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 seuententh Meditation. Of the birth of our Sauiour Christe in a Stable in Bethlehem.

The first Pointe.

FIrst, I am to consider what the Worde In∣carnate did in the wombe of his mother, when the hower was come of his deliuerance from thence. [ 1] Pondering, first, that as he would not anticipate the time of his birth, so also hee would not deferre it, but would puntually be borne at nine moneths ende, to manifest him∣selfe vnto the worlde, with an hearty desier to begin his carreere with greate feruour, and Ala∣critye of Hearte; fullfilling that of Dauid: * 1.1 He hath reioiced as a Gyaunt to runnet he waye: his comming forth from the top of Heauen, not staying till he come to the other extreeme. For albeeit he knewe what a sharpe carreere he was to haue from his natiuitye to his Deathe, yet he rejoiced with fortitude to begin it, issuing out from the wombe of the VIRGIN, which was his Heauen, and presently setting his feete vpon the vilest, and basest place that was on the Earthe. For the which I ought humbly to thanke him, beseeching him to giue mee light to knowe, and vnderstand what passed in this his entrance.

O Childe more strong, * 1.2 and valiant then a Gyant, seeing that, respleudent like a newe Sun thou wilt issue by thy Orient, to run thy Carreere vnto the Oc∣cident of the Crosse, Illuminate my Vnderstanding, and inflame my Will, that I may beholde, & contem∣plate thy egression, and may loue with feruent zeale the Vertues thou discouerest therein.

Then will I ponder how liberall he then shewed himselfe to his mother, * 1.3 like as a mighty, [ 2] and riche man, hauing beene lodged in the house of a poore labouring man, who hath giuen him good entertainement, not for any interest, but to serue him, vseth at his departure to re∣compense him well, and to giue him some pre∣cious gift, either in gratitude, or for almes: so likewise for that the blessed VIRGIN had so well harboured her Sonne for nine moneths; at such time as he meant to departe from his lodging, hee gaue her the richest giftes of grace; a most high Contemplation of that mysterye, and certaine extraordinary Iubilees of gladnesse, in steede of those paines that other women vse to feele when they are in trauell of Childe. For it was not reason, that she that had no sensuall pleasure in conceiuing, should haue any paine in bringing forth. And allbeeit as touching the suffering Dolours, he dispensed not with him∣selfe, yet he would not that his mother in this case should suffer any. In like sorte I may con∣sider, that when our Sauiour Christ entreth Sa∣cramentally into vs, at his first entrance he giueth vs Sacramentall grace: and if we giue him good hospitallitye, before his departure, he giueth vs riche Iewells of Affections of Deuotion, and Contemplation; and Iubilies of Alacrity, where∣with he recompenseth the good entertainement,

that we giue him.

Therefore, o my Soule, * 1.4 regarde how thou harbourest this soueraigne guest, that he may leaue thee riche, and abundantly stored with the giftes of Heauen.

Thirdly, [ 3] * 1.5 I will ponder how our Sauiour Christ would for the same cause issue out of his mothers wombe after a miraculous manner, shee not suffring any losse of her Virginitye; for it was no reason that he should departe out of a house, where he had beene so well entertained, with the indammaging of the Integritye that it had; honoring heerein his mother, and aduising vs all, that to entertaine him, and to serue him, wee shall receiue no detriment: rather if neede be, he will doe some miracle to that ende. For though he did none to preserue himselfe from suffering, yet he vseth to doe it, to preserue his elected, when it is conuenient for them.

O soueraigne master, * 1.6 how well thou teachest me by this Example the Condition of true Loue, which is rigorous to itselfe, and gentle to others! for ••••selfe it will haue rigours to afflict it: but for it neighbour, it will haue fauours to delight him: ayde me with thy abundant grace, that in both things I may imitate thy feruent, and admirable Charitye.

The Second Pointe.

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, * 1.7 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.

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, * 1.8 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, * 1.9 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: * 1.10 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, * 1.11 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, * 1.12 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: * 1.13 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, * 1.14 & 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, * 1.15 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] * 1.16 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, * 1.17 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, * 1.18 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. * 1.19 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, * 1.20 [ 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, * 1.21 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, * 1.22 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, * 1.23 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, * 1.24 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

• * 1.1

  Psal. 18.7.
• * 1.2

  Colloquie.
• * 1.3

  D. Th. 3. p. q. 35. ar. 6.
• * 1.4

  Colloquie.
• * 1.5

  Before in the 14. Medita∣tion, 3. pointe.
• * 1.6

  Colloquie.
• * 1.7

  Colloquie.
• * 1.8

  Of the person of the Childe.
• * 1.9

  Isa. 66.1. Psal. 79.2.
• * 1.10

  Abac. 3.2. inxta 70. Ioan. 1.1.3 Heb. 1.2.3 Ps. 103.2. Heb. 1.3.
• * 1.11

  Colloquie. Ex D. Ber. ser. 1. in Epiph.
• * 1.12

  Matt. 18.3. Of the Wordes
• * 1.13

  Heb. 10.9 Psal. 39.
• * 1.14

  Matt. 11.29. & 18.3.4.
• * 1.15

  Colloquie. Mar. 10.16.
• * 1.16

  Of the Workes that he doeth.
• * 1.17

  Heb. 5.7.
• * 1.18

  Colloquie.
• * 1.19

  Matt. 5.5.
• * 1.20

  Of the things that he suffereth
• * 1.21

  D. Th. 3. p. q. 35. ar. 8
• * 1.22

  Ex D. Ber. ser. 3. de Natiu.
• * 1.23

  Psa. 87.16
• * 1.24

  Colloquie. 2 Reg. 23.8.