The mirrour of created perfection. Or The life of the most blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God. Written by the R. Fa. I.F. of the Society of Iesus

Of Christs speach to his mother and disciple, vpon the Crosse. [Chap. 32.

THis God of loue and mercy (as we may well call him) ly∣ing bent like a bow on his Crosse, was no sooner lifted from the ground, but he began to dart vp∣wards, towards the bosome of his Father, fiery and flaming ar∣rows of loue to him, & men to∣geather: first charitably excusing and praying for his enemies, who at the same instant blasphemed, and derided him, Father forgiue them for they know not what they do. Secondly, of tender and deare compassion towards his B. Mo∣ther, dying togeather with him, woman (said he) behould thy sonne,

meaning S. Iohn standing by her; and then to him, Behould thy Mo∣ther.

He called her, woman, least by naming her Mother, he should haue moued the Iewes to out∣rages against her, and myste∣riously insinuating her withall, to be that woman which was or∣dayned to crush the Serpents head long before, and vtterly to vanquish him. And he so com∣mended her for a Mother to S. Iohn, as we also had a share (albeit after him) in this mysterious a∣doption; so that we haue reason to glory, & thāke him for a dou∣ble adoption: wherby he vouch∣safed to make vs, as by his Fa∣ther, so by his Mother likewise, bretheren vnto him; that, to the dewty which all owe her, for being Mother vnto himselfe, we might add filiall piety also, and

seruiceable loue, to her who was euen as a Mother from his Crosse recommēded, to obtayne graces of her sonne, and Motherly bles∣sings, temporall and eternall for vs.

Who indeed, if we consider the sad tyme, and circumstances of our adoption, whilst he with torments, and she with griefes were togeather languishing, we may be rightly called, as Beniamin was by his dying Mother, Benoni, Sonnes of sorrow; yet children of her loue withall, if we consider, well that ardent Charity, with which her diuine sonne bequea∣thed vs for children vnto her; & that humble Loue, with which she accepted vs from him, actual∣ly dying then with herselfe, gra∣ciously to redeeme vs.