THE INTERIOR OCCUPATION OF THE SOUL.  
Treating of the important business of our salvation with GOD, and his SAINTS, by way of Prayer.  
Composed in French for the exercise of that Court, by the R. Father, Pater Cotton of the Society of JESUS, and translated into English by C. A. for the benefit of all our Nation.  
Whereunto Is prefixed a Preface by the Translator, in defence of the Prayers of this Book, to the Saints in Heaven.  
But our Conversation is in Heaven, whence also we expect the Saviour our Lord jesus Christ. PHIL: 3▪ 20.  
Printed at Douai. 1618.   

The Table of the Titles of this Book.  

A Doration. Title. 1.  
Thanksgiving. Title 2.  
Petition. Title 3.  
Protestation. Title 4.  
To the Soul of our Saviour jesus Christ. Title 5.  
To the B. Virgin Mary. Title 6.  
To St. Michael. Title 7.  
To St. Gabriel. Title 8.  
To the Angel Guardian. Title 9  
To the Angels. Title 10.  
To the holy Patriacks. Title. 11.  
To the holy Prophets. Title 12.  
To St. john Baptist. Title 13.  
To S. joseph. Title 14.  
To S. Peter. Title 15.  
To S. Paul. Title 16.  
To S. john the Evangelist. Tit. 17  
To the Apostles. Title 18.  
To the holy Evangelists. Title 19  
To the holy Martyrs. Title 20.  
To the holy Doctor's Title 21.  
To the holy Confessors Title 22.  
To the holy Anchorites, Hermits, and Religious. Title 23.  
To St. Anthony. Title 24.  
To the holy Virgins, Men and Women. Title 25.  
A Communication had with God, upon the Life, Death, and passion of our Saviour. Title 26.  
A Prayer agreeing with the former Communication, and Conference, had with God. Tit. 27.  
When a man is tempted. Title 28  
When any thing falleth out, that pleaseth us. Title 29.  
When any thing displeaseth us. Title 30.  
In obeying our Superiors. Tit. 31  
In seeing the magnificency of the Court. Title 32.  
At our going out of our Lodging. Title 33.  
In beholding any Garden, or Meadow. Title 34.  
In seeing a Field covered with flowers. Title 35.  
When one smelleth to a Nosegay. Title 36.  
When we admire the beauty of any building. Title 37.  
When you behold yourself in a Glass. Title 38.  
In putting on your Apparel. Title 39  
In putting off your Apparel. Title 40.  
In putting on jewels, and other ornaments. Title 41.  
Washing our hands and our face. Title 42.  
When you use your Fan. Title 43  
When the Clock striketh. Tit. 44.  
Touching the care we are to have of our Children. Title 45.  
Concerning our Domesticals. Title 46.  
In going to Mass. Title 47.  
When one is Melancholy or displeased at any thing. Title 48.  
When we feel ourselves in any passion. Title 49.  
After the happy success of any affair. Title 50.  
Having received any grace. Title. 51.  
When we receive any consolation in Prayer. Title 52.  
In time of Desolation. Title 53.  
When we feel ourselves dry at Prayer. Title 54.  
When one is despised. Title 55.  
Elevations of spirit, which may be done upon every occasion. Title. 56.    

THE TRANSLATORS PREFACE, IN DEfence of the Prayers of this Book, to the Saints of God in Heaven.  
GEntle Reader, whatsoever thou be; This Book is so fit for thee, that I doubt not thou wilt con me thank for having taught it to speak English. For if thou frequent the use and practise of it, it will teach thee the language of Heaven. Wherein whensoever thou speakest to GOD and his Saints, they will answer thee: and whatsoever thou demandest of them, they cannot deny thee. And though fearfully reading here & there a little, thou shouldst only take it in thy hands to sipp thereof, as men are wont to do of Physic, when they intent no more but to taste it: yet it is impossible but that the lips and the hands of thy soul, which are thy will & thy understanding, should not receive some tincture, and retain some taste of the sweetness of it.  
B●t because, it may so fall out with thee, that having been brought up as it were in some defiance with the Saints in heaven, and thereby thinking all honour too much which is done them, and every request to be no less than Idolatry which is made unto them: thou shouldest in this respect be scandalised with those excellent invocations of them, wherein is spent a principal part of this treatise, and so be provoked either to detest, or contemn the Book itself; I have thought good, to set thee down two ways; how thou mayst both read, and use the foresaid prayers: not only without scruple and offence of conscience, according to the opinion of thine own Masters, which is the first way: but also according to the profession of Ours, with great delight, & true spiritual comfort; which is the other.  
The first is (supposing thou canst not think better) to Imagine, all the Prayers of this Book to the Saints of heaven to be but a figure of Rhetoric, called Apostrophe; or which is all one, a feigned speech, whereby to excite affection made unto those things with cannot hear us; as to a Rock, to a River; to Birds or Beasts. For in such figurative senses, the most learned Doctors of thine own religion, do understand those innumerable prayers to Saints, which every where they read in the holy Fathers; & whereof, I will here yield thee some few examples in their speeches alone to our Blessed Lady.  
St. Athanasius, the great composer of that Creed, which he learned in the Nizen Council (whereof he was a principal part, and which is read every 
Athanasi 〈…〉 Fuam: De sanctissim● no●tra D●i●pera.  Sunday in your Churches) maketh first this preface; For as much (saith this glorious Saint) as he who was borne of a Virgin is our King, and the same likewise our Lord and our God; therefore also, the Mother, which brought him forth, is truly and properly reputed a Queen, & a Lady, and the Mother of God. And then among other things, he speaketh unto her in this manner. Unto thee therefore we Cry, be mindful of us most B. Virgin, who also after thy Childbirth, didst remain a Virgin. Hail full of Grace, our Lord is with thee; Blessed do all the holy Quires of men and Angels call thee; Blessed art thou among women, & Blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Mistress, and Lady, & Queen, and Mother of God, make intercession for us.  
St. Ephraim, who lived in the same age, & was of such fame, 
Ephraim  that in some Churches after the Scripture, his writings were publicly read, & whose prayers most pathetical to our B. Lady, in his Sermon of the praises of the most holy Mother of God, and in divers other places are too long to be recited; in a proper Prayer to our B. Lady. among other things he saith as followeth. Be present with me merciful, Clement, and Benign Virgin, especially in this present life; fervently protecting me, repelling the assaults of mine enemies: Conducting me to salvation, and at the point of ●y death, preserving my miserable soul: driving away the darksome visions of wicked Spirits; delivering me in the terrible day of judgement, from eternal Damnation: and lastly making me heir of the inaccessible glory of God thy Son. Which I beseech thee again, and again, most holy Lady and Mother of God, that I may obtain by thy intercession and favour, through the grace and mercy, and humanity of thy only begotten Soon our Lord and God, and Saviour jesus Christ.  
Likewise, the most renowned, and uncontrolled Doctor of the Church St. Augustine, in his 2. Sermon of the Annunciation, after many other words in praise and prayer to her, concludeth as followeth O Blessed 
S. Augus● S●●m. 1 8 de sanct●  Mary, who is able to rep●r thee, the right of praise and thanksgiving, which is due unto thee? who by thy singular assent, didst relieve the world when it was lost? what praises can the fragility of mankind give the, which only by thy means found the beginning of recovery? Receive therefore our thanksgiving, though small as it is; though unequal to thy great merits; and when thou hast received our desires, by thy prayer excuse our faults. Receive our prayers into thy sanctuary of thy excudition, and return unto us the Antidote of reconciliation By thee, let that be excusable, which we importune; and let that be impitrable, which we ask with a fatihfull mind. Receive that we offer, render that we ask, excuse that we fear; for thou art the Hope of all sinners. By thee, we 
●pes vni●a silicet ●ne qua ●on.  confide to have pardon for our demerits; and in thee most Blessed, is the expectation of our rewards. Holy Mary, secure the miserable, help those that are weak minded cherish those that weep, pray for the people, Mediate for the Clergy, make intercession for the devout sex of Women; let all feel thy assistance, whosoever do celebrate thy remembrance. Thus these holy Fathers, who as our last Author saith: That which they learned they taught: & that 
Aug. lib ●. count julianum ●um.  which they received from their fathers, the same they delivered to their children.  
Now therefore my friend, if these speeches of the holy Fathers to our blessed Lady be lawful, certainly there is no prayer of this book as made to Saints unlawful, for if they be not lawful as prayers, they be lawful as Apostrophes. And if thy stomach rise not against these words of the Fathers, no reason it should detest the like speeches of ours. And if these may feignedly be used to exite affection, the others also may be likewise practised to inflame our devotion.  
Wherefore, if thou canst frame thy conscience to believe, that all these prayers and the like, are nothing else but feigned speeches; this will be one way, according to the doctrine of thine own masters, not only to serve thyself, but also to satisfy others, that shall object the reading of this Book, or the practice thereof unto thee. But if according to truth and reason, thou be so persuaded, that neither we, nor the holy Fathers, either do, or may use such figmative or feigned prayers; it will import thee, to follow the other way, and to believe with us, that they are really spoken unto the Saints; not as unto walls and woods, but as unto those, that verily hear us, and are able to help us.  
And therefore, because I do not think thou wilt easily condemn the holy Fathers of Idolatry, wherein no ignorance can excuse their damnation: but rather will desire some further satisfaction in this point according to the Scripture, with thy Masters would seem to make the only ground of their Religion: That I may the better content thee, I will set thee down here in this Preface, such evident proofs out of Scripture for prayer to saints, ●● may be sufficient, not only to quiet thy own mind: but also to convince the most learned Protestant, that hereafter shall attempt to speak against it.  
But before I begin, I desire to inform thee of 4. short particulars; whereof the two first are such, as may suffice of themselves alone to resolve this question.  
The first is, that many principal Protestants, have agreed with us in this point. For the opinion of Luther in his own words was this that followeth. 
Luther in purgatione quorundam articulorum.  Of intercession of Saints, I think and judge with the whole Christian Church, that the Saints are to be honoured by us, and also to be invocated. With whom do agree 
a acts & mon: pag 462.  Bilnay, and 
b acts and mon pag 1312.  Latimer, canonised Martyrs of the Protestant Calendar. Wherefore this being the belief, not only of their first Apostle; but also of their latter Martyrs; I cannot imagine, how it may stand with the reputation of a zealous Protestant, either to condemn us, or to mislike us for it.  
The second particular which I would have thee well to consider, is this; That the principal ground whereon the Protestants do especially build their denial, or rather their detestation of this Doctrine, is most vain and frivolous; contending, Invocation of Saints to be altogether unlawful, because it is no where expressly commanded or approved in holy Scripture. For, I would but ask a Protestant, where he readeth Hunting, or Hawking to be expressly commanded, or commended in the Word of God? which, unless he love Hawks and Dogs, better than Saints or Angels, were enough to make him see, the impertinency of this position. In a word, I will demand, where he findeth either this Assertion itself, which they make the ground of their belief; to be expressly delivered: or (to give instance in some other particulars) where he can show me, The eating of Blood and strangled meat: the celebration of Christmas, and of the Feasts of the Apostles: the use of Surplice, Cap, and Tippet in the service of Christ: Or in fine, The abrogation of the jews Saboth, which is Saturday, to be expressly either enjoined or approved in holy writ? Which, not being able to perform, he not only condemneth himself in the continual practice of all these particulars, if he stand to his own ground: but also maketh the Ground itself, to overthrow itself, as being no where expressly taught in holy Scripture. Wherefore, though no laudable example of prayer to Saints departed, could be found in the written Word: yet this is no sufficient cause to condemn it. From whence also it followeth; That unless the Protestant's can show (which they will never be able to do) that prayer to Saints is evidently forbidden, either by the word of God, or light of nature, or law of the Church; They can never be defended or excused, from great impiety and damnable schism, in dividing themselves, not only from the Catholic brethren: but also from the Saints themselves by this occasion.  
Thirdly therefore, to come nearer the question in hand, that we dispute not of words, but of the matter itself, now in controversy between thee and me; Thou must understand, that the word Prayer, is sometimes taken for a request made unto him, whom we honour as the first omnipotent cause, and infinite Author of all things. Secondly, for a petition made unto those, whom we acknowledge to be endued with that excellency, which is only found in the friends of God that are in heaven: and lastly, for a request made unto any other, with that respect, which we acknowledge to be due unto those, that have the means to help us. In the first & second sense, this word is used, when we are said to pray, or to make our prayer unto another: in the last sense, when we pray our friends or our betters to do this, or that for us; For although we pray them; yet we are not properly said to pray, or to make our prayer unto them. By Prayer to Saints therefore, we understand a request made unto them, not with that worship which is due unto God, as the Author of all things: but with that honour and reverence with is due to the Saints of God above all other Creatures. And in this sense the Protestants themselves will grant, That if it be lawful to make any request unto them, it ought to be done with that reverence which is convenient; & by consequence, that in this sense, it is not only lawful to pray them (if it be lawful at all) but also to pray unto them.  
Lastly, to the end that no exception be taken against the proofs that follow, as not sufficiently delivered according to my promise out of Scripture, thou must consider that two manner of ways a thing may be proved out of Scripture. First, by the express words thereof in which manner we prove many things against the Protestants. As for example, That man is justified by works and not 
jam. 2. 24 john 20▪ 22. 23. Math. 26● 27.  by Faith alone; That Priests receive the Holy Ghost to forgive sins; That the Blessed Sacrament, is the body & blood of Christ 
1 Cor. 11● 14.  and the like. But in this manner the Protestants cannot directly prove, any one point of their Religion against us. Therefore no reason that in all points, they should exact this kind of proof at our hands. Secondly a thing may be proved by Scripture, as following by necessary consequence out of scripture, which kind of proof and no other the Protestants (though failing therein no less than in the former) pretend to be the very ground of their Faith, in those points wherein they differ from us; And after this manner, I intent to make it evident that prayer to Saints may be lawfully used according to the Scriptures.  

THE FIRST ARGUMENT  
Therefore; may be taken out of those Scriptures, which recommend unto us the Authority of the Church. For in them we learn. That our Saviour himself hath sent his holy spirit, to 
john 16. 13.  teach her all truth, and to remain with her for ever. In 
Io. 14. 16  which respect, she is not only termed by Saint Paul, The Pillar 
Tim. 3. 17.  and foundation of truth: but also our Saviour himself saith expressly of her, That he who will 
Math. 18● 17.  not hear her● (or which is all one) he that will not believe her, aught to be esteemed no● better than a● Eathnick. From whence therefore I conclude 
Augustin Lib. cont. Crescon. cap. 33.  and affirm with Saint Augustine, That we do nothing but according to Scripture, in doing that which the whole Church approveth, whom the Scriptures 
Augustin. Epist. 118 cap. 2.  themselves commend unto us. To which purpose also, he spared not to write, That to dispute whether any thing be lawful, which the whole Church frequenteth throughout the world, is most insolent madness. In fine, there are many points of Faith, with though they be not expressly written, the Protestants believe & practise with us; and among other things which I have noted before; The lawful neglect of the jews Sabaoth no where abrogated; and the necessary observation of Sunday, no where commanded in holy writ; which therefore can no otherwise be proved out of Scripture, but only by the authority of the Church, which the Scripture commandeth to be believed.  
This being supposed; to make it appear that the Church of Christ, and the Pastors thereof, not only allowed this Doctrine of prayer to Saints, but also practised the same: I allege the Epistle of the Bishops of Europe to Leo the Emperor in the fourth age after Christ; which Epistle is joined to the Council of Chalcedon, where they say thus, We put the most holy Proterius in the rank and Quyre of the holy Martyrs, and we demand by his intercession, That God would be pleased to be merciful and propitious unto us. And in the Council itself, which is one of the four Counsels that the Protestants pretend to reverence with Saint Gregory, no less than the four Gospels; the Fathers assembled speak thus. Flavianus liveth 
Chalcedom Acts 11.  after death, as being a Master let him pray for us. Likewise in the sixth general Council, the Fathers say, God alone the Creator being Adored, let the Christian 
Synod. 6. ●ap. 7  man call upon his Saints, that they would be pleased to make intercession for him unto his divine Majesty. Whereunto, I will only add another like authority of the seventh general Council speaking as followeth; Let us do all things with 
Synod. 7. ●ct. 6  fear, demanding the intercession of the incontaminate Mother of God, as also of the Angels and of all the Saints.  
Thus these general Counsels in the person of the whole Catholic Church. Let us hear now some other express testimonies of the ancient Fathers in the first ages after Christ. St. Bazill in his Oration upon the 
Bazill orat in. 40 Martyrs.  40 Martyrs: He that is pressed with any difficulty, let him fly unto them: He again that rejoiceth, let him call upon them; the one that he may be delivered from evil; the other that he may persever in good. St. Cyrill, when we 
Cyril catechesi. ● Mistago●gica.  offer this sacrifice, we make mention of them that have slept before us; especially of the Patriarches, Prophets, Apostles, & Martyrs; That God by their orisons would receive our prayers. St. Ambrose, we must pray unto Angels, who 
Ambr. 1 de vidui●  are given us for our guard; we must pray unto Martyrs, whose patronage we seem to challenge by the pawn of their Bodies; they are our Governors, they are the Overseers of our lives and actions. We are not ashamed to make them the intercessors of our infirmity, because themselves have known th'infirmity of their Bodies, even in their victories.  
Thus these holy Fathers. Of the practice of this Doctrine, and of the particular prayers made by the Fathers themselves, in all ages to the Saints of Heaven, that shall suffice which I have cited already, out of their speeches to our B. Lady; both because, to show this exactly were sufficient to make a large volume, as also because no Protestant that is not altogether ignorant, or extremely impudent can deny it. In fine therefore, the Doctrine of the Fathers in this point, is evidently testified, even by Protestant Authors. For Fulke 
a Fulk ●n his rejoinder to Bristol.  confesseth, that Ambrose, Augustine, and Hierome, held invocation of Saints to be lawful. That 
b Against the Re●ish Testament.  Nazianzen, Basill, & chrysostom, make mention of invocation to Saints. That, Theodoret speaketh of prayers unto Martyrs. That, Leo ascribeth much to the prayers of Saint Peter. All 
2 Pet. 1  these ancient Fathers. And more in particular, That 
c Answer to Sergeant Ca● pag. 46 Sara● in defe● tract. diuersi● etc. pa● 349. 346. Mor● Apol: f● part, p● 227. 2 Orm● Pist. p pag. 2  Vigillantius the heretic wrote against the invocation of Saints, him (saith he) Hierome reproveth. For the which likewise Saravia a great Caluinist, and Beza himself do acknowledge, that Vigillantius was charged, & condemned by the Fathers. Morton, likewise acknowledgeth in express terms, That all antiquity taught the invocation of Saints. Add unto these Ormerod, who therefore saith, That the Fathers, did not ponderously consider of this question. And Perkins, who speaking of the Primitive Church, setteth down these words that follow; 
Perkins. Prob. pag. ●3.  There was in the Church, intercession to Saints in particular, for men or things in particular. And afterward he presumeth to say, That the ancient 
abide. pag.  Fathers, especially after 400. years of Christ, did sin in the invocation of Saints; yea, were guilty of sacrilege. And so damneth to Hell the greatest Saints of Heaven, now crowned with glory, to justify the Dreams and fantasies of his own devices.  
Now than my good friend, to conclude this my first argument out of Scripture; let any well minded Protestant consider, whither not believing these Counsels & Fathers, but condemning them of sacrilege, he do not incur the censure of our Saviour, that he is no better than a Heathen, for not believing the Church itself: and whither it be not only the heresy of Vigillantius reproved by St. H●●rome, to disallow the invocation of Saints: but also as St. Augustine speaketh, most insolent madness to dispute against it.   

THE SECOND ARGUMENT.  
Supposing the Creed of the Apostles, to be the infallible word of GOD, and if not Scripture, yet certainly contained in Scripture; I prove the lawfulness or rather necessity of prayer to Saints, out of our Belief of the Communion of Saints. Which doubtless for this cause among other reasons it hath pleased God, to make an Article of our Creed, to excite us so much the more thereby to this kind of pious worship & invocation of them. For if sinful men on earth, are truly understood, to be here comprehended under the name of Saints: much less may the Blessed souls of Heaven, be here excluded from that title. And who can imagine that the Souls of the just, are separated by death, from the communion of the Church wherein they lived? For as Saint Augustine saith, why do they run so fast to the Sacrament of Baptism in extreme danger of death, that were never in the Church before? Or why do they make such haste to be reconciled thereunto before they die, that are divided from it? unless it be to enjoy after death, the communion of it? Wherefore, I do not see, how we can believe, that there is one Communion of the Saints in heaven, and the Saints on earth according to our Creed: except we believe a Communion, or which is all one, a Communication of Mutual offices between them; we praying to them, and they praying for us: the greater helping the less, and the less in all their necessities, having recourse unto the greater.   

THE THIRD ARGUMENT,  
Is also in explication and confirmation of the former. And supposing that if it be lawful to pray the Saints of Heaven, it is no less lawful to pray unto them, as I have showed before in the third consideration; It may be framed in this manner. It is lawful to recommend our wants by way of prayer or entreaty, unto all the friends of God, that are desirous to hear us and are able to help us in particular. But such are all the Saints of Heaven; Therefore it is lawful in such manner to commend ourselves, and our wants unto them.  
The Mayor is so evident, even by the light of Nature, that there needeth no Scripture to confirm it. For as now at this day, so no doubt before the Scripture was written, it was lawful for the child to recommend himself, unto the prayers of his Father, or of any other holy man, because it was believed, that such kind of men, were able and willing to help them by their prayers. And the only reason of any weight, which the Protestants allege for their not praying to Saints, is especially this; because they think the Saints of heaven do not hear them; Wherefore if they hear and can and will help us, there is no further doubt, but that we may pray and beseech them to relieve us.  
The Minor therefore, that the Saints in Heaven are most desirous, and likewise most able both to hear and help us, is proved first, a Posteriore, or from the effect: and secondly a Priore, or from the cause: a Posteriore, thus; They do actually present or recommend our prayers unto God; The four 
Apoc. 5. ●  Beasts, and the 24. Elders, having golden vials full of Odours, which are the Prayers of Saints. Therefore they not only know our prayers in particular (unless thou wilt imagine, that they Offer them sealed up in a Bag, as ignorant of that which is contained in them) but also are a mean to God for us, and help us to obtain them.  
The same is also proved a Priore three manner of ways.  
And first, by the perfect love and charity, which is between the Saints in heaven, and their brethren here on earth. For as Saint Paul saith, Charitas nunquam excidit, Charity (which is the love of God and our brethren) never falleth away, but remaineth with his Saints for ever. And the reason thereof is manifest. For, loving God so perfectly as they do, they must needs love all those, whom they know to be so much beloved of him, as that he gave his only Son to redeem them. This therefore being supposed out of Scripture, and the Minor consisting of two parts; The first, that the Saints of heaven, desire to hear and help us, And the second, that they are able to do both the one & the other. The first part I prove by the latter, in this manner: The Saints of God desire it; therefore they cannot want the means to perform it.  
That they desire it, is proved first out of the Nature of all true love in general. For the which you must understand, That Love being the first act of the Will: and the formal object of both the act, and power of the will, being that which is good; to love another, is nothing else, but to will him that which is good, especially for this reason, because it is good unto him. So that, the final and formal cause of true love, being the good of another; To love one truly, is to wish him all the good that may be; and to love very much, is to will, or to wish the same very much unto him.  
And because it is the Nature of the will, and by consequence of love, to do that which it willeth, unless it be hindered, Therefore it produceth in us, not only a desire to hear and understand, the good and evil of the party beloved: but moveth us likewise by all the means we can, to prosecute the one, and to avoid the other. For the which cause, love is said to be more effectual than affectual; Plus enim facit quam ●fficat, and according to Saint Gregory, Probatio amonis est exhibitio operis. And therefore Love without these acts and fruits of love, is worse than the Figtree which our Saviour cursed, and is indeed no love at all.  
From whence also it followeth, that albeit we may love those whom we know not in particular, as belonging to such an One, or as the parts of such a Community which is principally beloved of us, and may content ourselves with that general good which we are able to do them: yet if our love be perfect it is impossible we should not desire to know them, and to do for them also in particular if we be able, or if our attendance to the particular knowledge and service of them, do not hinder some greater good, which otherwise we might perform in general towards them. By which it is manifest, that either the Saints in heaven desire to hear us, & to relieve us, not only in general; but also in particular when we call upon them, because the one in them can be no hindrance to the other: Or else it must needs be granted, that they do not love us. For that without this desire, it is very plain they care not for us.  
I know some Protestants do here object against this particular care, the same which many Atheists have also objected against the providence of God; Affirming that the Saints of heaven 
Caluin. instit: lib. 3. cap: 20 per. 24  cannot give ear to our Prayers, or attend to our affairs, without some trouble and impeachment to their felicity. But the Protestants granting as they do, that this is no trouble at all, neither to the person of God, nor to the soul of Christ, nor to the Angels themselves (Psal. 90. 11. Dan. 10. 13. Zac. 1. 12. Math. 18. 10 Lue. 15. 10. Acts. 12. 15. Apoc. 8. 3.) make this Objection against the Saints of God, with less reason and more malice, than it was made by their Masters before them against God himself.  
Secondly therefore, this desire of theirs will yet better appear by the consideration of the Nature of Charity in particular.  
For according to that, which hath been said, as to love another is to will the good, and by consequence the will of another; which is also the reason that a wicked man, because he willeth not his own good, as he is wicked, can never be truly beloved: so to love God, is nothing else, but to will, the will of God; and therefore in effect to desire that it may be perfectly fulfilled, both in ourselves, & in all other Creatures.  
And because, as the Apostle speaketh This is the will of God, 
Thes: 4. 3  o●r sanctification, or which is all one, the salvation of ourselves and others. Therefore to love God about all things, wherein consisteth the nature of all charity, includeth a will to attend above all other things unto the sanctification & salvation, first of ourselves, and secondly of all our Brethren. Now then to go forward, as nothing is desired, but that which is good: so the greater the good is, if it be well known and considered, the more it is desired; And therefore, as there is nothing so good as the will of God: so nothing by many degrees can be so much desired, of those that truly love God, as that his will be most perfectly fulfilled, in the sanctification and salvation of all men.  
Again, as the will of God himself is the end of all things: so the love of his will, and the desire of doing thereof, is the end of all other loves, and all other desires. And therefore, as God himself hath ordained, so it must needs be, that our love of his will, and desire to fulfil the same, if our love be right, do exceed with like proportion all other worldly loves or desires whatsoever.  
Wherefore to conclude this point; if true love in the lowest degree, not only of grace, but also of Nature, produceth in us a perpetual and constant desire, not only to hear and understand, the good and evil of the parties beloved: but also to endeavour by all good means and courses to relieve them; how great must the flood and Torrent be of that desire, which floweth continually in the highest degree, from the Fountain and sowrse of all love, which is God himself, into the Souls of the Saints of heaven, to comply, and cooperate with his eternal will, by all the means they can, in the sanctification and salvation of others.  
And if the zeal of men on earth, not only in the time of grace: but also under the dead letter of the Law, extend itself with such desire, not only to hear and understand, but also to secure and redress by their daily prayers, infinite dangers & continual labours and miseries of their brethren; compassing both Sea and Land (as our Saviour saith) to make one 
Math, 23 15,  Proselyte, or to convert one soul unto Christ; how much more doth the inflamed charity of the Saints in heaven, transform their souls into the like desire?  
And admiring so much as we do, the vehement love of Moses, and zeal of Saint Paul while they lived amongst men, to their Natural brethren the 
Exod. 32 32.  jews; not refusing to be strucken out of the Book of life, and to be made an Athema, if need 
Rom. 9 3  should be for their salvation; How wonderful and unmeasurable think you, is the desire of the Saints of heaven, to procure the salvation of their brethren here on earth? and how effectual to recommend their particular prayers, which here even in this world, is the least, and most easy office, that one friend can do for an other? certainly, this desire in these golden vials, must needs so far exceed the former in those earthen vessels, as the easiness of the one exceedeth the difficulty of the other; And as their knowledge and love of God whom now they see, exceedeth the obscure knowledge which they had of him, and their imperfect love towards him when they could not behold him.  
Add unto all this, that the felictie of the Saints of heaven, is much increased and perfected, by the salvation of their brethren on earth. And therefore, as much as they desire the perfection of their own felicity, they can no less desire to receive, and to recommend our prayers unto God; with they know to be the chiefest means both on our parts and theirs whereby to obtain it.  
Thus, as I take it-having plainly showed how exceedingly the Saints desire both to hear and help us in our necessities, according to that superabundance of their love and charity towards us, which passeth all human understanding; let us now consider whether it follow hereof, that they are able to do those good Offices for us, with they so much desire. Which is easily proved as followeth.  
Whensoever Almighty God giveth a Love, an Inclination, or Desire to any thing, he giveth also some power and ability to obtain the same. As we see in the desires and inclinations of all Natural things. As for example, in the inclination of the Elements to their proper places: in the Appetite of Birds and Beasts, to those things that are necessary for the preservation of their Nature: and finally, in all the Natural propentions and desires of man.. And the reason thereof is evident. For Almighty God having ordained the one to obtain the other; and desire of itself being not sufficient to procure the thing desired, he should come short of his purpose, working in vain, and leaving his work unperfit, like unto him in the Gospel, Qui cepit aedifi●are & non potuit consumare, unless having given the desire, he have given therewithal some other more sufficient power and ability to attain unto that which is desired. Wherefore, this being true, and a general rule in all his works upon earth; how much more is it also true, and a certain rule in Heaven, where all appetites are satisfied, and all desires fulfilled? And having given the very possession and fruition of himself, and of his Son Christ jesus, to reward his Saints; how, as St. Paul saith together with himself, Will he not give them all things, which their hearts can desire? And if 
Rom. 8. 3●  it be true which himself hath promised, that he will hea●●ths 
Psa. 10. 1●  desire of a poor man, being yet in his trial: how can it stand, either with his own goodness, or with the felicity of those, that enjoy the riches of his Kingdom, to withhold that from them, which so reasonably, and so exceedingly they desire, according to his own ordinance, and out of the infinite love they bear him? And as the Scripture saith, If he were not able to 
Gen. 28, 27.  conceal from Abraham the evil which he intended, against the wicked City of Sodom, to the end, that by Abraham's prayers he might pardon them if it were possible, according to the ordinary Law of his Divine providence: and whereby also as it is probable, his cozen Lot was saved from that dreadful fire; how can he conceal from his friends in Heaven the good, or evil which he intendeth to their brethren? to the end that by their prayers, according to his Divine providence, bringing all things to pass by Ordinary means, he may confer the one, and pardon the other?  
Whereby it appeareth how vain it is, which the Protestants do here object, that because the Saints have no ears they cannot hear us. For albeit they have no corporal Organ of hearing; yet Almighty God is not so poor of power, but that he may easily provide them of other means, For neither the Angels, nor the Devils have ears; and yet notwithstanding the Protestants will not deny; that they have power to hear our words when we speak; or which in them is all one, to understand our meaning. Neither doth the want of an ear, make this kind of hearing the worse, but rather much the better. For being thereby freed from all those conditions and circumstances, which limit and contract the corporal passion and immutation of the Sense of hearing, to place and distance, &c: no reason can be given, but that they may hear as well a far off, as near at hand; yea, our thoughts aswell as our words, when we are willing to have them known unto them. For in this manner and no otherwise are we able to conceive, how one Angel or Devil should naturally hear or understand another. Why then will the Protestants deny that power to any Saint in Heaven, which they know to be no more than is given to the Devil?  
And truly though they had no means at all to hear our prayers immediately & directly, as they come from ourselves; yet they might easily know them, because as St. Augustine saith, they have the means to see them. And if Elizeus, while 
4 Reg. 5● 26.  he did as a Child, and thought as a child, and knew as a child, 
1 Cor. 13 11.  which is the state of all men in this world, or could see, and know without eyes what his servant did, and said in his absence; How much more, the Saints of God, being come to that mature knowledge, and greatness of perfect men which they enjoy in Heaven, are able without eyes or ears, to behold those things, which are done or said, where they are 
Greg: li● 2. Dial 35. lib, c. 33. li● 12. Mo● cap, 14  not present? For according to St Gregory; Unto the eye of him, who beholdeth never so little of the light of the Creator, all that is Created seemeth little more than nothing; And therefore in heaven (saith he) Where all with one Common light behold the face of God; what is it that there they know not, where they know him, that knoweth all things?  
Notably therefore St. Barnard proveth, that our B. Lady, 
Bernard ●erm. in Assum. B. Marry.  being ascended on high, giveth gifts unto men; because nothing doth more Commend the greatness, either of her power or of her pity; Which we must needs grant, unless (saith he) we will either believe, that the Son of God doth not honour his Mother, in granting her this power: or doubt that the Bowels of Mary, may be without Charity, in which, the Charity itself, which is of God, remained corporally 9 Months together. To which purpose also, Saint Augustine speaking of St. Peter, doth argue in this manner; If then the shadow of his Body was able to help; how much more now the 
Augu. ser. 19 de Sanctis.  fullness of his virtue? If he were so powerful, to help those that be sought him before his Martyrdom: how much more efficacious is he after his Triumphs? And St. Hierome, disputing with Vigillantius the heretic expressly of this matter, egregiously confoundeth his adversary with these words that follow; Thou 
Hierom● con. vigil. cap. 3.  sayest in thy Book, that while we line, we may pray for each other; but after we are dead, no man's prayer can be heard for another: especially when the Martyrs praying to have their blood revenged, were not able to obtain it. Which reason of the Heretic was most false; for their request was not denied, but only a little delayed for the good of their Brethren. But hear what St. Hierome answereth; If the Apostles and Martyrs while they were in their Bodies could pray for others, when it imported them to be careful of themselves; how much more after their victorious Crowns and Triumphs? Moses' being but one, obtained pardon of God for six hundred thousand Armed men; And shall he be of less force, being now with Christ in Heaven? Paul the Apostle saith, That 270. souls in the Ship with him, were given unto him: And after his resolution, when he began to be with Christ, must he shut up his mouth and not be able, to speak so much as one half word, for those, who through the world have believed his Gospel? Shall Vigillantius, this living Dog, be better than he that dead Lion? For to this purpose, I might well use the words of the Preacher; If I believed Saint Paul to be dead in spirit, the Saints are not said to be dead, but (to wit according to the body) sleeping or reposing. Thus Saint Hierome.  
Secondly therefore (to proceed) The willingness and ability of the Saints in Heaven to hear and assist us, is proved out of those Scriptures, which teach us, that the Saints in heaven, and the Saints on earth, are all Brethren of the same family, and Domesticals of God; having all received the adoption 
Ephes: 19 Gal: 4 Ephe, 4 Gal. 4. Heb. 1 23.  of the Sons of God, and being all fellow members of the same Body, and Citizens of the same City, which is the heavenly Jerusalem our Mother, the Church of the first borne, including the society of many thousand Angels.  
Which being supposed, we may argue in this manner. In every Mystical body or society, the principal and more perfit members, have power and ability more or less to help and assist the rest that are more imperfect, according to their particular necessities. For this is the end of all Community, and therefore so true, that no city or kingdom, or civil Body can stand without it. But the Saints in Heaven, are the principal parts of this Mystical body; Therefore it must needs follow, that they have some kind of means to hear and to help us in particular, when we call upon them. For otherwise, they could neither make one Family, nor one city nor one Body with us, which is directly against the Scriptures here before alleged.  
Again, in every Society, those members that are out of danger and in prosperity, are bound in duty to secure those that are in any great danger or necessity, especially when it greatly concerneth the good of the whole Body. But such are the Saints of heaven, and such is the case between us and them, especially when we find ourselves assaulted with some grievous affliction, or vehement Temptation in particular; Therefore according to their power, when such occasions happen, they are bound as may be said in duty to relieve us. He (saith St. john) that shall have the Substance of this world, and shall see his Brother have need, and shall shut his Bowels from him; how doth the Charity of God abide in him? Wherefore, the Saints of God, having the substance of the other world: and possessing the Treasures of all Graces, we must either foully condemn them, for want of Charity; or else, we must needs grant, that they open their Bowels to relieve the necessities of their distressed brethren. And truly Almighty God, seeing the want of this power in his Saints to help us (if it were so as the Protestants would have it) and the Saints again seeing our miseries, or if they do not, it is because they will not; how may it be thought, that either God himself can shut the Bowels of his Charity from them, when they ask the one: or they from us, when we call upon them to be relieved in the other? Wherefore to conclude this second reason, for the proof of their Power to help us; consider gentle Reader, whether it can stand, either with the unity of this mystical body, that the Saints in Heaven should not have it: or with their Obligation not to demand it: or with their felicity not to enjoy it: or with God's goodness not to grant it.  
Thirdly and lastly then, this willingness and power of theirs is yet further proved, by their special Patronage and protection of us; for the one doth evidently include the other, and no man can imagine, how they can be truly said to guide and defend us, who like the Idols of the Gentiles, are neither able to hear us nor to help us. Wherefore, their Pastoral care and protection over us is showed, first, by reason grounded upon Scripture, and secondly, by the Scripture itself. And the first reason thereof, may be framed in this manner. In every well ordered Body or Common wealth, the members which are the most potent prudent, and perfect, are appointed to govern and protect the rest. But the Saints of heaven make one body with us, as hath been proved by the express word of God; Therefore, as being the most sufficient Members thereof, they must be Ordained by God to govern and direct us. According whereunto St. C●prian concludeth most excellently, of the holy Innocents': That being made privy to the secrets 
Cyprian  of God, with most familiar approaches, they beseech his clemency to bless our labours. And 
Lib de Stella. Magis & Innoc: etc.  that being translated from the Cradle to Heaven, they are made Senators and judges of the supernal Cappitoll, obtaining pardon for many. And although they assist Almighty God, not only in his Divine mercies, but also in his punishments: yet they serve themselves more of the mildness, then of the fury of the Lamb, whom they follow wheresoever he goeth. Thus St. Cyprian.  
Whereunto may be added another reason, For he that will contemplate a little, shall easily find, that Almighty God, seldom or never doth any thing by himself alone, which may be brought to pass by means of those his Creatures that are apt to be made the instruments of his Divine power. Not that he hath any need of them, but because it belongeth to his glory & their perfection, as much as may be, to be served of them. Which is not only seen in the visible preservation of this world, all things depending therein of more inferior causes: but also confessed in the invisible movers, and Governors thereof, his holy Angels. Who are therefore, in general acknowledged by Saint Paul, to be administering Spirits, and are particularly 
Heb. 2. 14  testified among other 
Num. 20 16.  things, to have had the conduction of the Isralites, out of 
Exod. 23 20.  Egypt, and in the person of God, to have given the Law it 
Act. 7. 30 35. 53.  self unto them.  
Wherefore the Saints of heaven, being so much more fit to govern and protect us, than the Angels: by how much they are nearer unto us both by Grace and Nature, and through their own experience of our fragility, have better learned to take compassion of our infirmity: It cannot stand with the sweetness of God's prouldence, to exclude them from the Patronage and protection of us. For the which he hath made them ●o fit, and which many of them have so well deserved, not only by their charity towards us, but also by their good government of us, while yet they lived here amongst us.  
For further proof whereof, it is not hard to allege many good passages, and pregnant places of holy Scripture. For so our Saviour promised, That the faithful servant, should be 
Math. 24 47.  appointed over all the goods of his Master. According whereunto he also told his Disciples; That he disposed unto them, as 
Luc. 22. 29.  his Father disposed unto him a Kingdom. And therefore likewise the same power which the Father promised to the Son, where he said; That he would give him the Gentiles for his inheritance: 
Psal. 2, 5, 9  & that he should rule them in a Rod of Iron, and like a Potter's vessel they shall be Broken: The same power again the Son doth promise unto him, who shall keep his works unto the end, saying; I will give 
Apoc: 2, 27.  him Power over Nations, and he shall rule them with a Rod of Iron, and like the Vessel of a Potter they shall be Broken. For which cause also, they are said To hold in their hands two edged 
Psal 149 7, 8, 9  sword, to punish the Nations, and Correct the people: to bind their Kings in Fetters, and their Noblemen in manacles of Iron; And that it is the glory of God's Saints to execute the judgement which he prescribeth. And finally, to the same purpose our Saviour affirmeth, That he 
Apoc. 3, 12.  who overcame, should be made a Pillar in the Temple of God: And that he should sit in his 
Apoc. 3, 24.  own Throne with him, as I (saith he) have overcome, and sit with my Father in his Throne. So that, as the Father governeth the world by his Son: so again, the Son governeth the Church by the ministery of his Saints. In which respect they are said to be placed with him in the same Throne of Government, or in the same Tribunal of Authority; wherein we must also believe, that they shall sit to judge both men and Angels at the Day of Donne.  
Which testimonies of Scripture, albeit clear in themselves: yet to exclude those voluntary and self pleasing expositions, which the Protestants are wont to frame upon them; it will not be amiss to confirm by some few authorities of the Ancient Fathers.  
For unto the testimony of Saint Cyprian, who acknowledgeth 
S. Cyprian Orat. in 40. Mart.  them as you have heard, to be the Senators, and ●●dges of the Supernal C 〈…〉 ti, etc. May be added these that follow.  
Saint Bazill therefore, calleth the Martyrs, the Common keepers of Mankind, and excellent Companions of our cares. Saint Nazianzen, prayeth unto Saint 
Nazianz● Orat. in Cyprianun  Cyprian, to look from above, to direct his words and his life: To feed, or rather to govern with him the holy Sheepfolde, committed to his charge. St. Hilary 
S. Hilary serm. 124.  saith, That the Custody of the Saints is never wanting to those that desire to stand. As the Angels govern, so also they that 
Ambr. lib▪ 8. in Luc.  have deserved the life of Angels, saith S. Ambrose. And you heard before, how he calleth the Saints our Governors and the overseers of our lives and actions. Saint Maximus proveth, That 
Max. Ser. de mart. Tauricis.  we have great familiarity with the Martyrs, because they are with us; and stay with us, keeping us while we live in our Bodies: and receiving us when we depart 
Theodor. Lib. 8. ad● Graecos,  out of our Bodies. Theodoret recordeth, That they who are to go far from home, beseech the Martyrs to be their companions in the way, or rather to be the guides of their journey: and they that are safely returned give thanks, and acknowledge the benefit received. Now saith S. Leo, The good Shepherd S. Peter doth exceute the Commandment of 
Leo Ser. 3. de anniver. suae Assump.  his Lord, confirming us with his exhortations, and not ceasing to pray for us, that no temptation overcome us. By all which, it is more than manifest, that the Saints of heaven have their part in the government of this world under God, offering up our prayers unto him, assisting the good and punishing the wicked, as it pleaseth God to appoint them.  
Wherefore to conclude this my Third Argument: all truth may very well be called the word of God, being eternally expressed, and represented unto him by the fertility of his divine understanding, which can neither deceive us, nor be deceived, And therefore, whither it be revealed unto us by his external word, or intimated by the light of nature, whereby he writeth the same in our hearts; or made known unto us, partly by the one, and partly by the other: it is always a most certain and a most secure direction for us in all our actions.  
It is so natural for men in affliction to call upon all those that are able to help them, though merely strangers unto them, & the lawfulness thereof is so evident, even by the light of reason, that it would seem a point of Madness, not to ask their relief in case of necessity, though no Scripture at all could be produced, wherein the same were expressly warranted.  
Wherefore, having abundantly showed out of the written word, that the Saints in respect of their wonderful love to us; and their unspeakable fervour with Almighty God, are not only willing and able to help us: but also that they actually recommend our prayers unto GOD, and are obliged thereunto; First, as being fellow members, and Secondly, as the principal superintendants, supreme Senators and judges, of that mystical Body, which is the Church of God under Christ our head; The lawfulness of prayer unto them, entreating their more gracious prayers, and blessed assistance, doth so evidently and so necessarily follow thereof, that certainly if it be nor madness; I do not say with some Puritans, to condemn it of Sacrilege or Idolatry in the holy Fathers themselves; but so as to suspect it of superstition, error or timerity, wherewith other Protestanes are wont to charge all those, who address themselves, either to the invocation or intercession of them; But the hurt is to themselves, of whom we may well say, as the Prophet said, of every wicked man in particular, Noluit be●e●●ctionem ● elongabitur ab co. They would not benediction, and therefore it shall be removed far from them. For, if they deserve not to be heard of God, but do rather offend him, who being in some temporal misery, will be delivered by him alone, and obstinately refuse to beg the help or charity of those, unto whom he hath given both will, power, and direction to relieve them; what favour can the Protestants expect at the hands of God in their necessities, if knowing and considering as they ought, that the Saints of Heaven are appointed by his Divine Majesty to be so many Fathers, and Masters, & Superiors unto them; Out of Pride, or stomach, or presumption they will not once open their mouths to call upon them, but rather utterly refuse to receive any benefit, or consolation by them?   

THE FOURTH ARGUMENT.  
Is Double, or two fold, being framed upon two Parallels, or parities, clearly drawn out of the Scripture; Whereby if thou mark it well, thou shalt also find that all those objections are plainly refuted, which the Protestants are wont to make against Prayer to Saints.  
The first Parity; It is lawful to pray unto Angels, Therefore it cannot be unlawful to pray unto Saints; because no reason can be given, why the one should be more allowed than the other. Invocation of Angels, is proved expressly by the example of I●cob, who Blessing the Sons of joseph 〈◊〉; The Angel that 
Gen 48, 16.  delivereth me from all evil, Bless these Children. Which to be spoken to a true Angel is witnessed by Saint 
Bazill li●. ●. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chri●ost hom. ●, ●n la●d St. Paul. job, 5, 1.  Bazill, and St. chrysostom.  
This is also confirmed by the practice of the Church in the time of job, unto whom one of his three friends spoke as followeth: Call, if there be any that will answer thee, and turn thee to some one of the Saints. Where by name of Saints, Saint Augustine, in his Annotations understandeth 
S. August  Angels: And no sufficient reason can be given, why jobs friend, a man of singular wisdom, should advise him to call upon any of the Angels, if it had not been a laudable custom in those days, for men in misery to do the like. And the same may well be said of the jews, who not understanding our Saviour when he hung upon the Cross, affirmed that he called upon Elias; which is a probable Argument, that it was no strange thing amongst them at that time to call upon Elias.  
The second parity, It is lawful to pray to Saints that are living; Therefore, it is lawful to pray unto the Saints that are departed. The consequence is proved, because Almighty GOD, is no more dishonoured by the one, then by the other: our Saviour CHRIST, no more forsaken, nor sacrilege any more committed, in the one of these more than in the other: neither can any reason be alleged out of Scripture, why it should be better to desire, the prayers of men on earth, who have enough to ask for themselves; then to recommend our prayers to the Saints of Heaven▪ who being secure of their own, may the better be solicitous of the salvation of others; especially considering, they not only hear us: but also sit with Christ in his own Throne, to govern and protect us as hath been proved.  
Which Argument hath the more force, because we use, and that very commendably, to request the prayers of those, of whom we are most uncertain, whether they be friends or enemies of God Almighty. Whereof it followeth; That albeit, it were no less uncertain, whether the Saints of Heaven do hear us or not; or whether their intercession may avail us or not: yet unless we were sure of the contrary, which no Protestant can be, this last reason alone, might be sufficient to induce any reasonable man to recommend himself unto their prayers.  
And truly the Protestants enlarging their consciences so far in this particular, as to think it no s●●n● at all, but rather an act of P 〈…〉 e to request the prayers, not only o● v● whom they persecute, as most contrary to themselves in many essential points of Faith: but also of others, who show themselves most opposite to God himself, in their Life and conversation, Fornicators, Aculterers, Usurers, Blasphemers, Drunkards, and the like; It is a wonderful thing, how contemning the authority of the Primitive Church in the first Ages after Christ: eluding an Article of their ●reece: Renown 〈…〉 part of those pre 〈…〉 ●s O lours which are the primer 〈◊〉 S 〈…〉 'tis: Infringing a titles of Lo●e and fellowship with the Saints of Heaven: And b 〈…〉 king all bonds of subjection, and Subordination unto them, so contrary to those Scriptures before alleged; they should condemn even the holy Fathers themselves of Sacrilege and Idolatry, for craving their intercession, and think it as bad, or little better in us, to recommend ourselves unto the prayer of any Saint in Heaven, then to the help or protection of the Devil in Hell.  
But far more wonderful it is, that the Protestants here withal, especially during the first fruits of their spirit, and in their very beginning (whereof I think some of their Scholars are now ashamed) did not only abridge and spoil the Saints of Heaven of that little honour, which men on earth were able to give them as to the friends of God: but did also dishonour and abuse their holy Relics, in such foul and hateful manner; as worse could not have been done to the bodies & bones of Devils incarnate. And if it be monstrous impiety in the Son, to tread under feet the dead Body of his Father, or to mangle or destroy it, or to cast it despitefully on the Dunghill what crime soever he had committed; what Barbarous inhumanity and Heathenish impiety (which God forgive) did the Protestants perform, upon the Sacred Bodies of those glorious Saints, that aught to have been a thousand times more dear unto them, than the flesh & blood of their own Fathers? certainly the doers of these things, could not be sent from God Almighty, who vouchsafeth to honour his Saints so exceedingly as hath been showed; but from him who by the hands of Protestants having furiously torn the bodies of their Saints out of their graves, would also have plucked their souls out of Heaven, if he had been able.   

THE FIFT ARGUMENT  
is taken from the exceeding many Mirracles, and supernatural effects, wherewith it pleased God in all ages to make most honourable demonstration of the glory of his Saints, and of their infallible power through his virtue, to help all those that call upon them. For a Miracle, 
Exod. 11 10. Deut. 4, 34. Math, 12 3●. Mark, 16 17. Deut. 18, 22. joh. 5, ●6 10, 38. 14, 12. 15. 24.  may well be called a Testimony, or Certificate of the truth which it confirmeth, published as it were to the worlaes under the proper hand, and great broad Seal of GOD himself, which therefore is also called a Sign; And which, as above all other proofs, the jews were commanded to receive in the old Law: so were they cast out of God's favour, for disobeying the same in the new.  
It were too long to descend to particulars, for the which, I refer me with Bellarmine, to the Epistle of Nilus, recited in the seventh 
Nilus. Theodor.  general Council to Theodoret, in his History, lib. 5. cap. 24. & lib. 8. ad Graecas: To Saint Ambrose▪ serm. 19 
Ambrose  which is of Saint Agn●s: To S 〈…〉 Augustine, lib. 22: 
Augustin  the C●●tate Dei, cap 8. Io. Gregori● the great, Lib. 3. 
Gregory  D●al. Cap. 22. 24. 25. 37. T 〈…〉 Bon●uenture in the 
Bonavent.  life of Saint Francis. And finally to the life of Saint Barnar●: 
Life of S. Bernard  wherein there is received a most wonderful Miracle wrought by Saint Barnard himself, who in confirmation of this very point of prayer to Saints, which he preached against the heretics of his time that spoke against it; Blessed certain bread which the people offered with the Sign of the Cross, and said; In this you shall know, that those things are true which we have Preached If all your sick, having tasted of this Bread, shall be restored to their former health, And when the Bishop there had said, If they re●●iue it with a good faith they shallbe healed; Saint Barnard added, I do not say so, but assuredly whosoever they be tha● taste it, shall be healed, to the end they may know that we are true Messengers sent from God. Whereupon, a huge multitude of sick folks having tasted that Bread recovered, that this word was divulged over all the Province.  
To conclude, in all the places likewise before alleged, those venerable and renowned Authors have related so many Miracles in this point of prayers to Saints, as if any Protestant would take the pains, either to read them, or to hear them recited, they would be more than sufficient to convince him, For he that should deride or contemn the judgements of those famous Saints, were very profane; And how can he think himself a good Christian, that will give no credit or belief to the chief Pastors and Doctors of the Church of Christ? whom shall we believe; if we believe not them? Were not this to take away all faith, and together therewith all Moral belief out of the word?  
And this shall suffice me (Courteous Reader) to have collected for the most part out of other Catholic Authors for thy satisfaction in this point of prayer to Saints drawn by good consequence out of the Text itself of holy scripture, which the Protestants on the other side have neither heretofore nor ever will be able to answer hereafter; and much less to produce any  Argument out of Scripture, for the proof of the contrary: without the which notwithstanding, though we alleged no proof at all, it were more than absurd to condemn any general custom or practice of Church or Common wealth; as hath been noted in the beginning.  
Wherefore gentle friend now at the length to conclude this whole discourse; if thou rest satisfied therewith I shall think my labour well bestowed: but neither will I think it lost, if I may gain so much of thee, as not fearing to venture thy Soul, with the ancient Fathers, upon a truth so testified, not only by the word of God in Scripture: but also with the very hand of God in Signs and Miracles, aswell at this present time, as in all former ages; thou wilt be content to make some trial of the power & ability, of the Saints to help thee, by recommending thyself seriously to their intercession for thee; desiring them to beseech Almighty God, that thou mayst obtain sufficient light to discern his every saving truth, and effectual grace to embrace it, And in particular, to recommend thy poor Soul to the prayers of the Mother of God, our Blessed Lady; who, as Saint Barnard saith, is the neck under Christ our head, whereby all Grace descendeth unto every member of his mystical Body. For I doubt not thou shalt find that true comfort, and Real satisfaction in the exercises thereof, with such a touch of God's finger, as well better persuade thy heart, than any other Pen can master thy understanding, until it please his divine Majesty to subject it fully to the rule of faith; and to place it firmly on the Rock which is the pillar and foundation of truth.  
And so remitting thee to the Prayers themselves of this Book, I desire to be partaker of their good effects: etc. rest.   
Thine in jesus Christ: C. A.   

THE interior occupation of the SOUL. Treating, of the important business of our salvation with God & his saints, by way of Prayer.  

Title 1. Adoration.  
1. I Adore thee, O great GOD, with all the creatures which are in Heaven and on earth, prostrated & cast down even to the centre of my nothing, & before the T●rone of thy sovereign Majesty.  
2. My affection is far too little to acknowledge thy high Deity, and therefore I present unto thee the hearts of Angels and men, the natural property of the elements, the growth of plants, the sense of beasts, the motion of whatsoever is in nature, and the very being of all things. Adoring with the dependence, which they have of thy divinity, that which thou art in them, and honouring that, which they are in thee.  
3. If I had the affection of all those men & women, which have presented unto thee sacrifices of divine worship, and sovereign adoration, as well in the law of nature, as in the written & evangelical law, I should melt in thy presence: but seeing that all things subsist before thee, I beseech thee that thou wilt accept my most humble and profound adoration, as comprising them all, and being comprised in them.  
4. Above all I offer, & present the interior actions of the humanity of jesus Christ thy son, even from the first instant of the creation thereof, to the very last period of his life: and those also, which he continually exerciseth in heaven.  
5. I present also unto thee, the internal acts of that most happy Virgin his mother, of the Cherubins, Seraphins, and of all those holy spirits, which opposed themselves against the revolt of the Apostate Angels: and whatsoever else hath proceeded at any time from those souls, which have been most pleasing unto thee from the beginning of the world. Beseeching thee to number me amongst them, to join my holocaust with theirs, and to receive it as a sweet smelling sacrifice.  
6. The most part of corporal creatures, do not acknowledge the being, they have received from thee, nor the Obligation, which they have to thee for the same: many abuse that being, which thou hast bestowed upon them, as Infidels, heretics, reprobates, and all the accursed devils: I offer thee them, O my God, and prostrate them, as much as is in my power, at the feet of thy Majesty, adoring thee as often as they offend and blaspheme thee, and I do homage unto thee with the actions, and the very natural being, with the which they sin, and which they abuse.  
7. Great is the honour, that hitherto hath been ●oone to the great personages of the earth, and is still continued every day, Incense hath been offered up to Idols, Idolatry is committed to corporal beauty, O the God of my soul, I lay hold of all those thoughts, words, profane actions & passions, and as far as my mind can stretch, I separate from them all deformity, to make a present, and sacrifice of that being, they have, of which thou art the Author.  
8. I ask thee also, most humble pardon, for all the honour, which since I came first to the use of reason, I have given to creatures without referring it actually, or habitually to thee, who art the fountain of all greatness, and excellency itself: of which excellency, honour is but a testimony, and mark.  
9 To conclude, I acknowledge and adore thee, O sovereign Deity, Father, Son & holy Ghost, as often as I breath, or as there are minutes in an hour, stars in the Sky, leaves upon the trees, sands in the sea, thoughts in the hearts of men and Angels.  
10. Dispose of the world, as it shall please thee, do with me, and with all creatures, as seems best to thy Majesty, raise up, pluck down, chastise, cherish; be thou such to Angels & men in Heaven, in earth, in time, and in eternity, as stands best with thy liking, In all, and by all, and always, I will adore thy providence, I will conform myself to thy will, as the only paradise of my soul. And I will make good to all, & against all, this most certain truth, that thou canst not do, but that which I will, for I will whatsoever thou dost.   

Title 2. Thanksgiving.  
1. I Thank thee, O my GOD, that thou art as thou art, the greatest good, that can befall me.  
2. I thank thee O mighty Father, that knowing thyself, thou ingendrest a word, which is thy Son, and another thyself.  
3. I present most humbly thanksgiving (O incomparable Father) that thou lovest thy Son, and thy Son loveth thee with such a love, and so admirably perfect, that it carrieth with it the common essence, nature, and substance of you both.  
4. I thank thee, O my God, for the extraordinary graces which thou hast bestowed upon the soul of our Saviour jesus Christ thy Son: and I thank thee my sweet jesus, for those which thou hast imparted to thy worthy Mother: and I thank thee, O merciful holy Ghost for those, which the Angels, the patriarchs, the Prophet's Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, and all the Court of Heaven, have received from thee, not only during their abode here in earth, but also since their happy abode in Heaven.  
5. And in particular I give thee thanks for the grace, and glory, thou hast bestowed upon mine Angel guardian, and upon the Saint my patron, of whom by thy especial providence, I have my name.  
6. What thanksgiving shall I render unto thee for the goods of my soul and body, which I have received from thee? I do give thee thanks for them, in him for whom, and by whom thou hast bestowed them upon me, who is jesus Christ thy Son. And I give thee thanks, that in his name, and by his merits, I have received them, not willing to have any thing, but by him, and for him. I present unto thee the same thanksgiving, which the soul of my Lord thy Son, did offer unto thee at that instant, when it knew itself created of nothing, and personally united to the word.  
7. I give thee thanks for thy gifts, not because they are mine, but because they are thine, not because they are agreeable to my will, but because they are conformable to thine: being most ready and willing to be deprived of them, when it shall please thee, to take them to thee again: beseeching thee, that thou wilt so do, when thou shalt judge it more for thy glory.  
8. Thou hast bestowed graces upon me, which through thy grace I know, and acknowledge, and thou hast bestowed upon me others, of which through mine own blindness, I am ignorant, Thou hast bestowed, and wouldst yet bestow more, if it were not long of myself. Thou wilt bestow also others, which I shall not acknowledge, and which through my frailty, and accustomed ingratitude I shall abuse. For all which, my God, God of infinite goodness, & mercy, I give thee thanks with all the force, that it hath pleased thee to bestow upon me, & not knowing, nor being able to do it, as I should, I do it in jesus Christ thy Son, with the same affection, acknowledgement, and thanksgiving, which his holy humanity hath given, and doth give incessantly to thy Divinity, for whatsoever favours, or graces, it received of thee.  
9 I am also to give thee thanks for those graces, and favours, which I never received, and which out of thy infinite goodness and providence, thou hast forborn to bestow upon me, as knowing that I would have abused them, and thereby have become more accountable, to thy most exact and most perfect justice.  
10. Over and above all this, as I stand greatly obliged unto thee for thy favours, and graces themselves; So it is true, that I am much more obliged for that love, & charity, out of which thou hast bestowed them upon me. For the which, because it is infinite, I give thee infinite thanks in him, who is the efficient, instrumental, meretorious, and final cause of all thankfulness jesus Christ thy Son; for whom and by whom thou hast done all; praise, love, and glory be unto thee, in him, and by him world without end, Amen.   

Title. 3. Petition.  
1 IF I were mine own, O my God, I would demand many things according to my own sense and will: but seeing it hath pleased thy merciful Charity, that I should not be mine own but thine, what can I desire for myself, which is not for thee and according to thee. Do th●● for me, as for thyself, and dispose of me, as of a thing that is thine.  
2. O Lord, I am thine by creation, by conservation, by redemption and by especial vocation, by condition of nature, and election of my own will, why then dost thou permit, that a stronger take from thee thine inheritance? that I or any other, should enter into possession of that, of which the peaceable propriety appertains to thee? why dost thou endure, that any other will then thine, should be accomplished in me, of whom thou art only and wholly possessed.  
3. He, that doth that which is more, doth easily that which is less; thou givest thyself to me, take me then unto thee. To create me, it cost thee only thy word, but to regenerate me, it cost thee thy life. To form me, an act only of thy will was sufficient; but to reform me, th'effusion of thy blood was judged necessary. Both the one and the other being effected by thee, nothing remaineth but that thou do, and say what thou wilt, so as thou dispose of me according, as thou hast deserved.  
4. So often as I ask of thee any thing, do the contrary, if the contrary shall be more agreeable to thy will, and to thy greater glory. For such is the intention of my Petition.  
5. My wills, are no wills; my petition, refusals; my desires, so many detestations; when thou wilt otherwise, than I desire.  
6. If I knew in every thing, what is thy will, O God, the centre of my soul, I would make known both in Heaven, and earth, that I have no other intention, then to accomplish thy holy will.  
7. Can one be importune to him, of whom he seeks the honour, love, and service according to the measure of his will? If I will any thing else, hear me not, grant it me not, O my God.  
8. Content thou thyself in me, and I shall be content, dispose of me, as of a thing that is thine, and I shallbe too happy.  
9 Why do I (wretch that I am) mine own will, contrary to thy will? or why prevails my will which is not mine, against the will which is both thine and mine.  
10. Have I any secret corner of a stolen will, to which I am not able to resist? If it be so (O searcher of hearts) pluck up by the roots from out of thy field this naughty herb, with all the dependents thereof. But if there be no such thing, lay hold on me wholly for thyself: seeing nothing can hinder me from being thine but an evil will, the which I renounce, as often as it is possible for me to will or nill any thing.  
11. Herein thou hast particularly form me to thine own Image and likeness, that I can will what thou canst will, and as thy power is infinitely extended, the capacity of our will is of like extent: with all the dimensions then of this will, I beg of thee instantly the accomplishment of thy will and the annihilating of mine, if any be to be found in me, which is not thine.  
12. I could particularly tie my will to some certain object, but I do it no further than it joins with thy will, this by thy grace I will, this I intent, this I protest.  
13. Why am I not then henceforth such an one as thou desirest I should be? shall it be said, that my misery hath prevailed against thy mercy; my malice, against thy goodness; my nothing against thy omnipotency; my frailty against thy invincible strength; my poverty against thy riches; my baseness against thy greatness; my indignity against thy dignation; my inconstant will against thy will, which is eternal and immutable? to be short, that which I am, against that which thou art? Endure it not, suffer it not, permit it not O my God, for this would redound much to thy dishonour.  
14. When I present unto thee my desires, either I present nothing, or I intent to present unto thee those very desires of jesus Christ thy Son. Give place then O merciful Father, to the desires of thy Son in the person of thy servant.  
15. He hath promised, that thou wouldst grant unto us, whatsoever we should desire in his name; for his merits then accomplish his desires. This is it, which he, I, and thou wilt.  
16. My Redeemer, thy Son, hath two wills, the one divine, th'other humane: His divine will demands, and commands, that I be humble, patient, charitable, meek, alive to thee, and dead to myself. His humane will demands the same, and hath deserved it. Grant then, O Father, grant unto thy Son, the accomplishment of both wills, both divine and humane, So thou thyself shalt be served, thy son honoured, the holy Ghost, true God of love, be, as he well deserveth, loved. Thy eternal Wisdom, & infinite goodness, did bestow upon me in my creation a free will: I perceive that it will not be unlike unto itself in forcing my will: Neither shall it be needful for thee so to do, if it shall please thee to bestow a grace upon me so agreeable to my will, that without any violence I shall incline it to that which thou wilt. This effectual grace I do desire and ask of thee my God, by the desires and merits of jesus Christ thy Son, my sole and solid hope.  
17. If I be troublesome, importune, and over bold in ask, I shall content myself (O my God) to have obtained one grace, which is, that I may ever be correspondent and answerable to thy graces.  
18. My Lord! if I know not what to do, grant that I may give thee leave to do, and that my doing at the least may be to permit thee to do.  
19 Take from thyself then that offence to see one so miserable, & give unto thyself that contentment, that I may be such a one, as thou wouldst I should be.  
20. Do it not for me, but for thyself: not because I will so, but because so is thy will; not because I deserve it, but for the merits of my Lord thy Son.  
21. There is not a wound in his sacred humanity, there is not a thorn in his crown, which maketh not intercession for me, and beggeth not of thee incessantly that, which thou commandest.  
22. Thou comaundest, they demand, but I amend not myself, who shall prevail at the last in this fight?  
23. O Father, get thee another Son of less merit than he, and of another nature than thine, or do his will, and restore unto him his merit.  
24. His infinite merit was not for himself, the glory of his body and the exaltation of his name only excepted. These are my inheritance, these are my riches, this is my portion. Deny me not that, which it hath pleased thee to bestow upon me, and in doing justice to thy Son, exercise mercy towards thy servant.  
25. If I were honoured with his prayers, thou wouldst hear him, and hear me: So is it then that I can ask thee nothing, I can desire nothing of thee, that he doth not ask and desire, and that with groans which cannot be expressed. Permit me then to argue thus for thee, against thee, O my God.  
26. It is the will of God the holy Ghost, that I be perfect, God the Son deserves it, God the Father then being one, and the same God with them, aught to effect it.  
27 Most honourable Father, in the consideration of that blessedness thou hast in thy Son: Word most amiable in contemplation of that being, which thou hadst of thy Father: Holy Ghost God of Charity, in remembrance of that Divinity which was communicated unto thee by the Father and Son; grant that I be such as thou wouldst I should be, and that there be nothing in me that may displease thee. And having obtained this, I will importune you no more.  
28. I am not worthy to pray for any whosoever, no not so much as to appear in thy presence, or once to think of thee, O God of sovereign Majesty: which makes me first most humbly to ask thee pardon, that I dare lift up my thoughts so high as to thee. And after this to crave, that thou wilt be pleased to receive my prayers, not as proceeding from me, but as inspired by thee. And (that the effects of them may answer thy desire, and thy greater glory) to join them with these of jesus Christ thy son, of his holy Mother, of the Apostles, Martyrs, Doctors, Virgins, and confessors, and those of either Church triumphant and militant▪ It being so, that the prayers, sacrifices, and good works, which we call passed, are always existent, subsistent, & present before thee, The time past, present, and to come, being one, and the same thing in thy immutable eternity.  
29. I will not then make supplication to thee to call to mind, but to regard these prayers, as present: and in particular for the spiritual and corporal health of the King, & Queen, his royal house, & all the Kingdom; Even those that the good Patriarch joseph did present unto thee for all Egypt: Samuel for Saul; Daniel for Darius the three Children for Nahuchodonozer; Elias for the Kings of Israel; Nathan for David; Esay for Ezechias; Toby for Salmanaz; Hester for Assuerus; St. john Baptist for Herod; St. Silvester for Constantine St chrysostom for Eudoxia; St. Ambrose for Theodosius; St. Gregory for Maurice the Empeior; St. Stanislaus for Boleslaus; St. Thomas of Canterbury for the than King and Realm of England; and those of all the Saints, for the Kings and Princes, with lived in their time.  
30. Who is able to pray for the necessities of the Church, with that fervor and efficacy, as did St. Gregory, for the Reformation of religious Orders, as did Saint Francis, St. Dominicke, St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure? For States, Realms, and Empires, as did St. Sigismond King of Burgundy; St. Carnut, King of Denmark; St. Oswald & St. Edmund, Kings of England; St. Lewis King of France; Henry the Emperor; St. Caenigand his wife, St. Cloth, and St. Radigand Queens of France; St. Edwin Duchess of Poland; St. Elizabeth in Hungary? and others, who by thy grace knew how to join Piety with the Sceptre; greatness temporal with aeternal; perishing honours with honours immortal? If (I my God King of Kings, and Lord of Lords) I could speak unto thee with the same accent and equal devotion: how many graces and blessings, should I obtain of thy most liberal clemency for this Monarchy? for the Monarch that commands us, and represents thee? Accept then, for him and all that appertain to him, the same vows, sacrifices, and prayers, which have been presented unto thee by all the Saints, whose honourable names are written in the Book of life: and look not at me, but look upon them, of whom I present unto thee, the merits, and prayers, by thy Son our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ.   

Title. 4. Protestation.  
1. I Know to my cost, and to my great damage, how prejudicial I am to myself, and how great my fra●ltie is: and therefore have occasion to fear, lest that so soon as I shall be departed hence, I break my purposes, and do clean contrary to that, which I promised. O omnipotent and immutable God, have pity upon me thy frail creature. Stretch forth thy strong hand and invincible arm, to give s 〈…〉 ur to the work of thy han●▪ permit not that a creature which hath cost thee so dear, be so easily and so dishonourably taken from thee. If my will be requisite hereunto: behold it is in thy hands, I give it thee, nay I restore thee it, never to be revoked. And since there is no better title, than the title of donation, (O God of my heart) command that the gift which thou hast pleased to make unto me of thyself, may authorize the gift which I owe, and which I give of myself. And that this donation made by me living, and confirmed by thy death, may be so emoled in the Records of thy eternity, that albeit I would it may not be revoked, such being the disposition of thy grace, and my last will.  
2. And in truth were it reasonable that an evil will, which passeth, should disannul a determined resolution, made before so resolutely?  
3. I protest, out of all the corners of my will, and with all the strength of my freedom and liberty, and with a consent as full as is possible, that I will not offend thee in any thing. I will be thine wholly without exception, I will that which thou wilt, and detest that which thou detestest. And if it fall out otherwise, if it so happen, that I seek myself, that I commit theft in this holocaust, that I do or omit any thing, contrary to thy will and pleasure: it shall be nothing else, but a surprise and a stolen will, altogether contrary to that, which now by thy grace, whilst I am in my perfect sense and judgement, and by thy assistance mistress of my consent I so resolutely will and desire.  
4. And if it should so fall out, that by exceeding frailty (at the shadow whereof I tremble for fear) I should give my consent to any thing, that is repugnant to thy will: permit not, O God of truth, and of infinite goodness; that such a fault be for ever imputed unto me, since I renounce it both now and then. And that consent which is authorized by thine, and of which thou art the author, aught to prevail against that which is not mine, but by unhappiness, and of which the instigator and first mover, is the enemy of thy glory, and my salvation.  
5. Every one they say may renounce his right: I renounce then the right of my free will, when it shall be tempted, & in danger to offend thee. And therefore spare not to force it to that which is good, at what time soever, without having any regard to my free-will, the which otherwise, thou wouldst leave to her own liberty, as thy holy word doth teach us.  
6. And if yet not to contradict thyself, thou hast regard to leave my will to her freedom, Consider (O most wise Architect of Man) that my will is not to have any will to do that which is nought; and herein thou shalt condescend to my free will, though thou shouldst not respect it at all: seeing it renounceth absolutely herself in any thing, which hath relation to that, which is evil.  
7. What perfection is it, to have power to consent to that which is evil? thou hast it not O my God, for it is an imperfection. Make me then thus far more according to thine Image: that as thou my prototype, canst not sin by nature, so I may be impeccable by grace.  
8. And if to have the power to fail in my duty, be a thing appertaining to my condition, as being the servant and slave of sin, is it not enough that I have, wretch that I am, finned so often? but that I must make further proof thereof, to the prejudice of thy honour and glory? better it were for me not to be at all, then to continue still to offend thee.  
9 The love of myself, maketh me enemy to myself; and that in seeking myself I lose myself, and not finding myself, I am still lost. I renounce this enmity, and I detest it with as much hatred, and as often as I have hitherto so loved myself, or shall hereafter by my evil custom.  
10. Allow, O good God, this declaration of my will. And receive in thy judgement, and in the account that thou holdest of my actions, words, and thoughts, all such affections, as if they were so many afflictions; all such inclinations, as so many aversions; all such pursuits, as so many flights; and all such  consents, as so many express resistances.  
11. But seeing O sovereign truth, thou canst not judge of things, or take them otherwise then they are; and that if I do seek myself; thou canst not but know, that I do so, I am content if it be so But with this condition O my God, and not otherwise, that thou look upon me from henceforth as a thing that is thine, and that thou impute the love of my s●lf● as an affection, bestowed upon a thing that is wholly thine; As the son, whatsoever he gets, he gets to the benefit of his father so long as he is under the power of his father; and as a bond slave whatsoever he gets, is to his masters profit.  
12. From henceforth all the solicitude I shall have, either for apparel, or meat, or drink, or any such like things; all my affections, reflections, doings forth, returnings back, that I shall have either in myself, of myself, or about myself: all my joy, all my fear, all my sorrows, all my pleasures, all whatsoever appertaining to my vanity past, and the inordinate care that I have had of myself; all this, my God, shall from henceforth be wholly addicted to thy service, unto the preservation of a thing which is thine, neither more nor less, then if all this were done by me, to any poor creature in an Hospital, or any other, towards whom all this exercise of diligence and charity should be pleasing to thee. Allow this O my God, receive this O my Father, accept of this O my gracious Lord, by the merits of him whose works, words, and thoughts never strayed from thy will. He hath lived for me, he died for me, even so I will die to myself, and live to him, and so my life, shall be hidden in his, and shall appear before thee, as if it were his, and all the care I shall have, shall not be of a thing that is mine: but it shallbe O the only beloved of my soul, as of a thing that is thine. And what other means, O God of my soul, can be found t● cut off the head, and kill this most horrible Hydra of self-love, considering the great malice thereof.   

Title 5. To the soul of our Saviour jesus Christ.  
1. MOst holy, and most happy soul, Empress of Heaven and earth, I beseech thee by thy incomparable grace which thou receivedst, when at the instant of thy creation, thou wa 〈…〉 ●ited to thy divinity, and supported by the person of the word, that thou wilt be pleased to obtain for me, those virtues, of which thou hast left us both a Commandment, and an example above all others, Chartitie, humility and purity.  
2. By the blessedness thou didst enjoy, even then beholding the Essence of the Son of God, to whom thou are personally united, deliver me from the love of myself, and the great misery of my imperfections.  
3. Thy holy Mother was impeccable by grace, thou wast so by nature; as well for that thy divine Will did govern thy human: as also because by thy understanding thou didst possess, and by thy will created thou hadst fruition of the Divine essence. I dare not ask impeccabilitie, but only the grace never to sin; and if the power to sin be left me, yet that the effect of that power be taken from me.  
4. Soul, seat of wisdom, which containest in thee the treasures of thy Father's science, thou hast been endued with knowledge divine, blessed, and insused, over and above the knowledge experimental and acquisite, which was every day increased in thee. Obtain for me by these so rare privileges and prerogatives, that I may have knowledge both of divine, and humane things; so as I may never stray from the right path of faith and charity.  
5. Soul, the splendour of the glory of the Father, and the Image of his goodness, be my guide and conductor, in the midst of the perils and temptations of the dangerous life of this world. Dissipate the clouds of my passions, drive away the night of my ignorance, making me ever, and in all things, to acknowledge his will, to whom thou art personally united.  
6. Over and above the grace of union hypostatical and blessed, thou ba●st also the grace of Capital union, as being the head of men and Angels. Make me then to draw abundantly out of this plentiful well, and to partake to the greater glory of thy Father, of those influences which flow upon thy mystical body, the Church militant and Triumphant.  
7. Who is able to express the thanksgiving when of nothing, and out of that bottomless depth of not being any thing, common to all creatures; thou perceivedst thyself to be transported, to a personal union with God? who is able to recount that holocaust, and sacrifice, that thou madest of thyself, for the accomplishing of that excellent work of our redemption? with what excess of Charity, didst thou consecrate thyself to God the Father? with what an eye of compassion, didst thou behold humane Nature, of which thou wast a noble sprig and branch? In remembrance of all those thy internal eminent actions, for the love of thy hypostasy, by the merits of thy abode in this world, and by all whatsoever appertaineth to thy incarnation, I beseech thee to thank him for me, to whom thou art united: to give and sacrifice me to his glory: to present unto him my actions, vows, intentions, and thoughts: to make my miserable abode in this world pleasing unto him: to make unto him an holocaust of my life, and a sacrifice of my death.  
8. Thou wast no sooner united to that body, framed in the womb of the Virgin, drawn and taken out of the most pure substance of thy virgin Mo●●er, but that thou wast received, and supported by the word. O so 〈…〉, Queen of men, Princess of Angels, obtain for me by this grace, the grace that I may be delivered from the cogitation of the body, and infection of the flesh, from which thou wast preserved, being by an extraordinary manner without Adam joined to the flesh, which descended from Adam.  
9 Ignorance, frailty, and malice, are the furniture of this corrupt Mass, from which we are drowned: and of that first fault, from which thou wast the deliverer, and the delivered. I beseech thee to guard me from the falls, to which I am subject by my natural corruption, and that by the merits of thy incomparable integrity, purity, and holiness.  
10. Thy heart was always attentive to God, of whom thou never didst lose the sight; obtain that I may live in his presence in him ever, and ever before him.  
11. In virtue of the deiformitie of thy soul, my sweet jesus, I beg of thee the gift of conformity, and uniformity with thee.  
12. By reason of thy Hypostatical union, thy actions were of infinite merit, and the only act of thy incarnation sufficient to redeem a thousand worlds. What shall I not then obtain of God thy Father, if thou shalt please once to present unto him that, which thou hast offered, and shed for me, which is thy precious blood, and thy immaculate and unspotted life, the spring of all merit?  
13. Because thou appertainest to God, obtain pardon for me of whatsoever I have voluntarily done, said, or thought contrary to God. How often didst thou rejoice in the greatness and glory of God, our common creator and Father? and that much more for it, then for that thou thyself wert by his grace? Bring to pass that all my joy may be in him, my only desire to please him, my only fear to offend him.  
14. All thy actions were of infinite merit; I beg O sanctuary of the Divinity, the participation of only one, by special application to me.  
15. Thou, the only storehouse of Love, and furnace of perfect Charity, dost more love humane nature, and much more desire our soul's perfections, than all Angels and men together. We cannot also, nay we ought not to have after God any better Lord, and friend than thou. I leave then to thee the care of my salvation, and of that perfection which thy Father requires in me: I leave to thee the profit of thine own merits, to thee that which thou thyself desirest: to thee that, for which thou hast done, said, and endured so much: to thee that, which cannot subsist, but by thee: to conclude to thee that, which is as oftentimes thine, as it hath pleased thee to be ours.   

Title. 6. To the blessed Virgin Mary.  
1. BLessed of God amongst Women, and the happiest of all pure creatures, Marry the Mother of God; I prostrate myself in the profoundness of my thoughts before thee: honouring with all my affection the eminent graces, which it hath pleased the most high and puissant to place in thee, as in the principal and chief workmanship of his hands, after the humanity of jesus Christ thy Son; whose desires concerning me I present unto thee, that by his merits, and thy prayers, they may be as the abject of his mercies, fully and perfectly accomplished in me.  
2. Pray then for me, merciful Mother, and in so doing thou shalt pray also for thine own Son: seeing that he desires in me, that, which I ask of thee, a thousand times more, than I myself.  
3. I am also never resolved to ask any thing of thee for myself, but for him. I will speak unto thee in his name, I will press the● by his merit's. I will adjure thee by the languishing desires of his soul, and as it were conjure thee by the great and inestimable obligation, that thou hast to him, to deal so effectually with God the Father, that all his desires may be accomplished in all creatures, and especially in this poor soul of mine, to which he hath given thee grace to desire that, which he desireth. If thou put not to thy hand O puissant Princess, all will pass into vapour, and smoke of only desires, and I shall remain a fable of the world, and a scorn of hell.  
4. By these titles of incomparable honour, with which thy head is crowned, O Mother of thy Son, O Daughter of the Father, O Spouse of the holy Ghost, bring to pass, that I may one day with thee, be heir to the Father, coheyre with the Son, and partake of the inheritance, reserved to the holy Ghost.  
5. Tower of David, City of refuge, wilt thou refuse thy prayers to them, to whom the fruit of the Virgin's womb hath not refused his blood?  
6. Thou hast too great interest in thy sons inheritance, to neglect, or disdain to secure with the assistance of thy tongue, those souls, which thy Redeemer and ours, did recover with the loss of his life.  
7. He would, that thou shouldst be his Mother: but it was to the end, that we might also become his brethren. What hindereth us then, from having the spirit of adoption, towards his Father, and our Father, thy Son and our brother? we shall have it when it shall please thee to be our Mother by grace, as thou art his by nature.  
8. Thou wast established Queen of Angels, and of men, even from then, when thou hadst a Son common to thee with God the Father: and that thou couldst say unto God, thou art my Son. O incomparable Mother, o marvel of the world, O the honour of humane lineage; wilt thou not in acknowledgement of these benefits and honours, intended towards thee, before thou couldst merit them; wilt thou not procure, in regard of the Almighty which hath done so great things for thee, this little thing which I ask of thee? which is nothing else, but that I never offend him, especially by deadly sin? and that in the whole course of my miserable life, I may know and put in execution his divine will?  
9 I am not worthy of his love, but he is worthy to be loved of me. I deserve not to serve him, but he well deserveth to be served of me. It is not due to me to live in him alone, and to die for him: but I own it him, and so dost thou thyself. Pay then, O most rich Empress, my debts and thy debts. Acquit them both for me and thyself, and in doing that which is but duty and justice towards him, thou shalt do a work of compassion and mercy towards a creature of his, and thy poor servant.  
10. As amongst all pure creatures, none ever approached to equal thee, in regard of the incomparable excellency of him, that was borne of thee: So no creature whatsoever, shall be ever able to equal thee in mercy. Shall it not be then, to imitate thy Son and satisfy thyself, if thou afford thy aid to the miserable. thy succour to such poor sinners as I am? For whom thy Son hath spent all he had, even to the effusion of his most precious blood? If it be true that the sin of Adam, was the occasion that the Divine word took flesh, and was borne of thee: it must needs also be, that my misery hath served for a cause, or an occasion of thy greatness, my disgrace of thy grace, my malediction of thy benediction, and that which I am, of that which thou art: why then by exchange, shall not thy mercy (if I may so say) serve to my misery; thy felicity to my infelicity; thy greatness to my baseness; that which thou art to that which I am? Be not thou that thou art: or procure that I may be other than I am. I should here beg of thee to have in recommendation the Church, & her necessities, if i● were possible, that a Mother had not care of her sons spouse.   

Title 7. To Saint Michael.  
1. PRince of the heavenly camp, and inflamed Seraphin; by thy most happy victory, which thou obtaynedst against those Apostata Angels, of which now the infernal legions are composed, assist us in our combats: so much the more dangerous, in that we have not only to fight against flesh and blood, but against the spirits of darkness, which come marching against us like Giants, with all the advantage, that the nature of Angels hath above   

Title. 8. To Saint Gabriel.  
1. PAranymph of Heaven, that didst bring to the world, the most happy news that ever was, or shall be by the love of him, who sent thee to the honour of him, who was by thee Named and Announced, and for the regard to her, to whom thou broughtest the'mbassage; obtain for me the grace, that I may be obedient to the Father, pleasing to the Son, and singularly devoted to the Mother.  
2. O if I so willingly conceived, and so readily consented to the voice of my God, as did the blessed Virgin to thine, I should march apace to perfection. I beseech thee by the joy that the spirit felt, when the Divine word effected thy word, putting on the rags of our mortality; that thou wilt be pleased to obtain for me, this favour of God, that I never resist his inspirations, that I be attentive to his voice, that for lack of execution I make not sad the holy Ghost. Obtain I say, for me this grace, thou special ambassador of the Divinity.  
3. Ambassador of God, Legate of Paradise, Nuncies of the celestial Empire; if any thing be cause of our ruins, for repairing of which the Son of God espoused himself, to a nature inferior to thine, it was frailty and ignorance. This appertaineth to the soul, that to the body. From both th'one and th'other thou art free, being a spirit, and full of knowledge. I dare then adjure thee, by that which thou art, to remedy that, which I am, and to obtain of him, who did according to thy word, more for me, than thou shalt ever be able to do, that I may know from henceforth, his holy will in all things, and that in the execution I may be strong, and puissant: Thy most holy Name signifieth divine force, and valour; obtain for me this force against our common adversaries, and against the most dangerous enemy, that I know, which is the love of myself.  
4. I salute thee, and thank thee with all my heart, messenger of happy news; and I beseech thee to increase my obligation, by increasing the service, which by me thou mayst render then, when thou shalt obtain for me the grace not to be as thou art, but together with thee a fit Instrument, and Organ, to set forth the glory of God.   

Title 9 To the Angel Guardian.  
1. Governor of my life, guide of my pilgrimage, Torchbearer of my understanding, master of my soul, what thanksgiving shall I render unto thee for the infinite obli●ations, ●a poor sinner have unto thee? whom thou hast served and assisted, though unworthy and ungrateful from the instant of my birth; preserving me from so many evils of sin, as I might have incurred; from so many dangers, as my body hath passed and had fallen into, hadst thou not favoured me. If I should thank thee as often as I breath, I could not satisfy my obligation; neither will I, nor can I do it, but in him by whom and for whose love, thou hast been so faithful to me. Ask then thy recompense of him for so many benefits, and permit not that I die ungrateful towards thee, lest I die miserable in the fight of God.  
2. Vnfatigable friend; the infamous odour of my sins, might have caused thee to have withdrawn thyself from me, as stink chaseth away Doves, and smoke Bees. And yet notwithstanding, thou hast had patience to stay near to this dunghill, with charity greater than tongue can utter, and with longanimity altogether Angelical. Thanks be given unto thee, by all the courts of Heaven, and by all those creatures which have interest in my salvation; all whom thou hast together with me obliged unto thee. If ever I come, as by thy mediation I hope I shall, to the haven of beatitude, I will render unto thee, O my loving and beloved Patro●, the principal, and arrearages of so many, so special, and so particular obligations, in the presence of him, whom thou incessantly lookest in the face. How often had I fallen into rivers, into flames, into dungeons, into the hands of my visible and invisible enemies? How often had Satan styfled me whilst I was drinking, eating, sleeping, walking? especially at those times, when he perceived me to be out of the grace of God; if thou O my guide, and singular benefactor, hadst not broken his strength, and dissipated his designs?  
3. So many times thou hast saved my life, as thou hast preserved me from deadly sin, so many times thou hast rendered unto me my life, as thou hast raised me out of deadly sin. A life a thousand times more precious than that of the body, and consequently a benefit as much greater, as eternity exceedeth time; grace, nature; the glorious state of the Saints, the miserable condition of the damned. Thanks therefore be unto thee as many times, as there are moments in time o● imaginable minutes in eternity.  
4. What shall I say of thy going from God to us, and returning from us to God? exciting the one, appeasing the other? carrying up our prayers, and bringing down his presents? what of so many inspirations? secret motions? benign influences? so many interior and exterior ends? so many Angelical inventions, devices, stratagems of Charity, as thou hast used to retire me from vice, and the inclinations of a corrupt nature, to draw me to the love of him, whom love made to die for me? There is no means, how in this valley of tears, and in the midst of this Egyptian darkness, I may know the thousand part of these oblgations: and how shall I then be able to acknowledge them? Finish then, O sage Pilot, this my perilous Navigation, end this chief work, which hitherto hath put thee to so great pain. For if thou shalt have fully accomplished this; I shall have means to recompense that which is past, to repair that which is lost, and to make even my debts. Look well then into it, as is thy custom, O my guide it concerns thee exceeding much, seeing thereupon depends the glory of God, and the salvation of a soul, committed to thy charge.  
5. And if it be possible, that thou shouldst not be interessed in my salvation, I am content that thou neglect both th'one and th'other. He, which was made man for me, that lived here for me, that died for me, that hath given me his body for meat, and his blood for drink; he, that hath honoured me with the title of son, and brother; he, that calleth and nameth himself my spouse; he, who bowing down the Heavens of his greatness, vouchsafed to serve me; he, that would die again, if it were needful, and for me endure again all that he hath suffered; he, I say, persuades, yea nothing else. Do then that, which thou shalt judge to be according to his will. Sweet friend, and charitable tutor, I will put no other rule, no, no other, than thou thyself dost put, which is, the very great glory of him, to whom we all appertain, by condition, obligation, and election, to whom be all praise, honour and glory, world without end.   

Title 10. To the Angels.  
1. MOst happy Spirits, which incessantly stand before the Throne of God, and who, as the elder brethren of his house, have care of his inheritance; look down upon us with a merciful eye, upon us I say who are your younger brethren, out of the respect and regard you b●●re to him, who is the head both of th'one and th'other nature, that is, both of Angels and men. And whom you serve in helping us, and please in assisting us.  
2. You purchased your blessedness good cheap: with one only act of your will and consent, you were confirmed in grace, and received that glory, which you shall for ever enjoy without all fear to lose it. But we contrariwise after many good deeds, and many torments suffered and endured, are always exposed to danger of shipwreck; which many like to us have made near to the haven. After many battles, we are still in danger to be overcome: but you after one victory triumph assuredly. Many days pass before we can arrive there, whether you are come in an instant. Have then compassion upon the imperfection of our being, ye whose being is so perfect; pity our feebleness and weakness, ye that are strong; our ignorance, ye that are so wise; our malice ye to whom goodness and Charity is continual in the highest degree.  
3. You take and borrow nothing from natural abjects, as helps to comprehend created verities. For from the first instant of your creation, you have ever had imprinted in your understanding, the express image of every natural thing; and beholding yourselves, you come to know all things, that are without you. And that by an action of simple intelligence, running as it were without the help of any discourse, from the principles to the conclusions, and from the Antecedents to the consequents.  
4. We contrariwise, can conceive nothing with our understandings, which hath not first passed through the siffe of our senses. And our senses depend of the objects, which oft deceive them, and make our judgements erroneous, if they be not corrected in their deceitful operations by reason and grace.  
5. Moreover our discourses depend of our propositions: and they of the terms of simple apprehension. And the apprehension is made out of the imagination, and sensitive faculties. And in all this Flux and reflux of thoughts and Ideas; (O ye thrice and four times happy intelligences) who is able to express? how many times we participate ourselves into error? Taking then notice of the great advantage▪ you have over us, and not only you, but the wicked Devils, who have lost nothing else but their grace and glory, retaining still their nature, in which they are equal to you; fortify and strengthen us against the giants, of which the Scripture maketh mention, Leviathan, Belzebub, Baalmorith, Asmode, Astaroth, and other princes of that army of darkness.  
6. We crave but the crumbs, that fall from your table, and the poor scraps and remainders of your banquet. Our petition to you is very reasonable; which is no more, then that ye the good Angels, be pleased to do so much for our salvation, as the wicked Devils do for our ruin and destruction. That ye be as ready to secure us, as they are to annoy us; to heal and preserve us, as they are to hurt us; as diligent in conducting us to God, as they are in withdrawing us from him, and to do us all the mischief, to which their knowledge and power can extend.   

Title 11. To the holy patriarchs.  
1. HOly souls, who during your abode here in this vale of tears, were the salt of the earth, & light of the world; how great have your virtues been? how great your perfection, had you lived under the Gospel, as you lived under the Law of nature, and Moses? we are in the fullness of time, to which you so much aspired, and for which you so often suspired; obtain for us the grace to acknowledge & correspond to so great a benefit, and that we may live as holily after the incarnation of the Son of God, as you did before his coming; and that we may now do as much for his glory, as you would have done, if ye had lived in this happy time.  
2. By that joy, not to be uttered by any tongue, wherewith you were then replenished, when the most holy soul of our and your Redeemer descended to those places under earth, in which you were detained, expecting the Ladder of jacob, and the Key of David to come forth; I beseech you to obtain of your deliverer, for all poor sinners, such as I am, that we may get out of the dark dungeon of ignorance, and the filthy quagmire of our bad and lewd customs. And that as the gates of Hell could not prevail against the King of glory: so sin may from henceforth no more prevail against such, as believe in him, in whom you placed your hope, and with whom upon the day of his triumphant Ascension you ascended to glory, crowned with immortal Laurels; carrying in your hands, and sweetly tasting the fruits of your lively Faith, longanimity, hope, and inflamed Charity.  
3. Ye hold the rank of patriarchs amongst those, which believe in the name of the Son of God; be ye then unto us good Fathers, for the love of him, upon whom dependeth all Fatherhood, both in Heaven and Earth; and obtain for us the spirit of the children of God, a contrary spirit to that of mercenary fear; to the end that we may one day, come to be partakers of that inheritance, of which ye now are peaceable possessors.   

Title. 12. To the holy Prophets.  
1. PRotonotaries of Heaven, Registers of truth, and mirrors of the Divinity; your holy souls have been the organs, and your mouths the harmonious instruments of him, who is the fountain of wisdom, & oracle of all truth. Obtain for us, that we may see by Faith, what you did foresee by the spirit of Prophecy, and possess that by charity, which you hoped for.  
2. The light of prophesy is a personal and free gift, bestowed upon you for the instruction of Israel, and consolation of Christians. Herein we content ourselves only to admire you, but in another thing we desire to imitate you. And that is, in that interior Attention you had to the presence of God, the better to understand his voice; and having understood it, to follow and put in execution his inspirations. O when shall I see that desired hour, in which I may say with one of you, I will hear what our Lord saith in me.  
3. His words are words of peace, his voice a voice of benediction. Why then, O you holy censurers of our manners, do I so often lend him a deaf ear! Awake by your prayers my spirit, pacify my affections; illuminate my darkness, address mine intentions to the centre of every just desire, which is the accomplishment of his divine Will, only to be loved and desired.   

Title. 13. To Saint john Baptist.  
1. PRaecursor of the Son of God, voice of the word, and paranymph of the heavenly Spouse; by that wonderful similitude of thy conception, nativity, life, and death, to that of him whose baptist thou wert, by the graces, privileges, and prerogatives extraordinarily bestowed upon thee, lose my tongue, that I may praise God, as thou didst lose the tongue of thy Father Zacharie. Obtain for me that I may fly the occasion of sin, according to that example thou hast left me, who from thy tender years didst retire thyself into the desert. Obtain I say, that the dew of thy grace may fall abundantly upon me, that I may be washed and cleansed in the flood of penance, by the merits of that precious blood, the sacred vessels whereof were washed by thee in the flood of jordan.  
2. And if I must be great, let my ambition be to aspire to that greatness, which was in thee (that is) to be great before God; If I must be covetous, that it may be after the imitation of thee, a covetousness of the riches which are Eternal; If voluptuous, let it be of these pleasures, which thou didst seek with thy hair and sackcloth.  
3. I have I confess, a ●ee very contrary to that virtue wherewith thou wert endued; and this vice is the too great love and care of this body, which is nothing else but a sack of worms, a dunghill of corruption, and sink of miseries. Obtain for me, O great Anchorite, great Prophet, and great Martyr; that I may from henceforth become an enemy to the sensual and brutish part of my soul, and adversary to this stinking dunghill, and a rigorous justicer towards this living carcase. It being a thing most certain, that no man can hurt him who hurteth not himself.  
4. Thou hast maintained truth, and justice with danger, yea with loss of thy own life: procure for me, that the one may be immovably seated in my heart, and the other invariably placed in my mouth.  
5. Inconstancy, mother of perfidiousness, accompanieth me; and I am the reed, continually exposed to the winds, from which thou wast shadowed. Obtain for me by the merits of this thy virtue, and by the abundant heavenly succour which thou never wantedst; that from henceforth I may be more firm & constant in such resolutions, as proceed from the holy Ghost. I ask this of thee, O Champion of the living God, and unconquerable Soldier; by all the victories, which thou hast gotten to the honour of him, who by a special grace did with his own mouth canonize thee.  
6. Heaven hath powered upon thee so many benedictions, that thou hast been a wonder of the world, and an astonishment of all ages; by these graces, I ask of thee as of the Angel of great Council, wisdom; as of a patriarch, saith; as of a Prophet, hope; as of an Apostle of God the Father, charity; as of a Martyr, constancy; as of a Doctor, understanding; as of a Confessor, devotion; as of an Anchorite, v●ion with God, and the gift ●f tears; as of a Virgin, puri●ie; as of one who was kin to ●esus Christ, and his holy Mother, that holiness and alliance which the Son of God hath promised to contract with them, who shall do his holy will. To whom he hath promised that he will take them, and treat them as his brethren, Mother, and sister; O inestimable honour!   

Title. 14. To Saint joseph.  
1. treasure-house of the incomparable treasures of Heaven & earth, Foster-father of him, who nourisheth all creatures, true, and faithful spouse of the Mother of God, what comparison between the command given by Pharaoh ●o joseph, the Patriarch over all Egypt, and this command given by God to thee. Moses' conducted the people of God: thou hadst the conduction of God himself. Abraham was Father to the children of adoption, but the true Son of God called thee Father, David governed the people of Israel according to God's hearts desire● but thou wert the governor, and as it were the master of God himself. The Queen of Saba judged the servants of Solomon happy, because they were eye witnesses of his majestical carriage, and great wisdom: but thou hast been an eye witness of him, in whom are all the treasures of knowledge & wisdom of the father; and who was the very original source or spring, from which Solomon did draw the wisdom, that was in him. Many Kings and Prophets, desired to see but one of the days of him, whom thou didst bring up and nourish, both in his childhood, & in his youth. Simeon thought himself happy to have received him but once into his arms: & thou hast an hundred and an hundred times had him in thine and placed him in the arms of his Mother, sweetly kissing his feet, as the feet of thy God; his hands, as the hands of thy Lord; his cheek, as the cheek of the Infant of thy Spouse. God conducted his people going out of Egypt: thou conducted'st God going into Egypt. He by josua brought them into the Land of promise: and thou broughtest back jesus into Palestine: and broughtest him into Nazareth. God was in the midst of his people by the mediation of Angels, by day in the form of a cloud, and by night in the figure of a pillar of fire: God himself in person hath been days, nights, weeks, months, and years, one of thy family & thy foster child. The Ark of God gave victory in time of war, and plentiful benediction to Obedience in time of peace: the humanity of the Son of God, which he took of thy holy Spouse, was the true Ark of God, in which was kept the Manna of divinity, the Rod of discipline, the Tables of exact obedience to the law of his Father.  
2. What graces, what virtues, what blessings did the Father, than power upon thee by the merits of his Son? the Son by the prayers of his Mother? O thrice and four times happy Patriarch, by these so great privileges, obtain I beseech thee for me this grace, that I never abuse the graces of my God. And seeing that in the heavenly Sacrament of the Eucharist we have the same Child, Lord, and God of which thy Spouse was delivered at Bethelem in juda, and which was carried by thee into Egypt and Nazareth, and there nourished by thee and called there thy Son; by the credit thou hast with him, and by thy instant prayer bring to pass, that I may be most devout to this holy Sacrament, and that my soul may melt in the presence thereof: and that I may live as it is fit he live, who so often partaketh of that ineffable mystery.  
3. By that ecstatical affection, which thou feltst towards the Son of God, when he called thee Father: and towards his holy Mother, of whom thou wert the Spouse, beg of God by thy intercession for me the gift of an intrinsceall union and familiarity with God, accompanied with three qualities, which were very eminent in thee, Tender love, Humble reverence, Loyal fidelity.   

Title 15. To Saint Peter.  
1. Loving Apostle, Porter of Paradise, and supreme Lieutenant of the crown of Heaven; by the special prerogatives, and favours bestowed upon thee by the Son of God, obtain for me, that I may love him, and that his love come from my heat, from my whole soul, from all my forces and thoughts, as did thy love.  
2. By the authority, which thou heldest from him, and by that Crosier, which he put in thy hand, procure, that his flock, and thine, may be extended over all Countries on the earth: and the souls committed to thy charge and the charge of thy Successors, may be defended from the teeth, and wiles of the infernal Wolf, who as a roaring Lion, seeketh whom he may devour.  
3. By all the testimonies of the extraordinary benevolence that thou receivedst from thy Master and ours, by all the documents, & instruments, which thou heardest from his own mouth, by all the admirable and miraculous works he wrought in thy presence; we in all humility, and earnest affection beseech thee, that our holy Father, who at this day is governor of the Church, and all they which shall succeed him in that thy charge, may succeed thee also in thy virtues, and in the fatherly care thou hadst of the sheepfold, pertaining to the Son of God; So as hereafter, no one of the sheep which recognize their Sovereign pastor, and are called Christians, may be lost or become a prey to hell.  
4. And so much as concerneth my particular, I beseech thee, O Coriphe of the Apostles, Prince and Pastor of my soul, that as jesus Christ changed thy name in sign of the superiority and prerogative, which he gave to thee above the rest of the Apostles: so he will be pleased to change my manners, and to reform me to his greater glory. Thou wert ever placed and mentioned first, let my ambition be to give place to no man in the love of my God.  
5. Thou walkedst upon the waters to come to thy master: procure that I may tread under feet my imperfections to come unto him.  
6. By special revelation thou hadst notice that he was the Son of God; obtain for me by thy mediation, the gift of a singular and lively faith.  
7. The gates of Hell according to the Divine promise have not prevailed, nor shall ever prevail against the Church, which the sovereign Architect built upon thee: guard me so by thy protection, that temptations may not prevail against my soul.  
8. jesus Christ paid tribute for thee and himself, showing thereby, that thou shouldst be the head of his family: obtain for me by thy prayers, that he be pleased to pay to God for me, the debt I own to his divine justice; and to make me master, Lord, and superior over my passions.  
9 It was thou, who at two several times didst draw to the shore, the Nets full of Fish: we swim and tumble, as fishes, in the tempestuous sea of this world; draw us to the haven of blessedness, by faith, accompanied and quickened by charity.  
10. Thou wert commanded to lauch into the depth, and from the hinder part of thy ship Christ jesus did catechize the multitudes of the people: lift me up by the force of thy prayers, examples, and merits, to the highest top of perfection; and procure, that I never give ear to any Teacher but to him, whose instruction is conformable to the doctrine of the Church.  
11. The Devil desired to sift thee, but the prayer of the Son of GOD, gave an invincible force to thy Faith: wilt thou not then obtain for me a vigour & strength, not to be overcome by any snares, or forces of the infernal legions?  
12. Thou wast one of the first, to whom jesus Christ appeared after his resurrection; obtain for me, that I be not one of the last, to whom he will vouchsafe to give his hand when I shall be in danger of temptation, or detained in the pains of purgatory.  
13. The divine word prostrated himself at thy feet, with so great humility, as at last thou wert content he should wash them; be he pleased by thy prayers, to wash away th● filth of my iniquities, to purify mine intentions, & that I put no obstacle to any thing which he desireth to effect in me.  
14. It was said to thee alone, follow me, Oh when shall the hour come, and that desired time, in with I may follow, in all and ever, the blessed motion of the holy Ghost, living no more to myself, but to him, who afforded thee the grace to die, for him, and after his example, upon the Cross.  
15. Thou diddest work the first miracle upon the person of Anamas: thou madest the first Sermon to the Gentiles, and to the Synagogue, after the coming down of the holy Ghost; thou didst hold the first Counsel; thou didst first visit such, as were new baptised; for thee, as for her head, the Church was solicitous, and prayed when thou wast in prison. St. Paul did not hold his Revelations for assured, that is, he did not think they would have been accepted for such, until he had conferred with thee; the Churches in which thou wert resident as Bishop, are all accounted Patriarchals; the Chair of Rome by thy means is the Mother, and Mistress of the rest: I beseech thee, O Father and Pastor of all ages, by this primacy, to obtain for me the Princedom and absolute Monarchy over myself, having so often experience, that by subjecting myself to my affections and passions, I become a miserable and deplorable slave.  
16. Who is he, that would not deliver out of the galleys ● a slave, if it should cost him but his word? Speak then O thou so much favoured of God, for with a word, that thou shalt speak in my favour, I a miserable wretch shall be delivered out of captivity, and set at liberty; that liberty of spirit, which jesus Christ hath purchased for us with the effusion of his blood. Do it then, O blessed spirit, moved thereunto by remembrance of the sin, which was forgiven thee, and for which thou didst weep so bitterly, and of those keys of knowledge, jurisdiction, and order, which were committed to thy charge.  
17. When the Sun in the Spring, doth cast the beams upon the mountain, covered with snow, the snow melteth, and of the water distilling from the snow, arise great floods. Such were the watery tears which flowed from thine eyes, when the Sun of our souls cast the eyes of his compassion upon thy Apostasy; why then wilt not thou by thy intercession, and mediation procure, that the Ice of my sin, may melt in the beams of that beautiful eye of the world, jesus Christ, the Son of God.  
18. Pray unto him, that he be merciful unto me, and I will thank him for the mercy that he showed unto thee: be a suppliant for me, and I will praise him for thee; make me such an one as he commands, and in so doing thou shalt do according to his will.  
19 Thou art able to do as much as the Angel that delivered thee out of Prison, and made the Chains fall from thee, wherewith thou wert tied: Deliver me then out of the prison of sin, break in pieces the chains of my bad customs, that they may fall from me before the face of my God.   

Title 16. To Saint Paul.  
1. Vessel of Election, Apostle of the holy Ghost, Interpreter of the Divinity, Doctor of the Gentiles; it is to thee, that I have my recourse, and in whom I have particular confidence: Considering the Charity, that made thee desire to be an Anathema for thy brethren: thy Humility, which made thee name thyself a Child untimely borne, acknowledging that thou hadst persecuted the Church: thy inflamed Love towards jesus Christ, which made thee live more in him, then in thyself.  
2. Thou called'st them thrice yea four times accursed, which love not our Lord jesus Christ; deliver us then from this malediction, and make us such by thy prayers, as in thy writings thou desirest we should be.  
3. Thou wouldst, whilst thou wast here upon earth, if it had been in thy power, have set the whole world on fire in the love of God.  
4. Thou now art able to do what thou wilt; inflame then my heart with the fire of Charity, so as I may truly say with thee: I live, but I live not in myself for jesus Christ is my life.  
5. O when will the time come, that my life may be hidden with God in jesus Christ? when will the hour come, that I shall live to him, who died for me.  
6. When shall I put off the old Adaem to put on the new, form, and reform according to God?  
7. When is it, that thy judgement shall make little or no estimation of the world? when shall I neglect the figure of this world, which passeth?  
8. When shall I aspire to that permanent City? to the free jerusalem, to the habitation of the Saints?  
9 Thou, great Master and catechist of our souls, didst make so little reckoning of Faith, if it were not accompanied with Charity: that albeit by it thou hadst transported mountains, distributed all thy goods to the poor, spoke with the tongues of Angels, and of all Nations, hadst had perfect intelligence of all the wonders of nature, and of all the mysteries of Faith, yea though thou hadst exposed thy body to flames; all this had served to no purpose, but to make as it were a sound, and noise in the world, but before God had been (thou saidst) of no value at all. Obtain then for me this faith quickened by Charity, from which the just draw the spring of life, and by which as Saint james saith, Abraham and all the Saints were justified.  
10. Thou wilt that we own nothing to each other but mutual love, assuring us that Charity is the bond of perfection; love us then, and in loving us procure that we may love each other.  
11. Thou didst carry incessantly the mortification of jesus Christ in thy body; procure that I may have an internal sense & feeling of his wounds, & that I may willingly be nailed with him to the Cross.  
12. Thou prayedst thrice to be delivered from a troublesome tentation, and it was answered unto thee, that the grace of God should suffice thee, for that virtue is perfected in infirmity. Thrice, yea four times I make supplication to thee, not to be delivered from my temptations but that thou wilt obtain for me grace, and force to overcome them, to the glory of him, who hath placed us here in this world, as in a field of war in the sight of Angels, and men, to crown such as shall fight valiantly. Thou art he, who didst sighed a good combat, run a good race, happily end thy course, kept thy faith and promise made, and for whom the crown was reserved in the hands of the just judge; obtain for us this great grace, and these triumphant Laurels which shall never whither.  
13. More than two hundred souls by thy intercession were not drowned in shipwreck near to the I'll of Malta; obtain by thy prayers, that we may escape the shipwreck of sin, and safely arrive at the happy port of blessedness.  
14. Thou desiredst, with an inflamed desire, to be delivered from thy mortal body, to be the more nearly united to jesus Christ; assist me that my desire be always transported to things Celestial, and Eternal.  
15. Thou didst afflict, and tame thy body, and not withstanding thou hadst no reprehension of conscience: yet didst not think thyself in assurance. Keep me from vain presumption, and obtain for me a filial fear.  
16. We think ourselves often to have charity toward God, and towards our neighbour, when we have it not: if we had the former, who could separate us from the fidelity, we have sworn to him? could tribulation, affliction, hunger, nakedness, danger, persecution, the sword? No, no, we should be assured that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor any creature should be able to separate us, from the charity founded in jesus Christ.  
17. And if we had the latter, our charity would be sweet; being without emulation, without ambition, without precipitation. It would not be puffed up by pride; it would not be stirred by choler: it would never rejoice in another's infirmity: but contrariwise rejoice in his perfections: think well of him: endure with patience what he should do unto us: conceive good hope of him. Charity never faileth; she is ever like to herself; as well whether it be towards the learned or the ignorant, towards the poor or the rich, towards friend or foe; towards him that is of a different humour from ours, and him, who is conformable to us in our humours.  
18. When shall it be, O great Champion of God, Pillar of the Church, wonder of the world, that I shall have these qualities? Till than I will not cease to knock at thy gates, and I will not give truce to my lips, or repose to my heart, until I be heard in this suit. Grant it then, grant it, O holy Apostle amiable in Heaven, imitable upon earth, redoubtable to the Spirits of Hell.  
19 By all the ropes, with which thou wast tied, by all the prisons, which thou sanctifiedst, by the shipwreck, stonings, whip, false accusations, treasons, and persecutions, in which, and by which thou didst honour the Son of God; I beseech thee, that my life may be to him a sacrifice, and my death an holocaust.   

Title 17. To St. john the Evangelist.  
1. AS St. Peter was the most loving Apostle: so thou wast the most beloved, a quality which is singular, for which thou wert to be envied with an holy emulation, and for the attaining whereunto three remarkable virtues should be necessary, which all three shined admirable in thee; Charity, Humility, & Purity; what will it cost the● to obtain them for me?  
2. One never loveth God truly, but he is beloved of him: and one is not beloved of God, but forthwith he loveth God: obtain then for me O Secretary of God, that I may love, if not so much as I ought, yet so much as by his grace my forces are able to stretch unto.  
3. Thou didst drink and draw from the fountain itself, when thou leanedst upon the breast of the Son of God; a special sign of his favour, and love to thee. I do as much, as often as I present myself at his holy table: but alas it is not with equal devotion, but with too much coldness, distraction, dryness and misery. Obtain for me thou favourite of the word, an oblivion of myself, and an ecstasy of perfect dilection; that receiving him into me, I may enter into him; and having him near to my heart, I may be according to his heart. And that albeit I receive not from him an apocalypse, or revelation of his secret judgement: yet that I may receive at least a clear and manifest knowledge of his holy will. And howsoever I be not worthy, presenting myself to his holy table, to receive into myself him, between whose arms thou didst repose, yet at least I may not be so unworthy as I am.  
4. Thou wert a domestical witness of his most secret actions; in the acknowledgement of which favours, obtain for me the gift of a most strait union, and internal conversation with his divine Majesty.  
5. Thou hadst by virtue of his last will and testament, the most noble part of the inheritance of the Son of God, which was his blessed Mother; In regard of this favour, I beg of thee, an inflamed devotion towards her, to the end that being under her protection, I may be so much the more in favour with her Son, by how much the more I shall by thee be recommended to the Mother.  
6. Amongst all the rest at the last Supper thou tookest particular notice of the traitor, that betrayed his Lord and master; let no man then surpass me in discovering temptations the enemies of his glory, and overcoming of them. And as the poisoned cup did thee no hurt; So pray you, that no naughty suggestion may hurt me.  
7. Thou camest out of the boiling Tun of oil without hurt; I desire that I may so go out of the occasions of sin, clean, and void of offence. And that as thy banishment in the I'll of Pathmos, served thee for a nearer approach to God, coming thereby to understand the more high mysteries of our Faith: So the adversities of this present life, may be to me as a spur and motive, to draw nearer and nearer to God, and to purge and purify me from the dross of the world.  
8. Charity to our neighbour was perchance never so rare in the world, as it is now; and yet nevertheless it was the lesson read unto us, by that heavenly Master first, and afterwards by thee. Exercise yet one act of charity towards me, in obtaining for me the gift of a virtue, which was so familiar unto thee, and without which we are unworthy so much, as of the name of Christians; seeing it is the mark and livery, by which his disciples are known, which is Charity itself.  
9 Eagle of the holy Ghost, Virginal integrity, and inflamed Charity, were the two wings which lifted thee up to so pure and high contemplation of the Divinity. Obtain for us the grace, that our reason may be lifted up to the love of God, with as great heat of affection, as our sense is drawn down to the love of things corporal, by the heat of concupiscence, that I may be as much inclined to desire things celestial, as the common sort of the world are inclined to desire things terrestrial. And that the love and affection, I bear to my Creator, may devour and consume all love & affection to his creatures; saving only that, by which I shall love them in him, by him, and for him.  
10. This is it, O Secretary of God, which thou hast practised thyself, & wished unto others: join to the documents thou hast given us, and to the examples thou hast left us, thy prayer and intercession to God for us: and we shall be fervent imitators of the first pattern of all holiness, of whom thou hast been and shall be for ever the best beloved Disciple.   

Title 18. To the Apostles.  
1. FIrst, and chiefest, Peers of Christianity; Princes of the Church; you are the noble pearls of the mystical body of our Redeemer: the 12. patriarchs, from whom descended the true Isralites: the 12. Princes, generals and conductors of the Army of God, camped about the humanity of his Son, the tabernacle of the Divinity. You are the 12. sent to take a view of the Land of promise, who have brought us news of the wonders, which are in that true land of the living, flowing with milk and honey of aeternal comfort and consolation. The 12. overseers of salomon's house, who furnish the Church with all necessary provision. The 12. Fountains, which the people found in the desert. The 12. loaves of proposition, who with the heat of perfect charity always appear before the face of the highest: The 12. precious stones, set in order in the Rational of the high Priest jesus Christ: The 12. young Lions, which support the Throne of the great King: The 12. Oxen, that carried the Sea of his mercies: The 12. Stars of which the crown of the Church his spouse were made. O Fathers of our souls, obtain for us the effects of your fatherly charity, pray for the whole Church, that all errors, heresies, and superstitions may be abolished. Pray for the Sea Apostolic, that it may be acknowledged for such of all the Nations of the earth. Make the sound of your words so to be heard every where, as Christians dishonour not the excellency of their Faith by the corruption of their manners; that they may live in peace and brotherly amity: and that we altogether both in this life, and in the next, may be Heirs of your Faith, Legataries of your Charity, fellows and partakers of your glory.   

Title. 19 To the holy Evangelists.  
1. Trumpet's of Israel, cornets of the living GOD, Notaries of Heaven, Secretaries of the Church, I have now my recourse to you for the obtaining from him, who is the mouth of wisdom, and the Oracle of all truth, a firm faith, with true understanding, and virtue & strength to put in execution, the words, documents, miracles, and mysteries, which you have set down in writing. Give force to my voice, clearness to my conceit, by which I may be able to oppose myself against the contrary opinions, and by virtue of that, which you have written, bring back again to the bosom of the Chuoch such souls, as are led out. It shall be more easy for you to pray, then to write; to demand, then to persuade; to intercede, then to convert: do then the one, seeing you desire the other. Banish out of our souls all error, abuse, superstition, heresy, self judgement. To be short, all whatsoever is any way repugnant to the truth of your words, to the perfctions of your instructions, to the example of your lives.   

Title 20. To the holy Martyrs.  
victims of Paradise, holocausts of heaven, pacifiing hosts of the Church triumphant: Hecatombs of the Church militant; you are the Lambs, sacrificed without number in the Temple of Solomon, whose death hath been an odour of sweetness, most precious before God. You are the troops of the spouse, and the shorn sheep, which ascend going out of the Lavar, and there is not one barren amongst you. You are the Birds which the good Noah (second spring of humane nature) presented to God his father, after the deluge of his passion, and the inundation of your pains. You make that goodly army of witnesses, clothed in garments as white as snow, for the purity and holiness of your life: carrying upon your heads Crowns of pure gold, that is to say, of perfect charity, beset with Pearls and precious Stones; appareled with a garment of the same, richly embroadered and beset all over with Pearls of great price. The Diamonds, are the invincible force, with which you overcome the tyrants: The Pearls, the sweat of your brows, and the tears, which sell from your eyes in great abundance: The Carbuncles represent the wounds, which you received, and the blood running from your veins, shed for his love, who is the true king of Martyrs. The daughter of Zion, & the blessed Citizens of Jerusalem come forth to meet you, partly to honour you, as the most substantial parts of their body, and partly to admire the rich ornaments, with which you were adorned by the King of glory, upon the most happy day of your second nativity.  
2. Invincible Champions, & most renowned for your Triumphs, who have had the honour to drink of the Cup of the son of God, and to strengthen with your blood the foundations of his Church, who (as the Scripture saith) are come from great tribulation, & have washed and made white your garments in the blood of the Lamb, which assist before his Throne to do him service day and night. He possesseth you as his temples, and dwelleth in you continually; leading you to the fountain of life, wiping away the tears from your eyes and freeing you from all the laws of mortality. We have our recourse to you, as soldiers to their Captains; that we may receive by your mediation, force and courage, without which we are not able to resist the assaults, with which we are set upon by enemies, which are within us, round about us, and above us. The flesh, the world, and the devil. These are the Tyrants with whom we are now to encounter, the swords, the prisons, the flames, the scourges, the racke●, the fire plaits, the brazen bulls, the gridirons, which we are to overcome; and that not once only, but many times; not one day only, but many days during our lamentable abode in this mortal life.  
3. You proposed before your eyes, your Captain and genetal jesus Christ, having a more tender feeling of his pains, then of what yourselves suffered, and endured for his love. O most happy souls, seeing that neither tribulations, nor anguishs, nor stripes, nor travails, nor any thing else, whether it were sweet or bitter unto you, were sufficient to separate you from the charity of jesus Christ. Ask for me this grace, that living in body here in this world, in heart soul and spirit I may be crucified with jesus Christ.  
4. Four remarkable virtues shine in your passions: Faith, Charity, Wisdom, and Humility. For which, as an aeternal reward, you have the fruition of God in your will: the possession of him in your understanding; the glory in your bodies after the resurrection; and certain particular special garlands over you correspondent to your torments, and the particular manner of your sufferings. We may partake with you herein after seven manners. First, when we die for the Faith as the most part of you (O victorious souls) have done. Secondly, when we are killed for JESUS, as it happened for you, O you blessed Innocents', first fruits of the Christian Church. Thirdly, when we expose our lives for the good and salvation of our neighbours, as did the Son of God, your Lord and ours. Fourthly, when we choose rather to die, then to transgress the Law of God, as did the holy Maccabees. Fiftly, when we expose our blood for the maintaining of the immunities, and liberties of the Church, as didst thou O holy martyr St. Thomas Bishop of Canterbury. Sixtly, when, as Abel, we are persecuted for justice, out of the envy of the wicked. And lastly, when we lose our life for defence of the truth, zeal of the honour of God, salvation of our neighbour, as thou didst, O most holy precursor of our Lord, our redeemer, under Herod: and thou evangelical Prophet under Manasses: and you jeremy and Zhacharie persecuted by popular fury. Obtain for us, O you witnesses of the living God, the grace, that we may testify the fidelity which we own to our Redeemer, after some one of these manners: and that at least we may honour him, when we die, whom we honour so little, whilst we live.   

Title 21. To the holy Doctors.  
1. THe high Priest in the law of Moses, during the time of his charge, did wear by God's ordinance and appointment a garment of colour like Hyacinth, which was fringed & bordered about below, with pomegranates, mingled with bells of pure gold. Ye are O masters of our souls, the little bells, which ring to make us know, the approaching of the high Priest, and the coming of the holy Ghost then, when bowing down the heavens of his greatness, he is pleased to draw near unto us in the Sacrifice of the altar. Ye are the salt of the earth, the light of the world, the City builded upon a mountain, the Candlestick with seven lamps, the seven Candlesticks in the midst of which, not without great mystery, appeared the Son of man.. Ye are the Starts of Daniel, which shine eternally. I beseech you then, O inflamed souls, Cherubins for your wisdom, and Seraphins for your charity, that ye obtain for us, but specially for the Pastors, Preachers, and Doctors of the Church, the gift of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, together with a sound foundation of the building of the soul, which is a lively and true Faith. This I. ask by him, who hath made your breasts the storehouse of armour, offensive and defensive, against his enemies and ours: your memory a jewell-house of understanding: your understanding an Academy of knowledge & wisdom: your wills a furnace of Charity: your Pens the instruments of his holy will: and your tongues Organs to sound forth his Glory.   

Title. 22. To the holy Confessors.  
1. Cedar's of Libanus who with your sweet Odoriferous smell, embalm the whole world: Palms of the terrestrial Paradise of the Church, very high and eminent in highness: Pomegranates, sowed amidst the Bells and sky-coloured fringes, of the garment of the high Priest, which join Charity, with Humility and good example: Scars called Hyadeses, whose benign influence, cause the rain of repentance, and the dew of devotion, which never appear, but when the days of mercy beginneth, to grow longer, and the Sun of our souls to send forth more hot beams then ordinary of his grace; the herbs of good thoughts begin to come on, plants of good desires to bud forth, the garden of our spirit to flourish throughout with divers flowers, promising to us an happy harvest of good & holy works. O stars of happy and favourable aspect, work all these wonders, upon the dry and barren ground of my soul, to the end that by work and word I may glorify him, whom ye have confessed and professed with danger of your lives.  
2. Men with loins girded, hands with burning Lamps; great numbers of you have excelled in confessing the Faith, there's have been singular for Learning, others admirable for austerity of life, others for heroical works, appertaining to Christian perfection. Obtain then by your prayers, in remembrance and acknowledgement of these graces, that I hold fidelity, & make known both to Heaven and earth, that which I am to my God in every occasion of temptation; Seeing that to confess by deed is nothing else, but to lead a life worthy the name of a Christian.  
3. Our sweet Redeemer, being Wisdom itself, justice itself, Truth itself, Holiness itself, is it not so then? that men by their sottishness and stupidity, following the trace of their appetites, like beasts without reason deny his wisdom? following iniquity, deny his justice? giving themselves to lying, deny his Truth? and wallowing in the mire of their filthy pleasures, renounce his holiness? Permit not, O ye governors of our souls, that I become one of those ungrateful wretches, infringers and forsakers of their Faith; but that upon all occasions, I may be that which I am, to God most humble, most obedient, and most faithful; as well in effect, as in affection; as well in execution, as in obligation; though I should thereby lose my life, as many millions of times, as I speak, or breath.   

Title. 23. To the holy Anchorites, Hermits and Religious.  
1. Mountains of eminent perfection, Sina upon which God familiarly speaketh to men: Thabor, where the word incarnate manifested his glory; most noble portion, only chosen of the heritage of jesus Christ; you are they, to whom (according to the sayings of the Prophet) the waters are open in the desert, and the brooks in the wilderness. You are they which have transplanted the Cedar, the white Thorn, the Myrrh, the Olive in the wilderness. You are they, who set a fire, with a burning desire of heavenly things, have with a noble courage frankly and freely renounced the goods, and pleasures of this world You are they, who being retired into the deserts of secret solitariness, and strait Monasteries, have given yourselves to a most austere life, and most earnest study of solid virtues. You are they, who environed with bodies, have surmounted the condition of bodies, and amongst the beasts have lead the life of Angels. You are they, who have made the places, before hideous and full of horror, by your presence the sanctuary of God, and tabernacle of the holy Ghost. O when shall I, following your example crucify in my flesh all vices, concupiscences, and pleasures? when shall I with you and after you, embrace an heavenly conversation in this terrene habitation? when shall I have the earth under my affections, as I have it under my feet? Bring to pass by your merits, and prayers, O most happy souls tried a thousand and a thousand times, bring to pass (I say) by all possible means, and whatsoever power you have in that aeternal City, especially you, ye holy founders, reformers, and observers of regular discipline, which have consecrated by obedience your souls: by poverty your goods: and by the vow of Chastity your bodies; Obtain for me, that in those three things I may honour the author of all things? that I may renounce my own self, die to my own will, and live to the will of God.  
2. We that live in the world, are esteemed Saints, when we do, or suffer the thousand part of that you have done, and suffered. O what difference will there be between you, and us upon the day, when we shall come to receive our higher? But yet we wish that you may increase to thousands, and millions; for you are our brethren, and it is great consolation to us, and a great remedy of our miseries, that our common God and Father is honoured in you, seeing he is so little honoured in us: and that we have elder brethren which make amends for our faults. Bring to pass also, that as we rejoice that you are, what you are, and make you sad, by being what we ourselves are, our joy from henceforth may be accomplished and alike in all; we becoming by your prayers that, which you have been, and by your charitable mediation that, which you desire.   

Title. 24. To Saint Anthony.  
1. CHampion of God, overcomer of Devils, fearful to Hell, the honour and wonder of the desert, I address particularly to thee my sighs: and to thee I lift up the voice of my desires; knowing how much thou hast done for God, and how much thou art able to do with God. Bee thou then pleased to obtain for me, three graces of him, who bestowed them upon thee with many more? the one is the gift of Prayer, and an inward conversation with God; the other a perfect victory of my temptations; and the third an inflamed Love of him, which is the lone of Heaven and earth, JESUS the Son of God. Thou hast so excelled in the first, that during the time thou wert before God in prayer, years were to thee but months; months but weeks; weeks but days; days but hours; and hours but minutes. The Sun going down left thee praying: and rising again he found thee praying, and whilst he cast forth his beams sometimes upon thy back, and sometimes upon thy face, the holy Ghost was working interiorly and effected wonderful things in the most fruitful soil of thy soul. As for temptations, Hell trembled at thee, and the Devil remained as vanquished and taken captive in thy presence. For thou went'st not out of the skirmish, as we do, who ordinarily are either beaten or discouraged. Thy victories were entire, thy laurel boughs, answerable to the strong and courageous resistance thou madest to the enemies of God. Wherefore not being able to lay any hold upon thy soul, they exercised their rage upon thy body; bellowing like Bulls, roaring like Lions, hissing like Serpents; And when they had all done, they could not take the fort of thy interior resolution, nor so much as shake the Rock of thy inexpugnable will. As for the love of God, thou saidst often to thy Disciples, that the Devils are afeard of humility, temperance, taming of the body, prayer, and the exercise of other virtues; But above all the rest they fear most, an inflamed charity towards the Son of God. What shall hinder me then henceforth, from shining in those three graces? shall the let or hindrance be on thy part, or on mine? It shall proceed from us both, if thou neglect to pray for me, and I neglect to cooperate with the grace which by thy prayers thou canst obtain for me.  
2. Thy famous name by interpretation, signifieth flourishing; bring to pass then, O great Anthony, by the exceeding credit with thou hast with God, that I may flourish always in all kind of virtues: and that never by any temptation, the sweet and beautiful flower of the grace of God, fade, whither, or dry up in my soul.  
3. Saint Athanasius writeth of thee, that as a Bee in the beginning of thy conversion, thou goest gathering together the virtues, which thou observedst to be most eminent in the servants of God, whether they were men or women; gathering Humility from one, from another Prudence, Charity, Patience, Abstinence, and so of other excellent qualities, which afterwards so adorned and enriched thy soul. Obtain for me the same grace, that from henceforth all the stay I shall make upon earth, may be a continual amassing together of virtues, and that all my actions may give good example to those, with whom I converse.   

Title 25. To the holy Virgins, Men and Women.  
1. VEssels of honour, Fountains sealed up, Parks walled round about, Lilies of the territory of Eden, Angels with bodies, the white Troop of the Son of God; albeit you cannot but grant, that all the inhabitants, and citizens of Heaven, enjoy the blessed presence of him, who is blessedness itself, and of whom they are infinitely beloved, tenderly cherished, exceedingly honoured, immortally comforted and refreshed: So is it notwithstanding, that the holy Scripture and the Revelations, recorded by the beloved Disciple; teach us, that souls clothed with the nuptial rob of the Lamb, with is no other than most pure and most odoriferous Virginity, receive from him greater demonstration of love, and are honoured by him with a more Imperial, and noble crown then other saints. You are they then, O holy troop, who leaping for joy, which can not be expressed, look upon attentively & pray most effectually the holy Lamb, being beheld by him after a particular and special manner, and receiving from him particular joy, not to be expressed with tongue. Ye are they, who play continually upon the haps, upon which none can play but you. Ye are they, who sing a new song before the throne of God, following undefiled, every where the Lamb without spot or stain.  
2. O thrice and four times happy Virgins; ye are the eunuchs, which out of your own free will, have made yourselves such for the kingdom of heaven, and for the love of him, who is the brightness of aeternal light, and looking-glass without stain.  
3. Ye are those green Cedars, who by the Aromatical odours of your virtues have chased away and killed the serpent of sensuality; ye are valleys for your humility, Parks for your integrity. I beseech you obtain for me of your heavenly Spouse six virtues represented by the six flowers, growing forth of the tops of the Lily, and having all six but one stalk.  
4. The first is sobriety and abstinence, from superfluous meats: seeing that gluttony is the cousin-germane to impudicitie, as sobriety is to constancy.  
5. The second is honesty and plainness in apparel of the body, appertaining to the ornament of my person, according to the state and condition, to the which it hath pleased God to call me, taking from me all delicateness, curiosity, and superfluity.  
6. The third is mortification, and exact custody of my interior & exterior senses, principally of my sight and hearing, the two gates, by which ordinarily sin entereth into my soul.  
7. The fourth, great circumspection in my speech and conversation, that neither by word or gestures, I operate or cooperate to any wickedness.  
8. The fift, a fear, and horror of sin, so as I tremble at the very shadow thereof: and that I resist to suggestions, and temptations, with great courage and magnanimity upon the first sense, and feeling of them.  
9 The sixth, some honest and profitable occupation, by which I may avoid and fly Idleness, the mother and nurse of vice, which may keep me always busy in some interior occupation for God. O had I the gift of union, and the grace to live always in the presence of God what temptation could take hold of me, I never losing the sight of him?  
10. It is painful I grant, to resist the motions of sensuality, know that it is also a Martyrdom without blood, and that only Virgins, and such as are continent after your example in the Church of God, make a continual holocaust and sacrifice of themselves (as Origen noteth) who was a great lover of Chastity, but his zeal thereof was too great.  
11. And if so be, there be any pain and toil in fight against temptations: the toil and pain is greater which must be undergone, when we have basely and cowardly yielded unto them.  
12. Bring to pass then by your prayers and suffrages, O companions of the Lamb; grant that of these two pains I choose the lesser; and that albeit the pain were far greater, I refuse no labour to get and maintain a treasure of so great value, as in comparison thereof, gold, silver, and precious stones have neither weight nor price. O Purity, O Chastity, O Integrity, reverenced of the Angels, feared by the Devils, admired by the wise, favoured and cherished by God himself.  
13. O, if I could worthily conceive, the beauty of the ways, the pleasantness of the little hilles● the delight of the odoriferous Mountains, the good pasture of the heavenly meadows! the Cloth of Arras of immortality, wrought with an hundred thousand colours! the delicious Garden of the great Assuerus, as it were enameled with variety of all flowers! the Ornaments and rich furniniture of his royal Palace, the lively Spring●● and delightful Fountains, at the which the Lamb takes his recreation with his blessed Mother the Queen of Virgins! the perpetual spring time, that April without end, that incessant jubilation that Brook of pure & undefiled delights, at which you drink! not after the manner of the world, which drinketh not but at the dirty puddle of Egypt, and at the slimy ponds of Assiria, No nor as other Saints, who have not the honour to carry your garlands upon their heads: but after a special manner, and with a singular dilectation exceedingly eminent above that, which is common to the rest of the Saints. If I could, O choice souls, penerrate into the least part of the happy recompense, that crowneth your labours, be partaker but only of one of the crumbs which fall from your table, taste but one drop of that great Ocean of your incomparable delights; O how much should I loathe the vanities, abhor the pleasures, contemn whatsoever ornaments or beauty of this world; then the honey of this life and sugar of this world, would be as insupportable to me, as most bitter gall and wormwood. I deserve it not, neither do I ask of you this sight: but in all humility I beg, and with all the force of my soul, that for the love of your heavenly Spouse, I live no more but to him, I take no life, but from him; I bring forth no fruit but his. And that finally, I may come to die for him.  
14. O good jesus, O meek Lamb, O chaste Spouse, and rich Crown of Virgin-soules; let me obtain this mercy, by the love thou hast borne to them, who have loved none but thee: that I be permitted here in this world, to love thee with my heart, and to serve thee with other fidelity, than hitherto I have done.  
15. Purify the filth of my conscience, restore to my soul her first purity; so as if I cannot follow thee so near as thy more beloved, in the street of the heavenly jerusalem, and in the most pure and clean paths paved all with f●●e gold, of which thy Apostle, Disciple, and Virgin Evangelist maketh mention: yet at least, I may carry in my hand, the Lamp of good works, and one day be admitted to thy marriage banquet, and there be placed, if not at the higher end of the holy table; yet among those who sit at the lower end thereof.   

Title 26. A Communication bad with God, upon the Life, Death, and Passion, of our Saviour.  
1. PErmit me my GOD, Father, and Saviour of my soul; that prostrate before the Throne of thy Majesty, I put thee in mind, and represent unto thee, the wonders which thou hast wrought for my love; and as much for all others as for me, and no less for me then for all. I will speak unto you in the simplicity of my heart, taking my assurance from your mercies, and placing my confidence altogether in immensity of your goodness, without having any regard at this time to my own exceeding great unworthiness, which otherways would shut up my mouth, and not permit me to appear before the eyes of your Majesty.  
2. I was as thou truly callest me, thy heartless Dove, thy lost Sunamite, thy strayed sheep, when to make demonstration of the excess of thy benevolence, thou resolvedst to make thyself like to me, to th'end that I might become like to thee. Out of this motion thou descended'st from Heaven to Earth, that so thou mightst lift me up from Earth to Heaven, thou humbledst thyself to extol me, thou becomest passable, to make me impassable, mortal, that I might be made immortal, and thou becamest Man, after a sort to deify me, and make me God.  
3. Thou didst take (I say) my humane substance to communicate unto me thy divine; thou tookest for spouse my humanity, to give me for a dowry thy divinity; as if thou hadst said; (O thou ecstatical lover of my salvation) when thou shalt see me conceived, be bold to say, that it is for no other end, but to make thee conceive in thy soul the spirit of God my Father, when thou shalt see me carried in the womb of my Mother, that it is to make thee to be transported with an holy desire; when borne and brought into the world by a Virgin, that it is to make thee bring forth by works the fruits, worthy of aeternal life.  
4. I will take my repose in the womb of my holy Mother, that thou mayst come one day to take thy repose in my arms. I will be content to be shut up in that dark prison, to bring thee out of darkness into light: I will make myself little, to make thee great, feeble and weak, to make thee strong; poor, to make thee rich; an imperfect child, to make thee a perfect man; I will be naked to clothe thee; trembling in thy Manger for cold, that thou mayst be warm; tied up in swadling-bands, to set thee as liberty; laid upon the hay and straw, to place thee above the heavens; between the Ox and the Ass, to procure thee the company of the Angels; in a stable, and amidst the dung, to make thee know that I will not disdain to be borne amidst the filth of thy imperfections, so as they be displeasing unto thee.  
5. Thou wouldst that the Shepherds of Idumaea, and the Kings of the East should take notice of thee, to show that thou didst think long, when thou wert new borne, to make a present to God the Father, of the first fruits both of jew and Gentile. Thou wast circumcised the Eight day, to give me betimes the earnest penny of my redemption, and to bestow upon me the first fruits of thy labour some life.  
6. Thou wast carried upon the fourteenth day to the Temple, thy holy Mother was there purif 〈…〉, and thou thyself presented to God thy Father, and after Redeemed for five pieces of Coin. To what other end was all this? but by the mediation of thy worthy Mother, to present me to thy heavenly Father; to obtain for me internal purification, and by the means of thy five wounds, the only price of my redemption, to redeem me from my vain conversation.  
7. The flight into Egypt was to encourage me, not to fly, but to stand before the face of God, whom I had provoked to wrath; and when thou wert found in the Temple it was to teach me, that thou wilt be found in the midst of my heart, and erect there a divine Academy. If so be, I make it a holy Temple dedicated to thy Majesty, and not a profane house open to all vanity, which it shall not be hard for me to do, after the three days of contrition, confession, and satisfaction: by means whereof thou hast promised, to hold me in the rank and quality of a Mother, a Brother, and a Sister.  
8. Thou wast subject to joseph as a tutor, and to his spouse thy Mother, to put me under the tuition and protection of God thy Father; Thou wast obedient to them, to make easy to me the law of obedience: and which is admirable, thou wert unknown in the world for the space of 18. years, to teach me humility, and to make me known in ages to come, with titles of honour due to divine adoption.  
9 When thou wast pleased to manifest thyself unto the world, was it for any other end but to give me knowledge of my felicity, and of the means by which I might attain unto it? And when thou didst change water into wine at the Marriage of Cana, was it not to instruct me? that thou wouldst change the water of my imperfections into the wine of perfection, flowing from the precious vine of thy grace? especially being aided herein by the intercession of thy most honourable Mother? And further to instruct me, that it should not be hard or difficult for thee, to change the material wine into thine own blood, whensoever thou shouldst be pleased to make thyself as admirable and amiable in the nurture of my soul, as thou art in the refection, and conservation of my body.  
10. Didst thou not leave unto me a rare example of humility (the strong foundation of the stately building of all virtues) at the River of jordan? when after the manner of penetents, which at the river received the baptism of penance thou wast content to be baptised of thy baptist? and (together with this abasing of thyself) by touching the water with thy precious flesh, giving regenerative virtue to the waters, which afterwards have served for a bath to wash away and cleanse original sin?  
11. Thou wast called an immaculate Lamb and why so? if not because thou wast to be a victim for our sin; a pacifiing host in thasksgiving for benefits; a true holocaust in testimony of love?  
12. Thou enduredst hunger to feed and fill me; thirst to quench my thirsty appetites; cold and heat, to remedy my passions.  
13. Thou didst persever in prayer, that I might learn to surmount the difficulties and tediousness, which I find in that exercise.  
14. Thou wert tempted permitting the Common enemy to assault thee: was it not to drive him away from me? and to give me force to resist, and overcome him?  
15. The Angels come to serve thee after the victory, to assure me of the like, and as it were to promise me, that thou wouldst in person serve them, which shall be victorious over the enemies of thy glory.  
16. Thou didst call unto thee, Apostles, & mad'st choice of Disciples, and it was to leave me so many Masters and Teachers: Thou reproouedst them for ●heir faults, for the correction of mine: Thou didst bear with them in their infirmities, to make me know, how patiently thou wouldst bear with mine.  
17. Thou didst restore to the lame their limbs, to the blind their sight, hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb: Thou didst catechize the ignorant, cure the Paralitiques, raise the dead, and all this to illuminate the eyes of my understanding, to open the ear of my heart, to rectify the gate of my affections, to cureithe Palsy of my soul, to unloose my tongue that it might utter thy praises, to set me at liberty from death of sin, to draw me out of the grave of my iniquity, to make me borne a new by grace, drawn out from under the marble of my naughty habits and customs.  
18. Thou wert sold by one of thy Apostles, to th'end that I might not be sold to mine enemies; thou wast forsaken of thy Disciples, never to forsake & abandon me; thou wast seized with fear going to thy so often desired temporal death, to give me assurance and courage against the fears and frights of aeternal death.  
19 Thou wast tied, that I might be untied; contemptuously treated, to make me respected; clothed with an ignominious garment of purple, that I might be vested with the rob of honour; thou carriedst a reed in thy hand, to put in my hand the S●epter of heaven and earth; upon thy head a crown of Thorne●, that I might come to wear a crown of Glory! Thou wert convented before profane Tribunals, that I might be justified at the Tribunal of my judge. It was said of thee in mockery Behold the man, thereby to recover for me the most noble title of the child of God, which I had lost.  
20. Thou wast charged with the heavy burden of the Cross and wherefore? If not to discharge me of the insupportable burden of my iniquities.  
21. Why wert thou lead up to the Mount Caluarie, but to lift me up to the mount of heavenly felicity; why nailed in the midst between two thieves but to place me amidst the Angels; why were thy arms stretched out upon the Cross, but only with tender love and affection to embrace me?  
22. Me think I hear thee say: (O the God of love) that if in dying, thou bow down thy head: it is to give me the kiss of peace. If one open thy side with a Spear, it is that I may have a place whether to retjre myself, and to make me know, that the affection of thy heart with which thou lovest me, surpasseth the passion of thy body in which thou diedst for me. To conclude if thou diedst, it is to give me life.   

Title. 27. A Prayer, agreeing with the former Communication, and Conference, had with God.  
1. O My God, my Saviour, bestow upon me then that grace, that I may conceive thee by affection; carry thee in the womb of my soul by desire; be delivered of thee by such works, as are pleasing to thy divine Majesty, to this end I implore the breasts of thy mercy, by the breasts of thy holy Mother with thou didst suck.  
2. Disdain not the hay and straw of my vanity, the Manger of my naughty habits, the filth of my indevotions, the brute beasts of my irascible and concupissible affections.  
3. I offer up with the Shepherds the little I am in body and soul, with the three Kings the Gold, the Myrrh, & Frankincense of my memory, of my understanding, and of my will.  
4. Circumcise, and cut away all whatsoever is in me, that is displeasing unto thee: and by the merit of thy first pain pluck up by the roots in me the first young springings of all evil pleasures.  
5. Present me in the temple of grace to God thy Father, and with thy five wounds, as with the five pieces of money, redeem me from the servitude of sin.  
6. By the merit of thy flight into Egypt, obtain for me that I may fly and avoid all occasions of sin; and that as at thy entry into Egypt all the oracles of Idolatry were silent, so there may be in me a beginning laid of never sinning.  
7. Speak in me my God, make me hear thy voice, and for thy love obedient to my superior.  
8. What care I for being known in the world, seeing thou wert so long unknown, and mistaken? I ask of thee so much honour or dishonour, as is necessary for me for thy glory, and no more.  
9 I present unto thee not only the reasonable actions of my life, but also those which appertain unto sense, and drinking, eating, sleeping and such others, which I desire thee to look upon, as united with those of my redeemer thy Son. Grant that with him I may overcome my temptations, that I may be washed in the Iordain of thy graces, and that it may be said of me: This is the beloved servant of God, in whom he taketh great pleasure.  
10. I languish with desire to follow thee, not as that miserable wretch, that betrayed thee and sold thee to the jews: but as thy faithful Apostles, who have signed with their blood, and sealed with their death, the faith & fidelity, they had promised thee.  
11. Thou wilt change the dirty and stinking water of my imperfections, into the most precious wine of thy love, when by thy grace I shall no more lose the sight of thee: and that near unto thee, I shall make three tabernacles of my understanding, memory, and will, in which thou shalt dwell, and make thy abode with contentment.  
12. The filth of my imperfections hindereth me from presenting myself, as I ought, to thy holy Table; wash then the feet of my affection, that from henceforth it touch not the earth; and seeing that thou hast bestowed such virtue upon the plants, the stones, the herbs: seeing the Sun by the aspect and influence of the Beams, doth work such wonders in nature, even to the making and forming of metals in the very bowels of the earth; seeing also the Adamant draweth unto it the iron, Amber the straw, the Star the steel, by reason of a kind of sympathy and natural impression, which thou, the author of nature, hast given unto them; Is it convenient, that thy most holy body and incomparable treasure, honour my body with his presence, that thy most precious blood be in me, and that thy divine humanity should really touch mine, and not lift up my soul to thy divinity? Permit not this monster in Grace, and this prodigious wonder in nature.  
13. Bestow upon me the charity, which thou didst so straightly recommend unto thy Apostles; and grant unto me the gift of prayer, and tears, as well to accompany thee in thy prayers, as that I may be able to resist my temptations according to thy instruction.  
14. By the fear which ceased upon the inferior part of thy soul, and by the streams of blood, which did wonderfully run down, caused by thy sorrow, and vehement apprehension; I beseech thee (my benign Redeemer) to assist me at the hour of my death, and to do me the favour, that albeit my life hath been so unprofitable unto thee, yet at last I may honour and serve thee by my death, which I desire may be no other, then that which thou shalt judge to be for thy greater glory.  
15. Grant that by the stroke of thy word, I may lay a long thy enemies and mine. That I may be tied, and manacled in ropes and chains of thy love. That with thee, and no otherwise, I may appear before the Tribunal of God thy Father. That the Spirit of sweetness, and meekness, which thou didst hold towards that accursed fellow, which did blindfold thee, may accompany me in all occasions. That I may be clothed with a white rob of innocency, and with the purple garment of charity, that by the merit of thy whipping, my body may be a sanctified vessel & instrument of thy glory. That in virtue of the Crown of Thorns, which pierced thine head, I never consent to any evil thoughts, but especially to such, as tend to any pride.  
16. When will the hour be, when one seeing me, may say, not in derision, as it was said of thee, but in sincerity and truth, Behold the man of God? bring this to pass, my sweet jesus, by the merits of thy most profound humility.  
17. Then I shall be content, & with quietness of mind, hear the sentence and judgement, which the wicked shall give of me, and little regard, what the world esteemeth of me at this time, which passeth, though it should be a definitive sentence of death, as unjust and detestable, as was that, which was pronounced against thee.  
18. I shall carry the Cross with thee, such a Cross I say, as it shall please thy divine providence to lay upon my shoulder. I shall edify by my example, the predestinate souls, the true daughters of the heavenly Zion.  
19 But when shall I have spoiled myself of self love? when shall I be, as it were naked, in respect of things of this world, to be nailed with thee to the Cross? It shall be then, when the nails of thy feet shall nail my affections, the nails of thy hands my actions, & the Spear that pierced thy side, shall pierce all my intentions.  
20 Wash me o my God, God living, and dying for my love, wash me in the blood, which flowed from thy sacred person; so as from henceforth I may appear before thee, as a new washed sheep comen out of the pond, as a Lamb without spot, ready to be sacrificed.  
21. Pardon, and forgive all those, which wish, or do me evil, help all those, which are in deadly sin, and near to their end, that they die not in that pitiful estate, as thou didst help the good Thief in his extremity. Commend me with the beloved disciple to the protection of thy unspotted Mother, acomplish in me the thirst of thy desires. Consume whatsoever is displeasing unto thee, & consummate all thy mercies towards me. Abandom me not, & leave me never alone. Receive my soul into thy hands, as God thy father received thine at thy giving up thy Ghost. Deliver from Purgatory, the souls, which are in pain, as thou deliveredst the holy Fathers out of Lymbus, where they were detained. Give us such a resurrection to life by grace, as that we never more die by sin. And seeing that our heart ought to be where our treasure is: seeing that thou the Lord of the world, art placed at the right hand of thy Father, lift us up to thee, and transport our affections above the heavens.  
Finally, impart unto us some part of those graces, bestowed upon thy Apostles & Disciples upon the day of Penthecost: that from hence forth we may become the Temple of thy glory, thy heritage, the chosen people, with which thou takest pleasure to make thy abode.   

Prayers, and considerations as it were in passing, according to the occurrences that fall out every day. Title 28. When a man is tempted.  
1. I Protest my GOD, that I give no consent in any sort to this temptation; and that my will desireth the contrary of that, which is proposed with as great affection, proceeding from reason, as I feel inclinations arising from sensuality.  
2 I thank thee, O my gracious Creator, that sense or feeling, and consent or yielding, are two different things. For if every feeling, were a yielding joined with offence of thy divine Majesty, I were utterly undone. Temptation hath the one in his hold, but none shall have possession of the other, but thy divine Majesty. The world, the flesh, and the Devil, have a power to make me feel; but my consent or yielding shall be ever in thy power.  
3. My God, leave me not alone, & deliver me from myself.  
4. I cannot live without thee, make me then I pray thee, live to thee.   

Title 29. When any thing falleth out that pleaseth us.  
1. IT is thou, my sweet jesus, who art the author of all reasonable contentment, from thee proceedeth all pure consolation. I desire it not then, but from thee, in thee, by thee, and for thee. Dispose thou otherways, when thou shalt be pleased to deprive me of it, and I shall accommodate me thereunto, with all resignation and indifferency.   

Title. 30. When any thing displeaseth us.  
1. I Accept of this displeasure, as a present sent unto me, from my beloved jesus Christ, accounting myself too happy that I may be worthy to participate, to carry and to kiss his Cross.  
2. The beloved of my soul shall be placed in my bosom, as a bundle of Myrrh.  
3. Look with how great affection I desire to be delivered of this affliction; with no less I ask and ask again the continuance thereof, if, O my God, it shall be for thy greater glory.   

Title. 31. In obeying our Superiors.  
1. I Honour thee, O my God, in them, as in thy Image: and protest that all the service I do them, I do it for thee.  
2. I will love them in thee, and thee in them: and will do them no reverence neither interior, nor exterior, but with intention that all redound unto thee.   

Title. 32. In seeing the magnificency of the Court.  
1. far greater things are recounted of thee, O heavenly Zion.  
2. All that I see here, are no better, than the sweep of Heaven.  
3. When shall I see thee in thy own brightness, O King of glory?  
4. All this greatness passeth with the figure of the world, but the greatness of Heaven continueth eternally.   

Title. 33. At our going out of our Lodging.  
1. SEt my feet in thy paths, O my God, my way, my truth, and my life.  
2. Make me avoid and shun all bad company, and turn away from me all occasion of sin.  
3. The Rivers run to the Sea, the Stars hold always their course, the Elements tend to their Sphere, all heavy things naturally descend to the Centre: Even so I go to thee, Centre of my affections, Sphere of my soul, Heaven full of benign influence, great Ocean of Charity and Mercy.   

Title. 34. In beholding any Garden or Meadow.  
1. O Architect of the world, which hast powered forth upon this immovable and insensible world so great beauty, and such variety of odours and colours, why dost thou not the same to the territory of my soul?  
2. If the earth of the dying be so beautiful, how beautiful is the land of the living?  
3. The dew, the rain, the influences of Heaven are not so necessary for these flowers, as the grace of God, and favourable aspect of the holy Ghost are necessary for my soul.   

Title. 35. In seeing a Field Covered with Flowers.  
1. THe odour of the Son of God, and the blessed Virgin Mary, is like to the odour of a field, upon which our Lord hath powered out his blessings.  
2. If heaven were locally to be divided to all the blessed Saints, as was the Land of promise to the Israelites; every one should have more for his part, than the whole world; what do I then here? and what stayeth me here, O my God?   

Title 36. When one smelleth to a Nosgay.  
1, O how much sweeter art thou, my sweet and beloved jesus!  
2. When thou shalt be pleased, O the love of my soul, thou shalt smell in me the Rose of Charity, the Lily of Purity, the Violet of humility, the Gillyflower of hope.  
3. I would and desire many things according to sense, many things which I cannot get, I make of them all a Nosegay, as being your spouse, to present unto thee, O the Spouse of my soul.   

Title 37. When we admire the beauty of any building.  
1. EVen so the Birds highly prize, & esteem the Rocks, where they build their nests: and the Aunts their little holes, where they lodge.  
2. All this is common both to the friends, and enemies of God.  
3. What an habitation is that which thou reservedst for thy Children, O God of Israel? what, and how delightful shall be the Tabernacles of jacob? seeing thou art so liberal to the tabernacles of Moab.  
4. One day in the house of God is more worth, than a thousand years in this base lodging, in which the Beasts lodge with me.  
5. If such be the habitation of the body, exposed to sin, and subject to death, what shall be the habitation of the soul, when it shall be by grace impeccable, as it is by nature immortal.   

Title. 38. When you behold yourself in a Glass.  
1. Sweet JESUS, the looking glass of my life, when shall I see myself in thee and thee in me?  
2. My only desire be to please thee, and my only fear be to displease thee.  
3. I shall be beautiful in thy eyes, when I shallbe displeasing in my own.  
4. The beauty of the body withereth and rotteth, if it be not accompanied with the beauty of the soul.  
5. I will look upon the life of saints: to behold in it as in a glass my own deformities.  
6. There are certain persons which are always running to their Looking-glasses: I will have no other looking-glass but thee, O Son of God, in whom the Father, as in a glass, seethe his own essence, and beholdeth his perfections.  
7. O what a looking glass is that, in which God the Father taketh a view of himself? wherein consisteth his blessedness. Thou art the looking-glass, O eternal word, which representeth the essence & substance thou takest from him.   

Title. 39 In putting on our Apparel.  
1. I Stand in more need of virtues, with which to adorn my soul, then of this apparel wherewith I set forth my body; Cloth me O my God with thy grace, and cover my spiritual nakedness with the rich rob of perfect Charity.  
2. jesus, my love, when shall I put on thee? pardon me the too great solicitude, and the over long time I spend in appareling and decking my body, a sack of worms, a tomb of death, & a mass of flesh, which is never satisfied.  
3. How long shall I serve with such attention this my slave, and pamper this my domestical enemy?  
4. I deserve not the name of a Christian, nor so much as to appear in thy presence, if I have not at least as great care of the beauty of my soul, as I am solicitous about the beauty of my body.  
5. Should I not now be a Saint; if I had done and endured, thought, and cast about, as much for the one, as I have done for the other? pardon me this vanity, O my God, by the merits of jesus Christ thy Son, who is the true and amiable beauty.  
6. What were the cogitations, and thoughts of the Mother of God, of St. Edowing Duchess of Poland, of St. Elizabeth Queen of Hungary, when they did put on their apparel?  
7. Our natural and borrowed dresses, put the crown of Thorns upon thy head; our cherry-red & vermilion adorn thy face with blood, and spittle. I protest to thy divine Majesty, in the presence of the Angels & Saints, that all the solicitude, care, & pain, that I will henceforth, take about this my miserable body, shall be purely and simply to discharge the vocation to which it hath pleased thee to call me; beseeching thee not to permit, that any thing be in me that may offend thee, or be an occasion of offence to any.  
8. I had rather be the foulest creature in the world, then that my body should be but once the occasion of any one's falling but into only one deadly sin. Make then of it O my God, an Organ of Purity, and an instrument of thy Glory.   

Title. 40. Inputting off our Apparel.  
1. THis body of mine is nothing else but the garment of my soul, which I must put off, when the night of death approacheth.  
2. I will treat my body from henceforth, as I would wish to have treated at the hour of death: Give me grace to do it O my God.  
3. My apparel is the ornament of my body; O that my body might serve for an ornament to my soul? conversing holily during the time of my abode in this world, until thou, O monarch of our lives, command me to put off this mortal skin.   

Title. 41. In putting on jewels, and other ornaments.  
1. HOw much more precious are thy ornaments, O blessed holy Ghost? O my heavenly spouse, the only beloved of my soul, give me the abillament of good example, the Diamond of patience, the Ruby of charity, the Emerald of hope, the Topaz of humility, the Sardonix of purity.  
2. As our serges and clothes are the fleece of Sheep, our shoes the Skins of Beasts, our Silks and Velvets the excrements of Worms▪ our Amber and perfumes the Mushrums of the Ocean, and sweat of beasts, our Feathers and Fans, the spoil of the Birds, our gold & silver, white & yellow earth; even so our precious stone; are as it were the warts of the Orient mountains, our Pearls the excrements of the Sea.  
Such than is, O God of truth, the Attire of our vanity: Open then my eyes & the eyes of all Christians, that acknowledging ourselves to be apparelled from the Broker's shop, as kings upon the Stage▪ & as such miserable beggars as live upon the rich men's alms begged from the beasts. We must seek and take from thy liberal hand, the ornaments of the soul, which need cost us nothing but the ask, and the will to serve ourselves of them.   

Title 42. Washing our hands & our face.  
1. MY hands, & my face were never soul by either speaking or looking; but the face of my soul hath been often defiled both by the one, and the other.  
2. Wash me then and cleanse me O my God, by all the tears of jesus Christ thy Son, by the bloody sweat, which issued out of his divine person in the Garden of Gethsemanie, by the miraculous water, which together with blood, issued out of his side. It is the imperial and heavenly water, distilled by the fire of his charity, which alone can take away the spots of my soul and make the same pleasing unto thy eyes; power it upon me, O God of purity.   

Title. 43. When you use your Fan.  
1. Divine wind, which proceedest from the mouth of the Father & the Son, as from one Origen, cool and refresh the heat of my passions, & the distemper of my affections.  
2. Amiable Spirit, & desired wind, dissipate the noughty Air of our temptations, the fiery exhalations raised by the irassible part of my soul, & the misty vapours exhaled from my concupiscence.   

Title 44. When the Clock striketh.  
1. SO much the less of my life is to run.  
2. The Yard that measureth our mortal Life, is the hour out of which it followeth, that neither midnight nor midday ever strike, but death hath taken away twelve yards of my piece of cloth, that is, so much time of life, or rather so many hours of my life.  
3. Sovereign steward of our lives, and disposer of our days, make me so pass this hour to come; as I would have wished to have employed all the hours of my life.  
4. I make an offer unto thee O my God, of all that ever I shall say, do, or think, until the next hour, uniting them to the deeds, words & thoughts of jesus Christ thy Son.  
5. The Periods of all time are comprised in the moment of thy eternity, nothing is past, nothing is to come before thee, and all is there present. And yet nevertheless we are free to do, or not to do that, which thou desirest. And consequently it is in our power to give thee either contentment, or discontentment aeternal. Permit not O my God, that I ever charge thee with any such discontentment: but make me such an one temporally, as thou desirest to see me eternally. That so I may rather give thee eternal contentment, than one minute of discontentment.  
6. I make an offer unto thee of all the time, that I have lost, and evil employed; and in supply thereof I make a present of that time, which hath measured the life and actions of my Lord thy Son, being sorry from my heart, that I cannot recall those years, that I have so ill employed. I make then, O my God, an offer and sacrifice no less of that, which I cannot, then of that, which I can.  
7. O how late have I known thee, thou infinite goodness, how late have I loved thee, ancient beauty, that never fadest, but always continuest the same.  
8. Look how many minutes there are in the hours or how many hours according in time eternal which are without number; So often do I bless thee, O thou ancient of days, and I give thee thanks more for that which thou art, then for that which I am.   

Title. 45. Touching the care we are to have of our Children.  
1. THese are the beams of thy grace, O Father of light, these are thy gifts, the workmanship of thy hands, I offer them unto thee as thine, and I beseech thee to take care of them, as of things without comparison more oppertaining to thee, then to me.  
2. Accept of all that I have done, do or shall do for them, as being alive wholly for thee: for I have no interest in them but from thee, from whom they have, and of whom they hold body, soul & life.  
3. Abraham made but once only, a sacrifice of his only son: I make it not only of mine, but of myself and of all that I have, & that so often, as I breathe forth, or take in my breath.  
4. When I feel in myself certain effects of tender love towards them, I begin to conceive a new confidence, and a wonderful hope, O my God, knowing, how much more tenderly thou affectest them, than I do or can. Being assured, that thy love far surmounteth mine, and that without all comparison. O thrice happy condition of souls, which call themselves, & are called by thee, thy daughters!  
5. Have I any right to these Children, or any interest comparable to that which thou hast? I am ashamed to recommend them unto thee, For it were as much, as to pray thee to have care of that which is thine.  
6. No man buildeth a house to pluck it down; no man planteth a vineyard to root it up; nor soweth a field to burn the harvest; How then canst thou neglect these young plants, planted by thy grace in the Orchard of thy Church, watered with thy blood, & designed by thee to be transported one day into the Garden of thy eternity.  
7. I sin blind buzzard that I am, as too covetous & loving to much that, which they have: take away this overplus, O Father of mercy: Or if the force of nature must so far prevail, that it must needs remain, impure the same to the excess of that affection, which I own to all that, with appertaineth to thee.  
8. I fall sometimes into certain secret diffidencies and distrusts, I dare not say they are altogether against my will, though they displease me: doubting somewhat, lest thou thinkest not upon my children, nor vouchsafest to have that care of them, that I feel in myself. O God of infinite goodness, pardon me my offence, & deal not with me and then, according to our demerits.   

Title. 46. Concerning our Domesticals.  
1. WHat did I, before I was, by which I might deserve to have this honourable condition that I have? might not I have been borne in Barbary of some slave, or have been borne here in these parts of as base condition, as these that serve me? why then do I expect so much service? why am I so hard to please? so imperious, & rough towards such, as serve me? Permit not this any more, O my God, but give me abenigne ha●t, full of compassion, and rather of a Father, than Master, towards those of my family.  
2. Grant me the grace, that I may become their servant, serving them in things appertaining to their souls, as they serve me in things appertaining to my body.  
3. Our souls are made all of one substance, and if there be any difference, it is in the use we make of them; if they make better use than I, they are better than I: so as peradventure I am before thee as much their inferior, as I am according to the world their superior and better.  
4. I should blush for shame, tremble for fear, and be exceedingly confounded, to see that such, as serve me, have more care to please me, & more fear to offend me, than I have to please or displease the eyes of thy divine Majesty.  
5. My God, my true Lord & Master, reform this disorder, and make that at least I may be such an one towards thee, as they are, or as I desire they should be to me. I am too sensible of every fault or defect, or negligence committed in my service; I observe it too exactly, I censure it too rigorously. O my God King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, proceed not with me, as I proceed with them, weigh me not in that balance, and with those weights, with with I wright them, measure not unto me according to that measure.  
6. True, there is no comparison between thee and me: or between the faults committed against me, with the faults I commit against thee, and for which I am a●ountable to thee. But no less true is it, that there is no proportion between thy goodness, and my naughtiness, thy mercy and my misery; thy fortitude and my frugality thy prudence and my imprudency; thy divinity & my humanity.  
7. Wilt thou leave to be that which thou art because I am not that, which I should be?   

Title 47. In going to Mass.  
1. I Accompany thee, my sweet JESUS, to the Mount Caluarie, make me partaker of that Charity which conducted thee thither.  
2. Make me have that feeling which the Daughters of Zion had, when they met thee with the Cross upon thy shoulders, with the rope about thy neck, with thy Crown of thorns upon thy head.  
3. Grant me that resignation of my will to thine, which was in thy blessed Mother, standing at the foot of the Cross: and by the merits of her sorrows, and constancy in them, grant unto me the gift of constancy and perseverance in thy love, and service.   

Title. 48. When one is Melancholy or displeased at any thing.  
melancholy is the seat of Sachan, he endeavoureth to make me that seat; now secure me O my God, I protest that I consent not to any thought, that now I have, I renounce all suspicions, judgements, indignation, waywardness, aversion, unquietness, and all such other passions which assault me, and will trouble and toss my spirit; if thou command not the fury of the sea enraged, if thou alloy not the winds, which cause this tempest in my soul. Speak them my assured Pilot, and my heart shall feel a calm. Say the word and it will strait be fair weather.   

Title. 49. When we feel ourselves in any passion.  
PAssion is a coloured glass, which giveth its colour to our eyes, and the objects we look upon thorough it. Wherefore O my God, I deny, I resist, I reject, and that with all the force I can, all that which then I had the will, and was resolved to do. And I put my heart, my will, and my consent into thy hands.   

Title 50. After the happy success of any affair.  
IT is thou my beloved, which hadst the care to prosper with happy success this affair, and to bring the same to so good an end. I accept of it, as from thy hand, & I give ●hee thanks for it, beseeching thee O my blessedness, never to permit, that I be withdrawn from thee by any thing, which I have not but of thee. I desire that, which thou desirest, and no more.   

Title. 51. Having received any grace.  
IT is by thy means, sweet jesus, by thy merits, and by thy mediation, that I have received this grace, thank thou God the Father for me; For in so doing thou shalt thank him for thyself. The grace which is done unto me, is done as much if not more, unto thee: because it was granted unto me, as desired of thee, & merited by thee.   

Title. 52. When we receive any consolation in Prayer.  
DEfend me O my GOD, from all vain glory and self liking; a man may think himself gracious in thy eyes, with whom thou art offended. And another, that is near and dear unto thee, may fear himself to be far off, and altogether out of thy favour. I will not therefore hold any certain judgment of myself, out of any deceitful opinion, I may have of myself, but my confidence shall be in thy mercies, and I will rejoice in thee, my God, and my Lord, who art good with invariable goodness, from whence shall proceed all true firmness, and strength of my heart, and all solid repose, and quietness of my soul. I renounce then all vain motions, whether of joy, or sadness, which take their Origen, and spring from self-love.   

Title 53. In time of Desolation.  
I Will carry this Cross cheerfully, and not drag & draw it after me discontentedly: there being no reason, that under a head of thorns any member should be at case. Many will have the Crucifix, but without the Cross. That is, they would be saved, but they would not be crucified; others carry the Cross, but without the Crucifix; that is, are crucified, but shall not be saved. They presume, and these despair: I will & desire both the one and the other, and consecrate myself unto them both. Come then, O the spouse of my soul, though never so much died in thine own blood, come I say, when thou pleasest, and come with thy Cross. It is the bed, upon with thou and I must sleep, and upon which we will die together. It is my Paradise to be with thee wheresoever thou art. I love thee as much amidst the Lances, the Nails, the Thorns; as amongst the Olives, the boughs, & the adorned streets, through which thou didst pass with triumph: as much upon the mount Caluarie, as upon the mount Thabor: as much dying, as living: as much buried, as risen again: as much in Lymbus, as in Heaven. Only grant that I may be thine, and that I never departed from thee, whether I be in consolation, or desolation, poor, or rich; in plenty or in want; all shall be one to me, so I may be wholly and only thine.   

Title. 54. When we feel ourselves dry at Prayer.  
I will continue with perseverance before thee, & not give over, O my God. I will honour thee with my body, seeing I cannot do it with my soul. It is good foe me, that thou hast humbled me: Now I begin to know and feel what I I am. Now I touch with my hands my own misery, & well perceive that I am able to do nothing with out thee. This is as it were a returning to the nothing, from which I took my origen, & out of which I was drawn by thy omnipotency. Blessing, praise, & thanks, be to thee, my God, for ever. I merit not so much as once to enter into thy thought, or that thou shouldst once think of me; And should be to happy, it that I might serve thee but in the condition of a stone, or thing without sense and life. Receive the homage, done by my miserabie condition to thy blessed self, who art independent of any, & hast all contentment in thyself.   

Title 55. When one is despised.  
O My God, I have lost nothing so long, as I lose not thee, have I any thing that appertaineth unto me, whether it be goods, honours, body or soul? Can any thing fall out in the world without thy providence? Is any thing done, sin only excepted, which is not done by thy will? If then thou be pleased, that I be despised, why should any opposition be made? who is he so insolent, & so bold a Thief, that dare intermeddle with things appertaining to thee, contrary to thy will? mayst not thou do with that which is thine, according to thy pleasure? when I am honoured should I rejoice there at for myself? Is it a thing appertaining to me or to thee? It is enough for me, O great God, that I be thine, whether I be an Ant or an Elephant, an Eagle or a Gnat, dirt or gold.   

Title. 56. Elevations of spirit, which may be done upon every occasion.  
1. MY God, my all JESUS, the delight of Heaven & earth, when shall I be all thine, as thou art wholly mine?  
2. Father of mercy, make me such an one, as thy Son hath deserved, and thy holy spirit desireth I should be.  
3. God of my life, when shall I die to myself, that I may live to thee?  
4. Take me, my God, whether I will or no, seeing I am not so wise, as to give myself unto thee, as to have the will to give myself unto thee.  
5. If it should fall out, my beloved, that I should desire any thing but thee, which I desired not for thee; I renounce it even from now, as if it were then, and protest that I have nothing to lose or gain besides thee.  
6. O God, God of my soul, permit me not to be at all; or procure by thy grace, that I may be to serve thee, as I am, and have my being from thee.  
7. I will have ●o eye, but to look upon thee; no ear, but to hear thee; no tongue, but to speak of thee; no heart, but to think upon thee; no hands, but to work for thee; no feet, but to walk & seek after thee; no body, but for to offer up unto thee; no life, but to make a sacrifice thereof to thy honour and glory.  
8. God which art Love, give me Charity.  
9 God, which wert made Man, grant me Humility.  
10. God, which art a pure Spirit, bestow upon me Purity.  
11. Omnipotent power, strengthen my weakness.  
12. Eternal wisdom, illuminate my darkness.  
13. Incomparable mercy, pardon my haughtiness.  
14 Incomparable beauty, to late I have loved thee.  
15. Infinite goodness, too late have I known thee.  
16. He that loveth not thee, what doth he love?  
17 He that admireth not thee, what doth he admire?  
I will love myself, not because I am mine, but because I am thine: I will have care of myself, not for any o●her reason, but because thou so willest and commandest.  
I esteem myself more happy in thy happiness, th●n I count myself wretched for my own misery. And the contentment I take that thou art that, which thou art, far exceedeth the discontentment I feel by being that which I am. Be thou then, my God, for ever that, which thou art, & make me other then I am, That is, whereas I am myself miserable, I shall be in thee blessed and happy.  
To thee in thee, by thee, & for thee, O my God, be all things.   
Amen.