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 third Pointe.

THe third, and principall pointe is, to con∣sider the meruailous greatenesses of that diuine Childe, layed in the maunger. Pondering the Dignitye of his person; the Wordes that he spake in his Hearte: the Workes that he did; and the Things that he suffered: and for whome; and how: and the heroycall Vertues that he there did exercize. All this I am to ponder, as the most sacred VIRGIN did ponder it, in this forme.

First, [ 1] I will beholde the Person of that Childe, making a comparison betweene what he is, as he is God, and betweene what he is there, as he is man, with an Affection of Admiration, and Loue the greatest that I am able: pondering how this Childe is that God of maiestie, whose seate is Heauen, whose Throne are the Cheru∣bins, and whose seruants the Hierarchies of Angells are, beeing in the middest of them, as

an Emperour, whome all doe adore, & to whome all acknowledge subiection. And on the other side, he is layed in a maunger in the middest betweene two dull beastes: And he that is the worde of the eternall Father, by whome he created all things, and whoe sustaineth them with his power, is become a Childe not yet able to speake, his handes and feete beeing swathled, and he not able to stirre. And he whose Vesture is the Infinite Light of the Deitye, beeing the brightnesse of the glorye of his Father: he who clotheth his Creatures with beautye, and with a liberall hande giueth them sustenance for the conseruation of their Life: he, euen he, is wrapped vp in poore mantles, and ragges, and hath neede to be sustained with the milke of his mother.

O most excellent, and most humbled Babe, and in all venerable, and amiable in all: yet, quanto pro me vilior, tanto mihi carior, the more thou art despised for me, the more worthy thou art to be loued: and the more thou art humbled, the more to be exalted: for in thy Humilliations, thou demon∣stratest the greatenesse of thy Incomprehensible Cha∣ritye. O that I could loue thee, as thou deseruest: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that I could debase, and humble myselfe, as I deserue to be: for to debase me with myselfe, were to magni∣fye me with thee. How is it, o my Soule, that thou art not confounded to see this person so greate, and yet so humbled: and to see thy owne person so vile, and yet so prowde! Learne of this Childe to humble thyselfe: for he that with him shall humble him∣selfe on Earthe, shall by him be magnified, and exalted in Heauen.

Secondly, [ 2] I will ponder the wordes this Childe might speake, not with the tongue, but with

the spirit: not with voice, but with examples. To his eternall Father, he might speake, giuing him thankes, because that hower was come, and that it was his pleasure to haue him layed in that maunger, offering vnto him with greate Loue all the Afflictions that he was to suffer in the worlde, and againe saying vnto him, that which the Apostle pondereth he might say in entring into the worlde, he added: Beholde me heere, o Lord, I am come to accomplish thy will. But to men he spake likewise, and cryed out to them with his examples, speaking that from he maunger, which he afterwardes spake while he preached: Learne of me, for I am meeke, & humble of Hearte: and vnlesse you be conuerted, and become as litle Children, you shall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen: and whosoeuer shall humble himselfe as this Childe, he shalbe greater in the kingdome of Heauen. These, & other like wordes he is there preaching by his Example, which I am to hearken vnto with greate deuotion, beseeching him to open the Eares of my Hearte, that I may vnderstand this Language, and put it in practize.

O soueraigne Childe, that euen from this maunger art inuiting mee to become a Childe, & wast allwayes so greate a Louer of Children, that thou didst louingly embrace them: make me like thee, a Childe in Inno∣cencye, a litle one in Humillitye, an Infant in Silence, and tender in Charitye. In these soure thinges con∣sisteth the making ourselues Children, to become greate in the eyes of God.

Then will I contemplate the workes that he doth: [ 3] wherein there is one meruailous thing to consider: for being a man as perfect in Iudge∣ment as when he was thirtie yeares olde, he did all the Actions, gestures, and semblances of a

Childe, not counterfaited, nor fained, but really, and truely, as other Children doe, with an Admirable Harmonye, for him that knoweth how to ponder the connexion of these two things togither. In particular I will now ponder that weeping of the Childe, and the causes of his teares: he weepeth not so much for greife of what he suffereth, as other Children doe, as for that which we suffer by our Sinnes, louingly bewailing them; and with those teares joyning interiourly most zealous praiers to the eternall Father, doing as S. Paule sayed of him: That in the dayes of his fleshe, he offred praiers, and Supplications to God with greate Clamour, and Teares. And it is to be beleeued, that the blessed VIRGIN wept, seeing her Sonne weepe, and considering the causes wherefore he wept.

O sweete IESVS, why lamentest thou so bitterly my miseries, forgetfull of thine owne! O my Soule why weepest thou not, seeing this Childe weepe, that so weepeth for thee! Weepe thou for Compassion to see him weepe: weepe because thou art the cause of his weeping, and weepe for thy Sinnes that afflict his Hearte: and if this make thee not weepe, then weepe because thou art so harde hearted that thou canst not weepe, hauing so much reason to shed abundance of Teares. O most sacred VIRGIN, obtaine for me the gift of Teares, if it be but to accompanye thee with them, to comfort thy Sonne, who is comforted to see vs weepe, and sayed: Blessed are they that mourne, for they shalbe comforted.

Lastly, [ 4] I will contemplate what things this Childe suffereth: which are, Pouertye, Contempt, Colde, and Dolour, with other discommodities, all which he suffereth not forcibly, nor of neces∣sitye,

but willingly, and pleasingly: for as he is God, and man in Iudgement, he maketh choise of all that he suffereth. He chose to be borne in the most rigorous time of the Winter, in the coldest hower of midnight; in the most vile, and contemptible stable of all the Cittye; with the greatest Pouertye, Contempt, and forgetfullnesse of men that was possible: and all with such a maske of Humillitye, that beeing voluntary, it seemed forced, and consequently most vile, and contemptible. Finally, from the maunger (as he himselfe saieth in one of the Psalmes) hee tooke for his inseparable companions euen vntill deathe, Pouertye, Contempt, Dolours, and Af∣flictions: and in all these thinges he suffered a thousand kindes of Afflictions, electing such a manner of Life contrary to that of the Worlde, to discouer by his example the Deceites, and Errours of worldelings that doe followe it. For as S. Bernard saieth: It is a matter very eui∣dent that the worlde erreth, choosing for his Com∣panions, Riches, Honours, and Delicacies, when as Christ the Infinite wisdome, who can neither de∣ceiue himselfe, nor beguile vs, chooseth the con∣trarye. With this Consideration, I am to con∣founde myselfe in the presence of this most blessed Babe, seeing how contrarily I haue liued to that, which he teacheth, purposing to imitate him from hence forwarde, choosing to suffer what he suffereth, and beseeching him to make me worthy to suffer with him, and as he; not of necessity, but acceptably, and willingly for his Loue.

O soueraigne Childe, who like another Dauid art the wisest Prince among three: for of the three diuine Persons thou art the second, to whome wisdome is

attributed: what doest thou seated here in this chaire of the maunger, being silent, without speaking vnto vs? Thou art the most tender litle worme of the wood, that violently killest eight hundred: for with the Contempt, and Humilliation that thou hast in the worme-eaten wood of thy poore harbour, thou killest with the violence of thy diuine Loue, the innumerable violences of the Loue of the worlde. O most wise, and most valiant Prince which silently instructest, and silently killest, teache me to followe with silence thy Contemptes, and kill in my Hearte worldely Affections, that making myselfe a Worme in imitation of thee, I may merit to ascende to beholde thee in the throne of thy Glorye. Amen.

Notes

• Of the person of the Childe.
• Isa. 66.1. Psal. 79.2.
• Abac. 3.2. inxta 70. Ioan. 1.1.3 Heb. 1.2.3 Ps. 103.2. Heb. 1.3.
• Colloquie. Ex D. Ber. ser. 1. in Epiph.
• Matt. 18.3. Of the Wordes
• Heb. 10.9 Psal. 39.
• Matt. 11.29. & 18.3.4.
• Colloquie. Mar. 10.16.
• Of the Workes that he doeth.
• Heb. 5.7.
• Colloquie.
• Matt. 5.5.
• Of the things that he suffereth
• D. Th. 3. p. q. 35. ar. 8
• Ex D. Ber. ser. 3. de Natiu.
• Psa. 87.16
• Colloquie. 2 Reg. 23.8.