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 FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY AFTER EASTER.

For a litle tyme you shall not see me, and shortly after you shall see me againe. S. Io. 16.

CONSIDER, that we are all pil∣grimes trauelling towards our hea¦uenly home, and we shall not mis∣se to meete with all kinds of wea∣ther. Now heate, now cold: now faire, and soone after fowle. Sometymes our Sa∣uiour dilates our harts with the aboundan∣ce of his consolations and we prosperously spring on in the wayes of his commande∣ments: and sometymes againe, he retires, and hydes him selfe from vs, leauing vs to desolations and sorrowes, and we become troubled, and all our former force and courage seeme to haue forsaken vs.

[Affection.] Thus it is, my soule, that the diuine wisdome deales with his ser∣uants.

He doth nourish, cherish, and com∣fort vs, least we might fayle in the way. He doth afflict and leaue vs, least out of con∣fidence of our owne strength, we might erre from the way. He giues vs consolations to testifie to our harte that he loues vs. He leaues vs to desolations, to trye and ma∣ke appeare whether we loue him. But whe∣ther he comfort vs, or permitt afflictions to fall vpon vs, let vs still venerate his or∣ders and gracious conduct, because he it is indeede who is alwayes our refuge.

THE SECONDE POINTE

You shall lament and weepe.

But the world shall reioyce. Ioh. 6.

CONSIDER, that sorrowes and ioyes goe here belowe by turnes and tymes. And still the best parte in apparence is allo∣ted to those whom God least loues; the world shall reioyce: And the worst, as he al∣wayes tooke it to himselfe, so he leaues it to his dearest friends. You (saith he, to his deare Apostles) you, shall lament and weepe: but your sorrowes shall be turned into ioyes. Wheras the worldlings ioyes, and parte, shall be with the Hypocrites who haue receiued their reward.

[Affection.] Let vs not, my soule, either admire or enuie, the seeming prosperitie of the wicked. Their ioyes are but for mo∣ments, and those too mixt with painefull pleasures. They themselues confesse it: we are wearied in the way of iniquitie, and per∣dition; and haue walked hard wayes: while the iust, whom we had in derision, and in a parable of reproche, are counted among the children of God, and their parte and portion amongst the saintes. There are we, my soule, to inioye our permanent possession. There are our teares to be wiped away for euer, and payd with the inioyment of an eternall inheri∣tance, which neither eye hath seene, nor eare hath heard, nor hath entered into the mynde of man.