Of the love of our only Lord and Saviour, Iesus Christ: Both that which he beareth to vs; and that also which we are obliged to beare to him. Declared by the principall mysteries of the life, and death of our Lord; as they are deluiered [sic] to vs in Holy Scripture. With a preface, or introduction to the discourse.

The pitty of our B. Lady towards vs now that shee is in heauen, is set out, and shewed to be farre be∣yond what it was, when she liued on earth. And this discourse is concluded, with a Prayer to her.

CHAP. 94.

IF whilst(a) 1.1 she was heere, in this mortall life, she would vouchsafe, being the mo∣ther of God, to expresse such an act of Humi∣lity, and Charity, as cost her pure feete so ma∣ny painefull steps, ouer that hilly Country to S. Elizabeth. If she put herselfe vpon that la∣bour, immediatly after she was announced the mother of God. If, it was not any visit, of complement, but that by her presence, she was the meanes of enriching the body, and soule, and Sonne, of that Saint, with cele∣stiall graces; And that she went not, to come quickly away againe; but staid assisting, & seruing her, for the space of three moneths; in

all which time, S. Ambrose excellently pōders,* 1.2 how much S. Elizabeth must needs be sancti∣fied, by the diuine conuersation of the sacred Virgin; since the first shew of her presence, wrought such wonders in her. If the sancti∣fication of S. Iohn, were the first spirituall in∣crease, which our Lord incarnate wrought in harts; and it was done by meanes of this B. Virgin; and the first corporall miracle was al∣so wrought by her meanes, at the Marriage of Cana, when she would descend so low, as to assist at the dynner of people, who were so very poore as that they were not able to haue wine inough for their most solemne Feast? If of herselfe without being desired, she had an eye, vpon their wants, and a hart which wrought towards the reliefe therof? If she had compassion of them, not only concerning some such thing, as bread; which had bene of meere necessity; but for the obtayning of wine, which is a creature, chiefely ordayned for our delight, and comfort? If to procure it, she so∣licited her Sonne our Lord, to worke a mi∣racle, in their fauour, which, till that tyme, he had neuer done; and yet he would not faile to graunt her suite? If, as soone as by her pray∣ers for them, she had induced Christ our Lord, to giue them wine; she did instantly turne her praying to him, into a kinde of preaching to them; aduising them, to doe whatsoeuer he should require at their hands, through the deere solicitude and feare she had, least other∣wise they might haue fayled of due obedience

(especially when she knew, in what manner, he went to worke the miracle) which was first to haue the vessells filled with water, which might haue seemed to be a very contrary mea∣nes to the desired end, which was to helpe thē to a supply of wine? If these things, I say, were done by her, when her Charity was far lesse,(b) 1.3 & her state incomparably inferiour to that, which now it is: what persō is that so vnwor∣thy, whome this Queene of heauē wil not a∣uow, & own frō heauen? What wound of any soule, is that so grieuous, which she will dis∣dayne to dresse? & what wāt of cōfort can that be so extreme, w^ch she wil not imploy herself to remoue, by interceding to her Sonne our Lord? Now that those Lillyes of Purity, and those Violets of her Humility, & those red Ro∣ses of her burning Charity, & Patience at the Crosse, are trāsplanted out of the desert of this world into that gardē of God, in heauen. For thither is she assumed, both in soule, & body, to the fruition of more glory, then is possessed by all the Angells, and Saints. There, is she in∣gulfed, in the bright vision of God, where she sees, and in whome she loues, all the soules which haue recourse to her, with incompara∣ble Charity, and care. And if S. Augustine, could truly say of his deceased friend Nebridius, who was gone to God:* 1.4 I am non ponit aurem ad os mē &c. He doth not now lay his eare to my mouth, but he applyes that spirituall mouth, to that spring of thine; and he drinketh wisedome, after the vttermost rate of his owne greedy thirst, being happy for all eter∣nity.

Neither yet, doe I thinke, that he is so inebria∣ted with thee, as that he can forget me; since thou, O Lord, whome he is drinking, art mindfull of vs. If S. Augustine, I say, could thus reflect vpon Ne∣bribius, who shall be euer able, to expresse the perpetuall memory, or rather the euer presēt sight, and care of vs, which the mother of our Lord God, now raigning in such glory as be∣cometh such greatnes, hath incē parably, more tēderly, & more liuely of vs, then S. Augustines Nebridius, could haue of him. So much more, as she was made our mother heere; & so much more, as (now that she is there) she drinkes whole seas of God, for any one drop which Nebridius could drink, & consequētly, as she is more perfectly happy, & trāsformed into that Abisse of charity, God himself; whose loue, & desire, & care of our eternall good, is infinite.

Proceed, therfore O thou glorious Queen, in being glorious; & raigne thou for euer, vn∣der God alone, ouer all his creatures. Proceed, in being gracious to vs, thou who wert so ful of Grace, euen before thou wert made the mo∣ther of God. Thy soule did magnify our Lord, at the visit which thou gauest to S. Elizabeth, with(c) 1.5 more delight & ioy, thē euer had bene cōceaued, by any creature. And thou didst thē, most diuinely expresse his goodnes, to thee, in a māner of Court, so choice, & noble, as might wel declare, that thou wert born a Queen; thou didst singe Magnificat to our Lord, for hauing res∣pected, &, as it were, cast an eye of fauour, towards thee. And how truly indeed wert thou as good

as thy word therin, when thou saidst that thou didst Magnify, or make great our Lord. For whilst he was bestowing those great fauours vpon thee, according to those other words of thine, Fecit mihi magna qui potēs est, & sanctū nomē eius: Our Lord hath done great things to me, and his name is holy, thou wert, euen very then, retur∣ning those great things againe to him; with the additiō of thine owne most humble thāks. So that the greater he made thee, the more great and glorious he was also made by thee. And besides, how couldst thou mak him shew more glorious; and more great, then in saying, that, with the cast, as it were, but of an eye, he had made such a mother for himself as thou. This Magnificat of thyne, is celebrated with diligent, and dayly deuotion, by the holy Catholike Church, in memory of that high ioy, which thou hadst in thy Angelicall hart; when the holy Ghost, expressed it selfe, by that well tuned Organ, of thy tongue. But now, O soueraigne Lady, that thou art all transformed in God, thou art singing it out, in a far higher straine. Thou canst not say any more, that he but casts an eye of fauour to∣wards thee; for now he lookes vpō thee, with a full face; and thou art able to see him, as thou art scene.* 1.6 And since the more thou seest of him, the more dost thou also, see of vs. Vouchsafe to implore his mercy towards the reliefe of our misery, which thou canst not but find to be extreme. Behould vs who are children of thy soule, since by Faith, thou becamst the

mother of all such as were to liue by Grace. And intercede thou for vs, with that Sonne of thy sacred wombe; whose lawes though we haue transgressed; and whose Passion, though we haue renewed, and whose grace though we haue quenched, by our innume∣rable sinnes; yet for as much, as frō our soules, we are sory for thē; & that there was mercy in store, for his very Crucifiers, let it not be wā∣ting to vs, who are procuring, as thou know∣est, to be his seruants. Since we fly to the san∣ctuary of thy feete for succour; since, with the most reuerend of our thoughts, we take hold of that Altar, of thy purest wombe; wherin the Iudge of the quicke and dead, did make the first Sacrifice of himselfe, to his eternall Father, for the redemption of the world; de∣fend vs, by thy prayers, O Queene of pitty, from that sword of Iustice, which is ready to fall vpon our heads.

Thou saidst, that all Generations should call thee Blessed; and we are a part of them; & with∣all the powers of our soules, we blesse both thee, and God for thee; and we vow our selues to belieue, whatsoeuer excellency may be as∣cribed to a meere creature. And we make this protestation withall; that so farre we are frō derogating therby from the worship of Latria, which is only due to God, as that we know not, in this world, how to do him more high honour, and seruice, then by offering him first to himselfe; and next, by honoring and pray∣sing thee. For the greater thou art, the greater

do we acknowlege him to be, who made thee what thou art, or nothing. Obtaine of that holy Spirit, who ouer-shadowed thee, heere, & which doth, as it were, ouerwhelme thee there, in that region of eternall blisse; that we also, may be quickned, & inspired by it: & so may be walking on towards heauē, by those paces, which thy pure feete, haue traced out.

I cannot beseech thee, to obtaine wine for vs, as thou didst for them, of Cana, for we want no wine, since we are nourished by the milke of thy maternall loue, which is better thē the best & most pretious wine. And we may also be inebriated, as oftē as we shall wel dispose our selues, by that Vinum germinaus vir∣gines;* 1.7 that pretious bloud in the body of thy Sonne our Lord, in the venerable Sacrament of the Altar. But the misery is, that our soules want mouths, wherwith to tast it; or rather they are all crammed, with the corrupted food of delight in creatures; and our blindnes is such through the mist of passiō which ouergrowes vs, that we see not what we eate, and much lesse can we discerne, the sad effects, which it works within; and amongst them, this one, that it depriues vs of gust, in heauenly things. It is therfore, O Queene of heauen, that we cast our selues humbly at thy feet; that by the force of thy prayers, the merits of thy Sonne our Lord, may be applied to vs. And that so our soules may be discharged, of all inferiour kindes of loue, which presse vs downe, as with grieuous weightes; and then drag vs af∣ter

thē, in the chaines of bitter seruitude. And procure thou, at length, that they may fly vp to God as to their true, and only place of rest, adoring him for euer, and admiring thee.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  A par∣ticular pō∣deration of our B. Ladyes vnquēch∣able charity whilst she liued on ••••••th. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 1.
• * 1.2

  Luc. 2. l. 1. Cō. S. Luc. c. ••.
• (b) 1.3

  A cō∣parison of what our B. Lady, was on earth to what shee is now in heanen
• * 1.4

  Confes. l. ••. c. ••.
• (c) 1.5

  The princely gratitude of our B. Lady, ex∣pressed in the Mag∣nificat, to our Lord God.
• * 1.6

  1. Cor. 13.
• * 1.7

  Lach. 9.