Satisfaction then our bountiful Lord accepts of any other amends Then for unjust things Fasting suffices If he cannot fast Prayer suffices and if for weakness he cannot pray God is satisfied with a good will Innocent gives an Argument of false Repentance It is a false Repentance when the Penitent leaves not an Office or Employment which he can by no means exercise without Sin or if he bear hatred in his Heart or if he do not satisfie every one whom he has offended or if he do not pardon him who has offended him or if he bear Arms against Justice It is also a false Repentance when one Sin is amended and no care taken of another CHAP. XLII Of Perseverance TRUE Perseverance is a frequent exercise of Good Works a continual study of Perfection a diligent conservation of Spiritual Graces and Vertues unto Death To this our Lord invites us in the Apocalypse 2. Be faithful unto Death and I will give thee a crown of Life This Job had when he said Job 27. Vntil I dye I will not depart from my innocency And Tobias who hid the Bodies of the dead in his house and buried them in the night although the King for this commanded him to be spoiled of his Goods and kill'd Tob. 1. The exceeding great profit of Perseverance ought to induce us thereunto For by this every good Work and every Vertue shall be crowned and our Salvation wholly depends on it according to that of our Lord Jesus Christ Matth. 10. He who shall persevere to the end shall be saved Without this no Vertue or good Work is remunerable Without this all Perfection comes to nothing For what did it profit the Apostle and Traytor Judas that our Lord chose him out of the World what did profit him his long familiarity with Jesus Christ what the holy Sermons which he often heard from him what the Examples Virtues and Miracles which he saw done by him what the Society of the Apostles what the Grace bestowed on him to preach and work Miracles For to him together with the other Apostles he said Math. 10. Go preach saying The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Cure the sick raise the dead cure the leprous cast out Devils He has an Argument of true Perseverance who neither for the love of Life nor fear of Death nor for threats nor promises departs from Virtue As Susanna fearing not Death said Dan. 13. If I do this that is sin I must dye And Mattathias 1 Macchab. 2. Although all the Nations obey King Antiochus and every one depart from the service of the Law of his Fathers and consent to his commands I and my Sons and my brethren will obey the Law of our Fathers God be propitious unâ—â— us He has an argument of false Perseverance who falsly presumes of his own Sanctity that he cannot fall Hence arises a freedom of Mind hence he has no Watch over himself and so it is impossible for any Man persevere in Sanctity Even the very Apostles if they were in the world and not a watch over 〈◊〉 selves they might fall 〈…〉 Example in David 〈…〉 Murder and Adulteâ—◠〈…〉 was negligent in 〈…〉 Eyes 2 Sam. 1 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 shall one day have all these Virtues more perfectly than Humane Understanding can comprehend I confess to thee O Lord that he is happy at present and shall be more happy hereafter who has these Virtues in that perfection as they are here written although perhaps less may suffice to Salvation I beseech the also O Lord with all the desire of thy Son and Holy Spirit 〈…〉 Creatures that thou wouldest 〈…〉 Discretion betwixt the Virtues 〈…〉 of Nature and Semâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 And whosoever shall 〈…〉 shall hear of it or 〈…〉 â—â—mnipotent God 〈…〉 one true and 〈…〉 â—ertain he who 〈…〉 has 〈…〉 one 〈…〉 deâ—â—◠〈…〉 〈…〉 be
he reveal his secret to his Servants But he revealed all his Will and all Perfection to his Apostles by his only begotten Son as he says Jo. 15. All things whatsoever which I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you To the end that they might reveal the same to Posterity which also they have faithfully done For their sound went out into all the Earth and their Words unto the ends of the World Psal 18. But amongst the Apostles he revealed and declared his greatest Secrets to S. John the Evangelist and to S. Paul Amongst other things he revealed to them the eight Beatitudes saying Mat. 5. Blessed are the poor in Spirit c. Blessed are the Meek c. which Beatitudes contain in them great Perfection and declare the perfect Will of God There is a difference betwixt Contemplation Meditation and Cogitation for in Cogitation the Mind wanders in Meditation it finds out something in Contemplation it admires Cogitation is without Labour and without Fruit Meditation is with Labour and with Fruit Contemplation is without Labour and with Fruit. We are brought to the Contemplation of God by three Degrees concerning which St. Gregory The first is That the Soul recollect it self to it self The Second is that it see it self what it is thus recollected The Third is That it arise above it self and submit it self attending to the Contemplation of it's invisible Maker But it can by no means recollect it self to it self unless it have first learnt to restrain the Phantasms of terrestrial and celestial Images from the Eye of the Mind unless it have learnt to reject and trample upon whatsoever shall occur to it's Thought from the corporeal Sight Hearing Smelling Tasting or Touching that it may seek it self such within as it is without those for whilst it thinks upon those things it turns over within it self as it were certain shadows of Bodies Therefore all those things are to be driven away from the Eyes of the Mind by the hand of Discretion that the Soul may consider it self such as it is created under God above the Body that being vivificated by the Superior it may vivificated the Inferior which it administers We often will consider the invisible nature of Almighty God but we are not able and the Soul wearied with those difficulties returns to it self and makes to it self of it self degrees of Ascensions that first of all if it be able it may consider it self and then find out that Nature which is above it as far as it is able But if our Mind shall be dispersed in carnal Images it is by no means sufficient to consider it self or the Nature of the Soul because by as many Thoughts as it is lead it is as it were blinded by so many Obstacles The first Degree therefore is that the Soul c. The Motives to Contemplation are the ineffable Sweetness which is there perceived the admirable Perfection which is there learn'd the principal of all Beatitude which is there found for the Fountain of all Beatitude the most High God is there known and what is known that is loved and what is truly loved is desired and laboured for that it may be obtained and what is industriously laboured for that is at length acquired and when at length it shall be acquired it is possessed with endless Delight Of this St. Bernard A Soul which has once learnt of our Lord and has received of him to enter into her self and in her most inward recesses to pant after the presence of God and to seek his Face alwayes for God is a Spirit and they who seek him must walk in the Spirit and not in the Flesh that they may live according to the Flesh Such a Soul I say I know not whether she would count it more horrible and painful to experiment Hell it self for a time than after having tasted the Sweetness of this spiritual Study to go out again to the Allurements or rather to the Troubles of the Flesh and to return to the insatiable Curiosity of the Senses Ecclesiastes saying chap. 2. The Eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the Ear with hearing For hear an experienced man what he says Thou art good says he O Lord to those who hope in thee to the Soul which seeks thee From this Good if any one should have endeavoured to have averted that holy Soul I believe he would hardly have taken it otherwise than if he should have seen himself to have been cast out of Paradise and from the very Entrance of Glory Hear yet another like unto this My Heart says he has said to thee my Face has sought thee thy Face O Lord will I seek Whence he said But it is good for me to adhere to God And also speaking to his Soul he says Be converted O my Soul into thy Rest because the Lord has done well unto thee I say therefore unto you that there is nothing which one who has received this Favour does so much fear as lest being left by the Divine Grace it should be necessary for him to go out again to the Consolations yea the Desolations of the Flesh and again to suffer the Tumults of his carnal Senses In this Contemplation was St. Augustin when he said But it displeased me that I lived in the World and it was a great burden to me my sensual Desires not now inflaming me as they were wont with the hope of Honour and Money to endure that so grievous Servitude For now those things did not delight me by reason of thy sweetness and of the beauty of thy House which I loved He has an Argument of true Contemplation who is weary of living in this miserable World saying with B. Tobias chap. 3. It is better for me to dye than to live And with H. Job chap. 10. My Soul is weary of my Life And with St. Paul Rom. 7. Vnhappy Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death And he who thirsts after the Fountain of Life saying with the Psalmist As the Hart thirsts after Fountains of Water so thirsts my Soul after thee O God Psal 41. Whence St. Gregory A contemplative Life is to retain indeed in the heart the Love of God and our Neighbour but to rest from exterior Action and to inhere only in the desire of the Creator so that nothing is now to be done but all Cares being trampled under Foot the Soul burns with desire to see the Face of it's Creator so that now it knows how to bear with Grief the weight of the corruptible Flesh and with all it's Forces to desire to be present amidst the sweet-singing Quires of Angels and to be mixed with the caelestial Citizens to rejoyce before God for eternal Incorruption He has an Argument of false Contemplation who holds something concerning God or some Perfection of God contrary to the Holy Scriptures which notwithstanding he temerariously defends by Reasons And hence came Heresies of
Either forgive them this Fault or if thou doest not blot me out of thy Book which thou hast written Exod. 32. Such Prayers God willingly hears and grants whence those David Christ and Stephen were heard for their Enemies An Argument of Impatience is when one for some Trouble brought upon him by reason of some inward Disturbance voluntarily omitts certain good Works which he might conveniently and ought to have done for then God suffers Injury done him by Man the same inward Motion can hardly hide it self but it will break out either in the Countenance Gesture or Words This is the most dangerous kind of Impatience whose Revenge breaks it self upon the innocent God CHAP. V. Of Poverty TRue and perfect Poverty is voluntarily and freely to leave all things for God to possess nothing but bare Necessaries and to think ones self unworthy of them yea sometimes for God and for the Love of Poverty willingly to want even Necessaries for where there is no need there true Poverty cannot be discerned So our Lord Jesus Christ wanted necessary Food when he could not have Bread for himself and his Disciples rubbing Ears of Corn who in like manner wanted necessary Cloaths when as says St. Bernard he was stripped stark naked before his Cross who also being a thirst upon his Cross could not have a Draught of Water nor a Stone or Board whereon when he was a dying he might lean his crucified Head Alas how often is Superfluity there where true Need is believed to be The truly Poor desires no transitory things yea refuses them when they are offered after the Example of Elizeus who refused the gifts of Naaman 2 Kings 5. and after the Example of Daniel who despised the gifts of King Balthazar He truly loves Poverty who had rather deserve a little Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven through Poverty than a great one through Riches And this to be more conformable to Jesus Christ Three things ought to move us to the love of true Poverty according to St. Bernard Nothing says he is more dear to God nothing more amiable to the Angels nothing more profitable to Men than to end this Life in Poverty and Obedience That Poverty is pleasing to God the same St. Bernard testifies In the left hand of God says he are Riches and Glory in his right hand length of Life Of all these there was an eternal Abundance in Heaven but Poverty was not found there but on Earth it did abound and superabound and Man knew not it's Value wherefore the Son of God being enamoured with it came down that he might make Choice of it for himself and that he might also by his Esteem of it make it precious to us Another motive to true Poverty is the glory of sitting beside our Lord Jesus proceeding hence that the ignoble Poor shall sit by him in Judgment and judge the Noble and Rich. And how laudable is it before God purely to leave all things for him and of ones own Choice to be poor for the Love of God to confide in God above all things because he is so powerful once or twice a day to afford all things necessary for the Body which are the least things before God for he gives them more abundantly to his Enemies than to his Friends as he is powerful to minister to the Spirit Day and Night and every Moment an abundance of spiritual gifts which are the greatest things before God nor does he communicate them to his Enemies but only to the good who are his Friends An Argument of true Poverty is to have no Solicitude for transitory things but simply and securely to commit himself to God who plentifully administers all Necessaries even to Birds and Worms and especially to the young ones of Crows which cry for Hunger in their Nest whom the old black Crow leaves to starve because of their Whiteness as if they were not her own Brood who are fed either by the Bounty of God or by the Dew of the Air until growing black their Damn succour them or else they swallow down Gnats and Flies which stick to the Foam of their Bills they crying uncessantly for Hunger An Argument of false Poverty or Covetousness is willingly to beg Gifts without necessity or willingly and frequently to receive them Such an one sells his Liberty according to that of the Philosopher Publius Mimus to receive Gifts is to sell ones Liberty yea the Scripture says Thou shalt not receive Gifts because they blind the Eyes of the Wise and change the Words of the just Deut. 16. For how is he a Lover of Poverty who will endure no Want and receives unnecessary Gifts willingly and frequently Yea who asks them and by certain subtle Devices extorts them and without Necessity keeps them CHAP. VI. Of Chastity TRue and perfect Chastity is when not only the Body is kept from carnal Pollution but even the Soul is preserved clean from carnal Concupiscence after the Example of Sarah saying Thou knowest O Lord that I have never lusted after man and have kept my Soul clean from all Concupiscence yea and from those things which give occasions of Concupiscence And this is that which follows in the same place I have never kept Company with those that sport neither have I familiarly conversed with those of light behaviour Tob. 3. He truly loves Chastity who if it were possible would chuse rather less Grace in this life and less Glory in the other by Virginal Chastity to be more conformed to Jesus Christ than by paying the Conjugal debt to merit greater Grace and Glory The motives which ought to incite us to the love of Chastity are the Example of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his Blessed Mother and the holy Virgins who have despised Kingdoms and voluntarily lost their Lives to preserve their Chastity as S. Agnes S. Katherin S. Agatha and inumerable others and especially the Chastity of Pagan Women and Virgins of whom S. Hierom writes That they chose Death that they might conserve their Chastity The Cleanness also and Freedom which follow Chastity ought to move and invite us to it as also the glory which our Lord Jesus has promised to Chastity He who shall overcome says he Apoc. 3. to wit the concupiscence of the Flesh I will give him to sit with me in my throne as I also have overcome and have sat with my Father in his Throne for incorruption makes one very near unto God Sap. 6. These things are inductive of Chastity and conserve it a spare Diet plain Attire corporal Incommodity to avoid opportune time and place for Impurity which if Dina the Daughter of Jacob had done she had not been taken when she went to a feast to see the women of the Country Gen. 34. Moreover to shun the Company of suspected persons Now every man ought to be suspected by every woman for hence Thamar the daughter of David was corrupted by her own Brother because she did not suspect
fasted every day except the Solemn Feasts Jud. 8. The great Profit which comes from the mortification of the Flesh ought to induce us to it For by the mortification of the Flesh the Spirit is strengthened in Spiritual exercises According to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. For when I am weak in the Flesh then I am strong in Spirit And on the contrary by the cherishing of the Flesh the rigor of the Spirit is damped in Spiritual exercises according to that of St. Augustin The delicate Flesh burns up and consumes the Soul as the Fire Stubble An Argument of true Mortification is when no Pleasure but only what 's necessary is allowed to the Flesh according to that of the Apostle Rom. 8. We are Debtors not to the Flesh that we should live according to the Flesh For pleasure exacts many more things and more delicate than necessity requires but necessity is contented with a few things And the Apostle subjoyns the Evil which follows Pleasure saying If ye shall live according to the Flesh ye shall dye but if by the Spirit ye shall mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh ye shall live But the Works of the Flesh are manifest which are Fornication Vncleanness Immodesty Luxury Serving of Idols Witchcrafts Enmities Contentions Emulations Anger 's Brawlings Dissensions Sects Envies Murthers Drunkennesses Junkettings and such like which I fore-tel you as I have fore-told you that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5. Another Argument is when any one according to the Counsel of Jesus Christ hates his own Soul in this World for our Lord himself says Luk. 14. If any one come to me and do not hate his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brothers and Sisters and moreover his own Soul he cannot be my Disciple Which St. Gregory expounding says For then we well hate our own Soul when we do not yield to it 's carnal Desires when we break it's Appetites resist it's Pleasures that therefore which by being contemned is led to something that 's better is as it were loved through Hatred But he who does not restrain his Soul from it's Concupiscences precipitates himself into the Snares of the Devil according to that of Ecclesiasticus chap. 18. If thou yieldest to thy Soul her Concupiscences she will make thee a Joy to thine Enemies As Dalila delivered up the valiant Sampson to the Philistins to be mocked Jud. 16. He has not an Argument of true Mortification who only bridles his Belly and Mouth from the Pleasure of Meat and Drink but bridles not his Tongue from unlawful Words nor his Sight Hearing Tasting Smell and Touching from their Delight nor his Heart from voluptuous Thoughts and Affections For it is a small matter to restrain the Mouth and Belly from Meats when the Heart and the five Senses are sed with Delights Whence St. Chrysostom They who abstain from Meats and do ill they imitate the Devils to whom not Meat but Wickedness is always present CHAP. XXXIX Of Contrition TRUE Contrition is a grief for Sins voluntarily assumed according to the quantity and quality of the Crimes with a purpose of confessing and making Satisfaction proceeding from the free grace of God for a natural Grief or a Grief without grace profits or is good for nothing Jeremy expresses the quantity of the Grief when he says Make to thy self the mourning for an only Son This the Lord commanded in Joel saying Cut your Hearts To this cutting are helpful the Thorns Nails Rods Whips Cross and Spear which cut the body of our Lord Jesus Christ True Contrition is very rare as testifies St. Gregory We must know that there are some who although leaving the World they offer indeed all they have and yet have not Compunction in the good things which they do nor must we always believe there is true Compunction where there are Sighs and Tears for such things are often wont to come from the fear of Hell or from the consideration of some Damage or from natural Grief or from natural Compassion when one remembers the Enormity of his Crimes or the most bitter Passion of Jesus Christ To true Contrition is required a grief for all the Sins we have committed and for all the good we have omitted and for all the Graces neglected to our selves and others and also for those which might by occasion of us be committed or neglected It will move us to true Contrition if we seriously think what we have lost by Sin to wit the Holy Ghost with his Gifts and all gratuit Graces the Friendship of the B. Trinity and the Society of the celestial Court Also what we have got by Sin to wit eternal Death the Malediction of God the Father as the Psalmist testifies Psal 118. Cursed are they who decline from thy Commandments The Hatred of our Lord Jesus Christ who hates all those who work Iniquity The departure of the Holy Ghost Who takes himself away even from Thoughts which are without Vnderstanding as he says in the book of Wisdom chap. 1. But much more from wicked Works for these are worse and more horrible than the very pains of Hell as says St. Chrysostom The great Profit also proceeding from the same ought to induce us thereunto for the least Contrition effaces all the blots of the Soul kills eternal Death confers the Benediction of God the Father restores the Friendship of God the Son the Familiarity of the Holy Ghost and the Society of the supernal Citizens And Contrition how little soever it be more satisfies than the greatest Alms we can give All these things often weighed in the ballance of the Heart are inductive of true Compunction He has an Argument of true Contrition who does so detest the filthiness of Sin that he would rather chuse all the pains of Purgatory than commit any Sin against his most gracious God and who would expose himself rather to the pains of Hell with Eleazarus than for the future deliberately commit any Sin which also St. Augustin says ought rather to be chosen And who would most willingly endure the torments of all the Martyrs that he might hereby merit never more to commit any Sin and who would offer himself to all the Sufferings of the Sick and Poor that he might duely satisfie God for his Offences He has an Argument of false Contrition who although he weep bitterly for the Sins he has committed yet instantly after his Grief he is not afraid to commit the same or other Sins Against this it is said in Ecclesiasticus ch 34. He who is washed from the Dead and again touches the dead what doth his washing profit him In like manner he who is sorry for his past Sins and does not resolve for the future to leave his Sins to wit his Pride Envy carnal Friendship fleshly Delights or the unjust Possession of the Goods of others Concerning which S Augustin says The Sin is not forgiven unles that which