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 THIRD MEDITATION.

How admirable the kinges calling was. I. POINT.

CONSIDER againe, with wonder∣ment, this strange proceeding of the kinges: Abraham, its true, went out of his countrie too, his kindred, and his fa∣thers house, and he was both admirable and prayse worthy therin. Howbeit this seemes farre to exceede that. Abraham went out, because he was commanded; because he was promised to haue another certaine place appointed him; because he had assurances giuen by God that he should be magnified &c. But they, had neither commande to goe; nor place ap∣pointed whither to goe; nor stayd they in

any danger at home; nor were they allured with any adunatagious promises abrode: but contrarily they were as free to stay, as goe; they knew not whither they went, nor whether they should find what they sought. And they were withall so farre from ayming at aduantage or securitie, that contrarily they ran into apparent danger, and were readier to giue then to take, as appeared by the presentes they brought: and yet those sages came to Hierusalem vnder the guidance of one onely starre.

[Affection.] Admire, my soule, the wonderfull effectes of the hand of the most High: admire the wholy disinter∣ressed, and truly kinglie hartes of these holy kinges. Who, while they were noe way necessitated, noe way commanded, so freely vpon the sommons of one starre, left their countries and all, and came to him to whom none comes, vnlesse first drawen by his heauenly father. And yet how many starres haue we, and we stirre not? how many kind inuitations, and we answere not? How many heauenly cal∣lings toward Iesus, and alas, we turne a deafeeare to them. But doe not so my

soule, doe not so: the neglect of heauenly fauours iustly irritates the bountifull Be∣nefactour. If we be not able to goe before others by our good example, lets not fayle, at least, to follow them. Run on, run on, by the holy example of the kinges, whither diuine inspirations, which con∣tinually lay seidge to our hartes, (as so many heauenly messengers) doe leade vs. Lets be faithfull in this behalfe, and when ere the Bridegrome knockes, lets lay open our hartes, and leaue them wholy at his dispose: neither expecting com∣mands, nor questioning the manner how: Neither ayming at gaynes, nor fearing or flying labour, losse nor danger. All is safe and gaynfull enough, where Iesus leades, and Iesus is looked for.

That the kinges proceedinges are our lessons. II. POINT.

CONSIDER that this proceeding of the first fruites of the Gentils, was to be a leading lesson to all their poste∣ritie. They had their starrs, and so haue we. They obeyed their starre, and so must

we; if we intend happily to find out Iesus. Our starrs are the light of reason, highte∣ned by the light of grace, and holy inspi∣rations, vnder our Superiours directions. These we are to follow, nor doe we euer fayle in it, but we swarue from the way, or loyter in the way Had the shephards bene ledd out of their owne countrie, they had bene misledd, lost much labour, & mist of Christ. As the kinges, if they had stayd in their owne countries, while their starre led them out of it to Bethleem, had not found him. There are many man∣sions in Gods Kingdome, and he will haue vs ledd to them, by the wayes he pleases to marke vs out. This is his blissed pleasure, which he pleases to make knowen to our hartes by frequent in∣spirations.

[Affection.] We must not, my soule, ex∣pect the priuiledge of being called by name, as was S. Paule: whether it be to relinquish our old badd wayes and incli∣nations; to find out Christ; or to follow him being already found. It is sufficient for vs to follow our owne starrs: to ob∣serue whē the spouse knockes at the doore of our hartes, and to be readie to open,

by the assistance of his grace, who stands knocking there. My soule, my soule, is it not by his mercy who made vs, that we hope to be saued? Were it nor reason then, we should follow his counsells which he manifests to vs by his inspira∣tions? And if it be reason to follow them, by what reason doe we, or can we, neglect them?