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 second Pointe.

SEcondly, * 1.1 are to bee considered the signes prece∣dent to this Generall Iudgement, as Christe our Lord reckoneth them in his Gospell, pondering their number, and terrour: the things which they signifye: the effectes which they shall cause in men: the manner how they shall come to passe; and with all the causes wherefore they come to passe.

1. First I am to ponder the number of them, for all Creatures (as the VViseman saieth) shallbee armed to take vengeance on the Enemies of their Creator: & all the worlde shall fight for him against rashe incō∣siderate Sinners. And as all haue beene instruments of Gods mercye to doe them greate benefits: so then they shallbee instruments of Gods Iustice to doe them greate Dammages, and with greate reason for that they abused them to the iniurye of their Creator. And although they now dissemble this wrong, then they shall manifest it with terrible signes.

2. Secondly, I will ponder their terriblenesse, dis∣coursing of some of them. The Sun shallbee obscu∣red, the Moone shallbee turned into the colour of Blood: The Starres, or Comets shall fall from Hea∣uen like Lightening: and the powers of Heauen

shallbee mooued, for they shall make a fearefull noise like a Clocke, when it is let loose to strike the hower: the Earthe shall dreadefully tremble, like Mongibels opening it selfe in many partes: the Sea shallbee in a tumult with terrible waues: the windes encountring one another shall raize horri∣ble Tempestes: Dreadefull thunder claps, with fea∣refull flashes of Lightening shall sounde in the aire: * 1.2 and there shall appeare affrighting visions, and horrid monstres, much more horrid then in Egipt & Ierusalem. The wilde, and sauage beastes, and vene∣mous Serpents shall stray vp, and downe, running in all partes with horrible howlings, roarings, and hissings.

3. But how terrible soeuer these signes bee, they will afflict much more with the terrour of the things which they signifye, and which men appre∣hende; * 1.3 because all these are but as a draught of the dreadefull euills, which they expect: for the worlde shallbee the very pourtraiture of Hell. The dar∣kenesse of the Sun menaceth eternall Darkenesse, in chastizement of the darkenesse of the Soule. The blood of the Moone is the signe of the Indignation of God, which shall take vengeance of them, for staining themselues with the blood of Sinnes. The falling of the Starres from Heauen, is the signe of the most vnhappy fall, which they shall take from the Heauen of the Churche, to the bottomelesse pit of Hell: for they threwe themselues downe head∣long from the heigth of Grace, to the Depth of Sinne. The furye of the Elements, and Beastes, pro∣gnosticateth the terriblenesse of the Infernall Fu∣ryes against them, for liuing like Beastes without any order, * 1.4 or gouermnent of their Passions.

4. From hence it will arise, that men shall wi∣ther with feare, and Astonishment, aswell for the euills which they experiment, as for those which

they expect, * 1.5 being seized vpon by the sad Spirit that withereth the bones. O what a difference shall there bee in this case betweene those that haue a good, and secure, and those that haue an euill, and vnquiet Conscience! for albeeit that all shall fea∣re: yet the feare of the good shallbee mixed with greate confidence in Gods mercye. And so our Sa∣uiour Christe comforteth them, saying: * 1.6 VVhen these things begin to come to passe, open your eyes, and lift vp your heades, for they are signes that your redemption is at hande, the ende of your la∣bours, and the beginning of your rest. But the fea∣re of the wicked shallbee full of Desperation, * 1.7 and greate Impatiencie: for (as the VViseman saithe) an euill Conscience augmenteth their feare, and paine. And if already (saithe Dauid) they tremble with feare, where they haue nothing to dreade, how much more will they tremble where they haue so much to tremble at? beginning presently to haue that trembling, and gnashing of teethe which they shall euer haue in Hell. Pondering all these things, and euerye one of them, I will exhort myselfe to the feare of God, and detestation of my Sinnes, saying to myselfe: How is it, o my Soule, that thou fearest not the wrathe of allmighty God, who the more mercifull hee is now, shall then bee the more rigorous? why embracest thou not with loue the Sacraments, and signes of his Grace, before the ter∣rible signes of his wrathe fall vpon thee? If the Pillars of Heauen shall then tremble, why doest not thou fortifye thyselfe with a celestiall Life, that though thou fearest, yet thou maiest not fall? O infinite God naile my fleshe vvith thy holy feare, * 1.8 making mee feare thy terrible Iudgements. Let my bo∣nes bee vvithered vvith sorrovve for hauing offended thee, rather then I should bee vvithered vvith an vnproffitable feare. Let my face be couered vvith shame

for my Sinnes, that then I may lift vp my Heade for Ioye of the redemption that I expect of them. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Matt. 24 5. Marc. 13 5. Luc. 21.8 Erunt si∣gna in sole, &c. Sapien. 5 18.
• * 1.2

  Sapi••n. 5 22. 2 Mach. 5.2.
• * 1.3

  Haec au∣tem om∣nia Ini∣tia sunt malorū.
• * 1.4

  Arescēti∣bus homi¦nibus prae timore.
• * 1.5

  Prou. 17.22.
• * 1.6

  Lucae. 21.28.
• * 1.7

  Sap. 17.10. Psal. 13.5.
• * 1.8

  Colloquie Psal. 118 120.