for practice keep exactly some certain times of silence every day which our calling considered we have enjoyned our selves unto Secondly to decline imperceptibly divers unnecessary and impertinent occasions extroversions affairs companies curiosities c. Thirdly to speak modestly and moderately in time of speaking Fourthly to yield easily to others and not contest in words For all consists in denying and humbling our selves Now in Contemplation there are three sorts of Silence 1. When all fancies imaginations In Contemplation there is a threefold Silence and species cease in the soul So that she is silent as to any created object desiring no worldly thing but driving from her all that is not directly God to whom only she is silently joyfully and quietly attentive 2. When in this great calm she fits with Mary at her Lord's feet in a certain spirituall idleness as it were saying I will hear what my Lord speaks within me to whom he answers Hearken my daughter and behold and forget thy people and thy fathers house 3. When she transforms her self all into God her Will tasting his sweetnesse and she slumbring in his bosome in absolute silence desiring nothing more because fully satisfied So that here is a threefold silence 1. When no creature talks to us as having no objects of them in our Understandings and Memories 2. When we talk not to our selves as totally forgetting our selves and converting our inward man to God alone with a receptive subjection climbing above our selves by the act of Faith whereby our Understanding is united immediately to God 3. When God talks not to us but leaves us in the enjoyment of this divine sweetness and elevation of our selves above our selves O heavenly silence This hath been by some â—xperienced but can be by none sufficiently explicated The 26. Maxim That the perfâ—ct love of God and hatred of our selves must be our constant and continuall employment WE cannot love God except we hate our selves and if How to know whether we love God and hate our selves we would truly know how far we are advanced in this love and hatred First wee must weigh how willingly we can and doe submit our judgement in things contrary to our naturall inclination Secondly how quietly we can and doe suffer such things as are opposite to our sensuality as hard usage pains confusions c. We must not conceive we have any degree of pure and perfect love untill our affections are so totally transformed into God that he freely and fully possessâ—s our spirit guides it enlightens it inflames it elevates it how and when he pleaseth His love being our only light and life and we desiring only two things in the world First to love see tast and enjoy God only Secondly to be humbled despised reviled rejected reputed reprobates for his love O sweet life O loving Lord Jesu What heaven what happiness is this We may stir up our souls to an ardent love of God by these and the like motives First What is the object of our Moâ—ives to love God love and who is the authour of all our good Is it not God only What have we nay what hath he that he hath not given us meerly of love and for love thereby to woo to win to wed our loves our souls our spirits to himself 2. Who created redeemed converted called and conserveth us untill this present What hath he not done and endured to purchase our love 3. What is the greatest love in the world of mother wife friend life soul c. Is not God more than all this to us yea all in all What did we ever best love Did we love God as much O let us blush sigh and be ashamed at our gross ingratitude Live henceforth O Jesu my only Lord and love 4. Whose image doe we beaâ— whose bitter death was our ransome whose body and blood is our daily bread and drink who suffred so much for us and from us expected us so patiently invited us so sweetly received us so mercifully O Lord what shall we doe or say We are bound in thy chains of charity We love thee We are all thine c. 5. Upon whom doe wee depend each moment for our whole being both of nature and grace Our bodies depend not so much on our souls nor our life on air as all things body life soul depend upon thee O powerfull Lord God! O that I had whole worlds to offer thee infinit bodies to suffer for thee and innumerable souls to love thee 6. Have we not an inclination to love For what were we created Can we better employ our love than upon God Doth any Creature better deserve it or more desire it than our amiable Creator 7. Can any thing else fully quiet us in this life or totally content us in the next O no Sweet Saviour thou art my only safety security sanctity Oh what did I ever love in the world which did not in the end bring me remorse and repentance Is not all mix'd with many occasions of sin and misery all vain inconstant fading foolish deceitfull Our souls ô Lord are created S. Augustin to and for thee and untill they turn and return unto thee they will never find perfect peace quiet nor content What quiet had the Prodigal child till he return'd to his loving Father Jerusalem Jerusalem return to thy Lord God Why wilt thou seek after puddle water when as thou mai'st freely quench thy thirst at the fountain head I thirst ô my Lord give me this water 8. To whom must we have recourse amidst all the distresses of this miserable life Who will or can comfort us in the pains and pangs of death Who must be our Judge after death Who must be our eternall bliss and beatitude Thou only O our Lord and love art only all this and all things else to our souls And shall we please a creature to displease thee our Creator No Lord we will dy to all creatures that we may live to thee eternally 9. O my soul Upon what canst thou employ thy whole stock of love more reasonably than upon him who for thy love freely forfeited his own life 10. To whom canst thou give up thy self more profitably than to him who promiseth eternal life for thy love and that he will be all thine if thou wilt be all his 11. To whom canst thou convert thy heart wed thy affections more necessarily than to him who threatens eternal death if thou love him not O King of glory why menacest thou us with hell if we love not Can there be a heaven without thy love or a hell with it Or is there any heavier hell or death than not to love thee Had we not better cease to live than leave to love Oh! what shall I answer if I love not 12. What can make a soul more truly honourable and happy than to love God as he commandeth What privilege to be admitted into privacy with God to enjoy his company
life past having endeavoured to discharge our consciences once of them in Confession 5. That we may and must convert our hearts to God at any time humbly and confidently in what estate so ever we be without hesitation or apprehension preferring his will before our own quiet 6. That in saying our Office or Prayers it sufficeth that we have a good intention to praise and please God and satisfie our obligation using morall diligence in driving out bad thoughts and we need trouble our selves no further 7. That so long as we make choyce of God for our God and of his will for our only end and can say cordially I love God I will no sin we need fear nothing 8. That we are not bound to do still that which our Conscience dictates or what our fancy tells us is a divine call for this is the way never to have true peace and to be ever subject to illusions Therefore The old plain rule Trust and obey Let pass and Pray let us follow the old simple and secure rule 1. Trust and 2 Obey 3 Let pass and 4 Pray these will prove our safest haven in the Sea of this world and our heaven upon earth thus we may enjoy the peace of God and lodge in our hearts the God of peace be blind and yet see God Note well that these aforesaid warrants are to be followed according to discretion and with the approbation of our spirituall director The 6. Doubt If we are full of fears and apprehensions of our estate by reason we feel in our souls such slender effects of Gods grace and love and have little devotion no inward peace c. SUch souls can never be cured till they submit their judgements look with more confidence upon Gods mercy and seek less their own satisfaction and assurance For this is an infallible truth That in An infallible maxim this life without revelation we can have no certainty of our estate but must still live in ignorance as to that knowledge to hold the contrary is an heresie and to seek it inordinately is self-love and curiosity We must therefore work our salvation betwixt fear and hope and if we should see or feel any thing in our selves which should make us secure it were very suspitious and dangerous Let us humbly observe these three points 1. Resolve still to serve and please God in the best manner we can 2. Resign our selves to his will and divine ordinance for time and eternity without further reflexions Read Blosius in spec spirituali cap. 7. Read the Imit of Christ l. 3. cap. 59. 3. Build upon the word and warrant of our guide and rest quiet and confident They who seek more knowledge and satisfaction by feelings and reasons seek but their own trouble and ruine and if we find not here peace and comfort we may thank our selves since it is our disobedience and self-seeking which causeth it The 7. Doubt If some extream cross calamity or affliction hath seized our hearts c. LEt us hasten to our Lord God with an humble and confident affection and placed before him 1. Kiss the Crucifix saying O my The practice dear Lord O my sweet Jesus O my all and only good 2. Then tell him you are troubled as you would tell your Spirituall directour and that you know not what to say or do 3. Acknowledge heartily that you deserve no comfort but to have heaven shut against you and hell let loose to torment you 4. If you would seek comfort you would not have it out of him or in any thing contrary to his Divine Will and liking 5. Then say O Lord I have no other Physician for my soul but thee behold my wounds thou art my Father behold my wants thou art my only Friend behold my wishes and desires then expose them unto him and hearken what counsel and comfort he will give you 6. Take again the Cross kiss it embrace it resign your self to suffer 7. And with an internall act of indifferency being confident that this cross and trouble is his will and will be for your good desire to bear it and whatsoever else he shall lay upon you knowing he will enable you to do it 8. Have no recourse to creatures for your contentment but drink purely and plentifully at the fountain head and be not weary you suffer for eternity The 8. Doubt If we desire to conquer the Devil and overcome all temptations whatsoever LEt us often read observe and General Remedies against temptations The 1. Remedy Jam. 4. 7. practise these generall Remedies The first is A strong courage and firm resolution to fight and get the victory and not to yield even to our last gasp If we resist the Devil he will fly from us if we fear him he will follow us and insult over us If we play the Pigmeys he will play the Lion but let us be Lions and he will soon shew himself a coward Let us then fight manfully as befits Christs Souldiers to give him the honour and the Devil the terrour who is already chained to our hands and may bark S. Hierome Thou maist perswade but canst not precipitate 1 Cor. 4. 9. but cannot bite unless by blindness and madness we come within his reach Let us remember in our combats that we are made a spectacle to God his Angels and all his heavenly court who would not fight valiantly and confidently before such spectators God beholds us as our Judge to reward and crown us if we overcome Christ as our Captain helps us to overcome all the rest pray for us that we may overcome Fear not my soul there 2 Par. 32. 7 are more with us than against us God and his Angels are on our side who can withstand us Let us further reflect that we plead not only our own cause but Gods whom in our persons the Devil seeks to injure and dishonor Let us then rather dy than suffer our good Masters honour to be stayned by our cowardise our dearest blood will be well spilt for such a King and countrey Oh! what privilege to suffer for Jesus sake Arise Lord let thy enemies be dispersed Psal 42. judge thine own cauâ—e Thine is the quarrell We are thy Champions Let us also ponder well what S. Paul tells us on Gods part That he is faithfull in his promises and will not permit us to be tempted 1 Cor. 10. 13. beyond our strength but will draw our good out of our temptations he knows what mold we are made of what force we have and which is above all he loves us as the apple of his eye If he seems sometimes to sleep a while yet he both sees and succours us Courage therefore if we be already at hell-gates he can wil bring us back again if we walk amidst the shadows of death Psal 22. 4. let us fear no ill c. The second Remedy is A distrust The 2. Remedy Psa
dearly beloved the manner of meditating and praying upon our Saviours Passion now I will instruct thee how thou mayst thereby stirre up good motions and enkindle holy affections in thy soule When therefore thou hast taken some Article of Meditation upon Christs Crosse and Passion as for example Of his How to enkindle holy affections in meditating on the Passion Crowne of Thornes thinke thus with thy selfe How thy most innocent and amiable Lord Jesus was with greatest derision and scorne cloathed in a purple coat crowned with sharp Thorns cudgelled with a hard Cane besmeared with filthy spittle How this King of eternall glory whom millions of Angels adore in Heaven was by the worst and wickedest sort of men mocked upon Earth as a counterfeit King with scoffing Adoration and Reverence 2. Now when by these and such other points of Meditation thou desirest to raise in thy soule the true feelings and affections of Love By reflection upon Christs Love and goodnesse elevate thy heart often-times whilst thou art meditating to acknowledge the boundlesse goodnesse of thy Lord God and his love towards thee which thou mayst easily gather from the multitude and the bitternesse of his sufferings for thee By this acknowledgement of his Goodnesse thy love will be more and more inflamed and a true contrition for thy sinnes will bee more easily obtained especially if thou considerest that thou hast againe and againe offended this thy most bountifull and loving Lord God who was thus cruelly slâ—ine formerly for the Ransome of thine iniquity 3. To raise also a constant hope in How to get a constant hope thy soule looke upon thy Lord Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords reduced into the extremity of misery to free thee from the slavery of Sinne and snares of Satan to reconcile thee to his Heavenly Father and to give thee confidence to come to him cheerfully in all thy necessities 4. And if furthermore thou wouldst by these Meditations on thy Saviours passion move thy selfe to spirituall joy warn thy thoughts from And a spirituall joy remaining any longer upon his pains and passe to the profits fruits and effects of his sufferings There thou wilt finde thy selfe and the whole World absolved from thy sinnes by them the Divine wrath appeased the Devill defeated Death conquered the lost sheep reduced the Angels seats supplied Joyne to all this the Joy of the sacred Trinity and of the whole Church both triumphant and militant who all rejoyce in the profit issuing from Christs cruell Death and As aâ—so affections of sorrow and compassion Passion 5. But to raise affections of sorrow and compassion towards thy suffering Saviour thou maist weigh not onely the many wounds of his sacred body but the multitude of anguishes griefs sadnesses of his most holy foul For he well knowing the eminent and infinite dignity of his heavenly Father whom he so highly loved must needs be grieved above measure to see this benigne and bountiful Creatour of all things after so many and so great benefits to be so rashly so maliciously and so frequently offended and deluded by his owne creatures 6. And this sadnesse of thy Saviours soule was much augmented by the foresight he had of that vast multitude of men who by their owne sinne and sloath were to be damned eternally The same grief was further aggravated by seeing the immense dolours of his deare and worthily beloved mother and the same sword spared not his which pierced her heart with sorrow Moreover Christs sacred foule which was all-knowing by reason of the divine union suffered in all the Martyrs and tender Virgins torments sustained for his faith and affection 7. In these and the like meditations And acts of contrition for thy sinnes upon thy Lord and Saviours passion thou must often reflect that thou by thy grievous sins and defects wert the cause and occasion of these his afflictions and from hence conceive acts of true sorrow for thy shamefull ingratitude and humble thy selfe at the feet of his Majesty And know that to be the best pleasing and most acceptable compassion when thou persecutest thine owne disordered affections and strivest to ruine those enemies and root them out of thy heart which were the cause of thy Lords so cruel pains and passion 8. And to move thee to a perfect With a perfect hatred of them hatred of thy sinne think seriously in running over all these points of thy dear Saviours passion as if all these his sufferings were for no other cause than to stir thee up to detest all sinne and destroy thy unruly passions and affections them especially which most endommage defile and distract thy selfe and most displease thy Saviour 9. Lastly That by these meditations upon Christs death and passion thou maist be moved to the admiration And to admire Gods goodnesse by considering 6 circumstances 1. Who suffereth 2. For whom of his goodnesse Consider attentively First Who he is that suffereth these things Surely the onely Sonne of the Almighty God who to save thee came from heaven and became man Secondly For whom he suffered Surely for us poor worms the works of his owne hands and who always are prone to offend him Thirdly By whom he suffered Surely By the vild and 3. By whom vulgar crew and the very refuse of all nations Fourthly What he suffered 4. What Surely disgraces contumelies contempts wounds and torments more than can be named or imagiâ—ed Fifthly How he suffered all 5. How this Surely with a most patient meek and willing mind neither shewing any signe of distast nor speaking any word of reproch against his most ungratefull and malicious persecutors but like an innocent lamb led on to the slaughter he complained not of their violence and his owne sufferings but laid down his life his heart remaining full of sweetnesse Sixthly 6. When where When and where he suffered Surely at the time of their Paschall solemnity and in their prime and sacred City and in the presence of his dearest mother and finally in the view as it were of the whole world EXPLICATION A further Declaration of the profit which may be drawn from the meditation upon Christs Passion and particularly of the imitation of his vertues AMongst the infinity of profits The first profit is a confusion at the sight of our imperfections which may be drawn from this holy exercise One is that thou must needs conceive not onely a sorrow for thy sins past but feel also a shame and confusion in thy soule to see that those unruly passions which put Christ Jesus to death upon the Crosse doe yet lurk and live within thy heart The other main profit which flowes The second a desire and demand of pardon from the former is that being truly sensible of thy sinnes and ashamed of thine Ingratitude thou wilt heartily desire and humbly demand pardon for what is past and grace to amend for the
my only Lord and love Cleanse my Will from all self-seeking Keep my Memory from all superfluities Close up my Senses fâ—om all vanities that my happy soul separated from all sensible images may quietly tend to thee only sweetly repose in thee and continually enjoy thy blessed presence O let thy pure and perfect love dear Lord Iesu be the faithfull scout-watch over all my proceedings that no forreign affection no sinister intention no self-liking or self-seeking may steal into my heart and defraud or disturb it's happy enjoyment of thee and holy unity with thy divine Spirit Grant O my Lord that I may prudently turn all good events and all bad accidents to my spirituall profit by reflecting wherefore they befall me of what they warn me and how far they concern me Let me learn thereby gratitude to thy goodness fervour in prayer contempt of my self humility of spirit care of my actions resignation to thy will amendment of my life or what else thy holy Spirit shall please to intimate by these fatherly visitations O sacred Head of my crucified Saviour be thou my certain succor during my lives conflict and my sure place of retreat in my last agony with death 7. And lastly I reverently approch to thy dear Heart ô amiable Lord Iesu opened with a cruell launce in the sight of thy blessed Mother and thy beloved Disciple for the love of my soul O my Iesu I here implore thy pardon for all my perverse affections and irregular appetites Give me thy leave ô my loving Lord to creep into this sweet hole of the rock this sacred cleft of the wall this unlock'd closet of heavenly treasures this saving Ark of the new Testament and shut thou O Iesu the door from without that free from the deluges of all wickedness and dangers of the world flesh and devil I may sit solitarily silently and sweetly hearkning to thy divine whispers in my elevated soul Purge all my impurities ô my dear Saviour in the pretious blood streaming from thy patent side and replenish my heart with thy perfect love Oh! drown me wound me burn me and consume me in thy divine flames of affection that I may love thee strongly purely perfectly perseverantly O grant me to leave all things with alacrity for thee my beloved Iesu though never so great to lothe all things joyfully for thy love though never so good to do all things contentedly for thy honour though never so hard to suffer all things patiently for thy sake though never to painfull and to persever constantly in my pious practices for the sole satisfaction of thy holy will and accomplishment of thy blessed pleasure O let me be incessantly calling and knocking at this sacred gate of mercy Let me be still sighing and seeking after thee my Iesus my Saviour my Lord and my love Let me be alwayes thinking ever talking and perpetually tending to unite my heart to thine to conform it unto thine to transform it into thine that I may be all thine and thou all mine for time and eternity Grant also dear Iesu that I may truly love all others in thee and for thee O inflame my charity quicken my faith rectifie my intentions strengthen my confidence in thee destroy all complacence in my self establish me in all these my good purposes and let me be as often minded of my now-promised duty and incouraged to proceed forwards in the path of perfection as I shall eye the sacred image of thy crucified humanity Elevate my desirous soul unto thy self ô Iesu my Lord above all chances changes and creatures Oh! let it be so totally attentive to thy presence so intirely taken up in thy contemplation and so wholly absorpt in thy love that no outward objects may touch or trouble it no inferiour cares or cogitations may intangle it nothing may impede the free intercourse of thy heavenly friendship nothing may stop the sweet influence of thy divine graces or any way interrupt it 's happy quiet and holy tranquillity O dear and opened Heart of my dying Lord Jesus be thou my sweet comfort during this lives pilgrimage and my sure Sanctuary in it's last period FOR SVNDAY Of perfect Union with God The Seventh Exercise 1. O Infinite immense and unmeasurable abyss of all bounty O ever-flowing fountain of mercy O undraynable Sea of love O my Lord my Soveraign my Saviour and my Sanctifier Behold I return into thee the sweet source of my beginning I run into thee the gracious preserver of my being and I desire to rest in thee the only hope of my souls happiness Be thou henceforth O my Creatour the sole subject of my thoughts and the only object of my love Be thou ô God of my heart heart of my life life of my soul and soul of my love my part and my inheritance for ever I choose thee only I offer up my self wholly I consecrate my self heartily and dedicate my self eternally to thy love honour and service Ah good God! where dwellest thou which is the pleasant plaee of thy abode ô King of glory and comforter of my soul I seek nothing but thy lovely presence I desire nothing but the presence of thy love My soul sighs to see thee my heart covets to have thee my love longs to enjoy thee and I can expect no perfect content untill I am totally united unto thee If I now beg a glimpse of thy divine face O my glorious Lord then a drop of thy heavenly grace and afterwards a dram of thy dear affection Yet in all this it is thy self O sweet God which I demand thy whole self is the only satiating object of my boundless desires and unlimited affections 2. I desire to love thee ô only amiable Lord God by all means and beyond all measure until I am totally transformed into thee by love O do thou freely and fully possess my spirit guide it govern it inlighten it inflame it elevate it inform it and transport it how and when thou pleasest Oh! Let all adulterate love be quite banished all multiplicity vanish away and all impurity and self-seeking swallowed up Let thy love be my light my liberty my life Lord I desire but two things in this world To love see tast and enjoy thee my best beloved and to be humbled despised rejected and esteemed a reprobate for thy love O sweet life O loving Jesu what a heaven what a happiness is it to love thee O how lovely how loving and yet how little loved is my God O source of all goodness and centre of all good souls What is the greatest love of mother friend life or any thing else Art not thou my God all this to me and all in all Ah my soul what didst thou ever best love And didst thou love thy Lord God as much I blush O my dear Lord I sigh and am ashamed to answer I will henceforth do any thing suffer any thing and leave all things for thy love I will not live but
musicall charmes soare up in spirit to the sweete harmony of Heaven where Alleluja's do forever resound and beg of thy deare Lord that thou may'st become worthy to chant forth his perpetuall prayses amongst those heavenly quiristers 18. When thou walkest on the way Walking abroad ponder how each one of thy paces is a step towards thy death 19. When thou markest the Fowls Marking the swift flight of the Fowls of the Aire how swiftly they glide through that yielding Element and the running Waters hastning to their originall Ocean thinke how thy life slips away and thy Soule runs on to eternity with greater speed and celerity 20. When impetuous Winds are In time of Winds Thunder Stormes rais'd or Thunder and Lightning rage in the Skyes remember the â—earefull day of Judgement and â—rostrating thy selfe at the foot â—f the Crucifix adore thy Saviour â—nd implore his gracious assistance â—hat thou mayst now make such good use of the time hee lends thee â—hat thou mayst be then prepared â—o appear couragiously before his dread Majesty 21. As concerning divers Accidents Also upon all other Accidents and Occasions As of grief sorrow which are personall and peculiar to thy selfe thou mayst thus behave thee When Griefe or Sadnesse hath seized thy Heart when melancholy oppresseth thy minde or when any inconveniency troubles thy body raise up and resigne thy spirit to the supreme and eternall Will of God who is pleased this molestation should even now and thus touch and torment thee for thy good and his owne glory and bee glad of this occasion to serve him according to his owne Decree and Disposition 22. When thou castest thine eyes When thou lookest upon Christ crucified upon Christs sacred Crosse consider it as the banner of thy warfare from under which thou maist not step aside without eminent danger of being surprised by thy sworne enemies but following it closely and valiantly thou hast certaine hope to conquer them and climb up to heaven loaden with their glorious spoils and trophees 23. When thou seest the image Or the image of the Blessed Virgin representing the holy Virgin mother turne thy heart towards her now reigning in Paradise and give her thanks for having been ever ready to performe the divine will for bearing and bringing up the Redeemer of the world and for never denying her favour and succour to thee and all spirituall combatants humbly imploring it 24. So let the pictures of Saints seeme as so many representatives of And the pictures of Saints stout champions and Soldiers who by their courages and conquests have made thee a free and safe passage to follow them imitate them overcome with them and be crowned with them in eternall glory 25. Let the Churches which thou Or entrest into Churches frequentest put thee in mind that thy soule is Gods temple and should be therefore kept most purely and prepared most perfectly for his comming 26. Finally let each creature all Finally make all objects accidents instrumeÌ„ts to thy perfection objects and every accident be so spiritualized and distilled by thy understanding from their earthly and materiall drosse that they may serve thee as true instruments to the perfection of thy soule and become powerfull helps to thee contrary to thine enemies intention in thy tendance to divine union which is the onely end thou aimest at How to regulate the Tongue 1. And because the tongue hath a neere assinity with our senses for we willingly discourse of those things wherein we take delight I will here before I descend to the following doctrine briefly shew thee how thou art to regulate bridle and master this unruly member 2. Much pratling proceeds ordinarily Much talk proceeds from presumption from a certain presumption which perswades us that we are very knowing in the things we talk of and so pleasing our selves in our own conceptions we endeavour to imprint them in the hearers hearts with soperfluous repetitions and replications of the same subject to appeare thereby more masters of Reason than others and as if they stood in need of our instruction Few words cannot expresse the evill which ensues upon over-much talking for it is the parent of idlenesse an argument of ignorance the dore of detraction the instrument of falsehood and the blaster of all true devotion and spirituall fervour 3. Wherefore I advise thee in the Therefore avoid long discourses first place not to enlarge thy selfe in long discourses before unwilling hearers which is to break the lawes of civility nor yet before them who are willing to hearken to thee lest thou exceed the bounds of modesty 4. Avoid also all patheticall and And passionate expressions passionate expressions and an over-high elevation of voyce for both these are generally odious to the hearers and alwayes arguments of thine owne vanity and presumption 5. Speak not at all of thy selfe of And all talking of thy owne affaires thine owne affairs of thy patentage or kindred unlesse in case of evident necessity and then also with all possible brevity simplicity sincerity and modesty and if another seeme superfluous in such speeches concerning himself be thou edified thereat but imitate him not though his words tended to his self-abjection and accusation 6. Discourse not of thy neighbour Or of thy neighbours nor any thing concerning him unlesse a just occasion urge thee to defend him or speak well of him 7. Shew a willingnesse to talke But speak willingly of God alwayes of God and particularly of his love and liberality yet still with profound reverence for fear of failing and therefore take more content to hear others discourse than to talk thy self and conserve what good words are delivered in the cabin of thy heart 8. As for all other discourses let the only sound strick thy eares but keep thy mind fixed upon thy God And if thou needs must lend an eare because thy answer is expected yet let thy souls eye glance up to heaven And ponder in thy heart what thy tongue is to utter where thy Lord and love is and first examin briefly in thy heart what thou intendest thy tongue should utter wherby thou wilt quickly resolve whether speech or silence be now more to the purpose 9. Lastly thou wilt find by experience my dearly beloved that The praise and profit of Silence Silence is an excellent and usefull weapon for thy spirituall combat giving courage to fight constancy to continue and confidence to overcome It is his sure friend who distrusts himself and trusts in his God it conserves us in devotion and comforts us in the exercises of our duty And surely the bare consideration of the disasters caused by inconsiderate talking is a sufficient motive to make us in love with silence to which that thou maiest habituate thy selfe make frequent use of solitude and retirement from fruitlesse company and frivolous conversation whereby instead of men thou shalt
conquer thy enemy with his owne weapons which he prepared for thy destruction 8. When therefore thy sins are And never to distrust his mercy suggested to thy memory conceive a perfect hatred of them as of things detestable to the divine goodnesse yet be sure to have an hopefull confidence in thy Saviours passion And I tell thee yet more shouldest thou seem to heare God saying unto thee Away thou art none of the number of my sheep yet thou art not to lose thy confidence in his mercy but humbly to reply Thou hast just reason ô my Soveraigne Lord God to shake me off for my sins sake But I have greatest reason to be confident of thy goodnesse and mercy and to beleeve that thou wilt pardon me therefore I humbly beg salvation for this thy wretched creature damn'd indeed by it's owne malice but redeem'd by the And the merits of his passion dear ransome of thy Sonnes most pretious blood and passion Thou wilt save me ô my Redeemer for thine owne glories sake and I resigne my selfe freely into thy hands upon the assurance of thy infinite mercy Doe with me and dispose of me as thou best pleasest for thou art my onely Lord and if thou killest me yet I will place my whole hope in thy heavenly goodnesse Of the assault of Vain glory 9. The third assault is that of The third assault is of vain-glory Vain-glory and presumption Here thou art to be â—quall wary of the other extreme and never to admit of the least conceit or complacency in thy selfe or thy actions but to referre all goodnesse that seemes to be in thee purely to Gods great mercy and the merits of Christs pâ—ssion Imbase thy selfe in thy heart whilst there is the least remainder of breath in thy body and acknowledge thy Which is conquerd by distrust of thy self and trust in God God as the true fountain of all thy goodnesse Look not at all upon thine owne merits but rely totally upon his mercy Distrust thy selfe and trust in thy Saviour and think what poore provisions thou hast laid up in store for this passage of death and thy journey to eternity and how vain and uselesse all thine owne indeavours will prove unlesse God will be pleased to put his helping hand and gather thee under the sacred wings of his divine protection Of illusions and false aprearances which are usually presented at the hour of death 10. If thy obstinate enmy who is The fourth assault is by false illusions ever studying to supplant thee should at this time set upon thee with false appearances and transfigurations of himselfe into an Angel of light thy best way is to recurre to the certain knowledge of thine own nothing and boldly to answer him Depart ô thou accursed devill into Against which have recourse to the confession of thy owne nothing And admit them not though they seem to come from heaven thy own darknesse I neither deserve nor desire any visions I need no other thing than the mercy of my Jesus the prayers of the Virgin Mary and the assistauce of the Saints Yea though thou hast reason to guesse by some evident signes that these things are from heaven yet still deny them all accesse unto thee and drive them far from thee nor needest thou fear lest any such resistance grounded upon thine own indignity should displease God for if the visions come from him he knowes well how to make them manifest notwithstanding thy opposition and art secure to be thereby no loser since he who gives his grace to the humble cannot be angry with him who practiseth such high acts of that vertue 11. These are the common and After these generall temptations follow others in particular ordinary engines which our enemy makes use of in this last passage After which follow his other trained bands of temptations according to each ones particular inclination and disposition Stand therefore timely to thy arms my beloved before this great day of battail steal upon thee and fight now valiantly and generously against thy violent passions and imperfections that thou mayst be prepared at that time which takes from thee all other time and power to perform it CHAP. XX. That we must never flatttr our selves as having subdued our enemies but must often return to our wonted exercises as if we were yet Novices in this Spirituall Conflict I have yet one thing O beloved Never perswade thy selfe thou hast gotten a full victory to tell thee of which is that thou never perswade thy selfe to have gotten a full victory over any one of thy passions though perchance thou hast for a long time together felt no motions thereof But that thou often renew thy accustomed But often renew thy exercises spirituall exercises as if thou wert yet a young beginner and a fresh-water souldier now entring the list 2. For if we behold and desire to follow the perfection whereunto God hath called us wee shall find it to be so high and so copious that For perfection is very high and hard to be obtained after our best spent endeavours wee shall scarcely presume to say that we have learnt the first principles thereof And besides this That which seemes to us a vertue may indeed sometimes be a vice our judgement being deceived by some secret pride CHAP. XXI Of Holy Prayer WE have hitherto ô beloved The fourth weapon is Holy prayer through the divine assistance heard and learned what concerns Diffidence in our selves Confidence in our God and continuall Exercise which are the three necessary meanes to get the victory of our passions and to conquer the disordered motions of our Sensuality Now follows the fourth which is Holy Prayer and this is the best and most efficacious means to obtain all good things from Gods gracious and bountifull hand EXPLICATION FOr Prayer is the food the comfort A furthet description of prayer and the support of the soule during its pilgrimage upon earth It is a secure bridge for it to passe over the severall seas of adversities and prosperities It is a wall of defence against vices and temptations a key opening into the cabinet of celestiall treasures the dore of holy thoughts and finally an invincible Citadel and sure retreating place from the violent assaults of all our enemies By prayer if thou knowest how to apply it to its true use thou puttest a sword into thy Lords powerfull hands wherewith he will fight thy battails for thee and vanquish all enemies which oppose thee in thy way of perfection 2. But to make thy prayer grateful Text. Which must have these properties usefull and acceptable it must be accompanied with these conditions and properties First That an ardent desire to 1. A desire to serve God serve thy Lord God in such a manner as may best pleasure his divine Majesty doe continually inflame thy heart EXPLICATION TO obtain this inflamed desire How to obtain
disordered love to any woâ—ldly person No favour or friendship ô my only amiable Lord God no greatness or goodness of any one shall make me fwerve from my exact duty to thee-wards No carnall affection to kindred No tenderness of amitie No private or publick respect No connivency or correspondency shall make me partiall in the reproof of vice or praise of vertue O take up my whole heart with thy holy love that thy perfect image and perpetuall memory may blot out all species of forreign objects I renounce all vain vicious idle and unprofitable thoughts fancies and imaginations O let my mind not only yield no consent but no entrance unto them O let me never more contristate thy holy Spirit with these vanities nor hinder my souls advancement and union with thee by these divertisments I will henceforth compell my heart to some good employment I will no longer permit it to wander and wast it self in any idle and superfluous curiosities No my Lord and Saviour thy bitter and blessed passion thy blessings and benefits shall be the continuall occupation of my interiour O what have I to do with transitory things who am made for eternity I renounce all care and solicitude which necessity obedience and charity do not oblige me to No naturall passions of joy sorrow hope fear love hatred anger or shamefastness shall make any impression in this heart of mine which is preingag'd in thy affection sealed up and setled in thy contemplation No pretext of lawfulness nor shew of fittingness nor conceit of compassion nor excuse of necessity shall procure the admittance of such passions into my soul as may any way distract darken or dull the point of my affection and devotion towards thee my only Lord and love I renounce all bitterness of heart against any one Is he good be thou eternally praised in him and by him O bountiful bestower of all blessings Is he wicked Correct him ô mercifull Creatour comfort encourage and raise him to amendment Hath he offended affronted injured or sleighted me I deserve ô great God to be troden on by all creatures and therefore I freely forgive him for the past and give him free leave to add stripes to his injuries for the future Am I denied the grant of my most lawfull and just demands Thou best knowest O eternall wisdom what is best for my state and condition O deny not thy love to my soul and let me be refused in all other my requests whatsoever I renounce all vain-glory all self-liking and pride which may arise from worldly praises al delight springing from any gift of nature or grace which is in me Not unto me Lord but to thy holy name be given all honour and glory Alas what am I what have I what can I All is thine O my bountifull Lord God Nothing is mine but sin and therefore I deserve only shame and confusion 7. I renounce all desire of delight in my devotions all sensible gusts of grace and all sweetnesses and solaces in the inferiour faculties of my soul Ah my heart what is all this to thee follow thou thy Saviour Thou seekest thy crucified Jesus This is not he but his gifts O my Lord it is thy self I seek and sigh after If thou send'st me comforts for the incouragement of my weakness be thou ever praised for thou dost like a most benign and bountifull God If thou withdrawest them still blessed be thy providence which hath secret and severall wayes of conducting souls to thy self and if thou wilt make triall of my fidelity by permitting me to be dull dry and desolate in my devotions be thou equally and eternally blessed I renounce all scrupulosity of Conscience which reflects any way upon the least diffidence or distrust in thy mercy I am a sinner O Jesu but thou art a Saviour I have great reason to dread thy justice but greater to hope in thy goodness Heaven and earth shall sooner fail than my confidence in thee my mercifull maker If thou kill me I will trust in thee And if I had formerly hated thee and betrayed thee as Judas did I would now with penitent Magdalen run to thy blessed feet weep and bemoan my misery and hope to obtain thy mercy And finally O my Lord I absolutely intirely and irrevocably renounce my whole Will in all things and totally resigne whatsoever any way concerns me to thy holy will and pleasure I offer up unto thee the full sacrifice both principall and accessorie of all that by thy gift and grace I am have and can my self goods graces body soul senses heart will all I leave no right or title to any selfness in any thing whatsoever I am no more my self but thy slave O Lord not my will but thine be done for time and eternity O let me will what thou wilt or not will at all Let all my desires be involuntary if they swerve never so little from thy divine pleasure Dy self-will Live Jesus my Lord my Love my All. FOR SATVRDAY Of Conformity to Christ Crucified The Sixth Exercise 1. CRucified Iesu thou only Lord of my life life of my love and love of my soul O that I could reform my life Deiform my love and conform my soul to thee the absolute pattern of all perfection O that I could imprint thy lively and lovely image in my heart fasten all my affections and imperfections to thy sacred Cross drown all my desires and defects in thy dear wounds put off my self totally and put thee on intirely O sacred humanity ô my suffering Saviour O that I could perfectly imitate thee the pure exemplar of all vertues that I could give up my whole self to thee by an act of irrevocable donation as thou demandest and commandest But alas I am yet O my Jesu all self-love sin and sensuality I acknowledge O my Lord what I have and what I want I know what I desire and what I deserve I confess I am wounded I am wicked I am wretched and I tremblingly come to thee my heavenly Physician to be cured converted comforted O sweet Saviour for thy mercies sake and for thy passions sake Forget and forgive what I have been pitty what I am satisfie for what I deserve and supply what I desire 2. Behold most mercifull Iesu I first cast my self at thy sacred Feet pierced and fast'ned to the cruel Cross for my transgressions Pierce my flesh O my Lord with thy fear and fasten my soul to thy love O let not pride and presumption nestle any longer in that heart which thou O meek Saviour lovest so tenderly and redeemest at so dear a rate O my vain glory and arrogancie what have I to do with you how much do I now detest you Wash off these stains O Iesu from my poor soul in these sweet streams flowing from thy wounded Feet O drown these my imperfections in these sacred Seas of piety Give me O Gracious Lord such true humility of spirit that I may
hearts into which we may securely and sweetly retire in the midst of all worldly varieties This is to walk with God as Enoch did and to be in continuall conversation with the Divinity A more sublime way to practise Gods presence is To look alwaies upon him without any discourse by a simple act of lively Faith not to question how or in what manner he is present nor to A hâ—gher way to practâ—se Gods presence fix our eys upon his inaccessible splendours because it is yet nighâ— for us we are but travellers and we must expect untill the bright day of eternity shine upon us and shew him unto us as he is in himself we must not think here to behold him but be content to beleeve him present with us and within us and that we live move and have our being in and by him In this manner of practising God's presence it is not needfull to form any conception or representation of God as that he is here by us or in any designed place or in such a form or figure for wee speak here of the presence of God as he is God which excludes all these imaginations And therefore it sufficeth to behold him only by Faith simply beleeving that he is here and in all places that he fils the whole universe and each corner and creature therein contained S. Augusâ— and that he is more inward to us than we are to our selves The 23. Maxim That Humiliation is a relique of Gods love WHen any occasion is offered us of humiliation abjection or mortification let us not examine how whence or from whom it comes but joyfully accept it embrace it and kiss it as a rich relique and royall token of God's great love and favour towards us Let us force our sensuality to swallow it down and disgest it for though it be bitter it will purge and perfect our spirits The 24. Maxim That Humility is the solid ground-work of all Spirituality WE are to grave this necessary lesson not only upon our Oratory and in all our books but upon the very dores of our hearts and in the depth of our souls Learn of me who am meek and humble-hearted Christ's lesson is humility Mat. 11. 29. and you shall find rest for your souls O sweet Saviour O meek and mercifull lamb of God! teach me this lesson which I stand in such need of Oh that I could perfectly practise it How purely and peaceably should I both live and dye Meek and humble spirits converse together like mourning turtles like innocent lambs and like corporall Angels turning the blessed family where they live into an earthly Paradise c. In the externall practice of this vertue wee are to observe chiefly these three degrees First to forbear forgoe deny Three points for the externall pactise of humility and submit our own judgements heartily humbly and really not only to our Superiours but also to all others casting our selves at their feet yea and under their feet to be troden on as dust and dirt And this as near as may bee for Gods sake Secondly not to care what others say or think of us which point which that other Of not medling with what concerns â—â— not will soon bring us unspeakablâ— peace and purity thinking alwaies with our selves What is that to thee follow thou thy Saviour Thirdly to get a habit of patience condescendence yielding and being silent in all occurrences and contradictions In the internall practice of humility we are also to observe these three degrees First to confess and acknowledge Three points for the internall practice our selves more wretched and wicked impure and imperfect ungratefull and unworthy of all grace and favour than any soul created Secondly to be glad that others treat us for such as we really take our selves to be and repute us forlorn and forsaken creatures unworthy of all company and comfort Thirdly to dye utterly to our selves and be totally mortified in our appetiteâ— and desires renouncing absolutely all propriety and self-seeking These short words contain infinit perfection And to move us powerfully to the prosecution of this vertue we may thus question our selves 1. Doe not all things humble Motives to humility themselves to serve me both in heaven and earth The Saints to pity me the Angels to protect me the Mother of God to remember me thâ— Son of God to redeem me and God himself to remain with me reign within me comfort me in my prayers feed me in Communion releeve me in tribulation 2. O strange Humility of my Saviour Not only to descend unto but into a wicked worm not only to eat with a sinner but to be eaten by a sinner O strange pride in me to see the Lord of heaven and earth so humbled in his Incarnation Passion Communion and yet to see a begger so proud a sinner so lofty minded and dust and ashes have such difficulty to stoop 3. Upon earth Doe not all things serve me for body or soul some to nourish me some to cloath me others to cure me others to correct me others to comfort and instruct me Even my betters superiors and confessors must humble themselves to me because my pride will not bend to them All creatures must be subject to me and I will not be subject to my Creator Alas what mean I when shall I begin O secure and sweet Humility when shall I practice thee 4. Doth not all the world all that I am and have my body my soul my actions my sufferings my sins furnish me with sufficient arguments of Humility What was I from eternity What am I what shall I be What have I that I have not received what have I received that I have not abused c. 5. Upon whom doth the Holy Esay 66. 2. Ghost promise to rest but on humble and quiet souls Stoop O dust and ashes O amiable Humility how necessary art thou for me how pleasing to God and men With what comfort and quiet dost thou enrich thy possessour O heaven upon earth What doe I not get by Humility what doe I lose by Pride and presumption c. The 25. Maxim That Silence and Solitude are our heaven upon earth THese are the proper instruments S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 188. a. 8. Lam. 3. 28 of Contemplation where our souls sit silently and solitarily lifted up above themselves by transcending all things created and uniting themselves to their Creatour Wee must observe them diligently Read Cisnerius ch 39. discreetly and devoutly not out of a sullen or melancholy humour or in a disdainfull and disgustfull manner or out of pride and singularity or to wave matter of mortification or to avoid the company of such as we brook not and have a version from but with an internall cheerfulness to converse with God in spirituall joy and fervour And the ordinary practice of them may be reduced to these four points First To retire our selves and 4. Points
goe on in our Introversion with perfect freedome and liberty simplicity and purity without further fears or reflexions Let us I say keep on soft and fair according to order and obedience in our exercises of Humility recollection and inward conversation with God checking and We must curb importunate desires curbing all importune pretensions desires and resolutions of doing strange matters and resting content in what God sends and our poverty affords neither running before his grace nor beyond our own strength Let us leave all intermedling Of little medling comes great peace with others doings and affairs looking only to our own care and charge thinking all others more perfect than our selves and being truly glad that our dear Lord is purely loved and perfectly served by them This is a sure way to avoid many stumbling blocks of our enemies to begin to tast the joys of heaven in this life to live without solicitude and dye without fear or trouble For the further practice of this Further practices of this point important point and to obtain this happy quiet and content of mind First We must carefully avoid and contemn all curiosity to see hear know or have a hand in what concerns us not Secondly we must labour to be as it were blind deaf dumb insensible passing by all things or letting them passe by us For all is vanity Salomon One to one S. Giles My God and all S. Francis Whatsoever hath an end is nothing S. â—erese What is that to thee follow thou me Jesus Christ Thirdly What is it we will see hear or know novelty vanity a transitory toy a foolish fable an impertinent object a flying shadow a false deceit Fourthly to what end Either it will defile our souls or disquiet our minds or distract our spirits or divert our intentions or imprint idle images or excite our passions or renew our vitious affections All which are great hinderances in a spirituall and contemplative course Ah! poor souls what amiable and admirable light and love doe we leave and lose for a vain curiosity c. The 30. Maxim That Crosses are to be suffered not sought to be taken not made to bee conceal'd not complained of IT is far beter to take crosses when where and how we find them than to make them our selves for this is losse of time and a nourishment of Self-love Let us not therefore cast our selves indiscreetly upon difficulties or seek out occasions of humility and patience but be ready to receive and indifferent to accept such as befall us and wee shall find enough to doe Let us make as little outward shew as may be of our inward sufferings but keep that secret to our selves till obedience and just reason induce us to reveal it and then let us doe it simply sincerely and resignedly O what peace what profit what pleasure shall we find in this reall proceeding Complaints are commonly accompanied with self-seeking and small troubles are sooner cured by quiet suffering than much shewing or speaking of them Doth this cross come from See the Conflict ch 10. n. 2. men and is it not rather permitted and provided by our beloved Lord from all eternity to purify us from pride to purge us from the love of creatures and to dispose us for heaven and happiness The 31. Maxim That Temptations cannot hurt us if we cast our whole care upon God WHen temptations passions 4. Rules of practice repugnancies or repinings rage in the inferiour portion of our souls wee are presently to reflect 1. That wee have made choice of God's love for our end and resolve to stand to it till death 2. That we must willingly submit to the trouble as long as it shall please God to permit it 3. That we must continue in our practices of piety and Recollection as if we felt no afflictions neither thinking on them nor fearing them but assuring our selves that nothing can injure us so long as wee rely upon God and resent our own weakness 4. That Prayer may be our chief refuge and support against all their surprisals and therefore we may say briefly and heartily Perfect thy strength O powerfull Lord in my weakness let thy mercy triumph on the throne of my misery I detest from my heart whatsoever is contrary to thy holy will in this point N. and all things I resign my self to suffer it as long and in what manner thou pleasest though never so cross to my crooked nature Sweet Saviour remain with me and let thy love reign in me and then I neither want other company nor desire further comfort The 32. Maxim That Desolations derelictions afflictions distractions are to be transcended by generous Resolutions IN time of desolation c. we are not to dispute with our selves nor examin the causes or circumstances of our sufferings for we are then neither competent nor indifferent judges but we must referr that untill the time of Prayer talk not now with your passionate and partiall heart but speak to God about some other thing transcending and dissembling your trouble in some such manner Good God! when shall this Pilgrimage have an end My life is a continuall warfare upon earth wherein all is vanity all is affliction of spirit all is full of frailty misery instability O Lord what is man that thou shouldst mind him a weak reed wagg'd with every wind and contristated with every little cross and contrariety burdensome to himself and troublesome to others c. There is more profit and less danger to suffer Desolation than to abound with Consolation to desire sensible love and contrition than to feel it to resist temptations distractions passions with patience and resignation than to have none at all It 's a signe of high and heroick vertue 1. To be Resigned when it seems we neither are nor can be resigned 2. To be Patient when we are fullest of motions to anger 3. To be Humble meek and quiet in time of sickness serious business multiplicity of employments 4. To be Constant and invariable in all the diversities and varieties of our own changeable humors dispositions inclinations internal invitations external instigations Let us not think we lose our time when we are involuntarily distracted in Prayer but rather comfort our selves in being deprived of all comfort because we then remain in that state in which God would have us Let us conceive our selves as within the walls of a strong castle without which are great noises outcries tumults alarms but we safe and secure within sleighting their vain attempts If our desires be to love God and our intentions to be with him and we hold no discourse with other divertisments we have made a good and profitable Prayer c. The 33. Maxim That Perfection consists in putting off all Propriety and putting on pure and naked Charity THis will make us love God above all things and all things in and for him only uniting our spirits to God and in him to our
most certain that whosoever leaves Recollection to look after earthly consolation enjoys neither God nor the world whereas a soul which retires her self from the world to possess God enjoys truly both God and the world together The 37. and last Maxim That we must walk and persever in these our Spiritual Exercises with the two feet of Faith and Obedience To perform this we must 1. Leave all for one All others for God Our selves for God God himself wheÌ„ he withdraws himself By recollection By abnegation By resignation 2. Leave one for all 3. Leave one and all The practice of this Maxim consists in these five points 1. TO have an ardent desire affection The practice and intention to love see please and enjoy God 2. To curb our senses from all curiosity vanity apprehensions c. which may either defile our souls or disturb our minds or distract our spirits Either seduce us from the right way or affright us when wee are in it 3. Then we must take Jesus by the right hand by faith and confidence abandoning our selves totally to his mercy and resting in his providence with a filiall indifferency 4. We must take our spirituall guide by the left hand by punctuall obedience 5. In our way wee must have these or the like thoughts recollections and devotions Well I am going to heaven to my Father and Creator to my eternall rest and Center to see love and praise my God for evermore There only is true life true love true light and true liberty O Jesu how long O Jerusalem when Jesus is with me and for me him I will follow after him I will sigh and for him I will suffer come what can If I erre let my guide look to it for I am obedient If I stumble Jesus will not let me fall for I am faithfull If I cannot have the fruit of Penance I will keep that of Obedience What I cannot get by Recollection I will procure by Resignation What I want by Indifferency I will supply by Confidence though my Deserts fail my Desires shall prevail What hath an end is nothing Live Eternity Sometimes let us hearken to Jesus speaking O my child my servant my spouse What are all things to thee follow thou me Let all pass I am here All is one and One is all trouble not thy self with multiplicity Be silent and I will answer for thee be content I am thy sufficiency Be indifferent all is my will be confident all is wel I forgive thee all thou demandest I will give thee all thou desirest I will never desert thee nor withdraw my eys hand heart from thee therefore goe on quietly couragiously confidently Other times let us answer him meekly and faithfully O good Jesu save me for I am thine O sweet Saviour support me for I am weak O loving guide direct me for I am blind c. Thus boldly let us keep on our way 1. Letting passe all by insensibility 2. Out-passing all by fervour 3. Passing under all by humility 4. Passing over all by generosity and elevation of spirit Under this Maxim are solv'd many materiall doubts arising in our daily progress to perfection The first Doubt If we fear that God will forsake us by reason of our Ingratitude and disloyalty 'T Is true we have been are still and ever shall be ungratefull tepid and defective in our correspondencies to the divine love and light and God may in justice forsake us and yet be a good God but wee must be confident in his mercy that he will not do it for Jesus sake in fury and rigour though hee may sometimes withdraw the feelings of his presence to try our loyalty His holy will be done Let us never say God will forsake us but say We will never forsake God Let us first say Doth God love us who can doubt it And doe we love him If we will we doe Let us never say We shall never amend all is lost But let us often say We are sinners wicked wretched weak none more than we but it truly grieves us to be so we will endeavour to remedy all sure we are our God is Almighty all-mercy all-meekness him we will serve and in him we will trust in despite of nature and maugre the devill and for him all desolation and death it self is most welcome unto us The 2. Doubt If our sins trouble us in respect of Confession and Satisfaction LEt us cast off servil fear and be confident that what is past is pardoned by Gods mercy and our humble confession what is to come may be prevented by Gods grace and our dilligence and endeavours The 3. Doubt If wee can neither Pray with fervour nor Suffer with patience neither feel God present nor be content in his absence LEt us have recourse to these four things which will supply our defects and satisfy for our faults 1. Obedience 2. Resignation 3. Confidence 4. Good desires Therefore in all our fears crosses and troubles let us make use of these four points in this or The practice the like manner O my Lord God who deservest from me all love and honour and whom I desire to serve with all my soul behold I come out of confidence in thy mercy having no other end but only to please and praise thee wherefore I resign my self to thy will beseeching thee to turn all to thy glory and my good The 4. Doubt If we are doubtfull that God is angry with us that we want grace that we only seek our selves that we yield to all temptations c. LEt us build upon these three foundations Humility in acknowledging our own deformity Sincerity in confessing it and Confidence of pardon for it and so persevering constantly and couragiously in a course of Prayer according to direction and obedience we shall soon find ease rest and peace The 5. Doubt If our Consciences are unquiet and our souls fearfull by reason of our proness to sin c. LEt us Apply these following plasters and put these tents into our spiritual wounds as deep as we can every day for a time till the cure be perfected 1. Let us be assured that we are Plasters for a troubled conscience now at this present in the state of grace supposing we have already or are now resolv'd to do what is necessary for the expiation of our past sins and the avoiding all sins for the future 2. That having a will to please God and perform our duties our Prayers are profitable to us and acceptable to God and we may without presumption take courage and comfort though we are yet full of passions and â—mperfections 3. That the feeling of troubles fears temptations c. are neither sins in us nor signs of Gods anger against us 4. That we are not bound to reflect continually whether we have consented to sin or not nor to judge whether this or that consent he mortall or veniall Nor to meddle with the sins of our
inclinations The third Verity O Lord I have a good Will and purpose to Confess my sins entirely in due time and place according to thy Ordinance and that of thy holy Church We may ad to these the devout frequentation Three other signs of the Sacraments which give life and justifying grace The warrant of a skilful guide And a lively confidence in the Divine bounty The 26. Doubt If we are troubled because we know not well when we give consent to sinful Thoughts 1. IF when the Thought is represented Rules to know when we consent to sin we presently fly to the crucifix expell it disdain it dislike it it is not Sin but Merit 2. But if we carelesly linger in it when well perceived it is Venial 3. And if we consent to the Thought and desire the Action our sin is equall to the act if it were committed 4. But if we intend not the Act but linger delightfully in the Thought and the thing it self be Mortall and deliberately entertained it is also Mortal The 27. Doubt If we cannot well distinguish between Venial and Mortal sin 1. WHat need we determine let us Confess it as it is committed 2. Mortall sin cannot be committed without great corruption of Him who commits it or great hurt to his Neighbor or great contempt and neglect of God says Richardas a S. Victore And S. Thomas Rich. à S. Victore S. Thomas says He sins Mortally whose total intention of mind is withdrawn from God who is our last end 3. Let us conclude with S. Augustin S. August Gerson and Gerson That it is dangerous even in Prelats and Confessors to define what is mortall sin or give Rules therein The 28. Doubt If that saying of Divines terrifies Faciens contra dubium incidit in peccatum In dubiis securior pars est eligenda us He that does against his doubt sins And In things which are doubtfull the securer part is to be chosen WE may in things which are Doubtfull securely follow a Probable opinion Now Scruples are not Doubts but false apprehensions and therefore on all sides we may and somtimes must go against our own erroneous consciences especially when Obedience commands it Let us therefore with S. Augustin S. Augustin Tene certum dimitte incertum lay hold of that which is certain and let go the uncertain And what way is more sure and secure than Obedience The 29. And last Doubt If finally we are apprehensive and fearfull lest we should grow weary in the way of Vertue and not Persever constantly in our Spiritual Exercises LEt us excite our Tepidity by the frequent perusall of this following discourse and practise accordingly The Patriarch Jacob in hope of obtaining the beautifull Rachel serv'd Laban seven years with diligence and patience But being cousened by that disloyal worldling with il favoured Lia what doth he He neither loseth Courage nor Confidence but with new constancy begins his other seven years service with such admirable alacrity and a heart so fix'd upon his desired reward that the time seem'd Gen. 29. but a week to him O my soul thou seekest and sighest after eternal Beatitude consisting essentially in the blessed vision and fruition of God signified by Rachel according to S. Bernard For S. Bernard this thou hast bound thy self to serve God But alas The world the flesh and the Devil do so often beguile blind thee that thou takest blear-ey'd Lia for beautiful Rachel the world for heaven the flesh for the Spirit and diabolical Illusions for Divine inspirations But what Lose not courage nor confidence Renew thy protestation of loyal service Serve God one other seven years Suffer another slavery to get heaven to dy in finall grace and to be eternally joyned to that blessed beauty thou lovest Follow Jesus to mount Calvary to consummatum est to thy last gasp If thou stumblest fall not If thou fallest up again and march Stand not but go forward for he only that persevers till the end shall be saved Let neither frequent temptations nor fearfull imaginations nor strong passions nor bad inclinations nor often fallings nor ordinary frailty daunt or dismay thee God is good and gracious meek and mercifull Thy reward is infinite and eternall Thy friends are moe in heaven than on earth persever then and go forward if thou canst not run at least go fair and softly and securely after Christ thy Captain crying Draw me unto thee ô most dear Lord for I desire to follow thee and no other but I am weak and lame and therefore I make use of two crutches A strong resolution never to forsake thy love and a lively confidence in thy grace goodness and mercy O holy and happy O pretious and highly to be prized Perseverance O finall grace the patrimony only of the elect and portion of the predestinate Fight manfully ô my soul get good habits timely resist sin valiantly fast watch pray sigh and suffer perseverantly heaven is worth thy pains Persever O my soul Persever Persever that done all is done that wanting all is undone This O Satan thou knowest full well and therefore little car'st to see me zealous for a Lent for a year for a time so in the end thou may'st make me tire tepide and careless of my progress and Pâ—rseverance 't is my Perseverance S. Bernard which thou only enviest at because that only conquers thee and crowns me eternally I discover thy two main snares ô subtill enemy into which thou wouldst allure my unwary soul and thy first design failing which was to delay my eonversion to Gods service thou pursuest thy Second which is to weary me in my well-begun enterprise To shift off my Conversion thou urgedst youth long life time enough thy dayly and dangerous deceits by which more Christians perish than by any other thy guiles and stratagems Thou knowest the peril of delay in a matter so important as is our conversion perfection salvation Thou art not ignorant how one sin draws on another how he that to day is unfit will be less to morrow how custom grows into nature breeds blindness hardness of heart and insensibility how old diseases are hardly and rarely cured how God withdraws his grace when 't is abused refused neglected how much his justice by delay is exasperated and that we heap coales on our own heads by our negligence Thou art well skill'd in the uncertainty of our frail life know'st the dangers chances changes and accidents which may speedily overwhelm us therfore thou whisperest stay a little deferr yet for a time till God in whose hands are the moments of all time takes from us all time who have so long abused the opportunity of time and sends us into pains eternal without time But seeing me resolutely and violently breaking all thy chains running and crying with S. Augustin S. Augustin Why shall I longer say to morrow why not now even at this instant thou now
of my eye at each morsell I eat at each member I move and at each inward and outward action I undertake I may first ask thy leave and permission and so do it or leave it accordingly as thy holy inspiration answers and allows me O that I could perform each naturall and necessary work with an actual reflexion upon thy praise and pleasure and with a pure intention to be united to thee my Lord and my love Thy outward senses ô my sweet Saviour were exactly subject to thy reason and perfectly obedient to thy sacred soul O let mine be swallowed up I beseech thee gracious Jesu and sanctified by the merits of thine Let me live love move and make use of my senses purely and only in thee for thee and by thee Thy sacred hands ô holy Jesu were harshly nailed to the tree of the Cross preserve mine I beseech thee from all sinfull touching Thy blessed feet were likewise pierced and fastned to the same rood O fix my steps that I run not to evil actions direct them in thy paths and make me speedy in all works concerning thy honour and the assistance of my neighbour Thy holy mouth was free from guile full of wisdom put thy words sweet Jesu into mine let it alwayes speak of thy love and only sing thy prayses Thy divine ears were filled with blasphemies and derisions Let not mine be open to hear vanities and detractions Thy sweet eyes poured out floods of tears for me O give unto mine tears of compassion for thy sufferings and of compunction for my own sins Thy taste was tormented with the novsome potion of gall and vineger O take from me I beseech thee all desire of delicacies let me not eat or drink but for meer sustenance and necessity Thy whole humanity ô gracious Jesu was martyred and murthered O grant that I may be truly and totally mortified Let me not see feel hear tast smell eat drink do any thing or make use of any thing as following my own gust sensuality and self-seeking but in pure conformity to thy divine will and pleasure 6. O mercifull Redeemer how great and grievous were the inward sufferings of thy holy soul O for those thy sorrows and thy tender mercies sake cleanse cure inlighten inform reform and transform all my inward man O permit not my Vnderstanding where the knowledge of thy greatness and goodness should be only seated to be overspread with ignorance and errour Let not my Memory which should be totally taken up with thee be stuffed with vain fancies or impertinent curiosities Let not my Will which thou gav'st me to desire and love thee O my only Lord and love above all thy creatures be inslav'd to any inferiour affection Repair ô gracious Redeemer this lively image of the lovely Trinity which is almost defac'd by my brutish sensuality Grant O dear Saviour that my Understanding Will and Memory may be incessantly busied in knowing loving and remembring thee and that they may forget and forgo all other objects but only in thee and for thee 7. O that my heart were perfectly disingaged from the love of all creatures Drain it sweet Jesu and deliver it from all forreign and domestick affection and fill it up again with thine only that it may never love desire nor will any thing but thee alone O my Lord my love and my All. O that my Will were conformable to thine without any reservation or retraction Take it unto thee Dear Lord freely and fully for time and eternity I will have no will but thine dispose of me as thou pleasest here and hereafter O that my Memory were disincombred from all imaginations and purged from all impressions but of thee only Empty it ô thou only amiable object of my soul and then replenish it with such holy and heavenly notions as may best please thy divine Majesty O that my Vnderstanding were imbued with some measure of the knowledge of thy divinity O my Lord infinite in goodness dreadfull in Majesty and unspeakable in all perfection O my great gracious and glorious God Quicken it sharpen it elevate it and illuminate it that knowing thee I may not choose but love thee and that knowing and loving thee I may be eternally happy Behold Lord I make an absolute divorce with all self-love sensuality and affection to creatures and give thee my self by an irrevocable donation Behold Lord the keys the lodging the treasure and the Master prostrate at thy sacred feet Enter freely possesse all fully dispose universally and command absolutely Put me where thou wilt give me what thou wilt treat me as thou wilt Thine I am ô my Lord my love and my All for time and FOR FRIDAY Of Mortification and perfect Abnegation The Fifth Exercise 1. O Eternal and ever Blessed Lord God! Thou hast framed me of soul and body and fitted me with faculties proportionable to attain the end of my creation which is to love thee intirely and to live with thee eternally But alas how far am I from observing thy blessed and beautifull order Thou ô Lord gav'st me a soul to bear all the sway in my body Reason to have the chief regency in my soul thy Law to be the guide of my reason and thy self to be the sole mover and governour of my whole man But Oh! how have I willfully cross'd thy sacred design contradicted thy intention and swerv'd from this perfection My body is all brutish my soul all animall and my reason all sensuall I am all blindness self-love and immortification Yet I know well and thou O eternall verity hast expresly told me that unless I renounce all deny my self take up my Cross and follow thee I can never become thy true Disciple Ah harsh words to my carnall ears If thou wilt be my disciple deny thy self If thou wilt be perfect sell all give away all reform all renounce all relinquish all If thou wilt possess life eternal contemn this life temporal If thou wilt be exalted in heaven humble thy self in the world If thou wilt wear a crown with me bear thy Cross with me But O my soul how wilt thou brook that more dismall sentence Depart from me thou accursed into eternall fire Wherefore O my Lord my love and my all Since Thou hast taught me these things by thy sacred word and shewed them by thy holy example and thou art the way the truth and the life Grant O infallible truth that I may couragiously walk in this thy perfect way that so I may happily come to thee the only true and eternall life and love of my soul 2. What dreadest thou O my fearful and faithless heart Behold Christ thy King and captain is march'd on before thee Take up thy Cross and travell after him he leads thee to a Kingdom heaven is worth thy pains O take courage to mortifie thy self deny thy self and die to thy self that thou mai'st live to Jesus and with Jesus eternally Learn O my soul this short
and securing lesson Leave all things and thou shalt find one thing which is all in all Take courage and fight valiantly against thy own bad nature pray suffer stoop bear repugnances swallow down contradictions disgest injuries the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence The end thou aymest at is perfection the reward of thy conqucst is eternall love eternal life eternall happiness Behold ô my Lord my strength and my salvation I am fully resolv'd to lay the ax to the root of this wicked tree Help me I beseech thee with thy grace from above that I may hew my self out of my self that I may kill crucifie and mortifie my inveagling sensuality cut off my evil inclinations rectifie my disordered passions and root out each thought or desire which tends not directly to thy honour will and love O my Lord and my God! 3. I know Lord that it is bootless to study perfection without the practice of mortification I confess I can never love thee truly but in as much as I hate my self really such is the antipathy between self-love and thy holy affection Ah! how can a spirit distracted with contrary inclinations be freely and fully vacant to thy divine contemplation Put therefore I beseech thee a sluce to my unmortified passions put a bound to my distraught heart and powerfully keep back those innumerous concupiscences and corrupt imaginations violently succeeding each other that my united affections may intend thee only the only object of all happiness Gather ô my Lord the dispersed forces of my soul from all multiplicity of worldly affections to the union of thy only love Keep I beseech thee my understanding will memory imagination and all my inward and outward sences from roaming abroad that carefully attending and entertaining thy divine presence in my soul I may attain true introversion simplification and union of my Spirit with thine Reform ô my Lord all the naturall corruptions of my outward man and redress all the spirituall infirmities of my inward man destroy and disperse all internal and external enemies and opposers of thy holy love possess me perfectly and dispose of me entirely according to thy divine will and pleasure 4. To this end O bless my weak endeavours al-mighty and al-merciful Lord God I will subtract all superfluities from my body and accustom it to all sorts of sufferings that so I may fit it up for thee O holy Spirit who dwellest not with them that are sensuall and subject to sin Alas I have not yet resisted to the effusion of my blood and should I spill each drop of blood in my body in this holy quarrel how little ought I to regard it in respect of the great good I expect I will therefore crucifie thee O my flesh with all thy concupiscences I will mortifie my outward senses the windows by which death steals into my soul the hinderers of my hearts tranquillity the destroyers of true devotion the dispersers of inward recollection and the utter ruiners of all the good desires which I conceive and kindle in my prayers Ah how soon is this divine fire cooled and quenched not only by sin but also by the distracting images of outward objects I will keep a speciall and strict watch over my tongue on which depends my spirituall life or death and cheerish thee ô beloved silence which art the key of piety the keeper of innocency and the preserver of purity I will trample down my inferior This is the chief exercise of Gods children not to be carried away with affections of flesh and blood but to conduct themselves according to Gods Spirit nature with all it 's evil affections and motions of love hatred joy sadness desire fear hope Anger c. I will order dispose and direct it according to the laws of reason and thy divine inspirations ô my Lord and my God Grant me courage I beseech thee to quell and curb this most dangerous and my greatest enemy which is the source of all my miseries the citadell from whence sin assails me and Satan fetcheth his forces to fight against me Grant good Lord that I may Therefore every one must strive to know his own natural inclinations and then imploy all his forces and apply all his prayers and spiritual exercises to quel them never yeild to this wicked Eve persuading Adam my Superior will to eat the forbidden fruit to consent to unlawfull pleasures O that I could tame these cruel beasts my naturall passions how soon should I be master of all morall vertues O that I could so till this vineyard so delve this garden so purge it from all ill weeds of affections and prune all superfluous surgeons and shoots of passions that the seed of thy grace ô heavenly husbandman might only there take root increase and fructifie 5. I will also mortifie my Superiour and rationall part with all the curious and fruitless speculations of my Understanding all conceits of self-wisdom naturall prudence proper judgement and good liking of my own proceedings All vain and foolish reflexions of my Memory And all petty desires and affections of my Will which relate not to thee the only object and Lord of my love I am resolved ô my Lord to nip off each budding passion as soon as it peeps up in my soul to trouble it in its true repose and to hinder its liberty and tendance to thy love I will by thy gracious assistance proceed faithfully and sincerely in the hatred denial and mortification of my self and in the prosecution of thy divine love And in order to this only end and aym I make in thy presence and from the very bottom of my heart and soul these particular acts following I renounce ô my Lord for the pure love of thee all affection to worldly things Give them unto me ô gracious God or take them from me as best liketh thy divine Majesty I resign up all my interest in any thing though never so near and dear unto me Behold ô my Lord and lover I uncloath my soul from all affections whatsoever to creatures and desire nothing but thy self-alone O happy nakedness O rich poverty of Spirit O pure obedience to the divine will in all things Be you my hearts delight my whole pleasure and patrinony 6. I renounce all self-seeking Ah! my corrupt nature I abhor thee Adieu all private-interest profit praise and preferment I will henceforth performe all my actions and exercises O my Lord God for thy only pure perfect love I will seek to please and praise thee with an inward ardent and amorous affection for thy self only and not for thy gifts or graces I renounce all sensuality whether it be in meat drink sleep apparel curiosity of my five senses or any thing else whatsoever O my Lord I will make no other use of any thy creatures than I am absolutly compell'd to by necessity of nature I look for no solace but from thee alone My only comfort and content I renounce all