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 VII. MEDITATION.

To what end the holy Ghost comes. I. POINT.

CONSIDER, that the holy Ghost comes vnto vs, to purge, illuminate, and perfect our soules; and to reforme them to the image and likenes of God, to

which they were made thereby to make them partakers of himselfe (He being the diuine sanctitie) in this life; and disposing them to a more neere, and noble likenes thereof in the life to come, to which euery cause striues to produce effects like to it selfe: it followes then, that the holy Ghost endeauours to make the soule, which it doth inhabit (which is the soueraigne per∣fection and dignity of a reasonable crea∣ture) feruent, spirituall, holy, and diuine.

[Affection.] Why doe we then my soule, remayne in our wonted languishments? why doe we still liue in league with our accustumed imperfections (making refle∣ction what they are, and how often we haue had the light to know them, and re∣solution to amend them) our luke-war∣menesse in Gods seruice; our impuritie of harte; our ingratitude to God for his innumerable giftes, and graces &c. Why doe we, why doe we, alas resiste the desi∣gnes of the holy Ghost? His aymes are to purge our hartes, and we remayne in our impurities. To illuminate vs, and we affect darknesse more then light, (we feare to know his will least we might be oblidged to doe it.) To burne our hartes, and we

persiste in our coldnesse. To render vs spirituall, holy, diuine, and we continue, indeuoute, carnall, and earthly. Alas, my soule, is not all this too too true!

II. POINT.

CONSIDER, that the holy Ghost comes to be the Soule of our Soule, and to furnish vs with all things necessa∣rie to the perfection of our spirituall life, euen as the soule of our bodie giues force to the great diuersitie of the functions and actions of the senses, and faculties of the said soule, as farre as is necessarie to our naturall life; for what want wee which this Spirit brings not? If light and knowledge of truth. He is truth it-selfe. If strength. He is power itselfe. If heate. He is a con∣suming fire. Are we sicke? he is the Phi∣sitian and the Phisicke. Is the cause of our eternall reconcilement to be pleaded be∣fore the dreadfull Tribunall of Gods Ma∣iestie? He is our Aduocate. Are we op∣pressed with temptations and tribulations? he is our comforter, our Deus & omnia, our God, who is to vs, all things.

[Affection.] It is not, it is not from this body of ours, that the same body hath

life, motion, action, and vigour, but from the soule, without which it remaynes an vnprofitable bulke of corruption. Nor is it from the soule, that the soule liues, re∣members, vnderstands, wills, but from God who is the life of the soule. Nor doth it euer liue, vnderstand, or will any thing profitably, but by his grace diffused into our hartes by the holy Ghost. Come, then oh come then, thou holy Spirit, and be our light, our truth, our fortitude, our fire, our salue, our Phisitian and cure. Proue our second Aduocate to the hea∣uenly Father, togeither with that deare Lord of ours, who both merited thy sen∣ding, and graciously sent thee. Proue our comforter in our tribulations, tempta∣tions &c. Proue finally our God, and our all.