Meditations vppon the mysteries of our holy faith with the practise of mental praier touching the same composed in Spanish by the R.F. Luys de la Puente ... ; and translated into English by F. Rich. Gibbons ...

The Second Pointe.

FOr that the Mysteries are many which are included in these Wordes of the VIRGIN; it will not bee amisse to meditate euery one by itselfe, pondering the Spirit therein contained for our Proffit.

ECCE.

This Worde Ecce. Beholde, the Scripture vseth to denote, or to signifye some greate thing worthy of much Consideration, and the Angell vsed it in the beginning of his Embassage, saying: Ecce concipies, Be holde, thou shallt conceiue a Sonne. And therefore also would the most holy VIR∣GIN vse the same in her aunswere, saying: Ecce Ancilla Domini. Beholde the Handmaide of our Lorde for as the Angell had greate Desiers, that our blessed LADYE the VIRGIN should ponder the Greatenesses, which hee promised her from God: so the Virgin had as greate Desiers, that the Angell should ponder how meane, and lowely a Handmaide shee was of herselfe, and how feruent longings shee had to obey, whatsoeuer God commaunded her. For the Humble, when the giftes they haue of God are published, doe very earnestly desire that the miseries should bee knowen, which they haue of themselues: that those Giftes bee not attri∣buted to their owne merittes, but to the bounty of him that gaue them, to whome they desier

to bee very thankefull, and therefore very obedient.

ANCILLA DOMINI.

In this Worde, Handmaide of our Lord, the blessed VIRGIN declared what a backwarde Conceipte shee had allwayes had of herselfe, euer since shee had the vse of Reason. And allbeeit the name of Seruant, or Bondman, when as it signifieth to serue God with a Spirit of Feare, and as it were by force, is dispraised in holy Scripture: yet when Seruant is joyned with Loue, it is a most glorious name. For the Slaue is not his owne but his Lordes: hee hath not Libertye to doe what hee listeth, but what his Lord commaundeth him: Hee serueth him neither for Salarye, nor Daye-wages, but because hee is obliged thereunto: Hee laboureth not for himselfe, but for his Lord: neither serueth hee him only in person, but also all those of his House, and Familye: in the which hee holdeth the basest Place, and hath alwayes giuen him the worst, and that which is most contemptible.

All this the blessed VIRGIN our LADYE imagined in herselfe, when shee called herselfe the Handmaide of our Lorde. For first, shee helde not herselfe to bee her owne, but a thing proper to God our Lord, and in his Pos∣session: aswell for that hee created her, as also for that shee had wholye dedicated herselfe to his perpetuall Seruice, saying in her Hearte those Wordes which the Prophet Isaias re∣porteth of the Righteous: Hee shall say, I am of God: and with his owne hande hee shall

write, and signe, that hee is our Lordes. And as the faithfull Bondman neuer flyeth from his master, nor is at any time absent, neither will serue any other master, because no man can at once serue two Masters: so the blessed VIRGIN neuer seperated herselfe one moment from the Seruice of God, neither serued shee any other Lord but God, fullfilling most perfectly that Precept: Thou shallt adore the Lord thy God, and him only shallt thou serue.

In all other things also, [ 2] shee did not what shee list, but what God commaunded, for shee had no will of her owne, nor Liberty of fleshe: but was so fastned to the Will of our Lord, as if shee had had no liberty to departe there∣from, esteeming herselfe as a Handmaide, that hath her eyes allwayes placed vpon the handes of her Lord, suffering herselfe to bee managed by him, and to bee moued by euery becke that hee should make.

Besides this, [ 3] shee serued not God for sala∣rye, or Day-wages, pretending principally any rewarde: but because as his Handmaide shee was obliged thereunto, and tooke Delight in pleasing her Lorde. And therefore shee had setled in her Hearte that Verity, which after∣wardes our Sauiour Christe taught his Disci∣ples: VVhen you shall haue donne all things that are commaunded you; say: VVee are vnproffitable Seruantes, wee haue donne that which wee ought to doe.

From hence it proceeded, [ 4] that all whatsoeuer shee did, or laboured to doe, shee attributed it not to her selfe, but to her Lord: for allbeeit it is Truthe, that the Merit, and Rewarde was for her: yet shee attributed all to the Glorye

of God, & not to her owne; saying that of the Canticles. All the fruites the newe, and the olde my beloued I haue kept for thee: that is, all the Workes of my Life present, and passed, I will that they bee to thy Honour, & Glory: for I will neither liue, nor dye to myselfe, but to thee, because I am thine.

Finally, [ 5] the blessed VIRGIN esteemed herselfe not only as the Handmaide of our Lord to serue him, but also to serue all those of his House, and Familye: and therefore shee dedicated herselfe to the Seruice of her Parents, when shee was in the Temple: and of her Husband, when shee was in his Companye. And much better then Abigail might shee haue saide, what shee saide to Dauid: Loe let thy Seruant bee as an Handmaide, to washe the feete of the Seruantes of my Lord. [ 6] And with this Spirit of Humillitye, shee allwaies chose for herselfe the lowest place in the House of God, and the worst, and most contemptible in the Worlde; as heereafter wee shall see.

All these inward feelings had the blessed VIRGIN when shee called herselfe the Handmaide of our Lord, and esteemed very highly of this Title: for shee knewe how pleasing it was to God, who vsed to call by the same name of Seruant, the Messias his Sonne, as hee was man: and hee himselfe esteemed highly thereof, as appeareth by what is deliuered by the Prophets. And if I desier to bee deuoted to our blessed LADYE, I am highly to esteeme myselfe for this name, and for the Spirit which shee includeth in the saide things; saying to God with Dauid. O Lord, I am thy Seruant, I am thy Seruant, and the Sonne of thy Handmaide: then

hast broken my bondes, I will sacrifize to thee the host of Praise, and will inuocate the name of our Lord. O God of my Soule, I highly esteeme myselfe for beeing thy Seruant, because thou createdst mee: and againe for beeing thy Seruant, because thou redeemedst mee: I am the Sonne of thy Handmaide, because by inhe∣ritance, it falleth to my Lot to bee thy Slaue: but especially I holde myselfe for the Sonne of thy Hand∣maide the blessed VIRGIN thy Mother, by whose merits I beseeche thee to vnloose the Chaines of my Sinnes, and Passions, that beeing free from this euill Bondage, I may serue thee with Libertye of Spirit, and may praise, and glorifye thy holy name worlde without ende. Amen.

FIAT MIHI.

It was not without a mysterie, that the B. VIRGIN saide not to the Angell: I will doe what thou sayest: but this Worde, Fiat; Bee it donne: which God our Lord vsed when hee crea∣ted the Worlde, saying: Bee Light made, &c. For the VIRGIN vnderstoode that the Incarnation was aswell a Worke of the Omnipotencye of God, as the Creation of the Worlde: and that with one Fiat of his Omnipotencye it might bee donne, though on her parte there was no Merit of so glorious a thing. Allbeeit withall shee accepted it, saying: Fiat, as who should say: Al though there were no neede of my Consent, because I am the Handmaide of God, and hee may doe with his Handmaide what hee will; And allbeeit beeing but a Handmaide, I merited not that this thing should bee donne vnto mee: yet notwithstanding, seeing God will haue it so, Fiat: Let i•• bee donne: for I am pleased with

all whatsoeuer that pleaseth him. Whereby wee see the soueraigne Obedience, and Resignation of the VIRGIN, founded vpon the knowledge of her owne beeing nothing, offering herselfe not to resist the Fiat of God: as the Insensible Creatures resist it not, or as that which is nothing resisteth not, when God sayeth, Let it bee donne.

But that wee may the better vnderstand the heigth of this consenting: wee are to ponder, that shee not only fixed her eyes vpon the Greatenesses, foretolde her by the Angell: but also vpon the terrible Afflictions, which that Sonne who was offered vnto her, was to suffer: the which shee knewe well by the sacred Scri∣ptures; and that a very greate share of them was to light vpon his Mother: And yet not∣withstanding shee accepted this Dignitye of a Mother, with the most heauye charge of that office. And heereupon shee called herselfe a Handmaide, as one that accepted it, not to bee serued as a Ladye, but to serue, and suffer as a Handmaide.

I thanke thee, most sacred VIRGIN, for the generous offer that thou makest, with so greate Ma∣gnanimitye of Hearte: may the Angells in Heauen praise thee, and the righteous on the Earthe, as likewise those that were in Lymbo, expecting him. And seeing that all haue a share in thy Consent, beseeche thy Sonne, to graunt mee such a resignation of myselfe vnto his holy VVill, that I may resist nothing whatsoeuer hee commaundeth mee, nor any affliction whatsoeuer that hee shall send mee; but that to all my Replye may bee, Fiat. God is my Lorde, whatsoeuer shall seeme good in his Eyes, let that bee donne in mee his Seruant.

SECVNDVM VERBVM TVVM.

It is likewise not without a greate mysterye, that the B. VIRGIN saide not to the Angell: Bee it donne to mee as God commaundeth, or willeth: but, Bee it donne to mee according to thy Worde: for heerein shee declared the perfection of her Faithe, & Obedience. For perfect Faithe beleeueth whatsoeuer God reuealeth by himselfe, or by the meanes of others: & perfect Obedience obeyeth God, in whatsoeuer hee commaundeth either by himselfe, or by the meanes of his ministers: for hee that heareth them, heareth Christ. Allbeeit, I may likewise contemplate that the B. VIRGIN in this Pointe exalted herselfe aboue herselfe, & aboue all the Angells, & aboue all whatsoeuer is created: directing her Aunswere, not so much to the Ambassadour, as to allmighty God himselfe, who sent the Embassage, saying to the eternall Father: Beholde heere the Handmaide of thee, o Lord, bee it donne to mee according to thy VVorde: not only according to what thou commaundest by this VVorde which the Angell deliuereth: but according to the Desier of that VVorde & Speeche, which thou speakest within thyselfe, in thy eternitye, which is thy only Sonne, who also desireth to bee mine. And seeing it is his good Pleasure so to bee, bee it as he commaundeth. In Imitation of the B. VIRGIN, I will also oftentimes say vnto God, with the same Vnder∣standing that shee had: Beholde heere mee thy Slaue, o Lord, bee it doune to mee, according to thy Worde: for I am readye to put in practise all, whatsoeuer shallbee ordained mee by thy Diuine VVorde.

Notes

• What an Ho∣nour it is to be Seruant, or Bond∣man of God. Gal. 4. Rom. 8.
• Isa. 44.5.
• Matt. 6.24
• Matt. 4.10 Deut. 6.13.
• Psal. 12 24.2.
• Luc. 17.10
• Cant. 7.13
• Rom. 14.7.8.
• 1 Reg. 25.••1.
• Isa. 41.8.9. & 44.1.21. Zach. 38. Colloquie. Ps. 115.16
• Gen. 1.3.
• Colloquie.
• 1 Reg. 3.18.
• Luc. 10.16
• Colloquie.