keeping the spirit of sweetness charity with our neighbour but aboue all we ought to be carefull to joyn thereto an interiour retreat keeping our minds sequestred from all vain curious thoughts or all unprofitable reflections upon our selves or others imploying ones mind heart in frequent aspirations sighs addressed to God to demand his holy spirit which to obtain we must unite them with the interiour dispositions prayers of the holy Virgin the Apostles II. SAy every day the Veni creator at the end of the book make seven elevations of mind to demand the seven gifts of the holy Ghost the disengagement from creatures the victory over our humours which is the life of our own spirit opposed to that of the holy Ghost Make one elevation of mind to the eternall father another to the son a third to the holy Ghost a 4. th to the holy Virgin a 5. th to the Apostles a 6. th to your good Angell the last to S. Phillip Nery who reeived with such fullnessh the oly Ghost upon the day of Pentecost These elevations of mind ought to be made with ardent desires of obtaining this singular grace Aboue all beg a total change of your heart beseech the holy Ghost that he would cause you to live a life wholly supernaturall to die to all the longing hankering appetites of the human sensuall life VENI CREATOR OR The Hymne of the holy Ghost COme Creatour Sp'rit divine Visit now the souls of thine Fill with grace distill'd from heau'n Hearts to whom thou life hast giv'n Whom the comforter we call Gift of God transcending all Living spring fire fervent love Ghostly unction from aboue Sev'nfold grace thou dost impart And Gods right hand finger art Thou the fathers promise which Tongues with language doth enrich Kindle light in every sense Love into our hearts dispence Strengthen what in flesh is fraile With a vertue cannot faile Drive away our mortall foe Peace upon us soon bestow As a guide before us shine That all vice We may decline By thee may it so be done That we father know Son And in thee believe who dost Flow from both the holy Ghost Glorious may the father reign And the Son who rose again So the holy Paraclite During Ages infinite III. ADd a quarter of an hour to your ordinary time of prayer as much to your time of silence to think in the presence of God of the great affects which his spirit works in a well disposed heart in order to the making an absolute charge in it as he did in the hearts of his Apostles the better to entertain your self with a meditation upon some one of the gifts of the holy Ghost as you will find them explicated in some of your book on that subjet Make also a particular visit to the blessed Sacrament every day to demand of Jesus-Christ the fullness of his spirit IV. AVoid tepidity negligence or humour in your actions as faults particularly opposite to the fervour of that divine love which the holy Ghost in kindles in a soul watch over your self to be able to discerne the motions of his grace be faithfull in following them do to thing against the light which God gives you to avoid any thing because that would be to afflict the holy Ghost The practise of your aspirations during this holy time may be done after this or some such like manner Father of mercy send me your comforting spirit that may give peace to my soul my Jesus give me the spirit of understanding wisdome that may make me know you with a lively faith that I may feel your presence within my heart that I may relish nothing but you alone O holy Ghost heart of the blessed Trinity substantiall love of the Father the son come inlighten my mind with the truths of faith animate my heart with the flames of pure love come strengthen me in my weakness raise me up after my fallings purify me from all hankering after or fondness of creatures O love of my God be you the soul of my soul be you my life grant that I may die wholly to my self live wholly to you The seven gifts of the H. Ghost THe gift of Wisdome The gift of Understanding The gift of Knowledge The gift of Counsell The gift of Fortitude The gift of Piety or Godliness The gift of the Fear of God. FOR THE OCTAVE OF WHITSONTIDE Apply your self every day to know demand practise one of the seven gifts of the holy Ghost to the end that he may purifiy and Sanctify with these seven divine habits all the affections of your soul THE I. DAY The gift of Wisdome LEt the subject of your prayer be the qualities of this gift which are 1. to make us relish God all that unites us to him 2. to give us an extreme disgust of all pleasures of the senses all naturall satisfaction 3. to make us esteem love search with passion sufferings disgrace abjection of which we have such a horrour 4. to make an intire separation of a heart from all fondness of creatures as also from all that is sensuall in devotion from all that is not God. Come o holy Ghost come enlighten my mind with this gift of wisdome come destroy in me the love of the world grant that I may take no relish in any thing but in God that God may be all to me creatures may be nothing grant that I may love contempt which my Saviour so esteemed that the cross may be the onely oâ—ject of my love 2. Beg often during the first day that is the day of Pentecost the gift of wisdome which consists in loving spirituall things make an extraordinary visit to the blessed Sacrament to beg this day as well as throughout the whole Octave the Office of the holy Ghost in the morning after your prayers say veni Creator as in the end of this book give every day of the Octave some little almes to the poor to obtain the gifts of the holy Ghost whom the holy Chruch stiles the Father of the poor THE II. DAY The Gifts of Vnderstanding 1. COnsider in your prayer the effects of this gift which are 1. to make us love what we believe to render our faith so lively strong that it may make such an impression upon our minds as if we saw the objects of what we believe so that a soul inlightened with this gift is lost in the respect love it finds in gods presence in prayer before the blessed Sacrament as if it saw God with its eyes this gift works the same effect in the soul as the light of glory does in the souls of the Blessed It sees God in the bosome of it feels his presence after so intimate certain a manner that it is rather a possession then a knowledge of
you that he sacrifices himself to the justice of his father to appease his wrath against you in a word that this our amiable Sauiour is wholly taken up with you for you upon the Altar This thought will move you presently to render thanks for this great bounty to hope firmly that you shall obtain whatever he askes for you to unite your intentions with those which he has in order to your salvation to protest before God that you ask the same which he askes for you that you sacrifice all that to him which he sacrificed for you and that you will stand to whatsoever promise he has made in your behalf Seventhly a little before the Communion of the priest dispose your self to a spiritual Communion by acts of faith acknowledging that Jesus Christ is really upon the Altar of hope confiding that he will render you partaker of the effects of this adorable sacrament of love burning with an ardent desire of being united unto him of humility esteeming your self unworthy to receive him sacramentally Eighthly after communion till the end of mass imploy your self in thanking God for the graces favours he has bestowed upon you which he hath asked for you during this holy sacrifice as also in offering your self as a victime unto him sacrificing to him for that day some word or action that is pleasing to you After mass say one De profundis one Pater Ave for the souls in Purgatory and return home with modesty silence V. WORK ABout nine of the clock being retired home for on those days wherein you do not communicate 't is enough to be one hour in the Church in the morning half whereof may be spent in hearing mass the other in vocall prayer you must fall to work or do such busyness as you have in hand taking care never to be idle the spirit or intention wherewith this ought to be done is first to offer your work to God in union with that work labour which Jesus Mary performed in their house Secondly to remember from time to time that God looks upon you Thirdly to quit the action or worK as soon as the will of God or charity â—hall call you else where without adhering thereunto with too great an affection Fourthly to perform it with all the care and perfection that you are able without neglecting any thing in it Fifthly to thinK often that God has condemned us for our sins to labour that one day in heaven we shall have nothing to do but to love God. Sixthly if your work be at your own disposall do something from time to time for the poor as about Christmas make swadling clouts for some child in honour of the Infant Jesus or other worK for the Altar according to your directours advice VI. EATING A Litle before dinner maKe a short reflection upon the vertue of the month or the vice that is given you to overcome see how you have behaved your self ask grace of God by the intercession of your Patron to taKe more care and become more vigilant the rest of the day one may add hereunto the reading of a chapter out of Thomas â— Kempis if you have leisure which assure your self will not be lost secondly say grace or the Benedicite not in hast barely out of custome but with attention respect remembring that you speaK to God that he beholds you Thirdly never pasâ— a meal without offering to our Lord some little bit which is most pleasing to you depriving your self thereof to give it him but in such a manner as that no notice may be taken of it Fourthly from time to time offer to God this action which of it self being low mean indifferent ought to be animated with an holy intention to maKe it meritorious of heaven Fifthly sit at table with modesty gravity without being taken up with or searching after the pleasing of your appetite think sometimes how Iesus Mary performed this action this ought to be the model you propose to your self in all other actions In fine remember that the Saints gave with regret onely out of necessity this satisfaction to their â—odies which they lookt upon as their â—reatest enemies Sixthly I would â—ounsell you not to eat between meals â—ithout great necessity but you may â—reakfast because perhaps you may â—uffer prejudice by fasting all the morning consequently be less able to perform your business VII CONVERSATION OF all the actions of the day this is that in which you ought most to stand upon your guard because there is more danger of offending God in this then in all others In effect the holy Scripture says that he who offends not with his tongue is perfect wherefore to render your conversation truly Christian in it to bridle your tongue observe the following advice First never speak of the faults of others if you be not obliged in conscience to reprehend them or to give others account of them Secondly before you enter into conversation recommend your heart tongue to your good Angell that yoâ— may say nothing nor consent to any thing that is said against your neighbour Thirdly avoid as much as you can the conversation of worldings who speak of nothing in these times but vanity fashions ornaments a la mode But when necessity or decency obliges you to such company stay as litle amongst them as may be because one ordinarily comes from them with wandring thoughts a heart very insensible of what belongs to God. Fourthly take care also not to talk too much of devotion of prayer direction because ordinarily there is much of self-loue vanity in speaking too much of these matters it is more secure to hear others then to speak much on this subject Fifthly Notwithstanding you ought to let no conversation pass in which you do not handsomly bring in some good discourse you will do well to seek the company of such as love to speak of God nevertheless you ought to entertain none but your directour with any discourse of your own interiour Sixthly never say any thing either to your own advantage or against your self for oftentimes it is a counterfeit humility to undervalue ones self before others whereas we should be very sorry that they should believe us to be such as we represent our selves but the true mark of sincere humility is not to excuse our selves when we are reprehended or blamed for any thing That a wife may Keep the respect due to her husband a child to its father mother let them remember never to loose it in speaking saying nothing that may offend them nor contradicting them with obstinacy or answering them with coldness indifference disrespect or contempt Eightly if you desire the spirit of recollection prayer fly the world company as much as you can never maKing visits but for meer necessity nor entertaining any familiar acquaintance but with one or two
persons of devotion like your self Ninâ—ly banish from your conversation all unprofitable curiosity conâ—ning the life conduct of others vanity sowrness and immoderate afection carry your self cheerfullyâ—… ciuilly but so as to avoid distractioâ— or dissipation of mind VIII READING AFter dinner the recreation following it you must read in somâ— spirituall booK for half or a quarter of an hour as shall be appointed you and that you may do this with fruit first in the beginning humbly crave grace of our Saviour to profit by it saying either veni sancte Spiritus or a Pater Ave. Secondly read not out of curiosity in haste but leisurely and with attention when you meet with any thing either moving or instructiue rest there a little while endeavouring as it were to relish it consider how you may be able that day to practice it beg of the holy ghost to imprint it in your heart Thirdly be not in pain to read â—any pages in your book read a â—â—ttle but with great recollection â—ttention always apply what yâ—u â—ead in order to practice consider â—ow then that those very truths which you read will condemn you one day before gods tribunal if you do not follow them Fourthly let not this spirituall reading be ordinarily but in solid and moving books such as your directour shall approve Fifthly be not troubled if you remember nothing of what you have read but commit all that you have read to him who is able to touch move your heart independently of those truths which you read Sixthly after your reading thanK God for having thereby instructed you make a firm resolution by the assistance of his grace to practice the Instructions he has given you IX SILENCE AFter your reading you must râ—turn to your work if you havâ— not some business which obliges yoâ— to go abroad take care at two â—… the clock to keep an half or a quarter of an hour of silence according aâ— your directour shall thinK fit Durinâ— the time of your silence first ofteâ— call to mind the silence which Jesus Mary Joseph often observed durinâ— their work uniting your silence witâ— theirs sometimes think of the sacred silence observed in heaven by the Saints who are wholly absorp't iâ— God do you sigh and long after that happy repose sometimes also entertain your self in your heart with your good Angell thanKing him for the care he taKes of your salvation promising him due respect fidelity in performing whatsoever he shall inspire you to do begging of him to present your prayers the desires of your heart to our Saviour you may at another time imploy your thoughts on the necessity of spending our time well on the account which we must render to God for every moment of our life or if you please in case you be alone recite some vocall prayers which you can say by heart but taKe care that no one perceives this Keeping of silence in you unless it be such as observe the like therefore make no difficulty in answering any question which is made you satisfying your self that you do not speak of your own accord Thirdly offer this silence to God in satisfaction for the faults you have that day committed in speaking Fourthly I would counsell you to impose on your self from time to time some little space of silence for example during a Misere when you have spoken any words of humour or sensuall inclination or against charity imposing it on your self when you have most desire to speak X. The visit of the blessed Sacrament of the prayer in the evening called the Salve TOwards four or five of the clock in the evening go to the Church either to make a second half hour of prayer if your directour judges it convenient or to be present at the Benediction or Salve Take care to perform this visit of the blessed Sacrament with spirit and fervour not meerly out of custome without fruit First on sundays present your self to our blessed Saviour to honour the glorious state of his body risen from the dead which is upon the Altar testifying the joy you have of its glory rendring thanks to the blessed Trinity for this marvellous beauty which it has communicated to the sacred body of our blessed Saviour begging of him with confidence to bestow on your body a participation of these glorious qualities at the resurrection making a strong resolution to receive with love all corporall pains which will purchase such a resplendent glory to our bodys as the pains torments which our saviour suffered brought to his doing in fine the same by an act of faith towards Jesus Christ which the Saints perform towards him in the clear sight of his glory Secondly on Mondays honour in this visit the state of a victim or sacrifice which our saviour has in the blessed Sacrament offering up your whole self to his love sacrificing to him the curiosity of your eyes the bitterness and impatience of your speech the eagerness of your desires the distractions of your mind the evill affections inclinations of your heart since Jesus Christ always bears about him this state of death and quality of a victim or sacrifice on our Altars offering himself continually on them to his eternall father for us so to honour him in this state you must all the day long carry the spirit of a sacrifice about you which will cause you in all occasions to die to your own humours inclinations to sacrifice to God your naturall repugnances And t is on this day you must possess your self of such sentiments as these that all the week following you may practice the same considering Jesus Christ in this visit as a victime both of justice loue begging of him to render you conformable to himself herein Thirdly on Tuesdays honour the exact constant obedience which Iesus practises in the blessed Sacrament submitting himself to the voice or call of a man abandoning himself to his disposall how bad soever he be and make a firm resolution of doing all things with the spirit of obedience submitting your self to all obeying those in particular who are in the place of Superiours Fourthly on wednesdays imploy your self in the consideration of the wonderful patience of Iesus in the blessed Sacrament which causeth him to suffer all the outrages of hereticks and ill christians with perfect constancy not being weary of staying lay and night upon our Altars that he may gain the hearts even of his enemies Endeavour to honour this patience by a compassion of his sufferings by asking pardon for such as are wanting in their respect unto him and by devoting your self to his justice with a resolution to suffer all things without murmuring for the satisfaction thereof even to oblige those who offend you Fifthly on Thursdays honour the humility of Iesus in the blessed Sacrament which makes
✚ E-Libris-F F-Proed-de-Woodchester IHS Ant. Wierx fecit et exend Angele qui meus es custos pietate superiu◠Me tibi commissum serua defende aūberna Vt valeam tecum caelestia scandere regna Angele sancte Dei sit tibi cura mei THE Daily exercises of a Christian life OR The interiour spirit with which we ought to animate our actions throughout the whole day WITH An easy instruction for mentall prayer Translated out of French by I. W. of the Soc. of JESUS The 2. Edition with severall additions by the Author Printed at S. OMERS by LUDOVICUS CARLIER in the year 1689. By Permission of Superiours TO THE QUEEN MADAM I First publish'd this treatise for the comfort of English Catholicks then groaning vnder a severe persecution for their Religion whilst their false accusers pretended they suffered for designing the destruction of the late King but now manifest the severity shewed against them was not out of a motive of Loyalty or affection to his Majesty but out of hatred to the Catholick Religion since at present they commit greater treasons against our soveraigne than they accuse the Catholicks to have designed against his Brother and this for no other reason but because he professes and consequently favours that Religion they aime to destroy and now endeavour to depose him because he will not permit them to ruin the same I now publish this second Edition with severall additions made by the same Author whom since your Maiesty's arrival in France you have both heard and approved presume to dedicate it to your Majesty whose sufferings in this second persecution as much exceed what Catholicks vnderwent in the former as your condition does exceed theirs hoping you may finde such a proportionable comfort by the perusall of it as several have own'd they experienc'd and since your Majesty's constant piety prompts you to a daily Exercise of solid vertue these daily Exercises will assist you to an easy performance of your Majestys design and thô your couragious suffering such a change of fortune shewes to how high a pitch of solid vertue you are already arrived yet you will here finde how large pleasant a field vertue is that leads to that Kingdom prepared as a reward for your sufferings not subject to such vicissitudes as you have experienc'd these earthly Kingdoms are and that your Majesty after a long and happy Reign with our King here may arrive to the enjoyment of this everlasting Kingdom hereafter are the hearty wishes and constant prayers of MADAM Your Majesties Most humble and most obedient Subject and Servant J. W. A PREFACE To English Catholicks LIGHTING accidentally upon the ensuing Treatise I was so pleased with its solidity facility and brevity that I was moved to translate it for your use and profit especially for such as understand not french whose present sufferings must needs give you a sight of the vanity and inconstancy of this world and move you to seek a more secure solid and lasting happiness in the next wherunto the instructions you will here meet with will easily and securely lead you For such well disposed persons as you are this Treatise was writ and for such also I translated it who having undergon the sharp tryals of long and severe persecutions are trained up and fitted for a greater combat where you are to become your own adversaries and are to engage with no other enemies then your selves which I call a greater combat because a greater courage and constancy is required thereunto for one blow is sufficient to crown a martyr whereas a war with yourselves is to endure as many years as you live perhaps not so bloody and cruel as the other but yet more irksom and vexatious where you may over-come but can never have truce or peace so much harder is it to live a martyr then to die one and more crowns are due when you die oftner and onely live to add new crowns by dying daily This is a combat common to all Christians to all states and conditions whilst the other has been the happy lot only of a few this reaps a harvest of merits in the toilsome and laborious field of vertue whilst the other is a free gift and favour bestowed somtimes on the greatest sinners Happy therfore and thrice happy are you who are both chosen out for followers of the cross and also continue to follow it by your own free will and election not like those faint hearts who understand not this happiness but turning their backs to glory do comply so much with ease and terrene inclinations as to shrink out of the lists and decline this hard and toilsome enterprise but eouragiously treading that rough yet only secure path to happynesse by which the Eternall Father led his beloved sonne Oportebat Christum pati sic intrare in gloriam are by soe happy a necessity of suffering disposed to such admirable sentiments as this treatis will help you to practis which therfore I hope will be the more acceptable to you who I am sure are so far from shunning the difficulties you will meet with in the exercises here prescribed that you will rather take them for the first copies set to beginners and for easy draughts delineating only the first grounds and out lines of perfection whereby you being daily improved allured to so happy and profitable an enterprise will generously offer at more and greater for the present make it your delight to read a spirituall book to be somtimes retired and to absent and often withdraw your selves from worldly conversation to converse with God become more present to him and your selves to resist corrupted nature and follow Christ in the way of the cross and mortification and hereby become and continue such true pretenders to heaven as I either take you or heartily wish you to be and that I may be one of that happy number and become joynt parraker of what we all pretend to everlasting happiness I humbly beg the assistance of your good prayers THE PREFACE Of the necessity of performing our actions well in order to perfection YOu will not find here either studied discourses or elevated conceits touching the interiour and hidden life and the vertues which it forms in us there are spirituall books enough which give it's maximes teach it's secrets discover it's illusions here are only plaine reflections upon our ordinary actions teaching with what spirit they ought to be animated however I dare affirme that these practices are no less profitable to good souls than all those high and sublime rules which are given them of the severall degrees of prayer interiour abnegation for we want not so much knowledge instruction as the execution and practice thereof we are sufficiently instructed in this age in all spirituall matters but our misery consists in this that we content our selves with the bare knowledge out of books that treat of them it may be with speaKing thereof
time of your prayer unless you are hindred by indisposition detaining your self in a posture full of respect and as a victime sacrificed as well to the power of a God whom you honour by executing his will in spite of the difficulty you find in it as to his justice which you glorifie by suffering either the proof he makes of your fidelity or the pain wherewith he punisheth your past unfaithfulness The third thing to be observed in prayer is to make particular purposes resolutions as for example to overcome your inclinations humours to renounce your own will to mortifie your senses to humble moderate recollect your 〈◊〉 such such occasions In conâ—usion you ought to offer your good purposes resolutions to Jesus-Christ by the hands of his blessed mother The last thing to be performed is that when you know that God acts in you by certain lights or good motions which he bestows upon you you must receive these graces with a spirit altogether annihilated with an humble heart full of silence without abandoning your self intirely to sensibility without endeavouring by sighs or other tendernesses to conserve or augment the favours which you feel above all keep your self barely attentive during the whole time to God who acts in you rather then to what he does You must take care not to rest in a speculative languishing faith of his verities accompanied with a barren emptie satisfaction but ought to animate both with a lively practicall faith efficacious resolution to act accordingly IV. MASSE AT eight of the clock hear masse according to the practice which has been taught you or according to the spiritual exercise which you have for this purpose in some of your manuals or else you may satisfie your self with observing the following directions First go quietly to the Church begging of the blessed Virgin to obtain for you such sentiments feelings of compassion loue as she had for her son when she accompanied him to Mount Calvary say to your self come let us go my Soul let us go to see thy Saviour crucified Secondly entring into the Church take holy water conceiving an hearty sorrow for your sins keeping your eyes in an humble submissive posture before your God your Judge adore him with a lively faith give him your heart So long as you shall be in the Church chiefly all the time of holy masse continue in a respectfull posture without looking about and do not sit down unless by reason of some indisposition or weakness or that you should stay there very long Thirdly offer the mass you go to hear unto Almighty God in union with the intentions which Iesus Christ himself had when he offered the same sacrifice for us upon Mount Calvary which he now will have when he offers it againe to his eternall father upon the Altar Protest that you desire to joyn with him in his designs and to have the same interiour dispositions as also to make your whole self a victime together with him to be sacrificed to the glory of God alone But in particular offer the mass for these four ends first to honour the greatness of God secondly to thank him for all the graces and favours that he hath ever bestowed upon you thirdly to help and comfort the poor souls in purgatory more especially those who are forgotten abandoned by others or are detained there through your fault fourthly to beg of God for the sake of Iesus Christ some particular grace and favour as the victory over your own humour the love of your enemies a greater recollection such other vertues as you find your self to stand most in need of you may offer the same in the fifth place for that sinner who shall be in danger that day of dying in mortall sin without confession Fourthly after these intentions which you ought if you have opportunity to make before mass if you have not time to say your vocall prayers after mass you may recite them from the beginning of mass till Sanctus but if you have other time for them attend during the whole mass with all interiour application imaginable to this great sacrifice either as your spirituall directour has advised or according to the rules of your manuall or else after this manner first in the beginning ask together with the priest the pardon of your sins saying the Confiteor then till the Gospel exercise your soul in the consideration of the goodness of God who seeing in what an impossibility we were of saving our selves descended from heaven made himself man was born in a stable abasing annihilating himself before his father to appease his wrath which wee had justly provoked then give thanks to our Saviour for this excess of bounty goodness towards you protest that this day you will endeauour to humble your self in gratitude for in honour of the humiliations annihilations of his incarnation Secondly at the Gospel make an act of faith belief of all the verities which the priest there reads protesting that you are ready to die for the faith Beg of our Saviour to augment increase it in you to render it lively active desire him to enlighten convert all Infidels Hereticks offer your self to his justice to suffer that day something for their conversion Thirdly at the offertory offer up to God as a sacrifice by the hands of Iesus Christ your body soul life reputation kinred family estate all that you have and protest that you will make no other use of them then for the service glory of God and salvation of your own soul that you will retrench whatsoever s'hall be ill in them and even deprive your self often of what is not absolutely usefull sanctifying your whole exteriour by the spirit and conduct of his grace Fourthly from Sanctus to the Elevation think upon the death of our Saviour going over the chief mysteries of his passion from the garden of Olives to his crucifixion but make this reflection without staying long upon each particular satisfying your self with beholding Iesus suffering in these mysteries with a tender compassion an acknowledgement for a love of his goodness together with sorrow for your sins wickedness Fifthly at the Elevation offer unto the eternall father Iesus Christ his onely son adore him as lifted up on the cross for your sins beg of him to obtain mercy for you for all sinners present to his father all the drops of blood he shed all the moments of sadness his heart suffered the wounds wherewith his whole body was covered the injuries he endured for you beg of him for the sake hereof that he would have mercy on you Sixthly till Domine non sum dignus imploy your thoughts upon Christ sacrificed for your sake upon the Altar consider that he is come thither for your sake that he thinks of you that he prays for
undertaken by overcoming all your naturall repugnances this is the exercise wherein properly speaking true devotion solid vertue consist CHRISTIAN TRUTHS which may serve for subject or matter of aspirations prayer for ore very day when one has not taken any determinate subject or when what we have taKen does not move us I. THere is nothing great but God nothing to be esteemed but what conduceth to his service all the rest ought to be despised II. GOd knows all the misery that happens to me can deliver me from it if he pleases and having done suffered so much as he hath for my sake I cannot doubt but that he loues me wherefore certainly it is more advantagious for me to suffer this misery wherein I am at present then to be delivered from it since God does not think fit to take it away III. IT is now a long time that the goodness of God has urged me to overcome this ill habit this domineering passion that his patience has expected my amendment that his mercy has received me into favour as often as I have confessed these failings yet I use no endeavour to correct overcome them ought I not to grow weary of offending a God who is not weary of pardoning me IV. TO act in gods presence with sloath or passion to act with God by a motive of self-loue is to dishonour his presence to abuse his power to injure his loue V. IF a soul in purgatory had but one hour of that time which we loose what would it not do to merit heaven and if we had been but one moment in those flames what would we not to do avoid the least veniall sin VI. THe abuse of gods graces favours is so much the more to be feared by how much the less it is apprehended there is no inspiration which cost not our Saviour Jesus Christ much blood pain and yet every moment we neglect contemn them ô how terrible will be the account which one day will be demanded of them VII THat we may be able to suffer with courage we must consider that we suffer in the presence of God for God with God That the happiness of a Christian upon earth consists in suffering that pains are the heart's delight of Jesus that pure loue is onely found upon the cross wherefore we ought to suffer purely without consolation faithfully without sloath peaceably without impatience VIII JEsus laid in the manger Jesus dying on the cross Jesus sacrificed for us on the Altar ought to be the center of our hearts of our devotion to the end that these three states of Jesus may render us victims of the loue justice wisdome of God. IX A Soul ought always to have the desire of seeing God the fear of loosing him the sorrow of not being yet worthy to possess him X. SOlid vertue true devotion consist first in using a continuall violence against our selves Secondly in a continuall victory ouer our naturall repugnances Thirdly in not yeilding to or sparing our selves in any thing of humour or passion Fourthly in suffering with joy or at least with an interiour and exteriour quietness the being reprehended for our faults before others contradicted in all our inclinations If we do not endeavour to get this abnegation we may be assured that we shall never get solid vertue that all our devotion will be nothing else but delusion X. WHat a folly is it to have so great an affection to or concern for such goods as in a moment will slip away from us so great an indifferency for those that will remain with us for ever and this when we know that those are not so much as the shadow of these ô my God! is it reasonable that there should be nothing but you which we can loose without displeasure or that we should be less concern'd to loose a suit at law or displease a freind XII WE ought to go to confession with a spirit of sorrow to come from it with a spirit of sacrifice oblation in offering our selves intirely to the rigours of the justice of God arming our selves with a just desire of tevenging on our selves all the injuries which we have done to God. We ought moreover to remember after confession to apply the satisfactions of our dying Iesus for our sins offering them to his Eternall father as also to present to the justice of God all the sufferings which he shall please to send us till our next confession resolving to impose some pennance on our selves over and aboue what the Confessour has enjoyn'd us as some almes some restraint of our humour or passion or the like but aboue all we ought to take care not to dissipate or distract our selves immediately after confession XIII APproach unto Iesus Christ in the Communion with such a lively faith of his presence as may put you to an holy confusion Secondly with such a confidence as those sick persons had who according to the Scripture doubted not but that they should be healed if they could but once approach Iesus Christ or touch his garments Thirdly with a fervent loue with a great desire of uniting your self most intimately with Iesus of transforming your self intirely into him that you may neither live nor act but by him for him in him Fourthly receive him with a profound respect thumbling annihilating your self in his presence being content to remain at his feet in silence Fifthly beg of him that he himself would return thanks to his eternall father for you that he would entertain himself within you since you are unable to make him such an entertainment as he deserues that he would ask for you that which he sees necessary Sixthly joyn with that sacrifice which he makes of himself in your heart a sacrifice of whatsoever is there displeasing to him Seventhly asK of him with confidence a victory over your bad inclinations offer some one of your defects to him desiring him to overcome it in you cause you to keep a watch ouer your self for that purpose till your next communion Eighthly remember that the true fruit of a good communion consists in strength to overcome your self in occasions to keep your self more recollected during that whole day rather then in tenderness sensible devotion which is soon dissipated XIV ONe ought to neglect nothing in the service of God but to be very faithfull to avoid the least most light imperfections to overcome ones self in small things to perform even the least actions as in the presence of God to mortify ones self in a thousand very inconsiderable occasions to sanctifie the least pains by a generall resignation of our selves to the justice of God without this fidelity 't is impossible ever to arrive to an eminent perfection nay one will soon fall into â—epidity into a great danger of being lost XV.
ALl the world speaks of dying to themselves but few know what it is scarce any one does it with such fidelity as is necessary yet none can have an intire conversion to God live intirely to him without ceasing to live to them selves The first step that leads to this death is to deny all such satisfaction to our senses as is either inordinate or unprofitable and to purifie them by mortifying displeasing objects Wherefore 't is noâ— enough not to forbear the looking on any object with any tie of satisfaction or curiosity or the giving ear to any thing which is spoken against our neighbour or to what we have too eager a desire of knowing or the speaking with passion impatience or vanity or the eating between meals or at meals with too much desire of pleasing our appetites I say it is not enough to refuse these a thousand other little commodities unprofitable pleasures to our bodies but we ought to oblige our selves sometimes to see to speak and to hear such things as we have a repugnance to which mortify displease us The second step to die to ones self is to suppress stifle such reflections thoughts of mind as are unprofitable or curious or may give our soul any inclination towards creatures The third step is to moderate the desires of our heart when they are too violent to retrench or cutt off all adhesion tie to creatures all search after them all rest confidence in them that we may keep fast to God alone DISPOSITIONS of mind during the time of Advent I. An ardeni desire thut Iesus Christ may be born reign absolutely in our hearts The 1. Exercise For the Morning THat which was done from the beginning of the world by the holy Patriarcks who all sighed after the coming of our Saviour for the salvation of all mankind in generall the same each christian ought to perform for his own advantage in particular during this holy time of Advent 1. We ought to wish that Jesus may be born in us this ought to be our onely as well as efficacious constant desire that is to say 1. We must desire nothing but to possess Jesus be possessed by him to loue him to be beloued by him 2. we must desire that he should reign absolutely in our understandings by a lively active faith in our hearts by a strong over-ruling loue which may render our wills intirely subject to his bound stop all the sallies of humour passion ouer our senses by depriving them of all such satisfactions as they inordinately seek after ouer our actions by conforming our life to the pattern of his own because it is by this means that Jesus will be born in our hearts reign absolutely in them will be in us as the soul of a holy perfect life 3. In fine this desire of the birth of Jesus in our souls ought to be constant that we may joyfully consent that our Saviour should himself endeavour to form his own image within us by pains both of body mind by persecutions from men derelictions froâ— God by all the evils of this life as a carver makes use of his chissel hammer by force of blows renders his statue beautifull cutting oâ— whatever is any way rude or deformed therein 2. But that we may obtain of Goâ— this spirituall birth of Jesus Chrisâ— in our souls let us address ouâ— selves to the blessed Trinity let uâ— daily ask of the Eternall Father to give us his son that is to say thaâ— he would animate us with his spirit with his maxims destroy in us the spirit maxims of the world And we out of a due acKnowledgeâ—ment of so pretious a gift since ' tiâ— no less then God himself ought to receive the same with much respect gratitude in the communion where of 't is good to pertake frequently during this holy time 3. Let us beg of the son of God that he would give himself intirely to our souls as a victim in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar wherein he incorporates himself with us transforms us in to himself that as the the fruit benefit of our communions he would let us live only for him by him in him For him as the end of all our actions by a pure holy intentions by him as the source life of whatsoever we shall either do say or think in him as in a center where our hearts will be at rest Or else that he would give himself unto us as the model pattern of our life which cannot be christian unless it be like unto that of Iesus Christ Or lastly that he would bestow himself on us as the remedy vanquisher of sin of self-loue of our evil inclinations hindring us from falling into any voluntary fault healing the wounds scarrs which sin has made in our souls by imparting to us a sincere sorrow for having committed them a firm resolution of avoiding them the tears sighs of an humble contrite heart the holy martyrdom of an heart which is an enemy to its own pleasures is armed against it self bâ— an holy hatred 4. Let us in fine beg of the holy Ghost that he would produce form Iesus Christ in our hearts by the mosâ— pure flames of his loue and that he would imprint in them the simplicity humility innocence of the Infant Iesus 1. His simplicity first that we may treat with God in prayer without reflecting on any thing which is not himself nor even on that which we receive from him to the end that we may unite our selves to him with the whole strength of our souls permitting him to take the intire possession of us Next that we may treat with men in our commerce conversations without any dissimulation or deceit And lastly that we may treat wit hour own selves without flattering our selves in our faults or hiding them from our own sight 2. His humility nor such however as that of a God as it were annihilated for man cannot descend or humble himself after this manner because he cannot go beyond his nothing out of which he was taken but such as consist in a sincere acknowledgement of what we are viz according to nature pure nothing neither meriting of nor good for any thing in respect of grace unable to think so much as one good for any thing in respect of grace unable to think so much as one good thought by our own strength or to recover our selves from the state of sin without the actuall help assistance of God having onely power of our selves to do evil incurre our damnation 3. The innocence of the Infant Iesus that we may be preserved from all sin even from such venial ones as are voluntary free from all inordinate affections or ties to creatures as
That he may become the soul of your soul that he may wean disengage your heart from the loue of of temporall goods to imitate his poverty that he may make you live a life full of humility of obedience simplicity to enter thereby into the true spirit of his Infancy II. 1. EAch day of the Octave renew these sentiments in your prayer in the evening take part in the joy which the Angells and shepheards tefied at the sight of a God become an Infant Acknowledge a God by the markes which heaven gives of him in the crib To witt in the swadling cloths in the extream poverty in which he was born stongly convince your self that you ought to be poor either in effect or in heart to resemble Iesus to save your self 2. Give in the honour of Jesus the Infant some suit or swadling cloths to the child of some poor body visit during this office the children brought up in the Hospitall doing them some service with as much affection as you would to the Infant Iesus 3. Apply your self to keep your heart in an indifferency to all things in a resignation to the divine providence in peace silence before this divine Infant as Infants are wont to live in indifferency to all things without concerning themselves for any thing reposing wholly upon the care of their parents 4. Speak little to creatures during this tyme to be the better able to imploy your self the more in the thoughts loue of the Infant Iesus forget your self to be able to thinK of nothing but him O love ô love how powerfull art thou to make of God an Infant O my heart how ingratefull art thou if thou lovest not this Infant God! This is the aspiration which thou oughtest to renew severall times a day 5. In fine approach often if your Directour rhink fit to holy communion during the Octave to incorporate your self with the Infant Jesus to act nothing but by his spirit to live no more but by his life to love humiliations poverty the interiour renunciation of all satisfaction of the heart or the senses that is the better to conform your self to these inclinations of little Iesus The exercises of Christian life during lent GENERALL ADVICES I. Lent is a time of Sanctitie THe time of lent is a time of sanctity and devotion these are the days of salvation as the scripture stiles them so that we ought to apply our selves more at this time then at any other of the year with an exact fidelity to our perfection thaâ— is to say 1. To perform our exercises of devotion with more fervour frit our exteriour exercise with a greater interiour To be more upon our guard to resist all the sallys of our humour all the unprofitable reflections or relapses of our minds upon creatures all the extravagancies of our senses 3. To use violence to ones self to overcome ones naturall repugnances to act no longer according to custome or inclination but according to the interiour spirit of grace 4. To entertain ones self more frequently in the presence of God either ones mind by a frequent recourse to him or ones heart by a constant desire to please him 5. To apply ones self with greater zeal to the practise of some vertue every month and in the day to make some interiour or exteriour acts of it 6. To make it oâ—es study to keep ones self iâ— time of prayer peaceable humble submissive respectfull before God â—ithout disquieting or troubling ones felf for all the distractions distasts sterilitys that may happen in it seeking nothing else but to please God without minding to please ones self Remembring the advice our Lord gives us not to discourse too much in it with peace of mind to be satisfied with the state of privation insensibility when God puts us therein To labour by means of our examition to know all that is bad or ill in us to correct it that which is human to purifie it that which is unprofitable to elevate it 8. Not to content ones self with an affective devotion which consists onely in good thoughts desires resolutions which one may have to do well but to perswade ones self that true devotion and solid vertue consist in doing what God will have us in spite of all our naturall repugnances 9. In ones spirituall reading to relish well what one reads as in all one 's other actions to expect therefrom all the fruit of gods grace 10 To make ones confâ—ssions with more sorrow for what is past morâ— confusion for the present more resolution for the future more circumspection ouer ones self the day one has confessed 11. To make ones communionâ— with more faith confidence loue with a more ardent desire to unite ones self to Iesus Christ with a more profound respect with a greater recollection union to the sacrifice which Christ makes in our hearts to his eternall Father more fervency in our demands more reservedness the rest of the day II. Lent is a tyme of penance PEnance is either interiour which consists in an efficacious sorrow for our sins or exteriour which compreheâ—ds satisfactory works For the first one ought all the lent long to have ones heart continually contrite humble before God so perform out of this stock of sorrow state of compunction a continuall mortification during this holy time consecrated intirely to penance So that every hour it were good to make an act of contrition for ones sins rather by a sigh of our heart then by Formall words my God forgive me I 'le sin no more my God I 'le do nothing more to displease thee For the second one ought to observe when at age the fast of the Church But 1. we must perform it with such joy as our saviour instructs us to do as may be so much the greater the more pain we have to do it for then the merit is also greater 2. We must perform it in union with the fast of Iesus Christ for to honour it 3. In the exact privation of all things that may flatter our senses I mean of the curiosity of our eyes our ears or the satisfactions or nice choice of words for we ought to joyn the abstinence of our other sences with our mouths 2. We ought to augment our ordinary austeritys according to the advice of our directour 3. We ought to distribute greate almes then ordinary yet not without our directours advice because wâ— ought to do penance at this time foâ— our whole years sins III. Lent is a time of solitude T Is at this time the better to honour the solitude of Jesus Christ that we ought to form to our selveâ— an interiour exteriour solitude The first consists in removing from our memorys all ill human unprofitâ—ble thoughts to let it bâ— taken up with nothing but God present or his holy will to blot out oâ—
do good works with the spirit of Christianity IT would be convenient you should take one day in the week to visâ— the prisoners or the poor in thâ— Hospitall but take care aboue aâ— things not do to these holy action either out of custome without aâ— interiour spirit or out of custome without an interiour spirit or out oâ— a pure naturall compassion therefore before you beging these visits 1. Pass by some Church theâ— demand the benediction of our Saviour beg of him that he would animate you with the spirit with which he used himself to visit comfort afflicted persons at the same time offer to him the action you are going to perform go to the place you design to visit with modesty recollection 2. As soon as you are arrived there look upon the poor sick as the images of Iesus Christ salute their good Angells beg of them to inspire you with good thoughts so long as you shall be speaking with them 3. And since they are not onely often ignorant of what belongs to the duty of a Christian but always in affliction entertain them always with some word of instruction particularly concerning confession communion and likewise of consolation compassion letting them know that you take part in their sufferings giving them hoâ—es they shall one day receive a recompence for them in heaven 4. Accompany your almes with an actuall desire to please God to assist Jesus Christ in his members 5. Shun all vanity all reboundings of self-satisfaction that may spring from this action which you are to keep at secret as you can 6. Overcome generously all she repugnance that you may have in approaching the poor sick persons the better to overcome your self affect rather to approach the party for whom you find your self to have the greatest naturall horror provided his disease be not catching Salute the blessed Sacrament returning from your visit beg like a poor body of Iesus Christ a spirituall almes for your soul by the the particular tenderness he has for poor those that assist them 8. In sin eremember that the Almes done in this manner is an excellent means to please God to blot out your sins to purify your heart from all engagements to obtain for your selves suck particular favours as God imparts to his freinds to gain the heart of Iesus Christ to â—ppease the wrath of your Iudge to obtain the vertues you want to correct your imperfections Wherefore make a resolution never to deny any poor body since he procures far more for you towards the salvation of your soul then you give him for the relief of his body A practise for the Octave of the blessed Sacrament ONe must honour the state condition of Iesus Christ in the blessed Sacrament 1. In the morning by offering him your actions thereby to return him thanks for this great benefit 2. by making every hour some aspiration to Iesus Christ who is in the blessed Sacrament on the Altar with an ardent desire to unite himself to you 3. by reciting every day the Office of the blessed Sacrament performing our communions during this time with an extraordinary preparation of faith confidence humility loue in mortifying your tongue heart in thâ— sallys of your humour because botâ— the one the other have the honouâ— to receive Iesus Christ It is good every day to spend somâ— time extraordinary before the blessed Sacrament So that the first day you may visiâ— and honour him as a victim that sacrifices himself for you you may remain in his presence in the spiriâ— of a sacrifice begging of him to make you a victim of his loue that he would destroy in you what soever is displeasing to him The second day you may honour his annihilations in the Eucharist look upon him as a God humbled so low as to put himself under the form of a little bread for loue of you you may remain quite annihilated in his presence begging him to destroy in you all your pride that he would make you love a hidden life The third day you may honour his loue Which makes him give himself Wholly to you that he may intirely transform you into himself you may consecrate to him all the inclinations desires of your heart The fourth day you may honour him as your father that feeds your with his own proper substance remain before him in the spirit of confidence in his goodness The fifth day you may honour his life of consummation which obliges him his own self to loose his sacramentall life being to be destroyed to consummate our perfection in our souls beg of him to destroy in you all that is not God. The 6 7. 8. th days you may honour the vertues which he practises upon the Altar beg the imitation of them as of his exact obedience his humility his patience his prayers or continuall application to his father his charity for the salvation of souls his loue his solitude his mortificaiion endeavour each day to imitate some one of these vertues RULES OF FIDELITY to arrive to an eminent perfection I. Fidelity in the generall examen consists 1. IN avoiding the least sin or imperfection all things that either displease or at least do not please God. 2. In performing the least spiritual and indifferent actions with an interiour spirit not influenced by humour custom or vanity 3. In suffering all that gives pain to mind or body with resignation fidelity and love this is the matter or subject of the general examen II. Fidelity in the particular examen consists 1. IN observing the very least rules prescribed by obedience 2. In doing every thing in the moment prescribed by obedience 3. In overcoming the repugnance of our humour in all occasions even in the least things III. Fidelity in the continual examen or vigilance over ones self Which neither allows nor pardons in ones self any naturall satisfaction Whatever consists 1. IN watching over our senses to cut off thence all ill unprofitable human or even but meerly naturall satisfactions 2. In watching over our minds to annihilate all considerations or reflections that are human whether they proceed from vanity curiosity or impertinence 3. In watching over our hearts to stifle all human motions that is to say all over ardent or over eager desires of any thing whatsoever all immoderate joy or tenderness all fondness all relish or satisfaction which one may take in any thing one does all sensible pleasure that may cause a heart to live to its self T is in the fidelity of these three sorts of examens that consists a perfect self-deniall true devotion solid vertue all sanctity FROM THE ASCENSION to whitsontide I. ONe must enter into an exteriour retreat with the holy Virgin the Apostles casting off all unnecessary business visits or unprofitable discourses
all mankind how is it possible that I should dare to receive you within my self who have so often provoked your anger O my God receive your self in me because I am unworthy to approach you o my Saviour offer your self within me to your father at the same time sacrifice to your father to your divine justice all that is criminall or human within me O my judge condemn me not for my tepidity O my God one word alone from you suffices to make me a Saint to heal all the maladies of my soul who am unworthy to receive you within my self O my Saviour how sorry am I that I have ever offended you and caused you to suffer so much for my sake O my judge how does your presence pierce my heart with horrour confusion when I think that I go to receive him who one day will judge me concerning the action I am about to perform who bears in his hands my eternal happiness or misery 2. Endeavour to conceive a firm confidence a fervent love an ardent desire to receive Jesus Christ because you ought to be convinced that 't is the same Saviour who is so charitable so good as to heal all those that approach him with faith have recourse to him with confidence 3. â— Excite in your self an ardent desire to receive your soveraign good your redeemer deliverer who are a slave to your passions your Physician who are sick your Saviour who are in danger of perishing 4. Abouâ— all remember after you have received your God to recollect your self for some time eithâ—r casting your self at his feet with S. Magdelen to hear his instructions or adoring him with the Leper in the Gospell saying with him Lord if you please you can cure me or in fine consecrating your self intirely to him begging of him to take possession of your heart of your body to unite transform you into himself to become for the future the soul of all your actions the rule model of your life that it may be he that lives in you by you that all you do may be animated with his spirit If you find your self much transported by the sweetness deliciousness that the presence of Jesus Christ may diffuse in you remain with silence at his feet begging him to receive himself and to thank himself in you be contented to remain with a profound respect in his presence 5. Make your petitions to him with fervency with a firm confidence of being heard in them beg of him the grace never to loose his favour by a mortall sin to die in an act of his love Beseech him earnestly to inspire you with a contempt of the world with a disengagement from all earthly objects patience in the government of your family charity in conversation so as never to be backbiting your neighbours liberality towards the poor fidelity to his graces with the spirit of devotion in your prayers 6. lastly after having returned thanks most affectionately to the goodness of Jesus Christ in vouchsafing to come into your heart offer to him in gratitude the victory you may have gotten over the sallys of your humour or any other imperfection that displeases him in you which is most customary take care till the next communion to be faithfull in this point to correct this imperfection five times a day quell this passion in honour of the five wounds of our Saviour 7. Put your self from time to time during the day in mind of what passed in communion remember the favour you have received of your Jesus to give him thanks for it And keep a guard over your heart tongue that you may not prophane either by any word or inordinate desires of your own a soul that is sanctified by the presence of a God. 13. In fine remember to make reflections from time to time in the day time upon the great truths of Christianity to convince your mind of them engrave them deep in your heart Think often 1. that you have but one soul to loose or save but once to die well or ill 2. that one cannot go to heaven without merit that one cannot merit but by using violence over ones passions 3. that God whom we serve so carelesly is the disposer of our misery or happiness that he has heaven hell at his disposal Alas if we search with so much earnestness the favour of those upon whom depends a good success of our affairs why do we neglect his freindship upon whom depends a happy or miserable Eternity 4. What a blindness is it to regret the loss of what we have here in this world not be concerned at the loss of a God which by a mortall sin we sustain 5. It is impossible to love serve God the world at the same time and to save ones self the broad and easy way we must necessarily renounce either the heavenly or earthly paradise 6. what will it profit you to have gained all the riches of the world if you loose your own soul A SAINT FOR THE YEAR SAINT ROSE THE VERTVE The renouncing of the pleasures of sense curiosity vanity and rallerie THE PRACTICE First to say nothing in passion Secondly not to be so easy as to comply with any that shall backbite others Thirdly to seek nothing out of pure curiosity or self-satisfaction I. Before Communion 1 J go to receive a God who is my judge O grant my Jesus that I may not receive thee to my damnation 2. I am about to receive in my heart a God who is my Saviour o God receive thou thy self there with the love thou deservest 3. O my judge I tremble I am ready to die with confusion grief whilst I approach your majesty O my Saviour I hope in your goodness I abandon my self entirely to you I burn with desire to open my heart to you I will die with love of you breath my last in you I unite my self to all the respect which Angels to all the love which Seraphins bear you to all the confidence of the sick that you have cured o my Jesus during your whole life I hope with them that you will give a speedy remedy to all the diseases of my soul II. During Communion 1. O my Jesus o my love o God of glory o God of goodness o majesty of my God! who are you who am I 2. Receive your self in me thank your self in me Sacrifice your self upon my heart for me I unite my self to all that you are going to do in me 3. In your passage thorough my heart heal all its curiosities all the ill words of my tongue III. After Communion 1. O liberality of my Jesus how am I obliged to you for having given me a God for the nourishment of my soul O that all creatures all the Angels would oyn with me in giving you due
dispositâ—ons which your holy soul had at the last moment of your life to which I unite my self with all my heart to supply those which I want I abandon my self entirely to you to suffer for your love the pains of death as long many as you please I renounce disavow all the impatience evill thar their force may cause me unwillingly to committ Have recourse to the blessed Virgin the Saints O holy Virgin mother of my God refuge of Sinners be now my Advocate grant I may feel the effects of your power with the blessed Trinity O Mary mother of grace mother of mercy receive me at the houâ— of my death defend me from my Enemies Shew that you are my mother obtain that he who for our salvation was willing to become your son be born of you may receive me by your intercession O all yee Saints blessed spirits interceed now for my soul in this extremity that I may obtain the victory over my enemies Great S. Joseph you all my holy patrons Protectours assist me Great S. Michael fight for me Charitable Angell my dear Guardian defend me from the ambushes of my Enemies and forsake me not in this last passage Eternal father look upon me in your dear son Jesus Christ who has shed his blood for my salvation Have pitty upon me according to the greatness of your mercies pardon my sins for the glory of your holy name Enter not into judgement with me o my God for in thy sight no one living can justify himself My divine Jesus put your cross your passion between your judgement and my soul My God my destiny is in your hands save me I beseech you O Lord in you have I trusted therefore I shall not be eternally confounded An act of adoration to the most holy Trinity O most holy most adorable Trinity I adore you with my whole heart I unite my self both for the present for eternity to all the adorations praises which the most holie humanity of my Saviour Jesus Christ his most holy mother together with all the Saints and Angels do or have renderd you or shall eternally render you in heaven I offer you all the sacrifices of this most holy humanity which are now offerd or shall be daily offerd to the day of judgement all the world over in satisfaction of all my sins in thanksgiving for all your divine benefits bestowed upon me If the Recommendation of the soul be said observe to say at the end this conclusion afterwards say the Responsory Subvenite Sancti c. Conclusion of this Exercise Act of abandonment resignation O my God I abandon my self without reserve to that divine judgement you shall pronounce upon my soul I submit my self to it with all my heart I adore reverence it as most just equitable now for Eternity A Spirituall Expiring Holding your cross in your hand Say these words Behold o my God my Creatour my Redeemer that I come unto you because you call me receive me in the bosome of your mercy And amorously kissing the wounds of your Crucifix pronounce the holy namas of Jesus Mary at each wound then repeating the last words of our Saviour My God into your hands I yeeld up my Spirit expire in the sacred wound of the side of Jesus chose it for your grave hide your self in his sacred heart After this Exercise we must look upon our selves as dead to the world to our selves accordingly we should often repeat those words of S. Paul I live yet not I but Iesus Christ that lives in me my life is hid with Iesus Christ in God. THE RECOMMENDATION of the soul which ought to begin with these little Letanies the following prayers are to be said in time of agony these may serve for those that are about the dying person LOrd have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Holy Mary prayer for him Holy Angells pray for him Holy Abel pray for him Quire of all the just pray for him S. Abraham pray for him S John Baptist pray for him Holy Patriarchs Prophets pray for him S. Peter pray for him S. Paul pray for him S. Andrew pray for him S. Johne pray for him Holy Apostles Evangelists pray for him Holy Disciples of our Lord pray for him Holy Innocents pray for him S. Stephen pray for him S. Laurence pray for him Holy Martyrs pray for him S. Silvester pray for him S. Gregory pray for him S. Austin pray for him Holy Bishops Confessors pray for him S. Bennet pray for him S. Francis pray for him Holy Monks Hermits pray for him S. Mary Magdalen pray for him S. Lucy pray for him Holy Virgins Widdows pray for him Saints of God of both sexes interceed for him Lord be mercifull unto him pardon all his sins Lord be mercifull to him deliver him O Lord deliver him from your wrath Deliver him from the danger of death Deliver him from an evill death Deliver him from the pains of hell Deliver him from all evill Deliver him from the power of the devil Deliver him by your holy Nativity Deliver him by your holy cross passion Deliver him by your holy death burial Deliver him by your glorious resurrection Deliver him by your admirable ascension Deliver him by the grace of the holy Ghost the Comforter Deliver him in the day of judgement Lord we beseech thee to hear us poor Sinners We beseech thee to hear us soe as to pardon him Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us THE PRAYER Proficiscere anima christiana CHristian soul leave this world in the name of the omnipotent Father who created thee in the name of his son Jesus Christ who redeemed thee in the name of the holy Ghost who diffused himself in thee in the name of the holy Angells Archangells Thrones Dominations Cherubins Seraphins in the name of the Patriarchs Prophets in the name of the Apostles evangelists of the holy Martyrs Confessors in the name of the holy Religious Anchorites of the holy Virgins of all the Saints of God that this day your habitation may be in peace your abode in the holy Sion by the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen THE PRAYER Deus clemens O God of goodness clemency who according to the infinite-greatness of your mercies blot out the sins of the penitent pardon their crimes sins past cast a propitious look upon your servant N hear his prayers for the remission of all his sins which he confesses with all his heart as much as he is able Renew in him o best of Fathers whatever may in time be either corrupted by the frailty of nature or depraved by the malice of the Devil unite to the body of your triumphant Church
I am pleased with my condition because it pleases you and I am here in your presence for no other end then to please you 4. O my God my all my God my love my joy my hope let me cease to be to my self that you may be all in me 5. O my God I see nothing I feel nothing I tast nothing of you But I am contented to posses you in a manner above the sense of seeing tasting or feeling I would not have you but in your self without my self 6. The Angells ô Lord honour you in heaven by silence mankind on Earth by annihilation peace and intire resignation Remain in me and let me remain in peace and lost in you 7. Neither privations emptinesse distractions insensibilities tediousnes and oppressions shal separat me from my God you come from him and you unite me to him 8. O my soule thou dost much whilst thou thinkst thou dost nothing thou contentest thy God thou pleasest him by being so thou expirest in him thou loosest thy self for him and sacrifisest thy self to him thou art no longer in thy self but dost passe into him 9. O the good will and pleasure of my God how dear art thou to me Be content with me my God and I am satisfyed You will have me to be so 10. O Pure faith which transformes my mind into God by blinding it O pure love which unites my hart unto the hart of my God by despoyling it of all things remove consume and destroy in me all that is humane sensible or naturall 11. Who are you my God and who am I that I should dare to speake before or behold you I am but a litle dust and a pure nothing before you so you looke vpon me it is enough I ought to be content with my nothing and to be nothing 12. Lord you can do all things you know all things and you love me you know my wants and my miseries it is enough I desire nothing but you I abandon my self to you do what you will with me and in me Advice in desolation in time of Prayer 1. SUpport your self by the former feellings renewing them by a simple reguard in God begining your prayer to annihilat your self before God intirely abandoning your self to him to believe you are not idle whilst you do this thô you neither feel nor know any thing but be in peace and contented to be nothing in Gods presence The arme that holds it self without motion dos it do nothing You abandoning all things running to and putting your self continually in God is it not to act after a divine manner In a word God would have you to be in the state you are obey and remain in peace 2. Be not one of those souls who reject all the good thoughts God gives them to remain without action as they call it and in pure passivenesse which is an errour and a pure idlenesse but when you feel your self moved to adore and love God and to abandon your self to him receave humbly and follow simply this impulse yet without tying your selfe to it or desire of keeping or augmenting it and be equally contented to have or loose it one is not to act as of ones self but to follow the impression of grace 3. In fine make it your employment your repose your satisfaction in prayer to content God. Remain firme there to honour his greatness by the sense of your nothing and go from it intirely resolved to renounce your self in all things FOR MASSE AND COMMVNION To which one must carry the state of a victime and the spirit of a Sacrifice 1. O JESUS victime of my salvation who offered your self as one for me cause all that is within me to become a victime of your love and that I may be entirely sacrificed to your good will and pleasure and to your glory 2. O God annihilated crucified and sacrificed for me annihilate crucify and sacrifice all that is humane sensible and savours of self love in me 3. O my JESUS you worke miracles to put your self in a condition to enter into my hart work one more by gaining it intirely to your self make an altar of it where you may never cease to be offering your self a sacrifice to your Father sacrifice in me all that is not yours that I may cease to be and may expire in you 4. All in JESUS is a victime upon the Altar all is there annihilated all is destroyd nothing of him appeares Behold what I ought to be to heare Masse well and to communicat as I ought A simple faith ought to sacrifice the light of my understanding the love of the good will and pleasure of God ought to sacrifice the intire satisfaction of my hart The respect to the presence of my God ought to make me forget my self and to sacrifice my person intirely vnto him O how glorious is it to be the victime of a God to destroy ones self for him and to expire in him 5. During the time of Masse remain in the spirit of an united sacrifice annihilated and lost in JESVS offered vp for you vpon the altar the abandoning your self the silence and respect in presence of JESVS honouring his Father after this manner ought to be the foundation of all your dispositions Jn this manner did Mary assist at the bloody sacrifice of her son vpon the altar her eyes and hart were fixt vpon him by a simple reguard full of respect and love and t' is after the same manner you ought to assist at Masse 6. O my JESUS I consent to all that you do for me upon the altar and I do the same in you and for you All is yours ô my love nothing but you all for you What streames of blood what wounds what injuries do you my JESVS suffer for so ungratfull a hart as myne is my IEsus dies of love for me and can I still live to my self 7. Go from Masse with peace courage and a firme resolution to dye to all things for IESVS and to sacrifice to him all your satisfactions and humours this determination and this resolution is the true fruit of holy Masse O my soule thou must live no longer any other life but that which is crucified annihilated and sacrificed to IESVS become a victime for love of him For Communion 1. T Is the end and fruit of a good communion to receive a God to live the life of a God to unite our selves to God to be like IESVS by the assistance of his grace to have his sentiments his inclinations and his qualities to be no more to ones self and to live no other but such a supernaturall and divine life as that of IESVS 2. O the infinit Majesty of a God! who dares approach you Yet ô Soveraign love ô infinit bounty of my God who is able to be from you You are in the host for no other end but to enter into my hart and take possession of it you burn with desire to be