persons of devotion like your self Ninâ—ly banish from your conversation all unprofitable curiosity conâ—ning the life conduct of others vanity sowrness and immoderate afection carry your self cheerfullyâ—… ciuilly but so as to avoid distractioâ— or dissipation of mind VIII READING AFter dinner the recreation following it you must read in somâ— spirituall booK for half or a quarter of an hour as shall be appointed you and that you may do this with fruit first in the beginning humbly crave grace of our Saviour to profit by it saying either veni sancte Spiritus or a Pater Ave. Secondly read not out of curiosity in haste but leisurely and with attention when you meet with any thing either moving or instructiue rest there a little while endeavouring as it were to relish it consider how you may be able that day to practice it beg of the holy ghost to imprint it in your heart Thirdly be not in pain to read â—any pages in your book read a â—â—ttle but with great recollection â—ttention always apply what yâ—u â—ead in order to practice consider â—ow then that those very truths which you read will condemn you one day before gods tribunal if you do not follow them Fourthly let not this spirituall reading be ordinarily but in solid and moving books such as your directour shall approve Fifthly be not troubled if you remember nothing of what you have read but commit all that you have read to him who is able to touch move your heart independently of those truths which you read Sixthly after your reading thanK God for having thereby instructed you make a firm resolution by the assistance of his grace to practice the Instructions he has given you IX SILENCE AFter your reading you must râ—turn to your work if you havâ— not some business which obliges yoâ— to go abroad take care at two â—… the clock to keep an half or a quarter of an hour of silence according aâ— your directour shall thinK fit Durinâ— the time of your silence first ofteâ— call to mind the silence which Jesus Mary Joseph often observed durinâ— their work uniting your silence witâ— theirs sometimes think of the sacred silence observed in heaven by the Saints who are wholly absorp't iâ— God do you sigh and long after that happy repose sometimes also entertain your self in your heart with your good Angell thanKing him for the care he taKes of your salvation promising him due respect fidelity in performing whatsoever he shall inspire you to do begging of him to present your prayers the desires of your heart to our Saviour you may at another time imploy your thoughts on the necessity of spending our time well on the account which we must render to God for every moment of our life or if you please in case you be alone recite some vocall prayers which you can say by heart but taKe care that no one perceives this Keeping of silence in you unless it be such as observe the like therefore make no difficulty in answering any question which is made you satisfying your self that you do not speak of your own accord Thirdly offer this silence to God in satisfaction for the faults you have that day committed in speaking Fourthly I would counsell you to impose on your self from time to time some little space of silence for example during a Misere when you have spoken any words of humour or sensuall inclination or against charity imposing it on your self when you have most desire to speak X. The visit of the blessed Sacrament of the prayer in the evening called the Salve TOwards four or five of the clock in the evening go to the Church either to make a second half hour of prayer if your directour judges it convenient or to be present at the Benediction or Salve Take care to perform this visit of the blessed Sacrament with spirit and fervour not meerly out of custome without fruit First on sundays present your self to our blessed Saviour to honour the glorious state of his body risen from the dead which is upon the Altar testifying the joy you have of its glory rendring thanks to the blessed Trinity for this marvellous beauty which it has communicated to the sacred body of our blessed Saviour begging of him with confidence to bestow on your body a participation of these glorious qualities at the resurrection making a strong resolution to receive with love all corporall pains which will purchase such a resplendent glory to our bodys as the pains torments which our saviour suffered brought to his doing in fine the same by an act of faith towards Jesus Christ which the Saints perform towards him in the clear sight of his glory Secondly on Mondays honour in this visit the state of a victim or sacrifice which our saviour has in the blessed Sacrament offering up your whole self to his love sacrificing to him the curiosity of your eyes the bitterness and impatience of your speech the eagerness of your desires the distractions of your mind the evill affections inclinations of your heart since Jesus Christ always bears about him this state of death and quality of a victim or sacrifice on our Altars offering himself continually on them to his eternall father for us so to honour him in this state you must all the day long carry the spirit of a sacrifice about you which will cause you in all occasions to die to your own humours inclinations to sacrifice to God your naturall repugnances And t is on this day you must possess your self of such sentiments as these that all the week following you may practice the same considering Jesus Christ in this visit as a victime both of justice loue begging of him to render you conformable to himself herein Thirdly on Tuesdays honour the exact constant obedience which Iesus practises in the blessed Sacrament submitting himself to the voice or call of a man abandoning himself to his disposall how bad soever he be and make a firm resolution of doing all things with the spirit of obedience submitting your self to all obeying those in particular who are in the place of Superiours Fourthly on wednesdays imploy your self in the consideration of the wonderful patience of Iesus in the blessed Sacrament which causeth him to suffer all the outrages of hereticks and ill christians with perfect constancy not being weary of staying lay and night upon our Altars that he may gain the hearts even of his enemies Endeavour to honour this patience by a compassion of his sufferings by asking pardon for such as are wanting in their respect unto him and by devoting your self to his justice with a resolution to suffer all things without murmuring for the satisfaction thereof even to oblige those who offend you Fifthly on Thursdays honour the humility of Iesus in the blessed Sacrament which makes
That he may become the soul of your soul that he may wean disengage your heart from the loue of of temporall goods to imitate his poverty that he may make you live a life full of humility of obedience simplicity to enter thereby into the true spirit of his Infancy II. 1. EAch day of the Octave renew these sentiments in your prayer in the evening take part in the joy which the Angells and shepheards tefied at the sight of a God become an Infant Acknowledge a God by the markes which heaven gives of him in the crib To witt in the swadling cloths in the extream poverty in which he was born stongly convince your self that you ought to be poor either in effect or in heart to resemble Iesus to save your self 2. Give in the honour of Jesus the Infant some suit or swadling cloths to the child of some poor body visit during this office the children brought up in the Hospitall doing them some service with as much affection as you would to the Infant Iesus 3. Apply your self to keep your heart in an indifferency to all things in a resignation to the divine providence in peace silence before this divine Infant as Infants are wont to live in indifferency to all things without concerning themselves for any thing reposing wholly upon the care of their parents 4. Speak little to creatures during this tyme to be the better able to imploy your self the more in the thoughts loue of the Infant Iesus forget your self to be able to thinK of nothing but him O love ô love how powerfull art thou to make of God an Infant O my heart how ingratefull art thou if thou lovest not this Infant God! This is the aspiration which thou oughtest to renew severall times a day 5. In fine approach often if your Directour rhink fit to holy communion during the Octave to incorporate your self with the Infant Jesus to act nothing but by his spirit to live no more but by his life to love humiliations poverty the interiour renunciation of all satisfaction of the heart or the senses that is the better to conform your self to these inclinations of little Iesus The exercises of Christian life during lent GENERALL ADVICES I. Lent is a time of Sanctitie THe time of lent is a time of sanctity and devotion these are the days of salvation as the scripture stiles them so that we ought to apply our selves more at this time then at any other of the year with an exact fidelity to our perfection thaâ— is to say 1. To perform our exercises of devotion with more fervour frit our exteriour exercise with a greater interiour To be more upon our guard to resist all the sallys of our humour all the unprofitable reflections or relapses of our minds upon creatures all the extravagancies of our senses 3. To use violence to ones self to overcome ones naturall repugnances to act no longer according to custome or inclination but according to the interiour spirit of grace 4. To entertain ones self more frequently in the presence of God either ones mind by a frequent recourse to him or ones heart by a constant desire to please him 5. To apply ones self with greater zeal to the practise of some vertue every month and in the day to make some interiour or exteriour acts of it 6. To make it oâ—es study to keep ones self iâ— time of prayer peaceable humble submissive respectfull before God â—ithout disquieting or troubling ones felf for all the distractions distasts sterilitys that may happen in it seeking nothing else but to please God without minding to please ones self Remembring the advice our Lord gives us not to discourse too much in it with peace of mind to be satisfied with the state of privation insensibility when God puts us therein To labour by means of our examition to know all that is bad or ill in us to correct it that which is human to purifie it that which is unprofitable to elevate it 8. Not to content ones self with an affective devotion which consists onely in good thoughts desires resolutions which one may have to do well but to perswade ones self that true devotion and solid vertue consist in doing what God will have us in spite of all our naturall repugnances 9. In ones spirituall reading to relish well what one reads as in all one 's other actions to expect therefrom all the fruit of gods grace 10 To make ones confâ—ssions with more sorrow for what is past morâ— confusion for the present more resolution for the future more circumspection ouer ones self the day one has confessed 11. To make ones communionâ— with more faith confidence loue with a more ardent desire to unite ones self to Iesus Christ with a more profound respect with a greater recollection union to the sacrifice which Christ makes in our hearts to his eternall Father more fervency in our demands more reservedness the rest of the day II. Lent is a tyme of penance PEnance is either interiour which consists in an efficacious sorrow for our sins or exteriour which compreheâ—ds satisfactory works For the first one ought all the lent long to have ones heart continually contrite humble before God so perform out of this stock of sorrow state of compunction a continuall mortification during this holy time consecrated intirely to penance So that every hour it were good to make an act of contrition for ones sins rather by a sigh of our heart then by Formall words my God forgive me I 'le sin no more my God I 'le do nothing more to displease thee For the second one ought to observe when at age the fast of the Church But 1. we must perform it with such joy as our saviour instructs us to do as may be so much the greater the more pain we have to do it for then the merit is also greater 2. We must perform it in union with the fast of Iesus Christ for to honour it 3. In the exact privation of all things that may flatter our senses I mean of the curiosity of our eyes our ears or the satisfactions or nice choice of words for we ought to joyn the abstinence of our other sences with our mouths 2. We ought to augment our ordinary austeritys according to the advice of our directour 3. We ought to distribute greate almes then ordinary yet not without our directours advice because wâ— ought to do penance at this time foâ— our whole years sins III. Lent is a time of solitude T Is at this time the better to honour the solitude of Jesus Christ that we ought to form to our selveâ— an interiour exteriour solitude The first consists in removing from our memorys all ill human unprofitâ—ble thoughts to let it bâ— taken up with nothing but God present or his holy will to blot out oâ—
far as is possible from all imperfection 4. That you may obtain these graces of the Infant Iesus say at the end of your prayer for matter whereof you may take these considerations 1. time Pater Ave 3. times Gloria Patri And often in the day time endeavour to produce in your heart most ardent desires that Iesus Christ may be born in you II. Adore Iesus in the bosome of Mary salute Mary in the heart of Iesus THE II EXERCISE For the Evening 1. WE must consider with a profound respect a God inclosed in the womb of a Virgin acknowledge in adoring him that as little as hidden as annihilated as he is in the chast bowells of the Virgin he is the same God who is adored by the Angells in heaven is the absolute Lord and Soveraign of all creatures Then unite our selves in spirit will with those all divine dispositions which he possesses in the bosome of Mary with the most loving designes he has for our salvation 2. Let us take notice of the vertues which this Infant God practised in this prison in which he was shut up for nine months together for our instruction for our good Let us admire the profound humility of an Infant shut up in his mothers womb In effect he there hides his power under weakness he there confines his immensity within the little body of an Infant annihilates all the splendour of his glory in the obscurity lowlyness of Infancy And after all this is it just that pure nothings as we are should desire to elevate our selves aboue others despise them give place to none search after the esteem of men have a high conceit idea of our selves O how far do we fly from annihilated Iesus while we elevate our selves by those sentiments of vanity 3. 3. Let us consider the patience of the same Saviour undergoing the incommodities to which all Infants are subject whilst they are in this condition Alas my Iesus from this very time thou didst foresee my impatience my murmurings my delicacy that would suffer nothing you punish't your self on their score for me from that very time I begun to give you that pain and cause you to suffer for the ungratefull sacrifice your self for miserable creatures who apprehend nothing more then to suffer O Pains ô dolours ô Incommodities of life how dear ought you to be to me since from this very time you became the hearts delight of my Iesus 4. In fine represent to your self how rude severe the mortification was which little Iesus exercised upon his senses in the womb of his mother having deprived them of their exercises of all their naturall satisfaction that so you may do pennance for all the sensuall pleasures you abandon your selves unto O curiosity of my eyes how sensible you are to my Iesus since to make satisfaction for you he remained nine months in his mothers womb without seeing any thing How highly am I obliged to you my Saviour for imposing so long a silence upon your tongue to obtain pardon for all my evil or unprofitable speeches which mine has pronounced O how heartily I renounce for loue of you all the satisfaction of my senses all the delicacys of my body and all the affections I may feel in me that are human curious or unprofitable O Iesus ô amiable Infant ô adorable victim of justice loue I unite my self to the sacrifice you made of your intire self to your eternall Father from the first moment of your life which was a sacrifice of fidelity of sorrow of obedience O grant that I may consummate it with you upon the cross 5 Say Nine Paters Aves every day to honour the nine months that Iesus Christ was in the womb of the Virgin salute Iesus as often in the womb of Mary Mary in the heart of Iesus Retire your self from company as much as you are able increase your mortifications in your time of silence keep your mind sweetly imployed with the thoughts of the profound silence intimate union of the soul of Mary altogether lost swallowed up in the bottomless depth of the heart of Iesus Enter with her into this adorable sanctuary of loue which you will find full of bounty for you wholly taken up with the thoughts of your salvation O how is Mary filled with the loue of Iesus ô how is Iesus replenished with the loue of Mary whith charity for sinners O holy Virgin I conjure you by this admirable favour which you had in the possession of your Iesus to fill my heart with the loue of him For the Feast and Octave of Christmas I. IMploy half an hour in Christmas night or in the day to think upon the most amiable mistery of the birth of Godman Consider all the circumstances of it with admiration loue represent to your self an Infant laid upon straw in a poor stable all trembling with cold bound up in swadling clouts exposed to the winds unknown to men for whose salvation he came into the world both he his holy Mother abandon'd in want of all human succours finding your self astonished at so strange a condition to which you see your Saviour reduced let your heart pierced with compassion filled with gratitude for little Jesus break out in these exclamations ô bounty ô inconceivable loue of my God! is it possible that my soul should be so dear to thee that for loue of it thou shouldst subject thy self to so many miseries O humiliations of my Jesus how do you condemn my pride my vanity O amiable Jesus so much the more lovely by how much the more you have debased your self for my sake What my soul canst thou behold a God who has dispoiled himself of the splendour of his glory embraced an extream poverty to inrich thee with his graces yet endure to take pleasure in the dresses worldly ornaments of your body You see a God which makes himself an Infant as humble poor obedient as an Infant and you can have vanity dissimulation malice repugnance in obeyying 2. Approach with confidence this most lovely Infant beg of the blessed Virgin Saint Ioseph to present you to him Adore him with respect because he is your God Loue him with tenderness because he is a victim of love that offer'd himself for your sake Mix your tears with his weep with compassion ouer his sufferings whilst he weeps for sorrow ouer your sins Fear nothing he is an amiable Infant wholly yours his heart is full of charity for you his eyes are full of sweetness tenderness he is all love Approach him embrace him with all the ardour of your heart loose your self let your self be swallowed up in this bottomless ocean of loue let your self burn consume in this sacred fire beg of this divine Infant to be born live in you
ones understanding all esteem of vanitys honours reputation before men to admit thereinto no othe esteem but that which may render uâ— great before God and by a simplâ— returne towards him to repress in our hearts all naturall motions desires or tyes inclinations to any creature and to entertain continually therein an ardent desire to please God to overcome ones self In fine to cut of all the ill unprofitable satisfactions of the senses This watching ouer ones heart ouer ones senses is called interiour solitude To perform the exteriour one we ought to cut off all visits which are not made either out of charity or necessity 2. To visit every week the poor in the Hospitall or in prisons to satiâ—fie for so many unprofitable or worldly visits made all the year 3. To keep if possible an hour of silence every day to honour that which our Saviour kept this holy time 4. To avoid in conversation that licencious ness in laughter discourses that tend to excess 5. To interdict ones self aboue all things the speaking ill of our neighbour PRACTISES OF PIETY during Lent. I. To honour the Passion the Sacred wounds of Iesus Christ with some particular devotion AS Lent disposes us to celebrate with more devotion the mysterys of the Passion of Jesus Christ so 't is convenient the better to conform ones self to the intention of the holy Church to imploy ones thoughts oftâ—n on them during this time to honour after a particular manner the wounds which our Lord received for loue of us of which I here give you the practise 1. Make every day an hour of meditation upon one of the mysteries of the Passion of our Saviour with sentiments of compassion for the sufferiâ—gs of a God of sorrow for your sins the cause of them of loue for the exceeding goodness which reduced our Saviour to so pittifull a condition of confidence in that adorable blood shed for our sakes and of imitation to animate our selves to suffer any thing at the sight of God expiring for loue pain for you 2. Say every day the little office of the holy cross 3. Let no day of Lent pass without a desire to suffer something either in body or mind by the rigour of the season by your own discontents or the ill humours of others when you find any such occasion instead of making any return or comâ—laint of others or of tenderness towards your self do you offer up likewise all your pain to Jesus Christ crucified unite your self to his interiour dispositions sacrifice your self to the rigour of his divine justice for your sins for his loue as he sacrificed himself thereto for yours Stifle all the bitterness of your heart all the murmours of your mouth with the thoughts of a God dying of loue pain for you Desire not to be pittied by men or to be eased in your pain but drink as Jesus Christ did the chalice quite pure in all its bitternessâ— if you find that day no occasion of suffering either from your self or others mortify your self in some thing make your self suffer that you may no day fail to be the image of Christ crucified 4. At night at the end of your examen Kiss the 5. wounds of Jesus Christ with al imaginabâ—e tenderness with all the sentiments of a heart pierced with sorrow for its sins with loue of a God whose life they have taKen away It is not necessary to say any thing in making this adoration of the cross the heart alone ought to sâ—eaK there by its sighs tears but if one finds not ones self touched one may say an Ave Mary Kissing each wound in memory of the dolours of the sacred Virgin demand of our Saviour by his adorable head a lively animated faith by his sacred feet humility by his right hand patience by left hand the loue of our enemys by the wound of his side a consummation in his loue In fine apply the Crucifix to your senses begging of Iesus Christ that he would sanctify them consecrate them to himself This practise of devotion may continue all the frydays of the year 5. During the Day time cast your eyes often upon Iesus crucified but look upon him sometimes with loue with respect or confidence with a lively resentment of your sins these casts are of so great merit before God so capable of purifying a soul that the holy fathers assure us that they are more agreable to God then many fasts almes other austeritys than one can perform 6. In fine endeavour to overcome your self in something to surmount your naturall repugnances to bridle your impatience not to follow the motion of your humour that 5. different times in the day to honour the 5. wounds of Iesus Christ to whom this sacrifice of mortification is more pleasing then all the austeritys of the body that you can offer to him II. Hear with fruit the Sermons that are mad during Lent. ONe ought to carry a heart thither well disposed by that fidelity that penance by that solitude of which we have spoken in our generall advices but in particular one ought 1. To go to a sermon with a sincere desire of profiting by it for this end in the beginning of it we should demand this grace both for our selves others 2. You ought to hearken in the mean time with great attention both to the preacher which speaks to you exteriourly to the holy Ghost which speaks interiourly to your soul open your soul your heart to the motions of grace to the endâ— that the truths which are preached to you may be imprinted and established in the bottom of your soul 3. Receive the word of God with respect from what mouth soever you hear it remembring that the truths of the Gospel were delivered to the world converted it being preached in a plain simple stile far remote from human eloquence therefore that the less they are adorned the more impression they will make 4. Never apply to another what the preacher says but perswade your self he speaks to you alone 5. Elevate your heart to God duâ—ing the Sermon begging of him the grace to practise what you hear for this end keep your mind senses very much recollected 6. When you go from the sermon give not way presently to distraction of mind least the good seed sown in your heart may be choaked by the hindrances of affairs or rooted up by the first temptation but after having instructed you in what his pleasure is you should do beg him not to permit these verities to prove your damnation for want of practise of them endeavour as occasion serves to remember them 7. In fine offer that day some good work some aâ—mes or some mortification that you may do to obtain for the preacher the grace of touching some obdurate sinner III. To
more pleased to see me contented with my weakness to suffer with peace in your presence then if I were filled with consolation ADVICE OF IMPORTANCE how to make ones prayer with fruit facility 1. For distractions of mind AS soon as you find your self distracted presently make a return to God. O my God let me be all yours all for you wholly in your presence when you have done this make no reflection at all upon your distractions either to examine them or to disquiet your self You may sometimes remain before God all quite ouerwhelmed with confusion to see how little respect you bear to his presence 2. For desolations of heart The more you feel of tediousness of oppression or disgust the more you must force your self to remain with courage respect submission before God for this reason keeip your self always upon your knees your hands joyned your eyes humbly cast down with a submission of mind heart to the pain you suffer so sacrifice your self generously without reserve to the rigour of the divine justice give no way to this oppression permit your self to be crucified by all those wandrings of your mind by all those disquiets troubles of your heart believe that in this state God requires nothing else then that you suffer with patience humility submission to his will. 3. For prayer of affection 1. If you find difficulty in meditating upon your subject imploy your self in affections after you have made an act of faith upon that truth which moves you most but after having also formed an affection conformable to your subject or to the inspiration God shall give you upon it remain in silence for a little while in gods presence that it may take the deeper impression never passe forward to a second affection before your heart has penetrated remained content in the first because when one makes light hasty acts they make very light or no impression upon the will. 3. For the prayer of Silence First if the onely presence of God which you behold within you does take you wholly up recollect you which causes a great peace calm over your heart be not so unfaithfull as to disturb or trouble this strong efficacious operation of God by your own thoughts affections which would make you deviate from this respect which you ow to so greate a God who makes you feel his presence by a sweet inward inspiration that recollects you then content please your self with what he works in you abandoning your self intirely into his hands put no obstacle to whatsoever he shall work in you You are all my God I am nothing these two words will suffise whilst you shall remain in this sacred silence when that is past return to your matter Secondly accustome your self according to the counsell of Jesus Christ to iscourse little in prayer that is to say that your mind be contented with a simple view of the truths you meditate without tiring your self with long discourses especially if these views make more impression in your heart then discourses and that you have long before meditated these truths Thirdly let not your will dilate it self too much in its affections but let it reduce them insensibly to holy fervent aspirations which your heart may form towards God. If God gives you any sensible grace or favour receive it with humility without reflecting upon it or giving youâ— self up too much to it unite youâ— self always to the Authour of thosâ— graces not to the graces themselves Fourthly act when God acts not but remain silent when he speaks be not like those souls who remain whole hours in pure idleness of minâ— expecting that God would touch oâ— move them or of those who alwayâ— speak to God this idleness is not thaâ— which we call the prayer of silence which keeps a soul elevated above the motions of anger self-love which sustains it recollects it penetrates it with a holy respect in gods presence animates all the actions of the mind with his grace Advice how to draw fruit out of prayer The reasons why one profits not by prayer are FIrst because one does not sufficiently penetrate the truths one meditates upon Secondly because one makes not â—cts with such fervour affection as one ought Thirdly because one makes resoâ—utions after a slack generall manner Fourthly because one stays not â—ong enough upon every affection â—hat one makes them after a slight manner Fifthly because one gives too much way to the disgust pain one finds â—n prayer thinking it lost time that it is altogether unprofitable that one imagines ones self to do nothing when it is evident that to suffer this affliction before God with humility â—s to make a good prayer Sixthly because one soon forget the good resolutions made in prayer instead of often renewing them by thinking of them in the day chiefly at such time when one is in the occasions of performing them Now to profit in prayer one ought first to be free have ones heart disengaged secondly to recollect one self often in the day as in gods presence Tihrdly to mortifie ones senses passions upon all occasions Fourthly to retire ones self from company to love retirement In fine one ought to prepare ones self for it with care in time of it to conserve ones self with great reverence respect in gods presence not dissipate or distract ones self soon after it THE CONVERSION OF A SOUL TO GOD. ELevate thy self o my soul to thy Creatour deferr no longer thy conversion thô but for a moment what is past is gone what is to come is not in thy power thou art master onely of the present which is but a moment given thee for no other end then to serve God to gain eternity Conceive well these words one God one moment one eternity attends thee An eternity which either gives all or takes all from thee for ever a God whom thou so little servest a moment which thou makest so ill use of an eternity which thou hazardest O God! o moment o eternity o God my heart desires thee my heart seeks thee to give thee it self intirely to subject it self to thee fill it self with thee I beseech thee to take receive it in to thy possession bâ—nish from it all sin all ties to creâ—tures all inordinate love to mâ—self that I may serve thee so faithfully that I may merit to possess theâ— eternally A CHRISTIAN CONDUCT Whereby persons Whose vocation engages them in the world may therein work out their salvation 1. SAy your prayers night morning with fervency devotion make a firm peremptory resolution in the morning not to commit on purpose or deliberately any sin to do all you can to please God to do nothing unprofitable for eternity Examine your self every night about your
time of your prayer unless you are hindred by indisposition detaining your self in a posture full of respect and as a victime sacrificed as well to the power of a God whom you honour by executing his will in spite of the difficulty you find in it as to his justice which you glorifie by suffering either the proof he makes of your fidelity or the pain wherewith he punisheth your past unfaithfulness The third thing to be observed in prayer is to make particular purposes resolutions as for example to overcome your inclinations humours to renounce your own will to mortifie your senses to humble moderate recollect your 〈◊〉 such such occasions In conâ—usion you ought to offer your good purposes resolutions to Jesus-Christ by the hands of his blessed mother The last thing to be performed is that when you know that God acts in you by certain lights or good motions which he bestows upon you you must receive these graces with a spirit altogether annihilated with an humble heart full of silence without abandoning your self intirely to sensibility without endeavouring by sighs or other tendernesses to conserve or augment the favours which you feel above all keep your self barely attentive during the whole time to God who acts in you rather then to what he does You must take care not to rest in a speculative languishing faith of his verities accompanied with a barren emptie satisfaction but ought to animate both with a lively practicall faith efficacious resolution to act accordingly IV. MASSE AT eight of the clock hear masse according to the practice which has been taught you or according to the spiritual exercise which you have for this purpose in some of your manuals or else you may satisfie your self with observing the following directions First go quietly to the Church begging of the blessed Virgin to obtain for you such sentiments feelings of compassion loue as she had for her son when she accompanied him to Mount Calvary say to your self come let us go my Soul let us go to see thy Saviour crucified Secondly entring into the Church take holy water conceiving an hearty sorrow for your sins keeping your eyes in an humble submissive posture before your God your Judge adore him with a lively faith give him your heart So long as you shall be in the Church chiefly all the time of holy masse continue in a respectfull posture without looking about and do not sit down unless by reason of some indisposition or weakness or that you should stay there very long Thirdly offer the mass you go to hear unto Almighty God in union with the intentions which Iesus Christ himself had when he offered the same sacrifice for us upon Mount Calvary which he now will have when he offers it againe to his eternall father upon the Altar Protest that you desire to joyn with him in his designs and to have the same interiour dispositions as also to make your whole self a victime together with him to be sacrificed to the glory of God alone But in particular offer the mass for these four ends first to honour the greatness of God secondly to thank him for all the graces and favours that he hath ever bestowed upon you thirdly to help and comfort the poor souls in purgatory more especially those who are forgotten abandoned by others or are detained there through your fault fourthly to beg of God for the sake of Iesus Christ some particular grace and favour as the victory over your own humour the love of your enemies a greater recollection such other vertues as you find your self to stand most in need of you may offer the same in the fifth place for that sinner who shall be in danger that day of dying in mortall sin without confession Fourthly after these intentions which you ought if you have opportunity to make before mass if you have not time to say your vocall prayers after mass you may recite them from the beginning of mass till Sanctus but if you have other time for them attend during the whole mass with all interiour application imaginable to this great sacrifice either as your spirituall directour has advised or according to the rules of your manuall or else after this manner first in the beginning ask together with the priest the pardon of your sins saying the Confiteor then till the Gospel exercise your soul in the consideration of the goodness of God who seeing in what an impossibility we were of saving our selves descended from heaven made himself man was born in a stable abasing annihilating himself before his father to appease his wrath which wee had justly provoked then give thanks to our Saviour for this excess of bounty goodness towards you protest that this day you will endeauour to humble your self in gratitude for in honour of the humiliations annihilations of his incarnation Secondly at the Gospel make an act of faith belief of all the verities which the priest there reads protesting that you are ready to die for the faith Beg of our Saviour to augment increase it in you to render it lively active desire him to enlighten convert all Infidels Hereticks offer your self to his justice to suffer that day something for their conversion Thirdly at the offertory offer up to God as a sacrifice by the hands of Iesus Christ your body soul life reputation kinred family estate all that you have and protest that you will make no other use of them then for the service glory of God and salvation of your own soul that you will retrench whatsoever s'hall be ill in them and even deprive your self often of what is not absolutely usefull sanctifying your whole exteriour by the spirit and conduct of his grace Fourthly from Sanctus to the Elevation think upon the death of our Saviour going over the chief mysteries of his passion from the garden of Olives to his crucifixion but make this reflection without staying long upon each particular satisfying your self with beholding Iesus suffering in these mysteries with a tender compassion an acknowledgement for a love of his goodness together with sorrow for your sins wickedness Fifthly at the Elevation offer unto the eternall father Iesus Christ his onely son adore him as lifted up on the cross for your sins beg of him to obtain mercy for you for all sinners present to his father all the drops of blood he shed all the moments of sadness his heart suffered the wounds wherewith his whole body was covered the injuries he endured for you beg of him for the sake hereof that he would have mercy on you Sixthly till Domine non sum dignus imploy your thoughts upon Christ sacrificed for your sake upon the Altar consider that he is come thither for your sake that he thinks of you that he prays for
him live such an hidden contemptible life often abandoned forsaken by all men for whose salvation he sacrifices himself upon the Altar wherefore animate your self to bear him company as often as you can sighing longing in your heart after Iesus in the blessed Sacrament when you are absent in body loving and defiring a life like unto his which renders you unKnown neglected and abandoned of all the world Sixthly on frydays honour his love which obliges him to give himself intirely to you without an reserve to the end that you may bâ— wholly transformed into him Endeavour to express such a disinteresse loue towards him but be sure to manifest the same rather by deeds theâ—â— words Seventhly on Saturdays honour that liberality which he expresseâ— in those graces he bestows on you in your communions by keeping himself always upon the Altar to appease the wrath of his father which is enkindled against you Thank him for the miracles he works that he may give himself unto you Admire a God who is as it were so prodigall of himself Beg pardon for the ill use you have made of so many graces as he has bestowed on you in your communions The subjects of these visits may oftentimes serve you for the entertainment of your prayer in the afternoon XI EXAMEN A Litle before dinner recollect your self take a view of the â—nfidelitys which you have been guilty of that morning in the practice of the vertue of the month in overcoming â—our own ill humours bad inclinations and natural repugnances beg pardon for them of God by a sigh or two from the bottom of your heart At night before you go to bed make your generall Examen first of your ordinary faults sudden sallies of passion Secondly touching the ill use of divine graces the ill imployment of your time Thirdly touching the spirit intention wherewith you have animated your actions examining whether they proceeded from natural inclination passion or meer custome or else were performed with a good intention and inward fervour then make a solid sincere act of sorrow rather then a sensible one unite it by your intention with that act of contrition which you shall endeavour to make ar your next confession that you may produce this act the better cast your eyes upon Iesus crucified by you for you behold with confusion regret a God expiring through grief loue in your behalf sometimes consider the bounty and Goodness of God in expecting you in seeking after you in receiving you with loue after so many infidelities and offences sometimes hearken to what he says in the bottom of your heart Grow you weary of offending me since you see I do not grow weary of doing what good I can for you Sacrifice to me that vanity that curiosity that humour that sudden motion of anger which has so many years stood in competition with me for the possession of your heart for which â— have sacrificed the very last drop of my blood After your Examen say five Paters and Aves in pennance for your faults When you go to bed think a little on death which may perhaps surprise you that very night XII The spirit of recollection which we ought to preserve during the whole day THe spirit of recollection is the fruit of a good prayer of a communion worthily received you will obtain this recollection by calling to mind the presence of God which you may do first by breathing forth every hour these or the like aspirations My God I am wholly yours O that I might die to my self to live to you die in your loue Secondly say in the beginning of every work or action I do all for you my God all in your presence all for your love ô how glad am I to please you in this action Thirdly entring into company say ô my good Angel guard my â— heart tongue to the end I may neither speak any thing against charity nor hear it with complacence or any other concurrence on my part Fourthly being in pain or trouble as also in aridity or dryness in prayer or at any time out of humour say ô my God be you my strength support let me take a satisfaction in that pleasure which you have that I should suffer for your sake I am confounded in your presence to see how miserable weak I am in the performance of what is good but at the same time I rejoyce at my being nothing since you are all I willingly accept am heartily contented with my weaknesses imbecillities which may serve to destroy all self-loue to establih your most holy pure loue in my heart Fifthly being ready to give way to any sudden anger or other passion cast your eyes on God who looks on you and preserves you from yeilding to the temptation and say let me rather die ô my God then satisfie my self in any thing that displeases you By the frequent use of these aspirations you will conserve your heart in devotion be always diposed for prayer you will easily hinder distractions of mind which at that time are wont to disturb you whatsoever you do will be as I may say full of God you will live with such an equality and stedfastness of mind as will render you superiour to all sallies of passion animate all your actions with interiour life spirit XIII The spirit of mortification for every day YOu shall practice this mortification first in your eyes depriving them of all curiosity and voluntary levity Secondly in your tongue forbearing all words of curiosity anger vanity impatience detraction Thirdly in your taste restraining and moderating its sensuality and the too great desire curiosity of your appetite aboue all by not eating without necessity between meals Fourthly in the sense of hearing avoiding to hearken after news or other unprofitable curiosities touching the life or manners of others such affairs as do not belong to you Fifthly in your body fasting or using some other mortification according to the advice with the permission of your directour Sixthly in your mind cutting off all unprofitable reflections upon your self or others but especially such as disquiet you or proceed from human respects Seventhly in your heart restraining its solicitude hasty eagerness in what it goes about the excessive ardour of its desires the disquiets anxieties that afflict it when it is discontented the vain satisfaction which it takes in any graces received from Almighty God it s too great tie or in ordinate affection to its devotions in fine whatsoever is sensible therein since your heart must die to all these things that it may live intirely to God wherefore by little little you must wholly destroy or at least moderate them Aboue all study to deny your own will by an exact fidelity a constancy in that rule or course of life which you have
not because of the punishment it deserves that pierceth a soul in all places with an holy respect an humble dread before the divine majesty of God which is intirely present to it 2. O how well do I conceive O my God how this constant habituall fear of a soul does purify untye render it perfect in a small time O holy Ghost bestow upon me this wholsome fear which may make me apprehend the lightest infidelity which may assure me of a happy eternity 3. This gift unites us intimately to God in prayer it recollects all the senses it stops all the powers of the heart in the sight perfection of this sole object of which the soul experiences an intimate presence rather then a knowledge of it 4. O holy Spirit source of love bounty the adorable origine of the sanctification of our hearts inflame them with the fire of thy divine charity let us see tast how sweet our Lord is give us the spirit of recollection of prayer which may carry us to do all things as in gods sight yet recall us into our selves there to adore love a God who abides in our hearts as in his temple and sanctifies them by the communication of his spirit A PRACTISE OF MENTAL PRAYER very easy for all sorts of persons The whole method of prayer consists in four things FIrst in the consideration or view of the truth we meditate Secondly in the application which the mind makes of this truth to its self to be moved with it to put it in practise Thirdly in the affections which the heart produces at the sight of this truth Fourthly in the good resolutions which it makes in putting it in practise the fervent petition it makes to God to obtain it by the intercession of the blessed Virgin. HOW THE MEMORY IS to be imployeâ—d befote prayer First an Act of Faith upon the presence of God. MY God I believe al your seing eye beholds me you before whom the very Angells tremble with an humble dread in whose presence I am as a pure nothing I behold you with a profound respect as my God with a confidence as my father with fear as my judge Second Act of Adoration I adore you o my God as my creatour as my soverain Judge to whom I must one day render an account of this very action I am about to perform Third Act of Petition I beseech you to grant me your grace to execute this day what you are about to inspire me with in this prayer pardon the sins imperfections I may commit in it the distraction that may take up or hinder my mind in the due performance of it HOW THE MIND IS TO imploy it self during prayer First consider the truth propos'd which is done by a certain view or act of faith repeat strongly sweetly in your mind the truth of that matter or subject which most of all moves you then after rather by a simple view thereof then by any long ratiocinations thereon make an act of faith with all the fervency you are able Yes o my God I firmly believe what you have now taught me in this truth but animate my faith and convert it into practice that it may not one day serve to my greater damnation Secondly reflect on your self pausing some time on each point Well o my soul what hinders thee from practising this vertue 't is thy duty to practise it t is in thy power to performe it God ordains it thy Jesus urges its performance thy salvation depends upon it thou oughtest from this very day forward to practice it why wilt thou not what hinders thee o I see very well what it is t is such such a hankering such a vanity such a curiosity such a passionate word such such occasions what ought a creature to rob thee of thy Creatour wilt thou always live unfaithfull what wilt thou never as long as thou livest be intirely gods how then canst thou hope to be intirely his in Eternity my God I am yours no my dear Jesus no toy or trifle shall any more hinder me from being intirely yours I will not any more rob you of a heart which is so justly yours which besides has cost you so dear THIRDLY WHAT AFFECTIONS the heart is to be imployed in YEs o my God yes I am resolved to love you a thousand times better then my self I am resolved to be all yours as you are wholly mine I have horrour of whatsoever is displeasing to you I desire nothing more then to express my love to you to that end I desire to imitate you this day in what I have learnt in this medâ—tation I conjure you my Jesus to put me in mind of these lessons when any occasion of practice offers it self Resolutions for the time to come I am resolved my God against from this very present I break off intirely with thâ— dâ—fect which I perceive is the source of many others in me I will have you alone to be the absolute master of my heart it is yours ô my God it is wholly yours DIVERSE AFFECTIONS which may be made in time of prayer 1. Of Confidence MY God since I find my self so weak inconstant in my resolutions grant I may execute them as effectually as you have assisted me to make them I expect all from your goodness my Iesus confide as much in the assistance of your grace as I diffide in my own weakness 2. Love. O my Jesus o my amiable father o infinite goodness which has loved me from all eternity which daily bestows infinite graces favours upon me which has destin'd me for Paradise ah how can I live without loving you shall I never leave offending you who never leave of doing me good How can I behold you my Jesus how can I see you dying with love sorrow for me not live intirely to you I have a heart for no other and then to love you a mind onely to Know you yet I love think of nothing less then you o that I had never thus displeased you 3. Resignations to the difficulties we meet with in prayer I am confounded o my God to see my self so insensible of your love so little touched with the truths which I meditate you see o Lord my miseries extream poverty I embrace it with my whole heart I submit to your pleassure I sacrifice my self to all the severities of your justice I am contented never more to tast the sweetness of your presence so that I may but have the whole fruit effect of it t is but just that you should retire your self leave a heart so unfaithfull to you which hath withdrawn it self a hundred times from you revenge your self o my God satisfie your justice I desire no other satisfaction but to see you satisfied I am sure you are
it in the spirit of pennance with all the pains humiliations privations which follow it in satisfaction of all the sins I have committed An offering of our Life to God. 6. Receive ô my Saviour the sacrifice that I make to your divine Majesty of my bo dy my life which I offer as a victime sacrificed to your self Unite it to that you offer'd for me upon the cross consume it with the fire of your divine love A desire to render to Iesus Christ Death for Death 7. O my divine Jesus since that your love to me made you dye upon the cross for my salvation is it not just that with a good will I accept death for love of you in counter-change as far as I am able of that you indured for me O why have I not a thousand lives to give them all for this end to acknowledge therby that you are my God! Spiritual confession With profound humility at the feet of Iesus Christ as if he were present in his sacred humanity accuse your self to him of all your sins taking a short review of them at the end of which excite your soul to a lively tender sorrow for them AN ACT OF CONTRITION O my God prostrate before your soveraign majesty I most humbly beg pardon for the great contempt abuse I have made of your holy graces of all the sins I have committed from my birth in thought word or deed I retract disavow them with my whole heart Yes o my God 't is from my whole heart that I detest disavow them wish I had never committed them not for fear of the punishment they deserve but onely because I have by them offended your infinite goodness which deserves to be loved above all things honoured by all creatures O why is not my heart capable too of an infinit sorrow to blot out their guilt But accept o my God in satisfaction of that sorrow which is wanting in me that which my Saviour had in the garden of Olives upon the cross for the sins of the whole world in generall for mine in particular Accept also for this effect that sorrow contrition which all the Saints have ever had Purifiy me from my secret sins pardon those I have committed by others despise not o my God an humble contrite heart which hopes onely for pardon of its sins from your infinit mercy In the 50. Psalm you have promised that when a sinner laments his sins you will no longer remember his iniquities And if you please o my God to prolong my life I make a firm purpose by the assistance of your holy grace to amend particularly such such faults thereby endeavour to repaire what is past Having made these Acts receive as an absolution that which Jesus Christ the soveraign priest gives you spiritually applying to your self his divine merits after which imagine you hear him say to you as he did to S. Mary Magdelen Your sins are forgiven you go in peace Say the 50. Psalm Miserere mei c in the spirit of pennance Aspirations to the three divine persons O father Eternall since you so loved the world as to give your onely son for its redemption I dare presume to hope from your mercy the salvation of my soul since you gave him not to condemn us but to save us for that end imposed upon him the holy name of Iesus Luk. 1. O divine Jesus be you my Jesus remembcr your own words that you came not for the just but for sinners Luk. 5. O my God you will not the death of a sinner but that he be converted live EZech. 18. Convert me therefore to your self that I may live an Eternall life Come divine spirit repose in my soul with your 7. gifts for to purify justify sanctify it consume in it by the fire of your holy love all that is yet earthly therein fortify it in this its last passage against all the temptations of its enemies An act of Faith. I protest my God before heaven earth that I will dye in the faith union of the holy Catholick church I believe firmly all that it believes teaches because you my God who are the Eternall truth have said revealed it that you are an infinite goodness holiness that cannot deceive any one an infinite wisdom that cannot erre are moreover omnipotent And from this very moment I disavow and detest all temptations contrary to it which the Enemy may suggest in the last moments of my life I return you thanks with my whole heart for the great grace which you have done me in making me of the numbe of the children of your holy Church Recite the Apostles Creed Credo in Deum c And making reflection upon every Article protest that you believe it An act of Hope O my God thô for the enormity inconceivable multitude of my offences I most justly merit hell yet confiding entirely in the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ in the infinit greatness of your mercy which can pardon more sins then I can committ I cease not to hope for pardon for the grace to persevere in your love to which I consecrate the last moment of my life An act of Charity O my God when shall this soul of mine being separated from my body from all creatures be united perfectly to your self love you with that pure unchangeable affection with which the blessed in heaven love you O what is there I desire in haven or what is it I desire on earth butt you the God of my heart my God everlasting portion of my felicity I have regarded all things as nothing vile contemptible to gain Jesus Christ An act of Love towards our Neighbour O my God I beg of you grace mercy for all the creatures you have redeemed with your precious blood particularly for the true children of your holy Church for those from whom I have received any displeasure whom I pardon my God for love of you as I desire you should pardon me A desire to receive Iesus Christ O my God my Creatour redeemer my beginning my end the onely soveraign object of my heart O what a longing desire have I to receive you for to unite my self to you come then into my soul sanctify it replenish my heart with your graces take possession of all its affections to the end that all the moments of my life that are yet behind may entirely be consecrad to your love The Spirituall communion for the Viatick or the Sacramentall one if permitted to receive it Hearken to your good Angell who invites you to eat the bread of life speaks to you as that of Elias did to him Arise eat because you have a great journey still to make 3. Kings c. 19. Imagine that Jesus Christ accompanied with the blessed Virgin your good