“The Virgin Mother[138], from the time she conceived God, obtained a certain jurisdiction and authority in every temporal procession of the Holy Spirit, so that no creature could obtain any grace of virtue from God except according to the dispensation of his Virgin mother[139].  As through the neck the vital breathings descend from the head into the body, so the vital graces are transfused from the head Christ into his mystical body, through the Virgin.  I fear not to say, that this Virgin has a certain jurisdiction over the flowing of all graces.  And, because she is the mother of such a Son of God, who produces the Holy Spirit; THEREFORE, ALL THE GIFTS, VIRTUES, AND GRACES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE ADMINISTERED BY THE HANDS OF HERSELF, TO WHOM SHE WILL, WHEN SHE WILL, HOW SHE WILL, AND IN WHAT QUANTITY SHE WILL.” [Serm. v. p. 119.]

    [Footnote 138:  Serm. v. c. viii. and Serm. vi. c. ii. p. 120 and
    122.  There is an omission (probably by an error of the press) in
    the first passage, which the second enables us to supply.]

    [Footnote 139:  This writer is constantly referring to St.
    Bernard’s doctrine, “No grace comes from heaven upon the earth,
    but what passes through the hands of Mary.”]

“She is the queen of mercy, the temple of God, the habitation of the Holy Spirit, always sitting at the right hand of Christ in eternal glory.  Therefore she is to be venerated, to be saluted, and to be adored with the adoration of hyperdulia.  And therefore she sits at the right hand of the King, that as often as you adore Christ the king you may adore also the mother of Christ.” [Serm. vi. p. 121.]

“The blessed Virgin Mary alone has done more for {378} God; or as much (so to speak) as God hath done for the whole human race.  For I verily believe that God will grant me indulgence if I now speak for the Virgin.  Let us gather together into one what things God hath done for man, and let us consider what satisfaction the Virgin Mary hath rendered to the Lord.”  Bernardine here enumerates many particulars, placing one against the other, which for many reasons I cannot induce myself to transfer into these pages, and then he sums up the whole thus:  “Therefore, setting each individual thing one against another, namely, what things God had done for man, and what things the blessed Virgin has done for God, you will see that Mary has done more for God, than God has for man; so that thus, on account of the blessed Virgin, (whom, nevertheless, He himself made,) God is in a certain manner under greater obligations to us than we are to Him.” [Serm. vi. p. 120.]

The whole treatise he finishes with this address to the Virgin:—­

“Truly by mere babbling are we uttering these thy praises and excellences; but we suppliantly pray thy immense sweetness.  Do thou, by thy benignity, supply our insufficiencies, that we may worthily praise thee through the endless ages of ages.  Amen.”