prime and principall cause he communicates to vs by the instrumentall meanes of his other creatures as light by the Sunne heate by the fire nourishment by our food respiration by the ayre all the rest both corporall spirituall benefitts which as by conueying conduits we receiue frō his owne bountifull hand as the same S. Augustin did likewise acknowledge when giuing his immediate thankes vnto God for that first nourishment which his diuine goodnesse had so prouidently conueyed to him by those tender breastes of his louing Nource And therefore with this B. St. due gratitude also exacts of vs to keepe the eye of our soule vpon so continuall a Benefactor who principally workes with his creatures all the good we receiue by thē though not to be perceiued by our corporall eyes no more then we can behold either our soule or the ayre both which notwithstanding be reall true substances are actually present with vs for otherwise we could neither act nor liue Thirdly for the more easie comprehending both the manner and reality of Gods diuine Presence some fitly resemble it to the beames of a bright shining sunne vpō a cleare transparēt christall wherein nothing on anie side either within nor without is hidden from the eye yea the least mote or stayne within the secret'st part of it appeares as cleare as doth the exteriour out-side of the same In like condition are all creatures whatsoeuer in respect of God to whom the darkest profoundest corners within the bowels of the Earth the most secret thoughts of our minde consciences lye as open as doth the shinning sunne which though it may iustly giue subiect of great terrour to the wicked yet the vertuous soule may much reioyce to be continually in the vew of so louing a Father and of so powerfully a protecting Lord. We being now sufficiently assured of this diuine Presence whereof Faith permitts vs not to doubt I will here also briefly endeauour to shew what profit may be drawne from this certaine treuth which ought greatly to ioy a good Christian hart to haue for eye-witnesse of all we doe that souueraigne Lord who beholding both our thoughts words deeds rewards the least of them eternally it being done for his sake for this vndoubtedly must strongly incite a gratefull hart to aspirations both of loue gratitude as also to feare reuerence whereby the vertuous soule vnites her selfe more closely to his sacred Presence and laboring thus to gaine a holy habit of this diuine exercise shee breathes fourth feruent and affectionate eiaculations as fiery darts cast vp vnto God from an enamoured soule inflamed with loue which craues without art yet with an ardent desire and tender feeling with the Kingly Prophet sometymes for pardon of her sinnes and for grace to amend sometymes to be freed from a predominant vice from some euill habit or vnruly Passion sometymes to obtayne such vertues as may make her most gratefull to God sometymes by blessing praising and adoring his diuine goodnesse when abroad in the fields orgardens shee beholds the Sunne the Elements the great fabrick of this world or anie other creature either of Heauen or Earth which that Almighty Creator hath made for the vse of Man Finally by raising her hart vnto God in producing holyacts of feruēt loue of detestation of sinne of profound Humility of perfect Conformity of willing Patience to conclude by such other acts of vertue as occasion and diuine inspiration may best suggest for by this good meanes the soule preserues her selfe in a continuall practise of Gods heauenly Presence shee greatly preuents the worst temptations of her ghostly enemie by thus gaining a holy habit of God's diuine Presence with ioy and great ease shee obtaynes holy grace to practise such vertues as be most needfull for her perfection in his diuine seruice and shee worketh her eternall saluation thereby But to reduce this so important a point to an easie and verie profitable practise it is here first to be obserued that the chiefest difficulty in this holy Exercise consists in the beginning and verie first practise thereof and therefore to gaine facility in practising the liuely memory of God's diuine Presence your first endeauour must be to haue both a good will and true desire to obtaine it for a holy desire is both assisted by grace and is also a powerfull spurr to nature for the vsing all fitting endeauour to obtaine what is desired 2. We must craue it of God by very harty and earnest prayer as being a perfect guift descending from the Father of lights from which holy fountaine we must expect it much rather then from anie humaine art or industry But I must not omit here to giue you as a most necessary aduertisment that you begin to practise this holy Exercise gently and by degrees with all prudent moderation First calling Gods Presence to mind at each striking of the clock then after endeauour the same at the beginning and end of all your chiefest actions for by often iterated acts habits are begotten and this Exercise which at first semed teadious and difficult by perseuerance and practise becomes both pleasing and verie easie to be renewed in all the rest of your actions God being euer present in all places and therefore most easie to be found It is also to be obserued that some by intemperate feruour exceeding in this holy Exercise the due limitts of discretion and strayning the faculty of their imagination aboue it's power by striuing actually to exercise a continuall Presence of God they much weaken the head and render themselues thereby vnprofitable for other duties of obligation which is a most conuincing argument that it proceeds not from the Spirit of God that being truly gentle and sweet wisd 10. And leadeth none to such immoderate extremities which are but the effects of our owne satisfaction and not of the true loue of God which is neuer to be found destitute of solid true wisdome and Prudence You haue now here seene both how necessary and verie profitable this holy Exercise of Gods diuine Presence is for all such as aspire to Christian Perfection It remaines that I conclude this Rule by shewing briefly what exceeding great harme the neglect thereof doth cause both to body soule it being most certaine and manifest that as the memory of Gods diuine Presence mainely deterres vs from sinne so likewise the neglect thereof is most truly accompted the very source fountaine of all impiety for God is not before the eyes of the wicked saith the holy King and therefore all their wayes are defiled with sinne Psal 10. For from hence proceeds their booldnesse temerity in offending him To this the Prophet Ezechiel attributes the enormous wickednesse of Hierusalem and for the selfsame reason a sinner is most truly qualifi'd by the holy Ghost a Foole because in his heart he saith there is no God Psal 52. That publike sinner Thais being happily strucke
Prince as that wee could not bee vnderstood so much more sinfull irreuerence it is to speake with the King of Heauen in hudling out so fast our words in Prayer as that euen wee our selues should not know that which we so mutter to Almighty God Now concerning the interiour conditions required for holy prayer true faith being first supposed without which the Apostle tells vs that it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. the next necessary condition and required also by saint Paul is Charity without which euen Faith it-selfe he saith would nothing auaile him Cor. 13. and for want of which vertue both the Prayers and Sacrifices of wicked Cain were vtterly rejected because he made his offering with a hart full of rancor enuie against Abel his innocent brother And therefore if going to make our prayer and oblation vnto God wee finde in our hart any grudge or breach of Charity towards our neighbour our Sauiour himselfe expresly commands vs to lay downe our offering and hauing first made our peace and reconcilement then to bring our offering and not before Math 5. The second interiour condition is by purity of intention to seeke the true end of prayer without which it would be vaine and fruitlesse now the true and pure end of all good prayer is humbly to craue thereby a light from God to vnderstand his holy will and grace to performe the same as also increase in his loue and aduancement in vertue a true conformity to his blessed will with a reall contempt and abnegation of our-selues not seeking our owne sensible gust or spirituall consolation but renouncing all curiosity of spirit and self loue to seeke onely and purely Gods glory and not our owne satisfaction by Prayer for in that we seeke not God so much as ourselues and our owne interest and therefore no maruaile if we finde him not A third condition yet required for holy prayer is the vertue of Mortification for such is the great connexion of these two vertues as the one is neuer to be found in any eminentdegree or perfection without the other the reason thereof is cleare for if the hart be possessed wth vaine or sensuall delights it is not capable of true spirituall and heauenly contents and therefore it is that we finde so few endued with this holy vertue of prayer because there are so few who are truly mortified for who hath obtained the vertue of mortification will soone gett the vertue of prayer the first disposing vs vnto the second for since wee cannot liue in this world without affection to some content or other therefore it is that if we hate and depriue our selues of these wordly contents we shall easily seeke out diuine and heauenly comforts by the meanes of holy praier which doth necessarily require Attention the third condition without which our praier would be but plaine hypocrisie and by voluntary distraction it would become vice and much rather prouoke Gods anger against vs then appease his wrath for God being a spirit in spirit we must adore him saith saint Iohn 4. and therefore only lipp-prayer without the hart according to saint Isidore is no prayer at all Prayer being as saint Iohn Damascen defines it an eleuation of the hart to God without which they are most iustly reproached by the holy Ghost who praise God with their lips but haue their harts farr from him Prayer being without attention but as the shell without fruit which as it would bee rigthly offensiue to present to a mortall Prince with much more reason a farr greater crime it is to present our prayer to God without attention which is as the shell without the kernell or as the body without a soule yea meere verbal Prayer without attention of the minde is but a corporall action and no prayer at all which requires an eleuation of the hart with pious affection and attention of the soul Prayer finally is properly called a vertue of Religion and consists not only in the corporeall or materiall faculty of the body but chiefly in the powers of the soule and in the spirituall actions thereof which must be interiour and truly spirituall for otherwise it could be no true worship of God and by consequence no act of the vertue of Religion it not proceeding from the interiour operation of the soule by which God must be worshiped as saint Iohn hath told vs. c. 4. It is also here to be noted that prayer is not the end but rather the meanes vnto perfection and therefore that our prayer may be profitable we must raise vp thereby some pious affections and produce from thence good purposes and resolutions for the actual exercise of some determinate vertue or for auoyding some particular vice for some certaine good act to the glory of God or to amende some particular imperfection or finally to practise some vertuous act of mortification for the loue of God and the like for in this consists the true profit of prayer and by so praying it will be both holy and good be it neuer so insipid or drye yea it will be both pleasing to God and verie profitable to our soules though wholy past ouer with what inuoluntary and troublesome distractions soeuer The fourth condition and the principall whereby to make our prayer efficacious to obtaine what we aske and by which both it and all our other actions ought to be regulated is to present it in the name of IESVS-CHRIST as S. Paul recommends to vs Colos 3. Vvhatsoeuer ye doe saith he either by word or by deed doe it all in the name of IESVS-CHRIST And he himselfe also assures vs that all which we aske of his Father we shall obtaine it vndoubtedly prouided we demaunde it in the name of his deare Sonne IESVS Io. 14.15 and 16. that is in his spirit and with such dispositions and intentions in our prayer as he gaue vs example in this world to doe And therefore to this end vnite your prayers vnto his performe them in true loue charity humilitie puritie feruour and attention the best you can and in all those other dispositions and holy intentions wherewith our louing Redeemer was accustomed to pray vnto his Heauenly Father whil'st hee was here amongst vs vpon Earth The fifth condition is to place our selues in Gods presence with profound humilitie and a contrite hart for all our sinnes ackowledging our owne great vnworthiness to appeare in his sight or to be heard by him as not being able of our selues to haue the least good thought nor performe the least gratefull act to God but relying wholy vpon the sacred merits of IESVS-CHRIST in which humble assurance we may demand of his Eternall Father a supply of all our necessities both spirituall and temporall together with all other celestiall graces for his sake The sixt condition required for true fruitfull prayer is an humble confidence with constant perseuerance and true fidelity in this diuine exercise for God requireth it
in verie manie things which he will not grant vs but by constant perseuerance and long demaund thereby the more to exercise our humility as also to make his gracious guifts to bee the more esteemed by vs. In fine the qualities and due properties accompanying true holy and fruitfull prayer are these Respect Attention Feruency Faith Hope Charity Resignation and constant perseuerance in the greatest barreness and sterility of all Deuotion yea should we be as it were ouerwhelmed with great distractioÌ„s dissipatioÌ„s of the minde wherin perchaunce the vertuous soule may greatly be afflicted through feare of offeÌ„ding whereas by her patient suffering holy conformity shee becomes more gratefull vnto God then by the most feruent praier bedewed with many teares of verie sensible and tender deuotion for in that our nature receiues both solace and reward but by holie patience and fidelitie in seruing God in that insipid drinesse and want of all sensible consolation shee serues him for pure loue and much more generously it being without all present recompence But now for the better comfort and direction also of the timerous soule desirous to performe her faithful duty to God I conceiue it verie requisite here to add this ensuing aduertisement Concerning comfort in inuoluntary distractions in Prayer and the remedy against them For the comfort of such as are afflicted with importunate and inuoluntary distractions in Prayer S. Basil assures vs that God is only offended by such as be volunluntary with sufficient aduertisement and consent staying wittingly and on set purpose in such distractions in our prayer which is indeed sinfull irreuerence and disrespect to Gods diuine presence to which they pretended to approach by Prayer And therefore according to S. Chrysostome vnto such we may iustly say How canst thou expect that God should heare or harken vnto thee seeing that thou dost not harken vnto thy selfe But if vsing our best endeauour to resist such euill distractions they yet returne and that through our naturall infirmity we remaine wholy distracted voide of all actuall attention in our praier God is not offended thereby but mooued much rather to compassion he well knowing our infirmity and the great frailty of humaine nature For as a louing Father compassionateth the naturall maladies of his children much more tender is our Heauenly Father to all such as loue and serue him for he well knows of what fraile mettle we are made Psal 108. and therefore he will not be angry in seeing vs fall into those our naturall miseries and imperfections against our will which we striuing to resist they are but as a combat to cause vs much merit to make our praier so much the more gratefull by how much wee suffered therein with holy Patience those troublesome disttactions whereby Almighty God made tryal of our fidelity for we make a most excellent Prayer when wee offer to God the amorous affections of our loue with actuall sufferance for his sake of those things which much displease vs yea then it best appeares that we truly loue him for his owne sake and not for his comforts and spirituall gusts which he often communicats at other times and the happy soule which in this sort shall rise humbly froÌ„ her prayers yea though euen ouerwhelmed with such inuoluntary distractioÌ„s shee may rejoice and be greatly coÌ„forted for hauing made to God so gratefull a prayer and more profitable also peraduenture then it would haue been without the least distraction God being greatly delighted with an humble and resigned will and of this we may make some little iudgmeÌ„t by the practise of a charitable person who by the humble and modest perseuerance of a poore quiet beggar expecting his almes is powerfully moued to releeue him And now although by this the timorours soule may be comforted in all her importante inuoluntary distractions in praier yet I will not omit to giue this one good remedy more by a feruent ejaculation composed in this manner out of the very words of that great Maister of spirituallity blessed Auila which the troubled soule as prostrate at the feet of IESVS-CHRIST may rehearse My Souueraine deare Lord so farr as this my greatest sterility and distracted minde proceeds from any fault and negligence of mine I am hartely sorry for giuing the occasion thereof but if it hath been thy diuine pleasure to permit them for due punishment of my sinne I most willingly receiue them as a most fauorable chastisement from thy most holy hand only grant me thy grace sweet IESVS I beseech thee that I nowaise offende thee thereby nor be depriued of the holy fruit of my praier Say this from a sincere louing hart doubt not but by your patience Humility and Resignation perseuering the best you can in holy prayer you shal receaue both profit and consolation nor will you loose your reward which he hath promissed to all them who vse diligence and their best endeauour to deserue it Dart vp your hart vnto God and say to him in milde and humble cofidence Iesu the Sonne of Dauid haue mercy on me Mark 10. knock your breast and in the repentant spirit of the humble Publican say God be mercifull to me a most wretched sinner that I am doe therefore most iustly experieÌ„ce that my soule is like drie and barren earth before thee without one drop of the water of deuotion where with to moisten it Psal 142. And finally in vnion of that great dereliction which our deare Redeemer suffered vpon the Crosse cry also out with him for heauenly succour My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Math 27. And if after all this peraduenture you finde â—o remedie nor anie increase of feruour in your soule be then no further troubled but faithfully continue your accustomed praier the best you can with a quiet and peaceable minde in all true humilitie accompting it sufficieÌ„t happines for you to be admitted to the presence of the highest Majestie there freelie to propose your chiefe necessities and to be both heard and looked vpon by him although he speake not to you then with such familiar conuersation as you desire that being a fauour not granted to all but to such and at such times as is best pleasing to himselfe Finally let these distractions in prayer be neuer so importunate and this spirituall desolation neuer so anxious yea although we should conceiue probably that they proceeded from our owne sinfull negligence and infidelity yet we must not disquiet our hart for them but we ought rather with true humble patience to receiue them as due punishment of our former sinne for by so doing we may be certainly assured in the great mercy of God that he will turne all to our greater good supposing that wee faithfully obserue these three following things First that we take occasion thence to humble our selues the more Secondly that no trouble nor deiection caused thereby driue vs from the practise of our accustomed and
Reader which may suite best with your capacity and deuotion and applying the sacred merits of this diuine victime IESVS-CHRIST who is offered in this holy sacrifice for the necessities of your soule forget not myne who humbly beggs that charitable fauour in totall and aboundant recompence for all my paines here in A second compendious and easie short way of hearing Masse for the more vnlearned sorte of People IN this second manner of hearing Masse consider from the beginning thereof vntill Gloria in Excelsis the longe desires and earnest expectation which the holy Patriarches and Prophets had for the comming of our louing Redeemer IESVS who had been expected aboue foure thousand yeares to free them from that great seruitude wherein they were deteyned by the prince of darkenesse and to lay open to them the happy way to Paradise The Gloria in excelsis denounceth his blessed birth promulgated in celestiall harmonie by the Angels to the watchfull shephards whome we must imitate in humble obedience to Gods diuine inspirations and to all good admonitions and instructions giuen by our Prelats and Pastors either by good bookes or counsaile At the Gospel and Creed we may imagin to heare our Sauiour preach and consider with what power he drew the harts of men to follow him Here dispose your affection to produce holy acts of Faith and begg grace to embrace his heauenly inspirations At the Preface we may consider with what glory and great ioy the Iewes receiued IESVS-CHRIST into Hierusalem and yet but fiue dayes after they betrayed and condemned him vnto a most reproachfull death O how often after our receiuing him in the blessed Sacrament haue we as perfidiously betrayed him by immediate relapses into our former sinne Next by that silence before the Consecration we renew the memory of CHRIST his bloody Agonie in the garden his flagellation at the pillar his crowning with thornes all the reproachfull iniuries done to him before his crucifixion vpon the Crosse the which is represented to vs by the eleuation of the holy Host and chalice whereat we must imagin to see him giue vp the ghost and dye the vaile of the Temple to rende in two the rockes about Hierusalem to cleaue with the force of a strange and fearefull earth-quake accompanied with a formidable darkenesse spread ouer the whole earth by a prodigious Eclipse and all this to be caused by the great enormity of our sinne Here we must stirr vp harty sorrow for our offences with a firme purpose to amende as a good preparation for the approaching Communion At the Postcommunion we must giue thankes with the Priest and calling to minde CHRISTS glorious Resurrection we must purpose to rise to a better life and craue humbly Gods grace to performe it Finally at the Ite Missa est and last Benediction we may consider that though IESVS-CHRIST be ascended into Heauen yet he is to come againe at the last dreadfull iudgment day to pronounce that most fearefull sentēce vpon the reprobate Goe yee cursed c. or that other most ioyfull to the Elect come yee Blessed c. We must therefore endeauour that our life may be such as with an humble confidence in Gods great mercy goodnesse we may be called to the right hand of his Blessed flocke there to enioy Beatitude in all Eternity A prayer to be said at the end of the Masse ACcept o heauenly Father this diuine and gratefull sacrifice which we with humble harts and thankefull memory of that bloody sacrifice of thy deare sonne IESVS haue offered vnto thee in perpetuall thankes-giuing praise and adoration of the most glorious Trinity to the honour of the euer-Virgin Mary Mother of God and of all the Saints whose feastes we celebrate for the remission of all our sinnes and for all our Frends Enemies and Benefactors either liuing or dead Forgiue o gracious Lord our great negligences grant vs grace to put in execution our good purposes as also to liue in thy holy grace and to dye with true finall Repentance Amen Good Reflexions to be vsed as soone as Masse is ended MAsse being ended call to minde your negligences cōmitted therein craue pardon of God for them and begg hartily his heauenly grace for your amendment and for more strength and courage to resist all sinne Renew then also the morning oblation of all your actions for that day and confirme your good purpose to auoyde that Passion sinne or frailty which puts you most in danger to offend Finally your deuotions being ended retire your hart verie gently from that holy exercise to your wordly affaires retayning as long as you can the feeling and affection of your former devotion And to this effect obserue the most sweet and efficacious aduertisments of the Blessed Bishop and Prince of Geneua in his Introduction to a deuoute life part 2. chap. 8. An aduertisement YOu haue now seene the order and exposition of these holy Mysteries in the Masse the Author whereof as is said before is IESVS-CHRIST after his celebration of the Paschal lambe the night before his bitter death and Passion when taking bread he blessed brake and gaue it to his Disciples c. Math. 26. v. 26. likewise taking the chalice he gaue thankes and deliuered it to them c. Luke 22.19 saying of each part this is my body This is my blood 1. Cor. 11. There consecrating and offering his sacred body as a continuall and true vnbloody sacrice vnder the outward formes of bread and wyne Then also instituting the sel same manner of cosecration offering to be vsed euer after by his Apostles Disciples and their successors to whom he said Doe yee this that is consecrate and offer this as now I haue done for so the command Doe yee this plainely signifies changing by the operatiue words of consecration the bread into my body and the wyne into my blood which vnlesse really and truly they doe they cannot be said to doe that which our Sauiour commanded them when he said doe yee this that is to represent his sacred death Passion by consecrating and giuing his body vnder the accident of bread and his blood vnder the accident of wyne as the Catholik Faith teacheth vs to beleeue and the Priest daily performeth in this holy sacrifice of the Masse there being only added some certaine prayers and holy rites for greater reuerence sake and to increase the peopels deuotion as are most of of the prayers the Epistle Ghosple and manie ceremonies which haue been added may also be changed by the authority of the Church as occasion shall require they being neither of the substace nor essence of the Masse it selfe whereby it well appeares how impertinently our aduersaries demande of vs when it was or where we finde that our Sauiour or his Apostles did euer say Masse seeing that the essence of this holy sacrifice doth chiefly consist in the consecration oblation and consummation Which was first so expresly performed by CHRIST
but happie occasion to make proofe of your Christian courage of your solidity in vertue and of your fidelity to God who vseth these temporall afflictions but as instrumentall meanes thereby to procure you that great happinesse which you gaine by those occasions to practise holy Patience and is saith S. Iames ch 1 a per fect worke for in your Patience you shall possesse your soules Luke 21. Finally endeauour by a serious and frequent contemplation of the great vncertainty and little worth of all worldly affaires to gaine an indifferency to all humaine casualities they all hapning by Gods speciall order and prouidence and therefore most vndoubtedly for our greater good and why then should we be troubled it being Gods blessed pleasure which we ought most promptly to conforme our selues in all yea it ought to be a comfort and great content to vs saith S. Greg. whē anie thing hapneth which crosseth our owne desires considering that so it is ordayned by him who doth nothing but what is most iust and good Raise therefore your soule with cheerefull gratitude to adore his hidden iudgments in all crosse euents which he permits for your greater good Perseuer with peace and tranquility of minde for he hath done all things well Gen. 7. And what cause then can you haue to be troubled vnlesse you mistrust either his power or his goodnesse which yet can neuer faile Hitherto I haue spoke rather of the Theory of true Patience and but as concerning it in generall It now remaines that I also treate of the needfull practise of it more in particular and in the chiefe occasions wherein nature findes mostreluctance in the holy Exercise of this vsefull vertue This will be best performed by shewing that Wee ought to loue our Enemies and to suffer persecution with ioy YOu may now well perceiue by the former parte of this exercise the great goodnesse and important fruit of this holy plant of Patience the knowledge whereof I doubt not but will giue you a desire to make store of so needfull a prouision by the daily and continuall occasions which will not be wanting whereby you may reape so great profit to your soule But to auoyde prolixity in so copious a subiect I haue thought best to make choyce and here principally to propose to you the needfull Exercise of this great vertue in the two aboue named occasions as being the hardest and most repugnant to our corrupt and rebellious nature for by well maistering them we shall finde the rest but verie weake and easie to be ouercome And now first to shew that we ought to suffer tribulation with content and ioy I will only make choyce of some few good reasons out of manie which are sufficient to conuince this truth may also serue for strong motiues to induce vs to the meritorious practise of suffering the crosse encounters of this world with a willing cheerefullnes for the loue of God The first reason for this truth shall be frō our diuine Rule Prototype CHRIST IESVS himselfe who not by his diuine sacred actions here vpon Earth no nor by his so feruent assiduous prayer nor yet by his preaching or working of so manie miracles did cuerrender to his Eternall Father so great honour and glory as he did by his painefull death and Passion From whence it doth playnely follow and conuince in all good reason that we are not able by anie other meanes so heighly to honour and glorifie God as by a willing and cheerefull sufferance of our afflictions in vnion and imitation of this our diuine example and in true conformity to Gods blessed will and all disposing Proudience when therefore he shall vouchsafe to try vs by anie corporall tribulation or by the losse of goods by priuation of frends or of what else soeuer most deare to vs we must accept thereof as an occasion expresly ordayned by his heauenly Prouidence whereby we may render to him due homage honour conceiuing also that he puts vs to such bodily tryall but as a sweet perfume into the fire to the end that by a good odour of vertuous Patience we may giue both good example to our neighbours and occasion also for them to glorifie our heauenly Father by seeing so cheerefull and humble an acceptation of it for his loue for benefitts are willingly receiued by all saith the holy Bishop of Geneua but to receiue willingly afflictions that belongs only to perfect loue which loues them so much the more because they are not to be loued but only in respect of the hand which giues them A second reason which ought to make all sufferings verie wellcome to vs is for that Heauen and eternall happines is bought by them yea this price it cost the sonne of God himselfe before he could enter into his glory though heire apparent vnto the same Act. 17. And can we then presume to pourchace this happie inheritance of that heauenly Father at a lower rate then he sould it to his onely and dearest sonne who both suffered yea and gaue his dearest life for it O no the seruill slaue must not expect to be prefer'd before his soueraigne Lord it is an excessiue fauour to be admitted to beare the same yoke with him All which but duely considered might well make vs asshamed to feare anie sufferings or to fly from anie crosse seeing that we professe our selues to be disciples of a crucified God for is it aniewise beseeming the member of a heade crowned with sharpe piercing thornes to be so delicate as to fly from all paine or suffering which is the absolute and taxed price of Paradise And therefore seeing as the aboue named holy Bishop of Geneua saith that it is but in vaine to expect to be glorifi'd with IESVS in Heauen vnlesse we be first crucifi'd with IESVS here vpon Earth let vs most willingly embrace his holy crosse and not by compulsion only as Simon the Cyrenean did but much rather with S. Paul let it be farr from vs to glory in anie thing so much as in this most honorable liuery of our diuine Captaine the Crosse and sufferings of IESVS-CHRIST Gal. 6. Yea reason doth conuince vs that the temporall punishment is most hapie whereby we escape an eternall such as are here exempt from them may iustly feare least their farr greater punishment be but reserued to an other world there being most assuredly no other way but this to Paradise for the children of God but first to passe through this fearefull red sea of tribulation before they can hope to enter into that happie land of promisse The third reason which may comprehende all the rest and is a verie strong motiue for vs to suffer with willing alacrity all manner of aduersity is that God the soueraigne Author of nature hath ordained all the crosses afflictions which befall vs for the due punishment of our sinfull rebellion and disobedience for he had placed man in a most happie state in the
a Frend extolls and highly prayseth vs our Enemie much more for our good doth abase and decryes vs downe least we should grow proud and insolent Yea when prosperity extolls and makes vs vaine and by flattering applause puffs vp our soule with dangerous pride our Enemie will keepe vs downe by persecution and administers to vs thereby the souueraign'st antidote to preserue vs from that contagious sinne If Enemies were not necessary for our good God would not permit them but they are exceeding profitable to the good for their exercise of holy Patience and of other vertues for if the Church had not had Tyrants Heauen would not haue had those glorious Martyrs and were there no Enemies we should not see so manie good and holy men yea dayly experience doth plainly manifest the great good which is reaped by Enemies for auoyding of whose murmurations and detractions we are made much more wary and diligent in all our beheaueour and actions yea we must regarde them as the Ministers of Almighty God and as true promotours of our saluation therefore they well deserue our loue aswell as great compassion also considering what great harme they frequently doe themselues by profiting vs. And such as find so great a difficulty to loue an Enemie may well conceiue it a much more harder thing to endure the eternall flames of Hell for compelled we are to choose one of the two the beloued Apostle assuring vs that who loueth not is guilty of death Iohn 3. He meanes of that death which is eternall but now vndoubtedly he chooseth verie ill who will rather be damned for euer then loue his Enemie whom vnder paine of eternall punishment he is commanded to loue and that not in word nor in tongue but really indeed and treuth saith the same Apostle Epis 1.3 For true Charity is a burning fire actiue and appearing in all necessary seruices towards our neighbour doing good for euill with a cordiall and gracious affability for the loue of God for what measure we shall vse to our neighbour herein the selfe-same will God vse vnto vs. Math. 7. And therefore who will not pardon their Enemies such by saying their Pater noster and praying God to forgiue them as they forgiue those who haue offēded them they doe not pray but rather demāde a most heauy curse malediction vpon thēselues for they expresly in true effect demand that God should not forgiue them like as they forgiue not those who haue offended them Doe you therefore your selfe that first to your neighbour which you desire that God should doe for you for foe shall my heauenly Father doe to you if you forgiue not euerie one his brother from your hartes saith IESVS-CHRIST Math. 18. And it is also most euident that all iniuries whatsoeuer which can be done them by others are exceeding small in comparison of that great hurt which they doe to themselues in killing their owne soule by that wicked sinne of hatred and reuenge whereby they become like vnto him who to teare his enemies garment he pierceth his owne body with a mortall wound for the wrong from an Enemie concernes but the body only or our goods or good name but hatred and vnlawfull reuenge is that which killeth the soule by depriuing it of the grace of God and moreouer it obleiges vs yet further to aske pardon to confesse to doe pennance for it and finally to reconcile our selues with whom we were angry in all which there is farr more difficulty then had been at the first in suppressing our anger by casting it speedily from our thoughts as we doe spareles of fire which fall vpon our cloathes or by an act of humble patience conseruing thereby our selues in true charity and quiet peace How Patience may be practised in the occasion of contempt and disesteeme the last parte of this Exercise of holy Patience I Must not omit to set you downe here one fierce encounter more for Patience against contempt and disdaine wherein this vertue is frequently as hard put to it for getting off victorious from that dangerous conflict as from anie other whatsoeuer for here we are to fight against our selues the hardest combate of all the rest and for which we are chiefly strengthned by the helpe of true Humility which in all occasions of contempt doth serue vs as a soueraigne Antidote against the swelling anger that inflames the hart by pride and is abased by pondering First the miseries of man and little ground he hath for his owne esteeme which had it all the aduantage that either noblenesse of birth or anie worth of Auncesters can giue yet neuer could the greatest Monarch driue vp his Pedegree beyond these three descents of being the sonne of a Man the Grand-child of Earth the great grand-child of nothing which is the lowest point of anie created extraction Yea such is the great misery of Man saith a holy Father as but to thinke of his beginning may well confound him to consider his present state may giue him iust cause to lament to remember his finall end may iustly make him to tremble with horrid feare I will second the former motiue for Humility with this one reflexion more whereby to strengthen Patience against this strong encounter of contempt to which though Pride hath naturally exceeding reluctance yet if we well behold our selues but in the glasse of humaine miserie it will be able to compell vs euen to contemne yea and to confesse that no contempt is able to exceed what the basenesse of our extraction may deserue whose conception is but loathsome impurity our present state but a sacke of filth and our pampered carcase what is it but prepared food for the crawling wormes 3. Our verie entrance into this world doth well prognosticate all our future successe therein who no sooner borne but also bound both hand and foot and tossed too and fro in a cradle presaging well thereby the seruitude and restlesse disquiet of the succeeding life of Man wherein his childhood passeth in folly in feare of correction and in ignorance his youth is rash passionate and voluptuous his manhood is subiect to be charged with the care of a wife children and familie from whence proceeds solicitude and affliction and lastly commeth creeping ould age stealing suddainly vpon vs whereby we receiue manie incurable wounds by decay of our senses chief powers of our soule our strenght falling vs our hands beginn to tremble our spiritts grow faint our stomakes corrupt our leggs become gowty our teeth dropp away and thus we are perplexed all the dayes of our life with griefe care and calamity and yet our death must also end in paine and exceeding horrour All which now being well considered and due reflection made vpon our great abiection and infinitt humaine miseries which wayes can we cast our eyes whereon to ground our selfe esteeme or pride Yea much rather haue we not great cause to iudge that no contempt can be so
may be afraide hauing no ill to say of you 2. Tim. 7. This is the conuersation which IESVS-CHRIST and his Apostles require of vs which is euer to be accompanied with these 4. requisit circumstances First with choyce of good company 2. with a right intention 3. with innocency And 4. with moderation for by excesse we are cloyed eue◠with the honny combe Prou. 25. Let finally all your discourse be well seasoned with prudence saith the Apost Coloss 4. that you may know how and with whom you are to conuerse and to comport your selfe with euery one according to their talent and seuerall condition whereby accommodating your selfe vnto all you may keepe charity with all and become gratefull and pleasing vnto euery one To conclude the best conuersation in this world is that which most resembles what is amongst the Saints in Heauen which only consists in praising and glorifiing God Psal 149. The meanes and best expedient to obtayne true Christian and laudable Conuersation BY the premisses you vnderstand what conditions are required for a laudable and vertuous Conuersation but because it is not so much the knowledge as the possession of what we know which makes vs happy therefore you may here expect some good expedient for gaining the practise of such a conuersation Wherein for your satisfaction I conceiue no humane meanes more powerfull to beget in Man a vertuous and gratefull Conuersation then to conuerse with such persons as frame theirs according to the former conditions for they are to vs as a true lookeing-glasse wherein beholding our defects we are mooued by a wholsome confusion both to hate and to amend them This is so well experienced a truth and so truly consonant to reason as therevpon that common prouerb is well grounded which saith tell me what companie thou keepest and I will tell thee what thou art Yea the holy Ghost assures vs that who walketh with the wise shall be wise but the frend of fooles shall be made like Prou. 13. The exceeding great power which conuersation and company keeping hath to make not only deepe impression in the hart but euen to change the strongest inclinations of nature it selfe most manifestly appeares not only in Men but also in brute and the sauage beastes as is plaine to be seene in the rauenous woolfe and in the fierce and cruell Lion both which by the company and continuall habitation with men become gentle and verie familiar And therefore if companie and society haue so conquering a force vpon natures of so quite a different kind how much more powerfull must it needs be to worke vpon a subiect of the selfesame nature wherein by reason of a Sympathy and nearenesse of condition mutuall impressions are made with farr greater facility And this experience daily teacheth vs since we see the great good which is gain'd by frequenting vertuous ciuill companie on the contrary daily sadd examples make but too manifest how extreamely dāgerous it is to frequent persons of deboist and sinfull conuersation and what a multitude of vnhappy soules perish eternally thereby for it strikes their soules with a mortall infection more pestilent and contagious then is the greatest plague O Parents be yee therefore verie carefull with whom your children conuerse and take no lesse heed to the example which you your selues shall giue them for your comportment being their Rule if that be vertuous it will giue them vndoubtedly a much better impression to vertue then anie verball instructions for to vertue saith Seneca the way by example is short but by words it is verie long and we beleeue our eyes much rather then our eares which gaue S. Gregory good cause to call Example a liuing lesson because it is perswasiue aboue all the rest This great power of perswasion had S. Austin our Apostle and his fellow brethren by their vertuous life and Conuersation in that happy worke of conuerting our first English Auncesters from Paganisme to the Cath. Faith our Chronicles mentioning that it was their holy life and religious behaueour which first disposed King Ethelbert to a good opinion of that Religion which had taught them the practise of so great Charity and contempt of all worldly commodities which pious opinion of the holy Cath. Faith being soone after perfected in him by Gods diuine grace he became a most zealous good Christian and endeauored all he could to promote throughout his Kingdome the blessed Gospel of IESVS-CHRIST To this good meanes of example for gaining a vertuous Conuersation you must also adioyne a great vigilancie ouer all passionate motions which may happen in the vnexpected and exasperating occasions of that day wherein foreseeing the danger you may in quiet peace and mildenes more easily preuent the malice both of your ghostly and worldly enemies 2. It will be of great importāce that we propose to our selues as a Patterne some Person in particular who is endued with this perfect Conuersation goe to Campagnia and imitate Paulin said S. Aug. as giuing counsaile to some who desired to aduance themselues in this perfection But our chiefe Patterne and best Modell which we are principally to imitate as neare as we can is the conuersation of our diuine Originall the eternall Word Incarnate here conuersing vpon earth with so great mildenesse and hnmblenesse of hart amongst Men. This is the lesson he so expresly recommended to vs to learne of him Math. 11. where it is to be obserued that he ioynes these two vertues Mildenesse and Humility togeather because they cannot well be separated Humility being properly the interiour sweetnesse of the minde as is Mildnesse the exteriour expression of the same the former is grounded in a true Christian hart and the latter dwells vpon his contenance which hauing its dependance vpon an humble hart no Choler can make impressiō in such a countenance nor anie signe of anger can rest vpon that eye no complaint can be hard from that mouth nor anie bitternesse from such a tongue no schowling frowne appeares in that brow but all is sweet and amiable both to God and Man You haue seene what conditions are required for a vertuous and laudable Conuersation as also the best expedient whereby to obtayne the same It now followes in good methode that I declare which are the vicious branches most destructiue to Christian conuersation that they first being cutt off and separated our conuersation may become gratefull both to God and Man and produce in our soules most blessed fruit for Eternity But to preuent in the beginning a common obiection wherewith the enemies of all holy Conuersation endeauourto possesse the sensuall Libertins thereby to deterr them from embracing it we must here first obserue how they would haue all to beleeue that honest recreation and ciuill myrth are incompatible with this vertuous and laudable Conuersation then which nothing is mote false as by what here followeth will verie plainly appeare Ciuill Myrth and cheerefull Alacrity are well beseeming true
Christian Conuersation ALthough alacrity in Conuersation cheerefulnesse in countenance and myrth in fitting recreation are exceeding commendable and by no meanes to be excluded from true Christian conuersation yet the Diuell and his impious instruments would make vs beleeue that vertue myrth pietie cheerefull recreatiō can by no meanes be associated togeather which is a most malicious falsity for God commanding his children to serue him with ioy Ps 99. forbids all sadnesse and Melancholy yea myrth with a pure intention may be meritorious as well as our prayer Blessed Sales that great Father of spirituality in his tyme had a most pleasant and winning sweetnesse both in his words and behaue our S. Antonie had so very cheerefull a countenāce as in a multitude he was easie to be knowne euen by such as had neuer seene him before Yea Palladius recompts that one might haue beheld those holy Fathers of the Desert by their only outward aspect to haue manifested aboundantly the inward purity of their happy soules and to haue enioyed vpon Earth farr greater felicity then the whole world had been able to afford them no melancholy heuing power to ceise vpon their harts which were so truly vnited to God himselfe This makes them truly ioyfull and their faces cheerefull like to the Saints Indith 16. By all which we now see that Saints haue not sadd nor melancholy or pensiue countenances but ioyfull cheerefull and merry as become their happy consciences And by this I hope you sufficiently perceiue that cheerefulnes in aspect and a pleasant countenance doe well accord with true vertuous Conuersation And now that innocent harmeles myrth and gratefull alacrity is nowayse vnbeseeming the same neither examples reason or authority can be wanting to make manifest so apparent a truth no for true pietie and right Christian deuotion exclude not affability nor doe they hinder fitt recreation or honest and innocent myrth wherein modesty refraynes all vicious excesse but much rather require the same for a cheerefull alacrity with a pleasant modesty is most commendable and frequently gaines much more vpon sinners for their amendment then too seuere or a rigidly composed conuersation which being so austere would become vnpleasing yea cause auersion and but discredit true deuotion and piety which is sweet pleasing cheerefull full of content and thereby becomes attractiue and is neither tedious nor difficult Manie Saints haue been of this pleasant humour and full of innocent and pleasing iestes in their discourse S. Greg. Nazianze recordes of those two great Saints and most illustrious Prelates S. Basil and S. Martin that they so seasoned their Conuersation with pleasant and gratefull speaches as they were able thereby to haue dissipated the darkest cloude of melancholy from the most deiected hart the happie effects of which gratefull alacrity the said S. Basil hauing well obserued by experience it gaue him iust occasion to wish that other holy persons would also mixe their Conuersation with the like innocent and true spirituall myrth wherein that most renowned Heros of our Cuntrye Sr. Th. More in all his Conuersation did excell in facetious innocent myrth which euen sweetens deuotion and by it vndoubtedly manie soules haue been gained to God as well as by serious exhortations and the strongest discourse S. Ignatius of Loyola was also farr from seuerity herein nor did he approoue in his brethren the practise of too rigidly a composed Conuersation which much more probably may terrifie mens minds then gaine their soules Manie Saints haue been of a pleasant and iocund humour and yet of interiour great vertue and perfection Yea vndoubtedly and euen experience makes it manifest that a good word of deuotion being deliuered with a cheerefull countenance and with an open frendly hart it penetrates the soule as doth a note of harmonious musick the eare and takeing by that meanes a true possession of the hart it workes strong effects in producing good practises of vertue supposing as it is euer to be vnderstood that the ieastes be alwayes religiously modest and the intention good it being vnlawfull in all Conuersation and discourse whatsoeuer to vse either scurrilous or vnciuill words and much lesse profane or irreligious ieastes or finally so carelesly to let loose the raines of temperance to vnfitting liberty as to forget thereby Gods diuine Presence or due reuerence therevnto Briefly nothing ought to be said or done in such Conuersation which may be vnbeseeming either the modesty decency Person tyme or place And now true Christian Conuersation thus iustifi'd against the former calumnies it remaines that I also shew The lawfulnesse of moderate recreation in gaming and fitting sports and wherein the abuse of them consists WHilst God by so miraculous fauours conducted the Israelits into the fruitfull land of Promisse there wanted not malitious Spies who by the manie false reports which they made of the vnwholsome ayre badd qualities of the country and of the barbarous fiercenesle of the Inhabitants so terrifi'd all the rest of their brethren as had it not been for faithfull Calib and Iosue who manifestly refuted the falsity of their calumnious reports they would rather haue returned to their Egiptian captiuity then exposed hēselues to such insufferable difficulties as they were made to conceiue Num. 13. The Diuell and his instruments haue euer in the selfe same manner endeauoured to perswade the world that in a religious and vertuous life there is nothing but deepe sadnesse and melancholy to be found no myrth nor anie alacrity to be enioyed no other exercise but prayer fasting hare-cloth and continuall solitude whereby those persons who addict themselues to deuotion must needs become say they peeuish stupid and verse infirme And vpon this false perswasion they endeauour to make men to fly both their example and companie But to shew both the malice great ignorance where-vpon they ground this false calumnie of Deuotion and of a vertuous life it may suffice to shew how both S. Thomas and Aristotle and with them generally all Diuines agree that to vse honest and fitting recreation is an act of the vertue which they call Eutrapelia and may properly be interpreted Alacrity or Myrth which is not only laudable but also necessary for Man whose vigour and spirits being but limited verie weake it is impossible for him to be so continually busied in serious occupations but of necessity he must haue both ease and relaxation whereby to refresh and giue new strength to his spirits by this vertue of Eutrapelia or fitt recreation which vertue consists in the mediocrity betwixt these two extremes of an excesse in retyrement from all fitting diuertisement and companie on the one side of spending vnworthely our whole tyme in idle pastimes and play on the other but this midle way is both lawdable and verie necessary for all such as aspire to a vertuous life after the vsuall meane 2. Euen reason it selfe conuinces the necessity of this fitting recreation For as mans body requires sleepe
confusion so likewise we must be as prudently circumspect in our loue and forbeare to communicate in tyme of frendship what by after disaffection might cause vs to repent In fine true Prudence requires that we so conuerse with all as that we auoyde the danger of all reproach and confusion from either frend or foe for this is a heigh point of true Prudence in so corrupted an Age and wherein frendship is so fickle and verie hard to be found amongst all sorts of men Manie good dictamens of true Christian Prudence for a vertuous Conuersation might her be inserted but breuity obleidges me to conclude them in this one for all the rest that our Conuersation euer tend with a pure Intention to the glory of God to the edification of our neighbour and to the profit of our owne soules in a holy conuersation and Godlinesse saith S. Peter and that it be in Heauen saith S. Paul Phil 3. yet so to be tempered with Prudence as that we carefully auoyde all tedious importunity which may be done by a pleasant cheerefull glancing now and then towards deuotion as fitt occasion may be offered and takeing oportunity from the great variety and different ends and operations of these mortall creatures we may sweetly raise our harts to gratitude and admiration of the eternall Creator both of them and vs. By this meanes God in all things will be honoured as S. Peter commands and we shall imitate the industrious Bee which out of all sorts of flowers extracts that most pure sweet honie for her prouision whereby shee afterwards subsists as also doth a religious soule vpon the happy grace of God which is gained by the practise of those seuerall acts of vertue and is the happy price whereby to pourchace glory in Eternity You haue seene what is required for a true vertuous and Christian Conuersation as also what ought to be auoyded therein It only remaynes for the finall accomplishment of this Rule as also for a further helpe to a vertuous soule desirous to put in practise what is required therin that I here finally shew What matter or subiect may be best for entertayning this vertuous Conuersation and holy discourse FIrst concerning the matter in generall for our Conuersation no immodest nor vnseemely words must fall from our mouth as the Apostle admonisheth Eph. 4. our discourse must be good and profitable to the hearers nor must anie vncleanesse be so much as named as becomes Saints nor foolish talke or scurrility c. Ephes 3. 2. Our discourse must be answerable both to persons tyme and place and ought in all occasions to be good or at least indifferent that by a good intention it may be rectifi'd and made gratefull to God 3. It must be also suteable to the end of our present Cōuersation for it would be great imprudence to make preaching discourses in tyme for ciuill recreation S. Luis and S. Charles Borromeus would permit no studious or serious discourse immediately after meales it being then a tyme to giue some relaxation to the mind by innocent and cheerefull pastyme or talke and to doe otherwise is to mistake the verie end of all honest recreation wherein familiar dialoguelike discourse is only proper and all earnest disputes or ouer serious conferences are verie vnseasonable in that occasion This being first obserued concerning our couersatiō in generall we may now descend to particulars since it is most manifest that Conuersation should tend to perfectiō and to the edification both of our selues and others we ought to frame all our discourse to that end To comply with this obligation we shall find ample subiect in the liues of Saints for they being happily arriued at that secure Port to which we tend it behooues vs to follow their steppes as most secure guides and diligently to informe our selues of the manner of their conuersation and to make it the modell of ours Frequenting good sermons and spirituall lecture will likewise afford plentifull matter to a vertuous soule both for pious and profitable Conuersation Gods various and wonderous workes both in Heauen and Earth for the vse of vngratefull Man may also administer verie ample and full scope at all tymes and occasions to admire and to discourse of his great power and goodnesse Other considerations may be the innumerable miseries incident to the fraile nature of Man the shortnes of his life and the great incertainty of the same The two different Eternities which depend vpon this present fickle and so verie doubtfull a moment What paine and punishment shall follow an ill life and what ioy and reward is reserued for the Iust The negligence amongst the most part of Christians to frame their liues according to Gods commandements the little prouisiō they make for Eternity though that be the one only and necessary thing to which we ought to attend and which so particularly is recommended vnto vs all by IESVS-CHRIST in the person of S. Mary Magdalen Luke 10. The vanity and follie of seekeing with so vehement an application the honours wealth and deceiptfull pleasures of this world for the most vnworthy pourchase whereof many employ their whole tyme thoughts and industry The great hazard and paines to which Soldiers Marchants Courtiers and all worldlings expose themselues for obtayning these vaine and poore vnworthy transitory things The great beauty and pleasure of vertue and the only true solid worth and happines which is to be found in the practise thereof The great deceiptfulnes and misery in seruing vice or our disordenate appetites and vnruly passions The meanes how to attaine to vertue and how to auoyde vice The Diuels great malice and diligence to draw vs to our eternall misery and our good Angels care and continuall helpe to assist vs towards our endlesse Blisse What and how manie soueraigne meanes are prouided vs by God whereby to obtayne that our finall happines which we so shamefully neglect and most sinfully abuse Now from these so manie seuerall heads or the like we may easily gather sufficient matter of good discourse which God will not faile to suggest to a willing soule desirous of his glory and her owne eternall good Yea all our Conuersation may be rendred both pious meritorious and verie profitable nor can wee want conuincing arguments hereby to blesse to adore the infinit goodnesse and great mercy of God as also to condemne our owne ingratitude and sinfull rebellion against so souneraigne a Lord and most louing Redeemer Hitherto concerning Rules whereby to regulate the actions of our life I must now finally conclude with one more which may dispose vs to a happy death This I shall by Gods holy grace endeauour to performe by what shall here be said in THE SEVENTH RVLE Shewing the great necessity to prepare our selues for death in tyme of health with a profitable Exercise by way of a spirituall Retreate seruing for that end THIS is a point so mainely importing vs as but to faile therein
before Gods dreadfull Tribunall to render him a most rigid accompt The second now lay'd in the graue to be food for wormes and being reduced to most loathsome putrifaction must there returne to it's first extraction earth and ashes Consideration COnsider that as our blessed Sauiour IESVS hath pleased to passe through all the seuerall states of humaine mortality thereby to honour his eternall Father in them all and to sanctifie them particularly for our greater good so likewise we ought to honour this our most louing Redeemer in all the states wherein wee haue been or shall hereafter be And therefore hauing now adored him as in the last instant of our life by dedicating it as a sacrifice to his honour glory it now followes that we honour adore him also in the state of our death wherein he himselfe remayned for three dayes space all which may be done as followeth by these Affections and Resolutions O IESV eternall life and the originall source from whom all life doth spring from whence proceeds it that I thus behold thee brought vnder the darke shadow of death by that dolorous separation of thy diuine body and soule and thereby also separated from thy most sacred mother from thy deare Apostles Disciples and all thy beloued frends and this on their parts also with the greatest most sensible griefe to be imagined O diuine and deare Lord I adore praise and glorifie thee herein I offer to thee all the honour which in this state hath been rendred to thee by thy blessed Mother by the penitent Magdalen by all thy holy Apostles Saints Angells and by all which thy whole Church both militant and triumphant doth and shall euer render to thee for this thy infinitt loue and most profound humility In vnion of which blessed companie and in true honour and homage to thy said sorrowfull separation I likewise offer most louing IESV to thee that state whereby one day I must by death be also separated both from frends and kindred from all that which in this world can aniewise be deare to me O IESV in adoration of thy sacred death separatiō of thy body soule I make thee now a most willing sacrifice of myne I offer also vnto thee my buriall in honour of thy three dayes lying buried in the monument in due adoration whereof I here most cheerefully bequeath my body to the earth there to giue wormes their due it being reduced into dust I desire that each seuerall graine thereof may be as a tongue and voyce to prayse glorifie continually thy holy buriall with all the other blessed Mysteries of our Redemption that so with thy kingly Prophet I might perpetually sing all my bones shall say Lord who is like to thee Psal 34. Most mercifull and louing Lord destroy vtterly in me I beseech thee that cursed life of the ould Man all wicked sinne Make me to dye perfectly to the world to my selfe and to all whatsoeuer is not thee Mortifie so my eyes my eares my tongue my hands my feet my hart and all the powers both of my body soule that I may no more see nor vnderstand nor speake nor doe nor loue nor thinke nor will nor vse anie other faculty corporall or spirituall of my body or soule but according to thy holy will Grant I may so dye to my selfe as that my life may be hid with CHRIST in God Colos 3. O hide and bury my tepidity and indeuotion in the feruour of thy diuine loue and all my other vices and imperfections in thy perfections and vertues that as the earth consumeth the corruption of the body so may the sinfull imperfections of my soule be consumed by the operations of thy heauenly grace in me O most pure Virgin and beloued Mother of my Lord IESVS-CHRIST vouchsafe me thy powerfull intercession I beseech thee that by my death and buriall I may render due honour and homage to that his dolourous death which did so deeply pierce thy tender hart and also to that dolefull state in the graue which kept both thee and all his dearest frends in three sadd mourning dayes for his bewailed absence O holy Angell my faithfull Guardian Blessed S. Ioseph S.N. and all yee glorious Saints and Angells of Heauen pray yee to God for me that I be strenghtned by his holy grace to comply with all my present good purposes and desires of doing well Obtayne yee for me by your powerfull intercession that I may so serue loue and obey him in this life as that I may enioy praise and glorifie him with you for all Eternity in the other Conclusion 1. Thanke God for your affections and Resolutions 2. Craue grace to put them in execution 3. Beseech him to pardon your negligence in prayer Pater Aue. Credo You haue seene now the order of this needfull preparation in health whereby to dispose your soule to a happy death The reasons alleaged conuince it's much conducing to that maine point whereon depends Eternity The profit of which anticipating Exercise was experienced by S. Gertrude who testifies to vs that shee hauing once practis'd it our blessed Sauiour himselfe assured her that her deuotion therein was so verie pleasing vnto him as he euen then did presently accept thereof for the houre of her death as shee desired It therefore now only remaines Christian and deare Cath. reader that I conclude exhorting you to make good vse of this important Exercise as also of all the former Rules which though I doubt not but by your deuout perusall will produce verie pious affections and laudable resolutions in your soule yet you must be verie carefull not to rest only in them they being but meerly helpes and dispositions vnto the true end and fruit of holy prayer which is the accomplishment of the will of God by mortifiing for his sake our vnruly passions and disordered affections whereby our stubborne Will is made plyable to vertue And as the yron first softned by fyre becomes so yealding to the workmans hammer as it may easily be fashioned to what forme he desires so I doe much confide that this little treatise will prooue a furnace of holy deuotion so to inflame your hart with the feruour of true piety as you will finde it verie plyable to put in execution those holy Affections and good purposes of your former deuotion wherein consists the verie perfection of all good prayer And to the end that you may reape in much more abundance this the happiest treasure of true Christian sanctity I cannot omit here finally to exhort you that when you desire and fitt oportunity shall inuite you to make a spirituall exercise vpon these Meditations of a preparation to death that then after your deuotions vpon each seuerall Meditation you also write downe your Resolutions and best affections which mooued you to such resolutions as you conceiue most fitting to be obserued for your future life and Conuersation And hauing done the like in euery