Meditations on the mysteries of our holy Faith
Puente, Luis de la, 1554-1624
m 1 W UJ o eO m un (J r^ 5 = ,_q *- ^— ^— ^ i ' 1/1 = Osassss r-^ > ,^^^-1 ■ n Ess = _a :i% *»& a.-aR &*•• ^RAuk* (X^^l^ ' nf-flsisLZ/ /dc^€H^1^j^^<X^n^7 JL</: 100^ ^ £^c^a^rA MEDITATIONS MYSTERIES OF OUR HOLY FAITH. MEDITATIONS ON THE MYSTERIES OF OUR HOLY FAITH: TOGETHER WITH A TREATISE ON MENTAL PRAYER. BY THE VEN. FATHER LOUIS DE PONTE, S. J. BEING THE TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL SPANISH BY JOHN HEIGHAM. REVISED AND CORRECTED. TO WHICH ARE ADDED THE EEV. F. C. BORGO'S MEDITATIONS ON THE SACRED HEART. TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN. IN SIX VOLS.— VOL. II. ^errmssu Superior urn. LONDON. RICHARDSON AND SON, 172, Fleet-street ; 9, Capel-street, Dublin ; and Derbv, mdccclii. DEC -4 1954 TO THE HEADER. The present volume being the smallest of the six of this work, it has been thought advisable, for the sake of uniformity, to add to it, rather than to any other, the Appendix of F. Borgo's Meditations on the Sacred Heart ; for, as being by another author, they cannot properly be inserted within the body of the Sixth Part, where they might otherwise natu- rally have followed, the end of the second part seemed as suitable as any other. TABLE OF CONTENTS OF VOL. II. PAGE PART II,— For Proficients in the illuminative way. Introduction —On the perfect imitation of our Saviour Christ, which is the end of these meditations. ... A.— Meditations on the mysteries of the Incarnation and infancy of our Lord Jesus Christ until His Baptism, together with meditations on the life  the celes- tial King Christ Jesus our Lord, and of the vocation He makes, inviting all men to follow Him .. .. 13 Meditation 1.— On the decree made by the most holy Trinity, that the second divine Person should become man for the redemption  in this mys- tery of the Incarnation, and the great benefits received from it. 30 III.— On Almighty God's decree to be born of a woman ; and on the election of our Blessed Lady for His mother: and the singular graces that He granted her on that  Lady until the Incarna- tion : in which are considered her nativity : — her presentation in the Temple— and her espousal to St. Joseph. 46' „ V.— On the time that Almighty God chose to announce and execute the mystery of the Incarnation. 62 „ VI.— On the coming of the angel Gabriel, to announce to the Virgin the mystery of the Incarnation : and the form of salutation and the removal of her fear. 69 „ VIL— On the angel's annunciation and declaration of the mystery of the Incarnation to the Blessed Virgin 82 „ VHL— On the final answer given to the angel by the Virgin, consenting to his embassage .. .. 90 „ IX.— On the execution of the Incarnation ; and of some of its circumstances as concerning the body of our Lord Christ .. .. .. .. 99 „ X.— On the excellence of the most holy soul of our Sa- viour Christ, and of the heroic acts of virtue that He exercised  eternal Word incarnate made in His mother's womb, to the house of Zacharias to sanctify His fore-runner St. John the Baptist .. .. .. Meditation XV.— On the expectation of our Blessed Lady's delivery; and on the  Blessed Lady the Virgin. from INazareth to Bethlehem .. •• .. 159 „ XVII.— On the birth of our Saviour Christ in a stable at Bethlehem .. .. •• .. .. 1G5 „ XVIII.-On the joy of the angels at the nativity of the Son of God : and on the tidings which they related to the shepherds .. .. •• ..174 „ XIX.— On the journey of the shepherds to Bethlehem; and the things occurring to them there, with other incidents till the Circumcision. 181 „ XX.— On the  the name of Jesus to our Saviour Christ.. 191 „ XXIL— On the coming of the three kings of the East, to adore  sages from Jerusalem, and their entrance into the stable at Bethlehem, and the occurrences there .. .. .. .. 209 „ XXIV.— On the purification of the Blessed Virgin ; and on the presentation of the Child in the Temple. 217 „ XXV.— On the occurrences at the presentation, with Simeon, and Anna the prophetess. 224 „ XXVI.— Containing a form of prayer, of applying the inte- rior faculties of the soul, to the contemplation of the mysteries that have been meditated .. 232 „ XXVII.— On the flight into Egypt .. .. .. 242 „XXVI1I.— On the murder of the holy Innocents: and the return from Egypt. • • 254 „ XXIX.— On the coming of our Saviour Christ to the Tem- ple of Jerusalem, and His remaining there among the doctors • •. • • • • 258 „ XXX.— On the conduct of the Blessed Virgin on seeing that she had lost her Son, until she found Him. 263 „ XXXI— On the life led by our Saviour Christ at Nazareth until He was thirty years old .. .. .. 275 Appendix, containing the twelve meditations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, translated from the Italian of Fr, C. Borgo. 287 MEDITATION i.— On the ends for which the B. Sacrament was instituted .-289 ii.— In honour of the Sacred Heart for its life of beatitude. 292 iii. „ „ life of grace 295 iv. ,, „ life of sacrifice. 299 v. A.— MEDITATIONS ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE INCARNATION AND INFANCY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR CHRIST JESUS, UNTIL HIS BAPTISM. WITH THESE ARE INSERTED MEDITATIONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR BLESSED LADY, UNTIL THE SAME TIME. INTRODUCTION. ON THE PERFECT IMITATION OF OUR SAVIOUR CHRIST, WHICH IS THE END OF THESE MEDITATIONS. 1. The meditations belonging to the illuminative way, of which we begin to treat in this Second Part, have for their subject the mysteries of the Life of our Saviour Christ, from the time of His Incarnation until His death upon the cross. These, as it appears by what has been said in the Introduction of this book, in the fourth chapter, are divided into three parts: — (i.) those of His incarnation and child- hood ; — (ii.) those of His preaching ; — and (iii.) those of His passion and death. After which follows the glorified life, which pertains to the unitive way; to this, also, are highly conducive, the mysteries of the passion, in which our Saviour Christ discovered the excess of His love, as hereafter shown. All these mysteries the divine wisdom ordained, in order that they might be, with a pleasing 10 INTRODUCTION — ON THE PERFECT IMITATION variety, the spiritual sustenance of those souls that travel to perfection. Into which souls this sovereign king enters, as into the "cellar of His precious wine." (1) And from these mysteries, as from celestial vessels, He draws the fervent wine of love, and of other ardent affections, with which He cheers, sustains, and inebriates, setting in order charity in them, with that order with which our Lord Himself exercised His acts ; to which He invites and exhorts us, saying : "I am come into my garden, 0 my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrh with my aromatical spices ; I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey ; I have drunk my wine, my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved.'' (2) Which is to say : " By my Incarnation I come into the garden of my Church, and in entering into the world, I cut the myrrh of much bitterness and mortification, that I suffered in my infancy, with the 'aromatical spices' of most odoriferous virtues. OF OUR SAVIOUR CHRIST. 11 it alone, but with the imitation of the heroic virtues included therein, figured by the honey, that nourish with its sweetness. — And, finally, 'drink' and be inebriated with the wine of my perfect love, mingled with the ' milk ' that I will give you of my divine consolation ; with which you will so easily renounce the affections of all earthly things, that you shall, if need be, remain naked upon another cross, to imitate my nakedness, and to love me as I loved you.'' 2. These are the three principal exercises of well-ordered charity in her three estates, of beginning, augmentation, and perfection. And these same in that form and degree prescribed, are the principal ends to which the meditations of the childhood, preaching, and passion of our Saviour Christ are designed ; of which the three parts that follow treat. Among these, those of this second part, which are of His childhood, have this excellence, that they move us to love Him with more tenderness, and to imitate Him with more sweetness; because, as in making Himself a child for us, He accommodated Himself, as the prophet Isaias says, (3) to " eat" the food proper to children, which is " butter and honey " ; so, also, to those that meditate the mysteries of His infancy, especially to beginners, He uses to give more abundantly the milk and honey of divine consolation, to wean them from terrene, and to animate them to the imitation of His heroic virtues. 3. To attain these ends, we should endeavour, by means of these meditations, to know Christ Jesus our Lord, true God and man, with so certain, proper, entire, and perfect a knowledge, that it may come to understand and pene- trate the infinite dignity of His person, and the inestimable riches and treasures of His grace, with great esteem and appreciation of it. For in this knowledge, as is testified by (3) Isai. vii. 15. 12 INTRODUCTION — ON THE PERFECT IMITATION, ETC. our Saviour Himself, consists " eternal life." (4) And from it, as from seed, proceed the means to obtain it ; and with its breath is enkindled, in "meditation," the fire (5) of charity, which enflames us with His love, from which springs fortitude of heart to imitate His life with so great perfection, that, according to St. Gregory Nyssen, (6) a Christian may be called " alter Christus" another Christ in humility, patience, and all the other virtues ; as we say of a wise man, that he is another Solomon. 4. The manner of meditating upon these mysteries, to effect what we aim at, must be to carry our eyes fixed upon four things, (7) and to ponder them with attention. i. The first is, to behold the persons that are intro- duced in the mystery, with the excellencies and interior affections that are in them. ii. The second is, to consider the words they speak, and the end of which, and the manner with which they speak. iii. The third is to behold their works, and the virtues resplendent in those works. iv. The fourth is, to consider what things they suffer with all their circumstances, considering the ends of it, and motives to it. Out of all these four things, I am always to draw some profit to myself, animating myself to imitate what may be imitated, with those other affections and colloquies that we spoke of in the beginning of this book. (8) All this is to be done in every point that the medi- tation shall have, following the order of the history, as will be seen in its progress. And since among the per- sons that are treated of in many of these mysteries, (4) John xvii. 3. (5) Psal. xxxviii. 4. (6) Sermone de perfecta forma hominis Christiani. (7) Ex Patre Ignatio in primo exercitio secuncLe et tertise hebdomadae. (8) In the Introduction, chapt. 1 and 2. ON THE EXCELLENCE OF THE CELESTIAL KING. 13 especially in those of the second part, the principal is our blessed Lady the Virgin, we must principally attend to drawing out of these meditations the knowledge and love of her, and the imitation of her heroic virtues, ascending from the imitation of the mother, to the imitation of her Son, seeing she may say to us much better than St. Paul, " Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ."(9) 5. To dispose us the better to the -desire and estimation of the end that has been spoken of, the meditation follow- ing, of vocation to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ, will help very much, as a foundation of these meditations, imagining Him in -the likeness of a most excellent king, elected by Almighty God, that should raise up men to make war upon His enemies, inviting His vassals to follow Him, and promising them, that if they accompany Him in the fight, they shall enjoy with Him the spoils of the victory. (10) THE FUNDAMENTAL MEDITATION. ON THE INFINITE EXCELLENCE OF THE CELESTIAL KING, CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD, AND ON THE VOCATION THAT HE MAKES, INVITING ALL MEN TO FOLLOW HIM. POINT I. First, I must consider that our Lord Christ is a most excellent king, elected by the eternal Father to rule and govern men, commanding all to obey Him as their proper king and lawful Lord ; according to that which He Himself said by the prophet David : "I am appointed king by Him over Sion His holy mountain, preaching His commandment. "(1) (0) 1 Cor. ii. I. (10) Exs. Patre Ignatio in principio secundae hebdomadae. (1) Psal. ii. 6. 14 THE FUNDAMENTAL MEDITATION. 1. Upon this truth, I am to consider first, the infinite charity of the eternal Father in the election of this sovereign king ; since being resolved to give men a king, He made choice of the best that He could give us : who, on the one side, should be true man as concerning our nature, that He might be before us with His example, and treat us with meekness and compassion : and on the other side should be true God, and His only begotten Son, that by His infinite power He might remedy and aid us. For as St. Leo the Pope says, (2) "if He had been man only, He could not have remedied us : and if He had been God only, He could not have given us example." 2. Hence I will ascend to consider the excellencies of this king, in whom concur all the qualities that can be in a most perfect king, (3) as is manifest by those that are attributed to Him by the prophets. But principally I will consider His infinite wisdom, by which He knows our necessities and miseries ; — His omnipotence to remedy them ; — His mercy in compassionating them ; — His bounty and charity in desiring to redress them ; — His providence in being careful for our good ; — His meekness and affability in treating us as brethren ; — His liberality and magnifi- cence in sharing among us His riches, and giving us all that he has, even to His very body and blood ; — His jus- tice and prudence in government, directing us with great integrity and uprightness ; and, finally, His eternity with perpetual constancy in His celestial empire, which will never have an end. 3. And to make myself more entirely affectionate in this, I will make a comparison between earthly kings and this heavenly King : for they impose tributes and taxes upon their vassals, and exact them with rigour, (4) He quits (2) Serm. 1 . De Nativitate. (3) Psal.xliv. 3, &c. Jerem. xxiii. 5. Zach. ix. 9. (4) Is. x. 12. ON THE EXCELLENCE OF THE CELESTIAL KTNG. 15 all those, and lovingly pays their debts Himself : they impoverish their vassals to enrich themselves ; — He im- poverishes Himself to enrich them with His poverty ; (5) they err oftentimes in their government through ignorance, passion, or malice : — H e never errs because He is infinitely wise, just, and good ; they impose very heavy laws on their subjects, and yet excuse themselves from fulfilling them ; — He imposes laws very " sweet," (6) and by His own example animates men to fulfil them. Finally, those are temporal kings, that end with death ; and their empires, be they "of gold, or silver, of brass, or of iron, will perish, because they are founded upon feet of clay :" (7) but this King is eternal, and His kingdom shall never have end, because it is founded upon Almighty God. 4. From these three considerations, and from each one of them, I must extract several affections of praise, joy, and thanksgiving, with great resolutions and offers to do much in the service of this sovereign King : sometimes to this purpose I will speak to the eternal Father : at other times to this royal King, His Son ; and at other times to myself, exhorting myself to them in this manner. Colloquy. — 0 my soul, praise, and glorify the celestial Father, for having given thee a King so potent, so wise, and so holy : rejoice at the good for- tune that has befallen thee, to have so loving a King, of whom thou mayest obtain favour and interior friendship. If men make so much account to be the familiars of earthly kings, how much more oughtest thou to account thyself, for being the familiar, and favourite of the King of heaven ! 0 sovereign King ! I rejoice at the infinite greatness which Thou hast, for which I beseech Thee to take me under Thy (5) 1 Cor. viii. 9. (6) Matt. xi. 23-4, &c. 29. (7) Dan. ii. 32. 16 THE FUNDAMENTAL MEDITATION. protection : for seeing Thou art He that " ruleth me, I shall want nothing. "(8) POINT II. Secondly, I must consider the speech that this sovereign King makes to all His vassals, persuading them to ac- complish the commandment (9) of His Father, saying to them : " My most just will is to make war upon my enemies, 'the devil, (10) the world, and the flesh,' and upon all vices and sins ; and triumphing over them, to enter into the Kingdom of my Father : therefore whosoever will follow me in this enterprise let him live like me, and he shall reign like me : let him imitate me in the fight and without doubt, he shall have part in the victory." And this is founded upon that which the same our Lord said by St. John : " If any man minister to me, let him follow me, and where I am there also shall my minister be :'' which is to say, "Whosoever offers himself to my ser- vice, must live as I live, and so shall he enjoy the eternal reward that I enjoy." (1 1) Upon this vocation I will reason, pondering its sweetness and efficacy, and the great reasons that are used to move me to hear, and to follow this our Lord. i. Because He that calls me, is a King of so great majesty, so great a benefactor, and free a Giver, that on a thousand accounts I am bound to His service. ii. Because the enterprise is just, and much more to my profit than to His, seeing it is ordained to destroy my enemies, from whom I receive so great evils. iii. Thirdly, because He goes fighting before me, and has descended from heaven to give me an example : and is it (8) Psal. xxii. 1. (9) Psal. ii. 6. (10) 1 Joa. iii. 111. " In hoc apparuit filius Dei ut dissolvat opera. diaboli." • (11) Joan. xii. 26. ON THE EXCELLENCE OF THE CELESTIAL KING. 17 much that a mean soldier should do that which his cap- tain, and his King does, when as Gedeon, and Abimelech, in saying to their soldiers, " what you shall see us do, do you the same,"(12) were instantly obeyed? iv. Fourthly, for the assurance that He gives us of victory, and the great reward that He will give us, if we conquer. v. Fifthly, for the great glory, and honour that will ensue, as well to Him, as to His Father, and to all His vassals. Colloquy. — 0 eternal King, I give Thee thanks for the sweetness with which Thou callest us, attracting us to Thy service with the cords of Adam weaved with so eifectual reasons. (13) 0 that all men by Thy divine light might understand them, that all with ardent charity might follow Thee ! POINT III. Thirdly, I will consider the divers kinds of men that are in the world, to whose notice this vocation comes. 1. The first is of those that make themselves deaf to this calling, who being deluded with the goods of this life, will not follow this King ; considering the ingratitude, and disloyalty of these wretches, compassionating their deafness, and grieving that the number of them should be great; for, as St. Bernard says,(14) all Christians desire to arrive where Christ is, and yet few will follow after Christ : all would have the reward of those that follow Him, but there are not many that will endure the labour of following Him : who in chastisement of their dis- obedience, like those that were called to the banquet, and excused themselves, (15) never attain to enjoy His sweet (12) Judic. vii. 17. and ix. 49. (13) Oscae. xi. \4. (14) Serm. 21. in Cant. (15) Luc. xiv. 18. 18 THE FUNDAMENTAL MEDITATION. society : to whom our Lord swore that they should never more " taste of His supper :" using likewise to them that speech of the divine Wisdom : " because I called you, and you refused : I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded ; you have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions, I also will laugh in your destruction," (16) chastising your rebellion with death everlasting. 2. The second kind is, of those who are willing to follow this King and to accompany Him in this warfare, but not heartily, contenting themselves with keeping His commandments, desiring to remain with their riches, and dignities, and to enjoy the lawful pleasures of matrimony, because they have not a mind to arrive at greater per- fection ; like that young man who from his infancy had kept the commandments of Almighty God, and when Christ said to him, that if he "would be perfect," he should go sell what he had and give to the poor, " and come follow Him,"(17) he went away sad, and would not do it, contenting himself with doing what he was wont to do. Although these do what is sufficient for their sal- vation ; yet, as their imitation comes short, so also their reward shall be short. For it is a kind of coming short for a soldier not to imitate his captain in all that he can, to his uttermost power, when his captain does for him more than he is obliged. 3. The third kind is of those who, with a generous mind, offer themselves to follow this King in all and through all, observing not only His precepts, but also His counsels, as He Himself observed them ; living in poverty, chastity, and obedience; renouncing riches, and the lawful pleasures of matrimony, and even their own liberty to imitate their Lord perfectly. These are religious men, (16) Prov. i. 24. 25. (17) Matt. xix. 21. ON THE EXCELLENCE OF THE CELESTIAL KING. 19 who, as they imitate Christ with more perfection, so also they receive of Him a more copious reward ; one in this life, which is the "hundredfold," and the other after- wards in " life everlasting." (18) To this manner of life it were well if we should all of us offer ourselves, not so much for the temporal and eternal interest that ensue, as for the infinite obligation that we have to love and serve this great King ; and because, as the wise man says, " it is a great glory to follow the Lord" (19) with perfection; and the nearer we follow Him, labouring to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect, and as is this King and mas- ter whom, for our example, He has given us, the greater shall be our glory. Hence it is, that those who, by a special vocation, have not been called to this kind of life, are to show the good will they have to serve this sovereign King, saying to Him, with the royal prophet David, " My heart is ready, 0 God, my heart is ready.'1 (20) Behold me here ready to fulfil Thy precepts, and likewise prepared to observe Thy counsels. I offer myself for Thy love to follow Thee in poverty, and chastity, abandoning my liberty, and all whatsoever I have for Thy glory, if Thou wilt but vouchsafe to call me to such a kind of life. 4. To these three kinds of persons may be added a fourth, which is of those that are called by this celestial King, not only to imitate Him in poverty, chastity, and obedience; but also to be His instruments to call others, and by His favour to fight, not only against their own ene- mies ; but also against the enemies of their neighbours, assisting them in their salvation, and inviting them, as Wisdom says, to the "tower, and to the walls of the city;" (21) that is, to the highest Christian perfection. Of this class are those religious whose end is, in imitation of (18) Matt. xix. 29 (19)'Ecc1. xxiii. 38. (20) Psalm cvii. 2. (21) Prov. ix. 3. 20 THE FUNDAMENTAL MEDITATION. the apostle, to attend, not only to their own salvation and perfection; but also to that of others. And such is the end of our Society of Jesus; for we that are religious in it profess to be the companions of Jesus in this enterprise, and those who are called in this manner ought to be exceedingly contented with their vocation, considering its excellence, and give many thanks to Him that called them, offering themselves with great courage to undertake any labour and journeys whatsoever, whether anions Christians or infidels, even to the shedding of their blood, if need be, for the glory of Almighty God, and the salva- tion of their souls; using those words of the prophet Isaias: "Lo here am I; send me, O Lord, whither Thou wilt, for I am ready to do whatsoever Thou commandest me." (22) THE CONCLUSION OF THE FOREGOING. 1. By what has been said in this meditation, I infer with what spirit we are to enter into the meditations ensuing ; every one endeavouring to imitate Christ our Lord most perfectly, conformable to the state that he has chosen ; if he be a religious man, following his proper institute with perfection; if he be in a state of continency^ or the priesthood, fulfilling all his obligations with integrity; and if he be a married man, despoiling his heart of inordinate affections to the things that he possesses, according to the rule of the apostle, that says: "They also who have wives, let them be as if they had noiie ;" " and that buy, as though they possessed not ;" " and they who use this world as if they used it not," (23) doing all things in such a manner, that for them they neither lose Christ, nor grow cold in His love and holy service. 2. But those who have not yet chosen a state, and (22) Isa. vi. 8. (23) 1 Cor. vii. 29. ON THE DECREE MADE BY THE HOLT TRINITY. 21 desire to make choice of that which is most convenient for their salvation and perfection, their end must be, to regard what our Lord Christ inspires them with to imitate Him in that degree of perfection to which they shall find they are moved. In this they will be aided by the sixth, seventh, and eighth meditations of the third Part. MEDITATION I. ON THE DECREE MADE BY THE MOST HOLY TRINITY, THAT THE SHCOND DIVINE PKRSON SHOULD BECOME MAN FOR THE RE- DEMPTION OF MANKIND, LOST BY THE SIN OF ADAM. i. In the entrance of this meditation, and of those en- suing which treat of this mystery, it will not be amiss to imagine Almighty God our Lord Three and One, seated on a throne of infinite majesty, environed, as St. John savm him,(l) with the "rainbow of heaven," the symbol of His infinite mercy, with the three colours of His infinite goodness, wisdom, and omnipotence, with which He governs all things, and has both will, knowledge, and ability to remedy our miseries. Then will I imagine all mankind, and myself among them, through the sin of Adam, prostrate upon the earth, despoiled, wounded, and half dead, as was that poor man who in the way to Je- richo, (2) "fell among robbers :" and the three Persons of the Deity beholding them, taking compassion on them, and entering into counsel what means They should take for their remecfy. ii. With this holy representation, prostrate in spirit before this throne, and adoring the most blessed Trinity, I will humbly beseech Him to illuminate me with His divine light, that I may know the depth of the counsel that He took for our remedy, in such a manner as may be (1) Apoc It, 3. (2) Luc. x. 30. 22 MEDITATION I. to my profit. And the lovely view of His celestial bow, shall encourage me to go, as St. Paul says, "with con- fidence to the throne of grace, hoping to obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid. "(3) POINT I. The first point, and the foundation of those that follow, will be to consider the decree that God our Lord made in His eternity, for the redemption of mankind, lost by the sin of Adam, (4) pondering the causes that influenced Him to it ; some in behalf of His infinite mercy, and others in behalf of our own misery, and the lamentable means by which we incurred it. 1. First, I will consider that our Lord having created two sorts of creatures to His own image and likeness, to serve, and to praise Him ; viz. — angels and men — "angels fn the highest heaven," and men in the terrestrial para- dise ; (5) and having seen that a great part of the angels sinned, and so likewise of men ; He determined to show the terrors of His rigorous justice by chastising the angels, bending against them the bow of His indignation, and throwing them immediately from heaven into hell ; (6) not giving them any time for repentance. But to men, 'though they deserved the same punishment, He was desirous to shew the riches of His infinite mercy, determining to cure them, and to draw them out of those miseries into which they had fallen, by giving them means to obtain pardon of their sin. (7) For in nothing is the rnercy of Almighty God so resplendent, as in pardoning sins, and taking com- passion on His very enemies : neither were it reasonable that mercy should omit to show itself in a thing that so great] y magnifies it. And thus did He with men, according (3) Heb. iv. 16. (4) S. Th. iii. p. 3. p. q. 1. Art. 1 and 2, and q. 4. Art. 1. (5) Heb. ii. 16. (6) 2 Petr. ii. 4. (7) Sap. xi. 10. and vii. 1. ON THE DECREE MADE BY THE HOLY TRINITY. 23 to that of St. Paul ; — "the goodness and kindness," towards man, "of God our Saviour appeared," in that He hath saved us, not by the works of justice which we had done, but according to His "infinite mercy." (8) For which every one of us ought to give infinite thanks to this our Lord, considering that being creatures so vile, we deserved to be unprotected by His justice ; yet He took us under the protection of His mercy, rejecting the angels that were much more noble than we. Colloquy. — 0 Eternal God, true Father of mercy, with what shall we repay Thee for so sovereign a benefit as this, as that without any merit of ours, Thou givest us a remedy, to obtain pardon of our sins ? let the angels that remain in heaven praise Thee for this favour; let men that live upon the earth, acknow- ledge it, and make use of it : and let my soul melt away in Thy love, singing the multitude, and great- ness of Thy mercy, by which I beseech Thee to par- don my sins, aiding me that I may never more return to them. Amen. This consideration I am to apply to myself, pondering that Almighty God our Lord, through His mercy, has made a decree to pardon sins, and effectually pardons those that submit themselves ; yet to the rebellious He uses His rigorous justice, condemning them as He did the devils. And, therefore, I am to endeavour not to resist God's mercy, lest I fall into the hands of His justice. 2. Then will I consider the causes that, in some manner, moved the divine mercy to have compassion on our misery. One was, that Adam, by his sin, not only damaged himself, but also all that descended from him, (9) who were to be born sinners, condemned to death and to perpetual prison, incurring these losses, not by their own (8) Ad Tit, iii. 3. (9) Rom. v. 12. 24: MEDITATION I. personal will, but by that which they had in their first parent. But Almighty God was so merciful, that His clemency could not permit that His whole work, for one man's transgression, should perish without a remedy ; and that all this visible world, that was created for man, should miss its end by serving the sinner ; He, therefore, resolved to find out a remedy. Whence I will gather two motives to repose my confidence in God's mercy, alleging them as David did, as reasons for which He should remedy my misery. i. The one, because I was " conceived in iniquities;" (10) from which originally spring all miseries. ii. The other, because being the work of His hands, (11)1 am neither to be contemned nor abhorred : seeing He hates " none of the things which He has made."(12) Colloquy. — 0 most merciful Father, seeing Thou knowest the " dust"(13) of which we, Thy children, were formed, who issued good from Thee, and by Adam were made evil, have compassion on us, remedy- ing the injury done by Adam, and restoring the good done by Thee. My hands have defaced in me the work of Thy hands : let Thine, by Thy abundant grace, repair what mine defaced through my great sin. Amen. 3. Another cause was, that man sinned being tempted and seduced by the Devil ;(14) partly foi the envy that he had of his good, partly for his rage against Almighty God, desiring to revenge himself on the Creator in the creature, who by Him was so favoured, and in whom His divine image was stamped : upon which Almighty God Himself, moved to compassion, would take to Himself the cause of man, with a determination to save him, that His (10) Psal. 1. 7. (11) Ps. xcix. 3. (12) Sapient, xi. 25. (13) Psal. cii. 14. (14) Sapient, ii. 24. ON THE DECREE MADE BY THE HOLY TRINITY. 25 enemy might not remain for ever victorious. And, there- fore, He said to him, when Adam had sinned, " I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and thy seed, and her seed : and they shall crush thy head,'' (15) van- quishing him that vanquished them, and triumphing over him that triumphed over them ;• by which He also gives me hope that He will have compassion on me, and take my cause for His own, seeing the devil ever persecutes me with the same envy and rage ; and so I may say to Him with David : " Arise, O Lord, judge Thy own cause," (16) aiding me with Thy grace to crush the head of the serpent, who always persecutes me, because he abhors Thee. POINT II. Secondly, I am to consider the admirable decree made by the most sacred Trinity, that the second Person, who is the Son of Almighty God, should be made man to redeem mankind, lost by the sin of Adam ; pondering the causes that moved Him to this, some in regard of our own great necessity and misery ; and others in regard of His infinite bounty and mercy. 1. First, I will consider how the most holy Trinity, seeing in His eternity many means that He had to save mankind, either by pardoning them by His sole and pure mercy, — or by creating another new man to satisfy for them ; or by imposing this charge on the Seraphim ; — would not make choice of a means that was more easy, nor less per- fect ; — nor would He impose the charge of this work on another, but chose the best means that was possible, devising that the Son of Almighty God should become man for the reparation of man, in such a manner, that He could not give us a better healer, nor a more powerful remedy, nor (15) Gen. iii, 15. (16) Tsalra lxxiii. 22. 2 26 MEDITATION I. a more " copious redemption,'" willing that " where sin abounded," there "grace should more abound." (17) 2. To ponder this truth the more, I will consider what the first man did against Almighty God, and what Almighty God does for man; comparing the thoughts and devices of the one with those of the other. Adam disposed himself with pride to rebel against Almighty God Himself, desiring to usurp His divinity and wisdom, and to have lord- ship over all things ; by which he deserved that Almighty God should abhor and humble him, and should annihilate his perverted nature. But God, in His infinite goodness, was not only willing to pardon this injury, but to that end chose a means most honourable and profitable for man, and most humiliating and laborious for Almighty God; since the divine Word, being of infinite greatness and majesty, even "emptied Himself," as St. Paul says, taking the form of a " servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man;" (18) investing Him- self with the mortal and passible nature of His very enemy, joining it to Himself in unity of person, to draw him out of that great misery into which he was fallen through sin, and to exalt him to that high honour and happiness which he might obtain by His grace. For, as St. Augustine says, " God made Himself man to make man God; that, by the virtue of God made man, men might be God by participation." (19) 3. Finally, considering this sovereign decree, I will with great astonishment admire the infinite bounty and mercy of Almighty God, which sometimes with Moses I will magnify, saying: "0 the Lord, the Lord God, merci- ful and gracious, patient and of much compassion, and true, who keepest mercy unto thousands; who takest away iniquity, and wickedness, and sin, and no man of himself is (17) Rom. v. 20. (18) Phil. ii. 6. (19) Ser. ix. de Nativit. ON THE DECREE MADE BY THE HOLY TRINITY. 27 innocent before Thee." (20) At other times with the Sera- phim, covering with my wings the face and feet of Almighty God, and adoring this union of His divinity and humanity, I will cry out saying: "Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts, all the earth is full of His glory," (21) through the greatness of His mercy. — And at other times I will give thanks to this our Lord for this so glorious benefit, saying to Him, Colloquy. — 0 eternal God, I most humbly thank Thee for this sovereign device which Thou inventedst for my remedy, taking upon Thee my baseness to communicate to me Thy greatness. Grant that I may humble myself to serve Thee, as Thou didst humble Thyself to restore me ; and that I may do all that I can for Thy service, seeing Thou didst all that Thou couldst for my remedy. 0 my soul, do for thy God all that thou canst ; for all is but little, consider- ing how much thou dost owe Him. Learn to esteem Almighty God as He esteems thee ; and, seeing He has exalted thee to such a greatness, do not thou anything that may be unbeseeming it. (22) Amen. POINT III. Thirdly, I am to consider how, in this work of the Incarnation, our Lord God meant, moreover, to discover to us the infinite excellence of all His perfections and virtues, employing them with the greatest perfection that was possible, and to our greatest advantage. This may be seen by reasoning briefly on the principal. i. First, He showed His infinite bounty in communi- cating Himself with the most intimate union possible, uniting His own person to a human nature ; and in this manner He joined Himself in kindred with the whole lineage of man. (20) Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. (21) Is. vi. 3. (22) Leo. Serm. 1. de Nativit. 28 MEDITATION I. ii. He showed His charity in uniting this nature to Himself with so strict an union, that one and the same might be man and God, to the end that all men might be one and the same thing with Almighty God, by the union of love, giving them freely and liberally the thing that He most loved and esteemed, and with it " all " other "things" (23) whatsoever. iii. He showed His infinite mercy, joining it in a won- derful manner with justice; (24) for there could not be a greater mercy, than for Almighty God to come personally to remedy our miseries, and to make Himself capable of sorrow, that He might truly compassionate them. iv. Neither could there be greater justice, than for Almighty God Himself, made man, to pay our debt, suffering, on that account, the punishment of death, which our sins have deserved. Neither could there be greater fraternal charity, than to apply to us men, by mercy, that reward which the God-man merited by justice ; giving me an assurance of obtaining all things that are proper for me, seeing our Lord gained them all by justice, and applies to me His merits by His infinite mercy. v. He also shewed His immense wisdom in inventing a means by which to join together things so distant, as are Almighty God and man ; (25) eternal, and temporal ; im- passible and passible : and in contriving how to unloose the most difficult knot of our sins, the divine mercy pardoning them without prejudice to His justice. vi. He showed His omnipotence, in doing for man all that He possibly could to honour, and to enrich him ; for among all the divine works there is none greater, than for Almighty God to make Himself man. vii. Finally, He demonstrated His sanctity, and all His (23) Rom. viii. 32. (24) Psal. Ixxxiv. 11. (25) Ex. S. Damasco lib. 3. de Fide orthodoxo a principio. 