ingratitude I should have lost this Rich and only Treasure Make me hence forward always to live in it and possess that infinite Treasure of thy Love Vouchsafe me all Vertues agreeable to my Vocation Grant me all Talents both natural and supernatural that are necessary for the amplification of thy Honor and Glory and refuse me not the comforts of this Life in such a degree as is necessary for my Salvation in the next Permit me also to demand the Conversion of all sinners the Perseverance and Sanctity of all the Iust the Exaltation of the Holy Church the Extirpation of Errors and Heresies the Consolation of the Afflicted the Prosperity of my Parents Friends and Relations and forgiveness of my Enemies Beseech him to shower down his Blessings upon the Pope and all Christian Princes both Spiritual and Temporal especially upon our King Queen Prince and all the Royal Family upon all Superiors and others both Ecclesiastical or Civil throughout the whole World but particularly in England by Converting 'em to the True Faith and to a Vertuous Life The SVPPLEMENT 3. 'T IS indeed very true that I Merit not so much as the least of these favors and I have nothing which can move thy bounty to unlock its Treasures or to open thy liberal hands notwithstanding calling to mind that my dearest Savior Jesus has made me Heir of all the Merits of his Life and Death and applys the same to me by this Venerable Sacrifie of the Mass I receive 'em therefore from his Divine Hands to offer 'em to thee which now I do and repeat this Oblation as many times as there shall this Day be Masses sayd throughout the whole World that in reguard of 'em thou would'st grant me all that I come to request of thee Look not therefore upon my demerits and unworthiness both which I own and confess to thy Divine Majesty But look upon the Merits of thy well beloved Son which are sufficient to render the most unworthy most deserving of thy favors Shew therefore O Eternal Father I In this occasion both thy justice and the efficacy and Credit of thy Son give him that recompence due to him that thou will not give to me I ask it not but in his Name And behold him coming himself upon this Altar to joyn his Prayers with mine and unite his recommendation with my Petition wherefore thy honor is engag'd to hear and render thy self favorable to those whom he commands to ask in his Name and to whom he Communicates his Merits and Credit Behold I am one of these honor him therefore I beseech thee by granting me what both he and I most earnestly beg of thee Eight Comfortable Points to be Consider'd in the Sacrifice of the Mass 1. THat all the value and efficacy which was orignally in the Bloody Sacrifice upon the Cross is by God intirely translated to the unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass by which Sacrifice the former is apply'd 2. The more one comprehends the value of this Sacrifice the greater esteem he will have of it the more confidence in it and more particularly co-operate with it partake more largely of it and thereby become more capable of receiving its effects in greater abundance 3. To participate of the effects and fruit of the third end of Mass which is to make Satisfaction to God for our sins and offences one must be in the Grace of God Therefore 't is good always to make an Act of Contrition as often as we go to hear Mass of when we procure it to be sayd for us 4. To partake of the effects of the fourth end which is Impetration or the gaining our Petitions we must actually demand something either in general or in particular Otherwise we let the Credit of the Son of God which is Communicated to us remain useless and unprofitable 5. That we may every Morning and every Evening and every hour of the Day offer all the Masses which are sayd that Day or Night throughout the whole World for the four ends aforesaid For so we shall render our selves participant of the fruit of 'em all Note also that there is no hour in the Day or Night in which Mass is not then saying in some part of the World or other 6. That when one has any thing to ask of God the true means to obtain it is to demand it in consideration of all the Masles which are sayd on Earth and in respect of the Merits of the Son of God which are apply'd to us by their means 7. That to offer Mass well we must always make an interior Sacrifice of our selves as is directed in the first end by an Homage and Immolation of our Soul Body Life and Goods In the second a thanksgiving on our part In the third Sorrow and Contrition joyn'd with some Sufferances In the fourth Fervent Prayer otherwise as Saint Gregory Nazianzen says we shall be unworthy to participate of the Sacrifice of our Savior For none is worthy says he of this great Sacrifice if he Exhibits not himself a Victim Otherwise as the great Cardinal Person says 'T would be to falsifie the Sacrifice of Mass if we do not accompany it with these Interior Sacrifices For this were to present to God an Extern Figure destitute of the verity which it pretends on our part Seeing that we should ofter Jesus Christ Dead and Immolated in protestation of our Interior Immolation and yet not withstanding we should not be Immolated at lest in Spirit and desire And 't would be a presumptuous rudeness to make such free use of the Treasures of our Savior and to desire to make benefit of his Homages Thanksgivings Satisfactions and the like without a Will to contribute something on our part 'T is true that he presents himself to us to the end that out of his Treasures we may supply what is wanting in us And therefore we may say I supply out of thee what is wanting in me as Saint Bernard says in his first Sermon of the Epiphany But if we have any thing to offer we must not be sparing on our parts this being a present on our parts this being a present we are oblig'd first to offer to God and afterwards when we have nothing more left we are allow'd as we want to take a supply out of the Treasures of our Savior 8. That the Eslence of this Sacrifice requires this practise but as for what concerns the circumstances which are Prayers Ceremonies and Performance of so many Actions as the Priest do's before and after the Consecration to the end we may participate of these 't is good after that one is enter'd into the Church actually to offer up all this uniting our Wills with that of the Priest and approving what he shall do in these or the like following terms An Oblation of the Circumstances of the Sacrifice of Mass O My God! My Soveraign Lord I here come to accompany the Priest whom the Church sends Embassador to thy
THE METHOD OF Mental Prayer Render'd Practical and Easie for all sorts of Persons Compos'd in French by R. F. Francis Nephew S. J. To which is added a Method how to offer up Mass according to the four ends of this Sacrifice LONDON Printed by Thomas Hales 1694. THE Advertisment TO THE READER NOthing has taken so much place nor sunk so deep into the Minds and Opinions of most Men as the groundless prejudice they entertian against Mental Prayer and nothing can be so great a hinderance to their Devotion at this unlucky and mistaken prevention which frights most people from the practise of so holy profitable and withal so necessary an exercise The very name of Mental Prayer makes most people afraid some out of a foolish modesty and shew of humility perswade themselves that this kind of Prayer is only proper for Souls that are already perfect that one must have great wit and learning or else a very particular Grace an call from God to enable 'em to apply themselves to the practice of it and therefore 't would be a very great presumption in 'em to attempt this exercise Others by a more gross illusion look upon the duty and practise of Meditation as a thing very incompatible with the care which they must take of their affairs or with their quality which obliges 'em to converse much in the World where their many civil and necessary duties do not afford 'em leisure to attend to Meditation which they conceive to be an employment that only becomes Religions persons and such as live retir'd and separated from the rest of the World There are some others that are still blinder and more unjust also than these who look upon Meditation as an idle employment in vogue only amongst silly Devotes and weak simple Souls and are pleas'd to make it the ordinary subject of their mirth and railleries so that many times such Secular persons as are addicted to Mental Prayer are oblig'd out of discretion or for fear of being laught at rather to conceal its practise than expose themselves to their censures and mockeriâ—s Infine some others less unreasonable than the former yet not less to be pitty'd thô they understand and apprehend very well the great benefit of Meditation and are convinc't â—hat â—hey may reap greaâ— advantages som so holy an exercise could they but seriously apply themselves to it yet either their apprehension of occuring difficulties hinder 'em from venturing upon any tryal at all or the little trouble they meet with in the beginning disheartens 'em from that perseverance in it as would afford 'em comfort 'T is in order to disabuse all such as are seduc't and deceiv'd by these groundless dangerous and common errors that I undertake first to prove by strong plain and evident reasons how necessary Meditation is for all sorts of persons secondly that I endeavor to make 'em understand how easie 't is for 'em to Meditate by proposing so plain and easie a method that I dare undertake that whoever will lay aside the prejudice he has already conceiv'd against it or for a while suspend it shall be oblig'd to confess that there are none of so mean a capacity nor so engag'd in business or Worldly affairs but may easily if they will daily make their Meditation and therefore that all persons ought to do so When I have once explicated this easie method of Prayer I shall add the Rules necessary to be observ'd in the practise of it and give examples upon all the different subjects of Meditation whereby I shall reduce the method into practise and teach the manner how to observe all the Rules prescrib'd for it I desire the Reader notwithstanding to take notice that I pretend not here to Write a formal Treatise of Mental Prayer which would be very unnecessary considering the many excellent Treatises already Written by the most Learned Men of our Age upon that Subject But that my only design is to instrust and assist those that desire to enter into a retreat who not being us'd to Mental Prayer find themselves in the beginning at some loss they being yet ignorant how to apply their minds to Meditation which is and ought to be the chief business of a retreat Wherefore when I have let 'em evidently see how profitable and necessery Meditation is I doubt not to convince 'em of the easiness and at the same time make 'em Masters of this Holy Art by teaching 'em a short and easie manner how to Meditate and laying before 'em the practise of it upon such different subjects as are the grounds and matter of Meditation so that by one hours Reading they may be sufficiently inform'd of the manner how to make their Meditation well and afterwards with very little pains may put their knowledge into practice But thô I had at first nothing else in prospect but by this small Treatise to help those that desire to enter into retreat yet now I hope it may become also very useful to such as are inspir'd with a sincere desire of working their own Salvation and that they may accomplish that great work with less difficulty and greater security are desirous to make use of so excellent and necessary a means as Meditation is experienc't to be to so profitable an end AN Easie Method for Mental Prayer reduc't to Practice CHAP. 1. Of the necessity of Meditation A Man would think 't were enough to explicate only what we mean by Meditation to convince those that are the most preposâ—est with prejudice against this holy exercise that 't is morally necessary for all that efficaciously intend to save their Souls for by Meditation we mean nothing else but a serious reflection upon the Maxims of the holy Gospel upon the great and saving truths of our Faith upon our duties towards Almighty God upon the best means that may facilitate and secure our happiness or upon the obstacles that may retard or hinder our eternal felicity which reflection naturally produces those good and pious desires holy affections and such sincere and efficacious resolutions as reduce those good desires into practice and move us to put in execution all our good designs by making use of those means which by our reflection we find capable of furthering us in the work of our eternal Salvation and of helping us to overcome whatever obstacles oppose it All the Holy Fathers suppos'd this great truth that Meditation or a consideration and serious reflection is necessary for Salvation and have always admitted this for a fundamental Maxim in Christian Morality 'T is the opinion of Saint Chrysostom and Saint Austin who both assure us that a serious consideration and reflection is the first principal and foundation of all good actions and Saint Bernard proves that Prayer and Meditation are of equal necessity for Meditation says he discovers what we stand in need of and Prayer obtains from Almighty God whatever we want the one shews us the way and the other brings
from any disorderly affection thô perchance innocent yet by reason it causes too great a dissipation of your thoughts you must strive quickly to break it off or at least master it If your distractions come from the straying and wandering of your senses you must take care to keep a custody over 'em if your own sins draw them upon you be sure to make an Act of Contrition thereby to free and purific your Soul before you begin your Prayer if multiplicity of business and care of your Family distract you be not in pain but apply your self seriously to moderate that great solicitude and to purifie and direct well your intentions and use your self to take care of those affairs incident to your Calling and condition not out of a passionate affection interest or ambition but to pursue and obey the orders of Divine Providence which having call'd you to that state and way of living would have you perform those duties that belong to it If we consider'd and look't upon our affairs with this disposition of mind they would never distract us as they do for whatever is done for Almighty God or because he would have it done can never separate us from him The Fourth Pretence Many complain of and alledge as great difficulties in Mental Prayer the pain they feel by their coldness and aridity in it finding neither light comfort nor any gust in Heavenly things so that they have reason to cry out with the Prophet Anima mea sicut terra sine aqua tibi My Soul is parch't and dry'd up like the Earth for want of Rain to what end therefore say they should we torment ourselves without receiving any benefit thereby To what purpose should we weary out our selves in an exercise wherein we cannot honor Almighty God But first 't is not consolation you are to look after in your Prayer The best Prayer that honors God most is not that wherein we find most sensible comfort but that wherein we best practise Mortification 't is not that wherein in we imagine we tast and feel Almighty God most but that wherein we submit our selves most entirely to his Divine Will and this lies in our power to do even in this state of privation of all other comforts Secondly This State of desolation is either a punishment of our past infidelities towards God or a tryal of our present vertue and constancy for sometimes God in his justice punishes us that way and his mercy do's at other times make use of this means to exercise us If it be for our punishment how can we better expiate our faults than by submitting our selves to that pain we have so justly deserv'd If it be for our tryal we must joyn with Almighty God in his design and rejoyee that we have this opportunity to give him a proof of our fidelity and ofthat disin teressedness with which we hope and desirealways to serve him manifesting there by that we seek him only not our own comfort or consolation Thirdly one of the chief ends of Prayer is to encourage us to love and acquire vertue and how can we labor better for the obtaining it then by its exercise for this state of aridity and desolation gives us the fairest occasion that can be to practise even the best and most excellent vertues First of humility for then we find how weak poor and unable we are to do any good and the great need we are in of having continual recourse to Almighty God Secondly of patience to suffer these disgusts and other irksome effects of so uneasie a condition and of our passions those attacts also which while we are in desolation set upon us with all their force and put us to no little pain yet we must not withstanding bear with our selves and persever in our Prayer in spight of all the repugnance and trouble we find in it Thirdly of Conformity to Gods Will by submitting ourselves to his Divine pleasure even then when he seems to be so severe kissing with all respect that Divine and most adorable hand that strikes us and saying with our Savior O Father let me not drink of this Cup but yet your Will be done and not mine Fourthly of Obedience by persevering and continuing by persevering and continuing constant in Prayer notwithstanding all our disgusts going on with it during the whole time prescrib'd by our Rule or advis'd by our Spiritual Director The Fifth Pretence Another says I know not how to employ my time nor how to entertain my self in Mental Prayer I do but loose my labor and time about it 't were better for me to say some Vocal Prayers or go about some other good work Saint Terese her self confesses that this thought had once made such an impression upon her mind that she was upon the point of giving over Mental Prayer and she adds that 't was the most subtle and dangerous Temptation she ever had in her Life and was like to have overthrown all the designs that Almighty God had of her Sanctification You loose your time you say at your Meditation because you do nothing but pray in the first place can you not as I have already observ'd produce some Acts of humility and resignation Can you not say often with the Prophet and with the same Intention Tanquam jumentum factus sum apud te Behold good God here I am just like a poor beast before you 't is indeed honor enough for me that you suffer me in your presence let other good Souls therefore honor you by their zeal and fervor 't is honor enough for me to be able in your presence sincerely to acknowledge my weakness and incapacity to do so wherefore let 'em honor you with those admirable lights and Divine Inspirations you bestow upon 'em and permit me in darkness and aridity to remain in your Presence with profound humility professing my unworthiness of the favors they receive and let me with true conformity say from the bottom of my heart your Holy Will be done Secondly you may unite your self with so many other pious Souls who with very great zeal and fidelity are attentive to their Meditation offer their Prayers to God and bless him for the favors he bestows upon 'em or make use of the practise of that good Clown that follow'd Saint Ignace and his Companions in their Voyage who when they kneel'd down to make their Prayer kneel'd with 'em and addrest himself to Almighty God with a great and humble simplicity in these words Alas my good God I know not how to speak to you nor how to Pray as I ought nor as these Vertuous good Men do but I joyn with 'em and wish that I could speak to you as they do Or you may still do better than he by uniting your Prayer with our blessed Saviors Pray therefore with him and offer to God the Father the Prayer our Savior makes for you Thirdly you may employ your thoughts in reflecting upon your own