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 V. MEDITATION.

Co.

COnsider how being prouoked by nothing but his owne in∣finite Goodnes, he loued man from

all eternitie, and not from eternitie; onely, but in time also, in which he brought downe into the world the fire of that holie loue, for no other end, then that it should burne the harts of men: He loued man not in the be∣ginning onlie, but euen to the end; not meerely in life, but euen to death: Aff. O God the loue of my hart, and my part for euer, how I desire to de∣sire thee! how I wish to haue this poore frozen hart of mine inflamed with this holie fire! ô holie fire which burnes vp, and euen consumes the sacred hart of my sauiour; may some sparke of it fall vpon the hart of that-sinner, who for want of that heate is readie to perish and loose it selfe. 2. Point. Consider that death could put no period to my Souiours loue, it did not onely liue to it, but liue and raig∣ne in it, as a sacred Salamander amidst her flames. He loued vs not, I saie, to death onlie, but through his ex∣cesse of loue, he loued euen death it selfe for our sakes. I haue, saith he, a baptisme or lauer wherein to be bap∣tised or washed, to witt the bath or la∣uer

of my blood, and how am I sol∣licited, pressed, and oppressed, as it were, with a burning desire of that wishfull houre.

[Affect.] O God, how excessiue great must that loue needes be, which endu∣res not onely constant to death, but euen ardently loues and desires death for our loue? And howgreat ought our loue to be, to answere the loue of so louing and gracious a benefactour? 3. Point. Consider, that though death in its owne nature, is iustly reputed the most horrible of all horrible things, and this death the most horrible of all deathes, as being accompaigned with all the circūstances which might bring with them horror, dread, and confu∣sion; as insufferable paines, disloyall abandonings of all his dearest friends; abismall abiections, and humiliations, contemps, blasphemies, &c. Yet did my Sauiour, the better to imbrace it, for our sakes, eye it as a certaine demonstration of his admirable loue to his heauenly father, and to vs; and receaued it as proceeding from his ho∣lie hand, as a subiect to crowne his

obedience, &c. & as such it was most deare vnto him.