keeping the spirit of sweetness charity with our neighbour but aboue all we ought to be carefull to joyn thereto an interiour retreat keeping our minds sequestred from all vain curious thoughts or all unprofitable reflections upon our selves or others imploying ones mind heart in frequent aspirations sighs addressed to God to demand his holy spirit which to obtain we must unite them with the interiour dispositions prayers of the holy Virgin the Apostles II. SAy every day the Veni creator at the end of the book make seven elevations of mind to demand the seven gifts of the holy Ghost the disengagement from creatures the victory over our humours which is the life of our own spirit opposed to that of the holy Ghost Make one elevation of mind to the eternall father another to the son a third to the holy Ghost a 4. th to the holy Virgin a 5. th to the Apostles a 6. th to your good Angell the last to S. Phillip Nery who reeived with such fullnessh the oly Ghost upon the day of Pentecost These elevations of mind ought to be made with ardent desires of obtaining this singular grace Aboue all beg a total change of your heart beseech the holy Ghost that he would cause you to live a life wholly supernaturall to die to all the longing hankering appetites of the human sensuall life VENI CREATOR OR The Hymne of the holy Ghost COme Creatour Sp'rit divine Visit now the souls of thine Fill with grace distill'd from heau'n Hearts to whom thou life hast giv'n Whom the comforter we call Gift of God transcending all Living spring fire fervent love Ghostly unction from aboue Sev'nfold grace thou dost impart And Gods right hand finger art Thou the fathers promise which Tongues with language doth enrich Kindle light in every sense Love into our hearts dispence Strengthen what in flesh is fraile With a vertue cannot faile Drive away our mortall foe Peace upon us soon bestow As a guide before us shine That all vice We may decline By thee may it so be done That we father know Son And in thee believe who dost Flow from both the holy Ghost Glorious may the father reign And the Son who rose again So the holy Paraclite During Ages infinite III. ADd a quarter of an hour to your ordinary time of prayer as much to your time of silence to think in the presence of God of the great affects which his spirit works in a well disposed heart in order to the making an absolute charge in it as he did in the hearts of his Apostles the better to entertain your self with a meditation upon some one of the gifts of the holy Ghost as you will find them explicated in some of your book on that subjet Make also a particular visit to the blessed Sacrament every day to demand of Jesus-Christ the fullness of his spirit IV. AVoid tepidity negligence or humour in your actions as faults particularly opposite to the fervour of that divine love which the holy Ghost in kindles in a soul watch over your self to be able to discerne the motions of his grace be faithfull in following them do to thing against the light which God gives you to avoid any thing because that would be to afflict the holy Ghost The practise of your aspirations during this holy time may be done after this or some such like manner Father of mercy send me your comforting spirit that may give peace to my soul my Jesus give me the spirit of understanding wisdome that may make me know you with a lively faith that I may feel your presence within my heart that I may relish nothing but you alone O holy Ghost heart of the blessed Trinity substantiall love of the Father the son come inlighten my mind with the truths of faith animate my heart with the flames of pure love come strengthen me in my weakness raise me up after my fallings purify me from all hankering after or fondness of creatures O love of my God be you the soul of my soul be you my life grant that I may die wholly to my self live wholly to you The seven gifts of the H. Ghost THe gift of Wisdome The gift of Understanding The gift of Knowledge The gift of Counsell The gift of Fortitude The gift of Piety or Godliness The gift of the Fear of God. FOR THE OCTAVE OF WHITSONTIDE Apply your self every day to know demand practise one of the seven gifts of the holy Ghost to the end that he may purifiy and Sanctify with these seven divine habits all the affections of your soul THE I. DAY The gift of Wisdome LEt the subject of your prayer be the qualities of this gift which are 1. to make us relish God all that unites us to him 2. to give us an extreme disgust of all pleasures of the senses all naturall satisfaction 3. to make us esteem love search with passion sufferings disgrace abjection of which we have such a horrour 4. to make an intire separation of a heart from all fondness of creatures as also from all that is sensuall in devotion from all that is not God. Come o holy Ghost come enlighten my mind with this gift of wisdome come destroy in me the love of the world grant that I may take no relish in any thing but in God that God may be all to me creatures may be nothing grant that I may love contempt which my Saviour so esteemed that the cross may be the onely oâ—ject of my love 2. Beg often during the first day that is the day of Pentecost the gift of wisdome which consists in loving spirituall things make an extraordinary visit to the blessed Sacrament to beg this day as well as throughout the whole Octave the Office of the holy Ghost in the morning after your prayers say veni Creator as in the end of this book give every day of the Octave some little almes to the poor to obtain the gifts of the holy Ghost whom the holy Chruch stiles the Father of the poor THE II. DAY The Gifts of Vnderstanding 1. COnsider in your prayer the effects of this gift which are 1. to make us love what we believe to render our faith so lively strong that it may make such an impression upon our minds as if we saw the objects of what we believe so that a soul inlightened with this gift is lost in the respect love it finds in gods presence in prayer before the blessed Sacrament as if it saw God with its eyes this gift works the same effect in the soul as the light of glory does in the souls of the Blessed It sees God in the bosome of it feels his presence after so intimate certain a manner that it is rather a possession then a knowledge of
more pleased to see me contented with my weakness to suffer with peace in your presence then if I were filled with consolation ADVICE OF IMPORTANCE how to make ones prayer with fruit facility 1. For distractions of mind AS soon as you find your self distracted presently make a return to God. O my God let me be all yours all for you wholly in your presence when you have done this make no reflection at all upon your distractions either to examine them or to disquiet your self You may sometimes remain before God all quite ouerwhelmed with confusion to see how little respect you bear to his presence 2. For desolations of heart The more you feel of tediousness of oppression or disgust the more you must force your self to remain with courage respect submission before God for this reason keeip your self always upon your knees your hands joyned your eyes humbly cast down with a submission of mind heart to the pain you suffer so sacrifice your self generously without reserve to the rigour of the divine justice give no way to this oppression permit your self to be crucified by all those wandrings of your mind by all those disquiets troubles of your heart believe that in this state God requires nothing else then that you suffer with patience humility submission to his will. 3. For prayer of affection 1. If you find difficulty in meditating upon your subject imploy your self in affections after you have made an act of faith upon that truth which moves you most but after having also formed an affection conformable to your subject or to the inspiration God shall give you upon it remain in silence for a little while in gods presence that it may take the deeper impression never passe forward to a second affection before your heart has penetrated remained content in the first because when one makes light hasty acts they make very light or no impression upon the will. 3. For the prayer of Silence First if the onely presence of God which you behold within you does take you wholly up recollect you which causes a great peace calm over your heart be not so unfaithfull as to disturb or trouble this strong efficacious operation of God by your own thoughts affections which would make you deviate from this respect which you ow to so greate a God who makes you feel his presence by a sweet inward inspiration that recollects you then content please your self with what he works in you abandoning your self intirely into his hands put no obstacle to whatsoever he shall work in you You are all my God I am nothing these two words will suffise whilst you shall remain in this sacred silence when that is past return to your matter Secondly accustome your self according to the counsell of Jesus Christ to iscourse little in prayer that is to say that your mind be contented with a simple view of the truths you meditate without tiring your self with long discourses especially if these views make more impression in your heart then discourses and that you have long before meditated these truths Thirdly let not your will dilate it self too much in its affections but let it reduce them insensibly to holy fervent aspirations which your heart may form towards God. If God gives you any sensible grace or favour receive it with humility without reflecting upon it or giving youâ— self up too much to it unite youâ— self always to the Authour of thosâ— graces not to the graces themselves Fourthly act when God acts not but remain silent when he speaks be not like those souls who remain whole hours in pure idleness of minâ— expecting that God would touch oâ— move them or of those who alwayâ— speak to God this idleness is not thaâ— which we call the prayer of silence which keeps a soul elevated above the motions of anger self-love which sustains it recollects it penetrates it with a holy respect in gods presence animates all the actions of the mind with his grace Advice how to draw fruit out of prayer The reasons why one profits not by prayer are FIrst because one does not sufficiently penetrate the truths one meditates upon Secondly because one makes not â—cts with such fervour affection as one ought Thirdly because one makes resoâ—utions after a slack generall manner Fourthly because one stays not â—ong enough upon every affection â—hat one makes them after a slight manner Fifthly because one gives too much way to the disgust pain one finds â—n prayer thinking it lost time that it is altogether unprofitable that one imagines ones self to do nothing when it is evident that to suffer this affliction before God with humility â—s to make a good prayer Sixthly because one soon forget the good resolutions made in prayer instead of often renewing them by thinking of them in the day chiefly at such time when one is in the occasions of performing them Now to profit in prayer one ought first to be free have ones heart disengaged secondly to recollect one self often in the day as in gods presence Tihrdly to mortifie ones senses passions upon all occasions Fourthly to retire ones self from company to love retirement In fine one ought to prepare ones self for it with care in time of it to conserve ones self with great reverence respect in gods presence not dissipate or distract ones self soon after it THE CONVERSION OF A SOUL TO GOD. ELevate thy self o my soul to thy Creatour deferr no longer thy conversion thô but for a moment what is past is gone what is to come is not in thy power thou art master onely of the present which is but a moment given thee for no other end then to serve God to gain eternity Conceive well these words one God one moment one eternity attends thee An eternity which either gives all or takes all from thee for ever a God whom thou so little servest a moment which thou makest so ill use of an eternity which thou hazardest O God! o moment o eternity o God my heart desires thee my heart seeks thee to give thee it self intirely to subject it self to thee fill it self with thee I beseech thee to take receive it in to thy possession bâ—nish from it all sin all ties to creâ—tures all inordinate love to mâ—self that I may serve thee so faithfully that I may merit to possess theâ— eternally A CHRISTIAN CONDUCT Whereby persons Whose vocation engages them in the world may therein work out their salvation 1. SAy your prayers night morning with fervency devotion make a firm peremptory resolution in the morning not to commit on purpose or deliberately any sin to do all you can to please God to do nothing unprofitable for eternity Examine your self every night about your
far as is possible from all imperfection 4. That you may obtain these graces of the Infant Iesus say at the end of your prayer for matter whereof you may take these considerations 1. time Pater Ave 3. times Gloria Patri And often in the day time endeavour to produce in your heart most ardent desires that Iesus Christ may be born in you II. Adore Iesus in the bosome of Mary salute Mary in the heart of Iesus THE II EXERCISE For the Evening 1. WE must consider with a profound respect a God inclosed in the womb of a Virgin acknowledge in adoring him that as little as hidden as annihilated as he is in the chast bowells of the Virgin he is the same God who is adored by the Angells in heaven is the absolute Lord and Soveraign of all creatures Then unite our selves in spirit will with those all divine dispositions which he possesses in the bosome of Mary with the most loving designes he has for our salvation 2. Let us take notice of the vertues which this Infant God practised in this prison in which he was shut up for nine months together for our instruction for our good Let us admire the profound humility of an Infant shut up in his mothers womb In effect he there hides his power under weakness he there confines his immensity within the little body of an Infant annihilates all the splendour of his glory in the obscurity lowlyness of Infancy And after all this is it just that pure nothings as we are should desire to elevate our selves aboue others despise them give place to none search after the esteem of men have a high conceit idea of our selves O how far do we fly from annihilated Iesus while we elevate our selves by those sentiments of vanity 3. 3. Let us consider the patience of the same Saviour undergoing the incommodities to which all Infants are subject whilst they are in this condition Alas my Iesus from this very time thou didst foresee my impatience my murmurings my delicacy that would suffer nothing you punish't your self on their score for me from that very time I begun to give you that pain and cause you to suffer for the ungratefull sacrifice your self for miserable creatures who apprehend nothing more then to suffer O Pains ô dolours ô Incommodities of life how dear ought you to be to me since from this very time you became the hearts delight of my Iesus 4. In fine represent to your self how rude severe the mortification was which little Iesus exercised upon his senses in the womb of his mother having deprived them of their exercises of all their naturall satisfaction that so you may do pennance for all the sensuall pleasures you abandon your selves unto O curiosity of my eyes how sensible you are to my Iesus since to make satisfaction for you he remained nine months in his mothers womb without seeing any thing How highly am I obliged to you my Saviour for imposing so long a silence upon your tongue to obtain pardon for all my evil or unprofitable speeches which mine has pronounced O how heartily I renounce for loue of you all the satisfaction of my senses all the delicacys of my body and all the affections I may feel in me that are human curious or unprofitable O Iesus ô amiable Infant ô adorable victim of justice loue I unite my self to the sacrifice you made of your intire self to your eternall Father from the first moment of your life which was a sacrifice of fidelity of sorrow of obedience O grant that I may consummate it with you upon the cross 5 Say Nine Paters Aves every day to honour the nine months that Iesus Christ was in the womb of the Virgin salute Iesus as often in the womb of Mary Mary in the heart of Iesus Retire your self from company as much as you are able increase your mortifications in your time of silence keep your mind sweetly imployed with the thoughts of the profound silence intimate union of the soul of Mary altogether lost swallowed up in the bottomless depth of the heart of Iesus Enter with her into this adorable sanctuary of loue which you will find full of bounty for you wholly taken up with the thoughts of your salvation O how is Mary filled with the loue of Iesus ô how is Iesus replenished with the loue of Mary whith charity for sinners O holy Virgin I conjure you by this admirable favour which you had in the possession of your Iesus to fill my heart with the loue of him For the Feast and Octave of Christmas I. IMploy half an hour in Christmas night or in the day to think upon the most amiable mistery of the birth of Godman Consider all the circumstances of it with admiration loue represent to your self an Infant laid upon straw in a poor stable all trembling with cold bound up in swadling clouts exposed to the winds unknown to men for whose salvation he came into the world both he his holy Mother abandon'd in want of all human succours finding your self astonished at so strange a condition to which you see your Saviour reduced let your heart pierced with compassion filled with gratitude for little Jesus break out in these exclamations ô bounty ô inconceivable loue of my God! is it possible that my soul should be so dear to thee that for loue of it thou shouldst subject thy self to so many miseries O humiliations of my Jesus how do you condemn my pride my vanity O amiable Jesus so much the more lovely by how much the more you have debased your self for my sake What my soul canst thou behold a God who has dispoiled himself of the splendour of his glory embraced an extream poverty to inrich thee with his graces yet endure to take pleasure in the dresses worldly ornaments of your body You see a God which makes himself an Infant as humble poor obedient as an Infant and you can have vanity dissimulation malice repugnance in obeyying 2. Approach with confidence this most lovely Infant beg of the blessed Virgin Saint Ioseph to present you to him Adore him with respect because he is your God Loue him with tenderness because he is a victim of love that offer'd himself for your sake Mix your tears with his weep with compassion ouer his sufferings whilst he weeps for sorrow ouer your sins Fear nothing he is an amiable Infant wholly yours his heart is full of charity for you his eyes are full of sweetness tenderness he is all love Approach him embrace him with all the ardour of your heart loose your self let your self be swallowed up in this bottomless ocean of loue let your self burn consume in this sacred fire beg of this divine Infant to be born live in you
That he may become the soul of your soul that he may wean disengage your heart from the loue of of temporall goods to imitate his poverty that he may make you live a life full of humility of obedience simplicity to enter thereby into the true spirit of his Infancy II. 1. EAch day of the Octave renew these sentiments in your prayer in the evening take part in the joy which the Angells and shepheards tefied at the sight of a God become an Infant Acknowledge a God by the markes which heaven gives of him in the crib To witt in the swadling cloths in the extream poverty in which he was born stongly convince your self that you ought to be poor either in effect or in heart to resemble Iesus to save your self 2. Give in the honour of Jesus the Infant some suit or swadling cloths to the child of some poor body visit during this office the children brought up in the Hospitall doing them some service with as much affection as you would to the Infant Iesus 3. Apply your self to keep your heart in an indifferency to all things in a resignation to the divine providence in peace silence before this divine Infant as Infants are wont to live in indifferency to all things without concerning themselves for any thing reposing wholly upon the care of their parents 4. Speak little to creatures during this tyme to be the better able to imploy your self the more in the thoughts loue of the Infant Iesus forget your self to be able to thinK of nothing but him O love ô love how powerfull art thou to make of God an Infant O my heart how ingratefull art thou if thou lovest not this Infant God! This is the aspiration which thou oughtest to renew severall times a day 5. In fine approach often if your Directour rhink fit to holy communion during the Octave to incorporate your self with the Infant Jesus to act nothing but by his spirit to live no more but by his life to love humiliations poverty the interiour renunciation of all satisfaction of the heart or the senses that is the better to conform your self to these inclinations of little Iesus The exercises of Christian life during lent GENERALL ADVICES I. Lent is a time of Sanctitie THe time of lent is a time of sanctity and devotion these are the days of salvation as the scripture stiles them so that we ought to apply our selves more at this time then at any other of the year with an exact fidelity to our perfection thaâ— is to say 1. To perform our exercises of devotion with more fervour frit our exteriour exercise with a greater interiour To be more upon our guard to resist all the sallys of our humour all the unprofitable reflections or relapses of our minds upon creatures all the extravagancies of our senses 3. To use violence to ones self to overcome ones naturall repugnances to act no longer according to custome or inclination but according to the interiour spirit of grace 4. To entertain ones self more frequently in the presence of God either ones mind by a frequent recourse to him or ones heart by a constant desire to please him 5. To apply ones self with greater zeal to the practise of some vertue every month and in the day to make some interiour or exteriour acts of it 6. To make it oâ—es study to keep ones self iâ— time of prayer peaceable humble submissive respectfull before God â—ithout disquieting or troubling ones felf for all the distractions distasts sterilitys that may happen in it seeking nothing else but to please God without minding to please ones self Remembring the advice our Lord gives us not to discourse too much in it with peace of mind to be satisfied with the state of privation insensibility when God puts us therein To labour by means of our examition to know all that is bad or ill in us to correct it that which is human to purifie it that which is unprofitable to elevate it 8. Not to content ones self with an affective devotion which consists onely in good thoughts desires resolutions which one may have to do well but to perswade ones self that true devotion and solid vertue consist in doing what God will have us in spite of all our naturall repugnances 9. In ones spirituall reading to relish well what one reads as in all one 's other actions to expect therefrom all the fruit of gods grace 10 To make ones confâ—ssions with more sorrow for what is past morâ— confusion for the present more resolution for the future more circumspection ouer ones self the day one has confessed 11. To make ones communionâ— with more faith confidence loue with a more ardent desire to unite ones self to Iesus Christ with a more profound respect with a greater recollection union to the sacrifice which Christ makes in our hearts to his eternall Father more fervency in our demands more reservedness the rest of the day II. Lent is a tyme of penance PEnance is either interiour which consists in an efficacious sorrow for our sins or exteriour which compreheâ—ds satisfactory works For the first one ought all the lent long to have ones heart continually contrite humble before God so perform out of this stock of sorrow state of compunction a continuall mortification during this holy time consecrated intirely to penance So that every hour it were good to make an act of contrition for ones sins rather by a sigh of our heart then by Formall words my God forgive me I 'le sin no more my God I 'le do nothing more to displease thee For the second one ought to observe when at age the fast of the Church But 1. we must perform it with such joy as our saviour instructs us to do as may be so much the greater the more pain we have to do it for then the merit is also greater 2. We must perform it in union with the fast of Iesus Christ for to honour it 3. In the exact privation of all things that may flatter our senses I mean of the curiosity of our eyes our ears or the satisfactions or nice choice of words for we ought to joyn the abstinence of our other sences with our mouths 2. We ought to augment our ordinary austeritys according to the advice of our directour 3. We ought to distribute greate almes then ordinary yet not without our directours advice because wâ— ought to do penance at this time foâ— our whole years sins III. Lent is a time of solitude T Is at this time the better to honour the solitude of Jesus Christ that we ought to form to our selveâ— an interiour exteriour solitude The first consists in removing from our memorys all ill human unprofitâ—ble thoughts to let it bâ— taken up with nothing but God present or his holy will to blot out oâ—
God. 2. This gift makes us see God in all things makes all things carry us to God So that a soul which is enlightened with it considers nothing that is good rich or perfect in creatures but onely iâ— God as in the source of all bounty goodness It is full of the Idea of thâ— greatness of God It penetrates chrâ—stian verities with a supernaturall view It discovers in abjection in thâ— cross beauties unknown to sensual soules depises all earthly goods 2. O my God dissipate the darkneâ— of my mind by the light of your holy spirit grant I may judge no more oâ— things according to their appearances according to sense but according to truth according to the supernaturall view of grace that all things that I understand may carry me to you that all creatures may disappear in the presence of their Creatour to the end that God alone may take up my mind which is made to know him my heart which was created to ove him 3. Observe that which is marked the first day after meditation to wit the frequent aspirations during the whole day taken out of the affections marked in your meditation The visit of the blessed Sacrament The office of the holy Ghost The veni Creator to obtain this Gift do the same the other days of the Octave THE III. DAY The Gift of Knowledge 1. COnsider that the gift of knowledge when it enlightens a soul it makes it judge of things as God himself does that is to say it makes it esteem nothing great but the service of God to fear nothing but his displeasure to love nothing but what makes us more agreable in his eyes 2. This gift enlightens us in the knowledge of the Crucifix that is to say it makes us behold with respect all the crosses that God sends us proceding from the cross deify'd in Jesus-Christ therefore makes us far from complaining of them it receives them with gratefull acknowledgement thanks our Saviour for them as for a singular favour it thinks it self more happy in suffring a contempt an affliction an injury a persecution an affront a refusall a drieness a sensible dereliction of Goâ— in prayer more then in possessing the whole earth wherefore the soâ— thus enlightened with the gift oâ— knowledge when any pain happen to it goes immediately casts iâ— self on its knees before a Crucifix tâ— receive its cross as from the hand oâ— God with respect submission loue 2. O my Jesus O that the beamâ— of your cross were more known to the world O how do they contemne the holy reliques of your cross which you offer to us shut up in the pain of this life O cross of my Saviour O how often have I adored you iâ— my Crucifix which is your image despised in my pains which are youâ— true effects as it were your sâ— many other selves THE IV. DAY The Gift of Counsell 1. COonsider that this gift carrys us 1. to consult God in all things that we undertake 2. to do nothing but by the motions of grace or according to the maximes of the Gospell 3. never to neglect inspirations interiour admonitions of the holy Ghost but readily faithfully to follw them 4. to give good counsell to such as ask our advice 5. never to follow that which vanity humour or self love counsells us to do but to do that onely which the spirit of grace the love of our abjection inspires us 2. O my God! how much reason have I to fear that I have been the cause of the sin damnation of many persons by my ill counsells Perhaps at this present there are some in hell which would have been in heaven if I had counselled them in their despaire assisted them in their poverty or withdrawn them by my good counsells from the occasion of sin O how many have I ruined by my bad example What reproaches will these damned make me at the day of Iudgement O holy Ghost how sorry am I that I have so often neglected thy counsells to follow the sentiment of self love O that I could be so faithfull for the future as never to do any thing contrary to your â—nspirations but in all things to follow your counsel THE V. DAY The Gift of Fortitude 1. COnsider the effects of this gift which are 1. to render our selves so perfect masters of our humours of our choler of our passions that we may crush stifle their revolts in their birth 2. to give us invincible courage in our pains never to permit our selves to be oppressed by them but to remain faithfull in them 3. to give us stedfastness in our good resolutions courage constantly to follow that which we have undertaken for the glory of God the salvation of souls inspite of all contradictions contempt or oppositions of creatures 4. to establish all our happiness in sufferings or the persecutions that we undergo for the good we would do 2. O Jesus humbled despised o that your affronts would render my contempts pleasing to me And that your annihilations would give me courage to suffer my self to be reduced to nothing for your sake in the esteem of all men Holy spirit grant that my mind may find its strength in the weakness of my body that I may never fall under the burthen of the cross O how I am confounded to see that there needs onely a rude word a contradiction nay a nothing to make me fall into impatience It seems to me when I goe from my prayer that I want no force to do suffer all things but how weak am I when the occasion presents it self Give me grace to suffer all things from others to make me suffer my self THE VI. DAY The Gift of Piety 1. COnsider that this gift inspires a soul with true devotion which consists 1. in performing with fervour promptitude all that God desires of us 2. in loving prayer the exercises of piety the frequenting of the Sacraments solitude reading recollection of mind in the presence of God. This gift imprints in the heart so lively and animated a tenderness for the love of God thaâ— one is ready to do suffer all things to please him 2. Ought I ô my God so often to bear the cross yet neuer to bear it well O that a soul were as knowing in the science of Saints to esteem love cherish crosses as worldlings shun reject them O Cross ô holy Cross how can you be all my consolation comfort in my life how can I look upon you at the day of judgement with confidence if I receive you not with respect in this world suffering my pains with submission silence love THE VII DAY The Gift of the Fear of God. 1. COnsider that this gift imprints in our hearts a filial respectfull fear of God which makes us apprehend the least sin because 't is displeasing to God
all mankind how is it possible that I should dare to receive you within my self who have so often provoked your anger O my God receive your self in me because I am unworthy to approach you o my Saviour offer your self within me to your father at the same time sacrifice to your father to your divine justice all that is criminall or human within me O my judge condemn me not for my tepidity O my God one word alone from you suffices to make me a Saint to heal all the maladies of my soul who am unworthy to receive you within my self O my Saviour how sorry am I that I have ever offended you and caused you to suffer so much for my sake O my judge how does your presence pierce my heart with horrour confusion when I think that I go to receive him who one day will judge me concerning the action I am about to perform who bears in his hands my eternal happiness or misery 2. Endeavour to conceive a firm confidence a fervent love an ardent desire to receive Jesus Christ because you ought to be convinced that 't is the same Saviour who is so charitable so good as to heal all those that approach him with faith have recourse to him with confidence 3. â— Excite in your self an ardent desire to receive your soveraign good your redeemer deliverer who are a slave to your passions your Physician who are sick your Saviour who are in danger of perishing 4. Abouâ— all remember after you have received your God to recollect your self for some time eithâ—r casting your self at his feet with S. Magdelen to hear his instructions or adoring him with the Leper in the Gospell saying with him Lord if you please you can cure me or in fine consecrating your self intirely to him begging of him to take possession of your heart of your body to unite transform you into himself to become for the future the soul of all your actions the rule model of your life that it may be he that lives in you by you that all you do may be animated with his spirit If you find your self much transported by the sweetness deliciousness that the presence of Jesus Christ may diffuse in you remain with silence at his feet begging him to receive himself and to thank himself in you be contented to remain with a profound respect in his presence 5. Make your petitions to him with fervency with a firm confidence of being heard in them beg of him the grace never to loose his favour by a mortall sin to die in an act of his love Beseech him earnestly to inspire you with a contempt of the world with a disengagement from all earthly objects patience in the government of your family charity in conversation so as never to be backbiting your neighbours liberality towards the poor fidelity to his graces with the spirit of devotion in your prayers 6. lastly after having returned thanks most affectionately to the goodness of Jesus Christ in vouchsafing to come into your heart offer to him in gratitude the victory you may have gotten over the sallys of your humour or any other imperfection that displeases him in you which is most customary take care till the next communion to be faithfull in this point to correct this imperfection five times a day quell this passion in honour of the five wounds of our Saviour 7. Put your self from time to time during the day in mind of what passed in communion remember the favour you have received of your Jesus to give him thanks for it And keep a guard over your heart tongue that you may not prophane either by any word or inordinate desires of your own a soul that is sanctified by the presence of a God. 13. In fine remember to make reflections from time to time in the day time upon the great truths of Christianity to convince your mind of them engrave them deep in your heart Think often 1. that you have but one soul to loose or save but once to die well or ill 2. that one cannot go to heaven without merit that one cannot merit but by using violence over ones passions 3. that God whom we serve so carelesly is the disposer of our misery or happiness that he has heaven hell at his disposal Alas if we search with so much earnestness the favour of those upon whom depends a good success of our affairs why do we neglect his freindship upon whom depends a happy or miserable Eternity 4. What a blindness is it to regret the loss of what we have here in this world not be concerned at the loss of a God which by a mortall sin we sustain 5. It is impossible to love serve God the world at the same time and to save ones self the broad and easy way we must necessarily renounce either the heavenly or earthly paradise 6. what will it profit you to have gained all the riches of the world if you loose your own soul A SAINT FOR THE YEAR SAINT ROSE THE VERTVE The renouncing of the pleasures of sense curiosity vanity and rallerie THE PRACTICE First to say nothing in passion Secondly not to be so easy as to comply with any that shall backbite others Thirdly to seek nothing out of pure curiosity or self-satisfaction I. Before Communion 1 J go to receive a God who is my judge O grant my Jesus that I may not receive thee to my damnation 2. I am about to receive in my heart a God who is my Saviour o God receive thou thy self there with the love thou deservest 3. O my judge I tremble I am ready to die with confusion grief whilst I approach your majesty O my Saviour I hope in your goodness I abandon my self entirely to you I burn with desire to open my heart to you I will die with love of you breath my last in you I unite my self to all the respect which Angels to all the love which Seraphins bear you to all the confidence of the sick that you have cured o my Jesus during your whole life I hope with them that you will give a speedy remedy to all the diseases of my soul II. During Communion 1. O my Jesus o my love o God of glory o God of goodness o majesty of my God! who are you who am I 2. Receive your self in me thank your self in me Sacrifice your self upon my heart for me I unite my self to all that you are going to do in me 3. In your passage thorough my heart heal all its curiosities all the ill words of my tongue III. After Communion 1. O liberality of my Jesus how am I obliged to you for having given me a God for the nourishment of my soul O that all creatures all the Angels would oyn with me in giving you due
it in the spirit of pennance with all the pains humiliations privations which follow it in satisfaction of all the sins I have committed An offering of our Life to God. 6. Receive ô my Saviour the sacrifice that I make to your divine Majesty of my bo dy my life which I offer as a victime sacrificed to your self Unite it to that you offer'd for me upon the cross consume it with the fire of your divine love A desire to render to Iesus Christ Death for Death 7. O my divine Jesus since that your love to me made you dye upon the cross for my salvation is it not just that with a good will I accept death for love of you in counter-change as far as I am able of that you indured for me O why have I not a thousand lives to give them all for this end to acknowledge therby that you are my God! Spiritual confession With profound humility at the feet of Iesus Christ as if he were present in his sacred humanity accuse your self to him of all your sins taking a short review of them at the end of which excite your soul to a lively tender sorrow for them AN ACT OF CONTRITION O my God prostrate before your soveraign majesty I most humbly beg pardon for the great contempt abuse I have made of your holy graces of all the sins I have committed from my birth in thought word or deed I retract disavow them with my whole heart Yes o my God 't is from my whole heart that I detest disavow them wish I had never committed them not for fear of the punishment they deserve but onely because I have by them offended your infinite goodness which deserves to be loved above all things honoured by all creatures O why is not my heart capable too of an infinit sorrow to blot out their guilt But accept o my God in satisfaction of that sorrow which is wanting in me that which my Saviour had in the garden of Olives upon the cross for the sins of the whole world in generall for mine in particular Accept also for this effect that sorrow contrition which all the Saints have ever had Purifiy me from my secret sins pardon those I have committed by others despise not o my God an humble contrite heart which hopes onely for pardon of its sins from your infinit mercy In the 50. Psalm you have promised that when a sinner laments his sins you will no longer remember his iniquities And if you please o my God to prolong my life I make a firm purpose by the assistance of your holy grace to amend particularly such such faults thereby endeavour to repaire what is past Having made these Acts receive as an absolution that which Jesus Christ the soveraign priest gives you spiritually applying to your self his divine merits after which imagine you hear him say to you as he did to S. Mary Magdelen Your sins are forgiven you go in peace Say the 50. Psalm Miserere mei c in the spirit of pennance Aspirations to the three divine persons O father Eternall since you so loved the world as to give your onely son for its redemption I dare presume to hope from your mercy the salvation of my soul since you gave him not to condemn us but to save us for that end imposed upon him the holy name of Iesus Luk. 1. O divine Jesus be you my Jesus remembcr your own words that you came not for the just but for sinners Luk. 5. O my God you will not the death of a sinner but that he be converted live EZech. 18. Convert me therefore to your self that I may live an Eternall life Come divine spirit repose in my soul with your 7. gifts for to purify justify sanctify it consume in it by the fire of your holy love all that is yet earthly therein fortify it in this its last passage against all the temptations of its enemies An act of Faith. I protest my God before heaven earth that I will dye in the faith union of the holy Catholick church I believe firmly all that it believes teaches because you my God who are the Eternall truth have said revealed it that you are an infinite goodness holiness that cannot deceive any one an infinite wisdom that cannot erre are moreover omnipotent And from this very moment I disavow and detest all temptations contrary to it which the Enemy may suggest in the last moments of my life I return you thanks with my whole heart for the great grace which you have done me in making me of the numbe of the children of your holy Church Recite the Apostles Creed Credo in Deum c And making reflection upon every Article protest that you believe it An act of Hope O my God thô for the enormity inconceivable multitude of my offences I most justly merit hell yet confiding entirely in the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ in the infinit greatness of your mercy which can pardon more sins then I can committ I cease not to hope for pardon for the grace to persevere in your love to which I consecrate the last moment of my life An act of Charity O my God when shall this soul of mine being separated from my body from all creatures be united perfectly to your self love you with that pure unchangeable affection with which the blessed in heaven love you O what is there I desire in haven or what is it I desire on earth butt you the God of my heart my God everlasting portion of my felicity I have regarded all things as nothing vile contemptible to gain Jesus Christ An act of Love towards our Neighbour O my God I beg of you grace mercy for all the creatures you have redeemed with your precious blood particularly for the true children of your holy Church for those from whom I have received any displeasure whom I pardon my God for love of you as I desire you should pardon me A desire to receive Iesus Christ O my God my Creatour redeemer my beginning my end the onely soveraign object of my heart O what a longing desire have I to receive you for to unite my self to you come then into my soul sanctify it replenish my heart with your graces take possession of all its affections to the end that all the moments of my life that are yet behind may entirely be consecrad to your love The Spirituall communion for the Viatick or the Sacramentall one if permitted to receive it Hearken to your good Angell who invites you to eat the bread of life speaks to you as that of Elias did to him Arise eat because you have a great journey still to make 3. Kings c. 19. Imagine that Jesus Christ accompanied with the blessed Virgin your good