Sweete thovghtes of Iesvs and Marie, or, Meditations for all the feasts of ovr B. Saviovr and his B. Mother togeither with Meditations for all the Sundayes of the yeare and our Sauiovrs Passion : for the vse of the daughters of Sion : diuided into tvvo partes / by Thomas Carre ...

THE SIXTH MEDITATION. The comfortes of the stable.

I. POINT.

CONSIDER that vnder the humble weake and young members of this tender babe, the power of a Diuine Ma∣jestie is shrewded. It is God that lyes sucking at this Virgine mothers breastes. He is vayled indeede with the pouertie of vile clothes, and endures the hard and narrow manger, but it is mercy which moued him humbly to it, to thend the lost world might be redeemed. He vseth the strikes of a child, but it is to thend that by them we might auoyde eternall lamentations and gnashing of teeth. He is wrapped in poore clothes, but they serue to wipe away the filth of our sinnes. Hes layd in a manger as the meate of brute-beastes; but he is indeede the fatninge foode of men and Angells.

[Aff.] Yes my soule, the place wherin thou stands is holy. It is the very Maiestie of heauen which is here: It is the verie God

which made thee, who lyes before thee. This stable is his holy temple, These poore apparances which may seeme to hide him from thyne eyes, deliuer him more tenderly to thy hart, for whose loue he lyes thus vayled. So that by how much he descendes lower, by so much, doe thy hopes ascend higher. For what mayst thou not confidently expect from an alpo∣werfull Lord so humbléd for thy sake? Flye to him with an humble loue, and a perse∣uerant confidence, and thy redemption is euen at hand. O what mercy doe not these abiect postures speake? what conso∣lation doe not these teares giue? What man can despaire for whom a God weepes?

2. POINT.

Consider that this litle child is constituted Iudge of Heauen and earth by his heauenly father, who takes and teares in peeces the hand writinges of our ancient debtes, and mercifully par∣donns all our offences: so that we are freed from our feares of our first Fathers preuarication, wherin all mortalls were inuolued. Behold that Champion present with vs, who frees vs from the yoake of our old Captiuitie, bringing ioy and

gladnesse to the mournefull. Cast off thy yoake thou captiue daughter of sion. Thy mylde king is come to abate the prid, and subdue the tyrannie, of his, and our, most furious foe.

[Aff.] What hopes of safetie, may not the poore criminall iustly haue, when he vnderstands that the Iudge preuents the iudgement day, out of a desire to find an occasion to saue him? when he perceiues that the said Iudge is more inclined to giue, then he to aske mercy. When he causes proclamation to be made. That he comes not to iudge but to saue the world. When he teares the writinges or Eui∣dences which the aduersarie can pro∣duce against him. Such a Iudge, ô my poore sinfull soule, may we now find our God, to witt, a Iesus, a Sauiour in this acceptable tyme, in this day of saluation. There is now therfore noe damnation to those that are in Christ Iesus.

[Resolution.] I will rise therfore out of this, or that badd custome (reflecting vpon it in particular) which I obserue my selfe subiect to. And run to my milde Iudge with an humble confidence, &c.

THE II. MEDITATION For the same day.

I. POINT.

CONSIDER a strange and comfor∣table change of the hand of the highest, he, who formely spoke onely in qualitie of Lord and master out of the clouds, and out of fire, saying; I am thy Lord, I am thy God: God is a Lord of reuenge, &c. Is now come downe from Maiestie, as it were, and comes downe to vs, and speakes to vs in qualitie of man, yea the mildest of men. Then did his power ap∣peare in the creation of the world, and his infinite wisdome in the gouuerning of it: but to vs, the benignitie and humanitie of God a Sauiour is manifested. He comes in our nature, in qualitie of our brother, that he may shew, as well his brotherly, as fatherly affection and pitie, to the poore man created by him.

[Aff.] What doth this singular gracious∣nesse crye out to our hartes but consolamini consolamini, be comforted be comforted my people? I will not the death of a sinner

but rather that he be conuerted and liue. Here is now noe dreadfull Iehouah, noe thunder, noe lightening to terrifie thee; but thy mylde Emmanuell, thy God with thee, a meeke, tender, weeping childe; our flesh and our brother who is come to dwell amongst vs. Let not the ancient reproche, (Where is thy God?) be any more a corrasiue vnto thee. For euen here he is, in flesh, like one of vs, There is now noe neede, vpon the hearing of his voyce, to hyde thy selfe with thy first parentes: nay his voyce is the scrikes of a tender babe, farre more apt to begett pitie in mans harte, then to strike it with dreade. He cannot forbeare to loue his owne brethrē, his owne flesh and bloode, his owne bowells.

I. POINT.

Consider that though when I looke vpon my selfe, such as I am indeed, poore, naked, blind, lame, abiect and miserable, I haue more cause of con∣fusion then confidence: Yea, when I re∣present vnto my selfe the multitude, and greeuousnesse of my sinnes (which can ne∣uer be better knowen thē by the gratnesse of the price, which is sent downe for their redemption) I find my selfe euen waighed

downe to hell, and am readie to despaire. Yet the greatnesse of the same price too possesses my hart with stronge hopes of redemption, when I obserue Wisdome it selfe imploye the bloud of the lambe, the bloud of this tender babe, the son of Marie, and the sonne of God, to make a pretious bathe for the cure of my le∣prosie, I cannot despaire.

[Aff.] O God what is man that thou dost thus magnifie him? Or the sonne of man, that thou puttest thy heauenly hart vpon him? Is he turned some pretious thing which formerly thou wast not acquainted with? Has he gott some noblenesse of beeing, which issued not from thyne owne hand? Is he not still, dust and ashes, earth, earth, earth, of which thou madst him? Nay but, deare Lord, hath he not added malice to this base matter of which he was made? Had not all flesh corrupted its wayes; so that none did well, not one? Did not multitudes of crymes and abomi∣nations stand vp in thy sight, and crye out for reuenge? What proportion is there then bewixt the price and the thinge prized! Betwixt the blood of an innocent sonne, and a sinfull seruant? The blood

of a God, and worthlesse man? O too too deare price! ô too plentifull Redemptiō! I can find nothing here but amaysement, and ô Altitudos. And conclude with al the gratitude my soule can conceiue, that thy friends, ô God, are too much ho∣nored: and their Principalitie too well established, by this too deare a price,