to God-ward who wel wotteth what thy spirit doth craue and long for These darting praiers with the sentences sighes and speeches abouesaid shall likewise helpe such greatly as lack conuenient leysure to perfourme this exercise in such maner as I haue heretofore declared The fourth remedie which may be vsed The 4. remedie is the reading of some godly bookes at such time as thy distraction were greater then that the former aduises could suffize to call thy minde home and to cause attencion then mayest thou haue recourse to reading whereto shall be verie expedient thou be prouided of some godly booke full of good deuotion and sound doctrine and theron to read with leisure fair and softly not lightly running ouer manie leaues but pawsing at euery period sentence to chaw the same to picke thence som profit fruitful deuotion staying therin so long as attention serueth thee which once wāting proceed then on forward to another sentence doing likewise in that and thus mightest thou by meanes of such wordes as thou readest vse those speaches sighs and inflamed desires whereof I lastly spake in the thirde remedie sith no doubt but they are very vailable and of great force to retire thy minde home and to kindle in it a deuotion and feruent loue to Godward The fitst books for this purpose are such as stirre vp a man to pietie and deuotion and that withall giue good instructions for life and maners the books of Iob Psalms the Prouerbes Preacher the Epistles of Saint Paule c. In these and such like bookes maist thou occupy thy self now reading now meditating on thē and alwaies committing some spiritual point to memorie which thy soul may amongst other thy busines nourish and comfort it selfe withall The last remedie thou art to take concerning this matter is to force thy selfe to perseuer in praier howe distract and frozen soeuer thou shalt The fift remedie against distraction is perseuerance finde thee for that who so shall thus force and straine himself to endure the tedious toile and pain of praier whiles thus he feeleth himself frozen and caried away with diuers forrein thoughts and fancies well may he beleeue that at the end of his praier he shall for the most part receiue comfort contentation and that as it happened to our Sauiour whom the angell came and comforted in the garden after his long perseuerance in praier which he made three seuerall times euen so shal it likewise in the end befall to him And as in other workes experience teacheth vs that custome taketh away the toyle which we feele at the beginning thereof euen so shall custome and continuance in this exercise not slacking or neglecting it at any time cut off the toile and trauaile thereof and cause a conquest of all such difficulties as in the beginning seemeth right painfull to vs. Of the auoiding of lewd company Cap. 12. TO conclude this first duty of him that intendeth to leade a spirituall life let this suffice that there is nothing more pernitious vnto a spirituall man than euil companie for that hath drawen many a man from the way of our Lord and Sauiour Christ For the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. citeth to that intent the verse of Menander an Ethnicke Comedy writer Mores bonos colloquia corrumpunt mala Euill talke corrupteth good maners he cannot be good which delighteth in euil companie for no man speketh euill vnlesse he be before corrupted and depraued in his heart against the puritie of Euangelicall doctrine as euery man is and thinketh so doth he speake For the speech of a man is the truest witnesse of his heart for as our Sauiour sayth The mouth speaketh Luk. 6. of the aboundance of the hart Therefore if he which speaketh euill bee not good wee must take heed of all them which delight in euill talke and scurility and wicked speeches whose mouth doth alwaies sound out filthy thinges neuer talk of godlines Filthy speech is a signe of an vnchast heart although no outward work do follow Therfore a christian man which in his baptisme hath promised to forsake the Deuill and al his workes and consequentlie those that bee his members must eschew the company of wicked men and euermore auoid them that speak wickednesse and vncleannesse We must euer remember the saying of the Wise man Hee that toucheth pitch defileth his fingers and he that kepeth company with the proud shal put on pride Gregory sayeth Those that bee weak must eschew euil company least the faults which they daily see and bee not able to amend become pleasaunt vnto them And S. Chrysostome If a good man company with a wicked man either they become equal or else the one is quickly separated from the other For friendship either dooth require or make men to be equal that is to say of one minde For so is the nature of things that as often as a good man is ioyned with a bad man the good mā is not made the better for it but is rather defiled ther by for contrary things can neuer haue concorde and wicked company hath allured many As one diseased sheep infecteth the whole flock so one peruerse and wicked christian is cause of a great number of transgressions in the church For S. Paule sayth 1. Cor. 5 That a little leauen sowreth the whole lumpe of dough so weake Christians that conuerse with obstinate sinners which doo professe perfection are quickly infected with their euill conditions It is Written Blessed is the man which hath not walked in the counsell of the wicked nor hath stoode in the way of sinners nor satte in the seate of the skornefull That is of all them who are not pleased or contented with other mens dooing but skorne euery man but themselues they alwaies open their mouthes against the humble man they loue brawling and tatling in other mens matters their Counsell shal not prosper and if they bee aloft they shall fall suddenlie their pride is hated of God because beeing fooles they boast themselues to bee wise and learned their foolishnesse shall be disclosed and a greeuous destruction shal fall vpon their heads their harts think on foolishnesse and there is no peace in their circuit They shal be hated of their kinsfolke and neighbours and no faithfull friend shall know them they leade their life in hypocritical dissimulation and by their foolishnesse they draw many out of the way They hate peace they loue discord they shall bee taken in the sluggishnes of their mind and none shall haue compassion vpon them They shall bee brused with double affliction the Deuill hath made his neast vnder their toong sathan hath pitched his tentes in their mind therfore there is no Christian loue in their heart because they seeke to set discord betweene christian and christian They boast that they are the friends of God yet vnderstand not what is the waie of humilitie They open not their mouthes to spirituall edification
dance of treasure more honour dignitie and finally the most blessed haps of all the happy and good things that may be found or desired in this world shal redound vnto thee yea there is no good thing that is good indeed but onely this neither any other importāt affair but this alone this being the only thing our Sauiour himselfe said was necessary Luk. 10. 8. And therfore ought no toils temptations Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 4. or disquietnes no backbitings slaunders persecutions which may and must befall thee in this life seeme any whit greuous for the gaining of so pretious a pearle and rare iewel as thou lookst for herewith must thou eftsoons animate and encorage thy self calling oft to mind that saying of the Apostle Rom. 8. How all the afflictions and crosses of this world are not to bee compared to the future glory that shal be giuen vnto vs. Perswade thy selfe likewise leaste thou mightst happely faint in resisting the toiles and temptations which may befall thee in this straight waie that bringeth to heauē perswade thy selfe I saie assuredly that as herein be worldly toils and temptarions so be there heauenly comforts and consolations and that to ouercome these crosses ouerthwarts of nature there are helps and succours of grace giuen which surpasse nature And with this consideration maiest thou remaine a vanquisher and doe all things as did Saint Paul in him that shal comfort thee which is Iesus christ our Lord and Captaine Of the particular order we ought euerie day to obserue in our dayly Exercise Cap. 3. DEscending now to more particularitie for that such things as bee well and orderly disposed bee both more durable and profitable too I haue therefore thought good to aduertise thee what course and order thou oughtest euerie day to keepe which let be this first to rise in the morning so earely as thou maiest hauing before taken conuenient rest sleepe which is had betwixt sixe and seuen houres little more or lesse according to the diuersitie of complexions So soone as thou art awake it is a good and godly deuotion before thou settle thy minde to any other thing to offer vp to God the first fruits of thine affections and powers of thy whole bodie as for example thy heart thinking of thy Creator sighing after him Thine eies casting them vp to heauen and saying with the Prophet Turne away mine eyes least they Psal 119. behold vanitie and quicken mee in thy way thy legges saying with the same Prophet direct my wayes in thy word Psal 119. and let no vanitie rule ouer mee thy hands also with the same saying let my prayer be incense before thee and the lifting vppe of my handes an euening sacrifice Briefly giue him thankes for hauing preserued thee the night past desiring him likewise to defende thee the day present following from all sin and to giue thee grace to spende it better in his diuine seruice After this some read part of the holie Scripture meditating thereon desiring God to direct thee to doe those things which by his woorde thou art taught to doe or make a little meditation whereof I shall entreate hereafter doing this thou doest as our Sauiour himselfe aduised thee saying Seeke first the kingdome of God and his iustice and all other thinges shal be Mat. 6. giuen vnto you Hauing nowe recommended thy selfe to God in maner aforesayde thou maiest with his holie blessing attend to thine occupation or temporal businesse referring all things yea temporall also to his diuine pleasure choosing rather to doo them for his loue then for thine own lucre And therfore oughtest thou to thinke eftsoones of him whilst thou laborest or art busied in any kind of thy temporall affaires and to recommend thy selfe to his diuine mercy offering vp thy heart with all thy doings to him And in anie wise beware of one thing that neither in thine occupation or anie other temporall dooings thou vse any guile or exercise any vnlawfull trade and againste conscience for so should thy building laide vppon Iam 5. 1. Cor. 15. such a foundation be verie faulty Thou must likewise take heede of swearing lying vsing of idle woordes and impertinent speaches so much as may be yea not to heare any such if it were possible for thee Thus hauing spent the day till dinner time see when thou goest thereto that being now at the table either thou or some say grace before thou eate or at least wise say some thanksgiuing for all such inestimable benefites and beware thou feede not too greedily nor of too daintie and delicate meate take heed also of all such excesse and superfluitie as may make thee vnlustie and lesse apt to reade pray or do any other worke Take therfore so much as thou maiest well thinke necessarie for thee and no more remembring that meate is rather to be receyued as a medicine or refection to sustaine the body and intertain the temporal life of ours then to satisfie the sensuall delights desires of our flesh And therefore must thou force thy self not to feed with the whole man but to eleuat thy mind vp to god and to listen to some holy and spirituall lessons if there were any reade And if thow find thy selfe disposed to gluttony thou must seek to represse the same with some good thought as for example remembring that through thy sins thou deseruest not that which God of his meere liberalitie bestoweth vppon thee And how others that are worthy of more lacke what thou leauest Calling also to mind the toiles tormentes and sorrowes of our Sauiour and how for thy sake he tasted gaul and vineger with these and such like good cogitations maist thou as with a wholesome Mat. 27. Luk. 23. 40. 9 Psal 88. sawce delay the too sweete and pleasant sauour of thy meate After dinner see thou rise not from table before thou hast thāked thy maker who in such wise hath vouchsafed to sustaine and refresh thee with his most bountifull hand thou deseruing rather through thy sinnes to suffer eternall torments And so mayst thou at thy pleasure returne againe to thy businesse demeaning thy selfe therein as is aforesaid in the morning At euening it should be verie good to reade some parte of scripture with meditation before supper or to reade a little as I shall hereafter instruct thee that by this meanes thy soule may receaue some refreshing before thy bodie howbeit if thy trade and businesse will not giue thee leaue to do so then maist thou get thee to supper on Gods name behauing thy selfe therein as is said at dinner time The residue of time from supper till thou goest to bed thou maist bestowe in some honest talke or other good exercise and recreation taking heede yet of occupying thy self in any such thing as may hinder and disturbe the quietnesse of thy mind Afterwardes hauing made some small pause or resting while see thou prepare thy selfe to bedward
conuersation withdraw thy mind from God Finally thou oughtest euer after dinner on those dayes to occupie thy selfe in some such exercise as thy soule may thereby reape some spirituall profite and growe more zealous and feruent in the loue of God with newe purposes and inflamed desires to goe continually forward and to waxe stronger in his diuine seruice with greater charitie towardes thy neighbour better knowledge of thy selfe and more humilitie in all thy actions Thus is the Sabboth sanctified conformablie to Gods will and the intent of the holie Catholique Church Afterwardes both in thy Meditation before Supper hauing the meanes to make it and in the examination of thy conscience before thou go to bed thou shalt both in these and each other thing of night doe as is aboue sayde in the former Chapter Noting this by the way that on these dayes all is to bee done with so much more leysure feruour and diligence as the highnesse and holinesse of the day dooth require it And here let euerie man that hath children or a familie learne that hee is a guide and gouernour to such as bee vnder him and therefore he is bounde so much as in him lyeth to draw them to the seruice of God causing them to heare diuine seruice and to spende the holidayes in diuine exercises godly and holie And in no wise are they to allow that any one in their house haue any publique crime or other notorious imperfection as to be a swearer a 1. Cor. 5 blasphemer a gamster or an offender in such like trespasses against our Lord and Sauiour Of the profite and necessitie of prayer Cap. 5. NOwe that I haue alreadie entreated of the order that such as desire to liue like good christiās ought to keepe both on woorking and holy daies it resteth that I entreate of another kinde of dayly exercise very necessarie for each one to obtaine this their desired ende withall chiefly yet for such as mind to dedicat themselues more sincerely to diuine seruice And this is the exercise of holy prayer not onlie verball which is common to each one and more frequented of all but also heartie prayer which verie fewe wot of and so consequentlie verie fewe doe practise beeing neuerthelesse the more excellent kinde a great deale And therefore is it to bee noted that albeit publike praier to wit that which is made with the mouth and voyce as Common prayer is a verie profitable thing instituted approoued and practised in the Church yet is not this but that which wee call praier of the heart the more worthie and excellent kinde a great deale and whereof the holy Doctors doe chieflie meane when they speake of the excellencie of prayer and the singular fruites which proceede thereof The which spirituall kinde of prayer doth so farre passe and goe beyonde the outwarde prayer of the lippes as doth the soule or spirite in dignitie passe and excell the bodie yet both necessarie to be vsed Wherefore such as minde to exercise themselues throughlie in Gods seruice and to batten and grow strong in spirit ought not to content themselues onelie with verball prayer but as Saint Paule sayeth to pray with 1. Cor. 14. mouth and minde togither hauing receyued at Gods hands both the one and the other How be it let vs chiefly pray with spirit for as our sauiour said Iohn 4. to the Samaritan God is spirit those which worship him must in spirit and 2. Cor. 3. trueth worship him Wherevppon we knowe right well that the holy Saints of olde time did exercise themselues most chieflie and commonly in this kinde of prayer as hauing by experience prooued howe much more profite and spirituall comfort the soule receyueth by this spirituall prayer then by that of the mouth This thing also alone declareth sufficiently of what importaunce they deemed this exercise and howe necessarie for all good Christians in that they are not afrayed to call the same omnipotent for so much as beeing made as it ought to bee wee thereby obtaine euerye thing like as Christ our Redeemer hath promised saying Verylie I saie vnto you that whatsoeuer that you Mat. 21. Mar. 11. Iohn 15. shall aske by prayer beleeue it shall be giuen you This prayer wherof we now speake is a lifting vp of our minde to GOD which is rather doone with inflamed desires of the heart then with varietie of outward wordes and so are we lesse pained therein then in the other yea looke howe much the longer we continue in this kinde of exercise and so much doe wee finde it the more sauourie and fruitfull for our soule for that each time a man frequenteth this holie exercise hee still sucketh out newe sappe of graces and spirituall treasure yea such as at some tymes the soule dooth as it were handle and feele it moste apparantlie For like as Moyses had his face lightened and made glittering through his often conuersion with GOD in such wise as the Children of Israell according Exo 34. 2. Cor. 3. as holie Scripture telleth coulde not abide to looke vppon him euen so the soule through perseueraunce in prayer becommeth more lightened and illuminated with the new graces it receyueth We know moreouer how Christ our Redeemer as the holie Euangelist Saint Luke reporteth beeing in prayer was transfigured and his Luke 9. Math. 17. Marke 9. 2. Pet. 1. face visiblie changed into as beautifull a brightnesse as the Sunne his Garments also became as white as snowe euen so is the soule of man in prayer transfigured and chaunged into God and the darknesse thereof turned into light frailetie into force feare into hope sadnesse into solace with other innumerable commodities that hardlie can bee rehearsed which tryall testifieth to proceede out of this holie prayer Sithence then this is for all so profitable and necessarie an exercise I shall stretch my selfe oute a little the further to tell thee in what maner thou oughtest to make it And first shall I declare what such maie doe as bee more spirituall and haue better leysure beeing minded to make this exercise Afterwards will I set downe another method for the simple and more busied sort such as want capacitie leysure to exercise them wholly in this office that by doing but what they are able to doo they may become partakers of this so fruitfull and necessary an excercise The manner how to pray in the spirit and of the preparation we ought to make before it Cap. 6. THIS praier which wee call spiritual being as I haue alreadie saide an eleuation and lifting vppe of the mind to GOD Like as the soule may diuerse wayes eleuate it selfe to the knowledge of God euen so bee there diuerse meditations or considerations which are called by this name of praier Neuerthelesse I shall here entreate of these onely that bee moste deuoute easie and profitable and that with such breuitie as I may conueniently First notwithstanding am I to aduertise thee of certaine
thereof And for the same cause haue thought good likewise in this Chapter to annex certaine remedies to relieue thee with at such times as thou findest thy selfe barren of deuotion and without anie relish or taste in the foresaid Meditations First therefore it is requisite thou The first remedie against distractioÌ„ haue this in mind how one of the principall meanes and helps for thee both in this life to liue vertuously and in the other to enioy God euerlastinglie is the exercise of prayer and therefore what pains and care soeuer it behoued thee to take for the gaining of so great a Iewel ought in no wise to seeme greeuous and irkesome to thee yea propounding this so richlye before thine eies thou oughtest with al might and maine to remoue such obstacles and lets as might any waies impeach the due and orderly performing of this exercise Thou oughtest therefore to take heede of distracting thy minde in diuers vaine thoughts of spending thy time in prophane and vnprofitable conuersations of disordinate affections of excessiue passions of thy soule as angeâ— heauinesse too much laughing and reioycing in worldly matters and of too great a carke and care in thy temporal affaires and businesse These and such other like imperfections whereby the peace and sercuitie of thy soule may bee shadowed and taken away are in any wise so much as may be to be auoided Neyther behoueth it onely to haue this watch and warde ouer thy hart and inward powers but also to vse the like touching thy outwarde sences which are the doores whereby these distractions enter and penetrate into thy heart as might be a curious eye in viewing and listning after nouelties and impertinent matters too much speach and talke and each other thing whatsoeuer that experience teacheth vs to breed distraction No doubt therefore but solitarinesse Solitarinesse a great help to deuotion would in this case be a soueraigne helpe to such as might conuenientlie vse it for by it are all the occasions of distracting quite cut off and thereby a man may with more facilitie eleuate his minde vp to God and stande well garded within himselfe Wherevpon this saying hath beene woorthilie of long time vsed that a contemplatiue man ought to bee deafe blind and dumbe that by this meanes wanting occasions to distract his minde in outward things he might alwayes bee gathered and attentiue inwardly in godly cogitations It shall profite likewise to procure deuotion and eleuation of minde vp to God to vse abstinence fasting other afflictions and corporall chastisements AbstineÌ„ce and discipline moderately applied For like as these proceed of deuotion so do they maintaine and increase deuotion A puritie and cleanes of conscience Puritie of conscieÌ„ce is also verie necessarie for gaining this deuotion the which ought to be kept vnstained with any sin for that doth abate and asswage the feruor of charitie which is the nurse and mother of deuotion It behoueth therefore if thou couet to finde a sweetenesse and sauour in thy prayers to shunne all kinde of sinne and such imperfections as may gaule and fret thy conscience as also to shake off scruples and all superfluous remorse the which like priuie thornes lye pricking and paining the soule and wil not suffer it to enioy any quiet rest or fruitfull sauor of deuotion The second remedy which concerning The secoÌ„d remedy against distraction this matter of meditation is by diuerse good and vertuous men prooued to be verie profitable is for one to straine himselfe continually to walke in the presence and sight of Gods diuine A continuall eiâ— vpon go maiestie supposing as most true it is that we alwayes stand before his eyes he beholding euery houre moment what we do speak or thinke keeping with each one a particular account of euerie thing seeing therefore God euermore hath vs in his heauenly eye and presence right meet and requisite Psal 118. 16. 8. is it we alwayes haue him in ours And in verie deed the taking vp of this custome shall helpe in this respect verie much to make vs afraid of committing anie filthie or dishonest act when we bethinke vs that the eies of God are euerie houre vpon vs. The third remedy that helpeth greatly The third remedie against distraction to gather attention and deuotion is an often frequentation of certaine praiers euerie day which the holie fathers call darting prayers for that they be in Darting prayers manner of amorous and louing darts throwne vp at Gods heart The maner of doing this is by saying with a zeale and inflamed desire certaine verses of Dauid or some other such sentences of holie saints which thou must euer haue in memory and at such time as thy deuotion shall serue to say those that be fittest for that present affection thou then feelest as for example finding at some time a disposition of repentance and compunction for thy sinnes then to rehearse certaine verses of the Miserere Psalme or some Psal 51. other such like briefe sayings seruing to signifie this affect of repentance At another time feeling a desire to bee more and more enflamed in the loue of God say that verse Diligamâ—te Domine Psal 18. fortitudo mea Another time desiring to bee with God say Quemadmodum Psa 42. desiderat Ceruus ad fontes aquarum c. Otherwhiles longing to approch and draw nigh to those heauenly bowers say Quam dilecta tabernacula Psa 84. tua domine c. Beati qui habitant in domo tua domine Another time with an affect to giue thankes to God for his diuine benefites thou maist say certaine verses of the Psalme Benedic anima mea domino omnia quae intra Psal 103. me sunt c. or Benedicam dominuÌ„ in Psal 34. omni tempore And so in like maner according to the diuersitie of each other affect thou happily findest thy self touched with in thy soule for each kinde whereof either in the Prophets or in some other of the Saints and fathers thou maist find verie fit words and sentences to signifie thy meaning with But if so bee thou want skill and knowledge thy selfe to cull and gather them out then maiest thou frame wordes of thine owne according as the holie Ghost shall vouchsafe to instruct and teach thee such as may serue most fitly for thy purpose and cause thy zeale to encrease to God-ward and to good desires And albeit at the first it maie seeme thou dartest not those amorous arrowes with any great feruor or fierie heate of soule yet faile not to spend and breath them foorth for no doubt but they shal afterwards kindle and gather heart and helpe thee greatly to warme thy soule withall But if happily thou couldest not light on such wordes as thou wishest for send then vp certaine sighes and grones drawne out from the bottom of thy heart and these shal supplie and serue in stead of wordes