as the forerunner of death shall bring you to your finall lying downe when alas vnlesse our soules be fonnd adorned with the holy habits of vertuë we shall then appeare as did our first vnhappy parents naked and confounded in the diuine presence of God and in danger to be cast not only with them out of the Terrestriall Paradise but of celestial blisse for euer which being a thing so justly formidable let vs now vse all fitting industry for that darke night of death wil come suddainly vpon vs then no more time wil be granted to negotiate our saluation for on which side soeuer the tree of our life shall fall there will it for euer remaine A reflexion to be made when we enter into bed At entring into bed we may say In the Name of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST crucified I lye downe to rest he blesse me keepe me saue me defende me and bring me to life euerlasting Amen or thus O deare IESV the eternall repose of thy elect when will come th◠houre and time that my poore soule may without end receiue her rest in the eternall glory Being laid downe in your bed thinke with your selfe how sleepe is the true resemblance of death the bed represents our graue the sheets our coffin and the couering represents the earth which shall one day be cast vpon our corps to couer vs and herevpon making a serious reflexion vpon your owne mortality most humbly recommend your selfe to the diuine protection of the sacred Trinity saying God the Father blesse me IESVS-CHRIST defend and helpe me the vertue of the Holy Ghost illuminate and sanctify me this night and euer more Amen After this compose your self gently to sleepe vpon this consideration that once you must lye down to rise no more but by their hands who beare you to the graue nor haue we any assurance but that very night may prooue the same Gods blessed Prouidence so dispofing it that none shall know the comming of that dreadful houre to the end that we should alwayes be ready and prepared for it with our lampes of holy Faith replenished with the oyle of good workes expecting the call of our heauenly spouse A deuout Practise to be vsed in the night when we cannot sleepe It is a very good remedy to driue away euil fancies when we cannot sleepe to make some eleuation of our hart to God for his innumerable great benefits and aboundant prouision of all fitting necessaries we hauing a soft bed and well couered whilst so many poore and needy soules are forc't to repose their hungry bare and wearied carcasses vpon the hard ground or perchaunce vpon some little straw without all other defense against the great rigour both of hungar and could and yet their innocency and holy merits may be likely to deserue much better all these great blessings then we here let vs againe raise vp our harts by some such like feruent ejaculations as these O IEVS be thou vnto me a Iesus and saue me O my most merciful Father and dreadful Iudge am I now in that condition and state for my conscience wherein I should be content to be found at the houre of my death O when shal I truly loue thee with my whole hart and soule or as composing your selfe to rest at the foot of the sacred Crosse rehearse these blessed words which IESVS-CHRIST pronounced there to his Heauenly Father Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Luke 23. Recite this holy Sentence with great feruour loue and humility beseech him so to imprint it in your hart and soule as that you may cōclude your life last breath in pronouncing these sacred words in vnion of that intention and disposition wherein IESVS-CHRIST prosented that his last prayer to his eternall Father vpon the Crosse This done without any further straining your minde compose your selfe againe to sleepe endeauoring that your last interiour act be euer of the loue of God I will conclude this Rule with a very serious admonition to all such as it may most concerne which is that they so regulate the houre of their going to bed that hauing had sufficient time for their rest they may rise in a good houre in the morning not conuerting day into night and night into day to the great preiudice both of their corporall and spiritual health as also to the exceeding hinderance of their whole dayes employment totally peruerting the naturall order which God hath ordained vs who made the night for repose and the day wherein to labour and expedite our affaires THE THIRD RVLE FOR THE EXERCISE of Prayer Shevving hovv profitable and necessary it is and vvhat conditions and dispositions are required thereunto vvith a sett Exercise for daily prayer THE former Rule being properly to regugulate our morning and euening actions due order requires that this should treate more particularly and at large of Prayer which is a needfull food defence and chiefe preseruer of spiritual life in a Christian soule an vsefull fountaine without which the holy plants of vertue could neither take life nor grouth in vs were they not very often watred with this Celestiall dewe by holy Prayer which giues both force and vigour to resist the schorching heate of our sensuall affections as also the vnruly passions of our corrupt and intemperate nature The necessity and happy fruit of Prayer is most excellently expressed by S. Augustin Serm. de Temp. 226. who calls it the key of Paradise which opens all the dores and coffers of Gods diuine treasure and leaueth nothing shut or hidden to which it makes not way and free accesse yea and which farr yet exceedeth all this it opens also the doore to the cabinet of Gods owne diuine Presence giues vs admittance at all times and in euery place vnto his Heauenly Majesty there leasurely to conferre and treate with him all our necessities concerning either body or soule This is that golden key of highest honour priuiledge giuen vs by the Eternall King of Heauen whereby without controle we approach the diuine Throne and Majesty of God there to contemplate his greatnesse to admire his beauty to loue his goodness to tast his sweetnes to represent our owne wants to begg pardon for our sinnes to craue his grace and to obtaine great guifts both temporall and spirituall By this happy key is open'd to vs the whole magazin of his Celestiall treasures nor is there any thing which he refuseth to this powerful addresse of holy Prayer Vvhatsoeuer you aske by prayer beleeue that you shall receiue it and it will be granted to you Mark 11. The very same he also promisseth and confirmeth in Saint Iohn 14. and 16. therefore it hath not been without great cause that Gods chiefest Saints haue euer made so high an esteeme of holy prayer which they haue also done in respect of an other great prerogatiue which it hath in communicating to our soule supernaturall knowledge wisedome by a diuine light immediatly
fasting shall finde so small a remedy for her sinfull diseases the badd vsage thereof causing more harme then good 3. Our fast must be cheerefull with a willing hart for God loueth a cheerefull giuer 2. Cor. 9. And condemnes those Hypocrits of the Gospel who disfigured their faces that they might appeare great fasters before men Math. 6. It must be holy also and religious that is not wholy consisting in our abstinence from certaine corporall food but also and that principally in our abstayning from sinne from our vnruly Passions from disorderly affections and from all such vicious habits whereby we were accustomed to offend Almighty God for by this blessed Fast we gaine that happy hunger and thirst after true iustice grace whereby we shall be filled with that spirituall ioy heauenly food which will nourish vs for all Eternity Finally would you haue your fasting to be gratefull to God add to it the two helping winges of almes and Prayer Tob. 12. For they will raise it to Heauen and there present it before Gods heauenly Throne You haue seene now here briefly the chiefe conditions required for holy Fast which if you find repugnant to sensuality and the inferiour part yet take but this tast of the happie fruit thereof and it will make both reason and the Superiour part to embrace it with much content The first good fruit to be gathered from holy Fast is corporall health by consuming and drying vp those superfluous humours which both beget diseases and much oppresse nature and therefore it prolongeth life as experience doth clearely manifest in those holy Eremits S. Paul S. Antonie S. Hylarion S. Hierome S. Romwald and by so manie other abstemious Saints of antient tymes in the desert and this without pretence of anie miracle it being but verie generall that the greatest fasters were vsually the longest liuers vnlesse by some other extraordinary austerities nature hapned to be much sooner consumed in them then it would haue been by their fasting Nor ought we to find much difficulty to beleeue that holy fast prolongeth life it being eternall wisdome which so expresly auoucheth it Eccles 37. He that is abstinent shall add to life 2. And which is to be esteemed a benefit incomparably surpassing the other by holy fast all fleshly temptations are weakened yea manie euen extinguished and preuēted also oftentymes from being so much as hatched in the sinfull nest of our corrupt sensuality for naturall reason it selfe most clearely conuinceth that being our sensuall motions doe principally proceed from superfluity of nourishment they must needs be much mitigated by fasting which both cooleth and dryeth vp those abounding humours which serue but as true fewell to increase that sēsuall concupiscence which Gods Saints haue so gloriously subdued by the helpe of holy abstinence and fast I humbled my soule by fasting saith King Dauid Psal 34. for the flesh is rebellious to the spirit and therefore to be subdued and humbled that the spirit may preuaile and S. Paul assures vs of this vndoubted truth both by his word and practise 1. Cor. 9. 3. It sharpens and much enables all the chiefe powers both of our body and minde it also cleares the vnderstanding and renders it much apter for the exercise of its chiefest functions by consuming drying vp the superfluous humours both of our stomack head it is called by S. Athanasius and S Basil the verie mother of health yea by fasting the said vnderstanding is farr better disposed as well for study as prayer and by that greater purity both of body and mind the soule becomes much more susceptible of all spirituall comfort and of diuine illuminations from God By all which heauenly happy effects you haue now finally the taist which I promissed to giue you of the wholsome fruit of true Catholike Fast which being but well considered had not our most tenderly louing Mother the holy Church great reason to vse her strongest power not only by earnest exhortations to recommend verie carefully this so vsefull necessary a remedy vnto her children but also for more security to obleige thē by speciall precept and command to make vse of it in all fitting occasions And hereupon shee was mooued for our greater good to institute those certaine tymes of holy Fast which we see to be now so generally obserued through-out the whole Christian world Of the generall Fasts of the Church vpon what tyme and dayes they are appointed and wherefore ALl true Catholiks obserue generally the fast of Lent the fowre Ember weekes and the vigiles or Eues of diuers principall feastes of the yeare as also abstinence vpon Frydayes Saturdayes Rogation dayes which partly introduced by Apostolicall tradition and partly by custome for some pious end were commanded afterwards to be generally obserued by the whole Cath. Church And first for the solemne fast of Lent it hath been euer a most constant practise through-out the vniuersall Church following herein the practise of IESVS-CHRIST who sanctifi'd this fast for our example In gratefull memory and in imitation whereof the Apostles themselues did both institute and most religiously obserue this holy fast of Lent as S. Hierome assures vs Epist 54. ad Marcel and vpon S. Math. he declares the verie tyme which they ordayned for this Fast to witt the 40. dayes immediately before that bitter death Passion glorious Resurrectiō of our Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST that by fasting and chastising the flesh we might be the better disposed to celebrate those sacred Mysteries and to preserue thereby a gratefull memory of this consecrated Fast by the Sonne of God not for anie neede he had thereof but meerly for our instruction and to shew the force it hath and how requisit for our helpe to ouercome the temptations of our ghostly enemies whereof some are not to be conquered but only by fasting and Prayer Math. 17. And for this verie reason the Apostles following the holy Example of their diuine Maister they both instituted also practised this holy Fast of Lent which euer hath been most religiously obserued by our louing Mother the Church as is most euidently conuinced by the writings of the antient fathers Doctors through all ages euen vntill our present tyme which is I hope aboundantly sufficient to authorize this holy Fast and to perswade vs to a verie willing and cheerefull obseruation thereof as being grounded vpon so good authority and holy motiues for their institution as will appeare by this which followes Of the Ember dayes by whom and wherefore they were first instituted THe blessed Apostles themselues first ordayned these Ember Fasts as S. Leo the great doth assure vs serm 8. de ieiun 10. mens though Calixtus that holy Pope and Martyr an 226. by decree commanded them for verie congruous reasons to be kept at those 4. seasons of the yeare First for to moderate the 4. seuerall humours of our body at their each predominant season to witt Choler in Sommer
by a serious reflexion of God's beholding the foulnesse of her offenses shee therevpon forsooke her sinfull course and retyring to a penitentiall life shee ended the rest of her dayes in great repentance and sanctity This was the happy effect of Gods diuine Presence remembred by that happy sinner And doubtlesse should we but liuely conceiue this sacred Presence it would obleige vs to much more reuerent and deuout respect at our prayers as also to refraine from offending in other occasions that dreadfull and all ouerseeing Maiesty You haue now had in this present Rule the Theory of God's diuine Presence and by which is only lay'd the foundation whereon this next is to build by reducing the former to practise which is the proper subiect of THE SECOND RVLE Regulating all our actions from our vprising vntill we goe to bed THE former Rule informing our vnderstanding with that great treuth of Gods diuine Presence it is but requisit that by this the will should be excited to the holy practise thereof in rendring to his sacred Maiesty due honour and homage by all our actions of the day for he hauing so mercifully redeemed vs from eternall thraldome by the price of his dearest blood both iustice and gratitude makes all our actions by an infinit degree more due vnto him then anie Prince or Parent can pretend from either child or ransom'd slaue And to performe our duty rightly herein to him by the practise of this good Rule it mainely imports vs to begin well the day to which the remainder doth so vsually corresponde And therefore with a speciall care we ought to sanctifie our first vprising thoughts and actions by some vertuous practise they giuing so great an impression to all our ensuing deeds of the day First then so soone as you are fully awake hauing taken conuenient rest and your vsuall repose it being also now your tyme to rise and no incommodity nor indisposition being offered to hinder you make presently the signe of the Crosse thereby to inuoke the diuine assistāce of the most blessed Trinity through the merits of CHRISTS holy Passion and at the first morning light appearing to your eyes salute with all cordiall reuerence and deuotion that bright heauenly Sonne of Iustice IESVS-CHRIST saying O sweet IESVS the true light of our soules illuminate my vnderstanding I beseech thee and inflame my will to the end that I may know thee loue thee and serue thee both this day and euer-more And for your better beginning of the day endeauour also to giue God your first action thereof by a vertuous act of Mortification shakeing off all sloath and drowsinesse that would detayne you with losse of precious tyme which holy Act you may offer to God as the first fruit of that new day most due vnto him and so very gratefull as it may pourchace a happy blessing vpon all the rest you shall doe therein Finally omitt not to acknowledge with due gratitude this so graciously preseruing you that night from all euill and his mercy in affording you the good beginning of that day wherein by his grace you may negotiate the most important worke of your Saluation by louing and seruing him with much more care and fidelity then formerly you haue done Secondly in further thankfulnesse for his so innumerable great benefitts offer your selfe entyrely both body and soule with all their powers and senses to his heauenly Maiesty all your actions both interiour and exteriour of that day to the end that he may wholy dispose of you both in life and death to his owne greater honour and glory And protest that together with all the Saints and Angells in Heauen and with all other creatures vpon Earth you desire to loue to praise and adore him by all and euery action whatsoeuer yea by each motion of your eyes hands or feet and by euery breath you draw for by this holy practise you shall happily associate your selfe with all his other both Celestiall and Terrestriall blessed Creatures in all their religious actions of loue praise and homage which they render to God to whome in vertue of that your holy intention all your actions will be acceptable you actually both louing praysing and adoring him thereby And finally by this vertuous practise you will vnite your poore endeauours with those who praise him best and by a speciall manner communicate with them and also contribute to all the honour and glory which shall be actually rendred him both in Heauen and in Earth Thirdly craue his diuine grace to preserue you that day from all grieuous sinne and propose firmely on your part to auoyde all such occasions as former frailties may giue you iust reason to feare And resolue in particular most carefully to shunne that sinne to which you finde your selfe most subiect and to exercise the actes of that vertue which most opposeth the same Adde also to this an act of oblation to God of a most willing acceptation for his loue of all the Crosses and troubles which may happen that day and during your whole life Renounce all euill temptations to sinne all inclinations to pride and selfe-loue all inordinate passions and vnruly affections which may present themselues that day to you for by this act God will be glorifi'd in all your sufferings you hauing so very willingly accepted them for his loue and by this meanes you may also obtaine a diuine blessing and grace to resist all temptations to those sinnes which for his loue you did formerly renounce and disauow And in case that by frailty you shall transgresse against your morning good purpose yet this renouncing act not being reuoked your intention stands good and your transgression inuoluntary and thereby will either not be criminall in the sight of God or at the least the malice of it will be greatly diminished Fourthly raise feruently your heart and minde vnto God and treate with him the chiefe necessities of your soule by holy prayer which is as needfull to a spirituall life and aduancement in vertue as is the water to growing plants Begge humbly his diuine light to vnderstand his blessed will and to enable you by his grace to performe the same Which preparation to your prayer being made Fiftly compose your selfe deuoutly in the place of prayer as in the diuine Presence of God where vpō your knees first humbly and lowly bowe or kisse the ground in acknowledgment that you are earth to which you must returne as also in humble and gratefull memory of the most blessed Incarnation of the Sonne of God Adore his diuine Presence who became Man for our Redemption Next makeing the signe of the holy Crosse vpon your forehead mouth and breast as sealing and shutting vp thereby the doore of your heart against all prophane words thoughts and deeds for that tyme retire your selfe into the secret cabinet of your soule there priuately to conuerse with him alone as if there were no other but only himselfe and you in all
the world Finally conceiue that day as perchance the last that shall be lent you wherein to worke your saluation which depending vpon that state wherein your last action shall be done ô of how mayne importance it needs must be to make a serious reflexion vpon euery act which may prooue perchaunce to be your last and whereon your Eternity may depend for an endlesse weale or woe This holy and most important morning practise is able to make so verie deepe an impression in our hearts to continue so powerfull an influence vpon all the rest of our actions throughout the whole day as that no worldly affection nor passion nor anie creature whatsoeuer will be able to disorder that happy soule which beginning the day with so whol'some a thought shall frequently renew the same cogitation of death no rather he will dispise all mortall things who often remembers that he must dye as S. Hier. by his owne experience assures vs. Yea by this happie practise of beginning the day with a holy memory of death we shall be made carefull of that dreadfull accompt which will be demanded of vs at that vncertaine houre and then with ioy we shall finde the Romane Orator most truly to haue said that it is the heighest point of wisedome to doe liuing that which dying we would wish to haue done and this practise would prooue a most powerfull Antidote to preserue vs from the deadly poyson of sinne Our morning preparation thus made and our vsuall prayers and deuotions performed with due reuerence we must then betake our selues to such employments as our present condition shall require at our hands calling often to mind for what end it was that God did create vs and doth still preserue vs in this world all which being only for his glory and our owne saluation we must carefully direct all our actions accordingly as being to render a most rigid accompt for euery moment of this most precious tyme which God hath lent vs to negotiate with our talents for that end Now to be faithfully accomptable herein I conceiue it a singular good expedient not only to regulate in this manner all our actions of the day but also to propose vnto our selues a set order and distribution for the employment of the whole tyme thereof according as our condition and calling may both admit and require of vs to Gods glory and our owne soules health for order is most pleasing to him who created all things in order measure and weight Wisd 11. And it will preuent much idlenesse as also teadiousnesse to our mindes to both which they are exceeding subiect who propose not to themselues some due methode for the employment of their tyme and affaires which being rightly ordred they passe with much more content and ease Now this right order consists in the fitt disposing of all our seuerall employments for the day as for our morning and euening prayers for all our other employments as well spirituall as temporall suteable to our condition leasure regulating the tyme for our studies or reading for our worke or corporall refection for our recreation or for such uisitts conuersation as either ciuility or charity may iustly exact of vs. In fine we must obserue an order and sett tyme for all our affaires so fart as prudence and conuenient fittingnesse will permit Nor is it lesse conuenient that we should stint discretly regulate a due proportion as well for our domestike expence as also for all other occasions answerable to our condition and ability allotting also for Almes what may be fitting in due gratitude vnto God for this is that order saith S. Aug. which bringes vs to him that we doe all things decently and according to order 1. Cor. 14. And with a pure intention for the glory of God for hereby all our actions will become gratefull to him meritorious of eternall reward O lett vs not therefore omitt to direct rightly our morning Intention nor to propose vnto our selues some good employment for the day which must not be consumed in idlenesse nor in the vaine and fruitlesse pastimes of meere prop haine worldly Conuersation By the first part of this Rule you haue direction for your morning actions whereby to regulate all the seuerall employments of the ensuing day But to conclude the better what we endeauored well to begin and to make that our morning oblation an entire sacrifice vnto God it will be requisit that we be as carefull to crowne that our mornings well beginning with as holy a good euening exercise at our going to bed which I will endeauour to propose vnto you by THE SECOND PART Of this Rule to be practised before our going to bedd IT is no lesse necessary to end well the day then it was to begin it well and as needfull to consecrate to God our last euening actions as our first in the morning And to this end before we goe to rest we ought to conclude the day with this euening Exercise as it is generally practised by the best Catholikes retyring into our Oratory or the vsuall place of prayer so soone as fit time may require to dispose our selues to our rest and there alone or in companie as may be most expedient to our present condition we may say the common Litanies of the Saints with the ensueing prayers to which we may also add such other accustomed deuotions as tyme place or other circumstances shall require And finally cōclude with abriefe examen of Conscience consisting of these fower following points An examen of Conscience for such as in a vertuous course of life ayme most at Perfection and often frequent with deuotion the holy Sacraments FIrst deuoutly vpon your knees in the Presēce of God adore him in your heart craue his grace to call your sins to minde and to detest them Secondly giue thankes for his innumerable benefits for his preseruing you from so manie dangers and for those especially of that present day Thirdly examine in particular what sinnes you haue committed by Thought by Word by Deed or by Omission whereof the World the Flesh or the Diuell may be able to accuse you Whether you haue broken any of Gods Cōmādemēts or of those of his Spouse the holy Cath. Church Whether you haue offēded by any of the seauen deadly sinnes or by any of your fiuecorporall senses And in particular if failed in the duty of your present state and condition Examine what has hap'ned in your Conuersation of that day wherein you may haue offended God either in Thought By Vanity By anger By Impurity By Pride By Presūption By Reuenge By Rash iudgment By Disdayne By Enuie or the like In Words either immodest Or impudent Or Proud Or Disobedient Or Vncharitable Or Iniurious Or Vntrue Or Blasphemous Or Vngodly and the like Or finally in Deeds examining well your Conscience of all your sinfull actes and obserue with diligence your owne vicious inclinations and
disordered Passions and Affections which most incline you to sinne And principally make good reflexion vpon those faults committed against your resolution made that day in your morning prayer as also vpon such affected veniall sinnes as frequently are cōmitted by deliberate free cōsent Of which sort are idle vnprofitable words Trifling vntreuthes Slight Contempt or auersion Small Calumnies murmuratiōs against Superiours or others Sloath to refist distractions in Prayer Negligence and cooldnesse in frequenting Sacraments and all other deuotions doing all rather by custome and without fruit for want of uertuous endeavour Vanity secret self-esteeme Too-much inclination industry to seeke our owne ease commodity neglecting our Christian Perfection Selfe-loue in our actions and the like But I must seriously here recommēd to you this verie vsefull aduertisement for your examen before confession wherein although you must be serious very diligēt yet free from anxious and ouer scrupulous disquiet of minde First carefully examine whether since your last Confession your Conscience accuse you of no mortall sinne and if it be guilty but of veniall then lett your Examen and Confession also be chiefly concerning your daily and most habituall faults which you are most bound to amend of which kinde those are which cause greatest remorse to your Conscience which hinder your progresse in vertue and are most contrary to the vocation and state of life wherein you liue or those finally to the Confession of which you find most repugnance and wherevnto you haue greatest affection and inclination For it is well to be obserued that by this manner of examen and Confession of these our principally affected sinnes takeing as by taske to amende them the grace of the Sacrament is much more aboundantly obtayned then if by a long scrupulous search teadious Confession we should labour to find out all our meanest frailties and least veniall sinnes for thereby we so spend the whole force of our spirit as that small attention can be had to make with true repentance good resolutions of amendment according to which not withstanding it is that we receiue grace in this holy Sacrament not according to the tyme or toyle which we employ in too vnquiet examens or in long and scrupulous Confessions wherein though it be not needfull to confesse all our veniall frailties yet we must be truly sorrow full for them all and purpose to amende them which is the chiefest point and best disposition to a profitable Confession declaring our sinnes not as by custome only and after one set forme still repeating the same and in such generall tearmes as the greatest Saints aliue are not free We must therefore accuse our selues only of such things in particular as most require correction expressing them so humbly clearly and briefly as we can assuring our selues that the longest Confessions are not alwayes the best but those which are made with most repentance truest purpose of amendment Fourthly stir vp your selfe to true hearty Contrition for all your sinnes craue humbly pardon of God for them proposing with a firme resolution by Gods grace to amend and to confesse them with true sorrow at the next fitting tyme. Endeauour by this meanes to put your selfe in that happy state wherein you would be content to be found at the houre of your death which may be done by these fowre briefe ensuing acts First by an act of holy Faith firmely beleeuing whatsoeuer God hath reuealed to his holy Cathol Church and as for such is by her proposed to vs to be beleeued Secondly by an act of diuine Hope founded in Gods great goodnesse and faithfull promisses and in the sacred meritts of IESVS-CHRIST Thirdly by an act of true Charity in louing God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selues And finally conclude with an Act of Contrition detesting all sinne because it is iniurious to so great and good a God which detestation of sinne and hearty repentance as by verie powerfull motiues may be stirred vp by these ensuing considerations First by well pondering who he is that offendeth to witt a poore abiect Man a contemptible worme yea verie dust and ashes 2ly Who he is that is offended to witt God omnipotēt infinitly good iust mercifull who hath both created continually preserues vs powring downe innumerable benefits vpon vs most vngratefull Creatures Thirdly to consider the ill effects of sinne whereby if mortall we loose Gods grace which is the life of our soule and of being the children of God we become children and slaues of the Diuell we forfeit Heauen become liable to the euerlasting flames of Hell the greatnesse horrour whereof is most extreamely formidable euē to imagine but by a serious thought And lastly to consider for how vnworthy a gaine and small a content in satisfying some fonde curiosity or sensuall and vnruly passion we renounce our eternall Blisse Out of all which considerations may well be framed this following Act of Contrion or some such like as we shall find most moouing to our hearts for that effect An act of true Contrition My Souueraigne Lord God most mercifull Redeemer for that I loue the aboue all things whatsoeuer it grieues me from the bottome of my heart for hauing offended thee I firmely porpose neuer to offende thee any more but to auoyde the occasions of my sinne to confesse and to fulfill the sacramentall pennance which shall be enioyn'd me for the same I now offer vp my life and death my body and soule with all the operations of them both in satisfaction for all my grieuous sinnes I most humbly craue that I wholy trusting in thy infinit great goodnesse and mercy and by the sacred merits of the most precious blood thou wouldest pardon me as I doe all who any way haue iniuried me and vouchsafe me thy holy grace to amend an finall perseuerance in the same vntill my end These our deuotions before bed being ended we must retire our selues in that deuout recollection from al company the best we can to our quiet repose without dissipating our hart by any further needlesse discourse or idle conuersation but beginning now to vndress our selues and to put off our cloathes we must call to minde how Death will shortly bereaue vs of all wordly things as honours wealth frends pleasures and what else soeuer we enioye we must make here a true vertuous act of perfect conformity to Gods heauenly pleasure as a most willing surrender of all which is ours to be freely disposed of by him both now and in all eternity saying O when shall I deuest my selfe deare IESV and put off the old man with all my euill acts and sinfull habits to the end I may be renewed in spirit and may put on the new man which according to God is created in Justice and Holinesse of truth Thessal 4.24 Consider that a day will come for your vncloathing neuer to reuest your selfe when your last infirmity
in verie manie things which he will not grant vs but by constant perseuerance and long demaund thereby the more to exercise our humility as also to make his gracious guifts to bee the more esteemed by vs. In fine the qualities and due properties accompanying true holy and fruitfull prayer are these Respect Attention Feruency Faith Hope Charity Resignation and constant perseuerance in the greatest barreness and sterility of all Deuotion yea should we be as it were ouerwhelmed with great distractioÌ„s dissipatioÌ„s of the minde wherin perchaunce the vertuous soule may greatly be afflicted through feare of offeÌ„ding whereas by her patient suffering holy conformity shee becomes more gratefull vnto God then by the most feruent praier bedewed with many teares of verie sensible and tender deuotion for in that our nature receiues both solace and reward but by holie patience and fidelitie in seruing God in that insipid drinesse and want of all sensible consolation shee serues him for pure loue and much more generously it being without all present recompence But now for the better comfort and direction also of the timerous soule desirous to performe her faithful duty to God I conceiue it verie requisite here to add this ensuing aduertisement Concerning comfort in inuoluntary distractions in Prayer and the remedy against them For the comfort of such as are afflicted with importunate and inuoluntary distractions in Prayer S. Basil assures vs that God is only offended by such as be volunluntary with sufficient aduertisement and consent staying wittingly and on set purpose in such distractions in our prayer which is indeed sinfull irreuerence and disrespect to Gods diuine presence to which they pretended to approach by Prayer And therefore according to S. Chrysostome vnto such we may iustly say How canst thou expect that God should heare or harken vnto thee seeing that thou dost not harken vnto thy selfe But if vsing our best endeauour to resist such euill distractions they yet returne and that through our naturall infirmity we remaine wholy distracted voide of all actuall attention in our praier God is not offended thereby but mooued much rather to compassion he well knowing our infirmity and the great frailty of humaine nature For as a louing Father compassionateth the naturall maladies of his children much more tender is our Heauenly Father to all such as loue and serue him for he well knows of what fraile mettle we are made Psal 108. and therefore he will not be angry in seeing vs fall into those our naturall miseries and imperfections against our will which we striuing to resist they are but as a combat to cause vs much merit to make our praier so much the more gratefull by how much wee suffered therein with holy Patience those troublesome disttactions whereby Almighty God made tryal of our fidelity for we make a most excellent Prayer when wee offer to God the amorous affections of our loue with actuall sufferance for his sake of those things which much displease vs yea then it best appeares that we truly loue him for his owne sake and not for his comforts and spirituall gusts which he often communicats at other times and the happy soule which in this sort shall rise humbly froÌ„ her prayers yea though euen ouerwhelmed with such inuoluntary distractioÌ„s shee may rejoice and be greatly coÌ„forted for hauing made to God so gratefull a prayer and more profitable also peraduenture then it would haue been without the least distraction God being greatly delighted with an humble and resigned will and of this we may make some little iudgmeÌ„t by the practise of a charitable person who by the humble and modest perseuerance of a poore quiet beggar expecting his almes is powerfully moued to releeue him And now although by this the timorours soule may be comforted in all her importante inuoluntary distractions in praier yet I will not omit to giue this one good remedy more by a feruent ejaculation composed in this manner out of the very words of that great Maister of spirituallity blessed Auila which the troubled soule as prostrate at the feet of IESVS-CHRIST may rehearse My Souueraine deare Lord so farr as this my greatest sterility and distracted minde proceeds from any fault and negligence of mine I am hartely sorry for giuing the occasion thereof but if it hath been thy diuine pleasure to permit them for due punishment of my sinne I most willingly receiue them as a most fauorable chastisement from thy most holy hand only grant me thy grace sweet IESVS I beseech thee that I nowaise offende thee thereby nor be depriued of the holy fruit of my praier Say this from a sincere louing hart doubt not but by your patience Humility and Resignation perseuering the best you can in holy prayer you shal receaue both profit and consolation nor will you loose your reward which he hath promissed to all them who vse diligence and their best endeauour to deserue it Dart vp your hart vnto God and say to him in milde and humble cofidence Iesu the Sonne of Dauid haue mercy on me Mark 10. knock your breast and in the repentant spirit of the humble Publican say God be mercifull to me a most wretched sinner that I am doe therefore most iustly experieÌ„ce that my soule is like drie and barren earth before thee without one drop of the water of deuotion where with to moisten it Psal 142. And finally in vnion of that great dereliction which our deare Redeemer suffered vpon the Crosse cry also out with him for heauenly succour My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Math 27. And if after all this peraduenture you finde â—o remedie nor anie increase of feruour in your soule be then no further troubled but faithfully continue your accustomed praier the best you can with a quiet and peaceable minde in all true humilitie accompting it sufficieÌ„t happines for you to be admitted to the presence of the highest Majestie there freelie to propose your chiefe necessities and to be both heard and looked vpon by him although he speake not to you then with such familiar conuersation as you desire that being a fauour not granted to all but to such and at such times as is best pleasing to himselfe Finally let these distractions in prayer be neuer so importunate and this spirituall desolation neuer so anxious yea although we should conceiue probably that they proceeded from our owne sinfull negligence and infidelity yet we must not disquiet our hart for them but we ought rather with true humble patience to receiue them as due punishment of our former sinne for by so doing we may be certainly assured in the great mercy of God that he will turne all to our greater good supposing that wee faithfully obserue these three following things First that we take occasion thence to humble our selues the more Secondly that no trouble nor deiection caused thereby driue vs from the practise of our accustomed and
whatsoeuer whether by fasting prayer or any corporall austerity it being the infinit satisfaction of IESVS-CHRIST which is thereby applied to our souls And hence it is that Sathan our mortal enemy and all his wicked instruments so mainely oppose the holy Masse as greatly enuying the glory of God and our soules health which is reaped thereby Say daily our Ladis office and your beades according to the seuerall mysteries thereof and reade towards the euening the Saints life for the next day obseruing with good leasure what vertues you shal finde therein most necessary for your owne practise and make it the subiect of your next morning resolution to produce some good acts thereof as occasion may be offered and craue humbly that Saints intercession to God to obtaine you grace for imprinting so needfull a vertue into your soule There is yet one thing more which both for its piety and profit may well chalenge a prime place amongst our deuotions the Letanies I meane of that most sweet and adorable name of IESVS which you haue in the Key of paradise and other bookes Piety demands it in deuout acknowledgement of those diuine and glorious attributes of our Eternall King and louing Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST And profit may also perswade vs to it since diuine truth assures vs that whatso euer we shall aske in his name it will be granted vs. Iohn 14.13 yea to him all the Prophets giue testimonie that all receiue remission of sinnes by his name who beleeue in him Act. 10. nor is there vnder Heauen anie other name giuen to men wherein we must be saued Act. 4.12 So deare and gratefull was this blessed name to the beloued Apostle S. Iohn as it is to be found 200. tymes repeated in his Ghospel And so sweete was it to S. Paul as it is obserued by S. Iohn Chrisost to be repeated by him 200. tymes also in his Epistles yea and that after his head was strucke of at Rome for profession of the holy Faith of IESVS it pronounced three seuerall tymes that blessed name as if springing at each tyme with ioy and at each bound a cleare fountaine sprung also fourth which is to be seene at this day in memory of that his most happie martyrdome This sacred name was also found engrauen with goulden letters in the hart of that blessed Bishop and Martyr S. Ignatius in testimonie of his feruent loue and continuall thoughts there vpon which had so happily there imprinted it and therefore not without much cause the great Apostle hath charged vs. Coloss 3.17 that whatsoeuer we doe in word or in worke we doe all in the name of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST giuing thanks to God the Father by him whom we both praise and glorifie by all the blessed attributes of these holy Letanies raising thereby our harts both to loue and adore him in whose sacred merits we must place our whole trust and confidence as well for remission of sinne as for the saluation of our soules in eternall Blisse Now as for the other Letanies of the sacred Virgin Mother of God as also for that of the peculiar Saints of our Kingdome you haue them in your manuel and other bookes of deuotion where you may finde them And for the first I neede not recommende it vnto you for if King SalomoÌ„ entertayn'd his mother with so great expression of all yealding willingnesse to her petition saying my mother aske for it behooueth not that I turne my face Kings 2.20 How powerfull then may we well beleeue is the intercession of the most glorious Virgin Mother of God and Queene of Heauen with her deare sonne IESVS in the behalfe of her deuoted seruants The other Letanies of the peculiar Saints of England we may confideÌ„tly beleeue will also bevery efficacious seeing we cannot doubt but that the country which gaue them their birth to that happie temporall life wherein they wrought to themselues an eternall is so peculiarly verie deare vnto theÌ„ as they cease not to begg that blessing for it most to be desired of a happie conuersion to the only true sauing and holy Cath. Faith for which we must ioyne our most earnest petition with them for the increase of Gods glory and for the Saluation of those so dearely redeemed soules These three different Letanies may be ordered by your selfe for seuerall dayes according to your deuotion by placing them inorder amongst your other daily prayers Be not vnmindfull of gratitude and due deuotion to your most faithfull Angel Guardian craue his assistance in all your necessities and thankefuâ—ly acknowledge his continuall helpe and fauour Manifest with all confidence your necessities vnto him that he presenting them to God in your behalfe may obtayne diuine fauours for your ignorance good counsell in doubts needfull succour in your dangers comfort in your afflictions protection against all your ghostly enemies and particularly diuine assistance in the dreadfull houre of your death The practise of a daily partiâ—ular examen of Conscience THere remaines yet that I also recommend to you that most profitable Exercise for obtayning true Christian perfection by makeing daily your particular Examen of Conscience much after the method of your generall examen before bed with this onely difference that this is to be made of all your sinnes in generall and the other but in particular and concerning your performance of the good purpose you made in the morning either for rooting out some one determinate vice or for the practise of some particular vertue This speciall Examen of our fidelity concerning the performance of our mornings Resolution and subiect of this our particular Examen is ordinarly to be made immediately before dinner and supper and in the space of saying fiue Pater nosters at the most takeing for the subiect thereof and as a particular taske either the gaining some needfull vertue or the extirpation of some determinate vice most predominant in our soules and of most scandall to our neighbour purposing to make that day some peculiar Actes of that vertue or of opposing that vice as occasion shall be offerred and when we offende to make some interiour aspiration to God knocking our breast or making the signe of the Crosse vpon our hart in token of crauing pardon and that we disauow the sinne All which may be done euen whilst we are in companie with other people if conueniently we cannoâ— retyre yea although otherwise actually and by necessity employed yet we may retyre our selues into the best interiour Oratory of our soule and there eleuating our minde to God we may performe this holy Exercise both with much merit and profit as did holy S. Catherine of Sienna whilst her parents by corporall employments endeauoured to hinder her priuate retreate vnto spirituall prayer Our Examen thus briefly made of our fidelity or negligence in that our mornings good Resolution we must giue thankes to God for the one and begg pardon for the other as our conscience shall best dictate to vs crauing Gods
the good effects of our corporall nourishement supposed that we be in good health and our stomake prepared to disgest the same but being ouercharged by indisgestion or full of euill humors the best food then would cause the greatest surfeits and doe most harme It is the verie same with this spirituall food which being receiued by ill prepared soules what maruaile if they receiue more hurt then good by their Communion they hauing vsed so little diligence to be prepared for it approaching rather by custome and for fashion sake vnto that sacred banket or for some humain respect or wirl affection vnto some particular sinne not with a pure soule nor humblehart but rather destitute of true feruour deuotioÌ„ abounding with wordly vanity and in a word so cold so sloathfull and voyde of all interiour disposition or preparation required as it would be much better they should abstayne then feede so vnworthily vpon this sacred food which in them hath quite contrary effects to what it worketh in a vertuous soule duly disposed by deuout feruour and fit preparation stirring vp true hungar and desire in their harts for to feed of it for God replenisheth the hungry with good things saith the sacred Virgin in her Canticle and without a good appetite our meate doth little profit vs which to procure a moderate exercise is experimented to be necessary whereby the stomake being warm'd conuerteth to good nourishment what we eate So likewise before Communion we ought to exercise our soules in holy deuotion to stirr vp therein true ardent feruour of the loue of God which will make a most happie disgestion of this celestiall food and thereby beget increase of grace and strength in all true vertue and piety Briefly the disposition required to communicate worthily and with profit is purity of body by fast and purity of conscience from sinne and all affection therevnto cutting of all willfull tye or desire to the same hopeing and pourposing by Gods grace to amend In the next place we are to adore Gods great Majesty with an humble hart and acknowledge our owne vnworthines miseries and pouerty 3. true loue and gratitude is required acknowledging his most gracious fauour to vs therein and we ought to call to minde the holy Passion of IESVS-CHRIST which this sacred Host truly represents to vs. Great reuerence and actuall deuotion is requisite to this diuine Mystery as also to produce with much feruour the diuine acts of Faith Hope and Charity And finally although our deuotion be not so feruent as it ought yet lett vs stirr vp at least a great desire to haue it for a faithfull good will may supply the want of our sensible deuotion and God regarding our hart he will accept thereof for our Lord hath heard the desire of the poore his eare hath heard the preparation of their hart Psal 9.17 You haue had here a method for your morning and euening prayer and also concerning confession and Communion It remaines that now likewise I manifest in what manner God is to be serued by sacrifice which he hath so naturally imprinted in the harts of men as no nation though neuer so barbarous was euer yet discouered in the world which had not sufficient light by nature to make some kinde of sacrifices to their imaginary Gods But that true sacrifice which God requires of vs you will see by that which followeth here in THE FOVRTH RVLE SHEVVING HOVV to heare masse VVith much Instruction for the vnderstanding of those holy Mysteries accompanied also with a pious Exercise of deuotioÌ„ therevpon HAVING in the former Rule shewed how to render due honour and homage to God by Prayer it is but requisit that the next should also teach vs the like duty to him by holy sacrifice that supreame Act of Religion and whereby we giue to God the highest honour and such as is proper to him alone and is offered in that most gratefull Host of the law of grace which is the sacred body and blood of IESVS-CHRIST that most pure and immaculate lambe of God who though he were but once and in one only place offered in his owne proper forme and in a visible bloody manner upon the crosse as a sacrifice of satisfaction and Redemption for all the sinnes of the world yet that verie selfsame sacred Host now daily and in all places is offered vpon the holy altar by the hands of the priest in an vnbloody visible and in an other forme not as anie new price or payment for our sinne that being here only applyed in the Masse which was already payed vpon the Crosse like as the self-same also is applyed vnto our soules both by Faith Baptisme and the other Sacraments and therefore is here but as the reall true sacrifice of application and commemoration of the verie selfsame victime without anie substantiall alteration not changing the essentiall verity of the sacrifice by its visible or bloody manner vpon the Crosse or by the inuisible or vnbloody manner of the same here vnder the sacramentall formes of bread and wine which are but meerely extrinsecall and accidentall differences to the substance of the true thing and sacrifice it selfe and but a seuerall externall change in the forme of the selfe-same thing and therefore the victime now offered vpon the Altar and that which was offered vpon the Crosse are in substance but one and the verie same and in the manner only different which can make no substantiall alteration as the verie enemies of this blessed sacrifice must needs confesse By all which it remaynes now most manifest that by the Masse there is daily offered vnto God a most true and reall vnbloody sacrifice which is here no other thing but to place by Consecration vpon the Altar the body of a victime in the forme of bread and the blood of it in the forme of wyne and so to offer them to God in acknowledgement of his most souueraine excellency and power both ouer life and death and good Christians assisting with a religious presence and deuout attention at this holy sacrifice doe reape most assuredly both much instruction and grace And for this end they must come with a pure intention piously to exercise these ensuing practises for the which this holy sacrifice was both instituted and is now dayly celebrated First thereby to honour and to â—ender all souueraine hoÌ„mage vnto God with acknowledgement of his infinit Excellency by this supreame act of Latria or diuine honour which is to be giuen only to him alone 2. To thanke him for all his innumerable benefitts from whence it is called a sacrifice of thankes giuing or of Eucharist 3. To craue humble pardon for all offences by application of the satisfaction and sacred meritts of IESVS-CHRIST and thence it is truly called a propitiatorie sacrifice 4. To propose to himal our necessities both spirituall and temporall and to receiue his gracious succour and diuine comfort thereby either for our selues or for others and it is
therefore called an impetratory sacrifice Finally we must offer it vp vnto God thereby to conserue and refresh in our minde the memory of the death Passion of IESVS-CHRIST which it doth most liuely represent Luke 22. And for that end expresly the Apostle commands vs to doe it 1. Cor. 11. it being by the vertue only and blessed meritts of the death and Passion of IESVS-CHRIST which are here most liuely represented vnto vs that we can hope to obtayne of the Eternall Father either present grace or future happinesse nor is there anie other name vnder Heauen giuen to men where in we can be saued Act. 4. And how auaileable this holy sacrifice is vnto all such as shall deuoutly frequent the same heare only what the diuine and most deuout Tho. de Kempis saith in his Imitation of CHRIST There is no oblation more worthy saith he no satisfaction greater for the washing away of sinne then to offer vp our selues to God purely with the oblation of the body and blood of IESVS-CHRIST in the Masse and holy Communion chap 7. lib. 4. Now as for the substance and verie Essence of the Masse it was instituted by IESVS-CHRIST at his last supper when by consecrating bread and wyne he conuerted them into his owne true body and blood leauing only the outward formes of these elements which he giuing to his disciples he commanded them to doe what he had done in commemoration of him Luke 22.19 And therefore although the ceremonies and seuerall prayers be added by the Church yet this oblation of our Lords supper or the Masse is a representatiue of that his vnbloody sacrifice and is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sinne in that our louing Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST is there truly offered vpon the Altar by the Priest vnto his Eternall Father And hereby are applyed to our soules the price and souueraigne merits of his most pretious blood which was shed vpon the Crosse in expiation of our sinnes And further this Holy sacrifice truly represents to vs the Passion of IESVS-CHRIST by force of his owne Institution Doe this for a cōmemoration of me Luke 22. All which premisses first supposed for the better vnderstanding of the verity contayned in the diuine mysteries of this blessed Sacrifice I wil now proceed to the aforesaide holy Exercise and shew how we may assist with most profitt Piety at these maiesticall and most diuine Mysteries A needfull aduertisement for makeing right vse of this holy practise of hearing Masse IT is here to be obserued that whilst we assist at this holy sacrifice we ought not to spend our tyme in reading the declarations of the Mysteries as here we finde them sert downe for by perusall and well pondering them at other tymes their practise must be made perfectly knowne and so familiar to vs as that we may accompanie the Priest with some feruent eiaculatory aspirations corresponding to those holy Mysteries successiuely as he goes on in order with them to the end and as God best shall inspire Or else we may vse the same petitions as here we finde them set downe to the same effect reading them verie deliberatly and endeauoring thereby to raise our hart to some short and pious affections and feruent ejaculations for this is the best and most fruitfull way without comparison to assist at this diuine sacrifice and farr surpasseth the vse of all bookes or beades during the tyme thereof A good reflection to be vsed as you goe to the Church or chappel to assist at this holy sacrifice IT being now the tyme to heare Masse represent to your selfe that yow are called to accompanie the blessed Virgin S. Io. Euangelist and holy Magdalen vnto mount Caluary there to assist at that dreadfull sacrifice this being the liuely and true memoriall of the death and Passion of our souueraigne Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST which togeather with the Priest you now are going to offer vpon the Altar vnto his Eternall Father for the whole Catholike Church and as well for your owne necessities as those of all others both liuing and dead for whom chiefly you are bound to pray It is also here right worthy to be obserued that in these-Mysteries of the Masse are truly represented as will plainly appeare to whosoeuer shall but obserue the declarations thereof the whole series order and story from Mans first creation and vnhappie fall togeather with the blessed meanes of his Redemption by our most mercifull Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST whose principall actions throughout his sacred life are here commemorated to vs from his birth to his glorious ascension and till that last dreadfull iudgment day wherein we all must haue our doome and finall sentence vnto Eternity A Reflexion to be vsed whilst the Priest is vesting himselfe and as he goes to the Altar WHilst the Priest puts on his ornaments we may consider how the Eternall sonne of God seemed in some sorte to haue bereaued himselfe of his diuine splendor Maiesty to cloath himselfe with the vile and abiect habit of our mortality Who when he was in the forme of God thought it no robberie himselfe to be equall to God but he abased himselfe taking the forme of a seruant made in the similitude of men and in shape found as man Philip. 2.7 Lett vs beseech him by the sacred meritts of this most humble mysterie of his Incarnation that he will vouchsafe to destroy in vs the old man together with all our vicious habits and create vs anew in him in true sanctity that according to the Apostles command we may put on our Lord IESVS-CHRIST Rom. 13.14 for as manie of you as are babtized in CHRIST haue put on CHRIST Gal. 3.27 The Priest ascending vp to the Altar with that great Crosse vpon the backe of the vestment may renew in vs a liuely memory of that heauie Crosse which our louing Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST did beare vpon his wearied shoulders to mount Caluarie there to pay that deare and painfull ransome for our sinne admire his mostinfinit loue and mercy The interiour and exteriour disposition required to assist fruitfully at this holy sacrifice THe Priest now vested and approaching to the Altar we ought in the first place to procure a right interiour disposition by stirring vp in our harts an actuall sorrow and contrition for all our sinnes renouncing all affection to them hereby purifying our soules from that blemish which might make our deuotion vnpleasing to God and rather a great irreuerence if with an impure hart and stayned soule by anie affected mortall sinne we should presume to offer vp together with the Priest that most pure victime and holy sacrifice We must also conceiue a most humble respect and great interiour reuerence by representing to our selues that souueraigne great nesse goodnesse and sanctity of God there present on the one side and our owne great vnworthinesse ingratitude and most enormous impiety on the other for our little reuerence or deuotion towards those diuine and sacred Mysteries wherein we are
a Frend extolls and highly prayseth vs our Enemie much more for our good doth abase and decryes vs downe least we should grow proud and insolent Yea when prosperity extolls and makes vs vaine and by flattering applause puffs vp our soule with dangerous pride our Enemie will keepe vs downe by persecution and administers to vs thereby the souueraign'st antidote to preserue vs from that contagious sinne If Enemies were not necessary for our good God would not permit them but they are exceeding profitable to the good for their exercise of holy Patience and of other vertues for if the Church had not had Tyrants Heauen would not haue had those glorious Martyrs and were there no Enemies we should not see so manie good and holy men yea dayly experience doth plainly manifest the great good which is reaped by Enemies for auoyding of whose murmurations and detractions we are made much more wary and diligent in all our beheaueour and actions yea we must regarde them as the Ministers of Almighty God and as true promotours of our saluation therefore they well deserue our loue aswell as great compassion also considering what great harme they frequently doe themselues by profiting vs. And such as find so great a difficulty to loue an Enemie may well conceiue it a much more harder thing to endure the eternall flames of Hell for compelled we are to choose one of the two the beloued Apostle assuring vs that who loueth not is guilty of death Iohn 3. He meanes of that death which is eternall but now vndoubtedly he chooseth verie ill who will rather be damned for euer then loue his Enemie whom vnder paine of eternall punishment he is commanded to loue and that not in word nor in tongue but really indeed and treuth saith the same Apostle Epis 1.3 For true Charity is a burning fire actiue and appearing in all necessary seruices towards our neighbour doing good for euill with a cordiall and gracious affability for the loue of God for what measure we shall vse to our neighbour herein the selfe-same will God vse vnto vs. Math. 7. And therefore who will not pardon their Enemies such by saying their Pater noster and praying God to forgiue them as they forgiue those who haue offēded them they doe not pray but rather demāde a most heauy curse malediction vpon thēselues for they expresly in true effect demand that God should not forgiue them like as they forgiue not those who haue offended them Doe you therefore your selfe that first to your neighbour which you desire that God should doe for you for foe shall my heauenly Father doe to you if you forgiue not euerie one his brother from your hartes saith IESVS-CHRIST Math. 18. And it is also most euident that all iniuries whatsoeuer which can be done them by others are exceeding small in comparison of that great hurt which they doe to themselues in killing their owne soule by that wicked sinne of hatred and reuenge whereby they become like vnto him who to teare his enemies garment he pierceth his owne body with a mortall wound for the wrong from an Enemie concernes but the body only or our goods or good name but hatred and vnlawfull reuenge is that which killeth the soule by depriuing it of the grace of God and moreouer it obleiges vs yet further to aske pardon to confesse to doe pennance for it and finally to reconcile our selues with whom we were angry in all which there is farr more difficulty then had been at the first in suppressing our anger by casting it speedily from our thoughts as we doe spareles of fire which fall vpon our cloathes or by an act of humble patience conseruing thereby our selues in true charity and quiet peace How Patience may be practised in the occasion of contempt and disesteeme the last parte of this Exercise of holy Patience I Must not omit to set you downe here one fierce encounter more for Patience against contempt and disdaine wherein this vertue is frequently as hard put to it for getting off victorious from that dangerous conflict as from anie other whatsoeuer for here we are to fight against our selues the hardest combate of all the rest and for which we are chiefly strengthned by the helpe of true Humility which in all occasions of contempt doth serue vs as a soueraigne Antidote against the swelling anger that inflames the hart by pride and is abased by pondering First the miseries of man and little ground he hath for his owne esteeme which had it all the aduantage that either noblenesse of birth or anie worth of Auncesters can giue yet neuer could the greatest Monarch driue vp his Pedegree beyond these three descents of being the sonne of a Man the Grand-child of Earth the great grand-child of nothing which is the lowest point of anie created extraction Yea such is the great misery of Man saith a holy Father as but to thinke of his beginning may well confound him to consider his present state may giue him iust cause to lament to remember his finall end may iustly make him to tremble with horrid feare I will second the former motiue for Humility with this one reflexion more whereby to strengthen Patience against this strong encounter of contempt to which though Pride hath naturally exceeding reluctance yet if we well behold our selues but in the glasse of humaine miserie it will be able to compell vs euen to contemne yea and to confesse that no contempt is able to exceed what the basenesse of our extraction may deserue whose conception is but loathsome impurity our present state but a sacke of filth and our pampered carcase what is it but prepared food for the crawling wormes 3. Our verie entrance into this world doth well prognosticate all our future successe therein who no sooner borne but also bound both hand and foot and tossed too and fro in a cradle presaging well thereby the seruitude and restlesse disquiet of the succeeding life of Man wherein his childhood passeth in folly in feare of correction and in ignorance his youth is rash passionate and voluptuous his manhood is subiect to be charged with the care of a wife children and familie from whence proceeds solicitude and affliction and lastly commeth creeping ould age stealing suddainly vpon vs whereby we receiue manie incurable wounds by decay of our senses chief powers of our soule our strenght falling vs our hands beginn to tremble our spiritts grow faint our stomakes corrupt our leggs become gowty our teeth dropp away and thus we are perplexed all the dayes of our life with griefe care and calamity and yet our death must also end in paine and exceeding horrour All which now being well considered and due reflection made vpon our great abiection and infinitt humaine miseries which wayes can we cast our eyes whereon to ground our selfe esteeme or pride Yea much rather haue we not great cause to iudge that no contempt can be so
finally for the last and principall point of this dayes holy exercise I recommend to you aboue all the rest that you employ it principally to make a verie serious reuew of the present state of your soule and what accompt you could giue to that dreadfull Iudge were he then instantly to demand of you the reckoning for your stewardship and for all the talents both of nature grace and fortune which he hath lent you till that present day to be employed for his greater glory and for your owne souls health Call to mind how faithfull you haue been herein and what satisfaction you were able now to render him for all your thoughts words and deeds what progresse you haue made in vertue and what vnruly passions or sinfull habits you haue maistred or rather haue you not been guilty and much to blame for the contrary in them all In fine you must make a verie carefull and diligent examen of Conscience and especially wherein you haue most offended God that Month. Endeauour to stirr vp true sorrow and repentance for them and make a firme purpose to amend for the future and to auoyde the occasions of your sinne and finally to embrace the meanes which may be most efficacious to obtayne such vertues as be verie effectuall to thaâ— end for by true preparation to an entire and contrite Confession you rightly dispose to the next dayes holy Communion and to receiue thereby the happy effect and grace of those diuine Sacraments which will much strengthen your soule to begin the next Month with new feruour you will be exceedingly enabled also to amend your former faults to serue God much more faithfully for the tyme to come But if vpon this diligent reuew and strict examen of your selfe you shall perceiue anie spirituall amendment of your former life giue then most harty and humble thanks to God and beseech his diuine assistance that you may still amend If yet some not acquainted with this deuotion shall demand for their further fatisfaction wherefore this manner of spirituall Retreate is to be practised I answere that one but indifferently versed in the holy practise of that other longer spirituall Exercise of eight or tenn dayes space will verie easily perceiue the inestimable and heauenly treasure which is to be reaped by this the true abridgment of the other and which contayneth in briefe what the other doth much more amply at large and therefore it were exceedingly to be wished that all Christians who haue good leasure and oportunity would make vse of so powerfully a conducing helpe to their owne eternall saluation as sometymes to take the longer spirituall exercise of eight or tenn dayes space it being a most singular meanes to obtayne Gods heauenly grace to liue as we ought in that present vocation to which his diuine Prouidence hath called vs it is also a verie soueraigne remedy to cure our euill inclinations and to subdue our strongest and most vnruly Passions it greatly helpeth vs to roote out our euill habits and is the truest phisick whereby to purge our soules from sinne and to establish it in the state of grace it is a singular good meanes to renew the former feruour of all our good purposes and to rectifie all the affections of our minde All which celestiall benedictions as they are sufficiently experienced to be reaped by those longer spirituall Exercises so they may well expect a proportionable share who shall monthly make vse of the shorter or of one day as an abridgment of the same deuotion especially they being made as a preparation to death and a disposing our selues to that happie state wherein we would desire to be found at the summons of a dreadfull Iudge Finally your intention for this holy exercise must be to learne thereby Gods blessed will and to craue his grace for a constant resolution to accomplish the same resoluing by that heauenly helpe to amend your former faults for the best purposes not put in execution are but as blasted flowers which neuer giue fruit it being in the practise only wherein the true profit of all solid deuotion consists and Heauen it's glorious reward is obtayned by deeds and not by anie purposes or desires alone yea the speediest way to the happy science of true perfection is to studie little and to doe much for the much studie to know perfection and the little labour in the practise thereof is the true cause that so few obtayne it Faile not to make your confession as if it were to be your lâ—st and so manifest to your ghostly Father the true state of your conscience that he may be able to giue you counsell as well to amend your faults committed as also to preueÌ„t them for the tyme to come for hereby you will be the better prepared for your following Communion to receiue much grace thereby This your good day of a spirituall Exercise being ended you must be carefull not to precipitate your selfe too suddainly into your former worldly affaires without first rectifiing your intention to the glory of God for auoiding of all willfull sinne proposing euer here with all a carefull memory of Gods diuine presence in all your actions for as one newly come out of a sicknesse doth not rashly expose himselfe to the ayre but by degrees for feare of a more dangerous relapse so ought not our hart recollected by holy deuotion and prayer ouer suddainly to diuert it selfe vnto exteriour world ly actions least our good purposes be stifled euen in their birth or first conception Consider therefore first well with your selfe what you are that day to goe about and with whom to deale and conuerse for therevpon you must firmely propose and that with a true Christian resolution to doe nothing vnworthy of Gods all-ouerseeing view nor of the true child of so louing and celestiall a Father I hauing formerly spoke at large of Prayer and now here of holy fast the two principall satisfactory workes I must not omit in the next place to say also a word or two of the third which is Of the Satisfactory worke of Almes PRayer is good with Fasting and Almes rather then to lay vp treasures of gold because Almes deliuereth from death purgeth sinne and maketh to finde mercy and life euerlasting saith Tobias c. 12. by which we see so well declared both the excellency the fruit and necessity of this great vertue as it ought verie powerfully to excite vs to the practise of the same which by S. Paul is called a sweet odour and a most acceptable Host to God Phil. 4. yea it preuents our soules descending into Hell Tob. 4. The reason is giuen by the Holy Ghost himselfe who tells vs that as water quencheth fire so Almes doth extinguish sinne Eccl. 3. ô how exceeding a comfort will it be to those thrice happy soules to heare it pronounced in their behalues at the last dreadfull day come yee blessed of my Father possesse yee the Kingdom
Christian Conuersation ALthough alacrity in Conuersation cheerefulnesse in countenance and myrth in fitting recreation are exceeding commendable and by no meanes to be excluded from true Christian conuersation yet the Diuell and his impious instruments would make vs beleeue that vertue myrth pietie cheerefull recreatiō can by no meanes be associated togeather which is a most malicious falsity for God commanding his children to serue him with ioy Ps 99. forbids all sadnesse and Melancholy yea myrth with a pure intention may be meritorious as well as our prayer Blessed Sales that great Father of spirituality in his tyme had a most pleasant and winning sweetnesse both in his words and behaue our S. Antonie had so very cheerefull a countenāce as in a multitude he was easie to be knowne euen by such as had neuer seene him before Yea Palladius recompts that one might haue beheld those holy Fathers of the Desert by their only outward aspect to haue manifested aboundantly the inward purity of their happy soules and to haue enioyed vpon Earth farr greater felicity then the whole world had been able to afford them no melancholy heuing power to ceise vpon their harts which were so truly vnited to God himselfe This makes them truly ioyfull and their faces cheerefull like to the Saints Indith 16. By all which we now see that Saints haue not sadd nor melancholy or pensiue countenances but ioyfull cheerefull and merry as become their happy consciences And by this I hope you sufficiently perceiue that cheerefulnes in aspect and a pleasant countenance doe well accord with true vertuous Conuersation And now that innocent harmeles myrth and gratefull alacrity is nowayse vnbeseeming the same neither examples reason or authority can be wanting to make manifest so apparent a truth no for true pietie and right Christian deuotion exclude not affability nor doe they hinder fitt recreation or honest and innocent myrth wherein modesty refraynes all vicious excesse but much rather require the same for a cheerefull alacrity with a pleasant modesty is most commendable and frequently gaines much more vpon sinners for their amendment then too seuere or a rigidly composed conuersation which being so austere would become vnpleasing yea cause auersion and but discredit true deuotion and piety which is sweet pleasing cheerefull full of content and thereby becomes attractiue and is neither tedious nor difficult Manie Saints haue been of this pleasant humour and full of innocent and pleasing iestes in their discourse S. Greg. Nazianze recordes of those two great Saints and most illustrious Prelates S. Basil and S. Martin that they so seasoned their Conuersation with pleasant and gratefull speaches as they were able thereby to haue dissipated the darkest cloude of melancholy from the most deiected hart the happie effects of which gratefull alacrity the said S. Basil hauing well obserued by experience it gaue him iust occasion to wish that other holy persons would also mixe their Conuersation with the like innocent and true spirituall myrth wherein that most renowned Heros of our Cuntrye Sr. Th. More in all his Conuersation did excell in facetious innocent myrth which euen sweetens deuotion and by it vndoubtedly manie soules haue been gained to God as well as by serious exhortations and the strongest discourse S. Ignatius of Loyola was also farr from seuerity herein nor did he approoue in his brethren the practise of too rigidly a composed Conuersation which much more probably may terrifie mens minds then gaine their soules Manie Saints haue been of a pleasant and iocund humour and yet of interiour great vertue and perfection Yea vndoubtedly and euen experience makes it manifest that a good word of deuotion being deliuered with a cheerefull countenance and with an open frendly hart it penetrates the soule as doth a note of harmonious musick the eare and takeing by that meanes a true possession of the hart it workes strong effects in producing good practises of vertue supposing as it is euer to be vnderstood that the ieastes be alwayes religiously modest and the intention good it being vnlawfull in all Conuersation and discourse whatsoeuer to vse either scurrilous or vnciuill words and much lesse profane or irreligious ieastes or finally so carelesly to let loose the raines of temperance to vnfitting liberty as to forget thereby Gods diuine Presence or due reuerence therevnto Briefly nothing ought to be said or done in such Conuersation which may be vnbeseeming either the modesty decency Person tyme or place And now true Christian Conuersation thus iustifi'd against the former calumnies it remaines that I also shew The lawfulnesse of moderate recreation in gaming and fitting sports and wherein the abuse of them consists WHilst God by so miraculous fauours conducted the Israelits into the fruitfull land of Promisse there wanted not malitious Spies who by the manie false reports which they made of the vnwholsome ayre badd qualities of the country and of the barbarous fiercenesle of the Inhabitants so terrifi'd all the rest of their brethren as had it not been for faithfull Calib and Iosue who manifestly refuted the falsity of their calumnious reports they would rather haue returned to their Egiptian captiuity then exposed hēselues to such insufferable difficulties as they were made to conceiue Num. 13. The Diuell and his instruments haue euer in the selfe same manner endeauoured to perswade the world that in a religious and vertuous life there is nothing but deepe sadnesse and melancholy to be found no myrth nor anie alacrity to be enioyed no other exercise but prayer fasting hare-cloth and continuall solitude whereby those persons who addict themselues to deuotion must needs become say they peeuish stupid and verse infirme And vpon this false perswasion they endeauour to make men to fly both their example and companie But to shew both the malice great ignorance where-vpon they ground this false calumnie of Deuotion and of a vertuous life it may suffice to shew how both S. Thomas and Aristotle and with them generally all Diuines agree that to vse honest and fitting recreation is an act of the vertue which they call Eutrapelia and may properly be interpreted Alacrity or Myrth which is not only laudable but also necessary for Man whose vigour and spirits being but limited verie weake it is impossible for him to be so continually busied in serious occupations but of necessity he must haue both ease and relaxation whereby to refresh and giue new strength to his spirits by this vertue of Eutrapelia or fitt recreation which vertue consists in the mediocrity betwixt these two extremes of an excesse in retyrement from all fitting diuertisement and companie on the one side of spending vnworthely our whole tyme in idle pastimes and play on the other but this midle way is both lawdable and verie necessary for all such as aspire to a vertuous life after the vsuall meane 2. Euen reason it selfe conuinces the necessity of this fitting recreation For as mans body requires sleepe
confusion so likewise we must be as prudently circumspect in our loue and forbeare to communicate in tyme of frendship what by after disaffection might cause vs to repent In fine true Prudence requires that we so conuerse with all as that we auoyde the danger of all reproach and confusion from either frend or foe for this is a heigh point of true Prudence in so corrupted an Age and wherein frendship is so fickle and verie hard to be found amongst all sorts of men Manie good dictamens of true Christian Prudence for a vertuous Conuersation might her be inserted but breuity obleidges me to conclude them in this one for all the rest that our Conuersation euer tend with a pure Intention to the glory of God to the edification of our neighbour and to the profit of our owne soules in a holy conuersation and Godlinesse saith S. Peter and that it be in Heauen saith S. Paul Phil 3. yet so to be tempered with Prudence as that we carefully auoyde all tedious importunity which may be done by a pleasant cheerefull glancing now and then towards deuotion as fitt occasion may be offered and takeing oportunity from the great variety and different ends and operations of these mortall creatures we may sweetly raise our harts to gratitude and admiration of the eternall Creator both of them and vs. By this meanes God in all things will be honoured as S. Peter commands and we shall imitate the industrious Bee which out of all sorts of flowers extracts that most pure sweet honie for her prouision whereby shee afterwards subsists as also doth a religious soule vpon the happy grace of God which is gained by the practise of those seuerall acts of vertue and is the happy price whereby to pourchace glory in Eternity You haue seene what is required for a true vertuous and Christian Conuersation as also what ought to be auoyded therein It only remaynes for the finall accomplishment of this Rule as also for a further helpe to a vertuous soule desirous to put in practise what is required therin that I here finally shew What matter or subiect may be best for entertayning this vertuous Conuersation and holy discourse FIrst concerning the matter in generall for our Conuersation no immodest nor vnseemely words must fall from our mouth as the Apostle admonisheth Eph. 4. our discourse must be good and profitable to the hearers nor must anie vncleanesse be so much as named as becomes Saints nor foolish talke or scurrility c. Ephes 3. 2. Our discourse must be answerable both to persons tyme and place and ought in all occasions to be good or at least indifferent that by a good intention it may be rectifi'd and made gratefull to God 3. It must be also suteable to the end of our present Cōuersation for it would be great imprudence to make preaching discourses in tyme for ciuill recreation S. Luis and S. Charles Borromeus would permit no studious or serious discourse immediately after meales it being then a tyme to giue some relaxation to the mind by innocent and cheerefull pastyme or talke and to doe otherwise is to mistake the verie end of all honest recreation wherein familiar dialoguelike discourse is only proper and all earnest disputes or ouer serious conferences are verie vnseasonable in that occasion This being first obserued concerning our couersatiō in generall we may now descend to particulars since it is most manifest that Conuersation should tend to perfectiō and to the edification both of our selues and others we ought to frame all our discourse to that end To comply with this obligation we shall find ample subiect in the liues of Saints for they being happily arriued at that secure Port to which we tend it behooues vs to follow their steppes as most secure guides and diligently to informe our selues of the manner of their conuersation and to make it the modell of ours Frequenting good sermons and spirituall lecture will likewise afford plentifull matter to a vertuous soule both for pious and profitable Conuersation Gods various and wonderous workes both in Heauen and Earth for the vse of vngratefull Man may also administer verie ample and full scope at all tymes and occasions to admire and to discourse of his great power and goodnesse Other considerations may be the innumerable miseries incident to the fraile nature of Man the shortnes of his life and the great incertainty of the same The two different Eternities which depend vpon this present fickle and so verie doubtfull a moment What paine and punishment shall follow an ill life and what ioy and reward is reserued for the Iust The negligence amongst the most part of Christians to frame their liues according to Gods commandements the little prouisiō they make for Eternity though that be the one only and necessary thing to which we ought to attend and which so particularly is recommended vnto vs all by IESVS-CHRIST in the person of S. Mary Magdalen Luke 10. The vanity and follie of seekeing with so vehement an application the honours wealth and deceiptfull pleasures of this world for the most vnworthy pourchase whereof many employ their whole tyme thoughts and industry The great hazard and paines to which Soldiers Marchants Courtiers and all worldlings expose themselues for obtayning these vaine and poore vnworthy transitory things The great beauty and pleasure of vertue and the only true solid worth and happines which is to be found in the practise thereof The great deceiptfulnes and misery in seruing vice or our disordenate appetites and vnruly passions The meanes how to attaine to vertue and how to auoyde vice The Diuels great malice and diligence to draw vs to our eternall misery and our good Angels care and continuall helpe to assist vs towards our endlesse Blisse What and how manie soueraigne meanes are prouided vs by God whereby to obtayne that our finall happines which we so shamefully neglect and most sinfully abuse Now from these so manie seuerall heads or the like we may easily gather sufficient matter of good discourse which God will not faile to suggest to a willing soule desirous of his glory and her owne eternall good Yea all our Conuersation may be rendred both pious meritorious and verie profitable nor can wee want conuincing arguments hereby to blesse to adore the infinit goodnesse and great mercy of God as also to condemne our owne ingratitude and sinfull rebellion against so souneraigne a Lord and most louing Redeemer Hitherto concerning Rules whereby to regulate the actions of our life I must now finally conclude with one more which may dispose vs to a happy death This I shall by Gods holy grace endeauour to performe by what shall here be said in THE SEVENTH RVLE Shewing the great necessity to prepare our selues for death in tyme of health with a profitable Exercise by way of a spirituall Retreate seruing for that end THIS is a point so mainely importing vs as but to faile therein
would frustrate all our former paines And therefore to preuent the danger of so great an euill the best expedient which I can recommende to you is a carefull obseruance of these former Rules it being manifest that the most assured way to dye well is to liue well yea the one is but the Eccho of the other and much folly it would be to hope for a happy death and yet to fly a good life whereof the other depends Many will say with Balaam ô let me dye the death of the Iust and be may end like vnto theirs Numb 23. But they ought rather to say ô let me liue the life of the Iust that my end maybe like vnto theires He liueth well who spendes his life in learning to dye well who learnes not this is truly ignorant though for all the rest he be as wise as Plato or as learned as was Aristotle who vpon the point to dye cry'd out I entred into this world in pouerty I liued therein with misery and finally I dye in ignorance of that he ment which most imported him to know for he had not learn'd the art of dying well wherein the only true wisdome and knowledge doth consist This happy and most needfull Art is best learned by dying first in minde to the world before we can liue rightly to God yea we must dye verie often in minde to dye once truly well This was the practise of holy S. Augustin when he said let me dye to the end I may not dye he meanes that by often conceiuing himselfe as a dying man to make familiar by frequent practise in the tyme of health the exercises of those necessary acts which are to be vsed at the tyme of our death for who learnes not in tyme of health to practise the holy acts of vertue and to resist the temptations most incident in that dangerous extremity how shall he doe it well at his death when the battaile will be more furious and he much weaker to resist yea by paine and other impediments in tyme of sicknesse and cheefly when neere to our end we are manie wayes hindred from performing the duty which we then ought to render vnto God And therefore it greatly imports vs so to practise them in tyme of health as if we were then actually at the verie point of our death which being seriously and frequently performed it will produce a true contempt of the world and a holy disingagement from the creatures thereof and will also make the practise of those acts much more easie to vs at the tyme of our death This holy Exercise may best be made by way of these eight ensuing Meditations which you may take for the subiect of a spirituall Retreate for so manie dayes or for halfe the tyme as occasion and your spirituall Director shall best aduise you And for the methode of your Meditations you may vse the same which I formerly mentioned in B Sales Part. 2. chap. 2. in his Introduction to a deuout life The substance of this exercise I haue collected partly out of the R. F. Eude a Missionary Priest and a most pious Author the which I earnestly yet once againe recommend and verie heartely exhort you to make vse thereof once a yeare at the least And if your occasions will so permitt no tyme is more proper for it then the holy weeke The first Meditation Of submission and Conformity to Gods diuine will concerning our death The Preparation 1. Place your selfe in the Presence of God 2. Beseech him to inspire you with his grace 3. And which serues as a generall aduise for this and all the ensueing Meditations you must endeuour so to behaue your selfe therein as if they were to be your last And therefore labour to procure such interiour affections in your soule as ought to be wished were you assured to dye that present day Considerations FIrst here consider your selfe as present before your Soueraigne Iudge pronouncing that iust sentence of death against you in those words to Adam Gen. 1. and in him against all other men dust thou art and into dust thou shalt returne 2. With what infinit loue and profound humility IESVS-CHRIST that innocent and immaculate lambe did accept from wicked Pilate that cruell sentence of a reproachfull death vpon the Crosse thereby to satisfye the iustice of his Eternall Father for our offences In due honour and homage wherevnto we must cheerefully submit our selues to the iust sentence of death acknowledging that our greeuous sinnes most iustly deserues it Affections and Resolutions O Diuine and louing Iesv who being the source and fountaine of all true life yet didst-vouchsafe to dye so painfull a death for me in humble and gratefull acknowledgment thereof I accept from this instant with a willing heart that suffering state which thy diuine will hath ordayned me in adoration of thy sacred sufferings as also in honour and vnion of that thy naked pouerty and being so forsaken vpon the Crosse I here now render my selfe to what want or misery soeuer thy heauenly iustice and holy pleasure hast ordayned for me be it by persecution by calumny scorne confusion or by anie other iniury or sufferance from anie creature whatsoeuer all which I humbly accept in expiation of my sinne yeald my selfe most willingly to suffer all paines and infirmities by thy diuine will allotted me my agonies and death it selfe All which and what else soeuer they be I accept thereof in honour vnion and adoration of thy most dolorous death and cruell torments for which the Prophet Esa so iustly hath called thee a Man of sorrowes cap. 53. and I most entirely submit my selfe to dye in true conformity to thy holy will be it without the comfort of my friends or senses that I dye this yeare or this day this houre or moment where or in what manner thy diuine Prouidence shall ordayne vouchsafe but o Lord that my desire may euer be thy will be done and that my heart accompanie it with true contrition and perseuerance in thy grace This grant me deare IESV for thy bitter Passion sake and then let death assault me in bed or in the field by lingering paine or by suddaine accident be it naturall or violent honorable orignominious be it but thy blessed pleasure and welcome yea Father for so hath it well pleased thee Luke 10. Grant Lord IESV I beseech thee that as thou vouchsafest to dye for the loue of me so I may both liue and dye purely for the loue of thee and that neither liuing nor dying I may euer anie more offend thee But that finally I may breath fourth my soule in cheerefull conformity to that most holy obedience wherewith thou didst render thy blessed spirit vpon the Crosse into thy Fathers hands O glorious Trinity I wholy abandon my selfe vnto thy heauenly will vouchsafe to dispose of me both in tyme and Eternity to thy owne greater honour and glory The Conclusion 1. Giue God thankes for
the good resolutions and affections which he hath giuen you 2. Craue his grace to put them in execution 3. Implore the assistance of the Blessed Virgin and holy Saints Pater Aue. Credo The second Meditation About makeing our last will and Testament Preparation 1. Place your selfe in Gods diuine Presence 2. Beseech him to inspire you 3. Conceiue your souueraine Iudge as thus calling vpon you render an accompt of thy Baylifship Luke 16. Consideration A Will or Testament is only a protestation of iustice by which is giuen to euery one their due The body to the earth and wormes debts vnto creditours the inheritance to lawfull heires our almes to the poore and our soule vnto God to whom we being to render a most strict accompt for the vse of all the Talents which he hath lent vs to be employed for the increase of his glory as also for euery moment of our life and for each thought word and deed therein O what a folly and madnesse is it to differ this important reckning to the last day of our life when the paine of our sicknesse the feare of this accompt the weaknesse of our senses other powers and finally the great importunity of manie then ordinarily about priuate interests will hardly permit vs to doe anie thing as we ought either for the glory of God or for our owne soules good nor yet to our frends satisfaction but frequently with such confusion and so verie vnperfectly as we leaue thereby occasion for quarrels and verie much strife causing breach of charity amongst our nearest friends when we are dead and no small preiudice also to our soules To preuent all which great euills I conceiue it a good expedient that we in tyme of health make vse sometymes of this good Exercise that in rendring thereby familiar these holy Affections of a spirituall Testament we may be inspired also how to dispose a forehand in good tyme of our temporall trust according to true iustice and piety Affections and Resolutions DEare IESV who in thy last Testament gauest all entirely to me dying poore and naked vpon the Crosse for my Redemption without reseruing what might haue couered thy naked wounded body yea all and to the very last drop of thy most precious blood In humble gratitude whereof I here bequeath to thee my life my death my body my soule and all the powers and operations of them both And as the chiefest legacy which thou bequeathed'st to thy Apostles was that new Commandment of mutuall loue Iohn 11.34 In honour and homage of which I here humbly craue thy grace to fortifie me in that holy vertue of Charity whereby I most cordially embrace in vnion of that thy most louing Commandement all against whomsoeuer my corrupt nature may or euer hath conceiued anie auersion And as vpon the Crosse thou there did'st recōmend thy sacred Mother vnto thy beloued Apostle Iohn 19. in him vs all vnto her so I here Lord Iesv now recōmend most hūbly vnto thee all the necessities of thy deare Spouse our holy Mother the Cath. Church of all my dearest frends and greatest enemies to assist and protect them in all their necessities both of body and soule and to bring vs all finally to that eternall Blisse there to praise to loue to glorifie thee for euer This Lord IESV is my present will and Testament which I here willingly signe both with my heart and hand Vouchsafe thou to strengthen and confirme the same by putting to it the seale of thy heauenly grace that no sinfull malice may euer change this holy resolution Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good Affections and Resolutions 2 Implore his grace to make good vse of them 3. Craue Pardon for your negligence in Prayer Pater Aue. Credo The third Meditation Of Confession and Satisfaction which we ought to make to God for our sinnes Preparation 1. Place your selfe in the presence of God 2. Beseech him to inspire you 3. Conceiue your selfe as a guilty criminel before your iust and Soueraigne Iudge Considerations FIrst calling to mind Gods innumerable benefits and rendring him humble tankes for the same it is fitting in the next place to acknowledge our manie grieuous offences and crauing most humbly Gods diuine pardon to resolue vpon due satisfaction for them And to this end it is verie requisit to make a good Confession and that with more then ordinary diligence and with as careful preparation as if it were to be our last conceiuing our selues as if in the case of K. Ezechias when God sent the Prophet Esaie to warne him to prepare for death who presently therevpon be thought himselfe for the state of his Conscience and as one awakened at that message of death he said I will recompt to thee all my yeares in the bitternesse of my soule Isaie 38. Doe you now the like and prepare your selfe by true repentance for your offences past with a firme purpose to amend resoluing to make restitution if cause require it as also to depose all ill will and enmity to put away all imminent danger of mortall sinne And finally stirr vp your heart to true feruent deuotion by these enfuing affections and resolutions or the like Affections and Resolutions THou hast created me ô God to loue and serue thee who are most worthy of all seruice and loue My obligation to thee is infinit and yet how often and how greeuously haue I offended thee by thought word and deed by my corporall senses and by all the powers of my sinfull soule yea by the abuse of those verie creatures which thou so carefully hast ordayned for my vse Ah how enormous is my ingratitude and infidelity O my most deare Redeemer IESV I cast all these my detestable sinnes into that immense Ocean of mercy still flowing from thy most precious blood purify me thereby o Lord and confirme my present resolution rather to dye then by the like to offend thee any more O that my heart could melt into true sorrow griefe for my detestable sinne and into teares of blood to wash away my haynous crymes What cane I doe great God in reparation of so infinit a wrong but only to offer vnto thee that inexhaustable treasure of the sacred Passion of thy diuine Sonne IESVS which I here presentto the glorious Trinity in satisfaction and expiation of all my sinnes committed from the instant of my first vse of reason vntill this present tyme. In vnion of which deare ransome I here entyrely now giue my selfe to thee I accept and most willingly embrace all the paines both in body and soule which thou hast allotted me either for this world or the next Admit thereof sweet Lord I beseech thee and of this my present resolution The Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good Affections and Resolutions 2. Craue grace to put them in execution 3. Begg humbly pardon for all negligence or irreuerence in your prayer Pater Aue. Credo The fourth Meditation Of
the holy Communion Preparation 1. Place your selfe in the presence of God 2. Beseech him to inspire you 3. Endeauour by internall feruent Acts of Faith Hope Charity and of other vertues to prepare your nuptiall garment as an inuited guest to the solemne feast of the great King of Heauen and Earth Considerations THe holy Communion being a soueraigne meanes whereby we prepare our selues to a happy death it will be requisit to take one day in this Exercise to dispose our selues with all due preparation and deuotion to this holy action and that with as much care and diligence as if it were to be our last and at the dreadfull houre of death The manner of this important Exercise may be taken out of Granada his Memorial or from some other good treatise concerning the same And in particular endeauour to produce some feruent eiaculations from your heart of thanks-giuing and loue accompaniing them also with these ensuing acts or the like Acts of Oblation I Most humbly offer vnto thee deare IESV this holy Communion as if my last in thankes-giuing for all the effects of thy diuine loue and in particular for that thy great Charity in giuing thy life that I might liue eternally Secondly in satisfaction for the dishonour which hath been done by all the sinne committed from the beginning of the world which shall be till the end Thirdly I entirely resigne my selfe to thee my deare Redeemer in thankfull gratitude for hauing giuen thus thy selfe to me by this ineffable manner in the most blessed Sacrament I most humbly craue thy powerfull intercession ô immaculate Virgin mother and glorious Queene of Heauen Intercede also for me ô yee beloued Apostles of IESVS O happy Magdalen S. Mary of Egipt and all yee glorious Saints that I may pertake of your humility feruour and loue where with yee happily performed your last Communion of this celestiall food Vouchsafe good Lord that being vnited now to thee by grace I may neuer more be separated from thee by anie mortall sinne Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good Affections 2. Craue grace to make good vse of them 3. Begg humbly pardon for all your negligence in Prayer Pater Aue. Credo The fifth Meditation Of the Sacrament of Extreme-Vnction Preparation First place your selfe in Gods diuine presence 2. Beseech him to inspire you with his grace 3. Conceiue your soule and body now vpon the point of separation and all worldly concernements at an end Consideration BEcause we are not certaine of being in capacity to apply our selues to God when this Sacrament shall be giuen vs therefore it is verie expedient here to designe one part of this exercise whereby to render him that duty which we should then be obleiged to doe And by this meanes to prepare also our selues aforehand to make good vse of this Sacrament by the practise of these following acts Affections and holy Acts of thankesgiuing and adoration O Louing IESV I adore thee as the Author and institutor of this holy Sacrament and as the liuing source of all the grace therein contayned and in all the other Sacraments which thou hast pourchased for vs by the effusion of thy owne most precious blood and thereby hast merited all the happy effects of grace receiued by vngratefull Man Grant me ô mercifull Lord the gracious fauour to receiue this needfull Sacrament at the end of my life or in case I be depriued thereof that my soule may then receiue by thy fauorable goodnesse the grace which it should haue had by this holy help of Extreame Vnction Lord IESV who a little before thy bitter death vouchsafed to receiue that gratefull vnction from holy Magdalen as also by Ioseph and Nicodemus when they lay'd thy sacred body in the Sepulcher grant that I receiuing this holy Sacrament and my last vnction in honour and vnion of those acceptable vnctions I may receiue the diuine vnction of the holy Ghost in that measure of heauenly grace as shall be needfull for my soule in the last dreadfull houre of my death Endue me deare Lord with all â—â—tt dispositions for the fruitfull receiuing of this Sacrament and worke in me I beseech thee those happy effects of grace there signifi'd by the exteriour ceremonies thereof Behold me prostrate at thy feet before all thy celestiall Cittizens huÌ„bly confessing the sinnes of my whole life and crauing pardon with a repentant heart wherewith I offer here to thee in sacrifice all my corporall senses togeather with the spirituall powers of my soule Annoint me sweet IESV with the holy and sacred oyle of thy diuine grace and mercy Accept in satisfaction I beseech thee that blessed vse which thy sacred humanity thy immaculate Mother and all thy other thrice happy Saints haue made of all their said senses and powers in stead of my ill vse of them and grant me thy grace hereafter to vse them to thy greater honour and glory Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your good Affections and Resolutions 2. Implore his grace to put them in practise 3. Craue pardon for your negligence in prayer Pater Aue. Credo The sixt Meditation Of our agonie and houre of death Preparation 1. Place your selfe in the presence of God 2. Beseech him to inspire you with his grace 3. Conceiue your selfe now speechlesse ready to expire and vpon the very point of separation from all worldly designes possessions and frends for euer immediately to appeare at Gods dreadfull Iudgment to giue a most exact accompt of all the thoughts words and deeds of your whole life And therevpon to receiue your finall doome to an endlesse Blisse or misery Considerations 1. COnsider how different are the thoughts of a dying MaÌ„ from those which he hath vsually in tyme of health and make a firme resolution to begin thence forward to doe that presently which certainly you shall then wish to haue done 2. Consider this day as if the last of your life and therefore labour to behaue your selfe with diligence and deuotion to negotiate therein your eternall saluation And for this effect you ought to apply all your thoughts and endeauours of this day to contemplate and adore IESVS-CHRIT as if in the last day of his life in this world and to doe all your actions therein with the like disposition and intention the best you can wherewith he accomplish't his last actions whilst he remayned here vpon Earth Beseech him to endue you with some proportion of the affections and dispositions required to dye in that spirit of diuine loue of Patience Charity Humility and Conformity wherewith he rendred vp his blessed soule into the hands of his heauenly Father vpon the Crosse Affections and Resolutions LOrd IESV I adore there in that verie article of thy bitter death and agonie in vnion whereof togeather with that holy agonie of thy deare Virgin Mother and of all thy blessed Saints I here offer to thee my last expiring breath most humbly beseeching thee that the article of my death