but unprofitably and with manifest danger to both since this solicitude causeth oftentimes the losse of health to the one and of devotion to the other Discretion therefore Discretion therefore is the best directour in this matter of mortification must be the chief directour in this matter which must distinguish the diversity of complexions and conditions and since every one is not of like temper all cannot be regulated by the same precept To this I adde that this discretion and moderation is necessary not onely in exteriour things but also in the acquisition of interiour vertues as I shall now declare 5. For though the true Soldier of Christ aspiring to perfection must put no limits to his spirituall profit yet there are some heart of spirit which need to be quenched with And also in the acquisition of vertues the dew of discretion especially such as in beginners are kindled with over-much fervour Thou art therefore to know that vertues are to be gotten by little and little and by degrees Which must be done by degrees that so they may take the deeper roote and become more durable in our souls For example If Thou art in the pursute of patience Thou art first to study how to bear injuries and afflictions before thou fall to practise those higher degrees of delighting in them and desiring them 6. Moreover I advise thee not to And one by one rather than all or many together apply thy selfe to obtain all vertues or many together but first and principally to practise one and then afterwards another for by this means a vertuous habit is more easily planted and moâ—â—â—irmly fixed in thy soul For by this continuall exercise of one onâ—ly vertue the memory is ready upon all occasions the understanding is studying new means and reasons to acquire it and the will is more affectionately inclin'd to embrace it than if many were the objects of their imployments And such is the conformity and affinity of one vertue to another that the implanting of any one is the preparing of the ground for all the others and whosoever is a proficient For the obtaining of any one vertue is a preparation to all the rest in the practice of one vertue hath thereby learned the manner how to purchase another in so much that as one is augmented all the rest doe by the same meanes increase in our soules by reason of their inseparable nearenesse connexion and concatenation together they being all beames proceeding from the same Sun which is the divine light Further advises for the getting of Vertues 1. Besides those meanes formerly prescribed in the 11. Chapter for the obtaining of vertues I will here give thee some brief and materiall advices concerning this important matter First it behooves thee to have a generous First thou must resolve to suffer heart a great courage and a strong and resolute will as being certain thou hast to doe with cunning enemies and art to wrestle with many contrarieties and suffer many 2. Thou must beare a great love to vertue Crosses 2. In the next place thou art to bring with thee a particular inclination and affection to vertue which thou canst not want if thou truly weighest how pleasing it is to God how excellent in it selfe how profitable and how absolutely necessary to the attaining of all perfection 3. Every morning make strong and efficacious resolutions and protestations 3. Thou must practise it upon all occasions to exercise thy selfe according to the probable occasions which may that day be offered unto thee and sometimes in the day reflect upon thy selfe and examine thy performance of this promise and fervently renew thy desires and intentions 4. Apply all thy actions spirituall exercises reading prayer and 4. Apply all thy exercises to this end meditations for the obtaining of that vertue which thou now practisest 5. Endeavour so to accustome thy selfe to forme acts of vertue 5. Form acts thereof both internall and externall that they by use may become as easie and naturall unto thee as were formerly their contraries which were conformable to thy vicious desires 6. The sweet passages and sentences 6. Think upon such passagâ—s of Scripture as concerne and commend it of holy scripture are of great force to this purpose and therefore it will be convenient to commit divers of them to thy memory touching that vertue thou now aymest at and to pronounce them often by mouth or expresse them in thy heart especially upon the occasion of feeling the passions and motioâ—s contrary to that vertue For example If patience be the vertue thou praisest reflect upon that saying of Baruch Baruch 4. Child suffer patiently the wrath which is faln upon thee And that of the Psalmist The patience of the poor shall Psal 9. not perish in the end Or that of Salomon The man that is patient is better Prov. 16. then he that is strong and he that overcomes his owne mind is better than he that conquers towns And in your Luke 21. patience you shall possesse your soules And let us by patience run on to the Heb. 12 battaile which is proposed unto us 7. To the same purpose thou maist 7. Make frequent use of Jaculatory prayers also make use of these Jaculatory prayers When ô my God shall my heart be arm'd with the shield of patience When shall I for thy love support cheerefully all contrarieties O sweet and dear sufferings which make me like my meek Saviour afflicted for my sake O onely life and love of my soul shall I never compasse to content my self for thy glory amongst thousands of crosses and calamities Oh how happy were I if amidst the flames of tribulations I could burne with an inflamed desire to suffer yet far more 8. These and the like ejaculations and darts of affection have great power to excite us to vertue and penetrate even to Gods heart in heaven especially being ayded and Which being ayded with two wings wlil so are up to heaven accompanied with two wings A true knowledge of the content our Lord takes in our practice of vertue and a lively and longing desire to obtaine it for no other end than because it is pleasing to his divine Majesty 9. Thou art yet farther to be instructed Above all things thou art to make a continuall progresse my dearly beloved concerning this weighty and necessary matter of obtaining vertue that one maine point is to make a continuall progresse in the practice thereof â—or if thou leavest off this pursute it will necessarily follow that through the violent inclination of thy sensuall appetite and the alluring impulse of outward objects unruly passions will presse in upon thee which will either destroy or at least much diminish the acquired habits of vertue and will moreover deprive thee of those manifold graces and gifts of God which by thy continuance and progresse thou hadst infallibly obtained 10. For
of for your own satisfaction And look down with your other eye upon your bottomless nothing see there your own base indignity and brutish ingratitude your great impurity and gross impiety and be ashamed to desire any temporal esteem who so truly deserve eternal damnation 6. Other knots of the same To self-love appertain also all the passions of our inferiour nature love hatred c. snare are all those passions which have their residence in our inferiour nature love hatred joy grief hope and fear with their severall attendants these raise up broiles to disturb our inward tranquillity to discompose our Reason and interpose their earthy exhalations between our superiour will and the grace of God Peace of heart is the secure refuge To which we must oppose Peace of heart against all these peevish Passions do but cast your whole care upon your Creator and call away your inordinate affection from creatures and what then can punish or perplex you Remit and refer all accidents whether adverse or prosperous sweet or sowre good or bad to Gods high power and holy providence comfort your selves in his mercy content your selves in his all-sufficiency and quiet your selves in his love Ah! how poor how vain how vile how unregardable Read the 4. ch num 3. of the conflict are the best of worldly blessings how is it possible that things in themselves so contemptible can have the least entrance or admittance into a soul setled in Gods pure love and presence O let the children of this world who place their final felicity in such fading fooleries who have their souls buried in this earth and swallowed up in sensuality be solicitous to seek them glut and burst themselves in the enjoying of them and be dejected to be deprived of them but we O souls aspiring to perfection whose master is God whose aym is vertue whose reward is heaven what have we to do with these inferiour passions Away with these Mammons My heart is signed with the signet of Gods love my hatred is only bent against sin and my self my joy is in God my Saviour my grief is that I am not all his my fear is to offend him and my hope is to enjoy him 7. Lastly all adhering to our proper will and judgment appertains to this ambush of our enemy The adhering to our own wills and preferring of our own judgments are also points of self-love Read the 5. ch of the Conflict This draws us off by degrees from doing our duty diverts us from following divine motions and superiours commands daunts us from relying entirely on Gods providence and fulfilling perfectly his holy pleasure we dare not disobey this master nor will we venture to destroy this Idol of our hearts 't is death to be cross'd in our conceits or contradicted in our exercises which we have chosen according to our private fancy accustomed with self-complacency and keep with unpardonable propriety Perfect obedience breaks through Which must be cured by obedience submission and resignation this snare and a totall resignation to Gods good will pleasure is the secure refuge against this deceit How can a soul be disquieted to receive or refuse act or omit that which she truly conceives to proceed both in substance and circumstance from the divine providence and permission How can that person go astray who is perfectly obedient to God and his superiour gives up himself wholly to the guidance of Gods holy Spirit and the government of a discreet directour observes each beck of the divine call first examined and approved by them who are incharged with their souls and waits upon the divine will as the shadow on the body 8. Where you are to take notice Note a triple obediencâ— 1. Of vow of a triple obedience One is of vow another of conformity and a third of union The first concerns all religious people and imports an external exact and necessary performance of that which is commanded The Second concerns all spiritual 2. of Conformity souls and consists in their inward promptitude and readiness to execute Gods will manifested by faith and their ghostly guide purely for himself and precisely for his own sake without the least touch of proper interest or self-seeking The Third concerns all perfect 3. Of Vnion persons and consists in so entire a connexion of their wills to the will of their Lord God that they seem both one hence it is that they embrace all that happens to themselves or others good or bad life or death for time or eternity as immediatly proceeding from his divine goodness and as the very best that could happen Here the soul elevated above it self and all things into God and stedfastly fixed in divine contemplation patiently expects and obediently attends to what he speaks wills and acts within her remaining ever ready and really resigned to suffer outward pains or inward pressures to receive comforts or endure crosses as the supream providence best knows permits and pleases being fully content with all and faithfully constant in all The Second Ambush Immoderate affection to creatures 1. THis infects distracts disquiets and diverts our minds from their pure and perfect tendance to our Creator Ah! what have we whose inheritance is heaven to do This affection to creatures distracts us from our Creator with the poor and perishable commodities of this world yet our subtil enemy strives to make us serious in searching after them solicitous to keep them and impatient to part with them Against this we must provide true poverty of spirit which consists Again which must prâ—vide Poverty or spirit in a perfect denudation of our souls from all propriety of love to any corruptible creature whatsoever we must use them only and not rest in them we may enjoy them but take no joy in them if Superiours command them from us we must cheerfully part with them if any accident bereave us of them we must willingly let go our hold saying Our Lord gave them our Lord Read the 13. ch of the Conflict hath retaken them his name be ever praised his will always performed Farewel uncertain and unsatisfying profits wellcome sweet and secure poverty We must throw away couragiously all such cloggs as retard our soul's flight to perfection Away with superfluities Oh! that we could live with the only love of our naked and crucified Jesus That we could support our feeble Nature without the supplies of any creatures that so our souls disingaged from the depressing necessities of flesh and blood might soar aloft and sweetly repose in the bosom of divine love 2. Nor is the overmuch tenderness of affection to any person Affection to persons corrupts our judgements whomsoever under what pertext soever any other thing than a meer ambush of our enemy for it corrupts our purest actions and vitiates our most pious intentions it is the bane of Gods love the poyson of our hearts and the venome of
and the rule of discretion will permit elevated to your Lord and love cry continually for his grace knock And sigh after it perseverantly incessantly at the gate of his mercy sigh after him perseverantly seek to perform his will diligently and follow his pleasure purely and perfectly give that day for lost wherein you have not made some progress in the way of perfection and finally rouse up your selves and prick forward your sluggish dulness in devotion with some brief and burning aspirations which you are to have alwayes ready in your heart and mouth As Excâ—ting our sluggishness by frequent aspirations O my Lord ô my God the life of my soul and the only love of my heart when shall I love thee as I desire and thou demandest O my Jesu when shall I die perfectly to the world my self and all things that I may live purely and intirely in thy only charity O when shall I be nothing to any creature and every creature nothing to me but only in thee and for thee alone O that I could go out of my self and get into thee That I could thrust my caitif heart out of this breast to establish thine ô my sweet Saviour in it's place O let thy true love transform me totally into thee Let me not live any longer but in thee Let me not love any creature but by in and for thee my Creatour O incomprehensible bounty Either take my soul out of this world or take the love of this world out of my soul Either bereave me of my life or bestow on me thy love c. In all which raptures and affections the holy Spirit is the best directour whose inward impulse and dictamen you are diligently to follow still according to discretion and obedience with a perpetuall longing and loving sighing and seeking to advance your soul to divine Union 2. Finally I conclude with this hearty and heavenly counsell of S. Anthony to his disciples against this dangerous coldness in devotion An excellenâ— document of S. Anthony My brethren Let this be my generall and particular precept unto you the first and last lesson I teach you Never to lose your first fervour and good purposes nor to grow slack in your observances but to go alwayes forward and renew daily your devout exercises as if you daily were new beginners in the way of perfection This he often repeated and inculcated and being on his death-bed that his last words might remain more lively imprinted in their mindes he bequeathed unto them as his final and never to be forgotten testament this piercing and pithy document able to win wound and melt a flint into fervour and compunction O my loving children I go the way of my forefathers our Lord calls and invites me and my soul thirsts after him and heaven But you ô my bowels what will you do I have often admonish'd you and do at this last gasp leave it you for my will and testament Take heed you grow not tepide and go backward and so on a sodain lose the pains and profit of so many years past Think still you are to begin anew as though what you had already suffer'd for Christ were nothing Let your good will and desires get every day new strength and vigour forget what is past and run to what is before you live and labour with such fervour and purity as if it were your first work that ever pleased God or the last service you should ever render him in this mortal life O devout souls Our dayes pass away swiftly death is alwayes at our heels eternity approches wherein our God whom we have serv'd and lov'd will wipe the tears off our eyes the sweat off our brows the blood off our wounds crown us with glory peace security immortality Let us not lose heart in his service nor hope in his goodness He expects and invites us Angels and Saints offer their helping hands The question is of eternal life eternall light eternal liberty and eternall love THE SECOND TREATISE OF THE SPIRITVALL CONQUEST or The use and Practice of those necessary weapons which are prescribed in the Treatise of the Spiritual Conflict Here Methodically managed and drawn into seven Exercises Affective Acts or Aspirations according to the dayes of the Week Psal 118. v. 34. Give me understanding and I will search thy Law and I will keep it with my whole heart AT PARIS M.DC.LI To the Devout Champions aspiring to Perfection THat you may make the right use O devout souls of these ensuing Exercises you are first to be premonished That Aspirations or jaculatorie prayers are short and fervent acts elevations desires and requests of the Soul to God And they are of divers sorts and may be performed either in the heart only or by the heart and mouth jointly First they may be practised by way of petition begging love vertue perfection devotion c. As O Lord give me light to know thy Will grace to embrace it and force to follow it Help me to overcome my self and my sworn enemies Assist me to disgest difficulties and disgraces for thy love Pitty a poor sinner Pardon a proud beggar Receive a prodigall Child Redeem a perishing soul confirm my frailty confound my Pride comfort my Dull Dark and desolate Spirit And the like short amorous and pithy petitions Secondly they may be expressed by way of wishing and sighing after God goodness piety perfection c. As O Lord vvhen shall I knovv thee and my self When shall I truly love thee and perfectly hate my self When shal I live in thee and be dead to my self Or thus Oh that I vvere truly vertuous truly religious truly mortified Oh that I vvere all thine O my poor soul take courage hovv shall vve abound vvith delights vvhen vve shall see our Master and Maker in his heavenly Kingdom Thirdly they may be performed by way of expostulating and complaining sometimes to God other-times to our own souls and then to all creatures As Hovv long Lord vvilt thou forget me for ever Why hidest thou thy face Why art thou sad my soul O heavens are you shut against me c Fourthly by shorter expressions as by Expressing the whole affection in few words thus Good God! Svveet Jesu Hovv long O fire burn O one O all c. These must differently be made use of according to the various disposition of the souls dryness or devotion In all which you are not to binde your selves to any set form or sorts of words but only use such as holy and fervent love shall suggest unto you And this manner of prayer by fervent Aspirations frequent acts of love and enflamed elevations of the soul is according to the divine doctrine of S. Denys the easiest shortest sweetest and perfectest means of uniting the soul to her last end which is God and consequently of corresponding to our creation and calling This saith he is that admirable holy and hidden Unitive vvisdom which
without any foregoing meditation or precedent search into divine mysteries draws up forthwith the lovers affection to his beloved Lord which is more and more stretched intended and inlarged by these ardent ejaculations of the soul thus familiarly conferring communing treating and talking with her Creator and raising up her self to him by acts of love and desires of conjunction And we may fitly say that the solid foundation of invvard perfection is contained in such acts motions and tendances of our Souls towards God their neighbours and themselves as the outvvard consists in the practical performance of our duties in relation to the same three objects Make use therefore O dear souls of these affective Devotions daily diligently and perseverantly and you shall soon perceive a happy and heavenly change in your souls you shall feel your faith strengthned your devotion actuated your good desires prepared and put in real performances your pious intentions ripened for executions and your well-made purposes and resolutions forwarded to leap into the punctual and particular observation of each part of your duty towards God the world and your selves The Seven Exercises The 1. Exercise For Monday Of the Knowledge of God and Confidence in him The 2. Exercise For Tuesday Of the Knowledge and Diffidence in our selves The 3. Exercise For Wednesday Of obtaining Remission of our sins The 4. Exercise For Thursday Of subduing Sensuality to Reason The 5. Exercise For Friday Of Mortification and perfect Abnegation The 6. Exercise For Saturday Of Conformity to Christ Crucifyed The 7. Exercise For Sunday Of perfect Vnion with God FOR MONDAY Of the Knowledge of God and Confidence in him The First Exercise 1. TO know thee O divine fountain of goodness is to be truly happy and yet none can know thee O boundless and bottomless Sea of all perfections but through thine own manifestation and mercy Vouchsafe therefore I beseech thee ô most loving and liberal Lord to enter this poor empty heart of thy meanest servant to inform my ignorant soul with a glimpse of this necessary science and to inflame my cold affection with a small spark of thy holy love O omnipotent Creator of heaven and earth both which thou fillest with thy greatness and glory O God of infinite power excellent wisdom unmeasurable goodness and incomprehensible love my soul thirsts after thee the essential source of all felicity my heart seeks thee the proper place of it's repose it sighs to thee the natural centre of all it's hope and happiness IN thy blessed mind ô my God it first rested in it's eternall possibility and similitude thither it must again return and there it must either rest eternally or perish for evermore O let it now find thee that it may ever love thee 2. O Lord most good glorious and gracious most blessed and bountiful most high and holy most excellent and ineffable What words or thoughts can express thy purity and perfection Let me know thee O thou life of my soul Let me see thee O true light of my eyes Let me seek thee O thou only solace of my spirit Let me find thee O thou desired of my heart Let me embrace thee O my heavenly Spouse Let me possess thee O thou soveraign sweetnes and full satiety of all my inward and outward senses O that my heart could alwayes think on thee my will ever love thee my mind still remember thee my understanding continually conceive thee my reason perpetually adhere to thee and my whole man incessantly praise thee O hide not thy face from me my joy my light and my life If I may not see thee and live O let me dy that I may see thee I desire to dy here and be dissolved that I may see thee know thee come to thee live with thee and love thee eternally O ever blessed and glorious divinity O Father who of thine own substance bringest forth an ineffable goodness coequal consubstantial and coeternal with thy self which is thy Some O Father and Son who loving each other with infinite charity and content are united together in one Holy Ghost equally and unspeakably proceeding from you both I admire thee adore thee and worship thee with all the powers of my body and soul 3. O sacred Deity O Tri-Unity and Vni-Trinity O Father Sâ—n and Holy Ghost Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts who wert art and shalt be for ever almighty I thy poor creature prostrate before the Throne of thy Divine Majesty from the abyss of my own nothing invoke adore and acknowledge thee the abyss of all perfection I present thee with al thine own gifts goods and graces which thou hast plentifully powred out upon all thy creatures I offer up to thy praise the affections of Angels and men the properties of the elements the beauty and motion of the whole universe and the essence of all being O that my soul were capable to comprise unitedly all their severall affections and perfections how joyfully would it employ them in thy praise how sweetly would it melt away in thy presence Behold O my God I make an intire oblation of them all I acknowledge and adore thee with them all and desire to do it as frequently as I breathe and as often as there are minutes in time stars in the firmament sands in the Ocean and numbers in all nature O my Lord whose love is the life of my soul increase my knowledge of thee that I may enlarge my love to thee Alas I love thee not ô amiable Lord God because I know thee not I know thee not because darkness and sin hath covered and incompassed my understanding Wherefore ô bright light who illuminatest all things expell this darkness from my soul drive off these clouds from my understanding draw the curtain from off the face of the abyss of my mind that I may see and know thee and then I shall not choose but love thee O my dear Jesu shew me thy divine Father dart a beam of thy heavenly splendour into my dull heart that I may have some degree of that holy science which may help me in thy love make me obedient to thy will and resolute in thy service To know all things of this world ô Jesu and not to know thee is but ignorance and folly let me therefore know thy eternal Father and thee whom he sent for my salvation and it sufficeth me O give me this knowledge that I may give thee my love and I ask no more Let me be unknowing ignorant and a fool in all other things so I may wisely know thee only ô my God and my all 4. O King of glory I acknowledge thy perfections to be above all knowledge but that of thy own divine understanding I confess that thy height is unreachable thy goodness unchangable thy greatness incomprehensible thy light inaccessible And all other thy divine attributes and perfections are so mighty and so many so good and so glorious so excellent and so admirable
so worthy and so wonderfull that were all the power and prerogatives all the vertue wisdom and qualities of all creatures united in one individual nature it were not so much in respect of thy glory and greatness as the least drop of water is in comparison of the vast Ocean Wherefore I beg of thee O immense and inaccessible Godhead only so much to know conceive believe and understand of thy hidden majesty as may efficaciously move my will to thee and I content my self with so much light of thy divinity as may force me to love thee ardently effectually perseverantly O my Lord and my love Fill my heart with the sweet influence of thy heavenly grace that I may in some measure discover how good and gracious thou art to me and to all thy creatures O let me still remember thy mercy ever dread thy justice and continually admire and adore thy power and providence Ah! my noble Soul stampt with thy Creators lovely image endowed with the excellencies of understanding to know him of will to love him of Memory to rest in him why adherest thou not fast to him only in pure and perfect delight forgetting and forgoing all sensible and worldly objects 5. O that I were so ravished with thy love and liking my only amiable Lord God that through joy jubily and admiration I might feel no self at all no sense no change no inequality That no prosperity might puff me up no adversity deject me no accident separate me from thee ô my God of infinite love and liberality O that I could be ever joyful in thee ever gratefull to thee and ever mindfull of thy inhabiting presence within me Thou are alwayes nearer to my soul ô my good God than my soul is to my body alwayes conserving counselling disposing directing inciting and inspiring it to thy love and wilt thou not ô my sensless and sinful soul be alwayes cautious and circumspect how thou behavest thy self in thy Lords presence who is so tenderly carefull of thy safety O let his love be no longer neglected his sweet invitations no longer slighted O that thou wouldst henceforth walk before him as befits his chast and holy Spouse with all respect and reverence fear and fidelity courage and constancy preparing thy self diligently for his divine embraces 6. Grant I beseech thee ô mighty and mercifull Creator that my whole time and thoughts may be totally taken up in the contemplation of thy unmeasurable benefits and bounty towards me For I know Lord that I am truly nothing and yet thou carest for me ô my loving maker as if thou hadst no other creature in heaven or earth thou deliverest me from innumerable dangers adornest me with many gifts and graces givest me leave at all times to have free access to thy throne of mercy so that with one holy thought one humble sigh one devout desire I may draw neer to thee and enjoy thee and in thee all comfort and content O divine privilege To discover to thee my wants lay open my wounds and boldly declare my wishes as to my neerest dearest and trustiest friend and familiar and to be sure of supplies salves and succour in all my necessities O what goodness what grace what mercy is this O my soul How loving and liberall a Lord have we how loving in mercy how liberal in bounty Ah! our unthankfulness to requite our unworthiness to deserve his favors Up my heart be no longer ungratefull and unfaithfull to so great good and gracious a benefactour Yes ô blessed and bountiful giver I now say cordially and will ever stand to iâ— coâ—ragiously I will henceforth love thee ô my Lord my love my life my strength my support my home my harbor and my happiness I will remember thy sweet words to all sinners Why will you perish O children As I live I desire not the death of a sinner but that he would turn to me anâ— live I will behold thy sacred wounds suffered for me able to move a rock to love and compassion And though I am ashamed to think what I have been and how little I have done how much thou hast endured for me how long thou hast expected me how lovingly thou hast besought me and how poorly I have corresponded to thee Yet I know ô my Lord thou ceasest not to be God and good though I am weak and wicked Therefore I will take yet courage in thy service and confidently hope that thou who sought'st after me a lost sheep wilt mercifully receive me now I seek after thee my loving shepheard with a right intention real resolution and inflamed affection 7. Yes ô my Lord and my love heaven and earth shall sooner perishâ— than my confidence in thy sweet mercies and my Saviours merits If thou repell me I will run after thee If thou shut thy door against me I will never leave knocking and if thou kill'st me yet I will trust in thee I wholly cast my self upon thy holy will providence and protection I protest with heart and mouth that I now am and henceforth will be entirely thine that I have nothing seek nothing fear nothing desire nothing demand nothing want nothing will nothing but thee onely My Lord my Love and my All. And I firmly purpose to serve and love thee ô sacred and supream Majesty simply sincerely purely and perseverantly not for any fear of pains or punishment not for any self-interest of what this world can offer or the next afford not for the least hope of heaven or happinesse but I will thee seek thee and love thee for thy self only ô my all-sufficient Lord God who art the sole object sweet compleatment and solid contentment of my soul Pardon me protect me and provide for me For thou art my only hope and happiness FOR TVESDAY Of the Knowledge and diffidence in our selves The Second Exercise 1. WHat is man ô Omnipotent Creator what is this man that thou shouldst be mindfull of him He is nothing ô Lord and I am the least and worst of those nothings because I have least corresponded to thy grace and made worst use of thy gifts O give me ligâ—t reach forth thy hand to this blind creature crying after thee O thou true light of the world and life of my soul that now at length I may duly diligently cordially and abyssally dive into my own basenes weakness misery nothing that knowing what I truly am I may really loathe hate distrust despise and deny my self and all my own proceedings sincerely love thee only trust and hope in thee and rely wholly upon thy divine providence and protection I am not only content ô my Lord God but even willing and desirous that all thy creatures should take me and treat me according to my true condition and unworthynesse And I am resolved by thy grace to humble my self not only under thy mighty hand but also under all their feet as their servant and slave to be troden on abhorred avoided and detested by
of my eye at each morsell I eat at each member I move and at each inward and outward action I undertake I may first ask thy leave and permission and so do it or leave it accordingly as thy holy inspiration answers and allows me O that I could perform each naturall and necessary work with an actual reflexion upon thy praise and pleasure and with a pure intention to be united to thee my Lord and my love Thy outward senses ô my sweet Saviour were exactly subject to thy reason and perfectly obedient to thy sacred soul O let mine be swallowed up I beseech thee gracious Jesu and sanctified by the merits of thine Let me live love move and make use of my senses purely and only in thee for thee and by thee Thy sacred hands ô holy Jesu were harshly nailed to the tree of the Cross preserve mine I beseech thee from all sinfull touching Thy blessed feet were likewise pierced and fastned to the same rood O fix my steps that I run not to evil actions direct them in thy paths and make me speedy in all works concerning thy honour and the assistance of my neighbour Thy holy mouth was free from guile full of wisdom put thy words sweet Jesu into mine let it alwayes speak of thy love and only sing thy prayses Thy divine ears were filled with blasphemies and derisions Let not mine be open to hear vanities and detractions Thy sweet eyes poured out floods of tears for me O give unto mine tears of compassion for thy sufferings and of compunction for my own sins Thy taste was tormented with the novsome potion of gall and vineger O take from me I beseech thee all desire of delicacies let me not eat or drink but for meer sustenance and necessity Thy whole humanity ô gracious Jesu was martyred and murthered O grant that I may be truly and totally mortified Let me not see feel hear tast smell eat drink do any thing or make use of any thing as following my own gust sensuality and self-seeking but in pure conformity to thy divine will and pleasure 6. O mercifull Redeemer how great and grievous were the inward sufferings of thy holy soul O for those thy sorrows and thy tender mercies sake cleanse cure inlighten inform reform and transform all my inward man O permit not my Vnderstanding where the knowledge of thy greatness and goodness should be only seated to be overspread with ignorance and errour Let not my Memory which should be totally taken up with thee be stuffed with vain fancies or impertinent curiosities Let not my Will which thou gav'st me to desire and love thee O my only Lord and love above all thy creatures be inslav'd to any inferiour affection Repair ô gracious Redeemer this lively image of the lovely Trinity which is almost defac'd by my brutish sensuality Grant O dear Saviour that my Understanding Will and Memory may be incessantly busied in knowing loving and remembring thee and that they may forget and forgo all other objects but only in thee and for thee 7. O that my heart were perfectly disingaged from the love of all creatures Drain it sweet Jesu and deliver it from all forreign and domestick affection and fill it up again with thine only that it may never love desire nor will any thing but thee alone O my Lord my love and my All. O that my Will were conformable to thine without any reservation or retraction Take it unto thee Dear Lord freely and fully for time and eternity I will have no will but thine dispose of me as thou pleasest here and hereafter O that my Memory were disincombred from all imaginations and purged from all impressions but of thee only Empty it ô thou only amiable object of my soul and then replenish it with such holy and heavenly notions as may best please thy divine Majesty O that my Vnderstanding were imbued with some measure of the knowledge of thy divinity O my Lord infinite in goodness dreadfull in Majesty and unspeakable in all perfection O my great gracious and glorious God Quicken it sharpen it elevate it and illuminate it that knowing thee I may not choose but love thee and that knowing and loving thee I may be eternally happy Behold Lord I make an absolute divorce with all self-love sensuality and affection to creatures and give thee my self by an irrevocable donation Behold Lord the keys the lodging the treasure and the Master prostrate at thy sacred feet Enter freely possesse all fully dispose universally and command absolutely Put me where thou wilt give me what thou wilt treat me as thou wilt Thine I am ô my Lord my love and my All for time and FOR FRIDAY Of Mortification and perfect Abnegation The Fifth Exercise 1. O Eternal and ever Blessed Lord God! Thou hast framed me of soul and body and fitted me with faculties proportionable to attain the end of my creation which is to love thee intirely and to live with thee eternally But alas how far am I from observing thy blessed and beautifull order Thou ô Lord gav'st me a soul to bear all the sway in my body Reason to have the chief regency in my soul thy Law to be the guide of my reason and thy self to be the sole mover and governour of my whole man But Oh! how have I willfully cross'd thy sacred design contradicted thy intention and swerv'd from this perfection My body is all brutish my soul all animall and my reason all sensuall I am all blindness self-love and immortification Yet I know well and thou O eternall verity hast expresly told me that unless I renounce all deny my self take up my Cross and follow thee I can never become thy true Disciple Ah harsh words to my carnall ears If thou wilt be my disciple deny thy self If thou wilt be perfect sell all give away all reform all renounce all relinquish all If thou wilt possess life eternal contemn this life temporal If thou wilt be exalted in heaven humble thy self in the world If thou wilt wear a crown with me bear thy Cross with me But O my soul how wilt thou brook that more dismall sentence Depart from me thou accursed into eternall fire Wherefore O my Lord my love and my all Since Thou hast taught me these things by thy sacred word and shewed them by thy holy example and thou art the way the truth and the life Grant O infallible truth that I may couragiously walk in this thy perfect way that so I may happily come to thee the only true and eternall life and love of my soul 2. What dreadest thou O my fearful and faithless heart Behold Christ thy King and captain is march'd on before thee Take up thy Cross and travell after him he leads thee to a Kingdom heaven is worth thy pains O take courage to mortifie thy self deny thy self and die to thy self that thou mai'st live to Jesus and with Jesus eternally Learn O my soul this short
disordered love to any woâ—ldly person No favour or friendship ô my only amiable Lord God no greatness or goodness of any one shall make me fwerve from my exact duty to thee-wards No carnall affection to kindred No tenderness of amitie No private or publick respect No connivency or correspondency shall make me partiall in the reproof of vice or praise of vertue O take up my whole heart with thy holy love that thy perfect image and perpetuall memory may blot out all species of forreign objects I renounce all vain vicious idle and unprofitable thoughts fancies and imaginations O let my mind not only yield no consent but no entrance unto them O let me never more contristate thy holy Spirit with these vanities nor hinder my souls advancement and union with thee by these divertisments I will henceforth compell my heart to some good employment I will no longer permit it to wander and wast it self in any idle and superfluous curiosities No my Lord and Saviour thy bitter and blessed passion thy blessings and benefits shall be the continuall occupation of my interiour O what have I to do with transitory things who am made for eternity I renounce all care and solicitude which necessity obedience and charity do not oblige me to No naturall passions of joy sorrow hope fear love hatred anger or shamefastness shall make any impression in this heart of mine which is preingag'd in thy affection sealed up and setled in thy contemplation No pretext of lawfulness nor shew of fittingness nor conceit of compassion nor excuse of necessity shall procure the admittance of such passions into my soul as may any way distract darken or dull the point of my affection and devotion towards thee my only Lord and love I renounce all bitterness of heart against any one Is he good be thou eternally praised in him and by him O bountiful bestower of all blessings Is he wicked Correct him ô mercifull Creatour comfort encourage and raise him to amendment Hath he offended affronted injured or sleighted me I deserve ô great God to be troden on by all creatures and therefore I freely forgive him for the past and give him free leave to add stripes to his injuries for the future Am I denied the grant of my most lawfull and just demands Thou best knowest O eternall wisdom what is best for my state and condition O deny not thy love to my soul and let me be refused in all other my requests whatsoever I renounce all vain-glory all self-liking and pride which may arise from worldly praises al delight springing from any gift of nature or grace which is in me Not unto me Lord but to thy holy name be given all honour and glory Alas what am I what have I what can I All is thine O my bountifull Lord God Nothing is mine but sin and therefore I deserve only shame and confusion 7. I renounce all desire of delight in my devotions all sensible gusts of grace and all sweetnesses and solaces in the inferiour faculties of my soul Ah my heart what is all this to thee follow thou thy Saviour Thou seekest thy crucified Jesus This is not he but his gifts O my Lord it is thy self I seek and sigh after If thou send'st me comforts for the incouragement of my weakness be thou ever praised for thou dost like a most benign and bountifull God If thou withdrawest them still blessed be thy providence which hath secret and severall wayes of conducting souls to thy self and if thou wilt make triall of my fidelity by permitting me to be dull dry and desolate in my devotions be thou equally and eternally blessed I renounce all scrupulosity of Conscience which reflects any way upon the least diffidence or distrust in thy mercy I am a sinner O Jesu but thou art a Saviour I have great reason to dread thy justice but greater to hope in thy goodness Heaven and earth shall sooner fail than my confidence in thee my mercifull maker If thou kill me I will trust in thee And if I had formerly hated thee and betrayed thee as Judas did I would now with penitent Magdalen run to thy blessed feet weep and bemoan my misery and hope to obtain thy mercy And finally O my Lord I absolutely intirely and irrevocably renounce my whole Will in all things and totally resigne whatsoever any way concerns me to thy holy will and pleasure I offer up unto thee the full sacrifice both principall and accessorie of all that by thy gift and grace I am have and can my self goods graces body soul senses heart will all I leave no right or title to any selfness in any thing whatsoever I am no more my self but thy slave O Lord not my will but thine be done for time and eternity O let me will what thou wilt or not will at all Let all my desires be involuntary if they swerve never so little from thy divine pleasure Dy self-will Live Jesus my Lord my Love my All. FOR SATVRDAY Of Conformity to Christ Crucified The Sixth Exercise 1. CRucified Iesu thou only Lord of my life life of my love and love of my soul O that I could reform my life Deiform my love and conform my soul to thee the absolute pattern of all perfection O that I could imprint thy lively and lovely image in my heart fasten all my affections and imperfections to thy sacred Cross drown all my desires and defects in thy dear wounds put off my self totally and put thee on intirely O sacred humanity ô my suffering Saviour O that I could perfectly imitate thee the pure exemplar of all vertues that I could give up my whole self to thee by an act of irrevocable donation as thou demandest and commandest But alas I am yet O my Jesu all self-love sin and sensuality I acknowledge O my Lord what I have and what I want I know what I desire and what I deserve I confess I am wounded I am wicked I am wretched and I tremblingly come to thee my heavenly Physician to be cured converted comforted O sweet Saviour for thy mercies sake and for thy passions sake Forget and forgive what I have been pitty what I am satisfie for what I deserve and supply what I desire 2. Behold most mercifull Iesu I first cast my self at thy sacred Feet pierced and fast'ned to the cruel Cross for my transgressions Pierce my flesh O my Lord with thy fear and fasten my soul to thy love O let not pride and presumption nestle any longer in that heart which thou O meek Saviour lovest so tenderly and redeemest at so dear a rate O my vain glory and arrogancie what have I to do with you how much do I now detest you Wash off these stains O Iesu from my poor soul in these sweet streams flowing from thy wounded Feet O drown these my imperfections in these sacred Seas of piety Give me O Gracious Lord such true humility of spirit that I may
perfectly perceive the abyss of my own nothing and naughtiness and rightly conceive the immensity of thy greatness and goodness whereby I may depress my self unfeignedly and exalt thee only in my soul Let me be content to be contemned by all creatures desire to be despised be willing to be troden on as dirt and dust and the very outcast of the whole world O let me really hate all honour and humbly pronounce with mouth and mind I am nothing have nothing deserve nothing desire nothing but only to please thee perfectly my Jesu praise thee perpetually love thee purely and live with thee eternally 3. Grant me also good Iesu by the merits of these thy wounds the vertue of perfect obedience O let me never tire in trampling down self-will in forsaking my own sense in subduing self-judgement in submitting my spirit inwardly to thy inspirations and outwardly not only to my Superiours injunctions but even to the commands of all thy creatures O let me have no propriety affection or affectation in my own proceedings but wholly mind thy holy pleasure in all things Let me lay down all my desires at thy sacred Feet O my Iesu saying Lord what wilt thou have me do so transforming my will into thine by an absolute forsaking denying and annihilating my whole self Let me receive O my Saviour as from thy secret providence and permission not only patiently but thankfully all pain all poverty all shame all sickness and all sufferings whatsoever acknowledging that I truly deserve worse and desiring willingly to endure more that so I may have a more perfect resemblance of thee my crucified Lord. Let me learn O my Lord by thy blessed example the holy lesson of discreet silence not only from ill and idle talk but even from all needless and unprofitable discourses Let me rather edifie by the purity of my life and conversation than by multiplicity of words and conceptions O give me sweet Iesu a free and frequent access to thy sacred Feet during the whole course of my life and a sure comfort in them at the hour of my death 4. From thy blessed Feet O my dear Lord I raise my humble devotion to thy al-holy Hands and beg leave to cast into the sweet fountain issuing from thy powerful right Paulm my manifold sins of malice and injustice with all my faults of hypocrisie and ingratitude falshood and infidelity rancor and revenge Renew O Lord God a right spirit within my bowels Let exact justice be the square of all my actions truth the touchstone of my words and sincerity the subject of my thoughts Let me be punctual in performing my duty to thee zealous in punishing my self and charitable in compassionating my neighbour Let me ever yield first unto thy sacred Majesty all honour and glory reverence and respect laud and love gratiâ—ude and obedience with my whole heart soul and strength next to my Superiors equals and inferiours and lastly to my own body soul and senses that which is my duty and each one of their respective dues O let me fully perform what I am bound to carefully eschew what is forbidden me and uprightly walk according to my calling O let me never presume to slight scorn suspect judge or condemn any person but sincerely serve succour and seek the temporal and spiritual good of all men whatsoever even of my profess'd and most peevish enemies Lord Iesu give me grace to imitate thy vertues to be gratefull for thy gifts and to make use of thy goodness in order to my souls advancement in the way of thy dear love and desired union with thy divine Majesty 5. And in the Sacred wound of thy left-hand I humbly intomb all my offences of Neglâ—gence tepidity sluggishness cowardise and pusillanimity all my covetous desires all impurity and all intemperance Purge me O my powerfull Lord purifie me O my merciful Savior Give strength comfort and courage to my feeble and frail nature that I may pass undauntedly through all difficulties and dangers to come to thee my Iesu to lay hold on thee and to repose in thee the only Centre of my desires Grant me O my Lord chastity of body and cleaness of heart temperance in my appetites and sobriety in my senses gravity in my deportment and moderation in all my proceedings that nothing may dislike thee in my soul nor dissolve the sacred knot wherwith thou hast fasten'd me unto thee Give me also O Iesu my Lord perfect poverty of spirit O permit not my soul intended to enjoy thee the only solid and satiating riches to be intangled with the least affection to the poor and perishable trifles of this world Behold I cast my self uncloathed from all creatures into thy naked embraces O crucified Saviour I desire to clip nothing in my folded arms but a breast burning with desires to please thee my Creatour and a heart melting away in thy love I make choice of thy bare Cross O Christ for my best inheritance I stretch out my opened folds to meet thy holy and heavenly huggings O let me never more be unclasped from thy blessed bosom Be thou O my great-little-naked-Iesu my rest during the short time of my life and my refuge at the dreadful hour of my death 6. And now O mercifull Saviour I humbly convert my eyes and contemplation to thy sacred Head crowned with thorns and thy divine Face all besmeared with gore and spittle for my sake Here I implore strength O Jesu for the weaknesses of my head and pardon for the wickednesses of my five wits and senses O my Lord I desire to bury in these thy innumerous wounds the enormous number of my iniquities and I beseech thee for these thy sufferings sake to adorn my weak capacity with so much solid wisdom as may fitly suit with my condition O let me never think speak or act any thing which is not seasoned with the salt of discretion Let me seriously weigh each circumstance and patiently wait thy leave and leasure before I leap into any work Inlighten me to see clearly thy will and pleasure and impower me exactly to fulfil and follow it Open the eyes of my Understanding to behold my own baseness and wickedness and give me thy gracious assistance to reform it Help me to form a right judgement of the real vileness and vanity of all transitory things and indue my heart with courage to contemn them Inebriate my affection ô amiable Iesu with the sweetness of thy love and let all worldly solaces savour of bitterness to my soul Let me be deaf blind and dumb to all things which are not thy self ô my crucified Saviour Let me prudently discern and piously perform each parcel of my duty in it's due circumstance of time place order measure and manner Let that holy and innocent simplicity which is the vertue of thy Saints shine in all my actions Let me not be curious to know much but careful to practise much and cordial to love thee much O
my only Lord and love Cleanse my Will from all self-seeking Keep my Memory from all superfluities Close up my Senses fâ—om all vanities that my happy soul separated from all sensible images may quietly tend to thee only sweetly repose in thee and continually enjoy thy blessed presence O let thy pure and perfect love dear Lord Iesu be the faithfull scout-watch over all my proceedings that no forreign affection no sinister intention no self-liking or self-seeking may steal into my heart and defraud or disturb it's happy enjoyment of thee and holy unity with thy divine Spirit Grant O my Lord that I may prudently turn all good events and all bad accidents to my spirituall profit by reflecting wherefore they befall me of what they warn me and how far they concern me Let me learn thereby gratitude to thy goodness fervour in prayer contempt of my self humility of spirit care of my actions resignation to thy will amendment of my life or what else thy holy Spirit shall please to intimate by these fatherly visitations O sacred Head of my crucified Saviour be thou my certain succor during my lives conflict and my sure place of retreat in my last agony with death 7. And lastly I reverently approch to thy dear Heart ô amiable Lord Iesu opened with a cruell launce in the sight of thy blessed Mother and thy beloved Disciple for the love of my soul O my Iesu I here implore thy pardon for all my perverse affections and irregular appetites Give me thy leave ô my loving Lord to creep into this sweet hole of the rock this sacred cleft of the wall this unlock'd closet of heavenly treasures this saving Ark of the new Testament and shut thou O Iesu the door from without that free from the deluges of all wickedness and dangers of the world flesh and devil I may sit solitarily silently and sweetly hearkning to thy divine whispers in my elevated soul Purge all my impurities ô my dear Saviour in the pretious blood streaming from thy patent side and replenish my heart with thy perfect love Oh! drown me wound me burn me and consume me in thy divine flames of affection that I may love thee strongly purely perfectly perseverantly O grant me to leave all things with alacrity for thee my beloved Iesu though never so great to lothe all things joyfully for thy love though never so good to do all things contentedly for thy honour though never so hard to suffer all things patiently for thy sake though never to painfull and to persever constantly in my pious practices for the sole satisfaction of thy holy will and accomplishment of thy blessed pleasure O let me be incessantly calling and knocking at this sacred gate of mercy Let me be still sighing and seeking after thee my Iesus my Saviour my Lord and my love Let me be alwayes thinking ever talking and perpetually tending to unite my heart to thine to conform it unto thine to transform it into thine that I may be all thine and thou all mine for time and eternity Grant also dear Iesu that I may truly love all others in thee and for thee O inflame my charity quicken my faith rectifie my intentions strengthen my confidence in thee destroy all complacence in my self establish me in all these my good purposes and let me be as often minded of my now-promised duty and incouraged to proceed forwards in the path of perfection as I shall eye the sacred image of thy crucified humanity Elevate my desirous soul unto thy self ô Iesu my Lord above all chances changes and creatures Oh! let it be so totally attentive to thy presence so intirely taken up in thy contemplation and so wholly absorpt in thy love that no outward objects may touch or trouble it no inferiour cares or cogitations may intangle it nothing may impede the free intercourse of thy heavenly friendship nothing may stop the sweet influence of thy divine graces or any way interrupt it 's happy quiet and holy tranquillity O dear and opened Heart of my dying Lord Jesus be thou my sweet comfort during this lives pilgrimage and my sure Sanctuary in it's last period FOR SVNDAY Of perfect Union with God The Seventh Exercise 1. O Infinite immense and unmeasurable abyss of all bounty O ever-flowing fountain of mercy O undraynable Sea of love O my Lord my Soveraign my Saviour and my Sanctifier Behold I return into thee the sweet source of my beginning I run into thee the gracious preserver of my being and I desire to rest in thee the only hope of my souls happiness Be thou henceforth O my Creatour the sole subject of my thoughts and the only object of my love Be thou ô God of my heart heart of my life life of my soul and soul of my love my part and my inheritance for ever I choose thee only I offer up my self wholly I consecrate my self heartily and dedicate my self eternally to thy love honour and service Ah good God! where dwellest thou which is the pleasant plaee of thy abode ô King of glory and comforter of my soul I seek nothing but thy lovely presence I desire nothing but the presence of thy love My soul sighs to see thee my heart covets to have thee my love longs to enjoy thee and I can expect no perfect content untill I am totally united unto thee If I now beg a glimpse of thy divine face O my glorious Lord then a drop of thy heavenly grace and afterwards a dram of thy dear affection Yet in all this it is thy self O sweet God which I demand thy whole self is the only satiating object of my boundless desires and unlimited affections 2. I desire to love thee ô only amiable Lord God by all means and beyond all measure until I am totally transformed into thee by love O do thou freely and fully possess my spirit guide it govern it inlighten it inflame it elevate it inform it and transport it how and when thou pleasest Oh! Let all adulterate love be quite banished all multiplicity vanish away and all impurity and self-seeking swallowed up Let thy love be my light my liberty my life Lord I desire but two things in this world To love see tast and enjoy thee my best beloved and to be humbled despised rejected and esteemed a reprobate for thy love O sweet life O loving Jesu what a heaven what a happiness is it to love thee O how lovely how loving and yet how little loved is my God O source of all goodness and centre of all good souls What is the greatest love of mother friend life or any thing else Art not thou my God all this to me and all in all Ah my soul what didst thou ever best love And didst thou love thy Lord God as much I blush O my dear Lord I sigh and am ashamed to answer I will henceforth do any thing suffer any thing and leave all things for thy love I will not live but
languish not breathe but burn by reason of extasie and excess of love 3. O fire O flames Burn consume annihilate Alas Beauty of Angels how late and how little do I love thee O come into my soul behold a poor lodging yet such as it is it is all thine I conceal nothing I reserve nothing heart soul spirit all is thine own compose all dispose of all depose all unruly passions impose what penance thou pleasest I accept it o my Lord only repose peaceably in my soul and let no foul or false affection interpose it self or disturb this blessed union O that I could please and praise thee purely perfectly perpetually Oh that I could love thee faithfully freely and fully in all and above all things ô my all and only love I acknowledge my self bound ô Lord in thy chains of charity I am burned in thy fire I am wounded and won to thy love But what shall I say What can I give All I have is not worthy of thee and yet is thine already Ask my sweet Lord and have choose and take make me such as thou desirest and then take me to thy desire Give thy self ô great God to my soul and then take my soul with thy self in it My life liberty love and all is thine own My last will is already made in which I bequeath all to thee Thine own death and passion all thy mercies and merits all the praises and perfections of thy dear Mother and the blessed Saints and Angels and all the goods glories and splendors of all thy creatures All that I am have and can both spirituals and temporals kindred friends riches health honors estates offices devotion all is at thy disposition I am resolute ô my Lord I am resigned and indifferent to have them increased or diminished to use them to thy glory or to lose them altogether 4. I give thee back ô merciful Maker my whole being either to be what thou wilt or to be nothing at all to love thee or not to live at all I offer to thee ô pious Redeemer my sins to pardon my works to perfect my will to purifie I offer thee my wounds to cure my soul to cleanse and my spirit to comfort I offer to thee O holy Spirit my intentions to rectifie my inclinations to sanctifie my affections to deifie Finally I offer all for one I give all to one and all I desire is to be all one with thee my all and only Lord and love Thou hast given me O my bountiful Creator the whole world in free-hold for one penny of Rent saying Child give me thy heart O Lord Let this penny never want the superscription of thy grace and let me never want thy grace to pay this rent O my Lord all that I have is but two small mites I cast them into thy hands and had I more I would give more Dispose of them both dear Lord of my body and soul as best pleaseth thee that thy will may be perfectly performed and thy name purely sanctified in both O sweet God of my heart Let me embrace thee in the two arms of profound humility and perfect charity O let my heart faint and melt away in the fire of thy divine love let me lose my self to find thee be out of my self to live in thee and be empty of my self to be full of thee O fun of Justice dissolve with a beam of thy brightness the frost of my heart and resolve it into tears of affection 5. O beautiful and best-beloved of my soul I am weary of this wretched world and I breathe thirst and sigh after thee the sweet fountain of life-giving and soul-saving waters O thou true rest and refresher of my faint and feeble heart out of whom there is neither comfort nor content Let me shroud my self under the shadow of thy wings untill iniquity and infirmity have an end Come Lord Jesu Speak thy sweet words of love to my languishing soul for thy servant hears thee Give me courage alacrity fervour and fidelity in thy service the few remaining moments of my wretched and wearisome pilgrimage O rest long expected and much sighed after where shal I seek thee and when shall I find thee where sleepest thou O dear Spouse at midday in the heat of love Where is thy secret cabinet of Contemplation which thou hidest from the wisdom of worldling and revealest to little ones and humble of heart O shew me the bed of divine Union wherein thou reposest with the simple solitary and mortified soul O let my poor heart have the honour and happiness to rest in thee to remain with thee and to be united to thee O God of love wound my soul with thy sweet wounds of love which nothing can cure but death wean it from the worlds vanity and wed it to thy increated verity that treading all creatures under me I may be rapt into thee my Creator above my-self and there like the happy Dove in the secure Ark repose my weary and faint lims in the bosom of thee my Soveraign Lord and lover 6. O divine wisdom Lead me into the solitude speak unto my heart teach me thy holy will in all occurrences My deep sighs and secret desires are not hid from thee Thou knowest nothing can fully cure comfort and content me but thy self the one and only necessary thing O take my self and all and give me that one thing in whom are all things O sweet waters of divine Love which flow from the blessed bosom of the divinity and from the open side of my Saviours humanity Run into my bowels and like pure oyl penetrate and possess every parcel of my spirit Irrigate and inebriate it overflow and absorp it that it may be transformed and conformed to the divine Spirit so that all my actions cogitations and affections may be spiritual divine and Deiform O let my ravish'd soul full of life and fire break forth into these flames of joy and jubilation I have found him whom my soul loves I have him and I will hold him This is he which by reading I sought by meditation I found by prayer I desired and by contemplation I enjoy O how the earth stinks how loathsom are all creatures to me O tast O sweetness O true and solid pleasure O how great is the difference between this spiritual and all fleshly delights O the multitude of thy sweetnesses which thou hast laid up O Lord for them that fear and love thee O lights O delights O extasies of spirit Wound me O sweet God burn me consume me crucifie me Let me cry out with that Lover Retain O Lord the floods of thy grace or inlarge my heart for I can hold no longer I thirst Lord give me this water O when how long how much 7. O my soul how good is it for us to be here O sweet and secure home and harbour Let us remain and rejoyce here for ever I will keep thee O my dearly beloved and
I will kiss thee I will conjure thee to remain with me I wil rather lose my self than leave thy presence My beloved is mine his honour is mine his heart is mine his heaven is mine And I am his behold the key the keeper the soul the body the lord the whole ô my God is thine Behold my liberty my life my love all is thine ô my Jesu and thine alone Repose therefore as a sweet posie between my breasts sleep like a bridegroom in my heart and reign like a King in the most intim closet of my soul Come Lord Jesu come quickly take full possession of thy own Come and please thy self love thy self and serve thy self in me as thou desirest and deservest to be pleased loved served Let thy love O King of love be the life of my soul and the lease of my life that when I cease to love I may cease to live In thy love O Jesu I end this act of love though my desire actually to love thee be endless Oh! let me live and dy in thy love and for thy love that by love I may for ever reign and remain with thee in thy Kingdom of love Amen THE THIRD TREATISE OF THE SPIRITVALL CONQUEST Or The Ascent of the pious soul by Steps and Degrees of Vertues to the happy Mountain of Perfection Psal 83. v. 8. They shall go from vertu into vertu The God of Gods shall be seen in Syon AT PARIS M.DC.LI To the Devout Champions tending to Perfection THis Spirituall ladder O dear Souls will shew you how much you have profited in pure solid devotion how far you have proceeded in the way of the Spirit how forward you are in seeking God forsaking your selves what progress you have made in your journey towards heaven Contemplate therefore your selves often in this impartial mirrour bewail your backwardness shake off your sloathfulness increase your fervour and encourage your diligence to climb this sacred Mountain of Perfection and to pass on cheerfully from vertu to vertu Psal 83. 8. till you happily come to the beatifying sight of your Lord God in Sion The Seven Degrees of Perfection 1. VPon the first Step stand they who are Faithfull Catholikes Fearful of Gods judgements and Careful to avoid mortall sin These are Beginners who have little inward light stand upon slippery ground and though they may be saved yet so as by fire 2. On the second Step stand Proficients who strive to avoid venial sins and conquer their sensuality but are slow in tending to Perfection and subject to be self-conceited 3. On the third Step stand they who casting off sloath tame themselves with austerities but their intentions are not pure nor they well grounded in self-denial 4. On the fourth Degree stand they who have gotten into their interiour but yet seek for solaces and are discouraged with adversities 5. On the fifth Step stand they who are fully resigned and perfectly obedient but fail for want of experience and courage 6. On the sixth Step stand they who have gotten a perfect habit of resignation and constancy but desire comforts to enable their perseverance Here also stand they who are indifferent to comforts or desolations but yet they rest in Gods favours with some propriety Here furthermore stand they who are satisfied with God only but are not absolutely as willing to leave divine favours as to have them 7. On the seventh and highest Degree of Perfection stand the elevated and contemplative souls Gods faithfull friends and favourites who are perfectly indifferent resign'd and obedient in all things to his divine will and pleasure The first and lowest Degree of Perfection THe first Step and groundwork of all vertue and perfection is To be well setled in the Vpon the first step of this ladder stand Beginners who are Faithful Catholikes Fearful of Gods judgments Careful to avoid mortal sin Catholick faith Fearfull of Gods severe judgements and Careful to avoid all mortal sin This is the Church porch and entrance into Gods holy Temple but they who stand here remain cold in charity carelesse and undiligent in their lesser duties remiss in spiritual exercises negligent in thinking of their obligation by which they stand ingaged to tend towards perfection and finally they greedily gape after all conveniencies of their corrupted nature and give up themselves to glut and solace their depraved sensuality These Beginners have very little But they have little inward light or no inward light they know not what is the meaning of mortification what it is to get into their interiour or what Introversion signifies but they seemingly satisfie and secure themselves in that they have a will to avoid the known and capitall sins whereby they hope to escape hell and avoid Gods heavy judgements Surely such souls stand upon very unsafe and slippery ground and Stand upon slippery ground their salvation is in a doubtfull and dangerous condition for they are so blinded and bewitched with self-love and sensuality that they cannot well distinguish perfectly discern nor rightly judge what sins are of mortall danger and what not so that conversing dayly amidst such multitudes of perils and shaking hands with the world the flesh and the devil with so much freedom so little care and precaution what do they else but dance as it were upon the very brink of hell from whence if they once tread awry they infallibly tumble headlong into that bottomless dungeon of eternall perdition Yet in case they should indeed And though they may be saved foot it so warily all their life time that death takes them not tripping nor fall'n into mortall offence a thing most rare and not to be presumed on by any one who carries himself so carelesly they shall surely be saved but so as by fire They must expect a most sharp and severe Yet so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 13. 15. punishment a long and piercing purgatory by reason of their unmortifi'd affections to venial sins their giving scope to their unbridled senses their neglect of Gods love their coldness in charity and their tepidity in tendance to perfection And as for their good works they are not likely to be there much available since their groundwork was servil fear their end self-love and their whole drift and intention altogether sinister and deficient from that purity and perfection wherewith they should have been performed The Second Degree of Perfection THey stand on this second Step who hearkning to Gods holy inspirations following his internall On the 2. step stand Proficients Who are careful to shun venial sins and conquer sensuality attractions and obeying the sweet invitations of his Spirit keep themselves disingaged from all vain affections to the world yield not to the enticements of flesh and blood resist the suggested temptations of the devil and carefully avoid all occasions of offending their Lord and maker so much as venially To help on this pious design they put
worldly imaginations and to apply her self to God by recollection let her content her-self in breathing forth heartily these or the like short words O my Lord when shall I love you When shall I embrace you Let her repeat them affectionatly and perseverantly and she shall sooner be inflamed with divine love than by the subtle consideration of the greatest secrets of heaven for 't is the Will which unites us to God not the Vnderstanding These acts of the Will are the spiritual wings of the soul to lift her up unite her to her beloved obiect they are short sharp and swift darts and desires shot by our burning hearts and reaching heaven in an instant Our forefathers the Saints frequently Read the 10. collation of John Cassian c 10. used them and most highly prised them for being short they trouble not the memory being fervent they rowse our dulness and dryness to affection and devotion being frequent they still renew our attendance to Gods presence and put us perpetually in mind of our duties The practice of this exercise is Read the Spiritual Confl ch 13. n. 12. to take occasion from all objects actions and accidents to pray and praise God Do we eat let us give God thanks Do we walk abroad Let us praise him who produced all things which we behold from the abyss of nothing Do we look up to heavens beauty Let us admire the Creator in his creatures c. Have we sinned or are we tempted Let us lift up our hearts to God and say O Lord permit me not to fall and offend thee To dy alas I am content when thou disposest but to sin O prâ—serve me from this disaster Other times let us burst forth into aspirations of love as My beloved for me and I for him Of Resignation as Not my will ô Lord but thine be done What do I desire in heaven or earth but thee ô my God Of pure intention as 'T is for you ô my God that I fast 't is for your sake that I obey my Superiour 't is to please you that I study work pray c. Your will ô Lord is mine your content is mine I have no other I or No but as you will or will not all my pleasure is only to please you c. This rule is to be observed that An observation though all jaculatory prayers are good yet those are best most profitable and powerfull which our hearts moved by God conceive of themselves though they be expressed in words never so plain and simple Nor is there any need of much variety of aspirations for one onlâ— word being often and amorouslâ— repeated may serve for many days when our souls find therein guâ— and profit and speak unto him whom they look upon as presenâ— with their eys of Faith This exercise is most easy and most efficacious and they who shall piously persever in it shaâ—l soon find their hearts inflamed with God's love and changed from all worldly affections The 22. Maxim That the Presence of God is the great exercise of Contemplatives and the shortest way to divine Vnion THis exercise is called great because Why call'd the great exeâ—câ—se God himself taught it in the worlds infancy to his faithfull servant Abraham I am thy God saith hee and thy protectour walk in my presence and thou shalt be perfect It is called the shortest way to And shortest way to union divine Union because it is a summary of all the exercises of prayer and which alone will conduct our souls to the hidden treasure of perction and replenish them with those celestiall riches which our loving Lord is wont to communicate to his dearest friends in this life God is present in severall manners How God is present in divers manners according to our understanding 1. He is every where present by his essence which being infinit cannot bee contained within the limits of any place 2. He is every where present by his power He moves the heavenly orbs fixes the earth governs all his creatures c. 3. He is particularly present in heaven by the demonstrations of his glory 4. He is specially present in holy places by grace benediction and readiness to hear their Petitions bless their persons and accept their sacrifices of praise who shall there unanimously meet to present them 5. He is especially present in the hearts of his holy people by the inhabitation of his holy Spirit 6. He is especially present in the consciences of all men where he sits as witnesse and judge of all their actions good and bad For the practice of this exercise Seven similitudes for the practice of Gods presence of Gods presence we may help our thoughts with these seven similitudes stirring up in our souls an ardent desire to feel the like effects of his Al-present Majesty 1. How the soul is in the body all in the whole and all in every part of it moving animating informing all giving it life beauty c. 2. How the meat we eat is disgested and changed into our substance c. 3. How a little worm lying in the warm Sun-shine is environed about with the beams made bright hot and as it were burned and inflamed c. 4. How a black coale amidst a great fire is ignified all on fire and well nigh all fire 5. How a little piece of paper is pearced through with oyl falling on it which by degrees dilates it self all over that the whole seems rather oyl than paper 6. How a small quantity of water in a vessell of wine is swallowed up lost changed annihilated and turned into wine 7. How a sponge in the midst of the Ocean is all compassed within and without absorpt imbued possessed and as it were inebriated with water c. O that we could alwaies have S. Augustin de verbis Domini c. 3. this actuall faith and thought that God stands a present witnesse and judge of all our doings that if we goe forth he spies us if we goe in he sees us if we light the candle he observes us when wee put it out he also marks us should wee not behave our selves as becoms so holy a presence should we not be very impious and impudent to give up the reigns to sin and sensuality O that wee would alwaits ruminate and remember this reall verity That God is the great eye of the world watching over our actions an ever-open ear to hear all our words and an unwearied arm to crush sinneâ—s into ruin how speedily would sin cease amongst us how soon should we obtain an habituall fear and reverence of God What greater ingagement can wee have to walk unblameably than to consider wee act before that judge who is infallible in his sentence Boetius l. 5. de consola all-knowing in his information severe in his wrath and powerfull to inflict punishment This perpetuall eying of God is properly a building to him a Chapell in our
for practice keep exactly some certain times of silence every day which our calling considered we have enjoyned our selves unto Secondly to decline imperceptibly divers unnecessary and impertinent occasions extroversions affairs companies curiosities c. Thirdly to speak modestly and moderately in time of speaking Fourthly to yield easily to others and not contest in words For all consists in denying and humbling our selves Now in Contemplation there are three sorts of Silence 1. When all fancies imaginations In Contemplation there is a threefold Silence and species cease in the soul So that she is silent as to any created object desiring no worldly thing but driving from her all that is not directly God to whom only she is silently joyfully and quietly attentive 2. When in this great calm she fits with Mary at her Lord's feet in a certain spirituall idleness as it were saying I will hear what my Lord speaks within me to whom he answers Hearken my daughter and behold and forget thy people and thy fathers house 3. When she transforms her self all into God her Will tasting his sweetnesse and she slumbring in his bosome in absolute silence desiring nothing more because fully satisfied So that here is a threefold silence 1. When no creature talks to us as having no objects of them in our Understandings and Memories 2. When we talk not to our selves as totally forgetting our selves and converting our inward man to God alone with a receptive subjection climbing above our selves by the act of Faith whereby our Understanding is united immediately to God 3. When God talks not to us but leaves us in the enjoyment of this divine sweetness and elevation of our selves above our selves O heavenly silence This hath been by some â—xperienced but can be by none sufficiently explicated The 26. Maxim That the perfâ—ct love of God and hatred of our selves must be our constant and continuall employment WE cannot love God except we hate our selves and if How to know whether we love God and hate our selves we would truly know how far we are advanced in this love and hatred First wee must weigh how willingly we can and doe submit our judgement in things contrary to our naturall inclination Secondly how quietly we can and doe suffer such things as are opposite to our sensuality as hard usage pains confusions c. We must not conceive we have any degree of pure and perfect love untill our affections are so totally transformed into God that he freely and fully possessâ—s our spirit guides it enlightens it inflames it elevates it how and when he pleaseth His love being our only light and life and we desiring only two things in the world First to love see tast and enjoy God only Secondly to be humbled despised reviled rejected reputed reprobates for his love O sweet life O loving Lord Jesu What heaven what happiness is this We may stir up our souls to an ardent love of God by these and the like motives First What is the object of our Moâ—ives to love God love and who is the authour of all our good Is it not God only What have we nay what hath he that he hath not given us meerly of love and for love thereby to woo to win to wed our loves our souls our spirits to himself 2. Who created redeemed converted called and conserveth us untill this present What hath he not done and endured to purchase our love 3. What is the greatest love in the world of mother wife friend life soul c. Is not God more than all this to us yea all in all What did we ever best love Did we love God as much O let us blush sigh and be ashamed at our gross ingratitude Live henceforth O Jesu my only Lord and love 4. Whose image doe we beaâ— whose bitter death was our ransome whose body and blood is our daily bread and drink who suffred so much for us and from us expected us so patiently invited us so sweetly received us so mercifully O Lord what shall we doe or say We are bound in thy chains of charity We love thee We are all thine c. 5. Upon whom doe wee depend each moment for our whole being both of nature and grace Our bodies depend not so much on our souls nor our life on air as all things body life soul depend upon thee O powerfull Lord God! O that I had whole worlds to offer thee infinit bodies to suffer for thee and innumerable souls to love thee 6. Have we not an inclination to love For what were we created Can we better employ our love than upon God Doth any Creature better deserve it or more desire it than our amiable Creator 7. Can any thing else fully quiet us in this life or totally content us in the next O no Sweet Saviour thou art my only safety security sanctity Oh what did I ever love in the world which did not in the end bring me remorse and repentance Is not all mix'd with many occasions of sin and misery all vain inconstant fading foolish deceitfull Our souls ô Lord are created S. Augustin to and for thee and untill they turn and return unto thee they will never find perfect peace quiet nor content What quiet had the Prodigal child till he return'd to his loving Father Jerusalem Jerusalem return to thy Lord God Why wilt thou seek after puddle water when as thou mai'st freely quench thy thirst at the fountain head I thirst ô my Lord give me this water 8. To whom must we have recourse amidst all the distresses of this miserable life Who will or can comfort us in the pains and pangs of death Who must be our Judge after death Who must be our eternall bliss and beatitude Thou only O our Lord and love art only all this and all things else to our souls And shall we please a creature to displease thee our Creator No Lord we will dy to all creatures that we may live to thee eternally 9. O my soul Upon what canst thou employ thy whole stock of love more reasonably than upon him who for thy love freely forfeited his own life 10. To whom canst thou give up thy self more profitably than to him who promiseth eternal life for thy love and that he will be all thine if thou wilt be all his 11. To whom canst thou convert thy heart wed thy affections more necessarily than to him who threatens eternal death if thou love him not O King of glory why menacest thou us with hell if we love not Can there be a heaven without thy love or a hell with it Or is there any heavier hell or death than not to love thee Had we not better cease to live than leave to love Oh! what shall I answer if I love not 12. What can make a soul more truly honourable and happy than to love God as he commandeth What privilege to be admitted into privacy with God to enjoy his company
goe on in our Introversion with perfect freedome and liberty simplicity and purity without further fears or reflexions Let us I say keep on soft and fair according to order and obedience in our exercises of Humility recollection and inward conversation with God checking and We must curb importunate desires curbing all importune pretensions desires and resolutions of doing strange matters and resting content in what God sends and our poverty affords neither running before his grace nor beyond our own strength Let us leave all intermedling Of little medling comes great peace with others doings and affairs looking only to our own care and charge thinking all others more perfect than our selves and being truly glad that our dear Lord is purely loved and perfectly served by them This is a sure way to avoid many stumbling blocks of our enemies to begin to tast the joys of heaven in this life to live without solicitude and dye without fear or trouble For the further practice of this Further practices of this point important point and to obtain this happy quiet and content of mind First We must carefully avoid and contemn all curiosity to see hear know or have a hand in what concerns us not Secondly we must labour to be as it were blind deaf dumb insensible passing by all things or letting them passe by us For all is vanity Salomon One to one S. Giles My God and all S. Francis Whatsoever hath an end is nothing S. â—erese What is that to thee follow thou me Jesus Christ Thirdly What is it we will see hear or know novelty vanity a transitory toy a foolish fable an impertinent object a flying shadow a false deceit Fourthly to what end Either it will defile our souls or disquiet our minds or distract our spirits or divert our intentions or imprint idle images or excite our passions or renew our vitious affections All which are great hinderances in a spirituall and contemplative course Ah! poor souls what amiable and admirable light and love doe we leave and lose for a vain curiosity c. The 30. Maxim That Crosses are to be suffered not sought to be taken not made to bee conceal'd not complained of IT is far beter to take crosses when where and how we find them than to make them our selves for this is losse of time and a nourishment of Self-love Let us not therefore cast our selves indiscreetly upon difficulties or seek out occasions of humility and patience but be ready to receive and indifferent to accept such as befall us and wee shall find enough to doe Let us make as little outward shew as may be of our inward sufferings but keep that secret to our selves till obedience and just reason induce us to reveal it and then let us doe it simply sincerely and resignedly O what peace what profit what pleasure shall we find in this reall proceeding Complaints are commonly accompanied with self-seeking and small troubles are sooner cured by quiet suffering than much shewing or speaking of them Doth this cross come from See the Conflict ch 10. n. 2. men and is it not rather permitted and provided by our beloved Lord from all eternity to purify us from pride to purge us from the love of creatures and to dispose us for heaven and happiness The 31. Maxim That Temptations cannot hurt us if we cast our whole care upon God WHen temptations passions 4. Rules of practice repugnancies or repinings rage in the inferiour portion of our souls wee are presently to reflect 1. That wee have made choice of God's love for our end and resolve to stand to it till death 2. That we must willingly submit to the trouble as long as it shall please God to permit it 3. That we must continue in our practices of piety and Recollection as if we felt no afflictions neither thinking on them nor fearing them but assuring our selves that nothing can injure us so long as wee rely upon God and resent our own weakness 4. That Prayer may be our chief refuge and support against all their surprisals and therefore we may say briefly and heartily Perfect thy strength O powerfull Lord in my weakness let thy mercy triumph on the throne of my misery I detest from my heart whatsoever is contrary to thy holy will in this point N. and all things I resign my self to suffer it as long and in what manner thou pleasest though never so cross to my crooked nature Sweet Saviour remain with me and let thy love reign in me and then I neither want other company nor desire further comfort The 32. Maxim That Desolations derelictions afflictions distractions are to be transcended by generous Resolutions IN time of desolation c. we are not to dispute with our selves nor examin the causes or circumstances of our sufferings for we are then neither competent nor indifferent judges but we must referr that untill the time of Prayer talk not now with your passionate and partiall heart but speak to God about some other thing transcending and dissembling your trouble in some such manner Good God! when shall this Pilgrimage have an end My life is a continuall warfare upon earth wherein all is vanity all is affliction of spirit all is full of frailty misery instability O Lord what is man that thou shouldst mind him a weak reed wagg'd with every wind and contristated with every little cross and contrariety burdensome to himself and troublesome to others c. There is more profit and less danger to suffer Desolation than to abound with Consolation to desire sensible love and contrition than to feel it to resist temptations distractions passions with patience and resignation than to have none at all It 's a signe of high and heroick vertue 1. To be Resigned when it seems we neither are nor can be resigned 2. To be Patient when we are fullest of motions to anger 3. To be Humble meek and quiet in time of sickness serious business multiplicity of employments 4. To be Constant and invariable in all the diversities and varieties of our own changeable humors dispositions inclinations internal invitations external instigations Let us not think we lose our time when we are involuntarily distracted in Prayer but rather comfort our selves in being deprived of all comfort because we then remain in that state in which God would have us Let us conceive our selves as within the walls of a strong castle without which are great noises outcries tumults alarms but we safe and secure within sleighting their vain attempts If our desires be to love God and our intentions to be with him and we hold no discourse with other divertisments we have made a good and profitable Prayer c. The 33. Maxim That Perfection consists in putting off all Propriety and putting on pure and naked Charity THis will make us love God above all things and all things in and for him only uniting our spirits to God and in him to our
Surely the proud have no true Isay 48. 2â— rest there is no peace to the wicked Let us Remedy it therfore by learning of Christ true humility and meekness out of which there is no hope of quiet 5. An indiscreet Zeal and 5. Indiscreet zeal over-greediness of perfection which makes us eat more than we can disgest and so cast it up again with great pain undertaking austerities exercises introversion c. beyond our capacities without counsel and so we remain afflicted being unable to go forward and ashamed to go backward Let us Remedy this by humble obedience to a discreet guide 6. Want of fervor in our vocation 6. Instability of heart instability of heart and inconstancy in our exercises leaving changing interrupting them through laziness or lightness This leaves a worm gnawing upon our conscience with continual disquiet and sadness Let us Remedy this with S. Bernards counsel Wilt thou never S. Bernard be sad live well A good man is alwayes merry and a good conscience is a continuall feast 7. Disordinate love and affections 7. Love to creatures to creatures Let us love all only for God and we shall be content and quiet in the loss of the most lovely and beloved creature in the world God alone will supply all other loves and losses 8. A jealous and envious eye 8. An enviâ—us eye This is a dangerous and lamentable cross For all the Perfections of oâ—hers are ours when we love them â—n others but when we hate them they are nails in our eys and thorns in our hearts which do extreamly torment us O madness Have we Parum tibi est si ipse sis foelix nisi alter sit infoelix not sufficient miseries at home in our selves but we must suck poyson like Spiders out of others Hony and what is their crown must be our cross What greater wickedness than to pine away with grief at others good The Remedy of this is by endeavouring to get true Charity the property whereof is to weep with the weepers rejoyce with the joyfull to love others good as our own Let us avoid Curiosity if we wil eschew Envy for a Curious eye is the fewel of an Envious heart let us remain like Bees in our hive of Introversion there make provision for the Winter of Death Eternity c. 9. Frequent failings in good 9. Frequent relapses purposes and relapses into sin We question whether our sins past are pardoned and are uncertain that our present Confessions are good This is of one evil to make two foâ— we have done amiss and now by losing Courage and confidence we make our selves unfit to do better Let us Remedy it by acknowledging our fault using violence to our selves and following direction Other Remedies against Sadness Orher Remedies against sadness Jam. 5. 13. 1. Prayer 1. Prayer is a soveraign Remedy Is any one sad amongst you Let him pray God is our only joy and comfort Let us lift up our hearts to him and lay open our wants and desires before him with Resignation who both can and will abundantly comfort us Ah! my poor soul why art thou sad and whence comes it that thou thus troublest me Is not our God good and gracious who hears thy sighs and sees thy sorrow what wantest thou which he cannot or will not give thee when he sees it most expedient for thee 2. Somtimes let us sing spiritual 2. Singing Songs which greatly confound the Devil 3. Other times we may fitly divert 3. Recreâ—tion our thoughts by some external Recreations or imployments 4. Let us endeavour to make 4. Fervent acts external and internal Acts with fervour though without gust as embracing and kissing a Crucifix and speaking reverently and lovingly unto it c. 5. A discreet taking of a Discipline 5. A discipline obtains wonderful comfort for the soul is called from the inward troublesom pensiveness to the outward pain and the Devil flyes away seeing his companion the Flesh so hardly handled 6. Frequent Communinn is an 6. Communion excellent cordiall strengthning our hearts and rejoycing our spirits 7. Let us discover the effects 7. Discovery of it and manner of our sadness to our spiritual guide and take his advice simply and humbly This is the remedy of remedies 8. Let us take heed of making 8. Indifferency use of these Remedies only that we may be at ease and avoid affliction but for the prevention of danger which may ensue and for the rest remain perfectly indifferent and resigned 9. If we will be free from Sadness 9. Few desires we must labour to keep far from us unquietness of mind if we wâ—ll have our minds quiet we must have few desires and those few only to love and please God 10. Finally let us beware of 10. Plain-dealing three things 1. Of following our Sensuality in meat drink talk ease c. 2. Of vain Complacence and self-opinion c. 3. And above all of Hypocondriacy Hypocrisy double dealing sleights with our guide for no mervail if he starves and pines away who lâ—es to the holy Ghost If we are simple as children our loving Father will give us sweet-meats Wo be to Hypocrites for it Mat. 23. 13. wil go il with them in the latter day Another Antidote against Melancholy and Pusillanimity The reason of our being so often Pufillanimity proceeâ—s from want troubled and shaken is because our spiritual edifice is not supported by these solid props 1. Faith For if we captivate 1. of Faith our Understandings to believe what God himself hath told us what his Church hath taught us and what our ghostly guides still preach unto us how can we chose but be comforted and satisfied 2. Abnegation For if we have 2. Of Abnegation made good Confessions have endeavoured to satisfy God and our guide and have a will to obey them in all things we may rest secure Let us not say What shall become of us Shall we persever for the desire to know this argues our hearts of secret pride and propriety Let us therefore deny our selves saying Gods holy will be done in and with us for all time and eternity and what ever becomes of us we will serve him till death because his love deserves it What need we seek a further security of Gods friendship towards us in this life than to find in our souls these two things First for the time past we have done penance consisting in Confession Contrition and Satisfaction Secondly for the time to come we give our selves totally tâ— God to serve and please him the residue of our life in the best manner possible Let us put our souls in this estate and go on with courage and never more trouble our selves 3. Solid Confidence For if we 3. of Confidence know God is mercifull and Jesus hath suffered enough for all sinners whereof we are the
wherein we judge amiss and whereupon wee ground our particular fears for that is the easiest way to remove them 8. Let us weigh the vertue of the Physick The vertue of the Physick which must cure us which must cure our Disease to wit First the infinit goodness of God and Christs merits And what Soul can fear having so gracious a God and so great a Ransome 2. The Credit and Compassion of the Blessed Virgin and the Prayers and Patronage of Saints and Angels who being secure for themselves are solicitous for us 3. The testimony and sweet promises of holy Scriptures For how often hath God told us I am prone to pitty I am ready to receive sinners I will help them who doe their endeavours If therefore he denys not his mercy to them that seek it and they seek it who doe what lys in them let us bee confident he will not deny us his mercy He also frequently calls on us Turn to me and I will turn to you Now he cannot but say truth aad fulfill his promise and doth not that soul convert her self to God who doth her best to get his grace and be reconciled unto him Who then can choose but be of good Comfort if he be of good Will By this Doctrine and these prescribed Remedâ—es it appears that the only way to overcome Scruples is 1. To obey our Spirituall Director 2. To doe our best endeavour But here arise two difficulties in this easy lesson The first is If our Directoâ—â— The first difficulty knowledge be small his experience lesse and his conscience not very good how dare we trust our souls upon his Warrant Gerson answers Thou wiâ—e Gerson's answer Judger I say thou errest and aâ—â— deceived for thou hast not committed thy self and thy soul to a man because of his discretion and learning but to God himself and for his love thou obeyest man because he is by him ordained thy Prelat and Superior Therefore our obedience wil be oftentimes so much more pleasing to God and profitable to our souls by how much more infirm and unworthy he is whom we refuse not to obey for Gods sake The other difficulty is If wee The second difficulty cannot satisfy our selves that wee doe our best Endeavours nor know that we have performed our duty S. Thomas answers We must St. Thomas answer first remove that which hinders grace to wit Sin 2. We must convert our hearts from creatures to our Creator In a word we must detest Sin and choose God and follow his ordinary means appointed in his Church for our direction and this is the Summary of our duty The 22. Doubt If we fear we detest not Sin sufficiently because we feel not so great sorrow for the offence of God as we doe sometimes for a temporall losse LEt us assure our selves First We can never have so much sorrow for our Sins as Gods justice in rigour requires 2. God doth not exact it of us because it is not in our power 3. True sorrow consists not in feeling but in Reason and Freewill 4. It is better to have sorrow sometimes only in desire than feeling 5. It is not necessary this corporall or sensible grief be so great for spirituall as for temporall loss but it sufficeth to use humane and morall diligence with firm purpose of a voiding Sin 6. It ls dangerous to make such comparisons and reflexions for weak and fearfull Consciences as If such a thing should happen what should I doe Should I rather chuse death than such a Sin and the like I say there is no obligation to make such acts The 23. Doubt If we cannot ground our selves in a firm Hope of mercy for that we are so frail and inconstant We sin daily and amend not our lives We receive Gods blessings and repay ill for good Wee promise protest and vow fidelity and practise nothing lesse TEll me afflicted Souls Should you see Christ dye daily for your daily sins would you despair of mercy Even so efficacious is his former death If you fall hourely rise again couragiously and purpose to stand more constantly and fear nothing but draw Humility out of your Frailty saying Whereof am I proud now Where are my strong Resolutions Why doe I judge others Who is so feeble sickle frail as I am O Lord this is the Worm that is so proud Then cast â—ll into Christs sacred wounds and leaving all there go on with as much quiet and Confidence as if you had not sinned The 24. Doubt If we go not on w th alacrity because we know not that our Sins are forgiven that our Confessions are good and that we are in state of Grace WE must take notice that in seeking these assurances we may oftentimes directly lose them 1. In seeking them too eagerly and unquietly 2. In being self-lovers and unwilling to be troubled 3. In being ignorant of what we are bound to know for it seems we conceive those works nothing worth which are performed without gust content satisfaction to our selves and quiet The way then is briefly this 1. To seek true peace 2. In God 3. From his mercy not our own industry 4. To be resigned to want peace if he please 5. To omit nothing we would or should do by reason of the trouble we feel The 25. Doubt Though we cannot in this life assure our selves infallibly to be in good estate yet if we could comfort our selves with most probable tokens of grace whereby we might feel the pulses of our hearts and somewhat ease our anguish SAint Thomas and S. Bernard assigne 4. Signs of a good conscience out of S. Tho. and Bernard these four signes of a good conscience 1. To feel a ready Willingness in our hearts to hear Gods word and to learn the means to love and serve him 2. To feel a Forwardness to do good Works 3. To feel a hearty Sorrow for the offence of God 4. To feel a firm Purpose to avoid all Sin Gerson adds a fifth Who so can A â— out of Gerson To pronounce these three verities pronounce heartily and sincerely these three Verities though he had committed all sins and should be prevented with sodain death let him secure himself he is in state of Grace The first Verity O Lord If in Oh! that we would often recite these three truths especially when we feel our consciences burthened What infinite profit and comfort would redound to our souls this or that I have sinned against thy goodness it truly displeases and grieves me and I am ready to do penance for it because I have offended thee who art worthy of all honor and have transgressed thy Law and Will which is most holy just and reasonable The second Verity O Lord I have a good purpose and desire by thy grace to take heed I fall not into sin again and to avoid to my power the occasions thereof and to mortify my passions and bad
affection towards it So that these too cheif powers of man's soul miserably deceived and misled walk continually as in a circle from this darknesse into others and fall from one great errour into others more grievous 5. Take heed therefore of fastning thy affection upon any thing And the same caveat is necessary also in holy things whatsoever before it be wel weighed and examined by the Vnderstanding and recommended to God in prayer that so thou maist truly discerne whether it be good or evill And to this I exhort thee not only in all indifferent things but even in them also which are good and holy for though they are evidently good in themselves yet they may prove otherwise to thee by reason of some circumstance of time place measure or obedience Whence it often happens that many have endangered themselves in their most laudable and holiest exercises 6. Thou must also warily retain The Understanding is to be also weaned from Curiosity thy Vnderstanding from Curiosity lest it draw that into the soul which may retard it in the intended purchase of victory For a curious enquiry after earthly things which are impertinent to thy spiritual purpose though it may bee sometimes permitted yet t is generally the poyson of the spirit Restrain therefore thy Vnderstanding to thy utmost and strive to make it simple and foolish And made simple and foolish to worldly things As for the changes and chances in the world whether they be great or small if they concern thee not consider them not And when thou needs must heare or behold them let thy Will alwayes contradict them Yea even in the knowledge of heavenly things be sober and humble and content thy self in the onely desire to know thy crucified Saviour and his blessed life and death Abandon all other things for so thou shalt yield to thy Lord a most gratefull service who puts them into the list of his best freinds that desire no more knowledge than what is sufficient to inflame their hearts in the love of his goodnesse and hatred of their own wickednesse for in the search of all other knowledg nothing but self-love and a certain pernicious pride lyes secretly lurking 7. If thou thus weanest thy Vnderstanding How highly this conduceth to perfection from these curiosities thou shalt happily escape many ambushes of thy enemies For the wicked spirit marking the unchangeable will and resolution of those travellers tending to spirituall perfection not to yield their consent to sin layes his crafty plots first against their Vnderstanding that so he may by little and little get the mastery And how cunningly the devill plots against i◠over it and the Will together To this end hee suggests to the learned and sharpwitted sublime and subtile conceits that they may think themselves already united to the divinity so forget themselves and give over the correction of their own consciences the resignation of their wills and study of their own nothing And thus they are insnared By suggesting pride to our understanding with pride and make to themselves a certain Idoll of their own wisdome in their Vnderstandings and are so highly puffed up and perplexed in these vain thoughts that they now perswade themselves not to stand in any need of others counsell or direction 8. O the danger that these souls Which is far more dangerous and more difficulty cured than that of the Will are in and how hardly are they cured by reason that the pride of the Vnderstanding is far more perillous than that of the Will For hee that is proud onely in Will omits not all obedience but submits his judgement sometimes to others which he preferres before his own and beleeves it to be better But he that is puffed up with the pride of his Vnderstanding and assuredly believes his own opinion to be better than that of others ah what hope is there of his cure How shall he be brought to submit to anothers judgement when as he thinkes himself the wiser man For when the Vnderstanding which is the souls eye and should both see and correct its secret pride is it self blind and blowne up with presumption when light it self is become darknesse and the very Rule crooked thou easily conceivest what followes and what the end of those things is like to bee which depend upon such principles Wherefore take timely care to prevent this pride before it pierce thee to the marrow yeeld not up the reins to thy understanding but subject it to counsell and submit thine owne sense to others judgements become a foole in thy own conceit for the love of thy Lord and by this means thou shalt bee wiser than Salomon CHAP. V. Of the Will and the end to which we are to direct all our actions IF thou desirest ô dearly beloved 1. A will to do well sufficeth not to become one spirit with thy Lord God 't is not enough to have a pious and prompt will to doe good works but even that good thou doest must by his divine help and motion be totally referred to Gods honour and to please him onely In But our actions must be performed only to please God this thou must look to have a strong conflict with thine own nature which in all her actions and omissions seeks her own commodity and complacence especially in things spirituall Hence it is that when any good thing is proposed to be performed as from Gods will and pleasure shee readily undertakes to perform it but yet not as a thing pleasing to God or proposed by him but rather because she considers the commodities and content which man reaps by doing the will of God 2. Wherfore to the end thou Which that thou maist attain to maist wrest thy selfe out of this dangerous snare of the Devil and pernicious stumbling block cast in the way of perfection and by degrees get a custome to doe or not to doe because God will have it so and with an intention to please him only who should be the entrance and end of all our actions listen diligently to these following advices 3. When a thing is presented unto Apply thy understanding to Gods will thee to bee performed which is agreeable to the divine Will first lift up thy Vnderstanding unto God before thou appliest thy Will to execute it thus thou shalt clearly discern that it is his divine pleasure thou shouldest perform it and that thou shouldst doe it solely for his Honour and good liking And that thy will is drawn and moved by the divine will to effect this work for this onely end and intention because God will have it so for the honour and glory of his own most sacred Majesty 4. So likewise when thou wouldst omit or refuse the things not willed And take heed of being deceived by God resolve not rashly upon this omission untill thou hast directed the eye of thy Vnderstanding to the divine will as is even
musicall charmes soare up in spirit to the sweete harmony of Heaven where Alleluja's do forever resound and beg of thy deare Lord that thou may'st become worthy to chant forth his perpetuall prayses amongst those heavenly quiristers 18. When thou walkest on the way Walking abroad ponder how each one of thy paces is a step towards thy death 19. When thou markest the Fowls Marking the swift flight of the Fowls of the Aire how swiftly they glide through that yielding Element and the running Waters hastning to their originall Ocean thinke how thy life slips away and thy Soule runs on to eternity with greater speed and celerity 20. When impetuous Winds are In time of Winds Thunder Stormes rais'd or Thunder and Lightning rage in the Skyes remember the â—earefull day of Judgement and â—rostrating thy selfe at the foot â—f the Crucifix adore thy Saviour â—nd implore his gracious assistance â—hat thou mayst now make such good use of the time hee lends thee â—hat thou mayst be then prepared â—o appear couragiously before his dread Majesty 21. As concerning divers Accidents Also upon all other Accidents and Occasions As of grief sorrow which are personall and peculiar to thy selfe thou mayst thus behave thee When Griefe or Sadnesse hath seized thy Heart when melancholy oppresseth thy minde or when any inconveniency troubles thy body raise up and resigne thy spirit to the supreme and eternall Will of God who is pleased this molestation should even now and thus touch and torment thee for thy good and his owne glory and bee glad of this occasion to serve him according to his owne Decree and Disposition 22. When thou castest thine eyes When thou lookest upon Christ crucified upon Christs sacred Crosse consider it as the banner of thy warfare from under which thou maist not step aside without eminent danger of being surprised by thy sworne enemies but following it closely and valiantly thou hast certaine hope to conquer them and climb up to heaven loaden with their glorious spoils and trophees 23. When thou seest the image Or the image of the Blessed Virgin representing the holy Virgin mother turne thy heart towards her now reigning in Paradise and give her thanks for having been ever ready to performe the divine will for bearing and bringing up the Redeemer of the world and for never denying her favour and succour to thee and all spirituall combatants humbly imploring it 24. So let the pictures of Saints seeme as so many representatives of And the pictures of Saints stout champions and Soldiers who by their courages and conquests have made thee a free and safe passage to follow them imitate them overcome with them and be crowned with them in eternall glory 25. Let the Churches which thou Or entrest into Churches frequentest put thee in mind that thy soule is Gods temple and should be therefore kept most purely and prepared most perfectly for his comming 26. Finally let each creature all Finally make all objects accidents instrumeÌ„ts to thy perfection objects and every accident be so spiritualized and distilled by thy understanding from their earthly and materiall drosse that they may serve thee as true instruments to the perfection of thy soule and become powerfull helps to thee contrary to thine enemies intention in thy tendance to divine union which is the onely end thou aimest at How to regulate the Tongue 1. And because the tongue hath a neere assinity with our senses for we willingly discourse of those things wherein we take delight I will here before I descend to the following doctrine briefly shew thee how thou art to regulate bridle and master this unruly member 2. Much pratling proceeds ordinarily Much talk proceeds from presumption from a certain presumption which perswades us that we are very knowing in the things we talk of and so pleasing our selves in our own conceptions we endeavour to imprint them in the hearers hearts with soperfluous repetitions and replications of the same subject to appeare thereby more masters of Reason than others and as if they stood in need of our instruction Few words cannot expresse the evill which ensues upon over-much talking for it is the parent of idlenesse an argument of ignorance the dore of detraction the instrument of falsehood and the blaster of all true devotion and spirituall fervour 3. Wherefore I advise thee in the Therefore avoid long discourses first place not to enlarge thy selfe in long discourses before unwilling hearers which is to break the lawes of civility nor yet before them who are willing to hearken to thee lest thou exceed the bounds of modesty 4. Avoid also all patheticall and And passionate expressions passionate expressions and an over-high elevation of voyce for both these are generally odious to the hearers and alwayes arguments of thine owne vanity and presumption 5. Speak not at all of thy selfe of And all talking of thy owne affaires thine owne affairs of thy patentage or kindred unlesse in case of evident necessity and then also with all possible brevity simplicity sincerity and modesty and if another seeme superfluous in such speeches concerning himself be thou edified thereat but imitate him not though his words tended to his self-abjection and accusation 6. Discourse not of thy neighbour Or of thy neighbours nor any thing concerning him unlesse a just occasion urge thee to defend him or speak well of him 7. Shew a willingnesse to talke But speak willingly of God alwayes of God and particularly of his love and liberality yet still with profound reverence for fear of failing and therefore take more content to hear others discourse than to talk thy self and conserve what good words are delivered in the cabin of thy heart 8. As for all other discourses let the only sound strick thy eares but keep thy mind fixed upon thy God And if thou needs must lend an eare because thy answer is expected yet let thy souls eye glance up to heaven And ponder in thy heart what thy tongue is to utter where thy Lord and love is and first examin briefly in thy heart what thou intendest thy tongue should utter wherby thou wilt quickly resolve whether speech or silence be now more to the purpose 9. Lastly thou wilt find by experience my dearly beloved that The praise and profit of Silence Silence is an excellent and usefull weapon for thy spirituall combat giving courage to fight constancy to continue and confidence to overcome It is his sure friend who distrusts himself and trusts in his God it conserves us in devotion and comforts us in the exercises of our duty And surely the bare consideration of the disasters caused by inconsiderate talking is a sufficient motive to make us in love with silence to which that thou maiest habituate thy selfe make frequent use of solitude and retirement from fruitlesse company and frivolous conversation whereby instead of men thou shalt
wants and thy weaknesse saying in thy mind Thou seest ô my sweet Saviour how I am possessed with this passion and pestred with this perverse affection Thou also well knowest ô my Lord my weaknesse to resist it and that â—â— is not possible for me by my owne diligence to be delivered Therefore this battail is thine I resigne this my quarrell against these enemies into thy powerfull hands and from thee alone I look for the victory 9. After thou hast thus silently And constantly hope for the divine helpe prayed turn thy selfe to the eternall Father and piously present his deare Sonne Jesus unto him for the same effect for which thou now receivedst him into thy soul And expect with constant hope his divine helpe which although thou presently perceivest not yet thou shalt infallibly and plentifully receive when it shall be most expedient for thee CHAP. XXX How to excite in us the affections of love by the sacred Communion IF thou desirest to stirre up in thy soule by meanes of this most holy Sacrament that fervent love of thy Lord God which destroyes and consumes all self-will and selfe love within thee Settle thy selfe in the evening which precedes thy communion to meditate upon thy Lords immense love and liberality towards Consider Gods love and liberality thee unworthy wretch the worke of his owne hands how not content to have formed thee of nothing to his image and likenesse and to have sent his onely Sonne from heaven to inhabit our earth and to serve thee for the space of three and thirty yeares in continuall labours and travails and lastly to undergoe his most bitter passion and ignominious death for thy redemption He would further bequeathe this his Son unto thee in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist for the perpetuall food and refreshing of thy soul 2. And that by the due consideration Especially shewed in the sacred Communion of this speciall benefit of sacred Communion thou maist become all fire and love thou shalt thus order thy devout exercise Consider in the first place Who it Weighing first who it is that comes thus unto thee is that conferres on thee this so large and liberall gift Surely it is thy Lord God himselfe the divine and increated wisedom and goodnesse whose worth and perfection infinitly exceeds the reach of all created capacity 3. Then looke upon the gift it self 2. What he gives thee which is the true and onely Sonne of God of equall height nature and substance with the heavenly Father and holy Ghost Now if a small gift proceeding from a King hath its high value in respect of the giver how highly is this gift to be valued by us which is God and given by God himselfe as a token of his true love and a perpetuall memoriall of his tender affection towards us 4. Again reflect upon the eternity 3. The eternity of his love of this love by which it was decreed by his most divine most hidden and most holy wisdome that he would thus give thee himselfe for thy food and refection and hence begin with joy and jubily of heart to sing and say within thy selfe O infinite goodnesse of my God! and is it even so that thou lovedst me in thy endlesse eternity didst thou ô my Lord and my God so much value me thy poor and unworthy creature that thou remembredst mee in thy blessed eternity and hadst an ardent affection and desire to give me thy self for the food of my soul 5. And finally looke into the purity 4. The purity of his love of this love which so great a Lord shewes unto so mean a worm How different is it from all earthly affection how free from the least mixture of profit and selfe-interest How farre is it above thy merits and how purely is it a worke of his onely mercy and bounty 6. Having thus seriously and sweetly with affection and admiration meditated of the divine goodnesse Thy heart may breake forth Hence break forth into admiration into these raptures Whence is it O my Lord that thou so lovest me an abject creature Why O King of glory wilt thou so nearly joyne me to thy selfe who am but a litle dust and ashes I well conceive thy designe O my deare Lord this thy excessive love towards me It is to win me reciprocally to thy love O the purity of divine love Thou lovest me ô my God and givest thy whole selfe unto me for no other end but that I may in gratitude give thee my love life and all entirely and this for no need thou hast of me but meerly for thy mercies sake and for my advancement and profit that by this sweete tye and happy union of love my earthly heart may be raised up to become one with thy divine heart ô my Lord and my God EXPLICATION HEre all ravisht with joy to see And ravishment to see thy self so highly prized thy selfe so highly prized and beloved of thy Lord God withdraw into the secretest part of thine owne heart and there acknowledging that all this powerfull love is to intice thy poore and inconsiderate selfe unto his divine Majesty make so And make an intire oblation of thy self to him absolute an oblation of thy selfe unto him that thy memory may scarcely thinke of any thing but thy God thy affection may abhor all content which comes any way without him and thy Vnderstanding may admit of no other object for its continuall entertainment than him who is the onely satiety and satisfaction of all thy inward faculties and outward senses And since there is no action amongst And this being the chief act of Religion all them which concern our Religion and loyalty to God which can compare with this of receiving him worthily in the most holy Sacrament either in appeasing Strive to perform it most perfectly his anger or uniting us to his love Force thy selfe to the utmost of thy power to prepare purifie and open thy heart unto him and to shut it against all things created 7. Then offer and dedicate thy self humbly and wholly with heart and Text. affection to the divine pleasure Dedicating thy self wholly â—o him and retaine an ever ready and inflamed desire to please God and follow his blessed will And when this holy desire and affection shall be throughly enkindled in thy soul thou wilt see me to move thy Lord God also to be so much enamoured with thee that he desires thou shouldest freely open thy heart to him that he may the next morning enter And freely open thy heart to him in unto thee feast with thee and take his full delight in thee Then doe thou also declare thy mutuall desire to receive him with these kind of Jaculatory prayers O heavenly and divine manna when will that wished houre come that I shall to thine owne content receive thee into my soul Ah when shall I be surely united unto thee by
sincere affection When shall I O onely life of my soul relinquish all self-will and vanquish all my passions and imperfections 8. In these and the like devotions thou maist spend the evening and morning to excite cherish and encrease thy desire to receive thy deare Saviour that so thou maist perfectly please him and be most happily united unto him And in thy pious practices of these things take this Caveat Be sure to keep each power and faculty of thy soule pure and But take heed of vanity and curiosity free from all curiosity of worldly things and from all idle and vaine thoughts Take also the like care of thy outward senses lest thy heart steale out by them and so thou lose all thy devotion EXPLICATION THe time of the sacred Communion At the time near the Communion drawing nigh think thou art to receive the Lord who created this great Universe and thee to his owne likenesse the Sonne of God who died for thee nâ—ked on the 1. Think what thou art going to doe Crosse that increased goodnesse which hath so often freed thee from danger death and damnation which thy sinnes deserved Thanke him with most profound Thank humility and adore him uniting Adore Implore all thy spirits and forces of body and soule togeather as true God and true man Beg also his pardon for thy faults and that the same love which moves him to grant thee this great gift may also induce him to purge thy soule from the staines of all sinne and uncleannesse thereby disposing it to a more pure and perfect union with his divine Majesty When the Priest pronounceth those sacred words Domine non When Domine non sum dignus is sayd sum dignus O Lord I am not worthy accompany him with these following and speak to thy Lord and love from the bottome of thy heart I am not worthy to receive thee ô my great Lord before whose Majesty the Angels of heaven tremblingly confesse their owne nothing I am not worthy ô my Lord that thou shouldest enter into my heart who am one of the meanest weakest and ungratefullest creatures upon earth I am not worthy ô my Lord that thou shouldest lodge with me because I love thee not and I remember thee not though these are prime reasons of thy instituting and remaining in this most blessed Sacrament Thus humble confound and abisme Humble and Confound thy selfe thy selfe at the serious consideration of thy sinnes malice and misery but then raising up thy heart with hope by the following words Sed But still raising up thy heart with hope tantum dic verbo sanabitur anima mea Doe thou onely speak the word ô my Lord and my soule will be saved Enter ô my love into this unworthy harbour and make use of thine infinite power and goodnesse in pardoning my sinnes supplying my defects and protecting me from my enemies 9. And after thou hast received Text. Having communicated entertaine thy guest with amorous expressions this divine Sacrament betake thee presently to the innermost closet of thy heart and there enter into communication with thy holy guest using these or the like loving and respectfull expressions What hath moved thee O great King of Kings to enter in to me who am nothing but a miserable despicable vild blind and naked creature And he will answer thee Love for thou art my dove my friend my sister my spouse and my dearely beloved Then thou maist reply O increated love ô sweetest dilection ô friendly and faithfull charity what wouldest thou have me doe what demandest thou what desirest thou I ask nothing saith he but love I would have nothing burne in the harth of thy heart but the fire of my love that it may devour all forraine love within thee and destroy all self-wil and seeking This this is my desire because I would be truly thine and would have thee likewise be totally mine Which can never be compassed untill thou freely deliverest up thy selfe to my will and pleasure For without this entire resignation thy fancy will be alwaies fastned to the loving and liking of thy selfe and thine owne actions be they never so meane I desire therefore that thou shouldest hate thy selfe that thou maist have the love of me I demand thy heart for my habitation that I may joyne and unite it unto mine for to this end was my heart opened to thee upon the altar of my Crosse My will is I say ô my dearly beloved spouse that thou desire nothing think nothing understand nothing see nothing feel nothing but my selfe onely that so I onely may be in thâ—e and thou totally turned into me and that thou maist possesse in me perfect quiet and I in thee pleasant context 10. Lastly thou shalt offer the holy And Lastly offer up the divine Sonne to his heavenly Father Sonne to his heavenly Father for thy selfe for the whole world and for the soules departed in memory and union of that divine oblation which he offered upon the holy Crosse presenting in like manner all the unbloody sacrifices to the divine Majesty which are that day offered up in his universall Church CHAP. XXXI Of Spirituall Communion ALthough my beloved thou canst receive thy sweeet Saviour 1. Thou maist thus often Communicate sacramentally onely once a day yet thou maist receive him spiritually every houre and moment For nothing can hinder thee from this but onely thine owne fault and negligence And this spirituall Communion may sometimes prove more profitable to thy soule and pleasing to thy Saviour than the sacramentall especially if there be a defect in thy due and diligent preparation 2. For as often as thou desirest By frequent desires to receive thy loving Lord God thus spiritually into thy soule thou shalt find him ever ready to feast thee with his owne sacred hands and thou mayest thus easily dispose thy selfe unto it Turning thy selfe to thy Saviour to this end reflect upon thine owne frailty and frequent failings and conceive an inward sorrow and detestation of thy defects then make thy supplication with a loving affection that he will not disdaine to enter thy poor cottage and feast thee with his owne true body and blood 3. So also when thou art moved And it is an excellent exercise against passions with a pious zeal against any perverse Passion and desirest efficaciously to mortify it or to plant some vertue in thy soule make use of this spirituall communion by converting thy thoughts towards thy Lord God and invoking his aid with ardent prayers beseech him to enter and possesse the secret part of thy soule Or calling to mind thy last sacramentall communion speak to him with an inflamed desire When ô my good God shall I againe welcome thee into the closet of my heart Come now O my Saviour and comfort me spiritually with the like strength and vertue EXPLICATION IF thou wilt practice this pious How to make
great use of this exercise for thy spirituall profit exercise of spirituall Communion with more reverence and profit frame thy intention over-night to apply all the mortifications of thy vicious passions all the acts of vertue and whatsoever good thou shalt any way performe for the obtaining of this happy effect and that thou maist worthily open the gate of thy heart to give due entertainement to so divine a guest And in the morning settle thy thoughts upon the serious consideration of the great happinesse of that sweet soule which worthily receives this most holy Sacrament whereby sins breaches are repaired lost vertues are restored languishing forces are recruted and each good returnes to its first beauty by the communication of the fruits of Christs merits and passion Then force and excite thy heart to an ardent desire of these comforts by thy Lords comming and turning towards him say O my Lord and my love I am not worthy to receive thee sacramentally but doe thou ô increated goodnesse and unlimited power pardon all my imperfections and make me worthy to receive thee spiritually to the honour of thy holy name and the true comfort of my poor soule CHAP. XXXII Of Thanks-giving ALL our good actions are of All goodnesse is from God God and from God and therefore a thankfull gratitude is due to him for all our well performed exercises for each victory obtained against our enemies and for all and singular his blessings and benefits 2. And that thou maist not be defective To whom therefore all gratitude must be shewed in this point of duty Remember that the chiefe motive why our omnipotent creatour conferres his mercies upon his creatures is that they should correspond to him in pious perpetuall and worthy thanksgiving And because our Lord God in bestowing his benefits intends principally his owne honour and secondly our profit doe thou likewise First therefore acknowledge his goodnesse in receiving them acknowledge in the first place his power wisdome and goodnesse which most gloriously shine in each one of them 3. And in the next place reflect upon And then thine own unworthynesse thine own unworthinesse of so great favours who art nothing else but ingratitude misery and basenesse And Lastly submit thy selfe to obey his divine will and pleasure and study to performe what thy Lord in lieu of these benefits expects from thee which is to love him chiefly to serve him carefully and to offer and dedicate thy selfe to him freely and totally as I shall now teach thee CHAP. XXXIII Of the perfect oblation of thy selfe to thy Lord God AFter thanks-giving for received favours the soule presently breaks forth into that delicious affection of the Royall Prophet What shall I render to my Lord for all the good things he hath given me That therefore thou maist doe something seeming like satisfaction by offering up to his Majesty all that thou art hast and canst and that entirely absolutely voluntarily and by an efficacious act of thy inward man 2. Consider first with a serious attention First consider Gods greatnesse and glory the greatnesse and glory of thy Lord God for upon this depends the perfect oblation of thy selfe and thou wilt find that there is a reverence and feare due to this his greatnesse and glory that there is a love due to his goodnesse that there is a hope confidence due to his mercy and so of his other attributes and perfections And thou shalt congratulate and rejoice with thy Lord God that he is what he is to wit the best greatest most wise most holy most happy most powerfull most infinite and that he hath all the perfections which he possesseth Thus multiplying many such amorous acts of complacence in thy heart 3. Then bow down the knees of soul and body with most profound 2. Adore and acknowledg him c. reverence before thy Lord and maker adoting his divine Majesty and acknowledging him to be the supream governour of all his creatures And particularly that whatsoever good thou hast by nature and by grace is his proper gift since he alone confer'd it upon thee and he alone conserves it in thee for thus thou must needs confesse thy self to be his debtor though thy offering be never so great because thou canst present him with nothing which is not already his owne and first proceeding from his liberality and bounty neither doth he lose his dominion thereof by conferring it upon thee 4. In the next place passe on to the 3. Offer up all thy interest in any thing oblation it selfe and deliver up all thine owne interest in whatsoever thou hast or canst into the holy hands of thy heavenly creatour with all possible cheerfulnesse and integrity that is offer up unto him all that he hath given thee and so restore thy whole selfe to thy God in perpetuall bondage to dispose of thee both in time in eternity as he best pleaseth Neither shall it suffice thee to make this oblation generally by presenting unto him the root and beginning of all thy thoughts words and works but thou shalt doe it peculiarly by presenting even those also which by reason of thy state thou art obliged to exercise to the honour glory of his sacred name 5. Lastly thou shalt unite this entire oblation of thy selfe and all that And unite all to the merits of Christ belongs to thee unto the merits of Jesus Christ the sweet spouse of thy soul that from thence it may have that value and esteeme which from it selfe thou canst not hope or expect And thus thou shalt end thy exercise by presenting the eternall Father with thy whole selfe and the Preâ—â—â—â—ing both together to the eternall Father holy merits of his onely Son joyned together with all his actions and sufferings from the crib unto the Crosse for all these are thy treasures which he at his death bequeathed by his last will and testament unto thee whom he left entitled to all his merits But remember that thou makest not this oblation for thy selfe alone but also for the universall Church and her members for thus it will be far more acceptable to God being sweetned with the incense of perfect charity 6. In like manner when thou wilt offer up thy fastings prayers or other So Likewise in offering thy works of piety pious works to thy Lord God consider that his holy Sonne thy sweet Saviour hath already presented them together with his owne to his eternall Father and so hath conjoyned and united them both together doe thou therefore offer up the same in the same manner by which thou shalt know that thy oblations proceed from a sincere heart And if thou practisest this in time of adversity thou wilt easily master all misery anguish pain and perils whatsoever duly fulfil Gods holy pleasure 7. If furthermore thou desirest to make an oblation of Christs actions for thine own offences he have thy How to offer
our souls For when humane favour and respect strive to oversway the love of God and strike in for a part of that which is due to God only we do or leave undone say or unsay what we neither should nor would but for their sakes Ouâ— kindred corrupt oâ—r judgments and courtesies blind our reasons so that we neither discern their follies nor correct their faults but rather comply with their imperfections and somtimes wink at their open wickednesses for the continuance of our own content 3. O how far is this from that The remedy is to love all impartially in and for God pure love which obligeth us to affect all without exception of persons only in and for God as bearing his image as being truly vertuous and as far forth as they are furtherers to our souls salvation and perfection Fy upon all friend ships and affections which are attended with such dangers accompanied with such distractions and followed with such disquiets which busie our fancies and bend our imaginations to things so unprofitable and impertinent and so much impeding us in our intended pâ—ogresse to the perfection of Gods love 4. So also all disordered delight Spiritual sweetnesses may be somtimes snares of our enemy pleasure and propriety in spiritual sweetnesses and inward solaces of devotion are meer traps of the enemy laid to catch and insnare our unwary souls and to make them rest with complacency in things which are not God himself the end of our desires but only his creatures guifts and graces You must not stay here O devout We must noâ— stay in them but transcend them souls but pass on your way and transcend all for his sake whom you only seek and not his solaces These are helps and encouragements in your course not the goal you must touch These are neither security Read the 28. ch of the Confflict nor sanctity but only baits of the divine piety to strengthen you in climbing the steep mountain to his perfect charity The Third Ambush Extroversion or an inordinate application of the soul to external things 1. THis choaks up the Spirit of Extroversion choaks up devotion Devotion quenches the souls ardor in her holy exercises hinders her hastning to perfection and buries the whole heart and mind the whole time and talents in mean and inferiour employments which should be totally taken up in divine contemplation Take heed of being drawn into this dangerous ambush O dear Therefore we must not intrude our selves into employments souls intrude not your selves into any business and when Necessity Obedience or Charity the only pretexts which can make extroversion lawfull and laudable urge you abroad keep your heart still at home converse there with your Lord and love and commune with him concerning the more important affairs of eternity abstract your selves from all outward multiplicity and there treat sweetly and secretly with him of your souls union to that one thing which is only and absolutly necessary 2. Abridge therefore your fancy But curb our fancies from fruitless roaming abroad upon all occurring objects which proceeds from instability of heart and argues a neglect of your interiour Curb and suppresse all extravagations Read ch 4 n. 6 of the Conflict of your mind not only from sinful but from superfluous and unprofitable conceptions which nothing advance your soul in it's tendance to perfection but contaminate it with the dust of vanity and contristate the holy Spirit of God within you 3. Perform such works as concern your calling without solicitude of mind or ingagement of affection Perform workâ— of obedience necâ—ssity and charity without engâ—gâ—ng your affections lest your senses become darkned your soul distracted your fervor diminished your prayers neglected and you sliding insensibly into negligence and a total discomposition in your inward man be hardly ever again reclaimed and recollected For how can a soul which is totally environed with worldly impertinencies have any vacant time left for the entertainments of piety how can a mind dull'd and astonish'd with the continual noyses of mundanity hearken attentively to Gods holy inspirations 4. Wherefore strive timely and And strive to get into your interiour diligently to get into your interiour prevent your soul which is ever active never idle with pious thoughts lest evil habits press in first and pre-possesse it apply your selves speedily and seriously to introversion spiritual silence and inward attendance to God alone adhere to him only and remain unremoveable from this maxim To desire nothing demand nothing think of nothing love nothing labour for nothing but him alone that One and All which is needfull for you Do this as if nothing else concern'd you and as if there were nothing but He and your self and You and himself considerable in the whole world 5. The surest way to compass this happy and heavenly design is to keep your eyes and heart fix'd By fixing our hearts upon Christ crucified constantly and continually upon Christ crucified This is the solid ground whence the highest contemplatives take their first rise hither into this sacred Ark of our Saviours humanity they must again return after their lofty soarings into the divinity and here they must settle when elswhere they can find no footing And surely a soul that seriously considers his sufferings contemplates his mercys and reflects upon his vertues will find her whole time too short to visit each room of his several perfections and none at all left to be lost upon extravagant and worldly fancies The Fourth Ambush Bitterness of Heart 1. WHich comprehends all kind Bitterness of heart comprehends all sadnes frowardnesse c. of Sadness Melancholy frowardness restlesness indignation despitefulness proness to impatience discontent tediousness of mind aversion distast of all things dislike of others suspicions sinister interpretations unpleasantness murmurations detractions rancor malice rash-judgments and the like 2. The source of these bitter All which proceed either from nature indiscretion â—n austerities thoughtfulness persumption or immortification streams is either perverse nature or indiscreet austerities or an over-serious application of the mind to study and thoughtfulness or a secret presumption of self-perfection and sufficiency or an immortification of passions or a reflexion upon past injuries or an envying at others vertue praise preferment and prosperity And all these anguishes of mind and harshnesses in conversation are great impediments in our progress to spirituality and must necessarily And must be sweetned with charity be sweetned and season'd with the Sugar of perfect Charity For if we truly love our Lord God how can we scorn his image stamp'd in the souls of our Brethren Do they cease to be Gods amiable creatures because they displease despise or Read c. 16 of the Conflict neglect me may they not be Gods friends though they are my foes are they not more likely to love God because they dislike me who am so truly unworthy to be loved
confession into my mouth prayers into my lips remorse into my memory resolutions of amendment into my will T is Thou O gracious God who chiefly actest all this good in me by me and for me O my All do then all in me that thou desirest And particularly overwhelm I beseech thee my whole interiour with perfect contrition not coming from a slavish and servile fear but from a faithful and filial love Grant me a true and intire grief for having offended thee not because of thy promises or threats but because thou art in thy self good amiable adorable 3. Or if mercenary interest do yet more move thee O my sensual and sinful soul For how hainously dost thou take a small injury how deeply dost thou resent a little disgrace the loss of a dear friend of health of honour or the like temporall and perishable commodities O whence is it then that thou so little apprehendest thy loss of grace and thy eminent and imminent danger of eternall damnation Is it a small matter to be Gods enemy To lose the good will of all heaven To destroy Gods image To cut up life root and branch To side with the accursed devils thy Creators sworn enemies to hatch Treason enter Conspiracie with the damned Yea and to kill as much as in thee lyes him who by his own death gave thee life O brutall and unnatural ingratitude Surely the annihilating of heaven The reason is Because the least degree of a higher order surpasses the highest degree of the lower order earth Angels men and all Nature cannot be compar'd with this malicious evil and willfull destruction of thy grace O Lord in my soul O eternal God! what a monster have I then been in grace what a prodigie in nature who have so little car'd to commit such enormous sins But O my Lord I will even now change my life I here detest all sin I make firm purpose of amendment I have a ful confidence in thee my Creator a good wil to do satisfaction and a totall resignation to thy divine pleasure 4. I am the woful criminal O just judge of my soul and I will be also the accuser and witnes the advocate and executioner in this tribunal I summon you therefore O detestable pride O abominable envy O execrable avarice O beastly lubricity and all you accursed crew of sins how long will you reign on earth how long will you dispeople Gods inheritance who brought you in amongst Gods children T is the perverted Will of man O dread Soveraign which hath done all these mischiefs Rectify ô my Lord I beseech thee this my crooked Will and murder these horrible monsters in me and grant that I may henceforth rather expose my body to a thousand deaths than my soul to one deadly sin Thy Saints will rejoyce ô God at my amendment and thy Angels will make a Feast but thy own resentment of joy will be infinite because thy love is infinite which goes hand in hand with thy essence and comprehends all love in supream eminency I will therefore expect from thee O heavenly Father the exact remembrance from thee my Redeemer the perfect knowledge from thee ô holy Spirit a true repentance and from thee ô Sacred Trinity an intire absolution and plenary indulgence from all my iniquities The grief I feel for my past offences the hatred I have against each sin at this present and the resolution I make to avoid all iniquity for the future are not equivalent in me to their enormity and hainousness I therefore humbly crave ô holy Lord God! that thou wilt accept thine own hatred against sin for that which I should and would have and in stead of the sorrow I want I offer that of thy Son my sweet Redeemer with the Sacrifice of his immaculate life and innocent death And since I cannot be impeccable by nature O my Lord nor dare presume to ask to be so by grace give me leave to prostrate my self before thy infinite bounty and clemency and beg by the merits of Jesus Christ thy dear Son and by the desires of thy essential love the blessed holy Ghost that though I may not be impeccable yet I may never sin more and if I must somtimes sin through my frailty yet that I may never sin mortally This thou desirest O Lord this thou demandest this thou commandest O give me what thou commandest and command me what thou pleasest 5. O my good Lord Jesu who art Lord of my life and shouldst be the love of my soul had I not like an ungracious and ungratefull wretch given my heart and sold my affection to fond frail filthy and fading creatures and comforts which are so far from bringing me eyther quiet of mind peace of conscience purity of soul or perfection of spirit that they leave me nothing but trouble confusion and remorse with a world of disquiet and desperate thoughts violent passions and vitious inclinations I find no other refuge or remedy but to return to thee my Centre to convert my self to thee O my good Lord and Master to cast my self in all humility at thy sacred feet and heartily to beg thy mercy pardon and reconciliation O mercifull Father I truly acknowledge my prodigality and humbly confess my treachery and am sorry from my heart that ever I offended thee who deservest so much love and service from me Beseeching thee as a guilty prisoner to be pitifull to thy poor creature and mercifully to forgive me the manifold rebellions and grievous iniquities that I have committed against thy Divine Majesty and goodness and for the love of thee I freely forgive all them who have any way offended or contristated me sincerely acknowledging that I deserve no comfort from any creature but all contempt and confusion and not only to be troubled by all on earth temporally but even to be tormented by the Devils in hell eternally 6. O how ungratefull a child have I been to offend so often and so grievously so loving and liberal a Father so meek and mercifull a Redeemer and so â—weet and soveraign a Majesty who hath always shew'd himself so benigne and bountifull to me tolerating me in my sins and expecting me to his mercy wooing me to his love and calling me to his service by a thousand means all which I have either rejected or neglected and still nevertheless given me time and opportunity to do penance O my poor soul how blind and bewitched hast thou been to leave the bread of Angels and to feed on the husks of swine for vanities villanies shadows and nothings to abandon God and all goodness on whom depends all thy hope and happiness quiet and comfort for time and eternity O blindness O folly O frenzie Would God I had never sinned Oh that I might never sin more O my God what have I done Would I had suffered on the Cross pains of body and pangs of soul when I thus N. sinned Oh what can I say or do more
I abhor and detest whatsoever I have done said thought or desired contrary to thy holy will O my Lord and my love I renounce all company and occasions which may induce me to offend thee 7. I cast my self at thy sacred feet to be thy slave for ever with a firm resolution to bear thy Cross till death and to do penance and satisfaction for my past pride and pleasure desiring nothing but to live at thy feet like the penitent Magdalen in solitude silence submission O good Jesu Out of thy infinit mercy merits and meekness suffer not me thy poor creature to be damned and separated from thee eternally O amiable eternity O eternall amitie of God! Shall I leave and lose thee for filthy pleasures frail creatures fond friendships fading honours No dear Lord No Lâ—â— it please thee rather to take my soul out of my body than thy love out of my soul let me rather dy miserably then sin mortally Let me pass on the rest of my pilgrimage in thy grace and fear that I may end my dayes in thy friendship and favour which I beseech thee to grant me O most powerfull and mercifull Savior by the love of thy sweet heart by the merits of thy bitter death and passion by the intercession of thy Blessed Mother and by the suffrages of all holy happy and devout souls Upon all which relying as upon so many sure anchors of my hope I commit and resigne my self to thy disposition and providence for time and eternity O my Lord my love and my All fully trusting that thou wilt mercifully pardon my sins carefully assist me in my wants and weaknesses and in the end happily bring me to eternall bliss by such means as thy divine wisdom knows most convenient for me FOR THVRSDAY Of Subduing Sensuality to Reason The Fourth Exercise 1. MY Spirit is willing O most glorious and gracious Lord God to serve thee love thee honour thee and follow thee but my flesh is weak frail and refractory I do not what I desire O my God and what thou demandest but I act that which I hate and what thou forbiddest I feel O my Lord a law of sensuality contradicting the law of my mind captivating my reason clouding my judgement and continually striving to cast me down headlong into sin and perdition Unhappy man that I am Who will free me from this body of death Ah my brutish body ah my burdensom flesh Thou art my dangerous and deadly enemy 'T is thy weight that depresseth my soul thy earth that clogâ— and corrupts my ayr thy contagion and perversity which infects and debaseth my better part and heavenly portion thy sensuality which draws on endangers and almost destroys my reason 2. Ah Sensuality the source of all my misery how justly do I now hate thee and how willingly would I leave thee At my first acquaintance with thee thou defiledst me with original sin In my infancy thou mad'st a beast of me And now in my riper years thou still pursuest me proclaimest open war with me blindest my Understanding with darknes ignorance and errours mak'st my Will refractory to good and ready to all evil distractest my Memory with vain and vile fancies and perpetually tossest me to and fro between love and hatred joy and grief hope and fear and the rest of thy numerous and enormous irascible and concupiscible powers and passions Ay me how sad is my state how deplorable my condition Oh! how long Lord must I dwel with these devils how long must I endure the violence of these passions O my Lord my strength and my salvation break these fetters for me Command a calm O thou only Ruler of Sea and winds and appease the surges of these my unmortified appetites Oh! restore me to my self again reduce reason to her lost dominion in my soul and bring back me thy poor creature to thee my powerfull Creator O let not this passenger perish amidst these boysterous billows nor suffer utter shipwarck in these fearfull tempests I suffer violence O my Lord answer for me the companion which thou hast given me hath deceived me Sense hath corrupted and conquered my Judgment Oh! how I am dragg'd up and down by my al-mastering appetites commanded by my servants and fettered by my slaves O tyranny O indignity Ah my soul O noble spirit fair as the angels formed to thy Creators lovely resemblance stampt with his divine character and heir apparent to his glorious kingdom To be thus subject to the base and brutall desires of flesh and blood O intollerable bondage O unworthy servitude 3. O Father of mercies and only Physician of my soul Thou art almighty and al-mercy and I am all weakness and all misery There is no part left sincere in my whole body and soul from the contagious poyson of passion from the infectious leprosy of sin and sensuality All is out of order O my Lord I acknowledge it to my own shame and confusion each sense is gone astray each member of my body is corrupted each power of my soul is perverted My Understanding is obscured with self-love my Memory distâ—acted with sensual â—bâ—ects my Will posses'd with peevish inclinâ—tions My affections are vain my passions violent my dispositions vitious My body is burdensome my imagination troublesome my life irksome These are my wounds O my heavenly Surgeon O put to thy helping hand I beseech thee see fear and search them before the gangren enter and the grief grow incurable My soul is sick even to death if thou wilt O my Lord thou canst both cleanse and cure me To this end thou descendedst from Jerusalem to Jerico O pious Samaritan from heaven to earth O compassionate Saviour where thou findest me in this pitifull plight sore beaten wounded half dead and utterly despoiled of all natural and spiritual riches by theeves and robbers which are the senses of my body and the faculties of my soul O pass not by me sweet Jesu but mercifully bind up my bleeding wounds with the swathing bands of thy death and passion powre upon them the wine of thy pretious blood and supple them with the oyl of thy heavenly grace 4. I intend ô my Lord strengthen me in this hour I intend O sweet Saviour a total reformation of life and manners an intire mortification of my corporeal senses and spiritual faculties an absolute change in my whole man O grant me I beseech thee my loving Lord the powerful assistance of thy special grace for the performance of this great and good purpose Teach me now ô my blessed Master to live inwardly piously spiritually as I lov'd formerly to live outwardly vainly sensually O let me henceforth yield to thy divine motion obey thy call imitate thy example and follow thy will O let me never more act or omit any thing be it never so little for my own liking but purely and perfectly for thy love 5. Grant ô good Jesu that at each word of my mouth at each glance
and securing lesson Leave all things and thou shalt find one thing which is all in all Take courage and fight valiantly against thy own bad nature pray suffer stoop bear repugnances swallow down contradictions disgest injuries the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence The end thou aymest at is perfection the reward of thy conqucst is eternall love eternal life eternall happiness Behold ô my Lord my strength and my salvation I am fully resolv'd to lay the ax to the root of this wicked tree Help me I beseech thee with thy grace from above that I may hew my self out of my self that I may kill crucifie and mortifie my inveagling sensuality cut off my evil inclinations rectifie my disordered passions and root out each thought or desire which tends not directly to thy honour will and love O my Lord and my God! 3. I know Lord that it is bootless to study perfection without the practice of mortification I confess I can never love thee truly but in as much as I hate my self really such is the antipathy between self-love and thy holy affection Ah! how can a spirit distracted with contrary inclinations be freely and fully vacant to thy divine contemplation Put therefore I beseech thee a sluce to my unmortified passions put a bound to my distraught heart and powerfully keep back those innumerous concupiscences and corrupt imaginations violently succeeding each other that my united affections may intend thee only the only object of all happiness Gather ô my Lord the dispersed forces of my soul from all multiplicity of worldly affections to the union of thy only love Keep I beseech thee my understanding will memory imagination and all my inward and outward sences from roaming abroad that carefully attending and entertaining thy divine presence in my soul I may attain true introversion simplification and union of my Spirit with thine Reform ô my Lord all the naturall corruptions of my outward man and redress all the spirituall infirmities of my inward man destroy and disperse all internal and external enemies and opposers of thy holy love possess me perfectly and dispose of me entirely according to thy divine will and pleasure 4. To this end O bless my weak endeavours al-mighty and al-merciful Lord God I will subtract all superfluities from my body and accustom it to all sorts of sufferings that so I may fit it up for thee O holy Spirit who dwellest not with them that are sensuall and subject to sin Alas I have not yet resisted to the effusion of my blood and should I spill each drop of blood in my body in this holy quarrel how little ought I to regard it in respect of the great good I expect I will therefore crucifie thee O my flesh with all thy concupiscences I will mortifie my outward senses the windows by which death steals into my soul the hinderers of my hearts tranquillity the destroyers of true devotion the dispersers of inward recollection and the utter ruiners of all the good desires which I conceive and kindle in my prayers Ah how soon is this divine fire cooled and quenched not only by sin but also by the distracting images of outward objects I will keep a speciall and strict watch over my tongue on which depends my spirituall life or death and cheerish thee ô beloved silence which art the key of piety the keeper of innocency and the preserver of purity I will trample down my inferior This is the chief exercise of Gods children not to be carried away with affections of flesh and blood but to conduct themselves according to Gods Spirit nature with all it 's evil affections and motions of love hatred joy sadness desire fear hope Anger c. I will order dispose and direct it according to the laws of reason and thy divine inspirations ô my Lord and my God Grant me courage I beseech thee to quell and curb this most dangerous and my greatest enemy which is the source of all my miseries the citadell from whence sin assails me and Satan fetcheth his forces to fight against me Grant good Lord that I may Therefore every one must strive to know his own natural inclinations and then imploy all his forces and apply all his prayers and spiritual exercises to quel them never yeild to this wicked Eve persuading Adam my Superior will to eat the forbidden fruit to consent to unlawfull pleasures O that I could tame these cruel beasts my naturall passions how soon should I be master of all morall vertues O that I could so till this vineyard so delve this garden so purge it from all ill weeds of affections and prune all superfluous surgeons and shoots of passions that the seed of thy grace ô heavenly husbandman might only there take root increase and fructifie 5. I will also mortifie my Superiour and rationall part with all the curious and fruitless speculations of my Understanding all conceits of self-wisdom naturall prudence proper judgement and good liking of my own proceedings All vain and foolish reflexions of my Memory And all petty desires and affections of my Will which relate not to thee the only object and Lord of my love I am resolved ô my Lord to nip off each budding passion as soon as it peeps up in my soul to trouble it in its true repose and to hinder its liberty and tendance to thy love I will by thy gracious assistance proceed faithfully and sincerely in the hatred denial and mortification of my self and in the prosecution of thy divine love And in order to this only end and aym I make in thy presence and from the very bottom of my heart and soul these particular acts following I renounce ô my Lord for the pure love of thee all affection to worldly things Give them unto me ô gracious God or take them from me as best liketh thy divine Majesty I resign up all my interest in any thing though never so near and dear unto me Behold ô my Lord and lover I uncloath my soul from all affections whatsoever to creatures and desire nothing but thy self-alone O happy nakedness O rich poverty of Spirit O pure obedience to the divine will in all things Be you my hearts delight my whole pleasure and patrinony 6. I renounce all self-seeking Ah! my corrupt nature I abhor thee Adieu all private-interest profit praise and preferment I will henceforth performe all my actions and exercises O my Lord God for thy only pure perfect love I will seek to please and praise thee with an inward ardent and amorous affection for thy self only and not for thy gifts or graces I renounce all sensuality whether it be in meat drink sleep apparel curiosity of my five senses or any thing else whatsoever O my Lord I will make no other use of any thy creatures than I am absolutly compell'd to by necessity of nature I look for no solace but from thee alone My only comfort and content I renounce all
the soul is wounded with love fick of love and languishing for love after a long experience in the way of the Spirit and a serious application of her self to the practice of solid vertue having truly gotten into her own interiour and happily ascended the steep mountain of Perfection is become deeply wounded with love sweetly sick of love and heartily languishing after love So that she crys out with that fainting Spouse in the Canticles O tell my beloved that I languish with love This infirmity is not to death but for Gods glory for the Soul in this state defyes all sin deserts whatsoever is not God and desires him only she grows weary and sick of all creatures and aspires after the embraces of her Creator And as an infirm person loseth appetite and loathes all the wonted contents of nature so here the soul feels no gust takes no pleasure findes no comfort in any earthly objects Shee lyes sick and seized on by this mystical feaver caused by the violent heat of heavenly love and here she is in the degree of contemplative purgation when she findes no support no stay no tast no quiet no content in any thing whatsoever And therefore she â—oon soars up from this Step to the next The Second Degree of Love WHerein she rouseth and raises In the 2 she seeks her Physician up her self and casts about which way she may seek and find her loving Physician who can only cure and comfort her she gets up early and eagerly enquires after him without intermission or cessation whom she failed to find in her bed at night in the first degree She faithfully follows the prints of his steps turns over natures book dives into all creatures questions all she meets Oh! have you seen him whom my soul loveth Yet she stays no where stoops not to the lure of any created object she demands and passes on she leaves all for him whom she only loves and longs after She holds no discourse with Angels themselves but listens only to his heavenly voice and desires nothing but to see a glimpse of his beatifying countenance O shew me thy face let thy sweet words sound in my ears Here love bears all the sway and hath made so deep an impression in the pious soul that she is perpetually solicitous for love ever sighing after love and still carping caring and seeking for her well beloved in all things All her throughts tend to him all her discourses drive at him all her affairs end in him If shee sleeps she dreams of him if she wakes she talks of him Finally she is always in all things in all places transported into this object of her love and swayed towards this Centre of her life And recovering new strength ascends upward to a further Degree The Third Degree of Love WHerein she works with more heat and vigour and of which the King-Prophet speaks In the 3. she fears her own unworthiness and the loss of her beloved Psa 111. Blessed is that person who fears the Lord for he will exceedingly desire to fulfill his holy laws Whence may be inferr'd that if Fear which is Loves daughter cause such effectual desires how efficacious will those desires be which proceed immediately from Love it self The Soul in this Degree beleeves that her best works done in the behalf of her beloved are very base inconsiderable she runs over her Registers of accounts sums up her numerous exploits measures her long suffâ—ances and surveys her high services and they seem at best but poor and mean performances of a greater duty she finds them nothing worth by reason of the excess of affection which inflames and consumes her If Jacobs love to Rachel had so powerful an influence upon his spirit that his twice seven years apprentiship seem'd to him but a Gene. 29. 20. few dayes by reason of the ardour of his desire What admirable effects will the Creators love produce in that Soul which it hath absolutely seized upon entirely possess'd and throughly penetrated in this third Degree She will be piously troubled and angry with her self that she doth so little for so great a Majesty and if she might lawfully she would most willingly give up her self to be minc'd into a thousand morcels for his love honor and service and receive therein full comfort content joy and satisfaction It truly seems to her that shee troubles the earth she treads on and the ayr she breathes in and that she unprofitably takes up a place in the world as a barren tree which brings forth neither flowers nor fruit Hence springs a further admirable effect that she verily thinks her self the worst of all things created considering what she owes and calculating what she pays for Love teacheth her how much God deserves and Humility tells her how little she doth and because shee finds that all her best endeavours are full of defects and imperfections and that her highest way of corresponding to the love of her heavenly Lord is so low and unbeseeming his Majesty she is inwardly pained and confounded in her self A soul in this state is far from any puff of pride presumption vain glory or censuring of others and is therefore duly disposed to mount up to the next Degree The Fourth Degree of Love WHich is of suffering for her In the 4. she willingly suffers for love beloved freely and cheerfully without the least repining or reluctancy because true love makes the heaviest burdens seem light and the greatest labours easie In this estate was that Spouse when she spake to her beloved Place me as Cant. 8. 6. a signet upon your heart put me as a seal upon your arm because love is strong as death c. The Spirit hath here such a vigour that it absolutely subjects and subdues the flesh and as much slights all motions of sensuality as a well rooted tree doth the wagging of one of his little leaves Here the soul seeks not at all her own gust or comfort either in God or any of his gifts nor demands any grace in order to her own solace or support but all her care is to cast about her which way she may render some acceptable service to the Divine Majesty and how she may content and please him in any thing which she can do or suffer for that he deserves it for his love and goodness Many seek their own content in God But Few seek to give God content towards her though such her services cost her never so dear Ah! Good God how many of your followers seek in you their own content and comfort sigh after your favours expect your cherishings and run after your gifts and graces But alas how few are they who strive to give you content and to present you with any worthy donative at their own cost and charges without some touch of self love or proper interest You are ever open-handed ô bountifull Creator and ready to showre your heavenly benefits
upon our heads but we are always loath to employ that in your love which we receive from your liberality though this is the only way to have them continued and increased This degree of love is very high and heroick For as the soul here seeks her Lord so seriously and adheres to him so sincerely that she is ready willing and desirous to suffer any thing for him So his divine Majesty often ordinarily rewards thiâ— her fidelity with putting her in possession of joy and giving her many secret sugred and delicious visits For the immense love of the Word incarnate Christ Jesus permits him not to see his loving Spouse suffer purely for his sake without hastning to her comfort and succour Hence she speedily gets up to The Fifth Degree of Love WHich moves the inflamed soul to a certain holy impatience In the 5. she is impatient in her desires of love in her desires of being joyned to her beloved She is seiz'd with such a vehement ardour to overtake him and to be united to him that all stay and tarriance seems to her tedious and insupportable She thinks often to have found him caught him in her arms clasp'd him in her bosom but perceiving her self still frustrated of her desired object faints through her eagerness of spirit as he did who cry'd out My soul covets and decays after the Courts of Psa 83. 1. my Lord. She cannot subsist long in this And must either obtain it or dy for it condition She must either obtain her love or cease to live she is as eager in her desires as Rachel was to see her self a mother when she said to Jacob Give me children or Gen. 30. 1 else I dy Here the soul feeds altogether on love as she only hungers and thirsts after love So that she quickly raises her self up to The Sixth Degree WHere she runs lightly swftly and nimbly after her beloved In the 6. she runs lightly swiftly sweetly after love Isai 40. 32 being fortified with Faith lifted up with Hope and quickned with Charity Of which degree the Prophet speaks They who hope in our Lord shall exchange their strength shall take Eagles wings and fly without fainting The reason of this lightness is the overspreading and dilatation of these three Theological vertues in the soul whereby it becomes so elevated that it wants but little of a totall purification Wherupon that enlarged soul said I have Ps 118. 32 run over the way of your commandments when you dilated my heart Hence she grows hardy in love grows bold and confident in love and putting on a confident boldness is piously amorously and strongly transported beyond the ordinary limits of reason So that she stays not according to judgement retreates not according to counsel nor governs and represses her impetuosity violence and forwardness by the rules of modesty and shame-fastness because the peculiar favor which her best beloved shews her communicates to her a holy and heavenly audacity In this state was that hardy spouse which beg'd a Cant. 1. 1. kiss of her beloveds mouth And Moses when he peremptorily said Exo. 32. 32 to God Either pardon this people or blot my name out of the book of life wherein thou hast registred it And then burning sweetly in and becomes united to her beloved pure and perfect union with her beloved she cryes out I have found the long desired object of my affections I will not let go my hold nor permit him to escape out of my embraces c. Here her holy thirst and hunger is satisfied and she enjoys such unexplicable treasures of delicious love that were whole volumes fill'd up with the description thereof the greater part would still be left uncomprised And from thâ— estate the amorous Soul passeth â— to the last Degree which belong not to this mortall life The Seventh and last Degree WHich likens her totally to her well-beloved Creator by In the 7. she enjoys her beloved perfectly c. the clear vision of divine essence This she enjoys as soon as being here in this world arrived at the Sixth degree of this divine ladder of love she departs hence to her happy eternity These blessed Souls which are very few in number are sufficiently purged and purified by Love which hath done that in them here which Purgatory doth in others elswhere so that to them belongs that Beatitude Blessed are the clean-hearted Matt. 5. 8. for they shall see God Now we say this divine vision causeth a totall resemblance of the soul with God following that sentence of S. John We know that when he shall appear we shall be like 1 Joh. 3. 2. him because we shall see him as he â—â— So that all that which the soul â—s and hath shall be like God by â—articipation Here nothing at al can â—e concealed from her according â—o our Saviours words In that day Joh. 16. 23 you shall ask me nothing Because â—he eyes the clear glass of the God-head wherein her self and all things are most plainly and perfectly contained But untill that day comes though the soul be perched never so high yet God is alwayes hid from her in some manner as far forth as there wants in her somthing of this totall resemblance with the Divinâ—â—y Thus ô amourous souls by climbing this mysticall ladder of divine love upon which God himself leaneth you get out of your selves and all things and fly up into the divine being for love like fire tends alwayes upwards with a perpetual desire to be plunged and ingulphed in the Centre of its proper Sphere Apply your selves therfore seriously to this holy and inward exercise that you may attain to these heavenly effects Embrace with open heart and arms your good great and gracious Lord and love and resolve with that holy Spouse I have laid hold on him and I will never leave him Draw near Cant. 3. 4. Psal 33. 6. this divine Sun and be illuminated he will clear your darkness errours and ignorances dissipate all your dulness in devotion dry up the dirt of your concupiscences encourage you in the carrying of your Cross give you a general alacrity in the performance of all your actions and undertakings and replenish your souls with unspeakable sweetnesses comforts and contents Come I say and only bring with you these three companions Faith Love and Resignation and leave all other things to the divine disposition Represent to your thoughts a wofull and bedridden creature lying grievously tormented with a burning feaver his Physician prescribing abstinence from drink as the only and assured way for his cure and recovery his compassionate friends visiting him seeking to divert his pains with their pleasant discourses and to charm his disease with the delight of musick c. Ah! what unwellcome comforts are all these things to him who can fix his mind on nothing but drink who thinks on nothing talks of nothing demands
nothing desires nothing delights in nothing but only to refresh his ardours quench his thirst and asswage his tormenting heat This is your case O dear souls This should be the beginning middle and end of your whole life and business in this world Nothing but God God God Neither science nor ignorance neither musick nor misery neither delights nor desolations should touch trouble or amuse your faithfull loving and resigned hearts God is your only aym and end 1. To languish after God 2. To seek God 3. To fear the losing of God 4. To suffer for God 5. To be weary of delay in your love to God 6. To run lightly confidently sweetly into God 7. And Finally to enjoy God and live in God and with God eternally THE FIFTH TREATISE OF THE SPIRITVALL CONQUEST Containing The choicest Maxims of Mysticall Divinity With Brief Instructions and Directions necessary for those Devout Souls which desire To walk in the way of Gods holy Spirit without error To follow the Divine call without illusion and Arrive at holy Union without danger or difficulty Dilated With points of Practice Affections and Elevations Galathians 6 16. Whosoever shall follow this Rule peace be upon them AT PARIS M.DC.LI To the Devout Contemplatives walking in the way of heavenly Love and aspiring to perfect Union with God WE have hitherto conducted you O Dear and devout Souls out of the Egypt Exod. 13. of sin and sensuality through the Red-Sea of your dangerous conflicts and skirmishes into the quiet Desert of Divine Contemplation We have led you to the top of the Deu. 32. 49 mountain Nebo by the several laborious Steps of Perfection from whence we shew'd you a small glimpse of the glorious land of promise flowing with the sweet milk and hony of heavenly Love and holy Vnion Now lastly to settle you in your happy station to assist you in your high undertakings to maintain your heroick fervor to keep alive this sacred fire burning on the Altars of your inflamed hearts and to strengthen yâ—â—r thus elevated spirits with Perseverance which only crowns the work and infallibly entitles you to childrens portions in this divine inheritance we have provided these ensuing Maxims of Mystical Divinity for your continual support and comfort We name them Maxims because they contain the generall grounds and granted veritiâ—s of solid Devotion and sublâ—â—â— Contemplation summ'd â—â— and set in some order out â—â— the larger elucubrations of the most illuminated Mystical writers And we deliver them in a compendious and concise style leaving many points rather insinuated than expressed because our aym is only truth substance and solidity which need no word-ornaments to make them amiable or intelligible and we conceive they will be more easily admitted into your souls better retained in your memories and more efficaciously applied to your practices being thus nakedly simply and briefly proposed than if they were cloathed and disguised with any begg'd lustre from abroad We look not that sensualists should either read or savour Delicata est divina consolatio non datur admittentibus alienâ—m Bernardus them for their doctrine is too divine their positions too pure their practice too perfect their contents too contrary to the tonents of flesh and blood Vanity and verity have little commerce together light and darkness are opposites sense is at perpetuall odds with the spirit and the greater part of worldlings in this our corrupted age are readier to mock at the holy practisers of piety than to reflect on their own express duty and obligation of tending to perfection Nor can we promise them a heartier well-come amongst some pretenders to spirituality for self love hath obtained Nemo ad veram contemplationem scandere valet nisi per scalam humilitatis Read F. Cisneâ—ius chap. 31. 32. 33. c. so great an Empire over most mens minds that they generally judge of devotion according to their own gusts and fancies they embrace Hypocondriacall shews and shadows for truths and substances and believe that only to be good which is agreeable to their humour and affection Some great Scholars also whose understandings are wholly busied in drawing consequences from naturall reason will strive to discredit that point of our doctrine here delivered which denyes and forbids the use of such acts of our reason in this heavenly School of highest Recollection Not duly considering the 1. p. q. 85. a. â— 1. p. q. 17. a. 4. universally received principle of the Saints That these two lights naturall and supernaturall Greg. upon Ezâ—chiel l. 1. ho. 17. can no more actuate the same understanding at one and the same time than a body can have two different forms together And that God who hath given us the light of reason for the increase of our naturall goods knowledge and perfection hath ordained the light of Faith which is above all reason and implies a negation and cessation of all the acts thereof for the attaining of supernaturall gifts and graces And it is the often inculcated Maxim of S. Denys Denys c. 7. de divin nomin F. Garcias Cisnerius chap. 28. That to receive supernaturall benefits we must relinquish all acts of reason and quit all such resemblances and images of creatures as it ordinarily makes use of for the increase of it's naturall knowledge So that it is most certain that the soul which ayms at the purest perfectest and sublimest Contemplation must not only abandon all operations of her outward and inward senses but transcend all actings and workings of her understanding and as it were blindly elevate her-self to an un-explicable union with that object which is above all naturall knowledge and conception This is to be moved with Love alone supported by Faith without glassing her self in any creature or staying upon any thing which is not the very Deity This is to be ingulphed in divine darkness and to be so lost and absorpt in God that she neither sees feels nor finds her self any where but in the divine being O happy loss O heavenly darkness O glorious annihilation Wherefore drown your selves O divine Contemplatives in this Ocean lose your selves in this abyss of the divinity leave all that is materiall sensible intelligible and look immediately upon the supernaturall object of your Faith stay not in the lower exercises and feeble discourses of your imaginations but permit your spirit to take it's free flight as a Royal eagle perch upon the increated verity Take courage in these your sublime exercises follow them faithfully humbly obediently and perseverantly according to the rules and directions here prescribed and let the world slight you which understands them not let greatest School-men condemn you which experience them not let flesh and blood repine which relish them not let the Devil rage who by this means findes you not but where you are forth of his reach and free from his ambushes that is in God in whom only you live by continuall recollection abnegation
our selves 18. If on the contrary Our nature is so facil and flexible that we scarcely find difficulty in any thing We wonder to hear mention of rebellions contradictions desolations c. From all which we are secure and quiet And therefore we fear our actions proceed rather from a natural promptitude than solid vertue 19. If we so addict our selves to Recollection that we look upon works of Obedience and the external practices of our duty as impediments to Perfection 20. If we find such a calm in our passions imperfections and temptations that we hope the worst is past 21. If scrupulosity overwhelms us 1. We must obey our Spiritual Directour 2. We must do our best endeavour But here arise two difficulties 1. If our Directours knowledge be small his experience less c. 2. If we cannot satisfy our selves that we have done our best c. 22. If we fear we detest not sin sufficiently because we feel not so great sorrow for the offence of God as we do somtimes for a temporall loss 23. If we cannot ground our selves in a firm hope of mercy for that we are so frail and inconstant we sin dayly and amend not our lives we repay unto God evil for good we promise fidelity and practise nothing less 24. If we go not on with alacrity because we know not that our sins are forgiven that our Confessions are good and that we are in the state of grace 25. Though we cannot in this life assure our selves infallibly to be in good state yet if we could comfort our selves with most probable tokens of grace whereby we might feel the pulses of our hearts and somwhat ease our anguish 26. If we are troubled because we know not well when we give consent to sinfull thoughts 27. If we cannot well distinguish between Venial and Mortal sin 28. If these sayings of Divines terrifie us They sin who do against their doubt And In doubtfull things the securer part is to be followed 29. If finally we are apprehensive and fearfull lest we should grow weary in the way of vertu and not persevere constantly in our Spiritual Exercises Maxims of Mystical Divinity The first Maxim That our end is perfection and Divine Vnion and That Prayer is the way to it IT is not sufficient for us who are resolv'd upon a spiritual course to lead an ordinary good life which consists in the avoiding of sin and scandal and in the punctual performance of our external duty to God and our neighbour But our end and aym must be to attain the perfection of Gods holy love and a happy Vnion of our souls with their first beginning by living in abstraction recollection and perpetuall Contemplation as far forth as Gods holy Spirit shall enable us and our frailty can correspond The chief means to attain this our end is Prayer without which all Religion is but a shadow without a body or a body without a soul and all outward observances will prove but a superficial not a real devotion For it is the constant doctrine of Divines that what God S. Augustine S. Basil S. Chrysostom S. Thomas 2 2. q. 83. a. 2. in his eternal disposition hath determined to bestow upon us he gives us in time by the intervention of Prayer tying as it were to this instrument the conversion of sinners the advancement of souls the perfection of Saints c. So that as his divine decree is that we must till the earth if we will reap the fruits thereof and provide mateâ—â—als if we will raise up buildings and the like so his absolute order is that we must pray if we will have spiritual benefits to be powred into our souls and supernatural gifts and graces to be granted unto us Let us therefore in the first place resolve to prosecute Prayer couragiously constantly and perseverantly at set times if we intend to make speedy progress in sincere vertue and lay a sure groundwork of solid spirituality and let nothing upon any pretext whatsoever hinder or divert us from it as far as obedience and discretion will give us leave Lord heal my wounds supply my wants satisfie my wishes The second Maxim That Beginuers may profitably make use of this following exercise of mental Prayer and Introversion until they obtain greater light and more experience in the way of the Spirit THis divine Exercise consists of three parts in general and Nine points in particular 1. Preparation of 3. acts 1. An affective lively apprehensioÌ„ of Gods presence 2. A cordial and profound act of humility 3. A pure intention to please and praise God only 2. Consideration of 1. My wounds both internal and external 2. My wants which are many in every degree 3. My wishes and humble desires 3. Conclusion also of 3. acts 1. Contrition for my sins 2. Resignation in my wants 3. Complacence in God and Confidence in his goodness A more ample and practical description of this Exercise The first part is Preparation of three Acts. 1. A lively apprehension of Gods Presence not only in all places and all creatures by his power and essence but in our souls by his mercy love care and providence O my Soul Where are we 1. Part. 1 Preseâ—ce of God who seeth us What is he that is with us and within us by whose light we see by whose fire we burn and by whose love we live Live my most glorious and gracious Lord in whose presence I kneel in whose arms I rest and after whose love I breathe O that thou wert as dear to my soul as thou art near it Alas why doth she not care as much for her God as he doth for her good Why do I not love thy presence ô my amiable Lord since thou art present by love Thou art my Father my Physician and my food hear me heal me help me I am wounded I am wicked I am wretched Out of thee there is no rest without thee there is no hope remain with me reign within me Let me be thine all thine ever thine 2. Profound and cordial humility acknowledging unfeignedly before God and his Angels our wickedness weakness and wretchedness what we are and what we deserve and so resting quiet in our Centre of nothing O my Soul What have we 2 Profound humility been What are we What have we what can we do What do we deserve What do we desire What hath our loving Father and liberal Lord that he hath not given us What have we proud and prodigal children that we have not received meerly from his mercifull hand and heart What have we received that we have not abused by self-self-love or self-delight O sweet Jesu Give tears to my eyes words to my tongue sighs to my heart and love to my spirit for I need them all to deplore my misery and implore thy mercy to admire thy beauty and adore thy bounty to sigh after thee and suffer for thee What I have been it grieves me to
remember What I am after so many signall benefits on thy part and serious promises on mine I am ashamed to think What I deserve I am afraid to call to mind What I desire I am ignorant how to ask Lord for thy mercies sake for thy Mothers sake by thy Bowels of mercy and her Breasts of meekness by all that thou hast suffer'd for me and she for thee by all that is dear to thee in heaven and earth forget and forgive what I have been my past folly and wickedness Pity and protect what I am my present frailty and weakness Be satisfi'd for what I deserve supply what I desire and be mindfull of me in life and death How much ô my God do I wish to leave all and lose my self to find thee to humble my self to please thee and to hate my self to love thee But these hard and high matters I dare scarcely promise how then and when shall I practise them Yet without thee ô sacred humility there is no solid centre to rest in no true sweetness to take gust in therefore ô my God I come to thy School to learn this necessary lesson teach me touch me wound me and win me unto thee 3. Pure intention to please and praise God only to be all his ever his in what manner and measure he best liketh both in this prayer and all things whatsoever Behold therefore ô my Lord how out of pure Obedience to thy Will 3. Pure Intention and confidence in thy mercy I now approach to please and praise thee Not to receive great matters from thee for I am unworthy nor to conceive great matters of thee for I am uncapable but to leave all for thee to be humble of heart beyond all and to love thee more than all this is both conform to my condition and obligation I come to prayer O my only Lord and love not to have much but to give up all to be thine all thine ever thine in life and death for time and eternity as thou best pleasest I come O my centre and sweetness to seek thee and sigh after thee yet I am content neither to find thee nor feel thee but only to see thee by faith and to suffer for thee with fidelity I am satisfied and content that thou art so good great glorious rich and happy in thy self and I am confident that thou in thy good time wilt make me rich in thy mercy and happy in thy love for in this Pilgrimage I desire no other happiness than true humility nor greater riches than naked charity The second part is Consideration shewing these three things first to our selves and then to our God as his poor beggers 1. Our wounds both internal and external to wit our sins ingratitudes daily faylings strong passions c. Ah! my sick and sinfull soul how 2. Part. 1. Our wounds weak and wounded are we in every degree in all parts in each member of body and faculty of mind 1. All is out of order all is pride and self-love how impenitent are we in sorrowing how impatient in suffering how unconstant in persevering and yet how importune in sinning 2. My Vnderstanding is blind to good clear-sighted to evil My Will is perverse peevish cold sensuall My memory is weak full of idle images subject to distractions 3. My affections are vain my passions violent my inclinations vitious 4. My Faith is little my Hope less my Charity least of all 5. So forward to extroversion and dissolution so backward to introversiâ—â— and compunction so full of imperfections and immortifications 6. So little confidence in thy mercy so little patience in my misery and almost no performance of mâ— good purposes 7. So curious tâ— censure others so careless to keep mâ—self and curb my own senses Fâ—nally all is self-self-love self-will self-conceit self-seeking pride propriety partiality which are my dayly and dangerous diseases O Father of mercies and only Physician of my soul Thou art almighty and all-bounty these are my wounds and impurities and if thou wilt thou canst both cure and cleanse me and if thou wilt not I will remain content as I am I am willing to continue weak so I be not wicked to be wearied and wounded so I be not utterly tired over-turned defeated and lose the victory Cut kill crucifie ô Lord only spare me for eternity 2. Our wants for we are not only needy but naked not only poor but beggers who neither know how to deserve an alms nor how to desire it O my poor soul What do we 2. Our wants want nay what do we not want 1. True light true liberty true love true life 2. A setled attention a simple intention a serious introversion a sincere conversion 3. Humility of heart conformity of will purity of soul indifferency of spirit 4. Wisdom to know Gods will strength to execute it patience to persever in it 5. Resolution to suffer for our Saviour devotion to sigh after him diligence to find him constancy to remain with him 6. Courage to endure all faith to forgo all hope to expect all charity to give all and Confidence to gain all Finally we want all we should have Yet our loving Lord is ready to bestow on us all that he hath O my God and all Thou art all that I want give me thy self and all my wants and wishes will be at an end Thou art all my safety and my only security all my refuge and my only centre Vntil I can return unto thee or wholly turn into thee let thy Cross be my Purgatory and thy will be my Paradise for other heaven upon earth I can never hope to find Vntill then I must be content to sweat and sigh under the burdeâ— of this mortal life to sit like Job upon a dunghil forlorn and forsaken by all full of soars and sorrows to remain a perpetuall and pitifull patient scarcely feeling patience in my self and finding no compassion in others 3. Our wishes and desires What can a wounded wretch wish but to be cared for and cured What can a naked begger desire but to be clothed and comforted with some few raggs and crumms What can a blind and cold person ask but light and love This O my soveraign and sweet 3. Our wishes Lord is the sum and substance of all my wishes and requests O that I could go out of my self and get into thee That I were dissolv'd from my loathed body to the end I might dilate my heart in thy love contemplate thy divine face in perfect liberty and please and praise thy Majesty eternally For in this prison of flesh and vale of tears I faint under the weight of my temptations I fall under the burden of my troubles and I continually fail in the prosecution of my pious purposes Oh! that thy will did so rule me and reign over me that it were a torment to decline never so little from it O that thy love did so freely and fully
possess my heart that there were no room at all remaining for any bastard or base love of things created Good Jesu how truly happy and holy should I be if I could clearly behold my own nothing in thy all if I could embrace crosses as crowns and swallow down all contemprs and confusions as milk and hony O when shall I be so elevated in spirit above my self by extasie of love as to be able and willing to humble my self under all creatures without repugnancy Alas shall I never be content to forsake all and be forsaken by all Yea having lost and left all foâ— One to be left by that One who iâ— my All and so remain quiet iâ— my own nothing How long shall I he wallowing in flesh and blood how long shall I delay and dally in false loves How long shall I sigh and not enjoy seek and not find live and not love Come my Lord and love Lord Jesu come quickly Let the fire of thy sweet love so consume in me aâ—l dross of self-love and so transform my spirit into thee that I may take all from thee indifferently give all to thee liberally and rest and repose in thee â—ternally Lord let me be thine or nothing Love or not live The third Part is the Conclusion which consists also of three Acts. 1. Contrition which is a hearty and humble sorrow for our sins ingratitâ—des disloyalties tepiditie c. O my God! how little did I love 3. Part. 1. Contrition thee when I so carelesly offended thy Majesty Oh! that I had never sinned mortally though it had cost me my life immediately O that I were sure never more to swerve from thy sacred will and commandements Let me henceforth endure dear Jesu a thousand deaths of my body rather than admit one deadly sin again into my soul O pity and pardon my past follies and frailties and prevent me with thy gracious blessings against future fallings How great ô Lord is my obligation to serve and please thee were it but for thy favours conferr'd thy benefits bestow'd and thy love powr'd out upon me and yet ungrateful wretch that I am how poorly have I corresponded Oh! that I had so deep a sense of my sins that my heart might break with sorrow Hide not ô Lord thy face from me shut not up thy mercy gates against me for though I have most grievously gone astray yet I am resolv'd upon an entire amendment correction reformation of my whole man this strong resolution which is thy gracious gift grounds my hope in thy goodness emboldens my confidence in thâ— mercy and gives me courage and comfort in thy love 2. Resignation in all our wanâ—â— wishes desolations and distresses â—â— the divine will and pleasure I am indifferent O my dear Lord 2. Resignation to sickness and health to light and darkness to delight and desolation I am thine sweet Jesu put me where thou wilt do with me as thou wilt send me what thou wilt I am content not only to have nothing but to be nothing so thou â— my Lord be all things unto me I acknowledge my self unworthy to beg and less worthy to obtain and therefore I resign my self still to beg and yet still to want even that which I most wish which is all light all liberty all love all comfort all content yea even all vertu peace and perfection so long as it shall please thee O father I am thine ever thine all thine body and soul for time and eternity Live Jesus only 3. Complacence and confidence the first that our God is what he is the next that he will heal our wounds supply our wants satisfie our wishes and turn all to our good I am glad ô my glorious Lord 3. Complacence and Confidence God that thou art so worthy of all love though I of all others am not worthy to love thee I am as joyful for what thou art o great God as if all thou hast were all mine and I will love thee in all I am and have as being all thine Thy Cross is my comfort thy Will my well fare and thy love my life so that if I can but suffer for thee do thy will and follow thy love I shall do all that is necessary I am indeed dry dark and desolate but since it is thy will I am sure it is my good and therefore sufficient for me and satisfactory to thee I hope thou wilt one day compleat thy own heavenly design in my soul healing my wounds supplying my wants fulfilling my desires and filling my yet empty heart with thy sweet presence and perfect love In the mean space I will say and sing Live Jâ—sus Live my Lord my love my life my all whose name bâ— blessed by all whose will be accomplishâ—d in all whose honour be advanced above all An advertisement touching the precedent Exercise 1. We must perform it dayly diligently discreetly and with great confidence and courage 2. Yet without propriety that it may neither hinder the operation of the Holy Ghost within nor works of due obligation and obedience without 3. If in the practise of this introversion we find dryness and feel little devotion we may somtimes fitly resume in lieu of the second part or consideration our wonted exercises whereto our minds are more addicted ending the same with the Conclusion here prescribed being ever duly disposed to follow the holy Spirits invitation to higher matters If we faithfully observe these things we shall infallibly receive comfort and speedily perceive our own unspeakable profit and progress by the practise of this pious exercise as being indeed the end of all other externall devotions and the short sure simple and Râ—gia via leading to a spirituall devout and divine life The third Maxim That of all internal Prayer the affective is most noble necessary and profitable FOr the end and drift of all discoursive Prayer is to move inflame and enkindle our affections in the love of God and vertue and therefore all discourses must be left by little and little as our souls can more and more live in Faith and simplifie themselves from materiall objects images and conceptions and only tend to God by a sweet and secret motion of the will an amourous correspondency to the Divine operations and inward impulses of his holy Spirit treading down and transcending all things under God by discreetly forgetting and unknowing them The fourth Maxim That Meditation is a seeking Contemplation a seeing of God PRayer in generall according to As is more amply declared in our Introduction to the Spiritual Pilgrimage the known division is either Vocall or Mental Mentall Prayer is An Elevation of our spirits into God For as our Creatour is elevated above all creatures so our souls cannot see talk and treat with him purely and perfectly but by leaving them all and lifting up themselves above them all This Elevation is by means of Meditation Contemplation Thanksgiving and Petition Which
prerogative is it to have one Will and spirit with God Is not this to be a Saint an Angel a little Christ or a little God Did not Christ say Those that do the 〈◊〉 of my Father are my Brethrâ—n sisters mother and kindred Oh who would not change Wills with God 2. All things come from God and for our good 2. What can befall me sin only excepted which is from my will but from thee my most sweet Lord loving Father Good and bad comfort confusion life and death are from thee And what can happen to me from thee but for my good If my Father be my Physician shall I not drink the chalice he tempers for me What better sacrifice can I offer up to thee than my will In all other oblations I give but a part of my self or somthing belonging to my self But in this I give the principall leaving no right to my self nay I am no more my self but thy servant and slave 3. Why were we 3. This is the end of our life and being placed in this world ô my soul but to perform the will of God Why entred we into the school of perfection but to learn to practise it purely and perfectly To what end are all our prayers communions exercises c. but to know Gods holy will and to follow it What profit have we reaped by following hither to our own will What will become of us if we continue in it What means is there to amend it for the future but humble obedience and absolute submission of our will in all and to all leaving all to God doing all for God and receiving all from God that he only may be all in all What can endamage me but my will what will past present or to come The past I detest my present is that Gods will be done for time to come I desire this my will may stand irrevocable for ever How often have I done the will of others for my own ends to please them or pleasure my self and shall I not do now as much to please my Lord God Yes Lord I will what thou wilt neither more nor less without exception without reservation withoâ—t delay 4. What fruits shall I reap by this 4. The profits of this exercise Conformity of my Will 1 Having no will I can neither sin erre nor be deluded 2. There is neither judgement nor hell for me 3. â— shall find peace and rest and remaâ— constant and content amidst aâ— chances and changes and so begâ— my Paradise of delights in this 〈◊〉 of tears 4. I shall be freed from all troublesome fears scruples dâ—quiets indiscretions and illusions both in prayer and in the practâ—ce of vertue All which are deriv'd from the disorder of my Will and for want of this true conformity and indifferency 5. This gives every thing I doe leave or suffer a double grace merit and crown O only sweet short and sure way who would not leave yea loath his own Will for so many profits and pleasures 5. What doe heaven and earth Angels and Saints but Gods Will 5. All Creatures doe the will of God What doe the souls in hell but suffer for having done their own Wil What did Christ Jesus and Blessed Mary upon earth The one said I came not to doe my own Will but his that sent me The other said Behold O Lord thy handmaid doe with me as thou wilt I say also with heart and mouth O my Lord I am entirely thine put me where thou wilt give me what thou wilt use me how thou wilt so thou wilt goe with me and give me leave to bear and embrace thee with the two arms of perfect conformity and lively Confidence 6. What made the Apostles 6. Examples of this Conformity Martyrs Virgins so constant and content amidst their torments and trials What made those Saints so couragiously to defy the devils flocking about them like so many Lions and Monsters If God S. Antony others have given you power and permission over us take us devoure us hurry us headlong into hell we will not contradict his Will but if not why doe you labour in vain What made Job so patient on his dunghill Abraham so resolute to sacrifise his son And finally what made Christ in his bloody sweat to cry out Not my will O Father Lu. 22. 42. but thine bee done All this was caus'd by the Will of God which they desired to follow and fulfill to the last gasp and drop of their blood O holy and happy souls When shall I imitate you O my sweet God that thou wouldst say of me as thou didst of that thy servant I have found a man David according to my heart who will doe whatsoever I will Or that I could say as heartily as he did My heart is ready O God to accept and execute thy holy Will in all things whatsoever O my Lord let all sâ—lf-will and self-self-love hereafter dye in me and let thy only Will and love remain and reign in my spirit For I am most sure till I faithfully follow this rule I shall never find reall peace or content The 29. Maxim That Vnquietness of mind is the bane of Devotion and curse of Contemplation FOr it is not a single and simple Disquiet is not a single evill temptation but a source whence many spring a monster with many heads and the greatest evill sin only excepted which seizes on the soul Let us therefore shun it with all possible speed and dilligence and refuse to give it the least entrance into our hearts upon what pretence soever If we perceive our selves inclin'd How to prevent it to be easily troubled let us duly practise these two points First carefully fore-arm and fortifie our interiours against all future contrarieties crosses and contingencies by devoutly performing our morning prayers and exerciâ—es of Recollection Secondly prudently put off company and occasions of extroversion bridle our tongues till the tempest be blown over hide our selves in a corner turn our souls to our Saviour read something of devotion and in matters of moment impart our minds to some vertuous friend c. If we will alwaies keep internall A rule to keep inward peace peace we must observe these three rules First We must doe nothing only to edify others without a further end of God's honour nor any thing which may justly displease distast dis-edify or contristate them Secondly wee must not be eager eurious or solicitous to please or satisfy our selves yea or to perform our duty 's to God-wards by doing all things in print perfectly and exactly Thirdly All our pleasure must be to please God yet wee must not please our selves in the pleasure wee find in serving and pleasing him For generally it suffiseth that wee are heartily willing and quietly carefull to serve our Creator please him in all things and displease neither him nor any one in any thing and so
chief how can we but hope that he will be our Jesus Let us think thus God loves us and we desire with all our hearts to love him we trust in his love and for it we wil both sigh and suffer pray and obey deny our selves and dy to all creatures This sauce will disgest all our bitterness The 15. Doubt If we suspect that our Sadâ—ess and temptations proceed from our own fault or negligence or some secret sin or our want of correspondency with Gods grace c. 1. IF it be so must we therefore complain and not rather the more conform our selves to Gods Will We have often deserved hell Our past sins and present negligences merit eternal punishments and is it not a special favour to be punish'd in this life with smal troubles and temptations This is not Hell nor Eternity of discomfort nor what we deservâ— Why then are we not both Content and Gratefull 2. In this fatherly chastisement there is both Mercy and Justice Justice because we have often shut the doors of our hearts against God giving a deaf ear to his calls and therefore it is just that we should now call and knock at the gate of his mercy and not be heard Mercy because our sufferings are small in comparison of our deservings If this be most true why lament we our mis-fortune Is there any proportion between time and eternity betwixt this desolation and the never-ending lamentations of the damned in hell 3. Let us then receive and kiss his paternal rod with a filial reverence crying out with S. Augustin O S. Augustin Lord spare us not here so thou spare us hereafter We have merited Hel and dare we ask Sweetness in prayer O pride and presumption 'T is sufficient Lord that thou admittest us into thy presence and permittest us to open our unworthy mouths unto thee and lament our misery before thy Divine Majesty And shall we have hearts to Murmure or tongues to complain of any Vsage The 16. Doubt If we doubt that God is displeased with our Prayers that our Afflictions befall us through our own occasion and cannot satisfy our selves to think we have done what God requireth 1. WE must firmly believe that besides our own fault which deserves it our chastisement is a disposition of the most high and holy Providence of God whose wisdom imparts his blessings as he knows best for his servants If all receive not spiritual gust and joy in Prayer let them say with S. Bernard Give me O Lord Simplicity S. Bernard Humility and Charity but for higher favours as I am unworthy of them so I am uncapable to make use of them I leave them therefore for thy special friends and favourites 2. Let us therefore conceive these afflâ—ctions to be sent us from God 1. To humble us for should he visit us with great lights and elevate us in Contemplation we should presently take complacency in our imaginary devotion and prefer our selves before others 2. To try our Fidelity and perseverance in his love for the chief end of Prayer is to obey and please God and offer him all that we are and have but to receive relief and comfort is only the secondary end 3. Let us further consider that this very internal Trouble and anguish may and ought to comfort us as being a token of Gods love for Love is the first wheel of our natural and spiritual clock setting all the other passions a work if therefore we grieve that we serve God so tepidly c. this Grief proceeds of love and is an evident sign of a good will to serve him 4. Let us ground our selves in that often repeated Maxim That al things do not only befal us by Gods permission but also that he sends them for our good And therefore let us say with confident and couragious Judith Take heart for our Jud. 8. 27. God hath sent us these Afflictions to amend us and not to destroy us The 17. Doubt If Nature hath shew'd her-self a Step-mother unto us in giving us a hard and harsh disposition whence proceeds a reluctancy to works of Vertue and mortification of Vice So that we distrust of ever overcoming our selves LEt us take courage The violent Mat. 11. 12 get the Kingdom of heaven And let us lay hold on these two Truths 1. That Gods will is all should Two verities 1. Gods will is that all should be sav'd be saved and therefore gives every one sufficient Grace and means to that end if then we have the worst Nature in the world and do but correspond diligently with that Grace which God gives us we have no reason at all to fear Let us fight valiantly under Christ our good Captain with the Armor of Prayer and Mortification and not cease to be his Souldiers as long as any blood and breath remains in our bodies Let us learn to discover and then as others do to detest our own peevish and perverse disposition Let us not flatter our selves but lay the ax to the root not to the branches to wit Resolve to humble our proud hearts in all occasions with courage constancy confidence for one year and we shall find more peace and quiet than we can imagin If we sweat drops of blood it is for Eternity where not one drop shal be lost nor one wound uncounted nor one souldier uncrowned 2. That to have bad natures and 2. Bad natures are no sins c. to feel motions against grace reason c. is neither Sin nor Imperfection so long as we yield not our consent to their leading c. The 18. Doubt If on the contrary our Nature is so facil and flexible that we scareely find difficulty in any thing we wonder to hear mention of Rebellions Contradictions Desolations c. from all which we are secure and quiet And therefore we fear our actions are rather of a naturall promptitude than solid Vertue 'T Is true that Devotion and Perfection consist not in this external quiet and ease but in the Victory over our selves in habits of solid Vertues in pure Charity and Indifferency We are therefore in A dangerous peace this case to Humble our selves and to conceive we know not what Mortification and Abnegation mean What marvail if a soul which is seldom Introverted is rarely distracted if they who have no care of their Senses nor custody of their Hearts are not troubled with their Evagations If where there is no sap of solid Devotion there is no sense of Dryness and desolation O dangerous and unquiet Peace The 19. Doubt If we so addict our selves to Recollection that we look upon works of Obedience and Charity and the externall practices of our duty as impediments to Perfection SUch know not by what Spirit they Luke 12. 25. are led Let us not vainly adhere to our imaginary Devotions so as to neglect the least work of Obligation Without Charity and Obedience all our prayers are
and solid Devotion This solid Devotion depends upon Religion as the branch on it's tree and since there can he but one right Religion as there is one only Faith one law one Lord one Jesus Christ Ephes 4. 5 One Lord one Faith one Baptisme c. so there can be but one real Devotion and all others must needs be concluded unsecure superstitions hypocriticall hypocondriacal Now lest we should miss this right way or mistake this real Devotion we may here fitly at our first entrance into these holy list take a general view of this Animal Sensual and Carnal man which is to be destroyed of this Counterfeit Hypocritical and Hypocondriacal man which is to be undeceived and of this Spiritual Supersensual and Perfect man which is to be brought into us and built up within us that so framing a right I dea of the end we aym at we may follow those means which appear most proportionable for the attaining therof THE ANIMAL CARNAL AND SENSUAL MAN Is he who gives up the raynes of his Reason to the intire conduct of Sensuality and puts his soul into the devils power by submitting to all sinfull suggestions to be driven and dragg'd on uncontrollably to all Ephes 2. 2 You walked according to the cours of this world according to the Prince of the ayr c. 1. Cor. 2. 14. The animal man perceives not the things of God's Spirit c. Philip. 3. 19. Whose God is their belly James 3. 15. This Wisdom descends not from above but is earthly sensual devilish c. Jude v. 19 Sensual having not the Spirit Ps 31. 9. wickedness He walks after the world 's perverse course and custom living in all things according to his own lust and liking acknowledging no other Superior than his own all-swaying affections no law but that of his own will no God but his belly He easily yields to all his untam'd passions and appetites glutting his senses unrestrainedly with all alluring objects and making pleasure his only end heaven and happiness Briefly he is all earth all sin all sensuality in whom is nothing of the Spirit of grace of God his Understanding is a dungeon of darkness his Memory a Magazin of bestial imaginations his Will a confusion of base and brutish affections and his whole man totally depraved and degenerate resembling the filthy swine the unclean goat and the unbridled horse and mule which have no understanding THE HYPOCONDRIACAL HYPOCRITICAL AND COUNTERFEIT MAN Tinnit inane est Tinnit Inane est Is he who makes a great shew of sanctity and devotion but hath Ps 143. 5. Touch the mountains and they will smoak nothing of substance sincerity and solidity Touch him and he turns into smoak sound him and you shall soon find him to be but a windy cask Nahum 20. 2. She is empty void and waste 1. Cor. 13. 1. As sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal Mat. 6. 2. to the 16. Luke 18. I am not as other men are tunnd up with ayr an empty eccho a hollow noyse a flatuous anâ— foolish nothing He wilfully mistakes the means for the end and places perfection in pompous forms Pharisaical fashions and external practices If he prays 't is in publick if he gives alms he sounds the trumpet if he fasts he disfigures his countenance if he seemingly punish his body 't is to deceive more surely under the guise of sanctity finally all his actions rather savour of self-satisfaction and hypocrisy than have any sense of true piety Yet he ever pretends to high lights of the Spirit finds out new and unheard-of ways of walking with God sleights all that is common though never so commendable and catches at all that is curious though never so dangerous Thus he loseth himself in his own Chymerical conceptions and pretending to refine ancient piety becomes puff'd up with secret pride and presumption and grasps nothing but froth and vanity THE SPIRITUAL SUPERSENSUAL AND PERFECT MAN Is he who walks not in the wayes of this wicked world nor follows the tenents of flesh and blood but of Reason Religion and Understandâ—ng Rom. 8. per totum If you live after the flesh you shall dy 1 Cor. 3. 16. You are the temple of God Gods Spirit dwels in you c Rom. 8. 36 Ps 44. 22. For thy sake we are mortified all the day long c. Coloss 3. 5 His only end and aym is the Perfection of God's love in his soul his unwearied endeavours are bent against Satan Sin Sensuality and all Selfishness his main study is to make his body obedient to the Spirit his Spirit to Reason his Reason to Faith and All to God and his daily practice is self-mastery and Mortification And having 1. Trampled down the Man of sin 2. Layd a sure and solid ground-work of Devotion 3. He faithfully applies himself to fight under Christ's banner and learns exactly the right use of his spirituall weapons 4. He carefully eschews his enemies Ambushes 5. He keeps himself to the continual practice of prayer introversion recollection abstraction annihilation contemplation 6. He couragiously climbs up to the mountain top of Perfection 7. And lastly he sweetly reposes in divine love and Union as is more amply held forth in these following Treatises Galathians 6. 8 9 c. What things a man shalâ— sow those also shall he reapâ— For he that soweth in his flesh of the flesh also shall reap corruption But he that sowetâ— in the Spirit of the Spiriâ— shall reap life everlasting Psalme 125. 6. They that sow in Teares shall reap in Joyfullness Going they went and wept casting their seeds But coming they shall come with Exultations carrying their Sheaves â—he INDEX of all the CHAPTERS of this Spirituall Conflict OR Arraignment of the spirit of Self-love and Sensuality â— I. WHerein Christian perfection consists and of four things necessary to obtain it pag. 1 â—ap II. Of Diffidence or distruct of our selves p. 10 â—ap III. Of Confidence in God p. 14 â—hap IV. Of Continuall exercise and first that the Vnderstanding is to be carefully kept from Ignorance and from Curiosity p. 20 â—hap V. Of the will and the end to which we are to direct all our actions p. 29 â—hap VI. Of a two-fold Will in man and the continuall combat between them p. 38 â—hap VII Of the fight with Sensuality and of the inward way of the Will to acquire Vertues p. 43 Chap. VIII What he must doe who feels his superior Will or Rcason overcome by his Sensuality p. 52 Chap. IX That we must not avoid the occasions of the combatâ— p. 57 Chap. X. Of thâ— fight against suddain tempâ—ations p. 60. Chap. XI Of the fight against our flesh and fleshly Concupiscence p. 64. Chap. XII How to fight against slackâ— and negligence p. 7â— Chap. XIII How to govern our Sâ—suality p. 7â— Chap. XIV Of the order to be observed â— fighting against our enemies p. 10â— Chap. XV. What course he must take
other creatures in order to our service IN our Redemption he sent no Angel but his onely Son to pay our ransome not by the corruptible value of gold and silver but by the infinite price of his own precious bloud and by his dolorous and disgracefull death IN our Preservation Preservation each houre and moment fighting our battails for us against our enemies preventing and accompanying us with his heavenly grace and leaving with us his deare Sonne alwaies ready for our support and sustenance in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar THESE verily And many other benefits and many more are evident tokens of the high price he puts upon our meanesse and misery and of the love which our great Creatour bears to us his poore and caitif creatures and are in themselves such inestimable benefits that none but Which are so great that none but God himselfe can comprehend them his own divine understanding is capable to comprehend the least thereof And how much then are we bound in exchange to doe for so excellent a Majesty who hath done such things for us For if worldly Potentats receiving honour from private persons of lowest rank think themselves bound to return them reciprocall honour what ought our vilenesse endeavour towards the supreme Monarch of the Universe who so highly courts and cherisheth us CHAP. VI. Of a two-fold Will in man and the continual fight between them THou must take notice my dearly 2. Wills Rationall and Sensuall beloved of two Wills in man The one of Reason which is therefore called Rationall and superiour The other of Sense and so is named Sensual inferiour and sometimes sensuality appetite concupiscence flesh passion and the like And though each one of these is in man yet because the use of Reason truly makes us and denominates us men wee should never own any thing which our meere sensuality dictates till our superiour and rationall Will gives her joint consent 2. From this diversity springs all The Rationall is seated between Gods grace and our sense our spirituall conflict For our superiour Will and Reason being middled between Gods Will which is above it and our Sensuality which is under it still tempting and enticing it to naughtinesse therefore both of them that is Gods Will and our own Sensuality strive to get this our rationall Will to side with them and sometimes that othertimes this renders her subject and obedient to them 3. But this battail is of no great And the truly vertuous persons yield promptly to Gods will difficulty to them who are either truly vertuous or downright vitious For they who are vertuous come no sooner to the knowledg of Gods holy will but they presently yield their consent and bridle their brutish sensuality And the wicked do And the vitious to their sensuality contrarily according to their appetite checking the divine will which contradicts it They therefore chieflly feele the brunt of this battail especially at first who have been great sinners and are now resolved upon amendment and to this end sever themselves from worldly and fleshly delights the better to love and serve their Lord Jesus Christ for the future For the inward feeling and strokes of Gods will which their But they who of sinners are become converts have the greatest conflict Reason receives from above and the cruel contradictions and adverse motion of their Sensuality which it must necessarily suffer from below are so powerfull on each side that the poor Reason is between them both brought into extreme straits and perplexities 4 Wherefore let none think to Who must therefore resolve to beare patiently the losse of their pleasures gain the victory who is not instructed prepared and resolved to support patiently all such pains as he shall endure in leaving his past pleasures For this surely seems one of the chief causes why so few attain to true perfection because feeling grief and trouble in the beginning of their conversion and in the quitting of their depraved affections and desires they stand not fast to their resolutions but yield to their enemies who treacherously invade them not making manlike resistance with the sword of Reason but rather like cowardly souldiers they skulke away throw downe their armes yield themselves to the mercy of their enemies and become againe their bondslaves who will now more than formerly tyrannize over them EXPLICATION ANd amongst these one may Divers sorts of unmortified souls pick out some who indeed neither take away nor detaine their neighbours goods wrongfully but yet have their affections fixt excessively upon them which they possesse justly so likewise they will not purchase honours unlawfully but they love and desire them passionately They will keep the commanded fastings punctually but care not to mortifie their gluttony They will live continently but are loath to leave pleasing company which hinders their union with God and greatly retards them in their tendance to perfection From all which and the like petty-affections Whose affections are accompanied with much imperfection it follows that their good works are performed with a certain irksomnesse of mind and are accompanyed with divers self-interests and secret imperfections yea with self-conceit and good liking of their own actions and with a longing desire to be liked and loved by others But all these not only make no progresse in the way of spirituality but even return backwards and And who make no progresse in spirituality are in eminent hazard to fall into their former follies because they are neither inamoured with true vertue nor gratefull to their loving Creatour who hath freed them from the tyranny of the Devil They are moreover strucken with Ignorance and blindnesse since they But are full of ignorance and blindnesse neither understand nor see their owâ— danger but falsly and foolishly fancy themselves to be in a state of security 5. And here thou mayst perceive a Text. A danger in the choice of spirituall exercises discovered very perilous and pernicious deceit which very few take true notice of For many beginners in a spirituall course out of self-self-love make choice of such exercises as are most pleasing to themselves rather than most profitable unto their souls when as indeed they ought to begin with the knowledg of their own natural affections and the naughty desires of their sensuality and to make their first and fiercest encounter with these enemies and so long falling on and following this fight till they be entirely subdued to Reasons Empire as farre forth as in this life is possible CHAP. VII Of the fight against Sensuality and of the inward way of the Will to acquire Vertues AS often as thou feelest thy self assaulted by the motions of 1 When Sensuality rebels thy Sensuality convert thy minde quickly to thy Lord God and resist manfully And that thou maist become a conquerour in this combat furnish thy self with these severall wayes and wards against thy foes
learne to beare it patiently for his love and so maist draw nearer and be more perfectly united unto him 4. And after thou hast thus concluded with thy selfe that it is his divine will and pleasure thou shouldest suffer it patiently then reflect thy thoughts back upon thy selfe and begin to chide thy soule and tell it Ah why strivest thou to cast off this crosse which neither this nor Who sends it or permits it that enemy but thy most loving Lord and heavenly Father hath laid upon thy shoulders Then turne to the Crosse or calamity which presseth thee salute it praise it embrace it and receive it with all possible joy and alacrity 5. And although the rising passions And be constant though almost conquered be so unruly and violent that they suffer not thy mind to elevate it selfe to God but leave thee wounded and almost vanquished yet persevere in thy well made resolution and proceed on as if thou wert not worsted in the skirmish 6. But amongst all the remedies But the best remedy against suddaine motions is to cut off their causes against these sudden and unexpected motions this seems most effectuall To take away timely the cause from whence they proceed As If thou feelest thy mind much troubled when thou canst not obtain such a thing which thou affectest presently away with that love to it exclude that thing from thy mind But if thy trouble and vexation ariseth not from the thing but from the person who hinders helps or procures it and this party is so highly displeasing to thy humour that the least thing as comming from him is troublesome to thee then the speediest and best remedy is to conquer thine owne inclination and compell thy will to yeeld him true love and affection EXPLICATION FOr besides that he is a Creature framed as thou art by the All-powerfull hand of God and redeemed by the same precious ransome of thy dear Saviours blood he furthermore presents thee with a happy occasion if thou canst love it and lay hold thereon to make thy selfe even like God who is good and gracious to all CHAP. XI Of the fight against our flesh and fleshly concupiscence IN this warre with thy flesh ô my 1. In this war thou must change thy weapon And therefore Before the temptation assailes thee call it not But avoid all occasions of procuring it Which are five 1. Conversation dearly beloved thou must change thy weapon and fight in a new posture contrary to the former And therefore thou art to take particular notice of three times to wit the time going before the temptation accompanying it and following it 2. Before thou feelest the temptations of this kinde fight not with them but diligently fly the occasions and cut off all causes which procure them As First all conversation though never so little dangerous EXPLICATION BEcause this enemy is not to be affronted but avoided by all possible meanes and we are to dread the incounter of any person whatsoever whose presence may put us in the least danger nor are we to trust our not feeling presently the stings of the temptation for this This enemy assailes us sometimes by stealth accursed vice makes its approaches most commonly by stealth and under hand and hurts us by so much the more grievously by how much it pretends truce and amity whereby we neither distrust its treachery nor stand upon our guards to defend our selves vigorously So that there is oftentimes more cause of fear when the haunt familiarity is continued under the pretext of lawfulnesse as of And under the pretext of lawfulnesse c. kindred of obligation of complyance or even of vertue in the party beloved for then the poysonous pleasure of our sensuality intermixeth it selfe with this affection which But sensuality may mix it self with thy affection and ruine thy soule is in its owne nature good and holy and insensibly distilling into the heart and penetrating by little and little into the very marrow of the soule at last darkens and obscures the Reason till it be brought to sleight all dangers and so by degrees fall either into open ruine or at least into such troublesome temptations which are afterwards very hard to be conquered Secondly All pleasant aspects Text. 2 Aspects upon any such persons or things all shew of familiarity all loving Salutaon all pressing of their hands with thine or the like levities But if thou hast some affaire which must necessarily be transacted with such a one dispatch it with all speed and gravity Thirdly Take heed of idlenesse 3. Idlenesse and take a particular and perpetuall care never to act or think any thing unbeseeming thy state and vocation Fourthly Be punctuall in obeying 4 Disobedience thy Superiour never contradict him in any thing but be ever ready to execute his command Fifthly Judge 5. Vain-Complacency not rashly of thy neighbour concerning this vice yea though his sinne be manifest and cannot admit of any excusation doe thou condole with him but neither disdaine nor despise him And turning his imperfection to thy owne profit humble and contemne thy selfe debase thy selfe even to the dust and trembling with awfull feare beg heartily the divine assistance that thou be not likewise tempted lest thou likewise fall For if thou art ready to judge and sleight others God will punish thee to thy cost and permit thee to fall into the same vice that so thou maist learne truly to know and humble thy selfe and suppresse thy owne pride and presumption For if thou art proud and fallest not thy Salvation is much to be doubted of Lastly mark seriously and beware of vaine-complacence in thy selfe upon the feeling of any sensible grace or spirituall comfort or inward delight in devotion perswade not thy selfe that thou art therefore more perfect or that thou shalt henceforth have no enemies to fight withall but remaine still carefull and ever fearefull 3. In the time accompanying thy In the time of temptation mark the cause of it whether externall and fly from it temptations weigh whether they proceed from an externall or internall cause by externall causes are commonly understood conversation speeches reading or whatsoever may provoke to this vice against which the onely present and perfect remedy is to omit all such exercises and fly from these occasions For there is no fighting with these temptations as is aforesaid but the best security is to fly far from them lest they infect thy soule with their contagion By inward causes are meant Or internall either the body which is over full of sap and strength Or the mind which is infested with filthy thoughts comming either from our owne evill customes and neglect of our senses or else from the enemies suggestion 4. The first of these inward causes And prevent it by fit chastisements of the body which is from the body's fulnesse must be prevented with fastings hairecloths watchings and the
like chastisements and austerities as Reason dictates or Obedience directs The other inward causes comming And by hearty prayer from filthy fancies are best remedied by holy prayer pious meditation diligent labour and continuall employment in affaires convenient for thy state EXPLICATION THy Prayer may be made in this or the like manner When thou first apprehendest the approach of the enemy comming to assault thee with such fancies recurre sodainly to the sacred Crucifix saying O my Jesu my sweet Jesu succour me with speed that I be not subdued and embracing the Crosse with thy Saviour upon it kisse and cherish againe and againe his holy feet and speak with heart and affection O blessed wounds ô chast and comfortable wounds ô sacred and sugred wounds wound this wretched and unworthy heart of mine with thy pure and perfect love and free it from these present and pressing motions of impurity c. But I would not advise thee to Text. Yet not according as some books prescribe choose such points of meditation which many spirituall bookes prescribe for remedy of these temptations which are to consider First the fowlnesse of carnall vices their insatiablenesse Then the great shame and danger which must of necessity accompany them and lastly the losse of fame and consumption of goods temporall discontents and eternall damnation For though these are good mediations yet they are not conducing to the conquering of these temptations For since that Flight in the judgement of all is the Soveraigne remedy against this disease therefore every such thing is Which may give new occasions to impurity to be avoided which gives any occasion to impure cogitations But in these forementioned meditations howsoever the understanding tires iâ— selfe in detesting these sins of carnality yet at the same time it fastens such fancies in the memory that there are just grounds to feare the falling into delight thereof 5. Wherefore let the matter of But by meditating on Christs death and passion thy meditations for this purpose be rather taken from the passion and death of our Saviour Jesus And if evill temptations of that nature doe also in these pious meditations intrude themselves against thy Will to trouble thee and notwithstanding thy vigilancy yet still drive on their plots and invent new devices against thee which may perhaps befall thee as well as others yet be not out of heart nor leave off thy well-begun meditations nor stay to dispute with these flying thoughts but proceed constantly in what thou art about leaving and laughing at the other fancies as if they nothing concerned thee And this is the onely and best way to conquer imâ—ure cogitations though never so â—mportunate and troublesome EXPLICATION ANd thou maist conclude thy meditation with this or some such colloquie O my soveraigne Creator and sweet Redeemer disingage me from mine enemies for thy bitter passions sake c. And be sure not to permit thy fancy to returne or reflect on the vice since the onely memory thereof is accompanied with very much danger 6. And take heed of holding any Text. Dispute not with carnall temptations argument with them whether thou hast yeelded thy consent or not for this is a covert deceit of the Devill who under this maske of good lyes waiting to insnare thee and bring thee into inconvenience Which at another time when thou enjoyest thy quiet and art free from these troublesome temptations will be easily perceived by thee and taught But discover them to thy Ghostly Father thee by thy ghostly Father To whom thou art faithfully to discover all and every such thoughts and not to be asham'd For humility is here mainly necessary if we mean to compleat the victory 7. As concerning holy Prayer And make no actuall and particular reflexions upon these temptations another remedy against this carnalâ— malady and all other spiritual diseases know that it must be made with often lifting up thy mind to God virtually intending to pray for victory over these thine enemyes without any actuall reflexion upon the temptations Beware therefore of descending to particulars in thy prayers or to shew as it were their malice and thy misery by reflecting upon speciall circumstances for this may endanger thee to fall into new delectation And this will suffice thee for thy defence in time of temptation 8. And after the carnall temptation After the temptation is past stand upon thy guard is past think not that thou art presently safe and secure from the like assault but stand upon thy guard and doe not so much as ever remember those objects which occasioned thy temptations though never so much disguised with the appearance of vertue or piety For all this is a secret perswasion of our corrupted nature and a craft of the Devill to insnare us and allure us to delight CHAP. XII How to fight against slacknesse and negligence THat thou mayst secure thy selfe ô dearly beloved from this pernicious vice employ thy whole diligence and indeavours to correspond readily with all holy inspirations Follow holy inspirations speedily and to decline all earthly comforts curiosities and superfluous affaires not directly belonging to thy state and calling EXPLICATION COncerning which prompt and speedy correspondency with Gods holy inspirations take this Rule Be sure not to deferre the To begin a good work speedily and in it's due time enterprise and beginning of that thing which thou art certainly satisfied thou oughtest to do in it's due and fit time For I assure thee this delay in the beginning of thy work will prove an unrecoverable losse in the progresse thereof because this first short lingring calls on a second which invites a third and that is attended by another and so thou wilt passe on to admit of more to Is of great consequence to overcome sloath which thy sense will consent more easily than to the first as having now tasted the bait and swallowed down the seeming pleasure of this protraction whence it follows that thou either entrest upon thy exercise when 't is too late or wholly omittest it because thou art totally disgusted therwith Thus by litle and litle and almost insensibly creeps in this evill habit of Negligence and in the end we content our selves with this conceit that we will doe it another time more carefully and diligently Take heed therefore of this most subtile enemy Negligence which not onely infects the Will by making it abhor action but also blinds the Vnderstanding that it apprehends not the vanity of these ill-grounded maximes to fancy the doing of our duty another time more devoutly and diligently which we may now performe and yet voluntarily leave it or negligently delay it Wherefore having couragiously And having couragiously set upon it carefully prosecute the same begun thy good work continue it carefully prosecute it diligently and end it devoutly yet not so hastily as to hurt or prejudice the perfection thereof or to imitate
the errour and idlenesse of them who out of sloathfulnesse think upon nothing but to make a speedy end of what they have enterprised litle caring to doe it well but onely striving to dispatch it quickly that they may the sooner enjoy their over much-desired quiet and repose 2. And because there is no better Text. remedy to recall one fallen into this sluggish vice than thus to settle him to some good work though the sloathfull man loaths all such employments having more thought upon the labour which he must undergoe The fruit of good works must be discovered than the fruit which follows it Therefore this good must be discovered and made apparent unto him and he must be given to understand that one hearty elevation of the mind to God or one onely bending of the knee humbly to the earth for his honour is more worth than all worldly wealth and treasures EXPLICATION ANd that as often as we make a diligent hast to speed a good work by using a certaine force and violence to our selves so often the holy Angels bring crowns of glorious victory from heaven to adorne our soules and that God by litle and litle takes away from the tepid and negligent those graces which he had formerly given them encreasing them to his faithfull friends and followers And as for the paine which is to Text. be taken in the prosecution of vertuous practices it must be so dexterously And the pains disguised hid and disguised from him that it may seeme lesse and lighter than it is As If thou shouldest perchance employ thy selfe in the exercise of pious meditation for the space of one whole houre and that seemes too long to thy lazy disposition use a pious fraude and perswade thy sensuâ—lity that after half a quarters time well spent in prayer thou wilt presently leave of And againe when this short space is past get thy body to have patience a litle longer before thou ceasest thy devotions and thus continuâ—ng from space to space the whole howre will soone be overpassed and thy sloath easily shaken of 4. But if indeed thou findest a reall Unlesse there be a reall disability disability of body to beare such labours thou maist lawfully leave it off for a time till by degrees it becomes accustomed to performe these practices of piety with more fervour and alacrity EXPLICATION THis I tell thee as condescending to thy sloath and weaknesse But if thou wouldest habituate thy selfe to make all labour light and all paines pleasant the best though the But the best way to get a custome of induring is to expect crosses continually most difficult way is to get before it expect it cheerefully embrace it at the first incounter whence thou wilt find that all tediousness in the performance thereof wil be turned into perfect quiet content since what thou dost thou dost voluntarily and willingly whereas if on the contrary thou seekest to shun labour it will And not to seek how to shun them not onely seeme irksome when it comes to be performed but formidable before-hand to thy apprehension so that thy very quiâ—t will be subject to trouble and the feare of this surprisall will continually alarme thy fancy thou wilt abhor all pains-taking as a thing loathsome and still dread the occurrence of such occasions persons or objects as are like to impose it upon thee 6. Marvaile not that I so much presse this point and inveigh against Negligence is highly prejudiciall to perfection this vice of Negligence I doe it for that it is seldome perceived and yet highly prejudiciall because it persecutes and pursues us most secretly and subtilly it falls upon us not by force but flattery it gnaws the very root of all spirituality and insensibly gangrens the marrow of our piety and devotion And our enemy hath no better or more alluring bait to And the most alluring bait of our enemy entice any one into his treacherous ambushes especially them who aime at spirituality Be thou therefore vigilant ô my dearly beloved pray heartily performe good works diligently and delay not the spinning of the wooll for thy nuptiall robe untill the marriage day be come when thou shouldest be ready and arrayed to goe before thy deare Spouse Reflect that thy God who Therefore take timely care to prevent it gave thee the morning doth not promise thee an evening therefore improve each moment to thy profit and remember the strict account which will be exacted thereof I And account that day loâ—â— in which thou hast done no goodaction conclude and counsell thee to give that day for lost though thou hast dispatcht never so many affaires wherein thou hast gotten no victory over thy enemies nor thanked God for his benefits CHAP. XIII How to governe our Sensuality THy Sensuality ô dearly beloved is the ordinary gate whereby the Devill enters into thee Let it be therefore thy chief care so to keep and curb it that it may rather be a doore alwayes open to let in thy Lord God to thy Soule Therefore in all thy commerce with earthly creatures be sure to have thy heart Keep thy heart disingaged from earthly creatures free and disingaged from them and often elevating the eye of thy affection to thy God looke upon him hidden in that creature as in his own work and then reflâ—ct that thy same Lord and love is within thee also and thou maist begin to confer with him in this sort O my mercifull maker and eternall Lord God thou art ever present with mee Thou art more within me than I am in my selfe and I ungratefull and forgetfull wretch remember thee not love thee not honour thee not 2. At other times elevate thy And contemplate thy creatours greatnesse thoughts to the contemplation of Gods incomprehensible perfections and rejoyce in those his goods greatnesses and glories more than if they were all thine owne And be more glad that he is incomprehensible in his Majesty than if he were within the reach of thy understanding and capacity 3. And when thou remarkest any And reduce all â—reated â—erfection to him the fountaine main perfection either of Grace or Nâ—ture in any man or woman as wisdome understanding piety justice and the like lift up thy selfe to him who is the bountifull bestower and consider them not as they are in that creature but reducing them to thy Lord God say Behold these ô my God are rivulets flowing out of thee the true living eternall and increate fountaine these are the rewards of thy servants issuing out of the immense Ocean of thy ineffable bounty 4. But when the beauty of any And all earthly beauty to heavenly glory creature allures thee to any delight and complacency passe presently from earthly beauty to the thought of supernall glory and therein onely taking pleasure say O my God when will the happy day come that I shall take in thee onely
my whole delight 5. Another remedy against such-like Mark well the craft of the Devill surprises of pleasure may be To ponder presently with thy understanding how cunningly the Devill who onely seeks to kill or at least to wound thy soule mortally lies lurking under this bait Which when thou perceivest tell him boldly Ah thou cursed serpent how craftily and covertly dost thou lie in wait to infect me with thy poison And then lift up thy mind to God-ward saying O the goodnesse of my God bee thou eternally blessed and praised which hast discovered my hidden enemy lying in wait to destroy my soul 6. But in other accidents which But when things which are unpleasant befal thee thinke upon God's eternall decree go against the hair and rather procure pain than pleasure thou maist thus exercise thy self when somthing happens which is of hard digestion to thy Sensuality as heat hunger sicknesse blows or the like elevate thy mind to that eternall will who would have it so and even from all eternity decreed that thou shouldest suffer this or that calamity at this very time thus grievously and with these circumstances as thou now endurest the same Therefore ful of hearty joy say within thy selfe Now is thy divine will ô my eternall Lord and love accomplished in mee whereby thou wouldest from all eternity that I now in this manner measure and number should receive and carry this crosse and I acknowledge all this to be for thine honour and glory and my owne soules welfare and salvation 7. And make use also of such like So likewise in any sudden or dismall chance thoughts upon all dismall occasions of wind weather and the like which are out of mans power and providence to hinder or prevent So when thou readest any thing which tickles thy fancy turne presently all thy delight to thy Lord God and conclude that he infallibly is hid under those words and now by them sweetly discovers himselfe unto thee And in like manner when good thoughts occure with complacency And in all felfe complacency and delight as proceeding from the reflexion upon some good and vertuous action turne thy mind sodainly to thy Lord God and adoring him with all possible humility and reverence acknowledge that good to have sprung from his grace and therefore thou gratefully returnest it his glory EXPLICATION A larger Declaration of the foregoing Chapter concerning the government of our outward senses THat thou maist rightly study this usefull science and learne how to governe regulate thy outward senses it imports thee to use all exactnesse of custody all curiosity care and diligence and a perpetuall and never-intermitted practise because the appetite which sits as Captaine The appetite is violently bent to seeke it's pleasure and chief commander of our corrupted nature is violently and inconsiderately bent to search after worldly solaces earthly pleasures and outward contentments but being of it selfe unable to acquire them makes use of the senses as his Soldiers And makes use of the senses to obtaine it and naturall instruments to apprehend their objects from whence drawing their images it imprints them in the soule and proceeds on to pleasure which by reason of the sympathy between it and the flesh dilates it selfe through all those senses which are capable of such pleasure and from hence is derived the common contagion which infects corrupts both body and soule Secondly Now if thou art truly sensible of the danger of this poison apply speedily The Antidot against this poyson this antidote which I have here prepared against it Beware of giving up the reines to thy senses or letting them run at randome after the unruly fancy of their leading appetite and never make use of them in things tending to meere pleasure without any further good end profit or necessity but if unawares they have gotten And how to curb the senses roaming abroad vent and are roam'd too far abroad either recall them back or else so regulate and curb them that whereas they had at first basely yielded up themselves and were become wretched prisoners to vaine pleasure they may now bring home some noble spoile or other from each object and place it as a trophe in thy soule where she recollected within her selfe displayes the banners of her affections towards heaven in the contemplation of her Creatour Which thou maist thus practise So soone as any object is presented to one of thy outward senses separate in thy thought the spirit which is in that creature from the creature it By separating the spirit of each object from the thing it self materiall selfe and conclude that it hath nothing of it's owne nature which can charm thy sense but that all is the work of God whose Spirit bestowes invisibly this being upon it gives it this goodnesse and indues it with this beauty with all other its prerogatives and perfections Then rejoyce heartily that thy God is the onely cause and source of so many and so great excellencies which he eminently contains in his divine essence and whereof these are the least and lowest images 3. So when thou findest thy sense fastened upon some creature which Whether it be a creature which hath onely a Being hath onely a Being reduce it in thy thought to it's first nothing looking with the interiour eye of thy soule upon thy Soveraigne Creatour there present who beautified it with this Beeing and taking pleasure in him alone thou may'st say O Divine and desirable essence how doth my heart leap with joy that thou alone art the infinit beginning of all created Beeing 4. In like manner when thou Or hath a Vegetation and increase takest notice of Trees Plants Herbs Flowers and such other things thy understanding will soone distinguish how they have no life of themselves but from that quickning Spirit which falls not under the sense of thy fight to whom thou mayst thus breath forth Behold the true life from which in which and by which all creatures live and encrease O the lively and lovely contentment of my heart 5. Also beholding brute-beasts Or hath sense and feeling let thy spirit soare up to thy God the free bestower of all their sense and motion saying O prime mover of all things yet remaining in thy selfe immovable how great is my joy in thy firm stability 6. Moreover when thy sense is Or is indued with rare beauty touch't and tickled with some rare Beauty separate with all speed that which appeares to the eye from the inward spirit which appeares not at all and considering that all the outward fairenesse springs onely from the invisible Fountaine say with a gladsome heart Oh! the jubilation of my Soule when it thinkes on that eternall and immense beauty which is the originall source and essentiall cause of all created comelinesse 7. Furthermore upon the consideration of any perfection in Creatures Or excellent perfection first making
for that he is impeded from the practice of good wotks So that the cause of Divers pretences for our impatience his impatience relates not to the sicknesse or adversity it selfe but partly to himselfe as deserving it partly to others whom he must be forced to trouble against his will and partly to the omission of his spirituall exercises 5. Thus he who failes in his ambitious But all unwarrantable seeking of honours and offices will tell you he complains not for his owne sake but for the necessity of his family and friends whom he might thus have helped Now that such men deceive themselves is made apparent by this that they are not much troubled when the very same effects come to passe by some other meanes or persons which seemed to afflict them and under which they covered their owne imperfection 6. For example Thou tellest me As is explained by an example that thy sicknesse makes thee not impatient because it is in it selfe grievous to thee but for that they who are about thee are thereby overburdened But should they whom thou so much compassionatest be as much overburdened in serving other sick persons it would not much trouble thee From whence it is evident that not the sense of their trouble but thine owne desire and selfe-love was the true root of thy Impatience And in this manner thou maist discover the hidden deceits in the rest of thy affaires EXPLICATION TO remedy this I advise thee The remedy is to separate the pain from the pretended circumstances my beloved that as soone as thou doubtest of such a deceit thou presently separate by the help of thy conception the pain which presseth thee from those circumstances which are pretended excuses for thy impatience and then reflecting upon that alone force thy selfe to produce true and efficacious acts of patience and resignation to suffer it willingly Thus thou wilt either become a true practiser of vertue or at least thine eyes will be opened to discover thy owne defects whereof thou wert formally ignorant 7. Wherefore I exhort thee that Text. Therefore desire not to be freed from thy Crosse if thou art able to carry thy Crosse with patience thou never desire to be freed from it for this desire brings with it two great evills The one is that if it destroyes not thy patience yet it disposeth thee by little and little to impatience The other is That it deprives thee of merit before God who esteemes that only a work of perfect Patience though short in reference to time which is done with the resignation of our wils to his divine pleasure 8. In this therefore and in all But conforme thy will to God's thy other works and proceedings follow this Rule Withdraw and purge thy heart from all other desires and demands than that onely purely and simply which is conforme to God's will And this is the way to be no more disquieted with adversity since no such thing can befall thee without his will and liking 9. But when some lawfull meanes self- Yet thou maist use lawfull meanes so thou takest heed of self-love must necessarily be used for the expelling of some overburdening adversity take heed left selfe-love creep into thy heart with them and see thou apply them not to bee thereby freed from thy pressure but onely because it is Gods pleasure that thou shouldst make use of those instruments and then thou canst not be discontented in case they should not conduce to thy deliverance from adversity EXPLICATION How to oppose the Devill striving to deceive us with indiscretion VVHen the Devill perceives 1. How to oppose the Devill striving to deceive us with indiscreâ—ion that thou walkest on warily in the right track of vertue so that his common cunning is become uselesse to his designe of making thee goe astray he then transformes himself into an Angel of light and solicites thee with delightfull thoughts flatters thee with passages of sacred writ and suggests examples of the Saints that so conceiting thy selfe climb'd up to the top of perfection thou maist fall more dangerously into the precipice which he hath dig'd for thee To this end he presseth And pressing us to afflict our bodies thee to the punishment of the body with disciplines abstinence hair-cloath and other extraordinary austerities that either thou may'st be puffed up with pride as thinking thou dost very much or mayst destroy thy health and so become uncapable to doe good works or lastly that having endured much in this kind thou maist grow weary of doing penance and abhor thy spirituall exercises and so become a prey to thine enemies and a slave to fleshly and worldly pleasures which hath hapned to very many whose presumption having led them on and left them to the conduct and violence of an indiscreet zeale after they had gone beyond the limits of their owne vertue by immoderate rigours perish'd at last in their owne inventions and so became laughing stocks to their enemies all which disasters will never befall him who diligently observes this doctrine Whiâ—h though it is sometimes good Yet it must be tempered by discretion For all cannot imitate the Saints in austeâ—ity of life 2. For although these voluntary pernances are sometimes praise-worthy and may be meritorious when strength of body and humility of spirit doe correspond and accompany them yet they must be temper'd and moderated by discretion according to each one's nature and quality Thus hee that is unable of body to imitate the Saints in severity of life may right well be able to imitate their vertues by being fervent in devotion frequent in prayer continually aspiring to his Lord and love setting naught by the world and himselfe and loving silence and solitude HEE may be humble and affable to all patient in suffering affronts glad of the occasions to doe good to his greatest enemies and finally resolved to performe his Lords will and promote his honour to the utmost of his power and never to offend his divine Majesty in the least matter whatsoever 3. All which inward acts and But each one may imitate their vertues mortifications are far more pleasing to God thâ—n the outward macerations of the flâ—sh and therefore I counsell thee to be very punctuall in those things which concerne thy duty and obligation but as for extraordinary rigours be rather backward and fearfull than indiscreetly forward â—o embrace them 4. Yet I speak not here to those Yet take heed of too much addicting thy self to delicacies c. delicate ones who though in other things they are sufficiently spirituall are over-much inclined to indulgence towards themselves and to an exâ—ct doting and diligence in the preservation of their health under Under pretence of health or the better performance of thy duty pretence of being thereby better able to serve God and perform their duty for they strive to couple two capitall enemies together the Spirit and the flesh
surely the way of the spirit walking to perfection is farre different from that of earthly travailers who lose nothing by their convenient stay because they redresse their wearinesse which is caused and increased by the continuance of their corporall motion whereas in this way of the spirit by how much more thou marchest onwards by so much thy strength more increaseth for For by going foreward thy strength increaseth the inferiour part which by it's resistance renders the path harsh and painfull is by this vertuous progresse still more and more weakned and the Superiour part which is the habitation where vertue resides is thereby fomented and fortified So that by the continuance of well-doing thou still lessen'st the contradiction which thou feelest in thy journey and receivest a certain secret content in thy happy conquest 11. Thus continuing thy designed course and marching ever onward in thy journey thou wilt arrive with lesse paine and more pleasure ascending by the severall degrees and steps of vertue to the top of the mountaine where thy perfected soule Till thou art gotten up to the mountain of perfection will performe her pious exercises not onely without contradiction but with much gust and content having now tam'd and triumph'd over her unruly passions and compleated her conquest over her selfe and all things created and being sweetly setled in the bosome of the divinity 12. Neither is it sufficient my dearely beloved that thou strivest not Thou art also to seek out all occasions of practising vertue to avoid the offered occasions in this practice of vertues as was declared in the ninth precedent Chapter But I would have thee seeke them out and joyfully lay hold of them though they appeare never so little and at a Especially such as are contrary to thy sensuality distance especially such as are contrary to thy sensuality 13. To this hard combat then mayst incourage thy selfe by these following considerations Whereof one is that all such occasions are the proportionate and probable yea necessary meanes for the acquisition of vertue in so much that when thou demandest vertue of God thou also askest these occasions This being the most proportionate means to attaine to it else thy prayers would be presented in vaine and thy heart would contradict thy lips yea thou mightest seeme to tempt thy Saviour who ordinarily gives not patience without suffering nor humility without contempt and this is also true in all other vertues which are all acquired by contrary accidents whereby wee best perceive our owne wants and therefore are most moved to desire their redresses And by how much these feelings are more sensible by so much the more strong and generous are the acts by which wee endevour to the vertues wee stand in need of Thou art therefore to make high esteeme and improve thy self by the least offered occasion as by a crosse-looke or contradicting word which will inure thee to the patient sufferance of more important diffâ—ulties 14. The other consideration is that which hath beene formerly touched To conceive of all things which befall thee as comming from Gods And comming from Gods Providence for thy particular profit Providence for thy particular profit And though some of them as thine owne or others faults cannot be imputed to God who abhors all sinne yet they may be referr'd to him in as much as hee permits them and though hee can yet doth not hinder them But all pains and punishments whatsoever which happen to us by and through our own defects or others malice are from God and his Divine Providence to which hee concurres and wills that wee indure them and which hee would not permit since they containe a certaine deformity a And that thou maist draw good from them thing ever odious to his purity but for the good wee may draw from them and for other just reasons best knowne to his All-knowing Majesty 15. Being therefore ascertained of Gods Will in all thy sufferings and that he will have thee to support voluntarily all afflictions which befall thee either by others faults or thine owne it follows that they are much mistaken who to excuse The mistake of some rectified their impatience pretend that God will not this or that thing because hee hates all evill for what is this but to seeke a cloake to cover their owne imperfections and to refuse the carriage of that Crosse which Christ hath lay'd upon their shoulders 16. And I yet further assure thee To suffer voluntarily by them whoÌ„ thou hast obliged that thy Lord God more values thy voluntary disgestion of such difficulties which come from those persons whom thou hast obliged than them which come from other accidents because the pride of thy perverse nature is more suppress'd by these than by them and suffering these willingly thou much contentest and exaltest thy God by co-operating with him in that wherein his ineffable bounty and power do so Is to draw vertue froÌ„ sinne and malice greatly appeare and this in effect is to draw from the pestilent poyson of sinne and malice a most pretious balsome of vertue and goodnesse 17. For beleeve it my beloved thy Lord God no sooner discovers in thy heart a lively and ardent love of well-doing and a disinteressed desire of getting this glorious conquest but hee forthwith prepares and presents this chalice of cruell temptations and harsh occasions which thou art to take and disgest according as hee best knoweth and pleaseth and therefore confident Receive therefore the bitter cup mixed by the heavenly Physitian and swallow it cherfully of his love and carefull of thine owne profit shut thine eyes and receive it from his holy Hands swallowing it down cherfully readily and securely even to the last and least drop as a medicine made by a Physitian uncapable of errour and whereof the ingredients are by so much more profitable to thy soule by how much they have lesse sweetnesse and savour to thy sensuality How to make use of all occasions in the exercise of one vertue 1. Thou hast beene already informed my dearly beloved that the single practice of one only vertue at once is more profitable than the laying out for them all together and that all occasions and occurrences though different in themselves are to be directed to that end Now take this method for thy more easy proceeding therein 2. It may fall out that oftentimes in the same day or houre thou mayst chance to be unjustly reprehended for something which in it selfe deserves praise that thou maist cause anger by doing a good action or be murmured against for some small subject that thy fitting demand In all occurring accidents of suffering may bee harshly refused and rejected that thou art suspected contradicted and calumniated without cause that thy body is afflicted with paine or thy mind with melancholy that thou art imployed in some peevish affair that thy diet is ill dressed and finally that thou
If monstrous have recourse to Gods secret judgements from a perverse and obstinate heart turne thy thoughts to Gods secret severe judgements where thou wilt find some whose works seemd to speak them highly wicked to have afterwards shew'd evident signes of holinesse and died with opinion of sanctity and thou wilt also find others who were thought to have touch'd the top of perfection tumbled downe into the miserable precipice of eternall damnation It is And tremble at the proceedings of his Providence therefore thy part to tremble at these unperceiveable proceedings of divine providence and to remaine alwayes carefull and fearefull of thine owne condition not intermedling with that of others which is concealed from thy knowledge 5. Finally beleeve it for a certainty And know that all Charity proceeds from God's good spirit that all the good and charitable constructions thou puttest upon thy neighbours actions are the assured effects of the holy Ghost and that all contempt rash censures and bitternesse of mind against them are derived from thy owne malice and and all bitternesse from the Devill thine enemies suggestion wherefore raze out of thy soule with all speed and diligence such impressions as glance at thy brothers imperfections and shut not thine eyes to sleep before thou hast excluded all such thoughts out of thy heart Of the meanes to shield us against the attempts of our Enemies at the time of death 1. Though the whole course of our life is a continual warre yet the The way to be conquerours at our death most signall and important day of battaile is the day of our death and whosoever is conquered in that last and inevitable skirmish remaines hopelesse of the victory for all eternity wherefore that thou mayst be then ready to beare this fatall brunt with constancie fight now and fall upon thine enemies before hand Is to fall now upon our enemies before-hand couragiously for he that is a stout combatant duting his life is most like to be conquerour at the poynt of death as having by long practice gotten the true use of his weapon 2. Thou art also to make death familiar to thy thoughts by frequent and attentive conference and consideration for so thou wilt lesse feare it when it comes and be freeer to resist what will then so fiercely assault thee Worldlings heare not willingly this doctrine because it interrups them in the cariere of their pleasure which they follow with over-much passion and affection and consequently leave it not without great griefe and affliction But doe thou my dearly beloved make timely preparation for a matter of Therefore make timely preparation so high importance and to this end imagine thy selfe to be sometimes all alone helplesse and comfortlesse struggling hand to hand with death and there represent to thy soule these things following which as I conceive will then most afflict thee and consult with thy own heart how to remedy all things before it be to late that so thou maist readily make use thereof in thy latest and greatest And now study thy answers to the four challenges which thy enemies will then send thee necessity For that which can once onely be acted ought in all reason to be very exactly studied before-hand lest a fault be committed which can never be redressed Of four assaults which our enemies make against us at the time of Death And first Of their assault against Faith and of the meanes to defend our selves 3. Our subtill enemies make ordinary The First is against Faith their strongest opposition when we are in the weakest condition and therefore they raise four maine batteries against us from whence they let fly their empoysoned darts at us into our death-beds assaulting us with temptations against Faith with Despaire with Vain-glory and with Illusions 4. As for the First When the Devill sets upon thee with false arguments The remedy is to retreat from thy Understanding to thy Will to batter downe thy Faith make a speedy Retreat from thy Understanding to thy Will saying Avoid Satan thou Father of all falshood I will give thee no audience for it sufficcth and satisfies me to beleeve that which the Catholique Church proposeth unto me Take heed therefore of admitting any fancies concerning thy Faith though they appeare never so friendly but take them all as indeed they are for deceits of the Devill to ingage thee in a dispute with him But if thou art so sodainly intrapped that thou wantest time to retreat stand strongly upon thy firme ground and never yield either to the reasons he allegeth or to the authorities of Scripture he citeth assuring thy self that they are either â—ull of fallacies or corruptly quoted or ill applied or falsly interpreted â—hough they appeare never so clear and evident 5. And should the subtill Serpent fall upon interrogations to intrap And to give no answer to thy enemies questions thee in thy answers As What doth the Church beleeve vouchsafe him no reply but frame an inward act of lively and firme Faith or undauntedly tell him that the Church beleevs the Truth If he againe proposeth And What is this Truth Say it is even that thing which this Church beleeveth 6. But above all things keep thy heart and mind fix't and attentive But to fix thy thoughts upon Christ crucified upon the contemplation of Christ crucified where sweetly discoursing with thy Lord and love say O my God ô my Saviour ô my Creatour succour me speedily abandon me not in my necessity let me not swerve one tittle from the truth of thy Church and grant me I beseech thee this grace that as I now live in it so I may constantly dy in it to thy glory and my owne eternall comfort Of their Second assault of Despair and the Remedy against it 7. The Devills next Engine wherewith he strives to ruine and destroy The second assault is of Despaire us Is the fright he puts into us upon the thought of our â—normous offences whence he would cast us down headlong into the guâ—ph of despair In which cruel danger stand Where thou art to observe this certain Rule fast to this certain Rule That all reflexions upon thy sins proceed from Gods grace and tend to thy good if they be followed with effects of humility with true sorrow for having offended so good a God and with a firme confidence in his goodnesse But when this reflexion disquiets thy mind makes thee doubtfull and distrustfull peevish and pusillanimous then although thy sinnes appeare indeed sufficient to make thee think thy selfe justly and eternally damned and that there can be no reason for thee to hope after Salvation assure thy selfe they are clearly the effects proceeding from Satans suggestions And therefore And to have a perfect humble thy selfe so much the more and be more hopefull and hope and humble confidence in God confident in thy God whereby thou wilt confound and
dearly beloved the manner of meditating and praying upon our Saviours Passion now I will instruct thee how thou mayst thereby stirre up good motions and enkindle holy affections in thy soule When therefore thou hast taken some Article of Meditation upon Christs Crosse and Passion as for example Of his How to enkindle holy affections in meditating on the Passion Crowne of Thornes thinke thus with thy selfe How thy most innocent and amiable Lord Jesus was with greatest derision and scorne cloathed in a purple coat crowned with sharp Thorns cudgelled with a hard Cane besmeared with filthy spittle How this King of eternall glory whom millions of Angels adore in Heaven was by the worst and wickedest sort of men mocked upon Earth as a counterfeit King with scoffing Adoration and Reverence 2. Now when by these and such other points of Meditation thou desirest to raise in thy soule the true feelings and affections of Love By reflection upon Christs Love and goodnesse elevate thy heart often-times whilst thou art meditating to acknowledge the boundlesse goodnesse of thy Lord God and his love towards thee which thou mayst easily gather from the multitude and the bitternesse of his sufferings for thee By this acknowledgement of his Goodnesse thy love will be more and more inflamed and a true contrition for thy sinnes will bee more easily obtained especially if thou considerest that thou hast againe and againe offended this thy most bountifull and loving Lord God who was thus cruelly slâ—ine formerly for the Ransome of thine iniquity 3. To raise also a constant hope in How to get a constant hope thy soule looke upon thy Lord Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords reduced into the extremity of misery to free thee from the slavery of Sinne and snares of Satan to reconcile thee to his Heavenly Father and to give thee confidence to come to him cheerfully in all thy necessities 4. And if furthermore thou wouldst by these Meditations on thy Saviours passion move thy selfe to spirituall joy warn thy thoughts from And a spirituall joy remaining any longer upon his pains and passe to the profits fruits and effects of his sufferings There thou wilt finde thy selfe and the whole World absolved from thy sinnes by them the Divine wrath appeased the Devill defeated Death conquered the lost sheep reduced the Angels seats supplied Joyne to all this the Joy of the sacred Trinity and of the whole Church both triumphant and militant who all rejoyce in the profit issuing from Christs cruell Death and As aâ—so affections of sorrow and compassion Passion 5. But to raise affections of sorrow and compassion towards thy suffering Saviour thou maist weigh not onely the many wounds of his sacred body but the multitude of anguishes griefs sadnesses of his most holy foul For he well knowing the eminent and infinite dignity of his heavenly Father whom he so highly loved must needs be grieved above measure to see this benigne and bountiful Creatour of all things after so many and so great benefits to be so rashly so maliciously and so frequently offended and deluded by his owne creatures 6. And this sadnesse of thy Saviours soule was much augmented by the foresight he had of that vast multitude of men who by their owne sinne and sloath were to be damned eternally The same grief was further aggravated by seeing the immense dolours of his deare and worthily beloved mother and the same sword spared not his which pierced her heart with sorrow Moreover Christs sacred foule which was all-knowing by reason of the divine union suffered in all the Martyrs and tender Virgins torments sustained for his faith and affection 7. In these and the like meditations And acts of contrition for thy sinnes upon thy Lord and Saviours passion thou must often reflect that thou by thy grievous sins and defects wert the cause and occasion of these his afflictions and from hence conceive acts of true sorrow for thy shamefull ingratitude and humble thy selfe at the feet of his Majesty And know that to be the best pleasing and most acceptable compassion when thou persecutest thine owne disordered affections and strivest to ruine those enemies and root them out of thy heart which were the cause of thy Lords so cruel pains and passion 8. And to move thee to a perfect With a perfect hatred of them hatred of thy sinne think seriously in running over all these points of thy dear Saviours passion as if all these his sufferings were for no other cause than to stir thee up to detest all sinne and destroy thy unruly passions and affections them especially which most endommage defile and distract thy selfe and most displease thy Saviour 9. Lastly That by these meditations upon Christs death and passion thou maist be moved to the admiration And to admire Gods goodnesse by considering 6 circumstances 1. Who suffereth 2. For whom of his goodnesse Consider attentively First Who he is that suffereth these things Surely the onely Sonne of the Almighty God who to save thee came from heaven and became man Secondly For whom he suffered Surely for us poor worms the works of his owne hands and who always are prone to offend him Thirdly By whom he suffered Surely By the vild and 3. By whom vulgar crew and the very refuse of all nations Fourthly What he suffered 4. What Surely disgraces contumelies contempts wounds and torments more than can be named or imagiâ—ed Fifthly How he suffered all 5. How this Surely with a most patient meek and willing mind neither shewing any signe of distast nor speaking any word of reproch against his most ungratefull and malicious persecutors but like an innocent lamb led on to the slaughter he complained not of their violence and his owne sufferings but laid down his life his heart remaining full of sweetnesse Sixthly 6. When where When and where he suffered Surely at the time of their Paschall solemnity and in their prime and sacred City and in the presence of his dearest mother and finally in the view as it were of the whole world EXPLICATION A further Declaration of the profit which may be drawn from the meditation upon Christs Passion and particularly of the imitation of his vertues AMongst the infinity of profits The first profit is a confusion at the sight of our imperfections which may be drawn from this holy exercise One is that thou must needs conceive not onely a sorrow for thy sins past but feel also a shame and confusion in thy soule to see that those unruly passions which put Christ Jesus to death upon the Crosse doe yet lurk and live within thy heart The other main profit which flowes The second a desire and demand of pardon from the former is that being truly sensible of thy sinnes and ashamed of thine Ingratitude thou wilt heartily desire and humbly demand pardon for what is past and grace to amend for the
future And for an acknowledgment of thy extraordinary obligation for thy Saviours sufferings undergone for thy sake with a resolution of amendment thou wilt resolve to serve him love him and suffer for him hereafter The third profit is that thou wilt fall out with thy perverse inclinations The third a persecution of our passions The fourth an imitation of Christs vertues and passions and persecute them to death be they never so little The fourth is that thou wilt force thy selfe to the utmost of thy power to imitate the virtues of thy deare Saviour who endured all this not onely to save thee and satisfy for thy Sinnes but also to give thee an example to follow his sacred steps Another way to meditate on the Passion And now my beloved I will here declare unto thee another method of meditating upon Christs passion which thou maist make use of as thy devotion and occasion shall suggest unto thee If thou desirest for example to obtain patience in imitation of thy Redeemer consider these points following First What the afflicted soule of thy Saviour doth towards his heavenly Father By considering Secondly What the Father doth towards this soule of his Sonne Thirdly What this soule doth towards it selfe and its sacred body Fourthly What doth thy Saviour towards thee Fifthly What shouldst thou doe towards thy Saviour First therefore Consider how the soule of Jesus Christ being totally First how Christs soule carries it selfe towards his heavenly Father intentive upon God Is amazed to behold this infinite and incomprehensible Majesty in respect whereof all things created are as a pure nothing submitted though immutable in his glory to the sufferance of such unworthy usages upon earth for man from whom he never received any thing but disloyalty and injuries And how it afterwards adores thanks and offers up it self intirely to the disposition of the divinity Secondly how the Father towards him Secondly Consider how God willeth and exciteth the soule of thy Saviour to suffer for thy sake all those blowes buffets scourges spittles blasphemies thorns and death upon the Crosse giving him to know how well it pleaseth him to see him thus replenished with all sorts of affronts and afflictions Thirdly passing on to the soule of thy Saviour Christ Consider how with his understanding which is all Thirdly how the soule towards it selfe and its sacred body light knowing how highly his passion pleased God and with his will which is al fire loving the divine Majesty beyond measure which thus invited him to suffer for thee he disposeth himself readily joyfully contentedly to obey his sacred will and pleasure And who can dive into the depths of those desires which this pure and loving soule of thy Saviour had to suffer for thy sake It found it selfe as it were in a Labyrinth of troubles casting about to encounter new wayes of sufferings and therefore freely gave up it selfe and it 's innocent body as a prey to the pleasure and cruelty of the most lewd and worst sort of villains Fourthly Consider in the next Fourthly how thy Saviour carryes himselfe towards thee place thy sweet Saviour amidst his bitter torments fixing his eyes full of teares and tendernesse upon thee and conceive thou hearest him thus expostulating with thee Behold my Child whither thy immoderate desires and unmortified affections have brought me because thou wouldest not use a little violence to thy selfe See and consider how much and how willingly I suffer for thy love and to give thee a pattern of perfect patience I beg of thee ô my deare child and I conjure thee by all these my sufferings and sorrows that thou wilt willingly embrace and cheerfully carry this Crosse and any other which I shall think fit to lay upon thy shoulders and that thou abandon thy selfe intirely into such hands as I shall permit to persecute thee in body or fame how vile contemptible and cruel soever they be O didst thou but conceive the greatnesse of the comfort I should receive in this thy patience and courage But thou mayst read it in these my wounds wherein my love to thee is written in bloudy characters and which I willingly receive as so many precious pearles to enrich thy poore soule with all sorts of vertues and perfections because I love it above all things created And if I thy Lord and Creatour am reduc'd to this extremity for thy love why ô my deare Spouse wilt thou not consent to endure a little to satisfie my hearts desire to supple my wounds and to mitigate these my pains caused by thy impatience which more afflicts my soule than these grievous torments doe my body Fiftly Consider well who he is Fiftly how thou shouldst carry thy selfe towards thy Saviour that speakes thus unto thee and thou wilt find that he is the King of glory Iesus Christ true God and true Man Mark also the greatnesse of his grief the variety of his torments and the manner and indignity of his disgraces too bad for the worst of men or most infamous malefactor in the world Yet thou seest thy Saviour amidst all these affronts and afflictions not onely unmoveable mild and patient but even joyfull and content as if hee now kept his marriage-banquet And as a little water rather strengthens than extinguishes a full kindled fire so by the increase of his torments which were small in respect of his excessive love his content and desire of suffering farre greater was more and more enkindled and augmented Consider further that he endured all this by no externall violence nor for any self-interest but as he told thee for thy love and that thou mightst imitate him and exercise thy selfe in the vertue of patience And then penetrating into that which he desires thou shouldest doe and into the content thou shouldest afford him by this thy practice of patience produce acts of a passionate will to beare not onely this Crosse patiently and joyfully but any greater that so thou maist imitate him more perfectly and content him more abundantly And imprinting in thy mind a lively image of these his sufferings and of his constancy therein be ashamed to thinke thy patience so much as a shadow of his or that thy affections are really any at all being compared with his and tremble that the least thought of not enduring for the love of thy Lord should remaine in thy heart Thy Crucified Jesus my beloved is the best book thou canst read in Christ crucified is the best book to read in and the liveliest image thou canst look upon to draw the perfect pourtrait of all vertue For it being the book of life it not onely informs thy understanding by words but also inflames thy will by example The world is full of books yet all of them together cannot so speedily and perfectly teach the true means of obtaining all vertues as doth the right contemplation of Christ upon his Crosse But they And to learne all
honour is to him For to suffer for God is the best prayer and makes thee truly devout the most acceptable prayer And therefore to endure this drynesse with perfect patience and humble resignation makes thee truly devout because true devotion consists in no other thing than to have a ready will to follow Christ thy Lord with thy crosse on thy shoulder whither and which way hee pleaseth having and desiring God only for God and sometimes leaving God for God 9. If therefore spirituall persons especially Religious men and women would seeriously examine and measure their progresse in the way of perfection and piety by this Rule and not by the feeling of sensible devotion which many doe chiefly And not sensible devotion regard they surely would make better use of sensible comforts in their exercises of devotion which their loving Lord affords to make them more zealous in submitting to his sacred will which disposeth all things in order to our salvation and benefit Wherein many are deceived 10. And in this also many are much deceived that when they are troubled with impure and perverse thoughts they presently become fearfull and faint-hearted and as if God had utterly forsaken them thinke it impossible that his holy Spirit should inhabit a heart so troubled and tormented And they so intricate themselves in these fancies till by degrees they fall into a grievous dislike of themselves and lastly into a certain dangerous despaire Which they no sooner apprehend in themselves but they presently run to their wonted wayes to recover their quiet But hereby they shew themselves little gratefull to God who therfore permits them to be thus troubled and tempted to bring them to the cleare knowledge of their owne nothing that so as wretched frail and desolate creatures they may more seriously seeke him and more diligently draw near him 11. Wherefore ô my beloved What thou art to do in this distresse that which thou must doe in such a distresse is this Enter straight into a profound reflection upon thine own basenesse and there humble thy selfe and confesse thy peevish affections and passions and acknowledg thy pronesse to fall if left to thy selfe into all manner of wickednesse and that without thy loving Lords care and custody helpe and defence thou wouldst be cast downe headlong incontinently 12. This done raise thy heart with a good hope and confidence in thy Creatour seeing it is hee only who permitted thee to fall into this adversity that thou might'st take hold of the occasion to draw neerer unto him by humble prayer and therefore thou art obliged to render gratefull thanks to his divine Majesty for these-like troubles and temptations And take this as a certainty That all such perverse thoughts are sooner expelled with meeke sufferance and patience than with much solicitude and study CHAP. XXIX That the worthy frequenting of the most Blessed Sacrament is an efficacious meanes to conquer our passions THe sacred Communion or most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist is received by devout Christians for divers ends But if thou desirest to take it for the particular strengthning of thy soule against the assaults of evill inclinations attend to what I shall now teach thee 2. The day before thou intendest Meditate the day before thy Communion of thy Saviours desire c. to come to thee to communicate meditate if thy leasure give thee leave of the great desire thy dear Saviour hath to unite himselfe to thee by the meanes of this Sacrament and thereby to root out thy vitious affections For this his desire is so immense that no created understanding can comprehend it 3. But that thou maist have a small glimps thereof consider these two things First What pleasure our Lord takes to dwell in us since the holy Scripture calls this his delights and in My delights are to be with the children of men Child give me thy heart And how much he hateth sin requitall of this love he only requires our hearts Secondâ—y how much he hateth our sinnes which â—â—â—der his nearer union with us and are directly opposite to his incompaâ—â—ble perfections For he being the â—â—ely and chief good the purest light â—â—d most perfect beauty cannot but detest that which is meer darknesse frailty and the corruption and Canker of our wretched soules 4. And that this loving desire of thy dear Lord may take yet deeper impression in thy mind meditate often of his mervailous works related in the Old and New Testament especially of his most bitter Passion and cruell death which he did expresly suffer to deliver thy soul from sinne and to cleanse it from such affections as are contrary to his divine Majesty Concerning which point all the illuminated Doctours of Gods Church doe unanimously conclude and teach That Christ our Saviour would againe if it were needfull exposâ— himselfe to a thousand deaths to free us from the least evill passion or affection 5. By such considerations thou And move thy soul to a reciprocall desire and affection towards him wilt easily gather the great desire thy deare Saviour hath to dwell with thee and from thence conclude how fitting it is that thou shouldst reciprocally stirre up in thy selfe an ardent affection to receive and entertain him Which thou mayst do by these and the like jaculatory prayers Come ô my Lord and my love helpe thy caitif creature to conquer her enemies When ô when my deare spouse will that happy hour come that I may receive thee the bread of life and being comforted and encouraged by thee may fully conquer my selfe and totally subdue my owne evill passions and disordered affections 6. And when thou art hightned And then provoke thy passions to battail with the hope of thy sweet Saviours comming into thy soule then provoke thy passions to battaile call up thy affections and curb them againe and againe with perfect hatred and disdaine and this done produce acts and desires of the vertues which are opposite to these vices And let this be thy evenings entertainment and mornings â—mploymâ—â—t 7. But when the hour of sacred Being near the time of Communion thou art to fear communion draws neare think seriously of thine owne faults failings and unfaithfulnesse to thy Lord God since the time of thy last approach to the sacred table for which ingratitude and unworthinesse thou tremblest with fear and confusion before his dread Majesty But then againe encourage and comfort thy But also to have courage and coÌ„fidence selfe with the consideration of his goodnesse his readinesse to pardon and his inclination to mercy and with a pious confidence that he will have thee receive him notwithstanding thine own indignity go on with alacrity of spirit to the holy banquet and joyfully embrace thy Lord God in thy soul 8. The Sacred Communion thus After Communion discover thy wants performed presently shut up thy self within the closet of thine own heart and discover to thy Saviour thy
therefore thy humble 6. Make thy petition supplication to thy sweet Saviour that since he vouchsafeth freely to come unto thee for his owne mercies sake and for no merits of thine he will also be pleased to prevent thee with his grace and adorne thee with the gifts of his holy Spirit that thou maist become a worthy receptacle for his sacred body as he formerly by the like prevention prepared for himselfe a happy and holy habitation in the virginall entralls of his most blessed Mother CHAP. XXXVII How we may devoutly offer up the sacrifice of the Masse WHen thou feelest thy heart 1. 1. Free thy fancy from all outward objects inflamed by this foregoing or the like exercise free thy fancy of all sensible objects and shutting the windows of thy senses so are up to thy Lord God and fix there the eye of thy soule upon him onely purely freely and quietly excluding all tumults of outward thoughts and implore the assistance of the holy Ghost by reciting the hymn of the holy Church Veni creator spiritus c. 2. Then comming to put on the 2. In vesting thy selfe mark the mysteries sacred vestments mark with attention those mysteries which they mean and signify and from that very instant of time take upon thee Christs person whom thou representest in this holy action that so thou maist be moved to conforme each outward and inward deed to him whom thou now personatest 3. Let thy outward depoâ—tmenâ— be decent 3. And as for the outward composure of the body see that thy going forth of the vestry be with all decency and gravity let thy countenance be cherfull thine eyes humbly cast downe and not curious to prie after any passages done in the Church Let thy voice be low and sober reading those sacred words neither precipitantly nor over-pausingly but beseemingly between both those extremes Let the holy ceremonies be piously and punctually observed and let all be attentively performed taking more care in the Canon and most of all when thou commest to the words of consecration 4. Let thy inward composition also correspond with thy outward carriage 4. And thy inward composition correspondent and therefore comming to the foot of the Atar looke upon Christ thy Lord and thy love sitting in his throne of glorious majesty attended by his Angels and blessed Saints and think he is presently comming down from his throne to the altar to enrich thy poore soule with the treasures of his divinity And considering so high a Majesty confesse thine own misery meannesse and nothing and so truly humbling thy selfe both inwardly and outwardly begin the action of the sacrifice And keep this presence of thy Saviour sitting in his throne and beholding thy devotion untill thou commest to the consecration which done thou hast him then before thee upon the altar thou touchest him with thy hands and embracest him in thy heart there present in the Sacrament 5. In thy first memento Contemplate 5. In thy first memento thy Lord Jesus crucified reposing in thy heart and depose all thy necessities and wants in his sacred and sugred wounds And first offer up thy whole Masse to his holy head To Christs holy head intending it to the eternall honour of the most blessed Trinity and for the increase of the accidentall glory of his deare Mother thy Angel guardian and thy particular protectours and patrons in heaven all which thou shalt joyne together in the wounds of thy Lords venerable head and beseech them that as thou in this vale of misery strivest to augment their glory so they in their happy and heavenly mansions will be pleased to remember thee and joyne with thee in the oblation of this divine sacrifice to thine and their Creatour 6. Comming then to the wound To his right hand of his right hand pray for the state ecclesiasticall that is for the Pope Cardinalls Bishops and pastours of the Church for all Religious persons and their Prelats and for them all offer up this present sacrifice 7. At the wound of his left hand To his left hand pray for the Laity for Kings Princes Magistrates and the rest of their people and in particular for thy parents friends familiars and all who desired to be made partakers in thy devotions 8. At his most sweet heart offer To his sacred heart up thy whole selfe onely humbly representing unto him thy life past and begging his pardon thy present being and desiring his direction thy spirituall necessities and corporall needs thy health thy temptations thy desires thy designes Consecrate all the future thoughts words and works of thy whole life to his eternall honour Finally resigne thy whole selfe reverently and confidently to his divine providence and so rest secure in his care since thou hast delivered all thy affaires into his custody who will better improve all things for thy profit than thou canst either ask or expect 9. At the wound of his right foot To his right foot offer up the sacrifice for all them who are in Gods grace and continue in his charity that he will be pleased to preserve them still in his favour and friendship 10. At the wound of his left foot To his left foot offer it up for all sinners that God will vouchsafe to convert and enlighten them for all poore weak and any-way afflicted wights that he will please to comfort and deliver them and lastly for all thou either oughtest or art bound to pray And so conclude thy whole oblation with Saint Augustines words I recommend Commendo eos quos tu vis scis velle me nosti unto thy Majesty whomsoever thou ô my Lord wilt and knowest and wouldest have me remember And finally offer up thy Saviour Jesus thus loaded as I may say with all thy petitions and necessities to his eternall Father in this present sacrifice saving those words of the Psalmist Behold ô God our protectour Ps 83. 10. and look upon the face of thy Christ And so proceed on in the sacred Action 11. In thy second memento Thou 6. In thy second memento hast Christ present in the holy Sacrament now glorious and risen from death unite therefore thy affection unto him and strive to creep into his open side and there hide thy self safely and securely from all assaults of thine enemies There also determine resolutely to doe his holy will for the future in all occurrences whatsoever and put on that pious affection of the Royall Prophet What is to me in heaven and besides Psal 72. 25. thee ô my Lord and love what would I upon the earth Lastly offer up the Sacrifice for the soules of the faithfull departed and compleat what remains of the sacred Masse CHAP. XXXVIII An Exercise aefter the holy Communion REpresent to thy selfe as formerly 1. Representation of the place thy Blessed Saviour encompassed with the glorious troops of Angels and heavenly spirits
adoring and praising his divine Majesty 2. Then implore his grace that since 2. Imploration of his grace he beyond all desert of thine hath vouchsafed to enter thy poor cottage he will be likewise pleased to furnish it with all such ornaments of holy vertues as may best like himselfe and to illustrate thy soul with the beams of his celestiall light as he did that of holy Simeon that with him receiving thy Lord into thy loving embraces thou mayst sweetly intone thy Nunc dimittis c. 3. In the next place consider that 3. Consider whom thou hast within thee he whom thou hast now within thee is thy sâ—me Lord God of whom before Communion thou conceivedst such high things And render him humble thanks for this immense benefit of communicating and uniting himselfe unto thee intreating him that it may not be a sleight and as it were a passing visit but a permanent abode with thee 4. After this look upon thine 4. Mark thine own unworthynesse own unworthinesse to receive such a guest how homely is thy habitation how beggarly yea how beastly is thy heart how full of the noyse of passions and perplexities and draw from hence acts of sorrow for thy sins of shame for thy negligence and of confusion for the uncleanesse of thy soul 5. And lastly ask with a most fervent desire that he who is the King 5. Make thy Petition of glory and goodnesse and the source of all sanctity and purity will garnish thy soul with his vertues and wash away all thy filthyness with the water of his celestiall grace and so inseparably unite and joyn thee to himselfe that nothing created may evermore make a breach between thee and him but that he will strongly lock up the closet-doore of thy heart and mark it for his own habitation with the signet of his sacred love that so he alone may there peaceably and perpetually take up his rest without the least disturbance of any forrain guest CHAP. XXXIX A dayly Examination 1. FOr the keeping clean of thy Conscience it will be necessary for thee to go down daily into it and sweep each darkest corner thereof with the besom of diligent examination that all uncleanesse may be speedily cast forth of dores 2. Wherefore thou art to do three Every Morning thou art to do three things things every Morning First Give God thanks for all his benefits bestowed upon thee in the night past and particularly for thy delivery from sodaine death and from the deceits of the Devil 2. Then make a cordiall oblation of all things thou shalt thinke speake or do in the day following and intreat the Blessed Virgin that shee will bee pleased to present with her purest Hands this Oblation of thy self and thy actions together with thee to her onely Son 3. And lastly conceiving a confidence of the Divine assistance make a firm purpose by his grace not to offend him that Day in the least veniall sinne 3. And at night a litle before thou At night thou art to examine thy selfe betakest thy selfe to thy rest examine thy selfe how stoutly thou hast stood to this good purpose But before thou descendest to particulars thinke of thy Lords Presence to whom thou art now ready to give in a reckoning of that days transactions and indeavour to feele a certaine shame and confusion in thy self like an ill servant before his most indulgent master or like a perfidious Souldier before his pious Soveraign who rays'd him from the dunghill to the highest degree of honour for how much more reason hast thou to be ashâ—med in the sight of thy God whom thou hast served so negligently and offended so impudently 4. Begin therefore with a generall Begin with a generall acknowledgement of Gods favours acknowledgement of thy Lords love and favours conferred upon thee from the first instant of thy being to that present houre rendring him particular thanks for the benefits that day received from his Bounty And invite all the Angels and Saints and chiefly the sacred Virgin to help thee make a worthy thanks-giving for thy Creation Conservation Redemption Vocation Remission of thy enormous crimes and expectation of thee so long to penance c. 5. Secondly demand light and grace Then beg light and grace to see thy defects and negligences which thou hast that day committed and to feele a true sorrow and contrition for the same For they are so secret that without this light thou canst not discerne them and so enormous that without this ayd thou canst not truly judge of them 6. Thirdly run over each houre of Next descend to particulaâ—s the day and discusse with diligence what were thy Thoughts Words Actions or Omissions in every of them that thou mayst punctually perceive wherein thou hast particularly transgressed 7. Fourthly indeavour to excite a true sorrow for thy sinnes which is And indeavour to excite a true sorrow for thy sins the main drift of this examen and let this grief touch thy heart because thou hast offended so good a God rather than for any other inconvenience which thereby thou incurrest Let it proceed I say not from any feare of punishment which thou hast deserved but from a true reverence and high esteeme which is due from thee to the Divine Majesty of thy Lord God whom thou desirest to love and respect above all things and resolvest to practise it for the time to come 8. Fiftly therefore and lastly beg And lastly implore his pardon for the past and protection for â—he future his pardon for thy past negligence and his assistance for thy future amendment promising particularly and resolving effectually to shun foâ— his love this or that occasion of sinne and to lay hold of this or that opportunity for the correction and bettering of thy selfe 9. And if thou happily findest by this serious discussion of thy selfe that thy transgrâ—ssions are not so grievous as to excite thee to this sorrow and shame refer all this to the Divine mercy and not to thy own diligence or vertue And reflâ—ct upon thy former faults and the grievous failings of other worldlings and conclude that thou hadst surely fall'n more foulely had not his Heavenly Grace upheld and prevented thee EXPLICATION Another method of Examination QUestion thy selfe concerning three things First Wherein thou hast that day fallen and offended Secondly What occasion'd it Thirdly How diligent thou hast been in the practice of vertue Concerning thy fallings read and follow the 15 foregoing Chapter Concerning the occasions resolve to cut them off for the future And for thy practice of vertue strengthen thy will with these three Cordials distrust in thy selfe trust in God Prayer Suspect thy past victories and rely not upon thy former good works but rather forget them lest thou fall into selfe-complacency looke alwayes forwards upon what thou yet wantest how much rests to bee done And acknowledging Gods Grace to be the
profession obliging us to sincerity though we most willingly acknowledg your temporal and spiritual greatnesses heartily congratulate your high perfections and joyfully consider you mounting up amain the divine ladder of heavenly love contemplation Yet we cannot but look upon your souls as immured stil in walls of clay we can only judge you to be faithfull pilgrims not full possessors to be valiant champions not yet crowned conquerors and therfore we conceive that we may much better complie w th our dutie to God and our obligation to you by endeavoring to further you in your spiritual progress than to follow you w th Euge's and acclamations as if you were already arriv'd at the desired end of your journey For this reason we declare that the primarie motive inducing us to present you with this small spiritual donative is the ardent zeal and desire we have of your own happie advancement in solid devotion divine charitie And in pursuance of this design we First discover brieflie unto you the most common dangerous snares of your sworn enemies and shew you the safe way to shun them Secondly we deliver spiritual arms into your hands wherewith to defend your selves defeat your foes by reducing the precepts into practice furnishing you with such affective acts elevations as may readily serve you for restauratives against fainting in these your indefatigable combats Thirdly we raise you up a ladder of perfection from the top whereof which is perfect indifferencie resignation and obedience to Gods Divine will and pleasure you may comfortablie cast down an eie and counteach step you have taken in your wearisom journey towards your heavenlie Jerusalem Fourthly from this mountain top of perfection we shew you the divers degrees of sacred and seraphical love which wil lead your elevated souls to perfect union with their beloved Bridegroom and settle them in the sweet embraces and bosom of the divinity And lastly we have made a collection of the chiefest and choicest Maxim's of mystical Theologie to which you may have continual recourse by which you may solve all your doubts and in which you may secure your consciences upon all emergent occasions and difficulties arising in this your blessed enterprise tendance to eternal felicitie These are the choice flowers which we have gathered in the several gardens of sacred writers and bound up in this posie for your present use comfort and incouragement The other end we aim at in this our dedication is to give you posteritie a publick and perpetual testimonie of our grateful hearts for your many signal favors and temporal benefits wherewith you have more obliged us and our neerest friends than we can either tell how to repay in any other coin or express in any particular tearms And therefore we desire you to receive this our thankfull acknowledgement and real protestatition proceeding from both our united mindes and mouthes as an absolute assurance of our truly devoted service to your selves and all the worthy branches of your most honoured family THE FIRST TREATISE OF THE SPIRITVALL CONQUEST Or A plain discovery of the Ambuscado's and wily Stratagems of our Enemies in this our daily War-fare Enabling the Christian Warrier to foresee and avoid them Psal 56. 7. They prepared a snare for my feet but Psal 123. 7. The snare is broken and we are delivered AT PARIS M.DC.LI To the devout Champions tending to perfection YOu have beheld * In this precedent Treatise of our learned and devout authour Fa. John Castaniza O Dear Champions of heaven a famous Duel fought between the Sense and the Soul the Elesh and the Spirit the Animal and the Spiritual man you have been Spectators of this Grand-plea and present at this renowned trial where before the supream Tribunal of Truth and Reason the Animal man was convened and arraigned at the Bar had Peâ—rus Damianus Serm. 30. his own thoughts words and works for his casting convincing and condemning Jury heaven and earth irrefragable witnesses against him his own guilty Conscience a constant accuser of him the said Truth and Reason the impartiall Judges pronouncing sentence upon him and his own soul the happy executioner of their just verdict Which lifting up the sword of holy zeal and indignation gave such home-blows of Contrition for the past and Resolution of amendment for the future to his heart that blood of tears and joy seem'd to stream from the wounds and the whole man first made a true Martyr of Pennance is now become a faithful witness of Gods infinit mercies You have seen I say a notable siege lay'd to this rebellious City mans sensuality which for it's ditches of defence had depths of impiety for walls and rampiers obstinacy and insolency for towers and bulwarks mountaines of pride and presumption for arms and weapons reluctancy to goodness and resistance of Gods inspirations for artillery tumults for dwelling-houses dens of hypocrisie for palaces labyrinths of dissimulation for temple proper-will for Idol self-love for Captain blindness for Souldiers exorbitant passions for counsel folly and for constancy perverse opinions Yet Babylon is fall'n this treacherous town is taken sensuality is subdued So great is the force of Grace and so happy the success of Truth and Reason And which is most worthy of joyful admiration perfect liberty is gained by this captivity high advancement by this down-fall holy greatnesse by this annihilation and by this death a happy life O blessed Conquest But lest this now stifled fire of rebellion should again burst forth into new flames of sedition and so your recidivations prove more dangerous than your first diseases For Alas such is mans inconstancie that he now seems in a Who so stands let him look that he falls not 1. Cor. 10. 12. firm station who soon falls and fades away into nothing such is the nature of his quarrel that it hath no other point of quiet in this life than the last full period of his death such are his watchfull enemies that they Mans life is a warfare upon earth Job 7. 1. are ever waiting for advantages and such is his known weaknesse that it perpetually wooes and eggs him on to wickednesse how highly doth it import you O pious Souldiers to stand constantly and continually to your spirituall arms to keep an uninterrupted guard upon all the gates of your inward and outward senses and appetites To this end we have here presented you out of our Authour Castanizae with a brief draught of your enemies chiefest postures shew'd you from what grounds they take their usuall advantages against you and discovered where they lay their Foreseen darts do least hurt Greg. hom 35. in Evang perilous ambushes to intrap you that being thus duly forewarn'd of your eminent danger you may be fitly and fully arm'd for your necessary defence preparedly attend their approaches undantedly receive their charges couragiously repell their violence and finally return loaden with glorious Trophees of
victory into your own peacefull consciences and keep there a delicious Call'd by Isay Sabbatum delicatum Esa 58. 13 Sabbath of repose in the happy enjoyments of unspeakable delights The Seven chief Ambushes of our Enemies 1. SElf-love Which is the root of all sin and cause of all inproficiency in the way of perfection 2. Few are found free from it 3. To avoid this snare we must seek Gods honour in all our actions 4. To self-love belongs unmortified sensuality which must be tamed by cutting off superfluities 5. To the same pertain Pride Self-conceit c. Which must be remedied by the Practice of humility 6. Also the passions of our inferiour nature Love Hatred c. To which we must oppose Peace of heart 7. Lastly the adhering to our own wills and judgements which must be cured by Obedience 8. Note a triple Obedience 2. Immoderate affection to creatures 1. This distracts us from our Creator against which we must provide Poverty of spirit 2. Affections to persons corrupt our judgements 3. We must remedy it by loving all impartially in and for God 4. Spirituall comforts may be sometimes snares of the Devil therefore we must not stay in them but transcend them 3. Extroversion or an inordinate application of our selves to externall things 1. Which choakes up Devotion therefore we must not thrust our selves upon imployments 2. But curb our fancies 3. Perform works of obedience necessity and charity without ingaging our affections 4. And strive to get into our interiour 5. By fixing our heart on Christ crucified 4. Bitterness of heart sadness frowardnesse c. 2. All which proceed either from nature indiscretion thoughtfulnesse presumption or immortification 3. And must be sweetned with Charity 4. To this belong a certain grudging at Gods providence which must be avoided by a cordial Resignation 5. Scrupulosity inward affliction fearfulness c. 1. Which aym at the destruction of our Faith and Confidence in God 2. To avoid this we must rely upon God and our guide 3. And assure our selves that we cannot erre in Confidence if we fall not into Negligence 6. Excessive and unnecessary study 1. Which busies the Understanding but leaves the Will barren 2. Puffs us up with Vanity but leaves us empty of true Piety 3. The remedy is to rectify our intentions in our studies 7. Tepidity and coldness in Devotion 1. Which is the bane of all spirituality We must alwayes go forward towards perfection with perseverance and excite our sluggishness with frequent aspirations 2. An excellent document of Saint Anthony Latet hostis et otia ducis The first Ambush Self-love 1. THis in S. Austin's opinion is the root of Self-love is the root of all sin and cause of all inproficiency in the way of perfection all sin and we may fitly add and avouch it to be the cause of all inproficiency in the way of perfection For our subtil nature so constantly seeks her self in all her actions and omissions that even the spirituall man who treads in the pleasant paths of piety is subject to be drawn into this dangerous ambush He will find upon due examination some sinister and self-intention Read the second ch of the Spir. Con. creeping in and corrupting his sincerest endeavours and perceive unless highly illuminated that there is more of private commodity than pure and perfect charity in his most transcendent and heroique exercises 2. Who is not generally more diligent in the performance of his Few are found free from it duty for the fear of hell and hope of heaven than for the sole and substantiall love of his Creator who hath not rather some small clause and secret condition of self-interest in his actions than the only fulfilling of Gods holy will and the following of his Divine inspirations Whom shall we find though never so great pretenders to perfection so totally untangled from this net of Self-love that they neither hover after humane respects and praises nor look upon rewards or punishments nor overvalue their own wayes and exercises nor solace themselves with the sweets of sensible devotion nor please themselves with their high-towring contemplations and raptures into Gods immediate perfections nor finally dresse up devotion by the pattern of their own passions and so fall in love with their own conceptions and make to themselves in Bethel golden calves in stead of 3. Reg. 13. 8. the Cherubins in Jerusalem Whose will is so truly devested from all propriety as to remain untouch'd unmov'd undisquieted resolute and resigned in all temporall chances and changes and in all spirituall dryness desolation dereliction and affliction whatsoever 3. To avoid this pernicious snare To avoid this snare we must seek Gods honour in our actions we must strive to level all our actions at Gods pure honour and pleasure as the only end we aym at the only object of our love life and labour in whom only and not in the best of his creatures is found true quiet and content 4. Unmortifi'd Sensuality is the To self-love belongs unmortified sensuality dear darling of Self-love This proposes nothing but pleasure and pastime to our seduced appetites roamings abroad to our affections makes us sedulous to satisfie our fancies covetous to content our curiosities to hearken after vanities to Read the 7. ch of the Arraignment glut our gusts with dainties and to evaporâ—te our pretious time and talents in extravagant adhesions to creatures What hope Alas of internal repose and recollection where such tumults and troubles prepossess the spirit What place remains for the holy entertainments of heavenly love when such affections have fill'd up each corner of the heart Wherefore a soul that seeks God Which must be tamed by cutting off superfluities must scorn to rest in these seeming goods she mâ—st banish all superfluities and be content with the meer supplies of her necessities she must admit of no excesse in meat drink sleep attire talk or other solaces whatsoever if she really intends to make the body pliable to the spirit and the spirit proper to tend to perfection 5. Pride presumption vanity self-esteem self-complacency self-content To the same belong pride self-câ—nceit c. self-praise self-seeking self-delight with all the rest of like nature are but severâ—ll noozes of the same net and sprouts out of the same main root self-love And whosoever hopes for honour praise preferment or profit from others for any goods of nature gâ—fts of grace or prerogatives of vertue is faln into this snare of the Devil robs God of his proper due is rotten at the heart and hath already received his full reward The remedy of all this O dear Which must be remedied by the practice of humility souls is unfeigned humility Cast one glance of your souls eye upwards upon your Creators might and mercy all your perfections come out of his treasury and are lent you to be improved for his service not to be proud
thine my merits are thy mercies my goods thy graces yet I neither have been thankfull for receiving them nor faithfull in using them O! when did I trust in my own strength and was not foiled and confounded Grant therefore O my Lord ô my only hope and help O my sole safety and security that I may totally trust to thee and distrust my self truly acknowledge thee and deny my self entirely love thee and hate my self 6. I confess ô my Lord that I am the poorest ungratefullest unprofitablest and unworthyest worm of the earth a thing altogether useless to the world and only active to offend thee and to do wickedly in thy sight and is it possible that I can harbor any thought of self-love or self-I king O God of infinite glory greatness and majesty before whom the powers of heaven do tremble what are all creatures in thy sight and what am I the meanest of them all O what proportion is there great God between me and thee between thy All and my Nothing And yet have I infring'd thy laws disobey'd thy commands contemned thy Counsels resisted thy callings and contradicted thy will to prefer my own O monstrous impiety and ingratitude And shall I not willingly submit to all pain punishment contradiction and contempt which thou ô my highly offended creatour shalt suffer thy creatures to inflict upon me Behold O my Lord I debase humble and annihilate my self under all things that have a being I will henceforth utterly hate distrust and detest my self and wholly love thee and relie upon thy mercy O holy self-knowledge O sacred humility thou art the key of all perfection the door of all solid vertue piety and devotion 7. I now cleerly see by the light of thy divine goodness O gracious Lord God what hath hitherto been the cause of my â—on-proficiency in the way of the Spirit and why the path of vertue seemed and so unpleasant thornie tedious and troublesome to my deceived soul It was because I had not learned to leave loath deny and distrust myself and to rely wholly on thee O my only comfort and support I will therefore henceforth faithfully practise what I perceive so necessary I will profoundly humble my soul both inwardly in thy presence O my Lord and outwardly to the whole world I will joyfully and voluntarily embrace all injury indignity contempt correction and confusion which can befall me with as much pleasure as I have formerly any cherishings and kindness I will utterly destroy ruine and root out all self-love self-liking self-seeking self-praise and self-complacencie I will cast my self under the feet of the vilest creatures take pleasure in the meanest employments and obey them most willingly whom my nature most distasts and dislikes I will walk before thee O my Creator as thy needy naked desolate and destitute vassal acknowledging my self void of all vertue and attributing to my self nothing but sin ingratitude defects failings imperfections I will fully perswade my self that no one can contemn confound persecute and punish me as I deserve I will not regard whether I am honored or hated but imagine my self as a thing dead forgotten or as that which never had a being and is now truly nothing I will be contented to be accounted an hypocrite in my sincerest actions and to be thought full of inward impatience secret grudgings and desires of revenge against them who shall any way mortify or misuse me though my heart be never so free from it Finally I will have these and the like thoughts and words alwayes in my heart and mouth I am nothing I have nothing I do no good I am an unprofitable servant I utterly hate and distrust my self and totally rely upon thee O my Lord my love and my All. FOR WEDNESDAY To obtain Remission of our Sins The Third Exercise 1. WHo will give water to my head and fountains of tears to my eyes And I will weep day and night for my sins which cover me all over like an incurable ulcer from the soal of the foot to the crown of the head Where art thou O my wretched and wicked soul In what labyrinths dost thou walk In what sinks of sin and puddles of uncleaness dost thou wallow Awake arise lament repent how long wilt thou sleep why wilt thou dy when wilt thou shake off thy fetters Ah return silly sheep to thy good Pastour return poor prodigal to thy pious Father whose goodness so lovingly invites thee whose mercy hath so long expected thee O great and glorious God the mighty Monarch of heaven and earth King of Kings and Lord of Lords behold a poor and penitent Publican who is ashamed to lift up his eyes to heaven and unworthy to take thy sacred name into his sinfull mouth humbly knocking at thy gate of mercy clipping thy holy feet and craving thy accustomed pity and compassion O merciful Lord hide not thy self from me shut not the door against me Oh! one crum of comfort one dram of devotion to my sad and sick soul to my dry and desolate spirit 2. I am conscious of my ingratitude against thee O supream majesty and my sin is always before me and confounding me But whither should I retire my self from thee To whom should I have recourse but unto thee Art not thou my Father my Father of mercies which have neither limits nor measure Art not thou my Maker my preserver my governor my deliverer my King my Pastor my Physician my Priest and my Sacrifice If thou art not all this and more to me and if I am nothing to thee refuse me reject me and relinquish me a prey to be swallowed up by thy enemies But it is time O my Lord that heaven and earth take notice of what thou art to me and what I am to thee It is time thou enter into thy right And I must now either give my self to thee or thou must take me unto thee Not that I aspire to those excellent prerogatives of thy dearest servants No my Lord it sufficeth me to be in the out-rank of thy meanest slaves to be only stamp'd with thy mark and link'd fast in thy chains that I may never more have the power to fly from thee O grant me this favour most merciful Father which thy dear Son hath purchased for me by the price of his death and passion I am fall'n without thee by my own frailty but can never hope to rise but by thy mercy O my Lord and only support I am sick without thee but cannot be cured without thee my heavenly Physician I am dead without thee but can never be revived but by thee ô life of my soul So true it is that to make me come to thee thou ô most gracious Lord God must first come to me O the admirable goodness of my loving Lord Even this little I am doing is rather thine own work than mine Thou O my Lord puttest repentance into my soul desires into my heart sighs into my brest
themselves into good company seek to converse with vertuous people are diligent in their devotions zealous frequenters of the Sacraments and painfull practisers of the corporall and spirituall works of charity But by reason they are yet slow in the pursute of solid vertue and slack in their tendance to Perfection But are slow in tending to perfection they are still subject to fall into their enemies snares and ambushes For they are terrified at the difficulty of getting an entire conquest over their passions and imperfections and therefore seem to satisfie and solace their minds with what they have already done and left for the love of God presuming overmuch upon his goodness flattering themselves with a certain self-security fancying that they are in a sufficiently good condition whence they fall into a false opinion of their and â—â—bject to be self-conceited own worth and an erroneous conceit that little or nothing is wanting to them All which maxims manifest their secret pride and presumption and render them by degrees careless of their further increase and progress in the path of spirituality The Third Degree of Perfection VNto which those proficients are ascended who have more perfectly vanquish'd all affections to the On the 3. step stand they who casting â—ff sloath tame themselves with austerities world subdued their sensuality to the rule of Reason and changed their sloathfull and sluggish indisposition into a noble and generous resolution of mortifying each unruly passion and wrestling with their evil inclinations And to this end they fall seriously and severely to work applying corporall austerities fastings watchings wearing of hair-cloaths long vocall prayers and faithfully practise such painfull means as may probably help them forward in their desired conquest over themselves in the acquisition of vertues and in their tendance to perfection But because their intentions in But their intentions are not pu the performance of these pious practices are not pure sincere divested of all selfishness and simply for Gods supream honour alone but have some small mixture of servil fear which looks upon hell and punishment or of self-love which eyes heaven and reward rather than Gods only pleasure and liking therefore they are yet seduced by the devils subtilty and drawn into a certain secret delighting in their own supposed good deeds relying over-much upon these outward exercises and neglecting Nor are they wel-grounded in self-denial their inward man by not laying there the true groundwork of solid vertue which is perfect mortification and self-deniall but following the track of nature in it's love to these seeming sensible and satisfying practices not duly weighing how highly they hinder the operation of Gods holy Spirit in their souls The Fourth Degree of Perfection VNto which they are clâ—mb'd who rightly considering the nobility of the inward exercise get Vpon the 4. step stand they who have gotten into their interiour into themselves and there study diligently how they may unite their souls to their Creatour with fervent desires and filiall affections Yet these are oftentimes self-seekers But yet look for solaces lovers of their own will and desirers of solaces and sweetnesses in their devotions rather than the pure pleasure of God they glory in their own way of the Spirit and prefer it before that of their brethren which shewes them to have a touch of spirituall pride and argues them of immortification And though in time of comfort they seem well resigned to endure all dereliction yet they are troubled when any cross comes upon them and discouraged when and are discouraged with adversities the least adversity befalls them If they are commanded to leave what they love or act what they like not they soon shew what they are what spirit leads them they declare their disobedience fall into grudgings and murmurations and make apparent the hypocrisie of their pretended resignation Such persons therefore must strive seriously to restrain this willfull propriety and give up themselves truly and totally to Gods good pleasure and the guidance of their spirituall conductor without any manner of restraint or reservation which is the only secure and short way for them to attain to the next higher Degree of Perfection The fifth Degree of Perfection IN which are placed those pious souls which truly renounce their own wills in all their actions exercises On the 5. step stand they who are fully resigned and devotions and are fully resigned to the divine pleasure and disposition These promptly obey not only Gods inward calls and their Superiours commands and perfectly obedient but even the becks of all men living in all things which appear consonant to Gods honour and conducing to their self-denial and mortification Their chiefest care is to conserve cleanness of heart their dayly prayer is to purchase purity of conscience and their unwearied endeavours drive onely at the perfect union of their souls to their sweet Saviour But because they are not yet masters in this sacred art but young and raw Scholars in this track of true and totall resignation But fail for want of experience and courage they somtimes fail for want of courage constancy Stediness and solidity in it all their affections are not absolutely rooted out and mortified by sufficient use and experience in spirituality which makes them yet waver in their station stagger in their resolution slip down now and then into some lower pit of self-love and admit of some little point of propriety yet they soon arise return and regain their standing by the help of self-denial and resignation The Sixth Degree of Perfection VPon which stand those holy On the 6. step stand they who have a habit of resignation Contemplatives who by much experience and long continued diligence have gotten a perfect habit of resignation and a resolute perseverance and constancy in their good purposes free from all mixture of self-will propriety or the least taint of contradiction from their Lords will and pleasure faithfully acknowledging that all things whatsoever even the greatest adversities and most grievous temptations turn to the spiritual advancement of such souls as truly seek God which is their only aym and employment Yet even into these high entertainments with God there may creep in a certain secret inclination to themselves and an over-eager But desire comforts to enable them appetite towards gusts and ghostly comforts upon pretext to be thereby enabled to endure all desolations and adversities which intention being not precisely pure from all propriety and absolutely perfect in divine charity is a great impediment to the operation of the holy Ghost in their souls For what gifts soever of nature or grace outward or Note well this excellent maxime inward temporal or spiritual are not directly used in order to our own humiliation and our Creators honour are abused by us to our greâ—t prejudice in spirituality and prove hinderances and stumbling-blocks in our way to perfection And
upon this same Stair stands Here also they stand who are intirely indifferent also another rank of holy persons who have brought their inward man to an intire indifferency in all things whom neither prosperity puffs up nor adversity dejects who have their Lords will for the sole law of their actions and his only love for their All in all They desire to be truly conformable to their crucified Saviour and to keep an internall quiet content and constancy in all desolation and dereliction They are well grounded and setled in a simple and sincere affection to their Lord God which enables them not only to act great and heroique things but also to suffer all grievous and hard matters These illuminated souls receive But yet rest in Gods favours with some propriety many sweet and secret graces from the hands of the heavenly bounty as rewards of their sincere fidelity their Understandings are replenish'd with clarity their Memories are possest with objects of piety their Wills are burnt and consumed with perfect charity But yet these aboundances of divine favours may somtimes turn to their prejudice when they rest in them with the least spirituall gust and propriety Here furthermore are seated those Here furthermore they stand who are satisfied with God only almost perfect souls which have really resigned up themselves and all purely to Gods pleasure are fully contented with him alone and remain wholly satisfied with all that he either sends or suffers looking upon himself only and not upon any of his gifts or goods These are yet more frequently visited from above with divine illustrations and solaced with high and heavenly comforts but because But are not as willing to leave divine favours as to have them they are not as really resigned to leave them and to be bereft of them as they are ready and willing to have and enjoy them they seem to have yet a little point left of secret propriety within them and must therefore take yet a higher flight before they can pearch upon the upmost round of this spirituall ladder which is The Seventh and highest Degree of Perfection WHereunto those elevated and perfect souls are soared up which are throughly inflamed absorpt and extasied in divine contemplation On the 7. step stand the perfect contemplatives wholly dead to the world abstracted from flesh and blood and living as it were only by vivacity of Gods love and quickning of his holy Spirit within them These are the dear darlings blessed minions holy favourites and Gods faithfull friends and dear favorites happy spouses of the most high though they somtimes live here below in perpetual oblivion and obscurity They are brim full of heavenly gifts and graces lifted up above themselves to taste the unexplicable sweetnesses and behold the unspeakeable glimpses of the divinity Yet they rest not in these sublime prerogatives with the least pleasure or propriety but utterly renounce all self-seeking and interrest being securely grounded in solid faith cloathed only with naked charity and accompanied with abyssal humility counting themselves worthy of all abjection conceiving themselves the very worst of all creatures and contenting themselves to be by all so taken and treated Their whole comfort is in the Cross of Christ they neither look for such plentifull showers of heavenly feelings visitations illuminations and influences of the Spirit nor ungratefully neglect them but remain in perfect indifferency and Who are perfectly indâ—fferent and absolutely resigned and obedient offer up themselves as obedient instruments to all that the holy Ghost shall vouchsafe to operate by or in them They receive all things from their Creators hands into their open and disinteressed souls as if they felt them not ever praising the divine piety admiring his liberality returning all to his honour resigning all to his will and being satisfied with his providence and disposition in all temporall and spirituall events whatsoever Finally their outward man desires no earthly consolation their inward man breathes nothing but the pure love of God and the whole compositum begs nothing but a perfect conformity to his crucified Lord and master in all things but especially in self-denial and abnegation the only safe and secure guide of each Step in this his long pilgrimage towards perfection THE FOURTH TREATISE OF THE SPIRITVALL CONQUEST Or The Triumph of the elevated Soul in the amorous embraces of her divine Spouse Canticles 5. v. 8. Tell my beloved that I languish with love Cant. 2. v. 16. My beloved to me and I to him AT PARIS M.DC.LI To the Loving Spouses ayming at divine Vnion with their heavenly Bridegroom HAving thus happily 1. 1. The Spâ—rituall Conflict Fought and foiled your ghostly enemies O Victorious souls 2. Prudently 2. The Seven Ambushes discovered and avoided their dangerous ambushes 3. Gotten the right use of your 3. The Seven Exercises Spirituall weapons by the frequent and faithfull practice of your pious exercises 4. And 4. The Seven degrees of perfection couragiously climb'd up from one degree of solid vertu to another from the lowest Step of Devotion to the highest degree of Perfection It only remains that you now take your 5. last 5. This ladder of divine love consisting of seven rounds and sublimest flight from this mountain-top to the throne of divine love and Union to facilitate which heavenly enterprise you may fitly make use of this holy ladder rais'd up for your souls assistance in those her high-soarings that so she may conveniently repose herself upon each mysticall Step thereof prune her wearied wings fetch breath a while and get new strength and more light to ascend higher and higher till she arrives at the full height and head of it which leans upon the very bosom of the Divinity it self and leads into the bedchamber of her beloved Bridegroom where finding a sure footing and a secure resting place forgetting the whole world her self and all the multiplicity of things which she left below and from which she hath happily unfetter'd disingaged and loosned her-self she sits silently solitarily quietly and contentedly attending to that One alone whom she only loves in whom only she lives and from whose sweet embraces she desires never more to be separated The Seven Degrees of divine Love 1. In the first degree the soul is wounded with love sick of love and languishing with love 2. In the second she seeks her Physician 3. In the third she fears her own unworthiness and the loss of her beloved 4. In the fourth she willingly suffers for love 5. In the fifth she is impatient in her desires of love and must either obtain or dy for it lightly swiftly and nimbly after love grows bold and confident in love and becomes united to her beloved 7. In the seventh she enjoys her beloved perfectly and perpetually The first round of this ladder of divine Love UPon this first Step stands the pious soul which In the first degree
4. Essentiall parts of Prayer S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 83. a. 7. are the wings by which our soul fly to God and the four essentiall parts of prayer all others as Preparation lecture examen oblation points conclusion and the like being only accidents and properties thereof The difference between Meditation and Contemplation is this We Meditate when we seek after truths and cast about for reasons The dâ—fference between Medâ—tation and to affectionate our wills to the embracing of Gods love Christian vertues or works of piety and perfection For our Vnderstandings are as it were the Steels and our Wills the Flints which no sooner touch each other but the sparks of holy affections presently fly out inflaming and actuating our disposed souls with heavenly love We Contemplate when we steadily Contemplation and unmoveably behold God by Faith believing that we have him truly with us and within us and so leaving all other subjects objects reasons and discourses to look on him as present love him in silence and feed on his only satiating sweetness And this Contemplation is either Ordinary or Perfect or Transcendent Ordinary Contemplation is when Contemplatâ—on is threefold 1. Ordinary S. Tho. in 3. dist 32. our souls make use of their imagination and such Species as they have drawn from sensible objects first purifi'd subtiliz'd and immaterializ'd by the Vnderstanding to conduct them to their Creatour Perfect Contemplation looks directly 2. Perfect upon the increated light fixes her view upon the eternall verity and perches immediately upon the divine being and perfections without any admixture of fancy or assistance of creatures This is call'd dark Contemplation because our souls discharged from all inferiour objects and receiving no enlightnings from below are wholly daz'led and as it were blinded with the bright splendour of Gods incomprehensible Majesty framing no sensible Idea of him but beholding him with the eys of faith by way of Negation and simple adhesion to his divine Essence Transcendent Contemplation 3. Transcendent mounts up yet higher above all intelligible species and may fitly be term'd the Cousin german of beatificall vision and that last heaven whereunto S. Paul was rap't where not only all use of Sense is extinguisht and all acting of Vnderstanding abolish't but the spirit is totally transported absorpt and inflam'd with Seraphical love and the whole inward man is drown'd annihilated extasi'd and ineffably united to the Divinity so that the thus elevated soul can neither say or consider God is with me or I am with God for such advertency or reflexion is sensible whereas this most eminent Contemplation imports an absolute silence and forgetfulness of our selves and all things whatsoever and an intire conjunction with our Creatour as shall be hereafter further declared The Practise of the four essential The 4. parts of Prayer exemplifi'd parts of prayer is in this or the like manner Taking some mystery of our Saviours life as for example his praying in the garden of Gethsemani As is shewed in the following Maxim for our subject or ground-work we first examine our consciences ask pardon for our sins and make resolutions of amendment Secondly we give up our willâ— irrevocably to God seeking purely his glory and not our own gust c. Then we enter upon the first essentiall part of Prayer which is Meditation considering our 1. Meditation dear Redeemer in his bloody sweat sighing weeping praying and his disciples sleeping Vpon this sad spectacle we make some discourses concerning the person that suffers the love wherewith he suffers the subject for which he suffers Then our affections being moved 2. Contemplatâ—on by these considerations and inflamed in Gods love we slide sweetly and insensibly into active Contemplation leaving all discourses and looking with our eyes of Faith upon our suffering Lord. And having melted away in his 3. Thaâ—ksgivâ—ng loving presence for so long time as our Devotion or the holy Spirits invitation lasts we heartily thank him for having thus suffer'd for our salvation And lastly we implore his grace 4. Petition that we may faithfully follow his steps and above all that he will grant us his love which we must filially affectionatly humbly and confidently beg at the conclusion of all our exercises The fifth Maxim That continual Recollection is the Exercise of Exercises and the immediate way to bring us to Perfection and divine Vnion THat we may rightly conceive the verity of this Maxim let us here in the first place take a view of the whole manner meaning method and practice of this sublime exercise in these ensuing Canons 1. That all places are proper for Recollection but the more quiet the more proper Wheresoever we live we may and should send up our Petitions and breathe forth our affections to our every where present Lord and lover in publick and in private in tempests and in calms amidst all noises of employments and in quiet corners of retreat Job prayed well on a dunghill and Jonas in the Whales belly but Judas did not so in his Apostleship and society of Jesus Yet when solitude silence and repose may be obtained they are the fiâ—test 2 2. q. 188. a. 8. instruments of Contemplation and therefore most highly to be prized and most diligently embraced I Ose 2. 14. will lead him into the desert says our Lord and there I will speak to his heart 2. That to pray on our knees is a posture most pleasing to God Let us not hunt for excuses pretend want of forces nor cloak our laziness and languour with that misinterpreted Maxim That Prayer must have the quietest easiest and least constrained composition of body but rather let us imitate our Lord Saviour since all his actions are our instructions whose humanity lay often prostrate on the earth Matt. 26. 39. Mark 14. 35. Ephes 3. 14. praying and adoring his divinity and let us follow the example of his Apostle who frequently bended his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Let us I say submit willingly to this direction unless evident weaknes or infirmity hinder us for this adoration and a far higher is due to the divine Majesty and therefore let us conceive the contrary to be a manifest temptation of our enemy 3. That we must especially at first prefix to our selves certain and set times of Recollection Let us not complain for want of conveniency time or opportunity to follow this exercise for if our wills be ready time cannot be wanting If our stomacks call on us for meat or our bodies for warmth we can find time to feed and clothe them are our souls less considerable Let us rather steal time from our sleep and recreation than want it for Recollection And since all our time is given us by God to be spent in his love and service let us re-give unto him at least the tithe thereof and dedicate two hours of four and twenty one in
the morning and the other in the evening to his particular honour 4. That we must frame an act of pure Intention at our entrance into Recollection as thus I intend ô my God to employ each moment of the short time I shall remain in thy presence in adoring thy Majesty admiring thy goodness begging thy pardon for my offences thy mercy for the souls in Purgatory thy succour for the Churches necessities thy assistance in such an extremity thy strength against such an inclination thy grace for the getting such a vertue I am here on my knees ô Lord to perform these homages and present these petitions This Intention will virtually endure the whole time of prayer and make our seeming idleness and stâ—lâ—ess active and meritorious 5. That we must briefly examine our Consciences and produce acts of Contrition self-confusion humility and resolutions of amendment Saying from the very bottom of our hearts in this or the like manner O my Lord my God my 〈◊〉 thou deservest all praise honour and service because thou art good gracious and glorious I will henceforth rather lose all than leave thee ô my God without whom all is nothing and since thou art so good in thy self and so good to me I will by thy grace never more offend thee I will confess my sins amend my life perform my penance walk carefully humbly obediently resignedly in thy presence to all which I am principally moved by the infinite greatness beauty and bounty of thine own divine being and perfection In the particular examen of our consciences which must never be omitted in the beginning of our Recollection we must mark to what vice we are most inclin'd and wherin we are most frail and then trample Read the Spir. Confl c. 7. n. 1. 4. that down violently and resolutely for this Captain-imperfection being conquered the rest will soon yield and submit And in the next examen we must impartially search and censure our selves and see whether our falls in that kind are still as frequent as they were formerly and so set upon our enemy again with fresh fervour vigour courage and constancy till we have gotten the compleat victory 6. That we must also make an Act of perfect Resignation before we fall upon this Exercise Leaving our selves intirely in Gods hands He is our father let him dispose of his children and all that concerns them as he best pleaseth saying O my Lord my father my lover do with my life my health my temporals my spirituals my body my soul all all as thou wilt I come not hither to receive my own content but to learn how to conform me to thy will in all things and to remain in that very state neither more nor less nor otherwise which best pleaseth thy divine Majesty 7. That we must bring with us some theam subject or groundwork of our Prayer and Recollection As some mystery of our Saviours life death Passion mans last ends some vice to be conquered some vertue to be attained some divine perfection to be admired or some jaculatory sentence to be so long stayed on and chewed till our souls feel themselves inclined to quit all discoursing and acting and to remain quiet in an exercise of pure Faith and perfect Resignation as followeth 8. That we must look on God by Faith and leave off all discourseâ— When lively conceiving by Faith that our Lord is in us and in all things we humbly beg him to teach us the holy lesson of divine love and so keeping our selves in his presence bidding good night to all creatures objects and images whatsoever as at this time nothing concerning us we only and immediately eye the beloved object of our souls and rest quietly contentedly silently and sweetly absorpt into the Diviniâ—y 9. That we must carry God with us from our Prayer Let us not leave our dear Lord in the Oratory when we rise from Recollection but bear him along with us continually in our hearts talking still with him and of him eating and drinking in his company sleeping with him in our arms negotiating walking recreating doing all things with him in him for him and ever praying and praysing him whom we have with us and within us in the closet of our souls 10. That we must put on Christ and imitate his example in all our actions Our Saviour Christ is our Master let his life therefore be our modell and his practises the patterns which we always study to express and imitate Let us comport our selves in eating drinking sleeping speaking praying and doing all things as we conceive Christ did or would do upon the like occasions if he were now living upon earth in his humanity Let us study to have this Rule of three alwayes at our fingers ends 1. To think as Jesus did 2. To speak as Jesus did 3. To do as Jesus did So striving to become as it were a Jesus Christ by imitation Thus briefly we have the whole manner and method of this transcendent Prayer and divine exercise of Recollection to wit 1. To get into our retreat 2. and there placing our selves on our knees 3. Twice every day 4. to frame an act of pure Intention 5. To examin our consciences and produce acts of Contrition 6. and Resignation Then to 7. think on the subject of our prayer 8. Leave off all discourses and look on God by faith 9 Carry God with us from prayer and 10 lastly put on Christ by imitation Which is the short and secure way to divine union and Deiformity being faithfully performed discreetly practised and carefully accompanied with profound humility perfect obedience and an absolute submission to our spiritual director as shall be more fully deduced in the subsequent Maxims The sixth Maxim That for this pure perfect and Transcendent prayer no certain Rules can be prescribed THe ground of all Prayer even purest is as hath been said some mystery some devout sentence some vertu or some jaculatory dart c. untill our affection be moved Now if by continuall Introvâ—rsion and peculiar grace our Wils are drawn incontinently by the simple view of our beloved Lord it is needless to use this ordinary means When our affections are thus enkindled they break forth into flames of love and aspirations Then the heat increasing our Prayer grows more inward our sighs deeper our love greater our hearts more ardent in their desires of Union which is active Contemplation Wherewith our souls being overcome and drowned in tâ—eir lovers presence leave him to speak move act all things with us and within us and so we sleep in passive Contemplation freed from all objects of creatures and sweetly united by pure love to our Creator The degrees therefore of Prayer in generall are these 1. Devout reading or mix'd Prayer The degrees of Prayer in generall 2. Vocall Prayer 3. Meditation or consideration 4. When the affection is excited Vocall aspirations 5. The heat and light encreasing mix'd partly Vocall partly Mentall
into the divine light shee may confidently rely and repose And without this prop the higher shee ascends the lower will be her fall back again The tenth Maxim That in this high Exercise of Recollection the three Theological vertues Faith Hope and Charity must perfect and possess the three powers of our souls Vnderstanding Memory and Will IT is in the first place to be observ'd as an undoubted truth that a foul cannot in this life bee united to God immediatly by her understanding memory will imagination or any other sense power or faculty whatsoever but only by the means of Faith in her Understanding by Hope in her Memory and by Love in her Will. These three vertues must therefore Read F. Cisnerius ch 65. be introduced by our cooperation with the divine grace into the said three powers of our souls in the purest and perfectest manner that is possible if we will arrive at the height of divine Union 1. Faith must so possess our Understanding as to deprive it for that present of all other knowledge than that of God only 2. Hope must blot out of our memory all images and thoughts of possessing any thing but God only 3. Charity must uncloath our Wills of all affections joys contents satisfactions in any thing that is not God only For Faith tels us of things which cannot be understood by naturall light and reason Hope looks upon such things as we have not hold not possesse not and Charity retires our love from all creatures to employ it all on our Creator The three powers therfore of our soul must bee perfected by these three vertues our Understandings must bee informed with this pure Faith our Memories uncloath'd of all possession by this pure Hope and our Wils fill'd with divine affections by this pure Charity Thus refusing denying and emptying our whole souls of all that is not this perfect Faith hope and charity In this divine practice is found an absolute assurance against all the subtle snares of the devill and self-self-love for a soul which is thus entirely denuded and stripp'd of all active knowledge possâ—ssion and love of things created must needs remain in God in a certain tranquillity passivenesse cessation sleep annihilation absorption so that there can nothing be found out of God for Satan sin or sensuality to attempt against But to facilitate the intelligence and practice of this high matter upon which foundation stands the whole edifice of this holy Recollection and divine Union let us particularly deduce and exemplify how the Understanding is to bee placed in pure faith the Memory in pure hope and the Will in purâ— charity The eleventh Maxim That our Vnderstandings muâ— be setled in pure Faith THe practice of this point is thuâ— F. Cisnerius ch 28. Having conceived some mysterâ— of our Saviours Passion or the like for the subject of our prayer we ruminate a while upon it not â— much to admire our Lord Jesus aâ— imitate him and we desire to know his vertues that wee may practiâ—e them in our own particular by hiâ— perfect example Then we make an Act of Faith An act of Faith saying I firmly beleeve that this my suffering Saviour is not only a man but also my Soveraign Lord God I beleeve that he being Almighty submitted himself to Pilat being the creator became a creature being immortal became mortal and that in as much as he iâ— God he is with me within me without me about me above me beneath me and so in all creatures which have a being Afterwards we speak further to our Saviour O my dearest Lord and lover Teach me now my lesson that in requitall of what thou hast done for me I may keep thee company in thy sufferings And then we quit all discourses thinking we have no understanding at all left and looking on our sweet Saviour only by Faith which hath this property says S. Thomas to S. Tho. of Aquin. elevate the soul to God and free it from all creatures For so long as there are discourses in our Understanding images in our Memory joys or tenderness in our Will these powers have not pure God but sensible things for their object because God being above all sensibility must bee found without all creatures and consequently if we can be totally abstracted from all things created we shall infallibly lay hold on our Creator 'T is therefore impossible say's St. Denys the divine S. Denys to be truly united to God unlesse we leave all materiall operations both in sense and in spirit that is unlesse wee lay aside all senses all discourses all imaginations and all waies of humane wisdome Till wee can doe this let us not think to become perfect Contemplatives The twelfth Maxim That our Memories must bee setled in pure Hope WHich is done by forgetting all things created heaven earth our selves all being wholly taken up with God and absorpt in the Divinity So that by a simple remembrance that we are with God without looking back to reiterate the same reflexion we repose and slumber sweetly in him staying upon no image whatsoever even of our Saviour himself for as he in as much as concerns his humanity call'd Joh. 14. 6. himself the way so he thereby insinuated that we were not to remain in the way but to march on to our ways end which is his Divinity No mervail then if we find in The doctrine of mystâ—call Divines explicated the prescripts of mysticall Divines this doctrine That to arrive at the height of Contemplation we must leave off all sort of Meditation though it be on the life and death of our Lord and Saviour because in all Meditation there is ever something that is sensible to which nature applying it self hinders our souls from soaring up to the fineness and quintessence of Contemplation which is and can be only a pure spirituall and insensible thing 'T is true that the consideration of the life and death of our loving Saviour is a most powerfull means to mount up to this contemplation of his Divinity but let us not make that the end which is but the means and way to it The thirteenth Maxim That our Wills must be setled in pure Charity THis is done by withdrawing it from all sort of Joy proceeding from any natural supernatural or moral good Joy is a certain content which our wils take in somthing we prize How all Joy is to be quitted and this Joy is either Active when we may leave it or Passive when it is not in our power to quit it Now to take Joy and content in naturall goods as health wealth friends c. Or wit sagacity discretion c. Is a plain vanity To joy in moral goods as in the exercise of vertue c. Is to imitate the Pagan Philosophers who lov'd vertue for vertu's sake and made that their end which is only our way to it Supernaturall goods are either the gratuite gifts of God
as the working of miracles c. And we must uncloath our wills from any Joy proceeding from these prerogatives since they may be conferred upon reprobates Or they are such goods as have relation to sanctifying grace as Faith c. Which if they are not accompanied with perfect Charity and final Perseverance are nothing worth and nothing can be no true subject of joy We may here take notice how little reason some persons have to be troubled because they have not these extraordinary gifts when as they may be rather impediments if ill used or over-much adher'd unto than helps to divine Union For says S. Denys all these things are S. Denys not God but only some effects of his favour ordered by his providence to indear us in his love Thus the three powers of our souls Understanding Mâ—mory and Will are to follow their three objects Faith Hope and Charity Now our Lord is our loving Master to whom we must have continual recourse and who seeing our longing desires and diligent indeavours will infallibly instruct us in the particular and unexplicable ways of this divine and perfect Contemplation The fourteenth Maxim That this Exercise of Recollection and Annihilation is the short and secure way to divine Vnion FOr a soul which is truly humbled and annihilated hinders not at all Gods holy operation within her but leaves her self in his hands not at all relying upon any discourse or imagination which is coined in her F. Cisnerius ch 29. own mint as a child in his mothers arms who corrects it cherishes it washes it and orders it as she pleaseth And must not this needs be the shortest nearest surest and most proportionate way to divine Vnion For before God created us we were either nothing at all or we were in Gods Ideal being and so were God himself because all that is in God is God now his divine Majesty gave us our present being and we losing our selves because we abused this our being have no better way to regain our selves than by a no-being that so we may come to be that which we are not by denying that being which we are O secure annihilation What can hurt that which is nothing If we thus leave our selves will-less self-less being-less we sodainly become plunged into the increated being of God and living in him only by Faith Hope and Love our enemy as is already said finds nothing to lay hold on because our annihilated souls are no where but in God where they are securely covered and protected under his wings and who is obliged if we may say it to be our bulwark of defence against all assaults of our enemies The fifteenteth Maxim That all sorts of people may safely addict themselves to this holy exercise of Recollection 'T Is true that this way of Prayer is delicate and slippery for Beginners to tread in Yet if they will faithfully observe those few necessary precautions here prescribed they will find to their unspeakable comfort that most true in themselves which experience hath proved F. Cisnerius ch 22. to be true in others who though deeply ingaged in worldly vanities and affections falling seriously resolutely couragiously and humbly upon Divine Contemplation and Recollection became after some time employed in purging their souls from sin and setling themselves in vertue according to counsell and obedience quickly truly and totally changed and were conducted as it were by a nearer cut without pains and tediousness to higher perfection than by the ordinary wayes of discoursive meditation they could in long time have attained For this is most certain That If we use our endeâ—vors Goâ— always gives us his grace God denies not his grace to them who do what ly's â—n their own power Now any one of us being assisted with Gods grace and a good will may do this which follows 1. We may purge our souls from sin by Confession contrition satisfaction the means ordained by God and his Church 2. Resigne and give up our selves and all that we have are and can to Gods Divine Majesty 3. Adore him in spirit and truth and present our selves before him as his poor needy naked creatures 4. Abstract our Vnderstandings Memories and Wills from all objects and images of creatures though never so good high and holy 5. Enter into the obscurity of Faith hope and love and leave our souls as it were sleeping and swallowed up in the abysses of the Divinity Finally all we have to do is briefly this We must leave our houses empty that our Lord and lover may take full possession and then we may assure our selves that at the very instant in which our dear Lord shall find our hearts vacant he will enter presently into them inhabit them instruct them and shew them how sweet he is to those souls which Lam. 5. 25. truly seek him Let us but persever constantly and couragiously in this pious practice and we shall soon perceive our unspeakable profit and progress and though it seems to our selves that we perform it with much impurity and imperfection yet our continued endeavours enabled with Gods concurring grace will speedily raise us up to divine Vnion The sixteenth Maxim That outward Observances are helps in the practice of this Exercise ALl externall practices duties and mortifications as fastings Read F. Cisnerâ—us ch 68. disciplines retirements vocal devotions c. must be directed to further our internal conversation with God and to help us in the acquisition of solid vertue and divine Vnion for else they will but puff us up and make us proud of nothing profiting little with much labour Yet we must be wary of offending against the least ordinance of We must not offend against the least ordinance c. the Church order of the House or disposition of our Superiours we must be conscientious careful and punctual in each ceremony and constitution omitting nothing upon pretence that it is no great matter not commanded under sin or not much conducing to our spiritual advancement For this is a token of an ignorant unfaithful or indiscreet spirit Gods will is as well in little as in great things and who so is careless in small matters will soon fail in higher The seventeenth Maxim That Prayer for others is best practised by a general intention WE are not lightly to promise We must not lightly promise the performance of particular Prayers for others either living or dead This sort of charity hinders diverts and dissipats our souls breeding multiplicity when as one thing is only necessary We must therefore omit all such obligations as may renew old affections and Nor oblige our selves to pray for others labour to forget and forsake all that we may more purely adhere to one who is our all in all wherefore let this generall vertuall and cordiall intention suffice for all cases of this nature First that we desire to be partakers of all prayers sacrifices and merits of the whole Church
Cisnâ—rius ch 29. that shee therefore loseth her faith in this life for this Mysticall experience takes not away our faith but fortifies comforts anâ— clears it So when it is usually said bâ— these spirituall writers That sucâ— a degree of Contemplation of vertue or of pure love is the very tâ— of perfection It is not meant thaâ— a soul which is ascended thither can climb no higher in this heâ— exile for that highest degree oâ— perfection hath a latitude of many degrees of grace whereby a soul may still encrease in sanctity and ascend each moment to a nearer vicinity with her Creator When likewise we meet with this doctrine A soul arrived at Union and Transformation carries her self passively she acts not but suffers God doth all within her c. We are to understand that such a soul doth very little or nothing in comparison of what she did in her former discoursive exercises because she here in this state finds all done in an instant and therefore leaves those painfull employments to repose sweetly in a kind of holy idlenesse of Contemplation and Union with God which pacifies all her senses silences all discourses and lulls all her powers asleep with his charning love and ravishing presence All which notwithstanding she remains still here actually loving and looking on her Lord and consequently is not totally idle but is in cooperation with his grace In this sense St. Denys said The S. Denys Ch. 7. de div nom Soul of Blessed Hierotheus was heightned to such a Union with God that it sufferd more than it acted because in this passive contemplation the soul follows not her accustomed operations as wee see our Understanding works not so much when it receives its aliment from a higher knowledge as when it gets it by constrained and laborious discourse nor our Will in like sort which commonly follows the motives proposed by the Understanding to which it is united The 3. advice of the practice of â—aith Hope and Charity 3. That which is most important in this exercise of Recollection is the practice of Faith Hopâ— and Charity For by the Act of Faith all our knowledge is annihilated by the act of Hope all ouâ— worth is evacuated in denying ouâ— own forces and relying meerly oâ— Gods assistance by the act of Charity all our wills and affections which are not God in God for God are abandoned So that by these three Acts the whole maâ— is drowned suppressed stifled and consequently our enemy the Devil finds nothing at all to lay hold on nor any way open for his entrance into our annihilated hearts but is constrained to return alwaies foiled and ashamed of his ineffectuall efforts 4. Beginners in this exercise The fourth advice For Beginners must vigorously apply themselves unto it for some time till use and experience fashion them into a habit of recollection they must therefore in the first place carefully cleanse their interiour from all objects whatsoever and then lock up themselves wiâ—h God in this inward retreat for as in vain wee shut our dores and windows if the thief bee already hid in our house so the closing of our senses from exteriour objects furthers little or nothing if in our interiour there lurks any thing which is not God 5. In all our vocall and mentall The fifth advice of our attention to God devotions our chief aym must be Attention to God There are three sorts of attentions 1. To the words which is good 2. To the sense which is better 3. To God who is the only end of all our prayer which is best of all Let our S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 83. a. 13. thoughts therefore abstract from all created objects though never so good and fix stedfastly upon the increated and essentiall goodness This is the main thing wee must aspire to during the whole course of our life not only in our prayers but in all our practices To bee more attentive to our Lord and love than to the action we have in hand This is the Philosophy of perfect lovers to live more truly where they love than where they breath 6. It is not here intended by The sixt advice the precedent doctrine that a soul should not at all meditate upon the That from Meditation we must rise to Contemplation subject or theame of her prayer nor chew it first by attentively considering it No this is not disswaded but counselled Only we add thâ— assoon as affections are sufficientâ— kindled and that our elevated souâ— can procure to put themselves upon the aforesaid abstraction recollection and contemplation they presently embrace it and leave off all discourses which are proper for Schools Sermons not for Prayer and Contemplation It sufficeth us therefore to remember the mystery apprehend it throughly imprint it deeply in our hearts and then to observe the prescribed order For when one hath sufficiently heard and understood what can be said for his good he needs neither hear nor speak more of it but presently fall to practise In this case to hearken after new things seems more tending to satisfy curiosity than to the increase of inward vertue as he that eats before he hath disgested his former meals nourisheth bad humours but nothing betters his own bodily strength 7. When therefore any distinct The 7. advice That we must stay upon no objects or images notions forms or images intrude themselves into our memories let us not stay in them but return amorously to our Lord present within us think no more of all those varieties than is absolutely necessary for the knowledge and performance of our duties The best way therefore to increase our inward strength of spirit is to work couragiously and suffer patiently in silence and solitude forgetting all creatures unkowing all objects transcending all humane events and accidents What though the whole world perished though the frame of heaven and earth were dissolved What is that to tâ—ee follow thou thy Lord and love For indeed he that hath his mind diverted and The 8. advice How God is to be proposed to our understanding in an eminent and Negatâ—ve way distracted with such fancies in prayer is little attentive to Gods presence 8. As concerning our Vnderstanding and Will We are to take notice that when the Vnderstanding proposeth God to the Will as just wise powerfull or under anâ— particular attribute the Will is elevated by that sight alone and so that act of love is limited lock'â— up and less perfect than if God were proposed under a most eminent way and as the supream being surpassing infinitly all that can fall within the verge of humane conceptions in this life Though therefore the Vnderstanding may and can propose some positive and particular conception of God to the Will yet it is far better and of higher perfection to do it in common confusedly and negatively for our truest knowledge of God S. Greg. the great l. 5. moral
neighbours The practice of this spirituall uncloathing of our souls Behold ô my Lord and love I generally and totally renounce all things but thee casting my self into the arms of thy most holy disposition and protection O my soul return sweetly to thy seat of rest repose quietly and confidently in the bosom of Divine bounty Remain here without diverting or distracting thy self to other objects Rely securely upon his mercy and providence cutting off incontinently all superfluous cares and solicitudes and protesting thou desirest nothing but the advancing of his honour accomplishing of his will his love and himself Take courage my naked soul for if thou art uncloathed somtimes and deprived of thy Lovers embraces feelings of his comforts and pleasures of his presence it is only that himself alone may purely possess thee O my Lord and lover Look upon this soul which I have endeavoured to strip entirely from all sensuall affection therefore I have not only abandoned but hated Father Mother brethren sisters lands living liberty yea and my own life that I might become thy disciple And were it yet to do again I would cast off Mother and run over Father to come to thee my loving Jesus Confirm O Lord my courage Live O rich nakedness Live my beloved to me and I to him Let me see no one but only Jesus Let alone his other gifts though never so excellent and holy I am indifferent to leave them or keep them in the manner and measure he pleaseth 't is naked Jesus I only seek and sigh after Uncloath me then my Lord 1. Of all sin great and small 2. Of all affection to it even the least venial 3. Of all curiosity 4. Of all sensuality 5. Of all inordinate passion 6. Of all vanity 7. Of all self-love and self-will Let me be reduc'd to nothing Put off my self and put on me thy self crucified Deprive me of all that distasteth thee that thou mayest say of me This is my beloved son in Mat. 12. 18 whom I please my self This is my disciple whom I Jesus love This is my rest for ever Here I will dwell because I have made choice of it In this heart is my harbor there you shall infallibly find me The 34. Maxim That Zeal and eagerness must be temper'd with Moderation and discretion WE must moderate our natural vivacity activity and agility of spirit by shunning all precipitation and indiscreet forwardness and fervour Soft and sure Let us look before we leap Let us take our eyes in our hands For that which is well done is twice done and a thing warily begun is well nigh half brought about Let us lend our hands and not give our hearts to any work Let us endeavor to perform all our actions with a free and disinteressed mind without which all is drudgery and slavery Let us not be over eager Perfection consists not in multiplicity of action but in simplicity of intention not in variety of exercises and devotions but in peace of mind and purity of heart not in saying or doing much but in suffering and loving much c. Let us sometimes check our importunate spirit as Jesus did Martha Martha Martha thou art Luc. 10. 41 troubled about many things when as there is but one thing only necessary which is A real cordiall and totall Abnegation of thy self in all things Let not indiscreet zeal serve for a cloak to cover our passionate hearts and inward hatred of others True Zeal is ful of compassion free from indignation and perfect charity either will not see what is amiss in others or seek out the best interpretation of it excusing the fault and pittying the party The 35. Maxim That we must never rely upon our own naturall judgement experience and knowledge THis hath deceived many and cast them headlong into confusion despair hence so many Apostasies rebellions dissensions divisions and scandals in Religion O how pleasant beautifull and edifying a thing is it to see persons of great perfection glorious endowments venerable for age honourable for learning renowned in dignity c. to be truly humble supple simple soft like Wax capable of any impression and condescending to others reason and command Blessed are the meek humble and obedient spirits for God will not permit them to goe astray or be deceived The 36. Maxim That we must seek no comfort in any creature FOr the practice of this We must The practice cheerfully forsake all and be content to be forsaken by all resting only in God by prayer patience and confidence Adieu friends familiars Confessours counsellours books exercises Angels Welcome solitude crosses eclipses shames wounds want◠darknesses desolations deaths Yes O Father because thou so pleasest Is the creature in which I delight more loving lovely or beautifull than God my Creator Hath it been more bountifull or beneficiall tome Can it more justly require or more liberally requite my love Can it make me holy or happy quiet or content Shall I leave light for darkness life for death substance for shadows All for nothing Answer impartially and resolve effectually The higher practice of this The higher practice Maxim in order to Contemplation is To estimate things according to Read the Spir. Con. ch 4. n. 3. their reall value And then Alas what comfort can a devout soul which hath tasted the sweets of her beloved in Contemplation find in the best of creatures How far are they from affoording her any solid and substantiall satisfaction in her spirituall sorrows sadness or desolation Therefore shew wisely and carefully keeps her self to holy Recollection resigns her self absolutely to the divine pleasure continues stedfastly in the presence of her Creator seeks to treat with him one to one and leaves worldlings to follow their appetites as the horse and mule which are void of under standing Oh! how much more happiness is it to suffer in the sweet company of God than to enjoy all such false and phantasticall pleasures as all creatures can confer in the company of men My soul refuseth this comfort I remember my God and in him I am only delighted And indeed they who faithfully The true Contemplatives are never sad or solicitous and fervently addict themselves to spirituall Recollection are neither sad nor solicitous but only in shew For what can they want who are with God In him they find gardens to walk in fountains to bath in pallaces to dwell in dainties to feed on and all pleasures to delight in with such infinit advantages that they ravish'dly cry out My God and All These contemplatives need not your compassion O worldlings They are not so drownd in melancholy so plung'd in sorrow so little enjoying themselves as you esteem and censure No your own poor souls are seriously to be pitied which are so wide of wisdom and so wedded to sensuality as to relinquish true life and liberty sincere comfort and content for the shadows smokes of the world For this is
most certain that whosoever leaves Recollection to look after earthly consolation enjoys neither God nor the world whereas a soul which retires her self from the world to possess God enjoys truly both God and the world together The 37. and last Maxim That we must walk and persever in these our Spiritual Exercises with the two feet of Faith and Obedience To perform this we must 1. Leave all for one All others for God Our selves for God God himself wheÌ„ he withdraws himself By recollection By abnegation By resignation 2. Leave one for all 3. Leave one and all The practice of this Maxim consists in these five points 1. TO have an ardent desire affection The practice and intention to love see please and enjoy God 2. To curb our senses from all curiosity vanity apprehensions c. which may either defile our souls or disturb our minds or distract our spirits Either seduce us from the right way or affright us when wee are in it 3. Then we must take Jesus by the right hand by faith and confidence abandoning our selves totally to his mercy and resting in his providence with a filiall indifferency 4. We must take our spirituall guide by the left hand by punctuall obedience 5. In our way wee must have these or the like thoughts recollections and devotions Well I am going to heaven to my Father and Creator to my eternall rest and Center to see love and praise my God for evermore There only is true life true love true light and true liberty O Jesu how long O Jerusalem when Jesus is with me and for me him I will follow after him I will sigh and for him I will suffer come what can If I erre let my guide look to it for I am obedient If I stumble Jesus will not let me fall for I am faithfull If I cannot have the fruit of Penance I will keep that of Obedience What I cannot get by Recollection I will procure by Resignation What I want by Indifferency I will supply by Confidence though my Deserts fail my Desires shall prevail What hath an end is nothing Live Eternity Sometimes let us hearken to Jesus speaking O my child my servant my spouse What are all things to thee follow thou me Let all pass I am here All is one and One is all trouble not thy self with multiplicity Be silent and I will answer for thee be content I am thy sufficiency Be indifferent all is my will be confident all is wel I forgive thee all thou demandest I will give thee all thou desirest I will never desert thee nor withdraw my eys hand heart from thee therefore goe on quietly couragiously confidently Other times let us answer him meekly and faithfully O good Jesu save me for I am thine O sweet Saviour support me for I am weak O loving guide direct me for I am blind c. Thus boldly let us keep on our way 1. Letting passe all by insensibility 2. Out-passing all by fervour 3. Passing under all by humility 4. Passing over all by generosity and elevation of spirit Under this Maxim are solv'd many materiall doubts arising in our daily progress to perfection The first Doubt If we fear that God will forsake us by reason of our Ingratitude and disloyalty 'T Is true we have been are still and ever shall be ungratefull tepid and defective in our correspondencies to the divine love and light and God may in justice forsake us and yet be a good God but wee must be confident in his mercy that he will not do it for Jesus sake in fury and rigour though hee may sometimes withdraw the feelings of his presence to try our loyalty His holy will be done Let us never say God will forsake us but say We will never forsake God Let us first say Doth God love us who can doubt it And doe we love him If we will we doe Let us never say We shall never amend all is lost But let us often say We are sinners wicked wretched weak none more than we but it truly grieves us to be so we will endeavour to remedy all sure we are our God is Almighty all-mercy all-meekness him we will serve and in him we will trust in despite of nature and maugre the devill and for him all desolation and death it self is most welcome unto us The 2. Doubt If our sins trouble us in respect of Confession and Satisfaction LEt us cast off servil fear and be confident that what is past is pardoned by Gods mercy and our humble confession what is to come may be prevented by Gods grace and our dilligence and endeavours The 3. Doubt If wee can neither Pray with fervour nor Suffer with patience neither feel God present nor be content in his absence LEt us have recourse to these four things which will supply our defects and satisfy for our faults 1. Obedience 2. Resignation 3. Confidence 4. Good desires Therefore in all our fears crosses and troubles let us make use of these four points in this or The practice the like manner O my Lord God who deservest from me all love and honour and whom I desire to serve with all my soul behold I come out of confidence in thy mercy having no other end but only to please and praise thee wherefore I resign my self to thy will beseeching thee to turn all to thy glory and my good The 4. Doubt If we are doubtfull that God is angry with us that we want grace that we only seek our selves that we yield to all temptations c. LEt us build upon these three foundations Humility in acknowledging our own deformity Sincerity in confessing it and Confidence of pardon for it and so persevering constantly and couragiously in a course of Prayer according to direction and obedience we shall soon find ease rest and peace The 5. Doubt If our Consciences are unquiet and our souls fearfull by reason of our proness to sin c. LEt us Apply these following plasters and put these tents into our spiritual wounds as deep as we can every day for a time till the cure be perfected 1. Let us be assured that we are Plasters for a troubled conscience now at this present in the state of grace supposing we have already or are now resolv'd to do what is necessary for the expiation of our past sins and the avoiding all sins for the future 2. That having a will to please God and perform our duties our Prayers are profitable to us and acceptable to God and we may without presumption take courage and comfort though we are yet full of passions and â—mperfections 3. That the feeling of troubles fears temptations c. are neither sins in us nor signs of Gods anger against us 4. That we are not bound to reflect continually whether we have consented to sin or not nor to judge whether this or that consent he mortall or veniall Nor to meddle with the sins of our
life past having endeavoured to discharge our consciences once of them in Confession 5. That we may and must convert our hearts to God at any time humbly and confidently in what estate so ever we be without hesitation or apprehension preferring his will before our own quiet 6. That in saying our Office or Prayers it sufficeth that we have a good intention to praise and please God and satisfie our obligation using morall diligence in driving out bad thoughts and we need trouble our selves no further 7. That so long as we make choyce of God for our God and of his will for our only end and can say cordially I love God I will no sin we need fear nothing 8. That we are not bound to do still that which our Conscience dictates or what our fancy tells us is a divine call for this is the way never to have true peace and to be ever subject to illusions Therefore The old plain rule Trust and obey Let pass and Pray let us follow the old simple and secure rule 1. Trust and 2 Obey 3 Let pass and 4 Pray these will prove our safest haven in the Sea of this world and our heaven upon earth thus we may enjoy the peace of God and lodge in our hearts the God of peace be blind and yet see God Note well that these aforesaid warrants are to be followed according to discretion and with the approbation of our spirituall director The 6. Doubt If we are full of fears and apprehensions of our estate by reason we feel in our souls such slender effects of Gods grace and love and have little devotion no inward peace c. SUch souls can never be cured till they submit their judgements look with more confidence upon Gods mercy and seek less their own satisfaction and assurance For this is an infallible truth That in An infallible maxim this life without revelation we can have no certainty of our estate but must still live in ignorance as to that knowledge to hold the contrary is an heresie and to seek it inordinately is self-love and curiosity We must therefore work our salvation betwixt fear and hope and if we should see or feel any thing in our selves which should make us secure it were very suspitious and dangerous Let us humbly observe these three points 1. Resolve still to serve and please God in the best manner we can 2. Resign our selves to his will and divine ordinance for time and eternity without further reflexions Read Blosius in spec spirituali cap. 7. Read the Imit of Christ l. 3. cap. 59. 3. Build upon the word and warrant of our guide and rest quiet and confident They who seek more knowledge and satisfaction by feelings and reasons seek but their own trouble and ruine and if we find not here peace and comfort we may thank our selves since it is our disobedience and self-seeking which causeth it The 7. Doubt If some extream cross calamity or affliction hath seized our hearts c. LEt us hasten to our Lord God with an humble and confident affection and placed before him 1. Kiss the Crucifix saying O my The practice dear Lord O my sweet Jesus O my all and only good 2. Then tell him you are troubled as you would tell your Spirituall directour and that you know not what to say or do 3. Acknowledge heartily that you deserve no comfort but to have heaven shut against you and hell let loose to torment you 4. If you would seek comfort you would not have it out of him or in any thing contrary to his Divine Will and liking 5. Then say O Lord I have no other Physician for my soul but thee behold my wounds thou art my Father behold my wants thou art my only Friend behold my wishes and desires then expose them unto him and hearken what counsel and comfort he will give you 6. Take again the Cross kiss it embrace it resign your self to suffer 7. And with an internall act of indifferency being confident that this cross and trouble is his will and will be for your good desire to bear it and whatsoever else he shall lay upon you knowing he will enable you to do it 8. Have no recourse to creatures for your contentment but drink purely and plentifully at the fountain head and be not weary you suffer for eternity The 8. Doubt If we desire to conquer the Devil and overcome all temptations whatsoever LEt us often read observe and General Remedies against temptations The 1. Remedy Jam. 4. 7. practise these generall Remedies The first is A strong courage and firm resolution to fight and get the victory and not to yield even to our last gasp If we resist the Devil he will fly from us if we fear him he will follow us and insult over us If we play the Pigmeys he will play the Lion but let us be Lions and he will soon shew himself a coward Let us then fight manfully as befits Christs Souldiers to give him the honour and the Devil the terrour who is already chained to our hands and may bark S. Hierome Thou maist perswade but canst not precipitate 1 Cor. 4. 9. but cannot bite unless by blindness and madness we come within his reach Let us remember in our combats that we are made a spectacle to God his Angels and all his heavenly court who would not fight valiantly and confidently before such spectators God beholds us as our Judge to reward and crown us if we overcome Christ as our Captain helps us to overcome all the rest pray for us that we may overcome Fear not my soul there 2 Par. 32. 7 are more with us than against us God and his Angels are on our side who can withstand us Let us further reflect that we plead not only our own cause but Gods whom in our persons the Devil seeks to injure and dishonor Let us then rather dy than suffer our good Masters honour to be stayned by our cowardise our dearest blood will be well spilt for such a King and countrey Oh! what privilege to suffer for Jesus sake Arise Lord let thy enemies be dispersed Psal 42. judge thine own cauâ—e Thine is the quarrell We are thy Champions Let us also ponder well what S. Paul tells us on Gods part That he is faithfull in his promises and will not permit us to be tempted 1 Cor. 10. 13. beyond our strength but will draw our good out of our temptations he knows what mold we are made of what force we have and which is above all he loves us as the apple of his eye If he seems sometimes to sleep a while yet he both sees and succours us Courage therefore if we be already at hell-gates he can wil bring us back again if we walk amidst the shadows of death Psal 22. 4. let us fear no ill c. The second Remedy is A distrust The 2. Remedy Psa
seriously such Remedies as are proper for the preservation of this Jewell Amongst which the chiefest is Mortification of our rebellious flesh by Austerities hence S. Thomas cals Chastity from chastising S. Thomas of Aquin. It is better our Stomakes pain us than our Consciences and that we lose health of body than purity of soul and salvation of both This remedy of Mortification is absolutely necessary when carnall motions arise first in the body and thence redound into the Imagination but if from the Fancie they descend to the body we are to apply these following remedies 1. Let us avoid idlenesse 2. Let us Amor otiosorum negotium change our Employments if we are assaulted in company let us seek solitude if in solitude let us hasten into company c. 3. Silence temperance S. Ephrem and custody of senses are three powerfull preservers of Chastity 4. Let us make great account of little things and shake off the first Motions of this nature as wee would a burning coale from off our new garment 5. Ler us humbly but modestly and discreetly lay open their nature and manner to our spirituall guide 6. Let us carefully avoid all suspected company familiarity meetings c. though our intention be never so spirituall 7. Let us strive rather to slight scorn and neglect these temptations than formally to resist them 5. In vehement temptation 1. Make the sign of the cross upon your heart 2. Use some brief and burning aspirations as Lord deliver me I suffer violence O my God answer for me I am thine O Jesu body and soul help me 3. Defy the Devill with St. Antony Fy Isay 38. 14. S. Antony beast thou wert an Angell I who am now a beast will aym to be an Angell and get thy lost place be gone the lodging is already taken up Iesus is here who is my Lord and love I am preingag'd in a former and purer affection 6. Let us prepare before-hand certain places of refuge for our shelter and succour till the storm be pass'd over 1. The presence of God and his Angels saying How is it possible God sees me and shall I sin in his sight 2. Death and eternity The delight is momentary the punishment is eternâ—lâ— death is at my dore and shall I adventure 3. Christs sacred wounds let us there hide and secure our selves and say My God hangs on the Cross and shall I think of taking my pleasure 4. The love of God O Iesu my love and my life I will either love thee or love nothing at all Let me rather lose my life than thy love 5. Humility Thou art just O my Lord God thy will be done My Pride is cause of this villany which I feel c. And take We must be humble or we shall not be long chast this for an infallible truth wee must be humble or we shall not be long chast Let us be obedient to our Superiors or let us not look to have our flesh obedient to our spirits 6. Devotion to Saints excelling in this vertue especially to the chastest Virgin Mary 7. The last Remedy is to make use of these antidotes timely orderly and discreetly without which no rules documents or directions will ought avail us The 12. Doubt If we are in extraordinary Desolation and darkness WE must live by Faith in this case and know that a sensible choice of God and goodness is not now necessary but a Rationall adhering to him is sufficient Our fidelity to God is shew'd in the performance of our duties now as at other times without losing either our Confidence in him or seeking Comfort in our sufferings but aspiring if not sweetly yet sincerely in this or the like manner Lord I choose thee and accept of thy divine pleasure and providence in all things I reject whatsoever may possess that place and dominion in my soul which is due to thee alone Dispose of me and mine as shall be most for thy honour and glory Let me be either all thine or nothing at all The 13. Doubt If wee are tempted to despair of Gods mercy by reason of our frequent falls and relapses into sin THis grievous Malady springs from three causes or errors For they who are troubled in this point doe not truly weigh 1. What God is 2. What sin is 3. What contrition and sorrow of heart is 1. Almighty God is a boundless 1. What God is and bottomless Sea of mercy he is natural bounty it self he is ever ready to receive revive and relieve a penitent soul though she alone had committed a thousand times a day the sins of the whole world He considers not what she hath been but what she desires and resolves now to be and who so denys his power or Will to pardon sinners as often as there are moments in time goes about to deprive him of his honor and divinity it self for he could not be God if he were not good and faithfull in his promise O loving Lord God who art not only ready to receive a penitents petition but even wooest him to present it Who can truly consider what thou art and despair of thy mercy 2. Sin 2. What sin is a voluntaâ—y and deliberate Aversion from God and Conversion to creatures 3. Contrition is of that efficacy that it delivers from all sin 3. What Contrition giving confidence of pardon for the past and courage to avoid it for the future Let us apply this to our comfort The 14. Doubt If we are perplexed with great sadness THis Passion is a great hindrance to devotion and perfection it is the bait of the Devil the bane of our spirits the root mother and nursery of infinite miseries and mischiefs The chief causes of Sadness The causes of sadness 1. Nature are these 1. Nature when Melancholy over-sways the sanguin humour this can neither merit nor demerit but the Devil takes thereby occasion to fill our spirits with unquietness These have need aswell of corporal as spiritual Physick 2. A tenderness of heart and self- 2. Self-love passionate love of our selves we cannot brook the least contradâ—ction c. but we sigh and sob as if all the world were interessed in our misfortune and should bear a part in our dolefull ditty The Remedy were to bid such weep on for their penance or use some coporall austerity 3. An immortification of our Passions which when we seek in 3. Passions good earnest to root out assault us so strongly that it seems impossible to cure them and hence we grow sad The Remedy is to conquer this bad nature by counsell courage and diligence c. Let us pray heartily suffer willingly stoop humbly 'T is for heaven we fight and suffer 4. A secret root of pride vain 4. Secret Pride esteem and false opinion we have of our selves when things fall not out according to our liking expectation or importunate desire whereupon we grow sad and troubled
abhominable Prov. 17. 15. in his sight who said Not every one that crys Lord Lord shall enter into my Kingdome but Mat. 7. 25. he that doth my Will c. The 20. Doubt If wee find such a calm in our Passions imperfections and temptations that wee hope the worst is past LEt us never flatter our selves Read the Conflict ch 20. with such fancies or admit the least conceit that we have intirely conquered any one passion or imperfection but humbly vigorously and constantly keeping on in our track of Mortification Recollection Introversion think that these calms comforts and Time videre unde possis cadere Noli fieri perversa simplicitate securus S. August cessations are sent us as hony-sops and milk for children because we are yet weak and want courage to encounter such stronger Temptations wherewith others are tried And that our Loving Lord communicates these his favours and friendships unto us not as best meriting them but most needing them The 21. Doubt If Scrupulosity overwhelms us AS Carelesness is a dangerous impediment of Perfection when one shall say This is not Mortal this is but a Counsell not a Precept this of Perfection not of Obligation For whosoever will obtain the true Spirit of Devotion and Recollection must be far from this opinion So Scrupulosity is another extream equally hindring our spirituall progress and hurting more than sin it self For this trouble of Spirit takes The danger of scrupulosity away all internall strength comfort and courage of well-doing and makes us slide insensibly into Despair of doing better till at length we give up all and either pine away in these melancholy and desperate thoughts or else yeeld our selves to Pleasure and Sensuality and sometimes to the Devill himself to find some means of solace and satisfaction Beleeve it inordinate Fear Sadness and Scrupulosity will soon bring a soul into a laberinth of miseries and a hell of mischiefs and therefore she must speedily get Confidence in Confidence in Gods mercy is the remedy Gods mercy and raise up her self to Alacrity of mind or she will never be able to overcome her difficulties nor persever long in Spirit The way to get this Confidence and Joy is briefly this The means to get this confidence 1. To Trust and Obey her discreet guide who is to assign her a set form of Confession for once a week 2. He must be resolute and rigorous taking all upon his own conscience if she promise faithfully to obey him 3. He must assure her that she more offends in want of Confidence and Obedience than in all other sins and that if shâ—â— will not beleeve this her disease is incurable This is the short and safe cure of tbis dangerous Disease but that we may better understand the nature of our malady Let us Note Seven sorts of Consciences 1. A cauteriz'd corrupted large 7. Sorts of Consciences and libertine Conscience making scruple of nothing but swallowing down all things 2. A chiverell Conscience stretching to all and caring for nothing but to avoid great and grievous sins 3. A quiet Conscience yet not good because they take occasion to sin out of a confidence in Gods goodness and hope of his mery 4. A troubled Conscience but not good for want of confidence 5. A troubled and also a good Conscience yet weak of those who being newly converted to God lament their past life with bitter tears and yet are full of rebellious passions c. 6. A good quiet and confident Conscience of those who are carefull to please God to avoid all sin to be beneficiall to all burthensome to none making use of friends by favour foes by patience and all men by good will c. 7. An erroneous timorous and scrupulous Conscience making doubts and difficulties of all things So that there are generally speaking 2. Sorts of bad consciences two sorts of bad Consciences The one too large calling good evill and evill good The other too narrow finding sin where there is none and taking imaginations for offences and shadows for substances The first of these Consciences 1. Over large Whâ—ch must be cured by removing the causes 1 Cor. 14. 38. which is over large must be cured by removing the causes which are generally four 1. Negligence to learn what belongs to our Religion vocation profession obligation and salvation for who so knows not what he is bound to know shall not be known by God 2. Pride and shame to ask and inform our selves 3. Obstinacy and presumption when we will trust to our own judgements and abilities and not submit to our betters 4. Bad affections and perverse wils led by passion and blinded with self-love from seeing the truth These have one foot already in hell which they must pluck out by violence using the contrary remedies The Second Conscience which 2. Over-strait which must also be cured by the removall of the causes is over-strait and scrupulous may be also cured by the removall of the causes which may be reduced to these 1. A fearfull nature coming from aboundance of cold here is need of a twofold Physitian One for the Body to prescribe them good diet The other for the Soul to confirm them in Hope by the consideration of Gods mercy Christs merits Scriptures promises Superiors warrants c. 2. Some infirmity or sickness as Mania which hurts the forepart of the head and diminishes the Imagination Melancholy which infects the middle part and diminisheth Reason Phrensy which seizeth on the purses or nets of the brain which are the cells of Judgement This cause hath need of the like cure 3. The Devill by Gods permission for divers causes This is cured by not caring what humour we are in but to endeavour with courage and confidence to please God whether we are sad or merry fervent or desolate making use of Prayer and Counsell 4. An indiscreet and preposterous treating of our bodies The way to cure this is to follow the rules of Discretion and to find out their own strength and complexion yet still taking heed of the contrary extremity of flattering our sensuality under pretence of spirituality 5. The keeping company with scrupulous persons or misunderstanding some Spirituall Books Remedy this by shunning such Company laying aside such Books and obtaining from your Director a Rule to rely upon and beleeving nothing against that 6. A secret and subtill self-Self-love and Pride under the counterfeit mask of fear and care of our souls Against which we must submit our judgment to Obâ—dience for we are all blind in our own cause and this is not only the best but even the necessary Remedy for such as are particularly bound to Obedience 7. Ignorance of the mysteris of our faith and of Gods mercy which makes us think our obligation greater than indeed it is God more severe than he is and his yoak more heavy than it is Which to Remedy we must see and consider
inclinations The third Verity O Lord I have a good Will and purpose to Confess my sins entirely in due time and place according to thy Ordinance and that of thy holy Church We may ad to these the devout frequentation Three other signs of the Sacraments which give life and justifying grace The warrant of a skilful guide And a lively confidence in the Divine bounty The 26. Doubt If we are troubled because we know not well when we give consent to sinful Thoughts 1. IF when the Thought is represented Rules to know when we consent to sin we presently fly to the crucifix expell it disdain it dislike it it is not Sin but Merit 2. But if we carelesly linger in it when well perceived it is Venial 3. And if we consent to the Thought and desire the Action our sin is equall to the act if it were committed 4. But if we intend not the Act but linger delightfully in the Thought and the thing it self be Mortall and deliberately entertained it is also Mortal The 27. Doubt If we cannot well distinguish between Venial and Mortal sin 1. WHat need we determine let us Confess it as it is committed 2. Mortall sin cannot be committed without great corruption of Him who commits it or great hurt to his Neighbor or great contempt and neglect of God says Richardas a S. Victore And S. Thomas Rich. à S. Victore S. Thomas says He sins Mortally whose total intention of mind is withdrawn from God who is our last end 3. Let us conclude with S. Augustin S. August Gerson and Gerson That it is dangerous even in Prelats and Confessors to define what is mortall sin or give Rules therein The 28. Doubt If that saying of Divines terrifies Faciens contra dubium incidit in peccatum In dubiis securior pars est eligenda us He that does against his doubt sins And In things which are doubtfull the securer part is to be chosen WE may in things which are Doubtfull securely follow a Probable opinion Now Scruples are not Doubts but false apprehensions and therefore on all sides we may and somtimes must go against our own erroneous consciences especially when Obedience commands it Let us therefore with S. Augustin S. Augustin Tene certum dimitte incertum lay hold of that which is certain and let go the uncertain And what way is more sure and secure than Obedience The 29. And last Doubt If finally we are apprehensive and fearfull lest we should grow weary in the way of Vertue and not Persever constantly in our Spiritual Exercises LEt us excite our Tepidity by the frequent perusall of this following discourse and practise accordingly The Patriarch Jacob in hope of obtaining the beautifull Rachel serv'd Laban seven years with diligence and patience But being cousened by that disloyal worldling with il favoured Lia what doth he He neither loseth Courage nor Confidence but with new constancy begins his other seven years service with such admirable alacrity and a heart so fix'd upon his desired reward that the time seem'd Gen. 29. but a week to him O my soul thou seekest and sighest after eternal Beatitude consisting essentially in the blessed vision and fruition of God signified by Rachel according to S. Bernard For S. Bernard this thou hast bound thy self to serve God But alas The world the flesh and the Devil do so often beguile blind thee that thou takest blear-ey'd Lia for beautiful Rachel the world for heaven the flesh for the Spirit and diabolical Illusions for Divine inspirations But what Lose not courage nor confidence Renew thy protestation of loyal service Serve God one other seven years Suffer another slavery to get heaven to dy in finall grace and to be eternally joyned to that blessed beauty thou lovest Follow Jesus to mount Calvary to consummatum est to thy last gasp If thou stumblest fall not If thou fallest up again and march Stand not but go forward for he only that persevers till the end shall be saved Let neither frequent temptations nor fearfull imaginations nor strong passions nor bad inclinations nor often fallings nor ordinary frailty daunt or dismay thee God is good and gracious meek and mercifull Thy reward is infinite and eternall Thy friends are moe in heaven than on earth persever then and go forward if thou canst not run at least go fair and softly and securely after Christ thy Captain crying Draw me unto thee ô most dear Lord for I desire to follow thee and no other but I am weak and lame and therefore I make use of two crutches A strong resolution never to forsake thy love and a lively confidence in thy grace goodness and mercy O holy and happy O pretious and highly to be prized Perseverance O finall grace the patrimony only of the elect and portion of the predestinate Fight manfully ô my soul get good habits timely resist sin valiantly fast watch pray sigh and suffer perseverantly heaven is worth thy pains Persever O my soul Persever Persever that done all is done that wanting all is undone This O Satan thou knowest full well and therefore little car'st to see me zealous for a Lent for a year for a time so in the end thou may'st make me tire tepide and careless of my progress and Pâ—rseverance 't is my Perseverance S. Bernard which thou only enviest at because that only conquers thee and crowns me eternally I discover thy two main snares ô subtill enemy into which thou wouldst allure my unwary soul and thy first design failing which was to delay my eonversion to Gods service thou pursuest thy Second which is to weary me in my well-begun enterprise To shift off my Conversion thou urgedst youth long life time enough thy dayly and dangerous deceits by which more Christians perish than by any other thy guiles and stratagems Thou knowest the peril of delay in a matter so important as is our conversion perfection salvation Thou art not ignorant how one sin draws on another how he that to day is unfit will be less to morrow how custom grows into nature breeds blindness hardness of heart and insensibility how old diseases are hardly and rarely cured how God withdraws his grace when 't is abused refused neglected how much his justice by delay is exasperated and that we heap coales on our own heads by our negligence Thou art well skill'd in the uncertainty of our frail life know'st the dangers chances changes and accidents which may speedily overwhelm us therfore thou whisperest stay a little deferr yet for a time till God in whose hands are the moments of all time takes from us all time who have so long abused the opportunity of time and sends us into pains eternal without time But seeing me resolutely and violently breaking all thy chains running and crying with S. Augustin S. Augustin Why shall I longer say to morrow why not now even at this instant thou now
thy self and more in God and with a new-enkindled zeale and greater courage than before wilt follow thy begun enterprize to get the victory in this spirituall warfare and pursue thy enemies even to death 6. And would to God these A necessary caveat for all spiritual people truthes were diligently div'd into by some who seeme to bee spirituall and yet they no sooner fall into defects but they presently become impatient and cannot be quieted till they have recourse to their ghostly Father rather for their own solace than for any true devotion when as the prime motive of their comming to him should be to purge their soules from sin by absolution and to obtaine new strength against their enemies by the sacred Communion EXPLICATION AS we can promise to our selves By God's assistance we can do all things nothing but faylings fallings because we are of our selves nothing so also we may certainly promise to our selves from our God an intire victory over all our enemies if we arm our hearts with a lively confidence in his divine Majesty But Wherein many are deceived many deceive themselves in supposing that the pusillanimity and disquiet following their fall is an effect of virtue because it is accompanied with a displeasure for their offence when as indeed it springs from pride and presumption and is founded in selfe-confidence and conceit of their own strength to which they too By reason of their pride and presumption in their owne strength much trusting find by the wofull experience of their fall that they are truly weak and really nothing and thereupon they become troubled astonished as at a new thing and so lose their courage seeing that prop which sustained their vain confidence fallen down to the ground But this befalls not them who are truly humble For they confiding in God alone nothing presuming of themselves when they chance to fall into any fault feele indeed a true grief in their souls but are neither disquieted nor astonished seeing clearly by the light of truth that this proceeds from their own misery frailty and presumption CHAP. IV. Of continuall exercise and first that the Vnderstanding is carefully to be kept from Ignorance and from Curiosity IT hath been hitherto declared The third spirituall weapon is continuall exercise how much this Distrust of our selves and trust in Gods goodnesse help us on in our spirituall conflict But they alone are yet insufficient to gain the victory and keep us from relapses and therefore besides these two a third weapon is necessary which we above tearmed Continuall Exercise and this chiefly consists in the rectified use of our Understanding Which consists in the right use of the understanding and Will 2. First therefore the Understanding is to be carefully kept from two great evils Ignorance and Curiosity From Ignorance that it may bee pure and cleare and so we may The understanding is to be kept from Ignorance see what is necessary for the taming of our passions and overcomming of our affections 3. And this light may be obtained two manner of wayes First and chiefly by earnest Prayer invoking First by prayer and imploring God's holy Spirit to infuse this light into thy soule Secondly Secondly by a diligent search into our owne actions by daily practice of a profound and accurate search into all thine own actions and affairs not only as they appeare outwardly but rather as they are truly in themselves Doe but make tryall of this exercise for a time and thou wilt come easily to understand what things and actions are good and what are evill as also what are truly good and what are onely in shew promising much by their outward splendour but performing indeed nothing nor any way conducing to the quiet of thy conscience EXPLICATION THis point which is to estimate This search into all things according to their true worth will open our eyes to see the meanesse of all worldly vanities all things according to their true and reall worth and goodnesse being well practised will open our eyes to see the poornesse of all such toys which worldlings most desire and delight in It will shew us that earthly honours and pleasures are meer vanities and afflictions of spirit That injuries infamies and affronts patiently suffered are the harbingers of true happinesse and glory That afflictions are indeed freindships and that seeming crosses are followed with certain contentments That to despise the world is better than to be master of it and that to be willingly obedient for the love of God to the meanest creature is a more magnanimous action and the signe of a more generous spirit than to command the greatest Kings That the humble ackowledgment of our own nothing is more acceptable to the divine Majesty than to dive into the height and depth of all sciences That to quel and conquer our owne appetites and imperfections though they be never so small merits more praise than to force the strongest holds than to triumph over the greatest armies than to worke the greatest miracles or raise the dead out of their graves All which things and others of like nature are not sincerely discerned by us because before we enter into our selves to weigh them well as we ought and as they truly are we permit our fancy to be prevented prepossessed and surprized with some sensuall affection towards them which so darkens and dimms our understandings that they are rendred uncapable to judge of those objects rightly and impartially as they should and they truly deserve 4. Wherefore give an attentive Text. A necessary caveat to keep the will from fixing it's love care ô dearly beloved to what I shall now tell thee for it will much further thee to fight successefully The means to know the true nature and properties of all things which occurre in thy daily transactions is by taking speciall care to keep thy Will pure and free from all motion of love and affection which looke not directly upon God himself or upon the means leading unto him For to the end thy Vnderstanding may rightly distinguish good from evill it must first consider it before thy Will hath made it's election or Untill the Understanding have first pondered the object reprobation of it because when the Will hath fastned once it's affection upon the object the Vnderstanding is hindred from comming to a true knowledg thereof by reason that the consent of the Will intervening leaves it so involved and obscured that it appeares farre fairer to the Vnderstanding than it is in it self And hence it happens that the object being thus falsly represented to the Will becomes too too passionately beloved and embraced without the due enquiry of its reall goodnesse And by how much the desire or love of the Will is more vehement by so much the Vnderstanding is more grosly clowded in its judgement and being so deceived invites the Will to a◠encrease of
by any one Are not my seeming enemies upon due consideration my surest friends since by mortifying me they encrease my stock of merit occasion my more serious application to the practice of verâ—uâ— aâ—d egg me onwards in the way of all perfection 3. You must therefore buckle up your selves O dear Souls against all these bad and bitter dispositions by loving all in and for God by being amiable to aâ— And by being amiable and affable to all affable to all meek to all mercifull to all Strive to be gentle in words cheerfull in countenance pleasing in your proceedings patient in enduring compassionate to others in their failings charitable in assisting them ready to pardon them pious to interpret their actions for their best advantage far from troubling or thwarting them free from contristating or confounding them 4. There is also another privat To this ambush belongs a certain grudging at Gods prâ—ceedings Which must be warily avoidâ—d and perilous corner in this ambush of bitterness of heart which is a certain grudgâ—ng at the proceedings of Gods providence and a repining at his permission of adversities to fall upon us Take heed dear souls of slipping into this sad and dismal gulf of discontent and murmuration against God in the least thought word or gesture be not dejected or disquieted at any thing but say cordially cheerfully faithfully and resignedly It is the By a cordial Resignation Lord let him do what seems good in his own eyes Alas Can Self-love so blind my understanding as to make me think I deserve not to suffer this and much more I offer up my self to thy sweet pleasure O my God my heart is ready and prepared to perform what thou pleasest and to endure what thou permittest and I am wholly resigned to thy holy will in all things which shall befall me for time and eternity The Fifth Ambush Scrupulosity WHich includes all inward affliction fearfulnes perplexity vexation and trouble of the soul and is an evident effect of some secret pride and self-love 1. This dangerous Ambush is designed by our enemie to cut off Scrupulcsity ayms at the destruction of our Faith and Confidence To avoid this we must rely upon God and our guide all succours of Faith and Confidence in Gods mercy and goodness from us that so by degrees he may lead us on and cast us headlong into the precipice of despair 2. To avoid this deceit which ayms at your utter ruine and destruction your only secure and short way O dear souls is to cast your selves really resignedly cheerfully and confidently into the bosom of the divine bounty and to the guidance of your ghostly Father there is no other hope of shelter or safety from these storms of troubles and temptations There you may make a happy exchange of your servile slavish fear into sweet filial love there you will drown and destroy these dismal dreadful and desperate Imaginations and fancies in the abysses of Gods infinite mercy there you will admire adore and implore his power wisdom and goodness whereby you will confess yield and confide that he can knows how and is willing to help and heal your sick and sorrowfull souls in his own good time and liking there you will truly see that you are nothing of your selves but are all things have all things and can do all things in him your all-sufficient creator and comforter We cannot err in Confidence so long as we fal not into Negligence 3. And you may securely stand to this infallible verity That you can never err in overmuch trust hope and confidence in God and in his mercy and bounty so long as you slack not in the punctual performance of your duty cease not in the serious mortification of your passions and sensuality continue your practices of patience in adversity of gratitude in prosperity and of indifferency and resignation to the divine will in all occurrences The Sixth Ambush Excessive and unnecessary Study 1. THis busies the understanding Which busies the Understanding but leaves the Wil barren S. Bernard Jerm 36. super Cantica about curious notions and useless speculations and leaves the will barren of all true devotion and affections For there are some who study to know much that they may become learned and it is a foolish curiosity Some study that they may fell their skill and it is a foolish avarice Some strive to know that they themselves may be known and it is a foolish vanity Some study knowledge that with it they may edifie others and that is charity And finally some desire knowledge that they themselves may be edified and their own souls better'd and this is wisdom 2. Wherefore all such study as ayms at the bare knowledge of things without any â—uâ—â—her relation Puffs us up with vanity but leaves us empty of true piety to piety and proficiency in the way of the Spirit is a meer trap of our enemy thereby to puff us up with pride and vanity to take up our time and fill up our souls with self-conceits and presumption It makes a great noise and furnisheth our tongues with fair expressions concerning the spiritual life divine feelings and the secret wayes of Gods proceedings with his faithfull friends and servants but hath no true tast at all of that which it talks so much 't is an empty discourse void of all inward experience a meer Hypocondriacall wind 3. The remedy against this The remedy is to rectify our intentions is to rectify our intentions Read not dear souls nor study to be accounted learned but to become perfect desire rather to love Gods goodness than to know Read the 1. 2. 3. cha of the first Book of the Imita of Christ And the 43. ch of the third Book much of his greatness to lead a holy life than to speak high words concerning it Confesse your own ignorance in all things and content your selves with the sole-knowledge of your Saviour This is the sum of all Science and this alone will suffice for your Salvation The Seventh Ambush Tepidity and coldnesse in devotion THis is the bane of all spirituality This is the bane of all spirituality Read the 12. ch of the Spir. Conflict nor hath the devil any more alluring bait than this seldom perceived and yet highly prejudiciall luke-warmness in devotion want of vigour in our spiritual exercises and defect of fervour in our tendance to perfection 1. Think not therefore dear souls that it sufficeth you to perform your accustomed practices of piety but that you are continually We must alwayes go forward towards perfection to aym at a further and dayly encrease of charity Consider that not to advance in the way of the Spirit is to recoyle and that it is not the multitude of your good works which makes them considerable but the fervour wherewith they are performed Be sure to keep your heart and soul alwayes as much as humane weakness