To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
SEcondly, I am to consider what the blessed VIRGIN did, when by those Iubilies she knewe that the hower of her deliuery was come, pondering her Affections, her Actions, and her Wordes. For recollecting herselfe in a corner of the stable, and setled in very high Contem∣plation, she brought forth her only begotten
Sonne, and forthwith she tooke him in her Armes. O what content, and Ioye she receiued at that first viewe, not staying vpon the outward beautye of the bodye, but passing to the beautye of the Soule, and of the Deitye! On the one side she embraced him, and kissed him louingly as her Sonne: & on the other side shee shruncke backe, and humbly retired, considering that he was God: for with these two armes God desireth to bee embraced; with Charitye, and Humilli∣tye; with Loue, and Reuerence: and the like am I to doe spiritually, taking him as it were in my armes, louing him, and reuerencing him, ap∣proaching to him with Loue, and retiring my∣selfe with Humillitye.
This donne the VIRGIN swathled her Sonne in such swathling cloutes, and mantles as she had prepared, and with an Affection of Hu∣millitye shee layed him in a maunger, esteeming herselfe vnworthy to holde him in her Armes: and falling on her knees she adored him as her God, and her Lord, and very louingly she spake vnto him, for she was assured that hee vnder∣stood her. She humbly thanked him for the greate fauours he had donne to mankinde, in comming to redeeme it. She likewise gaue him thankes for hauing taken her for his mother, without any merits of hers: & there she offered to serue him with bodye, and Soule, and with all her forces, employing them all in his Seruice: And all this she vttered with such louing wordes, and tender Affections, as they are rather to be imagined, then possible to be explicated. The like did S. Ioseph, adoring the Childe, humbly thanking him for taking him for his foster∣father, acknowledging it for a greate fauour,
and offering himselfe truely, and really to serue him. The like am I to doe, accompanying these Sainctes in heartye thankefullnesse, offering vnto him my bodye, and Soule, and all my faculties.
O most sweete, and most soueraigne Lord, what thankes may I giue thee, for this greate fauour thou hast donne mee, in comming to remedye mee, as a Childe, and in so extreeme Pouertye? O that I might haue beene present at that time to serue thee in thy Infancye! I heere present myselfe in Spirit before thy diuine maiestie, and I offer vnto thee all that I am, or may bee able to bee, to employ it wholely in thy Seruice: accepte, o Lord, this my good Will, and giue me thy grace to effect it.
Colloquie.