God. 2. This gift makes us see God in all things makes all things carry us to God So that a soul which is enlightened with it considers nothing that is good rich or perfect in creatures but onely iâ— God as in the source of all bounty goodness It is full of the Idea of thâ— greatness of God It penetrates chrâ—stian verities with a supernaturall view It discovers in abjection in thâ— cross beauties unknown to sensual soules depises all earthly goods 2. O my God dissipate the darkneâ— of my mind by the light of your holy spirit grant I may judge no more oâ— things according to their appearances according to sense but according to truth according to the supernaturall view of grace that all things that I understand may carry me to you that all creatures may disappear in the presence of their Creatour to the end that God alone may take up my mind which is made to know him my heart which was created to ove him 3. Observe that which is marked the first day after meditation to wit the frequent aspirations during the whole day taken out of the affections marked in your meditation The visit of the blessed Sacrament The office of the holy Ghost The veni Creator to obtain this Gift do the same the other days of the Octave THE III. DAY The Gift of Knowledge 1. COnsider that the gift of knowledge when it enlightens a soul it makes it judge of things as God himself does that is to say it makes it esteem nothing great but the service of God to fear nothing but his displeasure to love nothing but what makes us more agreable in his eyes 2. This gift enlightens us in the knowledge of the Crucifix that is to say it makes us behold with respect all the crosses that God sends us proceding from the cross deify'd in Jesus-Christ therefore makes us far from complaining of them it receives them with gratefull acknowledgement thanks our Saviour for them as for a singular favour it thinks it self more happy in suffring a contempt an affliction an injury a persecution an affront a refusall a drieness a sensible dereliction of Goâ— in prayer more then in possessing the whole earth wherefore the soâ— thus enlightened with the gift oâ— knowledge when any pain happen to it goes immediately casts iâ— self on its knees before a Crucifix tâ— receive its cross as from the hand oâ— God with respect submission loue 2. O my Jesus O that the beamâ— of your cross were more known to the world O how do they contemne the holy reliques of your cross which you offer to us shut up in the pain of this life O cross of my Saviour O how often have I adored you iâ— my Crucifix which is your image despised in my pains which are youâ— true effects as it were your sâ— many other selves THE IV. DAY The Gift of Counsell 1. COonsider that this gift carrys us 1. to consult God in all things that we undertake 2. to do nothing but by the motions of grace or according to the maximes of the Gospell 3. never to neglect inspirations interiour admonitions of the holy Ghost but readily faithfully to follw them 4. to give good counsell to such as ask our advice 5. never to follow that which vanity humour or self love counsells us to do but to do that onely which the spirit of grace the love of our abjection inspires us 2. O my God! how much reason have I to fear that I have been the cause of the sin damnation of many persons by my ill counsells Perhaps at this present there are some in hell which would have been in heaven if I had counselled them in their despaire assisted them in their poverty or withdrawn them by my good counsells from the occasion of sin O how many have I ruined by my bad example What reproaches will these damned make me at the day of Iudgement O holy Ghost how sorry am I that I have so often neglected thy counsells to follow the sentiment of self love O that I could be so faithfull for the future as never to do any thing contrary to your â—nspirations but in all things to follow your counsel THE V. DAY The Gift of Fortitude 1. COnsider the effects of this gift which are 1. to render our selves so perfect masters of our humours of our choler of our passions that we may crush stifle their revolts in their birth 2. to give us invincible courage in our pains never to permit our selves to be oppressed by them but to remain faithfull in them 3. to give us stedfastness in our good resolutions courage constantly to follow that which we have undertaken for the glory of God the salvation of souls inspite of all contradictions contempt or oppositions of creatures 4. to establish all our happiness in sufferings or the persecutions that we undergo for the good we would do 2. O Jesus humbled despised o that your affronts would render my contempts pleasing to me And that your annihilations would give me courage to suffer my self to be reduced to nothing for your sake in the esteem of all men Holy spirit grant that my mind may find its strength in the weakness of my body that I may never fall under the burthen of the cross O how I am confounded to see that there needs onely a rude word a contradiction nay a nothing to make me fall into impatience It seems to me when I goe from my prayer that I want no force to do suffer all things but how weak am I when the occasion presents it self Give me grace to suffer all things from others to make me suffer my self THE VI. DAY The Gift of Piety 1. COnsider that this gift inspires a soul with true devotion which consists 1. in performing with fervour promptitude all that God desires of us 2. in loving prayer the exercises of piety the frequenting of the Sacraments solitude reading recollection of mind in the presence of God. This gift imprints in the heart so lively and animated a tenderness for the love of God thaâ— one is ready to do suffer all things to please him 2. Ought I ô my God so often to bear the cross yet neuer to bear it well O that a soul were as knowing in the science of Saints to esteem love cherish crosses as worldlings shun reject them O Cross ô holy Cross how can you be all my consolation comfort in my life how can I look upon you at the day of judgement with confidence if I receive you not with respect in this world suffering my pains with submission silence love THE VII DAY The Gift of the Fear of God. 1. COnsider that this gift imprints in our hearts a filial respectfull fear of God which makes us apprehend the least sin because 't is displeasing to God
in conversation and if sometimes it happens that we find some relish of these truths or penetrate a little deeper then ordinary into them we look on our selves as already great proficients in spirit rest there without passing on to any practice thereof T is enough at present for a devout person to have by him the Treatise called the Interiour Christian now and then to read in it to believe himself a very spirituall person much advanced in perfection We see many souls much addicted to read the latter end of this book where it treats of the most high sublime degrees of prayer but we see very few who exercise themselves in the practice of the love of contempt mortification and suffering whereof the Authour treats in the beginning For my part I am perswaded that we have more need of having our hearts touched then our minds enlightened and that we stand more in need to be animated to practice what is good then to have bare desires of it wherfore I thought it very profitable to instruct good and devout souls how to perform all their exteriour actions with an interiour spirit not to follow their own humour custome or sensuality but to render their actions as I may say full of god and to animate them with the spirit of his grace In effect all who know what belongs to true devotion christian perfection agree that it consists in doing the will of god and that in such manner as he will have it done and that this is the sanctity to which god calls all christians of what condition soever Now it is in the ordinary actions which every one in his state performs that the will of god is marked out to us and therefore all our perfection consists in doing them well All persons are not capable of high and elevated prayer and if they be not called to it they will not at the day of Judgement be accountable for it wherefore 't is not necessary to them to Know the severall degrees of prayer and all that is got by such notions is either vanity if they flatter themselves with a belief that they are carried by those sublime wayes or else discouragement if they find themselves uncapable of them but there are none of how mean a capacity soever they be who are not able to perform their actions with an interiour spirit and therefore 't is not only profitable but necessary to Know how to animate them with it because we shall be examined and judged upon this point and the first head of our examination will be whether we have acted as christians and not as Pagans or barely as men I add that it is very hard to very many souls to penetrate or even to conceive the great maximes of abnegation of relinquishing all humane things of interiour silence of the passive state of the death to all that is sensible of the loss consummation of a soul in god But there is no soul how little soever it be enlightened by god which may not easily learn to perform these ordinary actions with christian sentiments and regulate the conduct of it's life according to the maximes of the Gospel wherefore I here lay down an easy way or method whereby all devout christian souls may arrive to an eminent degree of vertue fulfill the perfection of their state please god in all things they do act in all things according to the spirit of grace and not according to the sentiments of nature gather together in a short time great treasures of merits fly not onely idleness the ordinary fault of the world but the unprofitable passing of their life the common errour even of vertuous persons perform from morning to night the will of god without straying one moment from this way become as David was persons according to gods own heart in fine render themselves by an exact fidelity very great Saints and this by doing nothing else but their ordinary daily actions For my part when I consider that god has annexed our perfection to the exact performance of our daily actions that 't is of these he will require an account at the day of judgement that it is to animate us to perform these that he gives us his graces and that when we have any one of them to do all that he requires of us is nothing but our fidelity in performing it I am surprised to see so few apply themselves to a holy and exact performance of them and that they seek vertue and perfection in things which god requires not at their hands Let us therefore endeavour to make a firm resolution to do all our ordinary actions of the day well and place our perfection in this practice let us avoid all things in them which may be displeasing to god take care to omit nothing in their performance which may be pleasing to him let us perform them after such a manner as that god may be the soul of all our actions and endeavours and that there may be nothing human or unprofitable in all that we do so that we may never be one moment without meriting and tending towards god that Jesus-Christ may live in us as the Apostle says and that the spirit of his grace may animate all our thoughts all our words and all our works I know very well that souls who are after an extraordinary manner carried to prayer ought not to tie themselves to particular motives or reflections for the right performance of their actions and that they ought to content themselves in following with fidelity the impulse of gods grace and to suffer themselves to be led to the performance of them by the spirit which animates them and which will make them avoid the imperfections which are ordinarily committed in such performances even when they do not foresee them But since there are very few such souls and that they as well as others will be able to find in the advice that I give the sources of retirement and recollection that is to say such thoughts as will maKe them enter into themselves even in the midst of their distractive Imployments there are therefore few persons or to say better none who may not reap profit out of these exercises But that they may be able to do so I would councell them to read them often till such time as having so fixed in their minds all these sentiments they may upon all occasions use them as a rule whereby to perform all their actions in an holy manner and it would be good also to run them ouer at the end of the weeK or month thereby to discover and taKe a view of all their faults In the beginning they may also content themselves with the practice of the rules relating to the performance of some particular action as of Masse for example and afterwards endeavour to perfect themselves in the rest For I cannot but affirm that we have not any means more sure easy and
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
not because of the punishment it deserves that pierceth a soul in all places with an holy respect an humble dread before the divine majesty of God which is intirely present to it 2. O how well do I conceive O my God how this constant habituall fear of a soul does purify untye render it perfect in a small time O holy Ghost bestow upon me this wholsome fear which may make me apprehend the lightest infidelity which may assure me of a happy eternity 3. This gift unites us intimately to God in prayer it recollects all the senses it stops all the powers of the heart in the sight perfection of this sole object of which the soul experiences an intimate presence rather then a knowledge of it 4. O holy Spirit source of love bounty the adorable origine of the sanctification of our hearts inflame them with the fire of thy divine charity let us see tast how sweet our Lord is give us the spirit of recollection of prayer which may carry us to do all things as in gods sight yet recall us into our selves there to adore love a God who abides in our hearts as in his temple and sanctifies them by the communication of his spirit A PRACTISE OF MENTAL PRAYER very easy for all sorts of persons The whole method of prayer consists in four things FIrst in the consideration or view of the truth we meditate Secondly in the application which the mind makes of this truth to its self to be moved with it to put it in practise Thirdly in the affections which the heart produces at the sight of this truth Fourthly in the good resolutions which it makes in putting it in practise the fervent petition it makes to God to obtain it by the intercession of the blessed Virgin. HOW THE MEMORY IS to be imployeâ—d befote prayer First an Act of Faith upon the presence of God. MY God I believe al your seing eye beholds me you before whom the very Angells tremble with an humble dread in whose presence I am as a pure nothing I behold you with a profound respect as my God with a confidence as my father with fear as my judge Second Act of Adoration I adore you o my God as my creatour as my soverain Judge to whom I must one day render an account of this very action I am about to perform Third Act of Petition I beseech you to grant me your grace to execute this day what you are about to inspire me with in this prayer pardon the sins imperfections I may commit in it the distraction that may take up or hinder my mind in the due performance of it HOW THE MIND IS TO imploy it self during prayer First consider the truth propos'd which is done by a certain view or act of faith repeat strongly sweetly in your mind the truth of that matter or subject which most of all moves you then after rather by a simple view thereof then by any long ratiocinations thereon make an act of faith with all the fervency you are able Yes o my God I firmly believe what you have now taught me in this truth but animate my faith and convert it into practice that it may not one day serve to my greater damnation Secondly reflect on your self pausing some time on each point Well o my soul what hinders thee from practising this vertue 't is thy duty to practise it t is in thy power to performe it God ordains it thy Jesus urges its performance thy salvation depends upon it thou oughtest from this very day forward to practice it why wilt thou not what hinders thee o I see very well what it is t is such such a hankering such a vanity such a curiosity such a passionate word such such occasions what ought a creature to rob thee of thy Creatour wilt thou always live unfaithfull what wilt thou never as long as thou livest be intirely gods how then canst thou hope to be intirely his in Eternity my God I am yours no my dear Jesus no toy or trifle shall any more hinder me from being intirely yours I will not any more rob you of a heart which is so justly yours which besides has cost you so dear THIRDLY WHAT AFFECTIONS the heart is to be imployed in YEs o my God yes I am resolved to love you a thousand times better then my self I am resolved to be all yours as you are wholly mine I have horrour of whatsoever is displeasing to you I desire nothing more then to express my love to you to that end I desire to imitate you this day in what I have learnt in this medâ—tation I conjure you my Jesus to put me in mind of these lessons when any occasion of practice offers it self Resolutions for the time to come I am resolved my God against from this very present I break off intirely with thâ— dâ—fect which I perceive is the source of many others in me I will have you alone to be the absolute master of my heart it is yours ô my God it is wholly yours DIVERSE AFFECTIONS which may be made in time of prayer 1. Of Confidence MY God since I find my self so weak inconstant in my resolutions grant I may execute them as effectually as you have assisted me to make them I expect all from your goodness my Iesus confide as much in the assistance of your grace as I diffide in my own weakness 2. Love. O my Jesus o my amiable father o infinite goodness which has loved me from all eternity which daily bestows infinite graces favours upon me which has destin'd me for Paradise ah how can I live without loving you shall I never leave offending you who never leave of doing me good How can I behold you my Jesus how can I see you dying with love sorrow for me not live intirely to you I have a heart for no other and then to love you a mind onely to Know you yet I love think of nothing less then you o that I had never thus displeased you 3. Resignations to the difficulties we meet with in prayer I am confounded o my God to see my self so insensible of your love so little touched with the truths which I meditate you see o Lord my miseries extream poverty I embrace it with my whole heart I submit to your pleassure I sacrifice my self to all the severities of your justice I am contented never more to tast the sweetness of your presence so that I may but have the whole fruit effect of it t is but just that you should retire your self leave a heart so unfaithfull to you which hath withdrawn it self a hundred times from you revenge your self o my God satisfie your justice I desire no other satisfaction but to see you satisfied I am sure you are
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
him live such an hidden contemptible life often abandoned forsaken by all men for whose salvation he sacrifices himself upon the Altar wherefore animate your self to bear him company as often as you can sighing longing in your heart after Iesus in the blessed Sacrament when you are absent in body loving and defiring a life like unto his which renders you unKnown neglected and abandoned of all the world Sixthly on frydays honour his love which obliges him to give himself intirely to you without an reserve to the end that you may bâ— wholly transformed into him Endeavour to express such a disinteresse loue towards him but be sure to manifest the same rather by deeds theâ—â— words Seventhly on Saturdays honour that liberality which he expresseâ— in those graces he bestows on you in your communions by keeping himself always upon the Altar to appease the wrath of his father which is enkindled against you Thank him for the miracles he works that he may give himself unto you Admire a God who is as it were so prodigall of himself Beg pardon for the ill use you have made of so many graces as he has bestowed on you in your communions The subjects of these visits may oftentimes serve you for the entertainment of your prayer in the afternoon XI EXAMEN A Litle before dinner recollect your self take a view of the â—nfidelitys which you have been guilty of that morning in the practice of the vertue of the month in overcoming â—our own ill humours bad inclinations and natural repugnances beg pardon for them of God by a sigh or two from the bottom of your heart At night before you go to bed make your generall Examen first of your ordinary faults sudden sallies of passion Secondly touching the ill use of divine graces the ill imployment of your time Thirdly touching the spirit intention wherewith you have animated your actions examining whether they proceeded from natural inclination passion or meer custome or else were performed with a good intention and inward fervour then make a solid sincere act of sorrow rather then a sensible one unite it by your intention with that act of contrition which you shall endeavour to make ar your next confession that you may produce this act the better cast your eyes upon Iesus crucified by you for you behold with confusion regret a God expiring through grief loue in your behalf sometimes consider the bounty and Goodness of God in expecting you in seeking after you in receiving you with loue after so many infidelities and offences sometimes hearken to what he says in the bottom of your heart Grow you weary of offending me since you see I do not grow weary of doing what good I can for you Sacrifice to me that vanity that curiosity that humour that sudden motion of anger which has so many years stood in competition with me for the possession of your heart for which â— have sacrificed the very last drop of my blood After your Examen say five Paters and Aves in pennance for your faults When you go to bed think a little on death which may perhaps surprise you that very night XII The spirit of recollection which we ought to preserve during the whole day THe spirit of recollection is the fruit of a good prayer of a communion worthily received you will obtain this recollection by calling to mind the presence of God which you may do first by breathing forth every hour these or the like aspirations My God I am wholly yours O that I might die to my self to live to you die in your loue Secondly say in the beginning of every work or action I do all for you my God all in your presence all for your love ô how glad am I to please you in this action Thirdly entring into company say ô my good Angel guard my â— heart tongue to the end I may neither speak any thing against charity nor hear it with complacence or any other concurrence on my part Fourthly being in pain or trouble as also in aridity or dryness in prayer or at any time out of humour say ô my God be you my strength support let me take a satisfaction in that pleasure which you have that I should suffer for your sake I am confounded in your presence to see how miserable weak I am in the performance of what is good but at the same time I rejoyce at my being nothing since you are all I willingly accept am heartily contented with my weaknesses imbecillities which may serve to destroy all self-loue to establih your most holy pure loue in my heart Fifthly being ready to give way to any sudden anger or other passion cast your eyes on God who looks on you and preserves you from yeilding to the temptation and say let me rather die ô my God then satisfie my self in any thing that displeases you By the frequent use of these aspirations you will conserve your heart in devotion be always diposed for prayer you will easily hinder distractions of mind which at that time are wont to disturb you whatsoever you do will be as I may say full of God you will live with such an equality and stedfastness of mind as will render you superiour to all sallies of passion animate all your actions with interiour life spirit XIII The spirit of mortification for every day YOu shall practice this mortification first in your eyes depriving them of all curiosity and voluntary levity Secondly in your tongue forbearing all words of curiosity anger vanity impatience detraction Thirdly in your taste restraining and moderating its sensuality and the too great desire curiosity of your appetite aboue all by not eating without necessity between meals Fourthly in the sense of hearing avoiding to hearken after news or other unprofitable curiosities touching the life or manners of others such affairs as do not belong to you Fifthly in your body fasting or using some other mortification according to the advice with the permission of your directour Sixthly in your mind cutting off all unprofitable reflections upon your self or others but especially such as disquiet you or proceed from human respects Seventhly in your heart restraining its solicitude hasty eagerness in what it goes about the excessive ardour of its desires the disquiets anxieties that afflict it when it is discontented the vain satisfaction which it takes in any graces received from Almighty God it s too great tie or in ordinate affection to its devotions in fine whatsoever is sensible therein since your heart must die to all these things that it may live intirely to God wherefore by little little you must wholly destroy or at least moderate them Aboue all study to deny your own will by an exact fidelity a constancy in that rule or course of life which you have
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
be better for us in heaven or earth in life or death then to accomplish his most just most holy will And because we ought necessarily to submit to its orders is it not better to do it freely by an humble submission to filiall confidence in his divine goodness then to do it by constraint as the Devills do by that resistance render this action rather worthy of punishment then recompence If the fear of our sins makes us apprehend death desire onely to live to do pennance for them what better pennance can we perform that is more agreable to God then perfectly to conform our selves to his will undergo the sentence of death to render him the obedience a creature owes to his creatour thereby to shew him that we preferr the honour of pleasing him before our own lives If actions so much the harder they be to perform so much the more meritorious they be esteemed what can there be harder then to renonce life what greater pennance can we perform then frankly freely to give up our lives to God because by giving them to him we give not onely all we can give but all that is dearest to us No one has greater charity then he who gives up his life says our Saviour in the 13 of S. Johns Gospell And if a God would dye so painfull ignominious a death for us and give his life upon the cross for our salvation can we refuse him ours Is our life more precious or necessary then his O my soul had we never so llittle love for God or gratitude for this great favour of his we ought to desire a thousand lives to lay them all down for his sake What have we that is not his O my God since I am nothing but by you I will be nothing but what you would have me I care not whether I live or dye Affections Resolutions SInce that upon the moment of my death depends my eternal life Grant o my God that by a true hatred of sin by a perfect contempt of the world of its vain honours pleasures riches by an entire renouncing of my self I may always keep my felf prepared for this last hour that I may never let my self forget death least permitting the lamp of charity to be extinguished the oyl of good works to be wanting in my soul you may surprise me in this condition reproach me with the same terrible words you did the foolish virgins in the 25. Chap of S. Iohns Gospell I know you not but that keeping my self always ready for your coming I may merit to enter with you into that eternall nuptiall feast Where neither eye has seen ear heard nor has it enterd into the heart of man to conceive what you have prepared for those that love you Give me o my God the light of your holy Spirit to the end I may not suffer my self to be deceived nor seduced by my senses to take what is false for true that I may not esteem the things of this mortall life good or bad but as they lead me to or withdraw me from my last end CONCLVSION LEt us conclude this meditation with this truth that if we will dye the death of the just we must live the lives of the just since the way to obtain a good death is to live a good life as there is nothing more precious nor more to be desired then a good death so there is nothing more unhappy nor that we ought more to fear then an ill death the best means of securing our selves in an affair of so great an importance as this is daily to live as if it were to be the last day of our lives keeping our affections as perfectly weaned from the things of the world as if we were ready to leave it where all things that be not of God will appear as smoak that either is scattered it self or at best covers but a fleeting shadow A MOST PROFITABLE EXERCISE TO PREPARE our selves for death VPON THIS MOMENT depends Eternity The day you intend to make this exercise enter into the thoughts of death look upon that day as the last of your life THE FIRST PART IMagine your self lying sick upon your death-bed that your good Angell is sent by God to give you notice of the irrevocable decree of your death that he says to you as Esaye did to Ezechias Isa 38. Dispose of your affairs because you shall dye shall no longer live Prostrating your self as at the foot of your Crucifix or before the blessed Sacrament beg with all your heart the grace light of the holy Ghost the help succour of the blessed Virgin of the Saints your Patrons of your good Angell to maKe the following acts AN ACT OF RESIGNATION MY heart is prepared my God my heart is prepared that your will not mine be done in me by me now for all eternity 1. O God eternall immense infinite who are sufficient in your self stand in need of none of your creatures how little does it import whether I live or die so I may accomplish your holy will in which alone true life consists therefore let it not be as I will but as you please An acknowledgement of our nothingness 2. To acknowledge the dependance that I have of you my soveraign Creatour openly to confess before heaven earth that you alone are he that is that I misetable creature am he that is not I embrace with an humble submission the destruction of this corruptible being consent that by death it should return to its first nothing out of which you took it A restitution of our being into the hands of God. 3. O my Soveraign Creatour will restore you the being you have given me for this end I accept of death in the manner that shall be most pleasing to you be most to your glory Dispose therefore of your creature destroy this body of sin in punishment of the offences it has committed against your divine majesty That this body may return to the earth from whence it came but that my soul created after thy image may return to your bosome An acknowledgement of Gods soveraig◠dominion over us 4. O my God thô my death be of it self a thing of necessity yet I am resolved for love of you as far as possible to make it a will-offering I rejoice that by it I shall be out of a state condition any more to resist your Soveraign dominion over me as Liege Lord of all creatures I accept it as a just punishment of the ill use I have made of my free will which you have given me How to receive death as a just punishment of sin 5. Since death O my God is the punishment you have ordained for sin 't is with an humble submissive heart to the decree of your justice that I accept