stir up the minds of the Faithful to receive the Grace of this Sacrament with the greatest Devotion Now the Form is I absolve thee Which we may gather not only from these words Matt. 18 16. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound also in Heaven but we receive the same as deliver'd by the Apostles from the same Doctrin of Christ our Lord. And because the Sacraments do signifie that which they effect Those words I absolve thee shew that Remission of sins is wrought in the Administration of this Sacrament it is evident that This is the perfect Form of Penance For sins are as it were Bands wherewith the Soul is held bound and from which by the Sacrament of Penance it is discharg'd Note Which verily the Priest may pronounce no less truly concerning that Man also who by vertue of a most ardent Contrition yet so as that he has the Wish of Confession has obtain'd from God the Pardon of his sins There are added moreover many Prayers XX. Why Prayers added to the Form of Penance not as necessary to the Form but that those things may be remov'd which may hinder the Vertue and Efficacy of the Sacrament through his Fault to whom it is administer'd Wherefore let sinners give great thanks to God who has given so large a Power to the Priests in his Church For neither XXI The Priests of the New more excellent than those of the Old Law Lev. 13.9 as in old times and under the old Law declar'd only by the Priests Testimony that some one was freed from Leprosie is there now a Power in the Church given to Priests only to declare any person to be absolv'd from sin But they do as the Ministers of God truly absolve them the same thing which God himself does who is the Author and Father of Grace and Righteousness Now the Faithful shall diligently observe the Rites also XXII What must be observ'd in coming to Penance which are us'd at this Sacrament for so it will come to pass that they will have those things better in their mind which they get in this Sacrament That as Servants they are reconcil'd to their most merciful Lord or as Children rather to their most dear Father and they will also more easily understand what they ought to do who are willing for all ought to be willing to approve themselves grateful for and mindful of so great a Benefit for he that does Penance for his sins will cast himself down with an humble and dejected mind at the Feet of the Priest that behaving himself so humbly he may plainly acknowledg that the Roots of Pride are to be pluck'd up from whence all those sins he bewails spring and had their beginning But in the Priest who sits over him as his lawful Judg he venerates the Power and Person of Christ the Lord. For the Priest as in other Sacraments so in the ministring of the Sacrament of Penance discharges the Office of Christ And then the Penitent so reckons up his sins that he confesses himself worthy of the greatest and severest punishment and humbly begs pardon of his sins All which things have most sure Evidence and Testimony of their Antiquity from S. Dennys In Ep. ad Demoph vide Tertul. lib. de Poenit. c. 9. But nothing verily so much profits the Faithful XXIII What wholsome Fâ—ui s may be taken by Penance and nothing gives them a greater chearfulness to undergo Penance as for the Pastors often to explain how great profit we may gather thence for they will understand that it may truly be said of Penance That the Roots thereof ore bitter indeed but the Fruits are most sweet All the Vertue therefore of Penance lies herein The First that it restores us to the Grace of God and joins us with him in the greatest Friendship Con. Trid. Sess 14. can 3. c. 1. de Poenit. Now after this Reconciliation The Second and Third follows sometimes in devout Men who receive this Sacrament holily and religiously the greatest Peace and Tranquâ—lity of Conscience together with the sweetest spiritual Delight For there is no wickedness The Fourth how grievous and heinous soever which the Sacrament of Penance blots not out once and again and ost-times Of which matter the Lord by the Prophet says Ezek. 18 21 If the Wicked Man do Penance for all his sins which he has done and will keep my Precepts and do my Judgment and Justice he shall live and not dye I will not remember all his iniquities which he has done And S. John If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins And a little after If any man sin says he we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World Note But whereas we read in Scripture that some have not obtain'd Mercy of the Lord altho they earnestly implor'd it This we understand to have bin so because they did not do Penance truly and from their Heart for their sins When therefore such Sentences occur XXIV How it is to be understood that some sins are unpardonable either in Holy Scripture or in the Writings of the Holy Fathers wherein they seem to affirm that some certain sins cannot be pardon'd We must interpret them so as that we understand the Procureing of Pardon to be very difficult For as some diseases are therefore said to be incurable because the Sick person is so affected that he loaths the vertue of the Medicine that should cure him So there is a kind of sin which is not remitted nor forgiven for this reason because it repels the proper Medicine of Salvation which is the Grace of God In this sense it is said by S. Austin Aug. l. 1. de Serm. Dom. in monte c. 42. 44. Retract li. c. 8 19. So great is the pollution of that sin when after the knowledg of God through the Grace of Christ any one opposes himself to the fellowship thereof and maliciously acts against that Grace that he cannot undergo the Humility of begging Pardon altho by his evil Conscience he be forc'd to acknowledg and declare his sin Vide Aug. Serm. 1. de verb. Dom. Epist 50. ad Bonif But to return to Penance XXV Without Penance there is no Remission of sins Luc. 13.3 This is so much the Property thereof to blot out sin that without Penance we can by no means get or so much as hope for Pardon of sin For it is written Except you have Penance ye shall all likewise perish which indeed was spoken by our Lord of grievous and deadly sin altho the Lesser sins also which are call'd Venial do need some kind of Penance For S. Austin says Since there is a kind of Penance which is daily done in the Church for Venial sins That
the other Powers of the Soul It is also call'd by the Holy Fathers Compunction of Heart Chrysost de Compunct coâ—dis Isidor de summo bono l. 2.12 who were pleas'd to entitle the Books they wrote of Contrition to be of Compunction of the Heart rather For as swelling Ulcers are cut with a Knife that the poisonous Corruption may be let forth So our Hearts are cut as it were with the Pen-knife of Contrition that the deadly Poyson of Sin might run out And therefore it is call'd by the Prophet Joel Joel 2.21 A cutting of the Heart Be ye converted to me says he with all your Heart in Fasting and in Weeping and in Mourning and cut your Hearts But that the greatest and deepest Grief is to be taken for sin committed XXXV Contrition ought to be the greatest Grief so that no greater can be imagin'd will be easie to evidence by these Reasons For whereas perfect Contrition is an Act of Love The First Reason 1 Joh. 3. which proceeds from a filial Fear it is plain that there ought to be the same measure both of Love and Contrition hence it comes That Contrition has joyn'd with it the most vehement Grief of Mind for as God is to be lov'd above all things so those things which estrange us from God are to be hated above all things Wherein this is also observable Note that after the same manner of speaking is signifi'd in Sacred Scripture the Greatness of Love and of Contrition Of Charity it is said Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart And again as to Contrition the Lord cries out by the Prophet Be ye converted with your whole Heart Besides The Second Reason if as God is the supreme Good among all the things that are to be lov'd and so Sin the greatest evil among all the things that Men ought to hate This follows that for what cause we confess that God is above all things to be lov'd for the same cause again we must needs hate Sin above all things But that the Love of God is to be put before all other things so that we may not sin tho it were to save out very Lives those words of our Lord plainly teach us Matt. 10.27 Mar. 16.25 Mar. 8.35 He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me And He that will save his Life shall lose it But This also must be observ'd The Third Reason that as there is no End or Measure prescrib'd to Charity as S. Bernard testifies Lib. de diâ—â—gendo Deo circa inod For says he The measure of loving God is to love him without Measure so there is no measure defin'd to the Detestation of Sin Besides XXXVI Contrition ought to be most vehement Deut. 4.27 Hierem. 2â— 13 it ought to be not only the Greatest but also the most Vehement and therefore Perfect and excludes all slothfulness and laziness For in Deuteronomy it is written When thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if notwithstanding thou shalt seek him with thy whole Heart and in the tribulation of thy Soul And in Jeremy Ye shall seek me and shall find me when ye shall seek me with your whole Heart and I wil be found of you says the Lord. Now altho we cannot get to make it perfect XXXVII Contrition tho imperfect yet it may be true yet our contrition may be true and efficacious for it often comes to pass that those things which are subject to sense more affect us than spiritual things Wherefore sometimes some Men are more sorrowful for the Death of their Children than for the Filthiness of their sins The same judgment is to be made XXXVIII Tears tho to be desir'd yet not necessary Serm. 41. de Sanctis if Tears follow not the Bitterness of Grief which yet in Penance are much to be wish'd and commended For S. Austins sentence in this case is very excellent The Bowels of Christian Charity says he are not in thee if thou lamentest the Body from which the Soul is departed but dost not lament the Soul from which God is departed And hither tend those words of our Savior before recited Mat. 11.21 Wo to thee Chorazin wo to thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which have bin done in you had bin done in Tyre and Sydon they had done Penance long ago in Sack-cloth and Ashes Yet for the proof of this those most famous examples of the Ninivits of David of the Harlot of the Prince of Apostles will be sufficient All which sought pardon of their sins imploring the Mercy of God with very many Tears But the Faithful are specially to be exhorted and admonish'd XXXIX All Mortal sins to be detested with Contrition that they study to apply the proper Grief of Contrition to their several Mortal Sins For so Ezechias describes Contrition when he says I will recount to thee all my years in the bitterness of my soul For to recount all his years is severally to examine his sins to be sorry in mind for them And we read in Ezekiel Ezek. 28.21 If the wicked man do Penance for all his sins he shall live And agreeable hereto S Austin says Let the sinner consider the Quality of his sin at that Time in what Place against what Light and against whom Lib. de vera falsa Religione cap. 14. Let not the Faithful notwithstanding in this Case despair of the infinite Goodness and Mercy of God Note For since he is most desirous of our Salvation he will not delay to pardon us but will embrace the sinner with a Fatherly Love as soon as ever he shall have recollected himself and detested all his sins which thencesorth at any time according to his ability he can bring to remembrance and resolves in his mind to hate and converts himself to the Lord Ezek. 33.12 for so by the Prophet he commands us to ho e when he says The wickedness of the wicked shall not hurt him at what day soever he will be converted from his wickedness From hence therefore may be gather'd what ' things are most necessary to true Contrition XL. How many things necessary to True Contrition concerning which the Faithful must be accurately taught that every one may know by what means he may get it and may have a certain Rule whereby he may judge how far he is from the Perfection of this Vertue For first The first it is necessary to hate and to gri ve for all the sins we have done Lest if we blot out some only the Penance we do may seem dissembl'd and counterfeit and not saving For as S. James says He that shall have kept the whole Law but Offends in One thing he is guilty of all The second is The second that This Contrition has a Will to Confess and to Satisfie for Sin join'd with it of which shall
keep his Commandments Jos â—4 19 to a thousand generations and forthwith recompensing those that hate him And Joshua Ye cannot says he serve the Lord for God is Holy and Strong and he hates and will not pardon your wickedness and your sins if ye forego the Lord and serve strange Gods he will turn and will afflict you and overthrow you Now the Peple are to be taught L. This Point to be explain'd That the Punishment here threatned belongs to the third and fourth Generation of the Impious and Wicked not that the Children always suffer the Punishments of their Forefathers but tho they and their Children may go unpunish'd yet all their Posterity shall not escape the Wrath and Punishment of God And this hapned to King Josias 2 Par. 34.27 For when God had spar'd him for his singular Piety and had granted him to be carried to the Grave of his Ancestors in Peace that his Eyes might not see the Evil of the following Times which for the Wickedness of his Grandfather Manasseh were to come upon Judah and Jerusalem he being dead 4 Reg. 23.30 the Vengeance of God fell upon his Posterity so that he spar'd not even the Children of Josiah But why these words of the Law are not against that Sentence pronounc'd by the Prophet An Objection answered Ezek. 18.4 The Soul that sins it shall die the Authority of S. Gregory agreeing with all the other ancient Fathers plainly shews for he says Whosoever imitates the Iniquity of a wicked Father is also bound under his Sin but whosoever imitates not the Iniquity of a wicked Father shall by no means suffer for his Sin Whence it comes that the wicked Son of a wicked Father suffers Punishment not only for his own Sins which he has added but for his Father's Sins also seeing he is not afraid to add moreover his own Wickedness also to his Father's Vices whereat he knew God to be angry And just it is that he who under an offended Judge fears not to imitate the wicked ways of a wicked Father shou'd be forc'd in this present Life to suffer Punishments for the Sins of his wicked Father also Extat locus Greg. lib. 15. moral c. 31. Vide Aug. Epist 75. D. Thom. 1 2. q. 87. art 8. And then the Curat shall observe how much God's Goodness and Mercy excels his Justice LI. Gods Goodness overcomes his Justice God is angry to the third and fourth Generation but he bestows his Mercy upon thousands But in that it is said LII Sinners hate God Of them that hate me The greatness of Sin is shewd For what can be more wicked and abominable than to hate the Supream Goodness that most excellent Truth Now this does therefore belong to all Sinners because as he that has Gods Commandments and keeps them loves God so he that despises the Law of the Lord and keeps not his Commandments is deservedly said to hate God But that which is last LIII The Law to be obey'd out of Love And them that love me teaches the way and manner of keeping the Law for it is necessary that they that keep the Law of God be led to the Obedience of it by the same Love and Charity as they bear towards God which things must be remembred hereafter in all the several Commandments The Second COMMANDMENT of the DECALOGVE Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain ALtho this Commandment which follows in the Second place I. Why this Commandment is dâ—stinguish'd from the First be necessarily contain'd in the First Commandment of Gods Law wherein we are commanded to worship God piously and holily For he who will have honor done him requires us to speak most reverently of him and forbids the contrary which the Words of the Lord by Malachy plainly shew Malach. 1.16 A Son honors his Father and a Servant his Master if therefore I be a Father where is my honor Yet God for the weightiness of the matter would make this Law distinct concerning the Honoring of his Divine and most Holy Name and this he has commanded in plain and evident Words Which thing ought indeed in the First place to be an Argument to the Curat II How diligently this Commandment to be explain'd by no means to think it enough to speak generally of this Matter but that this is a Point which 't is necessary that he stay longer upon and that whatsoever belongs to the Handling thereof to explain it to the Faithful distinctly plainly and diligently De hoc Praecept vid. D. Thom. 2.2 q. 122. art 3. item 1 2. q. 100. art 5. Nor is this to be thought a needless Diligence III. How frequently and rashly men swear since there are not wanting those that are so far blinded with the darkness of Error that they are not afraid to treat him rudely in their talk whom the Angels glorifie for neither are they by the Law once declar'd terrifi'd so as not most shamefully to dare daily to lessen the Majesty of God For who sees not that all things are affirmed with an Oath that all things are stuff'd with Imprecations and Execrations And that to so high a degree that there is scarce any one that either sells or buys any thing or does any other Business without the religious Bond of an Oath and does not rashly use the most holy Name of God a thousand times about the most trivial and vain matter Note For which Reason the Curat ought to use the greater care and diligence often to admonish the Faithful how grievous and detestable this Sin is But now in the Explication of this Commandment IV. Here is a Command and a Prohibition it is first to be taught That together with that thing which the Law forbids there is joyn'd a Command of those things also which Men ought to perform Now each of these is to be taught severally And First V. What is requir'd in this Commandment that those things which are to be taught may the more easily be expounded it must be known what this Law requires and then what it forbids Now this is it that it requires That Gods Name be honor'd and to swear holily by it Again this is it that it forbids That no one despise Gods Name that no one take it in vain nor swear by it falsly or vainly or rashly In that part therefore wherein we are commanded to give Honor to Gods Name VI. How Gods Name to be honor'd the Curat may warn the Faithful that the Name of God that the Letters and Syllables of it I say or the naked VVord alone of it self is not here altogether to be regarded but that we must seriously consider what that VVord which signifies the Almighty and Eternal Majesty of the Tri-une God-head means Now from hence it is easily gather'd Note that the Superstition of some Jews was vain who durst not pronounce the Name
words are to be understood of the compleat Resurrection because then we are rais'd to everlasting life all necessity of dying being wholly tak'n away And in this kind Christ our Lord obtains the First place For if we speak of such a Resurrection or of such a Return to life as after which there remains a necessity of dying again 3 Reg. 17.22 there were many others so rais'd from the dead 4 Reg. 4.34 Christ all which notwithstanding reviv'd on this condition that they were to dye again But Christ our Lord so arose again from Death which he had subdu'd and conquer'd that he cou'd dye no more And this is confirm'd by that most plain Testimony Rom. 6 9. Christ being now ris'n from the Dead dyes no more Death shall no more domineer over him And now follows what is added to the Article The third Day The Curat must instruct the Faithful not to believ that our Lord was all those three days in the Sepulchre XVII Christ rose again the third day For because he lay in the Sepulchre a Whole Natural Day and Part of the Day before it and Part of the Day after it for this Reason it is truly said That he lay in the Sepulchre Three days and that the Third Day he arose again from the Dead Now that he might manifest his Divinity XVIII Why the third day he wou'd not put off his Resurrection till the end of the World and again that we might believ him to be truly Man and to be truly dead he did not immediately after his death revive but on the Third Day after his Death Which space of time seem'd to be sufficient to prove he was truly dead The Fathers of the first Council of Constantinople have added to this place XIX Why according to the Scriptures is added in the Creed 1 Cor. 15.14 ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES Which being receiv'd from the Apostle they therefore plac'd in the Creed And that the Mystery of the Resurrection is very necessary the same Apostle has taught us in these words If Christ have not ris'n again then is our preaching vain and your Faith is vain And if Christ have not ris'n again your Faith is vain and you are yet in your sins Wherefore S. Austin admiring the Faith of this Article wrote thus De August in Ps 120. v. 4. It is no great matter to believ that Christ dyed for this do the Heathens Jews and all the wicked believ This all believ that he dy'd But the Resurrection of Christ is the Faith of Christians only This we account a great matter to believ that he rose again Hence it was that our Lord most commonly spake of his Resurrection Note and scarce ever did he talk with his Disciples about his Passion but he spake of his Resurrection When therefore he said Mat. 16.21 The Son of Man shall be deliver'd to the Gentiles and be mock'd and beat'n and spit upon and after that they have beat'n they will kill him Luc. 18.32 At last he added And the third day he shall rise again and when the Jews requir'd him to prove his Doctrin by some Sign or Miracle Luc. 11.29 he answer'd There shall no other sign be giv'n them than the sign of the Prophet Jonas for as Jonas was three Days and three Nights in the Whales Belly so he affirm'd Mat. 12.39 That the Son of Man shou'd be three Days and three Nights in the Heart of the Earth Now the better to perceiv the Force and meaning of this Article XX. Three things to be explain'd here we must know and observ three things First Why it was needful that Christ shou'd rise again Then What the Scope and End of his Resurrection was And also what Profits and Advantages redound to us thereby As to the first XXI First The necessity of Christs Resurrection Phil. 2.8 9. It was necessary for him to rise again that the Justice of God might be manifest by whom it was very meet that he shou'd be rais'd up who in obedience to him was cast down and loaded with all kinds of Disgrace This Reason the Apostle brings when he says to the Philippians He humbl'd himself and became obedient to Death ev'n the death of the Cross wherefore God has also exalted him Besides for confirmation of our Faith without which Man can attain to no Righteousness For this ought to be a main Argument That Christ was the true Son of God because by his own Power he rais'd himself from the dead and then to cherish and support our Hope For since Christ rose again we have a sure Hope that we also shall rise again for it is necessary that the Members enjoy the same state and condition with the Head For so the Apostle seems to argue when he writes both to the Corinthians and Thessalonians and Peter the Prince of the Apostles says 1 Cor. 15.12 1 Thes 4.14 1 Pet. 2.8 Bless'd be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who of his great mercy has begott'n us again to a lively Hope throw the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead to an Inheritance incorruptible Lastly XXII The Second The End of the Resurrection For this reason also it must be taught That the Resurrection of our Lord was necessary That the Mystery of our Salvation and Redemption might be compleated For Christ by his Death has freed us from Sin but by Rising again he has restor'd us to all those good things which we lost by our sins Wherefore the Apostle says Rom. 4.15 Christ was deliver'd to Death for our Sins and Rose again for our Justification That nothing therefore might be wanting to the Salvation and Happiness of Mankind as it behov'd him to Dy so also it did to Rise again Now from what has bin said XXIII The Third The Advantages The first we may perceiv How great advantage the Resurrection of Christ our Lord brings to the Faithful For by his very Resurrection We acknowledg him to be God Immortal and full of Glory and conqueror of the Devil which without all doubt we are to believ and confess concerning Christ Jesus Besides The Second The Resurrection of Christ has produc'd the Resurrection of our Bodies also Because it was the efficient cause of this Mystery And also because after the example of our Lord we all ought to rise again For as to the Resurrection of the Body the Apostle thus testifies 1 Cor. 15. By Man came Death by Man came also the Resurrection of the Dead For there is use of Christ's Humanity as of the efficient instrument to all those things whatsoever they are which God did in the Mystery of our Redemption Wherefore his Resurrection was a kind of Instrument to bring to pass our Resurrection And it may be call'd a Pattern because the Resurrection of Christ was of all the most perfect And as the Body of Christ rising to immortal
God reconcild to them And for the Curses of Holy Men III. How the Curses of Holy Men to be understood which they us'd against the Wicked it is manifest from the Sense of the Fathers that they are either Prophesies of those things that would befal them or else are us'd against their Sin that the Men being sav'd the force of their Sins might perish Vide Aug. de Serm. Domini in Monte lib. 1. c. 22. Serm. 109. de Tempore In the other part of Prayer we give the highest Thanks to God IV. For whom we ought to give thanks for his Divine and Immortal Benefits which he always did and daily do's bestow upon Mankind But best of all do we discharge the Duty of Thanksgiving upon the account of all the Saints when in our Office we attribute singular Praises to God for their Victory and Triumph which they by his Goodness have born away from both their inward and outward Enemies Hither belongs that first part of the Angelical Salutation V. The Angelical Salutation the greatest of all Thanksgivings when we use it at our Prayers Hail Mary full of Grace the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among Women For we honor God with the highest and truest Praises and Thanksgivings that he dignified that most Holy Virgin with every Endowment of Heavenly Gifts and we congratulate the Virgin for her singular Happiness Vide Aug. Ench. c. 100. 21. de Civit. Dei c. 24. lib. 20. contra Faust c. 21. And rightly has the Holy Church of God to this Thanksgiving added Prayers also VI. Why to that Salutation is added S. Mary and imploring of the most Holy Mother of God whereby we piously and humbly fly to her that by her Intercessions she would reconcile God to us miserable Sinners and that she would obtain for us those good things that are necessary both for this and for the Life everlasting Therefore we the cast-off Children of Eve who dwell in this Vally of Tears ought diligently to invoke the Mother of Mercy Advocate of the Faithful to pray for us Sinners and by this Prayer to implore her Help and Assistance of whose both most excellent Merits with God and most sincere Good will of helping Mankind there are none but impious and wicked Men can doubt Vide Aug. Serm. 18. de Sanctis Ambr. in 1. c. Luc. Bern. Hom. 3. in Missus est Item l. 5. c. 19. Athan. in Evang. de Sancta Deipara Aug. Serm. 2. de Annunt Nazian in Orat. de S. Cypriano Who is to be Pray'd to NOw that God is to be pray'd to I. The Tri-une God to be invok'd and his Name to be call'd upon the very Light of Nature implanted in the Souls of Men teaches and not only the Sacred Scripture in which we may hear God himself commanding Psal 49.15 Call upon me in the Day of Tribulation But by the Name of God we understand Three Persons In the second place II. Secondly The Saints We fly to the Assistance of the Saints that are in Heaven to whom also that Prayers are to be made has been held so certain in the Church of God that to pious Men there can arise no doubt Which because it has already been explain'd apart in its proper place we remit both the Curats and others thither But to remove all Error of the Unlearned III. God and the Saints to be invok'd after a different manner it will be worth the labor to teach the Faithful what difference there is in the manner of this Invocation for we do not pray to God and to the Saints after the same manner For we pray to God either to give us the good things we want or to deliver us from evil but we pray to the Saints because they are in favor with God to undertake our Patronage and to beg of God for us those things we want Hence we have two ways of Praying IV. The Forms of Prayer differing in the Manner For we properly say to God Have mercy upon us Hear us but to the Saints Pray for us altho we may for some other Reason pray to the Saints to have pity upon us We may therefore pray them that being mov'd with the Misery of our Condition they with their Favor with God and Intercession would help us Yet here all must take great heed V. Observe this diligently that what is proper to God they give not to any besides him And withal when before the Image of any Saint any one says the Lord's Prayer let him then think thus that he begs of the Saint to pray with him and to beg those things for him which are contain'd in the Form of the Lord's Prayer and lastly that he would be his Interpreter and Intercessor to God Apoc. 8.3 For that the Saints perform this Office S. John the Apostle has taught us in the Revelations Of Preparation to be made IN Sacred Scripture it is thus written Note Eccl. 18.2 Before Prayer prepare thy Soul and be not as a Man that tempts God For he tempts God who while he prays well do's ill and while he speaks to God his Mind wanders from his Prayers Wherefore since it so much concerns him I. The Preparations of a good Prayer First Humility with what Mind every one makes Prayers to God let the Curats teach the devout Hearers how to pray The first Step therefore to Prayer is a truly humble and lowly Soul and acknowledgment of Sins by reason of which Sins let him that comes to God know that he is unworthy not only to obtain any thing of God but even to come into his Presence to pray to him Of this Preparation the Sacred Scriptures very often make mention and speak thus Psal 101.18 He has respect to the Prayer of the Humble and has not despis'd their Supplications Again Eccl. 35. â—1 The Prayer of him that humbles himself pierces the Clouds But to the Learned Pastors there will occur innumerable places that meet together in the same meaning Wherefore we will forbear the unnecessary quoting of many Places but yet we will not in this place pass over those two Examples which before we touch'd upon because they are so very proper to this purpose That Publican is most notable Luc. 18.13 who standing afar off durst not lift up his Eyes from the Ground There is also that of the Woman the Sinner Luc. 7 5â— who being mov'd with Sorrow wash'd the Feet of Christ our Lord with her Tears Each of these shew'd how great prevalency Christian Humility gives to Prayer Next follows Grief upon the Remembrance of Sin Secondly Grief for Sin or at least some sense of Sorrow because we cannot grieve Both whereof or at least the one of them if not brought with the Penitent he cannot obtain Pardon But because there are some Sins which very much hinder God from granting our Petitions in