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 SECONDE POINTE

I haue compassion of the multitude.

CONSIDER that when the pious mul∣titude had once giuen this ample te∣stimonie (by following him three dayes in the wildernesse) of their loue and perseue∣rance, heauenly wisdome found it seaso∣nable, to giue them also a testimonie of his power and goodnesse, in one and the same miracle: of his power, in making fiue loa∣fes, and two fishes extende to the feeding and saciating of fiue thousand persons: and of his goodnesse, by applying the effects of that power, to solace and nourish that hungrie multitude: saying with compas∣sion, misereor super turbam, that is, my ve∣rie bowells are moued with pittie, in pointe of the multitude of those that follow me.

[Affection.] O my most gracious Lord! how easily is thy paternall harte inclyned to pittie. The pen of the holy Ghost may seeme to haue laboured to make it euident to our hartes. I will not leaue you orphants. If I come not presently, expect me, for coming I will come. Can a mother forgett the child of her owne body? And tho she could, yet I am your

foster-father, and cannot forgett you. Ah, my soule, what expressions can be deuised mo∣re tender? Our Lord is indeede pittifull and mercifull; patient and exceeding mercifull. We haue reason to admire his power: to drea∣de his iustice: to venerate his sanctitie, to magnifie all his Attributes: yet nothing, nothing comes so home to our vses, as his goodnesse: nothing sutes so well with our miserie, as his boundlesse mercy.