to aym at nothing more then mortification pennance fasting prayer carrying our cross this through the course of our whole life he wil soon discover him no sectarist who dares scarse so much as talk of these things much les teach or practise them but a Roman Catholique who alone owns them both in doctrin practise as the chief meanes to Christian perfection Nor wil any body think I be so inconsiderately over-byassd as to take any prejudice by these expressions o infirm spirit pusillanimous spirit which here and there he 'l meet with T is true by the abuse of this our age they sound not so wel with us through the default of those who have renderd both them and themselves ridiculous yet the words like wine are good enough nor any more then that for the sophistication or abuse of some to be mislikd consider also that the Authour is a forraigner with whom they carry no such note nor did I deem it necessary to change them His industry in the compilement of this work seems by his own confession to have been very extraordinary he not sticking to aver that it was the fruit of all his labours the hony-comb of al his studious endeavours while bee-like he suckd from each H. Father Master of Spirit as from so many delicious flowers what he found in them rare and exquisite with these truths maximes as with so many pretious stones he has paved the way to perfection digesting them into that triple path which according to its great masters leads therto to wit purgative illuminative unitive in the first after he has told us what it is to adore God in spirit truth without eyther fanaticisme or duplicity he gives us the lively resentments of a penitent hart while it rock-like struck with the rod of the cross dissolves into the waters of a profound compunction Amidst its sighs and teares he conducts us on towards the second by true fruits of pennance love of God contempt of the world through all the oppositions of self love worldly concerns contrary temptations By degrees he leads us out of the desert of sin into the land of promise and the darknes of Aegypt into the fair sun shine of divine grace and here that light offers himself for guid which illuminates every man coming into this world we know that who ever followes him walks not in darknes For what doth this path aym at but a perfect imitation of his life by a constant treading of those sacred footsteps of vertu which he left deeply imprinted by self-abnegation humility patience meeknes poverty persecution all those which compleat a totall fulfilling of Christian justice perfection That this may be the better accomplishd he spends no les then a whole book to wit the 3. in teaching us how to discharg our duty in order to the aforesaid imitation by a most perfect practical performance of our daily actions And not without good reason since the whole is but the result of all particulars which if perfect the other can scarse suffer any allay he that performes his daily actions perfectly treads a sure path to perfection whosoever aymes at it without this medium shoots at random like a blind archer All these are works of light this according to the Philosopher being productive of heat they dispose wonderfully to the 3. path which leads a soul thus affected to a strait union the true lovers knot with almighty God And whether should such a bird of Paradise so disdaigning earth so enamoured on heaven so wingd with charity fitted for the flight soare but up to the bosome of God himself where nestling as in its center it may say with H. Iob in nidulo meo moriar This is the last complement of a vertuous soul in this life the purchase of its labours and fruition of desires where its activity becomes passive and its task with little Samuel is only to say Loquere Domine quia audit servus tuus nor yet can it be said to be idle For he teaches not a lazy love but operative and masculin a love that loves to be in the sun and dust bearing the heat and weight of the day in carrying its cross and yet wel knowing even in these how still to enjoy its beloved And in this spiritual journey which certainly tends to a Vade in pace and arrives to that peace of God which passes all understanding directs the traveller not through any extraordinary paths or by new and uncouth lights but teaches him to take the roadway of the cross in the broad daylight therof following him who said I am the way and this by a profound contempt of himself as wel as all the things of this world by an entyre mortification of his passions subduement of his wil to the wil of God by a curbing of his appetites mastry over self love command over sense and much more over sensuality and by such steps the truest steps of love and to it assisted by a daily recognition of the divine benefits towards man so unparallelld and inestimable he leads him up the mount of perfection Which journey though it be not performd without great extente of time labour and contradiction yet having once surmounted the difficulty and its top raysd now above all wind and weather in what a peaceful calme doth he find himself few believe this besides those that experience it and therfore it is but lost labour to insist upon it yet I dare say its joyful contentivenes exceeds the gust of the most affecting pleasures the world affords But these are onely the entertainments of choyse soules the perfect I can say to the comfort of all that the work it self affords both effectual helps to perfection and a certaine redress for spiritual maladies in what kind soever they be For the peruser will discover in it a rich mine of heavenly treasures a new dispensatory of celestial recepts antidotes against all the poysons of sin and an Armory of defence to shield him from the assaulting enemy Which though it was writ for himself a Religious man and by its sublimity may seeme proper for that state yet it is of that latitude capacity that even seculars if they be but vertuously disposd to the service of God may plentifully reap benefit by it nor would I wish any body upon this score to harbour a prejudice against it Thus much being sayd of the matter weightynes of his discourse I must now in a word touch also the manner His way of arguing is solid and witty but he has no regard at all to evennes of stile or quaintnes of expression speaking as we say a la negligence as to both like one that study's more what to say then how and this it seems he doth on set purpose For in his Epistle Dedicatory which I omit as needles he gives account of it I write this memorial sayth he in a plain stile and without any
perswaded himself that to asswage it thou mightest be induced to sin Am I thirsty and so wert thou also and upon the cross neither was their any body that offerd thee a refreshment I am not in such a condition and easily find those who afford me that courtesy Am I cold thou didst quake and shiver when thou lodgedst in the māger Am I disturbed in my repose thy Disciples did also awake thee when thou slept in the ship Am I injured by any one thou pleading innocent wert sentenced to death Am I affronted or suffer reproach thou wert publickly produced by Pilate in the view of all the people he crying aloud behold the man am I weary thou didst sit at the fountain quite tyrd with travelling about Am I falsely accused and so wert thou also in the house of Caiphas Am I rebuked for my good deeds and thou also for curing on the Sabboth Am I slanderd they murmured against thee that thou cast out divels in the Prince of divels Am I mocked and derided thou wert also taunted and flouted at by those who sayd he hath saved others himself he cannot save Do I receive cross and harsh answers thou receivedst far harsher and over and above a villainous servant gave thee a box on the eare Am I forsaken by my friends thou wert abandoned by thy own Disciples Do I depart from my kindred thou departedst from thy Mother to go to thy Passion Am I sleighted in my advice thy doctrine also both was and is contemned Am I annoyd with temptations thou also wert pesterd with them in the desert Am I sorry for my brothers miscarriage and thou didst grieve for the Apostasy of thy Disciple become a runnegate to truth Am I sorry for my own defects thou beheldst them before me ressentedst them Do I feel want of devotion thou didst cry upon the cross my God why hast thou forsaken me what distress then is there eyther corporal or spiritual of which we find not relief in Christ first of all distressed for us This is it which he saith come to me all yee that labour and are burdend and I will refresh you O most sweet and comfortable promise the very hearing wherof is so recreative If Christs labour doth ease ours how much more will his glory do so if his distresses be so effectual what will his power and riches be but I most meek Lord covet only thy helping hand that I may suffer with thee not that thou mayst comfort me in this life in which my soul desires neither corporall nor spiritual joy but onely to suffer for and with thee The VIII Chapter How purity of body helps the spirit HE that dwels in a fenny unwhole some country what wonder if he be often ill disposed as on the contrary he that breaths in a pure and sweet ayre healthful so a soul in an undefiled body is lusty and vigorous in a foggy and corrupted one drooping and sickly The mind in unspotted and Virgin flesh is as it were in a flowry and fragrant mead Chast bodies are the delights of God what wonder if they be healthful to their soules They let their mind attend wholly to God free from the disturbance of temporal things they exhilarate the conscience in a loathsomnes of all sensual pleasures loving God without let or obstacle O my love o most pure and sincere truth I am endebted to thee o God not only for the half of my hart but for the whole I will not onely purify my mind but also sanctify my body We are members of Christ let not one corrupted and unseemly limb defile and mishape a most beautiful body Who would prize the beauty of a graceful spouse if she had a putrid nose or a face and cheeks which were a receptacle of wormes Christs glorified body is a thousand times more pure and refulgent then the Sun O mortal man thou art a member of the immortal CHRIST consider how much thou oughtest to regard the sanctity of thy body and to thy utmost imitate immortality and incorruption least thou be disagreeing from his purity Thou art made one spirit and one flesh with Christ by the communion of his most H. Body do not defile thy own flesh which by a wonderful kind of real union is become the flesh of Christ Thou wouldst deem it no les then a sacriledge if one should clothe the statua of a Saint in a spotted nasty garment why art not thou at least ashamed to defile that flesh which is a part of the living Christ and add an obscene and polluted member to it thou thy self wouldst not weare a piece even of royal purple if it were steept in dirt and clay and why wilt thou weare thy own flesh staind so pittifully with filthy blemishes and make it a part of Christs body As both our soul and body shal in the next life glorify God in unspeakable purity so must we in this also strive to serve him in cleanenes of both Thou must not only seek beatitude by the sanctity of thy soul but must endeavour also to merit the felicity and resurrection of thy body by the sanctity of thy flesh least siding with thy mortal part at the instigation of some pleasant object thou sentence thy self to a perpetual death But learn now so to behave thy self in flesh as that thou mayst resemble the Angelicall spirits who shall neither marry nor be married Learn now the incorruptibility and being of a single nature and life abstracted from all sense Thy body must emulate the purity of the celestial Thrones in whom God hath seated himself since it is the temple of the H. Ghost chosen to be a vessel of honour We are the good odour of Christ Christ breathes purity every where his attendance is Virginity his delight chastity In almost all the calamities of this world chastity was as it were a lenitive to God a repayrer of its dammages he found an excellent way of repayring the ruines of the Angels chiefly principally out of Virgins chast persons by them chusing a Virgin Mother and Precursour having his Disciples and the peers of his Church the more eminent part of his Saints for the most part Virgins or living in continency or without the use of their wives or separated from them and all of them most chast he mitigated the sad disaster of Adams fal with the hopes of a Virgin that was to bruize the head of the Serpent those whom he saved in the deluged world kept chastity while they were in the Ark Christ solaced himself upon the cross with his B. Mother and beloved Disciple both Virgins How can he chuse but love chastity Virginity both his Parents being Virgins he having all his being derived from Virginity Christ had a Virgin Father according to his divine nature and a Virgin Mother according to his humane He would moreover have the type and substitute of his Father to wit S. Ioseph a
Virgin though he were to beare onely the name and title of parent He made choyse of two Virgins Abel and Isaac for figures of his innocency and obedience The first fruits that were purchased by the blood of the lamb were Virgins and so they follow him whithersoever he goes whatsoever they do or say imitating Christ and his modesty which was so rare that nothing was ever objected against him in that behalf And when the Iewes invented many lyes against IESVS and heaped many aspersions upon him without any shew of probability yet they never taxed him for impurity though they knew him to have held conferences with woemen by reason of his rare modesty and the shamefast composure of his countenance which alone cleard all suspicion and calumny of les exact chastity A meane is chiefly to be observed in the sight for as S. Orontius admonisheth Love like those teares which wrongs do from us wrest Breeds in the eye but passeth to the breast From the eyes to the hart is an easy and obvious passage That venerable Servant of God B. Alphonsus Rodriguez never be held the face of a woman for the space of 47. yeares nor any thing else that was recreative to wit the modesty of Christs eyes in a certain apparition to him made such an impression in his hart all his life long that their very memory was sufficient to compose his and by this meanes he preserved his hart in great purity and joyd only interiourly in God Do thou also shun exteriour effusion if thou desirest internal and external purity The IX Chapter That our practise of mortification must be continual LEt no occasion slip of doing good shunning evil he that borrowes an ass of another is not willing to keep him idle One might doubt whether it were more conducible to tolerate evil or do good but for me I am throughly perswaded that next after God nothing is more regardable then that by which one is made acceptable both to God and his Saints That indeed is the best of all when one joyning these two together does good by treating himself ill Let not o afflicted spirit the difficulties of vertue and importunity of thy passions contristate thee rather rejoyce in the occasion of merit Assaile and overcome that merit is not so highly prized which is acquird by living peaceably as patiently amidst the assaults of our perverse inclinations in the solidity of our service in the violence and sufferance of our selves and the cross of Christ Take it not ill that thou art enriched by God with more numerous and fruitful instruments of merit then the Angels he gave thee a body that thou mightest have so many organs of merit to wit so many crosses as it hath senses and powers of the soul he priviledgd thee above the Angels with that charge of thy body and creditted to thee the carrying of that muddy lump of earth into heaven One only care was committed to the Angels to preserve their spirit which was a single one sincere and intire but a double burden was imposed upon the soul of man though of a feebler nature both to raise it self and its troublesome flesh to an equality with the Angels heavenly glory It seemd somewhat unjust that the Angels who were in a ready equippage expedite free from all clog or carriage and man who was retarded and loaden with the luggage of his body charged over above with a thousand crosses should be called to the same journy of heaven the soul especially being more imperfect and infirme then an Angel but Gods assisting grace can easily recompense the grievances which arise from the society of the flesh in order to merit that it may equalize or surmount the dignity of Angels If thou didst but know how to make use of thy massines to thy advantage it would rear thee much higher dancers to make themselves nimbler assume some weight by holding stones in their hands thy body will help thee if thou do but force it This is no easy task but a busines of great contention and the gain thou reapest from thy endeavour must animate thee against all occurrent difficulties How many engins and how much force is requird to rear a great stone into a toâ—er and thou canst not raise thy massy lump of earth above the stars without violence and the engin of the Holy Cross In this state of mortality after the accomplishment of our redemption by the Son of God Saints are no les eminent then they would have been in the state of innocency wherfore they become equally holy in this shortnes of life as they would have been in the space of many ages had men stil remaind immortal The multitude of afflictions together with the grace of IESVS recompenseth the multitude of yeares The redemption of Christ was more copious then the damage we sustaind by our prevarication and yet for all that he would not free us from the necessities and incumbrances of our flesh nor wholly extinguish the rebellion of our appetites least he might deprive his elect of a very compendious way of meritting that by this meanes he might present them to his heavenly Father in a shorter time loaden with equal or greater merits then could otherwise have been acquired in many ages He who vanquishd the world by the cross will have thee to vanquish thy self by the same The copious grace of Christ triumphs most in a thwart and reluctant nature and it helps it self by that very reluctancy to increase its merits The stronger the enemy is the more glorious is the triumph therfore it must not be burdensome to thee to he burdensome to thy self but enjoy this thy violence and patience upon all occasions of meritting in overcoming in sacrificing in crucifying thy self in all things Let not the grace of Christ be idle and ineffectual in thee Combat and the cross is necessary to make thee good whether thou wilt or no. Some great commanders after they had landed their men burnt or destroid their shipping that all hopes of returne being quite cut of their souldiers might fight more resolutely in the same manner God hath tied an enemy to us Why do we hope to avoid all combat the necessity of combatting must necessitate us to victory and merit Christ redeemd us by his cross and by it we must be saved dying continually that we may live and vanquish by our patience The way of salvation is rightly tearmd the way of perdition destroy and seal up thy senses with the signet of Christs cross and they shal be in security blindfold thy self or rather put out thy eyes and thy sight wil be much better become deaf and thou shalt hear with facility become mute and thou shalt speak wel heep thy self fasting and thou shalt rellish wel be without hands and employment and thou shalt labour wel be odious to thy self and thou shalt love wel be dead to the world and thou shalt live wel be fearful
a double degree of beatitude Purity is so beseemingly requisite in order to this Sacrament that the divine providence hath ordaind that even as it precedes the sacrifice of Christ it be propitiatory for our sins it having vertu to remit the very pain due to their fault Christ himself whom we receive is pleasd first of all to cleanse us as he did the feet of his Disciples cer he would give himself to us or deliver himself for us He shewd by that washing that not any kind of purity was sufficient but that a special one was necessary for he would not only have the hands of his Disciples clean which sufficeth for ordinary banquets but their feet also which signifyes a very extraordinary diligence God declard hereby that we are to come to the Eucharist not only with clean hands that is works devoyd of all fault but also with clean feet that is to say without so much as any print or sign of fault viz the paine due to tepid actions or sins remitted being quite abolished and in this sort grace proper to this sacrifice is powerful to cancel the penalty due to sin How shal I come worthily o Lord to receive thee what a treasure of sanctity was bestowd upon S. Iohn Baptist that his mouth might figuratively entertain not thee but thy name saying behold the lamb of God and he express the shadow of one of thy Sacraments but what purity ought to invest me who am to approach that venerable Sacrament and receive thee truly and really into my mouth o I wish I could entertain thee with as much reverence as the most B. Virgin Mother did in her sacred womb in that stupendious hour of thy Incarnation or as she embraced thy most H. Body in her bosome when it was taken down from the cross and thy heavenly Father received thy spirit at thy expiring when it was recommended into his hands What thou dividedst o Lord in thy death betwixt thy Father and Mother all that do I here adore in this Sacrament after thy resurrection for thy soul remaynes not separate from thy Body Thou affordest me that body which thou bequeathedst to thy Mother together with thy spirit which thou recommendedst to thy Father O that any one could have applyed his mouth to that of the expiring IESVS and gatherd thence his sacred breath worthy to be gatherd by the hands of God that it might animate and steer my body o that any one could with the effusion of his own blood wash the disfigured Corps of IESVS and make himself the viol of Christs blood shed for my sake to cleanse my soul so ill-favourd and ugly o that any one would hold his mouth to receive and tast the water blood which flowed from the side of Christ that not so much as one drop of it might fall to wast but thou o Lord desirous and desirable complyest with my wishes in this dreadful mystery How great joy did the Angels conceive in thy Ascension when thou entredst triumphant into heaven what longing desires preceded thy return thither o the desired of all the Hierarchyes of heavenly spirits with what jubily of hart ought I to exulâ— when thou entrest into my breast I alone upon many scores owe thee all the reverence which all the Angels exhibited when they entertaind thee returning from this world and passible life for thou frequently enterst into me that thou mayst delight me alone thou who once only enterd into heaven to cause joy to all the Angels Thou frequently dost for me alone what thou didst but once for all the quyres of blessed spirits If this favour were imparted to one alone of all the multitudes of men that once only through all eternity Christ should enter after this most amiable manner into his sole breast what a stupendious benefit would it be deemd whosoever should hear of it ravishd into extasy with this excess of bounty would scarse believe it he that received him absorpt in admiration would stand like one besides himself without voyce without motion yea without life through amazement fear joy and love unles he were miraculously sustaind by reason of such unheard-off benevolence why then do not I worthily reverence and admire a greater benefit conferd not once but often not on me alone but all wherein I acknowledg the favour done me much hightned O that I or any one could entertain thee o amiable IESVS becoming my guest as thy Father entertaind thee entring into heaven after a world of torments and death for the sanctity of all the Angels their devotion their joy pomp and celebrity fell far short I wil not say of thy majesty but even of that humility wherwith thou daignest to shut thy self up in the narrow cottage of my hart grant me grace by so rare an example to humble my self below nothing I that cannot humble my self sufficiently in respect of thy humility how can I do it in respect of thy majesty and glory o how happy is that soul that shal humble it self before this Sacrament what honour will accrew to it how wil the Angels reverence and honour such a one that it may receive its Lord with honour S. Teresa oftner then once beheld the Brothers of our Society when they went to communicate in our Church accompanyd with Angels and these holding a most rich and beautiful canopy over their heads that like royal and consecrated soules they might more honorably entertain their soveraign but when others approachd that heavenly Table she beheld no such obsequiousnes in these B Spirits and the reason was want of humility in their devotions Let us then procure with all humility devotion fervour and charity to receive that supersubstantial daily bread Let us so receive it daily as if we were never more to receive it though we come very frequently let us come so as if it were to be but once in our whole life Let our daily communion be so performd as it ought to be the first day of our life and last at our death The XII Chapter That in time of refection we must not be more indulgent to our body then necessity requires THE Angels expect thee at their supper glut not thy self like a beast with corruptible food He that is invited as a guest to anothers table eats nothing at home thou art invited a guest to heaven do not at least glut thy self upon earth If one that is cloyd with earthly food cannot be a competent guest at an earthly banquet how can he be at a heavenly one fulnes hinders the relish of material meats how much more then of divine the fasting Lazarus who could not so much as feed upon crums is now a constant guest at the heavenly supper but that glutton who cramd himself with exquisit daintyes is shut forth Men at a banquet abstain from several dishes reserving their appetite for some choyse one intending to make their repast upon that o Lord if I shal be satiated at the
lives and most remote from a soul endowed with reason how much more from a spirit which breaths God A dog will hear his masters call so will not an oak or fig tree the husbandmans nor he that over feeds himself the voyce of God He to keep Adam to his duty enacted the first law of fasting the only one of that most happy state so to recommend more earnestly to us the vertue of abstinence as if it alone were sufficient to preserve innocency and other vertuous endowments putting man in a fit disposition to hear and adhere to God Our Lord would commit the tuition of his beloved child Adam and his Benjamin of creatures to no nurse but fasting into whose faithfull hands he entrusted him that it might be the foster-Father of man and his instructer to obedience But this precept being violated Adam forth with fled from the voice of God caring so little to adhere to him that he would not only not seek nor approach him but sought to avoid God who sought him He renders himself wholly unfit for all who is not abstemious he will resist Gods holy inspirations and withdraw himself from his familiarity being weand as much from the divine breasts as he yealds to these sensual appetites What commerce betwixt God and ones belly how can God affect him who affects only his gut as his God How canst thou endure o divine truth to dwel in him who is such an arrand idolater it was anciently held a high strain of folly for men to kneel by way of worship to those things that were the handy-work of men and how fond a thing is it for thee an intemperate man to set thy hart upon that which thou destroiest and wil destroy thee towitt meat and its rellish How intendest thou to feast with God to lead a celestial kind of life to fly with him upon the wings of the winds to immortality if thou takest complacence in the life of those things which stick to the earth and are rooted and half-buried in it The life of self-pamperers is extremely mortal for such is the life of plants which are in part overwhelmed with earth Those that feed their belly increase their mortality by fatning what is mortal in them becoming more mortal by hindering eternal life by defiling their mind and so contracting their soul as to render it only corporeal Adam by breaking his fast became forthwith mortal thou becomest every day more mortal by stuffing thy self with dead things and feeding greedily on slaughterd creatures and seasond for this end that they may be entombed in thee but so much more happy shalt thou be by how much thou partakest of immortality and thou shalt partake so much the more of it if thou inure thy self to a spare dyet and to feed on unsavory meats All our life in this world is bitter full of labour and afflictions wherfore it is impertinent to go about to repayr maintain it with sweet things Eat only that thou mayst live let thy meat be such as is the rest of thy life Thou livest not to eat but to dye and thou eatest that thou mayst not dye quickly Death assailes him sooner that feeds too plentifully and delicately Food must be the medicine of life not its poyson and destruction Let thy own hunger and the gall and vinegar of Christ be all thy sauce and seasoning who for that end drunk it upon the cross because whosoever combats against sin must not seek after savory meats and the adjoyning of hyssop with a spunge signifyes the vertue of cleansing that we might have a model how to purge our soules By frugality and untoothsome meat the divine character which is engraven in us becomes more resplendent and the holy purity of our mind is refind that it may be united to God made more capable of divine impressions for if fasting drive out the stubbornest dive is from anothers body much more forcibly wil it attract God so facil and benign into our own If such be the vertue of fasting that by it thou canst purify others much more wil it sanctify thy self He breaths somewhat divine who breaths abstinence and hunger the body it self is in a certain manner elevated by the force of a disengagd spirit Iron is ponderous but it becomes light by the spirit and vertue of the loadstone and if thou also fasten and hang thy self upon God he wil sublimate thy body by the vigour of thy spirit rendring it intellectual and incorporeal The composition also of thy body is rarefyed by abstinence in such sort that divine irradiations penetrate more easily into the soul and she more dextrously steers the other squard more fitly to it by a proportionable demolishment as being disbarked of that fat rind that environd it for a great weight is no wayes weildy or commodiously mannageable Lastly abstinence containes so great a good that there is nothing to which it is not extreme beneficial Other vertues adorne the soul but abstinence is salutiferous both to body and soul Both Saints Philosophers by embracing it protracted their life to a faire old age We men designd to be immortal had contented our selves in that most happy state of innocency to feed only upon hearbs the fruits of the earth now temperance also restores to man that golden age Spare diet conduceth to the health of the body it is a natural restaurative an universal medecine fit to be applyed to al kinds of diseases The skilfullest Physitians prescribe it for the first recipe in all maladies for oppletion is the metropolis or head-city of diseases and deaths chief sergeant All the untimely deaths of yong people are in a manner caused by excess in diet But if frugality be effectual against all the indispositions of the body it wil also give redress to those of the soul Hunger makes the proud to stoop the covetous to disburse the lazy slouthful it forceth to work it renders the luxurious chast the angry man calmely patient If then frugality even when it is forced makes head against all vices if when it is no vertue it can engender vertues what remaines when it is a true and sincere one but that must needs associate God to a soul and make him its constant sejourner God took complacence in conversing with Moyses and Elias when they were both in a long fast But after the same manner that it expels puts the divels to flight saturity bereaves us of God Vnles thou resolve to banish this vice and establish in thy soul the vertue of temperance thou maist wel dispaire of the rest It wil be the same as if one being desirous to beat away a troublesome dog should in steed of a stone throw at him a crust of bread A domestique enemy must first be vanquishd ere we can fal abord with a foraign The XIII Chapter That one must take account of his proceedings by a frequent examen of himself MEN do seldome cast a
not to make thee the subiect of my action but not so much as the obiect of my memory O most loving God how could I behave my self worse towards my capital enemy then I do towards thee not so much as daigning thee a look when thou meetest me and meetest me so often though thou be stil ingratiating thy self by new favours and services O how continually o God art thou present in me and yet I so little present to thee and take so little notice of thee thy essence penetrates each part of me much more intirely then the sun beames penetrate each part and parcel of a transparent christal more perfectly then our soul is diffused through our body The presential assistance of thy wisdome provides for me and playes it self the purveyer that nothing may be wanting and if I do any good that it may impart a reward thou committest not this to the intercourse of thy Angels only and their relation but thou thy self becomest my overseer Thy power carryes me in thy bosome as a nurse or motherdoth her dearest child and because these duties of being in me of seing me of preserving me in my being are necessarily annexd to thy divinity thou wouldst have me engaged to thee o good IESV for a voluntary presence and there being but one way wherein thou couldst necessarily be absent thou didst invent a meanes even in that to be also present in thy most holy body that thou mightest be present with me both corporally and spiritually O ungrateful soul why wilt thou not be thankful to so loving a Lord and if thou canst not bodily be present with this divine Sacrament be not forgetful at least in spirit and thought of so benefical a soveraign who hath made thee his tabernacle and place of residence Carry o soul respect to thy self and the Altar of thy mind where God dwels by grace which thou perchance now partakest of and woe be to thee if thou dost not the divinity being there communicated We reverence inanimate things and deservedly which are imbrued in the blood of Christ but why do we not the same to a part of our soul spirit where the H. Ghost diffuseth himself we dare do no unseemly action before an Altar where the sacred body of Christ our Lord is kept nor darest thou do les before thy self because thy mind as thou maist wel hope is by grace the Altar and throne of God he residing in it with greater pleasure then in a Pix of gold How dost thou compose and recollect thy self when thou art to receive the Body of Christ habituate thy self allwayes in such a modesty such a decency since God is thy guest lodging not in thy body only but within thy soul If the Body of Christ being thy guest thou compose thy self with such decency thou must stil retain the same since the spirit of God becomes resident in thy spirit since the Father and the Son come to thee and take up in thee their dwelling place Whether in publick or private comport thy self allwayes after the same manner God beholds thee God is nigh thee God is with thee God is within thee If Christ should come visibly to thee when thou art all alone in thy chamber wouldst thou in his presence put thy self in any les seemly posture or rather stand in a reverend submissive composd manner trembling at the aspect of such an awful majesty Behold the divinity is allwayes present with thee and we owe it no les dutyes of respect The divinity is present not after one manner but many by filling and surrounding thee with his boundles essence as the ocean doth a spunge by carrying thee in the eye of his all seeing providence by sustaining thee by his power by cherishing imbracing and adopting thee for his child by his heavenly grace O soul why sendest thou thy desires in so long a pilgrimage since God is so nigh at hand why dost thou aspire to other joyes he being present thou hast a speedy redress for all thy miseries why art thou contristated a refuge sanctuary against all thy calamities is close by what needst thou fear let all thy affection spend it self in embracing and kissing this thy most loving parent in whose bosome thou art nurturd and brooded up Consider thy self more neerly allyed to God then to thy brother then to thy Father then to thy mother for the kindred and allyance betwixt thee and God is greater then betwixt a child and his parent Let him then be allwayes present to thee who is present after so many wayes As a mirrour becomes the image of that which is present to it so a holy soul in some manner will become divine if it have the divinity present with it This presence of God is the vital action of grace a holy soul is so long in an actual and waking exercise of life as it loves God and is mindful of him whether it be employd in the contemplation of his perfections or seek actively to advance his greater glory For as God is not only present to us by his essence knowledg but also by his power and activity so the best method of framing the presence of God is to consider him playing the good Operarius and directing his actions to our behoof Who wil not become active on Gods behalf since he works all in all for ours but yet though a soul surcease from this she shal not therfore dye by sin but wil be like one that is a sleep not dead but yet scarse alive as not enjoying the use of life so a soul that is in oblivion of her God though she be not voyd of life yet she is in so sound a sleep that she reaps no benefit of her spiritual vitalityes O how long-lifd wil one be that is stil mindful of God! o how many ages wil he complete which even those that otherwise are held spiritual do ordinarily forfeyt this presence of God is also the sense of grace for without it the soul lyes like one in a palsey The palsey is a disease not a death but it deprives ones limbs of all sense and vital motion life and grace are then to smal purpose when the memory of God is benumd and obstupifyed whether it be in action or contemplation One palm tree becomes fruitful merely at the presence of another and the soul at the presence of God is loaden with all variety of fruit Without the presence of the sun all is buryed in obscurity nothing doth partake of beauty by the presence of God a soul is illustrated and is made most comely to the eye The elements cannot brook to be absent from their center and no les is a soul carried to her center of repose God As a stone if it be detaynd in the ayre keeps alwayes a propension to the earth and if it be left to it self tends thither without any more adoe so a soul enamoured upon God even when it is detaind from its
OF ADORATION IN SPIRIT AND TRVTH Written in IV. Bookes by IOHN EVSEBIVS NIEREMBERG Native of Madrid S. I. And Translated into English by R. S. S. â— I H S In which is disclosed the pith marrow of a spiritual life of Christs imitation mystical Theology extracted out of the HH FF greatest masters of spirit Diadochus Dorotheus Clymachus Rusbrochius Suso Thaulerus a Kempis Gerson not a little both pious effectual is superadded Printed Anno M.DC.LXXIII The Translatour to the Reader Courteous Reader I Present thee here with a stranger whom I have put in an English vest and if thou deem him not worthy to be naturalizd at least I pray entertain him civilly When thou art throughly acquainted with him hast dived into a discovery of his perfections thou wilt find rich pearles shrowded under a course shel I am confident it wil never repent thee no more then me of his acquaintance One that knowes how to distinguish fruit from leaves pith from bark a solid substance from a superficial show one that delights in truths seeks rather his own spiritual advance then a frothy feeding of his fancy wil here find entertainment right for his purpose that is both substantial and delightful He wil teach thee how to serve God in spirit truth not by an empty sound or canting use of these two words as do our sectaries who when they have named them think all done but by a real practise of Christian vertues in the discharge of our incumbent duty to God our selves and our neighbour To speak without metaphor I offer thee a plain Translation of a Latin treatise a piece in high esteem with me and many and I require only thy perusal therof to make thee esteem it so too That which moved the Author to compile it moved me also to translate it yet with this difference that he sought only his own behoof I my own chiefly others He a Parent of many such issues having labourd long with his pen for the advance of his neighbour in the way of vertue judgd it but meet to a make some provision for himself as a store house of spiritual truths maximes which he might have ready at every turn both for his meditation and practise And I think he was much in the right since charity begins at home it availes very little to perfect others if we be stil truants our selves self-interest ought to be the first concern nor are we to let our family starve at home while our endeavours are labouring to feed others abroad This prudent ceconomy and sage care of his own good is the common case of us all who have a soul to save it being also our task to provide in the first place for its indemnity that being the grand affair of our whole life which if not done all is utterly undone And how can we provide better then by making use of his provisions where the common exigence is the same For by the dictamen of charity it seldom happens that one is so treacherous to himself as not to provide himself of the best if what was best for him cannot be but good for us what he communicates without envy let us make use off with much freedom little cost a harty welcome There is not so much applause in translating as writing but the common benefit no whit the less yea more because no man of judgment wil translate what he deems not more then ordinarily good taking but who can promise so much of his own conceptions amidst so many miscarriages abortions as daily happen This our age kingdome is a little unfortunate in this respect that our best wits are forcd so to employ their pens for the defence of Catholick religion against the common adversaries and their assaults as that they cannot fully attend to what is as necessary in its kind the writing of spiritual treatises for the preservation encrease of piety in the harts of the faithful The former indeed is necessary but is a misfortune it is so upon such a score or that among the children of the same Mother some should be found so rebelliously bent especially with such prejudice to the latter this being the nursery of devotion consequently promoter of vertue and piety Spiritual bookes are the ordinary tongue by which God speakes to our soules the conveyancers of his holy inspirations when he is pleased to knock at the dore of our hart for entrance yea the key which unlocks it How many by reading them receive both light in their understanding love in their wil not only to acknowledg but perform what conduces to a vertuous life How many have quit the filth of sin in which they wallowed by wonderful conversions how many more of better principles found therby effectual incentives to Christian perfection Certainly the benefits redounding thence are unspeakable great pitty it is that we are not better stored with such books for as our appetite cannot feed long upon the same meat without being cloyed though otherwise both wholsome savory no more can our understanding without a nauseousnes employ it self in matter of reading unles there be variety to season it I have heard even spiritual persons bemoan their own the common scarcity in this kind Besides the excellency of the treatise it self this was a motive to me to contribute my mite towards some smal redress of the aggrievance This premisd I must speak a word or two of the Title it carryes which is Of Adoration in Spirit and Truth the which he borrowes from the words of our B. Saviour to the Samaritan is the subject of the whole work In that conference Io. 4. the great master Of Spirit Truth told her the time would come when true adorers should not be confined to Ierusalem or the mountain in Samaria but were to adore God in spirit Truth for God being a spirit covets to be adord in spirit Now what it is to adore him in Spirit Truth he explaines through the whole treatise chiefly in the 4. first Chapters of the first Book where he explicates what he understands both by the one other so clearly that nothing needs to be superadded Only it wil not perchance be amiss to forewarn some les skilful Reader that he be not frighted into a prejudice of the Book by the title it seeming to sound somwhat of the Sectarist who hath nothing so frequent in is mouth as I said above as Spirit Truth nothing les in substance The words indeed are easily named and may serve for canting among the ignorant but if one go to the pith substance of spirit truth as the Authour uses them to a true denial of our selves more then a lipp-love of God here the sectary wil be found as void of spirit as truth in both a nut without a kernel When the reader sees the Authour
condemning its very dictamens and defires Perswade thy self that that is false which God holds not for true which the Angels disapprove which the Doctours impugne Philosophers refute reason disallows nor squares with Conscience All these find this self love this crafty fox ful of wiles guilty of forgery We are ful of deceyt because ful of self love and so much the more perniciously ful by how much it is not onely a domestique cheat but so linkd to us yea so engrafted in us that it never leaves us nor gives us the least respit from errour Hence not onely custome but even prescription in cozenage hath so hardend us that what is done viciously we maintain many times as done very prudently yea and according to gospel and seek to sanctify by the doctrine of Christ what is clearly repugnant to reason The mist of ignorance which man walks in renders him sufficiently miserable he needs not be missed with forgery yet ignorance is but a petty and inconsiderable misery its darknes being easily dispeld as soon as the light of instruction shines but the night of errour is so wilfully and pertinaciously blind that it is incapable of being illuminated with any precepts O it were hartily to be wishd we were onely ignorant and not seduced also This folly and imposture of worldlings raignes in a manner among all sorts and conditions of them Let them account themselves never so wise let them be the prime Doctours and professours of Vniversities they are idiots and ill-maximd and unworthy of such titles unles they be good and vertuous Pick out any one of these such as all the world holds for an Oracle of knowledg if thou shouldst but once see this man voyd his curious cupbords and cabinets of jewells and vessels of gold and throw away pearles and pretious stones to fill them up with dirt and dung couldst thou perswade thy self that this were a wise man who so prizeth the latter and misprizeth the former And how then shall he be accounted wise who not once but allwayes is stuffing his hart with aspirements to honours with desires of riches and pleasures and contemns the love of God the treasures of divine grace the merits of Christ yea God himself All which incomparably more surpass worldly honours treasures pleasures then gold doth dirt as much to wit as God the Creatour surmounts his creature What imports it if thou sayest that this proceeds not from his ignorance in undervaluing things but that this man knew well enough the difference betwixt spiritual things and temporal a thing which no body can doubt of though his proceedings be contrary what I say wil this avail for nether wil he be excused from madnes who should say that he knowes wel enough the value of gold above other things and how base dirt is in comparison of it yet nevertheles keeps dirt courts it embraces it kisses it yea and refuseth no danger nor labour in search of it but if gold be tenderd him he throwes it away and daigns it not so much as a look Certainly this hidden madnes and visible darknes is far more to be admired and thou darst not call such a one a wise man or well in his wits least thou should be houted at by all having lost thine owne How much more will he expose himself to the censure both of laughter and madnes who professing that the spiritual treasures of grace are much to be preferd before all the goods of this world covets nevertheles the latter and rejects the former Could he be accounted a learned man or sound in judgment or a good Christian who should cast the B. Sacrament of Christs holy Body out of a golden Ciborium consecrated to its conservation and place there insteed of it a piece of clay And how deserves he the name of a wise man who expels the Divinity it self out of his soule where it took complacence to reside as in its tabernacle and sets up in its place not dung but more filthy vices and sordid desires as the idols of his licentious devotions Therfore we must conclude that there is no wisdome no truth to be found in a worldly life The dread fullest instruments of revenge which Christ shall make use of to punish the sensles in the day of judgment shall not be the conflict of confounded elements nor the fall of the stars nor the eclipse of the sun nor the conflagration of the world nor the frightful voice of the Archangel nor that shrilsounding trumpet of God nor the countenance of the angry judge but truth alone Truth I say which shall then be rendred illustrious to all though now as it is veyld with our naughty desires we contemne it But although truth be certainly found in a spiritual life yet not altogether refined from the dregs of forgery both by reason of tâ—e subtilty and soothings of self love for soothing and flattery every where corrupts and sophisticates truth as also the wiles and malice of the divel who labours by all meanes to destroy created truth since he cannot the increated Therfore Christ our Saviour recommends to us as the glory of Euangelical perfection that we adore God in spirit and truth The true God ought not to be worshipped with a false life The onely begotten Son of God is truth and he that will be the Son of God must love truth and possess himself of it Wherfore whosoever evading the precipices of the flesh treads now the plaine paths of spirit let him not hold himself altogether out of dangerunles he walk the roadway of truth And to the end thou mayst follow this more securely take these admonitions which will teach thee to adore God and serve him unfaignedly in uprightnes of hart and make thee understand what truth speaks least some deceit mislead thy spirit but rather doing truth in charity we may increase in Christ by all our proceedings The II. Chapter Of the Truth of the Spirit DO not think that thy life will be rendred any whit more unpleasant and tetrical by the fellowship of truth it is a mere aspersion to say that truth is bitter and unsavoury A false imputed nick name must not make us out of conceit with a thing in it self most delicious Do not frame this discourse If the very outward name of truth be so bitter what may we judge of its interiour rellish if anothers discourse concerning it be noysome what will our own study and practise of it be if it sound so harshly to our hart to our conscience to our whole life Make not I say such illations for it is not the fault of honey if it tast bitter to a tainted pallate One that is giddy thinks the earth runs round when it stands stock-still We judge of every one by our own misdemeanours and seek to patronise our humane frailties by ascribing the same to the Divinity Truth is innocent sweet and displeasing to none but the câ—â—nal and such as are displeasing to God
The same royal colour of purple recreates men and exasperates buls this purple truth of God this lustre of sanctity delights those that understand it what makes matter if it offend those that have neithet wit nor braines to conceave it yea this makes more for its commendation Nothing shewes the inestimable worth and comelines of truth more then that it seems worthles and deformed to the wicked Consider but the causes of this their aversion and thou shalt see that they render it much more amiable Of all crosses and afflictions truth seemes the most harsh and burdensome because particular afflictions impugne either one onely pleasure or at least but some few but truth fights them all together and proclames warr at once against all other kind of vices Therfore they hold it the saddest adversary they have and for the same reason think they can revenge themselves no wayes more upon their enemys nor sting them more picquantly then by speaking truth to their disadvantage the reason is because what harme soever one most dreads to himself his passion makes him wish the same to his enemy and because he dreads no kind of evil more then truth therfore he tels all he knowes to his adversarys prejudice and seeks thus to wound him as with so many poysonous darts But these causes of offence are arguments which ought to heighten our love and esteem of truth is not that worthy of all love which hath all vice in such hatred and detestation If thou hadst one potion which would cure thee of all diseases thou wouldst not contemne it for being bitter and distastfull nay thou wouldst prize nothing more highly so truth upon that same score is to be loved and adored although it be even nayld to a cross though voyd of beauty and unhandsome But it is comely of sight and pleasant of tast not deformed but deâ—forme not unwise but the wisdome of God the voyce of truth is sweet and its countenance amiable It hath God for its seasoning it cannot be unsavoury or disgustfull or tainting That which makes God happy must not be noysome neither can it make thee miserable What shall I say God is truth and can he be either more distastfull to thee then gal or not more lovely then light Go to then take the courage to look it in the face to affect it to put thy self under its tuition and patronage This is the main maxime of a spiritual life that as carnal people hate nothing more then truth so those that walk the paths of spirit have nothing in higher esteem or desire What is more dear or useful to an archer then his eyes and what ought to be more desirable to a reasonable man then truth which is the eye of his soule Archers and other creatures also made for the behoof of man if they want their eyes become altogether unserviceable so our whole life without truth proves but a fruitles busines No one of the senses is more delectable then the sight and truth surpasseth all the other facultys of the mind neither is it more pleasing a midst the smiles of prosperity then the frownes of adversity Let us therfore begâ—n with an upright conceit of truth to exclude falshood deeming nothing more delightful nothing more excellent then sincere truth of spirit Most men because they believe not this are apt to grant themselves now and then a little indulgence to nature and self love and the propensions of the flesh though but in petty matters mixing with a most subtle dissimulation and self cozenage forraign comforts that so they may mittigate the austerity which they conceive or fear accompagnies the spirit and not trusting sufficiently to it and God they reserve as yet some reliques of their flesh and will of which they are loath to dispoyle themselves that they may make their retreat thither in time of need not daring by a total self denyal to give themselves entirely to God and the spirit as if some corrosives did attend his intimate familiarity These people deceive themselves for this is not the spirit of truth This spirit is a most simple and transparent thing and therfore that will not be true and genuine which is so confounded and intoxicated The flesh and the spirit are two things so different that they cannot be combind into one simple The spirit of truth ought to be so refind and sincere that it is not enough to dread and abhor all the faigned soothings of the flesh all the pernicious dictamens of worldlings and the forciblest insinuations of self love but one must moreover dispoil ones self of himself and his own soul and renounce totally his own will and all created contentments yea even intellectual and otherwise lawful to seek God alone and in him possess all things The spirit is somewhat more sublime and refind then is the soul the understanding or nature Hear thy Iesus saying God is a spirit and those that adore him must do it in spirit and truth Wherfore that thou mayst adore God as thou oughtest and serve him perfectly in truth of spirit thou must reare thy self above all creatures and created affections and breath after and be enamourd upon the divine truth alone and as one ready to depart out of this world bid adieu to thy self and all creatures adhering by pure charity to our Lord becoming one spirit as S. Paul speaks with God who is truth it self Force thy self from thy self that is from thy vicious stock that thou mayst be engrafted in him sever thy self from thy self that thou mayst be united to thy Creatour loosen thy self from thy self that thou mayst be fastned to the cross of Iesus root thy self out of thy wicked self that thou mayst be implanted in all goodnes fly from thy own nature and thou shalt find a sanctuary in God loose thy self unfaignedly and thou shalt find thy self really The III. Chapter Of Purity of Spirit DO not in any thing o coheyre of Christ become like unto the beasts thou who mayst be one spirit with God thou must resemble them in nothing at all Thou oughtest to tread underfoot all the delights of flesh and nature not reserving any one from a total renunciation One alone is able to marr the rellish of truth one alone wil tarnish the lustre of the spirit Great things are oftentimes over powrd by little ones a smal quantity of vinegar spoyles a whole vessel of the strongest wine a little drop of ink infects and discolours a violl of the fairest water Why wilt thou blemish the candour of truth and noblenes of the spirit with a petty delight so triviall and momentary Why dost thou debase thy self so much below thy sublime condition why wilt thou leave the bosome of God and his sweet embracements to solace thy self with the silly dregs of creatures since thou ought not to descend from the cross of Christ for all the kingdoms of the world O miserly and base-minded man since thou hast already employed
glorify God O Lord let all be as dung to me upon condition I may gain thee let me esteem this one thing in all if I know them base in comparison of thee if I seek thee alone in them in my self All things are nothing in thy sight why then shal I prefix any other end to my actions besides thee who art all shal I not 〈◊〉 good as nothing and all I do will be to â—mall purpose o light of truth grant that 〈◊〉 of my mind may be sincere beholding theâ— simply singly in all that my whole body may be lightsome and all my works â—cceptable to thee Deceive not thy self o ignorant spirit he that errs in his intention â—â—rs small and he that performes a laudable work if the intention of Gods honour be wâ—â—â—ing he will reap but smal fruit for he that mistakes his way the further he goes the more he mistakes He that after a long journey â—â— navigation hath â—issed of his desired port and knowes that he is out of his way by finding himself in a contrary coast how sensibly and deeply is he afflicted o how often after the course of this life do many find themselves in an error frustrated of all their conceived hopes and dispoiled of all their good works because a zeale of the divine glory was wanting If thou wilt not be deceived seek Gods glory and not thy own To the king alone of ages immortall and invisible be honour and glory it is honour enough for me that thou wilt o Lord be honoured by me Let me esteem it a great honour to see thee honoured Honour exhibited to a parent redounds to his child respect done to the head of an unjuersity or rector of a college hath influence into all their members and subjects Thou art the head and source of all things thou art the rector of this universe thou art my parent all thy honor is also mine A creature cannot truly be said to receive honour otherwise then by participating of the honour of his Creator Let me see thee o Lord honoured and I shall be honoured let me seek thy glory and I shal be glorious Not only my profit o Lord but also my honour is linkd with thine grant that as thou didst seek in all thy works only my honour and my profit so I and all creatures may only seek thy honour and from thence alone will redound to us both honour and profit Whatsoever I shall do say or think I sacrifice it all to thy glory If I chance through negligence or inadvertence to do otherwise even from this moment I retract it and blush at it The Angels apply themselves with all their affection to sing thy praises they highten their voices and rest notwithstanding still confounded how then shal not I be ashamd of my tepidity and great negligence O man consider the dignity to which thou art raisd from the deepest pit of non-entities from an abiss of nothing from thy native dirt and clay to the glory of a God of infinite excellence and purity Raise thy intention purify it deceive not thy self thou wilt perswade thy self sometimes that thou seekest the pure glory of God and thou tacitly desirest thy own gust and commodity What makes thee so anxious and out of patience when things fall not out as thou didst intend but because thou soughtest thy self the glory of God is peaceable it is joyfull it is never frustrated of its effect in those that seek it Although things happen not as the just man expected yet they will happen as he desired to wit as the will of God disposed them and that sufficeth If I loved God with the whole extent of my affection in all and through all I should desire only his goodnes seek his praise be replenished with zeale and breath his glory He that is past breathing is dead and he is no better then a dead man who does his actions for any other end but God All time is lost which is not spent in seeking eternity How can we chuse but loose the future eternity which is not ours if we loose the present time which is ours by not working with a pure intention THE III. BOOK The I. Chapter How carefull we must be to do our actions wel THY whole dayes task must be a doing of good sufferance of evill make it thy whole employment to suffer evil and do good Neither is it enough that thou be chearfull prompt to this but thy alacrity must extend it self even to evil and harsh things that thou be not affrighted with their greatnes and noysomenes as also to patience in good and laudable things that thou be not cloyd with their multitude continual exercise The necessity of patience is more transcâ—ndental then any function or casualty of our whole life Vpon all occasions there is a necessity of suffering but it ought to be pleasant and according to thy pallat to suffer in order to the doing of good in this there is a twofold merit both of patience and the good work Thou canst never shun the undergoing of some labour and indeed without labours nothing exquisite will be aâ—chieved We often faulter in our vertuous purposes out of a hope of non-suffering which leaves us in the lurch while it makes us forbear to imbrace the labour and difficulty which accompanies our good purpose as if perchance at another season the way of vertue would be less thorny Thou deceivest thy self if thou be not persuaded that it is more necessary to suffer then to live or that there can be any part or parcell of our life void of sufferance One affliction is heyre to another if thou eschewest this another will not be wanting to succeed be throughly possessed of this and a false hope will not make thee remiss in thy pious endeavours by presuming upon some fitter opportunity wherin thou thinkst to accomplish thy vertuous exercises with less pain and toile It is impossible to live with out some labour do â—oâ— refuse any that is fruitful of vertue if thou declinest this thou wilt be forced to imbrace another more harsh and untoothsome We can only exchange labour not avoid it Thou maist notwithstanding eschew many defects and faults if thou seekest not curiously to avoid what is unavoidable labour is certain either it must be embraced with patience or repentance or pain and punishment Love and repentance is not sufficiently perfect and such as beseems thee and the infinite goodnes and mercy of God exacts at thy hands unles thou be content to suffer for many yeares space and as much as in thee lies the very paines of hell for the least venial transgressionâ— yea to render one venial trespass uncommitted thou oughtest willingly to undergoe all the torments of the damned If therfore it be behoofful to embrace such a hell to render undone what is done what must thou do by way of prevention eer it be done that it be not done at
he was dead would bequeath to us a pledg of his love by receiving a wound with a speare thou also in this short death must give such an earnest-penny of thy affection And by this meanes as Christ in his sleep of death merited at thy hands by shedding water and blood a special pledg of love at his harts wound so thou also in thy death of sleep shalt even then merit at the hands of Christ for such a precedent desire and disposition Let this be an argument that while thou sleepest thy hart wateheth not unlike cranes who while they sleep carry a stone in their tallon the fall wherof forthwith awakes them The IV. Chapter That we must rise fervorously to our morning prayer IF with loathing thou didst betake thy self to rest thou wouldst with a cheerful alacrity rise in the morning to thy task neither would it be necessary for the master of the family to hire so early his workmen Thou wilt shew thy self too effeminate if thou be not valiant against sleep but suffer thy self to be vanquishd by a thing of all others the most unmanly being chaind hand and foot like a captive without tye in such sort that thou canst neither help thy self nor others but must be content to sit in the shadow of death It would not be needfull that the voice of thy beloved knocking at the dore of thy hart should rouze thee conceive the sound and pulse to be the noise of thy spouse calling and inuiting thee with most sweet and amorous language to open the dore and he cals thee his sister his love his dove his unsported Open to me saith he o my sister my love my dove my unblemishd Love makes him call thee so often his neither can he be satiated with calling thee so O Lord what beholdst thou in me that can so transport and enamour thee can it be reasonable that I disgust thee for a little ease but if thou hasten not o my soul to open because thou art his and for love of him do it at least out of mere compassion To move thee more forcibly he presently adds because my haire is full of dew and my locks of the drops of the night Thou wouldst not demur to open even to a stranger and an enemy in this pitteous plight and why not to thy God thy lover who does it all for thy sake Beware he depart not if thou linger What can be imagind more attractive and comfortable then this voice of the spouse knocking so friendly that he may bannish all lazynes from a pious soul who will not be more confounded then was Vrias to lye in bed while Christ stands expecting not under a pavillon but in the open ayre exposed to the injuries of the night Robbers stick not to rise by night to make their booty and massacre others and wilt thou when the good of thy soul and Gods glory lyes at stake be so tardy the Angel caling Peter when he was a sleep said rise quickly Thou art more then dead when thou art buried in sleep imitate at least the dead in rising In the twinckling of an eye in a moment shall the dead bodies arise at the command of an Angel IESVS will not have thee be flower when he cals then when an Angel The heavenly spirits take it ill they being by nature most quick and agile to see any one whom they awake any whit sluggish or fearing themselves with stretchings and yawnings and they waken us most willingly beâ—â—use the very sight of this drowzines so opâ—osite to their agility is not a little offensive to â—hem A certain servant of Christ one of our society by name Iohn Carrera was every morning before day called by his good Angel to go to praier but this heavenly monitor once absented himself for many dayes till being appeased with continual praiers and long fasts he returned at length to his charitable office admonishing Iohn that for this reason he with drew his comfortable presence because being once overcome with the drowzy wearines of the precedent dayes labour he had not risen with such speed to his accustomed devotions So inconsiderable a fault if it were a fault so highly offended the Angel although it were not perceived by his conscience which was so tenderly nice and delicate They esteem the fervor and prayers of us miscreants so much that they deem not their own officiousnes to equalize the others worth and give us a gentle correction that there may not be so much as a false shadow of idlenes where we traffique in such real goods Therfore be not slow at the hour of rising labour with great speed to overtake any one that is before thee that thou maist be the first that our Lord coming loaden with his guifts shal light upon so to have the first choise and handsale of his graces he disburdening himself upon the first he meets Thou shouldst run towards Christ charged with his cross to ease him of it and be crucified in his place run to him fraught with grace to be enriched by him What soul can be so sensles and prodigal as not to rise with all speed to receive so many guifts and impart kisses to her spouse how can she be said to love God if she return not swifter then any thunderbold to love her beloved whom over night she desired so vehemently One must rise more expeditly then if the bed and bed clothes were all in a flame one will rise more expeditly if the fire of love be enkindled in his hart Procure at that instant to make amends for the vacancy of sleep wherin thou couldst not actuate thy self in the love of God by a most fervorous elevation of mind by a most flagrant charity and a total holocaust of thy self the perfectest that hitherto thou ever didst offer upon the altar of thy hart Suppose thy self in such a condition as if in that moment of thy awaking thou wert newly created by God to love and serve him for that day alone for that sole end is this daies life granted to thy use If one that is in a state of beatitude were annihilated by God and forth with created anew with all his qualities and former perfections with what impetuousnes of will in that very moment would he engulph himself in the abiss of the divinity do thou endeavour to put on a like fervour after this thy annihilation by sleep and resuscitation by awaking How deep a sense and profound reverence did Adam and the Angels conceive â—â—wards their Creator in the first instant of â—â—eir perceived creation imitate the B. Virâ—â—n who being in the first moment of her conâ—â—ption created in grace and priviledgd which â—e perfect use of reason with what intenâ—â—nes of affection did she cast her self into the â—â—mes of almighty God what thanks did Christ our Lord render to his heavenly Father â—â— the first instant of the hypostatical union yea with how great love did he then particuâ—arly think
in rarities keep any choise jewel or forraign noyelty making presently a cabinet for it that the least grain of dust may not tarnish it canst thou think that the gemm of the Divinity and the H. Ghost can be preserved with requisite decency without an exquisite carefulnes If thou didst carry the most H. Sacrament of the Eucharist in thy hands how sollicitous wouldst thou be not to let it fal and if thou carry God in thy hart why wilt thou be less attentive The hart is a most delicate member any little offence to it is extream prejudicial any trifling wound is mortal to the body and in like manner any negligence in the custody of our hart doth much prejudice the spirit The kingdom of God is within us why do we beg miseries abroad by our senses an unblemishd hart is the oracle of God he speaks within us how can we harken attentively if we be gazing and wandering abroad while thou conversest with one thou givest not eare to another that interrupts thee how canst thou hear God being distracted with so many affaires Why dost thou desire to gaze abroad upon any beautiful object to tickle thy eares with pleasing sounds to feed thy fancy with forraign newes since thou hast God within thee in whom all beauty is comprizd all pleasure resides as in in its center and a perpetual newnes is discoverable even to the B. Angels themselves though they be in a perpetual fruition even from the very infancy and nonage of the world they beheld him before the prevarication of Adam and stil he is new to their eyes Which of the blessed would relinquish the vision and conversation of God and separate from him to behold any curiosity upon earth or who that is placed but at the gates of heaven would for that end recede thence o how much also is he to be pittyed who in expectation of this earthly trumpery hinders his progress in spirit forsaking the portal of heaven which is a wel guarded hart leaves God alone and sometimes his own hart too expelling God from it in such sort that he can neither know him perspicuously nor hear him expeditly that thou mayst be able to contemplate thy self in a myrrour thou first of all wipest off the dust how canst thou hope to see God in thy hart if thou daube it over with the clay of terrene affections If one should tel thee that S. Paul the Apostle newly come from the third heaven were in the streets explaining and unfolding hidden mysteries thou wouldst leave all though never so pleasing and profitable wouldst run with much speed though far distant to hear see him Behold thou needst not go one step to hear God inculcating things salutiferous and teaching hidden secrets while he comes to thee and sejourns with thee why dost thou not leave these exteriour things so fruitlesly burdensome overcoming all itch of novelties and vain curiosities by which thy fervour doth so evaporate this ought to be so highly prizd that the servant of God F. Francis Villanova was wont to say that although it were told him that an Angel were come from heaven and stood in the market place disclosing wonderful and stupendious mysteries and that great concourse were made thither he would not stir one foot only to overcome curiosity And certainly it were much better not to see an Angel then to be overcome by it if that were the only motive of seing him What retainest thou now of all the vanities thou hast beheld besides some impediments perchance of contemplating God thy mind being burdend with vain fancies and images of things both false and frivolous The les thou seest the more thou lessenest thy desire and occasions of errour A hart shut up to the world is the open gate of truth which gate is shut by giving free scope to our exteriour senses they are these material things that shut it Wherfore thou must alwayes keep within at home and not go forth to externs but with leave from God and for obedience and his glory Then they wil cause no hindrance but forthwith as soon as ever thou hast done thy busines retire home again resaluting and speaking to God who is there expecting thee yea recolect thy self now and then privily in the very dispatch it self steal thy self from thy employments and put thy self in the presence of God Whatsoever thou art to enterprize weigh it wel before hand offer it up to God and as much as thou canst have perpetual recourse to him visit him in thy hart ask his advice and implore with humility his favorable assistance But the chief gate which man must set a guard upon is his mouth least its words prove the outlet of devotion O how often do many sel God at a lower rate then did Iudas since they sell him for one word Simon Magus was cashierd for covetting to buy the H. Ghost with mony others loose him not for mony but a little breath and ayre of their mouth O most holy spirit who utterst nothing but Oracles of truth how can I relinquish thee to attend to the forgeries of men or my self to speak vanities conduct me with my IESVS into the desert of my hart that there thou mayst instruct illuminate and streng then me to beare thy cross O God o Christ of my hart grant me grace to follow thee out of the world and worldly crowds that I may dye with thee out of the city Thou chargd with thy heavy cross didst walk out of Ierusalem to dye for me and accomplish my salvation in the solitude instructing me how I am to go out of this world and seek thee in my self and bear thy cross and be crucified to the world in the solitude of my hart I wish my life could be sayd to be like a warfare upon earth a souldier forsakes parents allyes friends country commodities and embraceth as it were a voluntary bannishment in a forraign land exposing himself both body and soul to most evident danger for a little base pelfe why will not a soul desirous of Christ in order to gain the chiefest good and lock it up in the cabinet of its hart with draw it self from the tumults of men and quit the miseries which attend their affaires so to evade more present dangers both of body and soul be replenished with heavenly consolations The VII Chapter How constant one ought to be in the practise of good works MEN toil many years with great constancy for the inconstant and fleeting goods of this world why then are we so variously sickle in the pursuit of a constant and eternal glory which never wil fade men though they cark and care toile and moile their whole life long cannot get temporal goods albeit they pursue them without respit how can we presume to gain eternity since we are as changeable as any weather cock what paines do robbers usurers and the lecherous undergo to compass their wicked designes though they
health of soul when he loves God and confides in him The VIII Chapter How sollicitous we must be to increase grace GO to the covetous man o remiss spirit and learn sollicitude and arts of industry No great matter is demanded of thee if to become the best thou be set to imitate the worst No greater diligence is exacted of thee to please God then many use to please no body yea to displease all Be confounded not to do for the kingdom of heaven what is ordinarily done for a trifle of money No more is required of thee to obtain great grace and glory then the sinner of his own accord undergoes for vice hell Thou maist with credit be covetous of grace and canst not be too minutely attentive in improving thy spiritual stock studious habits incline to action for which reason it is proper to vertue to reflect not what is don but what is to be done not what is acquired but what is behind and therfore it never is in a stable possession but allwayes in pursuit and sollicitude It delights not in things past but takes incentives from things to come It is covetous it thirsts it burns seeming still to it self more indigent the more it gets Those that hunger after temporal things incur the hatred of all men because they are profitable neyther to themselves nor others yea they endammage others either by usurping or hindering or denying them transitory goods and depriving themselves of eternal Contrary wise those that hoard up spiritual treasures are deemd harmles they are in the favour esteem of all because they enrich themselves without the prejudice of another True goods are of this nature that they are able to satisfy all parties without fear of consuming or causing impeachment to anothers wealth In spiritual goods avarice is commendable in temporal it is detestable for the first are to be hoarded up the latter to be distributed abroad otherwise they are not goods unles they be emploid after a good manner but spiritual avail not unles they be conserved yet nevertheles they are not diminished but rather augmented by communication Disdain not then to do that with credit and profit which others forbear with the general dislike disadvantage both of themselves and all The miser prizeth one half penny as dearly as his life and if he chance to loose it he takes on pittifully and so must thou if through thy negligence thou sustain any detriment of grace or slip any opportunity of improving it The covetous rack their brains to invent new wayes of gain thou must employ thy wits in devising how to advance in grace Esteem nothing little but have a most high conceit of all that stands in the rank of heavenly goods Even as reason corrects the eye judging the stars to be as little as they seem and convinceth it that each of them is much greater then the whole globe of the earth so must thou rectify thy dictamens in a false estimate of these things and perswade thy self that the least improvement of grace is more valuable then the soveraignty of the whole world Let thy eye lids all wayes precede thy steps that thou maist be able to distinguish and pick up the little Margarits of merits amidst the dung of humane employments Let this be thy chief care next to good works in the frequent and fervent use of the Sacraments O immense liberality of God which hast left those immense treasures of thy Church unlockt that every one might take as much as he listed Let us rate the treasures of the Sacraments duly and let the appetite of our avarice discharge and disburden it self upon them for they are the mines of grace A miser that looseth whole nights sleep for a trifle of money that sets so many engins on work for that end that puts himself upon the tenter hooks of a carking pain if he should see the exchequer of a most wealthy king standing open and the king himself begging of him to take thence as much and as often as he would and should still importune him to carry away more and more would he let slip this fair opportunity of enriching himself this is Christs proceeding with thee in the institution of the Sacraments Thou must not only dispose thy self in such sort as not to be frustrated of their effect but thou must love them and frequent them often and dispose thy self worthily to receive more copious grace Disposition is the vessel that receives it and the greater that is and more ardent thy affection the larger portion shal befall thee the least grain wherof is more to be valved then all kingdomes and natures universe The blood of Christ distils into these vessels as did the oyl from the widowes oylpot neyther wil it stop its current til they be all fully replenished Vse also this little craft in thy holy avarice and procure by all thy works to gain if thou canst a double grace offering them to beg a worthy access to the Sacraments and by so doing thou shalt both receive grace for the merit of thy work and thou mayst hope to receive yet another in regard of thy better disposition which God wil give beholding thy affection and sollicitude for a good preparation Beg likewise of thy Ghostly Father that all thy works may be enjoynd thee for satisfaction of thy sins Be also devoutly affected towards all the sacrifices of Christs sacred Body and blood that are offerd through the whole world covetting if it were possible to be present at them all however offer them up to God being thus disposed thou shalt reap more ample fruit Carry also a semblable devotion to all the general prayers of the Church for her children as also to those of the faythful that being thus piously disposed thou mayst partake more plentifully of them Yea he that is in mortal sin which cannot be thought on without horrour must not omit to do all this in token of the reverence he carryes to a worthy reception of the Sacraments with a good purpose and earnest desire of confessing his sins By this meanes his good works which otherwise are barren of grace in respect of merit wil afterwards in some manner be fruitful in the Sacrament by reason of the disposition to which they conduce for although grace shal not be given for their regard yet it wil for the good disposal which he may hope for by so diligent a preparation This soare being thus cured covet also to dispose thy self worthily towards the Sacrament of Extreme-Vnction that thou mayst have it in store when thou shalt chance to stand in need of being anneald The servant of God must be attentive over such smal nyceties and not permit one crum of grace to fall which he may save using this industry all his life long he shall gather a vast treasure neyther must be suffer that instrument of gain a desirous wil to lye idle let him be desirous to do what he
soul and inflame it with his lightsome ardours But with how great charity and obedience must I make this oblation of Christ with so much greater then Abraham did when he was to sacrifice his dearest Son by how much Christ exceeds Isaac and the common cause of all mankind the particular of one single man If God should have commanded the most B. Virgin as he did Abraham to sacrifice for mans redemption her only and dearly beloved Son and she full of a motherly affection were to naile his hands and feet to the cross with what vehement flames of love amidst a torrent of teares with what quicknes promptitude and obedience would she have done it deeming her self happy for such a task o priest consider what an office is deputed to thee that thou thy self art the sacrificer of the Son of the Virgin the Son of God But a greater favour is done to thee then would be done in that case to the most H. Mother of God for thou never canst thank God sufficiently for inventing a meanes how thou mightest sacrifice the Son of God without any payn to him without expense of blood or the torments of death and mayst offer all the paynes of IESVS all his blood and deadly pangs to his Father in the self-same manner as if they were here really exhibited Stand amazd o Priest at thy function behold the world all in suspense over thee how dreadfull is it to see thee stand voyd of all attention where thou shouldst be replenishd with an awfull veneration and immersed in the dregs of creatures while thou performest an office next in dignity to the divinity it self when thou elevatest the body of Christ thou drawest all the Saints to such a spectacle and engagest as I conceive the eyes and knees of the admiring Angels and yet for all this canst thou be distracted the very dead themselves adore God in thy hands as a devout servant of God F. Peter Savedra beheld the body of S. Didacus to arise and worship Christ in the hands of the priest and canst thou thy self who elevatest him be in the mean time unmindfull of so redoubted a majesty and not reverence him from the depth of thy hart contemplate round about thee the Hierarchies of Angels with bended knees and multitudes of divels forced to an humble acknowledgment for if each knee both celestial terrestrial and infernal bend at the name of IESVS how much more will they at the presence of IESVS Consider how signal thy purity ought to be who art appointed Christs substitute to cleanse the world by him from its sinful ordures Thou shouldst not appear like a man but a very Angel and shine more purely then the heavens themselves What do I say o how mean and disproportioned is the comparison of an Angel to a priest since the power of priestly dignity is higher exalted above the prerogatives of a nature Angelical then is an Angel in its kind above a worm God who is so profusely good was pleased to honour his creatures by calling them into part of his charge and providence he designd the Angels chiefly for his coadjutors and Vice-gerents in natural things and therfore made them publique ministers of nature not dispensers of grace and his substitutes in the work of our redemption They preside over the parts of the earth and chief quarters of the world it is their task to conserve the kinds and natures of things but as for producing in others the supernatural guift of grace they have no lawful nay nor any ordinary authority as Priests have whom he chose for his immediate coadjutours in the stupendious work of our redemption and justification they as the Vicars of Christ dispence forth grace and make men the children of God They exercise a kind of power over the naturall Son of God himself IESVS while they consecrate his Body and offer sacrifice They work prodigious miracles The Angels take complacence in serving a Priest as they did Saint Eusebius esteeming this service a high piece of honour How much is grace elevated above nature certainly more sublimely without comparison then the nature of an Angel is above dung How much will guarding a man fall short of making a man God by elevating him to a divine state Which is more honorable to have a care of one or of all to provide for one or all to govern some particulars or appease God for the generality thou mayst hence conclude how eminently a Priest is priviledgd in power above an Angel The sole dignity of Christ is onely worthy of Priesthood IESVS alone as being the first begotten of God obtaynes by title of right a dignifying dignity Notwithstanding this o Mary most loving Mother Mother of Christ and all sinners cloath me in the garments of thy first begotten by a perfect imitation of life as Rebecca did Iacob that I may at least with less unworthines offer that lamb to his eternall Father which thou gavest me for a delicious dish on which thou knowest him to feed with much gust and appetite The XI Chapter That God is to be desired and received with longing in the Eucharist O Desirable truth what do I hear from thy mouth the oracle of all truth with a desire have I desired to eat with you this Paschal How comes it to pass that a man of desires obtaines of God whatsoever he covets and the God of desires cannot obtain of miscreant man his just demands the abstemious Daniel obtaind grace of God by desiring and thou o Lord the replenisher of soules and divider of the bread of heaven shalt not thou prevail so far with me by so many desires and engins of love as to make me yeald up the cittadel of my hart to thee who seekst entrance by so many stratagems and services o languid spirit what canst thou desire but what God desires desiringly but what o Lord desirest thou by entring into my body dost thou covet to become identifyd with me whilst thou covetest to be united to me what object suitable to the greatnes of thy majesty canst thou desire besides thy self thou covetest o Lord to be with me but after such a manner that I may be transformd into thee becoming one body or concorporeal with thee as the members are with their head as also one spirit adhering to God that he may be with me and I with him Charity used a strange disposall when it ordaind that I should be thy mansion-house and thou shouldst remaine in me and I in thee I living for thee as thou for thy Father thou desiring nothing of me nor for me besides thy self nor ceasest thou to covet upon so due a score or just pretence though prescinding from thy self thou findest nothing in me desirable Come o Lord come and take possession of my hart which thy desires most justly challenge O how much do I betray my nothing nor can I resist this claym of desires was it not sufficient o benesicent truth to have
obligd me with deeds and guifts why was it necessary to engage me with thy desires my miseries have bereaud me of all comfort for seing my works to carry but smal proportion with thy benefits it was some relief to endeavour satisfaction by wishes and desires but they also becoming due to thee what now is remnant o Lord how worthily art thou the butt of all desires who desird so desiringly how can I have leasure to fix my desires upon any thing els besides thee the God of desire how can my thoughts or concupiscible powers suspend themselves from the desire of thy most H. Body where the whole man becomes Christ In other Sacraments participations of grace he is made one spirit with God but in this he moreover becomes one flesh with Iesus such a strict union interceding that it is tearmd by the H. Fathers substantial natural and real in so much that now I am wholly thine and one with thee regard and reverence my self as flesh partaking of thy flesh which the most B. Virgin handled and worshipd with so much devotion being jointly two in one flesh I being able to glory and say I am now flesh of Christ a bone of the bones of IESVS This is a great Sacrament in Christ and his Church by that mystery in which we become concorporeal with the king of glory the Son of God and the Virgin Mary Now loving thee o Lord I wil love my self for no body ever hated his own flesh and thou loving thy flesh lovedst me also making both thine mine joynt-sharers of the same favours treating mine as thy own by the priviledg of the resurrection for although other just men both antient Prophets Patriarchs were not to enjoy a resurrection yet those should who dye partakers of this Sacrament of our Lords Body neyther shal this befall them only in regard of the merits of their soul but also for the dignity of their flesh O Lord thou wast desired by all nations that common nature might share of thy communications why do not I desire thee that thou mayst become individual to me one with me by that admirable inconfused conjunction with my particular flesh spirit Therfore o Lord because we do not desire as we ought thou didst vouchsafe to do it least so great a benefit should be deprived of its due love esteem Thou causedst other blessings to be sought and chiefly that of the Incarnation but thou wouldst have the institution of the venerable mystery of thy body and blood to come merely gratis without the expense of the desires of all nations That Sacrament came as an unexpected boon and unlookd-for charity that all our desires might be reserved and employd in a due reception of it and yet for all this we are not enflamed a desire of this mystery is so acceptable to thee that thou wonderfully secondest it and condescendest to a soul that longs to receive thee B. Stanislaus a novice of our Society being more then once in such acondition that he could not satiate his longing desire by feeding on this celestial bread with much ardour of devotion desired what he could not then enjoy and forthwith the Angels brought what he desird and made him eat of that sacred banquet Because the Body of Christ is seldome received with a due desire God would not let this occasion of a worthy reception slip or frustrate it beholding that B. soul in such a spiritual famine and eagernes of appetite Thou taughtst us o IESV teacher of all truth to come to this Sacrament with much tendernes of devotion but we do not imitate the devotion thou exhibitedst towards it by desiring I know not how we can if we love Christ behold this mystery without weeping eyes for a spouse cannot behold the pledg which her fellow-spouse bidding adieu towards a long journy left her for a memorial without a longing desire of his return We must not only endeavour to receive it worthily but even as worthily as possibly we can For besides that an infinite majesty requires all possible reverence and the immense sanctity of IESVS all purity imaginable we shal derive thence a great increase of grace Thou gavest us o Lord 3. documents to make us approach it with greater worthines a fervent love in desiring an exquisite purity a profound humility which thou didst exhibit in washing the feet of thy Disciples What shal I say of purity thou oughtest o lover of Christ in thy access to this table to possess it in such eminency that its beames must be no less refined then if thou wert presently to give up the ghost Thou must endeavour with more earnestnes desire and sollicitude to prepare thy self to the Eucharist then to death nay in some respect of profit more then if thou wert about to enter into the glory of God IESVS washed the feet of his Disciples being to impart his Body to them although they were already clean and notwithstanding when he sent them like lambs in the midst of wolves in such a present hazard of death when he took them along with him to Mount Tabor as eyewitnesses of his glorious Transfiguration he used no such preparative nor when in glory he eat with them after his resurrection One would be pretty wel disposed for death if he were but in the state of grace for although he were not altogether free from tax of paine or venial culpablenes yet before he stood in the presence of God he would be purifyd by cleansing flames I wish with all my hart that a Purgatory did precede the receiving of this Sacrament but because it doth not it imports me to look most narrowly into my self and prepare and refine my self from the least blemish of imperfection or debt of any penalty and supply as wel as I can by diligence and an ardent love the fire of purgatory and although all immunity both from paine and fault be requisite to gain admittance into glory nevertheles no respect is had but to precedent grace and works neyther is the divine indulgence doubled in regard of the disposition as it is distinct from merit but in the Eucharist a more ample clayme and title to glory wil be acquird even in regard of each ones disposal over and above that which is allotted to his merits he that makes it his task to till the soyle of his soul and dispose it better and better the richer Crop shal he reap thence besides the reward of his good works one ought to be much more ambitious of pleasing God and standing gracious in his eyes which is the effect of grace then of joying in the fruition of his glory if the amplenes of his beatitude were not commensurately corresponding to his grace the proportion which God holds All mediums that dispose us to glory by good works distinct from the Sacraments obtaine grace under one only title but preparation to the Eucharist under a double gains afterwards
of the divine honour thou oughtst in all reason to be more immeasurably cruel against thy self then against any enemy or the whol camp of hel although in effect and in the exteriour maceration of thy body a discreet mean is to be held according to the direction of thy superiours and ghostly Father and the prescript of right reason to the end that in this also thou maist seek Gods greater glory for whose sake it is expedient not to be immoderate in chastizing thy self as for the same reason and our own salvation we are forced to pardon our other enemies and afford them a place in the list of our charity for that which God exacts chiefly of us and wherein we ought to take revenge of our selves is the death of our will not of our body And according to this I say it is most evident that thou hast more reason to be displeased with thy self then all thy enemies and ill-wishers whatsoever Suppose a man who had many capital foes who sought his life were delivered into a strong and safe castle there to be kept and defended by his intimate friend one assured to him by all the tyes of alliance and friendship who alone were both esteemd and should be most faithful to him and that there were no sanctuary elswhere for that man nor place of refuge and that it were in his power to let no enemy hurt him nor wrong the least haire of his head unles that friend did introduce him thither and deliver to him the keyes of the castle giving his consent by subscribing letters with his own hand If he who ought to be both faithful and friendly should prove so perfidious as to unlock â—he gate to all his persecutours and give â—hem entrance with intent to let them abuse him wrong him and exercise the utmost of their cruelty upon him and he himself moreover who were to shield him should be more raging and malicious then the rest should impede any benevolence that were intended him permitting nothing good nor conducing to his health to come to his hands which he intoxicated not first with poyson or some other noxious ingredient against whom then ought this miserable man to conceive a spleen against some one of his enemyes or that friend and allye who proves so treacherous whose malice alone is equivalent to all the rest it being certain that without him all their hatred would have availed nothing at all What an incredible brand of perfidiousnes cruelty in humanity would fall upon that man he would incur the detestation of all as being much more blame worthy then all O most beneficent truth thou hast committed my safety only to my own trust as who would be trustyest to my self but I prove most dangerous above all others divels men hell the world all of them are my sworn enemyes but they all remain disarmd if I my self do not arme them they all wil be innocent if I to my self be not nocent All the prejudice I can receive is within the reach of my own power neyther can any body really hurt me but by my permission unles my wil be such unles I betray my self I alone am the Architect of all the injuries which befal me from others though I impute them falsely to others I stop the influences of Gods beneficence I hinder the effects of his guifts I infect his graces and corrupt his vertues abusing both the one and the other how then shal I flatter my self who am so burdensome to my self how shal I cherish and sooth my self who am such a mortal enemy to my self All the hatred I can vent is not equivalent to my own injuriousnes How often have I cheated my self how many faults have I contracted I have defrauded my self of heaven I have neglected the blessings of Gods grace and not to number up all my spiritual losses which are without number what pensivenes of hart what affliction of mind what disasters in my goods what losses in my temporals how many bodily diseases contempts revilements derisions have I brought upon my self by the disordinatenes of my passions by my little circumspection and following the gust of my appetite If just occasion being given any one contristate me I am highly offended and why am I not so with my self since upon alloccasions I am injurious to my self If thou o lying man hadst but once catchd one in a lye thou wouldst never trust him afterwards and having so often belyed and cozend thy self thou yet trusts thy self and art not at all suspicious of thy proceedings But why do I recount my own injuries it is a sufficient motive to make me abhor and prosecute with a pious hatred whatsoever is mine for that all have proved as so many obstacles to retard my endeavours in loving God O most holy faithful truth I ought to loath and hate my self for being so wicked and disloyal to my self how much more for being wicked and perfidious to thee for my own sake it behoovd me to detest my self how much more o Lord for thine because I loved not my self orderly I should in reason have hated my self how much more because I loved thee not at all who alone should be loved in all I loved not thee because I knew not how to love my self yea I loved not my self because I loved not what in reality I was but some what else les considerable I loved not my soul which is my chief and noblest portion but only my body as if I were nothing but it which is absurdly false for I have also a soul for whose ransome the Son of God by way of exchange gave his To love a part of my self I loved not my whole self and what is more to be lamented I loved not that which to me is all in all God my Saviour If thou be carried with a zeal towards God o perfidious man thou canst not but be fraught with hatred towards thy self I permit that so far as thou hast prejudiced or wrongd thy self thou be indulgent to thy self there remaines yet sufficient cause of selfrevenge for not loving God and transgressing his commands Thou art not a litle moved when thou hearest the perversenes of Caiphas and the treachery of Iudas and the very naming them puts thee into chollar why then wilt thou be partial and soft-natured to thy self tel me o proud spirit if thou hast but one dram of true humility that is of truth dost thou not hold thy self the worst of all sinners nay this is nothing extraordinary since S. Paul framed no better conceit of himself Wherfore thou must deem thy self the perversest of creatures when thou hast done so thou proudly rankest thy self above thy degree Nevertheles I demand of thee if thou holdst thy self such then by consequence worse then Iudas or Caiphas or any other but if thou judgest so in very deed proceed consequently lest thou be taxed and derided by the Angels and either out of
which is perfect as also of Gods simplicity wherfore the Trinity of Persons is an authentical testimony of the divine Vnity What complacence doth a soul take in knowing this not as I have rudely explicated it or as it can be explicated for this is only felt by an inexplicable manner for as there are no natural species which can bring us to this knowledg so neyther are there words significantly expressive of what is manifested to some pious soules concerning the word eternal Therfore the soul of a creature is so over joyd when the mutual proportion and harmony of the increated Trinity and Vnity and the necessity of both to the accomplishment of the divine perfection is communicated to it that it is all in jubily and exultation transported besides it self and quite spent through amorous desires and the languishments of true charity thirsting earnestly to discover in the other life this stupendious goodnes of the Trinity Why longst thou o my soul to see any thing else besides this great spectacle of the world for whose sight alone the Seraphins and all the Hierarchies of Angels and Saints were created and introduced into heaven as so many spectatours Where is thy curiosity where thy desire of knowledg if thou covet not to be dissolved and contemplate that mystery and to dive into this hidden secret but thy longing must remit thee to the other life and not put thee upon inquiry in this how he is three and one Thou must not search the cause why he is so since thou art not able to give the cause of what he is Thou seekst in vain a cause in him who hath no cause God were not to be stiled great if he were not greater then our capacity Thou must not â—nquire after what manner he can be so who never could be before he was so Philosophers could never sufficiently penetrate into the nature of divers wormes and no body knowes himself throughly how then canst thou hope to make a ful discovery of the divine nature thy Author wherfore thou must captivate thy reason to the simplicity of faith in this supernatural mystery for that perspicuity which the divine indulgence daignes sometimes to insinuate belongs not to all but only to whom God calls out of the number of those who dwel with his Son in the mount Calvary and in a totall ejurement of themselves who denying self wil have taken up their cross followed IESVS to that mount and wil have them follow him thence to the mount Olivet glory those he priviled geth somtimes in such sort as to make them partakers of his majesty Where I am saith IESVS there also shal my servant be He that shal partake with Christ in suffering shal also partake of this extraordinary light and joy So when our Holy Patriarch Saint Ignatius had wasted exhausted himself with corporal pennances and austerities it was more copiously and clearly imparted to him then one is able to express So that mirrour of fervour F. Didacus Martinus did almost allwayes behold himself environed with a glorious light of the Trinity or some one of the three Persons Nevertheles it appertains to all to covet with most ardent desires the sight of this ancient and eternal novelty in the life to come It was reveald to that holy servant of God F. Iohn Fernandius that a certain religious man of our society was long detaind in purgatory because he had omitted to wish with ardency the sight of the most B. Trinity O my soul why art not thou more enamoured upon the sight of this theatre of the blessed to whose spectacle all minds are summond allrational creatures are invited What a joy wil it be to behold that which now by reason of the narrownes of our thoughts or ignorance through an excess of jubily and love we are not able to comprize how exultingly shall we rejoice while we contemplate these first fruits of the divine perfection that fore-tast and new expression of the divine goodnes where it communicates it self to the Son and that primitive bounty of God what a pledg and assurance wil a soul receive of the divine benignity towards it self when it beholds this profusenes of benevolence if God without deliberation gave all that he is wil he not by the advise and vote of his goodnes grant that we may at least see what he is if he permit us not to be what he is he wil permit us to admire what he is if not to possess him at least to enjoy him if not to live by the same life at least by such another and that eternal of which a soul hath a pawn when it beholds a generation excluding death How can we chuse but love God with all our mind and strength considâ—ring that purple morning of ardent charity which he displaid where the first and Virgin dew of his guifts is the furnace it self of charity love it self in the same substance so that the love is as great as God in the same guift of love he gives his own infinite essence for love it self is the first guift and all that infinite being which is in God What assurances of benevolence wil a soul take hence beholding such a happy and ominous essay of Gods future bounty and such a promising beginning of his goodnes insomuch that it takes huge complacence in being loved by that unparalleld love and doth what it can to love him reciprocally by imitating so great goodnes by giving it self to God by leaving it self nothing since the Father leaves himself no parcel of his substance which he communicates not to the Son and both of them to the H. Ghost In the excess â—â— this consideration and the consideration of this excess by means of a mysterious darknes there passeth an ineffable communication and intimate union betwixt God and a soul The soul passeth into God by grace love which though she remain in herself by nature yet not by affection and God passeth into the soul by indulgence and charity though he still remain in his majesty O immense goodnes of the Father immense wisdome of the Son immense sweetnes of the H. Ghost grant that I may reverence thee in thy Vnity adore thee in thy Trinity admire thee in thy goodnes imitate thee in thy love grant that I may humble my self to thy â—uperexcellency that I may enjoy thy Vision â—dhering to thee through all eternity becoming one spirit with thee and in this interstice â—n adorer of thy majesty In spirit and truth â—et me desire truth spirit to contemplate face to face the more then most true the more then most spiritual and superessential excellency of thy Trinity and Vnity To the honour of the ever B. Trinity the word Incarnate and his V. Mother S. Ioseph and all Saints FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS Contained in the I. Book 1. THe deceitfullnes of a secular life fol. 1. 2. Of the Truth of the Spirit fol. 8. 3. Of Purity
of Spirit fol. 13. 4. How Truth is made manifest by faith and of the fruit and practise of this vertue fol. 19. 5. Of the hope of pardon and zeal of pennance 25. 6. The model of a sinner is set before our eyes 30. 7. The â—â— part of the Parable and how we must use Creatures fol. 38. 8. The affections of a true Penitent fol. 45. 9. Of the ardent desire of those that serve God 55. 10. Of contemning relinquishing the world 58. 11. How peace is to be obtaind fol. 62. 12. Of the excellency of one that is in the state of grace fol. 69. 13. How penances and corporal afflictions help us f. 85. 14. That too much love of our flesh hinders the Spirit fol. 90. 15. Of the loss of temporal things fol. 94. 16. How profitable temptations are fol. 98. 17. That we must fear God and hope in him 102. 18. That we cannot but suffer something and of the good of patience fol. 108. In the II. Book 1. OF diligence in Prayer fol. 114. 2. That we must not intermit our practise of Prayer fol. 122. 3. How efficacious the grace and favours of Christ are fol. 127. 4. How devoutly we ought to be affected towards the most B. Virgin Mary fol. 142. 5. That we must imitate Christ and of the sorrow and suffering of his most B. Hart. fol. 156. 6. How farr we are to follow Christ fol. 166. 7. That necessities and afflictions sent by God are to be born patiently fol. 176. 8. How purity of body helps the Spirit fol. 183. 9. That our practise of mortification must be continual fol. 187. 10. Of the sufficiency and good of poverty fol. 193. 11. That Patience is necessary in all occasions fol. 201. 12 VVhat a great good it is to be subject to another 206. 13. How great harm proceeds from daily and light defects fol. 213. 14. Of exactnes in smal things fol. 225. 15. That self-praise is to be avoyded fol. 231. 16. Of the basenes of man fol. 235. 17. VVhat things ought to humble man and that he can have nothing besides God alone fol. 243. 18. How much we owe to the grace of God Christ fol. 248. 19. That man must not only esteem himself nothing but also a great sinner fol. 256. 20. VVhat it is to stile ones self a nothing a great sinner fol. 262. 21. That Gods glory is alwayes to be sought fol. 266. In the III. Book 1. HOw careful we must be to do our actions wet fol. 275. 2. That we must shake of all negligence fol. 280. 3. How incommodious a thing sleep is fol. 287. 4. That we must rise fervorously to our morning prayer fol. 297. 5. That our daily fervour must be retaind fol. 304. 6. Of maintaining our fervour fol. 310. 7. How constant one ought to be in the practise of good works fol. 315. 8. How sollicitous we must be to increase grace 321. 9. How God is to be praised fol. 328. 10. How great a dignity it is to offer the Sacrifice of Christ. fol. 335. 11. That God is to be desired and received with longing in the Eucharist fol. 343. 12. That in time of refection we must not be more indulgent to our bodyes then necessity requires fol. 354. 13. That one must take account of his proceedingâ— by a frequent examen of himself fol. 364. 14. How we must be affected towards others fol. 371. In the IV. Book 1. HOw ungrateful we are to God fol. 377. 2. That Gods benefits are without number 382. 3. That Gods love in our redemption appears infinite fol. 388. 4. How deservedly God is to be loved and chiefly for himself fol 395. 5. That we are not able to satisfy the goodnes of God fol. 402. 6. How great benefit of glory we hope for 405. 7. Of suffering death fol. 415. 8. That man must give himself to God for his benefits fol. 422. 9. That God alone is to be loved fol. 425. 10. That self love must be rooted out fol. 429. 11. How we are to love our neighbour fol. 442. 12. That nothing is to be coveted but what God willeth fol. 445. 13. That we must give no care to our own wil. 448. 14. That we must continually be mindful of God 456. 15. That the incomprehensible goodnes of God is to be loved fol. 463. 16. Of the superessential light of the most blessed Trinity fol. 469. FINIS
spirit he alone that is in grace is a living image of God quickned with his spirit and as it were the child and image of his parent by participation and communication of nature What a deal of difference is there and how far falls a material picture or statue of some king short of the kings own beloved Son the noblest essence and natural perfection of the highest Archangel falls much shorter of a soul that is in grace for there is no substance or nature but it represents God only after a dead manner no otherwise then an Emperour is represented by a piece of wood or marble or a painted tablet Among those that partake of the same nature there is not so much a similitude as an identity or selfsamenes therfore the H. Fathers stile one that is in grace the same with God like as the father and the Son in humane generations are accounted the same person The natural Son of God himself said let all be one as thou o father in me and I in thee that they may also be one in us For although each just man besides the just of justs IESVS becomes only such by adoption there is a greater tye unity betwixt him God then is found betwixt natural parents and their children The children of men have only a smal parcel of base matter and their parents flesh but he that is in the degree of grace receives the whole divine spirit within him Therfore the adoptive filiation of God is a more sublime manner of filiation then that which is naturally found among men O man rejoyce in this thy dignity and do not degenerate from the divine condition thou art raysd to have a care of Gods honour be zealous in his quarrel if not because he is thy God at least because he is thy father and all that he hath shal be thine Children because they hope to inherit their fathers patrimony follow their fathers busines thou being heir to God must not carry thy self like a stranger or alien Although God had not given us our creation yet for this only that he adopted us his children we owe him a cordial love and must discharge our duty in things appertaining to his service with a great deal of zeal O most loving father why am not I touched with a deep resentment for being enrolld into thy family and tasting so singularly of thy providence Wild beasts out of love to their yong ones expose themselves to a hazard of death and what wilt thou do who hast given such a remonstrance of love even for us who condemnd thy natural Son as to take us for thy children O what confidence ought a soul to have in this filiation although God were not a God of providence yet he would be watch fully careful sweetly sollicitous over him that is in grace no les then a mother in widowhood over her only and beloved child yea far greater then this is Gods affection and vigilancy in regard of the just To this we may add that by grace we become the friends of God IESVS himself utterd these words sweeter then honey drops ye are my friends For by grace there accrues a certain dignity betwixt God and man not of a disproportionable degree but so dignifying that it elevates him to the order of things divine and of a mortal man makes him a friend and favorite of the immortal king Although we did not become the children of God yet for this sole respect that grace entitles us his beloved its worth exceeds all valuation A friend is preferrd before a kins man and is held more trusty then nature it self allies are often neglected or become the objects of hatred friends are alwaies beloved men do more for their friend then for their brother what then shal we conceive of friendship with God There are two things which endear much alliance and love and both of them are found in grace To be loved by God is a rich mine of heavenly gold and a magazine of all divine blessings The love of God is not â—oytering and sluggish but most effectual and operative To love one is to wish him wel in God it is the self same to wil and to do and consequently whomsoever he loveth he enricheth him with the treasures of heaven The love of God is an ever flowing conduit or rather a river of celestial blessings If he exposd his life for his enemies what will he do for his friends There is no incongruity or inconsequence to be found in God wherfore if he did so much for those that hated him he wil do incredible things for those that love him carrying a special providence over them If he have so much care of our enemies as to command us to love them what wil he have of his own friends He loved us so affectionately when we were yet his foes that he seemd to love us more then himself and if he did this when we were his enemies wil he do les when he both stiles and accounts us his friends Thou wouldst be glad to have a friend as faithfull to thee as Ionathas was to David but all humane fidelity is a meer toy yea to be accounted but treachery in regard of that which God shewes on thy behalf Men hold it no smal favour to be taken notice of by a terrene king what wil it be to be loved so affectionately loved by God wilt thou know o my soul how signally remarkable Gods friendship fidelity is He is so enamourd upon his friends that he cannot endure to be separated from them If his immensity were confind only to heaven he would relinquish it to come to one that is in grace nor would he ever be from him but would make himself his coÌ„stant sejourner that our society may be with the father his Son Iesus Christ by the mediation of the H. Ghost who is diffusd in our harts Deer and lambs and pigeons are sociable creatures they willingly sort with one another love those whom they know to be of the same kind God is sociable the Son of God is a lamb the divine spirit is tame and affable it loves those that become divine affecting the fellowship of his nature and as it were of the same feather with him If the most sacred Humanity of Christ took such complacence in any one as to be alwaies present with him what should we think of such a singular priviledg and why do we not admire that the Dinity never departs from the just man but becomes his unseparable companion and not only dwels with him as his fellow sejourner but even in him in whom he placeth his tabernacle much more willingly then in the sun What parent so loves his child as with his good wil never to be from him but alwaies in his company yea such a one assignes him a tutour and commits him to his custody But God our parent and friend entrusts us to no body else he
wil alwayes be with us himself What mother loves her child so tēderly as that she wil continually have him in her armes Yet God doth this Grace is a knot which tyes God and man together it is the sweet and mutual embracement of the spirit divine and humane Among men the father may not be where the Son is but God cannot but be with him that is in grace Although God be existent in creatures both by his essence presence and power this is so because he is God and it cannot be otherwise not for any dignity or desert in them but by reason of his immensity and infinitude But grace not nature hath this attractivenes that although God could be absent and were limitable to locality yet it would make him present and existent with one in grace residing with him and becoming one spirit yea albeit he could forget his creatures he would be alwaies sweetly present to his memory share of his providence although he could relinquish them and not operate in them nor conserve maintain them yet he would stil be working some good in the just for as love is effectual so it never intends any good but it compleats it What a benefit and dignity is it to have God alwaies for our companion certainly we should be struck with amazement to see any creature so beloved by God and so noble that he commanded his celestial spirits those thousands of thousands that attend him to accompany it whether soever it went and be followd by all that traine so stately and majestical yet this would be but solitude in comparison of the fellowship and attendance of God What are all things before thee o lord but as it were a mere nothing and vacuity If we should admire such a creature why do we not also admire a sould in grace since it hath God for its attendance not waiting at its elbow but as it were in its essence enlivening it O most fortunate dignity of man and dignation of God to have that highest Majesty alwaies accompanying the Sons of men for God will not be a lazy and unprofitable companion to a soul not providing what is beho offul to it Wil he be like one that is sluggish or blind who neither sees nor resents the necessities and miseries which press it certainly God doth not associate himself to the just for nothing They may wel neglect both themselves and their temporal if only they be careful of what concerns him he wil have a care of them O my Father o friend o companion I beg of thy Majesty that I may alwaies carry a due reverence fidelity and affability towards thee I wil demean my self to thee as a child doth to his parent taking all thy affaires to hart reputing them my own not otherwise then towardly children are industriously careful of their parents busines because they look upon it as their own I beseech thee that I may be a faithful friend to thee seeking at all turnes thy greater honour glory advancing what concerns thee loving thee more then my self Grant that I may keep with thee all the rules of good fellowship least by my continual defects I may contristate thy holy spirit But if all grace be of such vertue and efficacy in it self that it makes us kinsmen and allies of God most dear to him yea in a manner Gods and this because it is given by Christ hence it followes that that portion of it which befals man is more happy more venerable and highlyer priviledgd then that which was bestowd upon the Angels or our first parents in the state of innocency Those children are ordinarily first in their parents affection who were deliverd into the world with the strongest throwes of a hard labour and what wonder then if our grace be dearer to Christ since it cost him so many sorrowes and he for it bestow on us greater priviledges affording us more helps tolerating us more patiently and longanimously raysing us to great spiritual advancement in so much that the very Angels themselves do honour men for this respect that they have grace by Christ are struck with a reverential fear to see our nature now prostrate before them which they sleighted so much before God became Incarnate by assuming it and this because a special dignity accrues to the grace we partake of we being made therby living members of Christ computed the same with him There redounds a certain veneration from the head to the members how can the Angels despise our nature which they admiringly behold exalted above theirs even to the throne of the Divinity and fellowship of God what wonder if they treat us not as their inferiours whome the Son of God the first begotten among many brethren under the title of equals exalted above the celestial spirits themselves calling men his brethren and esteeming them more then Angels He never honored any of the Seraphins so much as to call him brother This is the highest prerogative of grace which renders it so honorable and elevates it above all nature Moreover our nature it self by grace through Christ is dignified and exalted above all other natures for as much as the Lord of glory communicates the same his glory with his joyntly united members and living allyes Our grace also is founded upon the merits of IESVS and his union as if therby it gave us a juster title to merit from God and makes us do it after a perfecter manner For we are all children of sorrow we are Gods Benjamins the Sons of his right hand and dear above all others O most loving father who sacrificd they only begotten Son to death that I becoming thy Son might live grant that I may alwayes have a true esteem and knowledg of this inestimable benefit One Angel is more endebted to thee for the least degree of grace which he received then all creatures together for all the goods of nature and creation of the universe But I a silly wretched man owe thee more for the least particle of grace bestowd upon me then all the Hierachies of Angels for all the supernatural guifts conferrd upon them all together For to the end that I through grace might live a divine life thou wouldst have thy son in humane nature to suffer an unhamane death Thou hast done more for me then for all the Angels thou hast heapd more obligations upon me then upon the Cherubins and Seraphins There are two reasons for which men are obligd to preserve and highly magnify divine grace The one is its inestimable worth and unspeakable dignity the other is thy most pretious blood o IESVS which thou didst shed to merit grace If we be not satisfyd of its value in its self this may throughly convince us that thou wouldst purchase it for us at so deare a rate It must needs be a rare and stupendious thing which God who cannot err in his choise chose rather to give us then save the life of
attempt things both unknown and uncertain why can we for love of vertue and the honour of God sustain nothing with constancy he that hopes for a continual and eternal good unjustly shuns labours in its pursuance he that is to be alwayes happy must be alwayes good for Each day condemns mans irreligious facts All seasons open are to vertues acts as saith S. Prosper The greatest grace of all other is to preserve the grace which is given thee and thy chief work not to surcease from doing works As a creature would be very deformed without head and life such a monster is a good life without a corresponding end We have received grace without any paines but we must conserve it both by grace and paines The beginning of a thing is accounted half its accomplishment but unles it end wel all comes to nothing In the matter of perseverance the end is all in all for nothing is done so long as any thing remaines undone It imports little to have laboured hard all ones life long if he faulter in the end The sole last moment of perseverance is more available then all the years by past for all their fruit proves rotten if it did not borrow thence a preserving soundnes Thou wilt think it a hard task to persever but it is much harder to begin again and much more then that to begin often Wherfore it is both more easy and more conducible to persever once then to begin often Horses force themselves les in a continued course of drawing a chariot then after having stood stil when they are to move it again Water which hath been once heated being taken of the fire becomes more cold then at first If fervour be wanting in thy proceedings thou also perchance wilt be more tepid then in the beginning Many grow faint-harted in the course of perseverance because they find difficulty in doing good but they do not therfore evade that difficulty for it is only perseverance that makes all easy If thou hadst the courage to begin a hard task thou mayst wel continue it that being much more easy Thou hast found so long by experience that it is neyther disproportioned to thy strength nor grace why then contrary to so long proof art thou now diffident thinking thy self unable to bear it what is eyther past or to come is not burdensome for the present do not grasp the difficulty all at once for it comes not so but by piece meale cōmensurate to the parts of time As thou wast able before to support it so art thou now and wil be henceforth It wil not be more noysome then it was but the heat of the difficulty wil remit by length of time and custome Accustome thy self to do wel and thou wilt forget to do ill Custome overcomes difficulty because it overcomes nature and what then wil grace do if custome overcome nature much more wil a wel-orderd charity in thee overcome the deordinations of nature It is better many times to fulfil a good purpose or consummate a work already begun then to begin another though otherwise more perfect because by inuring thy self yealding to a ficklenes of mind neither wilt thou performe that other Seldome can any work occur which is better then constancy in fulfilling a good purpose Good purposes are to be kept although they be not of any great regard because albeit in themselves it imports but little whether they be kept or no yet it is extremely important to be constant no wayes changeable Who is more constant in making good purposes then he who least intends to keep them If thou learnst a firm perseverance in one good against another thou wilt learn it more firmly against evil wilt not vary like time in this time of serving God O eternal truth grant me grace to serve thee eternally help o Christ my weaknes thou who with such indefatigable love tookest upon thee all our infirmities thou who never art weary with tolerating my impudent negligences grant that I may never be negligent any more nor desist impudently from thy service but may learn to brook swallow all morsels of difficulty Let me learn o Lord perseverance by thy love who when thou lovedst thine thou didst love them even to the end thou who didst persever hanging upon the cross and wouldst not desert it though the Iewes promised upon that condidition to believe in thee the Son of God who being ful of irksomnes anguish and a bloody sweat didst persist nevertheles and seeke redress by red oubling thy prayers Go too o remiss spirit tel me what must thou covet to do for thy IESVS who persevered for thee amidst the sorrowes of death and the cross who when he loved thee loved thee even to death what I say must thou covet but to do good and suffer evil These are the chief ambition of a soul that loves IESVS that which makes most for perseverance A good work presents it self what hinders thee from doing it but the trouble which accompanies it but mark wel that here concurs a second commodity of suffering evil and attend now that the good is doubled ther is superadded to this work both to suffer evil and do good Thou canst pretend no excuse for thy non-perseverance because that only hinders thee which ought to be the sum of thy desire to suffer for thy beloved If the love of IESVS were enkindled in thee all backwardnes tribulation and extrinsecal impediments would no more oppress thee then fire is with wood which forthwith more inflames it But if thou be so coldly chil that the love of God finds no fewel to feed on let thy own advantage and hope of future joy incite thee Dispair of coming off with life is wont to add valour to souldiers make them way through the thickest dangers divine hope of eternal life is yet more forcible and wil make thee more valiant and daring With this hope attempt thy enterprizes and persever cheerfully A cheerfull acceptance feels neyther labours nor trouble though otherwise the thing be laborious enough He that exerciseth himself in military games or at ball is wont to take more paines then one that hires himself forth to day-task and yet he feels it not because he takes it by way of pleasure and content If thou wilt conclude happily in the last hour be sure to begin each hour if thou intend to persever begin alwayes a new Excuse not thy negligence by indisposition of body self love for the most part deceives thee and makes thee do thy actions remisly Thy body is able to do more then thou thinkst if thy fervour of mind were but vigorous its force infusing strength even into weak and feeble limbs A lunatique person though exhausted with sicknes can do more then 4. that are sound the vigour of our mind sometimes communicates it self to the body If the infirmity of a malady can make one strong how much more the strength of grace and
appearance of thy glory I reserve my self for it and wil refrain from these grosser meats of the earth Vpon hopes to feed more savourly at a wel furnishd table the guest is content to protract his fast it is but meet that upon hopes of the divine supper we at least keep abstinence Remember that Christ hath made thee equal with the Angels and wil it not then be a shame to do like a beast he that cannot wholly wipe off an infamy lessens and dissembles it as much as he can let it confound us to renew daily the brand we received by gluttony in our first fall from a state of happines and that with so much gust and savour If we had heaven eyther in esteem or hunger we should loath earth and earthly things where when we are to eat for as much as concerns gust we must carry our selves as if there were none at all God himself invites thee a guest to the supper of eternal glory in the interim sitting down to table let Christ be thy fellow-guest and thou wilt be abstemious if thou suppose thou art to divide with him What soever thou subtractest from thy necessary sustenance offer it to IESVS The Pharisees and Publicans invited IESVS thou being a Christian must not think much to do the same He that invites another labours not so much to please his own palat as his guests for whom he carves the best piece so when thou sittest down at table strive not to content thy own rellish but study how to pleasure Christ and the only way to please his gust is to take no gust at all Consider him where he refreshed those 3. dayes when his Mother lost him in the Temple prepare a banquet for him together with Saint Mathew Contemplate Christ his disciples when through want of necessaries they pulled cares of corne call him making him share of thy provisions prepare him a feast together with Zaccheus Behold him fasting 40. dayes for thy sake and if thou wilt not minister to him with the Angels invite him with Simon and he will be as much refreshed with thy abstinence as if a table were furnished for him by the Angels He begd a draught of water of the Samaritan do thou give him of thy cup. I thirst cryed he from the cross let him tast of thy Chalice O that any one would give me gall vinegar I would exchange cups with Christ relieving his thirst with my drink how could I chuse but relieve thee o Lord in such extreme necessity now I am able to do it and undoubtedly thou wilt rellish my good will and desire of abstinence more savourly then if I offerd thee a most delicious draught How unnatural were he that would not relieve thee now I may do it if I drink not more then is necessary Why shal I not refresh thy thirst behold o soul thy IESVS desirous to eat his Pasch with us accompany the Apostles that thou maist partake of so desired a table Carry thy self there with modesty and humility seek the lowest place but chuse not for all that the place of Iudas Thou art not worthy to sit at such a table place thy self at the feet of thy companion the betraier the most humble IESVS will even there also find thee out Contemplate how he fed so many yeares with his most H Mother and S. Ioseph she perchance sometimes eat very sparingly and defrauded her own mouth of many bits purposely to give them to her most loving Son their poverty not sufficing for both deprive thy self of some parcel give it as an almest to the Virgin wherewith to feed her dearest child Remember how this Mother of love gave suck to her Infant IESVS how the Son of God even then would fast for thy sake abstain sometimes from these sweet breasts do thou also for his sake refrain at least from some particle and offer it to Christ with a most ardent charity with such to wit as she nursed him imitate to thy utmost her love In this manner thou shalt stifle with pious meditations and forestail thy appetite by an affection to things divine One desire wil drive out another and one rellish drown another Perchance gluttony wil be no les extirpated and thy mind by ruminating what is read at table and such pious employments more purged then by fasting it self If the motive of doing a thing acceptable to Christ do not urge thee the dignity of abstinence the profit which redounds from it ought in all reason to prevail Nothing is more contrary to the spirit then an unmortified appetite Eat to refresh thy body not to overcharge it Many when they eat do rather oppress then nourish their bodies making that which ought to be the refection of life its oppression Is it not very absurd to load and stuff ones belly as one would do an asses pack since our flesh is elevated above the Cherubins if the kingdome of God and tabernacle of the H. Ghost be within us why are we so base-minded as to make our stomacks the charnel-house or Sepulcher of dead beasts he that ought to be the Temple of the living God cald to a divine life why doth he debase himself to the meanest of all lives to wit ' a dead life and the very dregs of all life Plants having only a nutritive life are void of all sense We loose so much of our mind as we bestow of it upon meat what more unworthy then the loss of an Angelical life mind if thou feedst too greedily sensually thou hast reason to fear least thou degenerate not so much into a beast as into a tree or a stock Adam being overcome with gluttony clad himself with leaves like a tree as if he meant to become one carrying its shape in his flight from God Gluttony and nutrition is not only a life proper to unreasonable creatures but to the very insensible plants nutrition being only peculiar to them Therfore a full belly obstructs all sense it evacuates the mind it disposeth one to insensibility by hindring the use of reason which after dinner is dull and sluggish it induceth sleep in which a man differs nothing at all from an elme or plain tree save only that this at set times affords the benefit of a shade but the life of gourmandizers is the life of sleepers and the life of sleepers the life of a gourd which is allwaies in a lying posture Hence it followes that he who is les abstemious is les obsequious to reason as being more insensible the sole life of trees is uncapable of command Nutrition it self is not in the power of a creature When we check our desires or curbe savage beasts they become tame and pliable to their keepers but plants which regard nothing as I may say but their belly that is to feed themselves they harken to no body nor regard reason This kind of life is the scum and refuse of all