requisite that thou faint not under the burden of difficulties neither is any strength imaginable equivalent to the least particle of the divine infinitude God is infinite and how then darest thou o strait-harted creature limit and bound thy desires The fading goods of this world are desird a hundred yea a thousand times more then they covet or deserve to be and are not for all that obtained God is immense and infinite and ought to be desird more then infinitely and why breathst thou after him so faintly and remâ—sly and labourst to possess thy self of him being void of this flagrancy of affection zowze up thy self and be confounded that thou dost not covet him more then an ordinary man covets created goods yea more then ever any other creature coveted him A most intense desire is a golden key that unlocks the gates of heaven and opens the passage to all our spiritual progress for as no meane thing is compassd without some precedent desire of it so the most difficult and pretious of all others cannot be attained but with a most ardent one To obtaine terrene joyes it is requisite that our desire far exceed their worth and value that so it may make us master all rubs that occur in their purchase and is it not an arrand shame that our affection to the eternal joyes of Gods infinity should be so pitty fully remiss and rate them so much below their worth below what they exact and we may afford Grant me grace o Lord thou who out of thy excessive desire of suffering for me wert straitned so far as to be baptizd in thy own blood that I may be carried with a most intense desire towards thee What ought to be dear to me either in heaven or earth besides thee my God and the lover of me and next to thee what but to suffer for and with thee It is a profound act of contrition and a love due to the divine goodnes to be willing to suffer for the least vemal sin yea to impede the least in any body else as much as in me lyes the paines of hel through all eternity and how much o Lord should I covet to suffer for my spiritual advancement and rather then I my self commit that And notwithstanding how little am I sollicitous for thy glory my whole employment ought to tend to the compassing of this by desire prayer sighs and teares and since all I can do is litle or nothing in comparison of thy greatnes my good wil must make amends for my inability and supply for my defectuousnes The X. Chapter Of contemning and relinquishing the world VVOrldly joyes as wel as discontents conclude alwayes with sorrow and bitternes but a vertuous course is so priviledgd that not only its consentive part but also the harsh and burdensome both containes and attaines true delight Why walkst thou the way of spirit with such heavines and tepidity Thou canst not set thy affection upon any thing of this world without thy great peril and hazard yea thou seekst thy own danger where those things which it prizeth for good are bad and â—ul of corruption and will corrupt thee also If a little leven mar the whole batch how can he be untainted and unlevened who is so incorporated with the world whose whole lump is stark naught where the bad a lone are accounted good and they so numerous He that is once dead to the world let him beware he revive not to it again by dying to God or coveting worldly things although he neither possess nor enjoy them The love of temporalities is wont to harme us more then the use and possession of them it s not the thing but the affection to the thing which hurts us which affection is more restlesly pressing in its absence Be not according to Saint Iude a tree twice dead and unfruitful He dies to the world who relinquisheth the world he is defunct to God who returnes to it again Such a one having lost the fruit and commodities of a worldly life looseth also the benefits of a spiritual and consequently is altogether unprofitable and barren to himself The world cannot endure the sight of one that is dead a worldly life is a sea and it harbours not dead bodies but within three daies space casts them up Beware thou be not deceived if now thou deemst it good when thou hast no commerce with it remember that it was evil when thou traffickst with it and knewst it not superficially and at a distance and therfore didst relinquish it Believe rather thy own certain experience then a deceitful opinion believe rather thy self an eye witnes then one that is absent Know that it is not changed since thou left it nor grown better by length of time nor that it affords any more security then it did but is rather worse every day then other It decayes daily it doats more and more by age an errour gaines autority by being old its wine drinks with a stronger relish of malice for being long kept vices the more inveterate they are get a more undeniable prescription and new ones arise daily Because the world was evil thou couldst not brook it now when it is grown worse why wilt thou embrace it It is intollerable and perfidious even to those who did stick constantly and without breach of trust to it what will it then be to thee who hast revolted both from it and God loyal to neither wherfore the world wil chastize thee as a fugitive and God will not defend thee by reason of thy treachery There are more urgent reasons now of not returning to the world then there were at first of leaving it or at least the same are now in force which forcd thee then to quit it It is blind and a cheat both to it self and thee of a base nature and to be despisd even although otherwise not despicable because it hinders great good and torments its lovers be set on all sides with the dangers not only of temporal things but which is more of eternal also it is nothing else but falshood and forgery for besides that it is malicious and habituated in cozening others it is also cozend it self in so much that worldly men will deceive thee even when they intend nothing less then deceits The very wisdome of the world is pure folly how then shal truth appeare in it and when all the light it hath is darknes how great darknes must that needs be its whole train of attendance foundations are instruments of blindnes and dim the eyes of our judgment to wit pride gluttony lust envy ambition anger to which we may add treachery in so much that Iudas like even when it fawnes most upon them it betraies its darlings by that kiss to perdition and the power of darknes The world is a cheat it sels its glory which is nothing at a high rate And it were a smal matter if it were only nothing and not ignominious also
Nature many times effects that what is harsh to one is gustfull to another and will grace be less operative The longings of women make them couet ridiculous extravagancies coales clay mortar and to loth meats exquisitely seasond and that which happens so obviously to a womanish indisposition shal it be thought impossible to divine healthfulnes A corrupt and queasy stomack rules the appetite and shal a sound and masculine mind have less or no sway over the wil Be not then frighted o dejected creature with what thou hearest of a spiritual life for it is not at all troublesome or noysome although it necessarily imbrace al troublesome and noysome things Let not an empty name or conceyt terrify thee be but confident and accoast them and thou shalt frighten the very difficulties themselves Some relate of certain enchanted treasures which are in the custody of terrifying ghosts and sprits but if any one be so resolutely hardy as contemning those phantasmes to assaile them they are presently put to flight and vanish to nothing in such sort that they appear no more but permit the accoaster to enjoy those riches in all peace and security Nothing more is requisite to effect this but courage and resolution Be but valiant in purchasing these spiritual treasures and all those bugbeares of pretended difficulties wil suddainly disapear Set upon them undauntedly and thou shalt enjoy without any great plains-taking the hidden manna of a spiritual life Bees work hony shelterd under the homely roof of a rough-cast hive The IV Chapter How Truth is made manifest by faith and of the fruit and practise of this vertue HE walks in falshood and forgery not in truth nor spirit who takes not faith for his path and guide Truth dwels very remote from sense This heavenly flower growes not in our gardens it is not nourished with flesh and blood it is not to be found amidst the dung of our muddy and material substances We are at al turnes cheated in corporal goods even those which we behold with our eyes and fingar with our hands A whole oare in the water seems broken a square tower to one that stands at a great distance seems round the very light of the sun which is al the faith our eyes are endowd with cozens them oftentimes by representing colours that are not existent and how then shal we avoid being misled in the affaires of our soul which we see not and in spiritual and divine things which are so much above our reach and capacity All the race of mankind was grown quite blind through the night of errour like one shut up in a dark dungeon without either window or chink to let in the least glimmering of light The learneder sort of Philosophers were of opinion we knew no more then what we knew was false or rather that we knew only this one truth that we knew nothing at all and they were so swoln and puffd up with vanity that none but heaven could give an allaying remedy One among them did think that the master of truth was to be some Son of a God Behold now o thou Son of the highest o thou eternal Truth behold o thou wisdome of thy father thou didst descend from heaven o light of the world to illuminate it to teach us truth and why do not men make more account of so great a benefit why doe they contemne this blessing of faith What imports it to believe truth if we our selves practise falshood saving truth is good works and the true word the deed of the word The word of God became flesh that the work of man might become truth because the Truth of God is become operative All is mere falshood and vanity which is not according to the doctrine of IESVS why doe we neglect the practise of this great blessing contenting our selves with a dead kind of faith We should reap great advantage from our faith if we knew how to use it and work as we ought according to its prescript greater then if we beheld those things it affirmes with our eyes All by faith believe true things but they ought also to believe truly which all seem not to do If thou believe o malepert soul what Christ taught work accordingly If it be true that it behooud IESVS to suffer and so to enter into his glory if it be true that God ordaines all for the good of the just why art thou afflicted at some trivial crosses and calamities Why dost thou account them losses which when they are patiently taken faith teacheth us to be the soules greatest enrichment If thou believe this to be true as in very truth it is thou oughtest rather to rejoyce and comfort thy self If thou shouldst behold some one of the H. Prophets with thy corporal eyes as David or S. Iohn Baptist if thou shouldst see one raised from death or an Angel from heaven who were to tell thee from Almighty God that his will is that thou beare this cross patiently because it will be for thy greater good and no little gain would it not suffice to make thee refrain from all impatience nay would it not replenish thee with such joy as siezd the Apostles when they went away rejoycing because they were made worthy to suffer reproaches for the name of IESVS And why dost thou not now do the same Thou oughtest not to esteem that miraculous message as infallible as a matter of faith for in that case one might lawfully somtimes entertain a doubt since the evil spirit might delude him or he himself be deluded in his senses Therfore if this truth as matter of faith be more certain then if an Angel had teveald it from heaven why ought it to be less perswasive Our manner of working followes the certitude of our knowledg and the judgment we frame of a thing and proportionable to this knowledg must needs be the excellency of our operation Wherfore whosoever desires to walk in truth let him square the actions and paths of his life according to the model of his faith believing not onely true things but after a true manner least he become ridiculous to the Angels and joynt-sectary with the Divels who are all solifidians their beliefe being barren of works What availes it to know the way to heaven if we doe not walk it The wicked spirits know it better then we and nevertheles because they stand stil and advance not they are divels Tel me who is in a better condition thou that wilt not doe good or the divels that cannot It is all one in most things not to have a will and to be impotent yea it is more damnable and reproachful to thee who wilt not when thou mayst The divels believe and tremble I wish thou when thou believest wert possessd with a just fear Why dost thou not tremble at the judgments of God considering their certainty and the uncertainty of thy own condition either to eternal punishment or joy what is the reason
Men glory in those things of which they ought to be ashamd it lies against all experience in telling them that their riches wil be permanent since they pass through so many hands to come to them who now possess them It holds those things forth for good each one wherof is no less then a triple torment the number of evils and vexations are in such an excess that it affords more then two real afflictions for one seeming happines Ther 's no one thing of all we possess but rackd us with toile and sollicitude how we might compass it and having compasd it we are no les tormented with fear and iealousy of it and when it is lost with grief for its absence and privation O heavenly truth what great God a mercy if I do not covet this meer chaos of deceitfulnes and vexation if I contemn for thy sake a thing so contemptible which were to be contemnd if not for it self at least for my self many heathen Philosophers quitted the world for their own quiet and why shal not a Christian do it for his and thy glory They left it because despicable in it self and why shal not we do it because thou art inestimable and the glory which we hope for invaluable Although the world were good yet it were folly to prefer it before that which containes all good The XI Chapter How Peace is to be obtained THou canst not live wel unles thou dye forthwith and overcome thy nature Thou canst not enjoy peace unles thou make war upon thy self this is the way to purchase true liberty Be readier alwayes to comply with anothers will then thy own thou shalt not know what it is to be at jars love rather to have little then much and thou shalt have no occasion of complaint chuse alwayes the meanest place and to be every ones underling and thou shalt scarse ever be sad have a desire to suffer and undergo somthing for thy IESVS sake and thou shalt think no body burdensome seek God in all things that his will may be fulfilld in thee and thou shalt never be disquieted If thou ought to accommodate thy self rather to anothers wil then thy own why not to the divine wil and rejoyce that it is fulfilld by thee keep these things in thy hart that thou mayst enjoy an uninterrupted peace True tranquillity of mind cannot be obtaind but by a contempt of the world and conquest over our selves This may be done two manner of wayes either by forcing thy self contrary to what seems good and delectable in the world and nature or by knowing them to be nought and weighing all things in the ballance of truth this latter way is the sweeter and more permanent although it must alwayes be accompanyd with a fervorous contradiction of our appetite He nevertheles who in faith and spirit is convined of the verity and vanity that is in things shal with much facility overcome himself and dispise the world Nothing conduceth more to a happy progress then to frame an unbyazd judgment of things and to relish them according to the doctrine of IESVS What hearst thou pronouncd by that most holy mouth of truth it self blessed are the poor of spirit blessed are they that mourn blessed are they that suffer persecution Why wilt thou esteem those things harsh and burdensome which the truth of God held and deliverd for beatitudes how canst thou avoid being deceivd if thou account those things evil which faith teaches us to be good and to render us happy we believe the mystery of the most B. Trinity because Christ reveald it to us the same IESVS also reveald that those things which the world so much abhors poverty sorrow injuries are not bad but good neither is he to be ratherd is believd in this point by him that knowes he taught so then when be teacheth the unity and Trinity of almighty God Let us then make a true estimate of truth and frame our dictamens point blank opposite to worldly maxims O eternal truth grant me grace that according to thy doctrin I may judg all temporal things meer lyes and those far from containing great good which bring so much hurt Grant me that I may not live in an errour by prizing those things highly which I ought to have in hatred If it be a matter of faith that poverty humiliation affliction are not only good but beatifying why do not I rather chuse to have litle then much to be dispisd then praysd to be afflicted then swim in delights He that walks in faith and truth accounting those things truly good which CHRIST judgeth such ought to be so far from being contristated for any want or vexation that he should covet them with his utmost desires and rejoyce in them and abhor wholy and not in part only all things which the world loveth and embraceth and admit and desire with his whole hart with his whole soul with all his strength with all his mind what soever IESVS loved and embracd Like as worldlings who follow love and seek with great earnestnes those things which belong to the world to wit honours fame and the opinion of a great name upon earth as the world teacheth and deceives them so those that make a progress in spirit and truth doe seriously follow love and ardently desire whatsoever is altogether opposite to these that is to be clad with the same livery and ensignes of contempt which the Lord of glory wore Insomuch that if it could be done without any offence of the divine Majesty and sin of their neighbour they would suffer contumelies false witnes affronts and be thought and accounted fooles they giving nevertheles no occasion of it because they desire to resemble and imitate in some manner the Son of God For this purpose let thy chief aym and study be to seek thy own greater abnegation and continual mortification as much as thou canst in all things Why wilt thou live in guile and deceit making no reckning of those things which God prizd and honored so highly that he thought them worthy of his best beloved and only begotten Son Verily although they were not raâ—kd amoÌ„g good things yet for this sole reason that IESVS chose them for himself they are honored sufficiently and worthy to be sought by us with the whole extent of our hart and for this sole cause that he dispisd all worldly goods though men have them in so great esteem they are to be held base and infamous and deservedly to be abhord more then death it self IESVS overcome with love of us made choice of these things the world hateth and why shal not we for his sake at least accept them What do I say for love of IESVS we ought to do it for love of our selves He that loves his soul and his life let him love to dye even while he yet liveth If thou lovest life why wilt thou not rather love an eternal and happy one then this wretched and momentary
all o wretched spirit be confounded be confounded it will not cost thee so deare to eschew sin it will be enough to shake of slothfullnes Many make but a slender advance because they perswade themselves that such an endeavour towards perfection is not requisite to salvation O ungrateful and pusillanimous creature why dost thou frame such a miserable conceit of thy beatitude or settle such dangerous principles concerning thy eternal weal and have so narrow ignoble thoughts of Gods glory which is immense I beseech thee if thy salvation depended not only upon the keeping the commandments but also the counsels and on it did hang the salvation of all men Angels and the most sacred Virgin and Christs reprievement from the cross wouldst thou not use all possible endeavour to compass it certainly thou wouldst consider then that something of main consequence to witt the glory of God and his good will pleasure which is of higher concernment then the salvation and happines of the whole world considerd by it self then the life of Christs humanity exacts perfection at thy hands If then it be so very important have a care to be exquisite in each minute action and this according to the manner of Gods proceeding whose workmanship is most admirable in little things as an emmet a gnat a bee and the cunning he shewed in the composure of the heavens and stars surpasseth not them in point of art Commence each action with a resolution to performe it Christs grace assisting thee more perfectly then ever hitherto to the benefit of the Church militant to the glory of the Church triumphant to the greater honour of God as if he expected no other benefit from the creation of the world from the redemption of man from the goodly furniture of heaven where he is to be glorified by all the blessed besides this action of thine no otherwise then if thy salvation the weal of the universe and glory of the divinity depended upon each thy least work as if thou wert not to iterate it again nor hence forth to do any other but forth with to give up the ghost Be not sparing then of a little labour with loss of such a commodity God desires that thou shouldst performe this work most exactly and if thou considerest this his desire thou wilt shew thy self extremely perverse if thou compliest not with it or darest reflect upon any annoyance of thy own Sufferance is of it self desirable only to imitate Christ our Saviour without the juncture of any other good neither will it be less acceptable towards the avoiding some fault and accomplishing all most absolutely to Gods greater glory Mans emploiment is doing good for this end hadst thou thy beeing to do good but remember that man is born to labour because without it no good work can be durable or of continuance Do not frustrate thy self of thy end but endeavour by the assistance of Gods grace to imitate the brave attempts of nature which strives alwaies what it can to yeald thee her fruits most complete that thou mayst serve God in the compleatest manner thou canst Be allwaies mindful that thy services are in all respects extreme slender nor carry any proportion at all with that glory which is promisd thee nor with the paines of hell which thou hast deserved by thy sins nor the labours which thy redeemer did undergo for thy sake nor the divine benefits which he hath heapt upon thee nor the immense goodnes of that God to whom thy services stand consecrated The II. Chapter That we must shake off all negligence BE ashamed o lukewarm spirit to sit still upon the race when time and place requires thy running Behold how puddles standing pooles do putrify and iron that lies useles becomes rusty go to the way of spirit is like the eagarnes of racers one must not lag and how much les stand still how will one have leasure to sit when he hath time neither to be weary nor so much as to fall All indeed run but one only wins the prize run so as to reach the goale If God had created all men at the same instant endowed with the use of reason and equal in the enrichments of grace and shewd to them all on the one side the treasures of heavens glory and on the other the hideous torments of hell and let them know by revelation that one onely of all that number were to be saved to wit he who served God with most fervour and diligence who surpassed the rest in sanctity and charity and that all others were to be sentenced to damnation which of all these contemplating the horrour terrour of that infernal pit would not bend all his forces to excel his competitors in sanctity and so escape those dreadful punishments and obtain happines becoming that one who were to be saved with how much zeale of serving God would each ones hart be replenished Every one striving to exceed others none would be found who would not employ his whole endeavour to the end he might out do the rest There would be no place then for loyterers tepidity would not dare to shew her head But with how much more powerful incentives oughtest thou to be inflamd to serve God with greater fervency then any saint hath hetherto ever been who trod the paths of this mortal life The glory of God and compliance with his holy wil ought in reason to be beyond all comparison a stronger motive and more pressing endearment to the service of God then that incumbency of thy salvation O eternal truth why should my profit move me more then thy wil why should self love be more urgent then love of thee it is a benefit incomparably greater that many are entitled to heaven and for this my obligations to thee are much hightned why then art thou now o infirme spirit so tepid and sloathful be mindful of the labours which Christ embraced for thy sake put before thy eyes so many youths who forestall thy victory and tender Virgins who lead the way behold the fervour of the ancient Fathers the pennance humility charity and torments of Martyrs why art thou so lazy since thou hast so many precedents Yea although thou aymedst more at thy own commodity then the glory of God yet it behooud thee not to slacken the raines so much to tepidity Thou needst not fear least thy advantage be les then if thy fervour were eminent above all others and thou that one who were to be saved nay it impots thee now to be more fervourous and more intensely bent upon Gods glory No services now are frustrated of their salary and the better they are the greater glory wilt thou purchase This would not be so in case one onely man were to be saved since one might undergo great labours and reap no profit at all neyther would a greater reward be corresponding to greater services which as then would run hazard of being null and ineffectuall though they
OF ADORATION IN SPIRIT AND TRVTH Written in IV. Bookes by IOHN EVSEBIVS NIEREMBERG Native of Madrid S. I. And Translated into English by R. S. S. â— I H S In which is disclosed the pith marrow of a spiritual life of Christs imitation mystical Theology extracted out of the HH FF greatest masters of spirit Diadochus Dorotheus Clymachus Rusbrochius Suso Thaulerus a Kempis Gerson not a little both pious effectual is superadded Printed Anno M.DC.LXXIII The Translatour to the Reader Courteous Reader I Present thee here with a stranger whom I have put in an English vest and if thou deem him not worthy to be naturalizd at least I pray entertain him civilly When thou art throughly acquainted with him hast dived into a discovery of his perfections thou wilt find rich pearles shrowded under a course shel I am confident it wil never repent thee no more then me of his acquaintance One that knowes how to distinguish fruit from leaves pith from bark a solid substance from a superficial show one that delights in truths seeks rather his own spiritual advance then a frothy feeding of his fancy wil here find entertainment right for his purpose that is both substantial and delightful He wil teach thee how to serve God in spirit truth not by an empty sound or canting use of these two words as do our sectaries who when they have named them think all done but by a real practise of Christian vertues in the discharge of our incumbent duty to God our selves and our neighbour To speak without metaphor I offer thee a plain Translation of a Latin treatise a piece in high esteem with me and many and I require only thy perusal therof to make thee esteem it so too That which moved the Author to compile it moved me also to translate it yet with this difference that he sought only his own behoof I my own chiefly others He a Parent of many such issues having labourd long with his pen for the advance of his neighbour in the way of vertue judgd it but meet to a make some provision for himself as a store house of spiritual truths maximes which he might have ready at every turn both for his meditation and practise And I think he was much in the right since charity begins at home it availes very little to perfect others if we be stil truants our selves self-interest ought to be the first concern nor are we to let our family starve at home while our endeavours are labouring to feed others abroad This prudent ceconomy and sage care of his own good is the common case of us all who have a soul to save it being also our task to provide in the first place for its indemnity that being the grand affair of our whole life which if not done all is utterly undone And how can we provide better then by making use of his provisions where the common exigence is the same For by the dictamen of charity it seldom happens that one is so treacherous to himself as not to provide himself of the best if what was best for him cannot be but good for us what he communicates without envy let us make use off with much freedom little cost a harty welcome There is not so much applause in translating as writing but the common benefit no whit the less yea more because no man of judgment wil translate what he deems not more then ordinarily good taking but who can promise so much of his own conceptions amidst so many miscarriages abortions as daily happen This our age kingdome is a little unfortunate in this respect that our best wits are forcd so to employ their pens for the defence of Catholick religion against the common adversaries and their assaults as that they cannot fully attend to what is as necessary in its kind the writing of spiritual treatises for the preservation encrease of piety in the harts of the faithful The former indeed is necessary but is a misfortune it is so upon such a score or that among the children of the same Mother some should be found so rebelliously bent especially with such prejudice to the latter this being the nursery of devotion consequently promoter of vertue and piety Spiritual bookes are the ordinary tongue by which God speakes to our soules the conveyancers of his holy inspirations when he is pleased to knock at the dore of our hart for entrance yea the key which unlocks it How many by reading them receive both light in their understanding love in their wil not only to acknowledg but perform what conduces to a vertuous life How many have quit the filth of sin in which they wallowed by wonderful conversions how many more of better principles found therby effectual incentives to Christian perfection Certainly the benefits redounding thence are unspeakable great pitty it is that we are not better stored with such books for as our appetite cannot feed long upon the same meat without being cloyed though otherwise both wholsome savory no more can our understanding without a nauseousnes employ it self in matter of reading unles there be variety to season it I have heard even spiritual persons bemoan their own the common scarcity in this kind Besides the excellency of the treatise it self this was a motive to me to contribute my mite towards some smal redress of the aggrievance This premisd I must speak a word or two of the Title it carryes which is Of Adoration in Spirit and Truth the which he borrowes from the words of our B. Saviour to the Samaritan is the subject of the whole work In that conference Io. 4. the great master Of Spirit Truth told her the time would come when true adorers should not be confined to Ierusalem or the mountain in Samaria but were to adore God in spirit Truth for God being a spirit covets to be adord in spirit Now what it is to adore him in Spirit Truth he explaines through the whole treatise chiefly in the 4. first Chapters of the first Book where he explicates what he understands both by the one other so clearly that nothing needs to be superadded Only it wil not perchance be amiss to forewarn some les skilful Reader that he be not frighted into a prejudice of the Book by the title it seeming to sound somwhat of the Sectarist who hath nothing so frequent in is mouth as I said above as Spirit Truth nothing les in substance The words indeed are easily named and may serve for canting among the ignorant but if one go to the pith substance of spirit truth as the Authour uses them to a true denial of our selves more then a lipp-love of God here the sectary wil be found as void of spirit as truth in both a nut without a kernel When the reader sees the Authour
to aym at nothing more then mortification pennance fasting prayer carrying our cross this through the course of our whole life he wil soon discover him no sectarist who dares scarse so much as talk of these things much les teach or practise them but a Roman Catholique who alone owns them both in doctrin practise as the chief meanes to Christian perfection Nor wil any body think I be so inconsiderately over-byassd as to take any prejudice by these expressions o infirm spirit pusillanimous spirit which here and there he 'l meet with T is true by the abuse of this our age they sound not so wel with us through the default of those who have renderd both them and themselves ridiculous yet the words like wine are good enough nor any more then that for the sophistication or abuse of some to be mislikd consider also that the Authour is a forraigner with whom they carry no such note nor did I deem it necessary to change them His industry in the compilement of this work seems by his own confession to have been very extraordinary he not sticking to aver that it was the fruit of all his labours the hony-comb of al his studious endeavours while bee-like he suckd from each H. Father Master of Spirit as from so many delicious flowers what he found in them rare and exquisite with these truths maximes as with so many pretious stones he has paved the way to perfection digesting them into that triple path which according to its great masters leads therto to wit purgative illuminative unitive in the first after he has told us what it is to adore God in spirit truth without eyther fanaticisme or duplicity he gives us the lively resentments of a penitent hart while it rock-like struck with the rod of the cross dissolves into the waters of a profound compunction Amidst its sighs and teares he conducts us on towards the second by true fruits of pennance love of God contempt of the world through all the oppositions of self love worldly concerns contrary temptations By degrees he leads us out of the desert of sin into the land of promise and the darknes of Aegypt into the fair sun shine of divine grace and here that light offers himself for guid which illuminates every man coming into this world we know that who ever followes him walks not in darknes For what doth this path aym at but a perfect imitation of his life by a constant treading of those sacred footsteps of vertu which he left deeply imprinted by self-abnegation humility patience meeknes poverty persecution all those which compleat a totall fulfilling of Christian justice perfection That this may be the better accomplishd he spends no les then a whole book to wit the 3. in teaching us how to discharg our duty in order to the aforesaid imitation by a most perfect practical performance of our daily actions And not without good reason since the whole is but the result of all particulars which if perfect the other can scarse suffer any allay he that performes his daily actions perfectly treads a sure path to perfection whosoever aymes at it without this medium shoots at random like a blind archer All these are works of light this according to the Philosopher being productive of heat they dispose wonderfully to the 3. path which leads a soul thus affected to a strait union the true lovers knot with almighty God And whether should such a bird of Paradise so disdaigning earth so enamoured on heaven so wingd with charity fitted for the flight soare but up to the bosome of God himself where nestling as in its center it may say with H. Iob in nidulo meo moriar This is the last complement of a vertuous soul in this life the purchase of its labours and fruition of desires where its activity becomes passive and its task with little Samuel is only to say Loquere Domine quia audit servus tuus nor yet can it be said to be idle For he teaches not a lazy love but operative and masculin a love that loves to be in the sun and dust bearing the heat and weight of the day in carrying its cross and yet wel knowing even in these how still to enjoy its beloved And in this spiritual journey which certainly tends to a Vade in pace and arrives to that peace of God which passes all understanding directs the traveller not through any extraordinary paths or by new and uncouth lights but teaches him to take the roadway of the cross in the broad daylight therof following him who said I am the way and this by a profound contempt of himself as wel as all the things of this world by an entyre mortification of his passions subduement of his wil to the wil of God by a curbing of his appetites mastry over self love command over sense and much more over sensuality and by such steps the truest steps of love and to it assisted by a daily recognition of the divine benefits towards man so unparallelld and inestimable he leads him up the mount of perfection Which journey though it be not performd without great extente of time labour and contradiction yet having once surmounted the difficulty and its top raysd now above all wind and weather in what a peaceful calme doth he find himself few believe this besides those that experience it and therfore it is but lost labour to insist upon it yet I dare say its joyful contentivenes exceeds the gust of the most affecting pleasures the world affords But these are onely the entertainments of choyse soules the perfect I can say to the comfort of all that the work it self affords both effectual helps to perfection and a certaine redress for spiritual maladies in what kind soever they be For the peruser will discover in it a rich mine of heavenly treasures a new dispensatory of celestial recepts antidotes against all the poysons of sin and an Armory of defence to shield him from the assaulting enemy Which though it was writ for himself a Religious man and by its sublimity may seeme proper for that state yet it is of that latitude capacity that even seculars if they be but vertuously disposd to the service of God may plentifully reap benefit by it nor would I wish any body upon this score to harbour a prejudice against it Thus much being sayd of the matter weightynes of his discourse I must now in a word touch also the manner His way of arguing is solid and witty but he has no regard at all to evennes of stile or quaintnes of expression speaking as we say a la negligence as to both like one that study's more what to say then how and this it seems he doth on set purpose For in his Epistle Dedicatory which I omit as needles he gives account of it I write this memorial sayth he in a plain stile and without any
The same royal colour of purple recreates men and exasperates buls this purple truth of God this lustre of sanctity delights those that understand it what makes matter if it offend those that have neithet wit nor braines to conceave it yea this makes more for its commendation Nothing shewes the inestimable worth and comelines of truth more then that it seems worthles and deformed to the wicked Consider but the causes of this their aversion and thou shalt see that they render it much more amiable Of all crosses and afflictions truth seemes the most harsh and burdensome because particular afflictions impugne either one onely pleasure or at least but some few but truth fights them all together and proclames warr at once against all other kind of vices Therfore they hold it the saddest adversary they have and for the same reason think they can revenge themselves no wayes more upon their enemys nor sting them more picquantly then by speaking truth to their disadvantage the reason is because what harme soever one most dreads to himself his passion makes him wish the same to his enemy and because he dreads no kind of evil more then truth therfore he tels all he knowes to his adversarys prejudice and seeks thus to wound him as with so many poysonous darts But these causes of offence are arguments which ought to heighten our love and esteem of truth is not that worthy of all love which hath all vice in such hatred and detestation If thou hadst one potion which would cure thee of all diseases thou wouldst not contemne it for being bitter and distastfull nay thou wouldst prize nothing more highly so truth upon that same score is to be loved and adored although it be even nayld to a cross though voyd of beauty and unhandsome But it is comely of sight and pleasant of tast not deformed but deâ—forme not unwise but the wisdome of God the voyce of truth is sweet and its countenance amiable It hath God for its seasoning it cannot be unsavoury or disgustfull or tainting That which makes God happy must not be noysome neither can it make thee miserable What shall I say God is truth and can he be either more distastfull to thee then gal or not more lovely then light Go to then take the courage to look it in the face to affect it to put thy self under its tuition and patronage This is the main maxime of a spiritual life that as carnal people hate nothing more then truth so those that walk the paths of spirit have nothing in higher esteem or desire What is more dear or useful to an archer then his eyes and what ought to be more desirable to a reasonable man then truth which is the eye of his soule Archers and other creatures also made for the behoof of man if they want their eyes become altogether unserviceable so our whole life without truth proves but a fruitles busines No one of the senses is more delectable then the sight and truth surpasseth all the other facultys of the mind neither is it more pleasing a midst the smiles of prosperity then the frownes of adversity Let us therfore begâ—n with an upright conceit of truth to exclude falshood deeming nothing more delightful nothing more excellent then sincere truth of spirit Most men because they believe not this are apt to grant themselves now and then a little indulgence to nature and self love and the propensions of the flesh though but in petty matters mixing with a most subtle dissimulation and self cozenage forraign comforts that so they may mittigate the austerity which they conceive or fear accompagnies the spirit and not trusting sufficiently to it and God they reserve as yet some reliques of their flesh and will of which they are loath to dispoyle themselves that they may make their retreat thither in time of need not daring by a total self denyal to give themselves entirely to God and the spirit as if some corrosives did attend his intimate familiarity These people deceive themselves for this is not the spirit of truth This spirit is a most simple and transparent thing and therfore that will not be true and genuine which is so confounded and intoxicated The flesh and the spirit are two things so different that they cannot be combind into one simple The spirit of truth ought to be so refind and sincere that it is not enough to dread and abhor all the faigned soothings of the flesh all the pernicious dictamens of worldlings and the forciblest insinuations of self love but one must moreover dispoil ones self of himself and his own soul and renounce totally his own will and all created contentments yea even intellectual and otherwise lawful to seek God alone and in him possess all things The spirit is somewhat more sublime and refind then is the soul the understanding or nature Hear thy Iesus saying God is a spirit and those that adore him must do it in spirit and truth Wherfore that thou mayst adore God as thou oughtest and serve him perfectly in truth of spirit thou must reare thy self above all creatures and created affections and breath after and be enamourd upon the divine truth alone and as one ready to depart out of this world bid adieu to thy self and all creatures adhering by pure charity to our Lord becoming one spirit as S. Paul speaks with God who is truth it self Force thy self from thy self that is from thy vicious stock that thou mayst be engrafted in him sever thy self from thy self that thou mayst be united to thy Creatour loosen thy self from thy self that thou mayst be fastned to the cross of Iesus root thy self out of thy wicked self that thou mayst be implanted in all goodnes fly from thy own nature and thou shalt find a sanctuary in God loose thy self unfaignedly and thou shalt find thy self really The III. Chapter Of Purity of Spirit DO not in any thing o coheyre of Christ become like unto the beasts thou who mayst be one spirit with God thou must resemble them in nothing at all Thou oughtest to tread underfoot all the delights of flesh and nature not reserving any one from a total renunciation One alone is able to marr the rellish of truth one alone wil tarnish the lustre of the spirit Great things are oftentimes over powrd by little ones a smal quantity of vinegar spoyles a whole vessel of the strongest wine a little drop of ink infects and discolours a violl of the fairest water Why wilt thou blemish the candour of truth and noblenes of the spirit with a petty delight so triviall and momentary Why dost thou debase thy self so much below thy sublime condition why wilt thou leave the bosome of God and his sweet embracements to solace thy self with the silly dregs of creatures since thou ought not to descend from the cross of Christ for all the kingdoms of the world O miserly and base-minded man since thou hast already employed
of a mere covetousnes of labouring in a short time he would goe mad five houres or more are necessary each day for our corporal rest the repose of our soul is prayer very many because quitting their good purposes they betake themselves so late to it become giddy-braind and besides themselves Our prayer which is the food and repose of our soul must be quiet and free from disturbance for we take our bodily sustenance though corruptible and shortly to be together with our selves the food of wormes sitting and with quietnes The benefit of prayer is not stinted to that hour or time we are at it but hath influence upon the whole day A little leaven seasons the whole batch and a little prayer will season the whole day Prayer is not only beneficial for that respit of time wherin we pray because we spend it well and to our own advantage but much more in regard of the whole day that we loose it not wholly A long times profit depends upon a short moment if thou wilt make purchase of the ensuing day let thy rising in the morning be seconded at least with one houres prayers After a due and fervent prayer one is replenishd with holy illustrations which interlace themselves ever and anon amidst our succeeding employments After a great noise is past there remaines a ringing and buzzing in our eares and the daies actions become frequently the subject of our dreames so from the repose of prayer certain images of what past in it diffuse themselves through our daily affaires and holy inspirations do frequently recur he that looks stedfastly upon the sun what soever he beholds afterwards seems to carry a resemblance thereof Although one know compleatly what appertaines to his duty prayer conduceth much to ground him more solidly in it Truths themselves gotten by prudence experience learning and reading do penetrate more profoundly when in prayer they come from above corne fields prosper better when they are waterd from heaven then by the inlet of a brook or fountain the higher a stone fals the more impetuous is its motion and makes a deeper dint in the ground The same truth coming from heaven strikes the hart with a deeper impression and excites more vigorously to fervour and devotion They are our wicked propensions that mislead us from the paths of vertue and this obstacle is removed by the benefit of prayer which by devotion begets inclinations to good and is a kind of fuel which feeds the ardour of doing well preventing the fuel of sin But why do I insist so much upon the advantages of prayer its enough for me o divine truth that thou shewest thy self most affable in it most bountiful towards me there thou discoverst thy self there I embrace thee and repose as in thy armes in this tumult of affaires Thou shewest thy self in it o clear-shining truth to my endarkned spirit as in thy throne that it may harbour no guile nor deceit Our prayer must also be prolix while health and age permits that so we may supply for the time of sicknes when we cannot and must alwaies think we have prayd but little That most elevated man and great zealot of God F. Didacus Martinius made every day with great diligence and strict account 4. thousand acts of love to God and added a part another sum purposely to make recompense for the time of his last sicknes if perchance then he should not be able as he desird to attend to God he moreover spent every day ten houres with great recollection in conversing with him by fervent prayer That devout Father Michael Sosa when old age and intensenes of pain in his long and last sicknes interrupted his exercise of prayer exhorted his Brethren and complaind of himself saying make make amends o Brethren for all remissnes in the exercise of prayer while age and strength enables you providing thus against the future injuries of nature when ye would pray and neither age nor sicknes will permit it I am sorry now that I cannot pray when I would I am sorry I did not when I could So did he accuse himself whose mind was so absorpt in God that he would walk up and down like one in an extasy when he was about to wash his hands forgetting to turn the cock of the lavatory he often rubd them as if the water had fallen upon them afterwards wipt them with the towel as if they had bin washd Somtimes being transported in spirit he sufferd a rapture for 8. houres together and being come to himself he thought it no more then a little quarter O confusion and our benumdnes we that stand in far greater need of praying are quickly weary and think that short respit of time which we bestow upon God or rather purchase to our selves very long but when it is lost discoursing with men it seemes but short and if we persist as long in prayer as worldlings sit at a banquet we think we have done more then enough The III. Chapter How efficacious the grace and favours of Christ are I Wish any one knew and could utter what my mind aymes to conceive and as yet cannot O how much I labour to comprize in my hart and cannot sufficiently comprehend it Grant o eternal truth that I may clearly discover something that I have in Christ and the immense riches that are reservd for me in my IESVS We know not we know not o mortals what treasures we possess in Christ The brethren of Ioseph were afflicted with famine because they were ignorant that he raignd in Aegypt why are we afflicted our brother raignes in heaven Rejoyce all ye sinners and beggars ye that are in calamity and distress because that brother of yours that loves you more tenderly then does all the world besides who of all others sticks closest to you is highest in Gods favour is most wealthy is God and for your sakes hath bin afflicted I congratulate I congratulate with sinners because Christ in himself hath most fully satisfyed the divine justice frustrating all its hope of making a prey of you and this without any double dealing yea in all rigour of equity Christ is the comfort of divine mercy and the treasure of Gods clemency I congratulate with the needy I congratulate with the miserable I congratulate with the distressed because it is your most loving brother who hath the dividing of the divine treasures as he thinks good who gives charters of beatitude and grants of true joy God hath placd for master of his family not a forraigner not an Angel but your very own brother Christ is our most faithfull friend for when we as being naked and miserable were altogether unworthy to appeare before the king he that we might come into the presence of God our soveraign not only not unworthily but after a most honorable manner and so obtaine mercy at his hands he I say clad us with a most rich purple died in his own pretious blood
the very thought of it will fill thee with dread and horrour this will be small in comparison of the deformity of a small offence The more excellent a thing is the more we ressent its corruption and crookednes proves there the greatest eye sore where straightnes is most requird what more excellent then our minds and will which is in an eminent degree above any other creatures wherfore it s least defect is very ugly neither can understanding humane or Angelical penetrate to the ful the harme it causeth to a soul What a prodigious thing would it be if thou carriedst thy hart in thy belly and not in thy breast it is a greater prodigy that a soul made to love God should covet pleasures or deforme it self with the intemperance of gluttony or neglect in any other depraved affection Thou must have a horrour not onely of enormous sins but also of all venial which are esteemd little material and faslely tearmd petty ones That is not justly stild light and little which only hath above it another which is great A venial defect is not little which hath only above it another greater that is a mortal one yea for this reason it is to be thought great because it hath above it but one evil which is greater Men esteem not only death evil and dread it as such but also a feaver or a deadly wound That must needs be a vast evill which is only less then one evil a vast evil which is greater then all others wants disgraces sicknesses torments and hell it self it is a vast evil greater then which or equal God neither knowes nor can inflict although he should heap all the punishments of the damned upon thee Thou wouldst think it unsupportable to have a canker which rotted and consumed thy limbs what if other diseases much greater were added to this leprosy stoppage of breath the palsey dropsey loathing of the stomack the gout blindnes phrensey dumbnes extinction of natural heat One sole venial sin is more hurtful then all these Venial sin is a canker it spreads insensibly even to death inducing many others and at length a mortal unles the depraved affection be cut off It is a leprosy debarring the scabby and loathsome soul of the embracements of her spouse it is a stoppage causing difficulty of breathing after heavenly things and admitting divine inspirations grieving and contristating the H. Ghost it is a palsy retarding the nimble motions of our mind towards God and making us dul and stupidly insensible in the divine service it is a dropsy begetting a thirst high conceit of temporal things and a neglect of divine and wholsome ones it is a loathsomnes of stomack causing aversion from spiritual affaires it is a gout impeding us in the advancement of a vertuous progress it is a blindnes making us dim-sighted in the knowledg of truth heavenly goods veyling our eyes with fond worldly principles as if a thick mist were cast before them it is a phrensy making the soul go out of her right wits what greater phrensy imaginable then that he whom the king to honour him to have him his courtier yea and adopt him for his Son had clad in royall purple should go dip it in a dirty pudle and then ridiculously appear in his presence in like manner one that is vested with divine grace and the purple of God defiles himself with venial sin and though he be not stript of that pretious robe yet he pittifully bedaubs and misuseth it and dares in this pickle appear before the Angels and come into the presence of God Venial sin is also a deprivement of speech rendring our praiers so ineffectual that we deserve not to be heard nor obtain redress at the hands of heaven it is a wasting consumption disabling the mind to resist the divel it is a decay of vital heat much diminishing the fervour of charity Can that be little which is the cause and source of so great evils how can a soul in this equipage desire to repose in the bosome of her spous stench of breath alone is a sufficient cause of divorce in order to marriage bed how then dares she that is struck with a leprosy palsy dropsy she that is miserably bleer-eyd presume to aspire to a kiss of her spouses mouth if we should spoil our apparrel with spittle or dirt yea though it were only wet with fair water we would presently put it of and lay it aside refraining to appeare in it before company how then can we have patience not with our apparrel but our selves who are nasty sordid defild diseasd and yet even thus we covet the embracements of God never thinking of being first cured or putting our selves in better array if thou wouldst be content on condition of being cured of any of the afore said diseases suppose it were the canker alone nay out of hopes of being cured though with hazard to have some limb cut of how much more to be cured of them all o the stupidity of man I who is so insensible of so many maladies that befall his soul and procures not what in him lies an easy and obvious remedy in order to a certain and invaluable recovery of its health from so many dangerous diseases since for the uncertain recovery of his body he spares neither limbs nor any kind of torment Go too silly fool be sure in the first place to provide for thy soul and use as much caution as thou canst by avoiding venial sins not to incur so many diseases and for that end be sparing neither of care nor industry Thou maist conjecture the greatnes of the malady by the difficulty of the cure Behold what a medecine purgatory which is the hospital of such diseasd soules applies to them can it be little which must be cured with that fire and such bitter torments would one suspect that fault little for which he sees a nice and tender woman tormented in a flaming furnace for an houres space and that by the command of her most indulgent and affectionate spouse certainly either her spouse might be thought some furious fellow or the fault was highly displeasing Why do we esteem venial defects of smal concern for which God who is so loving and merciful towards men wil have soules so dear to him to lie daies and yeares in scorching flames without the least resentment of compassion either God is very unjust and cruelly bent or the least offence is a fearful irreverence vast ingratitude Thou o Lord art no tirant but an humble lover of soules and thy mercy is above all thy works this is â—y impudency too too enormous and stupenlious which thou who art most just most meek and humble of hart who wouldst be glad to remit much of that pain art forced to correct with so much severity least thou prove defective in point of justice If one should behold a dog struggling in the midst of flames and perishing in a burning pile
he would be touched with a sense of compassion and how much more if he did see his own child in such a calamity o most mercyful Father how can that venial fault be tearmed little which it is unseemly for thee to compassionate though thou seest thy own children by grace whome thou affectest so tenderly so scorched and tortured in that piaculary fornace and yet for them it was thou gavest thy life pretious blood Neither paternal bowels replenished with pitty nor infinite wisdome was wanting in thee thou art not an ignorant God who can be deceived in the estimate of a fault nor a cruel one who takes content in punishing but against thy wil wherfore if thou tormentest him so rigorously whome thou lovest so tenderly it must needs be a vast evil towards which mercy it self is so unmerciful Let us imagin a man void of all knowledg of hel or purgatory and beholding only by revelation the state of some one soul pittifully afflicted by those flames for a venial sin but wholly ignorant what might occasion such a punishment what I beseech thee would he guess to cause it any smal or petty trifle or rather some huge exorbitancy which so benigne a God resolved to chastize with so much rigour Again shal that be tearmed little which he in this life punisheth with the greatest of all punishments death If God cannot err in inflicting penalties since he inflicts so dreadful ones how great must that needs be for which he inflicts them behold for one venial sin he punished his own servants Moyses and Aaron with death for one venial sin also as is probably thought Oza and lots wife were suddainly struck with the like disaster For one venial sin the Abbot Moyses was deliverd over to the divel and for a space possessed by him and in very deed it were a les evil to have a thousand legions of divels in ones body and be vext by them then to have the least venial sin in his soul and take complacence in it The divel laboured tooth and nail for 40 yeares together to make a certain servant of God commit but one venial trespass Is the divel such a fool that he would wait and lie in ambush so long to surprize him for a matter of smal moment why shal not we be watchful at least one day to avoid so great mischief o most pure truth purify my impure spirit from such an evil and illuminate me that I may not esteem it light because I regard it but lightly since the divels themselves take it so to hart but let me esteem that great which is done against a God so great nor let me repute that contemptible and sleight which I a contemptible sleight and inconstant creature commit by sinning upon all occasions and constantly but therfore let me hold it great because I who am vile and contemptible dare do it against a God the best and greatest How great must that needs be which rather then we must but once commit deliberately it is better to embrace a thousand deaths it is better that heaven and earth returned to their first nothing and all mankind were sentencd to damnation If choise were given to the Virgin Mother while she stands at the foot of the cross bewailing the torments and death of her beloved Son whether she would have him released from these paines and disgraces and behold him presently seated at the right hand of his Father and the salvation of a thousand worlds accomplished at that instant or consent to one sole venial sin she would chuse not to do this latter and would also perswade me to do so too nay rather then this she would chuse to see her Son and the Son of God once more naild to the cross yet without any default at all and if it were needful and lawful would strike in the nailes with her own pious hand and sacrifice him with greater charity then Abraham did his Tel me I pray would it be a slender courtesy and comfort to the Virgin her Iesus if some one man were found who would put himself upon the mount Calvary in the room of Christ and be crucified and suffer in his steed perswade thy self for all this that they would rather desire a greater comfort at thy hands which is to eschew all venial sin Consider now whether that would be little which should preponderate such a piece of service nor do thou deny this solace to thy suffering Christ and his compassionate Mother Let us then cancel and abolish this opinion that that evil can be light or little which the Virgin Christ God his Father deem so great and punish so exemplarly That is not little which hinders things orderd to a great and sublime end which lessens the love of God in this life and delaies his vision in the other It is no smal rub which puts as it were a stop and let to the most speedy and powerful mercy of God and his desires Would it be accounted a smal violence that should suspend a millstone falling from heaven in the aire while it were poasting to the earth its center it is therfore no smal sin which suspends the divine munificence and the ardent desires of an enamoured soul that they cannot reach their center God and the promisd holy land of beatitude but detaines it in the flames of purgatory That is not a little displeasing to God which hinders him from giving out of hand what he hath such a mind to give and we so willingly would receive That is not little which stops the current of Gods great favours and even in this life obstructs the outlets of his profuse liberality Let us tremble at such an evil and to the very utmost of our power use all possible diligence to avoid it not enduring to brook the shame and disgrace which the name of a fault imports How can that soul take complacence in the name of a servant or a child or a spouse which is not carefull to please God and comply in all things with his sacred will how naughty a servant would he be thought that would do nothing as he ought unles his master threatning death stood over him with a drawn sword and can upon no other tearms neither by faire meanes nor foul be brought to his duty how untoward a child who is allwaies crossing his parent and seeks to please him no further then meerly to keep himself from being disinherited for the rest is wholly wrechles in accomplishing his wil and desire and is lead in all with a spirit of contradiction how disloial a spouse who should only so far forth shew her self faithfull and loving to her fellow spouse as not to provoke him to take her life in other things perpetually crossing and vexing him and were she never so often corrected shewd no signes at all of amendment what argument of love would it be in a child or spouse to say I really love my parent or fellow spouse
but little regard notwithstanding what affront I put upon him besides death or a deadly wound I will uncontroulably do what I think good nor ever labour to humour him further then may serve to save my life and secure my inheritance Who could have patience with one that should speak thus do accordingly Iust thus proceeds he who contemnes venial sins and serves God meerly to avoid the death of his soul or forfeiture of heaven by a mortal Is there think you any master of a family to be found who would give house room to such a servant or Son or spouse this is the prodigious patience of God who tolerates us even while we abuse his toleration Let us then not misprize these faults as little which although they were so yet are they many and God is great and but one Grains of sand are smal yet they may be so multiplied that they wil overwhelme one sooner then a great stone One locust is an inconsiderable creature yet what greater destruction to the fields then their multitude great citties are delugd by smal drops of raine If we had so many little wounds or pricks in our body so many pushes or blisters in our face so many rends or holes in our garment as we commit venial sins we should be halfe dead loathsome to the eye and almost quite naked and why do we suffer those miseries in our soul but because we are less ressentive of its harmes then what concerns our body and apparrel O how dare we appear before God so replenished with confusion but why do I insist upon the number one sole fault is to be dreaded because one cannot think any thing little who thinks God to be infinite nor will he account it smal whose love is great what love resides in him who makes no reckning of displeasing God he that displeaseth him in a little really displeaseth him he that displeaseth him transgresseth the lawes of an ardent love The XIV Chapter Of exactnes in small things GOd is immensly great in his service thou must esteem nothing little he were not great enough unles he exceeded all littlenes If thou lovest him true friendship is tried in the least duties Art shewes it self in little things the perfection of vertue is no les polite and therfore it stands not altogether upon ample subjects Nature is most admirable in the least things it is most tender over the minutest creatures Grace is no whit more dul nor ought to be more backward Those things which seem more minute are to be more nighly regarded Since God is so great nothing is little which eyther pleaseth or displeaseth him In good evil there is no minutenes Whatsoever is good for that very respect is great whatsoever is bad upon that very score is not little An infinite goodnes exacts by claime all our forces he that owes all doth an injury if he deny any thing Vse not these manners of speech what makes matter for this this imports but little this is of no moment at all Yea this which thou deemst nothing is a busines of great concern because what thou thinkest much or of great moment is nothing in comparison of Gods greatnes and thy obligation O immense truth how can any thing be thought little or great if the measure of my obligation diligence be thy immensity where there is no little nor great but an excess of all meane How can I say this is little if whatsoever I do for thee is nothing It is not little which is held the least since perfection consists in the least Little things are not to be sleighted because greater are contemned If thou let a spark of fire fal into a pile of dry sticks which thou keepst under thy roof a great flame will be raisd which will consume the whole edifice Our corrupt nature is as apt to take the infection of malice as a little dry flax to take flame If thou sleightest smal things by little and little thou wilt be perverted Regard not the littlenes which appeares at first but by the beginning measure the end Seeds are allwaies extreme little and yet there is more vertue and efficacy in them then in any part of the whole plant The parting of two high waies insensibly protracted into length ends at last in a great interval of distance and may proceed to an infinitude though at first les then a step would have concluded the difference If thou once swarve from thy good purposes and remit that vigour of mind thou wilt by degrees find thy self very remote from thy former fervour Great things take their beginning from little wherfore a little is not the least if it be but the beginning The beginning of every thing is its chief and principal part yea it is not calld a part but the half of the whole Our H. Father S. Ignatius did with reason hold that it was more dangerous to contemne little things then greater the dammage of these latter is more patent and may forthwith be remedied but the prejudice we sustain by the former is not perceived but by length of time when being inveterated by custome it is scarse capable of redress The very nature and enormity of sin makes us abhor detest great ones but little defects because they seem little for this very reason are contemned and this being so our mind is not bent against them Our concupiscence is sharpend and set on edge by little things as thinking that it may wander in them without any great danger when it is not so venturous in great ones it being curbed and kept in by the apprehension of a patent ensuing harm but when our desire is once enkindled a little traind up how wil it then lash forth what wil it not encounter and for this reason we must sometimes proceed with more warines and sollicitude against smal defects then great Custome which gaines prescription upon vices breeds from little things not from great because they are less frequent nor shal we find it an easier task to resist custome then nature One shal sooner have an action in law against a publick invader and forcible seizure of our goods then one that hath had them by long prescription Those things which seem light take from us all remorse and shame of committing them that towards God being once cast of what good can be expected from us past shame past grace Be ashamd to refrain from great things and yeald to little for it is disgraceful and a sign of a coward to be foild by a dwarf or weak enemy That little is not to be sleighted in which great worth may be comprized A pearl is not contemned by reason of its littlenes nay for this respect it is valued the more as containing great worth in a little body why dost thou sleight that little wherin perchance thou maist do God a piece of better service then in greater Obsequiousnes and diligence in small things gaines greater
esteem for as art commends it self most when it comprehends great skill in a little compass and we admire nature for compleating in each minute creature all the requisites of life so it is loves masterpiece to bestow its whole mind upon little things and shut up in them an ample and enflamed affection and such a diligence is much more praiseworthy the want of greatnes being supplied by our affection and that is it which adds worth and only is prizable No true estimate of things is made but according to ones affection the least service is great when the affection is great but that many times is greater in little things and therfore an exactnes and compliance with our duty in them will not be les acceptable Great things of their own nature stir up to attention and are les troublesome because les contingent smal things make les impression upon the mind nor awake it so throughly and because more frequent therfore more noisome wherfore the mind that is exact in them takes them more to hart makes it her task to be more vigilant more constant and perseverant in obeying Wherfore he will be held no great zealer of Christ who zeales only great things he will be esteemd no great lover of God who hath relinquished the world and himself in things of higher concernment unles he also do it in minute The perfection of a statuary consists not in unbarking a piece of wood or hewing it into great blocks any rude hand can do this but he only is a cunning artist who leaves not a superfluouschip who carues it to a complete shape the least bit not escaping him unaccomplished Any novice-painter can lay the first grounds or shadowes of a tablet but to bring it to perfection is the task of a skilfull hand and subtile pencil and to consummate such a piece the least limb must be elaborate in like manner Gods image in us is compleated by the least duties of a vertuous compliance That is no absolute picture which hath only a head belly and feet but in which all the parts are wrought to an exact proportion why wilt thou present thy self to God a rude and deformed image for want only of some petty trifle O infinite and most absolute Lord what can I deem little which causeth the least similitude or dissimilitude with or from thee why shal I repute little what thou wishest me to do or avoid why shall omit the least thing that may redound to thy majesty or glory not accomplish all since thou wert pleasd to embrace all without exception for my vile unworthynes and sin O remiss spirit if an Angel from heaven should come and tell thee that God for his greater glory and in thanksgiving for all the benefits conferred by Christ upon mankind would have thee suffer the torments of S. Laurence how ungratefull wouldst thou shew thy self if perchance thou shouldst sleight the favour and make but small reckning of it Behold what wilt thou say God exact not now of thee the girdiron or racks or imprisonment or other torments but only that thou apply thy self to the performance of this petty action and do it not perfunctoriously esteem this a main busines the will of God is that thou do this and it sufficeth Martyrs are esteemd Saints for their patient sufferance of great torments Confessours acquire sanctity by a patient shunning of little faults The former tolerating great pain eschewd the fault the latter tolerating no faults eschewd the paines of Purgatory much greater The XV. Chapter That self praise is to be avoyded HE that loves to be praysed loves an impossibility Prayse proclaimes one good but for this very reason that thou wilt be praised thou art not only void of all good but full of great evill to wit a diabolical evil pride and ambition Although thou hearst thy self praised not thou shalt be praysed but another Praise is only for the good but thou art stark naught who covetest to be praysed He cannot be good or prayse worthy who is so vain as to hunt after commendation Wherfore he ceaseth to be prayse worthy who seeks to be praysed and if he be not prayse worthy he is wholly uncapable of prayse for that will not be for the future which could not be for the time precedent If thou smilest upon thy prayser thou dost in reality applaud thy disprayser because thou art most unjust whether thou thinkest thy self just or no for if thou holdst thy self not such thou rejoycest at a lye if thou holdst thy self just this is unjust enough that thou be preferd before others who art nothing When thou hearest men say thou art extreme just extreme good he that really is such receiveth prayse not thou who neyther art just nor good and so to thee it is rather a dispraise The praise of the just is the dispraise of the unjust For this very reason he is unworthy of commendation and worthy of contempt for grieving at his being contemned and vilified or vainly puffed up with self esteem he that doth not hold himself contemptible pleads an excuse for his contemners Self conceit is the daughter of a lye and Mother of ignorance confusion shame danger self humility is the daughter of truth and mother of merit and instruction whether will be better to be confounded and deceived or to merit and be instructed love only to be praise worthy not praised and this sufficeth Thou shalt only be praise worthy by seeking solely the praise and glory of God and thy own vilification Why hadst thou rather seem good then be so since thou ceasest to be good by labouring to seem such and be vainly esteemd Why lovest thou more to deceive and see others deceived then to frame a true estimate of thy self Why dost thou vilify thy self below a stone thou procuring not only that it be of a sparkling brightnes but that it be not a counterfeyt insomuch that each one is ashamed to wear for an ornament a spurious gem O most laudable truth o glory of creatures with what face durst I so much as once seek my own praise and credit who have so often contemned thee with what face do I seek to be esteemd who although I had been but once negligent in procuring thy greater glory deserve eternally to be vilified how notoriously impudent or rather frantick would he shew himself who should covet to partake of the honour and credit he got who dishonoured thee by buffetting thee or calling thee blasphemer or mocking thee with a reed in the time of thy Passion I am worse then all these and am convinced to be a lyar if I prefer my self before any of them how then dare I so much as think of self praise and esteem what madnes and wickednes is it to seek it nay what impudence o faint harted spirit not to judg thy self worthy of all disgrace nor wish to be contemned by all Thou shalt not therfore be really good because
upon thee by name when it stood â—ritten in the front of the book that he was to do the will of God he said o heavenly Father even for that contemptible Caytif Iohn will I also undergo a whipping a crowning a cross ignominy even death it self I give I offer I sacrifice my self wholly for his salvation And will it not be also thy duty to reflect upon Christ and say o my God this day for my Saviours sake wil I embrace all corporal labours and anguish of mind that I may love serve and glorify him with all the extent of my affection If God had created thee in the state of grace in an ample freedome of will and had by divine revelation indoctrinated thee in all the mysteries of our faith and thou didst see thy self dear to him and his B. Son become man and crucified with unspeakable love for thy sake were it not thy duty in these circumstances to give thy self wholly to God and power thy self forth upon him it is all one as if he had but just now created thee be oâ— good courage thou shalt awake in the state of grace behold thou findst thy redemption accomplishd to thy hand by the death and torments of thy God and this with so early a love that Christ sufferd for thee a thousand and so many yeares before thou wert born that he might have plenty of grace in store for thee Neyther Adam nor S. Michael nor Gabriel nor any other of the Angels no nor their queen her self the sacred Virgin found such preventing diligence such a feat of love to wit that God had already died for their releasment Be inflamed then forth with with a recipocal love and burning desires towards so magnificent a goodnes so speedily provident over thy affaires and do not contemn such an anticipation in what concerns thy eternal weal. Adam stood in expectation of this benefit the space of 4000. yeares but the benefit it self hath expected thee already above 1600 and it is neyther right nor reason that thou requite such sedulity and quicknes with so much sluggishnes and delay Procrastinate no longer thy conversion to God who hath so long expected thee in a great deal of patience Put case a proffer of coming to life were made to the soules which now are only in a possibility of existence and this upon the same conditions helps and favours which God hath daignd to bestow this day upon thee how would they joy how happy would they esteem themselves how officiously would they spend that day how would they in the very entrance of life sacrifice themselves to such a benefact or And what if he should make this proffer to those whom this very night he hath sentenced to hel fire while he so lovingly stood centry over thee in thy repose with what incredible fervour would they at their first return to life consecrate themselves to Almighty God as also the remnant of that day and their whol life if they did but once behold themselves adornd with divine grace with supernatural habits and such opportunities of serving so beneficial a God Be thou confounded for not sacrificing thy self more fervently to him who is much more munificent towards thee it is a greater matter to have preserved thee from damnation then to have reprieved thee being once condemned Spur up thy self to outstrip the fervor of many just soules and be thankful that thou findst not thy self this morning plungd in hell but freed from it as also from so many dangers and sins which innumerable others have this night incurd Do thou alone wish to give him if it were possible that glory which all the Saints will be still rendering through the great day of eternity which desire thou must unfaignedly iterate in the course of the whole day and that with sighs from thy very hart neither in the morning only but oftner as if then newly set on foot and created begin the journey of Gods service allwayes with a fresh and vigorous courage The V. Chapter That our daily fervour must be retained THOV providest but fondly for this dayes life neyther art thou secure of that if thou delayst it till to morrow If the use of this dayes life be granted thee live wel and perfectly for he only is said to live who lives wel Thou diest miserably being yet alive if thou leadest not a good life Each morning when thou awakest purpose to live that day as wel as possibly thou canst as if thou wert undoubtedly to dye the same night Delay not the amendment of any defect till another day which perchance thou wilt never see eyther the day or thy wil wil fayl thee The day to come wil go wel with thee if the present do One must never hazard a thing so good as is a good life but be alwaies in an active fruition of it Thou art industrious in avoiding any thing that may endanger life and why dost thou by delaying prepare and call danger to a good life Live to day and protract not to amend what is amiss after this week or month or the disposall of this affair To day God is our Lord and to day must thou be the servant of God for he is thy servant to day since he to day makes the sun rise to thy behoof He delaies not his guifts till to morrow neither must thou thy services To day God heaps benefits upon thee which thou canst not challenge be not thou wanting to services which he exacts The services of another day wil not suffice for the beneficence of their day why wilt thou have them satisfy for the day past and for the benefits of the present its own goodnes is not sufficient to pay its debt why wilt thou make it pay for the malice of another God especially redoubling thy debts and his graces to day God is God and to day thou art his creature to day Christ is thy redeemer and thou to day his redeemed IESVS is Christ yesterday to day thou hast a being to day and shalt perchance not have one to morrow To day and every moment art thou a debter to God who impends continually his omnipotency to thy behoof thou also must each moment impend all thy forces in his love and service How darest thou incur the loss of one hour since thou canst not make recompense for the least benefit which thou receivest this instant flowing from the ocean of Gods infinite love How darest thou suspend the quitting thy obligation for the interval of one day or hour for if God suspended his munificence but for a piece of an hour thou wouldst not be in the world or if he suspended his indulgence thou wouldst be in hell An eternal salary is promised thee thou must not merit by interrupted services If thou wilt truly live never intermit to live wel this is an eternal truth O Truth give me grace to serve thee truly henceforth for all eternity and that I may eternally
attempt things both unknown and uncertain why can we for love of vertue and the honour of God sustain nothing with constancy he that hopes for a continual and eternal good unjustly shuns labours in its pursuance he that is to be alwayes happy must be alwayes good for Each day condemns mans irreligious facts All seasons open are to vertues acts as saith S. Prosper The greatest grace of all other is to preserve the grace which is given thee and thy chief work not to surcease from doing works As a creature would be very deformed without head and life such a monster is a good life without a corresponding end We have received grace without any paines but we must conserve it both by grace and paines The beginning of a thing is accounted half its accomplishment but unles it end wel all comes to nothing In the matter of perseverance the end is all in all for nothing is done so long as any thing remaines undone It imports little to have laboured hard all ones life long if he faulter in the end The sole last moment of perseverance is more available then all the years by past for all their fruit proves rotten if it did not borrow thence a preserving soundnes Thou wilt think it a hard task to persever but it is much harder to begin again and much more then that to begin often Wherfore it is both more easy and more conducible to persever once then to begin often Horses force themselves les in a continued course of drawing a chariot then after having stood stil when they are to move it again Water which hath been once heated being taken of the fire becomes more cold then at first If fervour be wanting in thy proceedings thou also perchance wilt be more tepid then in the beginning Many grow faint-harted in the course of perseverance because they find difficulty in doing good but they do not therfore evade that difficulty for it is only perseverance that makes all easy If thou hadst the courage to begin a hard task thou mayst wel continue it that being much more easy Thou hast found so long by experience that it is neyther disproportioned to thy strength nor grace why then contrary to so long proof art thou now diffident thinking thy self unable to bear it what is eyther past or to come is not burdensome for the present do not grasp the difficulty all at once for it comes not so but by piece meale cōmensurate to the parts of time As thou wast able before to support it so art thou now and wil be henceforth It wil not be more noysome then it was but the heat of the difficulty wil remit by length of time and custome Accustome thy self to do wel and thou wilt forget to do ill Custome overcomes difficulty because it overcomes nature and what then wil grace do if custome overcome nature much more wil a wel-orderd charity in thee overcome the deordinations of nature It is better many times to fulfil a good purpose or consummate a work already begun then to begin another though otherwise more perfect because by inuring thy self yealding to a ficklenes of mind neither wilt thou performe that other Seldome can any work occur which is better then constancy in fulfilling a good purpose Good purposes are to be kept although they be not of any great regard because albeit in themselves it imports but little whether they be kept or no yet it is extremely important to be constant no wayes changeable Who is more constant in making good purposes then he who least intends to keep them If thou learnst a firm perseverance in one good against another thou wilt learn it more firmly against evil wilt not vary like time in this time of serving God O eternal truth grant me grace to serve thee eternally help o Christ my weaknes thou who with such indefatigable love tookest upon thee all our infirmities thou who never art weary with tolerating my impudent negligences grant that I may never be negligent any more nor desist impudently from thy service but may learn to brook swallow all morsels of difficulty Let me learn o Lord perseverance by thy love who when thou lovedst thine thou didst love them even to the end thou who didst persever hanging upon the cross and wouldst not desert it though the Iewes promised upon that condidition to believe in thee the Son of God who being ful of irksomnes anguish and a bloody sweat didst persist nevertheles and seeke redress by red oubling thy prayers Go too o remiss spirit tel me what must thou covet to do for thy IESVS who persevered for thee amidst the sorrowes of death and the cross who when he loved thee loved thee even to death what I say must thou covet but to do good and suffer evil These are the chief ambition of a soul that loves IESVS that which makes most for perseverance A good work presents it self what hinders thee from doing it but the trouble which accompanies it but mark wel that here concurs a second commodity of suffering evil and attend now that the good is doubled ther is superadded to this work both to suffer evil and do good Thou canst pretend no excuse for thy non-perseverance because that only hinders thee which ought to be the sum of thy desire to suffer for thy beloved If the love of IESVS were enkindled in thee all backwardnes tribulation and extrinsecal impediments would no more oppress thee then fire is with wood which forthwith more inflames it But if thou be so coldly chil that the love of God finds no fewel to feed on let thy own advantage and hope of future joy incite thee Dispair of coming off with life is wont to add valour to souldiers make them way through the thickest dangers divine hope of eternal life is yet more forcible and wil make thee more valiant and daring With this hope attempt thy enterprizes and persever cheerfully A cheerfull acceptance feels neyther labours nor trouble though otherwise the thing be laborious enough He that exerciseth himself in military games or at ball is wont to take more paines then one that hires himself forth to day-task and yet he feels it not because he takes it by way of pleasure and content If thou wilt conclude happily in the last hour be sure to begin each hour if thou intend to persever begin alwayes a new Excuse not thy negligence by indisposition of body self love for the most part deceives thee and makes thee do thy actions remisly Thy body is able to do more then thou thinkst if thy fervour of mind were but vigorous its force infusing strength even into weak and feeble limbs A lunatique person though exhausted with sicknes can do more then 4. that are sound the vigour of our mind sometimes communicates it self to the body If the infirmity of a malady can make one strong how much more the strength of grace and
soul and inflame it with his lightsome ardours But with how great charity and obedience must I make this oblation of Christ with so much greater then Abraham did when he was to sacrifice his dearest Son by how much Christ exceeds Isaac and the common cause of all mankind the particular of one single man If God should have commanded the most B. Virgin as he did Abraham to sacrifice for mans redemption her only and dearly beloved Son and she full of a motherly affection were to naile his hands and feet to the cross with what vehement flames of love amidst a torrent of teares with what quicknes promptitude and obedience would she have done it deeming her self happy for such a task o priest consider what an office is deputed to thee that thou thy self art the sacrificer of the Son of the Virgin the Son of God But a greater favour is done to thee then would be done in that case to the most H. Mother of God for thou never canst thank God sufficiently for inventing a meanes how thou mightest sacrifice the Son of God without any payn to him without expense of blood or the torments of death and mayst offer all the paynes of IESVS all his blood and deadly pangs to his Father in the self-same manner as if they were here really exhibited Stand amazd o Priest at thy function behold the world all in suspense over thee how dreadfull is it to see thee stand voyd of all attention where thou shouldst be replenishd with an awfull veneration and immersed in the dregs of creatures while thou performest an office next in dignity to the divinity it self when thou elevatest the body of Christ thou drawest all the Saints to such a spectacle and engagest as I conceive the eyes and knees of the admiring Angels and yet for all this canst thou be distracted the very dead themselves adore God in thy hands as a devout servant of God F. Peter Savedra beheld the body of S. Didacus to arise and worship Christ in the hands of the priest and canst thou thy self who elevatest him be in the mean time unmindfull of so redoubted a majesty and not reverence him from the depth of thy hart contemplate round about thee the Hierarchies of Angels with bended knees and multitudes of divels forced to an humble acknowledgment for if each knee both celestial terrestrial and infernal bend at the name of IESVS how much more will they at the presence of IESVS Consider how signal thy purity ought to be who art appointed Christs substitute to cleanse the world by him from its sinful ordures Thou shouldst not appear like a man but a very Angel and shine more purely then the heavens themselves What do I say o how mean and disproportioned is the comparison of an Angel to a priest since the power of priestly dignity is higher exalted above the prerogatives of a nature Angelical then is an Angel in its kind above a worm God who is so profusely good was pleased to honour his creatures by calling them into part of his charge and providence he designd the Angels chiefly for his coadjutors and Vice-gerents in natural things and therfore made them publique ministers of nature not dispensers of grace and his substitutes in the work of our redemption They preside over the parts of the earth and chief quarters of the world it is their task to conserve the kinds and natures of things but as for producing in others the supernatural guift of grace they have no lawful nay nor any ordinary authority as Priests have whom he chose for his immediate coadjutours in the stupendious work of our redemption and justification they as the Vicars of Christ dispence forth grace and make men the children of God They exercise a kind of power over the naturall Son of God himself IESVS while they consecrate his Body and offer sacrifice They work prodigious miracles The Angels take complacence in serving a Priest as they did Saint Eusebius esteeming this service a high piece of honour How much is grace elevated above nature certainly more sublimely without comparison then the nature of an Angel is above dung How much will guarding a man fall short of making a man God by elevating him to a divine state Which is more honorable to have a care of one or of all to provide for one or all to govern some particulars or appease God for the generality thou mayst hence conclude how eminently a Priest is priviledgd in power above an Angel The sole dignity of Christ is onely worthy of Priesthood IESVS alone as being the first begotten of God obtaynes by title of right a dignifying dignity Notwithstanding this o Mary most loving Mother Mother of Christ and all sinners cloath me in the garments of thy first begotten by a perfect imitation of life as Rebecca did Iacob that I may at least with less unworthines offer that lamb to his eternall Father which thou gavest me for a delicious dish on which thou knowest him to feed with much gust and appetite The XI Chapter That God is to be desired and received with longing in the Eucharist O Desirable truth what do I hear from thy mouth the oracle of all truth with a desire have I desired to eat with you this Paschal How comes it to pass that a man of desires obtaines of God whatsoever he covets and the God of desires cannot obtain of miscreant man his just demands the abstemious Daniel obtaind grace of God by desiring and thou o Lord the replenisher of soules and divider of the bread of heaven shalt not thou prevail so far with me by so many desires and engins of love as to make me yeald up the cittadel of my hart to thee who seekst entrance by so many stratagems and services o languid spirit what canst thou desire but what God desires desiringly but what o Lord desirest thou by entring into my body dost thou covet to become identifyd with me whilst thou covetest to be united to me what object suitable to the greatnes of thy majesty canst thou desire besides thy self thou covetest o Lord to be with me but after such a manner that I may be transformd into thee becoming one body or concorporeal with thee as the members are with their head as also one spirit adhering to God that he may be with me and I with him Charity used a strange disposall when it ordaind that I should be thy mansion-house and thou shouldst remaine in me and I in thee I living for thee as thou for thy Father thou desiring nothing of me nor for me besides thy self nor ceasest thou to covet upon so due a score or just pretence though prescinding from thy self thou findest nothing in me desirable Come o Lord come and take possession of my hart which thy desires most justly challenge O how much do I betray my nothing nor can I resist this claym of desires was it not sufficient o benesicent truth to have
it Where is our ambition our desire if it do not display and power it self forth upon this harvest of joyes and magazine of true riches I should take it for no smal dignity to be a sharer of Christs ignominy what then wil it be to partake of his glory if the ignominy of IESVS be glory the glory it self of God what wil that be if he so magnifyd the contumely of the cross as to exalt it upon the diadems of Emperors if he did so honour his torments what wil he do to his faithfull friends if he impart greater honour to the bones of Saints here among us then all the Monarchs of the world enjoy how much â—il he impart to their soules while they are reâ—â—dent with himself wilt thou make a rude â—ssay of the greatnes of glory how much it â—xceeds our labours Calculate how much â—he celestial globe exceeds in magnitude the â—errestrial this latter being but a point in regard of the first heaven and the first heaven another point or rather nothing in regard of the highest in whose circumference to one fingers breadth of earth so vast is the disproportion thousand thousands of miles are corresponding in that heaven The self-same God is author both of grace and nature and in point of bounty he would have his guifts in heaven much exceed our labours on earth Let the expectation of this so great a good be to thee alwaies a satiating repast Whatsoever thou seest good on earth contemn it as perswading thy self that thou shalt enjoy others in heaven excessively greater What evil soever annoyes thee fear it not as hoping to be out of its reach for all eternity Whatsoever is violently plunderd from thee grieve not as believing that all is depositated for thee to be made good out of the treasures of heaven Whatsoever thou dost contemn or relinquish for the love of God deem it not lost or cast away as supposing that it is not onely to be layd up but also restord with a hundred fold seek not to shun transitory labour thou who hopest for a permanent good Thou whose desire should animate thee to suffer in conformity with Christ upon the Mount Calvary without all hope of quitting cross be sure not to quit patience that thou mayst be conforme to God in glory with an assurd confidence of arriving to so great joy If we believe all this to be true why put we not hand to work but stand like people in a dream How is it possible to have terrene things in any esteem if we make heavenly things a part of our belief Perchance we believe not so rightly as we ought Wilt thou know how thy mouth belyes thy hart when thou affirmest that heavenly things are only great if thy fortunes amounted to the value of a thousand pounds wouldst thou not willingly give them all if thou wert perswaded that by so doing thou couldst enhance them to a hundred thousand but how doth it appear that we hold heavenly goods more valuable since we are loath even being put in mind of the advantage to give what men both joyfully and of their own accord give for the base trumpery of the earth a hireling toyles all day long for a poor salary a souldier exposeth himself to a thousand deaths for anothers kingdome and we for the glory of God and our own purchase of the Empyre of heaven cannot watch somtimes one hour pray with Christ as it behooveth Let us despise base petty trifles that we may receive immense rewards It is not so estimable in it self to receive litle as to expect great matters O lover and zealot of God be sure to thirst breath after so great a good but regard not so much thy own repose and commodity as that thou shalt there securely love God without fear of interruption and the greater thy glory is the more shalt thou love him I am bound to thank thee o God of truth for joyning the reward of our labours with the love of thee and the desire of my wil which is nothing els but thy love The VII Chapter Of suffering death HOW much o Lord doth thy beneficence transcend mans hope and expectation since those very things which he accounts the greatest of evils and natures penalty prove to thy faithfull an unparalleld benefit He esteems it the worst of evils to dye and it is a great good without which we shal never arrive to the fruition of all good Thou dost very fondly o man in declining death which is indeclinable and not declining tepidity and faultines which may be declind For death hath no evil it which life gave not the sin of Adam caused in death but was not so powerful as to make it evil this dammage only proceeds from thy sin Avoid sin culpable negligence death wil be a thing desirable Men fear little and regard les the death of the soul which only is evil and may be avoided but the death of the body which is not evil and cannot be avoided they seek to shun though it be rather to be desird then that we adhere to this wicked world O the madnes of men who abuse play as it were bopeep with that precept of Christ about loving our enemyes while they care for none but the world who hates us is our professd enemy why do we affect this fleeting life which flyes us and do not affect that permanent life which expects us Why are we so sollicitous for our temporal life which we cannot retain and neglect eternal which we may obtain we may have life everlasting if we wil we shal loose this transitory whether we wil or no and notwithstanding all this men wil not do profitably for eternal what they do unprofitably for this temporal they covet not the first and they dread the death of this second as one would do a mischief Death moreover is a rare invention of Gods mercy for it easeth us of all the molestations of this life and takes away an eternity of miseries What a pittiful thing would it be if we were for all eternity subject to the necessities of rising daily and going to bed of eating of cold and heat of toyl and sicknes of seeking our sustenance of carking caring of suffering affronts or spending our whole life in a sordid and laborious drudgery what a misery would it be if one were to be a â—orter another a husband man a third a smith a fourth a servant and this for tearm â—ithout all end or respit many that were â—otoriously wicked sought death and made away with themselves merely to avoid these inconveniencies at least let us not dread it that it may be a passage to future felicity and for both these respects let us patiently accept it When God beheld us involved by the sin of Adam in such a labyrinth of woes he in his most indulgent clemency invented for our good the devise of dying that our calamities might not
live with thee teach me how I may truly live to day Thou must o remiss spirit daily arme thy self to combat and awake with great chearfulnes as one would do to battail the sign of falling on being given as it were by this trumpet thou shalt love thy Lord God with all thy hart with all thy soul with all thy mind with all thy strength Let this precept allarme thee in the morning perswade thy self that each day of thy life is not only a day of warfare but a set day for combat How cheerfully do soldiers rise that morning wherin they receive orders to prepare for batail a soldier is not found unarmd in the day of combat thou must make account thou art to fight every day arme thy self early in prayer with a most fervent charity with a most profound self contempt with patience mortification all the stratagems thou canst invent The sole suspition of a batail armes a souldier and makes him continue so for many dayes because he expects to fight one day what ought the certainty and belief of a daily conflict to operate in us dispose all thy actions in the morning and depose them in the hands of God and purpose to be twice as good to day as thou wast yesterday least in the day time the divel interpose himself and prevail so far as to make thee abate of thy fervour Rise wel animated against all the difficulties which attend this life and if any of them â—ccost thee or thou become slouthful be not faintharted but rather joyful For why â—n occasion is presented of a greater victory assaile them undauntedly like one valiant souldier encountring another who is not dismaid at his presence nor seeks a starting hole but stands his ground and joyes to have met him whom otherwise he would have sought Fight stoutly all day long and at night expect to die The life of man is a warfare in which life is allwaies hazardous and labour certain As often as thou art but a little foild fight more eagerly and perswade thy self that such foiles wil be frequent for the just man is foild 7. times a day but rise forth with with redoubled courage as a souldier who having received a wound flies more keenly at his adversary Where thou perceivest any breach make it up incontinently and fortify it more strongly by calling a squadron of reasons to thy assistance which must be at hand like a valorous and approved reserve mustered from thy morning meditation repentance and humility leading them up And delay not to repair that negligence for otherwise thy vigour of spirit wil easily slacken He that receives but a sleight wound will faint unles he stop the effusion of blood and by delay that which is otherwise but an inconsiderable hurt wil become mortal Apply a remedy out of hand differr it not till night or another day for although it seem nothing it will hinder the progress of thy other actions If any one have got a thorn in his hand or foot he puls it out immediately he lets it not alone till night or some few daies after otherwise he will be able neither to walk nor do any thing else and the delay may be such that by festering it may prove a canker and cannot be cured but by cutting of Yet for all this be not so contristated for any smal defect as that it smel rather of pride then repentance and thou be hinderd thereby from performing thy other exercises which require a great deal of alacrity B. Aloysius Gonzaga had reason to say that those who were too anxious over their smal defects did not sufficiently know themselves Thou art all misery but thou hopest one day to be happy be les contristated and more humble If thou acknowledg thy misery a fixt hope in almighty God will lessen thy anxiety and dispair of any good will increase humility in thee Many are therfore dejected because they grieve not so much for having offended God as for their own infirmity and vilenes while they find themselves so impotent and faint harted and because this affection naturally sympathizeth with self love it is more resented and sometimes occasioneth no smal harm Grieve only for having offended God but rejoice forth with by a confidence in IESVS and congratulate with thy self for thy own vilenes for thou art nothing of thy self but only by God which is much better for thee By this meanes the defect it self wil more animate thee and render thee more confident by putting thy trust in God since thou dost actually experience and as it were by groping palpably perceive that by thy own strength thou canst do nothing but only by God and with God on whom thou maist much more securely rely for he is far greater in goodnes then thy good will can be in constancy Perswade thy self that perchance each hour thou wilt faulter a hundred times but purpose Gods grace assisting thee to rise again a thousand By how much more frequent thy lapses are rise so much more confidently because thou art more conscious of thy own insufficiency Then is our hope more purely and sincerely fixt in God when we dispair totally of our selves and then experience it self will teach us this when we see our selves without end to fail in our good purposes God permits that because we do not sufficiently humble our selves If thou wert truly humble thou wouldst redress many inconveniences and speak nothing but victories Humble thy self in the presence of God mistrust thy self and trust in him and being armed with this live this day with much circumspection diligence and desire as if the whole multitude of men were created this day and of all that world one only were to be saved he who attaind to the highest pitch of charity and most resignd indifferency of will for which end though to others were alloted the space of a hundred years yet thou shouldst have but this dayes respit Thou art obligd to do more now to honour and pleasure God then in any contingency and supposition whatsoever for any other respect even that of salvation The VI. Chapter Of maintaining our fervour OVr spiritual life depends no les upon the hart then our corporal our hart being kept untainted and wel guarded our spirit will be in safety Mans hart is the consecrated altar of God and the throne of the H. Ghost Thou must preserve it with all sollicitude that it may be free from this world not defiled with the images of terrene impertinent things with which the world and the divel by the windows of thy senses batter thee as with so many engins Thou must be more careful of thy hart then of an altar an Oratory and consecrated chalices where we offer sacrifice worship and keep the very Body of Christ in the Sacrament With how much diligence and under how many locks do usurers keep their mony and the instruments of death with how much nicenes do those that delight