And not only acknowledge thine owne basenesse but use thy selfe accordingly 7. And stick to this amidst all praise or applause of others 8. And let not the memory of thy good deeds puff thee up with vanity 9. For thou wilt find the best of them very imperfect 10. And that thou hast no colour to glory in them but to accuse thy want of duty 11. Learn therefore Humility which is the foundation of all vertues and without which thou art lesse than nothing 12. It being the onely way to find praise and please God 13. To whom thou art bound for permitting thee to be scorned as also to them that doe it 14. Be ever wary of the Devill and of thine owne inclination 15. Of Rash-Judgement which springs from Self-esteem and Pride 1. The Devill strives to keep open our senses upon our neighbours actions but we must be as diligent to shun as he is to lay his plots First by denying to give any sentence 2. Secondly by looking homewards upon our selves where we shall find some root of the same fault we blame in them 3. If the fault be manifest put a charitable construction upon it If monstrous have recourse to Gods secret judgements and tremble at the proceedings of his Providence 4. And know that all Charity proceeds from Gods good spirit and all Bitternesse from the Devill 5. Of the means to shield our selves against the attempts of our enemies at the time of Death The way to be then conquerours is to fall upon our enemies before hand 1. And to make timely preparation by studying now the answers of the foure challenges our enemies wil then sendus 2. The first is against Faith and the remedy is to retreat from thine Understanding to thy Will 4. And to give no answer to thy enemies questions 5. But to fix thy thoughts upon Christ crucified 6. The second assault is of Despaire where thou art to observe this certaine rule c. And to have a perfect hope and humble confidence in God 7. And never to distrust his mercy and the merits of his Passion 8. The Third is of Vain-glory which is conquer'd by distrust of thy selfe and trust in God 9. The Fourth is by Fâ—lâ—â— Illusions against which have recourse to the confession of thine owne nothing and admit of no apparences though they seeme to come from heaven 10. After these generall temptations follow others in particular 11. Chap. XX. That we must never flatter our selves as having subdued our enemies But ofteâ— renew our exercises for perfection is very high and hard to be obtained 1. 2. Chap. XXI Of Holy Prayer The Fourth maine Weapon in this spirituall warfare 1. Which must have these properties First a Desire to serve God Secondly Perfect Faith Thirdly Conformity to Gods will because thine own will is subject to error but the divine will is infallibly right Fourthly A connexion with practice Fifthly Thanksgiving for received favours Sixthly A reflexion upon Gods goodnesse and promise and upon Christs Passion Seventhly Perseverance Prayer must also be strengthned with hope And though God seems to reject thy prayer yet persevere knocking and alwayes gratefully thanking him as well when he deny's as grants thy request Chap. XXII What Mentall Prayer is and what Contemplation Mentall Prayer includes alwaies either a virtuall petition of something 1. 2. 3. 4. Or an actuall asking of it by words expressed in the mind 5. 6. Chap. XXIII How to joyne Contemplation to this inward Prayer By taking some points of Christs death or passion 1. And applying his actions to the vertue thou demandest As for example to Patience 2. Marking how meekly he suffered and learning thereby to suffer patiently thy smaller adversities 3. And compelling thy will to take up thy Crosse quietly 4. Chap. XXIV Of another certaine manner of Prayer by way of praying and meditating together 1. Considering Christs merits and the content his heavenly Father took in his obedience 2. And presenting them both to God 3. Chap. XXV Of a way of praying by the Intercession of the B. Virgin 1. First fix thy mind upon th' eternall Father 2. Considering the content he had in him selfe concerning her from all eternity 3. And the wonders he wrought in her when she had a being 4. Secondly upon God the Sonne 5. Lastly upon the sacred Virgin 6. Chap. XXVI How to pray and meditate by meanes of the Holy Angels and heavenly Citizens First addresse thy selfe to the eternall Father 1. Next unto the glorious Angels and Saints themselves 2. Dividing them into quires according to the dayes of the week 4. But every day praying to the Blessed Virgin to thy particular Partron and to S. Joseph Chap. XXVII How to meditate upon Christs Passion and to enkindle holy affections 1. By reflexion upon his love and goodnesse 2. How to get constant hope 3. And a spirituall joy 4. As also affections of sorrow and compassion 5. And contrition for thy Sinnes 7. With a perfect hatred of them 8. And to admire Gods bounty by considering First Who sufers Secondly For whom Thirdly By whom Fourthly What Fifthly How Sixthly When and where 9. A further Declaration of the profit which may be drawne from the Meditation upon Christ's Passion and particularly of the imitation of His Vertues The first profit is a Confusion at the sight of our imperfections The second a desire and demand of pardon with a resolution of amendment The third a persecution of our passions The fourth an imitation of Christs Vertues Another way to Meditate on the Passion By considering First how Christs Soule carries it selfe towards the Heavenly Father Secondly how the Father to-towards Christs Soule Thirdly how the Soule towards it selfe and it's sacred body Fourthly how thy Saviour carries Himselfe towards thee Fifthly how thou shouldst cary thy selfe towards thy Saviour Christ Crucified is the best Booke to reade in and wherein to learne all vertues if thou makest fit application to thy particular practice Chap. XXVIII Of sensible Devotion and Spirituall Drynesse Devotion is best knowne by the effects it produceth 1. How to make profit of all spirituall sweetnesse in Devotion 2. Three causes of Spirituall Drynesse The Devill Our selves and God 3. Search out the true cause thereof 4. And keepe on thy accustomed practices of piety without seeking outward comforts 5. Nor pray to have comfort in thy Crosse 7. Because to suffer for God is the best Prayer and makes thee truly devout 8. And not the feeling of sensible Devotion 9. Wherein many are deceived 10. What thou art to do in time of distresse and dereliction 11. Chap. XXIX That the worthy frequenting of the most Blessed Sacrament is an efficacious meanes to conquer our Passions 1. Meditate the Day before thy Communion of thy Saviours desire c. to come to thee 2. Who affirmes that his delights are to be with us 3. And moove thy Soule to a reciprocall desire and affection towards him 5. Then provoke thy passions to battail
THE CHRISTIAN PILGRIME IN HIS Spirituall CONFLICT And CONQVEST AT PARIS M.DC.LII APPROBATIO UTI finis Praecepti it a Consilii Charitas de corde puro Conscientia bona et Fide non ficta Ad quam cum facilitate assequendam securius retinendam compendiosam Regiam viam sternunt Documenta quae in hoc libro cujus Titulus est The Christian Pilgrim in his spirituall Conflict and Conquest continentur quia in illo nil Fidei Catholicae repugnans aut bonis moribus contradicens invenitur sed Doctrina pia sana solida ad quam legendam sequendam omnes qui repleri consolatione superabundare gaudio fervere spiritu crebro suspicere in Caelum puras manus in oratione levare suas solicite observare conscientias Sanctorum sequi Vestigia cupiunt sunt invitandi Datum Duaci Januarii 17. anno 1652. Stilo Novo Fra RUDESINDUS BARLO Sacrae Theologiae Doctor Professor in Collegio Vedastino Duaceno The same Approbation Englished THE End of the Counsell as well as of the Commandement is Charitie out of a pure Heart of a good Conscience of Faith unfeigned Which to obtain with facility and retain with security the Documents contained in this book intituled The Christian Pilgrim in his Spiritual Conflict and Conquest Shew a plain and compendious way For therein nothing is found dissonant to our Catholique Faith or repugnant to Piety but a holy sound and solid Doctrine To the perusall and practise whereof all they are invited who desire to be replenished with comfort to overflow with joy to be fervent in Spirit to aspire frequently towards Heaven to lift up pure hands in prayer to preserve their Conscâ—ences unspotted and to follow the steps of the holy Saints Given at Doway January the seventeenth 1652. Stilo novo Br RUDESIND BARLO Doctor and Professor of Divinity in the Vedastin College Doway 1 Pet. 5. 8. Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Devill as a roaring Lion walkes about seekâ—ng whom he may devour whom resist stedfast in Faith THE SPIRITVAL CONFLICT OR The ARRAIGNMENT of the Spirit of Selfe-love and Sensuality at the Barre of Truth and Reason First published in Spanish by the Reverend Father John Castaâ—iza a Benedictin Monk of ON A Afterwards put into the Latine Italian German French and now lastly into the English Tongue according to the Originall Copy With many profitable Additions and Explications The Second Edition Job 7. 1. Mans Life is a Warfare upon Earth AT PARIS M.DC.LII Ephesians 6. 10 11. MY brethren be strong in our Lord and in the power of his might Put on the Armour of God that you may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devill James 4. 7. Be subject to God resist the Devill and he will flee from you Matth. 26. 41. Mark 13. 38. Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation 1. Cor. 16. 13. Stand fast in Faith quit you like men be strong c. Hee shall not be crowned who fights not valiantly 2. Tim. 2. 5. A Lively pourtraict of the Spirituall Conflict To the right Reverend Fathers Religious Dames and devout Brothers and Sisters of the holy Order of Saint BENNET THIS little book is presented unto You not because the Translator follows the epidemick custome which enforceth the complement of a Dedication or expects any return of temporal profit from you or stoops you to so low a Patronage as to become Gossipps to this adopted child which are the vulgar ends of almost all presents of this nature wherby the Receivers are rather engaged than gratified But meerly as an humble oblation of Filial duty and respect For he pretends not to cast in his mite or bring a gift to your spirituall treasury but only to pay a little parcell of his larger debt and to give you an account of some houres of his time which he acknowledgeth should be all employed in your service Besides he but restores unto you what was your own before by another and a nearer title of Confraternity and only new cloath's a Spanish Monk of St. Bennet's holy Order with your English habit a thing both usuall and hitherto very succesfull unto you hoping thereby to make him the better welcome and not doubting but he will speedily easily and efficaciously insinuate himself into your affections whose dayly practices have so great sympathy with his divine doctrine For what are or surely should be the continuall endeavours of a true Benedictin Monk and indeed of all devout Christians but to quell and conquer the world the flesh and the Devill according to the Principles of Truth to subdue sense to reason to make his very passions by taming them usefull and his affections by fixing them upon the right object instrumentall to the attaining of perfection and to study self-knowledg practice self-hatred and persevere in self deniall that God may be the sole possessor of his heart the only mover of his affections and the all ruler in his whole man having now no self-will left to hinder his holy operation And this is the only drift of this devout Treatise which may therefore fully serve you and all pious Pilgrims travelling to their heavenly home for a clear glass wherein you may see your own souls without flattery discover your spirituall blemishes without partiality learn the rare secret of rooting out vices implanting vertues improving all accidents to your best profit and trimming up your interiours to your highest advantage for the sweet entertainment of your beloved Spouse without overmuch pains or prolixity You are I say to look upon this small book as upon a Compendious summary of Christian perfection or as a little store-house well fraught with the Originall seeds and simples of all spirituality from whence other devout druggists cunning in compositions have since furnish'd their larger shops and extracted many ample and indeed some excellent volumes But because Art is long Life short and this life is lent us to learn the Art of living well what pity is it that our lives should be more spent in reading than profiting that men should take more delight in writing than instructing and that we must be forc'd to seek a few precepts in many sheets which may be plainly set down in a few pages Yet such is the strange itch of writers now a days that the number of books which are extant upon all subjects seems to exceed that of the readers whose arms may be as well tired in turning over the vast multitude of volumes as their brains confounded in studying them So that it were to be heartily wished that that grave * S. Thomas of Aquin who being asked which was the speediest and best way to become learned Answered To read only one Book Doctors advice were now revived and followed by spirituall persons which is That they would only or at least chiefly betake themselves to the serious perusall of some one good Authour for their Guide Governor and
this inflamed desire consider that thy Lord God by reason of his admirable excellencies of goodnesse majesty wisedome beauty and other infinite perfections is more than worthy to be served and honoured by thee and all creatures That to serve and succour thee this greatnesse hath condescended to compassionate thy weaknesse and to suffer for thee in his sacred humanity for thirty three yeares space during which time he cur'd and salv'd thy stinking sores which were gangren'd by the soule contagion of sinne not with medicinall oyle ordinary wine and common plaisters but with the most precious balsom of his owne sacred bloud and with unguents confected of his purest flesh torn from his body by scourges thorns and nails Weigh also the importance of this his service since thou art thereby inabled to master thy selfe to conquer thine enemies and to become the child of God Secondly That thou be possest Text. Secondly perfect Faith with a true and constant Faith whereby thou beleevest that thy loving Lord will give thee all things necessary for his service and thy salvatioâ— EXPLICATION THis holy Confidence is the vessell which the divine goodnesse fills with the treasures of his graces and the greater it is the richer and more laden will thy prayer return into thine owne bosome For how can our unchangeable Lord faile to make us partakers of his good gifts and graces when as himself hath commanded us to ask them and promised his holy Spirit to them who petition him for it with Faith and perseverance Thirdly that thou hast no other Text. Thirdly Conformity to God's will end in frequenting holy prayer than the accomplishing of Gods will and not thine owne and this as well in asking as in obtaining That is Let nothing move thee to pray but only that God will have thee prâ—y neither doe thou desire to be heard for any other reason than that thou hopest it is his pleasure briefly Let thy intention and the whole purpose of thy prayer be this That thy will may be conformable to Gods will and strive not at all to bend his will or draw it unto thine EXPLICATION ANd this thou art to do so much Because thy owne will is subject to error the rather because thy will being infected with selfe-love is subject to errour and forgetfulnesse of it selfe and so knows not what it asks but the divine will is ever accompanied with unspeakable goodnesse and so can never faile but is the rule but the divine will is infallibly right and queen-regent of all other wills deserving to be followed and obey'd by them all Thou art therefore alwayes to petition for those things which are conforme to Gods hoâ—y will and when thou suspectest whether some desire of thine be truly such to make thy demand conditionall and not to wish it but onely so far forth as thy Lord God is well pleased thou shalt obtain it In things also which are known to be certainly agreeable to his divine Majesty such as are vertues and graces thou art to pray for them rather that thou maist by their meanes better please satisfy and serve him than for any other end or consideration whatsoever though never so spirituall Fourthly That thy prayer and Text. Fourthly A connexion with the former exercises the other before-described spirituall exercises be so joyned together as that thou undertake not the one without the practise of the other For pray thou never so long and never so much to obtaine any vertue unlesse thou also labour and exercise thy self in the way to get it thou onely temptest God but obtainest not thy desire EXPLICATION FIftly remember that before thou Fifthly Thanksgiving for received favours demandest new favours thou art to render humble thanks for them thou hast formerly received by these or the like expressions O my good and gracious Lord God who hast made me redeemed me and rescued me from mine enemies oftner than I my selfe know or can conceive succour me now also and deny not to grant this my present petition though I have beene hitherto rebellious to thy will and ungratefull to thy goodnesse And if thy demand be for some particular vertue whereof thou now standest in great need by reason of some temptation trouble or contradiction which urgeth thee forget not to thank him for that occasion of thy triall and exercise which through his gracious assistance may redound so much to thy spirituall good Sixthly since Prayer hath it's Sixthly a reflexion upon Gods goodnesse and promise and Christs passion whole force power and hope of obtaining from Gods goodnesse and mercy from Christs merits and passion and from the divine promise therefore thou maist fitly usher in thy demands by some of these following sayings O my God graunt unto thy servant I beseech thee this grace for thy supreme goodnesse sake that thy most dear Sonnes merits may impetrate for me the graunt of my petition Remember ô my Lord thine owne loving promise and incline thine eares to hear my prayer At other times thou maist ask by the merits of the most glorious Virgin and suffrages of the Saints which are powerfull to prevaile in thy pious demands Seventhly Thou art to pray with Seventhly Perseverance perseverance For if the continued importunity of the Evangelicall widdow inflected the hard-hearted Judge to give her what she asked how shall perseverant petitions be rejected by him who is mercy and goodnesse it selfe Therefore after thy prayer Text. Prayer must also be strengthned with Hope strengthen thy soule with a live by Hope in God that through his infinite love he will bestow on thee the now demanded grace or gift or something that is better for thee or both together And although he so long delayes his answer that thou maist doubt he denyes what thou askest yet remaine constantly in this hope and never slacken therefore either thy prayer or thy practise or thy confidence And though God seemeth to reject thy prayer yet persevere knocking 3. Yea though it may seeme to thee that God rejecteth thee and thy prayer Yet doe thou still humble thy selfe more and more before him encreasing thy Faith and comforting thy self with hope in thy Saviour For the more fervently and frequently thou interposest this constant hope in God even in such violent repulses and as it were manifest reprobations of thy prayer the more thou becommest pleasing and gratefull unto him 4. And therefore thou art alwaies And alwayes thanking him as wel when he grants as when he denies to return him gratefull thanks whom thou acknowledgest no lesse good wise and loving in thy behalfe when he seemes to cast out thy petition than when he grants it Keep then an ever-constant couragious and joyfull mind in all events whether good or bad and humbly submit thy selfe to the infallible wisdome and all-ordering providence of thy Lord God CHAP. XXII What inward or mental prayer is and what Contemplation and the use thereof
by the means of the most glorious and ever-blessed Virgin and Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ Wâ—ich thou mayst thus easily practise First fix thy mind and meditation upon God the Eternall Father then upon Jesus Christ his deare Son and our sweet Saviour and lastly upon Mary the First fix thy minde and meditation upth ' eternall Father ever-blessed Virgin-Mother 2. In thy meditation of the Eternall Father take these two points for thy subject and offer them up to his Divine Majesty First the great liking and content hee had in himselfe from all eternity concerning this perfect creature the Virgin before she had a being Secondly the wonders hee wrought in her and the content he took in her when she was borne into the World 3. And as for the first of these considerations Soare aloft and Considering the content he had in himselfe concerning her from all eternity exalt thy thoughts beyond all time and above each thing created penetrating the very eternity of the Deity and then consider what celebrity of joy and delight the Divine Majesty had within himselfe concerning this sacred Virgin and her high perfections And there finding thy Lord amidst these joyes and delights lay hold of the opportunity and addresse thy Petition unto him with full hope and confidence that for this his great joys sake hee will impart bountifully some Grace Strength and Courage unto thee whereby thou mayst be enabled to encounter and conquer thine enemies especially this vice which now chiefly tempts and troubles thee 4. Hence proceede to the consideration of those admirable vertues great gifts and singular graces conferr'd upon this most glorious Virgin And the wonders he wrought in her when shee had a being and sometimes present the whole bulke of them to the view of the eternall Father other-times choose out some particular perfection to lay open before him imploring and intreating for his owne boundlesse goodnesse sake and in respect of these vertues and merits of this his dearly beloved Spouse that hee will graciously heare and mercifully grant what thou so greatly needest 5. Then turne thy thoughts towards the Sonne of God our Lord Secondly upon God the Son Jesus and represent before him the sacred wombe of his Virgin-Mother which enclosed and carried him for nine moneths space as also the singular reverence wherewith shee received him from her wombe into her bosome when he first appeared in the World assisting him and acknowledging him true man and adoring him as eternall God as her own poore child and as her powerfull Creatour Put him further in minde of her eyes of compassion towards his poverty of her sacred Armes which so often embraced him her Kisses wherewith shee cherish'd him her Milk wherewith shee nourish'd him her labours suffered for him all his life time and her dolours at his Death by which and the like relations from the deare Mother thou shalt use as it were a certaine violence to her beloved Son to grant thy Petition 6. Lastly come to the sacred Virgin Lastly come to the sacred Virgin her selfe lay open before her her owne privileges prerogatives and perfections how shee onely amongst all Virgins and Women was especially elected by the eternall Power Prudence and Goodnesse of God to be a Mother of Gâ—ace and of pitty to be an assistant and advocate of all mankinde and that next to her dearly beloved Sons humanity wee can apply our selves to none but her for better supplies of our necessities or truer solace in our sorrowes or greater hopes of happinesse Tell her also of that true and tryed saying that no one did ever faithfully call upon her who received not a mercifull answer and present assistance by her holy Prayer and Patronage Lastly put before her eyes all her Sons sorrowes and sufferings upon Earth and beg of her for his sweet sake for his onely honour and for his glory that thou mayst impetrate by her pious intercession the effect of this thy Petition which that thou mightst obtaine he patiently underwent his so bitter Death and Passion CHAP. XXVI How to pray and meditate by means of the holy Angels and Heavenly Citizens 1. ANother powerfull meanes to obtaine thy Petition is by the Angels and blessed Saints in Heaven which is also practised two manner of ways First apply thy thoughts First addresse thy selfe to the eternall Father to the Eternall Father and present before him the Love Honour and Praise wherewith his Heavenly Court worshâ—ps and exalts him and withall lay open all the miseries labours and molestations which his Saints suffered and by his grace surmounted here upon Earth 2. The other way is by applying thy selfe to these glorious spirits as Next unto the glorious Angels and Saints themselves to them who not onely remember us amidst their joys but earnestly desire our perfection beg therefore their faithfull assistance in thy fight against vices and sometimes implore their ayd and assistance at the houre of thy Death against thy dreadfull enemies 3. Other times reflect upon those excellent gifts and graces wherewith their Lord God indued them exciting in thy soule a lively feeling of love and joy that they possesse these high perfections as much yea more than if they were thine owne since such was the good will and pleasure of the Divine Majesty 4. And that thou mayst more Dividing them into Quires according to the days of the weeke easily and orderly performe and practise this pious exercise divide the Quires of this blessed company according to the week-days in some such manner as followeth Upon Sunday meditate upon the nine Quires of Angels Upon Monday of the holy Apostles Upon Tuesday of the glorious Martyrs Upon Wednesday of the blessed Bishops Upon Thursday of the holy Doctors Upon Friday of the holy Confessours Upon Saturday of the sacred Virgins 5. But let no day passe without But every day praying to the B. Virgin To thy particular Patron some speciall devotion to the most glorious Virgin Mary to thy Proper-Angel and to that particular Saint and Patron to whom thou owest singular duty and Veneration EXPLICATION AMongst which I perswade thee to place S. Joseph the deare Spouse of the sacred Virgin who as experience and contemplative persons testify will assist thee by And to S. Joseph his holy Prayers in all thy temporall and spirituall necessities and particularly advance and direct thy Soul in its spirituall Exercises of Prayer and Contemplation And surely if our loving Lord so highly esteemes his other Saints because they yielded him his due honour and obedience upon earth how much more doth hee value this most humble and happy Saint and how prevalent are his prayers like to be with that Divine Sonne who honoured served and obey'd him upon Earth as his Father CHAP. XXVII How to meditate upon the holy Crosse and Christ our Saviour hanging thereon to excite and move our affections 1. I Have before shewed thee O my
our selves 18. If on the contrary Our nature is so facil and flexible that we scarcely find difficulty in any thing We wonder to hear mention of rebellions contradictions desolations c. From all which we are secure and quiet And therefore we fear our actions proceed rather from a natural promptitude than solid vertue 19. If we so addict our selves to Recollection that we look upon works of Obedience and the external practices of our duty as impediments to Perfection 20. If we find such a calm in our passions imperfections and temptations that we hope the worst is past 21. If scrupulosity overwhelms us 1. We must obey our Spiritual Directour 2. We must do our best endeavour But here arise two difficulties 1. If our Directours knowledge be small his experience less c. 2. If we cannot satisfy our selves that we have done our best c. 22. If we fear we detest not sin sufficiently because we feel not so great sorrow for the offence of God as we do somtimes for a temporall loss 23. If we cannot ground our selves in a firm hope of mercy for that we are so frail and inconstant we sin dayly and amend not our lives we repay unto God evil for good we promise fidelity and practise nothing less 24. If we go not on with alacrity because we know not that our sins are forgiven that our Confessions are good and that we are in the state of grace 25. Though we cannot in this life assure our selves infallibly to be in good state yet if we could comfort our selves with most probable tokens of grace whereby we might feel the pulses of our hearts and somwhat ease our anguish 26. If we are troubled because we know not well when we give consent to sinfull thoughts 27. If we cannot well distinguish between Venial and Mortal sin 28. If these sayings of Divines terrifie us They sin who do against their doubt And In doubtfull things the securer part is to be followed 29. If finally we are apprehensive and fearfull lest we should grow weary in the way of vertu and not persevere constantly in our Spiritual Exercises Maxims of Mystical Divinity The first Maxim That our end is perfection and Divine Vnion and That Prayer is the way to it IT is not sufficient for us who are resolv'd upon a spiritual course to lead an ordinary good life which consists in the avoiding of sin and scandal and in the punctual performance of our external duty to God and our neighbour But our end and aym must be to attain the perfection of Gods holy love and a happy Vnion of our souls with their first beginning by living in abstraction recollection and perpetuall Contemplation as far forth as Gods holy Spirit shall enable us and our frailty can correspond The chief means to attain this our end is Prayer without which all Religion is but a shadow without a body or a body without a soul and all outward observances will prove but a superficial not a real devotion For it is the constant doctrine of Divines that what God S. Augustine S. Basil S. Chrysostom S. Thomas 2 2. q. 83. a. 2. in his eternal disposition hath determined to bestow upon us he gives us in time by the intervention of Prayer tying as it were to this instrument the conversion of sinners the advancement of souls the perfection of Saints c. So that as his divine decree is that we must till the earth if we will reap the fruits thereof and provide mateâ—â—als if we will raise up buildings and the like so his absolute order is that we must pray if we will have spiritual benefits to be powred into our souls and supernatural gifts and graces to be granted unto us Let us therefore in the first place resolve to prosecute Prayer couragiously constantly and perseverantly at set times if we intend to make speedy progress in sincere vertue and lay a sure groundwork of solid spirituality and let nothing upon any pretext whatsoever hinder or divert us from it as far as obedience and discretion will give us leave Lord heal my wounds supply my wants satisfie my wishes The second Maxim That Beginuers may profitably make use of this following exercise of mental Prayer and Introversion until they obtain greater light and more experience in the way of the Spirit THis divine Exercise consists of three parts in general and Nine points in particular 1. Preparation of 3. acts 1. An affective lively apprehensioÌ„ of Gods presence 2. A cordial and profound act of humility 3. A pure intention to please and praise God only 2. Consideration of 1. My wounds both internal and external 2. My wants which are many in every degree 3. My wishes and humble desires 3. Conclusion also of 3. acts 1. Contrition for my sins 2. Resignation in my wants 3. Complacence in God and Confidence in his goodness A more ample and practical description of this Exercise The first part is Preparation of three Acts. 1. A lively apprehension of Gods Presence not only in all places and all creatures by his power and essence but in our souls by his mercy love care and providence O my Soul Where are we 1. Part. 1 Preseâ—ce of God who seeth us What is he that is with us and within us by whose light we see by whose fire we burn and by whose love we live Live my most glorious and gracious Lord in whose presence I kneel in whose arms I rest and after whose love I breathe O that thou wert as dear to my soul as thou art near it Alas why doth she not care as much for her God as he doth for her good Why do I not love thy presence ô my amiable Lord since thou art present by love Thou art my Father my Physician and my food hear me heal me help me I am wounded I am wicked I am wretched Out of thee there is no rest without thee there is no hope remain with me reign within me Let me be thine all thine ever thine 2. Profound and cordial humility acknowledging unfeignedly before God and his Angels our wickedness weakness and wretchedness what we are and what we deserve and so resting quiet in our Centre of nothing O my Soul What have we 2 Profound humility been What are we What have we what can we do What do we deserve What do we desire What hath our loving Father and liberal Lord that he hath not given us What have we proud and prodigal children that we have not received meerly from his mercifull hand and heart What have we received that we have not abused by self-love or self-delight O sweet Jesu Give tears to my eyes words to my tongue sighs to my heart and love to my spirit for I need them all to deplore my misery and implore thy mercy to admire thy beauty and adore thy bounty to sigh after thee and suffer for thee What I have been it grieves me to