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
undertaken by overcoming all your naturall repugnances this is the exercise wherein properly speaking true devotion solid vertue consist CHRISTIAN TRUTHS which may serve for subject or matter of aspirations prayer for ore very day when one has not taken any determinate subject or when what we have taKen does not move us I. THere is nothing great but God nothing to be esteemed but what conduceth to his service all the rest ought to be despised II. GOd knows all the misery that happens to me can deliver me from it if he pleases and having done suffered so much as he hath for my sake I cannot doubt but that he loues me wherefore certainly it is more advantagious for me to suffer this misery wherein I am at present then to be delivered from it since God does not think fit to take it away III. IT is now a long time that the goodness of God has urged me to overcome this ill habit this domineering passion that his patience has expected my amendment that his mercy has received me into favour as often as I have confessed these failings yet I use no endeavour to correct overcome them ought I not to grow weary of offending a God who is not weary of pardoning me IV. TO act in gods presence with sloath or passion to act with God by a motive of self-loue is to dishonour his presence to abuse his power to injure his loue V. IF a soul in purgatory had but one hour of that time which we loose what would it not do to merit heaven and if we had been but one moment in those flames what would we not to do avoid the least veniall sin VI. THe abuse of gods graces favours is so much the more to be feared by how much the less it is apprehended there is no inspiration which cost not our Saviour Jesus Christ much blood pain and yet every moment we neglect contemn them ô how terrible will be the account which one day will be demanded of them VII THat we may be able to suffer with courage we must consider that we suffer in the presence of God for God with God That the happiness of a Christian upon earth consists in suffering that pains are the heart's delight of Jesus that pure loue is onely found upon the cross wherefore we ought to suffer purely without consolation faithfully without sloath peaceably without impatience VIII JEsus laid in the manger Jesus dying on the cross Jesus sacrificed for us on the Altar ought to be the center of our hearts of our devotion to the end that these three states of Jesus may render us victims of the loue justice wisdome of God. IX A Soul ought always to have the desire of seeing God the fear of loosing him the sorrow of not being yet worthy to possess him X. SOlid vertue true devotion consist first in using a continuall violence against our selves Secondly in a continuall victory ouer our naturall repugnances Thirdly in not yeilding to or sparing our selves in any thing of humour or passion Fourthly in suffering with joy or at least with an interiour and exteriour quietness the being reprehended for our faults before others contradicted in all our inclinations If we do not endeavour to get this abnegation we may be assured that we shall never get solid vertue that all our devotion will be nothing else but delusion X. WHat a folly is it to have so great an affection to or concern for such goods as in a moment will slip away from us so great an indifferency for those that will remain with us for ever and this when we know that those are not so much as the shadow of these ô my God! is it reasonable that there should be nothing but you which we can loose without displeasure or that we should be less concern'd to loose a suit at law or displease a freind XII WE ought to go to confession with a spirit of sorrow to come from it with a spirit of sacrifice oblation in offering our selves intirely to the rigours of the justice of God arming our selves with a just desire of tevenging on our selves all the injuries which we have done to God. We ought moreover to remember after confession to apply the satisfactions of our dying Iesus for our sins offering them to his Eternall father as also to present to the justice of God all the sufferings which he shall please to send us till our next confession resolving to impose some pennance on our selves over and aboue what the Confessour has enjoyn'd us as some almes some restraint of our humour or passion or the like but aboue all we ought to take care not to dissipate or distract our selves immediately after confession XIII APproach unto Iesus Christ in the Communion with such a lively faith of his presence as may put you to an holy confusion Secondly with such a confidence as those sick persons had who according to the Scripture doubted not but that they should be healed if they could but once approach Iesus Christ or touch his garments Thirdly with a fervent loue with a great desire of uniting your self most intimately with Iesus of transforming your self intirely into him that you may neither live nor act but by him for him in him Fourthly receive him with a profound respect thumbling annihilating your self in his presence being content to remain at his feet in silence Fifthly beg of him that he himself would return thanks to his eternall father for you that he would entertain himself within you since you are unable to make him such an entertainment as he deserues that he would ask for you that which he sees necessary Sixthly joyn with that sacrifice which he makes of himself in your heart a sacrifice of whatsoever is there displeasing to him Seventhly asK of him with confidence a victory over your bad inclinations offer some one of your defects to him desiring him to overcome it in you cause you to keep a watch ouer your self for that purpose till your next communion Eighthly remember that the true fruit of a good communion consists in strength to overcome your self in occasions to keep your self more recollected during that whole day rather then in tenderness sensible devotion which is soon dissipated XIV ONe ought to neglect nothing in the service of God but to be very faithfull to avoid the least most light imperfections to overcome ones self in small things to perform even the least actions as in the presence of God to mortify ones self in a thousand very inconsiderable occasions to sanctifie the least pains by a generall resignation of our selves to the justice of God without this fidelity 't is impossible ever to arrive to an eminent perfection nay one will soon fall into â—epidity into a great danger of being lost XV.
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
ones understanding all esteem of vanitys honours reputation before men to admit thereinto no othe esteem but that which may render uâ— great before God and by a simplâ— returne towards him to repress in our hearts all naturall motions desires or tyes inclinations to any creature and to entertain continually therein an ardent desire to please God to overcome ones self In fine to cut of all the ill unprofitable satisfactions of the senses This watching ouer ones heart ouer ones senses is called interiour solitude To perform the exteriour one we ought to cut off all visits which are not made either out of charity or necessity 2. To visit every week the poor in the Hospitall or in prisons to satiâ—fie for so many unprofitable or worldly visits made all the year 3. To keep if possible an hour of silence every day to honour that which our Saviour kept this holy time 4. To avoid in conversation that licencious ness in laughter discourses that tend to excess 5. To interdict ones self aboue all things the speaking ill of our neighbour PRACTISES OF PIETY during Lent. I. To honour the Passion the Sacred wounds of Iesus Christ with some particular devotion AS Lent disposes us to celebrate with more devotion the mysterys of the Passion of Jesus Christ so 't is convenient the better to conform ones self to the intention of the holy Church to imploy ones thoughts oftâ—n on them during this time to honour after a particular manner the wounds which our Lord received for loue of us of which I here give you the practise 1. Make every day an hour of meditation upon one of the mysteries of the Passion of our Saviour with sentiments of compassion for the sufferiâ—gs of a God of sorrow for your sins the cause of them of loue for the exceeding goodness which reduced our Saviour to so pittifull a condition of confidence in that adorable blood shed for our sakes and of imitation to animate our selves to suffer any thing at the sight of God expiring for loue pain for you 2. Say every day the little office of the holy cross 3. Let no day of Lent pass without a desire to suffer something either in body or mind by the rigour of the season by your own discontents or the ill humours of others when you find any such occasion instead of making any return or comâ—laint of others or of tenderness towards your self do you offer up likewise all your pain to Jesus Christ crucified unite your self to his interiour dispositions sacrifice your self to the rigour of his divine justice for your sins for his loue as he sacrificed himself thereto for yours Stifle all the bitterness of your heart all the murmours of your mouth with the thoughts of a God dying of loue pain for you Desire not to be pittied by men or to be eased in your pain but drink as Jesus Christ did the chalice quite pure in all its bitternessâ— if you find that day no occasion of suffering either from your self or others mortify your self in some thing make your self suffer that you may no day fail to be the image of Christ crucified 4. At night at the end of your examen Kiss the 5. wounds of Jesus Christ with al imaginabâ—e tenderness with all the sentiments of a heart pierced with sorrow for its sins with loue of a God whose life they have taKen away It is not necessary to say any thing in making this adoration of the cross the heart alone ought to sâ—eaK there by its sighs tears but if one finds not ones self touched one may say an Ave Mary Kissing each wound in memory of the dolours of the sacred Virgin demand of our Saviour by his adorable head a lively animated faith by his sacred feet humility by his right hand patience by left hand the loue of our enemys by the wound of his side a consummation in his loue In fine apply the Crucifix to your senses begging of Iesus Christ that he would sanctify them consecrate them to himself This practise of devotion may continue all the frydays of the year 5. During the Day time cast your eyes often upon Iesus crucified but look upon him sometimes with loue with respect or confidence with a lively resentment of your sins these casts are of so great merit before God so capable of purifying a soul that the holy fathers assure us that they are more agreable to God then many fasts almes other austeritys than one can perform 6. In fine endeavour to overcome your self in something to surmount your naturall repugnances to bridle your impatience not to follow the motion of your humour that 5. different times in the day to honour the 5. wounds of Iesus Christ to whom this sacrifice of mortification is more pleasing then all the austeritys of the body that you can offer to him II. Hear with fruit the Sermons that are mad during Lent. ONe ought to carry a heart thither well disposed by that fidelity that penance by that solitude of which we have spoken in our generall advices but in particular one ought 1. To go to a sermon with a sincere desire of profiting by it for this end in the beginning of it we should demand this grace both for our selves others 2. You ought to hearken in the mean time with great attention both to the preacher which speaks to you exteriourly to the holy Ghost which speaks interiourly to your soul open your soul your heart to the motions of grace to the endâ— that the truths which are preached to you may be imprinted and established in the bottom of your soul 3. Receive the word of God with respect from what mouth soever you hear it remembring that the truths of the Gospel were delivered to the world converted it being preached in a plain simple stile far remote from human eloquence therefore that the less they are adorned the more impression they will make 4. Never apply to another what the preacher says but perswade your self he speaks to you alone 5. Elevate your heart to God duâ—ing the Sermon begging of him the grace to practise what you hear for this end keep your mind senses very much recollected 6. When you go from the sermon give not way presently to distraction of mind least the good seed sown in your heart may be choaked by the hindrances of affairs or rooted up by the first temptation but after having instructed you in what his pleasure is you should do beg him not to permit these verities to prove your damnation for want of practise of them endeavour as occasion serves to remember them 7. In fine offer that day some good work some aâ—mes or some mortification that you may do to obtain for the preacher the grace of touching some obdurate sinner III. To
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
not because of the punishment it deserves that pierceth a soul in all places with an holy respect an humble dread before the divine majesty of God which is intirely present to it 2. O how well do I conceive O my God how this constant habituall fear of a soul does purify untye render it perfect in a small time O holy Ghost bestow upon me this wholsome fear which may make me apprehend the lightest infidelity which may assure me of a happy eternity 3. This gift unites us intimately to God in prayer it recollects all the senses it stops all the powers of the heart in the sight perfection of this sole object of which the soul experiences an intimate presence rather then a knowledge of it 4. O holy Spirit source of love bounty the adorable origine of the sanctification of our hearts inflame them with the fire of thy divine charity let us see tast how sweet our Lord is give us the spirit of recollection of prayer which may carry us to do all things as in gods sight yet recall us into our selves there to adore love a God who abides in our hearts as in his temple and sanctifies them by the communication of his spirit A PRACTISE OF MENTAL PRAYER very easy for all sorts of persons The whole method of prayer consists in four things FIrst in the consideration or view of the truth we meditate Secondly in the application which the mind makes of this truth to its self to be moved with it to put it in practise Thirdly in the affections which the heart produces at the sight of this truth Fourthly in the good resolutions which it makes in putting it in practise the fervent petition it makes to God to obtain it by the intercession of the blessed Virgin. HOW THE MEMORY IS to be imployeâ—d befote prayer First an Act of Faith upon the presence of God. MY God I believe al your seing eye beholds me you before whom the very Angells tremble with an humble dread in whose presence I am as a pure nothing I behold you with a profound respect as my God with a confidence as my father with fear as my judge Second Act of Adoration I adore you o my God as my creatour as my soverain Judge to whom I must one day render an account of this very action I am about to perform Third Act of Petition I beseech you to grant me your grace to execute this day what you are about to inspire me with in this prayer pardon the sins imperfections I may commit in it the distraction that may take up or hinder my mind in the due performance of it HOW THE MIND IS TO imploy it self during prayer First consider the truth propos'd which is done by a certain view or act of faith repeat strongly sweetly in your mind the truth of that matter or subject which most of all moves you then after rather by a simple view thereof then by any long ratiocinations thereon make an act of faith with all the fervency you are able Yes o my God I firmly believe what you have now taught me in this truth but animate my faith and convert it into practice that it may not one day serve to my greater damnation Secondly reflect on your self pausing some time on each point Well o my soul what hinders thee from practising this vertue 't is thy duty to practise it t is in thy power to performe it God ordains it thy Jesus urges its performance thy salvation depends upon it thou oughtest from this very day forward to practice it why wilt thou not what hinders thee o I see very well what it is t is such such a hankering such a vanity such a curiosity such a passionate word such such occasions what ought a creature to rob thee of thy Creatour wilt thou always live unfaithfull what wilt thou never as long as thou livest be intirely gods how then canst thou hope to be intirely his in Eternity my God I am yours no my dear Jesus no toy or trifle shall any more hinder me from being intirely yours I will not any more rob you of a heart which is so justly yours which besides has cost you so dear THIRDLY WHAT AFFECTIONS the heart is to be imployed in YEs o my God yes I am resolved to love you a thousand times better then my self I am resolved to be all yours as you are wholly mine I have horrour of whatsoever is displeasing to you I desire nothing more then to express my love to you to that end I desire to imitate you this day in what I have learnt in this medâ—tation I conjure you my Jesus to put me in mind of these lessons when any occasion of practice offers it self Resolutions for the time to come I am resolved my God against from this very present I break off intirely with thâ— dâ—fect which I perceive is the source of many others in me I will have you alone to be the absolute master of my heart it is yours ô my God it is wholly yours DIVERSE AFFECTIONS which may be made in time of prayer 1. Of Confidence MY God since I find my self so weak inconstant in my resolutions grant I may execute them as effectually as you have assisted me to make them I expect all from your goodness my Iesus confide as much in the assistance of your grace as I diffide in my own weakness 2. Love. O my Jesus o my amiable father o infinite goodness which has loved me from all eternity which daily bestows infinite graces favours upon me which has destin'd me for Paradise ah how can I live without loving you shall I never leave offending you who never leave of doing me good How can I behold you my Jesus how can I see you dying with love sorrow for me not live intirely to you I have a heart for no other and then to love you a mind onely to Know you yet I love think of nothing less then you o that I had never thus displeased you 3. Resignations to the difficulties we meet with in prayer I am confounded o my God to see my self so insensible of your love so little touched with the truths which I meditate you see o Lord my miseries extream poverty I embrace it with my whole heart I submit to your pleassure I sacrifice my self to all the severities of your justice I am contented never more to tast the sweetness of your presence so that I may but have the whole fruit effect of it t is but just that you should retire your self leave a heart so unfaithfull to you which hath withdrawn it self a hundred times from you revenge your self o my God satisfie your justice I desire no other satisfaction but to see you satisfied I am sure you are
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
to make your meditation that day upon the subject of death exercise ones self more particularly in good works in the practice of mortification other vertues You must also take notice that thô there be many acts noted in this exercise 't is onely to facilitate the practice of them to those who for want of being habituated in them ' would otherwise find great difficulty to perform them for the best are those that love produces in our heart We have added at the end of this discourse the recommendation of the soul in English for those who having the devotion thereby in a holy manner to anticipate their death to joyn these to the foresaid devotions do not understand them in Latin in this case one ought to change the termes that concern another to ones self as in stead of saying pray for him or her or receive this soul say pray for me receive my soul so in other places reserving the conclusion of this exercise till after your last prayer Now the fruit which one ought to draw from hence as shall be noted in the following meditation is the contempt of the world a weaning ones self from creatures the renouncing of ones self the amendment of ones faults which are the true means to obtain the grace to die a deatâ— that hshall be the beginning of a most happy blessed lâ—fe If we make this exercâ—se with care during our lives t is not to be conceived how profitable we shall find it at our death where we may repeat the same or cause it to be read to us You may make the meditation in the morning after your prayer before you go out The first part part of the exercise for death may be made in the Curch before Communion or during mass the other part in the evening towards four or five a clock A MEDITATION DISPOSITIONS FOR A happy death Put your self in to the presence of God beg of him his divine inspiration FOr the ground of this meditation one must be well possest of this truth That life is onely a gage given us by God in trust wherefore iâ— follows if we be not always prepared and disposed to give it back we refuse him the right of soveraignty which he has upon our beings It is appointed for all men once to die after that to be judged Says the great Apostle to the Heb Chap. 9. COnsidering this truth That one dies bur once that an ill death can never be repair'd throughout the whole vast extent of Eternity we may easily perceive how necessary it is not to be surprised but to be always upon our guard as that servant of whom the Gospell speaks which waits for the coming of his master in the 12. Chap of S. Luke I. POINT Since we must necessarily dye it behooves us much to conceive well this truth That death is certain the hour of death uncertain that all the prudence of a Christian consists in preparing ones self well for it that we may not faile in an affair which in truth is the affair of affairs and the sole onely one we have to do in this world since we come into it onely to save our souls in loosing them we lose all For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world if he loose his own soul Says our Soveraign master Jesus Christ iâ— the 8. Chap of S Mark. O my God how great is the blindness of the most part of mankind who not thinking on this great truth live onely an earthly sensuall brutish life never elevating their minds to heavenly things fix their affections so fast to this mortall life that they prefer it before the eternal He that loves his life Says our saviour shall loose it 〈◊〉 he that hates it in this world shall gain for it life everlasting in the next in the 12 Chap of S. Iohn O my God â—is noâ— therefore to love our lives â— to have to â— great a fondness for them siâ—ce this fondness for a emâ—orall life proceeding from an irreguâ—ar love of our selves â— puts us in danger of loosing an everlasting one that you assure me o my divine Jesus that if any one comes to you does not hate this sensuall life even his own soul he cannot be your disciple Give me o Lord a holy hatred of this mortall life which may make me continually tend pretend to the eternall one where I may love you for ever II POINT The death of Saints is precious in Gods sight says the Psalmist in the 118. Psalm If we will dye the death of Saints we must live their lives 1. by keeping our affections always as much weaned from the things of this world as if we were to dye every moment because there is no moment in which death may not surprise us in which we ought not to be prepared to receive it if we will not hazard our salvation 2. by overcoming the naturall fear which we have of death by faith by the confidence which we ought to have that Jesus Christ in whose hands are the keys of life death who loves us infinitely more then we love our selves will send it us at such a time in such a manner as in the order of his divine providence he foresees best for us Has he not created us for life everlasting do not we believe that life better then this mortall life we lead if we are not of this beliefe we want faith by consequence have no hope because we cannot obtain that happiness he has promised in the other life but by death But what charity also can an interessed soul have which loves its own life more then the will of God has a greater fear to dye then to see unite it self to him Perfect charity says the holy Scripture in S. Johnâ— Gospell chap 24. excludes fear And as we ought to shew our love which we have for God by our hatred to sin what hatred do we express to it when for all we know we cannot live without committing every day some yet we are so much affraid of death O if we had a true love with what joy should we embrace death that we might be in a state in which we could no more offend his infinite goodness Since the least sin as the Doctours of the Church affirm is so more to be feared then death III. POINT Should God give us the choice of of the time the hour the manner of our death could we make a better choice then he who ordains it by his infinite wisdome power goodness who having created us for himself redeemed us with his blood accordingly desires nothing more then to save to bring us to the enjoyment of that happy end And since faith teacheth us this verity why do not we entirely abandon the care of our lives deathes to him what can there
efficacious of making our selves Saints arriving to an eminent degree of vertue then by doing all our actions with an interiour spirit this is that we ought to apply our selves to all the days of our life and we may assure our selves that to die in this exercise is to die the death of Saints THE Daily exercises of a Christian life OR The interiour Spirit with which we ought to animate our actions all the day long I. RISING THE holiness of life and death depending on our passing ouer the day in an holy manner the passing of it well consisting chiefly in a good beginning of it I dare affirm that the action which one ought to perform with the greatest fervour is that of rising in the morning wherefore taKe care to rise every day at a constant and regulated hour and if you find any difficulty in it think of Jesus-Christ hanging upon his crosse to which the love of you fixed him much faster then the nails from whence he reproaches you with your delicacy and sloath and you will be ashamed to give this ease to your body seeing your saviours body torn his blood exhausted for the loue of you You may also sometimes if you please think of that which a soul in Purgatory suffers for the sloath it had in rising whilst it liued and entertaining your self with these good thoughts get up with fervour having first consecrated to god your heart and soul put him into possession of your self You may rise ordinarilie in Summer at five of the clock and at six in the winter When you are up the first thing you are to perform is prayer which consists chiefly in four acts By the first you adore God as present and give him thanKs for having had the goodness to preserve you that night from suddain death By the second you offer to him all your thoughts words and deeds and all your sufferings together with your self in union with the thoughts words deeds sufferings of Jesus Christ praying him to act in you and to animate you to suffer and to Keep you all that day intimately united to him by a faithfull imitation of his life in all that you do By the third act you asK pardon of God for your past sins making a firm resolution of avoiding all mortall veniall sin particularly to take tcare of that imperfection you find your self most subject to and to practice that vertue which you have undertaken that month to practice asking for this end the assistance of that Saint whom you have for your patron protectour By the fourth act you must commit resign your self first to the bounty goodness of God in order to all the graces which he shall please to bestow that day upon you then to his Justice in order to all the pains afflictions which he shall please to send you welcoming them as from his hand accepting them with resignation lastly to his prouidence in order to all the good bad success which he shall permit in what you undertaKe or perform After these Acts say a Pater Ave Creed together with the Confiteor and if you please the Litanies of Jesus three times Gloria Patri c. in honour of the blessed Trinity In fine pray to the blessed Virgin your good Angell Patron to assist and preserve you offer up the Masses that shall be said that day throughout the whole world to obtain of God fidelity to concurr with his grace as also an happy death II. DRESSING HAlf an hour past five or past six according to the time of your rising dress your self 1. with modesty without any satisfaction or complacence in your cloaths remembering that God looks upon you that this body you take so much pains to dress adorn may perhaps the same day become the food of worms consider also that Jesus Christ would die naKed upon the cross to satisfy for the vanity which we take in our cloaths to punish it in himself 2. It will be also good to devest your self of this vanity gratefully to acknowledge the goodness of your dying Jesus in reducing himself to this poor condition for your sake by depriving your self from time to time of some little ornament that pleases you most thô it were but of a riband which you may sacrifice unto him or you may forbear to wear that day some better sute of cloaths or gown for his sake all which will be very pleasing to him 3. Aboue all look not in your glass but for meer necessity that so you may avoid such satisfactions complacences as may happen in that action consider that your soul is as disagreable in the sight of god as naKed of the ornaments of vertue as your dressings ornaments are agreable in your own 4. ◠Employ no more time in dressing then is purely necessary remembring that you must give an account to god for the time unnecessarily spent in it After this give order for such things as are to be done about your house III. PRAYER AT seven of the clock or half an hour past it according to the time necessarily required for your dressing and ordering the affaires of your houshold maKe your prayer for the space of half an hour retiring your self in to a Closet if you are not alone in your chamber or if you cannot perform it with convenient recollection at home you may go to the Church but it would be much more to the purpose to maKe it before you quite dress your self if you maKe it at home In prayer follow the advice of your directour without consulting others and aboue all remember to observe three things first often to renew the presence of God sweetly and familiarly entertain your self with him concerning the truths you meditate of to the end you may always remain with due respect and more easily avoid distractions Secondly receive with patience such aridities disgusts distractions or wandrings of the imagination as God permits to happen to you in prayer looking on this as the best way to profit much in a short time in the pure loue of god which is so remote from whatsoever is sensible Moreouer in this condition you ought to do nothing else save onely 1 to humble and annihilate your self before the divine Majesty of God looKing on your self as unworthy to speaK unto him 2. offer up your disabilities and weaKnesses to God resigning your self to his will protesting that you seeK or desire nothing but purely to please him 3. raise your self by frequent elevations of your heart to God chiefly by acts of faith hope charity humility and resignation not troubling your self if you do not this with sweetness or facility being throughly perswaded that the more violence you use towards your self the more pleasing you are to Almighty God. ◠in fine you ought in this condition to continue on your Knees with fidelity during the whole
persons of devotion like your self Ninâ—ly banish from your conversation all unprofitable curiosity conâ—ning the life conduct of others vanity sowrness and immoderate afection carry your self cheerfullyâ—… ciuilly but so as to avoid distractioâ— or dissipation of mind VIII READING AFter dinner the recreation following it you must read in somâ— spirituall booK for half or a quarter of an hour as shall be appointed you and that you may do this with fruit first in the beginning humbly crave grace of our Saviour to profit by it saying either veni sancte Spiritus or a Pater Ave. Secondly read not out of curiosity in haste but leisurely and with attention when you meet with any thing either moving or instructiue rest there a little while endeavouring as it were to relish it consider how you may be able that day to practice it beg of the holy ghost to imprint it in your heart Thirdly be not in pain to read â—any pages in your book read a â—â—ttle but with great recollection â—ttention always apply what yâ—u â—ead in order to practice consider â—ow then that those very truths which you read will condemn you one day before gods tribunal if you do not follow them Fourthly let not this spirituall reading be ordinarily but in solid and moving books such as your directour shall approve Fifthly be not troubled if you remember nothing of what you have read but commit all that you have read to him who is able to touch move your heart independently of those truths which you read Sixthly after your reading thanK God for having thereby instructed you make a firm resolution by the assistance of his grace to practice the Instructions he has given you IX SILENCE AFter your reading you must râ—turn to your work if you havâ— not some business which obliges yoâ— to go abroad take care at two â—… the clock to keep an half or a quarter of an hour of silence according aâ— your directour shall thinK fit Durinâ— the time of your silence first ofteâ— call to mind the silence which Jesus Mary Joseph often observed durinâ— their work uniting your silence witâ— theirs sometimes think of the sacred silence observed in heaven by the Saints who are wholly absorp't iâ— God do you sigh and long after that happy repose sometimes also entertain your self in your heart with your good Angell thanKing him for the care he taKes of your salvation promising him due respect fidelity in performing whatsoever he shall inspire you to do begging of him to present your prayers the desires of your heart to our Saviour you may at another time imploy your thoughts on the necessity of spending our time well on the account which we must render to God for every moment of our life or if you please in case you be alone recite some vocall prayers which you can say by heart but taKe care that no one perceives this Keeping of silence in you unless it be such as observe the like therefore make no difficulty in answering any question which is made you satisfying your self that you do not speak of your own accord Thirdly offer this silence to God in satisfaction for the faults you have that day committed in speaking Fourthly I would counsell you to impose on your self from time to time some little space of silence for example during a Misere when you have spoken any words of humour or sensuall inclination or against charity imposing it on your self when you have most desire to speak X. The visit of the blessed Sacrament of the prayer in the evening called the Salve TOwards four or five of the clock in the evening go to the Church either to make a second half hour of prayer if your directour judges it convenient or to be present at the Benediction or Salve Take care to perform this visit of the blessed Sacrament with spirit and fervour not meerly out of custome without fruit First on sundays present your self to our blessed Saviour to honour the glorious state of his body risen from the dead which is upon the Altar testifying the joy you have of its glory rendring thanks to the blessed Trinity for this marvellous beauty which it has communicated to the sacred body of our blessed Saviour begging of him with confidence to bestow on your body a participation of these glorious qualities at the resurrection making a strong resolution to receive with love all corporall pains which will purchase such a resplendent glory to our bodys as the pains torments which our saviour suffered brought to his doing in fine the same by an act of faith towards Jesus Christ which the Saints perform towards him in the clear sight of his glory Secondly on Mondays honour in this visit the state of a victim or sacrifice which our saviour has in the blessed Sacrament offering up your whole self to his love sacrificing to him the curiosity of your eyes the bitterness and impatience of your speech the eagerness of your desires the distractions of your mind the evill affections inclinations of your heart since Jesus Christ always bears about him this state of death and quality of a victim or sacrifice on our Altars offering himself continually on them to his eternall father for us so to honour him in this state you must all the day long carry the spirit of a sacrifice about you which will cause you in all occasions to die to your own humours inclinations to sacrifice to God your naturall repugnances And t is on this day you must possess your self of such sentiments as these that all the week following you may practice the same considering Jesus Christ in this visit as a victime both of justice loue begging of him to render you conformable to himself herein Thirdly on Tuesdays honour the exact constant obedience which Iesus practises in the blessed Sacrament submitting himself to the voice or call of a man abandoning himself to his disposall how bad soever he be and make a firm resolution of doing all things with the spirit of obedience submitting your self to all obeying those in particular who are in the place of Superiours Fourthly on wednesdays imploy your self in the consideration of the wonderful patience of Iesus in the blessed Sacrament which causeth him to suffer all the outrages of hereticks and ill christians with perfect constancy not being weary of staying lay and night upon our Altars that he may gain the hearts even of his enemies Endeavour to honour this patience by a compassion of his sufferings by asking pardon for such as are wanting in their respect unto him and by devoting your self to his justice with a resolution to suffer all things without murmuring for the satisfaction thereof even to oblige those who offend you Fifthly on Thursdays honour the humility of Iesus in the blessed Sacrament which makes
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—
do good works with the spirit of Christianity IT would be convenient you should take one day in the week to visâ— the prisoners or the poor in thâ— Hospitall but take care aboue aâ— things not do to these holy action either out of custome without aâ— interiour spirit or out of custome without an interiour spirit or out oâ— a pure naturall compassion therefore before you beging these visits 1. Pass by some Church theâ— demand the benediction of our Saviour beg of him that he would animate you with the spirit with which he used himself to visit comfort afflicted persons at the same time offer to him the action you are going to perform go to the place you design to visit with modesty recollection 2. As soon as you are arrived there look upon the poor sick as the images of Iesus Christ salute their good Angells beg of them to inspire you with good thoughts so long as you shall be speaking with them 3. And since they are not onely often ignorant of what belongs to the duty of a Christian but always in affliction entertain them always with some word of instruction particularly concerning confession communion and likewise of consolation compassion letting them know that you take part in their sufferings giving them hoâ—es they shall one day receive a recompence for them in heaven 4. Accompany your almes with an actuall desire to please God to assist Jesus Christ in his members 5. Shun all vanity all reboundings of self-satisfaction that may spring from this action which you are to keep at secret as you can 6. Overcome generously all she repugnance that you may have in approaching the poor sick persons the better to overcome your self affect rather to approach the party for whom you find your self to have the greatest naturall horror provided his disease be not catching Salute the blessed Sacrament returning from your visit beg like a poor body of Iesus Christ a spirituall almes for your soul by the the particular tenderness he has for poor those that assist them 8. In sin eremember that the Almes done in this manner is an excellent means to please God to blot out your sins to purify your heart from all engagements to obtain for your selves suck particular favours as God imparts to his freinds to gain the heart of Iesus Christ to â—ppease the wrath of your Iudge to obtain the vertues you want to correct your imperfections Wherefore make a resolution never to deny any poor body since he procures far more for you towards the salvation of your soul then you give him for the relief of his body A practise for the Octave of the blessed Sacrament ONe must honour the state condition of Iesus Christ in the blessed Sacrament 1. In the morning by offering him your actions thereby to return him thanks for this great benefit 2. by making every hour some aspiration to Iesus Christ who is in the blessed Sacrament on the Altar with an ardent desire to unite himself to you 3. by reciting every day the Office of the blessed Sacrament performing our communions during this time with an extraordinary preparation of faith confidence humility loue in mortifying your tongue heart in thâ— sallys of your humour because botâ— the one the other have the honouâ— to receive Iesus Christ It is good every day to spend somâ— time extraordinary before the blessed Sacrament So that the first day you may visiâ— and honour him as a victim that sacrifices himself for you you may remain in his presence in the spiriâ— of a sacrifice begging of him to make you a victim of his loue that he would destroy in you what soever is displeasing to him The second day you may honour his annihilations in the Eucharist look upon him as a God humbled so low as to put himself under the form of a little bread for loue of you you may remain quite annihilated in his presence begging him to destroy in you all your pride that he would make you love a hidden life The third day you may honour his loue Which makes him give himself Wholly to you that he may intirely transform you into himself you may consecrate to him all the inclinations desires of your heart The fourth day you may honour him as your father that feeds your with his own proper substance remain before him in the spirit of confidence in his goodness The fifth day you may honour his life of consummation which obliges him his own self to loose his sacramentall life being to be destroyed to consummate our perfection in our souls beg of him to destroy in you all that is not God. The 6 7. 8. th days you may honour the vertues which he practises upon the Altar beg the imitation of them as of his exact obedience his humility his patience his prayers or continuall application to his father his charity for the salvation of souls his loue his solitude his mortificaiion endeavour each day to imitate some one of these vertues RULES OF FIDELITY to arrive to an eminent perfection I. Fidelity in the generall examen consists 1. IN avoiding the least sin or imperfection all things that either displease or at least do not please God. 2. In performing the least spiritual and indifferent actions with an interiour spirit not influenced by humour custom or vanity 3. In suffering all that gives pain to mind or body with resignation fidelity and love this is the matter or subject of the general examen II. Fidelity in the particular examen consists 1. IN observing the very least rules prescribed by obedience 2. In doing every thing in the moment prescribed by obedience 3. In overcoming the repugnance of our humour in all occasions even in the least things III. Fidelity in the continual examen or vigilance over ones self Which neither allows nor pardons in ones self any naturall satisfaction Whatever consists 1. IN watching over our senses to cut off thence all ill unprofitable human or even but meerly naturall satisfactions 2. In watching over our minds to annihilate all considerations or reflections that are human whether they proceed from vanity curiosity or impertinence 3. In watching over our hearts to stifle all human motions that is to say all over ardent or over eager desires of any thing whatsoever all immoderate joy or tenderness all fondness all relish or satisfaction which one may take in any thing one does all sensible pleasure that may cause a heart to live to its self T is in the fidelity of these three sorts of examens that consists a perfect self-deniall true devotion solid vertue all sanctity FROM THE ASCENSION to whitsontide I. ONe must enter into an exteriour retreat with the holy Virgin the Apostles casting off all unnecessary business visits or unprofitable discourses
him be illuminated with Eternall light â„£ Lord deliver his soul â„Ÿ From the gates of hell â„£ Let him repose in peace â„Ÿ Amen â„£ Lord hear my prayer â„Ÿ And let my cry come unto thee THE PRAYER O God we recommend to you the soul of your seruant that having passed this life he may live onely to you that the sins he has committed in this life out of humane frailty may be pardoned by the infinite bounty and mercy and by the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen A COMPENDIUM OF the aforesaid Exercise to prepare ones self well for death Which one may make every night before one goes to bed MY heart is prepared o my God my heart is prepared your will be done my God not mine I abandon my self entirely to receive death at what time in what manner you please to send it to me 2 I most humbly beg of you pardon for all the sins I have committed against your Soveraign goodness I repent me of them with all my heart 3. I believe firmly all that the Roman Catholick Church believes teaches and I will dye in this belief 4. I hope to possess eternall life by your mercy by the merits of my Sauiour Jesus Christ 5. O my God I desire to love you above all creatures to the contempt of all creatures as my Soveraingn good my neighbour as my self pardoning him from the bottom of my heart 6. O my divine Jesus what an extreme desire have I to receive yoâ—r sacred body to do it spiritually unite my self to all the communions that shall be made throughout the whole Church to the end of the world particularly at the hour of my death 7. Afford me the grace o my divine Saviour to blot out all the sins I have committed by my senses by applying to my self the unction of thy precious blood 8. Holy Virgin mother of my God defend me from my enemies present me to your son 9. Great S. Michael my holy Angell Guardian my holy Protectours pray assist me in this last passage 10. O my God I renounce all the temptations of the Enemy generally all that may displease you I adore receive your divine judgements upon my soul as most just equitable I abandon my self to them with entire submission 11. O Jesus my divine Jesus be to me Jesus O my God retiring with an humble confidence into thy sacred wounds I commit my soul into thy divine hands receive it into the bosome of thy mercy Amen AN EXERCISE OF DEATH FOR THE last day of the month IN THE MORNING OFfer al the actions sufferings of that day to our Saviour by the hands of S. Joseph which you shall take for your Protectour to obtain a happy death make some of these Acts noted in the beginning of this Exercise then make a resolution so to live that day as if it were to be the last of your life DVRING THE DAY 1. Beg every hour of S. Joseph a good death say to your soul if we were to dye this moment are we prepared to appear before God 2. Before you begin any action or in conversation often call to mind this thought Would I have done or said this at the hour of my death 3. Communicate really or spiritually in manner of Viatick making the acts affections marked in this Exercise or contenting your self to remain with a simple view of faith in silence abandonment in the arms of Jesus to expire in him by love and confidence 4 Go from Communion with a resolution to live no longer to your self to perform no action of your life purely after a naturall humane manner calliâ—g often to mind in the day time the advertissement of the Apostle you are dead your life is hiddem in God With Iesus Christ 5. Make your meditation upon death either as it is in your ordinary booK of meditations or as it is in this Exercise read the thoughts of death in the book called Pensées Chrêtiennes or Christian thoughts IN THE EVERNING 1. BEfore you go to bed make a short review in your Examen of all the sins of the last month take notice chiefly of those you commit out of custom think with sorrow of your abuse of Gods graces favours of the ill use you have made of the crosses which God has sent you Then putting your self in the presence of Jesus Christ your Soveraign Judge immaginaing your self to be before the tribunall of his justice beg pardon for your sins with all the resentment confusion you are able Alas what sorrow would you have for them if this night you were to dye to appeare before him Then impose upon your self some pennance for the following month faile not to rise at the appointed hour to give somthing to thle poor as often as you speak in choler out of humour 2. After Examen make the same Acts that dying persons are wont to make which are noted in this Exercise or content your self to make 1 An act of faith proptesting that you firmly belieue that you shall on day dye 2. An act of confidence hoping thot our Saviour at your death will have mercy upon you pardon all your sins 3. An act of love begging him rather to Send you death then permit you to offend him at least voluntarily 4. An act of abandonment putting your life your soul your salvation into the hands of God. In fine kiss the ground to render homage to the Soveraignty justice of God which has ordained that your body should one day be reduced to dust Look upon your bed as your grave as you are going into it say three times JESVS MARIA IOSEPH Adding O my God grant that I may repose and sleep in peace with you Amen Pious thoughts to recollect ones self in God. 1. For riseing 1. O My God I am intirly yours be you all in me be you all things to me and let all things else be nothing to me 2. Lord let me do and suffer all by you in you and for you let me forthwith dye to my self and let me live and allways remain in you 3. O the God of my hart and my Portion for eternity be you the beginning and end of all my actions let me plunge and loose my self intirely in you 2. FOR PRAYER In the state of Desolation 1. O Justice of my God content your self be you pleased without contenting me 2. You are all my God and I am nothing before you I am content that all joy and consolation be yours and that nothing and the privation of all comforts be myne O contentment joy and happyness of my God you are dearer to me then my owne satisfaction 3. My God! how good are you to suffer me to be in the miserable state I am in Permit that I sacrifice the satisfaction of my hart to that of yours