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 ...

I. POINT.

CONSIDER that allthough this bles∣sed young Virgine was possessed and prepossessed with all the blessings of heauen, and replenished with the pleni∣tude of grace, yet was not gtace idle in her, or she idle in grace. Grace is not gi∣uen to worke all alone, but graciously and freely to gayne our will; and in it, and with it, to worke all. So that this Blessed Virgine, notwithstanding all these huge aduantages and prerogatiues of grace, te∣stified to s. Elizabeth a holy Nun, that she prepared a place in her hart for God with labour, continuall prayer, ardent de∣sire, profound deuotion, many teares, and much affliction.

[Affection.] Thus it is, my soule, that by her imitation, we ought to prepare our hartes for heauen. Without preuen∣ting grace indeede we ryse in vaine, it is in vaine to ryse before the light, or rat he without it, we should neuer ryse at all.

None comes to Christ vnlesse drawen by his heauenly father. Yet in vaine too, should the light shine if hauing light we did not walke in it. If we were so drawen as we followed it not, we should neuer arriue. He that made vs without vs, will not saue vs without vs. All our Talents are his free gifts, tis true, but we must negotiate with them, and improue them. We aske because we will, we seeke becau∣se we will, we knocke because we will, and we are saued because we will, and yet Gods grace workes both the will and performance. Lets adde then our carefull concurrence to his sweete drawghtes, and be blessed for euer with that blessed amongst all wo∣men.