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.

THirdly, I am to consider the graces, and fauours that God doth to those that confesse themselues, receiuing the sacrament with that disposition which is requisite. The which wee may reduce to three, wherein S. Paul putteth the kingdome of God, say∣ing, that it is iustice, peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost; which kingdome is promised to those that truely doe penaunce; First, hee graunteth them ius∣tice, which is the grace of iustification, iustifying, them of all their sinnes, making them his freindes, and adoptiue children, and inheritours of his heauē. And with this grace hee giueth them charitye, and vertues infused, and the giftes of the holy Ghoste, and the true beautye of the soule, which goeth to∣gither with humble confession. And if they come

to confession with iustice, there it is augmented cō∣municating vnto them greater grace, and fullfilling that which is saide in the Apocalips. Hee that is iust, let him bee more iustified, endeuoring not to cease ius∣tifying himselfe more, and more vntill deathe.

2 Secondly, hee graunteth them peace supernaturall, not onely for that hee reconcileth them to himselfe: but also for that in rewarde of the glorious victo∣rye which they obtaine of themselues, vanquishing the difficulties of confession, hee giueth them three victories ouer their enemyes, destroying some, put∣ting others to flight, ād subjecting the rest vnto thē. Hee destroyeth sinnes, casting thē into the profundi∣tie of the sea: & the diuells with their tēptation fly away, for there is nothing that, more terrifieth them then to manifest the woundes of the consciēce to the phisition, that is to cure thē. And the passions of the flesh begin to yeilde thēselues to the spirit: for whē the waies of a man are pleasing vnto God, hee will make his enemyes to bee at peace with him. And threfore it is a greate meanes of vanquishing temp∣tations, and passions to manifest them to the con∣fessor, and spirituall father: for while they remaine concealed, the diuell is in peace, and wee in a ter∣rible conflict: but in discouering them, hee flyeth, and wee remaine in peace.

3 Thirdly, hee graunteth ioye in the holy Ghost, banishing the feares, and heauinesse that spring from an euill conscience, replenishing them with a∣lacritie with the newes of pardon, according to that of the prophet Dauid; Thou shalt giue to my hearing ioye, and gladnesse, and my humbled bones shall reioyce. For taking from them the most heauie burthen of their sinnes, which wayeth them downe like leade; and the spirit of sadnesse, which withered, and con∣sumed them, they growe greene againe, and lift vp their heade with the hope of pardon, and with the pledges they receiue of life euerlasting.

4 VVith this consideration, I am to resolue myselfe to execute all that is necessary for confession, how painefull, shamefull, and troublesome soeuer it see∣meth, remembring that all is but litle, in comparison of the greate good that God promiseth mee, and of the eternall euill from which hee deliuereth mee. And if I consider what Christe our Sauiour did for the pardon of my sinnes, what dolours, what igno∣minies, and what paines hee suffered for them: that will soone appeare but litle vnto mee that God re∣quireth for their pardon. And againe if I ponder how much God might require of mee, if hee would ex∣tend his rigour, seeing I merited dolours, ignomi∣nies, and eternall torments, I shall presently see that hee requireth of mee but very litle. And there∣fore I may imagine that the same wordes are spoken to mee, which were spoken to leprous Naaman by his seruantes: Father, if the prophet Elizeus had commaunded thee to haue donne some very grieuous thing to cure thy leprosie, thou hadst reason to doe it, how much more hauing tolde thee a thing so ea∣sye as to washe thyselfe seuen times in Iordan? O my soule, if God should commaunde thee many things very sharpe, and heauy, to heale the leprosye of thy sinnes, it vvere reason thou shouldst doe them vvith greate prōptnesse, ād speede: hovv much more bidding thee doe a thing so easie to doe, as is; Confesse thy sinnes, and thou shallt bee healed: vvashe thyselfe seuen times in the Ior∣dan of penance, accompanying thy confession, vvith the seuen affections aboue named, and thou shallt bee clean∣sed of the leprosie of thy sinnes. Vaunt thyselfe, like Iob, of not hiding thy sinne, as a fraile man, nor couering vvith in thy bosome thy iniquitie. Take the counsell of the vviseman vvho saieth, for the saluation of thy soule, bee not ashamed to confesse the truthe: for there is one shame that dravveth on a nevve sinne: and another that dravveth on greate honour, and glorie. If vanqui∣shed

by shame thou cōcealest thy sinne, thou encreasest it: but if vvith shame thou confessest it, thou shalt obtaine a crovvne of greate glorie for the victorie thou gainedst by confessing thy sinnes.

Notes

• Ad Rom. 14.17. Math. 3.2. Ex D. Aug. in illud ps. 95. Con∣fessio, & pulchri∣tudo in conspec∣tu eius.
• Apocal. 22.11. Eccl. 18.22.
• Prou. 16.7.
• Ex Cas∣sian. col∣lat. 2. c. 10. & 11. D. Bona∣uen. in speculo discipli∣na. p. 2. c. 3. Psalm. 10.10.
• 4. Reg. 5.13.
• Collo∣quie.
• Iob. 31.33. Eccles. 4.24.