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 ...

That we must cooperate with Gods grace. I. POINT.

CONSIDER yet further: that it is not enough to obserue the starre with the Kinges, and to heare the knocke of the spouse, but we must also with them, aske, seeke, knocke at the gate. We must not onely, I say, heare the knocke or touche of his holy inspirations at our hartes, but we must mutually knocke at that diuine harte of his, by frequent and feruent prayers, crying out with the Kinge and Prophete, conuert me ô Lord, and I will be conuerted: draw me after thee, and we will run: and, with our Kinges, all

through the streetes of Hierusalem: where is he, who is borne the Kinge of the Iewes: for we haue seene his starre, we haue heard the voyce of our beloued by frequent in∣spirations, and to what end, but to leade vs to his loue?

[Affection.] Yes, my soule, we may dis∣semble it, but we cannot deney it, euen we too haue seene his starre, we haue heard his voyce, and he hath said vnto our hartes, I am thy saluation; and he hath said it so that we haue heard it, and haue taken iorney vpon it: countrie, parentes, friendes, with all the fawning allurements of the world are forsaken. And what is now our expectation? Is it not our Lord, my soule? Is not he the whole part and portion of our inheritance? Is not he the whole substance we haue left vs? Ah! ha∣uinge left all, by the assistance of his grace, to finde him, lets make that our busines. If we suffer our selues for lacke of cooperation to be frustrated of that ex∣pectation, in vaine behold we the starre, in vaine began we to run, in vaine doe we lead a life which leades, not, indeede, to Iesus, but to death.