remember What I am after so many signall benefits on thy part and serious promises on mine I am ashamed to think What I deserve I am afraid to call to mind What I desire I am ignorant how to ask Lord for thy mercies sake for thy Mothers sake by thy Bowels of mercy and her Breasts of meekness by all that thou hast suffer'd for me and she for thee by all that is dear to thee in heaven and earth forget and forgive what I have been my past folly and wickedness Pity and protect what I am my present frailty and weakness Be satisfi'd for what I deserve supply what I desire and be mindfull of me in life and death How much ô my God do I wish to leave all and lose my self to find thee to humble my self to please thee and to hate my self to love thee But these hard and high matters I dare scarcely promise how then and when shall I practise them Yet without thee ô sacred humility there is no solid centre to rest in no true sweetness to take gust in therefore ô my God I come to thy School to learn this necessary lesson teach me touch me wound me and win me unto thee 3. Pure intention to please and praise God only to be all his ever his in what manner and measure he best liketh both in this prayer and all things whatsoever Behold therefore ô my Lord how out of pure Obedience to thy Will 3. Pure Intention and confidence in thy mercy I now approach to please and praise thee Not to receive great matters from thee for I am unworthy nor to conceive great matters of thee for I am uncapable but to leave all for thee to be humble of heart beyond all and to love thee more than all this is both conform to my condition and obligation I come to prayer O my only Lord and love not to have much but to give up all to be thine all thine ever thine in life and death for time and eternity as thou best pleasest I come O my centre and sweetness to seek thee and sigh after thee yet I am content neither to find thee nor feel thee but only to see thee by faith and to suffer for thee with fidelity I am satisfied and content that thou art so good great glorious rich and happy in thy self and I am confident that thou in thy good time wilt make me rich in thy mercy and happy in thy love for in this Pilgrimage I desire no other happiness than true humility nor greater riches than naked charity The second part is Consideration shewing these three things first to our selves and then to our God as his poor beggers 1. Our wounds both internal and external to wit our sins ingratitudes daily faylings strong passions c. Ah! my sick and sinfull soul how 2. Part. 1. Our wounds weak and wounded are we in every degree in all parts in each member of body and faculty of mind 1. All is out of order all is pride and self-love how impenitent are we in sorrowing how impatient in suffering how unconstant in persevering and yet how importune in sinning 2. My Vnderstanding is blind to good clear-sighted to evil My Will is perverse peevish cold sensuall My memory is weak full of idle images subject to distractions 3. My affections are vain my passions violent my inclinations vitious 4. My Faith is little my Hope less my Charity least of all 5. So forward to extroversion and dissolution so backward to introversiâ—â— and compunction so full of imperfections and immortifications 6. So little confidence in thy mercy so little patience in my misery and almost no performance of mâ— good purposes 7. So curious tâ— censure others so careless to keep mâ—self and curb my own senses Fâ—nally all is self-love self-will self-conceit self-seeking pride propriety partiality which are my dayly and dangerous diseases O Father of mercies and only Physician of my soul Thou art almighty and all-bounty these are my wounds and impurities and if thou wilt thou canst both cure and cleanse me and if thou wilt not I will remain content as I am I am willing to continue weak so I be not wicked to be wearied and wounded so I be not utterly tired over-turned defeated and lose the victory Cut kill crucifie ô Lord only spare me for eternity 2. Our wants for we are not only needy but naked not only poor but beggers who neither know how to deserve an alms nor how to desire it O my poor soul What do we 2. Our wants want nay what do we not want 1. True light true liberty true love true life 2. A setled attention a simple intention a serious introversion a sincere conversion 3. Humility of heart conformity of will purity of soul indifferency of spirit 4. Wisdom to know Gods will strength to execute it patience to persever in it 5. Resolution to suffer for our Saviour devotion to sigh after him diligence to find him constancy to remain with him 6. Courage to endure all faith to forgo all hope to expect all charity to give all and Confidence to gain all Finally we want all we should have Yet our loving Lord is ready to bestow on us all that he hath O my God and all Thou art all that I want give me thy self and all my wants and wishes will be at an end Thou art all my safety and my only security all my refuge and my only centre Vntil I can return unto thee or wholly turn into thee let thy Cross be my Purgatory and thy will be my Paradise for other heaven upon earth I can never hope to find Vntill then I must be content to sweat and sigh under the burdeâ— of this mortal life to sit like Job upon a dunghil forlorn and forsaken by all full of soars and sorrows to remain a perpetuall and pitifull patient scarcely feeling patience in my self and finding no compassion in others 3. Our wishes and desires What can a wounded wretch wish but to be cared for and cured What can a naked begger desire but to be clothed and comforted with some few raggs and crumms What can a blind and cold person ask but light and love This O my soveraign and sweet 3. Our wishes Lord is the sum and substance of all my wishes and requests O that I could go out of my self and get into thee That I were dissolv'd from my loathed body to the end I might dilate my heart in thy love contemplate thy divine face in perfect liberty and please and praise thy Majesty eternally For in this prison of flesh and vale of tears I faint under the weight of my temptations I fall under the burden of my troubles and I continually fail in the prosecution of my pious purposes Oh! that thy will did so rule me and reign over me that it were a torment to decline never so little from it O that thy love did so freely and fully
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
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
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
confession into my mouth prayers into my lips remorse into my memory resolutions of amendment into my will T is Thou O gracious God who chiefly actest all this good in me by me and for me O my All do then all in me that thou desirest And particularly overwhelm I beseech thee my whole interiour with perfect contrition not coming from a slavish and servile fear but from a faithful and filial love Grant me a true and intire grief for having offended thee not because of thy promises or threats but because thou art in thy self good amiable adorable 3. Or if mercenary interest do yet more move thee O my sensual and sinful soul For how hainously dost thou take a small injury how deeply dost thou resent a little disgrace the loss of a dear friend of health of honour or the like temporall and perishable commodities O whence is it then that thou so little apprehendest thy loss of grace and thy eminent and imminent danger of eternall damnation Is it a small matter to be Gods enemy To lose the good will of all heaven To destroy Gods image To cut up life root and branch To side with the accursed devils thy Creators sworn enemies to hatch Treason enter Conspiracie with the damned Yea and to kill as much as in thee lyes him who by his own death gave thee life O brutall and unnatural ingratitude Surely the annihilating of heaven The reason is Because the least degree of a higher order surpasses the highest degree of the lower order earth Angels men and all Nature cannot be compar'd with this malicious evil and willfull destruction of thy grace O Lord in my soul O eternal God! what a monster have I then been in grace what a prodigie in nature who have so little car'd to commit such enormous sins But O my Lord I will even now change my life I here detest all sin I make firm purpose of amendment I have a ful confidence in thee my Creator a good wil to do satisfaction and a totall resignation to thy divine pleasure 4. I am the woful criminal O just judge of my soul and I will be also the accuser and witnes the advocate and executioner in this tribunal I summon you therefore O detestable pride O abominable envy O execrable avarice O beastly lubricity and all you accursed crew of sins how long will you reign on earth how long will you dispeople Gods inheritance who brought you in amongst Gods children T is the perverted Will of man O dread Soveraign which hath done all these mischiefs Rectify ô my Lord I beseech thee this my crooked Will and murder these horrible monsters in me and grant that I may henceforth rather expose my body to a thousand deaths than my soul to one deadly sin Thy Saints will rejoyce ô God at my amendment and thy Angels will make a Feast but thy own resentment of joy will be infinite because thy love is infinite which goes hand in hand with thy essence and comprehends all love in supream eminency I will therefore expect from thee O heavenly Father the exact remembrance from thee my Redeemer the perfect knowledge from thee ô holy Spirit a true repentance and from thee ô Sacred Trinity an intire absolution and plenary indulgence from all my iniquities The grief I feel for my past offences the hatred I have against each sin at this present and the resolution I make to avoid all iniquity for the future are not equivalent in me to their enormity and hainousness I therefore humbly crave ô holy Lord God! that thou wilt accept thine own hatred against sin for that which I should and would have and in stead of the sorrow I want I offer that of thy Son my sweet Redeemer with the Sacrifice of his immaculate life and innocent death And since I cannot be impeccable by nature O my Lord nor dare presume to ask to be so by grace give me leave to prostrate my self before thy infinite bounty and clemency and beg by the merits of Jesus Christ thy dear Son and by the desires of thy essential love the blessed holy Ghost that though I may not be impeccable yet I may never sin more and if I must somtimes sin through my frailty yet that I may never sin mortally This thou desirest O Lord this thou demandest this thou commandest O give me what thou commandest and command me what thou pleasest 5. O my good Lord Jesu who art Lord of my life and shouldst be the love of my soul had I not like an ungracious and ungratefull wretch given my heart and sold my affection to fond frail filthy and fading creatures and comforts which are so far from bringing me eyther quiet of mind peace of conscience purity of soul or perfection of spirit that they leave me nothing but trouble confusion and remorse with a world of disquiet and desperate thoughts violent passions and vitious inclinations I find no other refuge or remedy but to return to thee my Centre to convert my self to thee O my good Lord and Master to cast my self in all humility at thy sacred feet and heartily to beg thy mercy pardon and reconciliation O mercifull Father I truly acknowledge my prodigality and humbly confess my treachery and am sorry from my heart that ever I offended thee who deservest so much love and service from me Beseeching thee as a guilty prisoner to be pitifull to thy poor creature and mercifully to forgive me the manifold rebellions and grievous iniquities that I have committed against thy Divine Majesty and goodness and for the love of thee I freely forgive all them who have any way offended or contristated me sincerely acknowledging that I deserve no comfort from any creature but all contempt and confusion and not only to be troubled by all on earth temporally but even to be tormented by the Devils in hell eternally 6. O how ungratefull a child have I been to offend so often and so grievously so loving and liberal a Father so meek and mercifull a Redeemer and so â—weet and soveraign a Majesty who hath always shew'd himself so benigne and bountifull to me tolerating me in my sins and expecting me to his mercy wooing me to his love and calling me to his service by a thousand means all which I have either rejected or neglected and still nevertheless given me time and opportunity to do penance O my poor soul how blind and bewitched hast thou been to leave the bread of Angels and to feed on the husks of swine for vanities villanies shadows and nothings to abandon God and all goodness on whom depends all thy hope and happiness quiet and comfort for time and eternity O blindness O folly O frenzie Would God I had never sinned Oh that I might never sin more O my God what have I done Would I had suffered on the Cross pains of body and pangs of soul when I thus N. sinned Oh what can I say or do more
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
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
inclinations The third Verity O Lord I have a good Will and purpose to Confess my sins entirely in due time and place according to thy Ordinance and that of thy holy Church We may ad to these the devout frequentation Three other signs of the Sacraments which give life and justifying grace The warrant of a skilful guide And a lively confidence in the Divine bounty The 26. Doubt If we are troubled because we know not well when we give consent to sinful Thoughts 1. IF when the Thought is represented Rules to know when we consent to sin we presently fly to the crucifix expell it disdain it dislike it it is not Sin but Merit 2. But if we carelesly linger in it when well perceived it is Venial 3. And if we consent to the Thought and desire the Action our sin is equall to the act if it were committed 4. But if we intend not the Act but linger delightfully in the Thought and the thing it self be Mortall and deliberately entertained it is also Mortal The 27. Doubt If we cannot well distinguish between Venial and Mortal sin 1. WHat need we determine let us Confess it as it is committed 2. Mortall sin cannot be committed without great corruption of Him who commits it or great hurt to his Neighbor or great contempt and neglect of God says Richardas a S. Victore And S. Thomas Rich. à S. Victore S. Thomas says He sins Mortally whose total intention of mind is withdrawn from God who is our last end 3. Let us conclude with S. Augustin S. August Gerson and Gerson That it is dangerous even in Prelats and Confessors to define what is mortall sin or give Rules therein The 28. Doubt If that saying of Divines terrifies Faciens contra dubium incidit in peccatum In dubiis securior pars est eligenda us He that does against his doubt sins And In things which are doubtfull the securer part is to be chosen WE may in things which are Doubtfull securely follow a Probable opinion Now Scruples are not Doubts but false apprehensions and therefore on all sides we may and somtimes must go against our own erroneous consciences especially when Obedience commands it Let us therefore with S. Augustin S. Augustin Tene certum dimitte incertum lay hold of that which is certain and let go the uncertain And what way is more sure and secure than Obedience The 29. And last Doubt If finally we are apprehensive and fearfull lest we should grow weary in the way of Vertue and not Persever constantly in our Spiritual Exercises LEt us excite our Tepidity by the frequent perusall of this following discourse and practise accordingly The Patriarch Jacob in hope of obtaining the beautifull Rachel serv'd Laban seven years with diligence and patience But being cousened by that disloyal worldling with il favoured Lia what doth he He neither loseth Courage nor Confidence but with new constancy begins his other seven years service with such admirable alacrity and a heart so fix'd upon his desired reward that the time seem'd Gen. 29. but a week to him O my soul thou seekest and sighest after eternal Beatitude consisting essentially in the blessed vision and fruition of God signified by Rachel according to S. Bernard For S. Bernard this thou hast bound thy self to serve God But alas The world the flesh and the Devil do so often beguile blind thee that thou takest blear-ey'd Lia for beautiful Rachel the world for heaven the flesh for the Spirit and diabolical Illusions for Divine inspirations But what Lose not courage nor confidence Renew thy protestation of loyal service Serve God one other seven years Suffer another slavery to get heaven to dy in finall grace and to be eternally joyned to that blessed beauty thou lovest Follow Jesus to mount Calvary to consummatum est to thy last gasp If thou stumblest fall not If thou fallest up again and march Stand not but go forward for he only that persevers till the end shall be saved Let neither frequent temptations nor fearfull imaginations nor strong passions nor bad inclinations nor often fallings nor ordinary frailty daunt or dismay thee God is good and gracious meek and mercifull Thy reward is infinite and eternall Thy friends are moe in heaven than on earth persever then and go forward if thou canst not run at least go fair and softly and securely after Christ thy Captain crying Draw me unto thee ô most dear Lord for I desire to follow thee and no other but I am weak and lame and therefore I make use of two crutches A strong resolution never to forsake thy love and a lively confidence in thy grace goodness and mercy O holy and happy O pretious and highly to be prized Perseverance O finall grace the patrimony only of the elect and portion of the predestinate Fight manfully ô my soul get good habits timely resist sin valiantly fast watch pray sigh and suffer perseverantly heaven is worth thy pains Persever O my soul Persever Persever that done all is done that wanting all is undone This O Satan thou knowest full well and therefore little car'st to see me zealous for a Lent for a year for a time so in the end thou may'st make me tire tepide and careless of my progress and Pâ—rseverance 't is my Perseverance S. Bernard which thou only enviest at because that only conquers thee and crowns me eternally I discover thy two main snares ô subtill enemy into which thou wouldst allure my unwary soul and thy first design failing which was to delay my eonversion to Gods service thou pursuest thy Second which is to weary me in my well-begun enterprise To shift off my Conversion thou urgedst youth long life time enough thy dayly and dangerous deceits by which more Christians perish than by any other thy guiles and stratagems Thou knowest the peril of delay in a matter so important as is our conversion perfection salvation Thou art not ignorant how one sin draws on another how he that to day is unfit will be less to morrow how custom grows into nature breeds blindness hardness of heart and insensibility how old diseases are hardly and rarely cured how God withdraws his grace when 't is abused refused neglected how much his justice by delay is exasperated and that we heap coales on our own heads by our negligence Thou art well skill'd in the uncertainty of our frail life know'st the dangers chances changes and accidents which may speedily overwhelm us therfore thou whisperest stay a little deferr yet for a time till God in whose hands are the moments of all time takes from us all time who have so long abused the opportunity of time and sends us into pains eternal without time But seeing me resolutely and violently breaking all thy chains running and crying with S. Augustin S. Augustin Why shall I longer say to morrow why not now even at this instant thou now
other creatures in order to our service IN our Redemption he sent no Angel but his onely Son to pay our ransome not by the corruptible value of gold and silver but by the infinite price of his own precious bloud and by his dolorous and disgracefull death IN our Preservation Preservation each houre and moment fighting our battails for us against our enemies preventing and accompanying us with his heavenly grace and leaving with us his deare Sonne alwaies ready for our support and sustenance in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar THESE verily And many other benefits and many more are evident tokens of the high price he puts upon our meanesse and misery and of the love which our great Creatour bears to us his poore and caitif creatures and are in themselves such inestimable benefits that none but Which are so great that none but God himselfe can comprehend them his own divine understanding is capable to comprehend the least thereof And how much then are we bound in exchange to doe for so excellent a Majesty who hath done such things for us For if worldly Potentats receiving honour from private persons of lowest rank think themselves bound to return them reciprocall honour what ought our vilenesse endeavour towards the supreme Monarch of the Universe who so highly courts and cherisheth us CHAP. VI. Of a two-fold Will in man and the continual fight between them THou must take notice my dearly 2. Wills Rationall and Sensuall beloved of two Wills in man The one of Reason which is therefore called Rationall and superiour The other of Sense and so is named Sensual inferiour and sometimes sensuality appetite concupiscence flesh passion and the like And though each one of these is in man yet because the use of Reason truly makes us and denominates us men wee should never own any thing which our meere sensuality dictates till our superiour and rationall Will gives her joint consent 2. From this diversity springs all The Rationall is seated between Gods grace and our sense our spirituall conflict For our superiour Will and Reason being middled between Gods Will which is above it and our Sensuality which is under it still tempting and enticing it to naughtinesse therefore both of them that is Gods Will and our own Sensuality strive to get this our rationall Will to side with them and sometimes that othertimes this renders her subject and obedient to them 3. But this battail is of no great And the truly vertuous persons yield promptly to Gods will difficulty to them who are either truly vertuous or downright vitious For they who are vertuous come no sooner to the knowledg of Gods holy will but they presently yield their consent and bridle their brutish sensuality And the wicked do And the vitious to their sensuality contrarily according to their appetite checking the divine will which contradicts it They therefore chieflly feele the brunt of this battail especially at first who have been great sinners and are now resolved upon amendment and to this end sever themselves from worldly and fleshly delights the better to love and serve their Lord Jesus Christ for the future For the inward feeling and strokes of Gods will which their But they who of sinners are become converts have the greatest conflict Reason receives from above and the cruel contradictions and adverse motion of their Sensuality which it must necessarily suffer from below are so powerfull on each side that the poor Reason is between them both brought into extreme straits and perplexities 4 Wherefore let none think to Who must therefore resolve to beare patiently the losse of their pleasures gain the victory who is not instructed prepared and resolved to support patiently all such pains as he shall endure in leaving his past pleasures For this surely seems one of the chief causes why so few attain to true perfection because feeling grief and trouble in the beginning of their conversion and in the quitting of their depraved affections and desires they stand not fast to their resolutions but yield to their enemies who treacherously invade them not making manlike resistance with the sword of Reason but rather like cowardly souldiers they skulke away throw downe their armes yield themselves to the mercy of their enemies and become againe their bondslaves who will now more than formerly tyrannize over them EXPLICATION ANd amongst these one may Divers sorts of unmortified souls pick out some who indeed neither take away nor detaine their neighbours goods wrongfully but yet have their affections fixt excessively upon them which they possesse justly so likewise they will not purchase honours unlawfully but they love and desire them passionately They will keep the commanded fastings punctually but care not to mortifie their gluttony They will live continently but are loath to leave pleasing company which hinders their union with God and greatly retards them in their tendance to perfection From all which and the like petty-affections Whose affections are accompanied with much imperfection it follows that their good works are performed with a certain irksomnesse of mind and are accompanyed with divers self-interests and secret imperfections yea with self-conceit and good liking of their own actions and with a longing desire to be liked and loved by others But all these not only make no progresse in the way of spirituality but even return backwards and And who make no progresse in spirituality are in eminent hazard to fall into their former follies because they are neither inamoured with true vertue nor gratefull to their loving Creatour who hath freed them from the tyranny of the Devil They are moreover strucken with Ignorance and blindnesse since they But are full of ignorance and blindnesse neither understand nor see their owâ— danger but falsly and foolishly fancy themselves to be in a state of security 5. And here thou mayst perceive a Text. A danger in the choice of spirituall exercises discovered very perilous and pernicious deceit which very few take true notice of For many beginners in a spirituall course out of self-love make choice of such exercises as are most pleasing to themselves rather than most profitable unto their souls when as indeed they ought to begin with the knowledg of their own natural affections and the naughty desires of their sensuality and to make their first and fiercest encounter with these enemies and so long falling on and following this fight till they be entirely subdued to Reasons Empire as farre forth as in this life is possible CHAP. VII Of the fight against Sensuality and of the inward way of the Will to acquire Vertues AS often as thou feelest thy self assaulted by the motions of 1 When Sensuality rebels thy Sensuality convert thy minde quickly to thy Lord God and resist manfully And that thou maist become a conquerour in this combat furnish thy self with these severall wayes and wards against thy foes
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
this inflamed desire consider that thy Lord God by reason of his admirable excellencies of goodnesse majesty wisedome beauty and other infinite perfections is more than worthy to be served and honoured by thee and all creatures That to serve and succour thee this greatnesse hath condescended to compassionate thy weaknesse and to suffer for thee in his sacred humanity for thirty three yeares space during which time he cur'd and salv'd thy stinking sores which were gangren'd by the soule contagion of sinne not with medicinall oyle ordinary wine and common plaisters but with the most precious balsom of his owne sacred bloud and with unguents confected of his purest flesh torn from his body by scourges thorns and nails Weigh also the importance of this his service since thou art thereby inabled to master thy selfe to conquer thine enemies and to become the child of God Secondly That thou be possest Text. Secondly perfect Faith with a true and constant Faith whereby thou beleevest that thy loving Lord will give thee all things necessary for his service and thy salvatioâ— EXPLICATION THis holy Confidence is the vessell which the divine goodnesse fills with the treasures of his graces and the greater it is the richer and more laden will thy prayer return into thine owne bosome For how can our unchangeable Lord faile to make us partakers of his good gifts and graces when as himself hath commanded us to ask them and promised his holy Spirit to them who petition him for it with Faith and perseverance Thirdly that thou hast no other Text. Thirdly Conformity to God's will end in frequenting holy prayer than the accomplishing of Gods will and not thine owne and this as well in asking as in obtaining That is Let nothing move thee to pray but only that God will have thee prâ—y neither doe thou desire to be heard for any other reason than that thou hopest it is his pleasure briefly Let thy intention and the whole purpose of thy prayer be this That thy will may be conformable to Gods will and strive not at all to bend his will or draw it unto thine EXPLICATION ANd this thou art to do so much Because thy owne will is subject to error the rather because thy will being infected with selfe-love is subject to errour and forgetfulnesse of it selfe and so knows not what it asks but the divine will is ever accompanied with unspeakable goodnesse and so can never faile but is the rule but the divine will is infallibly right and queen-regent of all other wills deserving to be followed and obey'd by them all Thou art therefore alwayes to petition for those things which are conforme to Gods hoâ—y will and when thou suspectest whether some desire of thine be truly such to make thy demand conditionall and not to wish it but onely so far forth as thy Lord God is well pleased thou shalt obtain it In things also which are known to be certainly agreeable to his divine Majesty such as are vertues and graces thou art to pray for them rather that thou maist by their meanes better please satisfy and serve him than for any other end or consideration whatsoever though never so spirituall Fourthly That thy prayer and Text. Fourthly A connexion with the former exercises the other before-described spirituall exercises be so joyned together as that thou undertake not the one without the practise of the other For pray thou never so long and never so much to obtaine any vertue unlesse thou also labour and exercise thy self in the way to get it thou onely temptest God but obtainest not thy desire EXPLICATION FIftly remember that before thou Fifthly Thanksgiving for received favours demandest new favours thou art to render humble thanks for them thou hast formerly received by these or the like expressions O my good and gracious Lord God who hast made me redeemed me and rescued me from mine enemies oftner than I my selfe know or can conceive succour me now also and deny not to grant this my present petition though I have beene hitherto rebellious to thy will and ungratefull to thy goodnesse And if thy demand be for some particular vertue whereof thou now standest in great need by reason of some temptation trouble or contradiction which urgeth thee forget not to thank him for that occasion of thy triall and exercise which through his gracious assistance may redound so much to thy spirituall good Sixthly since Prayer hath it's Sixthly a reflexion upon Gods goodnesse and promise and Christs passion whole force power and hope of obtaining from Gods goodnesse and mercy from Christs merits and passion and from the divine promise therefore thou maist fitly usher in thy demands by some of these following sayings O my God graunt unto thy servant I beseech thee this grace for thy supreme goodnesse sake that thy most dear Sonnes merits may impetrate for me the graunt of my petition Remember ô my Lord thine owne loving promise and incline thine eares to hear my prayer At other times thou maist ask by the merits of the most glorious Virgin and suffrages of the Saints which are powerfull to prevaile in thy pious demands Seventhly Thou art to pray with Seventhly Perseverance perseverance For if the continued importunity of the Evangelicall widdow inflected the hard-hearted Judge to give her what she asked how shall perseverant petitions be rejected by him who is mercy and goodnesse it selfe Therefore after thy prayer Text. Prayer must also be strengthned with Hope strengthen thy soule with a live by Hope in God that through his infinite love he will bestow on thee the now demanded grace or gift or something that is better for thee or both together And although he so long delayes his answer that thou maist doubt he denyes what thou askest yet remaine constantly in this hope and never slacken therefore either thy prayer or thy practise or thy confidence And though God seemeth to reject thy prayer yet persevere knocking 3. Yea though it may seeme to thee that God rejecteth thee and thy prayer Yet doe thou still humble thy selfe more and more before him encreasing thy Faith and comforting thy self with hope in thy Saviour For the more fervently and frequently thou interposest this constant hope in God even in such violent repulses and as it were manifest reprobations of thy prayer the more thou becommest pleasing and gratefull unto him 4. And therefore thou art alwaies And alwayes thanking him as wel when he grants as when he denies to return him gratefull thanks whom thou acknowledgest no lesse good wise and loving in thy behalfe when he seemes to cast out thy petition than when he grants it Keep then an ever-constant couragious and joyfull mind in all events whether good or bad and humbly submit thy selfe to the infallible wisdome and all-ordering providence of thy Lord God CHAP. XXII What inward or mental prayer is and what Contemplation and the use thereof
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
goe on in our Introversion with perfect freedome and liberty simplicity and purity without further fears or reflexions Let us I say keep on soft and fair according to order and obedience in our exercises of Humility recollection and inward conversation with God checking and We must curb importunate desires curbing all importune pretensions desires and resolutions of doing strange matters and resting content in what God sends and our poverty affords neither running before his grace nor beyond our own strength Let us leave all intermedling Of little medling comes great peace with others doings and affairs looking only to our own care and charge thinking all others more perfect than our selves and being truly glad that our dear Lord is purely loved and perfectly served by them This is a sure way to avoid many stumbling blocks of our enemies to begin to tast the joys of heaven in this life to live without solicitude and dye without fear or trouble For the further practice of this Further practices of this point important point and to obtain this happy quiet and content of mind First We must carefully avoid and contemn all curiosity to see hear know or have a hand in what concerns us not Secondly we must labour to be as it were blind deaf dumb insensible passing by all things or letting them passe by us For all is vanity Salomon One to one S. Giles My God and all S. Francis Whatsoever hath an end is nothing S. â—erese What is that to thee follow thou me Jesus Christ Thirdly What is it we will see hear or know novelty vanity a transitory toy a foolish fable an impertinent object a flying shadow a false deceit Fourthly to what end Either it will defile our souls or disquiet our minds or distract our spirits or divert our intentions or imprint idle images or excite our passions or renew our vitious affections All which are great hinderances in a spirituall and contemplative course Ah! poor souls what amiable and admirable light and love doe we leave and lose for a vain curiosity c. The 30. Maxim That Crosses are to be suffered not sought to be taken not made to bee conceal'd not complained of IT is far beter to take crosses when where and how we find them than to make them our selves for this is losse of time and a nourishment of Self-love Let us not therefore cast our selves indiscreetly upon difficulties or seek out occasions of humility and patience but be ready to receive and indifferent to accept such as befall us and wee shall find enough to doe Let us make as little outward shew as may be of our inward sufferings but keep that secret to our selves till obedience and just reason induce us to reveal it and then let us doe it simply sincerely and resignedly O what peace what profit what pleasure shall we find in this reall proceeding Complaints are commonly accompanied with self-seeking and small troubles are sooner cured by quiet suffering than much shewing or speaking of them Doth this cross come from See the Conflict ch 10. n. 2. men and is it not rather permitted and provided by our beloved Lord from all eternity to purify us from pride to purge us from the love of creatures and to dispose us for heaven and happiness The 31. Maxim That Temptations cannot hurt us if we cast our whole care upon God WHen temptations passions 4. Rules of practice repugnancies or repinings rage in the inferiour portion of our souls wee are presently to reflect 1. That wee have made choice of God's love for our end and resolve to stand to it till death 2. That we must willingly submit to the trouble as long as it shall please God to permit it 3. That we must continue in our practices of piety and Recollection as if we felt no afflictions neither thinking on them nor fearing them but assuring our selves that nothing can injure us so long as wee rely upon God and resent our own weakness 4. That Prayer may be our chief refuge and support against all their surprisals and therefore we may say briefly and heartily Perfect thy strength O powerfull Lord in my weakness let thy mercy triumph on the throne of my misery I detest from my heart whatsoever is contrary to thy holy will in this point N. and all things I resign my self to suffer it as long and in what manner thou pleasest though never so cross to my crooked nature Sweet Saviour remain with me and let thy love reign in me and then I neither want other company nor desire further comfort The 32. Maxim That Desolations derelictions afflictions distractions are to be transcended by generous Resolutions IN time of desolation c. we are not to dispute with our selves nor examin the causes or circumstances of our sufferings for we are then neither competent nor indifferent judges but we must referr that untill the time of Prayer talk not now with your passionate and partiall heart but speak to God about some other thing transcending and dissembling your trouble in some such manner Good God! when shall this Pilgrimage have an end My life is a continuall warfare upon earth wherein all is vanity all is affliction of spirit all is full of frailty misery instability O Lord what is man that thou shouldst mind him a weak reed wagg'd with every wind and contristated with every little cross and contrariety burdensome to himself and troublesome to others c. There is more profit and less danger to suffer Desolation than to abound with Consolation to desire sensible love and contrition than to feel it to resist temptations distractions passions with patience and resignation than to have none at all It 's a signe of high and heroick vertue 1. To be Resigned when it seems we neither are nor can be resigned 2. To be Patient when we are fullest of motions to anger 3. To be Humble meek and quiet in time of sickness serious business multiplicity of employments 4. To be Constant and invariable in all the diversities and varieties of our own changeable humors dispositions inclinations internal invitations external instigations Let us not think we lose our time when we are involuntarily distracted in Prayer but rather comfort our selves in being deprived of all comfort because we then remain in that state in which God would have us Let us conceive our selves as within the walls of a strong castle without which are great noises outcries tumults alarms but we safe and secure within sleighting their vain attempts If our desires be to love God and our intentions to be with him and we hold no discourse with other divertisments we have made a good and profitable Prayer c. The 33. Maxim That Perfection consists in putting off all Propriety and putting on pure and naked Charity THis will make us love God above all things and all things in and for him only uniting our spirits to God and in him to our
neighbours The practice of this spirituall uncloathing of our souls Behold ô my Lord and love I generally and totally renounce all things but thee casting my self into the arms of thy most holy disposition and protection O my soul return sweetly to thy seat of rest repose quietly and confidently in the bosom of Divine bounty Remain here without diverting or distracting thy self to other objects Rely securely upon his mercy and providence cutting off incontinently all superfluous cares and solicitudes and protesting thou desirest nothing but the advancing of his honour accomplishing of his will his love and himself Take courage my naked soul for if thou art uncloathed somtimes and deprived of thy Lovers embraces feelings of his comforts and pleasures of his presence it is only that himself alone may purely possess thee O my Lord and lover Look upon this soul which I have endeavoured to strip entirely from all sensuall affection therefore I have not only abandoned but hated Father Mother brethren sisters lands living liberty yea and my own life that I might become thy disciple And were it yet to do again I would cast off Mother and run over Father to come to thee my loving Jesus Confirm O Lord my courage Live O rich nakedness Live my beloved to me and I to him Let me see no one but only Jesus Let alone his other gifts though never so excellent and holy I am indifferent to leave them or keep them in the manner and measure he pleaseth 't is naked Jesus I only seek and sigh after Uncloath me then my Lord 1. Of all sin great and small 2. Of all affection to it even the least venial 3. Of all curiosity 4. Of all sensuality 5. Of all inordinate passion 6. Of all vanity 7. Of all self-love and self-will Let me be reduc'd to nothing Put off my self and put on me thy self crucified Deprive me of all that distasteth thee that thou mayest say of me This is my beloved son in Mat. 12. 18 whom I please my self This is my disciple whom I Jesus love This is my rest for ever Here I will dwell because I have made choice of it In this heart is my harbor there you shall infallibly find me The 34. Maxim That Zeal and eagerness must be temper'd with Moderation and discretion WE must moderate our natural vivacity activity and agility of spirit by shunning all precipitation and indiscreet forwardness and fervour Soft and sure Let us look before we leap Let us take our eyes in our hands For that which is well done is twice done and a thing warily begun is well nigh half brought about Let us lend our hands and not give our hearts to any work Let us endeavor to perform all our actions with a free and disinteressed mind without which all is drudgery and slavery Let us not be over eager Perfection consists not in multiplicity of action but in simplicity of intention not in variety of exercises and devotions but in peace of mind and purity of heart not in saying or doing much but in suffering and loving much c. Let us sometimes check our importunate spirit as Jesus did Martha Martha Martha thou art Luc. 10. 41 troubled about many things when as there is but one thing only necessary which is A real cordiall and totall Abnegation of thy self in all things Let not indiscreet zeal serve for a cloak to cover our passionate hearts and inward hatred of others True Zeal is ful of compassion free from indignation and perfect charity either will not see what is amiss in others or seek out the best interpretation of it excusing the fault and pittying the party The 35. Maxim That we must never rely upon our own naturall judgement experience and knowledge THis hath deceived many and cast them headlong into confusion despair hence so many Apostasies rebellions dissensions divisions and scandals in Religion O how pleasant beautifull and edifying a thing is it to see persons of great perfection glorious endowments venerable for age honourable for learning renowned in dignity c. to be truly humble supple simple soft like Wax capable of any impression and condescending to others reason and command Blessed are the meek humble and obedient spirits for God will not permit them to goe astray or be deceived The 36. Maxim That we must seek no comfort in any creature FOr the practice of this We must The practice cheerfully forsake all and be content to be forsaken by all resting only in God by prayer patience and confidence Adieu friends familiars Confessours counsellours books exercises Angels Welcome solitude crosses eclipses shames wounds want◠darknesses desolations deaths Yes O Father because thou so pleasest Is the creature in which I delight more loving lovely or beautifull than God my Creator Hath it been more bountifull or beneficiall tome Can it more justly require or more liberally requite my love Can it make me holy or happy quiet or content Shall I leave light for darkness life for death substance for shadows All for nothing Answer impartially and resolve effectually The higher practice of this The higher practice Maxim in order to Contemplation is To estimate things according to Read the Spir. Con. ch 4. n. 3. their reall value And then Alas what comfort can a devout soul which hath tasted the sweets of her beloved in Contemplation find in the best of creatures How far are they from affoording her any solid and substantiall satisfaction in her spirituall sorrows sadness or desolation Therefore shew wisely and carefully keeps her self to holy Recollection resigns her self absolutely to the divine pleasure continues stedfastly in the presence of her Creator seeks to treat with him one to one and leaves worldlings to follow their appetites as the horse and mule which are void of under standing Oh! how much more happiness is it to suffer in the sweet company of God than to enjoy all such false and phantasticall pleasures as all creatures can confer in the company of men My soul refuseth this comfort I remember my God and in him I am only delighted And indeed they who faithfully The true Contemplatives are never sad or solicitous and fervently addict themselves to spirituall Recollection are neither sad nor solicitous but only in shew For what can they want who are with God In him they find gardens to walk in fountains to bath in pallaces to dwell in dainties to feed on and all pleasures to delight in with such infinit advantages that they ravish'dly cry out My God and All These contemplatives need not your compassion O worldlings They are not so drownd in melancholy so plung'd in sorrow so little enjoying themselves as you esteem and censure No your own poor souls are seriously to be pitied which are so wide of wisdom and so wedded to sensuality as to relinquish true life and liberty sincere comfort and content for the shadows smokes of the world For this is
most certain that whosoever leaves Recollection to look after earthly consolation enjoys neither God nor the world whereas a soul which retires her self from the world to possess God enjoys truly both God and the world together The 37. and last Maxim That we must walk and persever in these our Spiritual Exercises with the two feet of Faith and Obedience To perform this we must 1. Leave all for one All others for God Our selves for God God himself wheÌ„ he withdraws himself By recollection By abnegation By resignation 2. Leave one for all 3. Leave one and all The practice of this Maxim consists in these five points 1. TO have an ardent desire affection The practice and intention to love see please and enjoy God 2. To curb our senses from all curiosity vanity apprehensions c. which may either defile our souls or disturb our minds or distract our spirits Either seduce us from the right way or affright us when wee are in it 3. Then we must take Jesus by the right hand by faith and confidence abandoning our selves totally to his mercy and resting in his providence with a filiall indifferency 4. We must take our spirituall guide by the left hand by punctuall obedience 5. In our way wee must have these or the like thoughts recollections and devotions Well I am going to heaven to my Father and Creator to my eternall rest and Center to see love and praise my God for evermore There only is true life true love true light and true liberty O Jesu how long O Jerusalem when Jesus is with me and for me him I will follow after him I will sigh and for him I will suffer come what can If I erre let my guide look to it for I am obedient If I stumble Jesus will not let me fall for I am faithfull If I cannot have the fruit of Penance I will keep that of Obedience What I cannot get by Recollection I will procure by Resignation What I want by Indifferency I will supply by Confidence though my Deserts fail my Desires shall prevail What hath an end is nothing Live Eternity Sometimes let us hearken to Jesus speaking O my child my servant my spouse What are all things to thee follow thou me Let all pass I am here All is one and One is all trouble not thy self with multiplicity Be silent and I will answer for thee be content I am thy sufficiency Be indifferent all is my will be confident all is wel I forgive thee all thou demandest I will give thee all thou desirest I will never desert thee nor withdraw my eys hand heart from thee therefore goe on quietly couragiously confidently Other times let us answer him meekly and faithfully O good Jesu save me for I am thine O sweet Saviour support me for I am weak O loving guide direct me for I am blind c. Thus boldly let us keep on our way 1. Letting passe all by insensibility 2. Out-passing all by fervour 3. Passing under all by humility 4. Passing over all by generosity and elevation of spirit Under this Maxim are solv'd many materiall doubts arising in our daily progress to perfection The first Doubt If we fear that God will forsake us by reason of our Ingratitude and disloyalty 'T Is true we have been are still and ever shall be ungratefull tepid and defective in our correspondencies to the divine love and light and God may in justice forsake us and yet be a good God but wee must be confident in his mercy that he will not do it for Jesus sake in fury and rigour though hee may sometimes withdraw the feelings of his presence to try our loyalty His holy will be done Let us never say God will forsake us but say We will never forsake God Let us first say Doth God love us who can doubt it And doe we love him If we will we doe Let us never say We shall never amend all is lost But let us often say We are sinners wicked wretched weak none more than we but it truly grieves us to be so we will endeavour to remedy all sure we are our God is Almighty all-mercy all-meekness him we will serve and in him we will trust in despite of nature and maugre the devill and for him all desolation and death it self is most welcome unto us The 2. Doubt If our sins trouble us in respect of Confession and Satisfaction LEt us cast off servil fear and be confident that what is past is pardoned by Gods mercy and our humble confession what is to come may be prevented by Gods grace and our dilligence and endeavours The 3. Doubt If wee can neither Pray with fervour nor Suffer with patience neither feel God present nor be content in his absence LEt us have recourse to these four things which will supply our defects and satisfy for our faults 1. Obedience 2. Resignation 3. Confidence 4. Good desires Therefore in all our fears crosses and troubles let us make use of these four points in this or The practice the like manner O my Lord God who deservest from me all love and honour and whom I desire to serve with all my soul behold I come out of confidence in thy mercy having no other end but only to please and praise thee wherefore I resign my self to thy will beseeching thee to turn all to thy glory and my good The 4. Doubt If we are doubtfull that God is angry with us that we want grace that we only seek our selves that we yield to all temptations c. LEt us build upon these three foundations Humility in acknowledging our own deformity Sincerity in confessing it and Confidence of pardon for it and so persevering constantly and couragiously in a course of Prayer according to direction and obedience we shall soon find ease rest and peace The 5. Doubt If our Consciences are unquiet and our souls fearfull by reason of our proness to sin c. LEt us Apply these following plasters and put these tents into our spiritual wounds as deep as we can every day for a time till the cure be perfected 1. Let us be assured that we are Plasters for a troubled conscience now at this present in the state of grace supposing we have already or are now resolv'd to do what is necessary for the expiation of our past sins and the avoiding all sins for the future 2. That having a will to please God and perform our duties our Prayers are profitable to us and acceptable to God and we may without presumption take courage and comfort though we are yet full of passions and â—mperfections 3. That the feeling of troubles fears temptations c. are neither sins in us nor signs of Gods anger against us 4. That we are not bound to reflect continually whether we have consented to sin or not nor to judge whether this or that consent he mortall or veniall Nor to meddle with the sins of our
wherein we judge amiss and whereupon wee ground our particular fears for that is the easiest way to remove them 8. Let us weigh the vertue of the Physick The vertue of the Physick which must cure us which must cure our Disease to wit First the infinit goodness of God and Christs merits And what Soul can fear having so gracious a God and so great a Ransome 2. The Credit and Compassion of the Blessed Virgin and the Prayers and Patronage of Saints and Angels who being secure for themselves are solicitous for us 3. The testimony and sweet promises of holy Scriptures For how often hath God told us I am prone to pitty I am ready to receive sinners I will help them who doe their endeavours If therefore he denys not his mercy to them that seek it and they seek it who doe what lys in them let us bee confident he will not deny us his mercy He also frequently calls on us Turn to me and I will turn to you Now he cannot but say truth aad fulfill his promise and doth not that soul convert her self to God who doth her best to get his grace and be reconciled unto him Who then can choose but be of good Comfort if he be of good Will By this Doctrine and these prescribed Remedâ—es it appears that the only way to overcome Scruples is 1. To obey our Spirituall Director 2. To doe our best endeavour But here arise two difficulties in this easy lesson The first is If our Directoâ—â— The first difficulty knowledge be small his experience lesse and his conscience not very good how dare we trust our souls upon his Warrant Gerson answers Thou wiâ—e Gerson's answer Judger I say thou errest and aâ—â— deceived for thou hast not committed thy self and thy soul to a man because of his discretion and learning but to God himself and for his love thou obeyest man because he is by him ordained thy Prelat and Superior Therefore our obedience wil be oftentimes so much more pleasing to God and profitable to our souls by how much more infirm and unworthy he is whom we refuse not to obey for Gods sake The other difficulty is If wee The second difficulty cannot satisfy our selves that wee doe our best Endeavours nor know that we have performed our duty S. Thomas answers We must St. Thomas answer first remove that which hinders grace to wit Sin 2. We must convert our hearts from creatures to our Creator In a word we must detest Sin and choose God and follow his ordinary means appointed in his Church for our direction and this is the Summary of our duty The 22. Doubt If we fear we detest not Sin sufficiently because we feel not so great sorrow for the offence of God as we doe sometimes for a temporall losse LEt us assure our selves First We can never have so much sorrow for our Sins as Gods justice in rigour requires 2. God doth not exact it of us because it is not in our power 3. True sorrow consists not in feeling but in Reason and Freewill 4. It is better to have sorrow sometimes only in desire than feeling 5. It is not necessary this corporall or sensible grief be so great for spirituall as for temporall loss but it sufficeth to use humane and morall diligence with firm purpose of a voiding Sin 6. It ls dangerous to make such comparisons and reflexions for weak and fearfull Consciences as If such a thing should happen what should I doe Should I rather chuse death than such a Sin and the like I say there is no obligation to make such acts The 23. Doubt If we cannot ground our selves in a firm Hope of mercy for that we are so frail and inconstant We sin daily and amend not our lives We receive Gods blessings and repay ill for good Wee promise protest and vow fidelity and practise nothing lesse TEll me afflicted Souls Should you see Christ dye daily for your daily sins would you despair of mercy Even so efficacious is his former death If you fall hourely rise again couragiously and purpose to stand more constantly and fear nothing but draw Humility out of your Frailty saying Whereof am I proud now Where are my strong Resolutions Why doe I judge others Who is so feeble sickle frail as I am O Lord this is the Worm that is so proud Then cast â—ll into Christs sacred wounds and leaving all there go on with as much quiet and Confidence as if you had not sinned The 24. Doubt If we go not on w th alacrity because we know not that our Sins are forgiven that our Confessions are good and that we are in state of Grace WE must take notice that in seeking these assurances we may oftentimes directly lose them 1. In seeking them too eagerly and unquietly 2. In being self-lovers and unwilling to be troubled 3. In being ignorant of what we are bound to know for it seems we conceive those works nothing worth which are performed without gust content satisfaction to our selves and quiet The way then is briefly this 1. To seek true peace 2. In God 3. From his mercy not our own industry 4. To be resigned to want peace if he please 5. To omit nothing we would or should do by reason of the trouble we feel The 25. Doubt Though we cannot in this life assure our selves infallibly to be in good estate yet if we could comfort our selves with most probable tokens of grace whereby we might feel the pulses of our hearts and somewhat ease our anguish SAint Thomas and S. Bernard assigne 4. Signs of a good conscience out of S. Tho. and Bernard these four signes of a good conscience 1. To feel a ready Willingness in our hearts to hear Gods word and to learn the means to love and serve him 2. To feel a Forwardness to do good Works 3. To feel a hearty Sorrow for the offence of God 4. To feel a firm Purpose to avoid all Sin Gerson adds a fifth Who so can A â— out of Gerson To pronounce these three verities pronounce heartily and sincerely these three Verities though he had committed all sins and should be prevented with sodain death let him secure himself he is in state of Grace The first Verity O Lord If in Oh! that we would often recite these three truths especially when we feel our consciences burthened What infinite profit and comfort would redound to our souls this or that I have sinned against thy goodness it truly displeases and grieves me and I am ready to do penance for it because I have offended thee who art worthy of all honor and have transgressed thy Law and Will which is most holy just and reasonable The second Verity O Lord I have a good purpose and desire by thy grace to take heed I fall not into sin again and to avoid to my power the occasions thereof and to mortify my passions and bad
of the same in the morning shut out all other thoughts from thy heart and let thy employment be to reflect upon and repeat the points prepared over-night for this mornings exercise and think that thou art presently to talk with thy Lord God 3. Wherefore making as it were 3. Weigh his majesty with whom thou conferre a stand for a short space before thou art in the place of prayer imagin that thy great Creatour whom the Angels adore is present in the Oratory expecting thee to enter discourse with him and beholding thy behaviour in thy prayer Let this truth make a deep impression in thy mind and thereupon yield him most profound reverence with body and heart as craving permission to confer with his majesty 4. Then with bended knees begin 4. Begin with oblation and petition thy prayer first offering up to thy Lord God all the cogitations words and actions of thy whole life particularly presenting unto him this present exercise now intended to his honour and glory and humbly implore his gracious assistance that thou mayst perform this thy practice with such attention devotion and reverence as befits one that speakes with his Lord and Saviour 5. Incontinently after this imagin Then apply thy senses to the mystery thy selfe present to the mystery thou intendest to meditate on and in the very place where it befell for this will fix thy fancy from wandring As If thy theame be of Christs Incarnation think thou seest the glorious Arch-angel entring the secret chamber of the sacred Virgin and there listen to their mutuall discourses So If thy subject be of thy Saviours flagellation suppose a pillar before thee with thy deare Lord fastned thereunto and eye those inhumane executioners how cruelly they whip and beat him And thus thou art to vary thy fancy and conform it to the manner of the mystery 6. And when the mysterie is thus present to thy mind make thy petition And beg what thou intendest to obtain and beg that which thou proposedst to obtain by this exercise As If thy meditation be concerning Christs Incarnation let thy prayer be for spirituall light that thou mayst clearly penetrate and perceive that ineffable love which moved him to be made man for thy sake If it be of his Passion ask the grace of compassion and condoling with thy dear Saviour's sufferings and so let thy petition be for such pious affections as are usher'd in by the argument of thy prayer 7. this done begin with thy first After this beg in with the first point point and if that alone furnish thee with fewell sufficient to inflame thy affection persevere therein for the whole space assigned to thy prayer but if otherwise then passe on to the second And briefly take this for a maxim in all meditations that whensoever thou feelest thy affection enkindled stay there and disgest well that consideration till thou hast therein fully satisfied thy devotion 8. And suffer not thy understanding And beware of fancying high mysteries to roam after high and delicate mysteries but make use of it's discourse so farre onely as many helpe to heat thy will with pious affections and solid resolutions Wherefore from each consideration extract some affection and from every affection draw some determinate and particular resolution to do this very day this or that thing for thy Lords honour to reform this or that fault or imperfection and to mortify thy sensuality in this or that occasion And this is the true fruit and profit of prayer 9. Bee resolute also in staying out Or leaving off before the time allotted for prayer be expired the full time allotted for thy prayer and stirre not from it through any drynesse in devotion or any trouble of distractions for such a prayer is for the most part more profitable to a soul using diligent resistance and patient expectance of Gods grace than when it sensibly partakes of the sweets and abundance of devotion 10. Thy exercise being ended In the end reflect how thou hast behaved thy self insist a while in the examination of thy self and reflect how thou hast behaved thy self in thy prayer If thou findest all well give thy good God all the thanks if thou hast been negligent resolve upon amendment and take notice of the cause of this ill successe that thou fail not for the future 11. Let the matter or mysteries And order well the matter of thy medition thou meanest to meditate upon be well ordered as if thou proposest to thy self thy Saviours life and passion make thy entrance at his Incarnation and duly proceed in the rest of the ensuing mysteries and leap not inconstantly from one to another CHAP. XXXVI An Exercise before the Sacred Communion 1. THe conformation of the place for 1. The place the setling of thy mind may be to imagin thy Saviour Christ encompassed with his Angels and Saints who all adore his divine Majesty with all possible reverencâ— 2. Make thou also thy humble 2. Beg of thy Saviour to fit up thy poor house addresse unto him and since hee vouchsafeth to divert into the harbour of thy poor heart entreat him to send before him such ornaments as are necessary for his worthy entertainment because thy poverty is uncapable to provide what is suitable to so great a majesty 3. Then reflect who it is that intends 3. Think what guest is to lodge in it to lodge with thee It is surely hee whom the Angel named Jesus the Saviour of man kind Hee who onely can cure thy wounds Hee who so dearly loves thee and takes such care of thy salvation that he came purposely and personally to procure it interposing his authority hazarding his honour and losing his life for thee upon an ignominious Crosse And be sure to insist upon this pious consideration as being very proper to prepare thy soul for the receiving of this most holy Sacrament according to our Saviours precept As often as you shall doe these things you shall do them in remembrance of me 4. Consider to what end thy dear 4. Why he comes to thee Lord comes unto thee Surely to conclude a union betweene himselfe and thy soule whence results a certaine divine life which thou henceforth enjoyest by this sweet union with thy Saviour For the food we take begets humours of the same quality which it selfe is of and consequently no mervaile if this heavenly food and divine nourishment do in some sort deify the soul He that eats me shal live for me saith our Lord. 5. Let thy next consideration be to whom he comes To a litle worm 5. To whom he comes of the earth to a vessell full of filth and rottennesse and perhaps which is farre worse even to his enemy to the contemner of his commands to the wilfull transgressour of his lawes to a base run-away who hath forsaken the colours of his Lord God and taken part with the Devill 6. Make
therefore thy humble 6. Make thy petition supplication to thy sweet Saviour that since he vouchsafeth freely to come unto thee for his owne mercies sake and for no merits of thine he will also be pleased to prevent thee with his grace and adorne thee with the gifts of his holy Spirit that thou maist become a worthy receptacle for his sacred body as he formerly by the like prevention prepared for himselfe a happy and holy habitation in the virginall entralls of his most blessed Mother CHAP. XXXVII How we may devoutly offer up the sacrifice of the Masse WHen thou feelest thy heart 1. 1. Free thy fancy from all outward objects inflamed by this foregoing or the like exercise free thy fancy of all sensible objects and shutting the windows of thy senses so are up to thy Lord God and fix there the eye of thy soule upon him onely purely freely and quietly excluding all tumults of outward thoughts and implore the assistance of the holy Ghost by reciting the hymn of the holy Church Veni creator spiritus c. 2. Then comming to put on the 2. In vesting thy selfe mark the mysteries sacred vestments mark with attention those mysteries which they mean and signify and from that very instant of time take upon thee Christs person whom thou representest in this holy action that so thou maist be moved to conforme each outward and inward deed to him whom thou now personatest 3. Let thy outward depoâ—tmenâ— be decent 3. And as for the outward composure of the body see that thy going forth of the vestry be with all decency and gravity let thy countenance be cherfull thine eyes humbly cast downe and not curious to prie after any passages done in the Church Let thy voice be low and sober reading those sacred words neither precipitantly nor over-pausingly but beseemingly between both those extremes Let the holy ceremonies be piously and punctually observed and let all be attentively performed taking more care in the Canon and most of all when thou commest to the words of consecration 4. Let thy inward composition also correspond with thy outward carriage 4. And thy inward composition correspondent and therefore comming to the foot of the Atar looke upon Christ thy Lord and thy love sitting in his throne of glorious majesty attended by his Angels and blessed Saints and think he is presently comming down from his throne to the altar to enrich thy poore soule with the treasures of his divinity And considering so high a Majesty confesse thine own misery meannesse and nothing and so truly humbling thy selfe both inwardly and outwardly begin the action of the sacrifice And keep this presence of thy Saviour sitting in his throne and beholding thy devotion untill thou commest to the consecration which done thou hast him then before thee upon the altar thou touchest him with thy hands and embracest him in thy heart there present in the Sacrament 5. In thy first memento Contemplate 5. In thy first memento thy Lord Jesus crucified reposing in thy heart and depose all thy necessities and wants in his sacred and sugred wounds And first offer up thy whole Masse to his holy head To Christs holy head intending it to the eternall honour of the most blessed Trinity and for the increase of the accidentall glory of his deare Mother thy Angel guardian and thy particular protectours and patrons in heaven all which thou shalt joyne together in the wounds of thy Lords venerable head and beseech them that as thou in this vale of misery strivest to augment their glory so they in their happy and heavenly mansions will be pleased to remember thee and joyne with thee in the oblation of this divine sacrifice to thine and their Creatour 6. Comming then to the wound To his right hand of his right hand pray for the state ecclesiasticall that is for the Pope Cardinalls Bishops and pastours of the Church for all Religious persons and their Prelats and for them all offer up this present sacrifice 7. At the wound of his left hand To his left hand pray for the Laity for Kings Princes Magistrates and the rest of their people and in particular for thy parents friends familiars and all who desired to be made partakers in thy devotions 8. At his most sweet heart offer To his sacred heart up thy whole selfe onely humbly representing unto him thy life past and begging his pardon thy present being and desiring his direction thy spirituall necessities and corporall needs thy health thy temptations thy desires thy designes Consecrate all the future thoughts words and works of thy whole life to his eternall honour Finally resigne thy whole selfe reverently and confidently to his divine providence and so rest secure in his care since thou hast delivered all thy affaires into his custody who will better improve all things for thy profit than thou canst either ask or expect 9. At the wound of his right foot To his right foot offer up the sacrifice for all them who are in Gods grace and continue in his charity that he will be pleased to preserve them still in his favour and friendship 10. At the wound of his left foot To his left foot offer it up for all sinners that God will vouchsafe to convert and enlighten them for all poore weak and any-way afflicted wights that he will please to comfort and deliver them and lastly for all thou either oughtest or art bound to pray And so conclude thy whole oblation with Saint Augustines words I recommend Commendo eos quos tu vis scis velle me nosti unto thy Majesty whomsoever thou ô my Lord wilt and knowest and wouldest have me remember And finally offer up thy Saviour Jesus thus loaded as I may say with all thy petitions and necessities to his eternall Father in this present sacrifice saving those words of the Psalmist Behold ô God our protectour Ps 83. 10. and look upon the face of thy Christ And so proceed on in the sacred Action 11. In thy second memento Thou 6. In thy second memento hast Christ present in the holy Sacrament now glorious and risen from death unite therefore thy affection unto him and strive to creep into his open side and there hide thy self safely and securely from all assaults of thine enemies There also determine resolutely to doe his holy will for the future in all occurrences whatsoever and put on that pious affection of the Royall Prophet What is to me in heaven and besides Psal 72. 25. thee ô my Lord and love what would I upon the earth Lastly offer up the Sacrifice for the soules of the faithfull departed and compleat what remains of the sacred Masse CHAP. XXXVIII An Exercise aefter the holy Communion REpresent to thy selfe as formerly 1. Representation of the place thy Blessed Saviour encompassed with the glorious troops of Angels and heavenly spirits
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