one of the solidity and excellency of her Prayer if we take a view of it's fruits For let the Prayer be never so high and never so hard to be understood the fruits thereof are visible and easily perceiv'd Her Prayer then thô it was very high did not consist in extravagant Raptures and Transports which sometimes draw to self esteem stifness of judgment a neglect of Rule and Order but in the practice of all solid Vertues As she her self hath given us to understand by transmitting unto us those Divine lights and interior motions Almighty God infus'd into her Soul which afford us so many convincing arguments of the sollidity of her fervor and Devotion Take then in her own words a short Summary of what she so long practis'd Some of her Fruits of Prayer How long O most pure Object of Divine Love shall I be deprived of that Soveraign good which my Soul incessantly thirsts after When will you put a period to this my tedious banishment When shall I be satiated with the fruition of your glorious aspect I am wholy transported with the love of your unspeakable goodness and my ardent affections surpass the bounds of moderation But the consideration of the Beatifical Vision and my own unworthiness gives me a severe check and puts me in mind of my own aspiring presumption telling me that if my wandring thoughts soar so high as to pretend to the favors of bosom friends the heavy burden of my Inquities and Transgressions will bring me to an unseasonable fall O dismal Consideration O horrid desolation This is the Dart that deeply pierces my poor Soul This is that fierce and cruel Lyon which with open Jaws seems ready to devour me and rend in pieces my bleeding heart whether then shall I turn my self but to you O my God the fountain of mercy and goodness Succor this distressed Soul of mine which you have framed according to your own likeness But how can I hope for mercy from you my Powerful Creator Whose Divine Perfections I have so often contemned whose Sacred Law I have so frequently violated whose Holy Inspirations I have so much rejected whose amiable Invitations I have most ungratefully slighted and wholy defaced the Sacred Image of your Divinity which you imprinted on my Soul nor can I alledge any Merits of my own that may make me worthy of your favor or mercy but like a helpless wretch my own Conscience crys out guilty and fills me with shame and confusion before the Tribunal of your Sacred Majesty What hopes then of redress What Advocate to plead my cause Shall the Sins of my Life past seperate me from what is so dear to me O Eternal Sun of Glory let the peircing beams of your brightness dissipate the dark Clouds of my Transgressions and open the way for an Interview between me and you the only comfort of my Soul Let the ardent fire of your Charity dissolve whatever is hard and frozen in me inflame my heart with an intense love for your Beauty and excellency let not Heaven frown upon me for therein lies all the Treasure I hope for Have mercy therefore upon me O most compassionate Redeemer I am that Prodigal Child who have spent so many Years in Ignorance and Error consuming the precious substance of your Soveraign Graces by my vain and licentious living and now finding my self destitute of all Spiritual helps by your sweet attracting Inspirations I return full of sorrow and confusion to you my loving Father my skilful Physitian my powerful Redeemer I confess I have sinned against Heaven and before you but open I beseech you the Bowels of compassion and of your great mercy and bounty receive me again into favor I am that lost Sheep who have so long gone astray from your Flock But since it has pleased your never failing Providence to bring me into the sweet Pastures of your Holy Catholic Church keep and preserve me in it by your most powerful hand let not the deceitful allurements of the World lay any farther infection upon my Soul Heal my sores by the infusion of those Spiritual Graces which your bitter Passion has Merited for me bind up my wounds cleanse me from my Iniquities speak but the word and my Soul shall live O let not any thing remain within me that may make me ungrateful to your most infinite Purity Your All-seeing Eye does most clearly penetrate the most secret corners of my Soul Burn therefore and consume with that Fire of pure Charity all the stubble and dross of my former transgressions that I may have a pure Soul suitable to your pure love for you know that nothing can satiate my ardent desires but your self in whom all good is contain'd Give your self therefore O Beauty of Angels give your self to my Soul and I shall be rich enough But alas what reciprocal Oblation can I make O source of goodness I can give nothing to you but what I have receiv'd from you take therefore to your self my whole Being take all the powers of my Soul all the senses my Body my Heart my Will my Desires and Affections take all that I am have or can hope for and if I had more I would give more if I may call any thing a gift to your self who are the Supreme Lord of all things and therefore whatever I can give you is already your own take therefore what is yours and dispose of it according to your most blessed Will and Pleasure Make my Will yours and let all the faculties of my Soul never move but to bless and praise you that so drawing nearer and nearer to you who are my sole delight I may at length be wholy absorpt in your Sacred Divinity and Celebrate your praises with an Eternal Alleluia Thus you see how by the purgative and illuminative way she attains to the Unitive after so high and wonderful a manner that she seems to have traced out the foot-steps of that worthy Gentleman and great Spiritualist Mr. Ruisson with whom as I before mention'd she became acquainted at Liege and to have put in practice those admirable directions for Prayer which at her request he gave her in a Letter not long before her Death Which since there appears in it an Idea of that Perfection to which he had arriv'd and she so closely follow'd thô it be somewhat long yet I cannot believe it will seem tedious and therefore have set it down at large in the following Chapter CHAP. VII Mr. Ruisson's Letter to Sister Clare containing admirable directions for Prayer and Vnion with God in which Perfection chiefly consists Together with her humble Answer DEar Sister in Iesus Christ in the Country of darkness all is darkness The light is reser'd for Heaven which God hides from us in this World under Shadows Visions and Figures which St. Dennis of Alexandria admir'd and reverenc'd without understanding them Whilst Adam acted by the Principles of Faith he conserved himself in the State of Innocency
Lord Amen Father Pray for us O Blessed Mother St. Clare Quire That we may be made worthy of the pomises of Christ O Lord we beseech thee to make us who Honor the Memory of the Holy Virgin St. Clare by her Intercession partakers of Celestial joys and Co-heirs of thy only begotten Son who lives and Reigns with thee World without end Amen Then the Father Blessed the Veil as follows Father May our help be in the Name of our Lord. Quire VVho made Heaven and Earth Father O Lord hear my Prayer Quire And let my cry come unto thee Father The Lord be with you Quire And with your Spirit Let us Pray O Lord we humbly beseech thee that thy powerful blessing may descend upon this Veil wherewith the head of thy Handmaid is to be cover'd that it may become blessed and holy to her through Christ our Lord. Amen O Mnipotent and Everlasting God we humbly beseech thy Sacred Majesty to Sanctifie with thy right hand this Veil which thy Servant is about to put on her head that thy Mercy assisting her she may keep with an undefiled Body and Mind that Vow of Chastity Mistically represented by this Veil by which out of Love to thee and thy Sacred Virgin Mother she dedicates her self to thy Holy Service that prepar'd hereby she may joyn her self to thy Train of Virgins and deserve to be led by thee to the Everlasting Nuptials of the Lamb who livest and Reignest World without end Amen Then he blessed the Ring as follows LOrd Iesus Christ the lover of true Chastity and perpetual Fidelity we humbly beseech thy Immense Clemency that thou wouldst bless this Ring thy Servant is about to put on and grant that she being Espous'd by this pledge may persever thy Loyal Spouse by so unspotted a Chastity that she may deserve to be adorn'd with the gift of this Vertue and enrich'd with it's Hundred-fold fruit who livest and reignest c. These Prayers being ended the Quire recited the Litanies of the Saints Petitioning each of them to Pray for the Bride and having ended the last Kirie Eleison or Lord have Mercy upon us The Father began the two first words of the Pater Noster saying the rest to himself till he came to the following words And lead us not into Temptation which he said aloud and the Quire Answer'd but deliver us from Evil Amen Then the Father said Lord save thy Servant Quire VVho my God places her trust in thee Father Send her help from thy Sanctuary Quire And from Sion defend her Father Be to her a Tower of strength Quire To defend her from the face of her Enemies Father Let not the Enemy prevail against her Quire Nor the Son of Iniquity be able to hurt her Father Lord hear my Prayer Quire And let my cry come unto thee Father The Lord be with you Quire And with your Spirit Then the Father said the following Prayers LEt our humble Petitions O Lord appear in thy presence and vouchsafe to bless thy Servant to whom in thy Holy Name we give the Veil of Religion and by the Intercession of the most blessed and most glorious Virgin Mary of the Blessed Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul St. Francis St. Clare and all the other Saints grant her a perfect Conversion from the World and so ferverous an observance of what she has undertaken that in all her Tribulations Streights and Temptations being encourag'd by thy Divine Consolation and by true Humility and Obedience being founded in fraternal Charity she may justly piously and Chastly perform what by thy assistance she does this Day promise and thereby deserve to enjoy with thee Everlasting Life Who with the Father and Holy Ghost livest and reignest God World without end Amen O Lord Iesus Christ who art the way out of which none can come to the Father we beseech thy most benign Clemency that thou wouldst lead this thy Servant whom thou hast drawn from Terrene and carnal desires into the secure way of regular Discipline and since thou vouchsafest to call Sinners to thee saying Come unto me all ye that labor and I will refresh you grant that the Voice of this your Invitation may have so much Power over her as that laying down the burden of her Sins she may deserve to taste how great and good you are and by this your Divine refection be inabl'd to sustain your Chastisements for them And as thou hast vouchsaft to attest saying I know my Sheep and my Sheep know me acknowledge her for thine and grant that she may so know thee and follow thee and only thee that she may never give Ear to or obey anothers Voice who hast promis'd that whosoever obeys and serves thee here shall follow thee hereafter who livest and reignest c. Then the Father bid the Bride repeate thrice the following words out of the 118 Psalm Receive me according to thy promises and I shall live and do not disappoint me of my expectation which she having done with a loud and distinct Voice and the Abbess having as often Answer'd My dearest Daughter let it be done unto you according to your words the Quire Answer'd Amen Then the Bride kneel'd down before the Abbess and joyning her hands together plac't them betwixt the Abbesses and both their hands thus joyn'd were tyed together with such a Stole as the Priest wears about his Neck at Mass and is a Representation of those Cords wherewith our Savior out of Love to us permitted himself to be bound in his Passion and therefore the Bride mov'd with a Memory of this his Love permits her hands to be thus bound to represent those Interior bands by which she ties her self whilst she makes her Sacred Vows and her hands are also bound to Mother Abbesses as a mark of that tye of Obedience to her Will which she undertook and then with a loud and distinct Voice she made her Profession as follows In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen I Sister Clare of Iesus do Vow unto Almighty God the most Glorious Virgin Mary Our Holy Father St. Francis Our Holy Mother St. Clare unto all the Holy Saints and to you Reverend Mother Abbess and all your Successors that shall hold your Place to observe all the Day 's of my Life the Rule and Form of living of the Poor Sisters of St. Clare giv'n her by St. Francis and Confirm'd by Our Holy Father Pope Innocent the IV. I Vow to live in OBEDIENCE without PROPRIETY in any thing in CHASTITY also and not to go out of INCLOSURE during my whole Life according to the Constitutions of the same Rule Then the Abbess said And I on the part of God according to his Inviolable Decree do promise you Eternal Life if you observe what you have Vow'd To which the Quire Answer'd Amen Then the Abbess saluted the Bride and taking off her White Veil put on a Black one saying Take Daughter
might take effect if she would not stay where she was He being desirous that she should rather be amongst those of her own Nation than Strangers since frequent examples have shew'd how easily the Enemy raises jealousies and disgusts in those that enter among Externs For this reason he procur'd a Book of the Rules of St. Clare which he gave her to Read and desir'd her for his comfort and satisfaction if she lik'd the Rules which she would find rigorous enough rather to make choise of that place to go to than any other She promis'd to Read them and was so taken with them that she resolv'd if her Ghostly Father approv'd of it immediatly to betake her self to that course of Life Which was a great subject of joy to Brother Clare thô on the other side it was a great trouble to him to find that his Sister and Kinswoman who had enter'd with her resolv'd to take the same course For he fear'd that it might be a prejudice to the Monastry they left which had been extraordinary kind to them Since the World which is too apt to censure might think that three Religious going away together could not but have some Motive of disgust or dislike to the place and did not purely leave it out of a desire to serve God in a stricter and more austere Order He therefore oppos'd his Sisters and Kinswomans going and had just reason to disswade his Sister because her Constitution was so weak and her health so impair'd that the Doctors would not permit her even to comply with the Church-precept in keeping her fast in Lent Whereas in the place she design'd to go to she must keep the Lenten Fast as long as she liv'd He told her therefore That this desire of hers could not be good it being too presumptuous and inconsiderate to expect that God should work a Miracle for the satisfying of her own humor Especially when in doing so she went against the Advice of those whom he had substituted in his place to direct her That it was an ordinary Artifice of the Malignant Spirit under pretence of a specious and plausible good to draw several out of the way God had plac'd them in This Discourse so sensibly afflicted her that she fell a weeping saying That she was sure that God had call'd her to a stricter Order and that his Power and Grace was always proportionable to his Call The Reverend Mother and the Religious finding them so earnest to go upon so good and solid Motives were so kind as to second their Requests and prevail'd with Brother Clare for their removal This then being the good effect of Brother Clare's Journy to Liege he resolv'd to hasten back to VVatten to dispatch all things necessary for their Admittance at Graveling that they might the sooner be able to follow him Amongst other Discourses which Brother Clare had with Sister Teresa Clare she thanked him extreamly for the favor of a Letter which he had procur'd her from Father Philip Marini a Missioner that came from China to England and other parts of Europe to gain Companions to Labor with him in that large Vinyard With whom Brother Clare coming acquainted whilst after her departure he stay'd at London obtain'd from him a Letter of encouragment to her which being from so Apostolical a Man who had spent many Years in the hard and dangerous Mission of China not only exposing his Life during those great Persecutions that happen'd whilst he was there but also in taking so long and dangerous a Journy for the procuring help for those many Souls that he had hopes to reduce by their assistance to the true Faith and as she also profest having given her so inexplicable a comfort in her undertaking I thought worth your purusal as it is Translated out of Italian in which Language it was Writ MAy the Grace and Love of Iesus Christ increase in our Souls to Gods greater Glory Writing to a person of your Merit I ought to do it in such a manner as may give you an assurance of the reward of that Eternal happiness which you will certainly gain not by running but flying from the Liberty of the World to the narrow confinement of a Cloyster Thrice happy are you that have so great an assurance of Heaven by so Noble and Generous a forsaking of all pleasures upon Earth the better to embrace what the World flies from the Cross of Christ Following hereby St. Teresa's admirable Lesson Either to suffer or die for Iesus This is that Jewel which the wise Marchant gave all he had to purchase and did not repent his bargain And thó he became Poor in the Eyes of the World yet he recover'd his loss by purchasing a Good which was of greater value than all other Goods How happy then is the Renunciation of that Blessed Soul which leaving all looseth nothing still finding all in the Poverty of Iesus The Apostles Patrimony after they had forsaken their Parents Friends and all they had was a pure nothing which put into the Hands of Iesus as St. Gregory saith excellently well so multiply'd as to become all things Totum reliquit qui sibi nil retinuit He left all who retain'd nothing to himself Behold therefore the nothing which the Apostles reserv'd but this nothing put into the Hands of Iesus grew to the hight of that Glory to which they were call'd At this Day so many Ages after their departure out of the World we proclaim their Dignity and give them greater Titles than ever the Ambition of Monarch could Usurpe I would say more of this subject but time will not give me leave therefore to send you my Opinion about leaving the World my sentiment is that it is not sufficient to go out of it to live in Religion unless we bid adieu to and renounce all things that are united to it The difference between those who leave and renounce is this He that leaves can return to the thing he left but he that renounceth looseth the Dominion over what he renounces in the same manner as a Man does his Right to what he has Sold. This was that which our Saviour said to the Young Man Vade vende omnia quae habes veni sequere me go Sell all you have come and follow me which words agree with those others Nisi quis renunciaverit omnibus quae possidet non potest mâ—us esse Discipulus Vnless one renounce all things he Possesseth he cannot be my Disciple What therefore is it to be a Disciple of Christ 'T is to have Christ for our Master Father Spouse Lord God and All. But what need I Write after this manner to you Who I know practice better things than I can suggest Wherefore I Write not to give you instruction but to praise your Generosity by which you have not only left the World with your Body but with your Soul also have renounc'd all it's Vanities and every thing that relates to it Heaven
this Sacred Veil and wear it till you come before the Tribunal of the Eternal Iudge to whom all Knees both in Heaven and Earth and Hell are bent remember you have for ever taken leave of the World and given and united your self wholy to Iesus Christ as to your beloved Spouse may he defend and protect you from all Evils and receive you at length into Eternal Life Amen Then the Bride with a loud Voice recited the words of St. Agnes He has put a Mark and Veil ever my Face that I may admit no other Lover but himself Then the Abbess put on the Brides head a Crown saying Take my dear Sister this Temporal Crown as a certain pledge of that Eternal one which your Divine Spouse has prepar'd for you if you be faithful to him After this the Abbess also put a Ring on her Finger saying at the same time My beloved Daughter take this Ring as a Mark of that love and fidelity which you ought inviolably to keep to your faithful Spouse Iesus Christ as long as you love To which the Bride Answer'd with a high Voice My Lord Iesus Christ has engag'd me to him with his Ring and adorn'd me as his Spouse with a Crown Then the Abbess put into her hand a Crucifix and said Receive here and embrace your Spouse may he receive bless and preserve both you and us for ever Amen After she had receiv'd the Crucifix the Father recited the following Prayers LOrd Iesus Christ who by the immense goodness of thy Purity hast vouchsafed to Espouse our Souls with an indissoluble band of Love grant we beseech thee that this thy Servant being firmly engag'd by thy Ring of Faith may become so constant faithful and devout a Spouse in thy service as that she may firmly persever in it to the end who livest and reignest c. O God who by thy love hast inflam'd this thy Servant and drawn her from the Vanity of the World to the reward of so high a Calling vouchsafe so to purifie her heart with thy presence and the infusion of thy Divine Grace that she may persever in it that being strengthen'd by thy assistance she may be able to perform what by thy Divine inspirations she has promis'd and by the execution hereof happily partake of the Eternal reward thou hast promis'd those that persever in thy service through Christ our Lord Amen These Prayers being ended the Quire began to Sing the following Responsal The Kingdom of this VVorld and all it's Ornaments I have contemn'd for the Love of my Lord Iesus Christ Which having ended they began the Hymn Te Deum Laudamus and whilst they were Singing it the Bride went round the Quire and receiv'd the Embraces and Congratulations of all the Religious then returning to her place she and the rest of the Religious kneeling in their order the Father recited that Verse of the 67 Psalm Confirm O God what thou hast wrought in us and then made a very moving Sermon upon the following Text out of the 9th Psalm Sperent in te Domine qui noverunt nomen tuum Let them hope in thee O Lord who know thy Name In this Exhortation he First lay'd open the nature of this Action or Ceremony they had perform'd by evidencing that a greater Act of hope could not be express'd then by a Voluntary Contempt of the present but transitory Comforts of this World in expectation of those solid and inexplicable joys whose durance was to be Eternal in the next Believe me said he the vain hopes of the Earth are too poor and inconsiderable for so generous hearts as yours are the Kingdom of Heaven as you have made out to Day is only worthy of them Secondly He shew'd there could be no way more Compendious to Honor and Celebrate this great Feast of All-Saints then by striving to make themselves conformable to those Great Originals which in this present conjuncture they had done by so generously undervaluing all the transitory goods of this Life and so might justly hope to arrive at that pitch of Sanctity this Contempt of the World had rais'd the Saints unto and also to share with them the Crown of Glory in the World to come Thirdly Addressing himself to the Bride he assur'd her she had strictly follow'd the direction of St. Austin in Solemnising this Feast by so closely following the Example of Saints nay even the hardest example which is that of Martyrs Whereby she had made a better and a more moving Exhortation by her Example then he was able to make by his words she having verified those of this great Doctor Ser. 47. de Sactis Ab ipsis Martyrum Festivitatum gaudia celebrantur qui ipsorum Martyrum exempla sequuntur Solemnitates enim Martyrum Exhortationes sunt Martyriorum ut imitari non pigeat quod celebrare delectat The joys of the Festivals of Saints are best Celebrated by those who follow their Examples for the Solemnities of Martyrs are so many Exhortatations to Martyrdome that it may not be tedious to Practice what is delightful to Celebrate Proving that the Bride had couragiously enter'd upon the hardest of Martyrdoms by taking upon her so long and terrifying a one as was that dying Life or living Death she had so joyfully embrac'd for the love of God CHAP. II. What Effects this Ceremony wrought upon her self and those that were present at it The great Victory she had obtain'd over her passions manifested by her unconcernedness in this and two other very moving occasions Having ended the Ceremony of her Profession I hope the taking notice of some moving Circumstances in it and of the effects it wrought both upon the Bride and those that were present will prove as grateful to the Reader as I believe the foregoing Relation has been The Ceremony was so moving as that there was scarce a Religious or Secular Person present who were as many as the Doxal could hold that was able to refrain from Tears Nay the Governor himself the Marquiss of Flavecoeur a Person not at all subject to this passion declar'd that he could not refrain from weeping at the sight of it no more then the rest and that he had never felt such a tenderness of heart in all his Life She her self who was the Actor was the only person that seem'd unmov'd in this action appearing all the while with a chearful yet so recollected a Countenance as if she had been totally absorpt in God whose Sacrifice she fell that Day Her little ones stood by her all the time she perform'd the Ceremony which was enough to have mov'd any heart but hers For they being of an Age not sensible of their loss seem'd as little concern'd as their Mother and were very much pleas'd at what they understood not being very busie in assisting at the Ceremony The one put on her Veil the other her Crown at which Sister Clare smiling told her in a low Voice she wore that for her