Meditations collected and ordered for the vse of the English colledge of Lisbo by the svperiovrs of the same colledge.

THE THIRD MEDITATION. Hovv the Sonne of God vvas made man in the vvombe of the Uirgin Mary.

1. COnsider first, that no sooner had the Virgin Mary giuen her full consent with, Fiat mihi fecundum verbum tuum; be it done to me according to thy vvord; when the holy Ghost framed of her most pure and virginall blood, a mans body, though in quan∣tity small and little, as others vse to be; yet in quality most perfect, that is, with all its mem∣bers, and senses as compleat and exact, as after∣wards he had: then created he in it a most ex∣cellent soule, and withall tooke this humanity consisting of a body and soule, and vnited it to the eternall Word hypostatically and personally: whence results this Catholike verity: God is truely man, and the Virgin Mary is truely Mo∣ther of God. And thus was celebrated in the wombe of the Virgin Mother, that wonderfull vnion and matrimonie betwixt the sonne of God and humane nature, a knot so strong and indissoluble, that death it selfe could neuer loose or cut it a sunder; Quod enim semel assumpsit nunquam deposuit. For vvhat he once assumed, he neuer deposed. What vnderstanding can here conceiue, or tongue expresse the acts, affections, and raptures, which possessed and transported the soule of the B. Virgin in this passage? The Diuines hold for most probable, that with a sin∣gular

priuiledge shee saw clearely the diuine Es∣sence, and the mysteries wrought in her, as the Angells and Saints now doe in heauen; and so no doubt shee excelled them all in knowledge and loue.

Conclude with the affections of admiration, loue and thankes-giuing: salute the B. Uirgin with the parabien of her new dignity of Mother of God: & offer thy selfe for her perpetuall ser∣uant hence forward: and be sure the best seruice, thou canst doe her, is to imitate her vertues, es∣pecially those three of charity, purity and humi∣lity, the chiefe gemmes of her diadem.

2 Consider secondly, how the humanity of our B. Sauiour at the very instant of his concep∣tion & vnion with the Word, was in the highest degree endowed with all the gifts of nature, grace, and glorie: his soule in cleare vision and fruition of the diuine essence, his body, though litle, yet euery way perfect, both in naturall and subernaturall gifts, except those of immortality and impassibility, both most due vnto it, as well for the dignity of his person, as also for the glory of his soule, which should haue redoun∣ded to the body: but he would haue it both mor: tall and passible, that he might suffer and die for man. This is the head of Angells and men, Ex cuius plenitudine omnes accepimus. Of vvhose ful∣nesse allvve haue receiued. This is the King and Emperour of all that is without God; into who∣se hands the Father hath deliuered all power, to dispose at his pleasure of heauen, earth and

hell; Data est mihi omnis potestas in calo & in ter∣ra. All povver is giuen to me in heauen & earth. That is the high Iudge and searcher of hearts Qui iudicaturus est viuos & mortuos. VVho is to iudge both the liuing and the dead. This is the end or Finis. of all Creation and Predestination; for whose sake all things are made; for whose ho∣nourall the elect are predestinated; Omnia ve∣stra sunt, quoth S. Paul, vos autem Christi: Chri∣stus autem Dei. All are yours, and you are Christs and Christ is Gods. This finally is the high Priest and Mediatour betwixt God and man; Deus homo, compendium omnium mirabilium Dei. God and man, the compendium of all gods vvonders.

Conclude with all the affections, thy heart can find, without feare or scruple of attributing to much vnto him. Adore him with all the An∣gells of heauen: giue his humanity the parabien of this new dignity of vnion with the Deity: & offer thy selfe as his most humble slaue, to wate vpon him, and serue him, as long as he shall liue vpon earth.

3. Consider thirdly, how that most noble & glorious soule of thy Redeemer, at the instant of her creation and vnion with the Word, ca∣sting the eye of her vnderstanding round about, found her selfe inclosed and steeped in the Diui∣nity, as in an Ocean of blisse: for her obiect of beatitude she hath the Godhead clearely seen, and securely possessed; for her being or subsi∣stence she hath no lesse, then the Diuine perso∣nality;

for her companion, in the same being, no lesse then the Diuine nature: for her Father the first person, the second for her spouse, the third for her loue and ioy: Intus, feris, sursum, deorsum, vndique & vndique Deus. VVithin and vvithout, beneath, and aboue, and euerie vvhere God. Who can conceiue those her adorations, humiliations, thankes giuing to God, for draw∣ing her so graciously from one extreame of no∣thing, to the other of the highest Being possi∣ble? what loue of God? & thence what hatred to sinne? what loue of man? and what compas∣sion for his losse? and knowing it to be his Fa∣thers will, what ready offerings of himselfe? what large promises to doe, to suffer & die for mans saluation? and this out of pure gratitude to God for his fauours, loue and pity to man, so beloued of God: and hatred to sinne and hell, enemyes to God: so that from the beginning to the ending all is God in Christ.

Conclude to ioyne with thy Sauiour in than∣kesgiuing to God, for all the prerogatiues and fauours bestowed on him, and by him on thee Offer thy selfe freely and really to his seruice; Paratum cor meum, Deus, paratum cor mium, vt faciam voluntatem tuam. My hart is readie, ô God, my hart is readie to doe thy vvill.

4. Consider fourthly, how soone our sweetest Sauiour began to comply with his Fathers com∣mand, and his owne promise, to suffer for man∣kind: being shut vp for nine moneths in the darke wombe of his mother, not able to moue

or stirre himselfe, bound hand and foot; vnable to see, heare or vse any other sense: which in other infants is no paine; because they want the vse both of sense and reason; but in our Sauiour, who had most persectly the vse of reason, it must needs be a great paine and affliction of mind, as it would be to any other perfect man. O how truely is it verified in him, Nescit tarda moli∣mina Spiritus sansti grace? the grace of the holie Ghost knovvs noe delayes in its vvorkes, he alone could thinke himselfe able to suffer, ere he was able to be borne: to teach vs a good lesson, not to shuffle & driue of from day to day the cōplying with our obligations, and good purposes, as commonly wee doe. Behold againe & conceiue, if thou canst, how this great Giant, whom the heauens cannot containe, in respect of whose greatnes the whole created machine is but as a moat in the Sunne, is himselfe shrunck vp into this little point of a child, a moat, an atome; thus is Immensity become a point, and the cir∣cumference a center.

Conclude two principall things, the one to mortifie and cut short thy appetites & libertyes betime, making all other pretences giue place to Gods seruice: the second, the higher thou art in place or dignity, to hum••le thy selfe so much the more; according to the counsell of the Wise man, Quanto magnus es, humilin te in omnibus & coram Deo inuenies gratiam. The greater thou art, humble thy selfe in all thinges, and thou shalt find grace before God.