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 fundamentall Meditation, of the infinite Excellencye of the celestiall King, Christ IESVS our Lord, and of the Vocation that hee maketh, inuiting all men to followe him.

The first Pointe.

FIrst, I am to consider that our Lord Christe is a most excellent king, elected by the eter∣nal Father to rule, and gouerne men, com∣maunding all to obey him as their proper king, and lawfull Lord; according to that which hee himselfe saide by the Prophet Dauid: I am appoin∣ted king by him ouer Sion his holy hil, preaching his precept.

Vpon this truthe, I am to ponder first, the in∣finite Charity of the eternall Father in the ele∣ction of this soueraigne king; for that beeing re∣solued to giue men a king, hee made choice of the best that hee could giue vs: whoe on the one side should bee true man as concerning our na∣ture, that hee might bee before vs with his ex∣ample, and entreate vs with Meekenesse, and Compassion: and on the other side should bee true God, and his onely begotten sonne, that by his infinite power hee might remedye, and aide vs. For (as Sainct Leo the Pope saith) If hee had beene man onely, hee could not haue remedied vs: and if hee had beene God onely, hee could not haue giuen vs Example.

From hence I will ascende to consider the ex∣cellencyes of this king, in whome concurre all the Quallities, that may bee in a most perfect

king; as is manifest by those, that are attributed vnto him by the Prophets. But principally I will pōder his infinite Wisdome, whereby hee kno∣weth our necessities, and miseries: his Omni∣potencye, to remedye them; his Mercye, in beeing compassionate of them; his Bountye, and Charitye, in desiring to remedye them; his Pro∣uidence, in being carefull for our Good; his Meekenesse, and Affabillitye, in entreating vs as Bretheren: his Liberallitye, and Magnificence, in sharing among vs his riches, and giuing vs all that hee hath, euen vnto his very bodye, and blood; his Iustice, and Prudence in Gouernment, directing vs with greate Integritye, and Vpright∣nesse; and finally his Eternitye with perpetuall Constancye in his coelestiall Empire, which shal neuer haue an ende.

And to make mee more entirely affectionate herein, [ 3] I will make a comparison betweene earthly kings, and this heauenly king: for they impose tributes, and taxations vpon their vas∣salls, and exact them with rigour; this quitteth all those, and louingly payeth their debtes: they impouerish their vassalls to inrich themselues; this impouerisheth himselfe to inriche them with his Pouertye: they erre oftentimes in their gouernment thorough ignorance, passion, or malice: this neuer erreth, because hee is infini∣tely Wise, Iust, & Good. They impose very heauy Lawes vpon their subjectes, & yet excuse them∣selues to fullfill them: this imposeth Lawes very sweete, and by his owne example animateth men to fullfill them. Finally, those are tēporall kings, that ende with Deathe, & their Empires bee they of golde, or siluer, of brasse, or of iron shall perish because they are founded vpon feete of Clay:

but this king is eternall, and his kingdome shall neuer haue ende, because it is founded vpon God.

From these three considerations, and from euery one of them, I am to extract seuerall affe∣ctions of Praise, Ioy, and Thankesgiuing, with greate Resolutions, and Offers to doe much in the seruice of this Soueraigne king: sometimes to this purpose I will speake to the eternall Fa∣ther: other sometimes to this royall king his Sonne; and other sometimes to my selfe, exhor∣ting my selfe heere vnto in this manner. O my Soule, praise, and glorifye the celestiall Father, for hauing giuen thee a King so potent, so wise and so holy: Rejoice at the good fortune that hath befallen thee, to haue so louing a king, of whome thou maiest obtaine fauour, and interiour freindship. If men make so much accoumpt to bee the minions of earthly kings, how much more oughtest thou to accoumpt thyselfe, for being the minion, and fauorite of the king of Heauen! O Soueraigne king, I rejoice at those so in∣finite Greatenesses that thou hast, for the which I beseeche thee to take mee vnder thy Protection: for seeing thou art hee that doest gouerne mee, I am sure te want nothing.

The Second Pointe.

SEcondly, [ 2] I am to consider the speeche that this Soueraigne king maketh to all his Vas∣salls, perswading them to accomplish the precept of his Father, saying vnto them: My most Iust Will is, to make Warre vpon mine Enemies, the Deuill, the Worlde, and the Fleshe, and vpon all Vices, and Sinnes, and triumphing ouer them, to enter into the kingdome of my Father: Therefore whosoeuer

will followe mee in this enterprize, let him liue like mee, and hee shall raigne like mee: let him imitate mee in the fight, and doubtlesse hee shall haue parte in the Victorye. And this is founded vpon that which the same our lord saide by S. Iohn: If any man minister vnto mee, let him followe mee: & where I am, there also shall my minister bee. which is to say: Whosoeuer offereth himselfe to my seruice, must liue as I liue, and so shall hee enjoye the eternall rewarde that I enjoye.

Vpon this Vocation I will discourse, [ 2] pondering the sweetenesse, and efficacye thereof, and the greate reasons that are vsed to moue mee to heare, [ 1] and to followe this lord. First, for that hee that calleth mee, is a king of so greate maiestie, so greate a Benefactor, and so franke a Giuer, that for a thousand respects I am obliged to his seruice. [ 2] Secondly, for that the enterprize is Iust, and much more to my proffit then to his, seeing it is ordained to destroye my Enemyes, from whome I receiue so greate dammages. Thirdly, [ 3] because hee goeth fighting before mee, and descended From Heauen to giue mee an example heereof: and is it much that a meane Souldiour should doe that, which his Captaine, and his king doth? when as Gedoon, and Abimelech, but in saying to their Souldiours, Doe what you shall see vs doe, were Instantly obeyed? Fourthly, [ 4] for the assurance that hee promiseth vs of the Victorye, and the greate rewarde that hee wil giue vs, [ 5] if wee conquere. Fiftly, for the greate Glorye, and Honour that will ensue heereof, as well to him, as to his Father, and to all his Vassals. O eternall king, I giue thee thankes for the sweetenesse where with thou callest vs, attracting vs to thy seruice with Adams cordes, weaued with

so effectuall reasons. O that all men by thy diuine Light might vnderstand them, that all with ardent Charity might followe thee!

The third Pointe.

THirdly, [ 1] I will consider the diuerse kindes of men that are in the worlde, to whose no∣tice this Vocation arriueth. The first is, of those that make themselues deafe to this Calling, who beeing deluded with the goods of this Life, wil not followe this king; pondering the Ingra∣titude, and disloyaltye of these wretches, com∣passionating their Deafenesse, and condoling that the number of them should bee greate, for (as S. Bernard saieth) All Christians desire to arriue where Christ is, and yet fewe will followe after Christ: All would haue the rewarde of those that followe him, but there are not many that will endure the trauell to followe him: who in chastizement of their disobedience, (like those that were called to the banquet, and excused themselues) shall neuer attaine to enjoye his sweete Society: to whome our Lord swore that they should neuer more taste of his supper: vsing likewise vnto them that speeche of the diuine Wisdome: Because I called you, and you heard mee not, I will laugh at your perdition, chastizing your Rebellion with Deathe euer∣lasting.

The second kinde is, [ 2] of those which are willing to followe this king, and to accompanye him in this warfare, marry yet not to neere, contenting themselues to keepe his Commaun∣dements,

desiring to remaine with their Riches, and Dignities, and to enjoye the lawfull Plea∣sures of Matrimonye, because they haue not a minde to arriue to greater perfection: like that young man that from his infancye had kept the Commaundements of God, and when Christ saide vnto him, That if hee would bee perfect, hee should sell all that hee had, and giue it to the poore, and come followe him, hee went away sad, and would not doe it, contenting himselfe with doing what hee was wont to doe. These, allbeit they doe what is sufficient for their Saluation: yet as their imitation commeth short, so allso their rewarde shallbee short. For it is a kinde of Shortnesse for a Souldier not to imitate his Captaine in all that hee can, to his vttermost power, when as his Captaine doth for him more, then hee is obliged vnto.

The third kinde is, [ 3] of those who with a ge∣nerous minde offer themselues to followe this king in all, and thorough all, obseruing not only his Precepts, but allso his Counsells, as hee himselfe obserued them; liuing in Pouertye, Chastitye, and Obedience, renouncing Riches, and the lawfull Pleasures of Matrimonye, yea and their owne Liberty, perfectly to imitate their Lorde. And these are Religious men, who as they imitate Christ with more perfection, so also they shall receiue of him a more copious rewarde, one in this Life, which is the hundred folde; and the other afterwarde in Life euerlasting. Vnto this manner of Life it were reason that wee should all of vs offer ourselues, not so much for the temporall, and eternall interest that ensueth thereof, as for the infinite obligation that wee haue to loue, and serue this greate king.

And Because (as the Wiseman saieth) It is greate Glorye to followe our lord with Perfection. And the neerer wee followe him, the greater shallbee our glorye, labouring to bee perfect, as our heauenly Father is perfect: and as is the king, and master, that for our example hee hath giuen vs. From hence it is, that those, who by a speciall Vocation haue not beene called to this kinde of Life, are to make demonstration of the good will they haue to serue this Soueraigne king, saying vnto him with the royall Prophet Dauid: My hearte is prepared, o God, my hearte is prepared: beholde mee heere readye to fullfil thy precepts, and likewise prepared to obserue thy Counsells: I offer myselfe for thy Loue to followe thee in Pouertye, and Chastitye, abandoning my Liber∣tye, and all whatsoeuer I haue for thy Glorye, if thou willt but daigne to call mee to such a kinde of Life.

To these three kindes of Persons may bee added a fourth, [ 4] which is of those that are called by this celestiall king, not only to imitate him in Pouertye, Chastitye, and Obedience: but also to bee his instruments to call others, and by his fauour to fight, not only against their owne Enemyes, but also against the Enemves of their neighbours, ayding them to their Saluation, and inuiting them (as VVisdome sayeth) to mount vp to the Fortresse, and to the Walles of the Citty: that is, to the highest of Christian Perfection. In this kinde enter those Religious, whose ende is, in imitation of the Apostles, to attende not only to their owne Saluation, and Perfection, but also to that of others: and such is the ende of our Society of IESVS, for wee that are the Religious thereof, profisse to bee the Cōpanions

of IESVS in this enterprize▪ and those which in this manner are called, ought to bee exceedingly contented with their Vocation, considering the highnesse thereof, and to giue many thankes to him that called them, offering themselues with greate Courage to vndertake whatsoeuer Tra∣uailes, and Peregrinations, whither among Chri∣stians, or Infidells, euen vnto the shedding of their blood, if neede bee, for the Glorye of God, and for the Saluation of their Soules, vsing those wordes of the Prophet Isaias: Beholde mee here, o Lord, send mee whither thou willt, and how thou willt, for I am readye to doe what∣soeuer thou commaundest mee.

The Conclusion of what hath beene saide.

By what hath beene saide in this meditation, I Inferre with what spirit wee are to enter into the Meditations ensuing: euery one endeuouring to imitate Christ our Lord most perfectly, con∣formable to the Estate that hee hath chosen. If hee bee a Religious man, following his proper Institution with Perfection. If hee holde an Estate of Continencye, or Preisthood, full filling all his obligations with integritye. And if hee bee a married man, dispoiling his hearte of disordinate Affections to the things that hee possesseth, ac∣cording to the rule of the Apostle which sayeth: Those, which haue wiues, let them bee as if they had none: those, which buye, and possesse, as if they possessed not: and those which vse this VVorlde as if they vsed if not, doing all things in such sorte, that for them they neither loose Christ, nor growe colde in his loue, and seruice.

But those which haue not yet taken an Estate, and desire to make choice of that which is most conuenient for their Saluation, and Per∣fection, their ende must bee, to regarde what our Lord Christ doth Inspire them, to imitate him in that degree of Perfection, where vnto they shall finde they are moued: wherein they shall bee ayded by the 6.7. and 8. meditation of the third Parte.

Notes

• The Ex∣cellēcyes of our Sauiour Christe as hee is a King. Psal. 2.6.
• Sermon 1. de Nati∣uitate.
• Psalm. 44 3. &c. Iere. 23.5•• Zachar. 9.9.
• Isai. 10.13.
• 2. ad Cor. 8.9.
• Math. 11.23.4. & 29.
• Dani. 2.32.
• Colloquie.
• Psal. 22.1
• Psal. 2.6.
• 1 Ioa. 3.8. In hoc ap∣paruit fi∣lius Dei. vt dissol∣uat opera diaboli. Ioan. 12.26.
• Iudic. 7.17. & 9.49.
• Colloquie. Osea 11.4.
• Serm. 21. in Cant.
• Luc. 14.18.
• Prou. 1.24
• Matt. 19.21.
• Matt. 19.29.
• Eccl. 23.38 Matth. 5.48. Luc. 6.46
• Psal. 107.2.
• Prou. 9.3.
• Isa. 6.8.
• 1 Cor. 7.29.