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.

AT this time also the holy Spirit was pleased to manifest the Childe to another holy woman, * 1.1 as he manifested him to a holy man, choosing to this

ende an auncient widowe whose name was Anne, who spent her life in fasting, and praier, seruing God in the Temple day, and night. And by Inspiration of the holy Spirit she went vnto the Temple when the Childe entred, and knowing by the light of Heauen that he was the Messias, she brake sorth into the praises of God, and into speaking meruailes of the Childe to all that expected the redemption of Israel.

Heerein we may contemplate the seuerall wayes, that God hath to cherish, [ 1] and comfort his Seruantes: for to Simeon before he sawe the Sauiour, he promised that he should see him, to kindle the desire that he had to see him, and to entertaine him with the promise; but vnto Anne we knowe not that he made any such promise, but that he sodainely inspired her to goe see Christ our Lord, with whose sight he comforted her, and rewarded the good, and long seruices that in fourescore, and foure yeares she had donne him.

Secondly, [ 2] I will ponder sixe vertues of this holy widowe, whereby she made herselfe worthy of this fauour, that is, Chastitye, continuall Praier, Fasting, Obseruation of Gods lawe, Deuotion to such things as belonged to the diuine worship, with Perseuerance in all for many yeares. In these vertues I am to endeuour to imitate this holy woman, if I desier to obtaine that, which by them she obtained.

O king of glory, * 1.2 giue me these sixe wings of the Seraphines that serue thee in the temple of thy Church, that I may flye with them in thy seruice, vntill I arriue to enioy thee in the Temple of thy glorye worlde without ende. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luc. 2.36
• * 1.2

  Colloquie.