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 xx. Meditation vpon the vice of Lu∣xurie, and the vertue of Chastitie.

The first Pointe.

LVxurie is a disordinate appetite of sensuall pleasures, * 1.1 contrary to the order that God hath appointed therein. In this vice wee may sinne, first, by thought, consenting with the will to committe this sinne, or taking pleasure to thinke vpon disho∣nest things, with that delectation called by the schoolemen Morosa, detaining our selues volunta∣rily in this delight, or weakely resisting it, or not remoouing the occasion from whence it ariseth.

2 Secondly wee may sinne by worde, speaking fil∣thy things; by the eare, delighting to heare them, or to heare musicke, and dishonest songs: by the eye, be∣holding things that prouoke to dishonestye, or see∣ing such like representations, or reading bookes that treate of such things: by the smell, and taste, smelling, or eating, and drinking things that pro∣uoke to Luxurie, hauing in all, this sensuall delight for the ende.

3 Thirdly, wee sinne by the acte committed many waies. If by ones selfe alone, it is pollution: if with a single woman, it is fornication: if with a married woman, adultery: if with a virgin, deflowring: If with a kinswomā, Incest: if with a religious womā, or contrarye to the vowe of chastitie, it is sacri∣ledge: if with one of the same sexe, it is sodomye: if with a beaste, beastly brutishnesse: Touching by ones selfe, or by others for the same ende of delight, are reduced to the sinne of the acte consummated. In this pointe wee are not in praier to make much pause, reckoning the particular circumstances of these sinnes, least they should bee an occasion of

newe Temptations, and therefor they are rather to bee beewailed, then thought vpon, saying: * 1.2 VVretch that I am, my life is so bestiall, and filthye that I am ashamed to consider it, & afraide to looke backe on it, leaste I should a newe bee infected with the euill odour thereof. Looke, on it, o my God with thy eyes of mercye, that from my eyes may issue fountai∣nes of Teares, wherewith I may purifie myselfe from so greate vncleannes.

The seconde Pointe.

1. SEcondly, I will consider three other fortes of Punishments correspondent to luxurie, as be∣fore wee haue said of gluttonie; but much greater, for that it is a greater sinne. The first punishment is, innumerable miseries which this vice draweth with it; our Lord permitting that the Angell of fathan, who with the pricke of the fleshe ouerthroweth sinners, should likewise giue them cruell buffets, tor∣menting theyr bodies with a thousand Crosses, * 1.3 with painefull, lothsome, and shamefull diseases, with infamies, and a thousand other Torments, vntill they haue consumed their wealthe, theire healthe, their content, and their life. And as S. * 1.4 Paul deliuered ouer to sathan an incestious christian to bee bodily tormented, so whosoeuer geueth himselfe ouer to this vice, deliuereth both his bodye and soule to this cruell Tormentour, * 1.5 who though bee begin with pleasure, yet finally hee stingeth like an adder, and like a basiliske disperseth his poison.

2. Besides this, God to shewe the hatred hee bea∣reth to this Vice, * 1.6 hath inflicted vpon it terrible cha∣stizements: for this vice principally, came the deluge that drowned the worlde: and the fier that burned Sodome, and the greate slaughter that Moyses made of his Israelites, putting in one day 24. thousande to the sworde. And when as Phinees full of greate

zeale publikely slewe a publike Fornicatour, God was so much pleased with this chastisemēt, that hee forth with ceased the slaughter. For the finne of pol∣lutiō God killed a grādchild of the partriarch Iacob: and the sonnes of Hels the high prieste, * 1.7 for their car∣nallities died desastrously. It is at well knowne how deare it cost Sampson his sinning with Dalida: and Dauid his adulterie with Bethsabee: and Solomon his ouergreate affection to strange women. Then if such men were vanquished by Luxurie, and suffred for that cause so terrible punishments, how is it that thou flyest not from it? Art thou peraduenture more strong then Sampson, or more wise then Salomon, or more holy then Dauid, or more priuiledged then they, that thou shouldest not fall as they fell, nor bee chastized as they were?

3. But in hell the luxurious shall suffer excessiue torments, the fier of hell with speciall torment bur∣ning those partes of the bodye, which were the in∣struments of sinne. The imagination which was delighted in thinking vpon these carnallities, shall suffer horrid representations: and the fiue senses which were fiue fountaines of delight, shall bee fiue pooles of incredible torment. Finally from head to foote, they shall bee drenched in the lake of fier and brimstone, because during their life they ye∣alded to the odours, and blandissements of the fle∣she. * 1.8 O my soule to eschue the flames of this eternal fire, consider vvell the flames of hell fire. As one naile dri∣ueth out another: so the feare of the one fier shall expell out of thee, the loue of the other. From hence am I to drawe so firme a resolution to flye this vice (which is not vāquished but by flying) that I may flye also to take in my mouth the name therof, * 1.9 acording to that of S. Paule to the Ephesians, speaking of vncleānesse, and fornication. Nec nominetur in vobis. Let it not so much as bee named among you, least the name bring

to your remembrance, the thing that is signified. And for that there are two wayes to vanquish this vice, one by contenting himselfe with the lauful de∣lightes of matrimonie. The other much more per∣fect, abstaining also from them: the pointe that ensueth shall bee principally touching this second waye.

The third Pointe.

THirdly, * 1.10 wee are to consider sixe actes compre∣hended in the perfect mortification of luxurie, & in the soueraigne vertue of chastitie, when it hath at∣tained to its due perfection: and other sixe fauours, and rewardes that God graunteth for them. By rea∣son of which, chastitie in scripture is compared to the lilly, which hath sixe very white, and soft lea∣ues, within the which are sixe litle sprigs, with their litle buttons guilded, and kindled like fier, signifiyng by the leaues these sixe actes, or degrees of puritie; and by the sprigs, the sixe fauours, all founded vpon the golde, and fier of charitie, with the which this vertue is made most amiable, and the mortification most sweete: and to this ende wee are to ponder them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  D. Th. 2.2. q. 153.
• * 1.2

  Colloquie
• * 1.3

  2. Cor. 12.7.
• * 1.4

  1. Cor. 5.5.
• * 1.5

  Pro. 23.32.
• * 1.6

  Genes. 6.12 & 19. & 24.
• * 1.7

  Genes. 38.7. 1. Reg. 2.22. & 4.17. Iudic. 16 21. 2. Reg. 12 3. Reg. 11 11. D. Hier. in regu. monas. c. de castit.
• * 1.8

  Colloquie
• * 1.9

  1. Corin. 6.18. Ad Ephe. 5.3.
• * 1.10

  Ex D. Bonauēt. in dieta salutis tit. 4. c. 4