must be glad and ioyfull of it: because it is done vnto our redeemer, or of the content and pleasure he receiueth by it.

5. Also in the sorrowfull things, troublesome and paynefull [Page 78]although considered according to the paines, griefs, despects, and aduersities which our Sauiour suffered, they must cause sorrow in vs and passion, as we said in the first affect: but on the other side, and cōsidered in another manner they must cause vs great Spiritual ioy for the respects following.

6. First, considering the glory of God which from thence ari­seth, more then any other works done in the world, and that they were the most gratefull seruices euer done, or shalbe done heere­after, and in which are manife­sted his power, his wisdome, his bounty, iustice, mercy, and the rest of his perfections: and this is a title very sufficient for a soule that loueth God, to reioyce and be glad.

7. Secondly, for the glory of [Page 79]the Humanity of Christ, who in all the passages of his life, gaue most excellent demonstraction of his vertue: and therfore it is great reason, that a soule receaue great spirituall ioy, to see their redee­mer with that fortitude of mind to ouercome all those torments, with that inuincible patience to withstand all the cruelty of his enemies, and their malice; to see that order, modesty, and grauity amongest so many mocks, and scornes; that wisedome in answe­ring so many demands and ca­lumniations; that power he shewed when he would, throw­ing downe his enemies with one only word, and not consenting that they should so much as hurt any of his disciples; that benigni­ty and vnspeakable charity in praying for those who tormen­ted [Page 80]him, and in healing the care of him that came to take him.

8. Of al these things and many such like, it is iust, and fit that the soule reioyce spiritually, to see their Redemer, how glori­ously he proceedeth in all things; as it would be iust, that a souldiar should reioyce to see his Captaine fight valourously against his ene­mies, and to see him also weary himselfe, and labour much: and although for this cause he should take pitty of him, yet on the o­therside he would reioyce much, if he saw him ouercome his ene­mies, and destroy them, and put them to flight: especially if he knew, that of such labour would follow great honour and glory for himselfe, and also much profit for his souldiars. Euen so a Chri­stian must reioyce, to see that all [Page 81]those labours are to redound to the more glory of Christ, & that for them his eternall Father will giue the greatest honour and au­thority that can be imagined, as S. Paul saith: He humbled him­selfe being made obedient, euen vntill the death of the Crosse, for the which God hath exalted him and giuen him a Name, aboue all Names, that in the Name of IESVS euery knee should bow, in heauen, earth, and hell, and all tongues should confesse, & prayse him.

9. Thirdly, ioy must be ga­thered out of these mysteries of the passion, so the great good, and profit that therby cometh vnto al mankind, for by these the debts of our sins are paid, which none els could pay. Furthermore we are redeemed from the seruitude [Page 82]of the Diuell, and from the tyran­ny of vices and passions, and de­liuered from eternall condemna­tion, and right is giuen vs to at­taine to eternall glory, and a title of Sonnes of God, & brethren of Christ. By these our Sacraments were merited, and succour, with examples, was giuen vnto vs, doctrine of all vertue, medicines for all our infirmities, and a gene­rall remedy for all our euils: all these be motiues to receaue great ioy and spirituall comfort, seeing that Christ our Lord, although so much to his cost, and with so great labour, he so copiously wrought our redemption.

§. VI. Of the affect of Hope.

THE affect of hope is exerci­sed in this sort and manner; the soule seeing how much God [Page 83]doth for it, and the great loue he sheweth in suffering so much and so willingly for her health, and the great desire he sheweth that it should be saued, especially hauing made it partaker of al those goods by meanes of fayth and the Sa­craments; reioyceth in spirit that so happy a loft hath befallen it, as to be in the Church and enioy these goods which the Patriarcks and Prophets so much desired to inioy & see, who only know­ing that it should come to passe, and seeing in spirit two or three thousand yeares before, they fea­sted and reioyced, & enuied those that were to inioy this desired tyme of the Church.

2. And the soule must reioyce to see that God maketh such an account of it, & by this conceaue great hope of her saluation, and [Page 84]that God will haue it for himselfe since he hath giuen it such an ear­nest pennie, and made it so faire an offer; and say with the Apo­stle; if when we were his enemies (without any defect of ours) God did reconcile vs to himselfe with the bloud and death of his Sonne: how much more after we be reconciled shal we be saued by the merits of his said Sonne.

§. VII. Of the affect of the Loue of God.

LOVE includeth in it selfe and consisteth of three acts. The first is to be glod of all the goods of the person that he loueth. The second to desire that he may haue many more that he hath not. The third is to do for him all that pos­sibly we can. For as S. Gregory saith, the proofe of loue are the [Page 85]workes. And when the loue is very perfect and inflamed, the o­ther effect which is to conforme vs in all things with the person we loue, followeth; to wit, to loue what he loueth, and hate what he hateth, and receiue con­tent in all things with him. By these poyntes, the loue of God must be exercised: the first to receiue great content and pleasure that God be who he is, and hath al the good he hath; that he be so great, so infinite, so powerfull, so wise, and the like of all the rest of his perfections and greatnesse.

2. The second, supposing that we cannot desire God more good then he hath, because in him are all good things, and his greatnes can be no more then it is, nor his glory more then he hath in him­selfe, but it may be greater exte­riorly [Page 86]in his creatures: and this is that which we desire he should haue.

3. The third; supposing also that we cannot doe any workes that may be profitable vnto him, for he hath no need of vs, neither of all our goods can any profit come vnto him, but we may and ought to shew that we loue him in our workes fulfilling his com­mandments: for our Sauiour him­selfe sayth, he that hath my com­mandemēts & keepeth them, this is he who loueth me; and so we must make many actes and firme purposes to fullfill perfectly the commandements of God, and not to breake any of them for all the world. And this same loue of God we must excercise in a cer­tayne manner with the sacred Humanity of Christ, which we [Page 87]haue great reason to loue more thē al creatures, delighting much that God hath done so much good, and bestowed so many fa­uours of that sacred Humanity, giuing him so much grace and so great glory, and so excellent ver­tues and dignityes, and desiring that his name may be knowne, & reuerenced throghout the whole world, & propounding to fullfill faithfully al that he cōmādeth vs, & do him all the seruice we can.

4. The fourth which follow­eth of this loue, when it is great and perfect, is conformity and resignation, to conforme vs with all perfection we can to the will of God, loue what he loueth, ab­horre what he abhorrethe, and de­sire that in all things his will be done, as well in aduersity and sor­row, as in prosperity & ioy, as wel [Page 88]in this life as in the other, in time and eternity without any respect of our owne profit, gust, or com­modity, but only to the will of God, and that it be fullfilled; and in all things that shall happen or can happen, say from the bottom of our hart, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heauen. This is the most perfect act of the loue of God, & in which the soule ought to excercise it selfe much, and in this must spend the greatest part of it excercise.

5. And this affect of loue of God in the meditation of the my­steries of Christ is to be excercised considering the great and vnspea­kable loue that he shewed vs in these mysteries, doing and suffe­ring so much for vs, and with so great affection and loue, that it cannot be expressed. For there is [Page 89]nothing that forceth so much to loue another, as to see himselfe lo­ued of him, especially if the per­son which loueth be of great dig­nity and nobility, and that he hath no need of me, nor hope for any profit of me, and I who am loued, am of vile and low condi­tion, and very vnworthy to be at all as I am.

6. And so the Christian must make with himselfe this account when he considereth what God hath done for him, seing that all procedeth from loue: how God being who he is, loueth me so much, being so miserable and vile a creature, and so worthy to be abhorred and despised of him; and only for the loue he beareth me, doth so much and suffereth so much, & desireth that I should loue him; for how can it be suffe­red [Page 90]that I loue him not, being he is goodnes it selfe, and beauty it selfe, and the depth of all goods: how can I leaue to loue one who hath done me so much good, and doth; and loueth me so much. And so it is reason to say with S. Iohn: Brethren, let vs loue God much, because he first loued vs: and againe he saith, this is charity not that we loued God first, but that first he loued vs. Praysed be he therfore of all his creatures. Amen.

§. VIII. Of the affect of Imi­tation of Christ.

THE affect of Imitation of Christ and his vertues, is the principall fruite which we are to drawe out of the consideration of these mysteries, to procure to conforme our life with his, and direct all our workes in such [Page 91]sort as we vnderstand to be most conformable, and like to those of Christ. And this affect is excer­cised in prayer in this manner, to consider very particulerly & lea­surely the vertues of Christ our Lord which are discouered in the passage of his Life or Passion which is meditated, and to affect the will with loue of that vertue, and make very firme purposes to procure it, and to put in execution the necessary meanes for to at­tayne vnto it, and to excercise the actes in which it consisteth, cōformable to the condition and estate of the person who conside­reth it, and according to the occa­sions that are wont to offer them­selues. Let is put an example in some vertues.

2. Considering the Humi­lity of Christ, who being a Lord [Page 92]of so great Maiesty in as much as he was God, and as man, a King and general Lord of all the world, a person of so great dignity and veneration, he would so hum­ble himselfe, and be vnknowne in the world, and be holden for an ordinary man, and ignorant; and being Sanctity it selfe would be accounted as a sinner, and ma­lefactour, and be condemned, and chastised for such a one. Thus he must forme great desires to be litle esteemed, despised, and depressed, and purpose to procure it as much as he can, hiding all that he hath of honour, and estimation, and manifesting his faults and all such thing; as may humble him, as far as may be without scandal & bad example; & finally desiring from his hart that all esteeme him vile, and despised, and vnworthy of [Page 93]any honour, and truly iudging himselfe for such.

3. Considering the pouerty of Christ in all his life, and what want he had of those things that were necessary for humane life, affect thy selfe much to pouer­ty, and make many purposes to procure it, depriuing thy selfe of all superfluous things, and such as be too much, and taking only those that be necessary very mo­derate and scarcely, and haue no­thing with affection, but the hart very free from all things.

4. Considering the patience of Christ in suffering so many ad­uersities, labours, and paynes, and his mildnes in suffering so many iniuries and abuses without be­ing angry with any body, neither wishing reuenge, but rather lo­uing very hartily those who a­bused [Page 94]him and iniured him, and praying for them. To desire much these vertues, and purpose to suf­fer with patience any labour, or aduersity that may happen vnto him, or iniury that may be done to him, without abhoring or be­ing angry with any, nor desire to be reuenged, but rather wi­shing well to all.

5. Considering the Obedience of Christ, who without any obli­gation fullfilled so perfectly the Law of Moyses, euen vnto the least cerimony, and obayed the iudges although in iust and wicked, and euen the very Officers of Iustice, doing al that they cōmanded him not contradicting any; to make purposes to be very obedient to all his Superious, to fullfill (if he be Religious) very punctually all the statutes, constitutions, and or­dinations [Page 95]of his Order, and doe most perfectly the will of all his superiours, without cōtradicting or replying to any.

6. Considering the Charity of Christ, who so much loued men, and did so much for them although vngratefull and vn­knowne, without acception of persons, as well to his enemies as frends; to propound with all effi­cacy to do good to all, as much as he can, although they be his ene­mies, and although it cost him la­bour; and the good he cannot do to desire it from his hart, and de­sire our Sauiour to giue them all such things as they haue need of.

7. And in this same sort, let him do in all the rest of the ver­tues of our Lord, which he shall confider and know, that it is of great importance, & profit to vse [Page 96]this excercise thus. For if these purposes be truly made indeed, with these desires & inward acts of vertues, our Sauiour receiueth them, as if they were done really indeed, and they dispose the soule when occasion shall be offered, to put them in execution: and in this manner the habit of ver­tues is gotten.

§. IX. That the acts of Vertue must not only be exercised in generall, but in particuler.

HEERE one thing of great importance must be parti­culerly noted; that is, that these affects & purposes of vertues, and desires of the actes of them, we must not be content to do them in generall; but that they may be of more force & efficacy we must particularize them, according to [Page 97]the condition of his person, and other particuler circumstances, as putting example in some vertues.

2. Our Sauiour in his prayer giues him a desire of Humility, and a purpose to procure those things which may help him to be humble: he must not content himselfe with this desire so in generall, for this is of lesse profit, but presently he must come in particuler to consider well, what can I do for this end, & to see that this or that is wont to be an occa­sion that I haue my selfe in some account; thē purpose to dissemble it, and couer it: and this other may be occasion for men to des­pise me, and haue me in lesse ac­count; then purpose to procure it, keeping in all the order that is conuenient not to giue scandall for bad example to any. And in [Page 98]that sort purpose to humble him­selfe to all, as if he were their slaue, and conuerse with aeuery one with great reuerence and sub­mission: and thus also other acts like vnto this which shall occurre to euery one comformable to his condition, and the persons with whome he conuerseth.

3. God giueth him a desire to imitate the pouerty of Christ; he must not be content with ma­king purpose so in generall, but to come presently to the particuler and plot with himselfe: Well I will visit my chamber, and take away all that is superfluous in it, and I wil remayne only with that which I cannot want or excuse, yea and this I will diminish, that some thing may be wanting which may be too much. And what I haue shall be without any [Page 99]affection, yea rather I will loose it al then cōmit one veniall sinne, and I will deny nothing to any one who shall aske me, although it be needfull for my selfe: and so in like things.

4. God giueth him a desire to content our Sauiour in all things; he must not be content to pro­poūd it so in generall but come in particuler to cōsider: But in what can I content him? In fullfilling better my profession, being more obedient to my Superiours, more obseruant in all things of the Re­ligion, in giuing good example to my brethren, in performing those things that obedience commands me which more diligence and deuotion, in louing my negh­bours from my hart, in seruing them with great charity, and in procuring to giue them content [Page 100]in whatsoeuer I canne for Gods sake, and propound to do all these things with constancy.

5. God giueth him a desire to go forward in vertue: see pre­sently: Well what is it that hin­ders me? And he shall find that selfe loue hindreth him, and too much affection to himselfe, his slouth & negligence in the exer­cise of vertue, his selfe will, not hauing mortified his senses and appetits and many other thinges which eueryone in himselfe will find by experience. Then to pro­pound to amend al this and euery thing in particuler. And in the same fashion he must make actes of all the rest of the vertues, par­ticularizing of them according to his manner of proceeding, and marking all wayes the thing he hath most need of, to put there [Page 101]most force.

6. But marke well that these particuler actes be not made so that they deuert him from his prayer, occupying his imaginatiō in framing the things which he must do; or the persons with whome he is to conuerse. For in this there must be much regard, that in such sort he attend to that which is vertue, that he distract not his thought to things that be impertinent, and not to the pur­pose: & in this sort this exercise is the most profitable that is done in prayer, for all prayer is ordayned to reforme bad customs, and per­fect vertues, and this is not gotten with such efficacie in the gene­rall acts, as descending to the par­ticuler.

7. For it is a thing very easy for a man to desire, yea and to pro­pound [Page 102]with himselfe, & purpose to be humble and temperate in generall, and as it is easily purpo­sed, so it is easily left. But where the profit doth consist, is to come to the particuler, and make the acts, as is before said. And after­ward when he shall make the ex­amine of his conscience, see how he doth fullfill those purposes, to amend that which is wanting, and desire grace of our Sauiour to fullfill it.

A Summe of the generall circum­stances, which may be consi­dered in the mysteryes of Christ our Lord. §. 1.

• 1. THE principall circum­stances be six, signified by these words, VVho? VVhat? For whome? For what? Of whome? How? and the declaration of them, is this. The first circumstance: VVho is he that suffereth? That it is Iesus Christ, God and Man: in as much as he is God, he is the Eternall Word of his Father, second person [Page 104]of the most B. Trinity, which created all things, and conserues and gouernes them, and whome all serue, and obay. In as much as he is man, he is King and vni­uersall Lord of all that is created; to whome all creatures owe obe­dience and subiection. According to his body, he is conceiued by the holy Ghost, and so is the most beautifull and perfect of all men that God created, and the most delicate and sensible of all that euer were, or shalbe. According to his soule, he is full of grace, & charity, and of all vertues, and giftes of the holy Ghost; full of meruailous science & wisdome, by which he seeth and knoweth most perfectly euery thing that is, were, or shalbe; and that most holy soule is full of glory, and blessednes. Beside this he is a great [Page 105]Prophet, a most holy man, who made such excellent sermons, and wrought such great miracles, whome all people had in great veneration, and esteeme.
• 2. The second circumstance: VVhat is that which he suffereth? That they were the greatest torments, paynes, and griefs, that euer were suffered in the world: ioyned with most grieuous iniuries, scoffes and mockeries: and besides that which he suffered outwar­dly, it was far more that he suffe­red inwardly in his soule, in the inferiour part of it. First, for the representation al the sinnes of the world, particulerly those of that people in putting him to death. Secondly, by reason of the know­ledge he had, and the memory of all the soules that were to be con­demned, and especially of those [Page 106]that be Christians. Thirdly by reason of the liuely representatiō that he alwayes had of the griefs of his passion, by the which he al­wayes suffered them altogeather interiorly. Fourthly for the most bitter griefs, and panges which he saw his most holy Mother to suffer, the which he selt more then his owne: with these foure nayles he was crucified all his life, and tormented interiorly with them.
• 3. The third circumstance: For whome doth he suffer? That is, for all men generally, as well enemies as friends, and for those who are actually accusing of him, tormen­ting and killing him, and for thee thy selfe so in particuler, as if only for thee he suffered; which if it had been necessary he had charity inough, and more then inough, [Page 107]to suffer for thee only, and had thee so present in his memory, & all thy sinnes, as if for them only he had suffered, and such desire he had that thou mightst profit thy selfe.
• 4. The fourth circumstance: For what cause he suffereth? That is only for his owne goodnes and mercy, and his infinite Charity to deliuer men from great Euills, from which none but himselfe could deliuer them, and to do them very much good, not ha­uing any need of his owne part, nor profit at all, but of his owne will and liberality. And of mans part the cause of his passion were all our sinnes; these were they which did torment him, crucifie him, and bring him to death.
• 5. The fifth circumstance: Of wome he suffereth? First of his owne [Page 108]chosen people, of whome he was King, and naturall Lord, and whom he had honoured so much taking flesh of their linage. Se­condly, of those, to whome he had done so many and great benefits. Thirdly, of most cruell enemies, who did deadly hate & abhor him. Fourthly, of most vile villaines, discourteous, without all kind of pitty, or good respect. Fifthly, of all kind of people, Gentils, Iewes, great and little, & the very same that a little before had honoured him so much. Sixtly, of his owne Disciples, for one sold him, an­other denied him, and all fleed from him; and euen his Mother with her presēce did increase his torments and griefes, although without any fault of hers.
• 6. The sixth circumstance: How, or in what manner he suffereth? [Page 109]First, with very great charity and loue of men, desiring very inwar­dly that those merits might be profitable vnto them, and being ready to suffer for them much more if it had beene necessary. Secondly, without any kind of comfort or consolation, but for­saken of heauen & earth. Third­ly, with most profound humility, patience, mansuetude, silence, o­bedience, fortitude, perseuerance, mercy, pouerty, and despect of the world: and finally giuing them a most excellent example of all vertues.
• 7. To these six principall cir­cumstances, may be added two more. The one of the place where he suffered, to wit a Citty so po­pulous, and religious, and a­mongst the people where be had wrought so many miracles, and [Page 110]made so many sermons, and recei­ued such honour, & in the mount Caluary which was a most infa­mous and publike place of exe­cution for malefactours. The other circumstance is, the tyme whē he suffereth; that is, at Easter for which had come to Hierusa­lem people from all parts of the world, and in the tyme when euery one thought of feasting and reioycing.

§. II. A Repetition or summe of the Affects, which must be ex­ercised in the meditation of the mysteries of Christ our Lord.

THE first affect is of Compassiō. Considering that we see a person so noble, so venerable, so worthy to be serued, and reue­renced, [Page 111]and so delicate, to suffer so many and great labours, so many discomodities all the space of his life, and so great griefs, tor­ments, and abuses in his passion, not only exteriorly in his body, but inwardly in his soule farre more, and that he suffer all with­out fault, for he neuer knew how to wrong any, but to do good to all, and that he is a person which commeth so neere vnto vs, and toucheth vs so neere, that he is more them our father, & brother and friend, and that of his owne will he would subiect himselfe to suffer that for vs.

2. The second Affect is of Contrition. Considering that sinne is so bad a thing, and so horrible, that for others sinnes Almighty God did deliuer his only begottē Sonne to such cruell torments, & [Page 112]that our sinnes be the ministers of Iustice which abuse him, & take away his life from him, and gaue him far more, then al the tormēts he suffereth.

3. The third Affect is of Thanks­giuing. Considering that by any passage of the life, or passion of Christ we are deliuered from sin, and from al the losses that by rea­son of sin we had incurred, which are eternall death, the paynes of hell, the subiection and tyranny of all out enemies; and we are restored to the fauour and friend­ship of God, and made his chil­dren and members of Christ, and heyres of the kingdome of heauē. And that all these benefits Christ our Lord did for vs, with exce­ding loue, and much to his coste, and for euery one of vs in particu­ler, as if only for one he had done [Page 113]it: with this the soule must be encouraged to giue him thankes, and desire that all creatures do the like, and purpose to be answerable in works to so great a benefit, ser­uing him in all that he can, & gi­uing thankes to God, for all that he did to the humanity of Christ our Lord.

4. The fourth Affect is of Ad­miration. Considering the perfecti­ons of God, which are discou [...] ­red, and knowne in the mysteries of Christ, the inestimable charity wherwith the Father Eternall loued men, that he gaue them his only begotten Sonne, and the sonne himself, for he offered him­selfe to death for them; and al the Blessed Trinity, for it was occu­pied in this behalfe; the wis­dome of God, that could find a remedy so conuenient to deliuer [Page 114]man, the dignity of the soules, the excellency of glory, the grie­uousnes of sinne, the rigour of Di­uine Iustice, the greatnes of his mercy: all these things are disco­uered in these mysteries, and all cause admiration when they be considered.

5. The fifth Affect is of Ioy and spirituall Comfort. For although considering the toyles and payns of Christ our Lord, we must take compassion of him, & feele them as our owne: on the other side we must reioyce much in the same things, not only in those that be prosperous, ioyfull, and glorious which he wrought in the whole course of his life, from his nati­uity till his ascension, but also in the sorrowfull, wearisome, and paynfull: first for the glory of God which resulteth and ariseth ther­of, [Page 115]and the great seruice, and so pleasing that is done vnto him. Secondly for the glory of the hu­manity of Christ, for the excel­lent vertues that he shewed, and exercised, for the victory he gott of his enemies, and because by those labours, he deserued great reward, honour, and exaltation that can be imagined. Thirdly for the great profit that theron ensued to all humane linage and mankind, and to all the Church, as well militant as triumphant: and so a man considering as a member of all this mystical body, must reioyce and be glad at al the good of the whole body.

6. The sixt Affect is of Hope. For a Soule considering how much God doth for it, and the willingnes he sheweth that it should be saued, especially hauing [Page 116]brought it to his Church, and made it partaker of al those goods by means of faith and the sacra­ments; it must conceaue great hope of saluation, and that God will fulfill that which wanteth, and must it force it selfe to help, as much as in it lyeth, for this worke of it Saluation.

7. The seauen Affect is Loue of God. Considering the vnspea­kable loue that he sheweth in do­ing & suffering so much for vs, it is iust that we should be moued to loue him who loued vs so much: and this loue cōsisteth: first inioy­ning al the goodnes & perfections that God hath: secondly, in desi­ring that he may be knowne, lo­ued, serued & glorified of all crea­tures thirdly, in proposing also on our part to serue him and please him in all we can, and conforme [Page 117]our selues in all things to his di­uine will, as well in aduersity as in prosperity, being glad that in all things his will be done.

8. The eight Affect is Imita­tion of Christ. The soule conside­ring the Charity, Humility, Pa­tience, Pouerty, Mildnes, Obe­dience, and the rest of the vertues of Christ our Lord which doe shine in all the passages of his Life and Passion, to inflame the soule in great desires of these ver­tues, and make many purposes to apply the necessary meanes to at­tayne vnto them; and this not on­ly in generall and commonly, but descending in particuler to the acts of those vertues conuenient to the condition, estate, and oc­cations that are wont to occurre, putting the principall studie and care in that vertue, that euery one [Page 118]feeles himselfe to haue most need of.

§. I. In the Consideration of Sinnes, these affectes and ver­tues following may be exercised.

• 1. FIRST to ponder very well the greatnes of a sin: Con­sidering the insinite Maiestie of God, and his perfections, and the iniury that is done him; how much he abhores it, how much he hath done, and doth to destroy it, the great rigour wherewith he chastiseth it, the paynes of Hell and Purgatory, & the great cha­stisments that he hath done som­tymes euen in this life.
• 2. Secondly the affect of Con­tritiō; that is great detestation of all sinnes, a great desire neuer to haue committed them, although he should haue suffered all the euills that in the world may be [Page 120]suffered, and make firme purposes not to sinne, although he aduen­tureth his life, his Honour, and all that may be, and procure to extend this purpose to the veniall sinnes, purposing to esehew all that he vnderstandeth to displease God, how little so euer it be, cost what it will.
• 3. Thirdly, feare to returne to sinne, seeing that he cannot free himselfe by his owne forces, and that allwayes the will is free, and may cast away all the succours of God: and although God help yet allwayes, he leaueth man in his liberty, to profit himselfe, to receiue his fauours and helps or not; and from hence must grow to aske our Lord very affectuou­sly grace and fauour not to sinne.
• 4. Fourthly, knowledge of himself. Seeing how vile and ab­hominable [Page 121]he is who hath com­mitted such things, and how far out of reason it is to desire to be honoured or esteemed. And for this effect to consider that persons with whom he conuerseth know all his sinnes, as well as himselfe, with all the circumstances of thē and particularityes as they be; and if so they know him, how dare he lift vp his eyes, or appeare before them, or wish to be honoured or esteemed. And to consider that farre better God knowes them & his Angells, of whom he ought to haue more shame; & so walke allwayes with the spirit of humi­lity; and that this may be true, he must desire from his harte that euery body should know his sinnes, & should despise him, and abhorre him for them, as he de­se [...]ueth, and offer to our Sauiour [Page 122]with all his hart, that if it were his pleasure he is prepared to con­fesse them before all the world.
• 5. Fifthly, hatred of himself considering the great losses that sinne causeth, and the good that it taketh from vs, and that final­ly it putteth a man in obligation to suffer for euer the paynes of hel. Marke how one would abhorre any other that should haue done him so much harme, and put him in such danger; and presently let him well consider, that he did himselfe all that harme, and that none could haue done it, if he himselfe of his owne will would not haue consented vnto sinne, in such sort, that he hath done more harme to himselfe, then all the world could haue done him.
• 6. Sixthly, a purpose to doe pennance, taking vpon him the [Page 123]hand of God, and chastising in himselfe the offences that he hath cōmitted against him, depriuing himselfe voluntarily of the gustes, and delightes that lawfully he might take, in payne of those he hath taken vnlawfully and with offence of Allmighty God.
• 7. Seauenthly, knowledg of the bounty of God, and of his mer­cy, & of the loue he bare to men; for abhorring sinne so much hath suffered them so long to cōmit so many; and in the same tyme that he sinned, he gaue him life, and conserued him in it; and being his enemy and offending of him, he did not take from him this portion of natural benefits, of the light, of sustenance, of the in­fluences of heauen, and al the rest: and not only these generall be­nefits, but did him others in par­ticuler. [Page 124]See, if a King would vse this Nobility with one that had offended him; how much he would esteeme him, and how much he deserued to be beloued for it.
• 8. Eightly, thankes-giuing, for hauing suffered him so long in his sinnes, and hauing giuen him so many inspirations to a­uoid & detest thē, & inuited him with his friendship, and drawne him to his seruice, and done him other particuler benefits, deliue­ring him from many dangers: let him looke how many may be in hell for lesse sinnes thē his, & that some or many of them might dye at the same time that he did of­fend or sinke in sin, and make this account with himself, what haue I deserued more then he, that he should be now lost for euer with­out [Page 125]remedy, and I in the way to saue my soule, and with so good occasions for it: particulerly let him consider, that in the same tyme that he offended God, he gaue him inspirations and desires to be Religious, or such like; in this sort God pardoned him his sinnes insteed of casting him into hell for them.
• 9. Ninthly, the affect of loue of God, gathering out of all that is said how much he ought to loue God, who hath done him so much good, and deliuered him from so much euill, without deseruing it: and in this last affect to detayne himselfe long, and conclude with it, asking our Sauiour grace to be correspondent to so great loue.

§. II. In the consideration of Death may be exercised these Affects following.

• 1. FIRST, feare of death; see­ing how worthy it is to be feared because of all terrible things it is the most terrible, and because in it all accounts must be concluded, and receiue the Lotte of glory or payne eternall; and for many other reasons, for which euen great Saintes did feare it much, and had it allwayes in their memory as a thing very im­portant. And he must reprehend in himselfe the carelessnes that he hath of a thing that importeth so much, and purpose to haue it all­wayes in his memorie to animate him to the seruice of God, and to bridle him from all sinne. For this remedy Christ our Sauiour [Page 127]gaue vs warning, admonishing vs so oftē, that alwaies we should be watchfull, because we know not the day, nor the hower we shall be called in. And the holy Ghost doth admo­nish vs also in these words: In al thy works remember the last things, and thou shall neuer sinne. In euery thing thou shalt meddle with, consider if in the houre of death it would content thee, or displease thee to haue done it, and with this thou wilt bridle thy self from sinning.
• 2. Secondly, knowledg of himselfe seeing he is to come to end in dust & putrifaction, and mustly in the hideous sepulcher so abhominable, couered & eaten with wormes.
• 3. Thirdly, despect of the world, and all things in it, to take away his affection from all creatures, seeing how little they [Page 128]can auayle him for that necessity, and to despise al pleasures and de­lights, seeing that quickly they must end.
• 4. Fourthly, of pouerty, de­spising all wordly things; for he seeth how poore his end shall be; and how that so much the more payne a man shall haue, by how much he hath liued in abundance of things; and more comfort, by how much the poorer he hath been.
• 5. Fifthly, to leaue off all super­fluous cares of this life, and put all his care only in things that then may profit him, for only that is of importance, and all the rest is to be laughed at; & so passe though all the things of this life as by things of complement; make account that all that succeeds ei­ther of prosperity or aduersity, is [Page 129]to be langhed at, as a Comedy or a Maske; that those that weep, weepe in teste, and also those that laugh, for presētly it endeth.
• 6. Sixtly, comfort in al trou­bles, and a courage to imbrace all difficulties which shall hapen of pennance, mortification, or the like, seeing it must end so quickly, and will giue so much comfort and confidence in the end. And all these affects must be ordayned (as to their end) to serue with more perfection our Lord; taking these meanes to bridle himselfe from sinne and to incourage him­selfe to all things that belong to vertue. Vnderstanding, that it is very pleasing to God the exercise of disposing himselfe to dye well: The death of Saints is precious in the sight of God, and that it plea­seth him much to find vs then dis­posed, [Page 130]to carry vs presently with him to his Kingdome. And so it is great seruice to him, that men put all their study and diligence in this exercise.

§ III. In the consideration of the Iudgement, these Affectes may be exercised.

• 1. FIRST, to conceiue great feare of Iudgement, and therfore our Sauiour would sig­nifie it by words so significa [...]nt and fearfull, as we may see in the Holy Writte; and seeing how much holy men haue feared it, so growne in vertue, as Dauid, Iob, S. Hierome, S. Bernard, and other most holy men, who tiēbled to thinke of the day of Iudgment, and had it all wayes in their memory: and to this effect will serue to see the signes so terrible that shall go be­fore [Page 131]it, the being of Gods Iudg­ments so seuere, the Iudge God himselfe, in whose presence the Angellsare not guiltles, and from whome nothing is hid, the Sen­tence being inreuocable, not to called backe againe by any mea­nes, and to be of glory, or payne eternall, and the same Iudge be­ing the part offended, & so power­full that none can resist him.
• 2. Secondly, great feare of of­fending God, seeing that he is to be Iudge in a cause of so great importance as saluation, or eter­nall damnation, no man in the world would be so inconsiderate and so voyd of sense who would not take heed to offēd a man that was to giue sentence in a buisines of his, of so great importance.
• 3. Thirdly, great desire to please Christ, and do his will in [Page 132]all things, for we shall haue need of him, in tyme of so great neces­sity, and in a matter of so great importance: what diligence are men wont to vse, to content a Iudge that is to giue sentence in some busines of their importance, and how many fauours do they seeke, and how many pleasurs do they procure to do him, to haue him fauourable, and wel affected: therefore now we are in a time, where we may gayne the friend­ship of Christ our Lord, and winne his will in doing him ma­ny seruices.
• 4. Fourthly, purpose to auoyd all sinne, seeing that our account must be so rigorous, and so neere, that of an idle word he will aske account of it.
• 5. Fifthly, he very rigorous in examining and iudging his owne [Page 133]works: for this is the way to ex­cuse the rigour of the diuine iudg­ment, as the Apostle saith: If we will iudge our selues, we shall not be iud­ged of God; great comfort it will be to be able to say in Iudgment, I haue done Iudgment, and Iustice: giue me not ouer to myne enemies.
• 6. Sixtly, great thanks giuing to our Lord, because being he shall be our iudge, is now our ad­uocate, and communicateth him­selfe to vs so familiarly, & giueth vs of his owne stocke all his me­rits, that we may haue wherwith to discharge our faults, and offers himselfe so fauourable, and adui­seth vs to prepare our selues for the tyme when he may come an­gry and rigorous, for he hath no desire to chastice, nor condemne vs. And aboue all to haue put our cause into the hands of sinn full [Page 134]men as our selues be, who will find thēselues faulty in our owne crymes, and such like (which are all the ghostly Fathers) with his Word, that it shall passe in heauen as they iudge on earth, and haue inculcated vnto them so much that they should be mercifull, and as they iudge vs, he will iudge thē Blessed be such mercy. Amen.

§. IIII. In the consideration of the Paynes of Hell, these Affects may be exercised.

FIRST, knowledge of the fowlnes of sinne, for God be­ing so mercifull; and louing man so much, hath aprepared such ter­rible torments for one mortal sin: and from hence must arise a great hatred vnto sinne, because it is a thing that God so much abhor­reth, and by which he is so much [Page 135]offended, since with such paynes he doth chastice it, & from hence must spring another affect very pleasing vnto God, which is to desire rather to incurre all those paynes, if it might be without offence, and without leauing to loue God, then to commit a sinne, although I knew that no harme should come vnto me for it, but that it should be forgiuen me: for much more worthy is a sinne to be abhorred, then all those payns.

2. Secondly, to conceiue great feare of the paynes of Hell: and for this reason our Sauiour hath pleased to reueale them, as wel in the holy scripture, as in other par­tiouler reuelatiōs, that we might help our selues by this feare, and with it refraine from sinne.

3. Thirdly, a firme purpose to eschew all sin, not only those [Page 136]that be mortall, and deserue these paynes but euen yeniall sinnes, that dispose to these torments, con­sidering that euery veniall sinne, although it condemneth not to hell, yet it is a stepp that way, & after many stepps where he shall least thinke he shall find himselfe very neere, and perhaps within; for he that maketh no account of litle things, commeth to fall into very great. And besides this, they who are in Hell, are not punished only for their mortall sinnes, but also for their veniall sinnes, and for euery one of them, with a particuler degree of payne; and it is so great, that if any of the dam­ned might choose, he would haue suffered, or suffer in this life very great torments for many yeares, to haue diminished, or diminish that only degree of payne due to [Page 137]the least veniall sinne.

4. Fourthly, knowledge of the great rigour of the diuine Iustice for an idle word, a negligence, or not marking what he should do in the seruice of God, must be so seuerely punished, that by this he may learne to walke with a thousand eyes in the seruice of God, endeauouring to eschew any thing that may be a sinne, nor so much, nor principally to fly from those paynes, but seing it offendeth so much Almighty God, since so heauily he chastiseth it.

5. Fifthly, he must draw from hence courage to despise all plea­sures, and delightes of this life: seeing them to be but dispositions for those tormēts: He that feareth much an infirmity, and desireth health, easily abstayneth from the [Page 138]meate, that gaue him gust, if he suspect it will hurt him: then, Why shall not I refraine from all such things, as are delightfull in this life, for they be those, which engenoer idle humors, to fall into that eternall sicknes & infirmity.

6. Sixthly, to get courage and force, to imbrace all the labors of pennance, and mortification; for by those he deliuereth himselfe from others far greater and vne­quall; patience, indifferency, and suffering in sicknes, and all other aduersity; and so this serueth to consider all the differences of paynes, to apply them, and com­pare to others like them, which are suffered in this life. When thou art in an ague, remember how different a thing it will be to stay those ouens, and fornaces of Hell: when thou art afflicted [Page 139]with cold, what will it be to stād in those lakes of frost and snow: whē thy discipline smarteth, how much wil it greiue thee to be scor­ged so cruelly, and so furiously by the Diuel in hell: & so for ward in the rest of the payns and labours, and in all of them thou must say with S. Augustine: O Lord chastise me heere, and scorge me with fire, with iron, and all kind of torments; so that thou deliuerest me from eternall paynes.

7. Seauenthly, gratitude that God hath deliuered thee from those payns, cōsidering & making this account with thy selfe: What had become of me, if I had fallen into that depth, as I haue deser­ued, and only the potent hand of God could deliuer me, being there be many others that deserued it lessethē my self: look if thou wert in cōpany of other malefactours [Page 140]condemned to the gallies, or other terrible torments, and the King should take thee from amongst them, and receiue thee into his house, into some very honourable office, when thou shouldst see the rest rowing, scourged, pinched or suffering other torments, and shouldest consider, that thou also wert condemned with them, and in their company, and only the clemency of God, casting his eyes on thee, more then the rest deliuered thee from this ill; with what eyes wouldest thou looke vpon him, & what reason would there be that shouldest be grateful & endeauour to giue him content in whatsoeuer possible thou coul­dest: therfore when thou shalt be affrighted with the consideratiō of Hell, & shalt see so many soules crying and houling with tor­ments, [Page 141]remember that thou also wentest theither, & that the hand of God tooke thee out, without any desert of thine, and put thee into his house with so honou­rable an office, as is to assist ordi­narily in his presence, occupied, and imployed in his prayses.

8. Eightly, the affect of the Loue of God hath great place in this consideration; seeing how he hath dealt with thee, as a pious Father, for thou that didest go so madly to throw thy selfe into these paynes, his diuine maiesty sought meanes and inuention to deliuer the from them, and tooke pitty of thy blindnes: and al­though thou hast resisted so many tymes his remedies, and hast stri­uen to returne backe vnto the dangers, he hath not beene wea­ried to keep thee from them, al­though [Page 142]he himselfe was offen­ded: looke what Father would haue loued thee in such sort, and how much he deserueth to be be­loued for this.

§. V. In the consideration of Glory, these Affects may be exercised.

FIRST, thanks-giuing for hauing created thee, to inioy so great good; for as much as tou­cheth him, he created vs for it, and desireth that al may inioy it, and is prepared and ready to giue it to al that wil: and so they who leaue to inioy these riches of Heauen, for their owne fault, they loose them. Looke therfore now much thou oughtst to loue, and be thankefull to God, who before thou wert borne bad built those Royall Pallaces, and noble [Page 143]habitations for thee to dwell, and planted those diuine walkes wherin thou mightst recreate thy selfe: and prepared all those kinds of delights and recreations that thou mightst inioy them for all eternity.

2. Secondly, to strengthen much the confidence of inioying them, grounded in the great boūty & merey of God & in the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord; for thou knowest for this he created thee, redeemed thee, and brought thee to the Church, and hath done many other benefits for thee, and so thou oughtst to say with great loue and confidence: I see well, o Lord, that I haue deserued to in­ioy these treasures of glory; but I trust much in thy mercy, that I shall come vnto them, since for this, thou hast created men, and [Page 144]redeemed me with thy bloud, & hast made me a member of thy Church, and deliuered me from so many dangers, and from so many tymes as I haue deserued Hell, and done me infinite other fauours. I beleeue, o Lord, that thou hast not done all this, that I should perish, but rather I trust thou wilt end this worke, which thou hast begun; and with this confidence, I hope to inioy these heauenly treasures in the land of the Liuing.

3. Thirdly, strengthen much the affect, and desire to inioy that security, and with this say with the prophet: Blessed are they, o Lord, who dwell in thy house, for euer, and euer they shal prayse thee. Like as the Hart desireth the fountaynes of water; euen so my soule desireth thee my God. [Page 145]One fauour I haue required of my Lord, and this I will aske alwais: that I may dwell in his house all the dayes of my life, and see his glory, and visit his holy Temple. And marke that those desires must not be so much, because it is for thy good in particuler, as because thou knowest that our Lord is sorued with it, and it is his will that all should desire, and inioy that good & he is very well plea­sed, that they should procure it with great dlligence, and for this reason thou must desire and pro­cure it, and not for thyne owne profit.

4. Fourthly, to conceiud high and generous thoughts, and great contempt of all earthly things, an one that is in hope of so great wealth. If it should happen, that the Prince, Heire of the kingdom [...] [Page 148]pines. And to pray hartily to our Sauiour for them, that he may conuert them, and that they loose not so great a good.

§. VI. In the consideration Of the diuine benefits these Af­fects may be exercised.

FIRST, gratitude which is an acknowledgment of hauing receiued all good things from God, as from the fountayne of them; and to remember them, and acknowledg them, & prayse him for them, and desire that all creatures doe the like, and inuite them very affectuously that they would help thee to prayse so good a Lord, as is declared more at large before.

2. Secondly, very firme pur­poses to serue our Lord and Saui­our, and keep very perfectly his [Page 149]commandements, and his will. For in this manner only we may be gratefull vnto him for the be­nefits he bestoweth vpon vs. Litle would it auayle, that thou shoul­dest say to one that had done thee many fauours with great courte­sy, that thou thankest him, if on the other side thou beingable to do him grost seruice, or giue him content in any thing though of small importance, thou wouldest not do it. Wherfore true grati­tude, and thanks giuing, doth consist in seruing of our Lord, and willingnes to giue him con­tet in whatsoeuer he would haue of vs. Great shame it is to see the gratitude of brute beasts, as the Oxe & Asse, who for a litle straw they receiue of their maisters they serue them all their life, are con­tent that thoy loade them, and [Page 150]make them plow, and beare so many labours; & other beastes al­though most fierce & furious, they are made tame, and acknowledg those that do them good: thē with how much reason must our Lord complayne that men do not serue him, bestowing so many benefits vpon them.

3. Thirdly, the affect of loue of God, for there is nothing more naturall, then to loue those who do vs good, and so great good, not hauing deserued, yea hauing de­merited it very much: for this effect it will help much to con­sider, that God bestoweth all these benefits on thee, with great and exceeding loue, and with great desire that thou profit thy selfe by them. And so the loue he beareth vs, is the first and princi­pall good of all that he hath done [Page 151]for vs: for all the rest began in tyme, but the loue neuer began, but from all eternity he bare vs that loue which now he doth, as himselfe witnesseth by his Pro­phet; With perpetuall charity I haue loued thee. O how worthy a thing it is to loue much, who so much, and so long hath loued vs! Consider the loue that a dogge, and other beasts do beare to their maisters, how they follow them whither soeuer they go, and ne­uer part far from them, and being absent, they (as it were) com­plaine and howle, and seeke to find them, and shew great ioy when they find them, and the leal­ty the keep with them. Remem­ber this well, and be ashamed, that a brute beast gets such loue, & keep such lealty with one who giues him but a peace of bread, [Page 152]and thou dost not get this loue towards him, that hath done thee so many and so great fauours, and doth euery day, he deseruing so much to be beloued for himselfe.

4. Fourthly, great hatred vnto thy sinnes past; seeing that by them, thou hast offended a Lord to whom thou hast so many obli­gations to loue and sorue; & great purposes neuer more to offend him: for if it be so great an euill not to loue him, and serue him, how great will it be to offend him? The [...]ogge, how fiere and cruell soeuer he be, if his maister come, he is tamed, and if he beate him he doth not dare to bite him: and there is no wild beast so sa­uage, that doth offend those that do them good. Remember those words, that the Holy young man Ioseph spake to his Mistres that [Page 153]sollicited him to sin: my maister hath left all his goods in my hands, and knoweth not what he hath in his house, for all is in my power only thee excepted, who art his wife; then how is it possi­ble that I should commit so great a fault, as to offend him. Looke with how great reason thou maist say, that our Lord hath put into thy hands al his goods, the heauēs the earth, the sunne, and moone, and all other creatures are made for thee, and euen the Angells he send to guard thee, to accompany and comfort thee, and aboue all, supernatural gifts, as grace, glory, the Sacraments, and our Lord [...] giueth himselfe to thee, and puts himselfe in their power in the Blessed Sacrament; then with how great reason must thou answere to the Diuell: How [Page 154]shall I haue hands, or how can I offend him, who hath done me so much good?

5. Fiftly, knowledge of the great bounty of God, and of his magnificence, and liberality, the which appeareth much in doing so great benefits to persons so vn­worthy, especially those he doth to them that offend him, and wil not heare his inspirations; heere doth shine his patience, his man­suetude, his charity, those father­ly bowels that he hath for all, & many others proprieties and per­sections of his.

6. Sixthly, a great desire to serue our Lord God, without in­tirest; seeing that of all the good he doth for thee, and hath done already, no profit at all cometh to him, and that only he doth it to do thee good; reason is thou con­ceiue [Page 155]a great desire to serue him without respect to thy owne interest, only to be gratefull and acknowledg so great an obligati­on. And because he is who he is let him be blessed, and glorified for euer. Amen.