CHAP. I.
W [...]erein Christian Perfection consists: And of four things necessary to ob­tain it.

IF thou heartily and seri­ously The im­portance of this knowledg. desirest, (ô dearly beloved in Christ,) to reach the sublimity of Christian perfection, and to be truly united to thy Lord God, by becomming [...] spirit with him, (which is the most profitable employment, and the most excellent and divine enter­prize imaginable;) It highly imports thee to understand in the first place [Page 2] wherein this perfection of spirituall life consists.

2. For some there are, who for Some place per­fection in austerity. want of this necessary consideration, imagine that this high perfection is placed in leading an austere life, in the maceration of the flesh, in the use of hair-cloth, in much fasting, watching, and the like rigorous ex­ercises, and bodily afflictions.

3. Others, especially women, judg Others in reciting many prayers. of their progresse in spirituality, by their daily recitall of many prayers, their assisting at many Masses, their frequent Confessions, and Commu­nions.

4. And there are very many, (ye [...] Others in their ex­act obser­vance. even some of them, Religious and cloyster'd persons) who perswade themselves that perfection consists in frequenting the Quire, in the ex­act observance of silence, and soli­tude, and in well-ordered disci­pline.

5. Thus some by these pious pra­ctices, All which are good means, but not direct­ly tending to perfe­ction. some by other externall exer­cises, tend to this desired perfection; but are all wide of the direct way leading unto it: For though thes [...] outward and devout employmen [...] [Page 3] conduce very much towards the at­taining it, yet in them alone, and their exactest observance, it consists not: Ti's true, that the discreet use of them, is doubtlesly a forcible means to obtain the Grace of the holy Ghost; to fortify us against our fleshes frailty; to shield & arm us a­gainst the deceits and assaults of our common and cruell enemy: and fi­nally to perform our practices of piety (especially whilst we are new-champions and Novices in this spi­rituall conflict) with more sweet­nesse and alacrity: Yea they pro­duce plenty of fruits to them also who are well-experienced and skil­full combatants in this holy warfare; who therefore afflict their body, because it hath been instrumentall [...] the offence of their Creatour; [...]herefore love silence and live in so­ [...]tude, to shun all ocasion of sinne, [...]nd to attend their heavenly me­ [...]itations with more quiet and tran­ [...]uillity, being untangled from the [...]orlds impediments; they are de­ [...]out and diligent performers of the [...]ivine office; they are fervent and requent in works of charity, in [Page 4] prayer, and holy Communion; and all this for no other reason than God's honour and Glory, and to unite themselves to him, by the sa­cred bonds of sincere affection.

6. Yet they who rest here, and And they that rest in these lower exercises are in great dan­ger; place their end in these outward ex­ercises, do oft times endanger their own Salvation; and this not by reason of the exercises themselves, (which are truly and naturally holy, and war­ranted by the practice and example of many great and glorious Saints,) but for that they are so totally atten­tive to these lower exercises, as they leave their inward man in its natu­rall affections, and unrescu [...]d from the snares of the devill. For the de­ceitfull fiend, finding them gone a­stray in following their affections to those devotions, gives them not on­ly peace but also pleasure in the pur­suance of them; they seeme to tast they very sweets of Paradise, yea to walk and talk with God, and heare his divine whispers in their Souls; such is their vain perswasion! And are somtimes so absorpt in their cu­rious and deep fancies of meditati­on, that they conceit themselves [Page 5] even separated from the world, sever'd from all creatures, and rapt into the third heaven.

7. But how dangerously all such As may appeare by the rest of their acti­ons, Souls are deceived, and how wide they are strayed from the right way of perfection, will easily appeare by the rest of their actions: For they are commonly very singular, curious, censurers of their neighbours lives and conversations, and prone to murmur at their proceedings: And when themselves are advertised of their own errours, or never so litle hindred from their accustomed ex­ercises, (which they frequent chiefly for fashion's sake,) or barr'd from the ordinary use of the Sacraments; you shall presently perceive them fall into passion, unquietnesse, and despair.

8. And if it pleaseth God, (to the And espe­ccially by their want of resigna­tion in time of af­fliction. end they may truly understand their own state,) to send them some in­firmity, or permit some tribulation to befall them, (for such trialls are his touchstones, whereby he proves his servants sincerity,) O how soon shall you discover the false foundati­on whereon they built the edifice [Page 6] of their feigned devotion? how rotten is their inward man, and how full of secret pride? For they re­fuse to resigne their wills, and to humble their hearts under God's powerfull hand, in all the change­able courses of prosperity and ad­versity: They will not, according to the divine example of God's hum­ble suffering Son, subject themselves to all creatures, nor take their seem­ing enemies, (that which truly they are) to be their true freinds, as be­ing instruments of God's goodnesse, pomotours of their perfection, and helpers in the reformation of their unmortified passions: which is an evident signe of their dangerous state. For the eyes of their souls are dazzled and corrupted by ga­zing upon these outward actions, (though good,) arrogating to them­selves, I know not what degrees of perfection; and from thence fal­ling into self-conceit, they judge rashly, and contemn others. Nor can they be recalled or cured, unlesse God himselfe strikes strongly at the doore of their hearts, and dissipates the darknesse of their interiour with [Page 7] the divine rays of his gracious light; making them see their own danger, and seeke the remedie: For a great and manifest sinner is more easily reclamed, than a seeming Saint; whose secret iniquity, is shrouded under the appearance of vertue and piety.

9. Thus then it is manifest unto True per­fection therefore, consists in the know­ledg of God and our selves. thee, (ô my beloved,) that spirituall perfection consists not at all in the aforesaid practices and perswasions. Know therefore that it is placed in no other thing, than In the true know­ledge of Gods goodnesse and greatnesse; and of our own basenesse, miserie, and nothing, and of the pronenesse of our naturall affections to all malice: Also, in the hatred of our selves, and the love In the love of God, and hatred of our selves; In resig­nation to Gods will, and deny­ing of our own. of God: And lastly, in the absolute denying of our own will, and entire re­signation of it to the divine will and pleasure: That is, that we totally submit our selves, not onely to the Almighty God, but even to every one of his creatures for his sake; and this for no other end, than onely to please his divine Majesty, who de­serves to be purely served, highly ho­noured, perfectly praised and glorifi­ed by all.

[Page 8] 10. This is the Abnegation which All which Christ hath taught us by word and ex­ample. Christ our saviour so often inculca­ted; This is the Obedience, to which God's sonne invites and directs his faithful followers, both by his words and by his example; This is the de­sirable Crosse, which his diligent ser­vants are to lay on their shoulders, and so follow the steps of their Sa­viour; This is that love, which our Lord so seriously, frequently and carefully recommended to the whole world, and especially to his Disciples, as his particular friends and children, after his last supper.

11. If then (my dearly beloved) thou intendest to attaine to this high And we must also do it, if we mean to purchase victory. perfection; thou must use violence to thy selfe, and vanquish thine own affections both great and small; thou must affect this fight, and in­struct thy mind to wage this holy war. For the crown of victory is conferred only upon the stout and lawfull combatants. Nor is there any thing more glorious to our selves, or more gratefull to God.

12. For as this battell (we now treat of) is the greatest, and of most difficulty; so is the ensuing victory most glorious to our selves, and most gratefull to God: in so much [Page 9] as if thou overcommest, subduest, mortifiest, and rootest out thine own disordinate and unruly affecti­ons; thou offerest up to God a more agreeable sacrifice, than if (neglecting this) thou shouldst whip thy body till it were embrued in it's own bloud, or fast beyond the au­sterity of the strictest Anchorites, or convert thousands of Infidels and sinners to Christ's faith and perfect pennance: For though the conver­sion of souls bee in it self more dear to our Lord God, than the renoun­cing of our own wills in small mat­ters, yet it is thy part to will and do that chiefly and most carefully which Hee most strictly requires of thee: And this is undoubtedly the serious mortification of thy unta­med passions, wherein thou shalt better please him, than in any other highest and holiest employment.

13. Being thus instructed, (ô dear­ly But to ob­tain it, we must pro­vide four necessary weapons. beloved,) wherein Christian per­fection consisteth; and that to ob­taine it, thou must adventure up­on a cruel and continuall warre, if thou intendest to be a conque­rour: It befits thee like a stout [Page 10] Christian champion, to arme thy-self with Four necessary weapons,

• which are,
  • 1. Diffidence of thy self.
  • 2. Confidence in God.
  • 3. Continual exercise.
  • 4. Devout prayer.

Of all which weapons, I shall (by Gods assistance) now briefly treat, according to their several or­ders.

CHAP. II.
Of the diffidence, or distrust of our selves.

THis diffidence of thy selfe, may be obtained by three manner Distrust of our selves, which is gotten; First by a deep sense of our own no­thing. of wayes: First, by a deepe sense of thine own basenesse and misery, tru­ly acknowledging that of thy selfe thou canst not doe the least good thing: For man can no more effect any good or meritorious work by his own power, than a stone (if I may say it) is able of it-selfe to ascend upwards: and he hath al­most the like inclination to evill, as a heavie stone hath to the Earth's centre.

[Page 11] 2. The second way to get this self-distrust, 2. By Prayer. is to demand it of him, whose gracious gift it is, with humble and earnest prayers: And to prevail in thy petition, thou must first yield that thou truly wantest it, and that of thy self thou canst never attain to it: and thus totally naked, present thy prayer with a constant faith, and a couragious hope to be heard, and to obtain this desired diffidence of thy self. But let thy prayer encrease in dayly fervour, and expect with perseverance the divine pleasure in the grant of thy petition: and then be confident, it will sooner or later be granted unto thee.

3. The Third is, That as oft as thou 3. By often reflecting upon our own weak­nesse. failest and fallest into sin, thou presently turn thy soules eye toward thine own basenesse, misery, and inabilily to act any thing that is good; for untill this be truly known, and humbly acknowledged by thee, never hope to be secure from falling.

4. Whosoever therfore aspi [...]es to And this self-know­ledge, is leston mus [...] needs be learn'd. a blessed union with the increated verity, must first study this necessary lesson of selfe-knowledg: For God permits the proud & presumptuous [Page 12] to fall sometimes into some grievous sin, that so they may be forced to confesse their own frailty, and impo­tency: and according as their pride is greater or lesse, so is their fall more or lesse grievous: in so much, as if there were no pride in man, (as there was none in the sacred Virgin Mary) there should likewise be no fall into any sin.

5. Wherefore presently upon thy And we must bee carefull to rise speedi­ly after our fall. fall, hasten thy thoughts to an hum­ble reflexion upon thine own no­thing; beg instantly and ardently of thy Lord God, his true and inward light, to see thy own frailty and in­firmity, and to keep thee from more dangerous fallings for the future.

CHAP. III.
Of Confidence in God.

THou seest then how usefull and 1 needfull this Self-distrust is: but yet if thou enterest the field to fight with that onely weapon, thou must look to be either speedily vanquish'd, or basely put to flight. Wherefore ha­ving fitted thy selfe with this first ar­mour, Distrust of thy selfe; let thy 2 Confi­dence in God, which is obtained next diligence be imployed to get a pious Confidence in God, begging, ho­ping, and expecting from him all good, and help whatsoever. In ob­taining whereof, make use also of these three advices.

2. For first thou art to crave it in­stantly, 1 By prayer. and ently and humbly of the divine Majesty.

[Page 15] 3. Then, thou art to consider his 2 By consi­dering the divine power, wisdome and good­nesse, by which he can, knowes how, and is willing to help. wonderfull power, and contem­plate his infinite wisdome, from whence thou wilt conclude, that nothing is either impossible to him, or difficult. Then weigh his bound­lesse goodnesse, which is ever ready to poure plentifully upon the [...] all necessaries for thy spirituall profi­ciency, and all things usefull for thy gaining an intire victory over thy enemies. For how can it be possible that this holy and heavenly Shep­heard, who for full thirty-three yeares space hath so carefully run after this stray'd sheep, so lovingly recall'd her home to himselfe; so painfully sought her, and so dearly bought her with the price of his bloud, and losse of his life; should avert his eyes of compassion from her when shee cryes, calls, and converts her self unto him? Oh, how can he forget his own promise, and not lay her upon his sacred shoulders, and celebrate a Feast of joy and jubilation with his heavenly Citizens for her happy reduction? Or who can imagine, that our loving Lord God, who so much [Page 16] desires to dwell in our hearts, and feast in our souls; and to this end, is ever knocking at those doores for admittance, that so he may replenish us with the Heavenly Treasures of his graces; should then shut his eares, when we open to him our hearts, or should refuse to give us admittance, when wee humbly and earnestly in­vite him to our banquet?

4. And thirdly, For the obtain­ing 3. By medi­tating up­on holy writt. this holy confidence and trust in God; make use of the infallible truth of sacred Scriptures: which frequently and manifestly tell thee, that who so place their Confidence in their Lord God, are never confoun­ded.

5. There is also another way to get this Distrust of our selves and An other means is by think­ing on our own frail­ [...]y, and Gods om­nipotency at the beginning of each action. Confidence in God; Which is, never to set upon any work, before thou first makest reflection upon thine own frailty, and thy Lords omnipo­tency. For if thou observest not this order in the beginning of thy en­terprises, thou shalt find thy self of­tentimes deceived, even when thou thinkest to have undertaken them in the best manner: because pride and [Page 17] presumption are so inherent in our nature, that our whole live's dili­gence, is scarcely sufficient to drive them out; and therefore thou must so order thine actions, that still the thought of thine own nothing, and God's all sufficiency, and readinesse to assist thee, goe before them. And here, look diligently to thy selfe, that thou be not deceived: For of­tentimes when thou imaginest to have truly attained to this Diffidence in thy selfe, and Confidence in God, thou art farre short of it; as thou mayest easily perceive, by the remai­ning motions of thy mind, and fre­quent fallings into imperfections: Whereby we shall not be foo­lishly de­jected at our fre­quent fal­lings. For if these relapses make thee sad, unquiet, and in a manner desperate of thy spirituall progresse; it is an evident signe that thy confidence is in thy selfe onely, and not in thy Creatours goodnesse: And if thy sadnesse and despaire be great, great also is thy confidence in thy self, and litle is thy trust in God; as on the contrary, if thou hast a true distrust of thy own selfe, and a perfect con­fidence in God onely, thou wilt not much marvell at thy own frailty, nor [Page 18] be vainly dejected at thy frequent fallings, which proceed from thy own weaknesse, and therefore hin­der not thy confidence in God's goodnesse. So that thou wilt con­ceive a holy anger against thy self for thy sinnes, and with an humble sor­row for thy offence, wilt trust here­after lesse to thy self, and more in God; and with a new-enkindled zeale, and greater courage than before, wilt follow thy begun enter­prize to get the victory in this spi­rituall warfare, and pursue thy ene­mies even to death.

6. And would to God these A necessa­ry caveat for all spi­ritual peo­ple. truthes were diligently div'd into by some, who seeme to bee spirituall; and yet they no sooner fall into de­fects, but they presently become impatient, and cannot be quieted, till they have recourse to their gho­stly Father, rather for their own solace, than for any true devotion: when as the prime motive of their comming to him should be to purge their soules from sin by absolution, and to obtaine new strength against their enemies by the sacred Commu­nion.

CHAP. IV.
Of continuall exercise: and first, that the Ʋnderstanding is carefully to be kept from Ignorance, and from Curiosity.

IT hath been hitherto declared, The third spirituall weapon, is continuall exercise; how much this Distrust of our selves, and trust in Gods goodnesse, help us on, in our spirituall conflict: But they alone are yet insufficient to gain the victory, and keep us from relapses; and therefore besides these two, a third weapon is necessary, which we above tearmed Continuall Exercise; and this chiefly consists in the rectified use of our Understan­ding Which consists, in the right use of the under­standing. and Will.

2. First therefore the Understan­ding is to be carefully kept from two great evils, Ignorance, and Curi­osity: [Page 21] From Ignorance, that it may bee pure and cleare, and so we may The un­derstand­ing is to be kept from Ig­norance, see what is necessary for the taming of our passions, and overcomming of our affections.

3. And this light may be obtained two manner of wayes: First and chiefly by earnest Prayer, invoking First, by prayer, and imploring God's holy Spirit to infuse this light into thy soule. Se­condly, Secondly, by a dili­gent search into our owne acti­ons. by daily practice of a pro­found and accurate search into all thine own actions and affairs; not only as they appeare outwardly, but rather as they are truly in them­selves. Doe but make tryall of this exercise for a time, and thou wilt come easily to understand what things and actions are good, and what are evill; as also what are truly good, and what are onely in shew, promising much by their out­ward splendour, but performing indeed nothing, nor any way con­ducing to the quiet of thy consci­ence.

CHAP. V.
Of the Will: and the end, to which we are to direct all our actions.

IF thou desirest (ô dearly beloved) 1. A will to do well, sufficeth not: to become one spirit with thy Lord God, 'tis not enough to have a pious and prompt will to doe good works; but even that good thou doest, must (by his divine help and motion) be totally referred to Gods honour, and to please him onely. In But our a­ctions must be performed only to please God. this thou must look to have a strong conflict with thine own nature, which in all her actions and omissi­ons seeks her own commodity and complacence, especially in things spirituall: Hence it is, that when any good thing is proposed to be per­formed as from Gods will and plea­sure, shee readily undertakes to per­form it; but yet not as a thing plea­sing to God, or proposed by him, but rather because she considers the commodities and content which man reaps by doing the will of God.

[Page 30] 2. Wherfore, to the end thou Which that thou maist at­tain to, maist wrest thy selfe out of this dan­gerous snare of the Devil, and per­nicious stumbling block cast in the way of perfection; and by degrees get a custome to doe or not to doe, because God will have it so, and with an intention to please him only (who should be the entrance and end of all our actions;) listen dili­gently to these following advices.

3. When a thing is presented un­to Apply thy understan­ding to Gods will, thee to bee performed, which is agreeable to the divine Will: first lift up thy Ʋnderstanding unto God before thou appliest thy Will to exe­cute it; thus thou shalt clearly dis­cern, that it is his divine pleasure thou shouldest perform it; and that thou shouldst doe it solely for his Honour and good liking: And that thy will is drawn and moved by the divine will to effect this work for this onely end and intention, be­cause God will have it so, for the ho­nour and glory of his own most sa­cred Majesty.

4. So likewise, when thou wouldst omit or refuse the things not wil­led And take heed of be­ing decei­ved; by God; resolve not rashly up­on [Page 31] this omission, untill thou hast di­rected the eye of thy Ʋnderstanding to the divine will (as is even now de­clared.) And take particular care over thy self, lest thou bee deceived; because it may many times seem to thee that thou actest or omittest this or that, for Gods will and pleasure, when indeed it is otherwise; for because nature is subject to seek her­self. nature doth so secretly seek her selfe in our enterprizes; that those very things, which thou thinkest please or displease thee onely for the love of God, are principally willed or re­fused for thy self-interest.

5. Wherefore in the very entrance into any action whatsoever, dispoile thy selfe to the utmost of thy power, of all intentions which hath the least mixture of this proper in­terest: nor doe thou adventure to act or omit any thing, till thou fee­lest and findest thy selfe inward­ly moved, to begin and go on with it, for Gods onely will and plea­sure.

6. But if thou wantest time and This in­tention of doing all for God, is to be al­waies made in the ente­rance to any work. leisure to make this intention, and to ponder the causes moving thee to doe or omit every work; take [Page 32] care to do it when occasion gives thee permission; and then from thy in­tention, to seek onely Gods good pleasure and honour in each one of thy actions and omissions: Now in o­ther affaires, which admit of more deliberation, let this formall and ex­presse intention be made at the begin­ning of thy putting hand unto them: as also in things of longer durance, this intention is to be often renew­ed; And to be renewed in the pro­gresse of it, lest after right beginning, some crooked intention may chance to creepe into thy mind: And thus thou maist shun the secret deceits of thine own Nature, which is too prone to seek her-self, and to invert thy well-made intentions, and in stead of Gods honour, strike in for her own interest.

7. So that a champion who is not Lest self-love creep in, and so change & corrupt it. very vigilant in this doubtfull fight, may (as you see) often begin good works, and intend to perform them punctually according to the divine will & liking; and yet afterwards, al­most unawares, the same works may begin to please himself so much for his own sake, that he may wholly forget Gods glory and honour. And [Page 37] thus by little and little he may be­come so changed, bewitched, and abstracted, with the pleasure, profit, and honour, redounding to himself from these works; that if these private conveniencies chance to be abstructed, by means of sicknesse or other accidents whatsoever, hee presently remains much troubled, contristated, and disquieted; nor can he without great difficulty be drawn to his first pure Intention, of doing what God would have him for his only divine honour and glo­ry.

CHAP. VI.
Of a two-fold Will in man; and the continual fight between them.

THou must take notice (my dear­ly 2. Wills. Rationall, and Sen­suall. beloved,) of two Wills in man: The one of Reason, which is therefore called Rationall and superiour; The other of Sense, and so is named Sen­sual, inferiour; and sometimes, sen­suality, appetite, concupiscence, flesh, passion, and the like. And though each one of these is in man; yet be­cause the use of Reason truly makes us and denominates us men, wee should never own any thing, which our meere sensuality dictates, till our superiour and rationall Will gives her joint consent.

[Page 39] 2. From this diversity springs all The Ratio­nall is sea­ted be­tween Gods grace, and our sense. our spirituall conflict: For our su­periour Will and Reason being mid­dled between Gods Will, which is above it, and our Sensuality, which is under it, still tempting and enticing it to naughtinesse: therefore both of them, that is, Gods Will and our own Sensuality, strive to get this our rationall Will, to side with them, and sometimes that, othertimes this, renders her subject and obedient to them.

3. But this battail is of no great And the truly ver­tuous per­sons yield promptly to Gods will, difficulty to them who are either truly vertuous, or downright vitious. For they who are vertuous, come no sooner to the knowledg of Gods holy will, but they presently yield their consent, and bridle their bru­tish sensuality: And the wicked do And the vitious to their sen­suality. contrarily according to their appe­tite, checking the divine will which contradicts it. They therefore chieflly feele the brunt of this battail, (espe­cially at first,) who have been great sinners, and are now resolved upon amendment, and to this end sever themselves from worldly and flesh­ly delights, the better to love and [Page 40] serve their Lord Jesus Christ for the future. For the inward feeling and strokes of Gods will, which their But they who of sinners are become converts have the greatest conflict; Reason receives from above; and the cruel contradictions and adverse motion of their Sensuality, which it must necessarily suffer from below; are so powerfull on each side, that the poor Reason is between them both brought into extreme straits and perplexities.

4, Wherefore let none think to Who must therefore resolve to beare pati­ently the losse of their plea­sures. gain the victory, who is not instru­cted, prepared, and resolved to sup­port patiently all such pains, as he shall endure in leaving his past plea­sures: For this surely seems one of the chief causes why so few attain to true perfection; because, feeling grief and trouble in the beginning of their conversion, and in the quitting of their depraved affections and desires, they stand not fast to their resoluti­ons, but yield to their enemies, who treacherously invade them, not making manlike resistance with the sword of Reason; but rather like cowardly souldiers, they skulke away, throw downe their armes, yield themselves to [Page 41] the mercy of their enemies, and become againe their bondslaves who will now more than formerly tyran­nize over them.

CHAP. VII.
Of the fight against Sensuality: and of the inward way of the Will, to ac­quire Vertues.

AS often as thou feelest thy self assaulted by the motions of 1▪ When Sensuality rebels▪ thy Sensuality, convert thy minde quickly to thy Lord God, and resist manfully: And that thou maist be­come a conquerour in this combat, furnish thy self with these severall wayes and wards against thy foes. 1. Look presenly to thy rea­son that it cosent not. 2. Recall that moti­on again and again, and as of­ten con­quer it.

2. First, let the temptation be no sooner felt in the senses, but that thou forthwith put a precept of obedience upon the Superiour Will or Reason, that it yield no consent unto it. In the next place, when thou hast happily vanquished and discomfited any such temptation; [Page 44] excite the same againe in thy self, and again repell it with the like fervour: Yea, do it yet again and again, that so often thou maist have occasion more zelously to hate it, to reject it, to contemn it: And this way is to be used against all temptations, and unruly affections of thy Sensuality; except onely what concerns carna­lity: whereof hereafter in its due place.

3. Lastly, let it be thy exercise to 3. Pro­duce acts of those vertues which are contrary to these vices. produce frequent and fervent acts of those vertues which are contrary to the temptations of these vices: For example: Art thou tempted to impatience? Recall thy mind home into its inner roome, and thou shalt there perceive, that this temptation to impatience, doth incessantly strive and sight with thy Superiour Will or Reason, to terrify and drive it out of the field, or incline it to consent: Therefore thou must contradict and resist the said temptation with re­doubled fervor of thy Reason; and never leave off this resistance, till thou seest thine enemy conquered at thy feet, and become thy Cap­tive.

[Page 45] 4. Yet here thou art to be adver­ [...]ized, But be­ware of thy cun­ning ene­my, who sometimes suppres­seth these motions. that our enemy perceiving us [...]o constantly and continually to op­ [...]ose our selves against his suggesti­ [...]ns, passions and affections, ceaseth [...]ometimes (out of his treacherous [...]unning) from stirring them up: And which is more, when they are [...]aised, he sometimes suppresseth [...]hem; lest by the frequent fight of our Reason against them, we should get the habit of those vertues which are opposite to those passi­ons.

5. It imports thee therefore to For then it is thy part to excite them. be weary, that thou lettest not slip this occasion of acquiring these ver­tues: And if thou hast made a truce with thy foe, and art at peace with thy passions; yet reduce into memory thy past and overcome temptations; and excite the ill sug­gestions which have formerly mo­lested thee, yea and carry thy selfe so towards them, as if thou seemedst to consent, and yield them the victory: And with all marke the motives, ar­guments, & reasons suggested by thy enemie; examin what he aimes at, what he would have of thee, and [Page 46] to what thou art inclined; and when thou seest thy Sensitive part stirred up, and evill thoughts ascending, encreasing, and almost domi­neering over thy Reason, which is even readie to give her consent; Then draw back thy foot, and vio­lently excite good thoughts in thy soul in opposition to those evill sug­gestions, boldly denying them further entrance or longer continuance. And fight the battail over and over, so And to fight a­fresh with them, often and so long, till thou feelest in thy self, that thou art now a con­querour of thy selfe.

6. But we must yet furthermore Till thou gettest a perfect ha­tred a­gainst them. take notice, that though we have gallantly fought, and happily foyled our enemies; we are in no security, till we hate them perfectly. And to excite, encrease, and perfect this our due hatred against them, we must so often (as aforesaid) stir them up, and provoke them to the com­bat, thereby to take occasion of contemning, despising, and abhorring them, (that is our evil affections,) with the greater indignation; till we at length come to have a true and constant hatred against them.

[Page 47] 7. Now, for the adorning of thy And the way to plant ver­tues, is to practice acts con­trary to these de­fects. soul with vertures, the former fights and exercises against unruly passions, and evil affections, suffice not; but thou must frequently and fervently undertake the practice of those affections, and acts of those vertues, which are contrary to those now-extirpated passions, and over­come vices. As thus: One gives thee occasion of impatienc [...]: It is not e­nough for thee to conquer and quell this motion according to the now-delivered doctrine; but thou shouldst moreover desire, that the same per­son may, in the same manner, more & more move and molest thee; yea, thou shouldst force thy self to feele content in that trouble; and make resolutions to suffer more of the like nature, or greater of any other: And which is yet above all this, thou must constrain thy self to converse lovingly, speake sweetly, serve cor­dially that very person, whose occa­sion thus moves thee to impati­ence.

CHAP. VIII.
What he must do who feels his Superi­our Will or Reason, overcome by his inferiour Will or Sensuality.

IF thou sometimes findest (ô dearly 1 beloved) that thou prevailest no­thing at all in the fight of thy Reason against sense; because thou feelest not an efficacious ardour to root out ill affections; Be not troubled, but stand As long as thy Rea­son con­sents not to Sensu­ality, fear not. fast, and still pursue thy fight with courage and constancy: For as long as thy Reason keeps her selfe from consenting to these motions of Sen­suality, so long thou hast the better in this battaile, and art master of the field.

2. Nor is it necessary that all thy affections and motions of Sensuali­ty [Page 53] do entirely submit to thy Reasons For victo­ry consists not in fee­ling no motions, but in not yielding. empire; neither doth our victory consist, in feeling no perverse passi­ons in our Sensuality: But it sufficeth, that our Will and Reason (though Sensuality storm never so much) can alwaies act or omit, doe or not doe, will or desire, when, how, where, and as shee pleaseth: In so much as the Devill himselfe, and the whole world together, can never alter this our resolution.

3. And if it sometimes happen, But if thy enemies surprise thy reason, that thy enemies suddainly and vi­olently rush in upon thee; and so surprize thy Reason, as to give it no respite to have recourse to such won­ted wayes of devotion, whereby it might suppresse these motions: Then briefly make use of thy tongue, and say: No, no, I beleeve thee not, I will none of thee, I will never consent un­to thee. And so behave thy selfe in this exigent against thy inward foes, as one would do being oppressed un­awares with outward enemies: For his sword prooving uselesse in his defence, he strives to step backwards, that so he may get ground and time both to draw his sword, and also to [Page 54] drive his enemy away therewith: And do thou in like sort, O spirituall champion; first give back, thereby Then give back to gaine time and strength. to gain time to think upon thy no­thing, and that of thy self thou canst never conquer thy cruell enemies: And then buckling up thy self with hope and confidence in thy God, who can do all things, make a gallant assault upon thine enemy; saying, Lord help me, O my God give succour to thy servant; O Jesu, O Mary, the most worthy Mother of my Redeemer, deliver me from this danger.

4. But if thou hast time to breath And if thou hast time, help thy selfe with consi­deration, upon it, then thou mayst support thy Will from consenting and yeil­ding, by the succour of thy Under­standing: fetching strength from the Consideration of those means, which may help her against her ene­mies: As for example; If a great and grievous Impatience hath laid hold on thee, (by reason of some accident or affliction,) in so much that it seems more than thou wilt or canst doe to beare or dissemble it any longer: help thy selfe presently with these following thoughts.

5. First, whether or no thou hast First, whe­ther thou hast de­served this affliction. [Page 55] any way deserved, or given just occa­sion, that this adversity should befall thee: If so, rest contented, be no longer troubled; for it is most just and equitable, that thou patiently beare the blow given to thy selfe, by If so, rest contented. thine owne hands: But if not, Then turne thine eyes to thy other sins, If not, think on thy former sinnes not yet fully punished. for which neither thy loving Lord hath yet chastised thee as thou de­servest, nor thou afflicted thy selfe as thou oughtest: And thence con­clude,

Secondly, That thy m [...]eke and mercifull m [...]ker, hath exchanged either the eternall paine, which thou shou [...]dst have endured in Hell-fire, or else the temporall punishment, due to thee in Purgatory, into this easie and fatherly correction: And what then is more reasonable, than that thou embrace it, not only with a willing mind, but also with a grate­full acknowledgment for so bounti­full a benefit. Yea, though they were; yet selfe-denial and sufferance is the way to heaven.

6. Thirdly, But if thou thinkest, (which God forbid thou shouldest) that thou hast done sufficient pe­nance for thy petty-offences: then refl [...]ct with thy selfe, that none can [Page 56] enter the heavenly Kingdome, but they must passe through the narrow gate of selfe-deniall, and of patience in tribulation; for thus Gods holy Sonne himselfe, and all his blessed Saints ascended to their glory.

7. Fourthly; Nay, put case thou And if there were ano­ther way, yet thy du­ty to God binds thee to chuse this, couldst find out some other way to get to heaven; yet thou art obliged by the law of love, and duty, not to doe nor desire it: For the Sonne of God chose the way of thorns and crosses by which he would enter into his glory; and this for thy love, and that thou shouldst imitate him, who left thee this exact pattern of perfect patience.

8. Lastly, know for certain, that As being most gratefull and plea­sing to his Majesty. amongst all the pious motives and meditations, which thou makest use of in these or the like events and ne­cessities, for the comfort and confir­mation of thy Will; this seems to be one of the most efficacious: To think what a joy and content it is to thy Lord God, how he likes and loves thee, when he beholds thee fight so stoutly for his sake. For nothing sure­ly can be more gratefull to thy Crea­tour, than that thou kill, and cut up [Page 57] by the root, all depraved desires; and plant true vertues in their places, and this meerely for that thou well knowest it to be his holy Will and pleasure.

CHAP. IX.
That we must not shun the occasions of these combats.

ANd now (my dearly beloved.) 1. The way to get true vertue, is not to a­void, but to seek the occasions of combat. I adde to all these meanes hi­therto mentioned for the acquisition of vertues, this as a short and certain memoriall: That thou neither feare nor fly, the offered occasions of fighting against thy passions. For if thou art desirous to have the habit of any vertue, (as of Patience, for example,) thy way is not to shut thy selfe up from conversing with men, or to shun those things, (whether words, actions, or cogitations) which move thee to Impatience. No, thou As for ex­ample, to get Pati­ence shun not the company, must not shun them, I say, but seeke them out, desire them, and love their company and conversation who are the causes of this thy disquiet. And as often as thou shalt have occasion of [Page 58] intercourse with them, prepare thy selfe, and make ready thy Will to receive joyfully and endure patiently all tribulations and troubles, which they can any way bring upon thee. And this is thy onely way to ac­custome thy selfe to Patience.

2. In like manner, If thou art Or the imploy­ment which is tedious to thee. weary of any work, which growes tedious and troublesome unto thee; (either for that the person who com­mands it displeaseth thee, or because it is of it selfe offensive, or that thou art thereby hindred from some o­ther employment, which thou wouldst more willingly embrace) yet omit it not upon any termes, but rather set sooner upon that work than any other, be it never so pain­full or displeasing: And although the leaving it undone seems to settle and quiet thy mind, yet still see thou desist not from doing it: For thus thou shalt become more and more instructed in the way to get perfect Patience: Nor is that supposed quiet, at all solid, because it springs not from a heart sincerely purified from all disorderly passion.

3. And I teach the same lesson, And the same rule is to be ap­plied to trouble­some thoughts. [Page 59] concerning such thoughts; as some­times trouble and contristate thy mind: To wit, that thy aime be not utterly to expell them, but kindly to entertaine them, and treat them as gratefull guests; because the trouble of their company, inures thee to the patient suffering of all contrarieties. And whosoever shall otherwise in­struct thee, (ô my b [...]loved,) com­mands thee to fly that very thing in affliction, which thou seekest to ob­taine by fighting; that is, the vertue which thou desirest to gaine, by con­quering thine enemies.

4. But yet a young, and unexperi­enced Yet a young Scholar, must be wary in waging this war; Soldier in this spirituall con­flict, must warily enter the list to wage this warre with wicked thoughts: and therefore I counsell him sometimes to oppose them, o­thertimes to exchange them for others, according as he perceives this or that way best profits him in the acquisition of vertues; but never so But never desert the field. to fly from them and totally leave them▪ as to seeke to be quit of all trouble and irksomenesse which thence ariseth; For though by this flight, he cuts off the occasion of im­patience, [Page 60] yet he gets no strength or constancy of heart, against the next rising motions thereof.

5. Whence it followes, that if the same Sergeants of Impatience doe at [...]or then he will stil be un­provided. another time, seize on him; he is soone terrified, and quickly conque­red; because he was unprovided of armes convenient for the combate; that is, he had not fortified his mind, with customes, counsells, thoughts, and resolutions to keepe perfect patience in all events of Adversi­ty. This way is usefull against all imperfe­ctions, carnality onely ex­cepted.

And this way of warring, is very profitable, not onely against Impati­ence, but all other Imperfections; (the carnall still excepted,) whereof shall be hereafter treated.

CHAP. X.
Of the Fight against suddaine tempta­tions and passions.

HE that is not yet accustomed 1 to receive suddaine adversities and troubles with a calme counte­nance and quiet mind, may thus en­ure himselfe thereto: Let him first [Page 61] diligently consider them with his Ʋnderstanding, then earnestly desire them with his Will, and finally always expect them with a ready, resolute and prepared Minde.

2. The manner to ponder such First, thou art to pon­der them in thy un­derstand­ing, And fore­see what is like to be­fall thee. adversities by the Understanding is this: Mark thine owne state, calling and condition, as also the place and persons where and with whom thou art like daily to converse: thus thou maist easily foresee what may pro­bably befall thee, and how thou must carry thy selfe, and fortifie thy mind, against any suddain surprisall of thy passions. And if some accident not foreseen chance to happen, then be­sides this former strength already gained by that first resolution to bear all crosse events with an evennesse of mind, thou maist thus farther help thy selfe.

3. When thou perceivest that thou But if some other crosse hap­pens not foreseene; fly to the thoughts of Gods love and provi­dence, art sleighted, scorned or any way in­jured; presently enforce thy mind towards thy Lord and maker, and weigh his immense bounty and infi­nite love to thee: from which thought it will forthwith occurre to thy understanding, that he is the [Page 62] chief cause of this thy trouble and tribulation; and that he expresly permits it to befall thee, that thou maist learne to beare it patiently for his love, and so maist draw nearer, and be more perfectly united unto him.

4. And after thou hast thus con­cluded with thy selfe, that it is his divine will and pleasure thou shouldest suffer it patiently; then reflect thy thoughts back upon thy selfe, and begin to chide thy soule, and tell it: Ah, why strivest thou to cast off this crosse, which neither this nor Who sends it, or per­mits it, that enemy, but thy most loving Lord, and heavenly Father hath laid upon thy shoulders? Then turne to the Crosse or calamity which presseth thee, salute it, praise it, embrace it, and receive it with all possible joy and alacrity.

5. And although the rising passi­ons And be constant though al­most con­quered. be so unruly and violent, that they suffer not thy mind to elevate it selfe to God, but leave thee woun­ded, and almost vanquished; yet per­severe in thy well made resolution, and proceed on as if thou wert not worsted in the skirmish.

[Page 63] 6. But amongst all the remedies But the best reme­dy against suddaine motions, is to cut off their cau­ses. against these sudden and unexpected motions, this seems most effectuall; To take away timely the cause from whence they proceed: As, If thou feelest thy mind much troubled, when thou canst not obtain such a thing, which thou affectest: presently, away with that love to it, exclude that thing from thy mind. But if thy trou­ble and vexation ariseth not from the thing, but from the person who hinders, helps, or procures it; and this party is so highly displeasing to thy humour, that the least thing as comming from him is troublesome to thee; then the speediest and best remedy is to conquer thine owne in­clination, and compell thy will to yeeld him true love and affection.

CHAP. XI.
Of the fight against our flesh, and fleshly concupiscence.

IN this warre with thy flesh, (ô my 1. In this war, thou must change thy weapon; And therefore, Before the temptation assailes thee, call it not; But avoid all occasi­ons of pro­curing it, Which are five, 1. Conver­sation. dearly beloved) thou must change thy weapon, and fight in a new po­sture, contrary to the former. And therefore thou art to take particular notice of three times: to wit, the time going before the temptation, accompanying it, and following it.

2. Before thou feelest the temp­tations of this kinde, fight not with them, but diligently fly the occasi­ons; and cut off all causes which procure them: As First, all conversati­on, though never so little dange­rous.

CHAP. XII.
How to fight against slacknesse, and negligence.

THat thou mayst secure thy selfe, 1 (ô dearly beloved,) from this pernicious vice; employ thy whole diligence and indeavours, to corre­spond readily with all holy inspirati­ons, Follow holy inspi­rations speedily. and to decline all earthly com­forts, curiosities, and superfluous affaires, not directly belonging to thy state and calling.

CHAP. XIII.
How to governe our Sensuality.

THy Sensuality (ô dearly beloved) 1 is the ordinary gate whereby the Devill enters into thee; Let it be therefore thy chief care so to keep and curb it, that it may rather be a doore alwayes open to let in thy Lord God to thy Soule. Therefore [Page 80] in all thy commerce with earthly creatures, be sure to have thy heart Keep thy heart dis­ingaged from earthly creatures, free and disingaged from them; and often elevating the eye of thy affe­ction to thy God, looke upon him, hidden in that creature as in his own work: and then refl [...]ct, that thy same Lord and love, is within thee also; and thou maist begin to con­fer with him in this sort. O my mer­cifull maker, and eternall Lord God; thou art ever present with mee; Thou art more within me than I am in my selfe: and I ungratefull and forgetfull wretch, remember thee not, love thee not, honour thee not.

2. At other times, elevate thy And con­template thy crea­tours greatnesse; thoughts to the contemplation of Gods incomprehensible perfections; and rejoyce in those his goods, greatnesses, and glories, more than if they were all thine owne. And be more glad, that he is incomprehen­sible in his Majesty, than if he were within the reach of thy understand­ing and capacity.

3. And when thou remarkest any And re­duce all [...]reated [...]erfecti­on to him, the foun­taine, main perfection, either of Grace or N [...]ture, in any man or wo­man, (as wisdome, understanding, [Page 81] piety, justice, and the like,) lift up thy selfe to him who is the bountifull bestower; and consider them not as they are in that creature, but redu­cing them to thy Lord God, say: Behold these, ô my God, are rivulets flowing out of thee, the true, living, e­ternall and increate fountaine; these are the rewards of thy servants, issuing out of the immense Ocean of thy ineffable bounty.

4. But when the beauty of any And all earthly beauty to heavenly glory. creature allures thee to any delight and complacency; passe presently from earthly beauty, to the thought of supernall glory, and therein one­ly taking pleasure, say: O my God, when will the happy day come, that I shall take in thee onely my whole de­light?

5. Another remedy against such­like Mark well the craft of the Devill. surprises of pleasure, may be; To ponder presently with thy un­derstanding, how cunningly the De­vill, (who onely seeks to kill, or at least to wound thy soule mortally,) lies lurking under this bait. Which when thou perceivest, tell him bold­ly: Ah, thou cursed serpent, how craftily and covertly, dost thou lie in [Page 82] wait, to infect me with thy poison? And then lift up thy mind to God-ward, saying: O the goodnesse of my God, bee thou eternally blessed and praised, which hast discovered my hidden enemy, lying in wait to destroy my soul!

6. But in other accidents, which But when things which are unpleasant befal thee, thinke up­on God's eternall decree. go against the hair, and rather procure pain than pleasure, thou maist thus exercise thy self: when somthing happens which is of hard digestion to thy Sensuality, (as heat, hunger, sicknesse, blows, or the like,) elevate thy mind to that eternall will, who would have it so, and even from all eternity decreed that thou shouldest suffer this or that calamity, at this very time, thus grie­vously, and with these circumstan­ces, as thou now endurest the same: Therefore ful of hearty joy say with­in thy selfe: Now is thy divine will, (ô my eternall Lord and love) accom­plished in mee; whereby thou wouldest from all eternity, that I now in this manner, measure, and number, should receive and carry this crosse: and I acknowledge all this to be for thine ho­nour and glory, and my owne soules welfare and salvation.

[Page 83] 7. And make use also of such like So likewise in any sudden or dismall chance, thoughts, upon all dismall occasions of wind, weather, and the like; which are out of mans power and provi­dence to hinder or prevent. So, when thou readest any thing which tickles thy fancy, turne presently all thy de­light to thy Lord God; and con­clude, that he infallibly is hid under those words, and now by them sweetly discovers himselfe unto thee. And in like manner, when good thoughts occure with complacency And in all felfe com­placency. and delight, as proceeding from the reflexion upon some good and ver­tuous action; turne thy mind so­dainly to thy Lord God, and ado­ring him with all possible humility and reverence, acknowledge that good to have sprung from his grace, and therefore thou gratefully re­turnest it his glory.

CHAP. XIV.
Of the order to be observed in fighting against our enemies.

IN thy spirituall combat against 1 thy disordered affections, and passions, follow this method:

First, enter into the cabinet of thy Mark which are thy great­est ene­mies, heart, and let thy inquisitive thoughts search and examine with exact dili­gence, which be the affections that there beare the greatest sway, and with what thoughts and motions thou art most frequently tempted, and troubled.

Secondly, And having found thy And sin­gle out the fiercest to fight with: foes, turne thy weapons against that single enemy which then actually molests thee, most nearly endangers thee, and is now ready to graple with thee, oppresse thee, and ruine thee.

Thirdly, But in time of peace with But when they ap­peare not, seek them. thy passions, when no enemy appears in field, to provoke thee to battalle; begin thou with them; and make thy strongest onset upon those which have chiefly indomaged thee, most frequently foiled thee, and wrought [Page 102] thy greatest confusion before thy Lord God.

CHAP. XV.
What course he must take, who is con­quered, and grievously wounded by his enemies.

IF thou chance to fall into some 1 vice, either through frailty and weaknesse, or through wickednesse, and wilfull malice; Turne thee with When thou art faln, rise with all speed. all speed to God; and first reflect upon thine own basenesse, & heartily hate thy self. Then recollecting thy spirits, and converting thy self againe to thy Creatour, confesse to him thy ingratitude, and say with an inflamed heart: O my Lord, he hold I have done Pray with fervour. like my selfe: For what better could be expected from me, than basenesse, fallings, and sinfulnesse; I am sorry, O my God, with my whole heart: and I confesse, I should have done farre worse, and fallen more grievously, had not the hand of thy goodnesse, kept me, stayed me, and upheld me; for which I render thee most humble thanks. And now (O my loving Lord,) doe thou like [Page 103] thy selfe, according to the treasures of thy mercies; and let me not live out of thy grace, nor ever offend againe thy most sacred Majesty.

2. Having thus sincerely poured Be not over-soli­citous or fearefull. forth thy heart in the presence of God, be not solicitous and thought­full whether he hath forgiven this thy sin, or no: for such a curiosity savours of pride, endangers thee to fall into the snare of Satan, renders thee unquiet, and consumes time to little purpose: Therefore, cast thy selfe purely into the paternall bo­some of thy mercifull Lord, resume thy wonted exercises, and take up thy weapons again, as though thou hadst not fallen. Yea, shouldest thou chance to fall many times a day, and receive many grievous wounds from thy enemies; yet never despaire, never grow faint-hearted, or over-fearfull of thy selfe; but still stand upon thy accustomed guards against all new assaults; and doe the same things with no lesse confidence, the second, third, fourth time, and as often as thy need shall require, as thou didst at the first.

3. This kind of exercitation, by so [Page 104] much the more displeaseth the De­vill, by how much he well knowes it is highly pleasing to God: and for this reason he moves all his engines, to make us tepid and slack in fre­quenting it. Doe thou therefore use But be di­ligent, and use vio­lence to thine own Inclinati­on, violence to thy selfe; and the more difficulty thou findest, by so much more redouble thy diligence in do­ing it; and esteeme it not a thing over-irksome, to renew it divers times in one and the same fall; And if after the first, next, and third re­lapse, thou feelest a grievous trouble, confusion, and diffidence in thy self; yet still endeavour, by all meanes, to recover the inward quiet of thy soul, Recove­ring the quiet of thy soule, and recon­ciliation to thy Sove­raigne. and then reconcile thy selfe to thy loving Lord: For that disquiet­nesse of conscience remaining after the sinne committed, is not any signe of thy sorrow for having of­fended thy Saviour; but rather of fear, for thy owne private damma­ges, which thou hast thereby de­served.

4. Now the way to recover this The way to get this quiet, is to forget thy fault. quiet of mind, may be this: Having truly turned thy selfe to thy God, and humbly craved pardon for thy [Page 105] sinne; thinke no more of it, but for­get it totally for the future; and fix thy thoughts onely upon thy Lords infinite love, by which he earnestly desines to unite thee to himselfe, and make thee partaker of his eternall beatitude. And when by this or the like considerations, thou hast setled thy mind, and stated thy heart in tranquillity; turne thy thoughts a­gaine to contemplate thy fall, and doe as thou wert directed in the beginning of this Chapter: And when thou goest to confession, (as thou shouldst frequently do,) re­call all thy fallings and defects into thy memory, discovering them faithfully, and confessing them sim­ply, to thy Ghostly Father.

CHAP. XVI.
That we should keepe our Hearts ever quiet, and joyfull in our Lord.

CHAP. XVII.
That pious purposes, are sometimes the deceits of the Devil, to hinder our progresse in vertues.

BEsides these hitherto disco­vered 1 deceits of the Devill, this yet remains, to wit, A holy purpose and earnest desire to fight afresh against our former sinnes: which hee therefore suggests unto us, The Devil suggests desires, to fight against former faults, that thou maist neglect the present, that our minds being taken up with this employment, may forget their daily and more dangerous enemies, and wage no war against them. But he that will take due care of his own spirituall safety, must in the first place, fall to worke with his next neighbouring vices, and set them farther of: For through the neglect of this, we fall into many miseries; as they must needs doe, who are still wounded afresh, and yet thinke not of seeking for any salves to cure them.

[Page 112] 2. Because these purposes being And fall into self-compla­cency, esteemed as if they were reall per­formances; we fall into selfe-compla­cency and secret pride; in so much as wee cannot disgest a hard word, much lesse any blowes; and yet wee attend our high contemplations, and there wee can make resolutions to endure patiently, and purely for Gods Love, all the pains of Purga­tory. And for that our inferiour will or sensuality, feels nothing in it selfe that troubles or grieves it, but looks onely upon such calamities as are to come hereafter; wee very soolishly and rashly conceit our selves, to bee some of them who are perfectly patient, and that wee actually suffer many great matters for Gods Sake.

3. Wherefore, O my beloved, that thou mayst avoid this deceit, resolve, Therefore thou art to fight actu­ally with thy nearest foes, not onely in thy mind, but buckle thy selfe actually to fight with thy nearest foes, which thou findest most troublesome, and most strongly to oppose thee: And thus thou shalt plainly perceive whether thy purpo­ses be true or false, strong or weak: But I may not advise thee, to wage [Page 113] war against those enemies which now trouble not thy quiet, unlesse thou plainly foreseest, that they are ready to assault thee: For then thou mayst lawfully and profitably fight them, before they fall on thee; that so And not to irritate them which are quiet, thou mayest have the more strength and courage at the time of the Battail.

4. Yet perswade not thy selfe, that by this foregoing skirmish with thy enemies, thou hast already van­quish'd them, unlesse thou hast been for a long time exercised and vers'd Unlesse thou art well vers'd in the acts of that vertue. in the acts of that vertue: in which case, thou maist resolve to fight against past grievous sinnes, though thou canst not yet conquer some lesse defects; the Divine Providence so permitting, to preserve thee in the humble acknowledgement of thy own weaknesse.

5. But whosoever is carelesse in Bee not carelesse of smal de­fects. overcomming small defects, and yet thinkes hee can easily vanquish the greatest, is notoriously vaine, and presumptuous, and even already fal­ling into the snare of the Devil.

CHAP. XVIII.
How the Devil strives to withdraw us from the way of vertue.

MOreover, the Devil makes 1. Another deceit of the Devil, use of an other subtilty, to draw us from the path of vertues, into the precipice of vices. As thus: A certaine person fals into a sick­nesse, which hee desires to support Exemplifi­ed in a sick person. with patience; The Devil, (seeing that if hee thus persevere, hee must needs get the habit of patience) suggests unto him divers motions and desires, to do this or that good Worke, if hee could once have health restored: and that hee could serve God better; advance his owne perfection more effectually; and assist others more charitably, if hee were sound, than hee can doe being sick: And these conceits en-kindle more and more in the breast of the sick person, till they make him weary and impatient of his sufferings; as being thereby hindred from doing such heroique actions: And by this deceit, the Devil casts down a Soule [Page 117] from the practice of Patience, (in Falling into im­patience upon pious pretences, which it first exercised it selfe) into open Impatience against this infirmity; yet not as a thing which is in it selfe displeasing, but as it is a hindrance, retarding her from the Execution of those good Works, which shee unquietly desires to performe.

2. Nor doth the enemy rest here; but having brought the sick person to this, proceeds on in his plot, and And over-earnestly desirous of health. takes away from him the aforesaid suggestions (of such good Workes as hee could bring about if hee en­joyed his health) when the sick person perceives it not; leaving in him onely an ardent desire to re­cover his health: and if this follows not as hee would, hee falls into grievous sadnesse and great impa­tience.

3. The best remedy of this, is, that The re­medy, is to admit of no purpo­ses which thou canst not pre­sently practice. when sicknesse or other adversity hath seized on thee, thou take care to admit no motion or desire into thy minde, which thou canst not forthwith put in execution: other­wise it will make thee solicitous, and leave thee in unquietnesse.

CHAP. XIX.
How our enemy endeavours to make our vertues instrumentall to our Ruine.

1. OUr deceitfull and dangerous enemy the Devil, tempts us also by those very vertues which wee have acquired, and casts them, as it were stumbling blocks, in our way, to occasion our ruine. To this end Our ene­mies strive to make us take plea­sure in our vertues. hee strives to make us please and delight our selves in them; that so being puffed up in our selfe-conceits, wee may fall afterwards into the dangerous precipice of pride.

2. But to secure thy Soule from this fearfull fall, stand alwayes in the open and plaine field, and per­severe securely in the true and pro­found But do thou con­sider thine own no­thing. consideration of thy owne nothing; confessing that of thy self, thou art nothing, thou knowest no­thing, thou canst do nothing, and [Page 145] thou hast nothing else in thee of thy self, but eternall damnation.

3. And take a serious care, to drive far from thee all such of thine owne cogitations, which seeme to whisper against this selfe-know­ledge: For they surely are suggested by thy sworne enemies, and there­fore if thou excludest them not from thy heart, they will either kill, or cruelly wound it.

4. Which truth that thou may'st apprehend, I prescribe this Rule un­to thee: When thou goest about to contemplate thine own basenesse, thinke not of the Benefits, Blessings, And mark well what is within thee of thine own goods, and what of Gods Gifts. Gifts and Graces which thou findest in thy selfe; for these are none of thy goods, but Gods Gifts: turne thee therefore to take a view of what is thine own, and so thou shalt rightly judge how great, or rather how truly nothing thou art: which thou mayst thus do: Imagine the time before thou hadst a being, and What wert thou from eternity? thou wilt soone finde that for an eternity thou wert an absolute no­thing, that thou didst nothing, nor couldst contribute in the least man­ner to thy owne life, or any thing [Page 146] which thou now possessest. If in What art thou in time? the next place, thou dost ponder the time wherein thou begann'st to be something, thou wilt likewise under­stand, that thou receivedst it from the pure bounty and benignity of thy God alone; for hee created thee, and gave thee this life, which he still continues and conserves unto thee, and hee doth all other things thou now hast, knowest, and pos­sessest. In so much as thou canst not meete with the least occasion in thy selfe, whereon to ground a thought of thy being any thing, or of de­serving any esteeme above others, for any thing.

5. Now as concerning thy state What good canst thou do of thy selfe? of grace, and abilities given thee to do good: tell mee, Can thy nature do the least good thing by it selfe, de­prived of thy Creatours Divine Assistance? If further thou turne thy thoughts upon thine owne evill and sinfull workes, and others yet What evill hast thou, or mightest thou have done? worse which thou hadst undoubted­ly done and continued in, if God of his great Mercy had not kept, stayed, and withdrawne thee with the right hand of his holy Grace; [Page 147] thou wilt be easily brought to ac­knowledge, that thine owne wicked­nesse, (both by reason of the length of time, in which thou lay'st drownd therein, and also of the multitude of thy evill actions and perverse af­fections,) is so great, that it can neither be expressed, nor numbred; in so much that thou art, or surely mightst have beene, like another infernall Lucifer: therefore unlesse thou wilt be a sacrilegious felon, and steale away the goods of thy Lord God, and attribute them to thy self, thou mayst justly esteeme thy selfe every day worse than other.

CHAP. XX.
That we must never flatttr our selves, as having subdued our enemies; but must often return, to our wonted exercises, as if we were yet Novi­ces in this Spirituall Conflict.

I have yet one thing (O beloved) Never perswade thy selfe, thou hast gotten a full victo­ry, to tell thee of; which is, that thou never perswade thy selfe to have gotten a full victory over any one of thy passions, though perchance thou hast for a long time together felt no motions thereof: But that thou often renew thy accustomed But often renew thy exercises. spirituall exercises, as if thou wert yet a young beginner, and a fresh­water souldier now entring the list.

2. For if we behold, and desire to follow the perfection whereunto God hath called us: wee shall find it to be so high and so copious, that For per­fection is very high and hard to be ob­tained. after our best spent endeavours, wee shall scarcely presume to say, that we have learnt the first principles there­of: And besides this; That which seemes to us a vertue, may indeed sometimes be a vice; our judge­ment [Page 200] being deceived by some secret pride.

CHAP. XXI.
Of Holy Prayer.

WE have hitherto (ô beloved) The fourth weapon is Holy prayer. through the divine assistance heard and learned what concerns Diffidence in our selves, Confidence in our God, and continuall Exercise; which are the three necessary meanes, to get the victory of our passions, and to conquer the disordered motions of our Sensuality. Now follows the fourth, which is Holy Prayer; and this is the best and most efficacious means to obtain all good things from Gods gracious and bountifull hand.

CHAP. XXII.
What inward (or mental) prayer is, and what Contemplation: and the use thereof.

INward (or mentall) prayer, Is an 1. Mentall prayer in­cludes as­wayes, elevation of the mind to God: and it alwayes includes, either to an actuall, or virtuall petition of some­thing▪

[Page 209] 2. Virtuall petition is, when the minde is lifted up to God to obtaine Either a virtuall Petition [...] some thing, some grace from him; shewing him our necessities simply and briefly without any discourse or considera­tion of any other things: As, when I elevate my mind to God, and con­fesse before him my weaknesse both to do well, and to defend my selfe from doing evill: This sort of prayer, is properly tearmed Virtuall; be­cause when I thus briefly lay my minde open to God, hee well knowes what is there wanting, and how much I stand in neede of his helpe.

CHAP. XXIII.
How wee may joyne Contemplation to this inward Prayer.

1. IF sometimes thou art willing to settle thy selfe to mentall Prayer for a certaine space of time, as an houre, or more; thou mayst joyn Take some points of Christs Death or Passion. to this way of Prayer, certaine Meditations upon the Life and Death of our Saviour Christ, applying [Page 212] alwayes his Actions to that vertue thou then demandest, and so meditat­ing upon them both together.

2. For example: Patience is the vertue thou art now in quest of; choose therefore for the subject of And apply his actions to the vertue thou de­mandest; thy Meditation, some mystery of Christs Crucifixion; As, how cruelly hee was despoiled of his garments, which were barbarously rent from his Body, carrying away part of his sacred Flesh which cleaved fast unto them: With what ourcries, and As for ex­ample to Patience. curses, they crowne and uncrowne him with Thornes, iterating againe and againe that terrible torment: How this most innocent Lamb was fastened with Nayles to the wood of the Crosse, and lifted up into the Ayre, with unspeakable griefe of his Wounds, and new anguish of his whole Body: And so of other the like points.

3. And in these considerations, first apply thy senses to feele, see, &c. the paine which thy deare Saviour endured in these passages in all the Members of his sacred Humanity: Then elevating thy heart to his holy Soule, penetrate into his P [...]tience [Page 213] and Meeknesse, and see how plea­santly hee passeth over these so great and grievous afflictions: and how ready hee is, for his Fathers satis­faction and our salvation, to suffer much more and farre greater tor­ments: After this, behold him hang­ing Mark how meekly hee suffered, and learne thereby to suffer pati­ently thy smaller adversities. on his Crosse, and compleating his sufferings by his Death: stand thou close to him and contemplate him, and thinke with what an ardent desire hee did all this for thee, that thou by his example might'st learne to endure with patience, thy smaller adversities for his honour. And as hee turned himselfe to his Heavenly Father, and prayed for thee; so thou shouldst implore his Grace to beare and overcome this Crosse thou now groanest under, and all other thy Of Reso­lution. grievances, with quiet of minde, and constancy of resolution.

4. And Lastly, compell thy will to consent to these sufferings; And And com­pell thy will, to take up thy Crosse quietly. speake to it, to take up this Crosse quietly, and cary it on constantly: Then turne thee to God thy Hea­venly Father, and humbly beg of him the vertue of Patience; and that he will be pleased to hear the perfect [Page 214] Prayer of his own dear Son, powred out on the Crosse for thee.

CHAP. XXIV.
Of another certaine manner of Prayer, by way of Meditation.

1. THere is yet another manner of Praying and Meditating together; As thus: Having attentive­ly and seriously considered upon thy To pray and medi­tate toge­ther, Saviours bitter Passion, sustained for thy sake, and to save thy soule; apply thine own senses (as aforesaid) and endeavour to feel (as it were) the like dolours in thy selfe: and let thy thoughts pierce into the promp­titude of mind wherewith Christ thy Saviour suffered all this.

2. And having weighed his ex­ceeding pains and his exact patience; proceed to these two following con­siderations: By con­sidering Christ Merits, & the con­tent his Heavenly Father took in his obedience. First, of the treasure of Christs Merits: and Secondly, of the high content and good liking, which his heavenly Father took in his deare Sons perfect obedience. Then,

3. Having fill'd thy minde with these pious points of Meditation; [Page 215] produce them, and present them to And pre­senting them both to God. thy Lord God; and beg by vertue of these that grace which thou standest in greatest need of. And thus thou mayst put up thy Petitions, not only in meditating upon any mystery of Christs passion; but also upon any internall or externall action of his.

CHAP. XXV.
Of a way of praying by the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin.

1. THere is yet, (besides these foregoing methods of Prayer and Meditation,) another way, by the means of the most glorious and ever­blessed Virgin, and Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. W [...]ich thou mayst thus easily practise: First, fix thy mind and meditation upon God the Eternall Father; then upon Jesus Christ his deare Son and our sweet Saviour; and lastly upon Mary, the First; fix thy minde and medi­tation up­th 'eternall Father. ever-blessed Virgin-Mother.

2. In thy meditation of the E­ternall Father, take these two points for thy subject, and offer them up [Page 216] to his Divine Majesty: First, the great liking and content hee had in himselfe from all eternity, concer­ning this perfect creature the Virgin, before she had a being: Secondly, the wonders hee wrought in her, and the content he took in her, when she was borne into the World.

3. And as for the first of these considerations; Soare aloft, and Consider­ing the content he had in himselfe (concern­ing her) from all eternity; exalt thy thoughts beyond all time, and above each thing created, pe­netrating the very eternity of the Deity; and then consider what ce­lebrity of joy and delight the Divine Majesty had within himselfe, con­cerning this sacred Virgin and her high perfections: And there finding thy Lord amidst these joyes and delights▪ lay hold of the opportunity, and addresse thy Petition unto him with full hope and confidence, that for this his great joys sake, hee will impart bountifully some Grace, Strength and Courage unto thee, whereby thou mayst be enabled to encounter and conquer thine ene­mies, especially this vice which now chiefly tempts and troubles thee.

4. Hence proceede to the consi­deration [Page 217] of those admirable vertues, great gifts, and singular graces, con­ferr'd upon this most glorious Virgin; And the wonders he wrought in her, when shee had a be­ing. and sometimes present the whole bulke of them to the view of the eternall Father; other-times choose out some particular perfection to lay open before him: imploring and intreating for his owne boundlesse goodnesse sake, and in respect of these vertues and merits of this his dearly beloved Spouse, that hee will graciously heare, and mercifully grant what thou so greatly needest.

5. Then turne thy thoughts to­wards the Sonne of God, our Lord Secondly, upon God the Son. Jesus; and represent before him the sacred wombe of his Virgin-Mother, which enclosed and carried him for nine moneths space: as also the sin­gular reverence wherewith shee re­ceived him from her wombe into her bosome, when he first appeared in the World; assisting him and acknowledging him true man, and adoring him as eternall God; as her own poore child, and as her power­full Creatour: Put him further in minde, of her eyes of compassion towards his poverty; of her sacred [Page 218] Armes which so often embraced him; her Kisses, wherewith shee cherish'd him; her Milk wherewith shee nourish'd him; her labours suf­fered for him all his life time, and her dolours at his Death: by which and the like relations from the deare Mother, thou shalt use (as it were) a certaine violence to her beloved Son, to grant thy Petition.

6. Lastly, come to the sacred Vir­gin Lastly come to the sacred Virgin. her selfe; lay open before her, her owne privileges, prerogatives and perfections; how shee onely, amongst all Virgins and Women, was especially elected by the eternall, Power, Prudence, and Goodnesse of God, to be a Mother of G [...]ace and of pitty; to be an assistant and advocate of all mankinde; and that (next to her dearly beloved Sons humanity) wee can apply our selves to none but her, for better supplies of our necessities, or truer solace in our sorrowes, or greater hopes of happinesse. Tell her also of that true and tryed saying; that no one did ever faithfully call upon her, who received not a mercifull answer, and present assistance by her holy Prayer [Page 219] and Patronage. Lastly, put before her eyes all her Sons sorrowes and sufferings upon Earth; and beg of her for his sweet sake, for his onely honour, and for his glory, that thou mayst impetrate by her pious inter­cession the effect of this thy Petition, which that thou mightst obtaine, he patiently underwent his so bitter Death and Passion.

CHAP. XXVI.
How to pray and meditate by means of the holy Angels, and Heavenly Citizens.

1. ANother powerfull meanes to obtaine thy Petition, is by the Angels and blessed Saints in Heaven: which is also practised two manner of ways. First▪ apply thy thoughts First, ad­dresse thy selfe to the eternall Father. to the Eternall Father; and present before him the Love, Honour and Praise, wherewith his Heavenly Court worsh [...]ps and exalts him: and withall lay open all the miseries, labours and molestations, which his Saints suffered, and by his grace sur­mounted, here upon Earth.

[Page 220] 2. The other way is, by applying thy selfe to these glorious spirits, as Next unto the glori­ous Angels and Saints them­selves, to them who not onely remember us amidst their joys, but earnestly desire our perfection: beg therefore their faithfull assistance in thy fight against vices; and sometimes implore their ayd and assistance at the houre of thy Death, against thy dreadfull enemies.

3. Other times, reflect upon those excellent gifts and graces, wherewith their Lord God indued them; ex­citing in thy soule a lively feeling of love and joy, that they possesse these high perfections, as much, yea more, than if they were thine owne, since such was the good will and pleasure of the Divine Majesty.

4. And that thou mayst more Dividing them into Quires, ac­cording to the days of the weeke. easily and orderly performe and practise this pious exercise; divide the Quires of this blessed company, according to the week-days, in some such manner, as followeth.

• Upon Sunday, meditate upon the nine Quires of Angels.
• Upon Monday, of the holy A­postles.
• Upon Tuesday, of the glorious Martyrs.
• [Page 221]Upon Wednesday, of the blessed Bishops.
• Upon Thursday, of the holy Doctors.
• Upon Friday, of the holy Con­fessours.
• Upon Saturday, of the sacred Virgins.

5. But let no day passe, without But every day pray­ing to the B. Virgin, To thy particular Patron, some speciall devotion to the most glorious Virgin Mary; to thy Proper-Angel; and to that particular Saint and Patron, to whom thou owest singular duty and Veneration.

CHAP. XXVII.
How to meditate upon the holy Crosse, and Christ our Saviour hanging thereon, to excite and move our affections.

1. I Have before shewed thee, (O my dearly beloved) the manner of meditating and praying upon our Saviours Passion: now I will instruct thee how thou mayst thereby stirre up good motions and enkindle holy affections in thy soule. When there­fore thou hast taken some Article of Meditation, upon Christs Crosse and Passion; (as for example, Of his How to enkindle holy af­fections in meditat­ing on the Passion. Crowne of Thornes,) thinke thus with thy selfe: How thy most inno­cent and amiable Lord Jesus, was (with greatest derision and scorne) cloathed in a purple coat, crowned [Page 123] with sharp Thorns, cudgelled with a hard Cane, besmeared with filthy spittle. How this King of eternall glory, whom millions of Angels adore in Heaven, was by the worst and wickedest sort of men, mocked upon Earth, as a counterfeit King with scoffing Adoration and Re­verence.

2. Now when by these, and such other points of Meditation, thou desirest to raise in thy soule the true feelings and affections of Love; By reflecti­on upon Christs Love and goodnesse. elevate thy heart often-times whilst thou art meditating, to acknow­ledge the boundlesse goodnesse of thy Lord God, and his love towards thee: which thou mayst easily ga­ther, from the multitude and the bitternesse of his sufferings for thee. By this acknowledgement of his Goodnesse, thy love will be more and more inflamed; and a true con­trition for thy sinnes will bee more easily obtained: especially if thou considerest, that thou hast againe and againe offended, this thy most bountifull and loving Lord God, who was thus cruelly sl [...]ine for­merly for the Ransome of thine iniquity.

[Page 224] 3. To raise also a constant hope in How to get a con­stant hope, thy soule; looke upon thy Lord Jesus, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, reduced into the extremity of misery, to free thee from the slavery of Sinne and snares of Satan, to reconcile thee to his Heavenly Father, and to give thee confidence to come to him cheerfully in all thy necessities.

4. And if furthermore, thou wouldst by these Meditations on thy Saviours passion, move thy selfe to spirituall joy; warn thy thoughts from And a spi­rituall joy, remaining any longer upon his pains, and passe to the profits, fruits, and effects of his sufferings: There thou wilt finde thy selfe and the whole World absolved from thy sinnes by them, the Divine wrath appeased, the Devill defeated, Death conque­red, the lost sheep reduced, the Angels seats supplied. Joyne to all this, the Joy of the sacred Trinity, and of the whole Church both triumphant and militant, who all rejoyce in the profit issuing from Christs cruell Death and As a [...]so affections of sorrow and com­passion, Passion.

5. But to raise affections of sor­row and compassion towards thy [Page 225] suffering Saviour; thou maist weigh, not onely the many wounds of his sacred body; but the multitude of an­guishes, griefs, & sadnesses of his most holy foul. For he well knowing the eminent and infinite dignity of his heavenly Father, (whom he so high­ly loved,) must needs be grieved a­bove measure, to see this benigne and bountiful Creatour of all things, after so many and so great benefits, to be so rashly, so maliciously, and so frequently offended, and deluded, by his owne creatures.

6. And this sadnesse of thy Saviours soule, was much augmented by the foresight he had of that vast multi­tude of men, who by their owne sinne and sloath, were to be damned eternally.

The same grief was further aggra­vated, by seeing the immense dolours of his deare and worthily beloved mother; and the same sword spared not his, which pierced her heart with sorrow. Moreover, Christs sacred foule, which was all-knowing (by reason of the divine union) suffered in all the Martyrs and tender Virgins torments, sustained for his faith and affection.

[Page 226] 7. In these and the like meditati­ons And acts of contriti­on for thy sinnes. upon thy Lord and Saviours passion, thou must often reflect, that thou by thy grievous sins and defects, wert the cause and occasion of these his afflictions: and from hence, conceive acts of true sorrow for thy shamefull ingratitude, and humble thy selfe at the feet of his Majesty. And know that to be the best pleasing and most acceptable compassion, when thou persecutest thine owne disordered affections, and strivest to ruine those enemies, and root them out of thy heart, which were the cause of thy Lords so cruel pains and passion.

8. And to move thee to a perfect With a perfect ha­tred of them. hatred of thy sinne; think seriously in running over all these points of thy dear Saviours passion, as if all these his sufferings were for no other cause, than to stir thee up to detest all sinne, and destroy thy unruly pas­sions and affections: them especially, which most endommage, defile, and distract thy selfe, and most displease thy Saviour.

9. Lastly, That by these meditati­ons upon Christs death and passion, [Page 227] thou maist be moved to the admi­ration And to admire Gods goodnesse: by consi­dering 6, circum­stances. 1. Who suffereth? 2. For whom? of his goodnesse: Consider attentively, First, Who he is that suffereth these things? Surely, the onely Sonne of the Almighty God; who to save thee, came from heaven and became man. Secondly, For whom he suffered? Surely, for us poor worms, the works of his owne hands, and who always are prone to offend him. Thirdly, By whom he suffered? Surely, By the vild and 3. By whom? vulgar crew, and the very refuse of all nations. Fourthly, What he suf­fered? 4. What? Surely, disgraces, contumelies, contempts, wounds and torments, more than can be named or imagi [...] ­ed. Fifthly, How he suffered all 5. How? this? Surely, with a most patient, meek, and willing mind; neither shewing any signe of distast, nor speaking any word of reproch, a­gainst his most ungratefull and ma­licious persecutors; but like an innocent lamb led on to the slaugh­ter, he complained not of their vio­lence, and his owne sufferings; but laid down his life, his heart remai­ning full of sweetnesse. Sixthly, 6. When & where? When and where he suffered? Surely, [Page 228] at the time of their Paschall solemni­ty, and in their prime and sacred City, and in the presence of his dear­est mother, and finally in the view, as it were, of the whole world.

CHAP. XXVIII.
Of sensible devotion; as also of spiritu­all drinesse, and dereliction.

SEnsible devotion, proceeds some­times 1 from a naturall inclination; sometimes from the Devil; and sometimes from Gods grace: And by Devotion is best known by the effects it produ­ceth. the fruits of it, thou maist best judge from which of these springs it issu­eth: For if thence thou art no whit moved to amendment of life; thou maist justly feare it comes either from thy enemy, or from thy owne nature; and the more sweetnesse thou feelest, the more shouldst thou be suspicious whence it flow­eth.

2. When therefore thy soule is re­plenished How to make pro­fit of all spirituall sweetnesse in devoti­on. with spirituall sweetnesse, question not whence it commeth, nor adhere much unto it; but still stick stedfastly to the acknowledge­ment [Page 237] of thine owne basenesse, ab­stracting thy heart from all other delights or desires, than onely that which it takes in God, and his good pleasure. Thus, will these short sweetnesses, whether they spring from thy owne nature, or thine ene­mies suggestion, be truly turned to thy comfort and profit.

3. Drynesse in like manner, or de­solation Three causes of spirituall drynesse. of the soule, may proceed either out of our owne naturall de­fect, or from the Devil, or from God.

From the Devil; who thereby The De­vill. strives to render the soule tepid, and tedious in her spirituall exercises; and so to draw her by degrees to leave them, and looke after earthly solaces.

From our selves; Either because Our selves. we stand in feare of our selves by reason of our sinnes, or because we are negligent in the practice of our devotions.

From God; who therefore per­mits God. this drynesse, to excite us to more diligence, and abstract us from all other cares and curiosities, but them onely which concern our Crea­tour, [Page 238] or have some relation unto his honour, or our own perfection: Or finally, to teach us, not to trust or rest in spirituall joyes, but to depend wholly on his holy will and pleasure: As that resigned soule did, which said: Our Lord gave, our Lord hath Job 1. 21. taken away, as it hath pleased him so it is done.

4. When therefore thou feelest this drynesse of devotion, enter into thy selfe and search out the cause there­of; Search out the true cause thereof, and having found it, fight against it; not to recover that sensible sweetnesse of grace, but to expell farre from thee whatsoever is dis­pleasing to the divine Majesty.

5. And let it be thy continuall And keep on thy ac­customed practices of piety. care, to keepe on thy accustomed practices of piety, notwithstanding this drynesse in thy soule; yea, though thou seemest to labour in vaine, yet prosecute them with grea­ter diligence, and drinke of that bitter potion of desolation with a prompt and peaceable resolution; and if it be so mingled with the thick dreggs of a troubled minde, that thou knowest not how to swallow it, nor which way to turne thee; [Page 239] yet persevere with alacrity, and sit And seek no out­ward com­forts. solitarily thus deferted, under the shadow of the holy Crosse, seeking no outward solace, though the whole world should offer it, or any creature afford it thee.

6. For thou arr to conceale this Nor pray to have it mitigated. Crosse of thine from all persons, ex­cept thy ghostly Father, to whom thou art faithfully to discover it; not to have comfort from him, but counsell, how to carry thy selfe during this drynesse, conformable to the divine pleasure and good liking.

7. Nor art thou to make use of the holy Communion, Prayer, or any o­ther spirituall exercise with intention to have the least mitigation of thy adversities; but only that thy good God will give thee strength of spirit, to support thy Crosse with patience. And if through trouble and distra­ction, thou canst hardly make use of thine understanding in thy medita­tions; keepe onely a willing minde to doe it, and supply it with jacula­tory prayers, and frequent elevations of thy mind to thy Lord God.

CHAP. XXIX.
That the worthy frequenting of the most Blessed Sacrament, is an effica­cious meanes to conquer our passi­ons.

THe sacred Communion, or most 1 holy Sacrament of the Eucha­rist, is received by devout Christians for divers ends. But if thou desirest to take it, for the particular strength­ning of thy soule against the as­saults of evill inclinations; attend to what I shall now teach thee.

2. The day before thou intendest Meditate the day before thy Commu­nion, of thy Savi­ours de­sire, &c. to come to thee; to communicate; meditate, if thy leasure give thee leave, of the great desire thy dear Saviour hath to unite himselfe to thee by the meanes of this Sacrament, and thereby to root out thy vitious affections. For this his desire is so immense, that no cre­ated understanding can comprehend it.

3. But that thou maist have a small glimps thereof, consider these two things:

First, What pleasure our Lord takes to dwell in us; since the holy [Page 246] Scripture calls this his delights; and in My delights are to be with the children of men. Child, give me thy heart. And how much he hateth sin. requitall of this love, he only requires our hearts. Second [...]y, how much he hateth our sinnes, which [...]der his nearer union with us, and are direct­ly opposite to his incompa [...]ble per­fections. For he being the [...]ely and chief good, the purest light▪ [...]d most perfect beauty, cannot but detest that which is meer darknesse, frailty, and the corruption and Canker of our wretched soules.

4. And that this loving desire of thy dear Lord, may take yet deeper impression in thy mind; meditate often of his mervailous works re­lated in the Old and New Testa­ment; especially of his most bitter Passion and cruell death; which he did expresly suffer to deliver thy soul from sinne; and to cleanse it from such affections, as are contrary to his divine Majesty. Concerning which point, all the illuminated Doctours of Gods Church, doe una­nimously conclude and teach; That Christ our Saviour would againe, if it were needfull expos [...] himselfe to a thousand deaths, to free us from the least evill passion or affection.

[Page 247] 5. By such considerations, thou And move thy soul to a recipro­call desire and affe­ction to­wards him. wilt easily gather the great desire thy deare Saviour hath to dwell with thee: and from thence conclude, how fitting it is that thou shouldst reciprocally stirre up in thy selfe an ardent affection to receive and en­tertain him: Which thou mayst do by these and the like jaculatory prayers: Come, ô my Lord, and my love; helpe thy caitif creature to con­quer her enemies. When, ô when (my deare spouse,) will that happy hour come, that I may receive thee, the bread of life; and being comforted and encouraged by thee, may fully conquer my selfe, and totally subdue my owne evill passions, and disordered affecti­ons?

6. And when thou art hightned And then provoke thy passi­ons to battail. with the hope of thy sweet Saviours comming into thy soule, then pro­voke thy passions to battaile; call up thy affections, and curb them againe and againe with perfect hatred and disdaine; and this done, produce acts and desires of the vertues which are opposite to these vices: And let this be thy evenings entertainment, and mornings [...]mploym [...]t.

[Page 248] 7. But when the hour of sacred Being near the time of Commu­nion thou art to fear, communion draws neare; think se­riously of thine owne faults, failings, and unfaithfulnesse to thy Lord God, since the time of thy last ap­proach to the sacred table; for which ingratitude and unworthinesse, thou tremblest with fear and confusion be­fore his dread Majesty: But then a­gaine, encourage and comfort thy But also to have cou­rage and cōfidence. selfe with the consideration of his goodnesse, his readinesse to pardon, and his inclination to mercy; and with a pious confidence, that he will have thee receive him, notwithstan­ding thine own indignity; go on with alacrity of spirit to the holy banquet, and joyfully embrace thy Lord God in thy soul.

8. The Sacred Communion thus After Commu­nion dis­cover thy wants. performed, presently shut up thy self within the closet of thine own heart, and discover to thy Saviour thy wants, and thy weaknesse; saying in thy mind: Thou seest, ô my sweet Sa­viour, how I am possessed with this passi­on, and pestred with this perverse af­fection. Thou also well knowest, ô my Lord, my weaknesse to resist it, and that [...] is not possible for me by my owne di­ligence [Page 249] to be delivered: Therefore this battail is thine; I resigne this my quar­rell against these enemies into thy pow­erfull hands; and from thee alone I look for the victory.

9. After thou hast thus silently And con­stantly hope for the divine helpe. prayed; turn thy selfe to the eternall Father, and piously present his deare Sonne Jesus unto him, for the same effect for which thou now receivedst him into thy soul: And expect with constant hope his divine helpe, which although thou presently perceivest not, yet thou shalt infallibly and plentifully receive, when it shall be most expedient for thee.

CHAP. XXX.
How to excite in us the affections of love, by the sacred Communion.

IF thou desirest to stirre up in thy 1 soule, by meanes of this most holy Sacrament, that fervent love of thy Lord God which destroyes and con­sumes all self-will, and selfe▪love within thee: Settle thy selfe, in the evening which precedes thy com­munion, to meditate upon thy Lords [Page 250] immense love and liberality, to­wards Consider Gods love and liber­ality. thee unworthy wretch, the worke of his owne hands; how not content to have formed thee of no­thing to his image and likenesse; and to have sent his onely Sonne from heaven to inhabit our earth, and to serve thee for the space of three and thirty yeares in continuall labours and travails, and lastly to undergoe his most bitter passion, and ignomi­nious death for thy redemption: He would further bequeathe this his Son unto thee in the most holy Sacra­ment of the Eucharist, for the per­petuall food and refreshing of thy soul.

2. And that by the due consideration Especially shewed in the sacred Commu­nion. of this speciall benefit (of sacred Com­munion) thou maist become all fire and love; thou shalt thus order thy devout exercise:

Consider, in the first place, Who it Weighing first, who it is that comes thus unto thee. is that conferres on thee this so large and liberall gift: Surely, it is thy Lord God himselfe; the divine and increated wisedom and goodnesse; whose worth and perfection infi­nitly exceeds the reach of all created capacity.

[Page 251] 3. Then, looke upon the gift it self 2. What he gives thee. which is the true and onely Sonne of God, of equall height, nature and substance with the heavenly Father and holy Ghost. Now if a small gift proceeding from a King, hath its high value in respect of the giver; how highly is this gift to be valued by us, which is God, and given by God himselfe, as a token of his true love, and a perpetuall memoriall of his tender affection towards us?

4. Again, reflect upon the eternity 3. The eternity of his love. of this love, by which it was decreed by his most divine, most hidden, and most holy wisdome, that he would thus give thee himselfe for thy food and refection: and hence begin with joy and jubily of heart to sing and say within thy selfe: O infinite good­nesse of my God! and is it even so, that thou lovedst me in thy endlesse eternity! didst thou, ô my Lord and my God, so much value me, thy poor and unworthy creature, that thou remembredst mee in thy blessed eternity, and hadst an ardent affection and desire to give me thy self for the food of my soul?

5. And finally, looke into the pu­rity 4. The purity of his love. of this love, which so great a [Page 252] Lord shewes unto so mean a worm: How different is it from all earthly affection? how free from the least mixture of profit, and selfe-interest? How farre is it above thy merits, and how purely is it a worke of his onely mercy and bounty?

6. Having thus seriously and sweetly, with affection and admira­tion, meditated of the divine good­nesse; Thy heart may breake forth Hence break forth into admi­ration. into these raptures: Whence is it, O my Lord, that thou so lovest me an ab­ject creature? Why, O King of glory, wilt thou so nearly joyne me to thy selfe, who am but a litle dust and ashes? I well conceive thy designe, O my deare Lord, this thy excessive love towards me: It is to win me reciprocally to thy love; O the purity of divine love! Thou lovest me, ô my God, and givest thy whole selfe unto me, for no other end but that I may in gratitude give thee my love, life, and all, entirely: and this for no need thou hast of me, but meerly for thy mercies sake, and for my advancement and profit; that by this sweete tye and happy union of love, my earthly heart may be raised up to become one with thy divine heart, ô my Lord and my God.

CHAP. XXXI.
Of Spirituall Communion.

ALthough (my beloved) thou canst receive thy sweeet Savi­our 1. Thou maist thus often Commu­nicate. sacramentally onely once a day; yet thou maist receive him spiritu­ally, every houre and moment: For nothing can hinder thee from this, but onely thine owne fault and neg­ligence. And this spirituall Com­munion may sometimes prove more profitable to thy soule, and pleasing to thy Saviour, than the sacramen­tall, especially if there be a defect [Page 260] in thy due and diligent preparati­on.

2. For as often as thou desirest By fre­quent de­sires. to receive thy loving Lord God thus spiritually into thy soule, thou shalt find him ever ready to feast thee with his owne sacred hands; and thou mayest thus easily dispose thy selfe unto it: Turning thy selfe to thy Saviour to this end, reflect upon thine owne frailty and frequent fai­lings, and conceive an inward sorrow and detestation of thy defects; then make thy supplication with a loving affection, that he will not disdaine to enter thy poor cottage, and feast thee with his owne true body and blood.

3. So also, when thou art moved And it is an excel­lent exer­cise against passions. with a pious zeal against any perverse Passion, and desirest efficaciously to mortify it, or to plant some vertue in thy soule; make use of this spirituall communion, by converting thy thoughts towards thy Lord God, and invoking his aid with ardent prayers, beseech him to enter and possesse the secret part of thy soule: Or, calling to mind thy last sacra­mentall communion, speak to him [Page 261] with an inflamed desire: When (ô my good God) shall I againe welcome thee into the closet of my heart? Come now, (O my Saviour) and comfort me spi­ritually, with the like strength and vertue.

CHAP. XXXII.
Of Thanks-giving.

ALL our good actions are of All good­nesse is from God. God, and from God; and there­fore a thankfull gratitude is due to him for all our well performed ex­ercises, for each victory obtained a­gainst our enemies, and for all and singular his blessings and benefits.

2. And that thou maist not be de­fective To whom therefore all grati­tude must be shewed. in this point of duty: Re­member, that the chiefe motive why our omnipotent creatour conferres his mercies upon his creatures, is that they should correspond to him in [Page 263] pious, perpetuall and worthy thanks­giving. And because our Lord God in bestowing his benefits, intends principally his owne honour; and secondly our profit: doe thou like­wise First, therefore acknow­ledge his goodnesse. in receiving them acknowledge in the first place, his power, wisdome, and goodnesse, which most glori­ously shine in each one of them.

3. And in the next place, reflect upon And then thine own unworthy­nesse. thine own unworthinesse of so great favours, who art nothing else but ingratitude, misery, and basenesse. And Lastly, submit thy selfe to obey his divine will and pleasure, and study to performe what thy Lord, in lieu of these benefits, expects from thee; which is, to love him chiefly, to serve him carefully, and to offer and de­dicate thy selfe to him freely and totally; as I shall now teach thee.

CHAP. XXXIII.
Of the perfect oblation of thy selfe, to thy Lord God.

AFter thanks-giving for received favours, the soule presently [Page 264] breaks forth into that delicious affe­ction of the Royall Prophet: What shall I render to my Lord, for all the good things he hath given me? That therefore thou maist doe something, seeming like satisfaction; by offe­ring up to his Majesty, all that thou art, hast, and canst; and that entire­ly, absolutely, voluntarily, and by an efficacious act of thy inward man.

2. Consider first with a serious at­tention First, con­sider Gods greatnesse and glory. the greatnesse and glory of thy Lord God; (for upon this depends the perfect oblation of thy selfe,) and thou wilt find that there is a reverence and feare due to this his greatnesse and glory: that there is a love due to his goodnesse; that there is a hope & confidence due to his mercy; and so of his other attributes and perfections: And thou shalt congratulate and rejoice with thy Lord God, that he is what he is; to wit, the best, greatest, most wise, most holy most happy, most power­full, most infinite, and that he hath all the perfections which he posses­seth: Thus multiplying many such amorous acts of complacence in thy heart.

[Page 265] 3. Then, bow down the knees of soul and body with most profound 2. Adore and ac­knowledg him, &c. reverence, before thy Lord and ma­ker, adoting his divine Majesty, and acknowledging him to be the supream governour of all his creatures: And particularly, that whatsoever good thou hast by nature and by grace, is his proper gift: since he alone con­fer'd it upon thee, and he alone con­serves it in thee: for thus thou must needs confesse thy self to be his debtor, though thy offering be never so great; because thou canst present him with nothing, which is not alrea­dy his owne, and first proceeding from his liberality and bounty; neither doth he lose his dominion thereof by conferring it upon thee.

4. In the next place, passe on to the 3. Offer up all thy interest in any thing. oblation it selfe; and deliver up all thine owne interest in whatsoever thou hast or canst, into the holy hands of thy heavenly creatour, with all possible cheerfulnesse and integri­ty: that is, offer up unto him all that he hath given thee, and so re­store thy whole selfe to thy God in perpetuall bondage, to dispose of thee both in time & in eternity, as he [Page 266] best pleaseth: Neither shall it suffice thee to make this oblation generally, by presenting unto him the root and beginning of all thy thoughts, words, and works; but thou shalt doe it peculiarly, by presenting even those also, which by reason of thy state thou art obliged to exercise, to the honour & glory of his sacred name.

5. Lastly, thou shalt unite this en­tire oblation of thy selfe and all that And unite all to the merits of Christ. belongs to thee, unto the merits of Jesus Christ, the sweet spouse of thy soul; that from thence it may have that value and esteeme, which from it selfe thou canst not hope or ex­pect: And thus thou shalt end thy exercise, by presenting the eternall Father, with thy whole selfe and the Pre [...]ing both toge­ther to the eternall Father. holy merits of his onely Son joyned together, with all his actions and suf­ferings, from the crib unto the Crosse; for all these are thy trea­sures, which he at his death, bequea­thed by his last will and testament unto thee, whom he left entitled to all his merits: But remember that thou makest not this oblation for thy selfe alone, but also for the uni­versall Church, and her members: [Page 267] for thus it will be far more accepta­ble to God being sweetned with the incense of perfect charity.

6. In like manner, when thou wilt offer up thy fastings, prayers, or other So Like­wise in of­fering thy works of piety. pious works to thy Lord God: con­sider, that his holy Sonne thy sweet Saviour hath already presented them together with his owne, to his eter­nall Father; and so hath conjoyned and united them both together, doe thou therefore offer up the same in the same manner; by which thou shalt know that thy oblations pro­ceed from a sincere heart. And if thou practisest this in time of adver­sity, thou wilt easily master all mise­ry, anguish, pain, and perils whatsoe­ver, & duly fulfil Gods holy pleasure.

7. If furthermore thou desirest to make an oblation of Christs actions for thine own offences, he have thy How to offer up Christ's actions for our offen­ces. selfe in this sort: First cast an eye upon thy sinnes, and perceiving that thou canst not hope to pacify Gods wrath, nor satisfie his divine Iustice by thine owne endeavours: addresse thy selfe to thy Saviours life, passion and death, and fix upon some one or other action or suffering of his; as [Page 268] upon his fasting, or his praying, or the effusion of his precious bloud: then reflect, that he offered that his action or passion to his eternall Father for thy sins, and to reconcile him to thee; as if he said: I do now, O my heavenly Father fully satisfie thy divine justice for the sins of this thy servant N. Oh; let it please thee to spare him, and to receive him into the number of thy elect.

8. Doe thou also make the same oblation of thy deare Saviour to the eternall Father; and humbly beg for thy selfe and others, that in vertue of this offering and for his owne glories sake, he will in his mercy par­don both thine and their offences.

And thou maist piously and pro­fitably make use of this manner of spirituall exercise, in any action or passage of our Lord and Saviours life or passion.

CHAP. XXXIV.
How to petition for divine grace.

HAving made this perfect oblati­on Text. First en­courage thy selfe with con­fidence in his good­nesse. of this most precious trea­sure, (which is no lesse than Christ himselfe, with all his glorious me­rits,) to the Eternall Father: thou mayst appeare with Confidence be­fore the throne of his mercy, to pe­tition for the supply of thy necessi­ties; And that thou mayst doe it with the more decency:

First, encourage thy selfe with confidence, remembring his benefits, bounty, and liberality towards thee: for nothing can more strengthen thy hope of obtaining new supplies, than [Page 271] than the reflection upon Gods for­mer favours in time of necessity: And know that this confidence gives the whole efficacy to thy petition; so that without it, never expect to obtain from God any thing which thou demandest.

2. Secondly, Take speciall care that Secondly, join humi­lity with it. this Confidence be coupled with hu­mility; distrusting totally thine owne merits, and relying boldly upon Christs mercies: Not that I advise thee to become fearfull and pusilani­mous, upon pretence of humillity; so as not to beg large benefits from Gods bounty: For though it be­hooves to know thine own basenesse, and to consider how litle thou de­servest; yet thou must beware of distrusting the divine bounty, or un­dervaluing his liberality: No, be not dejected; for as thou deservest nothing, so thou hast greater occasi­on to demand much; since Gods gifts are not grounded upon thy deserts, but upon Christs merits, which are Thirdly, presse thy petition with fer­vent de­sires. of infinite worth and dignity.

3. Thirdly, Endeavour to presse thy petition with frequent and fervent desires: that is, that thou a [...]dently [Page 272] wish to obtain what thou askest: for since thou petitionest a most pious father for a supply of thy necessities, who not onely bids thee ask great things, but is also angry if thou askest not; and hath past his promise to perform thy petition; why shouldst thou not have inflamed desires [...]o obtain what thou demandest?

4. And indeed we most commonly The want whereof, hinders the effect of our de­mands. faile in the effects of our demands, because we want this fervour in our desires, and make our petitions te­pidly, rather because faith and rea­son dictate unto us that such things are needfull for us, than that we zelously covet to receive them: The true cause of which tepidity is, for that our affections being fastned to earthly things, we prize them in our wills, though we sleight them in our understandings; and conse­quently though we know in our judgement, that our minds are to be raised up to higher objects, yet we doe not seriously seek to be separa­ted from them: whereas if we verily and vigorously, humbly and heartily desired it, our prayers would soon return us a happy effect.

[Page 273] 5. Lastly, provide that thy petition Fourthly, Let not thy petiti­on want Charity, want not; First, Affection of charity to thy neighbours; for it should not suffice thee to pray fervently for thy self, but to extend thy piety in petiti­oning the divine grace for all others.

Secondly, Perseverance; For our Perseve­rance, loving Lord, useth sometimes to prolong and to put off the fulfilling of our petition, for our greater pro­fit, and the better encrease and en­kindling of our holy desires, as may be exemplified in the Cananean wo­man, and Evangelicall widdow.

Thirdly, Resignation of thy will; Refignati­on. For thou art to represent thy desires to thy deare Lord, as if thou rather expectedst the fulfilling of his divine pleasure, than of thy petition: So Christ prayed in the garden, not to have his owne will, but his heavenly Fathers accomplished.

CHAP. XXXV.
Some short observations concerning me­ditation.

FI [...]st, Before thou betakest thy self 1. 1. Read overnight the matter of thy me­ditation. to thy nights rest; read atten­tively [Page 274] and considerately that mystery of thy Saviours life, or that argu­ment which thou meanest to medi­tate upon the morning following; and contracting it into two or three points or heads, commit it to thy memory.

2. When thou awakest from sleep, 2. Re­flect of the same in the mor­ning. shut out all other thoughts from thy heart, and let thy employment be to reflect upon, and repeat the points, prepared over-night for this mor­nings exercise: and think that thou art presently to talk with thy Lord God.

3. Wherefore making (as it were) 3. Weigh his maje­sty with whom thou conferre. a stand, for a short space, before thou art in the place of prayer; imagin that thy great Creatour, whom the Angels adore, is present in the Ora­tory, expecting thee to enter dis­course with him, and beholding thy behaviour in thy prayer. Let this truth make a deep impression in thy mind; and thereupon yield him most profound reverence with body and heart, as craving permission to confer with his majesty.

4. Then with bended knees, begin 4. Begin with obla­tion, and petition. thy prayer; first, offering up to thy Lord [Page 275] God all the cogitations, words, and actions of thy whole life; particu­larly presenting unto him this present exercise now intended, to his honour and glory; and humbly implore his gracious assistance, that thou mayst perform this thy practice with such attention, devotion, and reverence, as befits one that speakes with his Lord and Saviour.

5. Incontinently after this, imagin Then ap­ply thy senses to the myste­ry. thy selfe present to the mystery thou intendest to meditate on, and in the very place where it befell; for this will fix thy fancy from wandring: As, If thy theame be of Christs In­carnation; think thou seest the glori­ous Arch-angel entring the secret chamber of the sacred Virgin, and there listen to their; mutuall discour­ses. So, If thy subject be of thy Saviours flagellation; suppose a pillar before thee with thy deare Lord fastned thereunto, and eye those in­humane executioners, how cruelly they whip and beat him: And thus thou art to vary thy fancy, and conform it to the manner of the mystery.

6. And when the mysterie is thus [Page 276] present to thy mind, make thy peti­tion, And beg what thou intendest to obtain. and beg that which thou pro­posedst to obtain by this exercise: As, If thy meditation be concerning Christs Incarnation, let thy prayer be for spirituall light, that thou mayst clearly penetrate and perceive that ineffable love which moved him to be made man for thy sake: If it be of his Passion, ask the grace of com­passion and condoling with thy dear Saviour's sufferings; and so let thy petition be for such pious affections, as are usher'd in by the argument of thy prayer.

7. this done, begin with thy first After this beg in with the first point. point; and if that alone furnish thee with fewell sufficient to inflame thy affection, persevere therein for the whole space assigned to thy prayer; but if otherwise, then passe on to the second. And briefly, take this for a maxim in all meditations; that whensoever thou feelest thy affection enkindled; stay there, and disgest well that consideration, till thou hast therein fully satisfied thy de­votion.

8. And suffer not thy understanding And be­ware of fancying high my­steries, to roam after high and delicate my­steries; [Page 277] but make use of it's discourse so farre onely, as many helpe to heat thy will with pious affections, and solid resolutions. Wherefore from each consideration extract some af­fection, and from every affection draw some determinate and parti­cular resolution, to do this very day, this or that thing for thy Lords ho­nour; to reform this or that fault or imperfection, and to mortify thy sensuality in this or that occasion. And this is the true fruit and profit of prayer.

9. Bee resolute also in staying out Or lea­ving off before the time allot­ted for prayer, be expired: the full time allotted for thy prayer; and stirre not from it through any drynesse in devotion, or any trouble of distractions; for such a prayer is for the most part more profitable to a soul using diligent resistance, and patient expectance of Gods grace, than when it sensibly partakes of the sweets and abundance of de­votion.

10. Thy exercise being ended, In the end reflect how thou hast beha­ved thy self, insist a while in the examination of thy self; and reflect how thou hast be­haved thy self in thy prayer: If thou findest all well; give thy good God [Page 278] all the thanks; if thou hast been negligent, resolve upon amendment; and take notice of the cause of this ill successe, that thou fail not for the future.

11. Let the matter or mysteries And order well the matter of thy medi­tion. thou meanest to meditate upon, be well ordered; as, if thou proposest to thy self, thy Saviours life and passion, make thy entrance at his Incarnation, and duly proceed in the rest of the ensuing mysteries; and leap not in­constantly from one to another.

CHAP. XXXVI.
An Exercise before the Sacred Com­munion.

1. THe conformation of the place, for 1. The place. the setling of thy mind; may be to imagin thy Saviour Christ, en­compassed with his Angels and Saints, who all adore his divine Ma­jesty with all possible reverenc [...].

2. Make thou also thy humble 2. Beg of thy Savi­our to fit up thy poor house. addresse unto him, and since hee vouchsafeth to divert into the har­bour of thy poor heart, entreat him to send before him such ornaments, [Page 279] as are necessary for his worthy enter­tainment; because thy poverty is uncapable to provide, what is suitable to so great a majesty.

3. Then reflect who it is that in­tends 3. Think what guest is to lodge in it. to lodge with thee; It is surely hee, whom the Angel named Jesus, the Saviour of man▪kind; Hee, who onely can cure thy wounds: Hee, who so dearly loves thee, and takes such care of thy salvation, that he came purposely and personally to procure it; interposing his authority, hazarding his honour, and losing his life for thee upon an ignominious Crosse: And be sure to insist upon this pious consideration, as being very proper to prepare thy soul for the receiving of this most holy Sacra­ment; according to our Saviours precept, As often as you shall doe these things you shall do them in remem­brance of me.

4. Consider to what end thy dear 4. Why he comes to thee, Lord comes unto thee; Surely, to conclude a union betweene himselfe and thy soule, whence results a cer­taine divine life, which thou hence­forth enjoyest by this sweet union with thy Saviour. For the food we [Page 280] take, begets humours of the same quality which it selfe is of: and consequently no mervaile if this hea­venly food, and divine nourishment do in some sort deify the soul. He that eats me, shal live for me, saith our Lord.

5. Let thy next consideration be, to whom he comes; To a litle worm 5. To whom he comes. of the earth, to a vessell full of filth and rottennesse: and perhaps, (which is farre worse) even to his enemy, to the contemner of his commands, to the wilfull transgressour of his lawes, to a base run-away, who hath forsa­ken the colours of his Lord God, and taken part with the Devill.

6. Make therefore thy humble 6. Make thy petiti­on. supplication to thy sweet Saviour, that since he vouchsafeth freely to come unto thee for his owne mer­cies sake, and for no merits of thine; he will also be pleased to prevent thee with his grace, and adorne thee with the gifts of his holy Spirit, that thou maist become a worthy recep­tacle for his sacred body: as he for­merly by the like prevention, pre­pared for himselfe a happy and holy habitation in the virginall entralls of his most blessed Mother.

CHAP. XXXVII.
How we may devoutly offer up the sa­crifice of the Masse.

WHen thou feelest thy heart 1. 1. Free thy fancy from all outward objects. inflamed by this foregoing or the like exercise; free thy fancy of all sensible objects, and shutting the windows of thy senses, so are up to thy Lord God, and fix there the eye of thy soule upon him onely, purely, freely, and quietly, excluding all tumults of outward thoughts; and implore the assistance of the holy Ghost, by reciting the hymn of the holy Church, Veni creator spi­ritus, &c.

2. Then comming to put on the 2. In vest­ing thy selfe, mark the myste­ries. sacred vestments, mark with attenti­on those mysteries which they mean and signify: and from that very instant of time, take upon thee Christs person, whom thou represent­est in this holy action; that so thou maist be moved, to conforme each outward and inward deed, to him whom thou now personatest. 3. Let thy outward depo [...]t­men [...] be decent.

3. And as for the outward compo­sure of the body; see that thy going [Page 282] forth of the vestry, be with all de­cency and gravity; let thy counte­nance be cherfull, thine eyes humbly cast downe, and not curious to prie after any passages done in the Church: Let thy voice be low and sober, reading those sacred words neither precipitantly, nor over-pau­singly, but beseemingly between both those extremes: Let the holy cere­monies be piously and punctually observed: and let all be attentively performed; taking more care in the Canon, and most of all when thou commest to the words of conse­cration.

4. Let thy inward composition also correspond with thy outward carri­age; 4. And thy inward compositi­on corre­spondent. and therefore comming to the foot of the Atar, looke upon Christ thy Lord and thy love, sitting in his throne of glorious majesty, attended by his Angels and blessed Saints: and think he is presently comming down from his throne to the altar, to en­rich thy poore soule with the trea­sures of his divinity: And considering so high a Majesty, confesse thine own misery, meannesse, and nothing: and so truly humbling thy selfe both [Page 283] inwardly and outwardly, begin the action of the sacrifice: And keep this presence of thy Saviour sitting in his throne and beholding thy de­votion, untill thou commest to the consecration; which done, thou hast him then before thee upon the altar, thou touchest him with thy hands, and embracest him in thy heart there present in the Sacrament.

5. In thy first memento: Contem­plate 5. In thy first me­mento. thy Lord Jesus crucified, repo­sing in thy heart, and depose all thy necessities and wants in his sacred and sugred wounds. And first offer up thy whole Masse to his holy head, To Christs holy head. intending it to the eternall honour of the most blessed Trinity, and for the increase of the accidentall glory of his deare Mother, thy Angel guar­dian, and thy particular protectours and patrons in heaven; all which thou shalt joyne together in the wounds of thy Lords venerable head; and beseech them, that as thou in this vale of misery, strivest to aug­ment their glory; so they in their happy and heavenly mansions, will be pleased to remember thee, and joyne with thee in the oblation of [Page 284] this divine sacrifice to thine and their Creatour.

6. Comming then to the wound To his right hand. of his right hand, pray for the state ecclesiasticall; that is, for the Pope, Cardinalls, Bishops, and pastours of the Church; for all Religious per­sons and their Prelats: and for them all, offer up this present sacri­fice.

7. At the wound of his left hand, To his left hand. pray for the Laity; for Kings, Princes, Magistrates, and the rest of their people; and in particular for thy parents, friends, familiars, and all who desired to be made parta­kers in thy devotions.

8. At his most sweet heart, offer To his sa­cred heart. up thy whole selfe onely, humbly re­presenting unto him thy life past, and begging his pardon: thy present being, and desiring his direction: thy spirituall necessities and corpo­rall needs; thy health, thy temptati­ons, thy desires, thy designes; Con­secrate all the future thoughts, words and works of thy whole life to his eternall honour: Finally, re­signe thy whole selfe reverently and confidently to his divine providence; [Page 285] and so rest secure in his care, since thou hast delivered all thy affaires into his custody, who will better im­prove all things for thy profit, than thou canst either ask or expect.

9. At the wound of his right foot, To his right foot. offer up the sacrifice for all them who are in Gods grace, and continue in his charity, that he will be pleased to preserve them still in his favour and friendship.

10. At the wound of his left foot, To his left foot. offer it up for all sinners, that God will vouchsafe to convert and en­lighten them: for all poore, weak, and any-way afflicted wights, that he will please to comfort and deli­ver them; and lastly for all thou either oughtest, or art bound to pray. And so conclude thy whole oblation with Saint Augustines words: I re­commend Commendo eos, quos tu vis & scis, & velle me nosti. unto thy Majesty, whomsoe­ver thou (ô my Lord) wilt, and knowest; and wouldest have me remember: And finally, offer up thy Saviour Jesus, thus loaded (as I may say) with all thy petitions and necessities, to his eternall Father in this present sacri­fice; saving those words of the Psalmist: Behold, ô God our protectour, Ps. 83. 10. [Page 286] and look upon the face of thy Christ; And so proceed on in the sacred Action.

11. In thy second memento; Thou 6. In thy second memento. hast Christ present in the holy Sacra­ment, now glorious and risen from death; unite therefore thy affection unto him, and strive to creep into his open side, and there hide thy self safely and securely from all assaults of thine enemies: There also deter­mine resolutely to doe his holy will for the future in all occurrences whatsoever; and put on that pious affection of the Royall Prophet: What is to me in heaven? and besides Psal. 72. 25. thee, ô my Lord and love, what would I upon the earth? Lastly, offer up the Sacrifice for the soules of the faith­full departed; and compleat what remains of the sacred Masse.

CHAP. XXXVIII.
An Exercise aefter the holy Com­munion.

REpresent to thy selfe (as for­merly) 1. Repre­sentation of the place. thy Blessed Saviour, encompassed with the glorious [Page 287] troops of Angels and heavenly spi­rits, adoring and praising his divine Majesty.

2. Then implore his grace; that since 2. Implo­ration of his grace. he beyond all desert of thine, hath vouchsafed to enter thy poor cottage, he will be likewise pleased to furnish it with all such ornaments of holy vertues as may best like him­selfe; and to illustrate thy soul with the beams of his celestiall light, as he did that of holy Simeon; that with him, receiving thy Lord into thy loving embraces, thou mayst sweetly intone thy Nunc dimittis, &c.

3. In the next place, consider that 3. Consi­der whom thou hast within thee. he whom thou hast now within thee, is thy s [...]me Lord God, of whom be­fore Communion thou conceivedst such high things: And render him humble thanks, for this immense be­nefit, of communicating and uniting himselfe unto thee; intreating him that it may not be a sleight (and as it were) a passing visit, but a perma­nent abode with thee.

4. After this, look upon thine 4. Mark thine own unworthy­nesse. own unworthinesse to receive such a guest; how homely is thy habitati­on? how beggarly, yea how beastly [Page 288] is thy heart? how full of the noyse of passions and perplexities? and draw from hence acts of sorrow for thy sins, of shame for thy negligence, and of confusion for the uncleanesse of thy soul.

5. And lastly, ask with a most fer­vent desire, that he who is the King 5. Make thy Petiti­on. of glory and goodnesse, and the source of all sanctity and purity, will garnish thy soul with his vertues, and wash away all thy filthyness with the water of his celestiall grace; and so inseparably unite and joyn thee to himselfe, that nothing created may evermore make a breach between thee and him; but that he will strongly lock up the closet-doore of thy heart, and mark it for his own habitation with the signet of his sacred love; that so he alone may there peaceably and perpetually take up his rest, without the least distur­bance of any forrain guest.

CHAP. XXXIX.
A dayly Examination.

1. FOr the keeping clean of thy Conscience, it will be necessary for thee to go down daily into it, and sweep each darkest corner thereof with the besom of diligent examinati­on, that all uncleanesse may be spee­dily cast forth of dores.

2. Wherefore, thou art to do three Every Morning thou art to do three things. things every Morning: First, Give God thanks for all his benefits be­stowed upon thee in the night past, and particularly for thy delivery from sodaine death, and from the deceits of the Devil. 2. Then, make a cordiall oblation of all things thou shalt thinke, speake, or do in the day following: and intreat the Blessed Virgin, that shee will bee pleased to present with her purest Hands this Oblation of thy self and thy actions, together with thee, to her onely Son. 3. And lastly conceiving a confidence of the Divine assistance; make a firm purpose by his grace not to offend him that Day in the least veniall sinne.

[Page 290] 3. And at night, a litle before thou At night thou art to examine thy selfe. betakest thy selfe to thy rest, examine thy selfe how stoutly thou hast stood to this good purpose. But before thou descendest to particulars, thinke of thy Lords Presence, to whom thou art now ready to give in a reckoning of that days transactions: and indea­vour to feele a certaine shame and confusion in thy self, like an ill servant before his most indulgent master; or like a perfidious Souldier before his pious Soveraign, who rays'd him from the dunghill to the highest degree of honour: for how much more reason hast thou to be ash [...]med in the sight of thy God, whom thou hast served so negligently, and offended so impu­dently?

4. Begin therefore with a generall Begin with a generall acknow­ledgement of Gods favours. acknowledgement of thy Lords love and favours, conferred upon thee from the first instant of thy being, to that present houre: rendring him particular thanks for the benefits that day received from his Bounty: And invite all the Angels and Saints, and chiefly the sacred Virgin, to help thee make a worthy thanks-giving, for thy Creation, Conservation, Re­demption, [Page 291] Vocation, Remission of thy enormous crimes, and expecta­tion of thee so long to penance, &c.

5. Secondly, demand light and grace Then beg light and grace. to see thy defects and negligences, which thou hast that day committed, and to feele a true sorrow and con­trition for the same: For they are so secret, that without this light thou canst not discerne them, and so enor­mous, that without this ayd thou canst not truly judge of them.

6. Thirdly, run over each houre of Next, de­scend to particu­la [...]s, the day, and discusse with diligence what were thy Thoughts, Words, Actions or Omissions, in every of them, that thou mayst punctually perceive wherein thou hast particu­larly transgressed.

7. Fourthly, indeavour to excite a true sorrow for thy sinnes, (which is And in­deavour to excite a true sorrow for thy sins. the main drift of this examen,) and let this grief touch thy heart, because thou hast offended so good a God, rather than for any other inconve­nience, which thereby thou incurrest: Let it proceed (I say) not from any feare of punishment which thou hast deserved; but from a true reverence, and high esteeme, which is due from [Page 292] thee to the Divine Majesty of thy Lord God, whom thou desirest to love and respect, above all things, and resolvest to practise it for the time to come.

8. Fiftly therefore, and lastly, beg And lastly implore his pardon for the past, and protection for [...]he future. his pardon for thy past negligence▪ and his assistance for thy future amend­ment: promising particularly, and resolving effectually, to shun, fo [...] his love, this or that occasion of sinne; and to lay hold of this or that opportunity, for the correction and bettering of thy selfe.

9. And if thou happily findest by this serious discussion of thy selfe, that thy transgr [...]ssions are not so grievous as to excite thee to this sor­row and shame; refer all this to the Divine mercy, and not to thy own diligence or vertue: And refl [...]ct upon thy former faults, and the grie­vous failings of other worldlings; and conclude that thou hadst surely fall'n more foulely, had not his Hea­venly Grace upheld and prevented thee.

CHAP. XL.
Being a Conclusion of the whole Worke.

1. MUch more might be said of This short booke we [...]l practised is suffici­ent. these important matters; but let this which is here delivered, according to my poore Talent, suf­fice for the present: which surely if thou endeavourest to keepe in thy memory, and accomplish in thy acti­ons, thou hast sufficiently learned and laboured.

2. But in respect of thy weake capacity, and my proposed brevity; it will be necessary that thou use a studious diligence in often revolving and meditating upon these foregoing Precepts: For by frequent conside­ration, and continuall exercise, thou wilt certainly increase thy inward strength, whereby to conquer all thine enemies.