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 Meditation of the greiuousnesse of Sinne, by the Examples of the Sinne of the Angells, of Adam, and other Particulars.

THE ende of this meditation is, to knowe by Examples the greiuousnesse of Sinne to ab∣horre it; and the terriblenesse of Gods Iustice in chastizing it, to feare him, and to appease him with Penance: and the Instabillity of man in good, to knowe his weakenesse, and not to trust to himselfe, but to humble himselfe before God. And all this I am to begge of our Lord, at my entrance to medi∣tation, beseeching him to Illustrate with his diuine Light my Vnderstanding to knowe it; & to mooue my VVill to haue a feeling of it with greate Affe∣ctions of Contrition: and to ayde mee, that I may bee warned by others harmes, before the Chastize∣ment light vpon myne owne Heade.

And that this meditation, & those which followe may make the deeper Impression in the Soule, I am to forme first in my Imagination, * 1.1 a figure of Christe IESVS our Lord, as of a Iudge seated vpon his Tri∣bunall to Iudgement, with a seuere Countenance, from whose Throne issueth out a riuer of fier to burne Sinners: and I will imagine myselfe before him like a deepe, & heynous Offender, bounde with the Fetters, and Chaines of innumerable Sinnes, fearing, and trembling like one that deserueth to bee condemned, and burnt with that terrible fier.

The first Pointe. * 1.2

THe first Pointe is, to call to minde the Sinne of the Angells, who were created by God in the Empy∣real Heauen, replenished with VVisdome, & Grace: but abusing their Frewill they grewe prowd against their Creator, for the which they were throwne out of Heauen, & cast into Hell, loosing for euer the en∣de, & blessednesse for the which they were created. 1. Vpon this Veritie taught vs by the Catholike Fai∣the, I may discourse, pondering three things: First

how Liberal God was to the Angells creating them according to his owne Image, & Likenesse, & com∣municating vnto them without any merit of theirs, most excellent giftes of Nature, & Grace. By reason whereof wee may say of all, as was sayed of one, That they were adorned with nine Stones very pre∣cious; that is, with nine Excellencies, which Lucifer, * 1.3 & the rest receiued in their Creation. For God made them Pure Spirits, without mixture of Bodye: Im∣mortall, without feare of Corruption: Intellectual, with greate Delicacye of VVitte: Free, that nothing could force their VVill: VVise, with fulnesse of all naturall Sciences: Powerfull, aboue all Inferiour Creatures: Holy, with the giftes of Grace, Charitye, & the rest of the Vertues: Inhabitants of the Paradise of Delightes, which is the Empyreal Heauen. And finally, Capable of seeing God clearely with pro∣mise of this Glorye if they perseuered in his Seruice: which they might easily doe, & were obliged there∣unto by the Lawe of Gratitude for these 9. Titles.

2. Secondly, I will consider, how Ingratefull some of them were against God, growing arrogant with these giftes, & arming themselues with them against him of whome they had receaued them, not giuing him that Reuerence, and Obedience which they ought to haue giuen him with Humilitie; but em∣ploying their Libertie, & Forces to offend him who∣me for so many Titles they ought to haue serued.

3. Thirdly, I will ponder, how terrible God shewed himselfe to chastize them presently, without giuing them time of Repentance, depriuing them, for that onely Sinne, of those giftes of Grace which hee had giuen them, * 1.4 & throwing them like Lightening from Heauen, to the euerlasting fiers of Hell, without res∣pect either to the beautie of their nature, or to the greatenesse of their Estate; or that they were his Creatures made according to his Image, and Like∣nesse: or that they were exceeding wise; or that

they had beene his freindes: for one mortall Sinne onely is sufficient to obscure all this, and is worthy of so terrible punishement: * 1.5 which (S. Peter saithe) Gods Iustice permitted, and ordained for our Exam∣ple. For if hee spared not the Angells sinning, but tyed with rhe ropes of their Sinne, threwe them vnto Hell to bee there tormented, although they were so noble: how much lesse will hee omitte to punishe men obstinate in their Transgressions, be∣ing so base? * 1.6 And if the Angells Fortitudine, & Virtuce maiores non portant aduersum se execrabile iudicium, vvho are greater then men in strength, and povver beare not the execrable Iudgement against them, but with greate raging, and Impatiencie; how much lesse shall feeble, * 1.7 and wretched men bee able to endure it? O how horrible a thing it is to fall into the handes of the liuing God, handes so heauye, that the Angells themselues cannot suffer them!

These three things I am to applye to myselfe pondering how liberall God hath beene towardes mee, doing mee innumerable Benefits: and how In∣gratefull I haue beene to him, committing innu∣merable Sinnes; and how I haue deserued that God should punishe mee as hee did the Angells, yea, and much more: for their Sinne was but one, mine ma∣ny: theirs was but a Sinne of Thought onely in matter of Pride; mine both of Thought, VVorde, and Deede in matter of Pride, of Luxury, of VVra∣the, and of other Vices: theirs was not Injurious to the bloud of IESVS Christe, for it was not shed for them, mine are Injurious against this bloud of the Sonne of God, which was shed for mee on the Crosse. Then this beeing so, how Iust a thing were it, that God should haue suncke mee into Hell in the Company of the Deuills, making mee partaker of their paines, seeing I would needes bee so of

their Sinnes? O God of Vengeance, hovv is it that thou hast not reuenged thyselfe on a man so vvicked as I? Hovv hast thou suffred mee so long time? VVho hath vvithhelde the rigour of thy Iustice, that it should not punish him, that hath deserued so terrible punishment? O my Soule, hovv is it, that thou doest not feare, and tremble, considering the dreadefull Iudgement of God against his Angells? If vvith so greate seueritye hee punished Creatures so noble, vvhy should not so vile, and miserable a Creature as thou, feare the like Punishment? O most povverfull Creator, seeing thou hast shevved thyselfe to mee not a God of Vengeance, but a Father of Mercye, continue tovvardes mee thy Mercye, pardonning my Sinnes; and deliuering mee from Hell, vvhich for them I haue deserued.

The second Pointe.

THe second Pointe shallbee to call to Memorie the Sinne of our first Parents, Adam, and Eua, * 1.8 who hauing beene created in Paradise, and in Ori∣ginall Iustice, broke the Commandement of God, eating the fruite of the, Tree that vpon paine of Deathe hee had prohibited them, for the which they were cast out of Paradise, and incurred the Sentence of Deathe, and other innumerable mise∣ries, aswell they, as all their Offspring.

1. Vpon this Veritie of Faithe, I may discourse as vpon the forepassed, considering: First how li∣berall God was to our first Parents, creating them of his meere goodnesse according to his owne Image, and Likenesse, and placing them in a Para∣dise of Delightes, giuing them his Grace, and Ori∣ginall Iustice: subjecting their appetites to reason, and the flesh to the Spirit; freeing them from mor∣tallity, & Penalties, to which by Nature they were subject, and granting them a happye, and ease-full Life. And all this hee did of his pure Grace, and

mercie, granting it them not onely for themselues, but also for their Successors, if they had perseuered in his Seruice.

2. Secondly, I am to ponder how Ingratefull they weere to God, and what motiue they ha•…•… thereunto: for the Serpent comming to tempt Eue〈…〉〈…〉 and promising her guilefully, that if shee did eat•…•… of the forbidden fruite shee should not dye, b•…•… should rather bee as God, hauing knowledge o•…•… good, and euill: shee suffered herselfe to bee b•…•… guiled, and eate of the fruite, and inuited Ada•…•… thereunto, who to please her, eate also thereof, trea∣ding vnder foote the pleasure of God for the plea∣sure of his VVife, without making account, neithe•…•… of the benefits that God had donne him, nor〈…〉〈…〉 the punishments that hee had menaced and threa•…•… ned him with all.

3. Then will I ponder, how terrible God shewe•…•… himselfe in chastizing them, casting them out〈…〉〈…〉 Paradise, depriuing them for euer of Originall〈…〉〈…〉 stice, subjecting them to Deathe, and to all the m•…•… series of a corruptible Bodye: which miseries〈…〉〈…〉 wee his Children incurre, because wee all sinne〈…〉〈…〉 him, * 1.9 and for his cause wee are borne the Childre•…•… of VVrathe, and Enemies of God, and condem•…•… to the same Deathe. And that which more affrigh∣teth, is, that from this Originall Sinne, that w•…•… inherite of him, proceede as from their roote, th•…•… innumerable Sinnes that are in the VVorlde, a•…•… the Inundations of miseryes that ouerflowe it whereby I may perceiue, how terrible, dreadefu•…•… and hideous an euill mortall Sinne is, seeing o•…•… onely depriueth of so much good, bringeth〈…〉〈…〉 much euell, & so highely prouoketh the wrathe•…•… God, * 1.10 though hee bee much more inclined to merci•…•… then to the rigour of Iustice. VVho shall not feare th•…•… o king of the VVorldes? VVho shall not abhorre so gre•…•…

a mischeife as to offend thee! O my Soule, if thou kne∣vvest vvhat thou didst, vvhen thou sinnest like Adam, doubtlesse thou vvouldst tremble at the heauye burden vvherevvith thou lodest thy selfe; * 1.11 O Sinne hovv heauy art thou to mee? Thou depriuest mee of Grace; thou robbest mee of Vertues; thou chasest mee out of Para∣dise; thou condemnest mee to eternall Deathe; thou subiectest mee to temporall Deathe; thou takest avvay the life of my Children, vvhich are my VVorkes, depriuing them of the merit of Glorie; thou trou∣blest the kingdome of my Soule, and fillest it vvith in innumerable miseries. O my God deliuer mee from so greate an euill. O my Soule, * 1.12 Flye from Sinne (as the vviseman counselleth thee) more then from Snakes, and Serpents, for Sinne alone is more cruell, and venemous then all they.

4. Besides this I am to make comparison of my Sinne with that of Adam, like as in the precedent pointe: for I wretche beeing tempted by the Diuell suffred myselfe to bee deluded by him, not once but often: my fleshe hath beene like Eua, that hath prouoked mee to Sinne, and my Spirit effeminated like Adam, to please it, hath a thousand times dis∣pleased God by breaking his Commaundements: and my Pride, and Ingratitude hath arriued to that height, that I haue often desired to bee as God, vsurping to myselfe that which is proper to his Deitye. Then, if God inflicted such punishment on my first Parents for one Sinne of Disobedience, and Pride, founded vpon no more then eating one Apple contrarie to the precept of God, how greate punishments haue I deserted, for so many Disobe∣diences, and Prides, and for so innumerable offen∣ces as I haue committed against him? O how lust had it beene, that at my first Sinne, Deathe should haue swallowed mee, or all the miseries of the VVorlde showred downe vpon mee.

Lastly, I will ponder, what a long Penance Adam, and Eua did for this Sinne of theirs, how bitter that morsell was vnto them, and how deare it cost them: for Adam hauing liued more then nine hundred yeares, spent them all in weeping, and mourning, and suffring a thousand misfortunes which accrewed to him with the estate of his Cor∣ruption: * 1.13 but in the ende (as saithe the diuine VVis∣dome) thorough Penance hee obtained pardon; & with this example I am to animate myselfe to la∣ment my miseries, and to doe Penance for my Sin∣nes, that God may deliuer mee from them, imita∣ting in Penance him, whome I imitated in Sinne, and beseeching our Lord to chastize mee as much as hee will in this life, so that hee pardon mee, and deliuer mee from the torments of the other.

The third Pointe.

THe third Pointe shallbee, to call to Memorie some mortall Sinne, as Perjurie, Carnallitye, or such other like, for the which many Soules are bur∣ning in Hell, and that very justly, for hauing donne Injurie to the infinite maiestie of God.

1. I am then to descende with my Consideration to Hell, which is full of Soules, among which I shall finde many that are there burning for one onely Sinne. Some for one Perjurie; others for a dishonest Thought consented vnto; and others for some other Sinne of VVorde, or of Deede. And then I will consider how all these condemned Per∣sons were men, aswel as I; and many of them, as I, Christians, that enjoyed the same Sacraments, and Sacrifices, and those Sermons, and sacred boo∣kes that I enjoye, and were perhaps sometime very holye, and highly in fauour with God: but by litle, and litle they grewe carelesse, and came to fall into that mortall Sinne, and by the Iust Iudgements of

God, Deathe attached and set vpon them therein, and for it they were most justly condemned. * 1.14 For (as the Apostle S. Iames saieth) VVhosoeuer falleth into one onely Sinne, breaking a Commaunde∣ment, is made guilty of all, as hee that breaketh manye; for hee offendeth the God of Infinite ma∣iestie, who commaundeth them all to bee obserued.

2. Then am I to make Comparison of this Sinne with many of minne, pondering with how much more reason I deserued to bee in Hell, as those Soules are, for hauing offended God, not once but many times, and in other kindes of Sinnes without number. O hovv iustly had I deserued that Deathe should haue attached mee in committing my first Sin∣ne, and that God should haue giuen mee no time of Repentance? VVhat moued thee, o my God, to expect mee more then these? I confesse that I deserued to bee in their Companye, but seeing thy Maiestie hath vvith so much mercie expected mee, I resolue vvith thy grace to bee very truely, and intirely penitent.

3. I may also consider that it is no lesse a benefit of God to haue preserued mee from Hell, detaining mee from descending to euerlasting Torments, then if, after I had beene descended, he had diliuered mee from them. For the which I may say that of Dauid: I vvill confesse to thee, o Lord my, * 1.15 God vvith all my Hearte, & vvill glorifie thy name for euer, for thy mercie hath beene very greate towardes mee, deli∣uering my Soule from the deepest Hell. And to kno∣we how to esteeme aright of this merced, & so re∣paye it, as I ought, I am to speake to myselfe, saying: If God should deliuer one of these Soules out of Hell, and giue it a time of repentance, vvhat rigourous penance vvould it doe, hovv thankefull vvould it bee to God, and vvith vvhat feruour vvoult it serue him? Thou therefore art to doe the like, considering that God hath donne thee so singular

a fauour, as to deliuer thee from the Daunger, before thou didst fall into it.

The fourthe Pointe. Of the greatnesse of our Sinnes, by the Paines that Christe our Lord suffered for them.

THE fourth Pointe, shall bee both matter of a sweete Colloquie, and of a most deuoute con∣sideration to knowe the greatenesse of Sinne, and the dreadefullnesse of Gods Iustice, by another ex∣ample much different from the forepassed; but no lesse effectuall then they, that is: by the Chasti∣zements which the diuine Iustice inflicted vpon Christe IESVS our Lorde, not for his owne Sin∣nes, but for mine, and for those of the whole VVorlde; that I may vnderstand how hee will cha∣stize man loden with his owne Sinnes, that so cha∣stized him that bore the burthen of other mens Sinnes: and how the guiltye Slaue shalbee handled, when the innocent Sonne was so terribly punished: Calling to minde that dreadefull Sentence which our Redeemer spake to the Daughters of Ierusalem: * 1.16 If in the greene vvood they doe these things, in the drye vvhat shallbee donne? As if hee should say to mee, If I bee treated with such rigour, being a greene tree, and full of fruite, with what rigour shallt thou bee treated, that arte a drye tree, and without any fruite at all?

Then I am to set before mine eyes Christe IESVS crucified, beholding his Heade crownde with thor∣••es; his Face spit vpon; his Eyes obscured; his Ar∣mes disioincted; his Tongue distasted with gall, and vineger; his Handes, and Feete pierced with nailes: his Backe, and Shoulders torne with whip∣pes; and his Side opened with a Launce: and then pondering that hee suffereth all this for my Sinnes,

I shall drawe sundrye Affections from the inwar∣dest parte of my Hearte, sometimes trembling at the rigour of Gods Iustice, who (as the Prophet Zacharias saide) vnsheathed his Sworde against the man that was vnited with him in person; * 1.17 some∣times bewailing my Sinnes which were the cause of these Dolours: and sometimes animating my∣selfe to suffer somewhat in satisfaction of my of∣fences, * 1.18 seeing Christe our Lord suffered so much to redeeme them. And finally I will beg pardon of him for them, alledging to him for a reason all his Troubles, and Afflictions, saying vnto him in an amorous Colloquie. * 1.19 O my most svveete Redeemer vvhich descendedst from Heauen, and ascendedst this Crosse to redeeme men, paying their Sinnes vvith thy Dolours, I present myselfe before thy Maiestie grieued that my grieuous Sinnes haue beene the cause of thy terrible paines. Vpon mee, o Lord, these Chastizements had beene vvell imployed, for I am hee that sinned: and not vpon thee that neuer sinnedst. Let that Loue that moued thee to put thyselfe vpon the Crosse for mee, moue thee to pardon mee vvhat I haue commit∣ted against thee. By thy Thornes I beseeche the, dravve out of my Soule the thornes of my Sinnes: by thy Scour∣ging, pardon my Theftes: By thy Gall, and Vinegre pardon my Gluttonyes: By the nailes of thy Handes, pardon my Euill VVorkes: and by those of thy Feete, pardon my Euill Steps. * 1.20 O eternall Father behoulde the face of thy Sonne, and seeing in him thou diddest cha∣stize my Sinnes, let thy vvrathe vvith these Chasti∣zings bee appeased, and vse tovvardes mee thy mercies, * 1.21 throvving all my VVickednesse into the bottome of the Sea, in Vertue of that Bloud that vvas shed for them. Amen.

This point wee shal prosecute largelie in the fourth parte.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Daniel. 7 9.
• * 1.2

  D. Tho. 1 p. q. 63. Isaia. 14 12. Luc. 10.13. 2. Petr. 2 4. Apocal. 12.9.
• * 1.3

  Ezech. 28.13.
• * 1.4

  Luc. 10.18.
• * 1.5

  2. Petr. 2 4.
• * 1.6

  2. Petr. 2 11.
• * 1.7

  Ad Hebr. 10.31.
• * 1.8

  Genes. 3.1. D. Th. 2. 2 q. 163. & 164.
• * 1.9

  Ad Rom. 5.12. Ad Eph. 2.3.
• * 1.10

  Apoc. 15.3.4. Colloquie
• * 1.11

  Psal. 37.
• * 1.12

  Eccles. 21 2.
• * 1.13

  Sapient. 10.2.
• * 1.14

  Iacob. 2.10.
• * 1.15

  Psal. 85.12.
• * 1.16

  Luc. 23.31.
• * 1.17

  Zacha. 13.7.
• * 1.18

  Isai. 53.
• * 1.19

  Colloquie
• * 1.20

  Psal. 83.10.
• * 1.21

  Michae. 7 19.