sacred body with most cruell stripes And deryde the King of glory with a Crowne of Thornes Aue Maria. 9. His vnbeleeuing and vngratefull people rebell against him demaund that he should be crucified And a malefactour set at liberty in his place Aue Ma. 10. The ambitious Iudge ouercome with feare and flattery condemneth him to be crucified though he know him to be innocent Aue Maria. A Prayer to Christ in the agony of his death 5. O Author of life syth thou wilt dy◠and my synnes are cause of thy death let me dye with thee or graunt me a liuely feeling of thy torments Pater Noster 1. He imbraceth his desyred Crosse with ioy and cheerfulnes of hart and carrieth it vpon his shoulderrs to the place of execution Aue Maria. 2. His body beeing weakned with the losse of much bloud he fainteth vnder the grieuous burden And the torturers ease him least he should dye vncrucified Aue Maria. 3. He forbiddeth the deuout women to weepe for him but for their owne synnes and their childrens And foretelleth the ruyne of that miserable perfidious Citty Aue Maria. 4. Vpon the Mount Caluary they stripping him of his clothes renew his wounds And he offereth his sacred hands and feete to to be nayled to the Crosse Aue M. 5. They lift vp his virginall body naked and nayled And he suffereth this temporall paine confusion to deliuer vs from the eternall Aue Maria. 6. From the Crosse he asketh pardon of his Father for his enemyes Aue Maria. 7. He recommendeth his beloued disciple in him al vs to his mother Aue Maria. 8. He promiseth pardon and glory to the penitēt Thiefe And tasteth gall and vinagre Aue Ma. 9. The prophesies and figures of his passion being fulfilled he giueth vp his most holy pure Spirit into the hands of his Father Aue Maria. 10. Heauē earth are astonished that God immortall should dye But dying he killeth sinne and death looseth the chaines of Hel reconcileth the world to his Father and restoreth man to eternall life Aue Maria. A prayer to Christ reuiued and triumphant 6. O Glorious Conqueror who art risen from death enriched with spoyles hast al power in heauen earth Let synne dye in me without which there is no death And giue me a new life which may please thee serue thee for euer Pater Noster 1. He sheweth himselfe aliue and glorious vnto his Blessed Mother disciples And changeth their sorrow into vnspeakable ioy Aue Maria. 2. After forty dayes he ascendeth with triumph into heauen to take possession of his Kingdome placed our humane nature on the right hand of God his Father Aue Maria. 3. His disciples in company of his holy mother retyred in prayer expect from heauen the Comforter promised Aue Maria. 4. The time being fullfilled the holy Ghost descendeth visibly vpon them in forme of fiery tongues And they publish the diuyne Christian misteryes of faith in diuers languages Aue Maria. 5. The playne vnpolished words of the Apostles receauing force from this Spirit take possession in the harts of men And thousands are conuerted togeather Aue Maria. 6. By the death and prayers of of S. Stephen Paul of a persecutor becometh an Apostle The fayth increaseth with the persecution and with the same spread into other Countreys Aue Maria. 7. The Apostles meete in Councell ordeyne the gouernment of the Church and deuide among themselues the Prouinces of the whole world which is conuerted as we see to Christ by twelue Fishermen so great is the force of this holy Spirit Aue Maria. 8. S. Iohn remayneth in Hierusalem with the Mother of God for her comfort And their admirable life and example authorizeth the fayth Aue Maria. 9. The Apostles miraculously come togeather at the death of the B. Virgin Aue Maria. 10. And her Soule departeth without payne out of the prison of her body Aue Maria. A Prayer in the exequies of our B. Lady with the Apostles 7. O Lord what happines had it byn to be with thy disciples at those Funeralls to haue celebrated thy wonderfull greatnes and prayses for the benefits receyued by this holy Virgin Pater Noster 1. Her soule the third day was reunited to her glorious body And assumpted into heauen with such solemnity as no mortall man can comprehend Aue M. 2. The most humble of all creatures is exalted aboue them all And crowned Queene of heauen and earth Aue Maria. 3. Amongst other prerogatiues which the Blessed Virgin enioyeth and wherin especially she delighteth is to be the Aduocate of sinners with Christ our Sauiour Aue Maria. The Conclusion with thankesgiuing LET Heauen and earth ioyne together with ioy and the Quiers of Angells with the voices of men to singe eternall prayses vnto God in Trinity and vnity for the mercyes receaued in this admirable work of our redemptiō Amen Credo in Deum c. A Coronary or Crowne for the obtayning of Christian Perfection The Prayer O My Lord Iesu Christ splendour of the Father and Eternall wisdome graunt me true knowledge continuall memory and a cordiall desire of the most noble and most precious end wherunto thou hast created me and a right choyce of the meanes which thou gast giuen me to obtaine it Amen 1. My principall end for which I was created is to loue obay and please Almighty God And the secondary or lesse principall is to saue my soule Aue M. 2. The meanes for this end are all other creatures the knowledge good vse of them Aue M. 3. This vse consisteth in adding or diminishing taking or leauing them by waight number measure as they may serue this end The disposition necessary to vse them aright is to be indifferent to all And in the execution that we preferre allwaies the more conuenient for this end before the lesse and the better before the worse Aue Ma. 1. O my Lord Iesu Christ c. Pater Noster 1. Make me vnderstand o Lord that for thy only goodnes thou louedst me from all eternity And hauing no need of me thou hast created me to thy Image likenes in the tyme most conuenient for my good Aue Ma. 2. And how thou hast placed me as a King in his Kingdome with iustice peace and inward ioy of my soule Aue Maria. 3. That thou hast made me a companion of the Angells and capable of all thy riches and aboue all of thy grace and friendship Aue Maria. 4. That I knowing thy infinite goodnes by experience and thy selfe by familiar conuersation might delight in thee and loue thee aboue all things with pure and disinteressed loue Aue Maria. 5. That I may serue thee for thy selfe with all the powers of my body and soule bycause thou deseruest to be serued and loued aboue all Aue Maria. 6 That in all things I may procure thy greater glory and the perfect accomplishment of thy diuine will Aue Maria.
End of man CHAP. II. THE last end of man is euerlasting blysse For he was created by God to be foreuer happy in paradise And his soule being once separated froÌ„ the body so it be free from stayne of syn shall be conducted by his good Angell into heauen there for all eternity to enioy the vision of God And after the worlds consummation man shall enioy his end of beatitude wholy both in soule and body which shall be againe resuscitated and conioyned to the soule to appeare before the soueraigne Iudge and of him to receyue the reward of life euerlasting But alas many there be who neuer shall ariue to this end for which they were created because they put not in practise the meanes requisite for the sauing of their soules It is therefore good and needfull to know what these meanes be how they are to be practised Of the meanes to come to our End CHAP. III. SOME meanes there be absolutely necessary towards the attayning of our last end some againe very profitable for the same respect The necessary meanes be principally three 1. A man must haue faith and belief in God and further belieue al that which God hath reuealed vnto vs by his Holy Catholike Church because it is infallible verity he must haue knowledge of the things that concerne his saluation which are declared in the Catechisme whereby it appeareth how maynly it importeth all to know and vnderstand the principall points of Christian Doctrine comprehended in the said Catechisme As touching God he must know that he is omnipotent most wise most good most iust that he hath euer been and euer shall be that he is euery where that he seeth and knoweth all things that there is but one God in three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who be al of one and the same Nature of the same Omnipotency Wisdome Goodnes and Perfection Also that the second Person in Trinity which is the Sonne of God became man and tooke mans flesh in the wombe of the sacred Virgin Mary by the operation of the Holy Ghost that he hath redeemed vs by his most paynefull death 2. We must hope in God because he is our supreme and soueraigne good 3. We must loue him aboue all things seeing that for his soueraigne bounty and goodnes he is most worthy of our Loue. And the loue of God is demonstrated and practised in obseruation of his Commaundements and of the Commandements of the Church and in abstayning from all syn and in particular from mortall because the same is wholy opposite to him and diuerteth vs absolutly from our end And we must loue our neighbour as our selues for the loue of God Other meanes there be that may also greatly help vs toward the more easy more assured attayning of our end Such be 1. To exercise some things in the morning when we rise afterwards in the rest of the day following and at night when we go to bed 2. To examine our Conscience euery day 3. To frequent the holy Sacraments of confession Communion 4. To heare Masse euery day or as often as we find the oportunity but especially on sundays and Holidaies 5. To frequent vocall and mentall prayer 6. To be diligent in hearing of Sermons and the explication of the Christian doctrine 7. To be frequent in reading of spirituall books 8. To giue our selues to the exercise of al vertue good works c. Of the manner how to practise the aforesaid meanes well CHAP. IIII. MANY there be who know right well what they ought to do for the sauing of their soules but they haue not the knowledge how to practise the same and therefore the principall subiect of this short and spirituall Treatise shall be to specify the manner of practising those meanes well which may conduct vs to our end And for the easier orders sake we wil deuide it into two parts In the former wherof shall be declared the manner of the pactising of diuers spirituall exercises heere after mentioned And in the latter we will giue instructions how we ought to demeane and carry our selues towards God his Saints towards our neighbours and towardes our selues The former part of the Way to lyue well THE VII EXRCISE What we should do in the Morning CHAP. I. A good Christian as soone as he awaketh in the morning must blesse himselfe making the signe of the holy Crosse that therewith he may defend himselfe as a buckler against all his enemâ—es and whatsoeuer euill may befall him the day following That done let him raise his mind vp to God yealding him his first thought And being vp he must practise foure things 1. He must giue God thanks for al benefits receyued of him in generall and in particular for preseruing him that night from all euill 2. He must offer vnto God his both body and soule to serue him and consecrate vnto him all his actions with an intent and purpose to do them to his greater honour and glory 3. He must make a purpose firme resolutioÌ„ of a better life then he hath lead the dayes past and of abstayning from all syns in particular from those whereunto the findeth himselfe most inclined 4. He must make petition to God that he would please to take him into his protection and safegard and craue grace that he may be able to put his good purposes in practise and to do all his good works most acceptable to the diuine will It will be very good also to the same effect to implore the aide and assistance of the most sacred Virgin Mary of our good Angell Patrone and other Saints for as much as they can do very much with God and may easily obtayne what we demaund And this done let him say a Pater and Aue. What we are to do at Night CHAP. II. BEFORE we take our rest it profiteth very much 1. To be thankfull to God for his benefits namely for those in particular which we haue receyued that very day 2. To make an examen of our conscience in the manner which we shall set down afterwards 3. To aske of God that he will vouchsafe to preserue keepe vs that night from sicknes from sodaine death from euill dreames disquiet and from all offending him To recommend our selues also to the Blessed Virgin mother of God and to our good Angell other Saints according to our deuotion and after to say some prayer as we did in the morning 4. Then to take holy water with deuotion and compunction of hart for as much as by the prayers of the Church it hath great effect to purge and wash away veniall syns 5. Beeing laid downe in bed to endeauour to fall a sleepe with some good thought or other in our mind What it is meete for vs to do in the day tyme CHAP. III. IN the day tyme it is good to exercise foure things 4. To take heed we spend not the tyme vnprofitably
things man alone acknowledgeth me not but like a mad dog who biteth his maister riseth against me beeing worthy whome the earth should open and swallow down Be thou confounded o man for whome I became a meeke Lambe and cease thou at length to be a fierce and raging Lion I imbrace and loue thee with charity and thou whippest me with the scourge of desire and when I set thee forthwith the precious margarites of humility thou crownest my head with the pricking thorns of pride Let men at length vnderstand that they haue receyued goods not to be shut and locked vp in chests but to be giuen out to the poore Let them consider how hartily and affectuousely I loue them whome I by them being cast into prison will deliuer from out of the dungeon of hell and whome they cease not to crucify with ingratitude I by charity will bring backe againe into the way of charity Be thou confounded o man whome when the Angells behold they then contemne and the Diuells deceyue and in my sight condemne Be thou confounded I say feare my iudgments and vnles thou be heere confounded and bewaile thy syns a great and bitter confusion attendeth thee Whome would it not confound for that I God and Lord of all do like the hunter contynually seeke after and pursue men that they who cost me so dearly may not in any case perish while they stil euer fly from me as from an enuenomed serpent Why do they not feare me and my iudgments Why do they not chang and amend their liues who knowe neyther the houre nor day of their death And what answere will you make to the holy Ghost or with what face will you dare to speake vnto him who haue shut the gates of your soule often against him and haue so impudently and wickedly thrust him out that you might admit and receyu◠in the Diuell Be ye confounded o wretched men whome notwithstanding God hath created to be his children who is in heauen yet you scarce euer do workes worthy your heauenly Father There is in him endles meeknes and benignity and he is euer ready to remit and pardon synnes but you full of iniquity do not only not forgiue the iniuryes done you but do further iniure those who haue neuer deserued any euill at your hands There is in him surpassing goodnes whereby he doth good euen to his enemyes while he euer conserueth them but you also do euill to your friends There is in him euerlasting wisdome and wonderfull prouidence wherewith he gouerneth all things but in you there is an extraordinary desire to ouerturne and destroy all things so you may raigne and be kings alone And therefore our Lord reprehendeth you by his Prophet in these words VVill you dwell alone vpon the earth THE CONCLVSION MATTER faileth me not but tyme and therefore this may serue the turne for the prudent Reader who of a few things may gather many more and thereof reape the fruite of Confusion and of humbling himselfe especially if he exercise himselfe in them continually and diligently which euery one ought to do with the greater care and circumspection for that therein consisteth the greatest part of spirituall profit for the knowing and acknowledging of our great infirmity and misery And they who haue attayned this and haue begon to build vpon such a foundation before laied may with safty proceede in building and go on forward in that spirituall edifice and they that build their worke in any other manner then this which we haue said when they haue once raised it high it is wont to fal to the ground againe For it hapneth that the comforts of prayer which are wont to help to the furthering and increasing of vertues vnles they be supported and conserued by Humility do degenerate into false counterfaite deceitfull consolations So the desires of good things be indeed good but if we so ascribe them vnto our selues as we acknowledge them not for Gods benefits we both greatly deceaue our selues and cannot possibly build any strong matter vpon so weake a foundation Wherefore who meaneth to haue his works perfect must both begin them with confusion and conserue them by it neyther must he be so hardy as to proceed in any thing without confusion accompayning the same And so it will follow that he who neuer forgetteth to confound and humble himselfe shal neuer be forsaken of God who neuer despiseth a contrite humbled hart but willingly conuerseth with the humble and lowly And this we may say is the wedding garment which whosoeuer shall haue vpon his backe he shall neuer be shut out from the wedding feast This is the badge and liuery of Gods children this he must haue and weare who hath a wil to follow Christ because he did weare it himselfe when he said My bashfulnes is al the day long against me and the confusion of my face hath couered me ouer ouer And if confusion did also couer Christs face ouer and ouer who was the looking glasse of the Angells and the glory of the Saints why should it not couer the face of a synner ouer ouer Or who but he that hath it on dare come into the sight of God sith it is written Let them who detracte me be clad with shame and let them be couered ouer and ouer with their confusion as with a doublet Marke further what our Lord sayth Vpon whome shall my spirit rest but vpon the humble and contrite in hart and dreading my speaches And if God confound the iust the synner must not thinke to escape especially sith not ōly the iust on earth but also the Saints in heauē are clad with this garment And no lesse maybe vnderstood by the words of the Gospell when they speake vnto Christ in the day of iudgment in these words when did we see thee an hungred and we sed thee That is they speake as men astonished and wondring that by so little works they haue merited so great rewards And the same is sufficiently insinuated by S. Augustine when he bringeth them in saying thus Lord why hast thou prepared so great and such glory for vs And if this Humility raiseth vs vp into heauen it is reason that we imbrace it here and that we commit our selues vnto it as to a sure anker in a dangerous tempest and that we doubt not but if we rely vpon it we shall get ouer the stormy and dangerous sea of this miserable life and in the end through Gods mercy ariue to the safe port of Heauen Amen A SHORT RVLE How to liue well THE VI. EXERCISE Of the things that man is to know for the sauing of his soule CHAP. I. A Christian man that wil lead a good life for the sauing of his soule must know three things 1. His end for which he was made and created 2. The meanes necessary profitable for the attayning of his end 3. The manner and way how practise the same Of the
by them we are depriued of many veâ—tues and gifts of the holy Ghost without which we are and remayne as did Sampson in the hands of the Philistians when he had lost his strength We are further spoyled of all the meritts which we had formerly gotten by our good works and of the fruit of theÌ„ which we do in state syn Finally we are made incapable and vnworthy of eternall felicity hauing lost all the right that we had thereunto 2. To consider that we haue incurred many euills for by syn we are become the enemyes of God yea the slaues and very receptacle of the Diuell and to be short we merit euerlasting damnation 3. The chiefest motiue that ought to induce vs to great sorow for our syns is for that we haue offended the diuine maiesty by our disobedience ingratitude and contempt of him and for that by our syn we haue exceedingly iniured him by louing some transitory good and some pleasure of the body or some creature more then our Creatour and soueraigne Lord and by preferring our owne will and bad desire before the will and pleasure of God therein imitating the Iewes who preferred Barabbas before our Sauiour The causes for which it is very good and most expedient to go often to ConfessioÌ„ CHAP. XII HE that loueth his owne soule expecteth not the tyme of commaundment or the absolute necessity of going to confession but he confesseth often when there is not any commaundment imposed vpon him that he may gaine and reape the most excellent fruits that be gathered in frequenting this Holy Sacrament For in often confessing a man 1. purchaseth a great peace repose and quiet of conscience 2. He euery tyme obtayneth great prouision store and increase of vertues 3. The good works that were mortified and made vnprofitable by mortall syn returne to their worth and become meritorious againe 4. He is made participant of all our Sauiours meritts and of all the good works of the iust and faythfull Christians whereof he was depriued by mortall syn 5. Euery tyme that he confesseth he recâ—iueth great force and strength for the resisting and encountring of his enemyes and against all their tentations 6. He satisfieth a part of the payne which after remission of the fault remayneth behind due to be payed eyther in this world or in Purgatory And what wise man who considereth all these priuiledges that arise of frequent Confession wil not be greatly incited to go often therunto for the often gayning and reaping of so excellent fruits If a man were sicke in body if he had receyued any mortall and deadly wound would he expect any long tyme to thinke vpon the curing of himselfe Or would he not rather with all possible speed seek a Phisitian or Surgeon for his cure for feare of a temporall death And his soule beeing sick and daungerously wounded by syn should he so far neglect his saluation as to put it of from day to day from weeke to weeke from moneth to moneth from quarter to quarter c. and so hazard to incurre death for all eternity Of the great necessity and vtility of a Generall Confession CHAP. XIII I call it a Generall Confession when a man confesseth all his syns especially the mortall that he hath committed in all his life or those of a long tyme before as far as he can remember and call to mind whether he hath confessed them before or not This manner of Confession is very profitable and sometymes also altogether necessary in matter of mortall syn when in confession some condition or other necessary is wanting eyther on the part of the Confessour or on the part of the penitent And this may happen in diuerse manners 1. When one hath made his confession to a priest that had not lawfull auctority to absolue or for that he was not approued of the Bishop or for some other cause 2. When one hath confessed without being penitent and sorowfull for his syns 3. When he had not a purpose of amendment and abstayning from some synne or when he wanted a will to forgiue another who had offended him or of restoring that to which he was bound 4. When some confession made before was not entiere eyther for wittingly vpon a certain bashfulnes concealing some mortall syn or for some other vnlawfull cause or for hauing forgotten to confesse some mortall syn because he had not examined his conscience before 5. When before absolution he had a wil not to accept of it or not to fulfill the pennance enioyned him by his ghostly Father Lo the principall causes for which it often hapneth that a generall Confession is necessary for that the Confession made before with any one of the foresaid defects was not sufficient to obtayn the remission of our syns And all the coÌ„fessions made after that were vnprofitable in so much as it behooueth him againe to confesse all the mortall syns that he had manifested in that Confession and all the other that followed and to declare the cause and the fault for which he maketh a Generall Confession And though a generall confession be not to some necessary because they neuer made default in making their Confession yet it much profiteth them for diuers reasons 1. For by confessing al their syns together of many moneths or yeares a man conceyueth greater sorrow for his syns and confusion of himselfe and consequently he obtayneth greater grace and satisfieth more of the payne due to his syns 2. He is much incited to the loue of God in considering his great benignity and mercy by which he hath supported and borne with him so patiently without punishing him for so many syns committed by him 3. By considering the multitude of his syns heaped and put together he is moued to do good works for the satisfying thereof 4. He obtayneth greater assurance and repose of conscience and spirituall ioy for he who hath made a generall confession may probably perswade himselfe that his soule is in good estate How to communicate with fruit CHAP. XIIII HE that desireth to receyue the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar with fruite and spirituall profit must haue 1. A firme fayth belieuing vndoubtedly that Iesus Christ is really and truly in the holy Sacrament and that in the Communion he receyueth the true body of our Sauiour who is true man the same who was borne of the most sacred Virgin Mary who endured death for vs and is one day to iudge both the lyuing and the dead 2 He must haue Purity of hart without hauing his conscience defiled with any mortall syn that maketh a man vtterly vnworthy of the participation of this Sacrament and also in presuming to come thereunto in such bad state he should commit a syn of sacriledge 3. He must haue a right intention intending to receyue the Sacrament for the attayning of increase of Gods grace to obtaine some particular vertue whereof he most standeth in neede to arme and strengthen himselfe the more against
the tentations of his enemyes to vnite himselfe more inwardly with God by that band of loue For the receyuing of this Blessed Sacrament serueth vs for the obtayning of all these heauenly graces and many more the like 4. He must receyue with great deuotion And that he may so do he must endeauour to come to the Sacrament 1. With great humility reuerence considering his owne vnworthines misery and necessity and the supreme Maiesty of him whome he is to receyue into his soule 2. To consider the causes for which this holy Sacrament was instituted and the great charity of our Sauiour wherewith he vouchsafed to communicate himselfe to his creatures and to giue himselfe in foode nutryment to our soules To consider also the great fruits that arâ— receyued in this holy banquet because this spirituall food produceth the same effects in our soule that doth materiall meate in our bodyes though after a manner much more excellent 3. To communicate with a spirituall hunger and feruent desire to feede and fill his soule with this heaueÌ„ly meate with prayers and petitions full of affection and of loue to craue grace of God to communicate deuoutely and to receyue all the fruits of this holesome refection After receyuing he must giue thanks to God for pleasing to enter into the chamber of his soule there to make his aboade and to fill it with his grace and gifts of the holy Ghost 2. He must offer himselfe wholy to his Creatour who hath giuen and communicated himselfe so liberally vnto his Creatour 3. By short and as it were inculatory prayers he must treate familiarly with his Spouse represent vnto him his infirmityes and necessityes crauing what he standeth most in need of beseeching him to vouchsafe to make his continuall aboad with him to keep him in his grace The causes that ought to induce vs to the frequent receyuing of this Sacrament CHAP. XV. IF materiall meate be oftentymes necessary for our sustentation and nuriture of body we must not make any doubt but that the spirituall foode which is the sacred flesh of our Sauiour contayned in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist is also often as necessary for the entertayning and nourishing of our soule And if we regard not only the necessity but the good also which our soule receyueth by this heauenly food it is a thing truly very great for as much as by the often receyuing of this diuine meate First our soule is easily conserued and intertayned in Gods grace for that beeing often refreshed with this food grace is increased more and more in it 2. Euery tyme of receyuing it getteth wonderfull strength for the exercising of good works for the resisting of the tentations of our enemyes for preseruing it from syn and for patiently supporting and bearing al aduersityes of this present life 3. This food causeth a notable chaung of life in the person that was before subiect to many vices and imperfections 4. It augmenteth and increaseth in vs fayth hope charity deuotion al other vertues 5. It filleth and replenisheth the soule with a spirituall ioy and alacrity 6. It raceth out of our soule veniall syns and weakneth and lesseneth vicious inclinations concupiscence 7. It vniteth our soule with Iesus Christ For he who eateth my flesh sayth our Sauiour in S. Iohn Cap. 6. abideth in me and I in him If we with attention would ponder and consider all these so soueraigne fruits we should be much excited very often to refresh our soule with this so healthfull a meat If we giue euery day to our body to eate nourishing entertayning and strengthning therof is it not reason that our soule that hath also exceeding great need of nuriture and new strength should be entertayned with this heauenly food at least once a moneth Remedyes for the auoyding of syns and resisting of tentations CHAP. XVI MANY there be who find in themselues a desire to amend their lyfe and purpose no more to fall againe into syn which is so displeasing vnto God and so preiudiciall to their soules but they are not able to resist the tentations that assayle them in so much as notwithstanding their good desire and good purpose they fall againe and againe into their syns The principall cause whereof proceedeth of this for that they serue not themselues of the remedyes that be proper and effectuall for the resisting of tentation and syn and therefore I will here lay downe some few remedyes wherewith we may serue our turne at all tymes and especially when we find our selues inclined to syn 1. To consider the great priuiledges whereof syn spoyleth vs and the great euills and hurts it causeth vnto vs which you shall find declared in the XI Chapter before 2. To consider that we are contynually in the presence of God that in all places and at all tymes he seeth knoweth obserueth our thoughts and actions all which he will in the day of iudgment lay open and manifest to the whole world will giue sentence against vs by them And if you would imprint well this consideration in your mynd and apprehend it as you ought it will serue you for a spur to incite and to put you forward to vertue and for a bridle to pull in and represse your disordered appeties For how wil you be so hardy to commit that before God that you would not dare to do before meÌ„ 3. To consider that by resisting syn and tentation we receyue a great increase of grace and a great ioy spirituall consolation therewith 4. To make a firme purpose not to offend God and in particular not to commit such or such a syn and very often to renew the same purpose 5. To blesse your selfe with the signe of the Crosse and to craue help from God and the intercession of the Saints 6. To resist the beginnings of bad thoughts and to represse our passions and inordinate affections at the very first 7. To auoyd and fly the occasions that may make vs to fall into any syn as ydlenes ouer much talke curiosity to see and heare any thing that profiteth not Also to fly the places where God is easily offended the conuersation and company of disordred persons ouer much familiarity with any person For he who will not fly such like occasions exposeth himselfe to an euident daunger of falling into some syn or other And he sayth the VViseman Eccl. 3. who loueth daunger shall peâ—ish in it 8. To frequent the holy Sacraments of Confession the Eucharist 9. To exercise acts of vertue contrary to the vices whereunto we are tempted or most inclined as if we be tempted to gluttony to mortify our sensuality vse abstinence if we be sollicited to pride vaine glory to exercise some act of humility inward or outward by consideration of our owne frailty misery so other vertues The manner how to possesse our selues of some solid Vertue CHAP. XVII FOR the more easy
obtayning the habit and vse of vertues we must make election but of one at once as of Charity Humility Patience or some other that we thinke most necessary for vs and therein imploy all our chiefest study and care for the getting therof and after some tyme take an other Vertue and so consequently the rest The meanes to get it is this 1. To aske it of God incessantly by feruent and deuout prayers 2. To put on a great and earnest desire to get it And this desire is increased very much by meditating and pondering the beauty and excellency of the vertue how pleasing it is to God and how necessary and profitable for vs. 3. To lay before our eyes the examples of the Saints and holy men in whome such a vertue hath shined especially the example of our Sauiour and of our Blessed Lady 4. To practise it often and to exercise our selues in it by inward actions proceeding from such a vertue 5. To auoyd the very least faults that haue repugnance with that vertue and in general all veniall syns which greatly hinder our profit in vertue 6. Euery day to make a particular examen how we haue carryed our selues in the exercise of such a vertue and wherein we haue fayled The second Part of the Way to lyue well THE VIII EXERCISE What we are to do in behalfe of God CHAP. I. IN discharge of our duty towards Gods we must First loue him aboue all things and not for any other end then for himselfe and this for that he is Goodnes it selfe and the only authour source and beginning of all good And we may know whether we haue the loue of God if we be ready rather to abandone all the goods of this world yea and our owne life also then to offend him mortally in any thing 2. We must haue a great desire and zeale to promote and aduaunce his honour and seruice 3. We must haue a right intention in all things addresse all our actions to his greater glory without intermixing any lesse-rectified or vicious intention 4. We must endeauour seeke to please him in all things and fly all that which we know to be displeasing vnto him 5. We must fasten the anker of our hope wholy in him and in all our necessityes make recourse to him for help and succour 6. We must daily giue him thanks for the benefitts he hath bestowed and continually doth bestow vpon vs. 7. We must oftentymes treat familiarly with him by thought and eleuation of mind and by iaculatory prayers that is by short sodaine effectuous petitions which may be done in all places and at all tymes What we are to do in behalfe of the Saints and namely of the Blessed Virgin CHAP. II. IF we desire to be pleasing to God we must be deuout towards his Saints who are his great friends and especially towards the Blessed Virgin his glorious Mother To do this we must first loue and honour her as most worthy of our loue and of all regard and reuerence because she is our heauenly mother full of mercy and loue and replenished with all manner of grace and shineth with rare sanctity and incomparable vertue 2. We must dayly recommend our selues vnto her humbly intreating her intercession for vs and her protection of vs wherein she may much steed vs and easily obtayne that which we deserue not to obtayne by our selues because she is a most holy Virgin and most accepted to God and is the mother of our Lord and Queene of heauen 3. We must often contemplate this beautyfull mirrour Looking-glasse without any stayne of syn shining in all manner of vertues and we must endeuour to order our lyfe conformably to hers and imitate her holy and vertuous actions and so doing we shall do her seruice that pleaseth and contenteth her most of all How we are to cary our selues towards our good Angell CHAP. III. BECAVSE God by the testimory of S. Hierome and of other holy Fathers sendeth vs our good Angell presently after our comming into the world to assist and attend serue protect conduct and direct vs in all our actions reason teacheth that we ought First to cary a singular loue towards him as to a most particular benefactour of ours For we are more bound â—o him then to any other nâ—xt after God and our Blessed Lady 2. We must thanke him huÌ„bly and affectuously for all the good offices that â—e dayly doth vs. 3. We must make our often recourse vnto him by crauing his help in all occurrents and affaires of ours for he is deputed of God to that end and most ready to assist vs out of the zeale and desire he hath of our saluation 4. We must giue eare to his good counsayles motions and inspirations that he putteth into our minds 5. We must dayly consider that we are continually in the presence of our good Angell and that euery where he considereth obseâ—â—eth our comportment demeanour and cariage And this consideration will serue vs for a bridle against syn What our Good Angell doth towards vs. CHAP. IIII. THE office of our Guardian Angell towards euery one of vs is first to make incessant prayer and petition for vs and to present vnto God our prayers and good works 2. To excite and stir vs vp to lyue well and to withdraw and diuert vs fron doing euill 3. To preserue and keep our bodyes from manyfold aduerse accidents and daungers that might very often befall vs if we were not in his proâ—ection and safegard 4. To guard and defend our soule against all treacheries and tentations of the malignant spirit For if we belieue S. Gregory Nyssen Tertullian Cassian Venerable Bede and other ancyent Fathers we haue euer about vs two spirits one whereof is our good Angell who wholy attendeth our soules good the other a Diuell deputed and appointed by his Prince Lucifer to imploy and busy himselfe wholy for the solliciting and tempting of vs to syn thereby to procure our vtter perdition eternall damnation How we ought to carry our selues towards our selues CHAP. V. EVERY one of vs ought to keepe an euen hand ouer himselfe in gouerning his body in eating and drinking in repose and in sleepe in his demeanour and carriage in his functions offices trauayles and especially he must haue a most singular care of his soule because it is the excellentest and noblest part of man and therfore of the felicity or infelicity of it dependeth the good or euill of the body for all Eternity Wherfore to tender our soule as we ought we must first desire procure practise with al diligence care what may be most for the profiting sauing therof 2. We must carefully detest fly what is domageable vnto it such as is syn and all occasion and daunger of offending God 3 We must bridle and restrayne our ouer much liberty of speaking and saying what is noâ— conuenient as also our ouer much curiosity to see heare and
7. That I may desire and procure by all the wayes I can that thou be knowne loued and glorified of all men Aue Maria. 8. That I may reioyce for the good of others and by charity haue part in their happines Aue Maria. 9. And afterwards receaue reward in thy Kingdome for that which by thy grace I shall haue deserued Aue Maria. 10. And finally by the communication of thy glory become a perfect Image and portrayture of thy Diuine Nature for euer Aue Maria. 2. O my Lord Iesu Christ c. Pater Noster 1. O Lord let me loue this so amiable and soueraigne good which thou hast prouided for me aboue all gold siluer and precious stones Aue Maria. 2. And aboue all other treasures and ryches of the earth Aue Maria. 3. Aboue all liberty and ease Aue Maria. 4. Aboue all other delights and pleasures Aue Maria. 5. Aboue all power knowledge Aue Maria. 6. Aboue all honor popular applause Aue Maria. 7. And aboue al authority and dominion Aue Maria. 8. Aboue all loue kindred and other persons most loued and esteemed Aue Maria. 9. Aboue all health and temporall life Aue Maria. 10. And finally aboue all that is not God Aue Maria. 3. O my Lord Iesu Christ c. Patâ—r Noster O Lord let me vnderstand the breadth length height and profundity of thy infinite charity wherewith thou hast geuen me 1. Thy holy Spirit for my Comforter Aue Maria. 2. Thy Angells for my Guardians and protectors Aue Maria. 3. Thy Law for my instruction Aue Maria. 4. Thy Sayntes for my example Aue Maria. 5. Thy Sacraments for the health of my soule Aue Maria. 6. A Bath of thy most pretious bloud wherin to wash me Aue Maria. 7. Thy Blessed body in the Sacrament of the altar wherwith to nourish me Aue Maria. 8. Thy punishments for my warning and thy comforts to giue me courage Aue Maria. 9. All thy creatures for my seruice Aue Maria. 10. And finally reason fayth thy diuine prouidence fatherly protection for guides of my way in this pilgrimage wherin I liue that through thy mercy I may obtayne this so high and soueraigne an end for which thou hast made me Aue Maria. 4. O my Lord Iesu Christ c. Pater Noster Teach me o Lord the good vse of these good meanes which with so bountifull a hand thou hast giuen me And of thy good creatures which thou hast made subiect to my liberty that they may not hinder but help me to this end 1. Giue me knowledge how to keep warily my exteriour senses Aue Maria. 2. To vse my Memory with discretion Aue Maria. 3. My Iudgment with truth reason Aue Maria. 4. My Intention with rectitude Aue Maria. 5. My Will with purity Aue M. 6. Thy Sacraments with deuotion Aue Maria. 7. Prosperity with thankfulnes Aue Maria. 8. Aduersity with patience Aue Maria. 9. Things indifferent with all indifferency of mind Aue Maria. 10. And finally to behold this world as a booke ful of certain manifest testimonyes of thy Iudgments and mercies and of thy infinite wisdome omnipotency and admirable loue Aue Maria. 5. O my Lord Iesu Christ c. Pater Noster 1. Graunt vnto me shame and confusion for my faults and negligences past as offences committed against thy diuine maiesty Aue Maria. 2. And a firme Purpose to amend them and to satisfy for them as I shal be able Aue Maria. 3. And Prouidence to auoid occasions not to fall into the like hereafter Aue Maria. 4. And Fortitude wherwith to ouercome all temptations and hinderaunces of thy seruice Aue Maria. 5. Care and account how I spend the tyme which passeth and cannot be recalled Aue Maria. 6. And sorrow for that which I haue lost forgetting thee and my selfe Aue Maria. 7. Feare to loose thy grace aboue all losses Aue Maria. 8. Compassion of those which haue lost it without care to recouer it Aue Maria. 9. And zeale of soules bought with thy pretious bloud Aue M. 10. And finally a cordiall desyre that all may be saued sith thou so desirest it and didst dye for all And a principall care that none come into daunger and much lesse perish through my fault Aue Maria. 6. O my Lord Iesu Christ c. Pater Noster Graunt me o Lord light from heauen and wisdome to procure in all my workes the best most pleasing to thy Diuine Maiesty 1. To chuse always that which is certaine before the doubtfull Aue Maria. 2. That which is truely good before that which is fayned Aue. 3. To preferre the Principall before the Accessory and lesse worthy Aue Maria. 4. And that which lasteth for euer before that which perisheth Aue Maria. 5. To esteeme the vniuersal good before my particuler Aue Maria. 6. Health before delight Aue. 7. That which is iust and honest before that which is only profitable Aue Maria. 8. Vertue before vice Aue Ma. 9. The Soule before the body A. 10. And finally Heauen which must be our Eternall mansion before the earth which only serueth for a passage and tryall Because these as a better greater good participate more of thy goodnes and are more conformable to thy good pleasure and holy will which be euer fulfilled obeyed and reuerenced in Heauen and in Earth Amen Aue Maria. 7. O my Lord Iesu Christ c. Pater Noster 1. Graunt me o Lord true knowledge continuall memory of my principall end which is to loue obey please thee Aue M. 2. Also true knowledge continual memory of the secondary lesse principall which is to saue my Soule Aue Maria. 3. And a right vse choyce of the meanes which thou hast giuen me wherby to obtayne Eternall happines Aue Maria. Credo in Deum ADVERTISMENTS FOR THOSE who will say with greater deuotion and spirituall comfort the foresaid Coronaryes 1. ALL Acts of Vertue with custome are made delightefull and such as make triall come to knowe that it is much more easy to serue God then the Diuell and more pleasing confortable to serue God with feruour then with negligence and without all comparison to be a Saint then a synner 2. For in seruing of God the pleasures are not only pure without distast but much greater and more durable then those which the world can affoard to her Louers Besides the spirituall powers are more actiue and potent as the obiects are more noble and fit to cause greater comforts and therfore consequently from both these grounds the acts are much more perfect so full of delight that they are able to sweeten the greatest bytternes As we see by S. Paul in his greatest tribulations by the Martyrs in their torments by other Saints and seruants of God in all the aduersities of this life 3. Creatures vsed with the moderation which God commaundeth and with that respect which is due vnto him are