compare those who serue God out of hope of recompence to Simon Cyreneeus who was hyred at a set price to beare the Crosse of Christ for so do those who would not follow our Sauiour nor beare his crosse vnles there were the reward of heauen proposed they adde that we are not to be solicitous for our recompence nor alwayes thinking vpon what we gaine Like vnto vngratefull seruants who exact their wages keep a strict account which is more the part of a hyrling then a gratefull seruant we ought not to serue God in such vnworthy manner but as childreÌ„ purely out of loue there is great difference say they betwixt the seruices of a slaue a houshold and a child the slaue serues his Lord for feare of stripes and punishment the seruant for his wages and if his diligence be morâ— then ordinary it is but to comend hiâ— seruices vnto his Lord out of greater hope of profit and aduancement but the child serues his father only for loue and tendernes and is most careful of offending him not so much for feare of chastisement for he is lyable vnto none supposing he is past his infancy neither for hope of his inheritance but only out of loue and deare affection And so a wise good and vertuous child doth serue respect and honour his parent out of that only motiue that he is his Father although otherwise he be poore and able to leaue him nothing so say these holy Saintes we ought to serue God neither for feare of chastisement like slaues neither as seruants with our eyes and affection fastned vpon our gaine and interest but like true children since God hath been so good and graâ—â—â—s to vs to make vs such Ioan. c. 3. Behold sayth S. Iohn the Euangelist what loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs for to be styled really to be the sonnes of God We are not only called the sonnes of God but are such truly and really and withall right cal God our Father and the sonne of God our Brother If we be therefore sonnes of God let vs loue and serue him like true children let vs honour him as a Father and as so great a father with truly louing him as wel because he is delighted with it as that he is worthy of it in being what he is and for his infinit goodnes which merits an infinity of hearts and bodyes continually to be imployed in louing and seruing him S. Chrysostome sayth admirably wel If by the grace of God you should be made worthy to please his diuine Maiesty should desire any other reward beyond this of being mad worthy for to please him Chrsost l. 2. de compunct you were certainly ignorant how great a good it were for to please God and if you could once but apprehend it you would neuer desire other extrin secall reward or benefit And truly what greater good can we pretend or wish for then to content please Almighty God Eph. 5.1.2 Be imitators of God fayth S. Paul like to his dearest children walke in loue and dilection as Christ hath loued vs. Bonau to 2. opusc in fascic c. 8. And S. Bonauenture sayes Consider that God your benefactour hath so bestowed his benefits vpon you as to aske none of them backe againe who hath â—o need of you or any other creature Yea he doth not only receaue no profit from vs nor commodity for al those fauours he bestowes vpon vs but he affoardes them vs at so great expence and charges of his owne as is his owne deare life and bloud which he layd downe shed for our redemption In this manner purely and without all mixture of proper interest are we to serue and loue almighty God neither which is more are we so much as to desire any vertus and supernaturall guifts for our owne pleasure and comodity but only for God and for his greater glory and to the end to store our selues with somewhat that may be pleasing to his diuine Maiesty yea and in this manner we are to desire glory in so much as when we set before the eyes of our soule to giue it heart and courage to performe its actions well the greatnes of the reward which is annext to euery good it doth it ought in no ways to haue this its ayme end in vndertaking any thing but only the pure desire of further pleasing and glorifying God in that the more glory we shall haue the more shall God be honoured and glorifyed This is the true loue of charity the true and perfect loue of God and this is purely to seeke God and his greater glory and all besides is but to seeke loue our selues which will the better appeare if we consider the difference which Philosophers and Diuines doe make betwixt that perfect loue which they call the loue of amity the loue of concupiscence The first loues his friend for his friends good and out of vertue without regarding his owne interest or gaine but the loue of concupiscence is when one loues another not so much for himselfe as for the profit and comodity which he hopes for from him as when one serues loues a rich man because he hopes for aduaÌ„cement and assistance from him We see apparently that this is no perfect loue but wholy compounded of selfe loue and interest since you loue not your friend so much as your own selfe and proper comodity So we say that we loue bread and wine with the loue of concupiscence because we loue neither the one nor the other for its selfe but only for our selues and particuler endes And in this manner doe they loue God who serue him out of feare of punishmeÌ„t or hope of recompence it being no other then to loue God with a loue compounded and wholy consisting of selfe loue priuate ends not seeking of him purely nor with a liberall mind which our Sauiour hath giuen vs to vnderstand by S. Iohn who after he had wrought that great miraracle of feeding fiue thousand men besides woemen and children with fiue loaues and two fishes being followed sayth the Euangelist by a world of people Ioan. 6.26.27 sayd vnto them You seeke me not because you haue seene wonders but because you haue eaten of the loaues and are satiated Not because you belieue me to be God but because you seeke your owne comodities VVorke and seeke not that food which perisheth but which remayneth in eternall life which is Christ and to do purely the wil of God That holy seruant of God Almighty shewed a right M. Gerso pure intention in his answere who liuing a wondrous and austere life and giuing himselfe wholy vnto prayer the Diuell enuying so great a vertue and seeking to withdraw him from his vertuous course of life by bringing him into doubt of his predestination tould him that he laboured and wearyed out himselfe in vaine for he should neuer be saued nor come to inioy
THE CHRISTIAN MANS GVIDE WHEREIN Are contayned two Treatises THE ONE Shewing vs the perfection of our ordinary Workes THE OTHER The purity of Intention we ought to haue in all our Actions Both composed in Spanish by the R. F. ALFONSVS RODRIGVEZ of the Society of IESVS Translated into English Permissu Superiorum M.DC.XXX THE PREFACE TO THE READER GENTLE Reader I present thee here with two excellâ—nt Treatises writtâ—â— by the R. F. Alfonsus Rodriguez of the Society of Iesus that is to say his second and third Treatise of his first part of Christian Perfection The one teacheth vs how by performing our Ordinary ActioÌ„s with due diligeÌ„ce we may become perfect in a short tyme. The other how we ought to haue our Intention Right and Pure in al our ActioÌ„s how necessary and profitable this care is Both Treatises will sufficiently commend themselues if they be read with attention and an earnest desire to profit in the way of vertue My mind was to haue added hereunto the first Treatise of the same Authour but because it is not yet ready I differre it till a longer day and in the meane tyme I present this to thy vse and benefit A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS CONTAINED In these two Treatises Of our ordinary Actions Chap. 1. HOw all our spirituall profit and perfection consists in the well doing of our workes pag. 1. Chap. 2. How it ought greatly to incourage vs to the attaining of perfection that God hath constituted it in the performance of easy things pag. 10. Chap. 3. VVherein the goodnes perfection of our workes consists and some meanes to performe them well pag. 15. Chap. 4. Of an other meanes to do our Actions well which is so to performe them as if we had nothing els besides to do pag. 25. Chap. 5. An other means to do our Actions well which is so to performe each one as if it were the last thing we were to doe pag. 31. Chap. 6. Of an other meanes to do our Actions well which is to take care only for the present pag. 44. Chap. 7. Of another means which is to accustome our selues to do our Actions well pag. 51. Chap. 8. Of how great importance it is that Religious men do not grow remisse slacke in the way of vertue pag. 59. Chap. 9. How much it imports Nouices to bestow the tyme of their Nouiciate well and to accustome themselues then to do their Actions well pag. 66. Of the right and pure Intention Chap. 1. THat we ought principally to shune all vaine glory in our Actions pag. 75. Chap. 2. VVherein the hurt and mischiefe of vaine Glory doth consist pag. 81. Chap. 3. Of the hurt domage which vaine Glory brings a long with it pag. 85. Chap. 4. That the tentation of vaine Glory doth not only assault those who are new beginners but also such who make progresse in Vertue pag. 93. Chap. 5. Of the particular care which they ought to haue of vaine glory who are to imploy themselues to assist and helpe their Neighbour pag. 99. Chap. 6. Of certaine other remedyes agaynst Vayne Glory pag. 105. Chap. 7. Of the good end and intention which we ought to haue in all our Actions pag. 117. Chap. 8. How we may doe our actions with great rectitude and purity of Intention pag. 121. Chap. 9. How we are not so much to lay the fault of those distractions spirituall hinderances which we find in our selues sometimes on our exterior occupations as on our not performing them as we ought pag. 125. Chap. 10. How good and profitable it is to doe our Actions in the foresayd manner pag. 131. Chap. 11. A more expresse declaration of the vprightnes and purity of intention with which we are to do our Actions pag. 139. Chap. 12. Of some signes by which we may know whether we doe our actions purely for the loue of God or seeke our selues in them pag. 150. Chap. 13. How we are to increase go forwards in vprightnes and purity of intention pag. 158. Chap. 14. Three degrees of perfection by which we may ascend and arriue vnto great purity of intention and to a high and perfect loue of God pag. 171. A TREATISE OF THE PERFECTION of our ordinary Actions How all our spirituall profit and perfections consists in the well doing of our workes CHAP. 1. IVSTE quod iustum est persequeris Deuter. 16.10 sayth our Lord vnto his people Do that wel iustly which is good and iust Our profit perfection consists not in the simple doing of the thinges but in the well doing them like as it is nothing to be a Religious man but to be a good one indeed is that to which we must all aspire S. Hierome writing to Paulinus sayth Non Hierosalymis fuisse sed Hierosolymis bene vixisse laudaÌ„dum est Paulinus had a great opinion of S. Hierome because he resided in those holy places where our Sauiour had wroght the mysteries of our redemption and S. Hierome that he might pay no esteemation to the place which was not due vnto the person sayd Not to liue in Hierusalem but to liue well in Hierusalem is worthy to be praysed which Apophthegma is ordinarily brought to admonish Religious that it is not inough for them to liue only in Religion seeing as it is not the habit which makes a Religious man so is it not the place but a good and holy life In such manner as the difficulty consists not in being Religious but in being a good Religious nor in doing the exercises of Religion but in doing them well according as we ought When that which was sayd of our Sauiour in the Ghospell Bene omnia fecit He hath done all thinges well Marc. 7.37 doth come to be verifyed in vs then we may truely be sayd to be Religious men It is most certain that all our good and ill consists in the well or ill doing of our workes for such as our workes are such shall we likewise be they speake and declare what ech one is the Tree is knowne by its fruit S. Augustine sayes That man is the tree and his workes the fruit he bears and consequently by the fruit of the workes we doe arriue to knowledge of the man And therefore our Sauiour speaking of the Hypocrits false Prophets sayd Matth. 7.16 A fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos And on the contrary speaking of himselfe The works which I do in the name of my Father Ioan. 10.15 do beare witnesse of me and if you will not belieue me belieue my workes which witnesse what I am Neither do the workes in this life only declare what each one is but also what in the other life is to become of them for such shall we be for euer in the other life as our workes haue been in this seeing our Sauiour will reward each one according to their works as the holy Scripture testifyes so often in both the
old and new Testament Quia tu reddes vnicuique iuxta opera sua Psal 61.13 And the Apostle Paul sayth that which a man hath sowed in this life he shall reap in the other Rom. 2.6 Quae seminauerit homo haec metet But let vs now descend further vnto particulars and see what workes they are in which doth consist all our good our progresse and perfection which are no other then those which we doe ordinarily euery day to wit to make our daily prayer well our Examen of conscience to heare Masse and celebrate it with all decency to say our houres and prayers with reuerence and attention to be in perpetual exercise of pennance mortification to performe our office well and that charge which obedience doth impose vpon vs in these consists our profit perfection if we do these actions with perfection we shall be likewise perfect and if imperfectly imperfect And this is all and only that which makes such mighty differeÌ„ce betwixt a good perfect Religious man and on who is imperfect and negligent For the difference doth not consist in that the one doth more or els such thinges which the other doth not do but that the one doth those things which they are to do better and with more perfection then the other and hence it is that this is a good Religious man because he doth his ordinary actioÌ„s wel the other on the contrary an imperfect one because he doth them with tepidity negligence And in conformity to this which hath beene sayd the more perfectly or imperfectly one doth do his workes the more perfect or imperfect he is In the Parable of the Sower who went out to sow his seedes the sacred text of the Ghospel says Math. 13.8 That euen the good seed it self that which was sowne in good ground did in some places bring forth a hundred fold in others sixty and but thirty in others In which place the holy Doctours say are disciphred three sortes of people who serue God Almighty The Beginners the ProficieÌ„t and the Perfect all of vs of the same Religious institute sow but on kind of seed since that the workes we do are al the same the rule the same which we obserue we haue all one time of prayer examen the same holy obedience froÌ„ morning vnto night doth employ vs all and yet for al this Homini homo quid prestat How much how farre doth one man excell an other What difference is there bewixt one Religious man an other The Actions which the one sowes euery day bringes forth an hundred fold because they do their Actions with spirit and perfection and these are the perfect others grow vp likewise with increase though not so great as bringing only sixty fold and these are the Proficient in an other quarter the seed which is sowne brings forth only thirty fold and these are they who yet are but beginning to serue God Almighty And now let euery one of vs coÌ„sider with himself of which of these three sorts he is whether he be not only of those who barely bring forth thirty fold and God graunt that there be none such among vs as the Apostle speake of 1. Cor. 3.12 who on the foundation of their faith doe rayse vp buildinges of wood haye and stubble to serue for fewell in that general day looke that you doe not your Actions out of vayne glory for humaine respects to please and delight men to be esteemed by them since this is no other then to build with wood and haye and stubble to make the fyer at least in Purgatory but indeauour to performe all your Actions with perfection which is to build with gold siluer and pretious stones That all our profit and perfection doth consist herein may be vnderstood by this reason all our profit and perfection consists in two thinges to do that which God would haue vs do to do it in such manner as he would haue vs do it and more then this I do not see what can be expected from vs. Now touching the first which is to do that which God would haue vs do we haue by the grace of God performed it already who liue in Religion do that which is assigned vs by our institute which is one of the greatest goods and perfectest consolations which we haue who liue vnder obedience to wit that we are assured that al which we doe and in which we imploy our selues by order from obedience is that only which God would haue vs do this is in a manner the first principall in Religion drawne forth of the Ghospell and the doctrine of the Holy Father as we will proue when we come to treat of Obedience Qui vos audit me audit Luc. 10.16 in obeying our Superiours we obey God and accomplish his diuine will which is no other then that we should do these thinges in which we are then imployed We read in the Chronicles of the Cistercians that as the Religious were one morning at Mattins S. Bernard with his Monkes saw diuers Angels noting and writing downe the actions of the Religious in the quiâ—e and their manner of behauiour there they obserued that they writ downe the coÌ„portments of some in golden letters of others in siluer of some with inke others only with watter conformable to the spirit attention deuotioÌ„ with which each one of them did pray and sing of others they writ downe nothing at all they being such as although they were personally present were yet in hart farre froÌ„ thence traÌ„sported by distraction and extrauagant thoughts And in particular whilst Te Deum was sung they obserued the Angels with great deligence going vp downe among them to incite them be sing it with deuotion in so much as from the mouthes of these who began to sing their deuout words came out of their inkindled breastes like flames of fire Let vs consider with our selues whether in like manner whilest we pray our harts do seÌ„d vp such fiery words vnto our mouths or rather whether we do not languish in deuotion and yawne againe through lazines tepidity Marke whether you be there in body only whilest in spirit you are in your studyes in your offices in deep consideration of your affayrs or with your thoughts bestowed one any such impertinent thing How it ought greatly to incourage vs to the attaining of perfection that God hath constituted it in the performance of easy things CHAP. II. R. F. Hierome Natalis a man of happy memory in our Society for his eminent vertue learning in his visite of the Prouinces of Spayne did in a most particular maÌ„ner among many other things coÌ„mend and often inculcate this verity that all their profit perfection did consist in the wel doing of those particular ordinary imployments in which they were daily exercised seing that our spirituall progresse and amendment of life
colour that you shall not remember that so well afterward which is then presented vnto you shal set vpō you euen frō thence may you perceaue that they are not thoughtes proceeding from God but from the enemy seeing that God is no friend of disorder and confusion but of peace quietnes and order and therfore consequently all such thoughts as bereaue you of your quiet and peace and put you in disorder come not from God Almighty but from the Diuell who is authour of such disquietnes and confusion Chase therefore all such tentations from your thoughts and haue a firme hope and confidence on God Almighty that he so long as you behaue your selfe as you ought will not be wanting in due tyme place to lend you all necessary ayd that with aduantage to the performance of your other affaires how euer there may present themselues vnto you at such tyme some circūstance or other with neuer so faire pretensions some forcible argument some witty answere yet cast all quietly out of your mind and assure your selfe you shall rather gayne then loose any thing thereby Scientia quae pro virtute despicitur per virtutem postmodum melius inuenitur sayth Saint Bonauenture Knowledge which for vertue is neglected is aftewardes by vertue better obteyned And M. Auila saith when the care of any businesse doth come into your mind at any vnreasonable time you are to say vnto it My Lord hath giuen me no commission to treat or thinke of this matter for the present and therefore you must excuse me when he shall be pleased that I shall deale about it there shall want no diligence of myne An other means to do our Actions well which it so to performe each on as if it were the last thing we were to doe CHAP. V. THE fourth means which the Holy Fathers teach vs to do our Actions well is so do euery particular thing as if it were to be the last Action that euer we should do in this life S. Bernard prescribing vnto Religious men in what manner they are to do their Actions says Let him demaund of himself in euery worke he doth if you were presently to dy would you do this or no And S. Basill saies Haue always the last day of your life before your eyes when you rise in the morning doubt whether you shall liue till the euening or no and when you do compose your selfe at night to rest do not confide to see the sunnes light any more and this to the end that you may the better refrayne your selfe from falling into sinne And with how much reason may we alwayes awayt for death our selues whome we see alwaies so conuersant with our neighbours This dyes with sicknesse an other is drowned at sea one is kild by theeues vpon the way an other by murtherers in the Citty many by Pyrats are made away in all places at all times and of all ages and conditiō death spars no man what a thing is this saith an other holy man what a thing is this men see nothing more frequently then death yet there is nothing which they lesse remēber Seeing therfore death lays wayt for vs at euery tyme we ought likewise in al places at al times and in all occasions to be ready for it this would be an efficatious meanes to make vs performe all our Actions well and is that of which S. Anthony made particular vse to stirre vp his Disciples vnto the study of vertue and perfection What shall we say of that Heathen whose sentence this is You will not be able to spend this day well vnles you imagine it to be the last of your life and that of the Poet Horace Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum Thinke euery day thou seest to be thy last If we did but informe all our actiōs with this same thought of death we should do them which more feruour perfectiō then now we do With what deuotion should I say Masse now if I knew for certaine it were the last Masse which I should euer say that I should haue no time beyond this to doe any thing or merit more With how much feruour attension should I pray if I knew it were the last prayer I should make that I should neuer haue that commodity agayne to beg pardon of God Almighty for my sinnes and implore his sauing Mercy Therefore it is become a Prouerbe If you would learne to pray go to sea when we haue death before our eyes we pray with otherguese feruour then now we do We read of a certaine Religious man a great seruant of God Almighty that he was accustomed to confesse himselfe euery day before he went to celebrat Holy Masse this holy mā once falling sicke his Superior perceauing his sicknes to be mortall told him in order to his duty how the case stood with him and therfore wisht him to prepare himselfe by a good cōfession vnto whom the Blessed man lifting vp his hands towards heauen blessing praying God Almighty answered for these thirty yeares and more I haue confessed my selfe euery day as if I were presently afterwards to dy which is the cause that for the present I haue only need to reconcile my selfe as if I were only to go to Masse It was most wisely done of him and an example worthy all imitation so ought we to go to holy confession and communion as if we were presently to dy and doing all our Actions in conformity to this we shall come to make our confession at the houre of death not with the anxiety of men now in dying but with that sweetnesse and comfort of men now going to the holy Communion this pace if we always kept death should neither ouer take vs before we were aware nor take vs vntimely out of this mortall life And this is the best prayer the exquisitest deuotion to prouid our selues so that death may neuer come vntimly to vs. Math. 2 ◠46. Blessed is that seruāt saith our Sauiour Christ whome his master when he comes shall find so doing so watchfull so prepared for to dy Iob. 14.14 This was the life of holy Iob. Euery day of this warfar of myne saith he I do expect when the change of me wil come I make account that euery day is the last of my life do thou call me and I will answere the O Blessed Lord call me away when you please behold me here prepared and ready for to answere and appeare before you at all times at all houres when you shall summon One of the best signes which one hath to know whether al stand right or no betwixt God and himselfe is if he be alwayes prepared and ready to aunswere in all times and occasions when God shall call him I speake not of any infallible assurance since there is non such in this life without some extraordinary reuelation but of probable and morall coniectures such as ordinarily we
they were assured for to liue some yeares S. Bonauenture sayth that God hath left vs the houre of our death vncertayne that we may learne to contemne all these temporal things and not count them worthy of our care which in euery moment we are in danger to loose As our Sauiour sayd to that rich Miser in the Ghospel of S. Luke foole this night they will demaund they soule of thee and then whose shal all that wealth be which those hast gathered together Let vs therefore prouide our selues of such riches as can neuer be taken from vs. We ought with good reason to do that our selues which we preach and commend to others according to that of S. Paul thou therefore who teachest others dost not teach thy selfe Rom. 8.21 it is one of the frequentest tentations which the Diuel vses in deceiuing man to depriue them of their eye sight in such manner as not to see this verity and truth by bringing them into a dead forgetfulnes and making them belieue that they haue time inough for to doe this or that and that afterwards they may haue oportunity inough for to amend their liues and to prepare for death And this tentation euen extendes vnto Religious men making them differre their aduancement in vertue and spirituall profit with cold purposes that after they haue ended their studys or are discharged of this office or haue acquitted them of that affayre that then they wil begin to liue better and more holily and to fall in good earnest to penance and mortyfiyng themselues Miserable as you are if you should chaunce to dy before you haue ended your study vnto what end would all your learning serue you for the attayning of which you haue neglected your profit in vertues then to make fuell and as the Apostle sayth hay stuble to burne you in the other world withal 1. Cor. 3.12 Lut. 4.23 Let vs then make our profit of that which we preach to others Medice cura teipsum cure our selues seeing our need is so great with the same remedys which we apply to others Of another meanes to do our Actions well which is to take care only for the present CHAP. VI. THE fifth meanes which wil help and encourage vs much to do our Actions well and with perfection is ōly to take thought for the presēt And although the practise of this seems to be all one with the former yet there is not a little difference betwixt thē as we shall declare in that which we are now to say One of the thinges which doth fright very many maks thē go on but fayntly in the way of vertue which indeed is a tentatiō of which the Diuell makes gaynfull vse is to propose vnto them that it is impossible they should continue their whole liues in such warynes and recolection What shal it say is it possible that you should liue so many yeares with so much reseruation and circumspection With such prudence and exactnes in euery thing do you thinke that you shal alwayes keep the ruls discipline of the house wherin you liue always be mortifiyng your selfe and neuer do any thing as you desire These are comonly the apprehensions in which the Diuell appeares vnto vs in such fearefull manner making all things seeme more terrible then they are and religious life a kind of Matyrdome perpetuall dying And so we read that when our B. F. S. Ignatius retired himselfe to Mauresa for to do pennāce Lib. 1. cap 6. vitae P. Ignati◠one of the tentations with which the Diuel assaulted him was this saying vnto him how is it possible that you should lead such an austere life for threescore yeares together as you haue now begune Now this remedy whereof we speake doth answer in diamiter vnto this same tentation which is neyther to make account of diuers yeares nor dayes but only to haue a care to passe the presēt well This means hath good proportion to our humaine fraylty it will not suffer vs to attempt any great matter there is non who only for a day at least would not strayne himselfe for his owne good and spirituall profit to liue well this is the same which our B. Father prescribes vnto vs in the particular examine where he counsells vs from on halfe day to an other to renue our good desirs purposes of being modest keeping silēce or bearing all things patiently and the like and in this manner that which perhaps would seeme intolerable and euen imposible if it were enterprised and apprehended in grose and altogether Tract 7. cap. 7. as I will neuer speake out of the appoynted time nor neuer goe but modestly and composed becomes to be easy and familiar to vs. In vita Patruum This was the remedy which that good Religious man applyed vnto the curing of himselfe who as we reade in the liues of the Father was so fiercely tempted as his appetit which was vp euery morning as soone as he did make him belieue that it was impossible for him to do any thing vnles that should be first satisfyed the holy man not to breake the ordinary fast of the Religious which was to eate nothing vntill the third houre for any importunity of his hunger did find this stratageme out for to delude it In the morning he would reason with his appetit in this manner Although your hunger be neuen so great yet you may fast well vntill the third houre and then you may freely eate and when the third houre was come he would say againe nay certainly I must needs ouercome my selfe so farre as to abstayne vntill the sixth houre now I see no reason but I may do it as well as I haue abstayned hitherto and so he would entertayne himselfe with some other thing the while and when the sixth houre or noon was come then would he steep his bread in water and say we must needs tarry now vntill the bread be soakt for since we haue had patience hitherto without doubt we will not breake the order of the other Religious to eat before the ninth houre now and so at last when the ninth houre was come after he had said the accustomed prayers he tooke his refection In this manner he continued for some dayes together ouercoming himselfe when once about the time of refectiō lifting vp the lid of the basket where he kept his bread he saw blacke smoake arising from thence which vanished out of the window of his cell which as the effect shewed was no other then that spirit of Gluttony which had tempted him for after that time he was neuer more troubled with those pangs of hunger and coūterfetted languishings with which he was formerly vext and molested in so much as from thēce forwards he could without any difficulty abstayne two dayes together from taking any food our Sauiour rewarding him with this particular grace for that combat which he had so couragiously sustayned
in ouercoming his gluttonous appetit We sayd and not without good reason that this meanes is the most proportionable to our weakenes since it goes by little and little sustayning incouraging vs to the attempt of that by little and little which all at once we should not dare to vndertake how euer if we were but feruent and couragious indeed truly inflamed with the loue of God there would be no need to entice vs on by such bayted wayes as these where all the laubour and difficulty is hid For a true seruant indeed of God Almighty neyther thinkes vpon the length of time or number of yeares but rather all time seems too short vnto him to serue God in all labour little and all difficulty delightfull and therfore there would be no feare to let such an one know vnto the full the vtmost difficulty of euery thing he did which S. Bernard excellent well declares Bernar. ep 253. ad Gar. He doth not saith he giue himselfe vnto the seruice of God for a yeare or for a certaine time like a Mercenary but for eternity without any prefixed end or reseruation with an inflamed will and affection Heare the voyce of the Iust saying Psal 118.93 v. 112 I will neuer forget your iustifications seing you haue animated me with them I haue inclined my hart to doe your Iustificatiōs for all eternity to do your will to fulfill your counsells commaundments and so for hauing taken a resolution and offred himself to serue God in an absolut manner without any limit or restriction and prefixe no certayne time vnto it nor entred on the account of any yeares therefore shall his reward likewise know no bounds but be extended vnto eternity that eternall hunger of the iust is deseruing an eternall refection Bern. vbi supra Sap. 4.15 In which sence S. Bernard explicats that of the Wiseman consumatus in breui expleuit tēpora multa a good and iust man liues in the short space of time or a few dayes the life of many yeares since his desire is so great out of the ardour of his loue of God to serue him that should he liue a hundred or if it were possible a thousand yeares he should neuer be weaary of seruing him nor euer thinke his seruice great inough And so by force of this desire he comes to the merits of so many yeares since God rewards ech one acording to his good desire These are men indeed these haue truly masculine spirits these may well be compared to Iacob who for the great loue he bare to Rachel thought it a thing of nothing to serue seauen yeares for her and afterwards seauen more Videbantur illi pauci dies Gen. 29.20 pre amoris magnitudine Of another means which is to accustome our selues to do our Actions well CHAP. VII THAT auncient great Philosopher Pythagoras Pythagoras counsailed his friends disciples vnto the end that they might both become vertuous that vertue might be delightful to thē to make choice of some good course of life and go forward with it without staying at any apprehensiō of difficulty or labour which might present it selfe in the beginning for to discourage them seeing with a little vse exercise the difficulty would passe away the practise of vertue become easy pleasant to them This meanes is of much importance ought to be put in practise by vs not so much because it is comended by this Philosopher as because indeed it is deriued from the holy Scripture as we shall presently declare also very efficatious for that which we pretend We haue made choice already of a perfect manner of life or rather God of his great goodnes hath elected vs vnto it Non vos me elegistis Ioan. 15.16 sed ego elegi vos for the which grace and fauour he is to be blessed for all eternity But in this state of life vnto which our Lord hath called vs we may haue more or lesse of perfection and be perfect or imperfect Religious men according as we shall do our actions perfectly or imperfectly Therefore if you meane to make any profit in Religion and to arriue vnto perfection you must accustome your selfe to do all the Actions and exercises of that Religion with perfection accustome your selfe to make your meditation well all the rest of your spiritual exercises to be exact in poynt of obedience to obserue your rules precisely to make esteeme of euery little thing Accustome your selfe to recollection and mortification to pennance modesty silence and the like be not any whit dismayed if in the begining you find difficulty seeing with a little continuance and vse that difficulty wil not only passe away but there will succeed to it a great contētment and satisfaction and you wil not know how to make an end of rendring thankes to God for giuing you perseuerance so farre as to arriue to so much contentment and felicity The holy Ghost hath taught vs this doctrin in diuers passages of the holy Scripture as in the Prouerbes Prouerb 4 11. Viam sapientiae demonstrabo tibi I will shew you the way of wisedome and learne you to find gust sauour in the knowledge of God For Sapientia or wisedome sayth S. Bernard is quasi sapida scientia a sauorous and delightfull knowledge of God Almighty and he professeth to teach vs the way to come vnto the tast the knowledge and the loue of God I will lead thee saith he by the paths of equity into which when thou shalt once be ētred thy wayes shall not be straightned and when thou runest thou shalt haue no hindrance Now the reasō why this way of vertue is called a path is because at the first entrance of it by reason of our ill inclinations it seems narrow and not to be passed without much difficulty but being but once a little entred we find it so delightfully inlarged as we go on cheerfully runne securely without any feare of let or hinderance And by this Metaphor the holy Ghost with diuine elegance hath taught vs how vpon the apperance of any difficulty in the entrance of the way of vertue perfection we are no wayes to loose courage and be dishartened but to go on with this assurance that we shall be shorthly past all that is hard and difficile and arriue to all happinesse and delight because I haue laboured a little and I haue found for my selfe much rest Eccl. 5.35 which is agayne reiterated in the 61. Eccl. 6.20 Chapter of Ecclesiasticus there is a little labour in the worke presently thou shalt eat of its fruit Heb. 12.21 and the Apostle S. Paul doth likewise teach vs the same Al discipline saith he for the present seemes not to be plesant but rather irksom tedious but afterwards it renders by the exercise of it a most peaceable fruit of the accomplisht Iustice neyther will it become
only facile easy but also pleasant and delightfull to vs. The same we find by experience in all other Artes Sciences for what is there more difficill in the beginning then learning study with what force constraint are children brought vnto it in so much as it is become a Prouerbe that knowledge comes with blood and violence yet after a little practise when they come to make some profit haue some vnderstanding and tast of what they learne they haue no greater recreation then to be always at their books and it is the like with those who go in the way of vertue and perfection S. Bernard explicats this excellent well vpon those words of Iob. Bern. l. 1. de consid ad Hu. Iob. 6.7 That which a little befor my soule would not touch is now through necessity become my food would you know sayth he how much custome and exercise can do how farre in time it winnes vpon vs first a thing shall seeme intollerable to you in processe of time if you accustome your selfe vnto it you will not imagine it so hard a little after you will euen feele it light shortly after not so much as feele it at all and after that be euen delighted with it in so much as you may wel say with holy Iob that which at first my soule could not looke vpon without horrour and detestation is now become the sauouryest food and nourishment I haue when soeuer you find any difficulty to obserue your Additions and those Instructions which are giuen you for the well making of our prayers examins be assured that it is only for want of vse and practise as also when you haue so much a doe to recollect your thoughts ouer night in such māner as to haue them in your power when you wake to make offer of thē vnto Almighty God in prayer For the reason of this difficulty is because at other times you take little or no care of the custody of your thoughts of keeping them ōly attent vnto that Mystery which you are to meditat Hence also is it that silence and recollection seems such a tedious melancholy thing vnto you since you neuer in earnest apply your selfe vnto it Your cell saith Tho. a Kempis becomes sweet vnto you if you continue in it and begets tediousnes if you seldome tarry in it frequent your chamber often and but accustome your selfe to keep with in and you will come to be delighted with its solitude This is the reason why secular persons find so much difficulty in fasting and meditation for they haue neuer vsed themselues vnto it 1. Reg. 17 38. King Saul armed Dauid with his owne Armes when he was to fight against the Philistim but Dauid because he had byn neuer vsed vnto them was forced to put them of againe notwithstāding we see how afterwards with vse he came to passe ouer whole moneths in armes proued a famous soldier And that which we say of good and vertue is likewise to be vnderstood of vice all defects vnto which if we giue but any way in the begining or incurre any ill habit through our owne negligence it will continue daily strengthning it selfe winning so much vpon vs as afterwards it will be very difficile to find out remedies forcible inough to free vs from it but we shall incur the daūger of always being subiect to the ill habits of it Vnlueri venusto neglecto callus obducitur eo insanabile quo insensibile fit old ranckled woundes do if we neglect them close vpon the out sid and so become the more incurable the lesse sencible we are of them If you had but accustomed your self from the beginning to haue don euery particular action well what a rich treasure of merit should you haue gotten together by this time what contentment should you haue found by experiēcing the facility sweetnes which is in euery vertuous action do but see what a pleasant life he leads who hauing had once a custome of swearing hath habituated himselfe agayne it ouercome it with how much facility and delight doth he auoyd the comitting of so many mortall sinnes Let vs therefore from this time forewards begin for it is better late then neuer to accustome our selues to do all our ordinary works and daily actions well since they are of so much consequēce applying vnto that end if neede should be our particular Examine which should be one of the best profitablest examines which we could make and so we should arriue vnto that happines to do al things wel with great facility Of how great importance it is that Religious men do not growe remisse and slacke in the way of vertue CHAP. VIII FROM that which we haue sayd it may be easily gathered how much it imports a Religious man to conserue himselfe in feruour deuotion and to make perpetuall progresse in the well doing of his Actions and how wary he is to be not to do them negligently and with tepidity least he should get such an ill habit as he should scarcely or neuer be freed of afterwards God can effect so much as to bring you after a great negligence vnto the feruent exercise of a holy and perfect life Bernard epist 96. but this would be a wonder miracle S. Bernard handles this point excellently well writing vnto one Richard Abbot of Fontaines his Religious where God had wrought a miracle of this kind diuers of the Religious hauing liued long tyme in great neglect of religious discipline being afterwards drawn to a life more feruent and deuout at which the holy Saint much astonished and yet more reioycing congratulating their happines sayth This is the finger of God who shall effect so much that I may like another Moyses goe and see this great vision seeing it is not lesse wōdrous then that which Moyses saw in the bush which burned yet was not cōsumed It is a rare thing vpon earth to see any one in Religion get neuer so little higher in perfection then that degree to which he arriued first and you shall with more ease find diuers secular persons who doe wholy conuert themselues to good then any one among Religious men passe forwardes to a better state of life and the reason is because secular people haue not those many helpes nor continuall meanes to aduance themselues in vertue as Religious haue and therfore when they heare an excellent sermon when they behold the sudden disastrous death of any acquaintance or friend of theirs the nouelty of it startels and amazeth them and excits thē to alter and amend their liues but if a Religious who hath all these helpes in such aboundant manner who frequents the holy Sacraments so often who heares so many spirituall exhortations who meditates so often who speakes so frequently of death of iudgment hell the beatitude of heauen If he I say notwithstanding all this passe
afterwardes it turnes to vanity and we fall to seeke to please and comply with others and be esteemed our selues and when we find any of this wanting to our expectations presently we begin to do our functions after a languishing manner and more out of necessity then any will or application to them Wherein the hurt and mischiefe of vaine Glory doth consist CHAP. II. THE hurt which proceeds from this vice is principally this that it makes a man vaine gloriously seeke to exalt himselfe with that honour glory which only appertaines to God 1. Tim. 17 Deo soli sit honor gloria that which he reserveth only to himselfe Isa 42.8 c. 48.11 and wil haue giuen to no created thing GloriaÌ„ meam alteri non dabo wherefore S. Augustine in his Solitoquiums directs his speech in this manner vnto God Almighty VVhosoeuer Augu c. 5 Solioq Lord from thy good â—â—ckes glory 〈◊〉 himselfe and not to thee is 〈◊〉 theefe and a robbery and like vnto the Diuell who went aboue to steale thy glory from thee In all Gods workes two thinges are to be considered first their profit and vtility next the glory and honour which proceedeth from them and ought to redound vnto their Authour and Originall the fruit and vtility of his actions God doth freely bestow in this life vpon men but the glory he doth wholy reserue vnto himselfe Prou. 16. â— Dâ—ut 16.19 God hath made all for himselfe and the Lord hath created all people to his prayse name and glory Whence it is that all his creatures do preach and teach vnto vs his wisedome Psal 18.2 goodnesse and his prouidence hence also it is that heauen and earth are sayd to be full of his glory Isa 6.3 Whosoeuer then in those good workes which he doth shall seeke the prayse and the esteems of men doth wholy peruert Gods ordination in them and is appâ—rently iniurious vnto his diuine Maiesty by seeking that men who ought wholy to be occupyed in glorifying God should neglect and turne themselues from God to haue regard to his esteeme and prayse and also desiring that their harts which God hath created to the end they should be vessells of his honour and glory should be filled with their honour and esteemation What is this is this but to steale the hearts of men from God Almighty and turne him out as we may say of his owne house and habitation Can there be greater malice wickednes then to seeke to robbe God of his glory and the hearts of men Or to â—â—y with their mouthes that God Almighty is only to be our obiect whilest in their hearts they desire to deriue the eyes of men from God vnto themselues He who is truly humble desires not to dwell in the hart of any creature but in God alone neither that any should be mindful of him but that they should conuert all their thoughts to God neither lastly to be so much as spoken of by men but that God alone should be in the mouthes of euery one that they should haue him only in their hearts and there conserue him to eternity We may the better perceaue the soulnes and enormity of this vice by considering what iniury that woman should doe vnto her husband who should trimme vp adorne her selfe more to please anothers eyes then his for euen so doth he who doth his good workes which are our soules peculiar ornaments more to please men theÌ„ God Almighty who is the spouse and Bridgrome of our soules Thinke likewise how vnworthily it would shew in any Nobleman to boast some sleight seruice he had done his Prince who for him had formerly exposed himselfe to some great danger and ignominy without regard eyther of life or fame especially if he should seeke to commend himselfe by those his small seruices which yet he had not done without the assistance of his Prince vnto the dishonouring of his Prince who without any helpe of his had done for him a thousaÌ„d times as much it were a disloyalty to be detested by euery gratefull mind and yet these is none of vs but may well apply â—ll this vnto our selues and haue iust cause to be ashamed aswell for that we proudly esteeme our selues to haue done any thing as chiefly for that we boast our selues glory vnto others when we do any thing whereas we might haue iust cause to be so confounded for hauing done so little if we would but compare that which we are obliged for Gods sake to do with that which God only for our sakes hath done The euill of this vice doth yet more clearely appeare in that the Diuines holy men do reckon it among the seauen deadly Sines Clim de vanaâ— gloria which are called the heades and originalls of al other sines and some there are who reckon eight and say that the first is Pride the second vaine Glory but the common opinion of the holy Fathers which is receaued and followed by the holy Church D. Thom. 2.2 quest 132. art 4 is that there are seauen capitall Sinnes vnder which S. Thomas saith Vaine glory is the first but that Pride is the fountaine originall and root of all the seauen Eccl. 10.15 following this sentence of Ecclesiastes the beginning of all sinne is Pride Of the hurt and domage which vaine Glory bringes along with it CHAP. III. OVR Sauiour in the Ghospell doth apparently declare what detriment this sin of vaine Glory doth bring along with it where he sayes booke that you do not your actions before 〈◊〉 for to be seene of them Matth. 6. otherwise you shall haue no reward of your Father which is in heauen Doe not imitate the Hipocriticall Pharisies who did all their works with designe to be seene esteemed and praysed for them by men for so shall you loose all the fruit of them Amen I say vnto you they haue receaued their reward Math. 6.5 Your desire was to be esteemed of men and out of this desire you haue done all your actions and therefore you haue your reward already Quia ventum seminabunt turbinem metent And miserable as you are haue nothing least you may pretend in the other life Holy Iob sayth The hope of an Hipocrite shall vanish Iob. 8.13 to wit of such a one Greg lib. Moral cap â—â— who doth all his actions to be esteemed and praysed which S. Gregory excellently declares where he saies that all the prayse and the esteeme of men for which they sought laboured with the breath of life vanishes away and then Non ei place bit recordâ—â— sua his folly and madnes will be displeasing to him O how much sayth this Saint shall you find your selues abused when hauing the eyes of your vnderstanding opened you shall see that with those workes by which you might haue purchased Heauen you haue gained no more then the vaine prayse of men and the empty