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
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
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
conquer thy enemy with his owne weapons which he prepared for thy destruction 8. When therefore thy sins are And never to distrust his mercy suggested to thy memory conceive a perfect hatred of them as of things detestable to the divine goodnesse yet be sure to have an hopefull confidence in thy Saviours passion And I tell thee yet more shouldest thou seem to heare God saying unto thee Away thou art none of the number of my sheep yet thou art not to lose thy confidence in his mercy but humbly to reply Thou hast just reason ô my Soveraigne Lord God to shake me off for my sins sake But I have greatest reason to be confident of thy goodnesse and mercy and to beleeve that thou wilt pardon me therefore I humbly beg salvation for this thy wretched creature damn'd indeed by it's owne malice but redeem'd by the And the merits of his passion dear ransome of thy Sonnes most pretious blood and passion Thou wilt save me ô my Redeemer for thine owne glories sake and I resigne my selfe freely into thy hands upon the assurance of thy infinite mercy Doe with me and dispose of me as thou best pleasest for thou art my onely Lord and if thou killest me yet I will place my whole hope in thy heavenly goodnesse Of the assault of Vain glory 9. The third assault is that of The third assault is of vain-glory Vain-glory and presumption Here thou art to be â—quall wary of the other extreme and never to admit of the least conceit or complacency in thy selfe or thy actions but to referre all goodnesse that seemes to be in thee purely to Gods great mercy and the merits of Christs pâ—ssion Imbase thy selfe in thy heart whilst there is the least remainder of breath in thy body and acknowledge thy Which is conquerd by distrust of thy self and trust in God God as the true fountain of all thy goodnesse Look not at all upon thine owne merits but rely totally upon his mercy Distrust thy selfe and trust in thy Saviour and think what poore provisions thou hast laid up in store for this passage of death and thy journey to eternity and how vain and uselesse all thine owne indeavours will prove unlesse God will be pleased to put his helping hand and gather thee under the sacred wings of his divine protection Of illusions and false aprearances which are usually presented at the hour of death 10. If thy obstinate enmy who is The fourth assault is by false illusions ever studying to supplant thee should at this time set upon thee with false appearances and transfigurations of himselfe into an Angel of light thy best way is to recurre to the certain knowledge of thine own nothing and boldly to answer him Depart ô thou accursed devill into Against which have recourse to the confession of thy owne nothing And admit them not though they seem to come from heaven thy own darknesse I neither deserve nor desire any visions I need no other thing than the mercy of my Jesus the prayers of the Virgin Mary and the assistauce of the Saints Yea though thou hast reason to guesse by some evident signes that these things are from heaven yet still deny them all accesse unto thee and drive them far from thee nor needest thou fear lest any such resistance grounded upon thine own indignity should displease God for if the visions come from him he knowes well how to make them manifest notwithstanding thy opposition and art secure to be thereby no loser since he who gives his grace to the humble cannot be angry with him who practiseth such high acts of that vertue 11. These are the common and After these generall temptations follow others in particular ordinary engines which our enemy makes use of in this last passage After which follow his other trained bands of temptations according to each ones particular inclination and disposition Stand therefore timely to thy arms my beloved before this great day of battail steal upon thee and fight now valiantly and generously against thy violent passions and imperfections that thou mayst be prepared at that time which takes from thee all other time and power to perform it CHAP. XX. That we must never flatttr our selves as having subdued our enemies but must often return to our wonted exercises as if we were yet Novices in this Spirituall Conflict I have yet one thing O beloved Never perswade thy selfe thou hast gotten a full victory to tell thee of which is that thou never perswade thy selfe to have gotten a full victory over any one of thy passions though perchance thou hast for a long time together felt no motions thereof But that thou often renew thy accustomed But often renew thy exercises spirituall exercises as if thou wert yet a young beginner and a fresh-water souldier now entring the list 2. For if we behold and desire to follow the perfection whereunto God hath called us wee shall find it to be so high and so copious that For perfection is very high and hard to be obtained after our best spent endeavours wee shall scarcely presume to say that we have learnt the first principles thereof And besides this That which seemes to us a vertue may indeed sometimes be a vice our judgement being deceived by some secret pride CHAP. XXI Of Holy Prayer WE have hitherto ô beloved The fourth weapon is Holy prayer through the divine assistance heard and learned what concerns Diffidence in our selves Confidence in our God and continuall Exercise which are the three necessary meanes to get the victory of our passions and to conquer the disordered motions of our Sensuality Now follows the fourth which is Holy Prayer and this is the best and most efficacious means to obtain all good things from Gods gracious and bountifull hand EXPLICATION FOr Prayer is the food the comfort A furthet description of prayer and the support of the soule during its pilgrimage upon earth It is a secure bridge for it to passe over the severall seas of adversities and prosperities It is a wall of defence against vices and temptations a key opening into the cabinet of celestiall treasures the dore of holy thoughts and finally an invincible Citadel and sure retreating place from the violent assaults of all our enemies By prayer if thou knowest how to apply it to its true use thou puttest a sword into thy Lords powerfull hands wherewith he will fight thy battails for thee and vanquish all enemies which oppose thee in thy way of perfection 2. But to make thy prayer grateful Text. Which must have these properties usefull and acceptable it must be accompanied with these conditions and properties First That an ardent desire to 1. A desire to serve God serve thy Lord God in such a manner as may best pleasure his divine Majesty doe continually inflame thy heart EXPLICATION TO obtain this inflamed desire How to obtain
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
and conversation enter into his secret cabinet eat at his table repose on his breast be his minion become all one with him O honour most admirable O holyness most amiable O happiness most Angelical O life O love The 27. Maxim That Confidence in Gods goodness is the main support of our Spiritual Edifice WE must be confident that our Loving Lord will First pardon our sins Secondly strengthen us in all necessities Thirdly bring us finally to eternall happiness And to strengthen this Confidence we must deeply ingrave these two Maxims 2. Maxims in our souls and then we shall easily be content to leave our selves in the arms of his paternall providence and lose our selves in the abyss of his piety First That what ever befalls us comes immediately Rusbrochius Read the Conflict c. 10. n. 3. 4 either from his will or his permission Secondly That he will turn all even our frailties and failings to our spirituall good We may further weigh what wonderfull cause Motives to put our Confidence in God First in heaven we have 1. Viscera misericordiae 2. Vulnera misericordiae of confidence and comfort we have First In heaven where we have 1. Bowels of mercy in God the Father we cry dayly to him as his Son taught us Our Father which art in heaven Will not a good father forgive the fault and forget the folly of his returning and â—epenting childe 2. Wounds of mercy in God the Son the least of which was sufficient to redeem a thousand worlds whereby we being reconcil'd and made his friends will he deny us any thing that is necessary Is not each drop of his dear blood a motive of loving confidence and able to melt us into a filiall dependency on him 3. Promises 3. Promissâ— misericordiae of mercy in God the Holy Ghost who hath assured us of his continued comforts till the worlds consummation 4. Words of mercy 4. Verba misericordiae when he said O why will you perish you of the house of Israel As I live I desire not the death of a sinner but that he turn to me and live What hard heart would not be touch'd with tenderness and say reciprocally As I live ô my Lord God I detest all sin and convert my self totally to thee that I may live with thee and love thee eternally O holy Conversion O happy contract 5. Brests of mercy in the 5. Vbera misericordiae Mother of Jesus O Jesu be to us a Jesus O Mother of Jesus be to us a Mother of mercies Let the care of thy honour be ever in our hearts and the care of our welfare always in thine 6. Castles of mercy in the Angels who are before and behind 6. Castra misericordiae us to watch over and protect us 7. Oracles of mercy the prayers and suffrages of all the Saints pitying 7. Oracula misericordiae our misery and purchasing pardon for us If we put all this together we shall find all heaven for us What matter then if hell be against us O thou of little faith whereof canst thou be doubtfull or fearfull c. Secondly On Earth in the Church Secondly On Earth militant what is not for us Sacraments Scriptures Examples Prayers If we go not to heaven where is the fault What could God do that he hath not done and what could we have more than we have for our consolation and salvation Who can choose but take courage comfort and confidence Thirdly Look upon Christ Jesus Thirdly In Christ 1. Why came he into this world 2. How did he carry himself in it towards sinners both in his life and death 3. Why was he called Jesus and tearmed a friend of Publicans and sinners 4. Why did he â—â—y That he came to call sinners and not the Just and to do mercy and not justice 5. What access and comfort gave he to all sinners 6. What was his last will and testament c 7. What his last words Father forgive c. Fourthly Ponder Gods Perfectious Fourthly Look on Gods perfections 1. He is our maker we the work of his hands Doth not each Artist love his own handy-work Hath not every one a naturall proneness to protect improve profit and perfect his own Even so our loving Lord takes care of us he hides and harbors us as the Hen her Chickens under her wings he defends us as the apple of his eye If a mother can forget the fruit of her womb yet will I never forget you say's our Lord because I have graven you in my hands and heart 2. He is All-mighty All-wisdom All-goodness Put these together I have a Father and Maker that loves me exceedingly he knows my necessities and what is best for me he is rich enough to provide for me Will he let me perish will he reject me Then reason thus further with your-self In whom shall I confide if not in God In my self or others We are all inconstant all ignorant of what is best all impotent and want means to help O how much better is it to trust in God than men Fiftly Reflect upon your own Fiftly our own experience Experience 1. Whom did God ever deceive in his promises 2. Who ever called heartily on him and was refused 3. Hath he not hitherto merveilously protected and preserved you and disposed all for your good Why then should you doubt or distrust his providence for the time to come No Lord Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee Heaven and earth may perish but no tittle of my hope in thee my Dear and only Saviour This shall be my Anchor and stay If he kill me I will trust in him I will rest Secure in his Divine providence and endeavour to get an habituall and stable trust in his paternall protection without any care or fear as doth a child in his fathers bâ—som This is the ready way to become unmoveable and immutable quiet and content Is he God Is he good Is he my God my Father my Jesus Jesus crucified Is his goodness infinit Doth he want power wisdom or Will to pardon protect and perfect me I must surely have little faith less hope and no love If I will not take thy words O Lord thy works thy wounds thy life and thy love for secure pledges of thy care towards me and sufficient motives to place my whole confidence in thee The 28. Maxim That the measure of our progress in Perfectionâ— is the Conformity of our Wiâ—â— with the divine will 1. FOr our perfection consists in love and the greatest signe of love is to have one and the same Will with the beloved So that look how much we have of our own Will so much less have we of Gods will and love and consequently are so much the further from the Union of our spirit with him 1. In this exercise of conformity consists all perfection O what holiness and happiness what privilege and
have Angels Saints and God himselfe for thy companions and comforters Finally reflect upon the conflict which thou hast undertaken and considering how much thou hast to doe thou wilt find litle leasure to spend in idle talk CHAP. XIV Of the order to be observed in fighting against our enemies IN thy spirituall combat against thy disordered affections and passions follow this method First enter into the cabinet of thy Mark which are thy greatest enemies heart and let thy inquisitive thoughts search and examine with exact diligence which be the affections that there beare the greatest sway and with what thoughts and motions thou art most frequently tempted and troubled Secondly And having found thy And single out the fiercest to fight with foes turne thy weapons against that single enemy which then actually molests thee most nearly endangers thee and is now ready to graple with thee oppresse thee and ruine thee Thirdly But in time of peace with But when they appeare not seek them thy passions when no enemy appears in field to provoke thee to battalle begin thou with them and make thy strongest onset upon those which have chiefly indomaged thee most frequently foiled thee and wrought thy greatest confusion before thy Lord God CHAP. XV. What course he must take who is conquered and grievously wounded by his enemies IF thou chance to fall into some vice either through frailty and weaknesse or through wickednesse and wilfull malice Turne thee with When thou art faln rise with all speed all speed to God and first reflect upon thine own basenesse heartily hate thy self Then recollecting thy spirits and converting thy self againe to thy Creatour confesse to him thy ingratitude and say with an inflamed heart O my Lord he hold I have done Pray with fervour like my selfe For what better could be expected from me than basenesse fallings and sinfulnesse I am sorry O my God with my whole heart and I confesse I should have done farre worse and fallen more grievously had not the hand of thy goodnesse kept me stayed me and upheld me for which I render thee most humble thanks And now O my loving Lord doe thou like thy selfe according to the treasures of thy mercies and let me not live out of thy grace nor ever offend againe thy most sacred Majesty 2. Having thus sincerely poured Be not over-solicitous or fearefull forth thy heart in the presence of God be not solicitous and thoughtfull whether he hath forgiven this thy sin or no for such a curiosity savours of pride endangers thee to fall into the snare of Satan renders thee unquiet and consumes time to little purpose Therefore cast thy selfe purely into the paternall bosome of thy mercifull Lord resume thy wonted exercises and take up thy weapons again as though thou hadst not fallen Yea shouldest thou chance to fall many times a day and receive many grievous wounds from thy enemies yet never despaire never grow faint-hearted or over-fearfull of thy selfe but still stand upon thy accustomed guards against all new assaults and doe the same things with no lesse confidence the second third fourth time and as often as thy need shall require as thou didst at the first 3. This kind of exercitation by so much the more displeaseth the Devill by how much he well knowes it is highly pleasing to God and for this reason he moves all his engines to make us tepid and slack in frequenting it Doe thou therefore use But be diligent and use violence to thine own Inclination violence to thy selfe and the more difficulty thou findest by so much more redouble thy diligence in doing it and esteeme it not a thing over-irksome to renew it divers times in one and the same fall And if after the first next and third relapse thou feelest a grievous trouble confusion and diffidence in thy self yet still endeavour by all meanes to recover the inward quiet of thy soul Recovering the quiet of thy soule and reconciliation to thy Soveraigne and then reconcile thy selfe to thy loving Lord For that disquietnesse of conscience remaining after the sinne committed is not any signe of thy sorrow for having offended thy Saviour but rather of fear for thy owne private dammages which thou hast thereby deserved 4. Now the way to recover this The way to get this quiet is to forget thy fault quiet of mind may be this Having truly turned thy selfe to thy God and humbly craved pardon for thy sinne thinke no more of it but forget it totally for the future and fix thy thoughts onely upon thy Lords infinite love by which he earnestly desines to unite thee to himselfe and make thee partaker of his eternall beatitude And when by this or the like considerations thou hast setled thy mind and stated thy heart in tranquillity turne thy thoughts againe to contemplate thy fall and doe as thou wert directed in the beginning of this Chapter And when thou goest to confession as thou shouldst frequently do recall all thy fallings and defects into thy memory discovering them faithfully and confessing them simply to thy Ghostly Father CHAP. XVI That we should keepe our Hearts ever quiet and joyfull in our Lord. EXPLICATION AS when wee have lost the quiet of our Heart we are to use all possible endeavours to recover it as is aforesaid So thou must know No accident can justly deprive us of quiet that no accident whatsoever can with any just reason deprive us of the same For 't is most true and thou hast beene often told it that wee must be angry with our selves for our sinnes yet our griefe must bee govern'd with discretion and accompained with tranquillity and our sorrow must produce acts and resolutions of amendment of our lives not of disquiet and anxiety in our selves As for other painfull and unpleasing accidents as the sicknesse death yea and eternall damnation of our deare friends or the scourges of Plague Famine Warre Saccagings Burnings and other evils falling upon our selves though as they are things contrary to our For thoug◠wee must needs abhor things contrary to nature Yet wee may love them as coming from Gods permissiō And so conforme our selves to his holy will nature we must needs reject them yet we may by the efficacious working of Gods Grace not onely desire them but even be delighted with them as being the just punishments of the wicked and exercises of vertue to the good for which ends out loving Lord permits them to befall us Thus conforming our selves to Gods holy Will wee may quietly and peaceably passe through the midst of all this lives bitternesses and contrarieties And take this for a truth that all Disquiet of mind is displeasing to our deare Lord because it is never without some imperfection and evermore proceeds from some perverse root of self-love 1. To obtaine therefore this quiet of Text. Thou art to appoint a sentinell Heart in thy Spirituall Conflict thou
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
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
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
up Christ's actions for our offences selfe in this sort First cast an eye upon thy sinnes and perceiving that thou canst not hope to pacify Gods wrath nor satisfie his divine Iustice by thine owne endeavours addresse thy selfe to thy Saviours life passion and death and fix upon some one or other action or suffering of his as upon his fasting or his praying or the effusion of his precious bloud then reflect that he offered that his action or passion to his eternall Father for thy sins and to reconcile him to thee as if he said I do now O my heavenly Father fully satisfie thy divine justice for the sins of this thy servant N. Oh let it please thee to spare him and to receive him into the number of thy elect 8. Doe thou also make the same oblation of thy deare Saviour to the eternall Father and humbly beg for thy selfe and others that in vertue of this offering and for his owne glories sake he will in his mercy pardon both thine and their offences And thou maist piously and profitably make use of this manner of spirituall exercise in any action or passage of our Lord and Saviours life or passion EXPLICATION Another maner of perfect oblation TO the end thy oblation of thy Christ here on earth offered not only himself selfe may be acceptable to the divine Majesty Consider that whilst our Saviour so journed here upon earth he perpetually offered up to his eternall father not onely himself and all his merits but also all us mortalls together with himself But also al us to his Father Make therefore thy Oblation in vertue and union of his yea make the self-same oblation of Jesus Christ in which he also comprehended thee Make thou the same oblation and let this thy oblation be without the least touch of propriety or selfe-wil neither regarding earthly goods nor heavenly graces but purely and precisely looking upon the divine pleasure and providence to which thou art entirely to submit and sacrifice thy selfe as a perpetuall holocaust and forgetting all things created say unto thy Lord God Behold ô my good God ô my great Creatour a small lump of mire and earth mixed together in the hands of thy eternall providence do with me what best pleaseth thee in my life at my death and after my death in time and in eternity And thou mayst give a How to know the sincerity of thy oblation probable guesse concerning thy own oblation that it proceeds from a sincere and disinteressed heart if thou canst perfectly practise it in time of adversity bearing it with true patience and being then ready to execute Gods holy will in all thy desolations and distresses This is the right way o my dearly beloved to make a beneficiall truck and traffick of thy self for thy Saviour who will give thee himselfe in exchange if thou bequeathest and sacrificest thy selfe thus totally to his divine Majesty CHAP. XXXIV How to petition for divine grace HAving made this perfect oblation Text. First encourage thy selfe with confidence in his goodnesse of this most precious treasure which is no lesse than Christ himselfe with all his glorious merits to the Eternall Father thou mayst appeare with Confidence before the throne of his mercy to petition for the supply of thy necessities And that thou mayst doe it with the more decency First encourage thy selfe with confidence remembring his benefits bounty and liberality towards thee for nothing can more strengthen thy hope of obtaining new supplies than than the reflection upon Gods former favours in time of necessity And know that this confidence gives the whole efficacy to thy petition so that without it never expect to obtain from God any thing which thou demandest 2. Secondly Take speciall care that Secondly join humility with it this Confidence be coupled with humility distrusting totally thine owne merits and relying boldly upon Christs mercies Not that I advise thee to become fearfull and pusilanimous upon pretence of humillity so as not to beg large benefits from Gods bounty For though it behooves to know thine own basenesse and to consider how litle thou deservest yet thou must beware of distrusting the divine bounty or undervaluing his liberality No be not dejected for as thou deservest nothing so thou hast greater occasion to demand much since Gods gifts are not grounded upon thy deserts but upon Christs merits which are Thirdly presse thy petition with fervent desires of infinite worth and dignity 3. Thirdly Endeavour to presse thy petition with frequent and fervent desires that is that thou aâ—dently wish to obtain what thou askest for since thou petitionest a most pious father for a supply of thy necessities who not onely bids thee ask great things but is also angry if thou askest not and hath past his promise to perform thy petition why shouldst thou not have inflamed desires â—o obtain what thou demandest 4. And indeed we most commonly The want whereof hinders the effect of our demands faile in the effects of our demands because we want this fervour in our desires and make our petitions tepidly rather because faith and reason dictate unto us that such things are needfull for us than that we zelously covet to receive them The true cause of which tepidity is for that our affections being fastned to earthly things we prize them in our wills though we sleight them in our understandings and consequently though we know in our judgement that our minds are to be raised up to higher objects yet we doe not seriously seek to be separated from them whereas if we verily and vigorously humbly and heartily desired it our prayers would soon return us a happy effect 5. Lastly provide that thy petition Fourthly Let not thy petition want Charity want not First Affection of charity to thy neighbours for it should not suffice thee to pray fervently for thy self but to extend thy piety in petitioning the divine grace for all others Secondly Perseverance For our Perseverance loving Lord useth sometimes to prolong and to put off the fulfilling of our petition for our greater profit and the better encrease and enkindling of our holy desires as may be exemplified in the Cananean woman and Evangelicall widdow Thirdly Resignation of thy will Refignation For thou art to represent thy desires to thy deare Lord as if thou rather expectedst the fulfilling of his divine pleasure than of thy petition So Christ prayed in the garden not to have his owne will but his heavenly Fathers accomplished CHAP. XXXV Some short observations concerning meditation FIâ—st Before thou betakest thy self 1. 1. Read overnight the matter of thy meditation to thy nights rest read attentively and considerately that mystery of thy Saviours life or that argument which thou meanest to meditate upon the morning following and contracting it into two or three points or heads commit it to thy memory 2. When thou awakest from sleep 2. Reflect
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
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
them all as a sink of sin and filthiness I will be desirous to be esteemed and used as dross among metalls chaff among grain a Wolf among Sheep and as Satan amongst the children of God I acknowledge my self unworthy of all grace and comfort from God or man and worthy of all pain punishment crosses contradiction confusion desolation death damnation I will be henceforth ashamed to complain of any aggrievances and be content to suffer whatsoever the world the devil and hell it self can inflict upon me 2. And to strengthen this my resolution I will rationally consider before thee ô my Lord what I really am what I was and what will become of me both touching my body my soul and my whole being Ay me I have a body all clay a soul all sin a life all frailty and a substance all nothing And this is all I have to vaunt of in thy presence ô my Lord and my maker My material part is but slime of the earth the very worst part of the unworthyest element Ah poor man and canst thou look so big who cam'st from so base an extraction be ashamed to lift up thy head vile mud and dirt since thy pedigree is so well known and the ingredients of thy being are so mean and contemptible And when I consider what this my body was in the womb how it was conceived in concupiscence nourished with filthiness and brought up in darkness I am ashamed to own my own beginning which is so horrid and lothesome and who then can justly boast of state strength beauty or nobility since the ground-work of all is but a little dung and corruption Ah poor worm what a dismal prison wert thou detained in for nine months space of thy time what nasty and poysonous food was thy diet how wretched was thy birth how weak and wofull thy infancy and what art thou in thy best and most flourishing condition in the world but a clog and cage to thy inthrall'd soul a painted sack or pargetted sepulcher full of filth froth and ordure O my Lord give me grace to frame an impartial judgement of what I am and then how soon shall I check all risings of pride and presumption 3. I came into this world ô my Lord with groanes and tears I live in it with griefs and cares I shall go out of it with pangs and fears and lastly I must become a horror to the eyes of my dearest friends a prey of veâ—min and a companion of rottenness Ah! how canst thou be proud of thy perfections poor clay and ashâ—s why shouldest thou look to be so highly priz'd so daintily pampered thou stinking puddle Dust thou art to dust thou must return Hast thou not alwayes before thy eyes these ashes for thy glass and death for thy mistress why then dost thou suffer so many sparkles of vanity to arise from this thy caitiff condition And thou my poor soul the spiritual part of my composition O what shall I say of thee to thy great Lord and maker What thou â—â—st hitherto been I wel know wretched wicked sinful What thou now art I know not being uncertain of Gods grace and love What thou shalt be hereafter I am altogether ignorant because doubtfull of thy correspondency with grace and fearful of thy perseverance in goodness Ah sad condition I came ô my Lord into this world in originall sin I am bred up in actual sin and if death and deadly sin meet together I shall feel the smart of them both eternally O how much need have I then of thy grace ô merciful Lord God to avoid sin since I cannot eschew death O let me rather admit a deadly wound than commit a deadly sin 4. What art thou then ô my whole man consisting of body and soul What wert thou ô N. from all eternity before thy conception in the womb and birth into the world Nothing Ah poor nothing what is less than nothing where dwels this nothing who can describe a nothing which more differs from the least atome in the Sun than Gods infinit greatness from the least of his creatures O proud nothing What hast thou that thou hast not received Nothing Why then art thou puffed up with it as if thou hadst not received it I acknowledge my whole being to be from thy only bounty O my great good and glorious maker and since I possess nothing but what I have from thee since I shall also necessarily fade away into my first nothing if thou withdraw from me thy conserving hand but a moment I will no longer glory in that which is none of mine but I will here lay the foundation of my spiritual edifice upon this sure and solid ground of thy All and my own Nothing I will endeavour to frame a true conceit of my own misery frailty insufficiency and nothing that so I may fully speedily and solidly come to this desired self-knowledge and humility I will run over my lesson repeat my questions learn my answers and strive to grow skilful in this necessary and sacred science What have I received that I have not abused Nothing Body soul will judgement memory understanding affection senses meat drink company habit books prayer Sacraments all creatures Can I then be proud of Sin Filthiness rottenness labour grief infirmity blindness obstinacy corruption death and damnation which are worse than nothing Shall I boast of thy gifts O my God which are not mine or of my own abuses and ingratitudes The one is to rob thee of thy honor the other is to be honoured for thy dishonour 5. What creature ever sinned so grievously as I have done and yet sorrowed so little and suffered less Who ever forsook so great and good a God for so little and vain a toy as I have done What sinful soul is there now in hell that would not have been a glorious Saint in heaven if it had the helps favours feelings and visits which I have both had and abused Who ever received so many mercies so sweet comforts and so great graces from thee O bountifull Lord God and made so little and bad use of them as I have done If I deny all this my conscience witnesseth against me If I confess it oh why am I not more humble Finally If such great troubles temptations and tribulations had hapened to me as have done to others I should by consenting have ere now burned in hell fire but thou O meek and merciful Creator hast spared me because thou knowest my weakness and sent me small crosses because I cannot bear greater c. Wherefore Not unto me O Lord but to thee be all honour for time and eternity O that I could know thee and know my self O that I could truly see my own nothing and totall dependancy on thee my misery and malice and thy perfection and total goodness Ay me weak and wretched N What are my forces that I should rely on them I have nothing O my Lord but what is
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
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-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
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
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-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
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
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 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
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
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