thou be not able through the confusion of thy mind to helpe thy selfe with thy vnderstanding to pray supplie with a good will and with iaculatorie prayers and lifting vppe thy minde oft to God and aboue al suffer the burden of thy Aridity thy drinesse with patience and humble resignation for this aboue all others is praier most acceptable to God Thus if thou wilt doe thou shalt bee truly deuout true deuotion being a readinesse of will to follow Christ with thy crosse on thy shoulder by which way soeuer hee inuiteth and calleth vs vnto him and to will God for God and sometimes to leaue God for God And if by this many spirituall persons and especially women would measure their profite and not by sensible deuotion they would not grieue so vnprofitably also vngratefully at this good turne which our Sauiour doth sometimes vnto them and they would attend with more feruor to follow his diuine will which wholy woorketh to our benefit And in this also they much deceiue themselues but particularly women that when they are molested with feareful thoughts they are confoun ded and discoraged beleeuing that they are wholy forsaken of god not vnderstāding that in a mind full of such thoghts his diuine spirit can dwell and they remaine much deiected and almost become desperat easily leauing off all good exercise whereby they shew themselues little gratefull to GOD who permitteth this temptation in them to bring them to a more cleare knowledge of themselues and that they like distressed persons might draw neare vnto him That which thou oughtest to do in such a case is this that thou enter into a deep consideration of thy wicked inclination the which God would haue thee to know to be so rea dy to all euill that without his helpe thou woulst fall down headlong Afterward begin to receiue hope and confidence seeing that thy God by this danger which he doth shew thee would draw thee more neare him with prayer and with recourse to him for which thou art bounde to render him humble thankes And vnderstand that such thoughts are better driuen away with a skilfull and patient sufferance then with an anxious resistance How the most Blessed Sacrament is a most potent means to ouercome our passions Chap. 29 THe most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist is receiued for diuers ends but if thou wilt particularly receiue it for aid to destroy thy euil inclinations thou shalt dispose thy selfe in this manner Before thy receiuing hauing conuenient time begin ouernight to consider the desire the sonne of God hath that thou receiue him in the holy Sacrament of the Alter thereby to vnite himself vnto thee to the end thou maiest ouercome euery vitious passion This desire in God is so great that it cannot be comprehended of any vnderstanding created But that thou in som sort maist perceiue it consider two things First how much that great God delighteth to bee with vs sith he calleth this his delights and requires againe of vs that we giue him also in like sort our heart Secondly consider that he hateth sinne aboue all measure as an impediment to his vnion with vs as altogether contrary to his infinite perfections for hee beeing the chiefe good pure light and all beautie cannot but hate and haue in great abhomination sinne which is no other thing but darknesse defect and the blot of our foules And the better to imprint in thy mind this inflamed desire of thy Sauiour turne thy thoughts to the workes of the olde and new Testament and particularly to that of his death and passion for all this was wholly performed to deliuer vs wretches from our sinnes and from euery will of ours that is contrary to him Whereupon the illummated seruants of God do affirm that our blessed Lord to annihilate in vs anye little passion whatsoeuer and self-wil wold againe if it were needfull expose himselfe to a thousand deaths By the which considerations knowing the desire thy Sauiour hath to enter into thy soule thou shalt stirre vppe in thy selfe a feruent will to receiue him with these or such like iaculatory prayers Ah come my Sauiour succour this thy miserable creature against his aduersaries when will that houre be that I may receiue thee when will the time come that I comforted by thee the bread of life shal ouercome my owne proper will Afterward being strengthned with the hope of the com ming of thy Sauior call often times to battell that passion with the which thou dooest fight and enforce thy selfe to represse it with redoubled and disdainefull wils and to bring foorth afterward actes of desires of the vertue contrary to the same passion And thus thou shalt continue the euening as I haue saide and the morning after thou shalt be awaked When the time of receiuing comes a litle before thou shalt briefely consider thy defects and vnfaithfulnes which thou hast vsed towards thy Sauior from the time of thy last recei uing the Blessed Sacrament and with shamefastnesse and with a holy feare thou shalt be confounded for thy ingratitude and vnworthinesse But thinking afterward vpon the vnspeakeable goodnesse of God who although thou hast bin rebellious vnto him yet notwithstanding he willeth that thou receiue him thou shalt goe confidently to that sacred banquet After thou hast receiued withdraw thy selfe as soone as thou canst into the closet of thy heart and lay open to thy Sauior thy defects and wants saying thus in thy mind thou seest my Sauior how easily I offend thee and how much I want how strong this passion oppresseth me and that it is not possible that by my selfe I can be deliuered Therefore this battaile is thine and from thee onely I hope for victorie afterwards turne thy selfe to the father and offer vp to him for the same effect his most blessed Sonne whom now thou hast within thee and with faith expect his diuine succor the which wil not faile thee althogh thou shouldst not presently feele his helpe How by this same Sacrament we may stirre vppe in vs the affections of Loue. Chap. 30. TO the ende thou mayest stirre vp in thee with this most holy sacrament the loue which destroyeth and consumeth all selfe-will thou shalt turne thy thoughts to the loue of God towardes thee meditating in the night before how that great and omnipotent Lord not contented to haue created thee to his owne image and likenesse and to haue sent downe to the earth his onely begotten Sonne to serue thee three and thirtie yeares in thy iniquities suffering so great trauailes and the most painefull death of the crosse to redeeme thee he would further leaue him vnto thee in the Sacrament of the Eucharist for thy foode for thy needs in the which most precious gift to inflame thee wholy into his loue consider first the giuer who is God himself that power wisdome and increated goodnes which hath no end whose highnesse and perfection infinitely exceede the reach of
forciblye then at the first And besides this also thou must mortifie and break some times the wils of lawful things so they be not necessarie for by this means thou shalt make thy self more ready to mortifie thy selfe in the other and thou shalt do a thing most gratefull to thy Lord and Maister Deare daughter I tell thee plainely that if thou holde on in these exercises within short time by the helpe of GOD thou shalt profit much in spirite But if thou proceede in any other sort and with other exercises although they seeme excellent vnto thee and of so great taste that they hold thee alwaies as it were in a sweete conference with Christ crucified yet do not perswade thy selfe that thou shalt euer obtaine to be truly spirituall And thou must vnderstand that as the vitious habites are caused by many and often actions of the superior wil whilest it giues place to the sensual appetites so on the contrary part the habites of the Euangelical vertues are gotten with conforming our selues more and more often to the motions of the diuine will And as our will can neuer be vertuous and diuine althogh it be earnestly called vppon and asit were fought withal by inspirations and grace from God whilst it dooth not consent vnto it So shall it neuer be vitious and earthly althogh it be much assayled by the inferiour part vntill it giue place and incline to the same What wee ought to doe when the superior Will seemeth to be ouercome and wholy suffocated Chap. 8. ANd if sometimes it seeme vnto thee that the superior wil is not able to preuaile against the inferior because thou dost not feele in thy self a certaine effectual will notwithstanding stand fast and giue not ouer the fight for thou must account thy selfe superior till manifestly thou dost see thy selfe to haue yeelded For our superior will hauing no need of the concourse of the inferior wills although in these it findeth al maner of resistance yet may it notwithstanding will what thing soeuer and as often and for what end it seemeth best howsoeuer nature in the meane time doth kicke and resist howsoeuer the world doth murmur and the diuell rage And if these ennemies at sometimes should assaile thee and as it were hold thee fast with so great violence that thy will as it were suffocated or choaked that I may so say should seeme to want breath and haue no power to bring forth any act of contrary wils in this case help thy selfe with thy tongue and defend thee saying I yeeld not vnto thee I will none of thee after the maner of him that hauing his enemie vpon his backe holding him downe not being able to thrust at him with the point doth smite him with the pummell of his sword And as a man in this case will assay to leape backeward that he may bee able to giue him the thrust so thou being retired into the knowledge of thy self that thou art nothing and can do nothing and with confidence in God that can doe all things giue a blow to this ene mie thy passion with saying helpe me O Lord helpe mee my God help me sweet Iesu and blessed Mary Thou maiest also when thy enemy giueth thee any time helpe the weakenesse of thy will with recourse vnto thy vnderstanding considering diuers poynts by consideration whereof it commeth to passe that thy will may take breath and force against her enemies As for example if thou be in any persecution or trauell so assailed by impatience that thy will may seeme not to be able or at least is not willing to beare it thou shalt then helpe thy selfe with consideration of these poynts following or some other First thou shalt consider whether thou haue not deserued this persecution or trauel and if thou deseruedst it hauing euen occasion vnto the same then all equitie and iustice requires that thou beare the blow which thy own proper hand hath giuen Secondly but if thou find thy self not to be faulty in that particular matter then turne thy thoghts to thy other sins for the which God hath not as yet chasticed thee nor thou thy selfe as thou oughtest hast punished them And seeing that his mercy hath chaunged the punishment of them that should haue bin eternall or at the least temporall but that of purgatory with a little present affliction it is thy part to receiue it willingly and wyth thankesgiuing Thirdly and if perhappes thou shouldest seeme to thy selfe to haue doone great pennance already and to haue little offended the maiestie of God which thing notwithstanding thou neuer oughtest to beleeue thou must consider that into the kingdome of God none doe enter but by the gate of denying themselues and of patience for by this way also the Sonne of God did enter and all his other members Forthly if thou couldst enter by any other way yet for the lawe of loue thou oughtest not to desire it seeing that the Sonne of God himselfe wyth all his followers are entred by the waye of thornes and crosses Lastly remember that the greatest and principall consideration whiche thou art to vse not onely in this but in euerye other occasion to giue force vnto thy will is this that thou turne thy thoughtes to the delight and contentmēt which almightie God for the loue he beareth thee is to receiue by euery acte of vertue and by the mortification of any sensuall appetite which he shall perceiue thee to labour in like a noble warriour in the battle which thou hast vndertaken for his sake That we ought not to flie the occasions of Combate Chap. 9. BEsides all this that I haue saide vnto thee whiche thou must doe to cloath thy self with the habites of vertue I put thee in mind that it is not conuenient that thou flye from the occasions of combat which offer themselues vnto thee and that if thou wilt get the habites of any vertue as for example of pacience it is not good that thou shouldst withdraw thy selfe from those persons actions or thoughts that moue thee to impatience wherefore thou oughtest not to shunne but rather to hold as deare the conuersation of any person that may be grieuous vnto thee and conuersing with him thou oughtest to keepe thy mind readie and prepared to suffer any troublesome or displeasing thing whatsoeuer which may happen by him for doing otherwise thou shalt neuer accustome thy selfe to pacience So also in like maner if any worke be noysome and irkesome to thee either by it selfe or for the person that hath imposed it vpon thee or because thou wouldst doe some other thing that doth better content thee leaue not for all that to take it in hand and to continue the same troublesome actions although in doing of it thou shouldst finde thy selfe vnquiet and leauing it thou shouldst be in rest for thus thou shouldst neuer learne to suffer neither that should be any true quiet thy mind not being purged from passion The same thing
any vnderstanding created Secondly cōsider the gift which is his onely Sonne of maiesty and of greatnesse equall with his father and of the same substance and nature with him Now if a little and vile thing that comes from the hand of an earthly King be so much esteemed and accounted of in respect of the giuer what account shal be made of this celestiall gift and the same of incōprehensible excellency being indeede the very true Son of God true God and giuen vs by God himself Moreouer lift vp thy selfe to thinke of the eternitie of this Loue by the which before all times it was decreed in his most high wisdome to giue thee himselfe being an infinite good reioycing from the bottome of thy hart reason thus with thy self and is it euen so that euen in that endlesse eternitie my misery was so greatly loued and esteemed that my God did think vppon me and desired with an ardent will to giue me himself for food Finally turne thy thought to the puritie of the loue that so great a Lord hath shewed vnto thee weigh ing wel that it is not as wordly loues are mingled with some interest of his or desert of thine because onely through his owne bountie and charity he hath wholy giuen him selfe to thee Thus sweetely pondering with thy selfe thou mayest say in thy heart Ah my Lorde wherefore louest thou mee so much thy vnworthy creature what wouldest thou with me O King of Glory that am but a little dust I perceiue well O Lord in the fire of thy charity that thou hast one onely dissignement which sheweth me thy diuine loue to be the purer sith that thou giuest mee thy loue for no other end but that I may giue thee mine and wholy thou giuest thee to me that I may wholy giue my self to thee and this not for anie need that thou hast of me but because that I liuing in thee may by the vnion of loue bee vnited vnto thee and that the vilenesse of my earthly heart may be made one diuine heart with thee The which thing considered thou shalt offer thy selfe to the good pleasure of God with the greatest affectiō that possibly thou canst being ready with an inflamed desire alwayes to followe his most blessed will And when thou shalt feele this desire wel kindled in thee thou shalt see with thy mind a great will and desire that hee hath that the next day following thou doe open thy heart vnto him that hee may enter and abide with thee and suppe with thee and delight himselfe together with thee Whereupon thou shalt stirre vp in thy selfe a desire to receiue him with these iaculatory prayers Ah heauenly and diuine Manna when shall that houre come that I may receiue thee to thy contentment When shall I be vnited vnto thee by true loue When for thee O life of my soule shall I forsake all mine owne will and all my imperfections And with these and other like iaculatory prayers and with consideration of the pointes aforesaide both the euening and the morning thou shalte kindle this desire in thee to receiue him to bee vnited vnto him and to please him And see that being collected into thy selfe thou keepe the powers of thy soule voyd and free from all curiositie vaine thoughts and earthlie affection and the senses of thy body as it were fasting from the delight of their seueral obiects And after thou hast receiued him shut vp thy selfe in the closet of thy heart and in this or such like maner talk with thy Sauiour O King of kings what hath brought thee vnto me that am wretched miserable poore blind and naked and he will answer thee Loue O loue vncreated O sweet loue what desirest thou of me No other thing saieth hee but loue no other fire would I haue to burne in the earth of thy heart but the fire of my loue that it may consume all other loue and burne vp all thy selfe-will this I demaund because I desire to be wholly thine and that thou mayest be wholly mine The which cā neuer be whilst thou not making a full resignation of thy selfe which so much delighteth mee still doost remaine fastened to the loue of thy selfe and to thine owne iudgement and conceits to euery little will of thine and to the reputation of thy selfe I demand of thee the hatred of thy self for to giue thee my loue I demand thy heart that it may enter and vnite it selfe with mine for this was the cause why mine was opened vppon the crosse I desire of thee O my louing soule that thou will nothing thinke nothing vnderstand nothing see nothing out of me so that I also may will vnderstand think and see all things in thee in such manner that thy nothing may be swallowed vp in the depth of my infinite goodnes and be conuerted into it And thus thou shalt be in me most happie and I content in thee In the end after this thou shalt offer to God the father his sonne for thy selfe for the whole world and for the souls departed with the memorie and vnion of that oblation which then he made of himselfe when he hanged bloudy vppon the crosse And thou maist in this maner offer vp al the sacrifices wich are offered vp that day in the holy Church Of spirituall Receiuing Chap. 31. ALthough thou canst not receiue thy Sauior more then once a day sacramentally notwithstanding thou maiest receiue him spiritually euery houre and moment And this cannot be taken from any creature but by their owne negligence or other voluntary fault And sometimes it may proue that this spiritual receiuing shall be more profitable to our selues and acceptable to God then many other Sacramentall receiuings in respect of the wants and defects of them that receiue Therefore how oft soeuer thou shalt dispose and prepare thy selfe to this spiritual receiuing thou shalt find the Sonne of God ready with his owne proper hands to feede thee spiritually with himself And thou maist prepare thy selfe in this manner Turne thy selfe to him for this end and briefely consider thy defects be sorie that thou hast offended him and with a louing affection craue of him that he wil vouchsafe to come into thy poore soule to feede it with himself or otherwise when thou goest about to vse violence to thy selfe or to mortifie any passion in thee or to exercise any act of vertue do it to this end and turne thee to thy Sauior and cal vpon him with a feruent desire in the secret of thy soule Or again finally calling to mind the last time that thou didst receiue before say with an inflamed desire when my god shall I receiue thee another time in the Scrament of the alter ah why comest thou not now with the same vertue spiritually vnto me Of Thankesgiuing Chap. 32. BEcause all the good we do is of God and from God we are bound to render vnto him alone humble thanks for euery good action of ours and