into the divine light shee may confidently rely and repose And without this prop the higher shee ascends the lower will be her fall back again The tenth Maxim That in this high Exercise of Recollection the three Theological vertues Faith Hope and Charity must perfect and possess the three powers of our souls Vnderstanding Memory and Will IT is in the first place to be observ'd as an undoubted truth that a foul cannot in this life bee united to God immediatly by her understanding memory will imagination or any other sense power or faculty whatsoever but only by the means of Faith in her Understanding by Hope in her Memory and by Love in her Will. These three vertues must therefore Read F. Cisnerius ch 65. be introduced by our cooperation with the divine grace into the said three powers of our souls in the purest and perfectest manner that is possible if we will arrive at the height of divine Union 1. Faith must so possess our Understanding as to deprive it for that present of all other knowledge than that of God only 2. Hope must blot out of our memory all images and thoughts of possessing any thing but God only 3. Charity must uncloath our Wills of all affections joys contents satisfactions in any thing that is not God only For Faith tels us of things which cannot be understood by naturall light and reason Hope looks upon such things as we have not hold not possesse not and Charity retires our love from all creatures to employ it all on our Creator The three powers therfore of our soul must bee perfected by these three vertues our Understandings must bee informed with this pure Faith our Memories uncloath'd of all possession by this pure Hope and our Wils fill'd with divine affections by this pure Charity Thus refusing denying and emptying our whole souls of all that is not this perfect Faith hope and charity In this divine practice is found an absolute assurance against all the subtle snares of the devill and self-self-love for a soul which is thus entirely denuded and stripp'd of all active knowledge possâ—ssion and love of things created must needs remain in God in a certain tranquillity passivenesse cessation sleep annihilation absorption so that there can nothing be found out of God for Satan sin or sensuality to attempt against But to facilitate the intelligence and practice of this high matter upon which foundation stands the whole edifice of this holy Recollection and divine Union let us particularly deduce and exemplify how the Understanding is to bee placed in pure faith the Memory in pure hope and the Will in purâ— charity The eleventh Maxim That our Vnderstandings muâ— be setled in pure Faith THe practice of this point is thuâ— F. Cisnerius ch 28. Having conceived some mysterâ— of our Saviours Passion or the like for the subject of our prayer we ruminate a while upon it not â— much to admire our Lord Jesus aâ— imitate him and we desire to know his vertues that wee may practiâ—e them in our own particular by hiâ— perfect example Then we make an Act of Faith An act of Faith saying I firmly beleeve that this my suffering Saviour is not only a man but also my Soveraign Lord God I beleeve that he being Almighty submitted himself to Pilat being the creator became a creature being immortal became mortal and that in as much as he iâ— God he is with me within me without me about me above me beneath me and so in all creatures which have a being Afterwards we speak further to our Saviour O my dearest Lord and lover Teach me now my lesson that in requitall of what thou hast done for me I may keep thee company in thy sufferings And then we quit all discourses thinking we have no understanding at all left and looking on our sweet Saviour only by Faith which hath this property says S. Thomas to S. Tho. of Aquin. elevate the soul to God and free it from all creatures For so long as there are discourses in our Understanding images in our Memory joys or tenderness in our Will these powers have not pure God but sensible things for their object because God being above all sensibility must bee found without all creatures and consequently if we can be totally abstracted from all things created we shall infallibly lay hold on our Creator 'T is therefore impossible say's St. Denys the divine S. Denys to be truly united to God unlesse we leave all materiall operations both in sense and in spirit that is unlesse wee lay aside all senses all discourses all imaginations and all waies of humane wisdome Till wee can doe this let us not think to become perfect Contemplatives The twelfth Maxim That our Memories must bee setled in pure Hope WHich is done by forgetting all things created heaven earth our selves all being wholly taken up with God and absorpt in the Divinity So that by a simple remembrance that we are with God without looking back to reiterate the same reflexion we repose and slumber sweetly in him staying upon no image whatsoever even of our Saviour himself for as he in as much as concerns his humanity call'd Joh. 14. 6. himself the way so he thereby insinuated that we were not to remain in the way but to march on to our ways end which is his Divinity No mervail then if we find in The doctrine of mystâ—call Divines explicated the prescripts of mysticall Divines this doctrine That to arrive at the height of Contemplation we must leave off all sort of Meditation though it be on the life and death of our Lord and Saviour because in all Meditation there is ever something that is sensible to which nature applying it self hinders our souls from soaring up to the fineness and quintessence of Contemplation which is and can be only a pure spirituall and insensible thing 'T is true that the consideration of the life and death of our loving Saviour is a most powerfull means to mount up to this contemplation of his Divinity but let us not make that the end which is but the means and way to it The thirteenth Maxim That our Wills must be setled in pure Charity THis is done by withdrawing it from all sort of Joy proceeding from any natural supernatural or moral good Joy is a certain content which our wils take in somthing we prize How all Joy is to be quitted and this Joy is either Active when we may leave it or Passive when it is not in our power to quit it Now to take Joy and content in naturall goods as health wealth friends c. Or wit sagacity discretion c. Is a plain vanity To joy in moral goods as in the exercise of vertue c. Is to imitate the Pagan Philosophers who lov'd vertue for vertu's sake and made that their end which is only our way to it Supernaturall goods are either the gratuite gifts of God
sufferest either in these-like inconsiderable occasions or perchance in matters of more difficulty to bee supported wherewith this miserable life is replenished 3. In all which accidents though it be good to produce divers acts of Make acts of that vertue thou then practisest vertue conformable to the variety of the subjects yet following the Rule already prescribed thou art to exercise thy selfe in such acts as directly aym at that vertue thou then practisest As for example If at the time when these occasions are Examples in the vertue of Patience offered thou art upon the acquisition of Patience thy way is to form acts of induring those particular contrarieties with all willingnesse joyfulnesse and chearfulnesse If thy vertue bee Humility acknowledge Of Humility thy selfe most justly deserving these and far greater indignities If it be Obedience yield readily and submit to Gods powerfull Hand Of Obedience offering to obey if so he pleaseth not onely all reasonable creatures but even to sinke below the brute beasts and debase thy selfe under all things which any way disgust or displease thee If it bee Poverty Of Poverty content thy selfe in the want of all worldly comforts and conveniences whatsoever If it be Charity Of Charity produce acts of love both towards thy neighbour as being instrumentall to thy purchasing of vertue and also towards God as being the principall and loving cause whence these crosses proceed or at least are permitted to come upon thee for thy spirituall practice and profit And by this Doctrine here delivered concerning the divers accidents which may dayly befall thee thou mayst easily learne how to behave thy selfe and make acts of the vertue thou practisest in any one occasion of sicknesse persecution or other pressures which are of longer durance 4. As for the space of time which Concerning the time thou art to stay in the practise of each vertue Thy directour must be judge is to be imployed in the practice of each vertue it is not for mee to determine but it must be regulated by the condition diligence and necessity of each particular combatant and according to their much or litle progresse in the way of the spirit whereof none can be a competent judge but hee who is the Guider and Directour of their soules 5. But whosoever shall heartily settle himselfe to worke with the devotion and diligence aforesaid Yet thou mayst have some signs of thy progresse may without doubt make great profit in few weekes practice And take this for one sure signe of thy proficiency if amidst all drynesse darknesse and distresses of thy Soule and feeling thy self bereft of all spirituall Whereof one is if thou losest not courage in time of desolation gust comfort thou ceasest not to continue with courage in thy vertuous enterprises Moreover the contradiction of thy sensuality in the forming of acts of vertue will afford thee a manifest testimony for the more that is weakned the more this is strengthened Another if the rebellion of thy sensuality be weakned so that to feele no rebellion in the inferiour part especially in unforeseene assaults is a true token of thy having obtained the vertue And as far forth as thy actions are accompanied with a promptitude and alacrity of spirit so farre thou hast just reason to thinke thou hast profited in this exercise 6. Yet take heed of perswading thy selfe that thou art in sure possession of perfect vertue or absolute Yet never thinke thy selfe a conquerour master of any one passion though happily thou hast not a long time and after many hot skirmishes felt these rebellious motions for the deceit of the Devil and the corruption Because vice may be cloathed in vertues dresse of thy nature may herein be too hard for thee since that thing may bee really a vice which secret pride cloath's in the habit of vertue â—f furthermore thou steadfastly beâ—oldest And thou hast yet much more to do the perfection to which God hath called thee thou wilt eaâ—ily grant that hadst thou made a far greater progresse in the path of perfection yet thou art scarcely well entred into the first confines thereof 7. And I must here put thee in Therefore looke forwards upon what thou yet wantest mind my dearly beloved that thou art still to looke forwards and advance thy selfe towards those many vertues thou wantest and not to reflect backwards upon thine owne small profit and progresse For this is to be left to thy Lord God the true searcher and onely knower of hearts who layes open this secret to some and conceales it from others according to his Divine knowledge of the pride or humility which will ensue thereupon and so as a loving Father takes away from these all danger and gives those an occasion to increase their vertue 8. Wherefore let the pious practitioner And pursue thy exercises with patience and constancy pursue his exercises with patience and constancy though his perceives not it's owne progresse assuring himselfe that he shall in due time see and feele it when the Divine Providence shall be so pleased for his greater profit CHAP. XIX How our enemy endeavours to make our vertues instrumentall to our Ruine 1. OUr deceitfull and dangerous enemy the Devil tempts us also by those very vertues which wee have acquired and casts them as it were stumbling blocks in our way to occasion our ruine To this end Our enemies strive to make us take pleasure in our vertues hee strives to make us please and delight our selves in them that so being puffed up in our selfe-conceits wee may fall afterwards into the dangerous precipice of pride 2. But to secure thy Soule from this fearfull fall stand alwayes in the open and plaine field and persevere securely in the true and profound But do thou consider thine own nothing consideration of thy owne nothing confessing that of thy self thou art nothing thou knowest nothing thou canst do nothing and thou hast nothing else in thee of thy self but eternall damnation 3. And take a serious care to drive far from thee all such of thine owne cogitations which seeme to whisper against this selfe-knowledge For they surely are suggested by thy sworne enemies and therefore if thou excludest them not from thy heart they will either kill or cruelly wound it 4. Which truth that thou may'st apprehend I prescribe this Rule unto thee When thou goest about to contemplate thine own basenesse thinke not of the Benefits Blessings And mark well what is within thee of thine own goods and what of Gods Gifts Gifts and Graces which thou findest in thy selfe for these are none of thy goods but Gods Gifts turne thee therefore to take a view of what is thine own and so thou shalt rightly judge how great or rather how truly nothing thou art which thou mayst thus do Imagine the time before thou hadst a being and What wert thou from
sincere affection When shall I O onely life of my soul relinquish all self-will and vanquish all my passions and imperfections 8. In these and the like devotions thou maist spend the evening and morning to excite cherish and encrease thy desire to receive thy deare Saviour that so thou maist perfectly please him and be most happily united unto him And in thy pious practices of these things take this Caveat Be sure to keep each power and faculty of thy soule pure and But take heed of vanity and curiosity free from all curiosity of worldly things and from all idle and vaine thoughts Take also the like care of thy outward senses lest thy heart steale out by them and so thou lose all thy devotion EXPLICATION THe time of the sacred Communion At the time near the Communion drawing nigh think thou art to receive the Lord who created this great Universe and thee to his owne likenesse the Sonne of God who died for thee nâ—ked on the 1. Think what thou art going to doe Crosse that increased goodnesse which hath so often freed thee from danger death and damnation which thy sinnes deserved Thanke him with most profound Thank humility and adore him uniting Adore Implore all thy spirits and forces of body and soule togeather as true God and true man Beg also his pardon for thy faults and that the same love which moves him to grant thee this great gift may also induce him to purge thy soule from the staines of all sinne and uncleannesse thereby disposing it to a more pure and perfect union with his divine Majesty When the Priest pronounceth those sacred words Domine non When Domine non sum dignus is sayd sum dignus O Lord I am not worthy accompany him with these following and speak to thy Lord and love from the bottome of thy heart I am not worthy to receive thee ô my great Lord before whose Majesty the Angels of heaven tremblingly confesse their owne nothing I am not worthy ô my Lord that thou shouldest enter into my heart who am one of the meanest weakest and ungratefullest creatures upon earth I am not worthy ô my Lord that thou shouldest lodge with me because I love thee not and I remember thee not though these are prime reasons of thy instituting and remaining in this most blessed Sacrament Thus humble confound and abisme Humble and Confound thy selfe thy selfe at the serious consideration of thy sinnes malice and misery but then raising up thy heart with hope by the following words Sed But still raising up thy heart with hope tantum dic verbo sanabitur anima mea Doe thou onely speak the word ô my Lord and my soule will be saved Enter ô my love into this unworthy harbour and make use of thine infinite power and goodnesse in pardoning my sinnes supplying my defects and protecting me from my enemies 9. And after thou hast received Text. Having communicated entertaine thy guest with amorous expressions this divine Sacrament betake thee presently to the innermost closet of thy heart and there enter into communication with thy holy guest using these or the like loving and respectfull expressions What hath moved thee O great King of Kings to enter in to me who am nothing but a miserable despicable vild blind and naked creature And he will answer thee Love for thou art my dove my friend my sister my spouse and my dearely beloved Then thou maist reply O increated love ô sweetest dilection ô friendly and faithfull charity what wouldest thou have me doe what demandest thou what desirest thou I ask nothing saith he but love I would have nothing burne in the harth of thy heart but the fire of my love that it may devour all forraine love within thee and destroy all self-wil and seeking This this is my desire because I would be truly thine and would have thee likewise be totally mine Which can never be compassed untill thou freely deliverest up thy selfe to my will and pleasure For without this entire resignation thy fancy will be alwaies fastned to the loving and liking of thy selfe and thine owne actions be they never so meane I desire therefore that thou shouldest hate thy selfe that thou maist have the love of me I demand thy heart for my habitation that I may joyne and unite it unto mine for to this end was my heart opened to thee upon the altar of my Crosse My will is I say ô my dearly beloved spouse that thou desire nothing think nothing understand nothing see nothing feel nothing but my selfe onely that so I onely may be in thâ—e and thou totally turned into me and that thou maist possesse in me perfect quiet and I in thee pleasant context 10. Lastly thou shalt offer the holy And Lastly offer up the divine Sonne to his heavenly Father Sonne to his heavenly Father for thy selfe for the whole world and for the soules departed in memory and union of that divine oblation which he offered upon the holy Crosse presenting in like manner all the unbloody sacrifices to the divine Majesty which are that day offered up in his universall Church CHAP. XXXI Of Spirituall Communion ALthough my beloved thou canst receive thy sweeet Saviour 1. Thou maist thus often Communicate sacramentally onely once a day yet thou maist receive him spiritually every houre and moment For nothing can hinder thee from this but onely thine owne fault and negligence And this spirituall Communion may sometimes prove more profitable to thy soule and pleasing to thy Saviour than the sacramentall especially if there be a defect in thy due and diligent preparation 2. For as often as thou desirest By frequent desires to receive thy loving Lord God thus spiritually into thy soule thou shalt find him ever ready to feast thee with his owne sacred hands and thou mayest thus easily dispose thy selfe unto it Turning thy selfe to thy Saviour to this end reflect upon thine owne frailty and frequent failings and conceive an inward sorrow and detestation of thy defects then make thy supplication with a loving affection that he will not disdaine to enter thy poor cottage and feast thee with his owne true body and blood 3. So also when thou art moved And it is an excellent exercise against passions with a pious zeal against any perverse Passion and desirest efficaciously to mortify it or to plant some vertue in thy soule make use of this spirituall communion by converting thy thoughts towards thy Lord God and invoking his aid with ardent prayers beseech him to enter and possesse the secret part of thy soule Or calling to mind thy last sacramentall communion speak to him with an inflamed desire When ô my good God shall I againe welcome thee into the closet of my heart Come now O my Saviour and comfort me spiritually with the like strength and vertue EXPLICATION IF thou wilt practice this pious How to make
victory into your own peacefull consciences and keep there a delicious Call'd by Isay Sabbatum delicatum Esa 58. 13 Sabbath of repose in the happy enjoyments of unspeakable delights The Seven chief Ambushes of our Enemies 1. SElf-love Which is the root of all sin and cause of all inproficiency in the way of perfection 2. Few are found free from it 3. To avoid this snare we must seek Gods honour in all our actions 4. To self-love belongs unmortified sensuality which must be tamed by cutting off superfluities 5. To the same pertain Pride Self-conceit c. Which must be remedied by the Practice of humility 6. Also the passions of our inferiour nature Love Hatred c. To which we must oppose Peace of heart 7. Lastly the adhering to our own wills and judgements which must be cured by Obedience 8. Note a triple Obedience 2. Immoderate affection to creatures 1. This distracts us from our Creator against which we must provide Poverty of spirit 2. Affections to persons corrupt our judgements 3. We must remedy it by loving all impartially in and for God 4. Spirituall comforts may be sometimes snares of the Devil therefore we must not stay in them but transcend them 3. Extroversion or an inordinate application of our selves to externall things 1. Which choakes up Devotion therefore we must not thrust our selves upon imployments 2. But curb our fancies 3. Perform works of obedience necessity and charity without ingaging our affections 4. And strive to get into our interiour 5. By fixing our heart on Christ crucified 4. Bitterness of heart sadness frowardnesse c. 2. All which proceed either from nature indiscretion thoughtfulnesse presumption or immortification 3. And must be sweetned with Charity 4. To this belong a certain grudging at Gods providence which must be avoided by a cordial Resignation 5. Scrupulosity inward affliction fearfulness c. 1. Which aym at the destruction of our Faith and Confidence in God 2. To avoid this we must rely upon God and our guide 3. And assure our selves that we cannot erre in Confidence if we fall not into Negligence 6. Excessive and unnecessary study 1. Which busies the Understanding but leaves the Will barren 2. Puffs us up with Vanity but leaves us empty of true Piety 3. The remedy is to rectify our intentions in our studies 7. Tepidity and coldness in Devotion 1. Which is the bane of all spirituality We must alwayes go forward towards perfection with perseverance and excite our sluggishness with frequent aspirations 2. An excellent document of Saint Anthony Latet hostis et otia ducis The first Ambush Self-love 1. THis in S. Austin's opinion is the root of Self-love is the root of all sin and cause of all inproficiency in the way of perfection all sin and we may fitly add and avouch it to be the cause of all inproficiency in the way of perfection For our subtil nature so constantly seeks her self in all her actions and omissions that even the spirituall man who treads in the pleasant paths of piety is subject to be drawn into this dangerous ambush He will find upon due examination some sinister and self-intention Read the second ch of the Spir. Con. creeping in and corrupting his sincerest endeavours and perceive unless highly illuminated that there is more of private commodity than pure and perfect charity in his most transcendent and heroique exercises 2. Who is not generally more diligent in the performance of his Few are found free from it duty for the fear of hell and hope of heaven than for the sole and substantiall love of his Creator who hath not rather some small clause and secret condition of self-interest in his actions than the only fulfilling of Gods holy will and the following of his Divine inspirations Whom shall we find though never so great pretenders to perfection so totally untangled from this net of Self-love that they neither hover after humane respects and praises nor look upon rewards or punishments nor overvalue their own wayes and exercises nor solace themselves with the sweets of sensible devotion nor please themselves with their high-towring contemplations and raptures into Gods immediate perfections nor finally dresse up devotion by the pattern of their own passions and so fall in love with their own conceptions and make to themselves in Bethel golden calves in stead of 3. Reg. 13. 8. the Cherubins in Jerusalem Whose will is so truly devested from all propriety as to remain untouch'd unmov'd undisquieted resolute and resigned in all temporall chances and changes and in all spirituall dryness desolation dereliction and affliction whatsoever 3. To avoid this pernicious snare To avoid this snare we must seek Gods honour in our actions we must strive to level all our actions at Gods pure honour and pleasure as the only end we aym at the only object of our love life and labour in whom only and not in the best of his creatures is found true quiet and content 4. Unmortifi'd Sensuality is the To self-love belongs unmortified sensuality dear darling of Self-love This proposes nothing but pleasure and pastime to our seduced appetites roamings abroad to our affections makes us sedulous to satisfie our fancies covetous to content our curiosities to hearken after vanities to Read the 7. ch of the Arraignment glut our gusts with dainties and to evaporâ—te our pretious time and talents in extravagant adhesions to creatures What hope Alas of internal repose and recollection where such tumults and troubles prepossess the spirit What place remains for the holy entertainments of heavenly love when such affections have fill'd up each corner of the heart Wherefore a soul that seeks God Which must be tamed by cutting off superfluities must scorn to rest in these seeming goods she mâ—st banish all superfluities and be content with the meer supplies of her necessities she must admit of no excesse in meat drink sleep attire talk or other solaces whatsoever if she really intends to make the body pliable to the spirit and the spirit proper to tend to perfection 5. Pride presumption vanity self-esteem self-complacency self-content To the same belong pride self-câ—nceit c. self-praise self-seeking self-delight with all the rest of like nature are but severâ—ll noozes of the same net and sprouts out of the same main root self-love And whosoever hopes for honour praise preferment or profit from others for any goods of nature gâ—fts of grace or prerogatives of vertue is faln into this snare of the Devil robs God of his proper due is rotten at the heart and hath already received his full reward The remedy of all this O dear Which must be remedied by the practice of humility souls is unfeigned humility Cast one glance of your souls eye upwards upon your Creators might and mercy all your perfections come out of his treasury and are lent you to be improved for his service not to be proud
our souls For when humane favour and respect strive to oversway the love of God and strike in for a part of that which is due to God only we do or leave undone say or unsay what we neither should nor would but for their sakes Ouâ— kindred corrupt oâ—r judgments and courtesies blind our reasons so that we neither discern their follies nor correct their faults but rather comply with their imperfections and somtimes wink at their open wickednesses for the continuance of our own content 3. O how far is this from that The remedy is to love all impartially in and for God pure love which obligeth us to affect all without exception of persons only in and for God as bearing his image as being truly vertuous and as far forth as they are furtherers to our souls salvation and perfection Fy upon all friend ships and affections which are attended with such dangers accompanied with such distractions and followed with such disquiets which busie our fancies and bend our imaginations to things so unprofitable and impertinent and so much impeding us in our intended pâ—ogresse to the perfection of Gods love 4. So also all disordered delight Spiritual sweetnesses may be somtimes snares of our enemy pleasure and propriety in spiritual sweetnesses and inward solaces of devotion are meer traps of the enemy laid to catch and insnare our unwary souls and to make them rest with complacency in things which are not God himself the end of our desires but only his creatures guifts and graces You must not stay here O devout We must noâ— stay in them but transcend them souls but pass on your way and transcend all for his sake whom you only seek and not his solaces These are helps and encouragements in your course not the goal you must touch These are neither security Read the 28. ch of the Confflict nor sanctity but only baits of the divine piety to strengthen you in climbing the steep mountain to his perfect charity The Third Ambush Extroversion or an inordinate application of the soul to external things 1. THis choaks up the Spirit of Extroversion choaks up devotion Devotion quenches the souls ardor in her holy exercises hinders her hastning to perfection and buries the whole heart and mind the whole time and talents in mean and inferiour employments which should be totally taken up in divine contemplation Take heed of being drawn into this dangerous ambush O dear Therefore we must not intrude our selves into employments souls intrude not your selves into any business and when Necessity Obedience or Charity the only pretexts which can make extroversion lawfull and laudable urge you abroad keep your heart still at home converse there with your Lord and love and commune with him concerning the more important affairs of eternity abstract your selves from all outward multiplicity and there treat sweetly and secretly with him of your souls union to that one thing which is only and absolutly necessary 2. Abridge therefore your fancy But curb our fancies from fruitless roaming abroad upon all occurring objects which proceeds from instability of heart and argues a neglect of your interiour Curb and suppresse all extravagations Read ch 4 n. 6 of the Conflict of your mind not only from sinful but from superfluous and unprofitable conceptions which nothing advance your soul in it's tendance to perfection but contaminate it with the dust of vanity and contristate the holy Spirit of God within you 3. Perform such works as concern your calling without solicitude of mind or ingagement of affection Perform workâ— of obedience necâ—ssity and charity without engâ—gâ—ng your affections lest your senses become darkned your soul distracted your fervor diminished your prayers neglected and you sliding insensibly into negligence and a total discomposition in your inward man be hardly ever again reclaimed and recollected For how can a soul which is totally environed with worldly impertinencies have any vacant time left for the entertainments of piety how can a mind dull'd and astonish'd with the continual noyses of mundanity hearken attentively to Gods holy inspirations 4. Wherefore strive timely and And strive to get into your interiour diligently to get into your interiour prevent your soul which is ever active never idle with pious thoughts lest evil habits press in first and pre-possesse it apply your selves speedily and seriously to introversion spiritual silence and inward attendance to God alone adhere to him only and remain unremoveable from this maxim To desire nothing demand nothing think of nothing love nothing labour for nothing but him alone that One and All which is needfull for you Do this as if nothing else concern'd you and as if there were nothing but He and your self and You and himself considerable in the whole world 5. The surest way to compass this happy and heavenly design is to keep your eyes and heart fix'd By fixing our hearts upon Christ crucified constantly and continually upon Christ crucified This is the solid ground whence the highest contemplatives take their first rise hither into this sacred Ark of our Saviours humanity they must again return after their lofty soarings into the divinity and here they must settle when elswhere they can find no footing And surely a soul that seriously considers his sufferings contemplates his mercys and reflects upon his vertues will find her whole time too short to visit each room of his several perfections and none at all left to be lost upon extravagant and worldly fancies The Fourth Ambush Bitterness of Heart 1. WHich comprehends all kind Bitterness of heart comprehends all sadnes frowardnesse c. of Sadness Melancholy frowardness restlesness indignation despitefulness proness to impatience discontent tediousness of mind aversion distast of all things dislike of others suspicions sinister interpretations unpleasantness murmurations detractions rancor malice rash-judgments and the like 2. The source of these bitter All which proceed either from nature indiscretion â—n austerities thoughtfulness persumption or immortification streams is either perverse nature or indiscreet austerities or an over-serious application of the mind to study and thoughtfulness or a secret presumption of self-perfection and sufficiency or an immortification of passions or a reflexion upon past injuries or an envying at others vertue praise preferment and prosperity And all these anguishes of mind and harshnesses in conversation are great impediments in our progress to spirituality and must necessarily And must be sweetned with charity be sweetned and season'd with the Sugar of perfect Charity For if we truly love our Lord God how can we scorn his image stamp'd in the souls of our Brethren Do they cease to be Gods amiable creatures because they displease despise or Read c. 16 of the Conflict neglect me may they not be Gods friends though they are my foes are they not more likely to love God because they dislike me who am so truly unworthy to be loved
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
languish not breathe but burn by reason of extasie and excess of love 3. O fire O flames Burn consume annihilate Alas Beauty of Angels how late and how little do I love thee O come into my soul behold a poor lodging yet such as it is it is all thine I conceal nothing I reserve nothing heart soul spirit all is thine own compose all dispose of all depose all unruly passions impose what penance thou pleasest I accept it o my Lord only repose peaceably in my soul and let no foul or false affection interpose it self or disturb this blessed union O that I could please and praise thee purely perfectly perpetually Oh that I could love thee faithfully freely and fully in all and above all things ô my all and only love I acknowledge my self bound ô Lord in thy chains of charity I am burned in thy fire I am wounded and won to thy love But what shall I say What can I give All I have is not worthy of thee and yet is thine already Ask my sweet Lord and have choose and take make me such as thou desirest and then take me to thy desire Give thy self ô great God to my soul and then take my soul with thy self in it My life liberty love and all is thine own My last will is already made in which I bequeath all to thee Thine own death and passion all thy mercies and merits all the praises and perfections of thy dear Mother and the blessed Saints and Angels and all the goods glories and splendors of all thy creatures All that I am have and can both spirituals and temporals kindred friends riches health honors estates offices devotion all is at thy disposition I am resolute ô my Lord I am resigned and indifferent to have them increased or diminished to use them to thy glory or to lose them altogether 4. I give thee back ô merciful Maker my whole being either to be what thou wilt or to be nothing at all to love thee or not to live at all I offer to thee ô pious Redeemer my sins to pardon my works to perfect my will to purifie I offer thee my wounds to cure my soul to cleanse and my spirit to comfort I offer to thee O holy Spirit my intentions to rectifie my inclinations to sanctifie my affections to deifie Finally I offer all for one I give all to one and all I desire is to be all one with thee my all and only Lord and love Thou hast given me O my bountiful Creator the whole world in free-hold for one penny of Rent saying Child give me thy heart O Lord Let this penny never want the superscription of thy grace and let me never want thy grace to pay this rent O my Lord all that I have is but two small mites I cast them into thy hands and had I more I would give more Dispose of them both dear Lord of my body and soul as best pleaseth thee that thy will may be perfectly performed and thy name purely sanctified in both O sweet God of my heart Let me embrace thee in the two arms of profound humility and perfect charity O let my heart faint and melt away in the fire of thy divine love let me lose my self to find thee be out of my self to live in thee and be empty of my self to be full of thee O fun of Justice dissolve with a beam of thy brightness the frost of my heart and resolve it into tears of affection 5. O beautiful and best-beloved of my soul I am weary of this wretched world and I breathe thirst and sigh after thee the sweet fountain of life-giving and soul-saving waters O thou true rest and refresher of my faint and feeble heart out of whom there is neither comfort nor content Let me shroud my self under the shadow of thy wings untill iniquity and infirmity have an end Come Lord Jesu Speak thy sweet words of love to my languishing soul for thy servant hears thee Give me courage alacrity fervour and fidelity in thy service the few remaining moments of my wretched and wearisome pilgrimage O rest long expected and much sighed after where shal I seek thee and when shall I find thee where sleepest thou O dear Spouse at midday in the heat of love Where is thy secret cabinet of Contemplation which thou hidest from the wisdom of worldling and revealest to little ones and humble of heart O shew me the bed of divine Union wherein thou reposest with the simple solitary and mortified soul O let my poor heart have the honour and happiness to rest in thee to remain with thee and to be united to thee O God of love wound my soul with thy sweet wounds of love which nothing can cure but death wean it from the worlds vanity and wed it to thy increated verity that treading all creatures under me I may be rapt into thee my Creator above my-self and there like the happy Dove in the secure Ark repose my weary and faint lims in the bosom of thee my Soveraign Lord and lover 6. O divine wisdom Lead me into the solitude speak unto my heart teach me thy holy will in all occurrences My deep sighs and secret desires are not hid from thee Thou knowest nothing can fully cure comfort and content me but thy self the one and only necessary thing O take my self and all and give me that one thing in whom are all things O sweet waters of divine Love which flow from the blessed bosom of the divinity and from the open side of my Saviours humanity Run into my bowels and like pure oyl penetrate and possess every parcel of my spirit Irrigate and inebriate it overflow and absorp it that it may be transformed and conformed to the divine Spirit so that all my actions cogitations and affections may be spiritual divine and Deiform O let my ravish'd soul full of life and fire break forth into these flames of joy and jubilation I have found him whom my soul loves I have him and I will hold him This is he which by reading I sought by meditation I found by prayer I desired and by contemplation I enjoy O how the earth stinks how loathsom are all creatures to me O tast O sweetness O true and solid pleasure O how great is the difference between this spiritual and all fleshly delights O the multitude of thy sweetnesses which thou hast laid up O Lord for them that fear and love thee O lights O delights O extasies of spirit Wound me O sweet God burn me consume me crucifie me Let me cry out with that Lover Retain O Lord the floods of thy grace or inlarge my heart for I can hold no longer I thirst Lord give me this water O when how long how much 7. O my soul how good is it for us to be here O sweet and secure home and harbour Let us remain and rejoyce here for ever I will keep thee O my dearly beloved and
I will kiss thee I will conjure thee to remain with me I wil rather lose my self than leave thy presence My beloved is mine his honour is mine his heart is mine his heaven is mine And I am his behold the key the keeper the soul the body the lord the whole ô my God is thine Behold my liberty my life my love all is thine ô my Jesu and thine alone Repose therefore as a sweet posie between my breasts sleep like a bridegroom in my heart and reign like a King in the most intim closet of my soul Come Lord Jesu come quickly take full possession of thy own Come and please thy self love thy self and serve thy self in me as thou desirest and deservest to be pleased loved served Let thy love O King of love be the life of my soul and the lease of my life that when I cease to love I may cease to live In thy love O Jesu I end this act of love though my desire actually to love thee be endless Oh! let me live and dy in thy love and for thy love that by love I may for ever reign and remain with thee in thy Kingdom of love Amen THE THIRD TREATISE OF THE SPIRITVALL CONQUEST Or The Ascent of the pious soul by Steps and Degrees of Vertues to the happy Mountain of Perfection Psal 83. v. 8. They shall go from vertu into vertu The God of Gods shall be seen in Syon AT PARIS M.DC.LI To the Devout Champions tending to Perfection THis Spirituall ladder O dear Souls will shew you how much you have profited in pure solid devotion how far you have proceeded in the way of the Spirit how forward you are in seeking God forsaking your selves what progress you have made in your journey towards heaven Contemplate therefore your selves often in this impartial mirrour bewail your backwardness shake off your sloathfulness increase your fervour and encourage your diligence to climb this sacred Mountain of Perfection and to pass on cheerfully from vertu to vertu Psal 83. 8. till you happily come to the beatifying sight of your Lord God in Sion The Seven Degrees of Perfection 1. VPon the first Step stand they who are Faithfull Catholikes Fearful of Gods judgements and Careful to avoid mortall sin These are Beginners who have little inward light stand upon slippery ground and though they may be saved yet so as by fire 2. On the second Step stand Proficients who strive to avoid venial sins and conquer their sensuality but are slow in tending to Perfection and subject to be self-conceited 3. On the third Step stand they who casting off sloath tame themselves with austerities but their intentions are not pure nor they well grounded in self-denial 4. On the fourth Degree stand they who have gotten into their interiour but yet seek for solaces and are discouraged with adversities 5. On the fifth Step stand they who are fully resigned and perfectly obedient but fail for want of experience and courage 6. On the sixth Step stand they who have gotten a perfect habit of resignation and constancy but desire comforts to enable their perseverance Here also stand they who are indifferent to comforts or desolations but yet they rest in Gods favours with some propriety Here furthermore stand they who are satisfied with God only but are not absolutely as willing to leave divine favours as to have them 7. On the seventh and highest Degree of Perfection stand the elevated and contemplative souls Gods faithfull friends and favourites who are perfectly indifferent resign'd and obedient in all things to his divine will and pleasure The first and lowest Degree of Perfection THe first Step and groundwork of all vertue and perfection is To be well setled in the Vpon the first step of this ladder stand Beginners who are Faithful Catholikes Fearful of Gods judgments Careful to avoid mortal sin Catholick faith Fearfull of Gods severe judgements and Careful to avoid all mortal sin This is the Church porch and entrance into Gods holy Temple but they who stand here remain cold in charity carelesse and undiligent in their lesser duties remiss in spiritual exercises negligent in thinking of their obligation by which they stand ingaged to tend towards perfection and finally they greedily gape after all conveniencies of their corrupted nature and give up themselves to glut and solace their depraved sensuality These Beginners have very little But they have little inward light or no inward light they know not what is the meaning of mortification what it is to get into their interiour or what Introversion signifies but they seemingly satisfie and secure themselves in that they have a will to avoid the known and capitall sins whereby they hope to escape hell and avoid Gods heavy judgements Surely such souls stand upon very unsafe and slippery ground and Stand upon slippery ground their salvation is in a doubtfull and dangerous condition for they are so blinded and bewitched with self-love and sensuality that they cannot well distinguish perfectly discern nor rightly judge what sins are of mortall danger and what not so that conversing dayly amidst such multitudes of perils and shaking hands with the world the flesh and the devil with so much freedom so little care and precaution what do they else but dance as it were upon the very brink of hell from whence if they once tread awry they infallibly tumble headlong into that bottomless dungeon of eternall perdition Yet in case they should indeed And though they may be saved foot it so warily all their life time that death takes them not tripping nor fall'n into mortall offence a thing most rare and not to be presumed on by any one who carries himself so carelesly they shall surely be saved but so as by fire They must expect a most sharp and severe Yet so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 13. 15. punishment a long and piercing purgatory by reason of their unmortifi'd affections to venial sins their giving scope to their unbridled senses their neglect of Gods love their coldness in charity and their tepidity in tendance to perfection And as for their good works they are not likely to be there much available since their groundwork was servil fear their end self-self-love and their whole drift and intention altogether sinister and deficient from that purity and perfection wherewith they should have been performed The Second Degree of Perfection THey stand on this second Step who hearkning to Gods holy inspirations following his internall On the 2. step stand Proficients Who are careful to shun venial sins and conquer sensuality attractions and obeying the sweet invitations of his Spirit keep themselves disingaged from all vain affections to the world yield not to the enticements of flesh and blood resist the suggested temptations of the devil and carefully avoid all occasions of offending their Lord and maker so much as venially To help on this pious design they put
the soul is wounded with love fick of love and languishing for love after a long experience in the way of the Spirit and a serious application of her self to the practice of solid vertue having truly gotten into her own interiour and happily ascended the steep mountain of Perfection is become deeply wounded with love sweetly sick of love and heartily languishing after love So that she crys out with that fainting Spouse in the Canticles O tell my beloved that I languish with love This infirmity is not to death but for Gods glory for the Soul in this state defyes all sin deserts whatsoever is not God and desires him only she grows weary and sick of all creatures and aspires after the embraces of her Creator And as an infirm person loseth appetite and loathes all the wonted contents of nature so here the soul feels no gust takes no pleasure findes no comfort in any earthly objects Shee lyes sick and seized on by this mystical feaver caused by the violent heat of heavenly love and here she is in the degree of contemplative purgation when she findes no support no stay no tast no quiet no content in any thing whatsoever And therefore she â—oon soars up from this Step to the next The Second Degree of Love WHerein she rouseth and raises In the 2 she seeks her Physician up her self and casts about which way she may seek and find her loving Physician who can only cure and comfort her she gets up early and eagerly enquires after him without intermission or cessation whom she failed to find in her bed at night in the first degree She faithfully follows the prints of his steps turns over natures book dives into all creatures questions all she meets Oh! have you seen him whom my soul loveth Yet she stays no where stoops not to the lure of any created object she demands and passes on she leaves all for him whom she only loves and longs after She holds no discourse with Angels themselves but listens only to his heavenly voice and desires nothing but to see a glimpse of his beatifying countenance O shew me thy face let thy sweet words sound in my ears Here love bears all the sway and hath made so deep an impression in the pious soul that she is perpetually solicitous for love ever sighing after love and still carping caring and seeking for her well beloved in all things All her throughts tend to him all her discourses drive at him all her affairs end in him If shee sleeps she dreams of him if she wakes she talks of him Finally she is always in all things in all places transported into this object of her love and swayed towards this Centre of her life And recovering new strength ascends upward to a further Degree The Third Degree of Love WHerein she works with more heat and vigour and of which the King-Prophet speaks In the 3. she fears her own unworthiness and the loss of her beloved Psa 111. Blessed is that person who fears the Lord for he will exceedingly desire to fulfill his holy laws Whence may be inferr'd that if Fear which is Loves daughter cause such effectual desires how efficacious will those desires be which proceed immediately from Love it self The Soul in this Degree beleeves that her best works done in the behalf of her beloved are very base inconsiderable she runs over her Registers of accounts sums up her numerous exploits measures her long suffâ—ances and surveys her high services and they seem at best but poor and mean performances of a greater duty she finds them nothing worth by reason of the excess of affection which inflames and consumes her If Jacobs love to Rachel had so powerful an influence upon his spirit that his twice seven years apprentiship seem'd to him but a Gene. 29. 20. few dayes by reason of the ardour of his desire What admirable effects will the Creators love produce in that Soul which it hath absolutely seized upon entirely possess'd and throughly penetrated in this third Degree She will be piously troubled and angry with her self that she doth so little for so great a Majesty and if she might lawfully she would most willingly give up her self to be minc'd into a thousand morcels for his love honor and service and receive therein full comfort content joy and satisfaction It truly seems to her that shee troubles the earth she treads on and the ayr she breathes in and that she unprofitably takes up a place in the world as a barren tree which brings forth neither flowers nor fruit Hence springs a further admirable effect that she verily thinks her self the worst of all things created considering what she owes and calculating what she pays for Love teacheth her how much God deserves and Humility tells her how little she doth and because shee finds that all her best endeavours are full of defects and imperfections and that her highest way of corresponding to the love of her heavenly Lord is so low and unbeseeming his Majesty she is inwardly pained and confounded in her self A soul in this state is far from any puff of pride presumption vain glory or censuring of others and is therefore duly disposed to mount up to the next Degree The Fourth Degree of Love WHich is of suffering for her In the 4. she willingly suffers for love beloved freely and cheerfully without the least repining or reluctancy because true love makes the heaviest burdens seem light and the greatest labours easie In this estate was that Spouse when she spake to her beloved Place me as Cant. 8. 6. a signet upon your heart put me as a seal upon your arm because love is strong as death c. The Spirit hath here such a vigour that it absolutely subjects and subdues the flesh and as much slights all motions of sensuality as a well rooted tree doth the wagging of one of his little leaves Here the soul seeks not at all her own gust or comfort either in God or any of his gifts nor demands any grace in order to her own solace or support but all her care is to cast about her which way she may render some acceptable service to the Divine Majesty and how she may content and please him in any thing which she can do or suffer for that he deserves it for his love and goodness Many seek their own content in God But Few seek to give God content towards her though such her services cost her never so dear Ah! Good God how many of your followers seek in you their own content and comfort sigh after your favours expect your cherishings and run after your gifts and graces But alas how few are they who strive to give you content and to present you with any worthy donative at their own cost and charges without some touch of self love or proper interest You are ever open-handed ô bountifull Creator and ready to showre your heavenly benefits
militant and triumphant as far as God shall please and we need Next that we intend to pray for all and especially for them who have desired it or to whom we stand any way ingaged as we do for our selves And this without any personall reflexion is more profitable to our friends and less prejudiciall to our selves All which is to be understood when no peculiar promise occasion or circumstance induceth a speciall obligation and performance The eighteenth Maxim That all vertues are best practised by addicting our selves to Contemplation or this internal Exercise of Recollection THe chief way to practise vertue and prevent temptations is not by a direct and formall reflexion upon them which imprints images in the soul and averts her from attending purely to God in her interiour But by a vertuous and vigorous The practice of all vertues in contemplation binding of her will to God for being thus seriously and sweetly intent to him only she can by a happy disdain forget and pass over or through all occurring dâ—fficulties and so behave her self orderly and discreetly as to content both God and man Now that all vertues in particular are thus most excellently practised it appears first in Faith Whereof Of Faâ—th we are taught to make a lively Act in the entrance to this exercise And what way can this vertue be more heroically put in use than to have our souls lifted above all sensible objects all discourse all humane wisdom Hope is here practised for we Hope ly prostrate at Gods feet as poor beggers hoping to obtain his grace in order to the performance of his Will and expecting all good from his meer mercy Here also our Love is exercised Charity because our Will covets nothing but to content our Creator and rests separated from all that is not himself for the sole love of him Here is the practâ—ce of perfect Resignation Resignation for we wish neither quiet nor disquiet glory nor infamy pleasure nor pain but only the fulfilling of Gods Will and a desire to be left in what state he best likes Patience must be here necessaâ—ily Patience practised in respect of the crosses and contradictions suggested by So called by Thaulerus sensuality in this afflicting exercise All sin is here destroyed For that is an aversion from our Creator and a conversion to creatures but Destruction of sin here by means of perfect Faith we remain as it were agglutinated to God and governed by his inward grace which stills all outward motions stifles all concupiscences and makes us unknowing and forgetfull of our selves and all things created As for Mortification it is here Mortification S. Greg. the great practised in a high degree For he that tasts the sweets of the Spirit growes soon disgusted with all carnal delights here the flesh is totally supplanted and the senses quieted for the eyes see no outward object rhe ears attend to no noyse rhe tongue remains silent the understanding contemns all curiosities the memory drawes a curtain over all images the will is disingag'd from willing or nilling any thing finally here is an entire destruction of all sensuality Obedience is perfectly practised Obedience because the wings of discourse are clip'd and the understanding captivated by Faith Humility can no where more Humility appear than when a soul is so annihilated as to trust neither little nor much to her-self O Rich nothing What spirituall mines what Masses of treasures doth a soul find that hath thus happily lost her self in her loving Lord Adoration sacrifice devotion and Adoration and al acts of Religion all acts of Religion are here effectually practised in a word if we wil be perfect sayes Thaulerus we must learn this abstraction that is this suspension of discourse and silencing all the workings of Fancie understanding memory will leaving our souls to the absolute conduct of our Loving Lord according to the doctrine here delivered which is the short and secure way to make all our actions divine and celestiall Some examples for the practice of this divine way of Prayer 1. Receiving the Blessed Sacrament Examples How to communicate I say to my heavenly guest My God make me partaker of these sacred mysteries that my soul may enjoy the effects for which they were by you instituted Then being secured by my act of Faith that I have received his body blood soul divinity c. I settle my self in this holy idlenesse and abstraction before described and remain silent and recollected hearkning what my dear Lord will speak within me 2. So when I have taken some point of my Saviours Passion for How to pray the subject of my prayer I say O my Lord communicate to my soul what you endured in this mystery to the end she may enjoy those effects for which you suffer'd it c. 3. In like manner when I goe to How to take our rest take my rest I say Silence my soul for our God is here present with us and within us and in this verity Recollecting my self in him I rest all night in prayer or at least my Lord allows it me as if I did because my soul covets to continue in the same happy abstraction recollection and annihilation during the whole time of sleep 4. Thus a vertuous introverted And doe all things to God's glory 1 Thessal 5. 17. and recollected soul doing what lys in her to rest alwaies in her Centre which is God may follow and fulfill the Apostles counsel which is to pray continually and doe all things even her naturall and necessary actions of eating drinking sleeping c. to Gods glory and these pure desires and intentions render them all meritorious Some further advices for the practice of this pure Prayer 1. Before we thus recollect our selves in God we may make what The first advâ—ce acts we please but after wee are entred into it we are to remain still quiet silent insensible unmoveable as a stock to be fashioned or a stone to be carved according to the heavenly workmans design we must leave our selves entirely to be moved and managed as best likes our great Master who both knows what bee our necessities and how and when to supply them 2. We must take speciall notice The second advâ—ce That as all Arts have their proper tearms So this sacred science of Mystical Divinity hath its peculiar phrases and expressions Divine matters may not bee handled according to the manner and method of School subtilties but are to be represented only with simplicity piety and a holy liberty of words which Contemplatives make use of without metaphysicall questions and arguments When therefore we find in St. How to understand mysticall writers Bonaventure Eschius Thaulerus Rusbrochius Blosius and others That a soul divinely and intimately united to God doth clearly see and experience what shee obscurely beleeved by faith we are not to infer Read
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-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
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
neighbours The practice of this spirituall uncloathing of our souls Behold ô my Lord and love I generally and totally renounce all things but thee casting my self into the arms of thy most holy disposition and protection O my soul return sweetly to thy seat of rest repose quietly and confidently in the bosom of Divine bounty Remain here without diverting or distracting thy self to other objects Rely securely upon his mercy and providence cutting off incontinently all superfluous cares and solicitudes and protesting thou desirest nothing but the advancing of his honour accomplishing of his will his love and himself Take courage my naked soul for if thou art uncloathed somtimes and deprived of thy Lovers embraces feelings of his comforts and pleasures of his presence it is only that himself alone may purely possess thee O my Lord and lover Look upon this soul which I have endeavoured to strip entirely from all sensuall affection therefore I have not only abandoned but hated Father Mother brethren sisters lands living liberty yea and my own life that I might become thy disciple And were it yet to do again I would cast off Mother and run over Father to come to thee my loving Jesus Confirm O Lord my courage Live O rich nakedness Live my beloved to me and I to him Let me see no one but only Jesus Let alone his other gifts though never so excellent and holy I am indifferent to leave them or keep them in the manner and measure he pleaseth 't is naked Jesus I only seek and sigh after Uncloath me then my Lord 1. Of all sin great and small 2. Of all affection to it even the least venial 3. Of all curiosity 4. Of all sensuality 5. Of all inordinate passion 6. Of all vanity 7. Of all self-love and self-will Let me be reduc'd to nothing Put off my self and put on me thy self crucified Deprive me of all that distasteth thee that thou mayest say of me This is my beloved son in Mat. 12. 18 whom I please my self This is my disciple whom I Jesus love This is my rest for ever Here I will dwell because I have made choice of it In this heart is my harbor there you shall infallibly find me The 34. Maxim That Zeal and eagerness must be temper'd with Moderation and discretion WE must moderate our natural vivacity activity and agility of spirit by shunning all precipitation and indiscreet forwardness and fervour Soft and sure Let us look before we leap Let us take our eyes in our hands For that which is well done is twice done and a thing warily begun is well nigh half brought about Let us lend our hands and not give our hearts to any work Let us endeavor to perform all our actions with a free and disinteressed mind without which all is drudgery and slavery Let us not be over eager Perfection consists not in multiplicity of action but in simplicity of intention not in variety of exercises and devotions but in peace of mind and purity of heart not in saying or doing much but in suffering and loving much c. Let us sometimes check our importunate spirit as Jesus did Martha Martha Martha thou art Luc. 10. 41 troubled about many things when as there is but one thing only necessary which is A real cordiall and totall Abnegation of thy self in all things Let not indiscreet zeal serve for a cloak to cover our passionate hearts and inward hatred of others True Zeal is ful of compassion free from indignation and perfect charity either will not see what is amiss in others or seek out the best interpretation of it excusing the fault and pittying the party The 35. Maxim That we must never rely upon our own naturall judgement experience and knowledge THis hath deceived many and cast them headlong into confusion despair hence so many Apostasies rebellions dissensions divisions and scandals in Religion O how pleasant beautifull and edifying a thing is it to see persons of great perfection glorious endowments venerable for age honourable for learning renowned in dignity c. to be truly humble supple simple soft like Wax capable of any impression and condescending to others reason and command Blessed are the meek humble and obedient spirits for God will not permit them to goe astray or be deceived The 36. Maxim That we must seek no comfort in any creature FOr the practice of this We must The practice cheerfully forsake all and be content to be forsaken by all resting only in God by prayer patience and confidence Adieu friends familiars Confessours counsellours books exercises Angels Welcome solitude crosses eclipses shames wounds want◠darknesses desolations deaths Yes O Father because thou so pleasest Is the creature in which I delight more loving lovely or beautifull than God my Creator Hath it been more bountifull or beneficiall tome Can it more justly require or more liberally requite my love Can it make me holy or happy quiet or content Shall I leave light for darkness life for death substance for shadows All for nothing Answer impartially and resolve effectually The higher practice of this The higher practice Maxim in order to Contemplation is To estimate things according to Read the Spir. Con. ch 4. n. 3. their reall value And then Alas what comfort can a devout soul which hath tasted the sweets of her beloved in Contemplation find in the best of creatures How far are they from affoording her any solid and substantiall satisfaction in her spirituall sorrows sadness or desolation Therefore shew wisely and carefully keeps her self to holy Recollection resigns her self absolutely to the divine pleasure continues stedfastly in the presence of her Creator seeks to treat with him one to one and leaves worldlings to follow their appetites as the horse and mule which are void of under standing Oh! how much more happiness is it to suffer in the sweet company of God than to enjoy all such false and phantasticall pleasures as all creatures can confer in the company of men My soul refuseth this comfort I remember my God and in him I am only delighted And indeed they who faithfully The true Contemplatives are never sad or solicitous and fervently addict themselves to spirituall Recollection are neither sad nor solicitous but only in shew For what can they want who are with God In him they find gardens to walk in fountains to bath in pallaces to dwell in dainties to feed on and all pleasures to delight in with such infinit advantages that they ravish'dly cry out My God and All These contemplatives need not your compassion O worldlings They are not so drownd in melancholy so plung'd in sorrow so little enjoying themselves as you esteem and censure No your own poor souls are seriously to be pitied which are so wide of wisdom and so wedded to sensuality as to relinquish true life and liberty sincere comfort and content for the shadows smokes of the world For this is