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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72089	The practise of Christian workes. Written in Spanish by the R. Father Francis Borgia, sometymes Duke of Gandia, and the third generall of the Society of Iesus. Togeather with a short rule, how to live well. Englished by a father of the same society. VVhereunto are adioyned certaine pious meditations vpon the beades: translated also out of the Spanish	Borja, Francisco de, Saint, 1510-1572.; Everard, Thomas, 1560-1633.; Cresswell, Joseph, 1556-1623.	1620 (1620)	STC 11315; ESTC S124739	63,056	286

34. The V. Exercise VVherein is deliuered how we may be cōfounded by the Contēplation of Celestiall things pag. 90. A SHORT RVLE How to liue well The VI. Exercise Of the things that man is to know for the sauing of his soule Chap. I. pag. 108. Of the End of man Cap. II. pag. 109. Of the meanes to come to our End Chap. III. pag. 110. Of the manner how to practise the aforesaid meanes Cap. IIII. pag. 114. The former part of this Rule The VII Exercise VVhat we should do in the Morning Chap. I. pag. 116. VVhat we are to do at Night Chap. II. pag. 118. VVhat it is meete for vs to do in the day tyme. Chap. III. pag. 120. How we may be present with deuotion at Masse Chap. IIII. pag. 123. How to pray well Chap. V. pag. 127. Remedyes against distractions Chap. VI. pag. 130. How to heare the word of God with profit Chap. VII pag. 133. How we must read Spirituall Books Chap. VIII pag. 135. The manner of examining our Conscience Chap. IX pag. 138. How to make a good Confession Chap. X. pag. 141. The causes that ought to induce vs to true repentance for our syns Chap. XI pag. 115. The causes for which it is very good most expedient to go often to Confession Chap. XII pag. 154. Of the necessity and vtility of a General Confessiō Cap. XIII pag. 157. How to communicate with fruit Chap. XIIII pag. 161. The causes that ought to induce vs to the frequent receyuing of this Sacrament Chap. XV. pag. 166. Remedyes for the auoyding of syns and resisting of tentations Chap. XVI The manner how to possesse our selues of some solid Vertue Chap. XVII pag. 173. The second Part of this Rule The VIII Exercise VVhat we are to do in behalfe of God Cap. I. pag. 176. VVhat we are to do in behalfe of the Saints and namely of the B. Virgin Chap. II. p●g pag 178. How we are to cary our selues towards our good Angel Cap. III. pag. 180. VVhat our Good Angell doth towards vs. Chap. IIII. pag. 182. How we ought to carry our selues towards our selues Cap. V. pag. 184. How we must carry our selues towards our Neighbour Cap. VI. pag. 186. How we must carry our selues towards our Superiors Cap. VII pag. 189. Pious meditations vpon the Bead● p. 193. THE PRACTISE OF CHRISTIAN WORKES THE PREFACE THREE thinges there be wherein it is good to exercise the mind that the workes therof may deserue to ascend to the sight presence of Gods Maiesty And these be First that we confoūd our selus in euery thing Secondly that we giue God thanks Thirdly that we craue and aske something at Gods handes And though a man may indeed exercise these three in all thinges yet I meane to accomodate them to such thinges only which we haue to do dayly And by these you may easily vnderstand how to doe in other thinges and therefore to begin with your first workes in the morning exercise your selfe as followeth THE I. EXERCISE Confusion 1. VVHEN you put on your clothes be you confounded that you cloath your selfe when as Christ was stripped and left naked vpon the Crosse for your sake 2. Thankesgiuing Giue him thankes for that he hath put on our humanity for vs whome he knew would be most vngratefull for so soueraigne a benefit and for that he hath clad vs with the Garment of grace which we haue so often rent in sunder 3. Petition Aske craue of him that when putting on your cloaths you cloath the naked this worke of mercy may be pleasing vnto him and beseech him to grant you the same by the ignominy of that garment which Herod commanded to be put vpon his backe 1. Confusion When you go to Church to heare masse be confounded for that your selfe being imperfect you goe to the Church to prayse God whome the Angells that are perfect do praise continually 2. Th●●kesgiuing Giue God thankes that though you haue gone out of his house so often carryed away by sinnes yet he still calleth you home againe and standeth knocking at your dore 3. Petition Aske by that charity wherwith the most Blessed Virgin presented her Sonne in the Temple you may deserue to be presented to God and to be made the Temple of the Holy Ghost 1. When you pray consider the multitude of your sinnes say with the Publican Lord be mercifull to me a sinner 2. Thanke God for that Christ hath prayed for you and hath obtayned that you may be heard when you pray 3. Craue that by the prayer which he made in the desert for sinners he wil vouchsafe to grāt you those gifts which he willed vs to aske in the Pater Noster and you shall say it ouer once 1. When you heare Masse be cōfounded for that you haue prepared your selfe negligently vnto it in presenting your selfe before God in Masse and for that the very continuance and long vse of this benefit which should haue profited you much towards the great esteeming thereof for it is a signe of Christs most high charity hath made you negligent and so ingratefull 2. Thanke him for that he maketh you an Angell if you confesse him whome you adore with a liuely fayth sith it apertaineth to Angells to be assistant to God and to praise him without ceasing 3. Craue that by that sacrifice whereof this is a testimony he may imparte vnto you the merits of his bloud and by the vertue of this sacrifice graunt you that aboundance of teares wherby to wash away your sins and cause you to rise againe with Christ 1. When you sit at the table be confounded for eating of his bread to whome you haue beene so false vnfaithfull and ingrate 2. Thanke him for this that though you haue hitherto beene and still are an enemy to him yet he hath nourished and intertayned you 3. Craue of him that by that loue wherewith he filled great numbers of people with a few loaues in the desert he will vouchafe to feed you euery day with the bread of his grace 1. In busines that concernes our owne profit or our neighbours we must be confounded for that God pleaseth to take vpon him our our neighbours causes who haue beene an occasion of hurt to our selues and to our neighbours especially sith it is a matter of so great moment to haue a care of our neighbours good and profit in so much as Christ for that cause came into the world that he might take vpon him our our neighbours cause 2. We must thanke him for that whereas he needed not such busines at all yet the same are as pleasing vnto him as though he stood in need of them 3. We must craue that by that charity wherwith he sayd I must be in those t●inges that be my Fathers he will grant vs to be euer occupied in those thinges that appertayne to his honour and glory 1. When you suppe be confounded for your negligences cōmitted that day

Christ comming neare to Hierusalem wept vpon it 10. When he seeth any to haue an imperfect fayth let him remember what Christ sayd to his Disciples who for their incredulity could not cast out a diuell O incredulous generation how long shall I beare with you 11. When the bad scorne mocke the good let him remember how it was sayd to our Sauiour vpon the Crosse He hath saued others and can he not saue himselfe 12. When they dye who haue liued ill let him consider how our Lord sorrowed much seeing that few would profit themselues by the effussion of his bloud 13. When he feeleth a want of deuotion in himselfe let him reflect vpon our Sauiour when he sayd My God my God why had thou forsaken me 14. When any blasphemeth the name of God let him thinke that Christ had forseen it long ago and was sorry for it 15. When he seeth himselfe depriued of the familiarity with God and hath an earnest desire to be most conioyned with him or whē he wisheth to be exempted and deliuered from out of the dangers of this life let him remember how great charity of Christ that was when he prayed to his Father for that very thing in th●se wordes Father I pray for them that all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. These things I say are to be thus thought vpon when any thing happeneth and that our Sauiour in the like case thought and did the like and to him we must alwayes offer and present whatsoeuer we either do or suffer And heerin euery one ought to vse much care and diligence and not to suffer so notable occasion of profiting his soule offered heereby to escape him Els it will be a note not only of a fowle negligence but also of notable ingratitude if we make so light an esteeme of those thinges that concerne our soules good so much and may be easily obtained Wherefore I am to intreat and exhort thee o Soule whatsoeuer thou be not to neglect so great a good but to consider how easy a matter it is ●hat God exacteth of thee and how great a thing he desireth to giue thee For he asketh of thee but those thing● which thou wert bound to do though he required them not at thy hands for thou must go walke eate take paines be sicke and dye at last All which and such other thinges if thou dost or sufferest for thyne owne sake or for the world besides that they will be laborious and painefull thou shalt reape no fruit at all by them But if thou doest or suffrest them for the loue of Christ both thy payne labour will be eased for Christ doth recreate them who take paynes for him and when all thy them greater then that of the diuells Who I say would it not confound who hath experience of Gods so great patience and seeing his iustice executed in so rigorous a manner towardes the Diuells yet so mercifully affoardeth him respight and tyme of pennance And this ought to mooue euery one the more for that men are wont to vse that diligence in perswading others to leaue sinne which yet we read not any where was done to Lucifer Neither do men draw others their like into sinne by wordes and signes alone as Lucifer did but also by importune perswasiōs intreaties money by threats by honour by life and by whatsoeuer other wayes they can in so much as the malice of men may seeme in this respect to exceed the malice of Lucifer And this alone ought so far to depresse and abate our pride and to put so great a confusion into vs as by it at least in some part that punishment might be recompensed which our sinnes deserue in hell To this is further added that the wickednes not to say the madnes of men proceedeth so far sometymes as it is wont also to prouoke the Diuell to tempt them and to present them as it were weapons to kill themselues in so much as they may seeme to do very ill who are wont to lay all the fault and blame of their hurt vpon the diuell whereof themselues are the cause And if those who haue drawne others into a mischiefe dare scarcely for very shame stand amongst them before a Iudge of this world of how great confusion thinke you must he needs be full who considereth himselfe to be presented togeather with the Diuells before the Tribunall of Christ And if a man would seriously bethinke himselfe of these things as he ought he might verily yea ought to be as much confounded for his own malice while he manifestly vnderstandeth how sore punishments he hath deserued for his sinnes not only in this life but in that also which shall neuer haue an end So doing all will seeme light to him that he suffereth in this life if he cōpare it with that which he was to suffer and endure in hell if God should deale with him according to his deserts And therefore let him with all confusion and shame both acknowledge his owne misery craue that mercy which notwithstanding he thinketh himselfe most vnworthy of And to the end none who thinketh himself free from those euills of which we haue spoken before may be perswaded that there is not any cause wherefore he should be much confounded let euery one so thinke touching that matter with himselfe that there is no cause why he should esteeme lesse humbly of himself but is more bound to be ashamed in himselfe for that the only grace of God doth euery moment deliuer him from so many and so great euills which if it were not alwayes present who is there that would not fall into the pitt of sinne and become worthy of euerlasting punishment And sith he hath escaped them through Gods mercy what thankes then doth he not owe to him And certes they haue great cause to be confounded who notwithstanding they do continually make an experiment of Gods so great mercy towardes them are neuertheles so ingratefull to him And they ought to humble themselues so much the more the lesse worthy they acknowledge themselues of Gods grace and it is their part to do nothing lesse in the seruice of God then they would do if they were drawne and deliuered out of Hell If euery one would but consider this obligation rightly and vnderstand that he is able to render God very little for the greatnes of his benefits he would not be discouraged at all but would comfort himselfe with that admonition of the Prophet when he sayth Let not the humble confoūded he turned away from thee the poore and needy shall praise thy name Againe if a man hath many thinges for which he may confound himselfe before the diuells he hath no lesse cause to confound himselfe before the rest of the damned when he vnderstandeth that many are condemned to euerlasting torments but for one sinne only Wherefore what is it meet

for him to thinke of himselfe who knoweth himselfe to haue committed so many and so grieuous sinnes And verily he that apprehendeth these thinges at the hart ought to go as far beyond them if he be able in confounding himself as he goeth beyond them in sinnes And if you consider them who are in Limbo and with how great mercy God hath deliuered you from many dangers that are wont to happen and brought you at length to the grace of baptisme that you might not fall into that misery there is in truth great cause why you should lament your so great ingratitude and wash it away with teares and so much the more for that they who are in Limbo neuer committed any mortall sinne and you as often as you haue cōmitted it so often haue deserued hell And if they for a lesse sinne are thrust down into a deep place or dungeon with what face dare you liue vpon earth who haue so often offended God most grieuously And with what eyes dare you contemplate the vision of God whereof they are for a far lesse fault depriued And if you consider these thinges aright you will not dare I know to behould them who are in Limbo with attentiue eyes while you compare your owne sinnes with theirs But the consideration of them who are in Purgatory ought to confound vs so much the more for that they though now in a safe place and deliuered out of so great euills of the world certaine also not to offend God any more and gotten into an harbour be neuertheles in paynes but we are both turmoyled in stormes and vncertaine of our saluation and what shall become of vs at last liuing among most crafty and most cruell enemyes and continuall dangers And if any be confounded the lesse for that he vnderstandeth that they are punished deseruedly for their sinnes Let him so thinke that some are peraduenture there tormented by occasion of his either example or bad counsaile or scandall or negligence drawne into sinne that many are detayned held there the longer for want of his help by prayers and other suffrages And let this consideration confound him whosoeuer he be for that he hath beene an occasion vnto them of their suffering and paynes and hath giuen them no help or little at all towards their ease and releasement and let him thinke that their owne faults and his be the cause that he knoweth not whether they are to be purged with the fire of Purgatory alone THE IIII. EXERCISE Wherein is declared how we ought to confound our selues by the consideratiō of those thinges that we see vpon Earth IF in comparison of those who are guilty we be found more guilty what shal we I pray you appeare to be before the things that be not hurtfull at al For if the consideration of those who haue sinned doth greatly abate and quaile our pride how much more ought the remembrance of those thinges humble vs which haue neuer yet in any thing swarued from their Creatours Commandment The poore Creatures of the Earth I meane which hauing but a sensitiue life do exceedingly condēne our disobedience Ingratitude and negligence For the earth which produceth and bringeth forth fruit doth reprehend vs who are altogeather vnfruitfull and barraine And how much doth the water whiles it ouerfloweth and watreth the meadowes quencheth the thirst and doth those thinges for which God hath giuen it for the vse of men condemne those who deny it their Creatour when they omit to giue it vnto a poore begger crauing it in his name How doth the fire whiles it maketh the flesh sweet and sauory censure the cruelty of those who vnmercifully handle the flesh of their neighbour How much doth the Ayre which continually intertayneth our life vpraid vs of our negligēce in the seruice of God whome but this one thing alone bindeth vs by a most strait band to serue God And how much ought the rocks which were rent though insensible in the passion of Christ to confound our hardnes and inciuility Hony is sweet to the tast but we are most bitter to God The smell of flowers is pleasant but how great is the stench of our sinnes The plants grow and raise themselues vpwards but man whiles he pursueth base contemptible things doth abase himself euery day more more And how much better for him were it to imitate euen the trees heerein which the more rootes they take and the deeper they grow in the ground the more vertue do they draw from them to the bowes for so a man if he should take deep roote of Humility would make a great increase of vertues And whome would not the seruices of the brute beasts moue especially seeing they do it to them who by their sinnes haue made themselus like vnto beasts And how much more worthy is he who handleth them ill or he who is handled ill Or who would not by good right meruaile that these beasts be obedient to them who yet are rebellious to the will of God The silly sheep cloatheth you with his skinne and with his fleece and nourisheth you with his flesh and when as you should vse them to the honour of God you abuse these and other the benefits of God and while you seeke a thousand wayes to satisfy your concupiscence you iniury both God and his creatures The beasts carry men vpon their backes and ease them wearied of their labour and therein they diligently obey their Creatour who hath made them for that end but you on the other side do either thinke vpon or seeke after nothing lesse then your owne end whose part it were to allow God some rest if I may so say sith you receaue so much comfort and ease by his creatures in your labour and paynes We must not indeed thinke that God needeth any rest sith he is the supreme felicity of himselfe and of all thinges els yet such is his benignity as he would be thought to rest in the minds of the iust sith as he sayth It is his delight to be with the children of men though of them he also doth not without cause complaine in these words I haue laboured sustayning O how great a confusion ought this word to worke in vs since by our works we occasion to God this payne and trauaile who ought to haue beene to him the cause of quiet and rest And therfore it was not sayd of the brute beastes but of men I repent my selfe to haue made man Let this o dust and ashes humble thee let this draw tears from thyne eyes and this especially whē thou findest that a creature by the seruice done thee causeth thee rest ease and yet thou dost not thy selfe the like towards God And when thou giuest thy beast meate thinke thus how much more meet it is that thou serue them then they thee sith they haue neuer beene rebellious or ingratefull to God as thou hast euer beene and still art Let the wisedome of

the tentations of his enemyes to vnite himselfe more inwardly with God by that band of loue For the receyuing of this Blessed Sacrament serueth vs for the obtayning of all these heauenly graces and many more the like 4. He must receyue with great deuotion And that he may so do he must endeauour to come to the Sacrament 1. With great humility reuerence considering his owne vnworthines misery and necessity and the supreme Maiesty of him whome he is to receyue into his soule 2. To consider the causes for which this holy Sacrament was instituted and the great charity of our Sauiour wherewith he vouchsafed to communicate himselfe to his creatures and to giue himselfe in foode nutryment to our soules To consider also the great fruits that ar● receyued in this holy banquet because this spirituall food produceth the same effects in our soule that doth materiall meate in our bodyes though after a manner much more excellent 3. To communicate with a spirituall hunger and feruent desire to feede and fill his soule with this heauēly meate with prayers and petitions full of affection and of loue to craue grace of God to communicate deuoutely and to receyue all the fruits of this holesome refection After receyuing he must giue thanks to God for pleasing to enter into the chamber of his soule there to make his aboade and to fill it with his grace and gifts of the holy Ghost 2. He must offer himselfe wholy to his Creatour who hath giuen and communicated himselfe so liberally vnto his Creatour 3. By short and as it were inculatory prayers he must treate familiarly with his Spouse represent vnto him his infirmityes and necessityes crauing what he standeth most in need of beseeching him to vouchsafe to make his continuall aboad with him to keep him in his grace The causes that ought to induce vs to the frequent receyuing of this Sacrament CHAP. XV. IF materiall meate be oftentymes necessary for our sustentation and nuriture of body we must not make any doubt but that the spirituall foode which is the sacred flesh of our Sauiour contayned in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist is also often as necessary for the entertayning and nourishing of our soule And if we regard not only the necessity but the good also which our soule receyueth by this heauenly food it is a thing truly very great for as much as by the often receyuing of this diuine meate First our soule is easily conserued and intertayned in Gods grace for that beeing often refreshed with this food grace is increased more and more in it 2. Euery tyme of receyuing it getteth wonderfull strength for the exercising of good works for the resisting of the tentations of our enemyes for preseruing it from syn and for patiently supporting and bearing al aduersityes of this present life 3. This food causeth a notable chaung of life in the person that was before subiect to many vices and imperfections 4. It augmenteth and increaseth in vs fayth hope charity deuotion al other vertues 5. It filleth and replenisheth the soule with a spirituall ioy and alacrity 6. It raceth out of our soule veniall syns and weakneth and lesseneth vicious inclinations concupiscence 7. It vniteth our soule with Iesus Christ For he who eateth my flesh sayth our Sauiour in S. Iohn Cap. 6. abideth in me and I in him If we with attention would ponder and consider all these so soueraigne fruits we should be much excited very often to refresh our soule with this so healthfull a meat If we giue euery day to our body to eate nourishing entertayning and strengthning therof is it not reason that our soule that hath also exceeding great need of nuriture and new strength should be entertayned with this heauenly food at least once a moneth Remedyes for the auoyding of syns and resisting of tentations CHAP. XVI MANY there be who find in themselues a desire to amend their lyfe and purpose no more to fall againe into syn which is so displeasing vnto God and so preiudiciall to their soules but they are not able to resist the tentations that assayle them in so much as notwithstanding their good desire and good purpose they fall againe and againe into their syns The principall cause whereof proceedeth of this for that they serue not themselues of the remedyes that be proper and effectuall for the resisting of tentation and syn and therefore I will here lay downe some few remedyes wherewith we may serue our turne at all tymes and especially when we find our selues inclined to syn 1. To consider the great priuiledges whereof syn spoyleth vs and the great euills and hurts it causeth vnto vs which you shall find declared in the XI Chapter before 2. To consider that we are contynually in the presence of God that in all places and at all tymes he seeth knoweth obserueth our thoughts and actions all which he will in the day of iudgment lay open and manifest to the whole world will giue sentence against vs by them And if you would imprint well this consideration in your mynd and apprehend it as you ought it will serue you for a spur to incite and to put you forward to vertue and for a bridle to pull in and represse your disordered appeties For how wil you be so hardy to commit that before God that you would not dare to do before mē 3. To consider that by resisting syn and tentation we receyue a great increase of grace and a great ioy spirituall consolation therewith 4. To make a firme purpose not to offend God and in particular not to commit such or such a syn and very often to renew the same purpose 5. To blesse your selfe with the signe of the Crosse and to craue help from God and the intercession of the Saints 6. To resist the beginnings of bad thoughts and to represse our passions and inordinate affections at the very first 7. To auoyd and fly the occasions that may make vs to fall into any syn as ydlenes ouer much talke curiosity to see and heare any thing that profiteth not Also to fly the places where God is easily offended the conuersation and company of disordred persons ouer much familiarity with any person For he who will not fly such like occasions exposeth himselfe to an euident daunger of falling into some syn or other And he sayth the VViseman Eccl. 3. who loueth daunger shall pe●ish in it 8. To frequent the holy Sacraments of Confession the Eucharist 9. To exercise acts of vertue contrary to the vices whereunto we are tempted or most inclined as if we be tempted to gluttony to mortify our sensuality vse abstinence if we be sollicited to pride vaine glory to exercise some act of humility inward or outward by consideration of our owne frailty misery so other vertues The manner how to possesse our selues of some solid Vertue CHAP. XVII FOR the more easy