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CONSIDER the incomparable hu∣militie, the firme faith, the prompt obedience, and admirable resignation of this heauenly Virgine. The Angell de∣clares her the Mother of God: and she her selfe, his humble handmayde: The Angell intimates a mysterie beyond the power of man, and she beleeues that God can doe
more then man can comprehend. The An∣gell seemes to deliuer impossibilities, that a Virgine without the knowledge of a man should bring out a God, yet perceiuing that the hand of the highest is in the worke, she beleeues that all thinges are possible to God, and affords prompt obedience, and vnder that powerfull hand absolutly resignes herselfe to the whole without fur∣ther discussion, while she vnderstands not the halfe, depending vp on the diuine au∣thoritie for the rest, saying: behold the hand mayd of our Lord &c.
[Affection.] O my soule, what lessons are not here put before vs for our instruction and edification (what vertues are not here practised to leade vs into an admiration of this glorious Virgine? was there euer acte of faith equall to this, for an humble mayde to beleeue herselfe to be the Mo∣ther of God? Or a more admirably greate humilitie, then for the Mother of God to declare her selfe his humble hand mayde? or finally a more diuinely prompt obe∣dience, then that such a Mother was so a hand-mayde that she absolutly resigned herselfe to what euer was to be wrought in her or by her: behold the handmayde of our
Lord. She neither knew how, nor when, yet she knew well (what we all ought to know) that she was wholy his, and so ought to be wholy at his dispose.
CONSIDER that by how much our Blessed Lady is more exalted, though euen by an Angell; by how much she is made more sure of heauenly prerogatiues and graces, by so much she growes lesse and lesse in her owne eyes, and be she ne∣uer so certaine to be the Mother of God, she will still remayne the humble hand∣mayde of her Lord: and for his sake be∣come the seruant of his seruants; and to make it good in effects, as well as inwords, she goes with speed into a citie of Iuda to visite her cosen Elizabeth.
[Affection.] Obserue, my soule, how this Blessed Virgine still proues a diuine Mi∣stresse to vs, by word and worke, first crying out to vs all by how much thou art the greater, by so much more humble thy selfe. 2. Suspect the fauours we may see∣me to haue from heauen if we waxe not more humble by them. 3. That humble words alone are not proofes of true humi∣litie,
vnlesse workes followes them: for she finds it not enough to haue professed herselfe to be the handmayd of our Lord, vnlesse in practise, she proue herselfe to be the humble handmayde of the hand∣maydes of our Lord; according to that of S. Peter: be subiect to euery humane crea∣ture for Gods sake.