body in the harshest manner he could both for apparrel and rigour of fare The austerities also of barbarous hethens destitute of our hopes may make us blush at our own tepidity they wore shirts of iron which goard their bodies on all sides with sharp pricks they shretchd themselves upon tenter hooks singing the whilst hymnes in praise of their God they cast themselves under the wheeles of the chariots which carried their Idols and sufferd themselves to be bruizd to pieces they abstaind from meat for many dayes together Let it confound us that superstition is more powerful then religion and the phantasticalnes of men then the love of God The XIV Chapter That too much love of our flesh hinders the spirit IF our flesh although it be born with us and the blood which enlivens us be such domestique enemies as to hinder the life of our spirit can flesh that 's only alli'd and consanguinity much avail The spirit ought to blush at the name of alliance how much more at the allies of a fond and disordinate love If the flesh be ashamd of its kindred of the same flesh if it disclaime from obscure kinsfolks and progenitours how much more ought the spirit to be ashamd of all flesh and blood and such like affinity The soul ought to renounce her own flesh which she animates and why doth she disordinately love anothers and that void of life which servd others and perchance serves now only for food and lodging for wormes The noblenes of grace and our alliance with Christ should in all reason be forcible enough to make us forget and blush at our nature without needing the incentives of its basenes corruption and loss of allies O divine truth thou commandest me to hate my kindred that I may become thy disciple If I love them more then thee how shal I become thy spirit adhering to thee one spirit with thee Grant me by thy blood that I may not love my blood but in thine let the blood of Christ obtain so much at our hands that we love not too much the blood of sinful men Christ by his sacred blood would redeem us and become our allie by blood for he was not ignorant of the taintures and defects of our blood and our allies by blood and therfore vouchsafed a reparation The spirit is not bound to follow the lawes and dictamens of the flesh see then o my soul that neernes of blood do not taint thy love God commands thee to hate thy self and thy own flesh and blood how canst thou then love thy friends and kinsfolks otherwise then for God and according to the prescript of vertue Thou mightst with as much reason love gnats or flies as thy allies which nevertheles thou seek'st to destroy Wormes are engenderd by the same carnal parents with thy brethren why adhor'st thou them with such a loathing of stomack more then all and lovest thy kindred with such affection of hart more then God If the ground of this extraordinary love beyond the dictamens of vertue be for that they are engendred of the same Parents wormes have more from them then thy brethren for they gave not these their soul nor are they totally producd by them as the others are Hence kinsfolks and parents love and regard only the bodies of their kindred being little sollicitous for what concerns the good of their soul it being Gods handywork not theirs Yea neither didst thou receive thy body from thy parents but by them from God What lovest thou thy allies because they are parts of thy common progenitours by the same reason thou oughtest to love any of their disseverd members yea though infected with a loathsome canker If thou lovest them for resemblance sake by the same consequence thou mightst love their statua or any other ordinary man What is it to descend from the same family but only to have drawn a litle stenchy matter and corruption out of the same stinking fountain and what is worse sin also Can two with any reason boast because they fel together into the same puddle and were bemird with the same dirt Thy parent begot nasty wormes of a purer nature then thee they being void of sin and thou staind with the filth of original neither wert thou sooner partaker of life then guilty of death He that vainly glories in the nobility of his carnal pedegree seeks to entitle to honour the disgrace of common nature What els is disordinate affection to kindred but a vaunting of that common basenes which we should be ashamd of and a complacence in the ignominy of sin The viciousnes of our nature takes growth and increase by flesh and blood and our misery prospers gaines ground thence the flesh is maximd in principles wholy repugnant to the spirit Our soul no sooner begins to be but by meanes of the flesh it is infected with sin and the contagiousnes spreading still more and more it is the prime cause of all our sinful mortalities We must renounce both blood and kindred that we may be freed from this death of sin by the eross of Christ which we must carry We shal not meet with such harsh encounters as many children and youths have done who by vertue of his cross trampled under foot all flesh blood S. Iohn Goto a Iaponian of our Society at the place of his martyrdome beholding at an equal distance on the one hand the teares and sighs sweet embracements of his weeping parents on the other crosses and gibbets bloody executioners nothing dismaid with such ensignes of cruelty chose rather to cast himself into the armes of the cross then those of his kindred and sleighting couragiously all their enticing allurements â—ann to that which stood prepard for him where dying he purchasd the kingdom of God which is not bought by flesh and blood The XV. Chapter Of the loss of temporal things THe spirit is not much troubled at the loss of temporalities for which it hath more reason to rejoyce One that lies groaning under a heavy waight would he lament if a friend should remove it That which is to be taken away it s much better that God take it then death If divested of all thou be pleasing to God and he pleasd with thee to what purpose seekest thou by the access of creatures and cares to become grateful to him Let himself alone content thee without his guifts and the assurances of temporal commodities God loves not what is thine but thee do not thou love so much what is Gods as God himself Christ dispoild of all mounted the cross dispoild of all he came out of his sepulcher there he left his shrowd behind him naked also he took the citty of heaven and enterd it triumphant For love of thee who art naked he dâ—â—d naked not for love of thy goods and fortuâ—es therfore he seeks thee not them and because he seeks thee he takes these things from thee expecting thee naked in heaven
live with thee teach me how I may truly live to day Thou must o remiss spirit daily arme thy self to combat and awake with great chearfulnes as one would do to battail the sign of falling on being given as it were by this trumpet thou shalt love thy Lord God with all thy hart with all thy soul with all thy mind with all thy strength Let this precept allarme thee in the morning perswade thy self that each day of thy life is not only a day of warfare but a set day for combat How cheerfully do soldiers rise that morning wherin they receive orders to prepare for batail a soldier is not found unarmd in the day of combat thou must make account thou art to fight every day arme thy self early in prayer with a most fervent charity with a most profound self contempt with patience mortification all the stratagems thou canst invent The sole suspition of a batail armes a souldier and makes him continue so for many dayes because he expects to fight one day what ought the certainty and belief of a daily conflict to operate in us dispose all thy actions in the morning and depose them in the hands of God and purpose to be twice as good to day as thou wast yesterday least in the day time the divel interpose himself and prevail so far as to make thee abate of thy fervour Rise wel animated against all the difficulties which attend this life and if any of them â—ccost thee or thou become slouthful be not faintharted but rather joyful For why â—n occasion is presented of a greater victory assaile them undauntedly like one valiant souldier encountring another who is not dismaid at his presence nor seeks a starting hole but stands his ground and joyes to have met him whom otherwise he would have sought Fight stoutly all day long and at night expect to die The life of man is a warfare in which life is allwaies hazardous and labour certain As often as thou art but a little foild fight more eagerly and perswade thy self that such foiles wil be frequent for the just man is foild 7. times a day but rise forth with with redoubled courage as a souldier who having received a wound flies more keenly at his adversary Where thou perceivest any breach make it up incontinently and fortify it more strongly by calling a squadron of reasons to thy assistance which must be at hand like a valorous and approved reserve mustered from thy morning meditation repentance and humility leading them up And delay not to repair that negligence for otherwise thy vigour of spirit wil easily slacken He that receives but a sleight wound will faint unles he stop the effusion of blood and by delay that which is otherwise but an inconsiderable hurt wil become mortal Apply a remedy out of hand differr it not till night or another day for although it seem nothing it will hinder the progress of thy other actions If any one have got a thorn in his hand or foot he puls it out immediately he lets it not alone till night or some few daies after otherwise he will be able neither to walk nor do any thing else and the delay may be such that by festering it may prove a canker and cannot be cured but by cutting of Yet for all this be not so contristated for any smal defect as that it smel rather of pride then repentance and thou be hinderd thereby from performing thy other exercises which require a great deal of alacrity B. Aloysius Gonzaga had reason to say that those who were too anxious over their smal defects did not sufficiently know themselves Thou art all misery but thou hopest one day to be happy be les contristated and more humble If thou acknowledg thy misery a fixt hope in almighty God will lessen thy anxiety and dispair of any good will increase humility in thee Many are therfore dejected because they grieve not so much for having offended God as for their own infirmity and vilenes while they find themselves so impotent and faint harted and because this affection naturally sympathizeth with self love it is more resented and sometimes occasioneth no smal harm Grieve only for having offended God but rejoice forth with by a confidence in IESVS and congratulate with thy self for thy own vilenes for thou art nothing of thy self but only by God which is much better for thee By this meanes the defect it self wil more animate thee and render thee more confident by putting thy trust in God since thou dost actually experience and as it were by groping palpably perceive that by thy own strength thou canst do nothing but only by God and with God on whom thou maist much more securely rely for he is far greater in goodnes then thy good will can be in constancy Perswade thy self that perchance each hour thou wilt faulter a hundred times but purpose Gods grace assisting thee to rise again a thousand By how much more frequent thy lapses are rise so much more confidently because thou art more conscious of thy own insufficiency Then is our hope more purely and sincerely fixt in God when we dispair totally of our selves and then experience it self will teach us this when we see our selves without end to fail in our good purposes God permits that because we do not sufficiently humble our selves If thou wert truly humble thou wouldst redress many inconveniences and speak nothing but victories Humble thy self in the presence of God mistrust thy self and trust in him and being armed with this live this day with much circumspection diligence and desire as if the whole multitude of men were created this day and of all that world one only were to be saved he who attaind to the highest pitch of charity and most resignd indifferency of will for which end though to others were alloted the space of a hundred years yet thou shouldst have but this dayes respit Thou art obligd to do more now to honour and pleasure God then in any contingency and supposition whatsoever for any other respect even that of salvation The VI. Chapter Of maintaining our fervour OVr spiritual life depends no les upon the hart then our corporal our hart being kept untainted and wel guarded our spirit will be in safety Mans hart is the consecrated altar of God and the throne of the H. Ghost Thou must preserve it with all sollicitude that it may be free from this world not defiled with the images of terrene impertinent things with which the world and the divel by the windows of thy senses batter thee as with so many engins Thou must be more careful of thy hart then of an altar an Oratory and consecrated chalices where we offer sacrifice worship and keep the very Body of Christ in the Sacrament With how much diligence and under how many locks do usurers keep their mony and the instruments of death with how much nicenes do those that delight
by meanes of it unles they wilfully seale up their eyes All the effects which God produceth are so many benefits and by them each one may help and profit himself unles he wil be foolish and perverse Thy ardent love doth alwayes o Lord accompany thy guifts as heat doth light this is an immense priviledge concomitant to them that they are so many pawns and pledges of thy love although this be not patent to the eye yet it discovers it self in the benefical effect For though we see only the light which the sun communicates not the heat yet this doth still attend the other O Father of lights what thanks am I endebted to thee for the university of thy benefits conferd upon all those credentials of thy love which love I chiefly embrace and adore in thy works who wil not stand amazd at the inventivenes of thy goodnes making the benefit of all the benefit of each one and the benefit of each one the benefit of all private ones publick publick private all the works of nature all the wonders of grace all the predestinate all the blessed are my benefits all the prosperity all the calamityes that befall man are so many favours which thou lovingly bestowest upon me O ungrateful man wouldst thou not love God with the whole impetuosity of thy hart if he should exempt thee from damnation thou carrying the guilt of hell fire by dying in some damnable sin but should create another much better then thee deputing him in thy place to suffer for thee that hell of torments God did much more then this I omit that he fatherd our faults upon himself daigning to dye for our sake this now amazeth me although it be incomparably less that he would shut the gates of mercy against many sentence them to damnation to save thee for if thou didst see but few condemned thy fear would be much less thou perchance thy self make one in that heap if two onely or three thy fear would yet be more lessend and thou mightest presume with more certainty one of them would be thy self if none at all thy fear would be none and mayst wel think that thou alone wouldst incur that misery or which is worse be much more frequent in sinning and less observant towards God Therfore the torment and damnation of so many soules is to me a great benefit O light of my hart with how bright beames doth thy love shine towards thy elect thou madest other creatureâ— for man and him thou damnest for other men whom thou hast elected to salvation Angels become servants to men yea thou thy self being made man what if thou wouldst have one man serve another If for some respects of temporal life thou permittest man to serve man and a slave his master for the attainment of eternal life and increase of glory a reprobate must serve an elect Behold o ungrateful spirit if an evil so prejudicial as that of punishment is proves thy advantage the advantages also of others wil turn to thy benefit With such skill doth God mannage his works that each one redounds to the good of all the very paines of the damned are so beneficial to all that they are beneficial even to them themselves for in that height of misery their cup is not temperd merely with malice but hath some mixture of divine justice which is very savory God is so bountifully good such a skilful Alchymist that he turnes dross into gold that is our very miseries into mercies and which is yet more out of the worst minerals of sinfulnes they alone being only bad he extracts pretious mettals and sometimes even the most pretious Thou o Lord conferrest thy benefits with such a strong and open hand that even from sin where thou hast neyther power nor activity thou being both impotent to act in it or concur to anothers acting thou both drawest and art able to draw great good Thy skil knowes how to extract immense blessings and vertues out of sin Light reverberating upon a condense and obscure body uncapable of its operations is so far from being eclipsed that it doubles it self by reflection neyther is thy beneficence ever defeated or renderd ineffectual Out of sin where nothing is but preposterously bad thou rectifyest all to my good decreeing thence thy beloved sons Incarnation As well from my own sins as those of others thou knowest how to take an occasion of being beneficial on my behalf when I hear of a crime committed by another I am sorry for the misfortune of my brother but take an occasion thence of thanking thee because I hope for mercy at thy hands eyther for him or me I yeald thee thanks because thou wilt derive thence no smal good to me unles I wil become quite blind and shut my eyes against the light Sing prayse once more o my soul to the Father of lights and be not forgetful of all his retributions for they all are his guifts even those that seem to flow from men and thou receivest immediately from them for if thou must perswade thy self that all the cross aggrievances which befall thee from men come from God why wilt thou not also be of the same mind concerning good his nature being goodnes it self and he so prone to communicate it all the light which beautifies the heavens though some little star or the moon by night do dart it forth proceeds from the sun though he the Author be not seen in like manner each blessing benefit though receivd from man flowes from God and is but a ray of his goodnes This is the main comfort which sustaines mans life amidst such a world of miseries as attend it that nothing can happen but by Gods permission and whatsoever he permits can be no other then a benefit according to the nature of his goodnes and what benefit soever befalls us proceeds from him and whatsoever proceeds from him is my benefit and orderd to me and my good Corporal afflictions and the miseries of this life whether I or any other tolerate them general dearths diseases pestilences all these are my benefits o Lord thou afflicting others for my good O God how deeply am I endebted to thee who to the end I poor miscreant may receive thence some good inspiration stickst not to strike the very kings and Monarchs of the world dead being little or nothing moved with the teares and calamities of so many kingdomes that I may draw thence some good document A congruous thought of some poor peasant becoming contrite is more prevalent with thee then the diadems of some kings and sometimes whole nations of people Grant o Lord that I may be thankful for these and both in my own behalf and others love thee in all thy works as thou lovedst me in all thy benefits The III. Chapter That Gods love in our Redemption appeares infinite O Immense love how dost thou exhaust thy self in deserving wel at my hands since thou hast left
ornament of speech since the word of God not unlike a sword the more naked it is the more deeply it pierceth much deeper then if it were sheathd in the richest phrases of humane eloquence and it is the sincerity of the speaker not the gorgeous attire of Rhetorique which makes it majestical I aymd sayth he at the self same in this Treatise which the zealous Bishop Salvianus mentions in his Epistle to Salonius We who love deeds better then words saith this holy Prelate seek rather after profit then applause neyther do we labour so much that the vayn pomp of the world be praysed in us as wholsome and substantial matter in our writings we covet not to set forth a fine dress but to give redress This was the reason sayth my Authour why I was not curious at all about the stile which I thought was not to be uniforme but attemperd to the nature of the subject it treated of for a pious and sincere matter is to be handled without all pompousnes and Oratorical figures and I preparing it for my self slender ornament would serve the turn Thus much he and all this I have inserted as pertinent to teach my Reader how little regardable these things are where spirit and truth sway the ballance the hart being not touched but the fancy onely tickled with such vanities What no judicious reader will condemne in him will not I hope be mislikd in the Translatour so far as wauing all matter of stile he attends to the englishing of the Authours sense yea words in as proper phrase and expression as he can he being a Translatour not a Paraphrast Which how farr he hath attaind must be left to the readers verdict and that be what it will he stands not much upon if the fruit he aymes at be produced in his soule following in such a fair view of truth as it expresseth her footsteps to a sincere Adoration in Spirit and Truth misled no more by the world and its impostures The Division of this Work In the I. Book are containd those things which concern the Purging of our soules In the II. what appertains to its illumination and the Imitation of Christ our Lord. In the III. what belongs to a most perfect practical performance of our actions In the IV. what helps to enflame us with a most ardent love of God and elevat our soules to the divin Vnion OF ADORATION IN SPIRIT AND TRVTH THE I. BOOK THE FIRST CHAPTER The Deceitfulnes of a secular life THe proceedings of men in this life◠intercours are a continual piece of forgery as voyd of credit as ful of imposture Be not too zealous of death in a mistake of life for the H. Ghost hates dissimulation in matter of discipline An imposture is so much more pernicious by how much the affair in which it is used is of greater concern and consequence Men deem nothing dearer then life how then can they endure to be deluded in it how can they brook forgery in matters of Spirit and worship of God which are infinitly to be prizd above life it self An imposture concerning life is the worst of evils It is too dangerous and formidable to be seduced in a thing of all others the most important and pretious Men suffer not willingly their eyes to be cheated and how ill do they mannage their busines if they suffer their minds They fret and chafe if they be cozend in pretious stones and how much more ought they concerning themselves How careful and vigilant are those that traffique in gems least a counterfeyt be put into their hands insteed of a true one no man will buy a jewel unles the seller give both oath and suerty that it is not adulterous This is the madnes of men they are content to set a false rate upon their life though not upon a stone they love not to be deceived in their eye-sight but can disgest a greater fallacy in their mind in their life yea and in their heaven We take it very ill to be cheated by another though but in smal trifles and we willingly cheat our selves even in the price of our selves We love neither to hear nor tel a lye and yet we make both our selves and our life a continual lye O miserable who are both the deceived and deceivers of our selves and we bear this two fold misery which men so much abhor with patience and we tolerate this double infamy in a busines of such consequence whereas we should brook neither in a trivial one If thou judge it a heynous crime to deceive thy friend and holds it the greatest of wrongs to be deceived by thy friend what ground or pretense in the world canst thou have to cozen thy self or be cozend by thy self who shouldst be dearer and faithfuller to thy self then any friend whatsoever But we willingly entitle our losses through our own default which nevertheles are the heavyest and in a double kind with the fair name of patience and animate our selves to our own destruction by not only holding our selves unworthy of blame but worthy of Congratulation The covetous man would take it ill if one should cozen him in the fading goods of fortune he would deem it an intolerable injury if one should stuf his Coffers and bags with dirt or rubbage in lieu of gold or silver and why doe we not onely endure but even affect to be cozend by our selves in the goods of vertue and grace nor grieve that our life is soyld with the staines of vices and defects or that our vertue is hypocritical our charity but forged our mortification superficial our humility counterfeyt A main reason of this endammagement is because we doe not pursue or rather throughly persecute self love lurking in us and put not this domestique enemy to the sword It 's no charity to save the life of an enemy to the prejudice or endangering of our own by giuing ear to his pernicious counsels We harken to our appetits as to so many Oracles although they utter nothing but lyes He that lends his ear to soothing flatterers must needs give credit to many things that are false and he that attends to the fawning charmes of self love shall ever and anon be deceived Tell me o my soul if a court or Senate of wise and cōscientious men should all with joynt consent determine a cause and the malefactour alone pleading nevertheles guilty and convinced by witnesses one as foolishly fond as desperately wicked should stand out against the verdict of the whole Court as unjust and partial wouldst thou believe this one wretch rather then so many wise and upright Senatours Why then dost thou follow the toyes and fancies of self love and its brutish appetites how darest thou oppose its verdict alone to that of God of his Angels of the Doctours of the Church of ancient Philosophers of reason it self nay even of thy own conscience all these condemning for naughty what it approves for good yea
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
God being proud-harted immodest distracted Learn of Christ in the garden how to pray lying prostrate on the ground each joint as is were shivering and quaking and all bathd in a bloody sweat If he had taken thee a part with him to pray together to his heavenly father the quires of Angels standing amazd and accompanying that Angel who comforted IESVS himself wouldst thou also sleep then as the three Apostles did or employ thy thoughts about the toyes and trifles of worldly commodities beholding Christ in the interim in such a plight for thy sins and the Angels so absorpt in a reverential amazement Thou that art about to intreat for thy own offences with teares why wilt thou busy thy mind with sportive entertainments how earnestly doth a lawyer plead before a man in a cause which concerns anothers life and death be not thou wrechlesly slothful before God while thou pleadest for thy own crimes Consider also what thou askest what parent if his child ask a stone or Scorpion will not be readier to give him an egg or a loafe of bread why complainest thou of God if demanding temporal things which are a poyson wherewith thou wilt intoxicate thy self and play the mad man against him he grant thee spiritual one must not give a sword to a frantick person to hurt another although he demand his own how much les if it be to hurt him that gives it why dost thou judge God so wicked or foolish that asking what is not thy own thou wouldst have him give thee weapons to hurt both thy self and him learn yet further of Christ how to pray o most amiable and loving truth let it not be as I will but as thou thy will be done in all thou knows best what is expedient Even spiritual guifts also are sometimes differd because we ask them not with a due esteem neither are they sought with like ardour and desire that temporal things are He asketh a little unworthily who asketh great things but coldly and remissly God will have us ask seemly what beseems him to give and by differring the guift he enkindles our desire and disposeth us more worthily Men think to draw God to their frivolous ends with any kind of worship and sooth him up with any piece of service and still him as we do a child with a rattle Therfore it behoves God not to be alwaies too facil but give worthily guifts worthy of his hanâ—â— either preventing all our prayers or if he eâ—â—â—ct them expecting worthy ones For when of his own accord he will not impart his guifts unles intreated he does it not for want of liberality but out of a desire of our profit and a trial and exercise of our affection Therfore it is but good reason that he expect complete prayers and seeming desires and not render his grace contemptible by giving it to him who shewes he contemnes it while he begs it so tepidly for we value not sleightly what we compass with difficulty and procrastinated hopes have a more welcome issue God for the most part changeth our petitions into other favours more hidden from us paying us but in another coyne or else he expects a fitter opportunity for if he should impart thâ—m now perchance we should swell a little with pride and sooner be obnoxious to ingratitude Thou must also pray for others he that petitions for another hath the first share and fore tast of the favour obtained He that will anneale another dips fiâ—st of all his own fingar in the oile pot But be sure thou be alwaies mindful of thy own needines thou must like Lazarus beg an almes of God and his Saints and Angels covetting to fil thy self with the crums of celestial blessings Travaile about walk from dore to dore among the ranks of Angels and quires of Saints begging every where an almes of grace and chiefly of the most B. Virgin Mary who has ample power given her to divide it forth who being as it were the mistress of the family in the house of God she carries at her girdle the keyes of mercy Cry aloud shew thy soares thy nakednes and mendicity Be confounded that any beggar should demand more earnestly relief of his temporal necessities then thou redress of thy spiritual and procure to comprize in thy self the importunity of all beggars together in order to obtaine the least degree of grace One must with more eagarnes seek reliefe of the least spiritual necessity then of all temporal ones together were they all pressing upon him Blush to see so many needy souls that groan with thee under the same calamities with how great humility and plenty of teares they beg redress while thou sits with dry eyes rejoycing amidst such want of spirit insensible of thy pressing necessities Humble thy self as beggars do win affection expect patiently urge importunely be only not impudent in wearying God with prayers that at least thy importunity may force an almes The II. Chapter That we must not intermit our practise of prayer AS much as the soul surpasseth the body so much must we prefer prayer before all other corporal conveniences What a deale of care in our lodging bedding apparrel and daily sustenance is requird to preserve life and our bodily health much more will be requisite for the life and safety of our soul which hath more numerous and heavier enemies then the body The body is annoid with the injuries of the weather and the pinching gripes of hungar but the soul hath even these very enemies of the body for its enemies yea and also its commodities and the body it self the whole world moreover hel with all its hoast sometimes the very favours from heaven and its own vertues if it know not how to use and conserve them in humility Against all these it hath but one only help and refuge and that is prayer How then can it be neglected or intermitted at any time since the body being better fencd against fewer enemies will have almost the whole day spent upon it and that custome never omitted Many because they find themselves firme and constant in their good purposes think they can suffer no prejudice by intermitting the exercise of prayer for some laudable employment let them beware let them beware they be not deceived perchance they will faulter although they find themselves strong and able He that is lusty of body if he should forbear eating to gain more time for labour would without all doubt at length decay and find his body in a weak condition so he that experienceth himself constant in the service of God if he detract time from prayer to spend it in other exteriour employments though pious will at length grow faintish and easily discover his own imbecillity We must never omit prayer because we never omit our corporal refection and if at any time it be omitted we are careful afterward to make amends If one for three or fower daies together should refrain from sleep out
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
endeavouring conformity in all his proceedings O what a comfort it is to one that loves thee o IESVS to operate not only to please thee but because it is pleasing to thee this is the prerogative of obedience that so the obedient may not be frustrated of any part of the reward which he expects not only from the work but which he finds in it he obtaining his end in the beginning which is to please God and this depends not on any future thing it being anticipated by obeying O most welcome task of obedience why do any complain or seek to be excused from it for this reason that if they obey with humility and promptitude more is enjoind them for superiours are wont to be more forward in commanding them that are most prompt in complying with their commands It is a very fond complaint when we complain of what we ought to wish for A king is thought to do one a favour if he commit any businesses to his trust and the more and weightier they are the greater is the favour esteemd if God proceed after this manner with us why do we complain masters for the most part employ those servants about their commands who are most deare and intimate with them and of whose fidelity they have good proof why do we resent that God treats us as such o God of my hart if thou heldst this favorable manner of proceeding with thy own Son in this world who was obedient even unto the death of the cross shal I dare presume that any favour wil be shewed me of a higher strain o IESVS thou who becamest obedient in all grant that I may never refuse any compliance with obedience Thou atchievedst all by being obedient from thy nativity to thy very death thou wert no les subject to Caesar and Pilate then to it There was also a time when thou wouldst subject thy self to the powers of darknes giving way to the divels and permitting thy self with great obedience to the fury of hel in the executioners and malice of the Iewes and because thou couldst not become Incarnate by it thy Humanity being not as yet existent thy Mother supplied for this she conceiving thee by that rare act of obedience and submission of mind O most welcome task of obedience since it is most certain that nothing is better or more grateful to God Adam with drawing himself from it knew good and evil obedience is most innocent it not only knowes not good and evil but is also ignorant of good and better for all the works of obedience are in the superlative degree that is best in comparison of which the acts of other moral vertues carry no comparison in this that none of them is to be preferred before commands for though one practise all the rest but yet do against obedience they all avail nothing yea he does evil But if he omit them for it he shal have the merit of them all The obedient man knowes no such comparative discourses as it is better to do this then that but that it is best to do what is commanded He that hath obedience hath all other vertues in a compendious abridgment he that is obedient wil be both chast and a lover of poverty Adam after he became refractory felt presently the stings of the flesh and sought a garment to conceal them while he was obedient he was most chast and remained a Virgin being content with his own nakednes he stood in an exact poverty O most welcome obedience to him that is emulous of vertue and makes God the sole object of his love Comfort thy self o my soul who covetest longest so much to see his face which the Angels love to contemplate comfort thy self in the interim and reverence thy superiour whosoever he be as an apparent Christ and visible God God is not worshipped in himself only but in every superiour also Perswade thy self that the divine goodnes in its eternal love and providence hath ordained and decreed thee this Prelate that by him and no other he might communicate his grace and enrol thee one of the predestinate Gods autority resides in him enquire not why he commands this or that Gods wil stands for a reason and so it must be in him who is here his vice-gerent Why demandst thou a reason for putting thy self into the hands of God Tell me what was the reason he created not another man who perchance would have been better when he created thee and gave thee to thy self if thou canst not assigne any why demandest thou one for resigning thy self to God with all the latitude of thy will it is an unspeakable glory and content to the heavenly spirits to be alwaies praysing God but it is far more considerable that it is a property inherent to him inbred then if it proceeded only from their mouth The XIII Chapter How great harme proceeds from daily and light defects VVHy dost thou contemne in thy own soul what men affect so much in their bodies they providing not only for lifes maintenance but also for health and comelines It would be held an unsufferable misery to be alwaies sick and a horrid deformity to have ones body composed of man and beast Thou must not only stand in horrour of great sins but also dread the very desires and thoughts that are culpable yea any imperfection How unseemly an object would it be if a serpents mouth stood upon thy face and yet every smal word whether but lightly detractive or offensive or idle is far more deformed O truth o immense goodnes I beg of thee by the merits of Christ that thou wilt remove this veile from before my eys that I may throughly know how stupendious an evil is involved in the malice of the least default o man how monstrous a creature wouldst thou seeme to the eyes of men if thou shouldst at any time appeare with the head of an oxe or horse in thy humane body and yet it is far worse if before God and his Angels thou conceive in thy soul deified by divine grace disproportioned and idle thoughts of terrene things a brutish longing after thy own commodity nay there is more proportion betwixt a mans body and that of a beast which are in the same degree or order of things then there is betwixt grace and any sin even the smallest Wherfore the deformity of the least venial defect exceeds all monstruosity and corporal mishapednes whatsoever not only what is now extant but also imaginable or possible I beseech thee o zealot of Christ by his most sacred blood pause here a while and ponder what I say with an unbiazd judgment and thou who wouldst not have the least blemish in thy body permit not to thy utmost these monsters in thy soul the spouse of IESVS Employ all the faculties of thy mind set all the inventivenes of thy imagination on work and frame a deformity as ugly as thou canst such a mishapdnes as
all o wretched spirit be confounded be confounded it will not cost thee so deare to eschew sin it will be enough to shake of slothfullnes Many make but a slender advance because they perswade themselves that such an endeavour towards perfection is not requisite to salvation O ungrateful and pusillanimous creature why dost thou frame such a miserable conceit of thy beatitude or settle such dangerous principles concerning thy eternal weal and have so narrow ignoble thoughts of Gods glory which is immense I beseech thee if thy salvation depended not only upon the keeping the commandments but also the counsels and on it did hang the salvation of all men Angels and the most sacred Virgin and Christs reprievement from the cross wouldst thou not use all possible endeavour to compass it certainly thou wouldst consider then that something of main consequence to witt the glory of God and his good will pleasure which is of higher concernment then the salvation and happines of the whole world considerd by it self then the life of Christs humanity exacts perfection at thy hands If then it be so very important have a care to be exquisite in each minute action and this according to the manner of Gods proceeding whose workmanship is most admirable in little things as an emmet a gnat a bee and the cunning he shewed in the composure of the heavens and stars surpasseth not them in point of art Commence each action with a resolution to performe it Christs grace assisting thee more perfectly then ever hitherto to the benefit of the Church militant to the glory of the Church triumphant to the greater honour of God as if he expected no other benefit from the creation of the world from the redemption of man from the goodly furniture of heaven where he is to be glorified by all the blessed besides this action of thine no otherwise then if thy salvation the weal of the universe and glory of the divinity depended upon each thy least work as if thou wert not to iterate it again nor hence forth to do any other but forth with to give up the ghost Be not sparing then of a little labour with loss of such a commodity God desires that thou shouldst performe this work most exactly and if thou considerest this his desire thou wilt shew thy self extremely perverse if thou compliest not with it or darest reflect upon any annoyance of thy own Sufferance is of it self desirable only to imitate Christ our Saviour without the juncture of any other good neither will it be less acceptable towards the avoiding some fault and accomplishing all most absolutely to Gods greater glory Mans emploiment is doing good for this end hadst thou thy beeing to do good but remember that man is born to labour because without it no good work can be durable or of continuance Do not frustrate thy self of thy end but endeavour by the assistance of Gods grace to imitate the brave attempts of nature which strives alwaies what it can to yeald thee her fruits most complete that thou mayst serve God in the compleatest manner thou canst Be allwaies mindful that thy services are in all respects extreme slender nor carry any proportion at all with that glory which is promisd thee nor with the paines of hell which thou hast deserved by thy sins nor the labours which thy redeemer did undergo for thy sake nor the divine benefits which he hath heapt upon thee nor the immense goodnes of that God to whom thy services stand consecrated The II. Chapter That we must shake off all negligence BE ashamed o lukewarm spirit to sit still upon the race when time and place requires thy running Behold how puddles standing pooles do putrify and iron that lies useles becomes rusty go to the way of spirit is like the eagarnes of racers one must not lag and how much les stand still how will one have leasure to sit when he hath time neither to be weary nor so much as to fall All indeed run but one only wins the prize run so as to reach the goale If God had created all men at the same instant endowed with the use of reason and equal in the enrichments of grace and shewd to them all on the one side the treasures of heavens glory and on the other the hideous torments of hell and let them know by revelation that one onely of all that number were to be saved to wit he who served God with most fervour and diligence who surpassed the rest in sanctity and charity and that all others were to be sentenced to damnation which of all these contemplating the horrour terrour of that infernal pit would not bend all his forces to excel his competitors in sanctity and so escape those dreadful punishments and obtain happines becoming that one who were to be saved with how much zeale of serving God would each ones hart be replenished Every one striving to exceed others none would be found who would not employ his whole endeavour to the end he might out do the rest There would be no place then for loyterers tepidity would not dare to shew her head But with how much more powerful incentives oughtest thou to be inflamd to serve God with greater fervency then any saint hath hetherto ever been who trod the paths of this mortal life The glory of God and compliance with his holy wil ought in reason to be beyond all comparison a stronger motive and more pressing endearment to the service of God then that incumbency of thy salvation O eternal truth why should my profit move me more then thy wil why should self love be more urgent then love of thee it is a benefit incomparably greater that many are entitled to heaven and for this my obligations to thee are much hightned why then art thou now o infirme spirit so tepid and sloathful be mindful of the labours which Christ embraced for thy sake put before thy eyes so many youths who forestall thy victory and tender Virgins who lead the way behold the fervour of the ancient Fathers the pennance humility charity and torments of Martyrs why art thou so lazy since thou hast so many precedents Yea although thou aymedst more at thy own commodity then the glory of God yet it behooud thee not to slacken the raines so much to tepidity Thou needst not fear least thy advantage be les then if thy fervour were eminent above all others and thou that one who were to be saved nay it impots thee now to be more fervourous and more intensely bent upon Gods glory No services now are frustrated of their salary and the better they are the greater glory wilt thou purchase This would not be so in case one onely man were to be saved since one might undergo great labours and reap no profit at all neyther would a greater reward be corresponding to greater services which as then would run hazard of being null and ineffectuall though they
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
reflex eye back upon their life and therfore frequently they find it very bad for the most part they never deliberate about their actions if now and then at the most it is what they are to do seldome what they have done and yet they can scarse know how it is to be wel done unles they reflect what hath been amiss Future gaines arise from the consideration of losses by past Merchants summ up their dayes traffique and if they find themselves loosers they purpose to make it up another day by other advantages Masters exact an account of their servants even to a minute busynes and why is the soul of man more pretious then heaven and earth sleighted as a thing of no reckning in the expense of a three penny matter they are precisely scrupulous but can easily disgest the loss of an eternal gain The commonwelth without magistrates wil become the mere sink of villany a field untild a nursery of brambles The sin of Adam corrupted our heart more then it did the earth If thou dost not cultivate thy conscience it wil branch forth into innumerable vices Thou must o remiss spirit be unmerciful in exacting an account of thy self that thou mayst deserve mercy at the hands of God Many have run evident danger of miscarrying by reason of their hidden sins The world is involved in darknes thou wilt scarse be able to know thy self when thou searchest into thy self how wil the case stand if thou search not at all but if thou knowst not thy self why art thou sollicitous eyther to know or have any thing els for although thou possess the whole world and be expert in all sciences thou wilt both be a fool and poor and despicable because thou dost not possess thy self who art better then all things and by whome thou shalt have all and not possessing thy self thou wilt possess nothing and thy knowledg wil serve to no other purpose but make thee err and abuse creatures The sole wise man is rich happy is he who is master of himself acknowledging his own vilenes and makes that his search and comes as it were to finger it One loves to know the horse he is to ride on one wil have the number of his cattle and sheep and is content to be only ignorant of himself and sin without number Why wil man be such a great enemy to himself as not to regard himself but if thou wilt hate thy self to thy advantage do it I pray by abhorring thy self not by forgetting By looking into thy self thou wilt abhor thy self by abhorring thy self thou wilt correct thy self and by correcting be acceptable to God Although we wil not examine our selves God wil leave nothing unrevengd But if we would judge our selves we should not at all be judged But while we are judged we are chastizd by our Lord that we may not be condemnd together with this world O meekest truth who appointest us judges of our selves in a case of delinquency against thee what more merciful o unspeakable clemency that the divine justice rests satisfyed with our humane verdict if any one that is assoild for some heynous fact expected a judge to be designd by his Prince to determine the cause and give sentence how desirefully sollicitous would he be that some one of his kindred or country or acquaintance should be deputed how would he rejoyce if one allyed by blood or intimately familiar with him were appointed behold thy happy lot and the divine benignity who wil have thee to be judge of thy self if two courts of judicature were proposd to a criminal in one wherof presided an uncouth rigid man who proceeded with the strictest severity in the other his kinsman of a milder temper who used a more favorable interpretation of the law if he would chuse to be arraignd at that most rigorous tribunal what would such a choise differ from madnes and dispair o how madly desperate would that man shew himself who should refuse to be brought to a bar where I wil not say his friend and allye but even the criminal himself shal be judge but would stand to the verdict of that other most impartially just where God shal be the severe inquisitor and offended judge If thou wert to have thy wish in chusing an umpyre of thy misdemeanours eyther thy partner in the same fault or thy accuser and the party offended wouldst thou refer thy self to this latters arbitration not thy companion but thou thy self or God offended must be thy judge and he who is undoubtedly to punish thee It is impossible for thee to avoyd some punishment and condemnation eyther judg thy self or our Lord wil severely adjudge thee to torment Do not then shun thy own judgment for so thou shalt shun the divine and not be condemned at that tribunal Be sure not to make greater account of any temporal thing then of exacting an account of thy self neyther is there any thing more reasonable then this If we be desirous to reforme others why wil we leave our selves deformed and irregular summon thy self at least twice a day to the bar and judge thy self most impartially as if that were the dreadful day of the last doom If at that hour when all mankind standing appalld with horrour perplexity before the judgment seat of Christ to receive their definitive sentence the judge should deal so favorably with thee alone as to separate thee from that huge mass content thou shouldst on this condition be thy own examiner that if thou judgd and punishd thy self in good earnest he would stand to thy judgment but if superficially thou wert to be added to the main heap to be adjudgd without all mercy together with them to torment what immense thanks wouldst thou deem this favour of Christ worthy off with what sollicitude wouldst thou search prye and sift into thy self not sparing thy self in the very least such a favour is now granted thee negotiate in thy daily examens and Confessions Gods cause seeking seriously his greater glory and thy own confusion Next consider Christ judging with all severity the rest of mankind and pronouncing the concluding sentence of damnation beholding him on the other side crucifyed for thy sake and thy self alone busy in discussing thy self at his feet on Mount Calvary together with the Mother of IESVS Iohn and Magdalen melting into teares even the beloved IESVS himself weeping and crying father forgive him for he knowes not what he doth Employd in the self-same thoughts come to thy Confessors feet in full hope of pardon if thou be not too indulgent in pardoning thy self considering thy IESVS little regarding thy sins and their punishment and only sollicitous to sign thy pardon laying aside all thought of their number and greatnes as being only desirous to shew favour and indulgence because he had committed to thy care and trust a diligent enquiry into them and a due revenge by way of satisfaction Be faithful to Christ and let
nothing pass unpunished and he most faithful to thee will exhibite nothing but mercy Reduce first of all into thy mind the matter wherof thou art to give account to witt all the benefits heaven hath conferred upon thee next examen in what thou hast abused them together with thy ingratitude lastly humble thy self be sorry bewail even thy least defects and purpose firmly by Gods assistance never to fall into the same Strengthen this thy purpose as men are wont to strengthen their contracts first before witnesses renew it in the presence of the Angels and Saints and then security for performance being given call the B. Virgin and thy special Patrons and appoint them suerties adding also a penalty of forfeiture Impose upon thy self in case of relapse some voluntary affliction by way of pennance strive allwaies to advance in goodnes for if the Angels conceive joy for one sinner becoming repentant why will there not be much more jubily for the just in his progress from vertue to vertue wax not negligent in this search into thy self it being the key which unlocks all the treasures of fervour Many religious men become tepid by reason of their remissnes in this exercise hence many grow lukewarm hence diverse old souldiers in the service of piety have forsaken their colours after a lamentable manner because contenting themselves with a sleight and superficial search and sorrow what they seemd to bemoan this hour they committed the next Thou neglectest not daily to renew and reenforce the decayd spirits of thy body twice a day by corporal refection it imports thee to be no les industrious in recruiting the forces of thy soul and good purposes by sifting into thy actions yea not twice but at the end of each work whether thou hast performed it wel or no God who was no way obnoxious to errour considered examined all his works as soon as he had made them He created light and presently taking a view of it saw that that fair creature was good He made the luminary bodies and forthwith contemplating them perceived they also were good He daily entered into examen of each work in particular and then a general survey of them all and found that they were very good So must thou view each of thy actions apart then all of them together If thou hast not performed them well thou wilt by the line square of a due discussion of thy conscience discover what is amiss to amend it for the future Moyses in the bosome-retirement of his breast cleansd that hand which he found coverd over with leprosy This serious examen of ones self is the storehouse of vertues there the fear of God there humility self-knowledg compunction perseverance fervour there prudence is minted to a currant coyn Lay wait chiefly to intercept some one vice which thou must with importunity both prosecute and persecute till thou hast utterly vanquishd it and after this manner by little and little must thou endeavour to subdue them all The XIV Chapter How we must be affected towards others LET this be thy employment all the day long in all thy own actions even those that are commendable to accuse thy self and in thy neighbours though discommendable to excuse others It fares not with our conscience as it doth with our countenance we see other mens faces not our own but we behold our own conscience not anothers wherfore we ought and are only able to judg and condemn our selves If thou thy self who art only able to discerne thy own conscience findst it a difficult busines to pass verdict upon many of thy actions whether they be good or bad whether thou hast given consent or no how darest thou judg others whose harts are unfolded to none but God If thou canst not discover thy own mind why dost thou judge of anothers if thou art unable to discern thy own how darest thou pass sentence upon thy neighbours If thou weighest not thy own proceedings why dost thou draw others into thy ballance but for the most part those that stand idle in the market-place are the people which busy themselves in murmuring and slandering others so he that neglects his own soul spends his censure more freely upon his neighbours We might long ago have learnd by experience how lyable our judgments are to errour Even in corporal things and those which have but an extrinsecal appearance and colour our senses are very frequently deluded how much more obvious is it to err in judging the harts of men of which they have no perceivance at all whose motions are swaid by free will and in which Gods grace works secretly so many miracles Although one seem to have clear arguments to ground a sinistrous suspicion yet one ought not to judge sinistrously because he may easily judge amiss While the companions of S. Boniface were busy in his search they suspected not without ground according to the tenour of his former behaviour that he was in the company of some lewd harlot but he in the meane time burning with a far different flame of the love of God was suffering cruel torments for the faith of Christ So fallacious was a probable judgment how much then wilt thou miscarry in thy groundles and improbable suspicions he that is in superiority over another and is by office to judge must not condemn him unles he prove evidently faulty in things doubtful the criminal is absolved how darest thou of thy own uncertain and erroneous brain condemn him who is better then thy self by whom thou art to be judged If thou didst love others as Christ commands thee thou wouldst not judg them charity covers a multitude of sins â—or this reason thou forbearest to judg thy self because self love inclines thee to excuse thy self and if thy love towards thy brethren were such thou wouldst not censure but excuse them Christ being to judge mankind he himself became man and vested himself with our nature and thou also if thou wilt judg or reprehend another must put on his person and proceed with him as thou wouldst be proceeded with all Let this be the first feat of thy charity not to be scandalized or offended with thy brother the second not to offend him the third to help and assist him in what thou art able nevertheles because thy love is but lukewarm thou art often defective in thy duty and takest offence unjustly even at the innocent disdaining them many times that are acceptable to God Where is thy charity towards him where is thy love to IESVS if those be a displeasing eye sore to thee who are so pleasing to him so deep in his favour and do him better service then thou a sinner if thou lovedst God and his immense goodnes thou wouldst love all for his goodnes the good because they are good the bad because they may be good Not only an elaborate piece of workmanship but the very materials of which it is made are had in no smal request
our admiration and love towards him to decrease upon that pretense A very forcible motive also to make us love God is because he is of a loving nature No ingredient is more operative in producing love then love it self we carry a good wil towards wicked men merely upon this score that they seem to love us and we take a kind of complacence in being loved by dogs although God were not good nor our benefactor nor Creator yet because he loves he were to be loved and chiefly because he is such an ardent lover The greatnes of which love is renderd perspicuous by the greatnes of its guifts what a love must that be by which he so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son for its redemption o men what can you admire if you do not admire this that God should love the meanest of creatures with such a tender and feeling hart But let us grant that God neyther had lov'd â—s nor made us nor been beneficial to us it is our part at least to love him because he was so to others If the vertuous actions of men deserve praise at the hands even of a stranger or Barbarian and force a kind of benevolence from them shal so many feats of Gods beneficence deserve les their excess both in number and quantity amounting to an infinitude an upright and beneficial man is loved by every one even those that have not tasted his beneficence but although God had left no great monument of his liberality to others yet because he hath towards us although it proceeded not from the motive of love which cannot be done without some love we were still bound to love him yea although he were neyther good nor loving nor beneficial to us or others which nevertheles implyes an impossibility for that sole reason that he made us he were worthy of all love and respect Our Parents although they be wicked though they themselves nursd us not up yet they are to be loved and reverenced souldiers spend their lives and blood for their lawful king though otherwise notoriously naughty God is Father of all things and the lawful head of the world Neyther is his patience a light shaft to wound us with love he tolerating and pardoning us by it while we play the impudent delinquents The patience of an offender and harmer in accepting punishment and standing in a preparation of mind to admit revenge and penalty for the wrong turnes the anger of the party offended into benevolence and how can the patience of an unjust offender force benevolence from one justly displeased and not the patience of the party offended obtain love of him that offends unjustly O Lord with how good title doth my ingratitude and thy pardon exact my love but if this alone be not weighty enough to sway the ballance add to it that he is our Father our benefactour yea and beneficial towards all how much am I bound to love thee whose merits on my behalf are innumerable and love boundles But these impulsives are not the most convincing though they be severe exacters of my love I am much more engaged to love thee for thy sole benevolence wherewith thou lovest me then for all thy other benefits besides for that is the source of them all and consequently more to be prizd and thy love is so far from being exhausted that it is forcible enough if need were to redouble thy benefits and multiply them without stint if they which already abound suffised not for my salvation Thy love is equivalent not only to thy benefits already conferd but even to those in possibility if any greater be possible and comprizeth them all in it self yea if we may use the manner of speech even impossible ones for true love is not confind to the limits of a real power but imaginary wishes which though they have no place in God by reason of the perfect fecundity and allpowerfulnes of his nature the excess of his love is not therfore any whit diminished but â—e are as much endebted to him as if they were The sole love then of God alone is a more convincing motive of love then his boundles beneficence for that comprehendeth all his benefits not only now actual but possible and impossible if any such were unfesible to God There is yet another more pregnant cause of loving him then all the precedent for if we owe him more love for his love to us then for his benefits because these are only its issue and so many sparks leaping from that glowing furnace of divine charity much more must we love him for his goodnes this being the cause of love How great must that goodnes be which is mother of so numerous a progeny of loves and the stock from whence sprout so many benefits yea we owe not only incredible love to the divine goodnes for the present affection he beares us but much greater on our parts for the love he would bear us if we would but dispose our selves better and become less ungrateful and consequently more capable of a more ample charity We are not only endebted to the goodnes of God one infinite love of God but as it were infinitudes of love to an infinite God Wherefore we must love him more ardently for that he is good in himself then for that he is good and beneficial to us O Lord I love thee for thy benefits because I read reverence and embrace in them thy love and I also love thee for thy love because in it I behold adore and love thy goodnes The love of God is one perfection in God but there are many more for which he is amiable all which are comprized in the infinite divine goodnes and perfection which is for infinite respects most worthy of love I see not o Lord how my hart can cease or suffer any interruption in loving thee since thou who art infinite purely out of thy own goodnes lovedst us so incessantly from all eternity The V. Chapter That we are not able to satisfy the goodnes of God HOw do I loose my self o Lord in the consideration of thy goodnes which neyther pen nor tongue nor thought is able to comprehend if all the spirits both of heaven and hell all soules created and creable should make it their task to describe it and if each one had a sea for their inkhorn and a heaven for their paper both the one and the other would be exhausted ere they could make a fit expression of its least parcel If each star and drop of rain were so many tongues their breath would fayl them and they grow mute eer they could utter a congruous elocution If all the minute sands of the sea were changd into so many intelligences all their conceptions would prove but shallow even in respect of its least particle But what am I doing while I dare declare thy goodnes by these similitudes I confess o infinite God that all these exaggerations are ridiculous
done which God wil have done according to his order or permission The XIII Chapter That we must give no eare to our own wil. HIs triumph over himself wil not be complete who leads pleasure captive unles he can master his own wil it is not enough to be rigidly severe against our senses but we must carry our selves also after the same fashion towards our soul and its free wil neyther must we debar our selves only of unlawful pleasures but also of lawful desires nor mortify only our flesh but loose also our soul that so we may gain it totally at long running Both our flesh our spirit have been found delinquents to almighty God It were a piece of injustice to punish one co-partner and quit the other to fine the servant and let the master go scot free We must do justice both upon flesh and soul not as many who contenting themselves with outward austerities are not sollicitous to reduce the interiour But since the soul is the prime criminal she in the first place must smart for it and there is no other way of sequestring her but in her wil by denying or cutting short whatsoever she likes or takes gust in The soul which hath been contemptuous towards God is worthy of death therefore it must die to its own wil in all things suffer in that wherein it hath been delinquent In nothing at all neyther little nor great must it procure or regard its interest otherwise if it be thus open-eyd it is not to be numberd among the dead Be mindful in nothing of thy own wil. Do the wil of God do the wil of thy brother do the wil of thy enemy him that injures thee rather then thy own if it may be accomplished without sin Thou wilt not arrive to a sufficient degree of mortification unles thou resign and transmit thy wil not only to God but also to man yea even to thy very enemies Be not too credulous in those things to which thy wil is carried with an impetuosity without having regard to the rule of reason but hold them all suspected although they hold forth never so faire a shew of good they are for the most part but a mere officiousnes or branchings of the sensual part which the divel makes use of to cloak his craft Let thy wil seek the glory of God and not grieve at the contempt of men let it attend and be sensible of the divine pleasure not thy own affliction let it be wholly emploid upon God and it wil find enough to do let it learn to wave all self content and proper gust though spiritual Although God relinquish thee to thy self in thy hardest pressures in thy spiritual desolations amidst the very powers of darknes assaild on all sides with tribulations and temptations thou must still persist faithful seeking no redress of comfort being ready to sustain that shock and any other inculpable calamity of thy soul so long as God shal be pleased to continue it though even to the day of judgment or for all eternity He that covets to serve God in truth must serve him gratis rather wishing and begging to be debard of all comfort deeming this abundantly sufficient if he can but conserve that place of his soul where God hath fixt his residence pure and unblemmished not permitting any thing else to enter and appear there as in the holy of holyes Thither must the high Priest IESVS only find entrance Some servants of God who were deluged with a sea of comforts obtaind by prayer the shutting up of these heavenly sluces and to be deprived of all sweetnes neyther would they afterwards admit of any such infusions though from heaven for some have not been wanting who refused Angels for their comforters For what great matter dost thou in rejecting acorporal gust which wil rather prove an affliction that bodily solace which hinders divine joy and sweetnes of spirit is too afflicting God deserves more at our hands then this For him thou must contemn all jubily of spirit and whatsoever is pleasing to nature and self wil. The service of a hireling is neyther constant nor faithful If thou serve God out of hope of comfort or relief though it be spiritual thou lovest not God himself and this comfort failing thee thou wilt often become slouthfully tepid Hence it is that we are subject to so many mutations that we are remiss that we make smal progress for as mariners hope for the wind so do we for the spirit of devotion and consolation without which we are becalmd and any adversity like a contrary blast beats us back yea we are much worse then mariners who know how to make way with a side or adverse wind Let us learn to advance forward even amidst oppositions aridities and tribulations It imports not whether thou serve God for the sensibility of interiour comfort or for some corporal commodity but only that thy service comes of les freely because requiring this gust of spirit thou sellest it at a dearer rate God is more valuable then thy gust it is better to have God then joy and yet where canst thou be o most delicious and sweet-rellishing God and the spirit shal not exult if thou discoverest thy self to it where shal thy benignity display it self the soul shal not be replenished with excess of joy but grant me that I may never wish my own joy but that thou maist be it never seek the gust of my own wil but the good pleasure accomplishment of thine O afflicted spirit if thou wouldst never seek thy own content comfort how much content wouldst thou find he that leaves house or land for God shal receive a hundred fold reward there is no equity that he who relinquisheth more should receive les He that relinquisheth his own wil and its content shal receive a hundred fold more in the same species for denying it then if he had given way to it for he doth the wil of God and shal deservedly receive a more ample recompense The more thou divorcest thy self from all gust of self wil and interest the more deliciously wilt thou rellish the divine wil a heavenly kind of tast and joy wil be infused into thy hart If God had made any one man so happy as to be in a perpetual fruition of his own wil no sooner said but done and so powerful as to be able to compass all his designes and that lawfully yea and were securely certain of the continuance of this power and good hap I am perswaded such a one would enjoy les content then another who followd his own fancy in nothing but renounced it in all for the love of God A certain contentive rellish of the wil doth accompany its fulfilling and there is no content nor complacence greater then that which God hath in the performance of his wil. If God should communicate to thee one drop of that delight of his wil which he imparts to those
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
repose by reason of occurrent duties eyther of life or state of life even in that kind of violence it breaths with tacit but connatural aspirations after God and these employments being ended and she left to her self she hastens to her center recollecting her self in her closest retreats with God that to her utmost she may become like the Angels who see allwayes the face of their Father and covet to see it more and more which desire ought to be as connatural and recreative to our harts as is the ayre in which they breath The XV. Chapter That the incomprehensible goodnes of God is to be loved VVHAT am I who am but an abyss of malice in comparison of thee O ocean of goodnes that thou shouldst love me like loves its like why then dost thou who art the best love me who am the worst things more amiable are loved by others thou being most amiable covetest to beloved by me the vilest and loath somest of creatures O love of the world what am I in comparison of thee who deserve to be the hatred and horrour of the world what 's the reason that thou commandst me to love thee why was it needful to lay an injunction upon this what necessity to intreat and sollicit it by so many wayes o sollicitation o most sweet voyce child give me thy hart o petition iterated and reiterated to deaf â—areâ—â— thou makest an exhibition of thy self in each of thy creatures that thou maist be seen at all turnes through the cazements of nature melting away in this most amiable demand in thy search after me Thou accostest me in each creature that thou maist beg it by them all dividing out thy love in so many wayes to gain mine What window soever I open thou as a suiter occurrest to my eyes standing behind the wall looking through the windowes looking forth through the grates If I see if I hear if I smel if I tast lo thy lovely face presents it self thy sweet voyce the odour of my God a honey comb with its honey is forthwith at hand every where suit is made for love If fower or five grave men should avouch any thing or invite others to an enterprize each one would doe and believe what they said why give not I eare to so many creatures while they all invite me to the love of my God since he hath so many vouchers of his comelines why am I so backward in belief if men allurd with the beauty of things thought them endowed with a deity how much art thou the soveraign and aggregate of all beauties more beautiful then them for thou being the source and author of it al I thou allottest to each one the pittance it hath All creatures represent thy love and beauty with silent cryes and invisible colours but what voyce or pourtraiture wil bring us to thy knowledg creatures are not able to paint thee forth All the perfections they contain seem nothing else but so many blemishes Who art thou then or where o my beautifully faire who though thou be every where present with me yet I find thee no where and though thou comprizest all yet thou art none of that all Creatures object themselves to my view as if they carried a resemblance of thee but I look upon them as a riddle Thou art not that o Lord which they delineate thee to be who though they tel not a plain lye yet they chalk thee so forth that thou art not truly what they represent In this manner I sought whom my soul loveth I sought him but found him not I wil rise and make a turn about the citty through the lanes of nature the streets of the heavens I enquired of the formes of creatures of the consorts of musique of the fragrancy of parfumes the tasts of inebriating rellishes the embracements of lovers and they all said we are not thy beloved he shines in such sort that no place is capable of his splendour he sends forth a sound but such a one as no wind doth carry a long he yealds a sent but so as that no ayre disperseth it he gives such a rellish that no hunger can bite upon it he is so inherent that no satiety can cause a separation I enquired of the earth and it made answer I am not he if the heavens of beavens do not contain him why art thou so inquisitive of me I enquird of the sea and it trembling said I am not his abyss much exceeds mine and it is no wayes to be waded through I enquird of heaven and it said I am not thy God he mounts much above my sphere If none of all you creatures be he tel me where I may receive some â—ydings of him the watchful intelligences and guardian spirits of this world made reply he made us seek him above us When I had passed a litle beyond them I found the beloved of my soul whom I could not find among creatures In this respect only I behold and find thee o light placed in the midst of lights that I am able neyther to behold nor find thee for how can I comprehend what is incomprehensible fly fly my beloved in this respect I wil comprehend thee because thou fliest me I know so much the more of thee the more I know thee not to be knowable and I approach nigher to thy knowledg the more thou recedest from my comprehension I sought in my bed and the retirednes of my solitude night by night the beloved of my soul The splendour of things beautiful in respect of thee is a night the seemlines of the heavens is a night the very beauty of the sun its refulgency and any other I wil not say created but falsly imaginable comelines is a night If each star were more resplendent then the sun and the sun himself did by as many degrees exceed these stars as there are sands of the sea and motes illustrated by the sun he would be an eye sore in respect of thee nor would be more conspicuous then the stars now are in presence of the sun But to what purpose do I bring these deformed beauties of visible things these rustick forms even of the sun morish lights Let us draw into resemblance these spiritual and candid ones whose lovelines is such that an Angel appearing to the devout Father Iohn Fernandez of our society the sight so affected him that he fainted through excess of joy was not able to support himself affirming that all the beauties of this world were but blemishes and deformities in regard of this Imagin then that the comelines of that Angel were as much greater then it is as there are â—â—omes in the aire and that each Angel were endowed with such comelines there being millions of millions of them or in a manner a number numberles sum up all this comelines of them all into one it would be ill-favourd and ugly in comparison of the beauty of God and I say not
upon thee by name when it stood â—ritten in the front of the book that he was to do the will of God he said o heavenly Father even for that contemptible Caytif Iohn will I also undergo a whipping a crowning a cross ignominy even death it self I give I offer I sacrifice my self wholly for his salvation And will it not be also thy duty to reflect upon Christ and say o my God this day for my Saviours sake wil I embrace all corporal labours and anguish of mind that I may love serve and glorify him with all the extent of my affection If God had created thee in the state of grace in an ample freedome of will and had by divine revelation indoctrinated thee in all the mysteries of our faith and thou didst see thy self dear to him and his B. Son become man and crucified with unspeakable love for thy sake were it not thy duty in these circumstances to give thy self wholly to God and power thy self forth upon him it is all one as if he had but just now created thee be oâ— good courage thou shalt awake in the state of grace behold thou findst thy redemption accomplishd to thy hand by the death and torments of thy God and this with so early a love that Christ sufferd for thee a thousand and so many yeares before thou wert born that he might have plenty of grace in store for thee Neyther Adam nor S. Michael nor Gabriel nor any other of the Angels no nor their queen her self the sacred Virgin found such preventing diligence such a feat of love to wit that God had already died for their releasment Be inflamed then forth with with a recipocal love and burning desires towards so magnificent a goodnes so speedily provident over thy affaires and do not contemn such an anticipation in what concerns thy eternal weal. Adam stood in expectation of this benefit the space of 4000. yeares but the benefit it self hath expected thee already above 1600 and it is neyther right nor reason that thou requite such sedulity and quicknes with so much sluggishnes and delay Procrastinate no longer thy conversion to God who hath so long expected thee in a great deal of patience Put case a proffer of coming to life were made to the soules which now are only in a possibility of existence and this upon the same conditions helps and favours which God hath daignd to bestow this day upon thee how would they joy how happy would they esteem themselves how officiously would they spend that day how would they in the very entrance of life sacrifice themselves to such a benefact or And what if he should make this proffer to those whom this very night he hath sentenced to hel fire while he so lovingly stood centry over thee in thy repose with what incredible fervour would they at their first return to life consecrate themselves to Almighty God as also the remnant of that day and their whol life if they did but once behold themselves adornd with divine grace with supernatural habits and such opportunities of serving so beneficial a God Be thou confounded for not sacrificing thy self more fervently to him who is much more munificent towards thee it is a greater matter to have preserved thee from damnation then to have reprieved thee being once condemned Spur up thy self to outstrip the fervor of many just soules and be thankful that thou findst not thy self this morning plungd in hell but freed from it as also from so many dangers and sins which innumerable others have this night incurd Do thou alone wish to give him if it were possible that glory which all the Saints will be still rendering through the great day of eternity which desire thou must unfaignedly iterate in the course of the whole day and that with sighs from thy very hart neither in the morning only but oftner as if then newly set on foot and created begin the journey of Gods service allwayes with a fresh and vigorous courage The V. Chapter That our daily fervour must be retained THOV providest but fondly for this dayes life neyther art thou secure of that if thou delayst it till to morrow If the use of this dayes life be granted thee live wel and perfectly for he only is said to live who lives wel Thou diest miserably being yet alive if thou leadest not a good life Each morning when thou awakest purpose to live that day as wel as possibly thou canst as if thou wert undoubtedly to dye the same night Delay not the amendment of any defect till another day which perchance thou wilt never see eyther the day or thy wil wil fayl thee The day to come wil go wel with thee if the present do One must never hazard a thing so good as is a good life but be alwaies in an active fruition of it Thou art industrious in avoiding any thing that may endanger life and why dost thou by delaying prepare and call danger to a good life Live to day and protract not to amend what is amiss after this week or month or the disposall of this affair To day God is our Lord and to day must thou be the servant of God for he is thy servant to day since he to day makes the sun rise to thy behoof He delaies not his guifts till to morrow neither must thou thy services To day God heaps benefits upon thee which thou canst not challenge be not thou wanting to services which he exacts The services of another day wil not suffice for the beneficence of their day why wilt thou have them satisfy for the day past and for the benefits of the present its own goodnes is not sufficient to pay its debt why wilt thou make it pay for the malice of another God especially redoubling thy debts and his graces to day God is God and to day thou art his creature to day Christ is thy redeemer and thou to day his redeemed IESVS is Christ yesterday to day thou hast a being to day and shalt perchance not have one to morrow To day and every moment art thou a debter to God who impends continually his omnipotency to thy behoof thou also must each moment impend all thy forces in his love and service How darest thou incur the loss of one hour since thou canst not make recompense for the least benefit which thou receivest this instant flowing from the ocean of Gods infinite love How darest thou suspend the quitting thy obligation for the interval of one day or hour for if God suspended his munificence but for a piece of an hour thou wouldst not be in the world or if he suspended his indulgence thou wouldst be in hell An eternal salary is promised thee thou must not merit by interrupted services If thou wilt truly live never intermit to live wel this is an eternal truth O Truth give me grace to serve thee truly henceforth for all eternity and that I may eternally