CHAP. I. Of the Value, and Excellency of Prayer.

THE glorious Apo­stle, and Euangelist S. Iohn, in the fifth, & eight Chapters of his Apocalyps, doth well declare the va­lue and excellency of Prayer, and sayth: That the Angell stood before the Altar and held an Incensary of Gold in his hand; and that a great quantity of In­cense was giuen to him, which were the Pray­ers of the Saints; to the end, that he might offer them vp before the Altar of Gold, which stood before the Throne of God: and that the smoke of that Incense, did ascend, from the [Page 2]hand of that Angell, into the presence of God. S. Chrysostome speaking vpon this place sayth:Chrys. ho. 13. super Matth in opere im­perfect. Hereby you may discerne how high & pretious a thing Prayer is, since it alone, is compared in holy Scripture to Thymiama, which was a confection of Incense, and other things, most o­doriferously fragrant. Because, as Thy­miama, being well compounded, and framed, did extraordinarily delight mē by the odour of it; so that Prayer, which is made, as it ought, is very sweet and and pleasing to Almighty God; and doth delight and recreate the holy An­gells, and all the other Cittizens of Heauen. Guiller. Paris. in sua Rheto. diui. c. 4. In such sorte, as that S. Iohn sayth, They haue in their hands, as it were so many pomanders of admira­ble odour, which are the Prayers of the Saints; wherunto they do very often apply their most pure sent, (to speake after the manner of men) that so they may enioy this most sweet smell: Ha­bentes singuli, Phialas aureas, plenas odora­mentorum, quae sunt orationes Sanctorum. Aug. in tract. d [...] misericor. Tom. 10.

S. Augustine speaking of Prayer saith: Quid est oratione clarius? quid vitae nostrae vtilius? quid animo dulcius? quid in tota no­stra [Page 3]religione sublimius? What thing is there more excellent? What more profitable? what more delightful, and sweet? what more sublyme, and high in all our Christian Religion, then Prayer? S. Gregory of Nice, Greg. Nis­s [...]n. de orat. Domin. Ber. ser. 7. super Cāt. & Ep. 78. sayth the same: Nihil ex his, quae per hanc vitam co­luntur & in precio sunt, oratione preastat.

S. Bernard sayth, That although it be certaine, that the Angells do very ordinarily assist the seruants of God with their inuisible presence, so to de­liuer them from the fraudes & sleights of the Enemy, and to set forward their desires of seruing God, with greater feruour: Yet much more assistance do those Angelicall spirits giue, when we imploy our selues, in making Prayer. And he bringeth to this purpose, many places of Holy Scripture; as that of the Psalmist, In conspectu Angelorum Psallam tibi: I will praise thee,Psal. 137. in the presence of the Angells. Praeuenerunt Principes con­iuncti psallontibus, Psal. 67. in medio inuencularum tympanistriarum; which he also declareth of the Angells, who associate them­selues to such as pray. And that also,Tob. 12.12. which the Angell said to Tobias: When [Page 4]thou didst pray with tears, I offered vp thy Prayers to God. For when the Prayer issueth out of his mouth who maketh it, iust then, do the Angells, who are presēt, offer it vp to God. S. Hilary sayth the same thing:Hilar. can. 16. in Mat. Angeli praesunt fidelium orationibus, & eas quotidie Deo offerunt. So that when we be in Prayer, we are in­uironed, and circled in by Angells; & our selues are also doing the office of Angells; and we are practising, and exercising our selues in that, which hereafter we are to do continually in Heauen, and that is, to blesse & praise our Lord. And for this cause, we are particulerly fauoured, and beloued by the Angells, as being their Compa­nions now, & being also expected to be so hereafter; filling vp those seates, which grew empty, by the fall of their fellowes.

S. Chrysostome, treating of the excel­lency of Prayer, and being desirous to expresse the greatnesse of it,Chrys. lib. 2. de oran­do Deum. sayth: That one of the highest greatnesses which did occur to be expressed by him, was this, That whosoeuer maketh Prayer, doth confer, and treate with God him­selfe: [Page 5] Considera quanta est tibi concessa fae­licitas, quanta gloria attributa, orationibus fabulari cum Deo; cum Christo miscere collo­quia; optare quod velis; quod desideras postu­lare. Consider the dignity, & the glory to which our Lord hath exalted thee, in that he hath giuen thee power, to treate and conuerse with him; to haue conuersation, & speach of intercourse with Iesus Christ; to desire what thou wilt, and to aske what thou desyrest. There is no tongue (sayth he) which can a­riue to declare of how great dignity, & height, this treating and conuersing is, with Almighty God; and of how great vse and profit to vs. For if they, who haue their ordinary conuersation here on earth, with wise and prudent men, do feele much pro­fit in short tyme; & it growes quickly to be knowne, that they are much im­proued in wisdome, & knowledge; & if they, who hold familiarity with vertuous men, do sucke of that vertue into themselues, (as the Prouerbe doth thus expresse) Conuerse with good men, & thy selfe wilt growe to be one of them; what shall become of such persons, as con­uerse & treate, in frequent, & familiar [Page 6]manner, with Almighty God? Accedite ad Deum & illuminamini. Psa. 33. What light, & knowledge, what benefits and bene­dictions, will they receaue by such cō ­uersation, and communication as this? And so S. Chrysostome sayth:Chrysos. ho. [...]e orat. & super illud Ps 7. Confite­bor Do­mino se­cundum Iustitiam eius. That there is nothing, which maketh vs so much growe in vertue, as much Prayer, and frequent conuersation with Almighty God. For thus the hart of man, growes to be truly generous, and to haue the things of this world in great cōtempt; and to raise himselfe aboue them all; and to vnite, and transforme himselfe, after a certaine manner, into God; and to become, in fine, a spirituall person, and a Saint.

CHAP. II. Of the great Necessity, which we haue of Prayer.

HOvv necessary Prayer is for vs, we haue inough, & inough ex­perience. I would to God (i [...] he were so pleased,) that we had not so much. Now, since man is so full of need of [Page 7]Gods fauour, in respect that he is sub­iect to the taking of so many falls; and that he is inuiroued by so many, and so fierce enemyes; and laboureth vnder the want of so many things, which be­long aswell to the soule as the body; there remaines no other remedy for him, but euer to be resorting to God; be­seeching him, with his whole hart, to be fauourable to him, and that he will help him out of all his dangers, & ne­cessities, according to that which King Iosaphat said (whē he foūd himself hem'd in by his enemyes:1. Paral. 10. [...].) Cùm ignoremus quid agere debeamus, hoc solùm habemus residui, vt oculos nostros dirigamus ad te. Since we are so weake, since we are so poore, and needy, and know not which way to turne our selues, we haue no other remedy, but onely to cast vp our eyes to God,Celest. ca. 9. contra Pelagium. and with our harts to beg of him, those things wherof we are in so great neede. And so Pope Celestine, in one of his Decretall Epistles, to teach the importance of Prayer, speaketh thus; I know not what better thing to say to you, then that which Zozimus my Predecessour sayd, Quod est tempus, in quo [Page 8]eius auxilio non indigemus? in omnibus igitur rebus, causis, & negotijs, exorandus est Pro­tector Deus. What tyme is there; where­in we haue not necessity of the help of God? There is no such tyme. If that be so, then are we, at all tymes, and in all occasions, and in all affayres, to resort to God by Prayer, with desyre that he will protect vs. Superbū est enim, vt humana natura aliquid de se praesumat. For a great pride it is, that a frayle and miserable man, should presume any litle vpon himselfe.

S. Thomas proues the necessity of Prayer,S. Tho. 2.2. q. 8 [...]. ar. 2. Damase. l. 3. fidei ca. 24. Aug. l. 2. deser. Domini cap 7. & ser. 230. de t [...]mp. Basilius in Iul. mart. Chrys. ho. 30. in Ge­ [...]. sim. Gre. l. [...]. dial. [...].8. by a very solide, and substan­tiall reason; and it is the doctrine of the Saints Damascen, Augustine, Basill, Chry­sostome, and Gregory. These Saints de­clare, that the things which God, by his diuine wisdom and disposition, did determine, from all Eternity, to giue to soules; he would impart in time, by meanes of Prayer; and that by this mea­nes, he had resolued vpon the redresse, the conuersion, and the saluation of many soules; and vpon the progresse, and perfection of many others: in such sort, that as God disposed and deter­mined, [Page 9]that by meanes of marriage, mankind should be multiplyed; and that by plowing, and sowing, & cul­tiuating the ground otherwise, there should grow abundance of bread, and wine, and other fruits of the earth; and that, by meanes of Artificers, and ma­terialls, houses, and buildings should be erected: So did he also ordayne to worke great effects in the world, and to communicate many graces & guifts to soules, by this meanes of Prayer. And so did Christ our Redeemer assure vs, in the Ghospell: Petite & dabitur vobis, quae­rite & inuenietis, pulsate & aperietur vobis: Matt. 7. omnis enim qui petit, accipit, & qui quarit, inuenit, & pulsanti aperitur. Aske and it shalbe giuen, seeke and you shall finde, knock and it shalbe opened vnto you: for he who asketh receyueth, he who seeketh findeth, & to him who knoc­keth, it shalbe opened.

So that Prayer, is the meanes & mai­ster-conduit, wherby our Lord wilbe pleased to releiue our necessityes, to inrich our pouerty; & to replenish vs with benedictions and graces. Wherby we see well, the great necessity which [Page 10]we haue of frequenting Prayer. And so the Saints do frame, a very fit compa­rison, when they affirme, that Prayer is as a Chayne of Gold, one end wherof is hooked vp in heauen, & the other end reacheth downe to the earth; and that, by this chayne, all celestiall graces, are deriued, and drawne downe to vs; and by the same, our selues ascend, & moūt vp to God. And we may also say, that this is a kind of Iacobs Ladder, which reacheth from heauen to earth; and wherby the Angells do ascend, Gen. 28.11. Aug ser. 226. and descend.

The glorious S. Augustine sayth, that Prayer is the Key of Heauen, which is made, to open all the gates therof; and of all those coffers which are full of the treasures of God,Aug ex­hort. de salutari­bus moni­tis ad quē ­dam Co­mitem ca. 28. without excep­ting any one. Oratio iusti, clauis est caeli: ascendit precatio, & descendit Dei miseratio. And els where he sayth: That looke what breade is to the body, that very thing is Prayer to the soule: Sicut ex carnalibus escis alitur caro, Nilus ca. 95. de orat. [...]n bib. SS. PP. 10. [...]. ita ex diuinis elo­quijs & orationibus, interior homo nutritur, & pascitur. And the same is affirmed, by the holy Martyr, & Abbot Nilus.

One of the most principall consi­derations, [Page 11]wherby the Saintes declare the value, and estimation which we ought to make of Prayer, on the one side; and on the other, the great necessi­ty which we haue therof; is, because Prayer; is a very principall, and effica­cious meanes, to order and addresse our life, and to explayne, or ouercome all those difficultyes, which may offer themselues to vs, in the way of vertue. And so they say, that vpon it, depends the gouermēt of our life; & that when Prayer is well made, the life is well led; and that when Prayer is discomposed, the life groweth also into disorder. Re­ctè nouit viuere, qui rectè nouit orare, Aug. ho. 4. ex 150. quae eius nomine circumf. sayth S. Augustine. He knoweth how to liue well, who knoweth how to pray wel.

And S. Iohn Climacus sayth, that a seruant of God deliuered a memorable speach to him; and it was this. By the very beginning of the morning, I do already know, what kind of dayes worke, it will be; Climacus. Giuing to vnderstand therby, that if he com­plyed well with his Prayer, in the morning, all the rest would succeed well; and so, that it would fall contrarily out, if either he did not comply with it at all, or els did it not so well, [Page 12]as he could. And the same rule holds, with all the rest of a mans life. Our selues do take daily experiment herof; so that when we make our Prayer well, we go so well in order, so cheerfull, & so full of good purposes and desires, that it is to make one wonder; and contrariwise, if we take no care of our Prayer, all the good which we had got­ten, is in the way to be lost.

S. Bonauenture sayth: Sine isto studio, omnis religio est arida, Bonauen. de progres. religionis. ca. 7. imperfecta, & ad rui­nā promptior. By not resorting to Praier all goes backward, and by and by co­mes in tepidity; and then by litle and litle, the soule begins to grow weake and to wither, and to loose that vigor, and breath, which it had before. And then, I know not how, those holy purposes and first thoughts, grow to vanish; and then begin to awake, and reuiue all our passions. Soone after, will a man finde himselfe, to become much inclined to vayne mirth, and to talking and laughing, and passing a­way tyme idly, and such other vani­tyes as those; and that which is worse, the appetite of vayne glory is reuiued, [Page 13]and the appetite of ambition, & such other things, as formerly seemed to haue beene dead.

The Abbot Nilus sayth, That Praier is to be the glasse of the religious man,Nilus,and in this glasse, are we to view and reuiew our selues daily, & that at lea­sure, that so we may come to see and know our faults, & to be remouing such deformityes, as we shall discouer in our selues. And in this glasse also, are we to behold and consider, the vertues which shine in Christ our Lord; to the end that we may go adorning, & beau­tifying our soules, by the contempla­tion therof.

The glorious S. Francis was wont to say, Gratia orationis, Lib. 1. Con­fornat p. 1. hist. Mi­ [...]. c. 7. viro religioso maxi­mè desideranda est: nullus enim sine ea, in Dei seruitio, fructus sperari potest. One of the things, which the religious man were to desyre most, is the grace or guift of Prayer: forasmuch as without it, no fruit or profit can be hoped for, and by it we may hope for any thing.S. Tho. [...] ­hift. S. Do­minici li. 3. ca. 37. S. Thomas of Aquine, amongst many other graue sentences which are related as from his mouth, in the history of his life, was [Page 14]wont to say, That a religious man, with­out Prayer, was like a souldier, sent vnarmed into a battayle.

That holy Archbishop of Valencia, Thomas de Villanoua said,Tho. de Villa noua ca. 13. vitae suae. Note. that Prayer was like naturall heate in a mans stomack, without which it was impossible for the naturall life to preserue it selfe, or, that meate should do it any good; but with that, any meat is disgested & con­cocted well, and the man is well nou­rished, and all the parts of the body are supplyed with vertue and strength, for the performance of al their operations: So, sayth he, without Prayer, the spiri­tuall life of man cannot be conserued, but with Prayer it may. For by Prayer the soule is refreshed, and the spirit gets strength, for all the Actions, and Obe­diences which it is to performe; and against all troubles, and difficultyes which it is to vndergoe. By the helpe of Prayer, all these things grow to be disgested, and made pastable, & prooue good bloud for the soule.

Finally, if we make that vse of Prayer which we ought, we shall find therein, full remedy of all our infirmi­tyes, [Page 15]and meanes to conserue vs in Re­ligion and vertue; for if perhaps you for­get your selues in point of Obedience, & obseruation of your Rules; if you begin to take certaine little libertyes; if that passiō which you are most subiect to, should resume a litle life, & reflourish; by laying hold vpō the help of Prayer, all these inconueniences, will with the fauour of our Lord, be soone checked, & stayed. And if by chance, you grow negligent, euen in the vse of Prayer it selfe, and should consent to some tepi­dityes therein; yet, by meanes of the selfe same Prayer, you are to procure the remedy, and to returne into your sel­ues. We are furnished by Prayer, against all kind of inconueniences, yea and euen against the defects of Prayer it selfe. And therfore they do very well compare Prayer, who say, That it is as the hand to the body, Note. which is both an instrument for the whole body, and for it selfe also. For the hand laboureth, to the end that the whole body, may be susteyned, & for all things which are necessary eyther to the body or the soule; and so it doth also labour for it selfe. For if the hand [Page 16]be sore, the hand cureth the hand; if the hand be fowle, it washeth it; if it be cold, it warmeth it; in fine, the hand is fit for all things: and iust so it is, in the case of Prayer.

CHAP. III. That we are much bound to God, for hauing made that thinge so easy to vs, which on the one side is so Excellent, and on the other so Necessary.

IT is but reason that we consider, & ponder here, the great, and singuler fauour which our Lord God hath done vs, in ordayning, that Prayer, be­ing in it selfe a thing so excellent, and so high, and being yet so very neces­sary, forasmuch as concerneth vs; he hath yet withall, made it so easy, as to place it in the hand, or power of vs all; & we may vse it, at all tymes, and in all places, if we be disposed. Apud me [...]ratio, Ps. 41. [...]. Deo vitae meae: Prayer is at hand with me; to the end I may make it to my God, who giues me life, sayth the Prophet Dauid. Those gates of the mercy of God, are neuer shut, but they [Page 17]stand open to all; and at all tymes, we shall euer find him at leasure, and desi­rous to shew vs fauour, yea and euen soliciting vs, to aske it of him.

It is an excellent consideration, which is vsually brought to this pur­pose. If Almighty God should giue leaue, for once only in the Moneth, that all such as would, might enter into his presence to speake with him; and that then, he would giue them glad and gratefull audience, & would grant their suites: without doubt, it ought to be highly esteemed, since it would be highly esteemed if any tem­porall King should offer it. But then how much more is it fit, that we value it, as we ought, comming from the hand of God: especially since he offreth it, and inuiteth vs to it, not only for once in the moneth, but for euery day, yea and many tymes in the same day. Vespere, & mane, & meridie, narrabo, Psal. 54.18. & an­nunciabo, & exaudiet vocem meam, sayth the Prophet imbracing all tymes, by this speach of his. At night, in the mor­ning, at mid-day, and in the euening, I will relate, & represent my troubles & [Page 18]my miseries to Almighty God: & I am full of confidence, that whersoeuer & whensoeuer I shall resort to him, he will heare me, & do me fauour. God is not weary to haue vs aske of him, as mē vse to be: because he growes not poore by giuing, as they vse to do. For man how much more he giueth to another, so much the lesse remaines to himselfe, so that he takes from himselfe, what he giues to them, and he impouerisheth himselfe, asmuch as he enricheth them.

And from hence it is, that men grow weary and disgusted, when they are pestered with suiters; and if they giue twice, or thrice, with a good will, they will yet be weary, against the next tyme, and eyther they giue no more, or els they do it, in such a fashion, as that it may be the last. But God as the Apostle S. Paul sayth,Ad Rom. 10.12. Est diues in omnes qui inuocant illum: he is infinitly rich, & since he growes not poore by giuing, he is not disgusted & growes not wea­ry in being asked, althogh all the world in euery minut of time shold be making suites. For he is rich towards all, & de­sires to inrich vs all, without leauing [Page 19]to be as rich as he was before. And as his riches are infinite, so also his mer­cy is infinite towards the redresse of al the miseryes of vs all. And he desires, that we should beg often, and that we should euer be resorting to him.

It is reason therefore, that we ac­knowledge, and shew all gratitude, for so great a benefit and fauour; and that we serue our selues well, of such a large and profitable leaue; procuring to be very assiduous, in the vse of Prayer. For, as S. Augustine sayth,Ps. 65.20. vpon these words, Benedictus Deus qui nō amo­uit orationem meam & misericordiam suam à me: you may hold for certaine, that if our Lord do not take the vse of Prayer from you, as litle will he take from you his Mercy. To the end there­fore, that our Lord may not deuide his Mercy from vs; let vs procure that we neuer leaue the vse of Prayer, nor de­uide it from our selues.

CHAP. IV. Of two Kinds of Mentall Prayer.

LEAVING a part Vocall Prayer, which is an Exercise so holy, & so [Page 20]much frequented by the Church of God, I will now, only treat of that, which is Mentall, wherof S. Paul the Apostle speakes,1. Cor. 14. when he writes to the Corin­thians; Orabo spiritu, orabo & mente; psallā spiritu, psallam & mente. I will pray, I will sing, and I will cry out, with my spirit, and with my hart. Two Kinds there are of Mentall Prayer. The one is common, and plaine; the other is most especiall, extraordinary, and of parti­culer priuiledge, with indeed may be said rather to be receiued, thē to be offe­red, or made; for so those anciēt Saints, who were well versed in Prayer, did vse to expresse themselues. S. Dionysius the Areopagite, Dionys. l. 2. de Diuin. nominib. sayth of his Maister Hie­rotheus, Quòd erat patiens diuina: Wherby he meant to say, that he did not so much operate, as receaue that, which was giuen him by Almighty God.

There is a very great difference, be­tweene these two kinds of Prayer. For the former, may be taught, in some sort, by wordes; but we are not able to teach the later,Apot. 2.17. because wordes are not able to declare it. Quia nemo scit, nisi qui accipit. It is a kind of hidden Manna, [Page 21]wherof no body knoweth, what it is, but he who tastes it. Yea, and euen he, cannot declare how it is, neither doth himselfe vnderstand, how it growes. Cassian notes very well and brings for this purpose,Cassian. collat. 9. Abbatis Isaac. c. 3.1 [...] a sentence of S. Antony the Abbot, which he calleth celestiall, & diuine; Diuina, caelestis, & plusquā humana sententia: Non est perfecta oratio, in qua se Monachus, vel hoc ipsum quod orat, intel­ligit. It is no perfect Prayer (saith this Saint) when one remembreth himself, or vnderstandeth exactly what he prayeth. This high, and sublime, rich Kind of Prayer, doth not permit to him who prayes, that he consider then, what he is performing; nor, that he make reflection vpō what he is doing, or (to speake more properly) what he is, not so much doing, as suffering.

As heere below it happeneth many tymes, that a man wilbe so absorpt,Note. & inebriated (as it were) with a businesse, that he remembers not himselfe, nor considers, where he is; nor makes refle­ction vpon what he thinkes; nor ob­serues, in what sort he thinks it. And iust so, in this perfect Kind of Prayer, a [Page 22]man is so taken, and absorpt in God, that he remembers not himselfe, nor knowes not how that is, nor by what way it comes, nor by what way it goes; nor cares he then, for any Inuen­tions, nor Preambles, nor Points; nor considers he whether this, or that, be fit to follow, in hi Prayer. This arri­ued to the foresaid S. Anthony, by the re­lation of Cassian, who put himselfe to Prayer in the euening, and continued therein, till the Sunne, of the day fol­lowing, strucke his eyes; and he com­playned of that Sun, for rising so early, and taking from him, that other light, which our Lord, interiorly bestowed vpon him.

Bern. in ser in Do­minie am infra [...]octa. Epiphan. S. Bernard sayth of this Kind of Prayer: Rara hora, & breuis mora. This hower comes but seldome, and when it comes, the tyme seemes short, wher­in it lasts. For how long soeuer it be, it seemes to haue passed, assoone as a breath of wind would do. S. Augustine feeling this kind of Prayer in himselfe, sayth thus to God:Aug. Con­fess. lib. [...]0. cap. 40. Aliquando intromittis me in affectum, multum inusitatum, intror­sus, ad nescio quam dulcedinem, quae si perficia­tur [Page 23]in me, nescio quid erit, quod vita ista non erit. Sometimes thou drawest me, into an interior, & most vnusuall affection of mind; to a sweetnes which is beyōd all expression; and which, if it might be continued and perfected in me, I know not what that felicity might be, which would not be conteyned, in such a life as this.

In this most speciall kind of Prayer, and Contemplation, Note. S. Bernard placeth three degrees. The first, he compareth to Eating, the second to Drinking (which is done with more facility & delight then Eating, for there is no trouble in the chewing) and the third, in being Inebriated. And he brings to this pur­pose, that of the Spouse in the Canti­cles, Cant. 91. Comedite amici, & bibite, & inebriamini charissimi. He sayth first, come Eate; se­condly, come and Drinke; and thirdly, come and Inebrietate your selues, with this Loue. This last, is the most perfect; And this, is rather to receaue, then to impart. Somtimes the Gardiner drawes the water, out of the Well, by the strength of this armes; and sometymes, whilst he holds his hands, one by the [Page 24]other, comes a shower frō heauen, which sincks into, and softens the earth; & the Gardiner hath then no more to do, but to let it come, and to addresse it to the roote of those trees, to th'end that they may bring forth fruite.

So it is, with these two Kinds of Prayer. For the one of them, is sought with industry, being yet assisted by Gods grace; but the other is ready made to the hand. In the first, thou goest la­bouring, and begging, and feeding v­pon that very beggery. But the second, doth furnish thee, with a full table, which God himselfe, hath prepared for thee, to free thee from all hunger; a ta­ble, full of riches and abundance: Intro­duxit me Rex in cellaria sua, sayth the Spouse; Cant. 1.3. And I say the Prophet, sayth: Laetisicabo cos, in domo orationis meae: I will recreate and regale them, Isa. 56.7. in the house of my Prayer.

This Kind of Prayer, is a most parti­culer guift of God, which he bestow­eth vpō whome it pleaseth him. Som­tymes, in payment of those seruices, which they haue done him; and of the much, which they haue mortified thē ­selues, [Page 25]and suffered for his loue. And sometymes agayne, without any rela­tion to any precedent merits of theirs. For, in fine, it is a most free, and libe­rall grace of his owne; and he commu­nicates it, to whome he will, accor­ding to that of the Gospell,Matt. 20.15. Non licet mihi quod volo facere? Shall not I per­haps, haue power to dispose of my owne goods, as I lift? But this Kind of Prayer, is not a thing which we are able to teach.

And so there are some Authors who are reprehended, and euen prohibited, because they would needs teach, that, which could neither be taught, nor learned; and reduce that to Art, which is aboue all art; as if they could infal­libly place a man in state of Contempla­tion. Which Gerson doth well repre­hēd,Gerson. in a book which he wrote against Rusbrokius, in these words: Thou haste pluckt of the flower, from the roote. For as the flowers pluckt from the roote, and carried in the hand, do quickly wither, & loose their beauty; so do these things, which God communicateth to the soule, after an internall manner, in this [Page 26]high and rich Kind of Prayer. For in procuring to draw them out of that place, and to declare them, and com­municate them to others, they loose their lustre, and their splendor.

And this do they, who will needs declare and teach, that which cannot be declared, no nor so much as vnder­stood. Those Anagogies, those Transfor­mations of the Soule, that silence & an­nihilation, that vnion without mediū, that deepe bottome of Taulerus; for what doth it serue to speake of these things; for if thou vnderstand them, I do not; nor do I know, what thou wouldest say. Nay, in this case, we are taught, and that very well, that there is this difference, belonging to this di­uine Science, from others; That before we can attayne to other Sciences, we must first vnderstand the Termes; but in this, thou shalt not vnderstand the Termes, till first, thou haue attayned to the Sciēce. In other Sciences, the Theo­rick doth precede the Practicke; but in this, the Practick must precede the Theoricke.

Nay I say moreouer, that not only [Page 27]this Prayer cannot be taught, or decla­red by words, but not so much as your selfe are to desire to rayse, or place your selfe in his kind of Prayer, vn­lesse God himselfe, do raise you to it, and place you in it. For this would be a great presumption and pride; & you should so deserue, to loose euen that Prayer, which you haue already; & so remaine voide of all. Introduxit me in cellam vinariam, Cant. 2.4. sayth the Spouse in the Cauticles. That vocation of God, to draw the soule into his secret retiring-place, to treat so familiarly with it, and the bringing it, into his Cellar of wyne, so to satisfy it, and inebriate it with his loue, is a most particuler guifte of God. The Spouse, did not presume to enter; but her fellow Spouse, tooke her by the hand, and drew her in. That raising of ones selfe, to the Kisse of his mouth, is not a thing which thou canst, or oughtest pretend, vnlesse he raise thee vp; for it would be a great presum­ption.

And so we see, that the Spouse, aspi­reth not so high. She is more bashfull, & humble then so; but she beseecheth [Page 28]her fellow Spouse, that he will vouch­safe to giue her such a Kisse. Osculetur me, Cant. 1.1. Bern. ser. 52. ex par­uis. osculo oris sui. As if he had said (as S. Bernard speaketh) I cannot by any strength of myne owne, arriue to this Loue, and to this Vnion, and to so high Contemplation, if he vouchsafe not to giue it. It is he, who by his goodnes & most gracious liberality, must sublyme vs, to this Kisse of his mouth, to this most high Prayer, and contemplation, if he be pleased, that we may haue it. This is not any such thing, as that we may pre­sume to teach it, nor wherein we may, or ought to vndertake.

CHAP. V. How the holy Scripture doth declare to vs, these two Kinds of Prayer.

THESE two Kinds of Prayer, wher­of we haue spoken, the Holy Ghost doth admirably declare, in the 39. Chap. of Ecclesiasticus. Ecclesiast. 39.6. He sayth there, of the Wisemā, which the Church interpreteth by the word Iust: Cor suum tradet ad vigilandum, diluculo ad Dominum [Page 29]qui fecit illum, & in conspectu Altissimi de­precabitur. He first placeth ordinary Prayer, by saying that a man riseth early in the morning, which is a tyme much ce­lebrated in Holy Scripture, as being fit for Prayer. Mane astabo tibi. Praeueni in ma­turitate, & clamaui. Psa. 5.5. Psa. 118.147.148. Psa. [...]2. [...]. Praeuenerunt oculi mei ad te diluculo, vt meditarer eloquia tua. Ad te de luce vigilo. He sayth, ad vigilandum; because he goes to be attentiue, and watchfull; not to sleepe, or to make a kind of a pillow of his Prayer. Cor suum tradet; He deliuereth his hart vp to Prayer; He is not there, with his body alone, hauing sent his hart away, a­bout other businesse, which the Saints do call, Cordis somnolentia. A drowsy & dull hart, is a great impediment to Prayer; for it diminisheth that reuerēce, which is necessary for him, who treats with God.

Now what is that which causeth this reuerence, in the iust person? Ad Do­minum, qui fecit illum, & in conspectu Altis­simi deprecabitur. To consider, that I am in the presence of God, and that I go to treate with that sublyme Maiesty; this makes me remaine in Prayer, with [Page 30]attention and reuerence. Let vs now obserue, what Prayer it is, which he makes. Aperiet os suum in oratione, & pro delictis suis deprecabitur. He will open his mouth in Prayer, and will begin, desiring God to pardon his sinnes; and with being penitent, and confounded for them. This is that Prayer, which we, for our parts, are to make; To bewaile out miseryes and sinnes, and to beg Gods mercy, and pardon for them. We must not content our selues to say, I made a generall Confession of my life, at the beginning of my conuersion, and then I enter­tayned my selfe some dayes, in bewailing and repenting my selfe of my sinnes: For no rea­son will permit, that we should forget our sinnes, though we haue confessed them; but we must still procure to car­ry them before our eyes, according to that of the Prophet, Et peccatum meum contra me est semper: and my sinne is euer before me. Psa. 51.4.

S. Bernard, vpon these wordes, Lectulus noster floridus, Bernard ser. 46. su­per Cant. [...].15. sayth very well. Your bed, which is your hart, is still offensiue, and of ill sauour; for you haue not yet taken vtterly away, the [Page 31]ill smell of those vices, and vnmorti­fyed affections, which you brought from the world. And will you then presume, to inuite the Spouse, to repose in it?Note. And dare you treate of other higher exercises of Loue, and vnion with Almighty God,Psa. 6.7. as if you were already perfect? Deale first, in clearing, and wa­shing well your bed with tears; Lauabo per singulos noctes lectum meam, lachrymis meis stratum meum rigabo; And then be diligēt, in adorning that bed of yours, with the flowers of vertues, and so you may induce the Spouse to come to it, as the Spouse in the Canticles, inuited hers. Deale first about the Kisse of his feete, by humbling your selfe, and by much lamenting your sinnes; and then a­bout a Kisse of his hands, which is, by of­fering good workes to God, and by procuring to receaue from his holy hands, all true and solide vertue. And as for that third Kisse of his mouth, which is that most high Vnion, leaue that for such tyme, as when our Lord shall vouch­safe to raise you to it.

It is related of a very spirituall Fa­ther, that he remained twenty years, in [Page 32]the practise,Doctour Arac [...]. and exercises of the Purga­tiue way; but we do instantly growe weary, & wilbe rising vp in all hast, to that Kisse of the mouth, & to the Exer­cises of the Loue of God. A body had need of a deep foundation, for the rai­sing of so high a building. And moreo­uer, here is, in the Exercises of the Purga­tiue way (besides many other helpes & benefits, wherof we shall speake after­ward) this one, of being a great reme­dy, and a medicine very preseruatiue,Tract. 8. c. 21. & p. 2. Tract. 7. c. 4. against falling into sinne. For he who goeth cōtinually in actuall detestation of him, and in being wounded & con­founded, for hauing offended Almigh­ty God, in tyme past; wilbe very far, from committing new sinnes in the present tyme. And on the contrary part, the Saints haue obserued, and de­liuered vnto vs,Note. that the cause why some haue fallen, who seemed to haue beene very spirituall, & men of Prayer, and peraduenture were so indeed, hath beene for want of this Exercise: and be­cause they gaue themselues in such sort, to others, and to certayne sweet and gustfull considerations, that they for­got [Page 33]the Exercise of the knowledge of them­selues, and the consideration of their sin­nes, and so they came to be to secure, & not to be so wary, and timerous, as they ought; and by these degres, they came to fall. Because they forgot so soone, their owne basenesse, they fell from that height, where they concey­ued themselues to be. It will therefore be fit for vs, that our Prayer be imploied for longe tyme, in the bewayling of our sinnes, as the Wiseman sayth;Luc. 14.10. till our Lord reach vs forth his hand, and say to vs, Amice, ascende superiùs.

Let vs now cast an eye, to see what kind of thing, that high, and most ex­cellent Prayer is, which our Lord doth giue, when he is pleased. The Wiseman sayth presently,Eccl. 39.8. Si enim magnus Domi­nus voluerit, spiritu intelligentiae replebit il­lum. If he will (for this is no right of inheritance, but a grace which is meer­ly gracious, & of great liberality) thou shalt be sometymes in Prayer, & it wil happen to thee, to haue a beame come from heauen, and a flash of lightning, wherby thou art shewed the way to vnderstand things truely; & thou doest [Page 34]grow to prize, and value that which before thou didest not vnderstād. This is the guift of Prayer. How often had you passed such, or such a Truth, and neuer reflected vpon it, as then you do. The holy Scripture calls it, a Spirit of Intelligence, because it seemeth to con­sist, but of one single, and simple apprehen­sion; so quiet, and setled is a man, with such a light as this. It happens to one heere, as when he chaūceth vpon some exquisite, and curious Picture, to be looking vpon it long togeather, with­out stirring so much as an eye, & with­out any discourse of mind; but with a guste, with a suspension, and with a great admiration, and the eye is neuer satisfyed with beholding it. Of this sort is this kind of Prayer, and this high sublime Contemplation. Or, to say better, this Contēplation, hath somewhat of the māner of that, which the glorious sou­les inioy in heauen, by the vision of God.

The felicity of glorious soules, cō ­sisteth in the Vision and Contemplation of God; and in heauen we shalbe all ab­sorpt, and ouerflowed, by seeing, and louing God, for all eternity, with one [Page 35]simple Vision of that Maiesty, enioying his presence, and his glory without vse of discourse, and without being euer weary of beholding him. Nay for euer, that Song of ours, and that diuine Manna, will be new vnto vs; and still we shalbe taken, as it were, with new admiration. In this very manner, is that high and perfect Prayer, which is cal­led Contemplation, whē our Lord is plea­sed to bestow it. For the man is neuer satisfyed with beholding and contem­plating God, & without any discourse or wearinesse, but onely with one sim­ple sight.

The Scripture sayth, Replebit illum, Apoc. 14.3. because this grace is so copious, and su­perabundant, that it ouerflowes, and cannot be comprehended, in such a small vessell. And it addeth instantly,Note. that which followeth vpon this, Et ipse tanquam imbres, mittet eloquia sapientiae suae; & in oratione confitebitur Domino. From hence grow instantly, those Colloquiums will God. This is the proper tyme, for treating with his diuine Maiesty, when the soule is moued, and instru­cted, and sublymed, by that celestiall [Page 36]light, and wisdome. And so B. Fa. Ig­natius sayth,P. N. Ig­natius lib. Exercit. spirit. in repetit. 1. &. 2 Exer­cit. primae [...]ebdom [...] ­dae. that this is the time, when the Colloquiums are best made, Occurrente nobis spirituali motu, ad Colloquia veniamus. Let that word be well noted. When first we haue holpen our selues, by the discourse of the powers of our mind, in Meditation, and consideration of the mistery; and when that Meditation, is growen already to haue inflamed our hart; and when we find our selues throughly moued to it; then is the tyme of Collo­quium, and of familiar treaty with Al­mighty God, and of our suits, & nego­tiatiōs with him. For the Prayer which springeth from that hart, which alrea­dy is touched by Almighty God, is the Prayer which he heares; and which findes a good dispatch, at the hands of his maiesty. For as S. Augustine sayth, When God moueth a man to aske any thing of him, it is an euident signe, that he meanes to grant that which is asked. This is that most excellent Prayer, which God gi­ueth to whome he will. Si enim Domi­nus magnus veluerit, Aug. l▪ de verbis Dom. ser. 5. & 29. spiritu intelligentiae re­plebit illum. If our Lord, who is great, & powerfull, will; we may easily vse this [Page 37]high, & aduantagious kind of Prayer.

But if our Lord will not be plea­sed,Note. to raise vs vp to so high Prayer as this, we must not (sayth S. Bernard) af­flict our selues, or be dismaid;Bern. ser. 46. super Cant. but we must be well contented to liue in the exercise of vertue, and with the happi­nesse of being conserued by our Lord, in his friendship, and grace; and in that he suffer vs not, to fall into sinne. Vtinam detur mihi pax, bonitas, gaudium in spiritu Sancto; misereri in hilaritate; tribuere in simplicitate; gaudere cum gaudentibus; flere cum stentibus, & his contentus ero. I would to God, our Lord were pleased to giue me peace, goodnes, ioy in the holy Ghost; mercy, simplicity, and charity with my neighbours, for with this would I content my selfe. Caetera san­ctis Apostolis, viris (que) Apostolicis derelinquo. Ps. 103.18. Those other high Contemplations, I leaue to the Apostles and Apostolicall men: Montes excelsi ceruis, petra refugium herinacijs. Those high mountaines of contemplatiō, let them be for such as do,1. Cor. 10.4. with the swiftnesse of Harts and Roes, runne at full speede to perfe­ction; I, who am no better then a [Page 38]meere hedg-hog, full of faults and sinnes, will betake my selfe to the holes, and concauities of that Rocke, which is Christ our Lord; to hide my selfe in his wounds, and to wash away my faults, and sinnes, with the bloude which floweth out from thence; and this shalbe my kind of Prayer.

But now, if the glorious S. Bernard content himselfe with the only exer­cise of vertue, and with griefe & con­trition for sinne, and do leaue this other most excellent Prayer for Apostolicall mē, & for those great Saints, to whome our Lord is pleased to communicate the same; it wilbe agreable to all rea­son, that we also be content therewith; and that this be our exercise in Prayer, to be wounded with griefe, and con­founded with the shame of our sinnes; and to attend to the mortification of our passions; and to the rooting vp of vice, and vicious inclinations; and to ouercome all repugnances, & difficul­tyes, which may offer themselues to vs, as impediments in the way of ver­tue. And as for that other most excel­lent, and most aduantagious kind of [Page 39] Prayer, let vs leaue it, till such tyme as our Lord may be pleased to call, and raise vs to it.

Yea, and also euen then, when we conceiue our selues to be called to it, we had need to very cautelous,Note. & well aduised; for in this there hath beene much abuse, and errour. Sometimes a man will thinke that God doth call him to this Prayer, by,Blosius in speculo spirit. cap. 11. I know not what kind of delight, and sweetnes, or facility, which he findes in the exer­cise of the loue of God; whereas indeed, God doth not call him to it; but it is the man himselfe, who mounts, and will needs intrude himselfe, because the diuell deceaues, & blindes him, to the end that he may leaue the desire of ob­tayning that, whereof he hath most need, and so, vpon the whole matter, he may do nothing, and neither pro­fit in the one, nor other kind. There is a great maister of spirit, who sayth thus very well. As a Man would shewe himselfe to be of little wisdome, if he, whome the King had commaunded to assist and serue him at his table, should presumptuously sit downe at the same [Page 40]table, without the commaundment, or so much as leaue of the King; so doth he very ill, and indiscreetly, who deli­uereth himselfe all ouer, to the sweete & delightfull rest of Contemplation, not being euidently called to the same, by God himselfe. And S. Bonauenture, doth herein giue an excellent good aduice, and sayth:Bonauent. de processu religionis. c. 20. Let a man exercise himselfe in that which is profitable and secure; which is, in extirpating of vices, and ill dispositions, and in acquiring true and solide vertue. For this is a very playne and safe way, wherein there can be no deceit; but so much the more, as one shall endeauour to perfect himselfe in mortification, humiliation, and resig­nation, so much the more shall he please God, and deserue more in his sight. And as for these other exquisite and extraordinary wayes, there are (saith S. Bonauenture) may errours com­mitted, and many illusions of the di­uell imbraced by occasion thereof. For, many tymes, one thinks, that, to be of God, which is not of God; and that, to be some great matter, which is nothing; and therefore these latter, are to be exa­mined [Page 41]by those former; and not those, by these. This is the generall doctrine of the Saints, as shortly we shall see.

CHAP. VI. In which the same doctrine, is more de­clared and confirmed.

FOR the better declaration, & con­firmation of this Doctrine,Greg. li. 7. mor. c. 27. Bern. ser. 46. supra Cant. Isi­dor. li. 3. ca. 15. the Saints, and Maisters of spirituall life do heere obserue, That for the obtayning of this Prayer, and high Contemplation, wherof we haue spoken, there is need of great mortification of our passions; and that a man be very well grounded in the mortal vertues;S. Tho. q. 184. art. 3. & Caiet. in Geu. 32.30. and that he exer­cise himselfe long in them; & if not, they say it is in vayne, for a man to pretend to enter into Contemplation, & to make profession therof. Oportet (say they) vt priùs sis Iacob luctans, quàm Israel Deum videns, ac dicens, Vidi Deùm facie ad faciam. It will first, be necessary, that thou be a strong, and stoute wrastler, and that thou ouercome thy passions, and peruerse inclina­tions if thou desire to arriue to that intimate vnion, with Almighty God. Blosius sayth, [Page 42]that he who pretends to atriue to some very eminent degree of diuine loue,Blosius in tabula spi­rituali. ad­die. 1. & yet procureth not, with great dili­gence, to correct and mortifie his vi­ces, and to driue from himselfe, all inordinate loue of creatures, is like a man, who being loaden with leade, & iron, and withall being bound, hand, and foote, will yet needs clyme vp, to some very high tree.

And therefore they aduise such as are Maisters in matter of spirit, that be­fore they treate of Contemplation with them whome they instruct, they must treate of the way, how to mortify all their passions very well; and how to acquire the habits of Vertue, of Pa­tience, of Humility, of Obedience; and that they exercise themselues much herein. This they call the Actiue Life, which must go before the Contempla­tiue. And for want of this methode, many, who would not walke by these steps, but would needs peruert the order, and clyme vp easily to Con­templation, do find themselues, after many years of Praeyer, to be very voide of vertue, and to be impatient, harsh, and [Page 43] proude; and that if you touch them a little in this Kind, they are ready, through impatience, to breake our into passionate words, wherby they well discouer their imperfection & immor­tification.

This is very well declared by our Father Generall, Euerardus Mercurianus, Euerar­dus Mercu­rianus. in a letter which he wrote about this subiect, in these words: ‘Many who did more wnat discretion, then abound with true desire of proceeding, in the way of spirit, hauing heard that there is another more high exercise of Prayer, of the loue of God, of certaine Anagogicall Acts, and of I knowe not what kind of Silence; would needs mount vp to the Exercise of the vnitiue way, before their tyme; hauing heard men say, that this Exercise was more heroicall and perfect; and that Vice, is better ouer­come therby, and Vertue also obtey­ned more easily, and more sweetely. And because they rose to this, before their time, they lost much time; and made no way; and at the end of many yeares, they found themselues as quick in their passions, and vnchanged in [Page 44]their ill affections; & as great friends of delight, and ease, as if they had neuer entred into any conuersation, or com­munication with almighty God. And they haue beene as stiffe, in pursuite of their owne will, and as hardly haue beene drawne, to submit their iudg­ment, when their Superiors were min­ded to dispose of them, contrary to their owne liking and dictamen, as if it had beene the first day. And the rea­son of this is, because they would needs fly, before they had wings; and they would needs find out certaine neere ways, and would not walke by the steps which they were to tread. They would not ground themselues first, in mortification, nor in the practise of vertue; and so it is no maruell, if with­out a foundation, they could not raise a good house. They built vpon sand, and so they haue failed, when there was most need.’

To the end that it may appeare, how true, and vniuersall this doctrine is, you shall vnderstād, that this which here I haue deliuered, is vsually taught by holy writers, when they speake of [Page 45]three parts, or three kindes of Prayer, according to those three Wayes, which they call Purgatiue, Illuminatiue, & Vni­tiue. Which is a doctrine, drawne our of Dionysius the Areopagite; Diony­sius A­reopagi­ta. Gregory Nazian­zen. & from him it was taken by S. Gregory Nazianzen. and by all the rest of them, who haue treated of spirituall matters. They say, and they all agree in this, That before there be any treating of this high, and most complete kind of Prayer, which carrieth correspondence with the Vni­tiue Way, we are euer to handle that, which belongeth to the Purgatiue, & Il­luminatiue Way. It is necessary for vs first, to exercise our selues in griefe, & repentance for our sinnes; and in roo­ting vp our vices, & ill affections; & in acquiring of true Vertues, by imitating Christ our Lord, in whom they shine. If we should passe forward, without this, we should go on, without a ground, and so at last, we should faile, like him who would needs passe vp to the highest Classe in learning, with­out hauing grounded himselfe in the lowest; or who would clyme as high as the last step of the ladder, without [Page 46]touching vpon the first.

CHAP. VII. Of the ordinary Kind of Mentall Prayer.

LAYING aside, that particuler, and extraordinary Kind of Prayer, since we cannot teach it, nor declare what it is, nor in what manner it growes, neither is it in our power to compasse it; nor doth God command vs to attaine it; nor shall we yeild any accompte to him, for the want ther­of: we will now fall to treate of that ordinary kind of Mentall Prayer, which may, in some sort, be taught, and obtey­ned by indeauour, and aduise, being first assisted therein, by the grace of our Lord.

Amongst other fauours, and bene­fits which our Lord hath done to the Society, this hath beene a very great one, that he hath giuen vs, the kind of Prayer, which we are to hold, appro­ued by the Sea Apostolicke, in that [Page 47]booke of the Spirituall Exercises, Libro de los Exer­cities espi­rituales de N. B. P. Ignatio approba­do. com­posed by our B. F. Ignatius, as appeares by that Breue, which is placed in the beginning of the said booke. Wherein Pope Paul the third (after he had caused them to be examined, with great ex­actnesse) doth approue and confirme them; declaring them to be very profi­table, and vsefull; and he much exhor­teth all faythfull Christians to exer­cise themselues therein.

Our Lord God, did communicate this Kind of Prayer to our B. Father, and he communicated the same to vs, who are of the same Order, which our Lord had communicated to him. And so we are, to haue greate con­fidence in God, that by this way and meanes, which he hath found out for vs, he will help vs, and do vs fa­uour; since herby, he gayned our B. Father, and his companions; and since that tyme, many others. And there, did our Lord communicate, the way and trace of the Society, to our B. Fa­ther, as himselfe said; and we are not to seeke out other ways of Prayer, which are extraordinary; but to procure to [Page 48]mould our selues, according to that forme, which we haue, from him, like vnto his true, and lawfull Chil­dren.

In this Exercise of the three Powers, Note. which is the first of the Exercise; our B. Father doth teach the manner, which is to be held in Prayer, throughout all the rest of the Exercises. And it is, that whatsoeuer point we shall take in hand, we must go exercising the three powers of our soule, the Memory, the Vn­derstanding, and the Will. The memory, is first to place before the eyes of our vnderstanding, that point, or mystery, vpon which we meane to pray. Then we enter with our vnderstanding, discour­sing, meditating, & considering those things, which may helpe vs most, to­wards the mouing of our Will; & then lastly the affections of the same Will, must follow. Now this third, is the principall thing, wherupon we are to stay. For this, is the end of the Medi­tation, and the Fruite, which must be drawen, out of all those considera­tions, and discourses of the Vnderstan­ding. All I this say must be ordained, to [Page 49]moue the Will, to a desire of that which is good, & a detestation of that which is bad. And therfore, is the name of the three Powers, giuen to this first Exer­cise, because it is the first, wherein this manner of Prayer is taught; for other­wise, these three Powers of the soule, are to be imployed in all the other Exer­cises following, as well as in this.

This kind of Prayer, which here our B. Father teacheth, and which the Society vseth, is not subiect to any sin­gularity, nor hath it any thing in it, which may carry any proportion to illusions, as some others haue. But it is a Kind, which is very playne, and much vsed by the ancient Fathers; & very conforme to mans nature, which is discursiue, and rationall, and which gouernes it selfe by reason; and is per­swaded, conuinced, and subdued by it; and consequently it is most easy, most fruitfull, and most safe. So that we are not to remaine in our Prayer, like per­sons who had giuen ouer our selues; or as if we were extraordinarily illu­minated, without doing any thing on our part, for this would be a great [Page 50]errour and abuse: But we are to call vpon God, by meanes of the Exercise of our powers, and we are gently, to coo­perate with him; because God is plea­sed, to require the cooperation of his creatures; & this is that, which our B. Father teacheth vs, in his booke of the spirituall Exercises.

Those other kinds of Prayer, which take away all discourse, and which vse certaine negations, with certaine silen­ces, and are taken out of Mysticall Theo­logy, are not vsually to be taught, no nor so much as to be sought,Cap. 4. & 8. as was said before. And new beginners who haue not proceeded far, in the know­ledge of their Passions, and in the pra­ctise of Vertue, being directed into these particuler ways, are made sub­iect to illusions, and deceytes. And when they thinke they haue gayned much vpon themselues, they find by experience, that all their passions re­maine entire, which by meanes of that sweet bayte, and guste of Prayer, lay a while, as if they had beene asleepe, but afterward they awake, with much danger to the owners. Besides, that [Page 51]by these particuler, and singular kin­des of Prayer, there is created in men, a kind of stiffnes, and closnes to their owne Iudgment, which is a great dis­position, towards a mans being de­ceiued. And therefore our B. F. Igna­tius, did apprehend it much; and he said, that ordinarily, such persons haue a touch of this.

I say therefore, that the first thing which we are to do in Prayer, in any Pointe which we shall take in hand, must be to place, before our memory, that point, or mystery, vpon which we meane to make our Prayer; then we must enter into Meditation, by discour­sing with the Vnderstanding, vpon the particularityes of that mystery, & then come in, the affects of the Will. So that the Memory first propounds, & then instantly enters Discourse, and Medi­tation of the Vnderstanding; for this is the ground, from whence all those acts & Exercises, are to flowe, which we pro­duce in Prayer; and in the vertue and strength of this, all the rest is perfor­med.

Now the reason of this is cleere, in [Page 52]good Philosophy. For our Will is a blind kind of Power, which cannot stir a foote, vnlesse it be guided by the Vn­derstanding. Nihil volitum, Note. nisi praecogni­tum. This is a common maxime of the Philosophers, The Will cannot desire that thing, which hath not already passed by the Vnderstanding; which is as the Page with a torch in his hand, who goes before, to giue light to the Will, & guides it, and discouereth to it, what it is to loue, or what to hate. And so S. Augustine sayth, Inuisa diligi posse, incog­nita nequaquam. Aug. li. 10. de Tri. c. 1. Greg. ho. 36. super Euangel. And S. Gregory sayth: Nemo potest diligere, quod prorsus ignorat. Well may we loue the thing we haue not seene, but that wherof we haue no Knowledge, we cannot loue; For the obiect of our Will, is some Good apprehen­ded, or vnderstood. For therfore, do we like, or loue any thing, because we ap­prehēd it as good, & worthy to be loued; and on the other side, we do therfore abhor, and fly from any thing, as iud­ging and apprehending it to be ill, & worthy to be abhorred. And so, when we desire, that any man should chan­ge his will, and purpose, we perswade [Page 53]him with reason, and we procure to conuince his Vnderstanding, that the thing which he desires, is not conue­nient, nor good; and that the other thing is better, and more conuenient; that so he may forsake the one, and imbrace the other. So that the act, & discourse of the Vnderstanding, is the foundation & ground, of those other acts, and Exercises, which we make in Prayer; and therfore is Meditation so ne­cessary. Which point we will declare yet further, in the Chapters fol­lowing.

CHAP. VIII. Of the necessity of Meditation.

Hugo de Sancto Vict. tra. de laude orationis.HVGO of S. Victor sayth, that Prayer cannot be perfect, if Medi­tation do not eyther go before it, or with it. And this is also the doctrine of S. Augustine, who sayth, That Prayer without Meditation, is but a tepide kind of thing. This they proue very well; for if a man do not exercise him­selfe in knowing,Augustin. and considering his misery, and weakenesse, he will go in [Page 54]errour, and will not be able to aske in Prayer, that which is fittest for him; & when he asketh, it will not be with such feruour, as were conuenient. There are many, who, by reason that they know not themselues, & consi­der not their faults, do go on, in the wrong way, and do presume of them­selues in certaine things, which they would not do, if they knew them­selues; & so they treate in their Prayer, about certaine things, which are very different from those, wherof they haue most need. If therfore you will know how to pray, and to beg of God, what is sit for you, see you exercise your sel­ues, in the consideratiō of your owne faults, & frailtyes. And by this meanes you shall know what to aske; and by vnderstanding, and considering your great necessity, you will aske it with feruour, and as you ought, as poore needy beggers vse to do, who well know, and feele their necessity and misery.

S. Bernard, Bern. ser. 1. de sancto Andrea. (treating thus, that we are not to go flying, but walking to­wards perfection, Nemo repentè fit sum­mus; [Page 55]ascendendonon volando, apprehenditur summitas scalae,) sayth, That we wal­king, and rising towards perfection, are to be vpon these two feete, Medita­tion and Prayer. Ascendamus igitur, velut duobus quibusdam pedibus, Meditatione & Oratione; Meditatio siquidem docet, quid de­sit; Oratio, ne desit, obtinet. For medita­tion points vs to what we want, and Prayer preuailes ro obteyne it; Illa viam estendit, ista deducit. Meditation showes vs the way, and Prayer guides vs in it. Meditatione denique, agnoscimus imminen­tia nobis pericula, oratione euadimus. Final­ly, by meditation we know the daun­gers which threaten vs, and by Prayer we escape and free our selues. From hence it is, that S. Augustine sayth,Augustin. that Meditation is the beginning of all good. Intellectus cogitabundus, est princi­pium omnis boni. For he who considers how good God is in himselfe;Note. and how good & mercifull he hath beene to vs; how much he hath loued vs; how much he hath done, and how much he hath suffered for vs; will quickly en­kindle himselfe, in the loue of so good a Lord. And he that considers well, [Page 56]his owne faults, & miseries, will soone growe humble, and hold himselfe, in small accompt. And he that consi­ders, how ill he hath serued God, and how grieously he hath offended him; will esteeme himselfe worthy of the greatest punishment. And thus, by Me­ditation, we grow to enrich our soules, with all vertue.

For this cause, doth the holy Scripture recommend Meditation so much to vs. Blessed is the man, who meditates day and night, Psa. 1.3. in the law of our Lord, sayth the Prophet Dauid. Et erit tanquam lignum, quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum, quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo Such a man as this, is like a tree, plan­ted neere to the streames of water, which will giue much fruite.Psa. 118.2. Beati qui sorutantur testimonia eius, in toto corde ex­quirunt eum. These are the men, who seeke God with their whole hart; and this is that, which makes them seeke him. And this is also that, which the Prophet begged of God, towardes the keeping of his law, Da mihi intellectū & scrutabor legem tuam, Psa. 118.34. & custodiam illam in t [...]to corde moo. And on the contrary side, [Page 57]he sayth.Psa. 118.92. Nisi quod lex tua meditatio mea est, tunc fortè perijssem in humilitate mea. If it had not been, that my vsuall me­ditation was vpon the law, perhaps I had perished in my humility;Hierome. that is in my difficulties, as S. Hierome shewes. And so one of the greatest prayses, which the Saints ascribe to Meditation, and Consideration, or rather the grea­test of them all, is this, That it is a great helper on to all vertue. Soror le­ctionis, nutrix oratio nis, directrix operis, om­nium (que) pariter perfectio, Gerson. & consummatrix existens.

By one contrary, a man comes to know the other, best. One of the prin­cipall causes, of all those mischiefs which are in the world, is want of Consideration, according to that of the Propher Ieremias, Iere. 12.11. Desolatione desolata est omnis terra, quia nullus est qui recogitat cor­de. The cause why the whole earth is in such spirituall desolation, and that there are in it, so many sinns, is because there is scarce any one, who entreth into himselfe, and maketh it his busi­nes to meditate, and reuolue the my­steries of God, in his hart. For who is [Page 58]he that would presume to commit a mortall him, if he considered that God died for sinne? And that it is so great an euill, as that it was necessary that God, should become man, to the end, that he might satisfy for it, according to the rigor of Iustice? Who would presume to sinne, if he considered that for one mortall sinne, God punisheth a man with Hell-fire, and that for euer? If men would put themselues to thinke,Mat. 25.41 and to ponder well that worde, Disce­dite à me, maledicti, in ignem aeternum, that same Eternity, that foreuer, without all end; and that as long as God shalbe God, he is to burne in the fire of Hell, what man is that, who in exchange of a momen­tary delighte, would make choice to imbrace such eternall torment?

S. Thomas of Aquine, was wont to say,In hist. Or­din. S. Do­minici. p. 1. li. 3. c. 37. that it was past his vnderstanding, how it was possible, that a man li­uing in mortall sinne, could tell how to laugh, or take any contentment. And he had great reason to say so. For that sinner, knowes for certayne, both that if he should then dy,Note. he should go instantly, and for euer remaine in Hell; [Page 59]and withall, that he hath not any se­curity of continuing in his life,Damocles apud Ci­cer. Tusc. 5. one moment. There was one who had en­tertained himselfe in banquets, and in choice musicke, and in all kinde of ioylity; but because a naked sword was placed ouer his head, hanging vp, but by a single thred, he grew all into trembling for feare, of whē the sword might fall; & nothing could giue him guste. What then shall become of him, who is threatned, not only with tem­porall, but eternall death, which de­pendeth vpon a little-little thred of life? Since a man dyes suddenly some­tymes, & at an instant; & he goes well to bed, and the first tyme he awakes, is to see himselfe in the flames of hell.

A good seruant of God, was wont to say to this purpose, That in his opi­nion, there were to be but two kin­des of prisons, in any Christian Com­mon wealth.Note. The one of the Inquisi­tion, the other for Mad-men. For eyther a man belieues, that there is a Hell, made for such as sin, or no. If he be­lieue not this, let him be caried to the Inquisition, for an Hereticke. If he belieue [Page 60]it, and yet neuerthelesse will remaine in mortall sinne; let him be carried to the house of Mad-men; for what grea­ter madnesse can there be, then this?

There is no doubt, but that if se­riously men considered this, it would be a strong bridle to restrayne them from sinne. And for the same reason, doth the diuell procure, with so much diligence, to hinder vs from this Consi­deration, and Meditation. The first thing that the Philistines did to Sampson, Iud. 16.21. when they had taken him, was to pluck out his eyes; and so, this is the first thing which the diuell procures to do, to a sinner. Since he cannot take his Fayth from him, he procures that he may be­lieue, as if he belieued not. Vt videntes non videant, Matt. 13.13. & audientes non audiant, neque intelligant. He procures that a man may not consider that, which he belieues, nor reflect vpon it, any more then if he belieued it not. He bindes vp his eyes; which comes to the same recko­ning for him, as if he were blind. For as it serues to no purpose for a man to open his eyes when he is in the darke, because he shalbe able to see nothing; [Page 61]so (as S. Augustine sayth) it will profit thee nothing, to be in the light,Aug. in Psal. 25. prope fi­nem. if thine eyes be shut; for such a one will see as little, as that other. For this it is, that Meditation, and Mentall Prayer, is of so much importance, because it opens our eyes.

CHAP. IX. Of the great Benefit and Profit, which we are to draw from Meditation; and how we are to vse it, to the end to profit by it.

IT will be of great profit to vs, that in tyme of Prayer, we exercise our selues, in the affects and desires of our Will, of which part we shall shortly treat. But it is very needfull withall, that these affects and desires, go very well grounded in reason, and in truth; because man is a rationall creature, and wil be guided by reason, & by the way of Vnderstanding. And therefore,Note. one of the principall things, to which we must ordayne, and addresse Meditation, must be, that we may remaine very soundly vnbeguiled, and fully possessed, with the knowledge of those things, [Page 62]which are really true; and perfectly conuinced, and resolued, concerning what is best for vs. We vse to say, when one is reduced to leade an orderly and good life, that he is vnbeguiled. This vn­beguiling, is therefore to be one of the principall fruites, which we must pro­cure to gather from Prayer. And this point, must be much noted, because it is of very great importance, in this matter. And especially, in the begin­ning of a spirituall life, it is necessary that a man exercise himselfe much in this; to the end that he may go on, well grounded, and possessed, with a firme beliefe of things, which really are true.

To the end, that we may better draw this benefit from Meditation, and that it may be of much profit to vs, it wilbe necessary that it be not superfi­cially, nor cursorily made; nor yet af­ter a dull, and dead fashion; but with life, and with much attention, and rest of mind. You are to Meditate, & con­sider at large, and with great quietnes, the shortnes and frailty of this life; the vanity of the things of this world; & [Page 63]how the arriuall of death, makes an end of them all; that so you may des­pise all worldly things, and place your whole harte, vpon that which is to last for euer. You are to consider, and ponder often, what a vaine, and idle thing, the estimation and opinion of men is, which maketh such fierce war vpon vs. For it neither giues any thing to you, nor takes any thing from you, nor can it make you, a whit better, or worse. Grow you thus to despise it, & make no reckoning at all therof. And the same, is to be done in the rest. And by this meanes, a man goes Vnbeguiling himselfe, by little and little; and to be conuinced, and resolued vpon that which is for his good; & he groweth thus to become a spirituall man.Thren. 3.2 [...]. Sedebit solitarius, & tacebit; quia leuauit se super se. He goeth lifting himselfe aboue him­selfe; and is procuring to haue a hart truly generous, which despiseth all things of this world; and he growes to say with S. Paul, Propter quem, om­nia detrimentum feci, & arbitror vt stercora, vt Christum lucrifaciam. Phil. 3. [...]. That which be­fore I held for gaine, I now hold for [Page 64]losse; yea and euen for dung, that I may gaine Christ our Lord.

There is a great deale of difference betweene Meditating and Meditating, & betweene knowing and knowing. Note. For the wise man, knoweth a thing after one fashion; and the simple and ignorant man, after another. The wise man knoweth it, as it is indeed; but the sim­ple man knoweth only the exterior, and apparence thereof. If an ignorant person find a pretious stone, he likes it for the splendor, and exterior beauty therof, and for nothing els, because he knoweth not the value of it. But the wise Lapidary, when he meeteth with such a-one, he desires it much; not on­ly for the splendor, and exterior beau­ty, but because he well vnderstandeth the value, and vertue therof. Now this is the very difference, betweene him who knowes how to Meditate, & con­sider spirituall things, and diuine my­steries; and him who knowes it not. For this later kinde of man, doth but looke vpon things superficially, and as it were vpon the skinne; and although he like them well, for the lustre and [Page 65]splendor, which he discerneth there, yet he is not much taken, with a true desire therof. Wheras he who know­eth how to Meditate, and ponder those things well, growes vnbeguiled, and well resolued. For knowing the true value of the treasure which is hidden, and of this pretious pearle, which at the last, he hath found; he despiseth all the rest, in comparison therof. Abijt, Matt. 13.46. & vendidit omnia, quae habuit, & emit eam.

This difference, doth Christ our Lord declare to vs, in the holy Gospell, in the history of that woman, who was subiect to a bloudy fluxe. The holy Euan­gelists do relate,Matt. 9.20. how the Redemer of the world, going to reuine, and reco­uer that Daughter of the Prince of the Sinagogue, there went so much people, as to make a presse about him.Luc. 8.43. A cer­taine woman sawe him passe, who had beene subiect to a bloudy fluxe twelue years, and she had wasted all her goods vpon Phisitians, and gotten no health, in exchange, but rather grewe worse and worse. And with a desire which she had, to recouer health, she brake through the middest of that people, & [Page 66]with great confidence, and fayth, said within herselfe; Si tetigero tantùm vesti­mentum eius, salua ero. If I can but touch the skirt of his garment, I am safe. She approacheth, she toucheth, & instant­ly that spring of bloud was dryed vp. Christ our Lord, lookes backe, and sayth, Quis me tetigit? Who is that, which hath touched me? S. Peter, and the rest of the disciples, answered; Praeceptor, turbae te comprimunt, & affligunt, & dicis, quis me tetigit? Maister the troopes presse vpon you, and do you say, who hath touched me? Tetigit me aliquis, nam & ego noui, vir­tutem de me exijsse. I meane not so, sayth Christ our Lord; but I meane, that some body hath touched me, not after the fashion of other folkes, but in a more particuler manner; For I find that Vertue is gone out of me.

Yea, that indeed was the businesse; this was indeed, to touch Christ our Lord; and this is that, of which he as­ked. For as for the other kind of tou­ching by chance, and in that vulgar manner, there is no great account to be made therof. Heere then consists, all the substance of the matter, in touching [Page 67]Christ our Lord, and his holy mysteries, in such sorte, as that we may feele the fruite, and vertue of it, in our selues. And for this purpose, it importeth much, that we go to our Meditation with attention; and that we ruminate, and take things in sunder, at good lea­sure. The meat with is not chewed, is neither bitter nor sweet, and therfore the sicke man swallowes the Pills downe whole, to the end that they may not be offensiue to him. And for the selfe same-reason, doth not sinne, nor death, nor the last Iudgment, nor the eternall torments of Hell, seeme bitter in the mouthe of a sinner, because he cheweth not these things; but he swal­lowes them whole, and takes them vpon trust, and in grosse, as they come. And for the selfe same reason also, doth the mistery of the incarnation, passion, and resurrection of Christ our Lord, and the rest of the benefits of Almighty God, giue to many, little delight, or gust; because they do not chew, nor rumi­nate, nor ponder these things as they ought. Do you but shew, and breake this graine of mustard seed, & pepper, [Page 68]and you shall quickly see, how it will bite, and fetch the teares from your eyes.

CHAP. X. Of other benefits, and profits which there are, in the vse of Meditation.

ANOTHER great benefit & pro­fit there is,S. Tho. 2. [...] q. 82. art. [...]. as S. Thomas sayth, in Meditation; and it is, that true Deuotion springs from thence; a thing so impor­tant in spirituall life, and so much desi­red by all them who walke that way. Deuotion is no other thing, but a Prom­ptitude and readinesse of will, towards all that, which is good. And therefore a de­uoute man is he, who is ready and disposed for all goodnesse. And this is the generall doctrine of the Saints. S. Thomas sayth moreouer, that there are two causes of this Deuotion, the one is extrinsecall which is God, & that is the principall. The other is intrinsecall on our part, which is Meditation. For this prompt and ready will, towards the actiōs of vertue, doth grow from the conside­ration, and Meditation of the Vnderstan­ding; [Page 69]and this is that, which next after the grace of God, may be truly said to kindle and blow the fire in our hart.

So that true Deuotion and feruour of spirit,Note. doth not consiste in the sweet­nes and sensible guste, wherof some haue experience, and sense in Prayer; but in hauing a will, which is prompte and ready prest, towards all those things which concerne the seruice of Al­mighty God. And this is the deuotion, which continues and lasts, whilest the other comes quickly to an end. For that, doth but consist of certaine af­fects of sensible deuotion, which rise from a quicke desire, which one hath, of any thing which is desirable, and amiable. And many tymes it procee­deth from a mans naturall complexiō, in that he hath a sweet disposition, and a tender hart, which is quickly moued towards softnesse, and tears; & when this kind of deuotion is once dropped downe, the good purposes, are assoone dryed vp. This is but a tē ­der kind of loue, which is grounded in gustes, and consolations; and as long as that guste, and deuotion lasts, the [Page 70]man wilbe very diligent, and pun­ctuall; and he wilbe a friend of silen­ce, and recolection. But when that de­uotion is ended, there is an end of all. Whereas they, who are so groun­ded in Truth by meanes of Meditation and consideration; and are conuinced, & disabused by solide reason; these are the men, who continue and perseuere in vertue: and although those gustes & consolations faile them, yet they are still the same, that they were before: because the same cause and reason lasts, which at the first induced, & moued them to it.

This is a masculine, & strong kind of loue, and by this Touch of triall, the true seruants of God are seene: & not in those gusts, and consolations. They are wonte to say, that our passions are like certaine little dogs, which stand barking at vs; and in the tyme of spirituall consolation, they haue their mouthes muzled vp. And make account that God doth caste certaine bits of bread, before euery one of them, and with that, they are quiet, & craue nothing: but take you away that bread [Page 71]of consolation, and then one of them, will begin to barke, and the other of them wilbe as sure to follow, and then is the tyme to see, how euery one doth carry himselfe. They also compare these gustes, and consolations, to mo­ueable goods, & chattels, which are soone spent: but solide vertues, are as freehold, or land of inheritance, which continues and lasts, & so they are of more price.

From hence groweth a Truth, wher­of we take experience many tymes, & it is worthy of consideration.Note. We see some persons, who on the one side, haue great comforts in their Prayer; and afterward, in temptations & other oc­casions of sinne, we see them weake, and fallen. And on the contrary part, we see others, who suffer great dry­nesse in Prayer, and know not what belongs to any spirituall consolation, or guste; and yet we find these last, to be stronge, when they are tempted, & far from falling. The cause of this, is that, which we were saying before. That the former sort of men, did ground themselues in gusts, and in­warde feelings; but the latter, laide [Page 72]their foundation vpon reason, & were disabused, conuinced, and possessed with the reall truth of thing [...]; and with that, they last, and perseuere in those things, which formerly they did re­solue.

So that one of the meanes, and that a very good one, which vsually we giue, to make men perseuere, in those good purposes which they conceiue in Prayer, Note. and to put them in execution, is; That men must procure to conserue in memory, the motiue and reason, which caused that good desire, and purpose in them, formerly; for that which moued them before, to desire it, will helpe them afterwards to con­serue, & put it in execution. Nay there is more in this, then what is said. For when a man goeth thus vnbeguiling, & cōuincing himselfe, in Prayer, although afterward he remember not particu­lerly the medium, or reason which mo­ued him then, yet in vertue of his ha­uing beene vnbeguiled before, and of the resolution which then he tooke, being conuinced by truth and reason he continueth firme and strong, to [Page 73]resist the temptation afterward, and to perseuere in vertue.

Therefore doth Gerson,Gerson p. 2. alphab. 34. litera M. & de sollicitudi­ne religio­sa. p. 41. alpha. 6.37. lit. A. esteeme so much of Meditation. For being consul­ted about, what exercise might be more vsefull, or profitable to a Reli­gious man, who liueth recolected in his Cell, eyther reading, or vocall Prayer, or some worke of the hand, or els to at­tend to Meditation; he answered, that (sauing the duty which they owe to Obedience) they were best attend to Me­ditation. And he giues this reason ther­of; That although by meanes of Vocall Prayer, or reading of some spirituall booke, a man, for the present, may peraduenture find greater profit, and deuotion, then by meanes of Medita­tion; yet in giuing ouer to pray vocally, or laying the booke aside, that deuo­tion may quickly be at an end; where­as Meditation doth profit, and dispose men well, for the future. And therfore he sayth, That it is fit, that we accu­stome our selues to Meditation; to the end, that although the sound of wor­des, and the sight of bookes may faile vs; yet Meditation may be our booke, [Page 74]and so we may not want true deuo­tion.

CHAP. XI. Of the manner, which we are to hold in Prayer, and of the Fruite we are to gather thence.

CONCALVIT cor meum intra me, Psal. 38.4. & in meditatione mea exardescit ignis. In these words, the Prophet Dauid tea­cheth vs, the manner which we are to hold in Prayer, according to the expli­cation of many Doctors, and Saints, who interpret this place,Hieron. Ambros. Greg. a. 23 mor. c. 5. interlin. & alij. of the fire of Chari­ty, and the loue of God, & our neigh­bour; which was kindled by the Medi­tation of heauenly things, & did burne in the brest, of the Royall Prophet. My hart sayth he, grew into heat, & was all kindled within me. This is the ef­fect of Prayer. But how got he this heat? How did that fire come to kindle it selfe, in his hart? Will you know how? It was by meanes of Meditation. Et in meditatione mea exardescit ignis. This is the meanes, and the instrument, for [Page 75]the kindling of this fire. So that as S. Cyrill of Alexandria sayth,Cyrillus Alexan­drinus. Meditation is as the steele which giues against the flint, to the end that fire may be produced. By discourse and Meditation of the Vnderstanding, you are to strike vpon the hard steele of your hart; till such tyme as the loue of God may be kindled in it; & a desire be produced of humility, of mortifica­tion, and the rest of the vertues; & you are not to giue ouer, till you haue kindled, and bred this fire.

Although Meditation be very good, and necessary, yet the whole tyme of Prayer, is not to passe away in discour­se, and consideration of the Vnderstan­ding; neither are we to dwell in that; for this would be rather study, then Prayer. But all the Meditations and consi­derations which we are to haue, must be taken, but as a meanes for the awa­king, and kindling these affects, and desires of vertue, in our hart. For the sanctity and perfection of a Christian life, doth not consist only in good thoughts, nor in the intelligence of holy things, but in sound, and solide vertue; and especially in the acts, and [Page 76]operations therof;S. Tho. 1.2. q. 3. art. [...]. wherin, as S. Thomas sayth, the last perfection of vertue doth con­sist; and so we must principally imploy our selues, and insist vpon the procu­ring of this, in our tyme of Prayer.

This is therfore to be our first prin­ciple in this matter.Note. Yea, and euen the Philosopher sayth (which is alledged by Gerson) Inquirimus quid sit virtus, Gerson su­per Mag­nificat. al­phab. 86. litera D. non vt sciamus, sed vt boni efficiamur. We go in­quiring, and searching after the know­ing what vertue is; not to the end that we may be more learned, but that we may become good, and vertuous. Thogh the needle be necessary to sow withall; yet it is not the needle, which sticheth two things togeather, but the thred. And so should he be very in­discreet, who would passe the needle in and out, without thred, for this should be, to labour in vayne. And yet this very thing they do, who in Prayer, attend only to meditating, and vnderstan­ding, and little to louing Meditation is to be as the needle, which is to enter first; but it must be, to the end, that the thred of loue, and the affection of our will, may follow after; wherby he must [Page 77]ioyne, & vnite our selues, to Almigh­ty God.

Our B. F. Ignatius, doth put vs in mind herof, after a very particuler mā ­ner. After he had placed the Poynts, which we are to meditate, with some very short considerations vpon them. he then sayth, these words: And I am to apply all this to my selfe, to th'end that I may reape some fruite therby. In this the Fruite of Prayer doth consist, that men may know how to referre, & ap­ply that which they meditate to them­selues; euery one, according as he hath need.Born. serm. 23. super Cantion. The glorious S. Bernard sayth very well, that as the Sunne doth not heat euery one whome it illuminates; so Knowledge, and Meditation (althouh it teach that, which is to be done) yet doth it not moue all men, nor breed an affection in them, to do that which they are taught. One thing it is, to haue notice of great riches, and ano­ther to possesse them. That which ma­kes men rich, is not the hauing notice of riches, but the possessing them. So is it (sayth he) one thing to know God and another thing to feare and loue [Page 78]him; and the knowing many things of God, doth not make vs true Saints, and spiritually rich; but the louing and sea­ring of God. He bringeth also another good cōparison to this purpose; That as he who is hungry, shall help him­selfe but a little, by placing before him­selfe, a large table full of exquisite and choyce meates, if he eate none of them; so he who vseth Prayer, shal be litle the better for hauing a sumptuous, and cu­rious table, set before him, full of ex­cellent, and choyce considerations; if he do not feed thereupon, by apply­ing them to himselfe, with his Will.

That we may descend a litle more to particulers,Note. I say, That the thing which we are to draw out of Medita­tion, and Prayer, is to be, Holy affecti­ons and desires, which are framed first interiorly in the hart, and afterwards are put in practise, in due tyme. The Blessed S. Ambrose sayth,Ambros. in Ps. 128. super illud Et medita­bar in prae­ceptis tuis. Ezech. 1.8. That action is the end of Meditation. Meditationis praeceptorum caelestium inten [...]io, vel finis operatio est. Those holy & Mysterious beasts (which the Prophet Ezechiel saw) amongst o­ther conditions of theirs, had wings, as [Page 79]he sayth, and vnder them, they had the hands of a man. Et manus hominis, sub pennis eorum; to giue vs to vnderstand, that the flying, and discoursing with the Vnderstanding, must be directed to working. We must therfore setch from Prayer, affects and desires of humility; despising our selues, and desiring to be despised by others. Desires of suffering paine, and troubles, for the loue of God; and being glad of such, as at the present, lye vpō vs. Desires of pouerty of spirit, wishing that the worst things of the house may be for vs; and that something may be wanting to vs, euen of those which are necessary. Griefe, and contrition for sinnes; and firme purposes, rather to burst, then to sinne againe. Gratitude for benefits receiued, and true intiere resignatiō in­to the hands of God. And finally, a desire to imitate Christ our Lord, and our Maister, in all those vertues, which shine so brightly in his life. To this must our Meditation be addressed and ordeyned; and this is the fruite, which we must draw from thence.

Vpon this it followes,Note. That since [Page 80]we take Meditation, and the discourse of our Vnderstanding for a meanes to moue our Will to these affections; & that this is the end of this businesse; we must so far vse Meditation, and the discourse of our Vnderstanding, as shall be fit for this end, and no further. For the meanes are to carry a proportion, and to receaue their measure from the end; and so when we finde our Will moued, and mollified with some good affection to any vertue, as namely to griefe for sin­nes, contempt of the world, loue of God, desire to suffer for his sake, or the like, we must presently cut off the thred of the dis­course of the Vnderstanding, as a man would draw a Bridge, from before a passenger; and we must detayne our selues, and pause vpon that affection, and desire of our Will, till such tyme as we be satisfyed, & till we haue drunke it deeply downe, into our soules.

This is a very important aduise;P. N. Ig­natius lib. Exercitio­rum spiri­tual. addit. 4. & our B. Father, doth place it in his booke of spirituall Exercises, where he sayth; That as soone as we haue found that deuotion, and feeling which we de­sire, we are then to pause, and to de­teyne [Page 81]our selues therein, without ha­uing anxiety of passing towards any thinge els, till we remaine fully satis­fyed. Iust so, as the Garduer, Note. when he will water a peece of ground, as soone as the water is entred in vpon it, he de­teynes the thred of the current, and giues it meanes to soake, & imbrue it selfe in the in tralls of that dry soyle; & till that be sufficiently done, he suffers not the water to passe away. So when the water of good affections and de­sires, beginnes to enter in to the soule, which is as earth without water, accor­ding to that of the Prophet,Psa. 142.0. Anima mea sicut terra siue aqua tibi, we are to deteyne the current of the discourse, and Vnder­standing, and to remay ne, enioying that motion and affection of our will, as long as we can; till such tyme, as our hart may be bathed, and imbrued ther­with, and so we may remaine sully sa­tisfyed. The B. Saint Iohn Chrysostome, Chrysos­tome. brings another good comparison, to declare this. ‘Hast thou seene (sayth he) when the little lambe, goes to seeke the brest of his dāme?’ what doth it but stir, and seeke, heere and there, & [Page 82]now takes the tet, and then leaues it. But when once the streame of milke comes clere, the lambe is presently at a pawse, and doth enioy the milke at ease. So is it in the case of Prayer. For till that dew come from heauen, the man goes discoursing heere and there. But whē once that heauenly dew des­cends, we are presently to pawse, and to enioy that delight, and sweetnesse.

CHAP. XII. Of how great importance it is, to deteyne our selues, in the acts, & affections of our Will.

IT is of great importance, do te­teyne our selues, and to make a stand, in the acts and affections of the Will. And the Saints, and Maisters of spirituall life, do esteeme of it so much, as to say, that in this consisteth, good and perfect Prayer; yea and that also, which they call Contemplation; when a man no longer is seeking incentiues of Prayer, by Meditation, but stands in­ioying that loue, which he hath soght [Page 83]and found; and doth repose therein, as in the end of his inquisition, and desire: saying with the Spouse in the Canti­cles, Inueni, quem diligit anima mea; Cant. 3.4. tenui cum, nec dimittam. I haue found him whome my soule loues; I haue him, and I will hold him fast. And this is also that,Cant. 5.2. which the Spouse sayth in the same place, Ego dormio, & cor meum vigi­lat; I sleepe, but my hart is well awake. For in perfect Prayer, the Vnderstanding is laide, as it were to sleepe, because discourse, and speculation being lefte, the Will is both watching, and euen melting, with the loue of her fellow Spouse. And he, likes this sleepe of hers so well, that he commaunds it to be nourished in her, and that she may not be awaked, tell she will her selfe. Cant. 3.5. Adiuro vos fi­liae Ierusalem percapreas, ceruos (que) camporum, ne suscitetis, neque euigilare faciatis dile­ctam, donec ipsa velit. In such sort, that Meditation, and all those other parts, which they touch of Prayer, be ordey­ned, and addressed to this Contempla­tion; and are, as it were,August. de seala Pare­disi. the ladders, wherby we clyme vp to it. So sayth S. Augustine, in a booke, which he calleth [Page 84]the ladder of Paradise: Lectio inquirit, medi­tatio inuenit, oratio postulat, contemplatio degustat. Reading seeks, Meditation fin­des, Prayer desires, but Contempla­tion enioyes, and gustes, that which was sought, desired, and found. And he brings that of the Gospell,Matt. 7.7. Quaerite & iuuenietis, pulsate & aperietur vobis. Seeke by reading, and you shall find by me­ditating; knock by Prayer, & it shal be opened vnto you, by Contemplation. And the Saints obserue, and Albertus Magnus doth alledge it,Albertus magnus l. de adheren­do I [...]eo ca. 9. that this is the difference betweene the Contemplation of Faythfull Catholiks, and that of heathen Philosophers; That the Contemplation of the Philosophers was wholy addressed towards the perfecting of the Vnder­standing, Note. by the knowledge of such tru­thes as might be knowne; and so it did end in the Vnderstanding; for this is the end therof, to know, and know more, & yet more, then that. But the Contem­plation of Catholikes and of Saints (wher­of now we treat) doth not rest in the Vnderstanding, but passeth on to moue, and rectify, and enkindle, & inflame the Will, with the loue of God, accor­ding [Page 85]to that of the Spouse: Cant. 5. [...]. Anima mea li­quefacta est, vt loquutus est. My soule did euen melt, as soone as my beloued be­gan to speake. And S. Thomas treating of Contemplation, noteth this very well,S. Tho. 2.2. q. 180. art. 7. and sayth: That howsoeuer Contem­plation doth essentially consist in the Vnderstanding; yet that the last Perfe­ction therof, is in Loue, and in the affe­ction of the Will; so that the chiefe in­tent, and end of our Contemplation, is to be the affect of the Will, and the loue of God.

In this sort (sayth S. Augustine) did Christ our Lord teach vs to pray,Aug. lib: de orando D [...]um ca. 10. qu [...] est Epistola 121. ad Probum. Matt. 6. when he said in his Gospell, Orantes autem, nolite multùm loqui; when ye pray talke not much. S. Augustine sayth also: Aliud est sermo multus, aliud diuturnus af­fectus; absit ab oratione multa loquutio, sed non desit multa precatio▪ One thing it is to speake much, and to discourse, and flourish much with the Vnderstan­ding; and another thing it is to de­teyne our selues much in affects of the Will, and in the acts of Loue. That which he mentioneth first, which is to talke much, we are to procure to de­cline, [Page 86]and auoid in Prayer. Et negotium hoc, plus gemitibus quàm sermonibus agitur; and this businesse of Prayer (sayth the Saint,) is not a businesse of much talke, nor shall we in Prayer, negotiate so well with Almighty God, by sigu­res, nor plenty of discourse, not delica­cy of conceits, as with tears, and sighs, and groanes, and profound desires of the hart, according to that of the pro­phet Ieremias: Neque taceat pupilla oculi tui. Tren. 2.28. Hieron. in Psa. 50. Let not the apple of thine eye be silent. S. Hierome, vpon these words, askes the question, how the Prophet could say, That the apple of the eye must not be silent. Is not the tongue (sayth he) that which speakes? how then can speach be vsed, by the apple of the eye? The Saint answers thus. When we shed tears in the sight of God, it is then rightly said, that the apple of our eye cryes out to him: for howsoe­uer we speake not a word with our tongue, with our hart we may cry out to God. So sayth S. Paul, Ad Gal. 4.6. Misit Deus spiritum filij sui in corda vestra, clamantem, Abba pater. And in Exodus God said to Moyses, Quid cla­mas ad me? Exodus 14.15. Why dost thou cry out to me? & yet he spake not a word, but only, in [Page 87]his hart he prayed, with so great fer­uour & efficacy, that God said to him, why dost thou so cry out, before me? Let vs also thus cry out to God, in Prayer, with our eyes (Neque taceat pupilla oculi tui) with tears, with sighes, with groa­nes, and with the deepe desire of our harts.

CHAP. XIII. Wherein satisfaction is giuen to their com­plaints who say, that they cannot, nor know not how to Meditate, nor discourse with their Vnderstanding.

HERBY we shall easily answere, to a very common complaint of some, who afflict themselues with saying, That they know not how to discourse in Prayer because they meete with no considerations which they can dilate; and that they know not how to extend the Points, but that in­stantly the threed is cut off.

There is no cause, why any body should be in paine for this. For (as I haue said already) this businesse of [Page 88] Prayer, consisteth more in the affects, and desires of the Will, then in the dis­course, and speculation of the Vnder­standing. Nay the teachers of spirituall life, do aduise here, that we must take care, that the Meditation of the Vnder­standing, be not too much; because this vseth to giue great hinderance to the motion,Note. & affection of the Will, which ought to be the chiefe. And especial­ly, when one deteyneth himselfe in certaine considerations, which are cu­rious and subtile, the Will is hindred so much the more. The reason herof is naturall. For it is cleere, that in a foun­taine, which makes but one channell of water, and hath many pipes, which conduct and carry it seuerall wayes; how much more water runs by one of them, so much the lesse, will run by the other. Now the power of the Soule is bounded, and limitted; and how much more water runs by the pipe of the Vnderstanding, so much lesse will run, by that of the Will.

And so we see by experience, that if the soule be in deuotion, and ten­dernesse, & that the Vnderstanding will [Page 89]offer then to range abroad, by any curiosity & speculation, the hart doth instantly grow dry, and the deuotion decayes, because all the water is runne into the pipe of the Vnderstanding, and therfore that of the Will remaineth dry. And so sayth Gerson, Gerson p. 3. de monte contempl. alph. 73. c. [...]. & se­quent. that it growes frō hence, that they who are not so lear­ned, are sometymes, yea and very of­ten, more deuoute, and more happy in Prayer, then they who are learned; because they leake lesse, towards their Vnderstanding part; not imploying nor distracting themselues in speculations, or curiosityes; but instantly procuring with playne and clere considerations, to affect and moue the Will. And those humble, and homely reflections do moue them more, and worke greatet effects vpon their mindes, then more high and curious conceytes do, vpon the mind of others. As we see in the the person of that holy Cooke, Tract. [...]. c. 8. (of whome I spake els where) who from the materiall sire which he vsed so much, tooke occasion to be still thin­king of the eternall sire of hell; & this he did with so great deuotion, that he [Page 90]had the guift of teares, in the middest of all his businesse.

And this which followes must be much noted. For, so the affect, and desire,Note. be very high and spirituall, it matters not a whit, though the con­ceyt and consideration, be meane and common. We haue expetience inough of this, in holy Scripture; where the Holy Ghost declareth to vs very high, and sublime things, by com­mon, & playne considerations, vpon these words,Psal. 54.7. Quis dabit mihi pennas sicut columbae, & volabo, & requiescam? Who will giue me the wings of a Doue, that I may fly vp and rest?Ambr. ser. 70. S. Ambrose asketh why the Prophet, desiring to fly vp, and reach to the highest, should desire the wings of a Doue, rather then of some other bird, since there are other birds who are speedier of the wing, then the Doue? And he answereth, that the Prophet did it, because he deemed the wings of a Doue were best for one that meant to fly high, towards perfection, and to obtayne the guift of perfect, & high Prayer; that is to say, that har­melesse, & plaine people of hart, were [Page 91]sitter for it, then these sharpe and cu­rious Vnderstandings, according to that of the Wise-man, Et cum simplicibus sermocinatio eius. Pro. 31 32. They are humble & plaine people of hart, to whome God loues to communicate himselfe.

So that no man is to be troubled, in regard that he is not able to discourse, nor sinde Considerations, nor dilate the points of his Meditation. Nay rather they say, and with much reason, that it is better for them, and that their lot is fallen into fairer and richer ground, to whome Almighty God doth stop the veyne of superfluous speculations, and doth open that of the affection; to the end, that with a peaceable and quiet vnderstanding, the will may repose & rest in God alone, imploying all her loue, and ioy, vpon that soueraigne Good. If our Lord do you so great fa­uour, as by the meanes of one playne and simple consideration, or with on­ly thinking how God made himselfe man,Note. and that he was borne in a sta­ble; and laid in no better then a man­ger, and that he lodged himselfe vpon a Crosse, for you; to inflame you in the [Page 92]loue of his diuine maiesty, and in a de­sire to humble, and mortify your sel­ues for his sake; and if you can imploy the whole hower, and many howers in this; much better, and more profita­ble Prayer it is, then if you had made many discourses, and considerations, which were very curious, & sublyme. For thus you imploy, & deteyne your selues in the best, and most substantiall part of Prayer, and that which is in­deed the end and fruite therof. Wherby the errour of some is easily vnder­stood, who when they find not out certaine considerations, wherin they can deteyne themselues long, do not thinke that they make good Prayer, & when they meete with store of matter of that kind, they thinke it is excellent.

In the Cronicles of S. Francis, it is recounted, how the holy man Brother Giles, said thus to S. Bonauenture, who then was the Generall of his Order: Great mercy did God shew to you, learned men, and great meanes did he giue you, wher­with to serue and praise his diuine Maiesty; but we ignorant and simple people, who haue▪ no parts of wit or loarning; what can we do, [Page 93]which may be pleasing to Almighty God? S. Bonauenture answered; If our Lord did no other fauour to man, then that he might be in­abled to loue him; this alone were sufficient to oblige him to do God greater seruice, then all the rest put togoather. The holy Brother Giles replyed thus: And can then, anigno­rant person loue our Lord Iesus Christ, as­well a learned man? Yea (sayth S. Bona­uenture,) a poore old simple woman, may perhaps loue our Lord better, then a great Do­ctor of Diuinity. The holy brother Giles rose instantly vp, with great feruour, and went into that part of the Gar­den, which looked towards the Tow­ne; and with a strong voyce cryed out, O thou poore, thou ignorant, and simple old woman, loue thy Lord Iesus Christ, and per­haps thou shalt grow greater in heauen, then Brother Bonauenture. And he remained rapt in Extasis, as he vsed to be, with­out stirring from that place, in three howers.

CHAP. XIV. Of two directions which wilbe of much help to vs, for the procuringe to make good Prayer, and to reape much Fruite therby.

TO the end, that we may make our Prayer well, and gather that Fruite therby, which is fit; it will helpe vs much,Note. if we vnderstand, and go al­ways vpon this Ground. That Prayer is not the end, but the meanes which we are to take for our profit, & perfection: So that we must not enter vpon Prayer, as meaning to make that our last designe. For the perfection of our soules, doth not cōsist in hauing great consolation, and sweetnes, and Con­templation; but in obteyning a perfect mortification, and victory ouer our selues, and ouer our passions, and ap­petites; reducing our soules (asmuch as possibly we can) to that happy state of Originall Iustice, wherin they were created, when our sense and appetite was wholy subiect and conforme to reason, and reason to God. Now we are to [Page 95]take Prayer, for the meanes of attaining to this end.

Iron is made softe, betweene the Anuile and the fire, to the end that they may worke it, and double it, and do with it what they list; and iust so it is to be in Prayer. To the end that we may not find mortification very diffi­cult and offensiue, but that we may be able to breake our selues of our owne will, and to be content with trouble, as occasion is offered; we had need come to the anuile of Prayer, and there with the heat and fire of deuotion, and by the example of Christ our Lord, out hart goes softning it selfe, that so we may worke, and mould it towards any thing that shalbe fit for the grea­ter seruice, and glory of God.

This is the duty of Prayer, and this is the Fruit, which we must reape frō thence. And for this purpose it is, that our Lord is wont to giue consola­tion, and gust in Prayer; not to the end that we may stay there; but that we may fly on, by the way of vertue, to­wards perfection, with the greater ala­crity, and speed.

This is that which the holy ghost meant to giue vs to vnderstand, in that which happened to Moyses, Psa. 118.32. when he came downe from speaking with As­mighty God. The holy Scripture sayth, That he came forth with great splen­dor in his face;Exodus 34.2 [...]. and it noteth, that the same splendor appeared, after the māner of hornes, in which the strēgth of beasts doth consist: to giue vs to vnderstand, that we are to draw strength frō Praier, wherby we may worke well. The same Truth, did Christ our Lord teach vs, by his example, in the night of his Passion, resorting to the help of Prayer, once, twice, & thrice; to prouide him­selfe so, for his combat, which then he foūd to be at hād. Not that himselfe had any need therof, as S. Ambrose note; but to giue example to vs.Ambro­sius. Lucae. 6. Luc. 22.43. And the holy Gospell sayth, that an Angell appeared, who gaue him comfort; and he rose from Prayer, so full of strength, that instāt­ly he sayd to his disciples, Surgite, ea­mus, ecce appropinquauit, Mate. 26.46. Isa. 53.7. qui me tradet. Rise vp, let vs go, and meete our ene­myes, for behold he approacheth, who will betray me. He maketh offer of [Page 97]himselfe, and deliuereth himselfe vp into their hands: Oblatus est quia ipse vo­luit. All this serues, but to teach vs, that we must take Prayer, as the meanes to ouercome those difficultyes, which present themselues, in the way of vertue.

Chryso­steme. Note. S. Iohn Chrysostome sayth, that Prayer is a kind of tempering, and tuning the Violl of our hart, that so it may make good musicke, in the eares of Almighty God. Our businesse therfore in Prayer. must be, to moderate, and tune the cords of our passions, and affections, and of all our actions; to the end that they all, may stand well with reason, and with God. And this is that which we are saying daily; & which we also here others say, in their sermons, and spirituall exhortations, that our Prayer must be Practicall: That is, it must be addressed to working, and must helpe vs to make those difficultyes smooth, and those repugnances weake, which obiect themselues to vs, in a spirituall life. And for this reason, the holy Ghost called it Prudence; Scientia Sancto­rum Prudentia. Pro. 9.10. For Prudence is addres­sed [Page 98]to working; to shew the difference of this, from the science of learned men, which only consisteth in knowing. And so the Saints affirme, that Prayer is the generall, and most efficatious remedy, against all our temptations, and all other necessityes, and to all the occa­sions, which may be offered. And this is one of the chiefe commendations, which belong to Prayer.

Theodo­ret. Note. Theodoret relates in his religious Hi­story, of a holy Monke, who said, that Phisitians cure seuerall diseases of the body, euery one with a seuerall reme­dy, nay, that many tymes for the cure of one disease, they apply many reme­dyes; for in fine remedyes fall short, & their vertue is lymitted, and abrid­ged. But Prayer, is a remedy both vni­uersall, and full of efficacy, against all necessityes, and to resist all tempta­tions, and bad encounters of the ene­my, and to obteyne all vertue; and to apply vnto the soule, an infinite good, which is God. For vpon him it takes hold, and in him it rests, and so they call Prayer, Omnipotent. Omnipotens ora­tio, cùm sit vna, omnia potest. And Christ [Page 99]our Redeemer, against all temptatiōs, gaue vs this remedy of Prayer. Vigilate & orate, vt non intretis in tentationem. Matth. 26.41. Watch, & pray, lest you enter into temptatō.

The second aduise, which will also serue vs much, for the execution of that which hath beene said, is, That as when we go to Prayer, we must be prouided of the Points, wherupon we meane to meditate; so also we must for­thinke the Fruite, Chap. [...]. which we desire to drawfrom thence. But some will say, how shall we know what Fruite we are to draw, out of Prayer,Note. before we beginne to make it? We desire that you would declare this to vs, more at large. Content. Did we not say euen now, that we must go to Prayer in search after a remedy of our spirituall necessityes, and to obtayne the victo­ry of our selues, & ouer our passions, & euill inclinations; and that Prayer, is the meanes which we are to take for our reformation and amendement? Well then; before any man enter into Prayer he is to consider thus with him­selfe, at good leasure. What is the grea­test spirituall necessity, that I am sub­iect [Page 100]too: What is that, which hindreth my proceeding most, and maketh most warre agaynst my soule. And this is that, which we are to thinke of be­fore; and to place it before our eyes, & to insist vpon it; to fetch the remedy thereof, out of our Prayer. And the prouiding and preparing of the Points of our Meditation must be addressed to that purpose. I wil giue you an exāple.

I finde in my selfe, a great incli­nation to be valued and esteemed, and that men should make much accompt of me; and that humaine respects vse to transport me much; and that, when any occasion is offered, whereby my selfe to be vndervalued, I feele it, and I am troubled much, and perhaps som­tymes, I make show therof. This me thinkes is that, which makes stiffest war against me, and that which most hindreth my proceeding in spirit, and the peace and quietnes of my soule, and makes me fall into the greatest faults.

Well, if your greatest necessity con­sist in this, remedy must stand in ouer­coming, and rooting vp this imperfe­ction. [Page 101]And this is that which you are to carry in your mind, & that which you are to place before your eyes; & to take it to hart, and to insist vpon it, that so you may obteyne it by Prayer. And so it is an errour, for one to go ordinari­ly to God, in Prayer, as by chance; to take hold of that, which shall there present it selfe, (like a Woodman who would shoote at the Heard, let the ar­row light where it wil) leauing that a part, whereof he standeth in greatest need. But the truth is, that we must not go to Prayer, to take that which comes, but to procure that, which is for our purpose.

The sick man, when he goes into the Apothecaryes shop,Note. layes not hold vpon the first drugge he findes; but v­pon that wherof he hath need, for his infirmity. There is one man, who is full of pride vp to the very eyes, ano­ther of impatience, another of stiffe Iudgment, and selfe conceit, as is daily seene when any occasion is offered, & he takes himselfe dayly in the manner; and yet he goes vpon. Prayer, to flourish, and make fyne conceyts; and [Page 102]he layes hold vpon that which first comes in his way, or which giues him most gust; picking heere, and there.

This is not the way to gather Fruite. A man is alwayes to obserue well, what it is which he needeth most, and to procure the remedy, since he goes to Prayer for that end. S. Ephrem brings to this purpose,Ephrem. exhort. ad Relig [...]osos de arinatu­ra spiri­tuali l. [...]. pag. 260. the Example of that blinde man in the Gospell, who came calling, and crying out, to Christe our Lord, that he would haue mercyon him. Consider (sayth he) how Christ de­manding of him, what it was that he desired? the blind man did instantly represent his greatest necessity, & that which gaue him most payne, which was his want of sight; and of that, he desired to be deliueted:Luc. 18. Dominus vt vi­deam. Doth he perhaps demand any o­ther of those things,Marc. 10.51. wherof yet indeed he might haue need? Did he say per­haps, Lord giue me some cloathes, for I am poore? He askes not that; but, laying aside all other things, he resorts to the thought of his greatest necessity. So are we (sayth he) to do in Prayer, consi­dering wherof we haue most need, in­sisting, [Page 103]and perseuering in the demand therof, till we obteyne it.

To the end that there may be no excuse in this, it is to be noted. That howsoeuer it be true, that when he who goes to Prayer, and pretends to produce desires of the particuler ver­tues which wanteth most, is ordina­rily to procure, that the Points, & mat­ter vpon which he will meditate, may carry some conueniency, and propor­tion therunto; to the end that the Will may be the more quickly moued (and that with greater constancy and fer­uour) to the producing of those desires; and so, may the more easily obteyne the Fruite, which he expects; yet it is also fit to be vnderstood, that what­soeuer Exercise a man makes, & what­soeuer Mistery he meditates, he may yet apply it, to that which he needeth most. For Prayer is as the Mana of hea­uen, which sauours to euery one, as himselfe will. If yow would haue it sauour of Humility, or of the Conside­ration of sinne, or death, or of the passion of our Lord, or of benefits receyued; if you will draw from hence much griefe, or [Page 104] Confusion for your Offences, it will sa­uour of any of these things. It will also sauour of Patience, if that be the thing, which you would striue to get; & so in the rest.

CHAP. XV. How it is to be vnderstood, that in Prayer we are to take some one thing to hart, wher­of we haue greatest neede, wherein we must insist till we obtaine it.

I Will not say for all this, that we must euer attend to one, & the same thing in Prayer. Because howsoeuer our greatest particular necessity may be the want of humility, or the like, yet we may well imploy our selues in Prayer, vpon the acts and exercises also of other vertues. An occasion pre­sents it selfe to you of cōforming your selues to the will of God, in all that which he shall dispose, and ordayne cōcerning you; deteyne your selues in it, as long as you can; for this will be a very good Prayer, and very well imployed, and will no way blunt the lance; wherewith you meane to take Humility, but will rather sharpen the point therof.

It comes to your minde, to make a greate act of acknowledgment, and gratitude,Note. for the benefits which you haue receyued from God, aswell in generall, as particuler; deteyne your selues also herein, for it is great reason, that we should dayly thanke our Lord for the benefits which we haue recey­ued; & especially, for hauing drawne vs to the state of Religion. It occurs to you to make an act of detestation of your sins, & of much griefe for hauing cōmitted them; & of firme purpose rather to dy a thousand tymes then to offend God any more: deteyne your selues herein; for it is one of the best, & most profitable acts, which you are able to exercise in your Prayer. It comes into your minde, to make an act of great loue of God, and of zeale, and great desire of the saluation of soules, and to en­dure any trouble for them; deteyne your selues also herein; and heere you may also well deteyne your selues in desiring fauour of Almighty God, not onely for your owne soules, but for your neighbours, and for the whole Church; For this is one, and that a very [Page 106]principall part of Prayer. In all these things, and in the like to these, we may well deteyne our selues, and it wilbe a very profitable Prayer. And so we see, that the Psalms, which are a most per­fect kind of Prayer, are full of very dif­ferēt affects. For this reason, Cassian, & the Abbot Nilus sayd, that Prayer was like a field full of plants, or like a garland wrought, Cassianus Col. 9. c. 7. Nilus. Gen. 27.17. and wouen with variety of flowers, of different smells: Ecce odor filij mei, sicut odor agri pleni, cui benedixit Dominus.

There is yet another benefit be­longing to this variety; that it procu­res our Prayer to be more easily made by vs, and consequently that we may continue, and perseuere longer in it. For continuall repetition of the same thing, vseth to make men weary; whereas variety delights, and enter­taines. But that which I would say is this.Tract. 7. c. 3. & 9. tract. 8. c. 7. Note. It importeth very much, towards our profitting in spirit, that for some tyme, we take to hart, the procuring of some one vertue, wherof we find our selues to stand in most necessity; and that principally we insist vpon that, in Prayer; beseeching our Lord [Page 107]earnestly, to bestow it vpon vs; and actuating therein very often, both for dayes, & moneths; and that we may euer carry it before our eyes, & euen riuetted in our harts, till we obteyne it. For after this manner, are the busi­nesses, euen of this world, dispatched. And so they vse to say, by way of Pro­uerbe: Lord deliuer me, from hauing to do with a man, who hath but one businesse.

The glorious S. Thomas sayth,S. Tho. 2.2. q. 83. ar. 14. arg. 2. that the Desire vseth to be so much stron­ger, and more efficacious, as it resol­ueth more earnestly, vpon the obtey­ning of some one thing. And to this purpose, he bringeth that of the Pro­phet, Vnam petij à domino, Psa. 26.4. hanc requiram. One thing I haue begged of our Lord, & the same I will stil desire, til I obteine it. He who pretēds to acquire any Art, or Science, doth not study one thing to day, and another to morrow, but he prosecutes that one which he desi­res to learne. And so he, who pretends to acquire any vertue, must princi­pally exercise himselfe, for some tyme, therein; applying thereunto his Prayers, and all his other spirituall Exercises [Page 108]till he obtayne it.Note S. Tho. 1. [...]. q. [...]5. [...]rt. 1. Especially since (ac­cording to the doctrine of S. Thomas) all the morall vertues, haue great conne­ction with one another, and they go togeather, and are interlaced in such sorte, that he who possesseth one of them, in perfectiō, shall haue them all. And so, if you obtayne true Humiliy, you shall obteyne therewith, all the vertues. Pluck Pride wholy out of your hart by the rootes, and plant therein a most profound Humility; for if you ob­tayne it, you shall haue withall, much Patience, and much Obedience; and you shall complayne of nothing; and any trouble will seeme small in your sight; and all, wilbe thought too ho­nourable and easy for you, in respect of that which you deserued. If you haue Humility, you will also haue much Charity towards your brethren, estee­ming them to be all good, and only your selfe, starke naught. You will haue much simplicity of hart, and will not lightly passe your iudgment vpon any other; but will feele your own [...] miseryes, and faults so much, as that you will not thinke of other folkes. [Page 109]And after the same manner, we might go discoursing vpon other vertues.

For this reason also,Note. it is a very good course, to apply your particuler Examen, to that, which you direct your Prayer too, and so to ioyne one, with the other. For in this sort, all our Exer­cises, being bent one way, at once, much businesse wilbe done.Cassia­nus. And Cas­sian proceedeth yet further: For not only in our Examen, and the most reti­red kind of Prayer, will he haue vs in­sist vpon that, wherof we haue most need; but also that we should many tymes in the day, lift vp our spirit to our Lord, for that purpose, with iacu­latory Prayers, and sighes, and groanes of our hart; and that we also shall do well, to add other pennances, & mor­tifications, and particuler deuotions, to the same end, as I shall shew els where, more at large.Tract. 7. [...].9. For if this be the greatest necessity which I haue, if this be the greatest Vice, or euill inclina­tion, which raignes in me, and which makes me fall into the greatest faults; if, vpon the rooting vp, and ouercom­ming of this vice, and obteyning the [Page 110]contrary vertue, dependeth the ouer­coming and rooting vp of all Vice, & the obteyning of all vertue; all dili­gence and labour shal be but well im­ployed, in this businesse.

S. Chrysostome sayth;Chrisost. tract. de oration [...]. That Prayer is as a fountaine, in the middest of an Or­chard, or Garden, without which fountayne, all is withered and dry; but with it, all is greene, and fresh, and flourishing. Our soule must be wate­red, by this fountaine of Prayer. For this is that, which must keepe the plants of all vertue, in continuall freshnes & fertility, as Obedience, Patience, Humility, Mortification, Recollection, and Silence: But as in a Garden, Note. or Orchard, there vseth to be some one tree, or dainty flower, which is more esteemed and regarded, & to which the water is con­ducted with more care, then to the rest; and although water should be wanting to others, it must not be wanting to it; & although there want tyme for tending the rest, there will not want tyme for it: iust so it must be in the Orchard, and Garden of our soule. It must all be watered, and conserued, [Page 111]by the spring of Prayer; but yet still, you are to haue an eye to some one principall thing, wherof you are in greatest need, and to that you must chiefly resort; and for that, there must neuer want any tyme.Chap. 11. And as at the going out of your Garden, you lay hold of that flower which contents you most, and you go out with it, in your hand; so also in Prayer, you are to lay hold of that, wherof you haue most need, and to gather it, as a Fruite from thence.

Hereby sufficient answere is giuen to that which vsually is asked: If it be good for a man to draw that fruite from Prayer, which is agreable to the Exercise, whereupon he meditates? We haue already said, that although a man must euer haue a particuler eye, vpon that wherof he hath most need; yet with all, that it is good for him, to exercise himselfe, and to actuate in the affects and acts of other vertues, agrea­ble to the mystery which is meditated. But yet a point of great importance is to be obserued heer; That those af­fects, and acts which we shall make [Page 112]and exercise in Prayer, about those ver­tues, which occur to vs, in conformity of that which is meditated, are not to be passed ouer superficially, or curso­rily; but at great leasure,Note. & by making a quiet stād vpon them, till such tyme as we satisfy our selues; and till we feele, that it sticks, as it were, by the very ribs of our soule; and is, after a sort incorporated therunto. And this we are to do, althogh it cost vs the whole houre, as was said before. For one of these affects, and acts continued after this sort, is much better, and doth pro­fit vs more, then to make many acts of seuerall Vertues, and passe them ouer, in a posting manner.

One of the reasons, why some do not profit so much in Prayer, is because they are faulty in this point, and go leaping and skipping on the acts of seuerall vertues, saying within them­selues; heere an act of Humility comes well in, and then they make an act of of Humility, & then away; then they thinke it is to the purpose, if they make an act of Obedience, and then they make an act of Obedience; and shortly [Page 113]after of Patience; & so they go runing, like a Cat ouer the coales; so lightly, that although there were fire, it wold do them no hurt. Therfore when they rise from Prayer, all is forgotten and lost, and they remayne as tepide, and vnmortifyed as before.Auila e [...] 75. in Au­di-filia. Doctor Auila re­prehendeth them, who being about one thing in Prayer, as soone as any other thing, doth offer it selfe, they in­stantly giue ouer the former. And he sayth, that vsually this is a fraude of the diuel, who by inducing them, like some Pye, to skip from one branch to another, depriues them of the Fruit of their Prayer.

I say, it importeth much, that we de­teyne our selues,Note. in the affects & de­sires of vertue, till such tyme as our soules be euen imbrued therewith. As if you will actuate about contrition, or griefe for sin, you are to stay there­in, till you find a great detestation and horror of sin, according to that of the Prophet; Iniquitatem odio habui, Psa. 118.163. & abomi­natus sum. For this will make vs de­part from Prayer, with firme purpose, rather to vndergoe a thousand deaths,Note. [Page 114]then to commit one single mortall sinne. And so doth S. Augustine note very well, that to conceiue horrour against some sinnes, as Blasphemy, the murthring of a mans father, and the like, is easily done; for men seldome fall vpon such crymes: but it is to be en­deauoured concerning other more v­suall offences, wherof the Saint affir­meth, that Consuetudine ipsa viluerunt: By custome men haue lost the feare, and horror which is fit; and therefore men easily fall into them. In the same manner, if you will actuate, and exercise your selues in Hu­mility, you must deteine your selues, in the affect and desire of being meanely esteemed, and despised, till at last your soule may go drinking vp, and be im­brued with this affection, and desire; & so all these fumes, and frothes of pride, may go diminishing, and decaying. And the same is to be done, in exerci­sing the affects, and acts of other ver­tues.

Hereby it doth easily appeare, how much it will help towards our good, that we take to hart, and insist, & per­seuere in the demaund of some one [Page 115]thing, after the fashiō which we haue declared. For if this affect, and desire of being despised, and held in meane accounte, or any other like affect, might continue in vs, one houre in the morning, and another in the eue­ning, and as much in the day follow­ing, and diuers other dayes after that; it is plaine inough, that it wold worke another manner of effect in our hart; and our soules would receiue ano­ther manner of impression, and incor­poration of that vertue, then if we should passe it, lightly ouer.Chryso­stome. S. Chryso­stome sayth, that as no one shower of raine, nor watering by the hand, will suffice for any soile, how fruitfull soe­uer it may be,Note. but there wilbe need of many showers, and many waterings; so also will it be necessary, that our soule may haue many wateringes of much Prayer, to the end that it may be bathed, and imbraed therewith. And he bringeth, to this purpose, that of the Prophet, Septies in die laudem dixi tibi: Psa. 11 [...].164. Seauen tymes a day did the Prophet Da­uid water his soule, with the streame of Prayer; and he deteyned himselfe [Page 116]much, in the same affects, repeating the same, ouer and ouer, many tymes, as is to be seene abundantly in the Psalmes. And in one alone, he repeateth the same thing, seauen and twenty tymes, Et in eternum misericordia eius; Psal 135. Psal. 150. proclai­ring, and exalting the mercy of our Lord. And in fiue only verses, of ano­ther Psalme, he awaketh, and inuiteth vs, to praise God, an eleauen seuerall tymes.

And Christ our Lord, did, by his owne example, instruct vs in this kind of Prayer; and in perseuering about the same thing, as we see in his Prayer of the Garden, Matt. 26.44. for he was not contented to make that Prayer, to his Eternall Father, only once; but he re­newed it the second, & the third tyme, repeating the selfe same words, Eum­dem sermonem dicens. Yea, and the holy Gospell sayth,Lucae. 22.43. that at the end, he prayed more at large, then he had done before: To teach vs, that we are to insist, and perseuer in Prayer, about some one, and the same thing; repea­ting it, and replying more then once. For by this meanes, and by perseue­tance [Page 117]therein, we shall come, to attaine that vertue, and perfection, which we desire.

CHAP. XVI. How we may be able to deteyne our selues much in Prayer, about the same thing: and the way and practise of a very profita­ble kind of Prayer is set downe; and that is, to descend to particular Cases.

IT remaynes, that we deliuer the manner which we are to hold he­rein; to the end that we may be able to deteyne our selues in Prayer, a long tyme together, in desire of one, and the same vertue, since it is of so great importance, as hath beene sayd. The playne, and vsuall meanes which is wont to be giuen for this purpose, is to procure to continue the selfe same act, and affect of will, or to reiterate it, and repeate it agayne, like one who giues a push to a wheele, that it may not stand; or like one who still is ca­sting fresh wood into the fire; hel­ping our selues for this purpose, of the same first consideration, which in [Page 118]the beginning, did moue vs to this affect, and desire when we finde that it is apt to coole, and saying with the prophet; Conuertere anima mea in requiem tuam, Psa. 114.7. quia Dominus benefecit tibi. A wake thou, O my soule, and returne to thy repose and rest, & consider how much it imports thee, and how great reason it is, that thou shouldest serue our Lord, to whome thou owest so much.

When the first consideration doth not serue to moue vs, we must serue our selues of some other, or els passe on, to some other Point. And for this purpose, we are euer to carry diuers Points prouided; to the end that when one of thē is dispatched, & that already it seemes to moue vs no more, we may proceed on to another, and yet ano­ther, which may, by refreshing, af­fect, and moue vs, to what we desire. And further we must doe in this, as in the case of corporall foode, which (to auoyd that fastidiousnes, which is v­sually caused by continuing long to eat of the same meate) we are wont to dresse,Note. and disguise in seuerall man­ners; and therby it seemeth new, and [Page 119]giueth vs a new kind of guste. Euen so, to the end that we may continue a long tyme in demaund of the same thing in Prayer, which is the very food and sustenance of our soule, it is a good way, to dresse it, in different māners. This we may do some tymes, by passing, from one consideration, to another: or from one Point to ano­ther, as we said euen now. For euery tyme that a man moues himselfe, and actuates vpon the same thinge, by a different reason, or consideration, it is like dressing it, after another fashion, & it growes to be like a new dish of meate.

Againe,Note. although there should be no new reason, or consideration at hand, yet the affect and desire of the same vertue, may, in it selfe, be dressed seuerall wayes. As if one pretend to get Humility, some tymes he may be deteyning his minde, in the know­ledge of his owne misery & weaknes; despising and confounding himselfe for that. At other tymes, he may enter­tayne himself in a desire to be disestee­med, and despised by others, not ma­king [Page 120]any account of the opinion, and estimation of men; but holding it all to be meere vanity. At other tymes, he may be giuing himselfe confusion, and shame, to see the faults, wherin he daily takes himselfe; and to aske both pardon, and redresse of them, at the hands of God. At other times, he may do it, by admiting the goodnesse of God, which endureth him; whereas yet sometimes, we can hardly endure, euen our very selues. At other tymes by giuing him thanks, for not suffe­ring vs to fall, into more grieuous crymes. And by this variety, & diffe­rence of Acts, that fastidiousnes (which vsually is caused by continuance of the same thing) may be auoided; and it may grow to be of facility, & guste, to continue, and perseuer in the acts, and affects of the same vertue, by mea­nes wherof, it growes to take deeper roote, and more entire possession of the hart. For as the Fyle, euery tyme that it passeth vpon the Iron, carryes some­what with it; so euery tyme that we produce any act of Humility, or other vertue, some part of the contrary vice, [Page 121]is diminished, and discharged therby.

Besides this, there is another meanes to make vs perseuere, in desire of the same thing in Prayer, Note. many daies to­geather, which is both very easy, and very profitable; and this is, by discen­ding to particuler cases. The teachers of mē in the way of Spirit, do note, that we must not content our selues, to draw from Prayer, a generall Purpose to serue God; or only to proceed in ver­tue, and to be perfect, at large; but that we must descend in particuler, to that wherein we know or conceiue, that we may most please, and serue our Lord. Neither yet, are we to content our selues with, conceauing any ge­nerall desire of any particular vertue, as namely to be humble, to be obedient, to be patient, or to be mortifyed, because this kinde of desire, or rather velleity of any vertue, is intertayned thus in generall, euen by vicious men. For as vertue is truly beautifull, & honorable, and of great vse, not only for the next, but euen also for this life; so it is an easy thing to loue it, and to desire it, in such a generall manner. But we, [Page 122]when we meditate vpon that vertue which we desire, must discend to par­ticuler cases.

As for example; if we pretend to obteyne a great Conformity with the will of God, we must descend to con­forme our selues, with his will, in par­ticuler things; aswell in sicknes, as in health; aswell in death, as in life; aswell in tentation, as in consolation. If we pretend to obteyne the vertue of Hu­mility, we must also descend to parti­culers, by imagining such cases, as may be presented, or which vse to offer the­selues, for our being despised, or diseste­med; and so, in the rest of the Vertues. For these are those particulers, which are vsually most felt, and wherein the difficulty of the vertue doth most con­sist; and wherby a man is best discoue­red, and proued; and these are also the meanes, wherby vertue, is best ob­teyned.

We must also procure to begin to make our first instances, by those things, which are of the lesser sorte, & more easy; & we are afterward to rise to the more hard, wherein we thinke [Page 123]we should haue more difficulty, if the occasion were offered; & so to go ad­ding somewhat, & rising vp by little, and little, from the lesse, to the greater. And we must actuate in the particu­lers, as if we had them present with vs; & that, so long, as that nothing which concernes the Vertue to which we pretend, may present it selfe to vs, to which we may not boldly make head, and so the field remaine ours. And when any reall, and true occasions do occur, we must first imploy our selues in them, disposing our selues to manage them well, and with profit, euery one, ac­cording to his state. A good seruant of God, did also add this aduise, that in Prayer we should propound something in particuler, concerning such, or such a Vertue, which we should act that day. So low as this, do they say, that we must descend in Prayer.

This is one of the most profitable things,Chap. [...]4. which we can exercise in Prayer; for it must be Practicall, that is to say, addressed to action, which may helpe vs to worke, according to that vertue which we desire to obtayne; & [Page 124]to explane the difficultyes, & to ouer­come the repugnances, which may oppose themselues; and because it im­porteth much, that we make triall, and take essay, as it were, of our selues, be­fore, as souldiers vse to do, who be­fore they go to the warre, vse to try themselues in tiltings, and torneys, & barriers, and incounters, and other such like exercises, that they may be the better disposed, and dextrous towards a true warre.Cassianus col. 19. c. 16. And Cassian doth much commend this Exercise, for the van­quishing of Vice, and Passion, and for the obteyning of Vertue. Yea, & Plu­tarch himselfe,Plutarch. Epist. ad Pac. de tranquill. animi. Seneca. l. de conso­latione. ad Heluiam cap. 5. and Seneca also, amongst the Pagans, say, that ignorant men do not vnderstand how much it imports towardes the appeasing of trouble, when it arriueth, to imploy the thoght vpon it, before hand.

They say it helpeth much, to be­stow a mans thoughts in the conside­rations of difficultyes, and troubles. For that, as he who imployes his mind vpon soft, and delightfull things, ma­kes himselfe effeminate, and loose, & good for nothing;Note. and vpon the ap­proach [Page 125]of any thing which is contra­ry and offensiue to such a one, he re­ceiueth much disgust; and being accu­stomed to that base kind of delicacy, he turnes his backe, and seekes a lea­ning-place for his hart, vpon certaine agreable, and delightfull obiects; so he who doth accustome himselfe, always to imagine sicknes, banishment, im­prisonment, and all those other aduer­sityes, which may happen, wilbe bet­ter disposed, and prouided for them, when they come; and we shall growe to find, that these are things which gi­ue more feare in the beginning, then they bring hurt in the end. S. Gregory deliuered this excellently well;Greg. ho [...] 35. supe [...] Euang. Minus enim iacula feriunt, quae praeuidentur: The blow wounds not so deeply, when you were expecting it, and had halfe swallowed it before it came, as when it surpriseth you, vpon the sudden.

The example for this purpose is ex­cellent, which we read of our B. F. Ig­natius. When once he was sicke,Li. 5. [...]. 8. vitae P. N. Ignatij. the Phisitian willed him that he should not giue place to sorrow, nor to pensiue thoughts. Vpon this occasion, he be­gan [Page 126]to thinke attentiuely, within him­selfe, what kind of thing might hap­pen to him so vnsauory, & vntoward, as to afflict, and trouble the peace, and rest of his soule. And hauing passed the eyes of his consideratiō, ouer many things, one only occurred, which stuck neerer to him then the rest, & it was, If perhaps the Society should come to be dis­solued. He proceeded on, to examine himselfe, how long the affliction, and paine were likely to hold him, in case such a thing as that, should happen. And it seemed to him (so that it should happen, without his fault) that within one quarter of an houre, wherein he might recollect himselfe, and be in Prayer, he should be deliuered of that disquiet, and should returne to his ac­customed tranquillity, and peace of mind. And he yet added further, that he would hope to holde that quiet­nesse and tranquillity, although the So­ciety should be dissolued, and defeated, euen as a graine of salt, is, in the water. This is a very good, and a very profi­table kind of Prayer.

The Apostle S. Iames, [...]c. 5.13. in his Canoni­call [Page 127]Epistle sayth: Tristatur aliquis vestrum, oret: when you feele your selfe in af­fliction, or discomfort, resort to Prayer, and there you shall find comfort and remedy. And so did the Prophet Dauid; Psa. 76.4. Renuit consolari anima mea; memor fui Dei, & delectatus sum. When he found him­selfe discomforted, he remembred God, and raised vp his hart to him; and pre­sently his soule was filled with this ioy and consolation; This is the wil of God, so he will haue it: which is the contentment of all contentments.

Now, as after the arriuall of the oc­casion of trouble, it is very good & ex­pedient, to resorte to Prayer, for the bearing of it well; so also doth it much importe, to take this remedy, by way of preuention, and preseruatiue, to the end that afterward, it seeme not new and hard, but gentle, & light. S. Chry­sostome sayth,Chrys. ho. de auari­tia. that one of the princi­pall causes why the Holy Iob, conti­nued so firme, and constant in all his aduersityes, and troubles, was, because he had prouided himselfe for them, by way of imagination, and premedita­tion, and actuation vpon them; as vpō [Page 128]a thing which might happen, accor­ding to that which himselfe relateth, Quia timor quem timebam, euenit mihi; & quod verebar, Iob. 3.25. accidit. But now if you be not prouided for it before hād, & if euē in the bare desire, you finde difficulty; what will become of you, in the worke it selfe? And if yet, whilst you are in Prayer, & when you are far from the occasion, you find not hart, and courage inough in your selfe, to im­brace such an action, and occasion, and contempt, and trouble as is on foote; what will become of you, when you are gone from Prayer, and when the difficulty of the occasion & action is at hand? And when you are remoued from the meditation & consideration, of the example of Christ our Lord, which giues you breath, and hart? When you are sometymes in Prayer, you are carried to the desire of such oc­casions as those, and yet when the oc­casion is offered you faile; what will become of the busines,Tho. de Kempis. if euen in the tyme of Prayer, you desire it not? If he who purposeth, do often faile, how sure will that other man be to faile, who [Page 129]late, or neuer will so much as purpose?

By this meanes, we giue a man ve­ry copious matter, to continue, & per­seuere in Prayer, concerning the same thing, and with the same affect or de­sire, many howers togeather, & many dayes.Note. For the particuler cases which may occurre to vs, and to which we may descend, are without number; & to be able to make head to all, will finde vs worke inough, to do. And when you shall arriue to thinke, that you finde strength inough in your minde for all, and that you can per­forme it with a good will; do not yet conceiue, that your businesse is already brought to an end. You haue yet a lōg way to go. For there is a great deale of difference, betweene doing, and saying; and betweene the desire, & the deed. It is clere, that the deed, is farre more difficult, then the desire. For in the deed, or worke, the obiect it selfe is present; but in the desire, there is no­thing present, but the imagination of the deed. And so it happeneth to vs many times, that in Prayer, we are full of fer­uour; and it seemes to vs, as if nothing [Page 130]were able to stand in our way. And yet afterward, when the occasion is offerred, and that it calls vs to put our hand to worke, we find our selues far, from what we thought.

It sufficeth not therfore, that you finde those good desires in your selues; but you must procure, that they may prooue so full of efficacy, that they may extend, or reach to the very worke; for this is the true touch of Ver­tue. And if you see that your deeds agree not with your desires, but that when an occasion is offered, you discerne your selfe to be another man, then when you were in Prayer; be confounded with shame, to find that all goes away in bare desires. Or rather confounde your selues with shame, because those desires, by all probability, were not true ones, but conceits, and imaginations; since so poore, and so weake a thing, can put you afterward into disorder & disgust; & can make you turne backe, where you were before. And as the Smith, when his worke prooues not well, returnes yet once againe to his Anuile, to redresse & accommodate it, [Page 131]that it may come right; so are you to returne to this Anuile of Prayer, that so you may beate your desires into a bet­ter mould; & giue not ouer, till your desire, and your deed shake, hands toge­ther; and so, as that there be no more falling out.

Yea and yet, euen when you shall arriue to this,Note. that you conceiue your selfe to beare the occasions which are offered you, with vertue; do not yet make your selfe belieue, that all the bu­sinesse is brought to an end. For in the selfe same worke, there are many de­grees, and steps, wherby to rise, before you can arriue to the perfection of that Vertue. For first you must exercise your selfe to carry, with Patience, all the occasions which shalbe presented; for this is the first degree of Vertue. Suf­fer things at least with Patience, if you cannot do it with Alacrity. And for the performing euen of this, there wilbe inough to do for some dayes, and not a few. And when you shall haue ar­riued, to beare al hard incounters with Patience; yet much more way is to be made, for the attayning to the perfe­ction [Page 132]of Vertue. For (as a Philosopher sayth) the signe that a man hath obteyned the perfection of a vertue, is when he perfor­mes the workes therof (promptè, faciliter, & delectabiliter) with promptitude, with facility, and with delight. Well then, consider if you performe the workes of vertue, of Humility, of Pouerty of spirit, of Patience, and of the other vertues, with promptitude, with facility, and with delight, or gust; and you shall see ther­by, if you haue obteyned that vertue. Consider if you be as glad of dishonour, and contempte, as worldely men are wonte to take delight, in honor, and estimation: which is the Rule, that our B. F. Ignatius sets before vs,C. 4. exam. 6.4. & reg. 11. Summarij. he hauing taken it first, out of the Gospell. Con­sider, if you be as glad, and do take as much gust, in pouerty of dyet, & cloa­thing, and lodging, and that the very worst of the house be giuen to you, as the couetous man would be, of full coffers. Consider, if you be as glad of mortification, and suffering, as they of the world, vse to be, of repose, and rest. If then, we be to arriue to this perfection, in euery vertue, we [Page 133]shall well haue inough to do, for ma­ny dayes, and peraduenture years, al­though we did attempt, but some one of them.

CHAP. XVII. That in the consideration of these Mysteries, we are to go on, at good leasure, and not to passe ouer them superficially: and of some meanes which help therein.

IN the consideration of diuine myste­ries, it doth also much importe, to dig and sound towards the same thing, and not to passe cursorily,Note. through them. For one mistery well considered, and pondered, will profit vs more, then many, which are looked vpon with superficiall eyes. Our B. F. Igna­tius, in his booke of spirituall Exercises, P. N. Ig­natius lib [...] Exercitio­rum spiri­tualium. doth therefore make so much account of repetitions, as that instantly after eue­ry Exercise men are to make one Repe­tition, and sometymes two. For that which a man findes not, the first tyme, by perseuerance, he will find,Matt. 7.8. the se­cond. Quia qui quaerit inuenit, & pulsanti [Page 134]aperietur. Num. 10. [...]1. Moyses strucke with his rod, vpon the rocke, and drew forth no water vpon the first blowe; but he drew it forth, vpon the second.

And Christ our Lord, did not cure, at a clap, one of those blind men in the Gospell, but he went curing him, by little, and little. First he applyed spit­tle to his eyes, and asked him if he saw any thing. The patient answered, that he saw certaine things in grosse, but that he distinguished not well, what they were.Mark. 8.24. Video homines, velut arbores ambulantes. The men seemed to him, but walking trees. Our Lord returned to ap­ply his hands to his eyes, and he cured him out right; so that he saw distin­ctly and cleerely. So doth it vse to be in Prayer, when turning, & returning to the selfe same thing, one discoue­reth more, then at the first. As when a man enters into a darke roome, at the first he seeth nothing; if he continue a while, he begins to see. Particulerly we must procure to deteyne our selues still, in the consideration of things, till such tyme as we may be very well vn­beguiled, and fully possessed of what is [Page 135]true; and well conuinced and resol­ued, vpon the doing of what is fit. For this is one of the chiefe Fruits, which we are to draw out of Prayer: and wherein it concernes vs much, to go well grounded, as we said before.Cap. 9.

As for the meanes, which are to help vs, to consider and ponder these my­steryes in this manner, if our Lord send downe, some little beame of his di­uine light, and open the eyes of the soule, it findes so much to consider, and hath so much, wherein to deteyne it selfe, that it can say with the Prophet, Psa. 118.18. Reuela oculos meos, & considerabo mirabilia de lege tua. Laetabor ego super eloquia tua, si­cut qui inuenit spolia multa. The second of these places, declares the first. I will re­ioyce in the consideration of those mi­steryes and meruailes, which I haue found in thy law, as a man would re­ioyce, after he had won a battell, and met with abundance of rich spoiles.

With the blessed S. Augustine, and S. Francis, the whole dayes & nights did passe at ease, in the Consideration of these two, or three words, Nouerim te, & nouerim me. Let me know my selfe, [Page 136]and let me know thee. Deus meus, & omnia. My God, and my all things. Which is a kinde of Prayer, of great conformity, with that, wherof the Prophet I say sayth, that it was vsed by those Citi­zens of Heauen, who being suspen­ded in the Contemplation of that diuine Maiesty, are perpetually singing, and saying, and repeating, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus; Isa. 63. Holy, Holy, Holy. The same, sayth S. Iohn, speaking in the Apocalyps, of those Mysterious beasts, Apoc. 48. which stood before the throne of God: Et requiem non habebant die ac nocte, dicentia, Sanctus Sanctus, San­ctus, Dominus Deus omnipotens, qui erat, & qui est, & qui venturus est. And they had no rest, nether by day, nor night, from saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Omnipotent, who was, who is, and who is to come.

But to the end that we may arriue to this, it is fit (forasmuch as is on our part) that we vse to deteyne our sel­ues,Gerson 3. p. alphab. 76. litera D. & al­phab. 77. litera Z. in the consideration of the myste­ryes, still pondering, and sounding into the particularityes therof, and exerci­sing our selues therein. Gerson sayth, That one of the principall meanes which we [Page 137]can set downe, and which will help vs most, towards the enabling of vs to make Prayer well, wilbe, the very ordinary, & continuall Exercise therof. It is no businesse this, which can be taught by Rhetorick, and Figures; nor is to be learned, by only hearing many discourses, nor reading many treatises of Prayer; but by putting the hand to worke, and by much pra­ctise therof. When a mother will teach her child to go, she spends not a whole houre in giuing him lessons, about the fashion that he is to hold in go­ing; bidding him change the posture of his [...]eete, now in this fashion,Note. and then in that; but by putting him vpon the exercise of it, she makes him goe; & so the child learnes, and knowes, how he is to goe.

Now this is the very meanes, wher­by we are to learne this Science of Prayer. And although it be very true, that for the obtayning of the guyft of Prayer, or any other, which is supernaturall, no labour of ours is suf­ficient, but it must come from the gra­tious, and liberall hand of God;Prou. [...]. Quia Dominus dai sapientiam, & ex ore eius pru­dentia, [Page 138]& scientia; because it is our Lord who giueth wisdome, and prudence, and science proceedeth out of his mouth; Yet his diuine Maiesty is plea­sed, that we should exercise our selues therein, as carefully, as if we were to obteyne it only by that meanes. For he disposeth of all things sweetly;Sap. 8.1. At­tingit à fine vs (que) ad finem fortiter, & disponit omnia suauiter. And so he disposeth of the workes of Grace, aswell as of the workes of Nature. And as other arts & sciences, are obteyned by practise, so is also this of Prayer. By playing on the lute, a man learnes to play; by going, to goe; and by Praying, a man learnes to Pray. And so Gerson sayth, that the cause, why, at this day, there are so few Contemplatiues, is through the want of this practise. We find that anciently in those Monasteryes of Monkes, there were so many persons of great Prayer, and Contemplation; and now you shall haue difficulty, to find a man of great Prayer; and when you shall speake to men of Cōtemplation; it seemes to them, as if you were talking of Metaphisicks, or Morisco's, which is not to be vnder­stood.

The cause hereof is, for that ancient­ly those holy Monks did exercise them­selues much in Prayer; and the young men who entred into those Monasteryes, were presently tasked, and instructed therein, and were made to practise it much, as we read in the rule of S. Pa­comius, & other Fathers of those Monks. And so Gerson giues this aduise, as very important, for Monasteries, That they are to haue amongst them, certayne persons of spirit, who may be learned, and of great practise in Prayer; and who may instruct young men from their very entrance into Religion, how they are to exercise themselues in Prayer. And our B. Father, 3. p. Con­stit. c. 1.12. & 4. p. c. 10.7. tooke this Counsell so much to hart, & did leaue it so well recommended in the Consti­tutions, that not only at the first, in their houses of Nouitiate, there should be some to instruct such as enter new­ly; but in all the Colledges also, and Pro­fessed Houses of the Society, he com­maunds, that there be a Prefect ouer spirituall things, who may attend to this, and obserue how euery one pro­ceedeth in Prayer, for the great impor­tance, [Page 140]wherof he tooke that pointe to be.

Another thing also, is to help vs much, towards our continuance in this exercise of Prayer, and to perseuer in it much; and this is, to haue a great loue to God, and to spirituall things. And so said the Royall Prophet; Quo­modo dilexi legem tuam Domine? tot a die meditatio mea est. Psal. 118.97. How much, O Lord, do I loue thy Lawe? I am not satis­fyed with thinking on it, all day and night. This is my only intertainment and delight. Et meditabar in mandatis tuis quae dilexi. Psal. 118.47. So that, if we did loue God much, we also would be glad to be thinking of him day and night, and we should not want matter wherof to thinke. Oh with how good a will, doth the mother stand thinking of that Childe of her wombe,Note. whome she tenderly loues? And how little need hath she of discourses, or consi­derations, to comfort herselfe, in the thought of him? If you speake but one word of that Child, her very bowels are instantly in a commotion, and the tears of ioy, are streaming downe frō [Page 141]her eyes, without any more discour­ses, or considerations. Do but begin to talke to a widow of her husband de­ceased, whome she most dearly loued, and you shall see, how instantly she will sigh, and weep.

Now if these effects can be wroght, by this naturall kinde of loue; (why do I say Naturall loue?) nay if we see that the furious loue of some lost and wretched creature, doth carry him so absorpt, and inebriated vpon the per­son whome he loues, as that he see­mes vnable, euen to thinke of any thing els; how much more should the supernaturall Loue of that infinite Goodnesse, and Beauty of our Lord God, be able to produce these effects? For more powerfull is grace, then eyther nature, or vice. If God were all our treasure, our hart would instant­ly fly vp to him:Mat. 6.21. Vbi enim est thesaurus tuus, ibi est & cor tuum. All the world thinkes willingly of him,Pro. 31.18. whome it loues; and of that, wherein it takes de­light. And therfore, the holy scripture sayth, Gustauit, & vidit. Gustate & videte, Psa. 31.9 quoniam suauis est Dominus. The Gust [Page 142]may precede the seeing; but the seeing causeth more guste, and more loue. And so S. Thomas speaking of this,S. Tho. 2.2, 9.160.7. ad. 1. sayth: That Contemplation is the daughter of Loue, because Loue is the roote therof. And he al­so sayth, that Loue is the end of Contem­plation; for by the louing of God, a man is in­clined to thinke, and contemplate vpon him; and how much more he contemplates, so much more he loues him. For good thinges haue this property, that when they are seene, they inuite to loue; & the more we se them, the more we loue them; and the more do we ioy, in conti­nuing to see, and loue them.

CHAP. XVIII. It is shewed after a practicall manner, how it is in our power, to pray euer well if we will; and to gather Fruite from thence.

THAT most excellent, and extra­ordinary Prayer, Cap. 4. & seqq. wherof we spake before, is a most particuler guifte of God; which he imparteth, not to all, but only to such as it pleaseth him. But this ordinary, and playne Mentall [Page 143]Prayer, wherof now we treat, our Lord denieth to none. And it is the errour of some, that because they obteyne not that other rich Prayer, and Contem­plation, it seemes to them, that they cannot pray at all, and that they are not fit, for this holy exercise; whereas yet euen this, is a very good, and very profitable kind of Prayer, and with it we may become perfect. And if our Lord be pleased, to impart that other high Prayer vnto vs, this inferiour kind of Prayer is a very good, and a very proper disposition, for the obteyning of it. I will therefore now declare how, with the grace of our Lord, it is in our hand to make this Prayer, euer well, and to gather Fruite from thence, which is a matter of much comfort.

By two meanes we may very well inferre thus much, vpon that which hath beene said. The first is, because the manner of Prayer which our B. Father hath taught vs, is to exercise therein the Three powers of our soule; pla­cing, with our Memory, before the eyes of our Vnderstanding, the Point or Miste­ry, vpon which we meane to make our [Page 144]Prayer; and then to enter in, with out Vnderstanding it selfe, discoursing, medita­ting, and considering those things which may serue most for the mouing of our Will; and then are the affects and desi­res of the Will it selfe to follow: and this third, we haue already said, to be the chiefe part, and Fruite, which we are to gather from Prayer. So that Prayer, consisteth not, in that sweet­nes and sensible guste, which some­tymes we feele, and do experiment within our selues; but in the acts which we make, with the powers of our soules. Now the doing of this, is euer in our power, though we be neuer so dry, and discomforted. For although I should be more dry then any sticke,Note. and more hard then any stone, yet would it be in my power (with the fauour of our Lord) to make an act of detestation, and griefe for my sins; and an act of the Loue of God; and an act of Patience, and an act of Humility; and to desire to be disgraced, and despised, in imitation of Christ our Lord, who would needs be disgraced, and despi­sed, for loue of me.

It must heere be also obserued, that the businesse of making good Prayer, and the Fruite therof, doth not consist, in that one make so much as these ve­ry acts themselues, with guste, or sen­sible consolation; nor in that he feele much, euen of what he is doing; nor doth the goodnesse and perfection of the acts themselues, nor the merit which followes vpon them, consist in this. This I say, is to be noted much. For it vseth to be an errour, very com­mon to many, who discomfort them­selues, as conceauing, that they do no good in Prayer, because they feele not so much actuall sorrow for their er­rours, and sins, or so great affection & desire of vertue, as they would. But these feelings do belong to the Sensi­tiue Appetite; whereas the Will is a spiri­tuall Power, and dependeth not vpon the other. And therefore there is no necessity, that a man should feele his owne acts, in such a fashion; but it suf­ficeth that they be produced by the Will.

And so the Deuines, & Saints who treat of Contrition, and Griefe for sin, do [Page 146]thus comfort their pennitents: Who comming to make great account of the greuiousnes of mortall sinne, are discomforted, for not being able to dissolue themselues in teares; nor to feele in themselues, that sensible griefe which they desire. For they could find in their harts, that euen their very bowels, might split in their bodyes, for sorrow of their sins. And those Au­thors say, That True contrition & griefe, consisteth not in the sensitiue Appetite, but in the Will. Let it trouble you to haue sinned, because sinne is the offence of God, who is worthy to be loued a­bone all things; for this is true Contri­tion. That other feeling, when our Lord shall impart it, do your receiue it with giuing of thanks; and when he doth not, be not troubled, for God exacteth not that of you. For it is euident, that he is not to exact that of vs, which is not in our power; and that kind of feeling, which you would haue, is a guste and sensible deuotion, which is not in your power. Therfore God ex­pecteth not that of vs, but he expe­cteth, that which is in our power, [Page 147]which is, the sorrow of our Will, which hath no dependance vpon that other. And the same is to be said of the acts of the Loue of God. Loue you God aboue al things, with your Will, for this is that strong and appreciatiue Loue, and that which God exacteth of vs. That o­ther, is a tender kind of loue, which is not in our power. The same is to be said of the acts of other vertues, and of all the good purposes, which we haue.

This truth is clerely seene by the contrary. For it is most certayne,Note. that if a man do, with his will, desire, and consent to a mortall sinne, although the same man, haue no other feeling nor take no other guste therein, yet he shall sinne mortally, and shall de­serue to be condemned for it, to hell. By the same reason, he whose Will cō ­senteth, and desireth that which is good, although he haue no other guste of feeling of it, shall please al­mighty God, and merit heauen. Espe­cially since God is more ready to re­ward vertue, then to punish vice. Nay, many tymes, these acts, are more me­ritorious, and more acceptable to [Page 148]God, when they are done, after that dry manner, without guste, or sensi­ble consolation; because they are more pure, and more durable, & a man pla­ceth in thē more of his owne stocke, and he is at more cost (as a man may say) then when he is carried on, by sensible deuotion. And so it is a signe of more solide Vertue, and of a Will more firme, and faythfull, to the ser­uice of God. For he, who without those helpes of gustes, and spirituall consolations, doth make those acts; what would he do with them?

Father Auila sayth very well,M. Auila. That God carryeth the other man, in his armes, as if he were a Child; but this later, goes vpon his owne legs, like a man. Blosius saith, That they are like such as serue some Lord, Blosius in monil. spi­ritual. c. 3. at their owne charge. And it importeth much, that we be accustomed to pray after this manner. For the most vsuall kind of Prayer with many, is wont to be in drinesse; those other, are extraordinary fauours. So that, as men, who goe by Galleys in deepe seas, when the wind comes to fayle them, do make their way by the force of Oares; so they [Page 149]who meane to exercise themselues in Prayer, when the prosperous winde of the illustrations, and fauours of God, are wanting, must procure to passe on, by the Oares of the Powers of their soule, which still are helped by the fauour of the Holy Ghost, though not alwayes so copiously, as at some tymes.

The secōd way, we may shew thus.Cap. 14. Prayer, as hath beene sayd, is not the end, but a meanes which we take for our spirituall profit, and to obteyne victory ouer our passions, and euil in­clinations; that so hauing smoothed the way, and remoued all impedi­mēts, we may deliuer or selues wholy vp, into the hands of God. When those Cataracts were strucken downe, from the eyes of S. Paules soule, by that light of heauen, and that diuine voice, which said, Ego sum Iesus quem tu persequeris, Act. 9.9. I am Iesus whome thou persecutest; O how did he remaine, all changed in hart? how truly conuin­ced, and resolued, and rendred vp to the accomplishment of the will of God? Domine quid me vis facere? O Lord, what wilt thou haue me do? This is [Page 150]the fruite of good Prayer. And we said before, that we must not content our selues,Chap. 1 [...]. with drawing certaine generall desires, and purposes out of Prayer; but we must descend to that particuler, wherof we haue greatest neede; and we must prepare, and prouide our sel­ues, to make good vse of those occa­sions, which may, and which vse to be offered in that present day, and to pro­ceed in all things, with edification.

I say therfore, (applying the dis­course to our purpose) that this,Note. by the grace of our Lord, will euer be in our power to do; because we may still be laying hold of those things, wherof we haue most need. Let one of you lay hold vpon Humility, another vpon Patience, another vpon Obedience, ano­ther vpon Mortification and Resignation. And procure to go out of your Prayer, very humble, and very well resigned, and indifferent, and very desirous to mortify, and to conforme your selues, in all things, with the will of God. And especially procure, alwayes to draw this fruite out of Prayer, that you may liue well that day, and with [Page 151]edification of others, euery one accor­ding to his estate. And so you shall haue made your Prayer excellently well; yea and better, then if you had shed many tears, and enioyed much consolation.

So that we are not to put our selues in payne, for not being able to vse much discourse, or many conside­rations, nor to haue other feelings and deuotions; because Prayer, doth not consist in this, but in the rest. Neither yet are we to make much account of those distractions, and flying thoughts, which vse to disquiet vs in Prayer, against our will; wherof yet we do ordinarily complaine. When you re­flect and obserue, that you are distra­cted, lay present hold agayne,Note. vpon your matter, and vpon the Fruite, which you are to gather; and therby you shall supply, and reuerse the losse of tyme, which you haue made by that distraction; and you shall reuenge your selues on the Diuell, who hath procured to diuert you, by imperti­nent thoughts. This is a very profita­ble aduise for Prayer. And, as when a [Page 152]man, who was trauelling with others, laid himselfe downe to sleepe, & his Camerado's passed on; but when he awaked, he made so much haste to ouertake them, that in a quarter of an hower, he dispatched that way, which he was to haue made in a whole one, if he had not fallen asleepe: so when you reflect, and returne to your sel­ues, from your distraction, in the last quarter of an hower, you are to carry the matter so well,Chap. 14. as to do therein, all that which you were to haue done in the whole hower, if you had conti­nued in attention.

Enter presently into account with your selfe and say, What did I pretend to negotiate with Almighty God, in this Prayer? what was the Fruite, which I had prepared to gather thence? Humility? In­differency? Resignation? Conformity with the will of God? Well yet, I will not faile to fetch this Fruite, Note. out of this Prayer, in despite of the Diuell. And when perhaps you find, that euen the whole Prayer hath gone amisse, and that you haue not gathered the Fruite which you desired, you must procure to do [Page 153]it, in the Examen of your Prayer, Chap. 27. wherof we will speake afterward; and therby you are to supply, for the faults which you haue made in the Prayer it selfe, & so you shall euer gather Fruite therby.

CHAP. XIX. Of some easy meanes, or wayes, wherby we may haue profitable, and good Prayer.

THERE are also other very easy wayes, which will helpe vs much, towards the hauing of good Prayer; wherby also it will appeare, that it is euer, in our power to haue good, and profitable Prayer; and that all, are capable of Mentall Prayer, and that there is none, who may not vse it.

As for the first, it is very good to this purpose, which is aduised by some Maisters of Spirit, who say, That we must not make our Prayer to be a mat­ter of fiction, or art; but we must do in that, as men do in businesse of im­portance, who pawse to thinke what they are about; and how their busi­nesse [Page 154]speeds, and how it may be bet­ter done. So the seruant of God, is playnly, and without tricks, to deale with himselfe,Note. in point of Prayer, & to say, How goes the businesse forward of the spirituall profit, and of the saluation of my soule? For this is our businesse, and we are not continuing in this life, for any other true reason, but only to ne­gotiate this affaire. Let therefore the religious man especially, enter into ac­count with himselfe, & let him thinke thus, at great leasure. How goes my soule on in this businesse? What fruite haue I ga­thered in these ten, twenty, thirty, or fourty years, that I haue beene in Religion? What is that, which I haue gained, or acquired in the vertue of Humility, or Mortification? I will see how the accounts do stand; and what I can answere to God, for all those so great meaenes, and helpes, which I haue had in Re­ligion, wherewith to thriue, and increase the Principall, and Talent, which he gaue me. And if hitherto I haue ill imployed my time, and not knowen how to serue my selfe ther­of, I will remedy the fault from henceforth; and certainly, my whole life shall not passe hereafter, as a great part therof, hath done hi­therto.

In the same manner ought euery one in his condition, with great play­nenesse and simplicity, and without all disguise, make a pawse to thinke in particuler, how it goes with him, in his place and duty; how he shalbe able to discharge it well, and according to the will of God; how he may carry his businesse like a good Christian, and gouerne his house and family, in such sort, as that all of it, may serue God. How he may make right vse, & beare those difficulties with patience, which his condition, or office carry with it. In this, he will find inough to la­ment, and to amend. And this wilbe a very good, and a very profitable kind of Prayer.

Iohn Gerson telleth of a seruant of God, who was wonte to say thus, many tymes.Guliel. Paris. It is now fourty yeare since I haue frequented prayer, with all care I could; and I neuer found a better, nor a more briefe, and compendious meanes, towards the ma­king of good Prayer, then to present my self, in the presence of God, like an infant, or like some poore blinde, naked, and abandoned beggar. We see that the Prophet Dauid, [Page 156]did vse this kind of Prayer very often, calling himselfe sometymes a sicke man, at other tymes an orphane, at other ty­mes a blindeman; and at others, a poore Creature, and a beggar. And of this, the Psalmes are full. And we know by experience, that many, who haue vsed, and frequented this kinde of Prayer, haue come, by this meanes, to be indued with very high Contem­plation. Do you therfore vse it; and our Lord wilbe pleased, that by this mea­nes, you shall obteyne, what you de­sire.

The Prayer of the Beggar, Note. is a very good Prayer. Consider, sayth Gerson, with how great humility and patience the poore man stands expecting a litle almes,Gerson de monte con­templat. at the rich mans doore; and with what diligence he goes, where he knowes, there is any almes to be giuen. And as this poore and naked, forsakē creature, stands before the rich­man, asking him almes, and hoping for the remedy of his necessity, with great humility, and reuerence; so are we to place our selues, before God in Prayer, representing to him our Po­uerty, [Page 157]our necessity, and our misery; & hoping for some remedy therof, at the hands of his liberality and bounty.Psa. 112.2. Si­cut oculi ancillae in manibus Dominae suae, ita oculi nostri, ad Dominū Deum nostrum, do­nec misereatur nostri. As the eyes of the slaue, stand hanging vpon the hands of her Lord, expecting what he will bestow vpon her; so are our eyes to be hanging & depending vpon our Lord God, till such tyme, as we may ob­teyne mercy of him.

We find in that story, which is re­counted of the Abbot Paphnutius, who liued in the most inward part of the desert,Pratum spiritual. how that hauing heard of that loose woman Thais, that she was the snare and perdition of many sou­les, and the cause also of many quar­rels, and the death of many; he did with desire to conuert her, and drawe her to God, take the habit of a secular man, and money, and he went to the Citty, where she dwelt, and conuer­ted her. And he tooke the occasion, from some words of hers, when (he seeming to desire, that she would al­low him some more priuate place) [Page 158]she said, Thou art safe inough heere, from the eyes of men, who cannot see the heere; From the eyes of God, indeed, thou canst not hide thy selfe, how secret soeuer the place may be. The story is large; but to come to that which makes to our purpose.

The woman being conuerted, he conducted her to the wildernesse, and did shut her vp into a cell; and made it fast with a seale of leade, leauing only an ouerture, in a very little win­dow which there was, to the end that daily they might therby, giue her a little bread, and water. And Paphnu­tius, leauing her, she asked him only, how she was to pray to God. To this, the holy Abbot answered: Thou doest not deserue to take the Name of God into that impure mouth of thine, but the manner of thy Prayer shalbe this: Thou shalt put thy selfe vpon thy knees; and thou shalt turne thy selfe towards the East; and thou shalt repeal these words many tymes, Qui plasmasti me, miserere mei; O thou who madest me, haue mercy on me. In this man­ner she continued three years, with­out euer presuming to take the name of God into her mouth; but alwayes [Page 159]carrying her many grieuous sinnes be­fore her sight, and demaunding mercy and pardon for them of our Lord, in those words which the Saint had taught her.

And this Prayer, was so acceptable to Almighty God, that the Abbot Paph­nutius, demaunding of the blessed Saint Anthony, at the end of those three years, if he thought that God had par­doned her sinners; S. Anthony called his Monks about him, and required them, that euery one should remaine all the next night following by himselfe, in Watching and Prayer; to the end that our Lord might declare that to some one of them, which was demaunded by Paphnutius. Being therfore all, in Prayer, Paul the monke, who was the chiefe amongst the disciples of S. An­thony, had a vision of a bed in heauen, adorned with most pretious furni­ture; and which was attended by foure virgins. As soone as he saw so rich an obiect, he instantly said within himselfe: This grace and fauour can­not be reserued for any other, then for my father S. Anthony. As he was in these [Page 160]thoughts, a voice descended from hea­uen, and said, This bed of glory, is not pre­pared for thy Father Anthony, but for Thais the sinner. And fifteene dayes after, our Lord was pleased to carry her to en­ioy that glory, or celestiall bed of state. Do you the while, content your sel­ues, with making this Prayer, & know that you deserue to make no other. And perhaps you may please God more by this, then if you made that other, which you imagine.

In a certayne spirituall Discourse which is a manuscript, made by a re­ligious Monke of the Carthusians, con­cerning spirituall Communion, he re­counteth a certayne passage of our B. F. Ignatius, and his companions, which he affirmeth himselfe to haue vnder­stood, from a person worthy to haue beene belieued. How that, whilst they were trauelling as they vsed to do on foote, with their little bags, and such like necessaryes, vnder their ar­mes; and going towards Barcelona, there was a good honest man, trauel­ling also in the same way, who saw them, and tooke pitty of them, & be­sought [Page 161]them, with great instance, that they would giue him their little bags; saying that he was lusty, and strong, and would carry them well. And al­though they refused to do so, yet at last, being importuned, they were content; and so, went on, their way, all together. Whē they arriued at their lodging, the Fathers, euery one of them, did procure to find out his cor­ner, to recollect, and commend him­selfe to God, in Prayer. That other ho­nest man, seeing them do so, did pro­cure a corner also for himselfe, and cast himselfe downe vpon his knees, like them. And proceeding afterward in their way, they asked him once: Brother, what do you vse to do, in that corner of yours? He answered. That which I do, is to say, O Lord these men are saints, and I am but their beast. Looke what they do, and that will I also do. And this (sayth he) am I of­fering vp to God. And the Story further sayth that the good man did profit so much, by meanes of this Prayer, that he grew to be a very spirituall per­son, and to be of high Prayer, after­ward. Now who is he, that cannot vse [Page 162]this forme of Prayer, if he will?

My selfe did know a very ancient Father of the Society of Iesus, and a ve­ry great Preacher, whose Prayer, for a long tyme, was to say, with much humility, and simplicity, to Almighty God: O Lord, I am but a beast, and know not how to vse Prayer, do thou teach it me, O Lord. With this he profited much, & grew to haue most high Prayer; that of the Prophet,Psal. 72.23 being accomplished in him, Vt iumentum factus sum, & ego semper tecum. Do you therfore humble your selues, & become, in the sight of, God, as if you were but poore beasts, and our Lord wilbe with you. It doth much import in the sight of God, that one do humble himselfe; for great matters are negotiated, and obteyned in this manner, at the hands of his di­uine Maiesty. And heere the Saints do note a thing of much importāce; That as Humility is the meanes to obteyne Prayer, Note. so Prayer must be the meanes to obteyne Humility, and to go increasing in it.

And so they say, that when a man hath made good Prayer, he euer goes a [Page 163]way much humbled and confounded. Whereupon it followes,Greg. l. 2. in Ezech. hom. 17. Chrysost. ho. 4. de poen. to. 5. that when a man parteth well contented from his Prayer, with I know not what kind of vaine complacence, & a close kind of estimation, and reputation of him­selfe; conceiuing, forsooth, that he hath profitted much, and that already he is growing a kind of spirituall man, that Prayer deserues to be suspected. And therfore, if you say that you are not a­ble to draw many considerations out of Prayer, nor to haue any high Con­templations, let your course, be to hum­ble your selfe, and gather that Fruite from your Prayer, and you can haue no excuse, for not doing that; & euen that wilbe a very good Prayer.

It is also a very good meanes, when a man is not able to enter Prayer, and that he is in conflict with many thoughts, and temptations, to do that which Father Auila doth thus aduise,M. Auila l. 1. Epist. in one of his letters: Cast your selues at the feete of Christ our Lord, and say; O Lord for asmuch as this distraction, Note. and difficulty in Prayer, proceeds from any fault of mine, I am hartily sory for it; but forasmuch as is [Page 164]therein, of thy will, and of thy punisment, I haue iustly deserued it, for my great sinnes past. And for my great negligence and errours present, I do accept it with a very good will, and I am glad to receiue from thy holy hand, this crosse, this drynesse, this distraction, this discomfort, and this spirituall desolation. This Patience, and this Humility, wilbe a very good Prayer, and will please God more, then the Prayer which you desired to haue,Tract. 8. cap. 26. as we shall after­wards shew more at large.

It is written of our Father Francis­cus de Boria, P. Fran. de Borgia. how when it seemed to him, that he had not had good Prayer, that day did he procure to mortify himselfe more, and to goe with more care,Note. and diligence in all his workes, therby to supply the fault of his Pray­er; and so he Counselleth vs to do. This is a very good meanes to supply the fault of Prayer, yea & it wilbe al­so a good meanes to make our Prayer good. S. Nilus the Abbot; speaking of Prayer sayth, That as when we disor­der, and discompose our selues in the day, it seemes that presently we shall feele the punishment of it in our [Page 195]Prayer, for there, God sheweth vs some hard countenance: so on the other side, when we haue mortifyed, and ouercome our selues, in things of difficulty, we do instantly also find it, in our Prayer; for our Lord is plea­sed to reward vs, with ready payment, Quidquid durum & asperum patienter tole­rabis, fructum laboris, tempore orationis re­peries.

The Saint doth therupon, giue a very good aduise,Nilus de oratione c. 17. & 62. in biblio­sanctorum Patrum. com. 3. for the hauing of good Prayer, and of very good con­formity, with that which we haue al­ready said. Si orare desideras, nihil facias eorum quae orationi aduersantur, vt tibi ap­propinquet Deus, & tecum ambulet. If you desite to haue good Prayer, do no­thing which may be contrary to Prayer, and by this meanes God will communicate himselfe to you, and do you many fauours.

And generally, let all men vnder­stand, that the principall care which the seruant of God ought to haue,Note. is to cleanse and mortify his hart, and to keepe himselfe free from all sinne, and to be very firme and resolute, not to [Page 166]commit one mortall sinne, for the whole world. Herein he is to ground himselfe well, whilest he is in Prayer and to insist and actuate vpon it, very often; for we haue need to do so, as long as we are in this miserable life. And vpon this foundation, euery mā may build asmuch perfectiō as he will. And therfore he hath no reason to go vp and downe with complaints, but to be very gratefull to God, although he giue him no other kind, of higher Prayer. For Sanctity, consisteth not in hauing to guift of Prayer, but in do­ing the will of God.Eccl. 12.13. Deum time, & mā ­data eius obserua: hoc est enim omnis homo. With this saying, Salomon concludeth that high sermon of Ecclesiastes. Note. Feare God and keep his Commaundements, for all man is but this. That is to say: In this cō ­sisteth all the felicity of man; and by this he complyeth with all his obligations; and with this, he may be holy, and perfect.

I will conclude, with assigning a meanes for good Prayer, which shalbe of much comfort for all men. When you do not find in your Prayer, that ease, that attention, and deuotion, & [Page 167]internall vnion which you wish, exer­cise your selues, in hauing a great in­clination and desire to it, & with this you shall supply that which you con­ceiue to be wanting to you. For our Lord God (as the Saints affirme) is no lesse content, and satisfyed,F. Barth. de los mart y­ris Arche. Bracharē ­sis in suo compend di [...] spirituali c. 19. fol. 250. with that good desire, and will of yours, then he would be with your high, and sub­lyme Prayer, Deus, non minùs voluntate sancto (que) desiderio laetatur, quàm sitota anima amore liquefacta, plenè sibi iungeretur. This helpe, God taught to the holy virgin Gertrude, and it is related by Blosius. He sayth,Blosin [...]e. 2. de n [...] oni­lis spir itu­al. that the Saint complayning of her wants, and that she could not in in Prayer, rayse her hart so high, as she desired, and as she thought she was o­bliged, she was taught from heauen, that with God it was sufficient, if the man did indeed desire, and wish, that he had a great desire of it, when yet perhaps he feeled very little, or no de­sire at all. For iust so great, is a good desire esteemed to be, in the sight of God, as the mā, would fayne haue it great. And he saith: That in a hart which hath such a desire (that is to say) which hath [Page 186]a desire, and will, to haue this desire, God dwelleth with a better will, then a man would be glad to stay, amongst fresh, and odorife­rous flowers.

God hath no need of your high Praier, he desirs nothing but your hart; to that he lookes, and he receyues the desires thereof, for deeds. And so, a­greably to this, it wilbe a very good deuotion, and a very profitable consi­deration, when we find our selues te­pide & dry in Prayer,Note. to cōsider how many seruants of God there are in Prayer ouer the world, at the very same tyme perhaps shedding tears, and per­aduenture bloud, and we may ima­gine our selues, to be with them; and not only with them, but euen with the Angells, & other celestiall spirits, lo­uing & praising God. And we may re­mit our selues to that which they do; & supply therby, the want of that which we cānot do our selues; repeating ma­ny times with our harrs, and with our mouthes, those words: Cum quibus, & nostras voces, vt admitti iubeas deprecamur, supplici confessione dicentes, Sanctus, San­ctus, Sanctus &c. O Lord that which they [Page 169]say, I say; and that which they do, I would [...]aine do; & iust as they praise and loue, so would I fayne blesse, and prayse, and loue thee. And somety­mes it wilbe also good, that we remit our selues, euen to our selues, as we were at some former tyme, when we conceiue our selues to haue beene in good Prayer, saying: O my Lord, that which I did then, and as then I offered my selfe wholy to thee; so do I offer my selfe now: and as then I grieued for my sins, so do I grieue now; and as then I desired Humility, Patience, and Obedience, in the same man­ner, O Lord, do I craue, and beg it of thee now.

But aboue all, it is a most singular good practise, to vnite our workes with those of Christ our Lord, and to supply our faults & imperfections by the merits of his most sacred Passion; as­well in that which concerneth our Prayer, as in our other actions; offering to the eternall Father, our Prayers, in vnion of the loue and seruour, where­with Christ our Lord did pray to him, and praise him here on earth; and our Fasts, in vniō of those Fasts, which [Page 170]he made, beseeching him that he wilbe pleased to supply our Impatience, with the Patience of Christ our Lord; our pride with his Humility; and our Malice, with his Innocency. Blosius c. 9. institu [...]. spiritual. This practise (as Blosius relateth) was reuealed by our Lord to some deare seruants of his, to the end, that we may so make our workes of much worth, and merit, & relieue our pouerty, by his meanes; through the infinite treasure, of the merits of Christ our Lord.

CHAP. XX. That we must content our selues with this Prayer, wherof we haue spoken; and not goe with complaint, and griefe, for not being able to obtayne that other Prayer, which is more high.

ALBERTVS Magnus sayth, that the true humble man,Albertus magnus de adhaerendo Deo. doth not presume to lift vp his hart, to a desire of that high and rich Prayer, and of those extraordinary fauours, which our Lord doth vse,Note. sometymes, to cō ­municate to his deare seruants. For he [Page 171]esteemeth so little of himselfe, that he holdeth himselfe vnworthy of all fa­uour, and spirituall consolation. And if at any tyme, without any desire of his, our Lord do visite him, with any comfort; he receiueth it with feare, ac­knowledging that he deserueth not those visitations; and that he knowes not, how to profit by them, as he ought. And if we had true Humility, we would content our selues, with any of those kinds of Prayer, wherof we spake. Nay rather, we should hold it for a particuler fauour of our Lord, that he leades vs, by the way of Humi­lity. For therby, we shall conserue our selues; and by that other way, we might perhaps, growe light-headed, and so be lost.

S. Bernard sayth,Bern. ser. 5. quadrag. that God doth car­ry himselfe towards vs, as the Fathers of this world do, towards their little children. That when the Childe as­keth bread,Note. they giue it him with a good will; but when the Child as­keth for a knife, wherewith to cut his bread, they will not giue it him; be­cause they see it is not necessary, and [Page 172]that perhaps, it might do him hurt, by cutting his fingers. But the father takes the knife, and cuts the bread, that so the child may neither be put to any trouble, nor made subiect to any dan­ger. in this forte doth our Lord pro­ceed. He giues you the bread, already cut; and will not giue you those gusts, and consolations, which are in that most high Prayer; because perhaps, you would cut your selues; & they would do you hurt, by making you wanton, and guiddy, and to hold your selues for spirituall persons, and to prefer your selues before others. Our Lord doth you a greater fauour, in giuing you the bread already cut, then if he gaue you the knife, wherewith to cut it. If God, with your Prayer, giue you a great resolution, and strength, rather to dy, then to commit sinne; and if he keepe you, through the whole course of your life, without committing a mortall sinne, what better Prayer, and what better Fruite can you desire, then this?

This is that answere, which the Fa­ther of the Prodigall Sonne gaue to his el­der [Page 173]brother. Who seing that the Younger was receiued with so much feasting and ioy, was deepely offended with it, and already was refusing to enter into his Fathers house, saying to this effect; So many years are now past, since I serue you, and haue euer beene subiect to your commaundements, and obsequious to your person, and you haue neuer bestowed vpon me, so much as a Kid, to the end that I might make merry with my friends. And as for that other, who hath dissipated your state, and beene disobedient to your selfe. you haue killed the fat calfe, and made him a sum­ptuous banquet, with great musique, and ioy. The Father makes this answere.Luc. 15. [...]. Fili, tu semper mecum es. My sonne, know that I do not this, as louing the other, more then you: You are euer remaining in my house, and with my person. It will also be reason, that you know and esteeme wor­thily, of that which I do for you. Is it perhaps a small grace and fauour, which I do you, in continuing you euer, about my selfe?

The same I say in your case. Doth it seeme a trifle, for our Lord to keepe you euer with himselfe, and in his house? It is a greater matter, for our [Page 174]Lord to giue you the guift of perse­uerance, and to keepe you, from euer parting from him, and falling into sin; then if, after you were fallen, he should lend you his hand, as he did to the Prodigall Sonne. It is more for him, to keepe you, from breaking your head, then if he should heale it, when it were broken. If then our Lord, with this Prayer which you haue, do giue you this, of what can you complayne? If with this Prayer, he giue you great promptitude towards al things which concerne his seruice, and great indif­ferency, with intiere resignation to­wards all the orders of Obedience, what can you desire more? If with this Prayer, God conserue you in Humility, and in his feare, and in walking wa­rily, and in preseruing your selues from occasions, & out of the dangers of sinne, what reason haue you to sigh for more? This is that Fruite which you were to gather out of Prayer, if it were neuer so high and sublyme. And when, our Lord were pleased, to giue you many gusts and comforts in it, to this end you were to addresse thē all.

Now this is that, which God doth worke in this playne, and ordinary Prayer. He giueth you the end, and the Fruite, without those extraordi­nary meanes of eleuations, and gusts, and consolations; as they find by ex­perience, who perseuere in it. And therfore we are to giue, for this, double thanks to our Lord. For, on the one side, he frees vs from the danger of vanity, and pride, which we might be subiect to; and on the other side, he gi­ues vs that Fruite, and profit of Prayer, which is most complete. The holy Scripture saith, of the holy Patriarch Ioseph, That he spake to his brethren, with hard, and sharpe words, Gen. 42.7. & 25. and yet withall that he filled their sacks, full of corne; and com­maunded his Steward, to treat them well. And so doth our Lord carry himselfe many tymes towards vs.

We will neuer vnderstand, as we ought, wherein Prayer, doth indeed consist. Or to speake more properly, we will neuer vnderstand, as we ought, wherein our spirituall profit & perfection doth consist, which is the End and Fruite, to which our Prayer is [Page 176]ordeyned. And so, many tymes, when it goes ill with vs, we thinke it goes well; and when indeed it goeth well, we are apt to thinke, that it goeth ill. Drawe you, out of Prayer, that which we haue said; and especially to pro­ceed well that present day, and with edification,Chap. 15. as was touched before; and you shall haue made good Prayer; though whilst you were praying, you were as dry as a sticke, and as hard as a stone. And if you gaine not this, you haue not made good Prayer, though you were streaming downe teares, all the while, and although you had beene eleuated vp, to the third heauen.

Henceforward therfore, do not complayne of Prayer, but turne your complaints against your selues, and say, It goes ill with me, in point of Mortifi­cation. It goes ill with me in point of Hu­mility; Note. in point of Patience; in point of Si­lence, and Recollection. This indeed, is a iust complaynt, because it is to com­playne against your selues; for you do not that which you ought, and yet it is in your owne power. But that o­ther course, of going, in complaynt [Page 177]against Prayer, seemes to be a kinde of complayning against God, because he giues not that kinde of way, and quietnes, and comfort, which you could desire. This I say, is no good complainte. It is no word, this, which may induce our Lord to mercy, but rather prouoke him, to wrath, and indignation, as the holy Iudith, said to them of Be­thulia. Non est iste sermo, Iudith 8.11. qui misericordiam prouocet, sed potius qui iram excitet, & furo­rent accendat. And it is worth the con­sidering, how contrary we are in this, to reason. For I find not, that we com­playne of not being willing to mor­tify, nor humble, nor amēd our selues;Note. which yet is the thing that we haue in our power. But we go complay­ning of that, which is not in our power, but runns vpon the accounte of Almighty God. Endeauour you to mortify, and ouercome your selues, & herein do that, which belongs to you, and trust God with that which be­longs to him. For more desire hath he, of our good, then we our selues. And if we do that which belongs to vs, we may rest secure inough, that, for [Page 178]his part,Tract. 8. Ca. 24. & seqq. & vide suprà Cap. 5. ad finem ex B [...]rmardo. he will not be wanting, to giue vs that which is fit for vs. We will speake more largly of this pointe, when we treate of Conformity with the will of God; where we will procure to giue more expresse satisfaction, to this complaint, and temptation.

CHAP. XXI. Of the causes of Distraction in Prayer, and of the Remedies.

THIS is wonte to be a very or­dinary complaint, and therfore the Saints do generally treate therof, and especially Cassian. Cassianus coslat. [...]. 8.7. They say, that distraction in Prayer, may rise from one of three causes. The first, our owne carelessnesse, or negligence; because we go scattered in our owne thoghts,Note. and we set little guard vpon our hart; and make little recolection of our sen­ses. He who liueth in this manner, hath no reason to wonder, how he comes to be be distracted in Prayer, and why he can make no way in it. For it is cleere, that the images, and figures, and [Page 179] representations of those things which he suffers to enter in, are to disquiet and molest him afterwards in Prayer.

The Abbot Moyses sayth well,Collat. 10. That although it is not in the power of a man to keepe himselfe from being surprised with thoughts, yet, that it is in his power, eyther not to admit thē, or els to driue them away. And he addeth further; that it is in great part in our power to correct and mend the quality of those thoughts; and to cause that they may be holy, & good, & that those o­thers which are impertinent, & vayne, may grow by little & little to be for­gottē. For if he giue himselfe to the spi­rituall Exercises of Reading, Meditation, and Prayer; if he imploy himselfe vpon good and holy workes, he wilbe sure to haue good, and holy thoughts. But if, when he spends the day, he do but feed his senses with vaine, and im­pertinent things; his thoughts will not faile to be of the same quality.

To this purpose he bringeth a com­parison, and it is also brought by Saint Anselme, and S. Bernard. Collat. 1. cap. 18. These Saints affirme, that the hart of man is like a Milstone, which is euer mouing;Note. but it is [Page 180]in the hand of the Miller, who rules it, to choose whether it shall grinde whea­te, or oates, or any other graine; for that which they cast before it, it will grinde. And so the hart of man, can­not be without thinking vpon some­what, which it will grinde; but by your industry, and diligence, you may make it grind what corne you will, wheat, or rye, yea or earth it selfe; for in fine, whatsoeuer you cast before it, that will it grinde. In conformity therfore of this, if you meane to be re­colected in Prayer, you must procure, as you conuerse, to carry you hart recol­lected, and to keep the gates of your senses close. For our Lord takes plea­sure to treat with soules, which are, as Gardens shut.

And so, it was a common saying of those ancient Fathers, and it is alled­ged by Cassian. Cassianus collat 9. Abbatis Isaac. c. 1. [...]. Quales orantes volumus inueniri, tales nos, ante orationis tempus, preparare debemus; ex praecedenti enim statu, mens atque animus, in supplicatione forma­tur. We must go backe againe, to be­gin our course, and procure to be, when we are out of Prayer, Note. such as in [Page 181] Prayer we desire to be. For of the same state and temper, which the hart shall haue out of Prayer, the same it will al­so haue in Prayer. Qualis liquor vasi in­funditur, taliter redolebit; & quales herbas in horto cordis tui plantaueris, Bonauen [...] ▪ de profe­cta, reli­giosi li. [...] 58, talia semina ger­minabunt, sayth S. Bonauenture. Such as the liquour is, which you powre in­to the vessell, such wilbe the smell [...] & such as the hearbs shalbe, which you plant in the garden of your hart, such will the fruite, and seed be, which is produced therby.

And because it is an vsuall, and na­turall thing, for a man to thinke much of that, which he loues; if you desire to keepe your harte firme, and stable in tyme of Prayer, and that your thoughts of vayne, and impertinent things, may growe into obliuion, and to an end; you must mortify your loue therof, despising all earthly things, & you must lodge your hartes in heauen. And how much the more you shall profit, and increase in this; so much the more shall you increase, and profit in stability, attention, and deuotion in Prayer.

Secondly, Distraction vseth to grow, from the temptatiōs of our enemy the Diuell. S. Basil sayth,Basil. ser de renuncia­tione sae­culi & spi­rit. perfect. Cassian l. 10. ca 10. & Nilus 44. & 47. de oratio­ne. That the diuell, seing our Prayer to be the meanes wherby all good cōmeth to vs, pro­cures by all wayes possible, to hinder vs, and diuert vs therein; to the end, that, hauing depriued vs of this suc­cour, he may the more easily find en­trance into our soules, for his tempta­tions and deceits. He carrieth himselfe towards vs, as the Captaine of Holo­fernes did, for the taking of the Citty of Bethulia, Note. which defenced it selfe a­gainst him. For he brake the Conduites wherby water was conueyed into the Citty. And so the diuell doth procure,Iudith 7.6. with all diligence, to disorder, and breake in vs, this Aqueduct of Prayer, wherby the water of grace, and of all spirituall good is deriued into our soules.Climacus gra. 18. And S. Iohn Climacus. sayth, that as vpon the ringing of the bell, Faythfull Chri­stians and Religious men, do visibly as­semble themselues to make Prayer, & to praise our Lord; so our enemyes who are the diuells, do also associate themselues inuisibly, to tempt, & hin­der vs from Prayer.

In the Pratum spirituale, De Ab­bat. Mar­cell. it is re­counted of one of those Fathers of the desert, that rising one night to Prayer, and singing of Psalmes, as his custome was, he heard the sound of a trumpet, which was like the signe of giuing a battell. And the holy old man being troubled at it, and wondring from whence that noise might come, into so sollitary a place, where there was no war, nor no souldiers; the Diuell appeared to him, and said, that al­though he thought that there was no battell towards, yet indeed there was; and that the trumpet shewed that the diuells were about to begin it, against the seruants of God; and that if he de­sired to be free from it, he should re­turne to take his rest, and if not, that he was to looke to himselfe. But he, confiding in our Lord, did enter into his Prayer, and continued in it.

One of the things wherby the ex­cellency, and great importance of Prayer may be particulerly well des­cerned, is the watchfull and curst eye which the diuell carrieth towards it; and the continuall warre, which he [Page 184]makes against it,Nilus ca. 44. & 47. de oratio­ne, & ca. 100 & seqq. refer. aliqua Exempla circa hoc in biblio. Sacto­rum PP. Tom 3. as the holy Abbot Ni­lus noteth very well. There be other good workes, which the diuell is bet­ter content to passe withall, and to en­dure. He will permit sometymes, a fast, a discipline, and a hayrecloth, but a tyme of Prayer he cannot endure; but by all possible meanes, he procures to hinder it.

From hence it growes, that when we are in Prayer, we suffer many ty­mes more temptations, then in any other action of ours. It seems that then, the whole troupe of thoughts set vpon vs, and sometymes they are so filthy,Note. and so wicked, as if we went not so much thither to pray to God, as to be molested and vexed, with all kinde of temptations by the Diuell. For things which before did neuer present themselues to vs, nor neuer passed by our thoughts, in our whole life, do offer themselues to vs in Pray­er; as if they kept themselues of purpose for vs, against that tyme. And since the Diuell knowes, that Prayer is the redresse of all our miseryes, and the beginning, and fountaine of all our [Page 185]spirituall good, and an efficacious meanes for the obteyning of all ver­tue, it puts him to much payne, and he imployeth all the power he hath to hinder it. And so the Saints are wont to call Prayer, Tormentum Daemon [...]m, & flagelluns Daemonum. The torment, and the scourge of the Diuell.

This very thing ought to be a cause, and motiue to vs, to make vs more to esteeme, and more diligently to frequent the vse of Prayer: and so much the more, because the Diuell, out of a meere enuy which he beares vs, seekes to hinder vs. S. Thomas of Auila and other graue Authors affirme,Thomas Abulen­sis. that for this very reason, our Holy Mother the Church who is gouerned by the Holy Ghost, and knoweth well, that the custome of our enemy, is to tempt,Note. and make all the war he can vpon them who are in Prayer; hath ordeyned, that at the beginning of euery one of her Canonicall howers, this verse be said: Deus in adiutorium meum intende:Psal. 69.2.Domine ad adiuuandum me festina. Where we desire fauour of our Lord, that he will enable vs to pray as [Page 186]we ought,Note. and defend vs from the ambushes, and temptations of our eni­mies.

Thirdly, these vayne thoughts, and Distractions, do sometymes grow vpō vs in Prayer, without any fault of ours, and only out of our very infir­mity and weakenesse. For we are so fraile, and miserable, and our na [...]re doth remaine so totally disordered, & decaye [...] by sinne, and especially our imagination, that we can scarce say a P [...]ter noster, but diuers thoughts wilbe offering at vs, according to the com­plaint of S. Bernard. For this, it wilbe a good remedy, that we take for the subiect of our Prayer, the consideration of that thing, which makes vs suffer, and so to humble our selues, by the knowledge and sense of our owne great misery. For this Humility, & this knowledge of our selues, wilbe a very good Prayer: though yet besides, we will speake of some other remedyes, which are giuen by the Maisters of spirituall life, and other holy men.

CHAP. XXII. Of other remedies, for the making vs re­man [...]e with attention, and reuerence, in our Prayer.

THE blessed S. Basil, Basilius [...] regulis breuiori­bus 201. & 300. & in constiue­tionibus ad solita­rio [...]. asketh how a man may growe to haue a fir­me, and attentiue hart in Prayer; and he answeareth, that the most effica­cious meanes for this, is to conside [...], that he is in the presence of God; & that God is looking how he prayes. For if here, a man standing before a Prince, and speaking with him, do carry him­selfe with great respect, & reuerence; and do apply great attention to what he doth, and to the manner & fashion which he holds therein; and should esteeme it for an act of great ill-man­ners in himselfe, to turne his back to­wards the Prince, yea or yet to vse any impertinent discourse with him: what shall that man do, who attentiuely considereth, that he stands in presence of the Maiesty of God; and that he is looking on; and that not only vpon [Page 188]the exterior, but vpon the most secret, and internall parte of his hart. Who (sayth he) is that man, that shall pre­sume to diuert his eyes, and his hart, from that which he is doing; and shall aduenture to turne his backe to God, and passe his thoughts, in that place, towards impertinent things?

That great Monke Iacob, as Theodoret recounts, doth vse this following con­sideration, to shew what a great irre­uerence this would be,Theodo­ret. in hi­storia San­ctorum Patrum c. 21. August. super Psa. 85. and it is also alledged by S. Augustine. If I (said he) were the seruant of a man, who is also of the same nature with my selfe; and at the tyme when I were to serue him, should leaue to bring him his dinner, through the will which I might haue to be talking with some fellow-ser­uant of mine; my Maister might re­prehend, and punish me, with iust rea­son. And if being before a Iudge, to complayne of some body, who had done me wrong, I should leaue him, euen as the word were in my mouth; and should turne my backe towards him, and stand talking with others who were there; do you not thinke, [Page 189]that he would take me, to be a rude fellowe, and commaund me to be cast out of the Tribunall, where he were giuing sentence? Now this is that which they do, who going to treat with God in Prayer, do yet distract themselues, by thinking of imperti­nent things. Our B. Father prescribeth also this helpe, which followes,Ignatius lib. exer­citiorum spiritua­lium in one of the Additions, or Aduertisements, which he sets downe for Prayer. Where he sayth, that immediatly before we enter into Prayer, we should, for the space of a Pater noster, lift vp our spirit to heauen, and consider that the same God is present with vs heere; and that he is looking vpon vs, and that so, we should begin our Prayer, with great humility and reuerence. And we are to procure, that this Presence of God, be not lost by vs in the whole tyme of our Meditation, Psa. 18 1 [...]. Chrysost. super illud Psal. 4. Miserere mei, & exaudi orationem meam. according to that of the Prophet: Et meditatio cordis mei, in conspectu tuo semper.

S. Chrysostome sayth: Make account that when you go to Prayer, you are entring into that celestiall Court, where the king of glory is seated, in heauen, which is allimbro­dered [Page 190]with stars, and that King inuironed with innumerable angells and Saints, & that they all stand, 1. Cor. 4.9. beholding vs, according to that of S. Paul: Spectaculum facti sumus mundo & angelis & hominibus. Bernardus. Climacus in scala spirituali gradu. 4.8.18. S. Bernard coun­selleth how we are to carry our selues herein. Veniens ad Ecclesiam, pone manum tuam super os tuum, & dic: Expectate hic co­gitationes, malae intentiones, & affectus cor­dis, & appetitus carnis: tu autem anima mea, intra in gaudium Domini Dei tui, vt videas voluptatem Domini, & visites templum eius. Whē thou shalt enter into the Church, and recolect thy selfe towards Prayer, lay thy hand vpon thy mouth, & say: Stay you here at the gate, you disor­dered thoughts, and appetites; & thou O my soule, enter into the ioy of thy Lord, that thou maist see, and do his holy will.

S. Iohn Climacus, sayth; That he who when he is in Prayer considereth in good ear­nest, that he is standing in the presence of God, is a firme & cōstant pillar, which cannot be moued. And he relates, how that seeing, at a certayne tyme, a Reli­gious mā, who was more attentiue then the rest, in the singing of Psalmes, and [Page 191]that especially, at the beginning of the Hymns he seemed, by the manner and countenance which he held, as if he had beene speaking with another, he desired him afterward, that he would tell him, what the matter was. The monke made him this answere: At the beginning of the diuine Office, I am wont to recollect my hart, and thoughts, with great care; and calling them before me, I vse to say; Venite adoremus, & procidamus, & ploremus ante Dominū qui fecit nos, Psa. 94.6. quia ipseest Domi­nus Deus noster, nos autē populus eius, & oues pascuae eius. Come let vs adore and pro­strate our selues, let vs weepe before our Lord; because he is our Lord, and our God, and we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. All these cō ­siderations are very profitable, and good, to make vs pray with reuerence, and attention.

Others giue this remedy; to put our selues before the B. Sacramēt, if we be in place where we may do it. Or if not, to be as neere the B. Sacrament as we can, and there to lodge our hart. It is also good, to haue an eye vpon holy Ima­ges. Others helpe themselues by loo­king [Page 192]vp to heauē. It is also very good, to quicken a man, when he is subiect to distractions, and drynesse, in Mentall Prayer, Note. to cast out some Iaculatory Pray­ers, and to speake vocally to God; re­presenting our weakenes to him,Isa. 58.14. and thus demanding remedy thereof, Do­mine vim patior, Mark. 10.47. Luc. 18. [...]8. responde pro me. O Lord answere thou for me, for I suffer vio­lence. That Blinde man of the Gospell, al­though Christ our Lord seemed to dis­semble the care he had, and did passe wide of him; and although the people bad him hold his peace; yet be neuer gaue ouer to cry out, but raysed his voyce, so much the more; and exclai­med saying, Iesu filij Dauid miserere mei, IESVS the Sonne of Dauid, haue mer­cy on me.Iudi. 13.9. Confirma me Deus in hac hora. Strengthen O Lord, and confirme this hart of mine, in this hower; to the end that it may be able to thinke of thee, and to be firme, and constant in my Prayer.

A holy woman gaue this Counsel.S. Angela de Pulgin. ca. 58. & 26. If you cānot speake to God with your hart, fayle not to speake often to him, with your mouth; for that which is [Page 193]spoken so frequently, doth easily giue heat, and feruour to the hart. And this Saint confesseth of her selfe, that som­tymes, through failing to vse vocall Prayer, she lost that which was mentall, through her being so prest and hin­dred, now and then, by slouth, and sleepe. This also is our owne case. A man now and then, forbeares to speake in his Prayer, out of very sloth, and being halfe a sleepe; whereas if he would speake, he might awake, and reuiue himselfe, for Prayer.

Gerson sayth, That it is a good re­medy against Distractions, Gerson. to haue the Meditation well prepared, and the Points distinguished for Prayer. Note. For ther­by, when one is distracted, and re­flects vpon it, he hath already his Point, which is certayne and determi­ned, to his hand, to which he may re­tire. And if that prooue not with him, he may instantly passe to another of those Points, which he had prepared, & returnes the more easily, to spin on the thred of his Prayer. And we finde by experience, when we examine our selues, that many tymes the cause of [Page 194]our being distracted, and that we go wandring, vp and downe to diuers things, is because we haue not our Points well prouided, and knowne, vpon which we may make our Pray­er, and so we want a place, to which we may retire our selues.

Moreouer, not only the aduise, which now I giue, but that also which followes, is very necessary, to the end that we may go well prepa­red for Prayer.Ignatius l. Exercit. spiritua­lium nota­bile 3. hebdoma­dae. 4. And so our B. Father doth recommend it to vs, in very se­rious words. Magnopere iuuabit, ante in­gressum Exercitij, tractanda puncta commi­nisci, & numero certo praefinire. It will greatly help, sayth he, if before we go to praier, we recapitulate the points whereupon we are to meditate, and do appoint a certaine number of them. And we read of him, that himselfe v­sed this methode; and that, not onely in his beginnings, but afterward also, when he was an old man.Note. And he pre­pared his Exercise ouer night, and wēt to rest, with that care vpon him. I re­late this, to the end, that no man may thinke, that this diligence is onely to [Page 195]be vsed by Nouices. Yea and although a man do already know the exercise well, as hauing meditated vpon it at other tymes, neuerthelesse, it wilbe very well done for him, to prepare himselfe againe. For those words wherupon we pray, being vsually of the holy scripture, and therfore dictated by the Holy Ghost, the very reading them, with a quiet and reposed mind, will rayse a new attention,Bonauent. in infor­mat. noui­tiorum. p. 1. c. 4. Cùm eui­gilas, sta­tim om­nes cogi­tationes tuas abij­ce de cor­de tuo, & [...]ffer Deo primitias cogitatio­num tua­rum. Climacus c. 21. and deuo­tion, to meditate, and profit by them, so much the more.

Againe, it wilbe of much helpe, if presently when we awake, we giue no place to other thoughts, but thinke of the Exercise which we are to make; preparing our selues for Prayer, by some consideration, accommodated to that which we are to meditate. Cas­sian, S. Bonauenture, and S. Iohn Climacus, do hold this, for a very important ad­uise. And they say, that the order of our Prayer, and consequently the dis­position of the whole day after, doth much depend heerupon. And S. Iohn Climacus doth obserue, that wheras the diuell doth well see, that this particu­ler [Page 196]is of much importance; he is ther­fore very diligent, and sollicitous, in watching, when we chance to wake; to the end, that instantly he may take vp his lodging with vs; and so, gather the first fruits of the whole day. And he sayth, that there is amongst those maligne spirits, one, whome they call the Precursor, who hath the office to watch, and set vpon vs by night, at the tyme when we first a­wake, out of our sleep, yea and a little before we are fully awake, when a man is scarce returned entirely vnto himselfe; that so he may represent cer­taine deformed filthy things to our mind, or at least, things impertinent; therby taking the possession for the whole day; for he conceiues, that the hart wilbe his, who is first possessed therof.

For this reason, it will import vs much, that we be full of caution, in giuing no place to our enemy, but that instantly, when euen we haue scarce opened our eyes, the memory of our Lord, may be already planted in our harts, before any other thought be [Page 197]lodged there. Wherof our B. Father, Ignatius li. exerci­tiorum spiritua­lium addit 2. prioris hebdoma­dae. & ad­dit. 5. se­cundae heb­domadae. & in 1. modo or [...] ­di. doth also aduise vs: & he addeth mo­reouer, that the same guard, is, after a sort, to be held by vs, ouer our selues, when we are to make Prayer, at any other houre, by recollecting our sel­ues a little, to thinke, Whither go I, and before whome do I purpose to appeare? and by recapitulating briefly the mystery whereupon you are to meditate, like one who tunes the instrument, before he playes. And our B. Father said, that generally the making of good Prayer, and gathering store of Fruite therby, did in great parte depend vpon the obseruation of these, and the like ad­uises, which he calleth Additions. And our selues do very ordinarily find the truth of this, by experience; and that when we go well prepared, and take care to follow these directions, our Prayer proues very well; and if not, otherwise.

The holy Ghost sayth, by the Wise­man; Ante orationem praepara animam tuam, & noliesse quasi homo, qui tentat Deum. Eccl. 18.25. Be­fore Prayer prepare your selues for it, and be not like the man who tem­pteth [Page 198]God.S. Tho. 2.2. q. 97. ar. 3. ad 2. Bonauent. in opuscu­lo cui ti­tulus est, Regula nouistorū ca 2. S. Thomas & S. Bonauenture, note, vpon these words, that to go to Prayer, without preparation, is to tempt God. For to tempt God, say the Deuines, is to desire any thing without imploying the vsuall, and necessary meanes, of obtayning it. As if one should say, I will not eate because God can, and will susteyne me, without ea­ting. This should be a tempting of God, and a demaunding of a miracle, with­out necessity. As Christ our Lord said to the diuell,Note. when he tooke him vp, to a pinnacle of the Temple, and per­swaded him that he should [...]ast himselfe downe, and that God would command his Angells to take and carry him, in the palmes of their hands; For our Lord answered thus.Matt. 4.7. Non tentabis Dominum Deum tuum. Thou shalt not tempt thy Lord, and thy God, I may go downe by a ladder; this o­ther is a tempting of God, and a de­maund of a miracle without necessi­ty. Since therfore the preparation of our selues to Prayer, is so principall, & so necessary a meanes, to the thing it selfe, that the Wiseman sayth, That to re­solue to haue Prayer, without this prepara­tion is a kind of tempting of God, and a pre­tending, [Page 199]to haue him shewe miracles with you, our Lord is well pleased that we haue good Prayer, and that we performe it with much attention, and reuerence; but yet he desireth that we should haue it, by the ordinary meanes, wherof we haue spoken.

CHAP. XXIII. Of a matter of great consolation, for them who are molested, & distracted in Praier.

FOr the comfort of such as are mo­lested with this temptation,Basil. in constit. monasti­cis. ca. 2. S. Ba­sil notes, that in Prayer, we onely then offend God by these distractions, and thoughts, when a man, with his will, and after reflection made vpon what he doth, is distracted, & caryeth himself with litle reuerence, and respect.Note. He who putteth himselfe to Prayer, and therein doth purposely thinke of his study, or of his office, or of his businesse, Chrysost. ho. 17. in varia loca Matt. 10.2. doth well deserue that God should not help, but punish him. And here that comes well in, which S. Chrysostome sayth, Tu non audis orationem tuam, & [Page 200]Dominum vis audire precem tuam? With what reason canst thou expect, that God should heare thee, when thou dost not so much as heare thy selfe?

But on the other side, when a man doth morally what he can, and yet is distracted, through weaknes, & can­not haue so much attētion, as he desi­res, but doth as it were forsake his hart, & fly abroad, according to that of the Prophet, Cor meum dereliquit me; then our Lord is not offended with him;Psa. 39.13. but rather is moued to compassion, and mercy, because he well knoweth our infirmity, and weakenes. Quomodo mi­seretur pater siliorum, Psa. 102.13. misertus est Dominus timentibus se; quoniam ipse cognouit sigmen­tum nostrum. As a Father who hath a Sonne, sick of a frenzy, suffereth with him, and is much afflicted, when he heares, that for euery word that he speakes of sense, he talkes idlely after­ward; so our most mercifull, celestial father, doth pitty, and hath compassiō of vs, whē he considers that the weak­nesse, and infirmity of our nature is so great, as that whē it imports vs most to to be speaking, in our wits, we flye [Page 201]out into a thousand absurd thoughts.

And so although a man feele no deuotion & finde no iuyce in Prayer, but much drynesse, and combat of i­maginations, and thoughts; and al­though he continue so, all the tyme of his Prayer; yet that very Prayer, leaues not to be very gratefull to our Lord God, and of great value, & me­rit, in his diuine presence. Nay it vseth many tymes, to be more gratefull, & meritorious, then if a man had passed through it, with much deuotion, and consolation; in regard that he hath endured, and suffered that difficulty, and trouble in that Prayer, for the loue of God.Note. Neyther doth the same Prayer, leaue to obteyne grace & fa­uour, wherewith to serue our Lord better, and to increase more in vertue, and perfection, although he feele it not then. As it happeneth to a sicke man, who feeds vpon some meat of substance; & although he take no de­light, nor feele no tast therein, but payne and torment; yet he getteth strength, and growes therby towards a recouery.

By that which is said,Note. it may be easily seene, how great an errour, and how grieuous a temptation it is, for a man to giue ouer his Prayer, because he findes it subiect to great variety of thoughts and temptations. Onely it is needfull, to be well aduertised, that v­pon this occasion, & vnder colour of I can no more, tepidity and sloath doe not enter in; and that we be not facill and remisse,Tract. 8. ca. [...]0. to be carryed away with all windes; and to suffer our thoughts to go wandering, and our imagina­tion to be where it lists, as afterward I shall touch more at large; but that we performe, all that which is to be done on our parte; procuring with great care, & diligence to haue an eye, & to driue away those thoughts,Genes. 15. [...]1. as the holy Abraham did the birds, which descended ouer the Sacrifice. But do­ing (as is sayd) that which morally is in our power, there is no cause, why we should trouble our selues.

We reade of S. Brigit, Refere Blosius ca. 3. mouit. spiritual. that when she was tired in her Prayer with ma­ny temptations, our Blessed Lady ap­peared to her, and said: ‘Thus the Di­uell [Page 203]being enuious at the good of mē, procures, as much as he may, to giue them difficultyes and impediments, when they are in Prayer; but thou O Daughter, with whatsoeuer tempta­tion, and how wicked soeuer, thou be molested in that Exercise, & though it seeme to thee that thou canst not possi­bly driue it away; yet procure thou neuerthelesse, to continue aswell as thou maist, in that good will of thi­ne, and in those holy desires; and this shalbe a very good, and a very prosi­table Prayer, and it shalbe of great me­rit in the sight of God.’ We haue alrea­dy spoken, els where, of a very good meanes for the restoring of that which we may seeme to haue lost, by our di­stractions.

CHAP. XXIV. Of the Temptation of Sleepe, and from whence it comes, and the remedies therof.

THE temptation of Sleepe, which is another kind of distraction, may [Page 204]sometimes proceed from a naturall cause, as by want of sleepe, much wea­rynes, ill weather, excesse of age, ex­cesse of eating, or of drinking, althogh it should be but of water. Those an­cient holy Fathers of the Desert, did re­late, how God shewed to them in spirit, that there were certaine Diuells, who did set themselues vpon the necks, and heads of Monkes, and made them sleepe. And others who put cer­taine singers into their mouthes, and made them yawne. At other tymes, this groweth from our sloath, and ne­gligence, when a man is in Prayer, in some such composition of his person, as may giue occasion to Sleepe. Cap. 22. The chiefe remedy for this, is that which was said before, concerning attention; and to remember that we are in the presence of Almighty God. And, as a man who is in the presence of some great Prince, will not presume to sleepe; so we, who consider that we stand before the maiesty of God, and that he is beholding vs, ought to be much confounded in ourselues, when we sleepe in Prayer.

It is also a good remedy to stand on foote, without leaning; and to wash our eyes with cold water; and some vse to carry a wet napkin about them, if they be much oppressed with this temptatiō. Some help themselues, by looking vp to heauen; and by making Prayer, where there is much light; or els to pray in presence of the B. Sacra­ment, in company of others; or to take a discipline before Prayer, wherby they may remaine, both awake, & de­uout. Others, whilst they are Praying, giue themselues some kinde of little payne, whereby they keepe themsel­ues awake; & when they pray alone, they spread their armes, into the forme of a Crosse. It helpeth also for this, to speake, and say some Vocall Prayers, wherby a man may be stirred vp and much reuiued, as we said before. It is good to serue our selues of these,Cap. 22. and such other remedyes, beseeching our Lord, that he will cure this infirmity of ours.

Cesarius, in his dialogues,Caesarius li. 4. dia­log. c. 29. doth re­count of a Religious man of the Cister­cian Order, (who vsed to sleepe many [Page 206]tymes in Prayer,) that there appeared to him Christ our Lord, being cruci­fyed, with his back turned towards him; and then he said, Why art thou so negligent and slothfull? Thou doest not de­serue to see my face. Of another he re­counteth there,Caesarius lib. 4. c. 18. that God did giue him a more sharp reproofe, because being in the Quire at Prayer, and sleeping as he vsed, a crucifix came to him from the Altar, and gaue him such a blow vpon the cheeke, that he dyed of it the third day after. All this, giues vs well to vn­derstand, how much this negligence and tepidity dipleaseth God. The te­pid, and negligent Religious man (as Ca­sarius sayth) doth prouoke God,Apoc. c. 3. [...]6. as if it were to vomit; according to that of the Apocalyps: Because thou art tepide, I will cast thee out of my mouth.

Of S. Romualdus the Abbot (who was the founder of the order of Camal­dula, Romual­dus Ab­bas.) it is related by Petrus Damianus (speaking of the Prayer which his Reli­gious men did make) that it was, in the account of that Saint, so great a fault to sleepe in Prayer, that he permitted not such a one to say Masse that day; for [Page 207]the little reuerence wherewith he had remained, in the presence of our Lord, whome he was to receiue.

CHAP. XXV. How much it importeth vs to take some ex­traordinary tyme, for the giuing of our selues to Prayer.

AS the men of this world, besides the ordinary, and daily refection of their bodyes, haue their extraordi­nary Feasts, and banquets, wherein they exceed their common course; so also is it very sit, that besides our day­ly Prayer, we should also haue our spi­rituall feasts, and banquets; where our soules may not eate by so strict mea­sure, as at other tymes; but may be fil­led by the abundance, and sweetnes of the grace of our Lord. Nature it selfe teacheth this. For we see, that the ground is not content, with the dew which falleth, night by night; but it requires sometymes, that it should rayne a whole weeke, or two, with­out ceasing; and all is little inough, to [Page 208]the end, that it may remaine so well imbrued, with water, as that the suc­ceeding Winde, and Sunne may not dry it vp. So also it is fit for our soules, that, besides the ordinary dew of euery day, they may haue some set tymes, wherein they may procure to fill themselues so well with vertue, and with the very iuyce of deuotion, as that the Sun, or Winde of future busi­nesse, and temptations, or the other ac­cidents of the world, may not serue to dry them vp. And so we read of many Saints, P. Francis­cus Arias p. 2. del a­proue cha­miento es­piritual. tract. 5. de la oration. cap. 7. and Prelates of the Church, that leauing their imployments, and businesse, they did often recolect thē ­selues, for some tyme, in retired places; so to giue themselues the more to Prayer, and diuine Contemplation. We read of the holy Abbot Arsenius, that he had for a custome, to take some day in the weeke, for this purpose, which was the Saturday; at which tyme he continued from the euening therof, till the next day morning, in Prayer.

This is very important, not only for the aduancing,Note. and improuing our selues more in vertue, and perfection, [Page 209]but euen for the not returning back­ward. For so great is the weakenes & misery of man, and the inclination which we haue to ill; that although sometymes we begin our spirituall Exercises with feruout, yet we instantly go decaying, by little and little, and vnsaying that, which we professed before. Like water, which how high soeuer it boile, yet by retiring it from the sire, it doth presently, by little and little, returne to the naturall coldenes. So do we returne instantly to our te­pidity, and slacknesse; which we seeme to haue more rooted in vs, and more connaturall to vs, then water hath to coldenes. Sensus enim, & cogitatio humani cordis, in malum prona sunt, Gon. 8.21. ab adolescentia sua, sayth the Holy Ghost. Quoniam ne­quam est natio corum, Sap. 1 [...].10. & naturalis malitia ipsorum For as we are nothing, so we are still returning to our nothing.

To this may be added, that since we are so full of imployments, some of vs in studies, others in particuler mi­nisteries, others in Offices and exterior bu­sinesse; we haue so much the more need, of this particuler kind of Recollection. Note. [Page 210]For although our businesse be good, and holy; yet as the knife is dulled by being dayly vsed, and, from tyme to tyme, it is necessary to giue it a new edge; so we grow dayly dull, and be forgetting our owne spirituall profit, whilst we set forward, that of others. Euen the Philosophers could tell vs, that, Omne agens, agendo repatitur. Euery agent, doth euen by doing, suffer, and part with somewhat of his owne; & euery man findes this by experience in him­selfe. It doth therfore importe vs very much, to recollect our selues at certay­ne tymes, and to vntye our mindes from all other imployments; to re­dresse this losse, and to repaire that, which is decaying dayly in vs, and to recouer new forces for the future. For we are yet more obliged, to helpe our selues then our neighbours,3. p. tract. c. 4.1.8. and Charity well ordered beginnes at home.

This is also to be done, with great care, since it importeth so much, euen for the very End, of helping our neigh­bours. For a most certayne thing it is,Note. that from our owne greater spirituall profit, doth also grow the greater spi­rituall [Page 211]profit of our neighbours. And therfore, that tyme is not lost to them, which any man takes for himselfe; but rather they shall grow rich, by it. It is like the letting of land lye fallow for this yeare, to the end that it may fructi­fy so much the more, the next. Father Auila said, that it was like the moul­ding of a stone,M. Auila. to the end that it may be made able to grind. And so a mās be­ing to much in busines, is so far from being any reason, why he should not recolect himselfe, as that for the same very cause, and so much the more, as a man is imploied, & much imbarked in ministeryes, and businesses, in so much the more necessity he is, of resorting to this remedy. They who go sayling far by sea, haue need to take Porte many ty­mes, to refresh themselues, and take in necessary, & new prouisions. And so they, who go imbarked in businesse, & ministeries, and imployments with their neighbours, and who are in so many dangers, and occasions of sinne; haue need many tymes, to make recourse to to the Port of solitude and recolection, that so they may take in new & neces­sary [Page 212]prouisions; and dresse vp, & pro­uide themselues, of what is sit.

In the holy Gospell, we haue an excellent example of this. The Euan­gelist S. Marke, recounteth how the A­postles went full of businesse, in the imployments which they had, con­cerning their neighbours; in such sort as that they had scarce tyme to eate, so great was the nūber of people which was offered to them. They went to giue account, to Christ our Lord, of that which passed heerin; and he said to them, Come a part into the desert, and repose awhile? Recollect your selues a while, in the solitude of the desert. If then the Apostles had need of repose, and recolection, and that our B. Sauiour himselfe did counsell it to them, how much more need therof haue we?

They who treat of Prayer, say very well, that Prayer is that to the soule, which repose and sleepe is to the body. And so, the holy scripture calleth it sleepe: Cant. 5.2. Ego dormio, & cor meum vigilat. Adiuro vos filiae Ierusa­lem, Cant. 8.4. ne suscitetis, neque euigilare faciatis di­lectam, donec ipsa velit. And declaring this more at large, they say, of the bo­dy, [Page 213]that when it reposeth by corporall sleepe, it resteth and recouereth new force and strength, and so the soule, re­posing in the sleepe of Prayer, recoue­reth also fresh breath, and life, where­with to labour,Note. in the seruice of Al­mighty God. And more then this. As a man who feedeth vpon good meat, yet if he want repose, and necessary sleepe, will prooue but weake & sicke, yea and also be in danger, to loose his wits; so also he, who shall go greatly imployed in exterior businesses (how holy & good soeuer they may be) yet if he want the necessary repose, & rest of Prayer, he will prooue but weake & decaied in spirit, and will runne ha­zard to loose himselfe. And therfore doth the Spouse require, That they awake not his beloued, till she will, herselfe. When they wake a man out of sleepe, by any noise which they make, it is a thinge displeasing to him; but when he wa­keth of himselfe, because nature is sa­tisfyed, and for that he hath reposed inough, (in regard that the fumes which mounted vp to the braine, are now disgested,) there is no offence [Page 214]therein. Iust so is it with the soule. Our Lord requireth, that no man, nor no thing trouble it, nor hinder the Prayer which she is in; but when that rest is taken which is necessary, she may then awake herselfe, and returne to the im­ployments of the works of Charity, and so they wilbe well performed.

Although it be of great importance for all men, and vpon all iust occa­sions, to recollect themselues in spi­ritual Exercises, and to giue themselues more to Prayer, and so much the more as we shall do it, so much the better it wilbe; yet particulerly in some occa­sions and coniunction of reasons, this is necessary. As namely, when a man sees,Note. that he goes declyning in the spi­rituall Exercises of Prayer, of Examen, of spirituall reading, and that now, he ga­thereth not the fruite, and profit by it, which were fit: When he seeth that he growes negligent, and carelesse in the obseruance of his Rules, and that now, he makes no more accounte of small matters: When he seemes to him­selfe, that he is not spirituall, and in­trouerted, but that he is very exterior, [Page 215]and much carried away, by the occa­sions, and businesses which he treates: When he also obserueth, that he doth not ouercome, and mortify himselfe out right, in some one thing; it is very good for him to recollect himselfe, some dayes, in these Exercises, that so he may finish the resolution, to conquer himselfe. For it may be, that in one of these Recollections, he may obteyne more grace of our Lord, and more strength wherewith to mortify, and ouercome himselfe, then by the labour of many dayes.

Many tymes it happeneth, that a man goes lymping; he riseth, and he falleth, and in some one of these Exer­cises, he remaineth vnbeguiled of the vanity of the world, and fully pos­sessed of Truth, and resolute to do all that is fit. He changeth his style, & he takes a new manner of life vpon him. For in fine, the being so long alone, treating with God, and with himselfe, is a great dispositiō, to make our Lord speake to his hart, and to induce his Maiesty to do many fa [...]iours. Sedebit so­litarius, & tacebit, Tren. 3.28 quia leuauit se super se. [Page 216]A man doth raise himselfe, aboue himselfe, & makes himselfe, quite another man. And so we haue seene very extraordinary changes, wrought in men by this mea­nes. Et non est abbreuiata manus Domini. We must neuer disconfide in God,Isa. 50.1. but be euer doing that, which is of our part. How do you know, what God will worke in your soule, by meanes of this disposition? It may be, that our Lord hath resolued to grant the spiri­tuall profit, and perfection of your soule, in one of these Exercises.

Againe, after the hauing ended some very long iourney, or some bu­sines, or imployment of extraordina­ry distraction; this kind of Recollection, seemeth to be as important, as good & dainty treaty, is to a body, after a long disease, to the end that a man may re­couer himselfe, & repaire the strength which he hath lost. And for the same reason, it is also very good, for a man to prepare himselfe before hand, by these Exercises, when he findes that he is growing into some such kind of busi­nesse; to the end that he may do things with more vertue, and lesse spirituall [Page 217]losse of his owne. The Preseruatiue, is a better kinde of Phisicke, then the Reme­dy, which comes after the disease. And therefore our B. Father, did recommend to all superiors, that before they began to enter vpon their office, they should make the Exercises, for some days. The same is also good, when one is to go into some long Mission. Wherof Christ our Lord gaue vs an example.Matt. 4.1. For be­fore he began to preach, he retired himselfe fourty days, into Desert. Also in a tyme of tribulations, and afflictions, whether they be generall of the who­le Church, or of his owne Order, or of his owne person, the occasion is very good, for this. For to add more Prayer, and more pennance, and mortification, hath euer beene a meanes, much fre­quented in the Church, for appeasing the wrath of God, and obteyning mercy from him.

All these are very good occasions to make a man recolect himselfe in these Exercises. But indeed we haue no need, to stand seeking of occasions. Our owne necessity, and interest, must sol­licite vs to desire, and procure this be­nefit [Page 218]very often. At least, no yeare ought to passe, without our meeting with these spirituall Vacations. And when we do it, it must be very much in earnest, and with the whole hart. For a thing of so great substance, as this, must in no case be performed with ceremony, nor for complement, or because it is handsome.

Our Lord hath imparted this mea­nes to the Society, in a very particuler manner, not only for our owne pro­fit, but for the help, and profit of our neighbour. And therfore, in the Breues of our Institute, this is placed for one of the Principall meanes, which the Society hath, for the helping of their neigh­bours. And this also, is another very particuler reason, for which our B. Fa­ther will, that we haue much vse of these Exercises. And he placeth it in his Constitutions, and in the Rules of Priestes; Vt in hoc armorum spiritualium genere tra­ctando, quod Dei gratiâ ad ipsius obsequium tantopere conferre cernitur, [...]. p. Const. c. 8.5. reg. 7. Sacerdo. dexteritatem ha­bere possit. To the end that they may be very dextrous in the managing of this kind of Armes, which are so profi­table [Page 219]for the gayning of others. By this meanes, our Lord did gayne our B. Fa­ther Ignatius. By this meanes he gained his Companions. By this meanes, so ma­ny others haue beene gayned since, as­well within the Society, as without it; and both in the one, and in the other sort of men, we haue seene, that our Lord concurreth, with admirable ef­fects. In fine we are to haue great cō ­fidence, that by this meanes, which hath beene imparted to vs, in so parti­culer manner by our Lord, he will helpe vs much, and do vs many fa­uours.

To that which is already said, I will add another thinge, which is ve­ry important, and which ought to as­siste and encourage vs much herein, which is the singuler fauour & grace, which the Sanctity of Paul the fifth, hath granted in this particuler, to all Reli­gious men, in that Bull, or Constitution, which he dispatched forth, vpon the three and twentith of May, in the yeare of our Lord, one thousād six hundreth and six, which was the first of his Pon­tificate; declaring the Indulgences, which [Page 220] Religious men should enioy therby. He there granteth a Plenary Indulgence, and remission from all sinne, to all Religious persons, of what Order soeuer they were, who for the space of ten con­tinued dayes, should make the spirituall Exercises; and that, as often as they should make them, they were to ob­teyne the same Indulgence. Wherby it may wel be seene, what estimation his Holynes made of this matter, and ther­by, how much our selues ought to esteeme it. [...]js v [...]ro qui de suorum superio­rum licentia, à negotijs, por decem dies, alieni in cella commorabuntur, aut ab aliorum con­uersatione separati; in piorum librorum, & aliarum rerum spiritualium, animos ad deuo­tionem, & spiritum inducentium, lectionibus operam suam dederint; addendo saepe conside­rationes, & meditationes mysteriorum sidei Catholicae, diuinorum beneficiorum, quatuor no uissimorum, Passionis Domini nostri Iesis Christi, & aliorum exercitiorum, orationum iaculatoriarum, aut vocalium, saltem per duas horas in diem, & noctem, orationibus mentalibus sese exercendo, faciendo eodeni tempore confessionem generalem, aut annua­lem, vel ordinariam, sanctissimum Euchari­stiae [Page 221]Sacramentum sumpseriut, aut missam ce­lebrauerint. Quoties pro quolibe [...] praedictorum Exercitiorum, plenariam similiter omnium peccatorum suorum indulgentiam & remis­sionem, misericorditer in Domino concedi­mus. And also to all them, who with the leau [...] of their Superiours, (hauing laid businesse a side, and being recolle­cted in their Cell, or separated other­wise, from treating and conuersing with the rest) shall exercise themselues for the space of ten days, in the reading of pious bookes, and vsing other spiri­tuall exercises, which raise the hart to spirit & deuotiō; accompanying these things many tymes with the conside­rations and meditations of the myste­ryes of the Catholike Fayth, and of the benefits of God, and of the Quatuor nouissima, and of the passion of Iesus-Christ our Lord, and other Exercises of iaculatory and vocall Prayers; and making also mentall Prayer, at the least for two houres of the day; and making, also within the said tyme, eyther their Generall, or Annuall, or Ordinary Confession, and receiuing the most B. Sacrament of the Eucha­rist, [Page 222]or saying Masse; whensoeuer they shall do the aforesaide Exercises, for euery tyme, that they so shall do them, we do mercifully in our Lord, grant a Plenary Indulgence, and remission of all their sinnes.

CHAP. XXVI. Of the Fruite which we are to gather when we recollect our selues, to make the spirituall Exercises.

VVE are principally to cast our eyes, vpon three things, which we are to procure by these Exercises. The first is, that we must re­paire, and renew our selues, in the or­dinary dayly actions which we per­forme, and that we perfect our selues in them. For all our spirituall profit and perfection, doth consist in doing our ordinary actions well, as we said els where. Let no man thinke,Tract. 2. cap. 18.2. that the performing of these Exercises, is nothing els, but to cō ­tinue recolected there, for a weeke or two,Note. enioying much tyme of Prayer. It is not so; but to the end, that he may [Page 223]depart frō thence, with ability to make better Prayer, and to keep those Addi­tions, and documents, which are given to that purpose, and to make his Examens well, and to say, & heare Masse, and [...] diuine office, and to read spirituall bookes with profit. For this, it is, that a man disimployes himselfe from other busi­nesse, during this tyme, to actuate and exercise his mind in doing those things wel; that so he may go forth, al renued, & accustomed to performe them still, after the same manner.

And so our B. Father sayth,Ignatius l. Exercit. spiritual. in ad [...]is. 5. hebdomad. notabile 4. & in heb­doma. 5. & hebd. 3. no­tabile 4. post 2. contempl. that du­ring all the tyme, that the Exercises continue (which when they are made completely, are to last for the space of a moneth, there must be a particuler Examen, carried vpon the obseruation of the Additions; and whether the same spirituall Exercises be made with dili­gence, and exactnes, or no; setting downe the errours which he may haue committed, concerning eyther the one, or the other; to the end that a man may be habituated, and accusto­med to do these things from that tyme forward, truly well. This he repeateth [Page 224]many tymes, as one who well knew, the much good that growes therby. And not only in the spirituall Exercises themselues, which is the principall, & which must giue force, and spirit to all the rest; but for all his other exteriour ministeryes, and imployments, a man is to goe, a very good proficient, out of the Exercises, fetching breath from thē ­ce, wherewith to do his duty, and to keepe his Rules, better then before. So that the Fruite of his Exercises, is not to be gathered, for that tyme alone, but principally for the future. And so as that when any man comes forth of the Exercises, another man may see, the profit which he hath made, by the actions which he performeth.

The second thing which we are to procure, to draw out of these Exercises, is, to ouercome and mortifie our sel­ues, in any vntowardnes, or imperfe­ction, to which he may haue beene subiect. Let euery man cast his eyes v­pon those things, in which he vseth to sayle most frequently; or to be a cause to make others fayle, or be scandalized by the disedification which he giueth [Page 225]them. And let him procure to go out of the Exercises very well, and for that they were principally ordeyned, & it is theyr End. And so, the Title which our B. Father giues, to the Exercises, is this in vulgar: Spirituall Meditations, to make a man able to ouercome himselfe; & to direct his desires, and deeds, to the greater ser­uice of our Lord God. In such sort, that a man must procure, to go out of the Exercises, conuerted, and changed in­to another man. Et mutaberis in alium virum, as Samuel said to Saul. 1. Reg. 10.6. Et in virum perfectum: Into a perfect man (as S. Paul sayth,) that a man may see, by the ef­fects, and by the actions,Ephe. 4.13. that such a one, hath made the Exercises. That if before, he loued to be talking, and to loose his tyme; men may see that now, he is a louer of silence, & recolection. If before, he loued to be kindly, and commodiously vsed; it may be seene, that now, he is a louer of mortifica­tion, and pennance. If before, he were a man, who vsed to mortify others by his tongue; that from that tyme for­ward, he speakes no more, any such thinges, as those. If before, he were ne­gligent, [Page 226]and carelesse, in the obserua­tion of his Rules, and made noe great reckoning of small errours; that from thence forth, he be very obedient, and very punctuall, and that he maketh much account, euen of the least omis­sions; and that, by the grace of our Lord, he committeth no fault at all, of set purpose. For if a man be still to continue with the same vntoward­nesse, and errours, and that he will needs come out of the Exercises, as he went in, for what purpose do they serue?

S. Ambrose tels a certaine thing,Ambr. l. [...]. de poenit. 1.10. of a Younge man of his tyme, which since he relates, we may do so too. He had beene a loste man, and had taken the broade way, which had offered it selfe to him. The tyme came, that he changed his purpose, and retorning af­terward to his Citty, he encountred with his old Camerado's, but he went wide of them. And they maruelling thereat, and thinking, that he had not knowne them, came to him, and said: We are they &c. and he answered,Gal, 1.20. But I am not he. For he was changed, and [Page 227]growne another man. After this man­ner, are we to be conuerted, and chan­ged, that so we may say with the Apo­stle; Viuo ego, iam non ego, Hier. su­per haec verba. viuit vero in me Christus. I liue, yet now not I; no lon­ger now liueth he, who liued ancient­ly in the Law, he who persecuted the Church, but Christ is he, who liueth in me. And this sayth S. Ambrose; Ambrose which is also the same which was said by Christ our Lord,Math. 16.24. Lucae 9.23. Si quis vult venire post me abneget seipsum; That man (sayth he) denies himselfe, who is changed into another man, and procures already not to be that, which he was wont to be. It is related of our Father Francis de Bor­gia, Lib. [...]. c. 8. vitae P. de Borgia. in his life, that after he had condu­cted the body of the Empresse to Grana­da (where our Lord gaue him great light, and vnbeguiled him concerning the vanity of the world, by that spe­ctacle of death, which was present to him) and returning to the Court,Note. he said that it seemed to him, as if he had found it changed, from what it was. But the truth is, that it was himselfe who was all varied, and changed, by the knowledge, and lighte, which [Page 228]God had giuen him. And in this man­ner, are we to come out of the Exerci­ses, with such new light, and so vnbe­guiled, as our Lord is wont to make men, in the Exercises.

The third thing,Note. vpon which we are to looke, that we may drawe it out of the Exercises, which indeed doth follow, vpon that which is already sayd, is the obteyning of some vertue, or something belonging to perfection; and particulerly of that, wherof we haue greatest need; for they be ordey­ned for this, To roote out Vice, and to plant Vertue. Thomas de Kompis Two things sayth the Saint, do help a man much towards God. The one, to diuert a mans selfe, with great courage, from that to which his nature viciously in clynes him, which is that we spake of before. The other, to la­bour with feruour, for that vertue, which is most wanting to vs. And so the Directory of the Exercises, (speaking of the way,Directoriū Exercitio. l. 3. which we are to hold, when we recollect our selues to them) doth aduertise, that all the tyme is not to be imployed, vpon the Meditations, of the first weeke. For them (sayth he) [Page 229]two or three days will suffice, to the end that there may be also tyme, to go to other Meditations, from whence we may drawe more perfection. And a­mongst others thinges which he pla­ceth there for this purpose, one is, that we must take now and then, some of those principall Rules, in which we may conceiue, that all the perfection which we can desire, doth consist. As that (for example,) which sayth,Reg. 11. su­marij con­stie. That as worldly men loue and seeke honours, fame, & estimation of renowne in the world; so we must loue, and intensely desire, the very contrary. Take to hart, in some one Exercise, to obteyne this perfection, and to arriue to this degree of humility, that you may be as glad of affronts, disgraces, iniu­ryes, and false testimonies, as worldly men are glad of honor, & estimation; and therby you shall growe to be Lord ouer many impertinences, and debates, which vse to present thēselues to you, vpon the pointe of being va­lued, & esteemed; more then one, for his learning; and then another, for his office; and then another, in the Ministe­ryes of businesse which he treats; which [Page 230]things are wont to inquiet vs,Reg. 17. Summar. and to hinder our spirituall profit, very much.

Take to hart, at some other time, that rule which sayth: Let all men, in all things, procure to serue, and please the diuine goodnesse, for that goodnes sake it selfe, & for the loue of it, and for those singuler benefits, wherewith he preuenteth vs; more then either for the feare of punishment, or the hope of re­ward Procure you to arriue to this Pu­rity of intention, that you seeke not your owne interest at all, neither in much, nor little, neither in the temporall nor eternall; but in all things, desire truly, the will, and glory of God and let this be your contentment, hauing forgot­ten your selues, and all your owne in­terest, and commodity. Take to hart, another tyme, to obteyne, A most per­fect Conformity, to the will of God, taking all things which shall present them­selues, eyther great or small, in what­soeuer manner, or by whatsoeuer way they come; as being deliuered, by the hand of God himselfe. Vpon these poynts of perfection, and other things like these, we are to cast our eyes, whē [Page 231]we enter into the Exercises, and not to giue ouer, till we obteyne them.

CHAP. XXVII. Of some directions, which will helpe vs yet more, to profit by these Exercises.

TO the end that we may profit more by these spirituall Exercises, & fetch that Fruite from them, which hath beene saide, it is to be aduertised, first (according to what we sayd be­fore) that as when one is going to Prayer, he is not only to haue those Points prouided,Cap. 14. vpon which he will Meditate; but also the Fruite, which he is to drawe from thence; so also he, who is to make the Exercises, must, in particuler, haue that thing ready pro­uided in his minde, which he meanes to obteyne by their meanes: & it may be done after this manner.

Before he retires himselfe to them,Note. he is to consider, and treate thus with himselfe, at much leasure, & attention, Which is the greatest spirituall necessity, that I haue? What is that, to which my vicious in­clination [Page 232]or my passions, or my ill custome, doth inclyne me most? What is that, which maketh the stissest war against my soule? What is there in me, wherby my brethren may be offended, and disedified? And this is that which I am to carry before mine eyes, to the end that I may obteyne it by my Exercises, and may resolue effe­ctually to amend my selfe. This is a ve­ry good preparation, for entring into the Exercises.

And it is also to be aduertised, that when a man recollects himselfe,Note. to make the Exercises, he must not pro­pound to himselfe, the obteyning of very high Prayer; nor to thinke, by that retiring, and shutting vp himselfe, that he must presently haue much quiet­nes, & attention, and familiarity with almighty God; for it may well hap­pen, that he shall be subiect to more di­stractions, vnquietnes, and temptations, then when he was in the dispatch of his businesse, and performing his office abroad. But he is to fix his minde, v­pon fetching that which I haue said, out of his Exercises, and to resolue him­selfe vpon that, in great earnest. And [Page 233]if he obteyne this, he shall haue made the Exercises very well, though he had not the deuotion, which he desired. Whereas if he obteyne not this, al­though, from the very first hower he haue beene euer dissoluing himselfe in tears, and deuotion, he shall not haue made the Exercises well; for in fine, that was not the end therof,

That other aduertisement will also help vs much, which our B. Father gaue, and which he will euer haue vs obserue in Prayer. That afterward, when a man hath ended his hower of Prayer, he shall,Ignatius l. Exercit. spiritual-in addit. 1. hebdomad. addit. 5. for a quarter of an hower, or therabouts, eyther sitting or standing, make his Examen, of the same Prayer. And he shall take account of himselfe, how it hath prooued with him. If ill,Note. he shall consider the cause from whence that may haue procee­ded. He shall consider, if he prepared his Exercise well; if he gaue place to any impertinēt thoughts; if he suffred him­selfe to be ouercome with sleepe; if he deteyned himselfe too much in the speculation of his Vnderstanding. If his hart were remisse, and fainte; and if [Page 234]he did not procure, to exercise the af­fects of his Will. If he had not an inten­tion, as pure as he ought to haue had it; but that he sought his owne com­fort, more then the accomplishment of the diuine will. If he finde himselfe to haue sailed, in any of these things, he shall repent himselfe therof, and pur­pose amendment, for the tyme to come. And if it haue prooued well, with him, he shall giue thanks to our Lord God, procuring to carry himselfe after the same manner, at his other ty­mes of Prayer.

This document, is of much impor­tance: First, because by this Examen, & Reflection, which is made, how the Prayer hath proued, experience is taken to auoide the faults, and to prosecute that, which was well done; wherby a man obteynes a certaine spirituall dis­cretion and magistery, which groweth from experimentall knowledge. For this reason, did our B. Father, esteeme greatly of this Examen, and Reflection, for the making of such, as might be Maisters, not only in this, but also in o­ther imployments, and ministeries of [Page 235]outs. And so,4. p. Const. c. 8. litera D. in the fourth part of his Constitutions, he sayth: That it will greatly helpe a Ghostely Father, to­wards the doing of his duty well, to make reflection, and to consider if he haue made any fault, in the hearing of Confessions. Especially (sayth he) let him do it, in his beginnings, so to helpe himselfe another tyme; and to drawe amendemēt out of his errours. For this reason therfore, the Examen of Prayer, is to be made. And this is the first thing which we are do therein. And Prayer is of so great estimation, and it importeth vs so much that we be accustomed to make it well, and to go shredding off the faults which we make therein; that our B. Father, did not content himselfe with the Examen of Conscience, which we vse to make eue­ry day at noone, & at night; but instant­ly also, assoone as we haue ended our Prayer, his expresse pleasure is, that we shold make a particuler Examen therof.

The second thing, (and that a very principall one) is, that a man is to consider the Fruite, which he hath gathered by that Prayer, Note. and to returne [Page 236]to actuate agayne vpon it, (as when one repeats his lesson) and drawes out the Conclusions, and Truthes, which haue occurred; and makes as it were, an epi­logue of them. And this Examen, is to be held, for a thing of so great importan­ce, that if a man want tyme to make it after the Prayer is ended, he is to make it in the very Prayer, it selfe, in the en­ding therof.

We may add in this place, another pointe which will also be of good vse. That a man set downe, that which he hath wrought out of his Prayer; writing the desires which he hath had, and the Purposes which he hath made; but this, must not be done at large, but in a briefe manner. And so also, let him set downe, such Truthes, and Illustrations, or Vubeguilings of the vanity of this world, as our Lord is wont to giue in Prayer. Sometymes cōcerning some Vertue, and at other tymes, concerning the Mysteryes themselues, which are in question. And so we read, that our First Fathers vsed to do,Lib. 9. c. 13 vitae P. Babri. our B. Father Igna­tius, and Father Peter Faber; and we haue in our hands, some of those [Page 237]things which they wrote hereupon.Xauer. c. 2. & [...]. Di­rector. E­xercitori [...] spiritual. And Father Francis Xauerius, did also ad­uise the same, as we read in his life. And in the Directory of the Exercises, we haue also the same aduise.

And our Father Generall, Claudius Aquauiua, in the booke of Industryes, Claudins Aquaui­ua in indu­striis ad curandos animae morbos c. 3. which he wrote, doth recommend it vnto vs, when he speakes of Prayer. For besides, that herby, we perfect our Purposes, and desires more, and that they growe to be more rooted in our harts; we finde by experience, that a man al­so profits much in other respects, by reading these things afterward. Be­cause they, hauing been a mans owne, and for that he hath felt them as such; they moue him afterward, more then other things; and he easily actuates vpon them, agayne. And when he findeth afterward, that he arriueth not to the spirit, of that he was before; he is confounded, to see, that he is no more the man he was; and that, insteed of aduancing, he is retired. Wherby he will eyther animate himselfe to put on a pace; or els he will supply, by his confusion, that which he shall want of [Page 238]perfection. So that this, vseth euer to be of much profit; though especially it be so, in tyme of the Exercises.

Lastly I say,3. p. tract. 7. that if at all tymes, it be good to giue account of a mans con­science, and of his Prayer, to some spiri­tuall man; in this, it wilbe much more fit. And some, because they will not humble themselues so far, do not ga­ther, out of the Exercises, so much Fruite, as they might.

CHAP. XXVIII. Of the Reading of spirituall Bookes; and how important it is; and of some meanes which may help vs to do it profitably, and well.

READING, is the Sister, and a great Helper to Prayer. And so the Apostle S. Paul, 1. Tim. 4.23. doth counsell his disci­ple Timothy, That he should attend to Rea­ding. Attende lectioni. This spirituall Rea­ding is of so great importance, for a man that pretēds to serue God,Athana­sius. that S. Athanasius, in an exhortation, which he maketh to Religious men, sayth thus: Sine [Page 239]legendi studio, neminem ad Deum intentum videas. Thou shalt see no body, who indeed pretēds to profit in spirit, who is not also giuen to Reading of spiri­tuall books; & he who leaues it, will quickly shew it, by the state which you shall finde him in. S. Hierome, Hierome. in an epistle to Eustochium, recommending much to her, that she giue herselfe greatly to this sacred Lection, sayth thus: Tenenti codicem somnus obrepat, & cadentem faciem pagina sancta suscipiat. Read, till sleepe take thee; and when, being ouer­come by sleepe, thy head is dropping downeward, let those holy leaues re­ceiue it. All the Saints do greatly re­commend this spirituall lection. And ex­perience telleth vs, how profitable it is; since we see the storyes full of great conuersions, which our Lord hath wrought, by this meanes.

This Reading, is a meanes so princi­pall, & so important, for our spirituall good; that the founders of Religious or­ders, being rooted in the doctrine of the Apostle, and in the auctority, and expe­rience of the Saints, haue ordeyned, That their Religious, should euery day, re­sort [Page 240]to spirituall Reading. Vmbertus in Prolog. Vmbertus sayth of holy S. Bennet, that he ordeyned a set tyme, for this Reading, euery day. And he ordeyned with all, that du­ring that tyme, two of the most an­cient Monkes, should go about the Mo­nastery, to visite, and to see, if any did eyther forbeare it themselues, or hin­der others. Wherby it may appeare, how much accounte they made ther­of. And, by the way, we may perceiue, that these Visites, which now are daily vsed in Religion, at the tyme of spirituall Exercises [...]re grounded in the doctrine, & experience of the ancient Saints. For the first, and second tyme, that any failed herein, the Saint ordeyned, that he should be reprooued, after a milde fashion; but if he mended not with that, that then they should correct, & giue him such a pennance, as wherby the rest might be kept in feare. In the Society we haue a Rule, which concer­nes this spirituall Reading, and it spea­keth thus: Let all men, twice in the day, giue that tyme, Regula 1. commun. which is ordeyned, to the Exa­men of Conscience, and Prayer, and Lection, with all diligence, in our Lord. And the Su­perior [Page 241]or Prefect of spirituall matters, hath care that euery one, may de­pute some tyme, to this purpose, euery day. And generally, this is a helpe for all those who pretend to obtayne ver­tue, and perfection; And therfore to the end that they may exercise it with the more Fruite, we will here say some­thing, which may conduce therunto.

S. Ambrose, exhorting vs,Ambro. li. 1. officior. cap. 20. to giue all the tyme we can to Prayer, & spiri­tuall Reading, sayth: Cur non illa tempora quibus ab Ecclesia vacas, lectioni impendas? Cur non Christum alloquaris? Christum au­dias? Illum alloquimur cùm oramus: il­lum audimus cùm diuina legimus oracula. Wherefore doest thou not imploy that tyme, which is free from the Quire, vpon Reading, and Prayer? Why doest thou not goe to visit Christ our Lord? and both speake to him, and heare him? For when we pray, he sayth, that we speake to God; and and when we reade, he speakes to vs. Let this be therfore, the first meanes to profit by spirituall Reading, that we make account, that God is speaking to vs. & that he speakes euery thing, which [Page 242]heere we Reade.

S. Augustine doth also speake of this helpe.August. Epist. 143. ad Deme­triad. vir­ginem. Ita Scripturas sanctas lege, vt sem­per memineris, Dei illa verba [...]sse, qui legem suam non solùm sciri, sed etiam impleri inbet. Whē thou readest, thou art to make ac­count, that God is saying to thee, that which thou readest, not only that thou mayst know it, but also that thou mayst performe,Note. and put it in practise.

He addeth another consideration, which is both very good, and very pious. Diuinoe scripturae, quasi literae de Pa­tria nostra sunt. August. ser. 36. ad Pra. in eremo. Dost thou know, (sayth he) how we are to read the Holy Scriptures? As a man would read some letters, which are come to him out of his Coun­try, himselfe being then abroade; to see what newes there is of Heauen, what they tell vs of that Country of ours; where our Fathers, and Brothers, and Friendes, and Acquaintance are; and where we would so faine be, and we long, and sigh to be going thither.

S. Gregory, Greg. li. 2. mor. c. 1. treating of this pointe, sayth that the holy Scripture (& the same we may vnderstand of any other spiri­tuall Reading) is like the placing of a glasse before the eyes of our soule, to the end that we [Page 243]may see, our inwarde man. For there we come to know, and playnely see, the good and bad, that is in vs;Note. and how much we profit; and how far we are from perfection. And sometymes, there are related to vs, the admirable deeds of Saints, which may animate vs to their imitation; and to the end that by seeing their great victoryes, & triūphs, we may not be dismaid, at our owne temptations, and troubles. At other tymes, there is relation made, not only of their vertues, but of their fauls, to the end that by the one, we may knowe what we are to imitate; and by the other, what we are to feare. And so sometymes, there is set before vs, a Iob, who rose vp like foame, by meanes of temptations; at other tymes, a Dauid, who was drawne downe therby; to the end that the former may animate vs, and giue vs confidence in tribula­tion; and the later, may make vs hum­ble, and timerous, in the middest of prosperityes and consolations; & may make vs neuer trust, or be secure of our selues, but euer to go on with great caution, and care. And so sayth S. Augu­stine, [Page 244]Optimè vteris lectione diuina, August. epist. 143 ad virgi­nem De­metr. si tibicam adhibeas, speculi vice, vt ibi velut ad imagi­nem suam, anima respiciat; & velfaeda quae (que) corrigat, vel pulchra plus ornet. Then you make good vse of the Reading, of holy Scriptures when you take it as a glasse, wherein to view your soule, procu­ring to correct, and remoue, that de­formity and ill, which is reprehended there, and to adorne, and beautify it yet more, by the examples and vertues, which there you finde.

But descending more in particuler, to the way which we are to hold here­in, it is to be noted; That to the end that our Reading, may be profitable, it must not be hasty, and cursory, as when a man would read a Story; but it must be attentiue, and quiet. For as the suddaine and tempestuous rayne, doth not bath, and fertilize the earth; but that is done, by the sweet, & quiet shower; so, to the end that our reading may enter, and be steeped more throu­ghly, in the hart,Note [...] it wilbe fit that it be done with pawse, and ponderation.

And it is good, when we meete with some deuout passage, to deteyne [Page 245]our selues more therein,Ber [...]. epist. seu Tract. ad Fratr. de monte Dei. Hau­riendus est saepe lectionis seriae af­fectus, &. formanda oratio quae le­ctionem interrum­pat, & nō tam im­pediat in­terrum­pendo. quàm pu­riorem continuo animùm ad intelli­gentiam lectionis restituat. Et in spec. m [...]nachor. Neo sem­per ad o­ratorium est cun dum, sed in ipsa le­ctione po­terit con­templari & orare. Idem S. Ephrem. serm 7. Chrysost. ho. [...]0 su­per Gene­s [...]m. Aug. ser. 38. ad Fra. in e­remo. and to make a kinde of Station vpon it; reflecting v­pon that which we shall haue read; and procuring to mooue, and effect our will therby, as we vse to do in Medita­tion. Although in Meditation, this must be done more at large, deteyning our selues more vpon those thoughts, and ruminating, and digesting them more. But yet, the same must be done, to some proportion, in this spirituall Reading; & so the Saints do aduise. And they say, that spirituall Reading, must be like the drinking of a Hen, which drinkes by little, and little, and so lifteth vp the head agayne.

Heerby a man may see, what a Si­ster, & Companiō, Reading is to Prayer. It is so, in so great degree, that when we apply any man first to Mentall Pray­er, and that, we will proceed with him gently (by degrees) to put him into some disposition that way; we aduise him to read some spirituall booke, & whilst he is Reading, to make some stations & pawses, in such sort as we haue said; for by this meanes, our Lord is wont, many times, to raise men, to the Exercise [Page 246]of Mentall Prayer. And so also, whē men are not able to enter wel vpon Prayer, and if they thinke they shall not be able to go through with it, at that tyme; we vse to counsell them, to take some good booke in hand, & to ioyne Prayer, & Reading both together. First, Reading a little, & then Meditating, and Praying vpon it; and then to Read ano­ther little. For by this meanes, the vn­derstanding being tyed vp by the words, which are read, a man is much more secured from scattering himselfe vpon diuers imaginatiōs, & thoughts, then when he was free, and loose. So that in Reading, we may also very wel, haue Prayer.

For this it is,Note. that the Saints do so earnestly recommend spirituall Reading, & they deliuer in effect, the same prai­ses, & profits as belonging to it, which they ascribe to Priaer. For they say, That it is the spirituall foode of the soule; That it makes vs strong & stisse against temptations; That it breeds in vs, Note. good thoughts, & desires of heauen. That it giues lighte to our vnder­standing; That it kindles, & inflames our wil; That it driues away the sorrowes of this [Page 247]world, and causeth a ioyfullnes in vs, which is true and spirituall, & according to God. And such other things as these, they say her­of.Note.

The blessed S. Bernard giues vs ano­ther aduertisemēt, to make vs profit by Spiritual Reading. He saith,Bernard. inspeculo Monachoy rum. Si ad legendum accedat, non tam quaerat scientiā, quàm sapo­rem. He who comes to Reading, is not so much to seeke knowledge, as a cer­tayne sauour, & gust of the will. For the single knowledge of the Vnderstan­ding; is but a dry kinde of thing, if it be not applyed to the will, in such sort, as that the affect may, by degrees, be takē, and deuotion conserued; for this is that which maketh Reading to be full of iuyce, & profit, and it is the End therof. This is a very principall aduise. For there is a great deale of difference, be­tween Reading to know; & Reading with a designe to profit, by it; Betwene Rea­ding for others, and Reading for a mans self. For the former of these two, is Stu­dy, & the later is Spirituall Reading. And therfore, if whē you dispose your selfe to Read, you only direct your mind, to the Knowing of things, or to draw out [Page 248] cōceits, which you may preach, & powre out to others afterward; this should be studying for them, and not Spirituall Rea­ding for your own profit. For that o­ther, there are other tymes appoynted. Omnia tempus habent: Eccl. 3.1. Euery thinge hath his tyme. And the tyme of spirituall Reading, is not for Study, but for that, which we haue said.

The Saints do also recommēd to vs, for the same reason,S. Ephren. serm. 7. Dern [...]episl. ad fratres de mont? Dei. Diffi­cilis e [...]am l [...]ctio scri­pturae sa­ [...]igat, [...]on reficit te­neriorem animam; frangit intentio­nem, he­betat sen­sum vel ingeniū. That we must not read too much at once, nor passe many howers together therein, least a mans spirit be tired with long Reading, insteed of being recreated. Which is another aduise very good, & very necessary, for some, who seeme to place their felicity in Reading much, & passing ouer many bookes. But, as much eating is not the thinge which susteynes the body, but good digestion of that which is eaten; so nether is the soule susteined by Rea­ding much, but by ruminating, and di­gesting well, that which is Read.

For the same cause, they also say, that spirituall Reading must not be, of things very hard; but they must be playne, & rather of deuotion,Note. then difficult. For [Page 249]things of difficulty, are wont to wea­ry the mind, and to dry vp deuotion. Hugo of S. Victor, bringeth an example of a seruant of God, who was admo­nished by Reuelation, Hugo de S. Victore li. 5. erudit. Didascali­cae. c. 7. that he should leaue the Reading of such things; and should resort to the Liues, and Martyr­doms of Saints, and such other plaine & deuout writings, wherby he profit­ted much. S. Bernard sayth further.Bernard. Epist. seu tract. ad fratrem de monte Dei. Sed & de quotidiana lectione, aliquid quotidie in ventrem memoriae dimittendum est, quod fi­deliùs digeratur: & rursus reuocatum, cre­briùs ruminetur; quod proposito conueniat, quod intentioni proficiat, quod detineat ani­mum ita vi aliena cogitare non libeat. We are alwayes to commit somewhat to our memory of what we read; to the end that we may ruminate, & digeste it the better afterward;Note. and especially that, which we see may help vs most, and wherof we haue most need; to the end that betweene the howers of the day, we may go thinking vpon good and holy things, and not vpon such, as are impertinent and vayne.

Iust so, as we must not eate, our cor­porall food, to the end that we may [Page 250]spend that tyme in eating; but that, in vertue of the same foode, which then we take, we may labour all the day. Now Reading, is the meat, and spiri­tuall foode of our soule, because they are the words of God which we Read; and we must not only Read, that we may spend that tyme well in Reading, but to the end that we may profit by it,Note. all the day after. It will also be very well done, and it will giue vs great help towards all goodnes, that we lift vp our hart, to God, and desire grace of him; to the end that it may be profi­table to vs, and that the things which we Reade, may go imbruing, and ba­thing the very rootes of our hart; and that we may remayne more tenderly affected to vertue, and more vnbeguiled concerning the vanity of the world; & resolued vpon those things, which im­port, vs most.Gregorius. And so we read of the blessed S. Gregory, that before he went to Reade, he euer prepated himselfe by Prayer; Psa. 118.1 [...]5. and vsed to say this verse, Decli­nate à me maligni, & scrutabor mandata Dei mei. Departe from me, you maligne spirits, for I will consider the law, and [Page 251]Commaundements of my God.

To the end, that we may more esteeme of this kind of Reading, & ani­mate our selues more therunto,Note. the Saints go comparing it, with hearing the word of God preached. And they say, that though Reading haue not that force, which the liuing voice hath, yet doth it enioy other commodityes, which Ser­mons haue not. For first, a man cannot alwayes haue a Preacher at hand, as he may haue a good booke. Secondly, the good speach of a Preacher, passeth through myne ears at once, & workes not therfore, so great effect in me. But that which is well said, in a good booke, I may reflect vpon, and reuolue it in my mind by Reading it, once, or twice agayne; and by ruminating, and pon­dering it, and so it will grow to make a great impression in me. Thirdly, by Reading in a good booke, I haue a free, and faythfull counsellor. And that o­ther Philosopher, said well:Demetrius Phaler. That which, many times, my friend, or my counsellor will not venter to tell me my booke tells me plainly, without feare, aduertising me of my vices, and defects, and chiding me on the one side, and [Page 252]exhorting me on the other. Fourthly, by this Reading I am conuersing with them, who wrote the booke.

Sometymes you may go, and haue a tyme of conuersation with S. Bernard, another with S. Gregory another with S. Basill; and you may stand hearing, & listning to them, as truly, as if you had beene their disciple of old tyme. And so they say, and with great reason, That good bookes, are a kind of publique treasure, for the great benefits and riches, which we may drawe from thence. To con­clude, the profit and aduantage which groweth vpon this Reading of spirituall bookes, Hieron. epist. ad Dama­sum Pa­pam. is so very great, that S. Hierome, treating of that interior inflammation of the soule, doth aske where this inflāma­tion, and fire is? And he answereth, that there is no doubt to be made, but that it is conteyned in holy Scriptures, the Reading wherof, inflames the soule, to­wards God, and so it remaineth purged from all vice. And he bringeth, for proofe of this, that which the disciples said to one another, whē going to the Castle of Emans, Christ our Lord appeared to them, in forme of a Pilgrime, and went [Page 253]speaking to them of holy Scripture.Luc. 24.32. Nonne cor nostrum ardens erat in nobis, cùm loqueretur in via, & aperiret nobis Scriptu­ras? Was not (say they) our hart all in­flamed and in fire, whē he went spea­king and declaring the holy Scripture to vs, vpon the way? And he also bringeth those words of the Prophet. Eloquia Domini, eloquia casta, Ps. 11.7. argentum igne examinatum; The words of our Lord, are chast wordes, and pure; they are as siluer, purifyed by the fire.

And S. Ambrose affirmeth, That this sacred lection, is the life of the soule,Ambros. 15. ser. by the testimony of Christ our Lord himselfe. Quod autem sacrarum litterarū lectio vita sit, Dominus testatur dicens, Ioan­nis sexto, Verba quae ego locutus sum vobis, Ioan. 6.64. spiritus & vita sunt. The wordes which I haue sayd to you, are spirit & life. To the end therfore, that we may lead a spirituall life, and that we may walke euer on, in true spirit; & be all kindled, and inflamed with the Loue of God, let vs giue our selues much to this kind of Sacred Lection; and let vs vse it in such sorte, as hath been said.

Now by that, which you haue [Page 254]seene, it will follow; That they do very ill, who as soone as they haue Read ouer any good booke, do cast it into some corner, and say, I haue dispat­ched that booke. A good booke is not to be read ouer, only once. The second tyme that you read it, will profit you more then the first; and the third, then the second. Yea and it wilbe euer new to you, as they finde by experience, who desire to profit by Reading. And it is a good custome which some haue, who when they meete with any thing in any booke which moues them much, and giues them particuler satisfaction, do note it, and set it dow­ne; to the end that they may always haue at hand some of the most sub­stantiall things, and wherein they may finde the iuyce of deuotion, at more ease; & may haue some comfort in store for such occasions, and tymes as may occurre.

We might bring many Examples, Note. in confirmation of the great benefit & profit,August. li. 8. con­fess. c. 6. which groweth from the Rea­ding of Spirituall bookes; but I will only bring the Example of S. Augustine, [Page 255]which conteyneth much doctrine. That Saynt recounts, how a certaine Cauallier, an Affrican, called Potitianus, comming one day to visite him, gaue him newes of the wonderfull things, which the world was saying of S. An­thony. And he added further, that one euening, while the was at Treuers, (imployed, vpon seing certayne pu­blique sports, which were represented there) himselfe with three other Cour­tiers, friends of his, went out to take the aire. And that two, of the fower, did chance vpon the Cell of a certaine Monke; and finding there a booke, wherein the Life of S. Anthony was written, one of them began to read it, and instantly his hart was kindled with a holy kinde of loue. And being all angry with himselfe, he said thus to his friend. Tell me I beseech thee, what is that which we pretend to obteyne, with all the paines we take? What is that, which we ayme at? In the hope of what, do we thus earnestly imploy our selues? Can we perhaps, haue a hi­gher ambition in the Court, then to be Fauo­rites of the Emperor? And yet euen in that fortune, what is there, which is not top full of [Page 256]danger? And by how many dangers, do we still proceed towards some greater danger? And how long shall we sweat in this pur­suite? But to be the friend and sauourite of God himsefe, behold I am made so, if I will, euen at this very instant.

This he said, and being growne bigge, and swolne, with the feruent desire of bringing forth a new life, he restored his eyes to the booke, and read on, and was inwardly chan­ged, and his mind was wholy dispossessed of worldely cares, as immediately afterwards appeared. For whilst he was Reading, and rowling vp and downe, those waues of his vnquiet hart, he would sometymes groane deepely, and then agayne pawse a while. And resoluing at last, vpon a better course, he said with a serene countenance, to his friend: Euen now haue I broken loose, from those ho­pes wherby hitherto we haue beene seized. I haue firmely resolued, to be the seruant of God, and I will set vpon it, in this place, and at this very instant. As for thee, if thou canst not be content, to imitate me, at least diss­wade me not. But the other answered, that he would gladly ioyne himselfe to him, as a cōpanion in the prosecuting of so honourable a war, & the obteyning of so noble a pay. And [Page 257]both of them, did build vp that Spirituall Tower, with the treasure which is only able to do it, of forsaking all things, and following Christ our Lord. And that which is as strange, they both had Spouses, who, as soone as they knew what these men had resolued, did consecrate themselues to God, by a vow of Chastity.

This doth S. Augustine relate; and this Example was of so great effi­cacy, with himselfe, that soone after, he thus cryed out, with great exclama­tion, to another friend of his, What is this which we indure? What is this? What haue we heard? Surgunt indocti, & cae­lum rapiunt, & nos cum doctrinis no­stris, sine corde ecce vbi volutamur in carne & sanguine: The vnlearned men of the world, teare heauen from betweene our hands, and we, with our great knowledge, and learning, behold how without braynes, or courage, we are contented still to wallow, in flesh and blood.

But with this alteration, and fee­ling, the Saint relates, how he entred into a Garden, there adioyning, and did spread himselfe, at the foote of a certaine figtree; and (letting loose the reynes to teares) [Page 258]he beganne, with great affliction, and sor­row of hart, to cry out thus to God, and say: And thou, O Lord how long? How long, O Lord? Wilt to be angry with vs for euer? Re­member not Lord▪ our old iniquityes. And still he repeated these words▪ How long; How long: shall I say, To morrow? Why not euen now? Why, euen at this instant, is there not an end of my vncleanenesse? Whilest he was saying this, in the most bitter feeling of his hart, he heard a voyce which sayd to him. Take vp and read, Take vp and read. He then rose vp (as himselfe relateth) to take vp and read, in that holy booke, which lay before him: For he had heard it re­lated of the same S. Anthony, Matt. 19.21. that by once Reading of the Gospell, (which he fell vpon) as it were by chance which sayd, Goe and sell all that thou haste, and giue it to the poore, and follow me, and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen; he deter­mined to leaue all things, and to follow Christ our Lord▪

And so S. Augustine, being moued much by this Example, & more by the voyce, which he had heard, sayth, That he toooke vp the booke, and read in it. And there did God infuse, [Page 259]so great a light into his soule, that lea­uing all things of this world, he deli­uered himselfe wholy vp to the ser­uice of our Lord.

CHAP. I. Of the excellency of this Exercise: and the great benefits, which are conteyned therein.

QVAERITE Domi­num, & confirmami­ni; quaerite faciem eius semper. Psa. 104, 4. Seeke God (sayth the Prophet Dauid,) with perseueran­ce, and strength;August. super Psal. 104. be euer seeking his face: the face our Lord, which as S. Au­gustine sayth, is the Presence of our Lord; [Page 262]and so to be euer seeking the face of our Lord, is to be euer going in his Presence, and conuerting our harts to him, with de­sire, and loue.

Isychius. Bonau to. 2. opusc. li. 2. de profe­ctu Reli­giosorum. ca. 20. Isychius, in his last Century sayth, & so doth also S. Bonauenture; That to be alwayes performing this Exercise of the Pre­sence of God, is to begin to be blessed here on earth, as the glorious spirits are in heauen. For the felicity of those Saints, consi­steth in seeing God perpetually, without euer once loosing the sight of him. But now, since we cannot see God in perfect charity, nor as he is in himselfe (for this is only proper to those glo­rious spirits) yet at least, let vs imitate them, the best we can, according to the vttermost of our frailty; and let vs procure, to be all wayes beholding res­pecting, and louing him. So that, as our Lord God created vs, to be eter­nally in his presence, & to enioy him in heauen; so was it also his pleasure, that, here on earth, we should haue an image, & modell of that blessednesse, by walking euer in his sight, reuea­ring, and beholding him,1. Cor. 13.12. though in obscure manner. Videmus nunc per spe­culum [Page 263]in aenigmate, tunc autem, facie ad fa­ciem. We now behold, and see God, by fayth, as in a glasse; but afterwards, we shall see him cleerely, and face to face. Ista est meri um illa praemium. That cleere vision, (as sayth Isychius) is the reward; and the glory and blessednes for which we hope; this other obscure sight, is matter of merit to vs, wherby we must growe to obteyne that other.

But yet still, in fine, we must imi­tate those blessed spirits, to the best of our power; whilst we procure not to loose the sight of God, in the workes which we are doing. Iust so, as the ho­ly Angells, who are sent downe to our succour, for our defence, and help; are, in such sort imployed vpon those ministeryes, as that yet withall, they neuer loose the sight of God. As the Angell Raphael said to Toby, Videbar quidem vobiscum manducare, & bibere; Tob. 12.13. Mat. 18.10. sed ego cibo inuisibili, & potu, qui hominibus vi­deri non potest, vtor. I seemed indeed, to haue beene eating, and drinking with you; but I, the while, did serue my selfe of an inuisible meate, and of a kind of drinke, which cannot be discerned by [Page 264]humaine eyes. They are euer sustey­ning themselues vpon God; semper vi­dent faciem patris mei, qui in caelis est. And so also, although we eate and drinke, and conuerse, and negotiate with mē; and though it seeme, that we enter­teyne, and imploy our selues therein, must yet procure, that, that be not our foode, and entertaynement; but ano­ther food and entertaynement, which is inuisible, and which men discouer not; and this is, That we be euer beholding, and louing God, and accomplishing his most holy will.

Great was the accounte, and pra­ctise which the Saints, and the ancient Patriarches made, of going alwayes in the Presence of God Prouidebam Dominum in conspectu meo semper; Psa. 15.8. quoniam à dextris est mihi, ne commouear. The Royall Prophet did not content himselfe, with prai­sing God seauen tymes in the day; but withall he procured to haue God al­wayes present with him. And so con­tinuall was this Exercise, with those Saynts, that this was also their com­mon phrase of speach, Viuit Dominus, in conspectu cuius sto. 3. Reg. 17. Our Lord liueth, in [Page 265]whose presence I am.

The benefits, and profits are great,4. Reg. 3.14. which flowe from our going conti­nually in Gods Presence, whilst we con­sider that he is euer looking on vs; and therefore did the Saynts labour in it so much. This alone, sufficieth to make, that a man be very well ordered, and composed in all his actions. For tell me, what seruant is there, who will not carry himselfe exactly well, vnder the eye of his Lord? Who will not do that which he commaunds? or who will dare to offend him to his teeth? Or what theefe will presume to steale, whilst the Iudge hath an eye vpon his hands?

Now therfore, since God is so euer looking vpon vs,Note. and since he is our Iud­ge, and since he is Omnipotent, and can commaund that the earth may open and swallowe a man vp into Hell; Yea, and since he hath indeed done so sometymes, to such as durst offend him, what is he, that will dare to offend him any more?Aug. sol. 14. And so S. Augustine sayth: O Lord when I consider with atten­tion, that thou art euer looking vpon me, and [Page 266]that thou art watching ouer me, night and day; and that, with so great care, as if there were neither in heauen, nor earth, any other creature for thee to gouerne, but me alone; When I consider well, that all my deeds, de­sires, and thoughts, lye open and cleere before thee, I am all fulfilled with feare, and ouer-whelmed with shame. Without doubt, we are cast into a very streight obliga­tion, of liuing with great rectitude, & iustice, by the consideration of our do­ing all things, vnder the eye of that Iudge, who seeth all things, and from whome, nothing is able to hide it sel­fe. If in this world, the presence of a graue, and qualifyed person, will keep vs in order, what will not the Presence of God be able to do?

S. Hierome, vpon that place, where God said to Hierusalem, Ezech. 28. [...], by the Prophet Ezechiel, Mei (que) oblita es, Thou hast for­gotten me, sayth thus; Memoria enim Dei, excludit cuncta flagitia. The memory of God dismisseth, and dischargeth all sinne. The same also doth S. Ambrose say. And els where S▪ Hierome sayth a­gaine. Certè quando peccamus, si cogitare­mus Deum videre, & esse praesentem, num­quam [Page 267]quod ei displiceret faceremus. The me­mory of God and the watching still in his Presence, is a meanes of so great ef­ficacy, that if we did but consider that God is present, and doth behold vs, we would neuer aduenture to do that thing, which might displease him. This alone, sufficed to make that sin­full woman Thais, giue ouer her bad life, and betake herselfe to a course of pennance, in the wildernes. Holy Iob said thus: Nonne ipse considerat vias tuas, Iob. 31.4. & cunctos gressus meos dinumerat? God stands beholding me, and as a true ey-witnes counts the paces which I make; and who then is that man, who will pre­sume to sinne, or to do any thing amisse?

On the other side, all the disorder,Note. and perdition of the wicked, doth proceed from their not considering, that God is Present, & beholdeth them; according to that which the holy Scri­pture doth so often repeate, in the per­son of wicked men: Et dixisti, Isa. 47.10. Ierem. 1 [...].4. non est qui videat me. Et non videbit nouissima nostra. And so did S. Hierome note it, vpon the seauenth Chapter of Ezachiel; Hierome. where [Page 268]the Prophet, reproouing Ierusalem for the many vices, and sinnes, which it was subiect to, growes to say, That the cause of them all, was for that, that Citty had forgotten God. And he assigneth al­so the same cause, whē he interpreteth many other places of scripture. For as a horse without a bridle, and a ship without a sterne runs vpon precipi­ces, and rockes; so if you take this bri­dle, out of the mouth of man, he rums headlong after his owne inordinate appetites, and passions. Non est Deus in conspectu eius, inquinatae sunt viae illius in omni tempore, Psa. 9.26. sayth the Prophet Dauid. He carrieth not God before his eyes, he considereth him not, as present before him, and therefore are his ways (which are his workes) all defiled still, with sinnes.

The remedy, which the blessed S. Basil giues, in many places of his wor­kes, against all temptations,Note. and trou­bles, and for all the occasions and ne­cessityes, which may present them­selues, is the Presence of God. And ther­fore, if thou desire, a ready, and com­pendious way, for the obteyning of [Page 269]perfection, and which may conteyne, and lock vp, in it selfe, the force & effi­cacy of all other meanes, this is that. And for such,Gen. 17.1. did God giue it thus to Abraham; Ambula coram me, & esto perfe­ctus; Walke before me, & thou shalt be perfect. The holy Scripture doth here, (as in many other places) take the Imperatine, for the Future, to expresse home, the infallibility of the successe. It is so certaine, that thou shalt be perfect, if alwayes thou wilt goe beholding of God, and considering that he is euer beholding thee; that euen, from this instant, thou maist account, that thou shalt be perfect. For iust, as the Stars do, from the aspect of the Sunne with is present to them, draw light, wherby they are resplendent, both within, and without their owne bo­dyes; and do also get other vertues, wherby they make influence vpō the earth; so do iust, and vertuous men (who are as so many stars in the Church of God) from the sight of God, and by considering him euer present, and by conuerting their thoughts and desires to him, draw light, wherby in their interior, (which God sees) they shine [Page 270]with reall, & solide vertues; & in their exteriour, (which men see) they shine with all innocency, and decency; and they draw strength, and force from thence, for the edification, and profit of others.

There is nothing in the whole world, which doth so properly de­clare the necessity that we haue, of continuing euer in the Presence of God, as this which followes.Note. Behould the dependance, which the Moone hath v­pon the Sun; & the necessity, to which it is subiect, of being euer in prefence of it. The Moone, of it selfe, hath no cla­rity, but receiues it all from the Sunne, according to the proportion of the as­pect, which it hath from thence. And it worketh vpon inferiour bodyes, ac­cording to the rate of clarity, which it receaues from the Sunne; and so do the effects therof, increase or faile, accor­ding to the full, or wayning of the same light. And when any thing doth place it selfe aboue the Moone, which may depriue it of the sight, & view of the Sunne, at that instant, is the lustre and clarity therof ecclipsed; & there­with [Page 271]withall, a great part also failes, of the efficacy, which it had to worke, by meanes of the Sunne. Now in the selfe same manner, doth it passe betweene the soule, and God, who is the true Sunne of the soule.

For this cause it is, that the Saynts, do so earnestly recommend this Exer­cise to vs. S. Ambrose, and S. Bernard dis­coursing of the continuance, & perse­uerance which we are to vse herein, say thus;Amb. lib. de dignita­t [...] con. Sicut nullum est momentum quo homo non vtatur, vel fruatur Dei bonitate & misericordia; sic nullum debet esse momētum, quo eam praesentem non habeat in memoria. As there is no pointe, or moment of tyme, wherein man enioyeth not the goodnesse and mercy of God; so ought there not to be any pointe, or mo­ment of tyme, wherein he ought not to haue God present to him, in his me­mory. And S. Bernard sayth els where. In omni actu, vel cogitatu suo, sibi Deum adesse memoretur; & omne tempus, quo de ipso non cogitat, perdidisse se computet. A Religious man, must procute, in all his thoughts, and in all his deeds, to remember that he hath God present [Page 272]with him; and all that tyme, wherein he thinketh not of God, he is to hold for lost. God doth neuer forget vs, & it is but reason, that we procure to be neuer vn mindfull of him.

S. Augustine, vpon the 31. Psalme, Firmabo super te oculos meos, Aug. Psa. 31.8. sayth: Non à te auferam oculos meos, quia & tu non au­fers àme oculos tuos. I will not, O Lord, withdraw myne eyes from thee, be­cause thou dost not withdraw thine eyes from me. Continually, will I lodge them fixed, & firme vpon thee, as thy Prophet did, who said: Oculi mei semper ad Dominum; Ps. 14.15. Mine eyes are euer vpon our Lord. S. Gregory Nazianzen sayth:Gregor. Naz. in ora. Theo­logica. Non tam saepe respirare, quàm Dei meminisse debemus; As often ought we to remember God, yea and more of­ten, then we fetch our breath. For as we haue need of respiration, for the refreshing of our harts, and for the tempering of our naturall heat; so are we in continuall necessity, of resor­ting to God, by Prayer, for the re­straint of that inordinate heate of concupiscence, which is mouing and intising vs to sinne.

CHAP. II. Wherein consisteth the Exercise, or Practise of going alwayes, in the Presence of God.

TO the end that we may serue our selues the better, of this exercise, or practise, it wilbe necessary to de­clare wherin it consists.Note. It consisteth in two Acts; the one is, of the Vnder­standing, the other is of the Will. Tract. 5. cap. 7. The first Act, is of the Vnderstanding. For this is euer [...]quisite and presupposed, for the performing, of any act of the Will, as we are taught by Philosophy. The first thing therfore, is to be, to consider with the Vnderstanding, That God is both heere. & euery where els, That he filleth the whole world, and that he is all, in all in euery parte, and in euery creature, how small soe­uer it may be.

Of this, an Act is to be made, be­cause this is a certayne Truth, Act. 17.17. which Fayth propoundeth to be belieued by vs. Non enim longeest ab vnoquo (que) nostrum; in ipso enim viuimus, mouemur, & sumus▪ [Page 274]sayth the Apostle S. Paul. You are not to imagine, or fansy God, as one who were farre from you; or as if he were without you; for he is within you. S. Augustine confesseth thus,Confess. l. 10. c. 27. I sought that without me, O Lord, which yet was within me. Within you is God; and more pre­sent, and more intrinsecally, & more intimately is God in me, then my selfe. In him we liue, and moue, and haue our being. He it is, who giueth Life, to all that which liues; and he, who giueth strēgth to all which hath any strength; and he who giues being, to all that which is. And if he were not present, susteyning all things, they all would leaue to be, and returne to their nothing. Consider therfore, that thou art all, full of God; inuironed & compassed in with God, and as it were swimming in God. Ple­ni suunt caeli & terra gloria tua, are very good wordes to this purpose: The hea­uens, and the earth, are full of thy glory.

Some, to help themselues, more in this,Note. do consider all the world to be full of God, as indeed it is; and they imagine themselues, to be in the mid­dest of this infinite sea of God; circled, & [Page 275]hemmed in by him, in such sort, as a sponge, in the middest of the sea might be, all bathed, and full of water, and besides compasted in, and enclosed by water, on all sides. This comparison is not ill, for the rate of our weake vn­derstanding. But yet it falleth short, & reacheth not, by a great deale, to de­clare that, wherof we are speaking. For that Sponge, in the middest of the Sea, if it mount vpwards, it is at an end, a­boue; if it descend downeward, it fin­des an end, below; and it meets with a stay, if it go eyther on the one side, or the other; but in God, thou shalt find nothing, of all this. Si ascendero in cae­lum, tu illic es; si descendero in insernum ades; si sumpsero pennas meas diliculo, & habitaue­ro in extremis maris, etenim manus tua de­ducet me, & tenebit me dextera tua. If I mount vp to heauen, thou art there O Lord; if I descend downe to hell, thou art also there; if I take wings, and passe to the extreme sides of the sea, thither will thy hand carry me, and there thy right hand will hold me. There is no end, or terme in God, because he is in­finite and immense. Besides, in fine, [Page 276]since the Sponge we spake of, is a bo­dy, it cannot be wholly penetrated, by the water; which is another Body; whereas we, are in all, and through all, penetrated by Almighty God, who is pure spirit. But yet neuertheles, these comparisons, and the like (how short soeuer they fall, of expressing the thing,) are good, and do giue greate helpe, for the vnderstanding in some sort, of the infinite immensenesse of God,Epist. 57. ad Darda­num. & l. 7. Confess. cap. 5. and how he is present, & most in­timately in vs, and in all things. And therfore, S. Augustine bringeth these comparisons.

But yet, we are to obserue in the performance of this Exercise of the Pre­sence of God, that there is no necessity, to forme any conceit, with the imagina­tion, or any representation at all, of God; feigning that he is here, at our side, or in any other determinate place; or that he is in this, or the other forme. There are some, who imagine eyther before themselues, or on the one side that Christ Iesus our redeemer, is with thē, and that he goes with them, and is [...]uer looking vpon what they do, and [Page 277]in this manner, they euer go in the Presence of God. Of these, some imagine, that they haue Christ crucifyed before them; others, that he is tyed to the Pil­lar; others, that he is sweating drops of bloud in his Prayer of the Garden; o­thers, in some other part of his Passion; or els in some cheerefull mystery of his most holy life; euery one, according to his inclination, and deuotion. Or els, some one tyme they imagine him in some one fashion, & at another tyme, in some other.

And although this be very profi­table, for such as know how to do it wel; yet (ordinarily speaking) it is not that, which is best for vs.Note. For all these formes, and imaginations of corporall things, do toyle and weary men; and many tymes, do much trouble their heads. A Saint Bernard, or a Saint Bona­uenture, without doubt, knew better how to do this, then we; and they found much facility, and ease in it; and so they would be able to go into those holes, of the wounds of Christ our Lord, and into his holy side; and there, would they find their rest, their refuge, [Page 278]and their safe retrayt; esteeming them­selues to heare those words of the spouse in the Canticles, spoken to themselues: Surge amica mea, speciosa mea, & vent; co­lumba mea in foraminibus petrae, in cauernae maceriae. At other tymes, they would imagine the foote of the Crosse, to be fastned and rooted in their harts, and that they, the while, were receiuing by their mouth, with extreme sweetnes, those drops of bloud, which ran, and streamed from those fountaines, of the Sauiour of the world.Isa. 12.3. Haurietis aquas in gaudio, de fontibus Saluatoris. Those Saints I say, did very well, in doing thus, and they were happy in it; but if you will be going on, all day, in these conside­rations, and with this kind of Presence of God; perhaps, that for one day, or mo­neth, which you may passe after this fashion, you will loose your Prayer for a whole yeare.Note. For it may cost you, the breaking of your braynes.

We may see how great reason there is, why we should be carefull, in gi­uing this lesson of caution, since euen for making a kind of structure or compo­sition of place, (which is one of the Pream­bles, [Page 279]or Preludes of Prayer, wherby we are wont to make that matter pre­sent to vs, wherof we are to meditate, imagyning that the matter doth really passe before vs there) they who treat of Prayer, are carefull to aduertise vs, that we do not, with an attention too much bent, fix our imagination vpon the figure, or representation of those cor­porall things, wherof we meane to thinke, for the danger, which there is to breake our braynes; and for other inconueniēces, of illusions, which grow sometymes out of this roote. If ther­fore, for the making of a Preamble, or Prelude of Prayer, (which vseth to be passed ouer, so very soone, and the man, being at that tyme, in quietnes, and at good leasure, without hauing any other thing to possesse his mind,) there be need of so much circumspe­ction, and caution; what will there be, for one who hath a mind to conserue this kind of composition, for the whole day, and in the middest of all his other businesse?

But now, this other Presence of God, wherof we treate, excludes all these [Page 280] imaginations, & indeed is very far from them all.Note. For now we treate, of a Pre­sence of God, as God. And first, we need not feigne to our selues, that he is here; but we must beleeue it, for so he is in­deed. Christ our Lord, as man, is in hea­uen, and in the B. Sacrament of the Al­tar; but he is not euery where. And therfore, when we imagine, Christ our Lord, as man, to be present with vs, it is an imagination, and a thing which we faigne to our selues. But now, as God, he is present heer; and he is within me, and he is in all places, & he fills them all. Spiritus Domini repleuit orbem terra­rum. We haue no cause, [...]ap. 2.7. in this case, to feigne, that which is not; but to actua­te our minds in the firme, & frequent beliefe, of that which is.

Secondly, the humanity of Christ our Lord, may be fancied, and figu­red by the imagination, because he hath a body, and a figure; but God, as God, cannot be imagined, or figured, as he is, because he hath no body, nor figure, but is a pure spirit. Nay we cannot so much as imagine an Angell, no nor our owne soule, as indeed it is, because it is a spirit; [Page 281]and how much lesse then, shall we be able to imagine, or frame a conceit of, how God is.

But how then, are we to consider, that God as God, is still present with vs? I say there is no more to be done, but only to produce an act of Fayth, supposing already, that God is present there; since our Fayth tells vs so, with­out labouring to know how, or in what fashion that is; as S. Paul affir­mes, that Moyses did. Qui inuisibilem, tan­quam videns, sustinuit. He considered God, who is inuisible, and had him present still, as if he had seene him. But yet so, as that he would not striue to know,Note. or ima­gine, how that was; but, as when a mā is speaking with some friend of his, by night, without reflecting how that is, and not considering it; but only re­ioycing, and delighting in the con­uersation and presence of his friend, who he knowes is present, with him there. In this sort, are we to consider God present with vs. It is inough that we know, our frend is there, that we may enioy him. Do not dwell vpon thinking, how that is. You will not [Page 282]light vpon it; for it is yet, by night, for vs. Do but stay till it be light, and when the morning of the other life appeares; he will then be discouered, and we shalbe able to see him cleerely, as he is. Cùm apparauerit, similes ei crimus, quoniam videbimus eum sicutiest. For this, did God appeare to Moyses, in obscuri­ty, and in a cloud; that you may not looke to see him, but only belieue him to be present.

All this which we haue saide, be­longs to the first act of Vnderstanding, which must be presupposed. But it must be considered also heere, that the chiefe part of this Exercise, doth not consist in this. For not only is the Vnderstanding to imploy it selfe, in behoulding God present; but a man must also imploy the Will; by aspiring to God, and by louing him, and by vniting himselfe to him. And in these acts of the Will, this Exercise doth prin­cipally consist, whereof we shall treate, in the next Chapter.

CHAP. III. Of the acts of the Will, wherein this Exercise doth principally consist; and how we are to imploy our selues therein.

SAINT Bonauenture, in his Mysticall Theology sayth, that the Acts of the Will, wherewith we must lift vp our selues to God, in this holy Exercise, are certayne ardent desires of the hart, wherby the soule doth thirst, to be v­nited with God, in perfect loue. Certay­ne inflamed affections, they are; certayne sighes, which breake out of the very bowells of the soule, wherewith it cals vpon God. Certayne pious, and amorous springings of the will, wherewith,Note. as with certayne spirituall wings, she reacheth, & stretcheth her selfe vpward; and goes approaching, and vniting herselfe, more and more, with God. These de­sires, these vehement, and enflamed af­fections of the hart, the Saints do call Aspirations. Because by them, the soule raiseth herselfe vp to God, which sig­nifyeth the same, with aspiring to­wards [Page 284]him. S. Bonauenture also sayth, they are therfore called Aspirations, be­cause, as by respiring we do, without deliberation, draw our breath, & that interior aire of our body; so do we also with great agility, and sometymes without any deliberation at all, (or in effect without any) drawe out these inflamed desires, from the most inter­nall part of our soule.

These Aspirations, and desires, a man declares by certayne Prayers, which are short, and frequent, and they are cal­led iaculatory, Raptim iaculatas, sayth S. Augustine. Because they are as arrowes, or fiery darts, which spring from the hart, and at an instant, they are shot of, and sent vp to God. Those old Monkes, according to the relation of Cassian, did much vse these Prayers. Breues quidem, sed creberrimae. And they esteemed, and made great account therof: Partely, because they were short, and did not weary the brayne; and partly, because they were made with feruour, and with an erected spirit, and at an instant they are sent into the high Presence of Almighty God, in such sort, as that the di­uell [Page 285]hath no tyme to trouble him,Aug. ep. ad Proba. Chris. hom. 79. Abbas I­saac. collat. 10. cvp. 10. that makes them; nor to cast any impedi­ment into his hart. S. Augustine deliue­reth certaine words which are worthy of Consideration, with such, as are in Exercise of Prayer. Ne illa vigllans, & erecta intentio, quae tamen necessaria est oran­ti, per productiores moras hebetetur. Least that vigilant, and sharpe attention, (which yet is needfull for him that meanes to pray, with dew respect, and reuerence) go not lessing, or loosing it selfe, as it hapneth sometymes, in long prayer. With these iaculatory Prayers therfore, did those holy Monkes, go euer on in this exercise; lifting vp their harts, very frequently to God, and treating, and conuersing with him.

This way, of going in the Presence of God, is (generally speaking) more sit for vs, more easy, and more profitable. It will therfore be necessary, to pro­ceed in declaring the vse, and practise of this Exercise. Cassian placeth it, in this verse, which the Church repeateth at euery hower, of her Diuine Office. Deus in adiutorium meum intende: Cass. collat. 10. cap. 10. Domine ad ad­inuandum me festina. Art thou entring [Page 286]in to any busines, wherein there may be difficulty, or danger? Desire thus of God, that he will helpe thee well out of it, O Lord be carefull to succour me: O Lord be not slacke to giue me help. We are in need of the fauour of God, for all things; and so are we, euer to be desi­ring his assistance. And Cassian sayth, that this verse, is excellent, and highly to the purpose; for declaring all the af­fects of our mind,Note. in whatsoeuer state, and in whatsoeuer occasion, or acci­dent, we may find our selues. Because hereby we inuoke the aide of God; Heerby we humble our selues, and we acknowledge our necessity and mise­ry; Heerby we raise our selues, and we confide to be heard, and fauoured by Almighty God. Hereby we kindle our selues, in the loue of our Lord, who is our protection and refuge. A­gainst all the combats, and tempta­tions, which may present themselues, you haue heere, a most strong buckler, an impenetrable coate-armour, and an inexpugnable wall. And therfore you are still to be carrying it, both in your mouth, and in your hart; and this is to [Page 287]be your constant, & continuall Prayer; and your way of going still, in the Pre­sence of God.

S. Basil, placeth the practise of this Exercise, in that, at all tymes, we take occasion to remember God. Art thou eating? giue thankes to God. Dost thou cloth thy selfe? giue thanks to God. Art thou going to take the aire, or into thy Garden? blesse thou God,Note. who made it. Doest thou looke vp to hea­uen? doest thou looke towards the Sun­ne? then do thou praise the Creatour of all things. When thou goest to sleepe, and whensoeuer thou dost wake, lifte vp thy hart to God.

Now forasmuch, as in spirituall lif, there are three wayes, The Purgatiue way, which belongeth to beginners; the Illuminatiue way, which belongeth to such as are Proficient; & the Vnitiue way, which belongeth to such as are in some degree of perfection; there are spi­rituall directours, who assigne three kinds of Aspirations, or Iaculatory Prayers. Some, which are addressed towards the obteyning of pardon for sinne, and towards the purging of the soule from [Page 288]vice, and terrene affections, which be­long to the Purgatiue way. Others, which are addressed towards the ob­teyning of vertues, and ouercomming temptations, and vndertaking of diffi­cultyes, and troubles, for the exercise of piety; which belong to the Illumi­natiue way. And others, which addresse vs,Note. towards the obteyning of an Vnion of the soule with God, by the bond of perfect loue; and these, belong to the Vnitiue way. And this they ordayne, to the end that euery one, may imploy himselfe in that exercise, which is most agreable, and fit for his owne disposi­tion, and state.

But yet know this the while; that how perfect soeuer a man be, he may safely exercise himselfe in sorrow for his sinnes, and in desiring pardon of God for them, and begging grace that he may neuer offend him, and this wilbe a very good Exercise of his mind, and very acceptable to God. And both he, and that other man, who is still procuring but to purge his soule from vice, and inordinate affections; & he also, who laboureth to obteyne Ver­tue, [Page 289]may also exercise himselfe in acts of the Loue of God, to make that other exer­cise, which he is chiefly about, more easy and sweete. Therfore all men may imploye themselues, sometymes, in this purgatiue exercise, by making such Acts as these: O Lord, that I had neuer offen­ded thee. Do not permit, O my Lord, thus euer I may offēd thee any more. Let me dye as much as thou wilt, but neuer let me sinne a­gainst thee. Let is please thy diuine maiesty, that I may rather die a thousand deaths, them euer commit one mortall sinne.

At other tymes, one may raise his hart to God, by giuing him thankes for all his benefits, both generall and particuler, which he hath receiued; or els by begging the gifte of some ver­tue; sometymes profound humility; at o­ther tymes perfect Obedience; at other ty­mes, Patience; at others, Charity.

Agayne, at other tymes, a man may raise his mind to God, by acts of loue, and conformity to his most holy will, saying this, or the like.Cant. [...].141 Luc. 22.4 [...]. Psa. 72.29. Dilectus meus mihi, & ego illi. Non mea voluntas, sed tua fiat. Quid enim mihi est in caelo, & à te quid volui super terram? These, and such o­thers, [Page 290]are very good aspirations, and ia­culatory Prayers; wherby a man may go alwayes, in this exercise of the Presence of God. Note. And they vse to be the best, and most efficacious, which the hart, being moued by Almighty God, doth con­ceaue within it selfe; although it be not done, in words, so well composed and ordered, as those which we haue heere set downe.

And there is also, no necessity at all, that these iaculatoryes, should be many, in number. For one alone, being very often repeated, and with great ardour of mind, may suffice a man for the go­ing in this exercise may dayes, yea and euen all his life.Note. If you finde your selfe well, with alwayes saying those words of the Apostle, O Lord what wilt thou haue me do? Or those other of the Spouse, My beloued to me, and I to him: Or els those words of the Prophet, What haue I to desire O Lord, in heauen, or in earth, but only thee? you haue need of no more; deteyne your selfe here, and en­tertayne your selfe herein; and let this be your continuall Exercise, and your going in the Presence of God.

CHAP. IV. The practise of this Exercise is further de­clared, and heere a way is laid downe, of going in the Presence of God, very easy, very profitable, and of much Perfection.

AMONGST other Aspirations, and Iaculatory Prayers, which we may vse; that one, is a very principall one, and very much to purpose, for the pra­ctise of this Exercise,1. Cor. 10 [...] 31. which is taught vs, by the Apostle Saint Paul, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians. Siue manduca­tis, siue bibitis, siue aliud quid facitis, omnia ad gloriam Dei facite. Whether you eate or drinke, or whatsoeuer els you do, let all be done to Gods glory. Procure,Note. in all things that you do, or at least the most frequently that you can, to lift vp your hart to God, saying; For thee O Lord, do I this. To content thee, and to please thee. Because thou wilt haue it so; Thy will, O my Lord, is mine; Thy contentment is mine; I haue no other will, nor no other not-will, but that only, which thou wilt, and that which thou wilt not. This is all my delight, all my [Page 292]contentment, all my ioy, the accomplishment of thy will, to please thee; and there is no other thing but this, for which I care; nor which I can desire; nor which is worth, so much, as the looking on, eyther in heauen, or in earth.

This is a good way, of going all­wayes in the Presence of God, and very easy, and very profitable, and of much perfection. For it is to go, in a conti­nuall exercise of the loue of God. And because I haue treated hereof else where,Tract. 3. cap. 8. & Tract. 8. cap. 4. I will only add in this place, that this is one of the best, and most profitable wayes of going euer in Prayer, of all the wayes that can be thought. For it seemes, that there wan­ted no other thing, to extoll and ca­nonize this Exercise, but only to say, that by it, we shal be in that continuall prayer, which Christ our Lord de­maunds of vs, in the holy Gospell. Opor­tet semper orare & non deficere. Luc. 18.1. For what better Prayer, can there be, then that one should be euer desiring, the grea­test honor, and glory of God, and to be euer conforming himselfe, to Gods will Not hauing any other, eyther will, or not-will, but that which God [Page 293]will, and willeth not; and that all his contentment, and ioy, is the content­ment, and good pleasure, of our Lord God.

Therfore sayth a learned Doctour,Dionis. Ri­chel. l 1. de contempla. cap. 25. and with great reason, that he who shall perseuere with care, in those af­fects, and interiour desires, shall reape so abundant fruite therby, that in short tyme, he will feele his hart, all conuer­ted, and changed; and will find there­in, a particuler auersion frō the world; and a singuler affection to Almighty God. This is to begin already, to be a kind of Cittizen of heauen, and a stan­ding seruant, in the house of God.Eph. 2.9. Iam non estis hospites, & aduenae, sed estis ci [...]es Sanctorum, & domestici Dei. These are those Courtiers, whome S. Iohn saw in the Apocalyps, who carried the name of God, written in their forheads, which is the continuall memory, and Presence of God. Et videbunt faciem eius, Apoc. 11.4. Phi [...]ip. 3.2. Cor. 4.18. & nomen eius in frontibus eorum. For their conuer­sation, and discourse, is not now, on earth, but in heauen. Nostra autem con­uersatio in caelis est. Non contemplantibus no­bis, ea quae videntur, sed ea quae non videntur: [Page 294]quae enim videntur temporalia sunt, quae au­tem non videntur, aeterna.

It is further to be considered in this Exercise, Note. that when we produce these Acts saying: For thee O Lord, do I this; For thy loue; Because thou wilt haue it so, & the like; we are to do them, and say them, as one who speakes to God, already present; and not as one, who raiseth his hart, or his thought, to send it far off, or without himselfe. This aduise is of great importance in this Exercise. For this is properly, to go in the Presence of God, and this is that, which makes this Exercise, easy, and sweete, and which makes it moue, and profit more. Yea, euen in our other Prayers, when we meditate of Christ vpon the Crosse, or at the Pillar; they who treate of Prayer, giue counsaile, that we should not ima­gine, that to be at Ierusalem, and that it passed, a thousand, and so many hun­dred yeares agoe; for this wearyes more, and moues lesse: But we are to imagine it, as present, where we are; & that it passeth there before vs; and that we heare the strokes of the scourges, & the knocks of the hammers. And if we [Page 295]meditate the Exercise of death; they say that we are to imagine, that we are already vpon the point to dye, and giuen ouer by the Physitians; and with the holy candle in our hand. How much more reason then, shall it be, that in this Exercise of the Presence of God, we performe those acts, which we haue named, not as men, who speake with an absent person, and that far off from vs; but as men who speake with God present; since the very Exercise it selfe, requires it, and in reality of Truth, he is Present.

CHAP. V. Of some differences, and aduantages, which there are, in this Exercise, of going in the Presence of God.

TO the end that we may the better see the perfection, and profit of this Exercise, and way of going in the Presēce of God which we haue shewed; and to the end that it may be the more declared,Note. we will touch some diffe­rences, and aduantages, which there [Page 296]are therein. The first is this. In the other Exercises of the Presence of God, which some vse to propound; all seemes to be but an act of the Vnderstan­ding, and all seemes to end in this, that they imagine the Presence of God.

But this Exercise, presupposeth, this Act of the vnderstanding, & of fayth, That God is present, and then it goes further on, and maketh Acts of the Loue of God; and in these, it doth principally con­sist. And this doth euidently appeare, to be better, and more profitable then the former. Iust so, as we said in the Treatise of Prayer, Tract. 5. c. 14. that we are not to dwell in the acts of the Vnderstanding, which is the Meditation, and Considera­tion of things; but in the acts of the Will, that is, in the affects and desires of vertue, and the imitation of Christ our Lord; and this is to be of the fruite of Prayer. And so heere, the chiefe and best, and most profitable part of this Exercise, consists in the acts of the will; and this is that, wherupon we must insist most.

The second benefit which followes vpon this Exercise, Note. is that it is more sweet, and facill, then the rest. For to [Page 297]those others, is necessary discourse, and labour of the vnderstanding, and imagina­tion, to represent formes before it; which is the thing, that vseth to weary, and to breake the braynes, and therfore it cannot last so longe. Whereas towards this Exercise, there is no neede of dis­course, but of affects, and acts of the will, which are produced without difficul­ty. For although it be true, that there is some act of the Vnderstanding, euen there; yet that, is presupposed by Fayth, without wearying vs therby. And as when we adore the B. Sacrament, we presuppose by Fayth, that Christ our Lord is present there; and all our atten­tion, and imployment is, in adoring, reuering, louing, and begging fauours of that Lord, whome we know to be present; so it is in this Exercise. And from hence also it is, that the same, being more facill, one may continue, and perseuere in it, longer tyme. For euen to sick persons, who are not capable of any other Prayer, we are wont to aduise, that they are often to lift vp their harts to God, with some affects & acts of the Will, because they may be [Page 298]produced with facility. And therfore, although there were no other aduan­tage belonging to this Exercise, but on­ly, that one may continue, and perse­uere in it, longer tyme, then in the rest; we should haue reason, to esteeme it much, and therfore how much more, are we to do it, hauing so many ad­uantages besides.

The third, and principall thinge, & that which we are to obserue very well, is: That the Presence of God is not only considered, to the end, that we may dwell in that; but to the end, that it may serue vs, for a meanes to do those other things well, which we are to performe. For if we should content our selues, with hauing an attention to the presence of God, and therby did ne­glect our workes themselues, and did performe them with faults; this would be no good deuotion, but an illusion. We are alwayes to make account, that al­though we carry one of our eyes to­wards his diuine Maiesty, we must place the other, vpon the worke it selfe; that we may performe it well, for the loue of him. And our seeing, that [Page 299]we stand in the Presence of God, must be the meanes, to make vs do all that, which we are to do, the better, and with the more perfection. And this, is much better done by this Exercise, then by others. For in the performing of o­thers, the Vnderstanding is much im­ployed, about those corporall sigures, which a man hath a mynde to set be­fore himselfe, or about those conceytes which he will drawe out of that, which he hath present to him; and whilst he will needs drawe this, or that good consideration from thence, many tymes he markes not well, what he is doing, and so he falls out to do it ill.

But this Exercise, since it busieth not the Vnderstanding, doth not hinder, any way, the good performance of the workes; but rather it doth greatly hel­pe, that they may be exactly done. For he is doing them, for the loue of God; and in the Presence of God, who lookes vpon him. And so he procures to do them, in such sort, and so well, as that they may be fit to appeare before the eyes of that diuine Maiesty; and that [Page 300]there may be nothing therein, which is vnworthy of his Presence. Concer­ning which,Tract. c. 3. we spake else where, of another point, which sheweth ano­ther way of going in the Presence of God, which is very good and profita­ble, and recommended by the Saynts; and therfore we will forbeare to re­peate it heere.

CHAP. VI. Certayne pious Considerations, of Gods Im­mensity, and of his Presence in all places, and in all things.

1. TO consider that God is so im­mense and great, as he filleth all his creatures with his infinite Great­nes, and is more inwardly present in all things, then they be in their owne Essence. And notwithstanding all this, he is not imprisoned heere in the world: and though there were many millions of worlds more, yet should he be still infinitly greater then they. in so much as it is impossible to fly frō him, sith he is by his Essence, Presēce, [Page 301]and power in all places; and all crea­tures be filled with his greatnes. This consideration should make vs more present to our selues in all our actions, both priuate, and publike, by represen­ting to our selues, that Gods eyes be vpon vs; and making vnto our selues an Oratory in all places, sith he is eue­rywhere. We must excite in our selues affections of ioy, and of admiration, at so wonderfull a greatnes.

2. We must consider our selues▪ as liuing, and doing our actions in God, who enuironeth vs round, as doth the water of the Ocean compasse in the fish that swym, and liue therin. And this consideration, should keep vs from going and wandring out of our selues; seeing we haue God pre­sent within vs, as though we were his house; or by considering our selues en­uironed without, & penetrated with­in by God, as though he were our owne, and belonging vnto vs.

3. To consider, how God she­weth himselfe in heauen to his Elect with vnuealed, and open face, wor­king in them most glorious things: [Page 302]and he giueth in some places on earth particuler signes of his presence, as Ia­cob saw him on that mysticall ladder, whereof the Scriptures make men­tion. God also hath his aboad parti­culerly in the Churches, and Orato­ries; and in a more excellent manner in the iust, with whome he abideth by his grace, and worketh strange and wonderfull thinges in them. But a­boue all, he is with some great friends of his in this life, producing spiritually within them miraculous effects, as il­lustrations, discourses of the soule, re­uelations of diuine mysteries, which be all signes, and testimonyes of his particular presence. All this ought to make vs the more attentiue, and pre­sent to God, and our selues; and more composed both within, and without.