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 fourth Pointe.

FInally, [ 1] the better to knowe the Greatenesse of the Charitye, and Obedience of our Sauiour Christe in that instant, I am to consider, how then the eternall Father discouered vnto him all the Afflictions that hee was to suffer, from the time of his Incarnation to his Deathe vpon the Crosse; saying vnto him: My Sonne, it is my Will, that to redeeme men, and to giue them an example of all Vertue, thou bee borne in a poore manger: thou bee circumcized, and persecuted by Herod, and the Iewes; and that thou bee taken, whipped, crowned with Thornes, and dye vpon a Crosse with greate Dolour, and Contempt. Therefore seeing thou

louest mee, for my Loue, and for the good of thy Bretheren, * 1.1 accept these Afflictions. To this Will of the Father, which our Lord Christ calleth the Commaundement, and precept of his Deathe, hee readily aunswered, offering himselfe with a prompt, and ready will to suffer all whatsoeuer: and then was fullfilled that saying of S. * 1.2 Paule: That abandoning the Ioye of this Life, and contemplating the eternall Ioye of the other, hee embraced the Crosse, not regarding that it was very Ignominious. Then allso with an effe∣ctuall Will hee dranke the bitter chalice of his Passion: and was baptized with the Baptisme of his Ignominies, * 1.3 and Dolours, perseuering (as hee himselfe saide) in the bitternesse of this Drinke, and of this Baptisme, all the dayes of his Life, vntill in the ende thereof hee effe∣ctually dranke it, accomplishing all that his Father had ordained him.

But his Charitye, [ 2] and Obedience passed yet farther, for that, allthough that was so much that hee was to suffer, yet not contented heere∣with, with a most generous Hearte, and most ardent Thirst, hee offered himselfe to suffer much more, if his Father would ordaine it, and that it might bee needefull for our good: * 1.4 for if S. Paule when the Prophet Agabus tolde him, that hee was to bee bounde Prisoner in Hierusalem, aunswered, that hee was readye, not only to bee bounde, but to dye also for the name of our Lord IESVS: how much more would our sweete Lord IESVS, when his Father related vnto him the Afflictions of his Life, and Deathe, imme∣diately aunswere, that hee was prepared not only to suffer those afflictions, but others also much greater for his Loue.

And that I may perceiue how much I am indebted to this our Lorde, [ 3] I am to consider, how in that instant hee presented vnto his me∣mory all mankinde, and myselfe among them, and offered himselfe to suffer all this, for euery one in particular, and for mee myselfe, as if I alone had stoode in neede of his Remedye. So that then was fullfilled that saying of S. Paul: * 1.5 Hee that loued mee, and deliuered himselfe for mee to Deathe, offering himselfe thereunto for my Loue.

O tender Babe, and valorous Gyaunt, * 1.6 wherewith shall I repaye thee the Affection, with which thou this day offerest thyselfe to runne thy Carreere, * 1.7 ac∣cepting withall all those Afflictions, which in the course thereof, thou art to endure? May the Angells praise thee for this singular fauour that thou hast donne vnto men, and may my Soule glorifye thee for the Loue that then thou diddest beare mee: for the which I offer myselfe, to suffer whatsoeuer shall happen vnto mee in the Carreere of my Life, thou fauouring mee with thy grace, that therein I may not faile.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ioan. 10.18. & 14.31.
• * 1.2

  Heb. 12.2
• * 1.3

  Mar. 10.39.
• * 1.4

  Act. 21.13
• * 1.5

  Gal 2.20
• * 1.6

  Colloquie.
• * 1.7

  Psal. 18.6