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 MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY

Didst thou not sowe good seede in thy field? Whence then hath it cockle?

THE FIRST POINTE.

CONSIDER, that the seede which the good seeds-man did sowe in the field of mans soule, was charitie, that hea∣uenly roote, whence all the vertues haue as well their origine as perfection: whose fruites are ioy, peace, patience, benigni∣tie, goodnesse, longanimitie, myldnesse, faith, modestie; continencie, chastitie, and all the rest of the vertues: of all which charitie is the fruitfull mother. But the enemye man, to witt the sinner, and the Diuell, ouersowed cockle, that is, cupidi∣tie,

whose accursed fruites are vncleanes∣se, brawles, dissensions, diuisions, enmi∣ties, contentions, banketings, drunknes, and the like.

[Affection.] O, my soule, what pittie it is that such faire fruites should be stifled by such vnhappie cockle! O how delicious a thinge is the Kingdome, and harte where charitie raignes. There is found a heauen before heauen, a heauen in earth. And what a Hell it is, contrarily, euen in this world, to liue among the horride fruites of the Diuells ouersowing, to witt, cupi∣ditie, the professed enemye of charitie; which is still accompaigned with diuisions, dissensions, brawles, and all the poyso∣nous broode of vice. Let vs therfor im∣ploy our vtmost endeuours to roote out those mortall weedes, which so much hin∣der the growth of charitie.

THE SECONDE POINTE.

When men were a sleepe, his (Gods) enemye came and ouersowed cockle.

CONSIDER, when it was that the cockle was ouersowen, and the holy Gospell tells vs, that it was when men were

a sleape: that is, when we waxe lukewarme, neither hote nor cold in the seruice of God, which is a disposition that God ha∣tes: when we grow negligent how thinges passe in our hartes: when we are not faith∣full in complying with our vocation, but carelesly forgett the happie state wherin we are placed: when we become too con∣fident of our owne mistaken strēgth which is true weaknesse: wherupon is begotten in vs a certaine slumbering, obliuion, con∣tempt, and auersion from heauenly thin∣ges. Thus doe we fall into a deadly sleepe and the Diuell, the while, who sleepes not, but incessantly roues about seeking whom he may deuoure, easily ouersowes the sou∣le, with his hatefull cockle.

[Affection.] Thus it is, my soule, that we sleepe out our sleepe, and at our wa∣kening we find all in disorder, the field of our harte being ouersowen with weeds, Had we bene watchfull, and stoode vpon our garde, this disaster had neuer befal∣len vs. While we negligently sleepe, and fayle in pointe of our dutie to God, his grace failes vs: but the Diuells malice ne∣uer fayles and thence we fall. Ah, saith our B. Sauiour, if the Master of the house

knew at what tyme the theife would come, he would watch and not suffer himselfe to be robbd. And should we doe lesse to preuent the death of our soules? What therfor I say to you, I say to all the world, watch, because the theife Sabalus, or the Diuell, will otherwise surprise vs while we least suspect it.