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 XXXII. MEDITATION.

Our Sauiours side is opened by the Lance.

1. Point.

COnsider that as Christs loue, and the iewes malice, goe on and increase euen till death, so rest

they not there, but euen out-liue death it selfe. He is now subiect to noe more paines, his soule being departed, yet he is subiect to more iniuries; his dead body is capable of more wounds, markes of more malice in them, and more dearenesse in him, to whom nothing happened by accident. Yet thy malice profits thee not. ô cruell Iewe. since thou hurtest not him, and thou profitest me. All thinges concurre to the aduan∣tage of those, that loue him whom you hate.

[Affect.] Ah, deare Lord, thy charitie is boundlesse. It leades thee with ioy to death (for ioy being proposed vnto him, he sustayned the Crosse, saith S. Paule) It victoriously raignes in death, and ouer death. It out-liues death. Ah was it not enough to haue payd the first droppe of thy pretious bloud, which was more then sufficient to haue redee∣med a thousand worlds, vnlesse thou payedst the laste droppe too? O too too plentifull a price! O too too diui∣nely deare, and prodigall a loue! which payes an infinitie of millions more then is due; prouing Christs loue, to be in∣comparably

greater then the Iewes ma∣lice; and his mercy, infinitly out-spea∣king mans miserie.

2. Point

[Consideration.] We wanted not indeede streames of innocent bloud wherin to washe our leprosie, and to cure the deepest wounds of our soule. We wanted not deare argumentes, and euen open conuictions of infinite loue; since we saw our selues written, as it were, in his bored hands. But we wanted, as yet, the best treasure, which was left for Longinus his launce to open. We wanted an open side for our languishing faith to enter into with incredulous Thomas his hand, and grope out a God. We wanted yet a passage to his hart, wheras nothing can euer speake so much dearenesse, or so absolutly subdue a hart, as a kind hart lying open to it.

[Affect.] Let vs then, my soule, yeald our selues vp to this last batterie, which comes indeede the conquering way. Let vs not fayle, by this blessed breatch to find out our God, and to adore him Dominum nostrum, & Deum nostrum, our Lord, and our God. For

by this blessed wound we gett free ac∣cesse to his fatherly tender bowells, and learne the secreetes of his diuine hart. Dominus meus, & Deus meus. Here is my Lord, here is my God indeede. Here will I enter, here will I adore him; here will I loue him: here will I rest, here will I taste how sweete my God is. Here, finally; will I safely singe his mercyes for euer.

[Resolution.] As this open hart speakes powerfully to me, my beloued is myne so shall my hart replye to him, And I am intirely thyne for euer.