DEVOUT ENTERTAINMENTS OF A Christian Soul. Composed in French by the R.F. I.H. Quarre, P. of the Oratory of JESUS, and D. D. Translated into English, by J. M. of W. Prisoner in the Tower of London. Printed at Paris, Anno Domini MDCXLVIII. The Translators Address to the pious and Christian Reader. THe most charitable and excellent title of this work, is properly, me thinks, addressed unto you, (good Reader,) since you are the likeliest to relish and make true use of the admirable conceptions which are offered you in this little golden Treatise. It came to my hands, as a Missive of Charity, sent to entertain me in my sad imprisonment; and upon a serious perusal, the finding it of so divine a spirit, and of so universal a concernment, was invitement enough to me to propose the naturallizing these Meditations in our Country, by contributing so much as I am able to them, namely, an English Tongue, in which though they lose something of their native grace, yet I have reason to believe that the charity of the Author will be content to be somewhat diminished himself, to become more beneficial to his neighbours; nor need I doubt, but that the force of his heavenly spirit will break through, even my gross language, and be not only heard, but reverenced amidst the noise of Drums and Trumpets, so frequent in these unhappy times, wherein we have more cause than ever, to remember the great Trumpet of the Angel; wherefore the voice of this Author (which seems Angelical) will come very seasonable, both to awake drowsy, and to advance pious souls in the ardours of their love towards God; for here is a loud Alarm for all sleepy and slothful Soldiers, calling unto them to take up the Shield of Faith, and the Sword of the Spirit, to defend themselves by the supply of so powerful succours, as these holy Meditations, against the furious assaults of our common enemy, whose principal attempt is against (what these Entertainments seek the most to fortify, namely) the love of God. The Author shows you, that this love of God is the most Essential point of Christianity. Be watchful therefore, I beseech you, and keep this fortress safe from the surprise of our professed enemy, and then nothing can be feared; for God expects more at your hands, and in loving him you fulfil his whole Law, and sweeten to yourselves the rigour of all humane Laws. After he hath set you in the way of applying continually those duties, which appertain to the preservation of you in this happy state, he presents you with some Considerations upon the whole Passion of our blessed Saviour, as a powerful motive to invite you to this pure love, which he demands of you, and to render homage to this excessive goodness, for so great and inestimable a benefit, which it hath purchased for you at so dear a rate, as even the death of the only Son of God. And truly, when we look upon the sufferings which Jesus Christ hath endured for us, ought we not to reproach ourselves, for bearing impatiently a few crosses and contradictions in this short pilgrimage? for if so sacred a person sustained such violent pains for us, can we conceive ourselves exempt from them? No, no, let us rather be ashamed at our cowardice and effeminate affections, in desiring to find no opposition in our way, but to tread still upon roses, thorns seeming too harsh for our dainty feet, which (if they be so tender) cannot look like feet appertaining to a head stuck full of thorns; and alas, we cannot expect a share in the glory of our head Christ Jesus, if we (as his members) bear not willingly a part in his combats. When we are called into the Field of the Cross, let us then consider, how happy we are, that may make to ourselves a Crown of these thorns, whereof there are store at hand in these hard times; let us march joyfully, that we may triumphantly pass through Mount Calvary, fastened (as S. Paul saith) to the Cross with Christ; and this is the nearest way to the heavenly Jerusalem, where we shall be refreshed after all our labours, with the sight of that sovereign object of our love, the increated Beauty and Verity, whose first sight is no less than eternal beatitude. Desiring to pay some respect to the Author, I shall rather do him injury, if I keep you too long by any discourse of mine, from entering into his devout Entertainments, whose prayers you have, and mine shall presume to attend on his, to implore an efficacious operation of his holy labours, and my charitable design. J. W. The Introduction. Concerning the necessity of the Love of God. ALL the favours which Heaven showers down upon us, are only to withdraw us out of the captivity of sin, and the world, and to place us in the liberty of the grace of Christianity, to the end God may reign in our hearts. It is for this reason we are made Christians, and receive the faith of Baptism: Jesus Christ died on the Cross for this end, and when he descended from the bosom of his Father to be made Man, his design was only to establish the Kingdom of God amongst the children of men. And if we may be allowed to enter into consideration of the eternal thoughts of the eternal Father, we may easily discern, that in the whole Incarnation and Passion of his Son, and in the whole disposition of our salvation, he hath no other aim, then to seat the Kingdom of God in our souls, and to procure that our heart (which is created only for God) may be really the Throne and residence of the Divinity: In effect, all the Sacraments, which Jesus Christ himself hath instituted, and left unto his Church, as so many springs and fountains of graces and benedictions, are only to dispose and place in us the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, to produce the reigning of God in us, and to abolish the dominion of the world, the Devil and Sin. When Jesus Christ taught his Apostles how they were to pray, he gave them the Pater Noster, and wills us to desire above all things, that his Kingdom come; that is (according to S. Gregory) to ask of God, that God may reign in us. And jesus Christ himself said to his Apostles, that the chiefest desire of a Christian ought to be, that God may reign in his heart; Seek first of all (saith he) the Kingdom of God. It is certain then, that God ought to reign in us, not sin, nor the world: And evident it is, that the grace of Christianity causeth the Kingdom of God to preside in our hearts. Now God cannot reign in us but by love and charity; for S. john saith, God is charity; and he that abides in charity, abides in God and God in him. His meaning is, that by love God makes his residence in the soul, he placeth there his Throne, he reigns and commands there, and quickeneth the whole soul. He is there, as the Sun to the Heavens,. which illuminates all of it; as a King in his Kingdom, who commands all; as the Father of a family in his house, who ruleth and directeth every thing. And even as wind disperses smoke, and fire liquifies and melts wax; so Charity, which gives us God, and is even God himself reigning in us, dissipates our imperfections, consumes our inordinate affections, and delivering us from sin, subjecteth us entirely to the power and direction of jesus Christ, who reigns in us. Whence it follows, that whoever is willing to become a true Christian, of what condition soever he may be in this world, aught to desire that God may reign in him; he must dispose himself thereunto, and render his soul and conscience worthy to be the Kingdom and habitation of God; And to arrive to this blessed condition, he ought to be in the state of love and charity: whence we are to infer, That all the true exercises of a Christian must tend unto the obtaining of love; and all that he is to do, all that he is to learn, and the very method which he is to observe in order to a good life, consists only in love and charity. Wherefore it were to be wished, that we would learn no other lesson in this world, nor embrace other exercise, then that of Love and Charity. And in effect God demands nothing of us but love, for he that loveth, fulfils the whole Law of God. And Jesus Christ being ready to die, recommends nothing more to his Disciples, than love: virtue is not acceptable to God, and our whole life hath no merit, without Charity: Finally God gives not his Paradise but unto love. Is it not then very true, that the exercise and practise of love ought to be the sole entertainment and whole occupation of a soul that intends her Salvation? In as much as it is most certain, that at the hour of death God resolving to judge us will respect nothing but love; for he will receive us, if we expire in the state of love, and reejct us, in case he finds us destitute thereof. I pray tell me now, (you that read what I writ) when you shall come to the hour of death, and be in that moment, wherein you are to appear before the Tribunal of God, to receive the definitive sentence of your Eternity, if you find yourself void of the love of God, what sorrow will you not feel for having passed away your life in toys, for having set your affection on trifles, and not loved God, who is only amiable, and the true happiness of our souls? And at this last hour, which you cannot avoid, wherein you shall be constrained to abandon both this life, and all that is in this world, what anguish will you not suffer, for having rendered yourself the slave of vanity, and unto all inordinate motions of concupiscence, for having violated and despised all holy, and divine Laws, to satisfy your own desires? Finally what displeasure will you feel, for having shut your heart against the love of God, to lodge therein the love of so many creatures? Surely at the time of your death, you will (as I may say) even die for sorrow, and this grief will be that worm which shall eternally gnaw your soul, for having so much studied to please the creature, and for having been so strongly fastened thereunto, as to prostrate yourself to vanity and pleasures, and for having despised the love of God, who is your happiness, and the true delight of your soul. But suppose that you shall be saved, and that you are in the role of those Elect, whom God intends to place in his Kingdom of glory, where there is no other God, but Love, no law, but that of Love, and where the life and entertainment of the Saints, is but a perfect and eternal Love: Though you be (I say) of this number, and if your name be written in the book of life, yet God will not save you without Love and Charity; for you must necessarily die in Charity, if you will be saved. Let us suppose then that you have Love, at this last hour, it will be surely a true love of God; If then you can ever Love God with a true love, how much pain will you feel, for not having loved him sooner. How much more bitterly will you detest the world, and all the creatures which you have loved, and which have diverted you from loving a God, who loveth you so much, as to give you his Paradise? It is then, yea, it is then, when you will understand the love, which God bears you, and that you will love God truly; then will it be that the more light you shall receive, and the purer your soul shall be, the more will you detest the world, and deplore your own ingratitude; and undoubtedly in this point, will consist the sharpest: of your pains, and the most insupportable dolours which you shall suffer in Purgatory, I say all this, to recall your soul and persuade you, if you can, to prevent the miseries of this hour and moment, which you cannot escape, and that from this instant, preparing yourself for death, you may begin to seek and desire no other thing but love. In all your devotions learn to love God, and take courage to despise manfully all impediments unto true love. Let all your Entertainments and Devotions be in order to love, and in all your exercises of mercy, strive only to root out of your heart, and remove from your life, all that distanceth you from the love of God. For your assistance herein, I thought fit to present unto you some few documents, which I conceive very profitable for all such, as have a desire to live well. I style them Devout Entertainments, because indeed the soul ought to entertain and busy herself only in love and charity. And I call them Devout, in as much as true devotion consists only in this point, of loving God. It is not my intention, to discredit other Exercises, which are recommended to souls, because they are good and profitable, if they direct unto Love and Charity: But I may well say with S. Paul, that all is nothing without Charity. Wherefore I could wish, that a true Christian had no other object, or end in all his actions, than love; that he would study nothing but love, and strive to correct all his defects, opposite to the love of God; for all being well considered, whoever hath Charity, hath all things. And indeed we see so many persons frequent the divine Sacraments, we see so many who exercise themselves in works of piety, and nevertheless little profit and change is observed in the life of Christians. If reasons may be given for it, there is no other in my opinion, than their defectiveness in loving God. This is the reason why in all this little Treatise I speak of nothing, but Love and Charity. It is true also, that I treat of the Presence of God, and show the practice of it; but I have done it in consideration of love, because I conceive it to be an exercise absolutely necessary, especially for such as live in the world, and desire to lead a virtuous life, in the midst of the turmoils and distractions, which are frequent in our ordinary course of life. We cannot doubt, but that the most part of Christians have their spirits still distracted, their thoughts wand'ring, their hearts divided; and if every one will consider in what manner he liveth, he shall perceive that the soul is but seldom within the body, wholly distracted, and as it were evaporated into exterior things, which is a great misfortune to her. Now it is requisite to find out a means to recall her; surely I see none better than that of the presence of God, in the same manner, as I explicate it; Make use of it, if you please, and you shall find by experience, that there is nothing more profitable and advantageous. I recommend it as much as I can possibly; for if every one would but consider at leisure, the disposition of his own soul, he should discern, that it will be almost impossible for him to perform any exercise of piety, as one ought, if he place not himself in the presence of God; for this posture is absolutely necessary, to recall our soul, which is straying, and to render her attentive to what she is doing; and moreover this is necessary, in respect we cannot perform any good work without the grace of God. And when the soul is thus presented unto God, she craves assistance and grace of him, without which she is unable to act any thing. This is what I desire to offer unto you; I beseech our Lord to affect you with it, and to favour u● all with his grace, to prepare ou● hearts for him, and to render us worthy of his love. THese, or what other Erraeta's the Printer (through his unskilfulness in this Language) hath committed, the courteous Reader may please to pardon, and correct thus. Errata. Pag. 33. l. 10. read require you. p. 107. l. 8. r. into the state. p. 111. l. 6, & 7. r. I know and you have said it. p. 114. l. 14. r. expecting. DEVOUT ENTERTAINMENTS OF A CHRISTIAN SOUL. Of the love of GOD, The first Entertainment. §. 1. Of the Excellency and Necessity of Love. 1. THe first thing I desire to propose unto you upon this subject, and which I would gladly engrave in your heart, is the acknowledging that the reasonable creature was created by God, for no other end, then to love and serve him. This is a verity which I beseech you often to consider, and if you can, call it often every day into your thoughts. 2. In order to this principle, remember that you have no right to live on earth, but to love and serve God; for all that you have in the world, whereof God hath given you the use, he hath put it into your hands, only to testify his love, and to oblige you to love him: so that all things ought to serve you, as motives to love him, who hath bestowed them on you: For as God hath created nothing, which doth not raise you to the knowledge of him, if you will consider it: so hath he made nothing, which doth not attract you unto his love, and fastens you to him, if you bring no opposition thereunto. 3. You know very well, that we are obliged to love God above all things, with our whole heart and soul, etc. It is a Commandment which Jesus Christ calls Maximum, the greatest, in as much as it compriseth all the duties of a soul towards God; and if you can accomplish this, you will doubtless fulfil all the rest. Wherefore esteem principally this Commandment: examine yourself seriously upon this point, and omit not to accuse yourself of it in Confession, whensoever you fail therein. 4. As God doth nothing but to oblige us to love him, so he demands nothing of us but love. This moved the Apostle to say, that the whole law of God is accomplished in loving God. Wherefore all your exercises ought to tend only unto love: I mean, that all the practices of piety, all your desires, all your prayers, and even the use of the Sacraments, aught to aim only at the placing you in the love of God, to establish, conserve, and advance you therein. Finally, you are to act nothing but by love, or for the obtaining the love of God. 5. Consider this virtue, as the only happiness of your soul: for by charity we adhere unto God, and are united and conjoined unto him: Nor can you be ignorant, that all the good, and happiness of the soul, consists only in her being united unto God, and adhering inseparably to him, because he that adheres unto God, (saith the Apostle) becomes one spirit. His meaning is, that Charity invests us with divine properties, and makes us little Gods. 6. We should be very unfortunate, if God did not love us: Now he loveth us only, to the end we should love him, and in loving us, he can give us nothing of greater value than love. For it is love only, which renders is▪ happy: It is love only which gives us God, and unites us to him: Love only guides us unto God. Briefly, it is by love only, that we become acceptable to God; and nothing is agreeable to him, but what is done in love. See then what that soul loseth, which wants this love, and of how little account all exercises are without this act of love. 7. All other virtues may be found amongst the good and bad, but Charity only is the character and stamp of God's children; Finally, she is the Queen, which commands all the powers of the soul, and every thing obeys her: And to speak it in a word, she is the true virtue; for take away Love, and Charity, all that is termed Virtue, is so but superficially and in appearance. 8. This is enough to affect you with the desire of acquiring Charity and Divine Love. But to know how one may obtain it, and by what means we may attain unto the possession of this happiness, is the subject wherewith I intent to entertain you. §. II. Of the means to attain unto the love of God. 1. TO acquire Charity which we call Love, we must earnestly demand it of God; besides, we ought frequently to desire it: Finally, we must labour seriously therein, and act on our part what we are able. These are three points which I am to explicate, 2. To affect God with a supernatural Love, is a pure gift of God: Wherefore I advise you to beg it of him continually. And the first thing you are to ask of him, is, that you may love him, as he would have you, conformable to your obligation. 3. When I say continually, I mean that the most usual Prayer you are to make, and the grace which you ought to demand still of God, is to have Charity and Love: for if you possess this love, you have all, and if you want it, whatsoever else you may have, is of no value, saith the Apostle. 4. When you hear it so often mentioned, that we ought to perform acts of the love of God, let not that produce a belief in you, that it is in our own power, without grace, to love God with such a love as we own him: For it is so sublime a thing to love God, as it transcends all the power of Nature. It is requisite, that God by his grace unite his power unto our whole faculties; to enable us, to form one single act of the love of God. And indeed there is a necessity of Gods giving us his grace, & love, for our loving him, because of ourselves we are unable to do it, without his assistance, and we render ourselves unworthy of it by our sins. 5. I will not then enjoin you to make often acts of the love of God; but say only, that you must often request this love, and dispose yourself to receive it. And above all you are to annihilate in your soul, as much as you can possibly, all that may divert God from giving you this love, or hinder the love of God from reigning in your heart. This is the most important point; for to implore the love of God, and to live quite contrary, is but to mock, and deride him. 6. It is not enough to ask it of God, but you must likewise desire it fervently: And surely I wish, that this desire may be great in your soul, that it may be the powerfullest of all your inclinations, and the most lively affection which reigns in you: For to desire love is a strong disposition unto love. And truly one can hardly desire the love of God, without a present concession of it. 7. Nay, I could wish for the benefit of your soul, that you had no other desire, then to love God, and please him in all things, and that every moment you did awaken in yourself this desire of loving God. O what great things would he operate in you! Surely your life would be pleasing, and all things out of God indifferent to you. Endeavour that your exercises of piety and the most usual occupations of your soul, even when you are distributing Alms, be with an intention to increase this desire, to nourish and practise it. I mean that all your employments, and exercises of virtue, should be either fruits of love, or means to attain unto the love of God. Above all in the use of the Sacraments I wish you to retain this pure intention; for if at any time you are to seek the means of acquiring the love of God, it is by receiving the holy Sacraments, principally that of Confession and Communion. Wherefore when you Confess, and Communicate, endeavour that it may be always with this love, and with an intention thereby to introduce the love of God. 8. It imports you very much, to have a good and pure intention in all that you shall do. Now the Intention which I wish you always to have, is to act and suffer all for the pure love of God; for God ought to be the object and end of your life and actions. There are some who regard their proper interest, and do every thing to the end they may merit. I do not condemn them, but I advise not you to proceed in this manner; for it is a mercenary intention: I contrariwise conjure you to do nothing, but for the pure love of God. If you do all for God, God will do all for you; if you give all unto God, he will give himself entirely unto you, and that ought to suffice you. 9 In few words, I desire that Charity and Love may be the object of all your actions, the subject of your employments, & the most ordinary exercise of your life and piety. Surely if you have a fervent desire to love God, all this will be easy to you, and by the same degrees as this desire shall increase, by the same you will advance in the love of God and Virtue. 10. It is not enough to demand & desire the love of God, you must cooperate also in this point. I will recommend only two things unto you, and in my opinion they will suffice. 11. The first is, that you be very careful to keep your conscience pure and free from sin, and above all engrave in your soul this disposition, which ought to remain always in the centre of your heart, to wit, that for no worldly respect you offend God, and that neither the goods nor evils of this life procure you to do any thing against the Commandments of God: My meaning is, that neither the love nor fear of men, nor the world or mutual complacency draw you to offend God, how little soever it be. 12. The other point which I would recommend unto you, is, the giving your heart wholly unto God; for it is created only for him. By your heart I understand your love, and I mean that you beware of fixing yourself unto the Creature by love and affection: And I intent by this Creature, the world, temporal goods, and all earthly things. 13. I know very well, that you cannot live without love; but that which I recommend unto you, is the remaining in the world, and in the use of creatures, without placing your heart and affection on them: But since you ought to love God, who is infinitely amiable, and commands you to love him above all things, there is nothing difficult in this, which I propose to you; for there is nothing sweeter or more facile than Love, and I only beg of you to prefer God above all creatures: is there any thing more reasonable? 14. Remember this principle, which is always veritable, that a foul by the same degrees she fastens herself by love unto the creature, by the same doth she loosen and separate herself from God; and as much as she sever's herself from the creature, so much doth she unite herself, and approach unto God. Consider well this maxim, to reap profit by it; for if you will love God with your heart, and if the desire which you have to love God, be sincere, you will be very careful not to adhere unto any creature; which is all I recommend unto you. 15. But in this point of the love of God, beware of being like unto the Jews and Pharisees, who Fasted, Prayed, gave Alms, and bare on their foreheads, the written Law of Moses; and yet their hearts were wholly alienated from God you must needs understand my meaning without farther explanation. 19 Take heed also, that you resemble not those who speak much, and do little: Finally, be not like unto the Samaritans, who adored Idols and the true God in one and t●●… same Temple. To love God and the Creature both together, are things incompatible; for true love is neither partial nor divided; but entire, cordial, and perfect. Still call to mind, that the heart of man is created wholly for God, And he ought to love God alone, or if he love any other thing, let it be for? God, and in order to God. 17. I do not doubt, but that you will meet at first with some difficulties in these practices, but do not think, that before the Judgement. of Almighty God, you can be exempt from pain and labour: On the contrary you ought to animate yourself; for love and charity, which gives us God, and opens Paradise to us, deserves well, that we labour seriously to acquire it, and that we be very careful to conserve it, if God vouchsafe to bestow it on us. 18. To assist you in the acquisition of charity, or rather to dispose you to receive it from the hand of God, I conceive it fit for you to practise the three ensuing Acts, which I am going to set before you. 19 The first is, that you enter into the poor & simple thought of that love and charity which Jesus Christ hath for you, or else consider, how the Son of God is all love: Then stay as little as you please upon this thought, adore in your heart this love of Jesus with an humble respect. After this, you offer yourself unto Christ Jesus, and give yourself entire to Him; open your heart to Him, to the end he may infuse into it, the spirit of love, even as he possesseth the plenitude thereof, and according to the intention he hath, that you should love God. 20. The second is, that you renounce cheerfully all that diverts you from loving God, and beseech Christ Jesus to endue you with a hatred, against all that is opposite unto this love, or which may separate you from God. 21. The third is, that you resolve to be very circumspect, to avoid all that hinders you from loving God. Now, nothing is a greater obstacle to it, then mortal sin, and the love of Creatures. And to aid you herein, entertain yourself sometimes in thoughts which may produce love in you: At least, endeavour as much as you may, that no day pass away without some spiritual Lecture, which may encourage you in these practices of love and charity. You may perform these three acts in the form which I am going to prescribe you. 22. My Lord, and my God I adore you as the increated love; I give myself unto your love, to bear the effects thereof, in what manner you shall please, and I renounce all that is repugnant in me to the love which I own you. Be pleased, to gives me only the grace, that I may divest myself of all that is opposite unto your love; and that henceforward, I may accept of nothing which is averse unto it. 23. I particularly recommend unto you this last exercise, in as much as the eternal Father bestows nothing on us, but by his Son, especially no Graces and Virtues; And because our works have no other merit before God, than what they receive from Jesus Christ, I say that in this exercise, you should give and offer yourself unto Christ Jesus, to the end he may bestow on you what is necessary, and set on your works and good intentions, the price and value which they are to bear in the sight of God: finally, that you may reduce into act the desire you have of loving God. 24 Moreover when God is pleased to confer any grace on us, he would have us to cooperate with it; & without this cooperation his gifts are fruitless. Now we begin to cooperate, when we give ourselves unto Jesus Christ, to bear the effects of the virtue which we desire of him, and when we renounce all that is repugnant to it, These are the reasons which invite me so earnestly to recommend unto you this exercise. These are the few entertainments which I purpose to present unto you, concerning the acquisition & practice of Charity. Let us treat now of Prayer. OF PRAYER, AND Of the Presence of God. The second Entertainment. §. I. Concerning the Excellency of Prayer. 1. WE are all bound to pray; it is the duty of the Soul, it is a lesson which jesus Christ gave unto his Apostles and Disciples: it is the practice of the Church, and the customs of all Christians: And God will have us to be sensible o● our infirmities and miseries, and acknowledge our poverty, to the end we may resort unto him, and that he may be honoured by our prayers. 2. Prayer is an entertainment & communication of the soul with God, and of God with the soul: And in Prayer the soul elevates herself unto God and God vouchsafes to descen● unto the soul. 3. Prayer well made, is a mirror wherein the soul behold herself, and where she find what she is; and sometimes she learns thereby to know God and gins to relish him. 4. Prayer obtains all things for us; Prayer teacheth all: It is finally the food and aliment of the soul and so necessary, that as without natural meat the body languisheth, so doth the soul without Prayer. §. II. Of the Presence of God in Prayer. 1. I Advise you then to set your affection upon Prayer. There are two sorts thereof, the one vocal, the other mental: I will not take from you vocal Prayer, because it is very good, but indeed I counsel you not to charge and oblige yourself unto many vocal Prayers. 2 Nor will I oblige you unto mental Prayer, for few persons are capable of entertaining the inselves with it: Nevertheless I conceive it useful, nay necessary for you, to make choice every day of some point or verity of faith, to meditate on it as long as you please. 3 It is an exercise which I propose to you as necessary: for, most certain it is, that every one hath need of recalling his spirit; and evidently your mind is the more straying and distracted, the more you remain in the world. Wherefore if you have any care of your salvation, you must strive to recollect your soul, which is so much engaged in exterior things, as it may be said to be scarce in your body. 4 Now the true means for recalling your soul, is to place yourself every day in the presence of God, and to remain some time in silence, taking some good thought for your entertainment. 5 What time you shall make choice of, I leave unto your own conveniency; at least I advise you to take part of the holy Mass for your meditation, and to employ it in this exercise; but do it with affection. As for the saying of your Beads, or other vocal Prayers, you may find time enough. If I may be credited, you will prefer this little recollection before all the rest; for it is more important than it seemeth, and experience will teach it you if you please. 6. What proportion of time you will employ therein, I leave unto your own zeal and devotion; I beseech you only not to fail in taking every day some good thought, and seriously to stay upon it, though it be but for some small time, and if it be possible do this every morning. Affectionate yourself unto this exercise which is brief, and will prove more facile than you imagine; however it is profitable for you, and I dare say in a manner necessary. 7. The subject which you are to take for your entertainment, shall be the Passion of the Son of God, or the four final ends of man; sometimes Gods love towards you, sometimes the vanity of all things; finally take some point of Faith or of the Creed for your application. 8. The manner and method which you are to observe herein must be very natural. I do not require to make use of reason or discourse, but of your affection and will. Apply your whole heart unto it, and that sufficeth, procure also that your attention therein be entire. 9 The first thing you must do, is to place yourself in the presence of God, because in all your prayers you speak with God, and treat of things of great consequence; for you speak to him of the honour and love you own him, & you treat concerning your own salvation, and the benefits of your soul. 10 This exercise or practice of the presence of God is absolutely necessary for you; for if you have a care of your salvation, and desire to live in the fear of God, surely you ought to know how to keep yourself continually in the presence of God, remembering still, that in what place s●eve● you are, God sees and considers you, not externally only, but even into the centre of your heart. The presence of God is an exercise which detains the soul, and obligeth her to act nothing which may be unworthy of God. 11. Moreover when you will pray, and what Prayer soever you make, were it but saying the Pater noster, or your Beads, you still aught to do it with respect and attention; for sure you cannot perform these Devotions as you ought, if your spirit be not recollected. Now the means of recollecting your mind, is to place yourself in the presence of God: Wherefore I advise you to habituate yourself in this exercise, I mean, to place and keep yourself often in the presence of Almighty God. 12. You will say peradventure, that you are not able to fix your spirit: to which I answer, that it is no good sign and for this reason you ought to pity yourself; For how can you hear well the holy Mass, say well your ordinary prayers, use the Sacrament of Penance, or communicate as you ought, if you know not how to settle your cogitation? see you not that this is to be sick indeed, without discerning it? Now the practice of the presence of God (as I will explicate it to you) is the true & only remedy for your disease. 13. It is a practice which is common & necessary for all good Christians, who are willing to avoid sin, & preserve themselves in grace, or desire to treat with God with that respect as becomes them, & this is what I desire, that in the beginning of your prayer, you place yourself attentively in the presence of God. 14. You may do it in two manners. The first by imagination, when you recall your mind and all the powers of your soul, and when you represent God unto yourself with a Majesty worthy God, and figuring to yourself that you are prostrated before the Throne of his infinite greatness, and that you remain there to treat with him about the affairs of your soul, and what concerneth the service and worship which you own him. 15. The other manner is by faith, & then you make no use of your imagination, but having sweetly called back your soul into itself, you conceive yourself to be before God, whose greatness and Majesty is infinite and incomprehensible; that this is the same God, whom the Angels and Saints do serve and adore. You consider how faith teacheth you, that this self same God is every where; and he presides in the bottom and centre of your soul with the same Majesty, Power and Love, as he doth in Heaven. Rest sometime upon this thought, and if you can, procure to enter into your own heart, to adore God as you conceive him to be there. 16. This last manner of considering the Presence of God, seems to me more beneficial than any other, and hath more force to recall our spirit, and to bring back our soul into herself: it teacheth us to seek God, not as fare distant from us, or in Heaven, but in ourselves, and in the centre of our heart. And for this reason I advise you, to make often use of this exercise; for I promise that you shall derive from it great advantages: And if you shall persevere, you will make a little Paradise of your heart, and your soul will perform on earth, what the Angels do in Heaven. §. III. A manner how to recollect one's self for mental Prayer. 1. AT the first entrance then into Prayer, place yourself in the presence of God conformably to the manner I have newly exhibited to you. And if this thought of God's presence possesseth your soul, and retains you in great attention, keep yourself therein as long as you can, were it during the whole Mass; and omit without scruple the rest of your devotions; for you enter not into the Church, and apply not yourself unto Prayer, but to remain before God, to adore him with respect and humility, and to keep yourself in his presence as his devout servant. When you have attained unto this, rest content, since God seems to be so with you: And in this case, you are to desire nothing more, because you have all when God is satisfied. 2. And if this thought of God's presence will not serve to entertain you any long time, in that case, take presently some verity or mystery for your meditation: For example, consider how jesus Christ hath loved you so much, as to suffer death for you. Then pause a while, how little soever you please, to consider this benefit, strive only to ponder it with attention. And out of this consideration endeavour to extract some little affection, or frame some conference with God upon that which you considered. Now to the end it may prove more facile to you, I prescribe at the end of this Book some Meditations upon the principal points of the Passion of our Lord jesus Christ, which will serve you for a Model. 3. During the little time you shall employ in this manner of Prayer, if God gives you some good inspiration or pious desire, do not neglect it, but harken unto God, and receive his grace and inspiration with respect and love. Resolve to put in practice what God proposeth to you, and give yourself unto Christ jesus, and his holy Mother the Virgin Mary, to the end they may be pleased to preserve in your soul the good desires which you feel; and supplicate them to give you the grace to put them in practice, conformable to that manner which God requires of you. 4. The profit which I would have you to make of this exercise, which I call recollection of spirit, is, to establish and preserve yourself in the fear of God; to excite and advance yourself in his love, and to induce in you a hatred unto the vanity of the world. The virtues which you ought most to put in practice, are humility of spirit, unadherence unto creaures, and the mortification of the cupidities & passions of your soul. 5. Now what I have discoursed to you concerning the presence of God, in that Prayer which we call Mental, you ought to practice in all your Vocal Prayers; when you will begin to say your Beads, or the office of our blessed Lady, or else when you prepare yourself for Confession or Communion: Briefly, in all your Devotions let the first thing you do, be the recalling of your mind, the withdrawing it from all sorts of objects, and place yourself in the presence of God, in such a manner as I have proposed to you. 6. Chief when you come before God, be it in the Church or in your Oratory, present yourself always with a comportment full of respect, & strive to place yourself in an humble and Christian reverence; for you are in the presence of God, before whom all the Grandeurs of heaven & earth are but dust. Principally I recommend unto you the detestation of all petty wantonnesses & levitieses, and all such effeminate fashions In a word, avoid all affectation in the presence of God, before whom the Angels tremble, & live only in a profound respect and reverence. You may now well judge how much reason I have to condemn those compliments which are used in the Church, those curiosities and vain discourses. God preserve you from such disorders, which oblige God to withdraw himself from the soul. 7. At the end of all your Prayers, and even out of Prayers as often as you may, at the instant of your waking in the morning, I wish and desire you to perform two things, which are very facile. 8. The one is to offer yourself unto God, and to give yourself to him, to remain wholly his, in conformity to his holy will: The other is, to renounce yourself, and all that leads you unto evil, or diverts you from doing that good which God requires of you: is for example, you may say or mediate on these words; My God & my jesus, I offer myself unto you as my Lord, on whom I will depend all my life time; and I renounce all that severeth me from you, and may divert me from following and fulfilling your holy will. 9 But still remember, that God is not content with words, he will have the heart, and requires effects: Wherefore endeavour to put in practice all that I have proposed to you, in these few entertainments, and above all, exercise yourself in the practice of such virtues as God shall inspire you; for he will exact an account of all the graces which he confers on you, and of all the occasions which he presents unto you of doing good. OF CONFESSION, AND COMMUNION. The third Entertainment. §. I. I. THere remains one thing to tell you, but it is of consequence; and I wish that I were able to fix it in the bottom and centre of your heart. It relates unto Confession & Communion. I will entertain you with it, because I very much apprehend, that there are great abuses committed therein and I fear that in so holy and divine a thing we are often too profane. 2. By the Sacrament of Confession, it is certain, that we desire to return into God's favour; we seek to be reestablished in the charity which we have lost by mortal sin, and which we cannot repossess but by Penance. And though we be free from mortal sin, we yet desire by Penance to remove the other sins, which frieze charity, breed a languishing in the soul, debilitate and expose her unto greater danger. And then we go unto Confession, to renew our selves in love, and to remove these sins, and all that may be opposite unto love and charity. 3. In the holy Communion we receive jesus Christ as ours; for he appertains to us, and the same jesus gives himself unto us in this divine and adorable Sacrament, to honour us with his presence, to enrich us with his gifts, and above all to confer on us his love. In fine, it is a Sacrament all of love; it is a pledge of the love which jesus Christ beareth us, and a commerce of love between jesus Christ and men. 4. Now if you consider in this order these two great Sacraments, doth it not seem just and reasonable, that we receive them with estimation, holily, and with a spirit of love, since both of them are holy, both of them confer charity and the love of God upon us; both of them unite us unto God, when we come to them, as we ought, with fitting and congruous dispositions. 5. For this reason I could wish, that when you go unto Confession or Communion, it may be still accompanied with a sense of love, and a serious recollection of your soul. Beware of going to them by custom, and of performing so holy and divine actions indifferently, I mean without a good and fitting disposition, for it would turn to your prejudice. 6. That which I require of you is to retain always a pure intention of seeking God only, and demanding nothing but love. Let it be your desire to forsake those vices and sins, whereof you seek to obtain remission by Penance. Be you sorrowful for having committed, because sin is displeasing to God, and opposite unto him, whom we desire to love. Finally, I wish that all the motives which you shall have in receiving the Sacraments, may be always with respect to the love which God hath towards you, and of the love which you own unto God; for let men say what they please, since in the receiving the Sacraments of Penance and of the Eucharist, you seek nothing but the love of God and charity, surely it is reasonable, that you go to them with as much love as you can possibly: This is that whereunto I invite you. 7. I do not say that fear is not good, useful and often necessary but I say that fear ought to serve here only for the recalling of your soul, and directing her unto love. It ought to be like the servant which opens the gate unto charity, to introduce it into your heart. Take then the motives of fear, if you have need of them; but stay not upon this fear, but pass unto love, still calling to mind, that in these two Sacraments you seek the friendship of Almighty God: Thus much touching Penance: and in the Eucharist you ask and receive God only, who is love and charity. 8. In the Communion it is requisite to have fear, accompanied with a profound reverence, and humble respect. An Angelical devotion and attention is required therein; for this mystery is full of Majesty, since God is there present, whom we intent to receive. But much more love is required therein; for whatsoever we consider, there nothing but objects of love appear to us, and nothing is to be found there, that is not as a band, which ought to fasten and unite us unto God. 9 It is not my design to entertain you with prescribing you instructions for the reception of these two Sacraments, since you have so many Books which treat of it: I will only say, that if ever you stand in need, of all the Entertainments which I have newly given you, it ought to be in the reception of these two Sacraments, which are two fountains of love and mercy: For love and recollection by the presence of God (as I have explicated) serve us for a disposition to prepare us to receive worthily the Sacrament of Penance and the Eucharist. I beseech our Lord Jesus Christ, who came into this world, to establish therein the Kingdom of charity, and to bring thither the fire of his love, and who died on the Cross to draw us unto God, and withdrawn from death, the world and sin, that he will vouchsafe to give us the grace to feel and he are the effects of his Cross; I beseech him to consume us in the flames of his love, and to fasten us so indissolubly unto himself, as we may never more sever ourselves from him, but that he would place us rather in a happy inability of offending him, and in a more blessed servitude, never more to estrange and separate ourselves from him, nor to act any thing but for his sake. Amen. MEDITATIONS Upon the Principal Mysteries of the Passion of JESUS CHRIST. PREFACE. IT is a great happiness for a man to be able to entertain himself with God, and to speak to him as often as he desireth. He may do it by vocal and mental Prayer, wherein he treats with his God. It is a favour which Jesus Christ hath acquired for him; for it is by him (saith the Apostle) that we have access unto God: I call it a favour, in as much as man having severed himself from God by sin, and being expelled out of his presence and banished from his amiable company, the Son of God came into the world to expiate sin, and to establish both in heaven and earth, a new alliance between God and Man. One of the means which Jesus Christ himself hath left us to preserve ourselves in this happy alliance, and the way which he hath pointed out to bring us near unto God is Prayer: for by Prayer we enter into society with God, we entertain ourselves with him, we elevate and unite ourselves unto him, and treat with him of the ineffable Grandeurs of his Divinity, of i effects of his incomprehensible goodness, of the necessities and miseries of our life; finally, by a holy commerce we speak to God, and God vouchsafes to speak to us. There are an infinity of objects, upon which the soul may entertain herself with God, and form her meditations; for as God is an inexhaustible sea of greatness, so is he the object of an infinite entertainment unto a Christian soul: But the most reasonable, most profitable, and easiest subject, wherein our Spirit may employ itself, is the life, and death, the depressions, and humiliations, the torments, and sufferances of Jesus Christ. For as much as in the mysteries of the Passion, and in all the moments of the life and death of jesus, the soul discerns therein the excessive love which God beareth us: In the sufferings and ignominies of the Cross, she conceives the weight of sin, and the punishments which our crimes do merit: And considering what jesus Christ hath done, what he hath said, and his holy and adorable Virtues in all the mysteries of his death, she learns thereby the Virtues which she ought to practice, and the way which she is to follow, to attain unto the glory which jesus Christ himself hath acquired for her, at the price of life and precious blood. It is for this reason, devout Reader, that having undertaken to present you with Entertainments conformable to the common life of all Christians, I have added the Meditations upon the principal mysteries of the death of the Son of God, to the end you may make use of them for your advancement in the love and fear of God, and that by often considering them, you may learn to imitate his Virtues, and place your glory and affiance in the death of Christ jesus. Would to God you could say with S. Paul, I will no longer glory, but in the Cross of my jesus, I will place my content and love therein; I will follow him in the Cross, that I may possess him in glory. This is that which I desire of you with my whole heart; and I wish that the death of the Son of God, may be the Spirit and life of your soul. The Prayer of JESUS in the Garden. Point I. COnsider the love which God the Father beareth you, depriving his Son of joy and glory, to invest him with sorrow, and load him with pains and reproaches, exposing him unto the rigours of tin divine justice for the expiation of your offences. Desire ardently, that this self same spirit of love may divest you of all vanity, self-love, and your own private interest. A Prayer to the eternal Father. I Adore your goodness, O eternal Father, and the love which invited you to give me your Son, to set him in the opprobriousnesse of the Cross, and to victimate him in the sufferances of an ignominious death, that he might be my Saviour, and my Jesus. The love which you bear me hath been the cause that you have not spared your own Son, but have clothed him with our infirmities, and loaden him with the confusion and pains which I have merited to undergo for my offences. After so great a benefit, is it not just for me to love you? How happy should I be (O God of mercy) if you would fill my heart with this love! how happy should I be, if you would consume me in the flames of this divine fire! It is all that I desire, and a grace which I ask of you above all the graces which you can give me. Grant then, O God of goodness, that I unloofe myself from all other love, to love you alone; grant that the power of your love may strip me of all vanity, and annihilate my self-love; to the end, loving nothing but you, I may live only for you. Point II. BEhold how the Son of God lies prostrated on the ground, bearing the weight and confusion of the sins of the whole world, and in this sort he is made the object of the anger of God. You have your part therein by reason of your sins, beg then of him the engraving in your soul, a desire and ability to satisfy for your offences, and the granting you a true contrition for your sins. PRAYER. ALas what shall I do! for if my jesus, who is the Power of Heaven, if my jesus, who is the virtue of God, falls and remains under the weight of my offences, what will become of me? and how shall I bear them, when dying I shall be presented before the Tribunal of the justice of a God, whom I have so often irritated? What shall I do (O God of mercy) but endeavour to prevent the day of your Justice, and from henceforth begin to satisfy by a holy Penance, for all the sins which I have committed, ungrateful, and mserable wretch that I am! I hearty desire it, but am unable to effect it without your grace: Assist me then (O God of love and goodness) bestow on me a true contrition for my offences; Break my heart with grief, melt my heart in your love, liquifie my soul in Charity, fill my will with a hatred of sin, and grant me the grace never more to offend you. It is what I desire with my whole heart, to the end I may give myself entirely to you, and renounce myself and all creatures, which sever me from you. Point III. BEhold in this mystery the love of Jesus, who exerciseth the power and rigours of it upon his own person: this love abaseth him even unto our sorrows, and oppresseth him with pains and attristations so violently, as he enters into an agony, even to sweat blood in ahundance; he suffers all this, to invest you with his virtue, and cleanse you with his Blood. This love is what you ought to ask often of him, and with great humility. PRAYER. CAn it possibly be, O my jesus, that you should love me even to such a degree, as I consider you in this mystery, and I not love you? Can I be so insensible as to see you languishing and suffering for my sins, and not abandon them? Alas my Saviour, can I endure to see you bathed in your own blood, and covered over with so painful a sweat, by the horror which you conceive of my offences? Can I have the heart to behold you in the rigours which the Justice of your Father exerciseth on you for my sins; and that considering you in so pitiful a state, I should not conceive a horror of my pravity, and a detestation of my offences? No, no, Lord, I will hate myself to love you, I will detest all vice for your sake, and never more will I offend you: and for a mark of my desire, I give you my heart, I offer you my soul, I dedicate to you my life, and renounce all that is displeasing to you to the end I may no longer offend you, but live in all things conformable to your holy will. This is the intention and desire of my soul, but it will be fruitless if you stretch not out your arm, and give me not your grace to accomplish them. This is what I beg of you, prostrated in your presence, humbly imploring your divine Mercy. The taking of JESUS in the Garden. Point I. JESUS suffereth himself to be taken, and deprives himself of his power, who was able to annihilate his enemies, to the end that being made captive for us, he might have right to place us in the freedom of grace. In imitation of Jesus, who suffered himself to be made a captive for you, resolve never to make use of your own power, when there shall be any occasion of suffering for the glory of God. PRAYER. I Do not doubt (my Saviour) of your power, but I admire your love, which triumpheth over you, and worketh so great a miracle on yourself; for love captivates your strength, restrains your power, and reduceth you into a state of impotency and weakness, to the end you may be capable of suffering for me, poor and wretched creature that I am. Who will not be ravished in the thought of this love? And who will not remain astonished that God suffers for man, the just for the sinner. And thus you do, benign jesus, in this mystery which I contemplate. Now for this love, which you express towards me, and which renders you captive, to set me at liberty, what else can I do, but cast myself with heart and spirit at your feet, and become an humble suitor that your love may render me his captive; that it may triumph over my heart, to the end being denuded of all things, I may become for ever the slave of your love. Grant that it may be so, my jesus, since it is both my duty and desire. Point II. JESUS perseveres in the humiliations and sufferances of his captivity, remaining in the midst of executioners in silence, without plaints, without strength or power. In imitation of him affect such things as humble you, and administer occasion of sufferance, and propose to yourself never to reject them. PRAYER. SInce I see you (O sweet Jesus) in the midst of executioners, exposed unto their malice, and that in this mystery you abandon yourself unto all sorts of confusions, and to the false accusations of sinners, appearing as criminal in the midst of these miscreants: what less can I do, Lord, then annihilate myself in your presence, and humble myself in imitation of you in the view of all creatures. And if in the various states of your life you embraced humility only, and made choice of nothing but confusions, if you who are alone worthy of honour and respect, despised the Grandeurs of the earth, and the vain contentments of this world, to live and die only in depressions and sufferances. Finally, if you (O benign jesus) who are the only Son of God, were pleased to become an object of scorn and contempt of men; alas what do I, miserable wretch, deserve to be, and what rank shall I hold in the world, I who am a sinner, criminal and unworthy of all things? Surely (my sweet jesus) I hearty condemn my pride, and do protest that with my whole affection assisted by your holy grace, which I implore, I resolve from henceforth to affect lowliness, and endure for your sake, all the humiliations, and Crosses of this life: And why shall I refuse humbly to suffer them for your sake, since you have endured them so holily for mine. I offer myself then unto you for that effect, and I abandon myself with my whole heart unto your divine conduct; grant only that I may be such as you require me to be. Point III ACknowledge the strange abasement of Jesus, who permits men to bind and lead him captive, and to touch him with their profane hands, who is the Holy of Holies: He offers his sacred mouth to receive the kiss of Judas his greatest enemy. Offer yourself unto him, to bear all the contradictions of men, and the contempt of all creatures, and demand of him even love for your enemies, if you have any. PRAYER. YOur life and the divers mysteries of your passion, your labours and sufferances, O my Saviour, give me a lesson, and teach me what I am to do; but how shall I do it, and how can I imitate you, if you lend me not your hand, if you prevent and affist me not with your grace? For my perverted heart, and my proud nature oppose themselves wholly to you, and contest against all that you propose unto me. I see, my Lord, I see how you offer your sacred mouth to receive of Judas the kiss of Treason; how you present your hands, and abandon your adorable body to the rage of Devils, and to the malice of men and sinners, to dispose of you and your life in whatsoever cruelty could suggest unto them. Alas! who is able (O my sweet jesus) to imitate you? I fervently desire it, but acknowledge my own impotency; for I feel contradiction in myself, and tremble at this thought: However leave me not (O Saviour of my soul) in case I am not able to imitate you in all things, at least let me do it in what I may, and I can do much if you give me your grace. Open then my eyes, that I may discern what I am, change my heart, that it may affect what you love, and animate my spirit humbly to endure all contempts and confusions. All that I am now able to do in the presence of your Sovereign Majesty, is to accuse my malice, to condemn my pride, and to offer unto you my will, my heart and soul, to order them as you please. Secure my infirmity, fortify my weakness, break my obstinacy, and by the fire of your love, be pleased to consume all my iniquity. JESUS is fastened, and scourged at the Pillar. Point I. Shed you not tears of love and compassion, beholding Jesus the Beauty of Heaven, and the Glory of Paradise, exposed to the cruelty of barbarous men, fastened all naked to a Pillar, to make you a bath of his blood, and to cleanse the stains of your soul? Give him thanks, and render him tears of love & contrition, for the blood which he hath given you in this mystery. PRAYER. MY jesus, Grant that my heart may break with grief, and my soul dissolve in your love; for you oblige me to it by your benefits. And to say truly, who can choose but love you, seeing that by the excess of the love which you bear us, you have exposed yourself to the rage of Devils, and to the malice of sinners? And why shall I not break my heart asunder with sorrow and contrition, since by my offences I am the occasion of the pains which you suffer? How fare more just were it (O Saviour of the world) that you should remain in your Glory, in the Throne of your greatness, and that I (who have rendered myself the slave of sin, and of my passions) should be fastened to this Pillar, and torn with the scourges of your justice! But since your love is content to make payment for me, grant that I may love you as I ought, and no longer offend you. This is my intention I desire it with my whole heart, and I beg it of you with an entire affection. Point II. CHrist Jesus upon the Pillar, put on the condition of a slave and criminal, to bear the effects of the rage of Devils and men. He remains there, in the midst of them, like a Lamb victimated and abandoned of his Father, deserted by his Apostles, and afflicted by all creatures. Compassionate this state of Jesus, and beg of him, that from henceforth you may remain abandoned, and resigned unto all that he shall ordain. PRAYER. A 'Las! my Jesus, I have made the debt, and you have paid it, it is I, it is I who am guilty, and you are punished; it is I, unhappy that I am; who have irritated Heaven, and rendered myself unworthy of all your favours. I both know and confess, that I deserve nothing but hell, and for my sins to be sacrificed unto the divine Justice which I have so often contemned: but your goodness which seeks nothing but my Salvation, by a prodigy of love, makes an admirable exchange: For you enter (O Saviour of my Soul) into my condition, and loading yourself with my offences, you are now victimated like an innocent Lamb, and left to the Justice of God, abandoned on all sides, and plunged into to all sorts of sufferances. What less can I do (O my jesus) in recognition of this love, then adore your goodness, and abandon myself entirely to you, to be what you please. I give myself then unto this mystery, and offer myself unto you to bear the effects thereof in such a manner as you desire. Point III. THe Body of Jesus is covered all over with wounds from the very head to the feet, and exhausted of blood and strength. Consider that the wounds & drops of blood you see on it, are as so many tongues which enunciate to you his love, and teach you how you ought to love him in humiliations and sufferances. Offer unto him your life, your body and blood, never to employ them, but for his glory. PRAYER. I Am yours, O good jesus: my soul, my life, my body and blood are no longer mine, but yours: in respect that for my sake you make a profusion of your own blood, you abandon your body unto wounds and sufferances, your soul and life you give to me upon the Cross: After all these graces and favours shall I not be yours? No, no, Lord, all these drops of blood which you shed, and all the wounds of your body, are so many tongues which condemn my ingratitude, and invite me to your love. I am willing to love, and from this very instant and for ever I desire to be wholly yours, and resolve to love nothing but you alone. Bruise, bend, break and oppress my soul, if you please, combat my life with a thousand afflictions, make me suffer as long as you please, yet will I never utter any other words, then that I am yours, and that I love you alone. JESUS is crowned with Thornes. Point I. THe love which Jesus bears us, exerciseth on him the power and rigours thereof: love placeth him amongst thorns, and even death itself: love exposeth him unto mockeries, spittings, buffets, and the contempt of his enemies. Consider all this, and beg of Jesus, that the selfsame love may exercise on you the power thereof. Offer yourself unto all the effects which he shall vouchsafe to produce in your soul, be it in the thorns of Penance, or in the death of your vices and earthly affections. PRAYER. O How happy should I be, if your love would once take Empire over my heart! Let not the fault be mine; for I desire it, I seek it, and offer myself wholly to you to bear the effects thereof. Grant then, Lord, grant speedily, that the power of your love may deeply wound my soul. In loving you nothing will be difficult, for me, in this world; for if love hath clothed you (O good jesus) with our miseries, and loaden you with our sins; if love hath fastened you on the Cross, what will it not work on me, if it reign there and exercise his power? Then would it be that I should truly die unto myself, to live in you, that I should despise all things to love you alone, and that stimulated by this love, I should satisfy for my past crimes never more to commit the like. But when will that blessed hour arrive, that I shall love nothing but you? It is high time, and I implore it of you; Be pleased then not to deny me this grace, (my good jesus) since you refuse me not your own life: deprive me of all things if you please, provided that I love you. Point II. IN this mystery Jesus covers his greatness, and veils his Majesty, in contempts and mockeries; and by a miracle of love, he renders himself capable of suffering the sharpest points of thorns, filthy and unclean spittings; blows and buffets, which bruise his body and face; and by this holy artifice, which love hath contrived, he triumpheth over the Devil and sin. Open your heart unto this Jesus, that he may place there the throne of his love, and triumph over your malice, and all the impure love which may reside in you. PRAYER. CAn I possibly behold you my jesus) covered with spittings, bruised with blows, crowned with thorns, and your body pierced with all sorts of dolours, and not dissolve into tears, but remain insensible at the sight of so sad a spectacle! Permit it not, O God of love, rather pierce my heart with grief, and give me the grace to have a sense of what you suffer for me. Grant me this favour, that I may bear the effects thereof; for it is not just that your sacred body should be immersed in sorrow, and your adorable head crowned with thorns, whilst I bathe myself in pleasures, or crown myself with Roses, living always amongst delights: I rather wish, and would gladly implore, if I had love enough, that I might no longer affect any creature, and that nothing might afford me contentment, but that I might find wormwood every where, and every thing prove distasteful to me, to the end I may take no delight, but in you alone. This is what I aspire to, but I have not force enough to practise it, nor sufficient love to ask it. There remains one only desire on my part, that I may give myself entirely to you, to suffer whatsoever shall suit with your good pleasure. Point III. JESUS in his Passion practiceth all sorts of virtues, to merit them for us, by the actual exercise of them, to leave them unto us by way of testament, and to bring them into esteem with the world, which contemns and rejects humility, patience, poverty, and all sufferances. Address yourself unto Jesus Christ, to desire of him the love of his virtues, and the grace to be able to practise them in such a degree as he requires of you. PRAYER. YOu have promised me (O my God) by your Prophet, to engrave your love in the midst of my heart, and to imprint it in the centre of my soul: I summon you in order to your promise, for I offer unto you my heart opened, and commit into your hands my soul and spirit, to receive of you the motions of grace, and the impressions of your law: But what is this law which you give me, but the imitation of your life, and of the virtues which you have been pleased to practise on earth? For you had no need, my Lord, of this great poverty which I discern in your birth, of the patience which you show in your torments, of the obedience which sets you on the Cross, of meekness in the midst of your enemies, nor of the humility and contempt of the world which is manifested in all your life: But you have subjected yourself unto all this, not only for my salvation, but also to teach me both by words and actions, the virtues which you affect, the way which I am to follow to obtain salvation, and the life which I ought to lead, to become the most acceptable to you. In this sort, your life and virtues, O Jesus, are the square of my actions, and the rules which I am to follow. Grant me then the grace, that I may know them to esteem them, that I esteem them to love them, and that I love them to practise them, in such sort as you require of me: For I am well assured that I shall have no share in your glory, if I do not imitate your virtues, and shall not partake of your triumphs, if I bear not a part in your combats. Ecce Homo. Point I. SEe the extreme confusion and contempt unto which Jesus is exposed, since his own people prefer a notorious Robber before him, condemn him to the Cross, and demand his death, to give life to a Malefactor. O blindness of humane Spirit, which makes more account of Terrene, then Heavenly things, which honours Barabas to reject Jesus. Deplore this unhappiness; and beseech the same Jesus never to permit that humane respects or complacency, may ever cause you to prefer men before God, or the Creature before the Creator. PRAYER. LOrd, I blush for shame and confusion, seeing the little account is made of you; that they condemn you unto the Cross to give life to a Thief, and reject you to receive Barrabas. Nevertheless, this is done in your Passion: and at present (O unhappy soul) I find even that in myself, which I condemn in the Jews; for alas! God of goodness, how often in my life have I rejected your grace, to obey the cupidities of my heart? How often through a damnable blindness have I endeavoured to satisfy myself, and please the Creature against your intentions? Finally how often have I preferred the Earth before Heaven, men before God▪ and my own private contentment, before your holy will? It is high time (O Saviour of my soul) that I acknowledge my fault, that I change my life, and open my eyes, to discern how the world is nothing to me and that you are my All. I confess my crime, I accuse my infidelity, and condemn both my life and all my actions past: Be pleased (O good Jesus) to give me a true repentance of them, and grant that my heart may break with sorrow, and my eyes distil fountains of tears to expiate all my offences; for I desire (my jesus) to satisfy your love, and to live under your Laws. Point II. THe Son of God abaseth his holy and adorable humanity, to become the reproach of men, the refuse of his people, and the object of their scorn and derision; And he truly saith, I am a worm of the earth. At the sight of your Jesus dissolve into humility, and affect rather to be low and humble with the humble Jesus, then great and honoured with Pilate. PRAYER. IF you say that you are but a worm of the earth, the reproach of men, and the refuse of the people, what must I be, my jesus? For it is just, that I should be much less than yourself? If you hold so low a rank amongst men, who are the Son of God, what place shall I find, who am but a sinner, a child of Adam, and unworthy of your grace? O how much constrained do I now find myself to confess, that I am nothing, and worthy of contempt and confusion? I confess that I am too blame, and elevate myself above reason, when I desire to be esteemed and honoured by men. Wherefore in view of the contempt, which you endure, I purpose to alter my course of life, and to imitate you if I can, and with this resolution I cast myself at your feet, O my jesus! I adore your profound humility; I implore the power of this virtue to come upon me, and I give myself entirely to you, to bear the effects thereof, in such sort as to you shall seem good. I know very well that I ought to affect humiliations, confusions, and contempts; I know that they are my portion; they are the most conformable to my state, since I am a sinner. But my perverted spirit and quite corrupted nature is averse thereunto: Nevertheless Lord, I will love you; secure only my weakness, annihilate my aversions, and fortify my will, that I may put in practise the good resolution which I have taken in your presence. Point III. JESUS bears the Rigours, Dolours, and Humiliations, which our sins have merited. It is for this cause, he presents himself unto the people, to suffer, and unto his Father, to satisfy his justice. Cast yourself at his feet (O my soul) and say affectionately, Behold the man, whom I seek; for he is my Jesus, my Saviour, and my All; I see him, I embrace him, and I resolve, that he shall be my King, and reign alone in my heart. PRAYER. AT the sight of what you act and suffer for me, O my jesus, I remain distracted, and fall into a kind of rapture; for what am I Lord? And what need have you of me, that you should seek my salvation at the cost of so many labours? What is there in my soul capable of inviting you to offer yourself unto your Father, to appease by your torments his Justice which I have irritated by my offences? Surely is is nothing but love, which (exercising the power and rigour thereof) made you become man, and suffer death for me. O Love, how powerful art thou, since thou hast reduced my jesus into state wherein I contemplate him, in his life and death! O Love how strong is thine arm, since thou hast drawn my jesus from the Throne of his glory, to place him in humiliations, and to subject him to so many pains? Love, if thou hast power over my God, must not thou have it over my heart? No, there is no means to withstand it; whatsoever it costs, I must love him, who hath loved us more than his own life, who in giving himself, requires nothing but our love. I resign myself then unto you (o Love of my Soul) to love you with my whole heart: Grant only, if you please, that I may love nothing but you; for you both command and oblige me to love you: I am content, but unable to do it, without your grace. Effect then this work in me, of loving you, and loosen my heart from all earthly affections, to the end I may entirely unite myself to you: And be pleased to give me a holy inability, which may render me uncapable of severing myself from you, and of loving any other. JESUS carrieth his Cross. Point I. COnsider the hunger and insatiable thirst, the extreme love and desire, which Jesus hath to suffer for us, having never said, It is enough, nor refusing any torments which are inflicted on him, allowing all persons to torture him. Ask of Jesus, that he would vouchsafe to estrange you from the pleasures of the world, and admit no longer any repugnancy in yourself, to endure for his sake. PRAYER. O Amiable jesus! How just is it that I now confess the excess of your love, and acknowledge the mercies which you show me; for you are not satisfied in purchasing me, by the profusion of your blood, and appeasing the divine Justice by your death, but excited by the love which you bear me, and by a desire of my salvation, you expose yourself to all sorts of confusions; and by a divine patience, you refuse no tortures, and shun no pains, which impiety invents to make you suffer. At the sight of so much goodness, and at the object of your virtues, what can I do less, whereby I may become the most acceptable to you, then imitate your life, and embrace with you, all crosses and sufferances? For I know you have said of it, that he is unworthy of you, who bears not his cross with you, and refuses to follow you. I purpose then (O Saviour of my soul) I purpose willingly to follow you, and (renouncing my own pleasures) sufferance shall be my only love and delight. I cannot effect it without your grace; be pleased therefore to bestow it on me; for without you I can do nothing, and with you I am enabled to do all things. Point II. JESUS loaden with his Cross, sinks under the burden, not of the heaviness of the wood, but under the weight of our offences, wherewith he charged himself before the justice of his Father; And in view of the whole world, he carrieth the confusion and contempt which our crimes have merited. Beg of him the spirit and gift of Penance, to the end taking part in the satisfactions of Christ Jesus, you may endeavour in some measure by yourself to satisfy God, whom you have so often offended. PRAYER. MY jesus, give me light to discern the weight of sin; the grace to detest it, as it deserveth, and love to become repentant as I ought; for I intent, Lord, to do Penance. I know that you have suffered for me, and that you died to give me life, and to associate me to the number of your children: And true it is, that all that you have done was only to obtain pardon for my offences, and to satisfy for the pain due unto my crimes; finally it is true, Lord, that your merits are infinite: But yet, it is likewise just, and you give it me in command, that I altar my course of life, and do Penance to sati fie your divine Justice; for otherwise I cannot partake of the satisfaction of your Cross, nor of the merits of your sufferings. Be pleased then to bestow on me the spirit of Penance, and the zeal of your Justice, that I may exercise it on myself. But vouchsafe to give it me from this instant, for fear lest I be surprised, and (excepting the hour of death, and the day of vengeance) I find myself unworthy of mercy. I desire to prevent, lest I be prevented. It is a blessing which depends on you, and which I beg of you with my whole heart. Point III. COnsider the humiliation which Jesus hath borne in the thoughts and judgements of men, who esteemed him strucken and reproved, condemned and abandoned even of God himself, judging him worthy of all the torments which he endured. Render him thanks for supporting all this, in satisfaction for the pride of men, and from henceforth strive to affect humility, and learn to despise the vain judgements which may be made of you. PRAYER. ALl the sins of men (O amiable jesus) are the cause of your death; but pride, which is the mother of all sins, is the principal occasion thereof. For if you came into the world to ruin and annihilate the Kingdom of death, and the empire of sin, much more did you come, to combat the pomp of the world, and to destroy the pride of men. It was to this end you were borne, and lived so poor and abject: It was for this end, that you died in the midst of so many confusions, loaden with so many reproaches; it was to condemn pride, that your whole life, your sufferings and death were only in humiliations: Since them (O Lord) you neither lived nor died but to condemn pride, which is the spring of all miseries, I condemn it with you, and detest it for your sake. Be pleased to root out of my heart, and to engrave in my soul the love of humility. And as in this mystery you abandon yourself to the false judgements of men, who esteem you worthy all the tortures which you endure; so vouchsafe to give me the grace, that for the combating my pride, I may affect contempt, & despise the false judgements of men. And for the completement of my blessing, I beg of you, that I may partake of the grace and spirit of your Passion, and that you will be pleased to form in me your dispositions, your actions and sufferings: for I shall assuredly reign with you, if I become like unto you. JESUS is nailed unto the Cross Point I abandoneth Jesus to the will and malice of sinners, and Jesus himself became obedient in every thing, even to the death of the Cross. He is delivered up to the Jews, and Gentiles, to be nailed and fastened to this ignominious piece of wood, in such sort as they shall ordain. Adore Jesus, who satisfieth by his obedience for the disobedience of sinners, and learn to love obedience, and to prefer the will of God before all things, of this world, even before your own life. PRAYER. O My Saviour and my God I remain not in this world, but to fulfil your holy will; all my happiness depends on this point, and the perfection of my soul consists in this virtue; hitherto both Heaven, Earth, the Elements, and all Creatures, in obeying you, teach me what I ought to do: But the death of my jesus (o Eternal Father) and his obedience in all the mysteries of his Passion, evidenceth to me that I ought to prefer your holy will, before my own contentments, my private interest, and even life itself; that I must fear neither contempts nor sufferances, nor even labours in all occasions, which concern that obedience, which I own your Sovereign Majesty; for if your Son hath abandoned himself to an ignominious death, if he hath given his adorable feet and hands to be cruelly nailed unto a Cross, and if he subjected himself to the will of sinners, and executioners, what can I do less from henceforward, then learn of my jesus, the obedience, which I own to all that you require of me? In honour then of the obedience of your Son, and in homage to this virtue which he hath practised, rendering himself obedient even to the death of the Cross, I give myself unto you, (O Father of mercy!) and acknowledge myself your Creature and Vassal, and I purpose faithfully to obey you, and to live under the laws of your Empire. Do not permit Lord, if you please, that I ever prove rebellious to you, or that to fulfil my own will I forsake yours; but by an effect of the Mystery which I contemplate, grant that I prefer your holy will before all earthly things, and even my own life; for such is my desire. Point II. BEhold the submission wherein Jesus the King of glory, vouchsafeth to place himself, for our sins; when as with a profound silence he submits to the judges, to the Executioners and his Enemies: And he even abandoneth himself to the power of Devils, obeying so humbly and readily when they go about to unclothe him, to nail and fasten him to the Cross. Subject yourself for his sake, as much as you may, chief when there shall be occasion of being humbled, or suffering any thing for the honour of God. PRAYER. GIve me the grace, O God of love and goodness! to know you, and understand myself; for if you impart unto me this light, and affect me with a sense of this verity, it will be easy for me to annihilate myself in the presence of your Sovereign Majesty: it will be no longer uneasy for me to condemn and confound myself, considering the little love I bear you, and it will be facile for me to suffer contempts, humiliations, and the Crosses of this present life: For (O benign jesus) I see you all naked in the midst of most cruel Executioners, stretched out upon this ignominious wood of the Cross; and if you, who are the only Son of my God, have been pleased to endure for my sake the scourges, the nails, and the Cross, why shall I refuse for the love of you, the pains and contempts of this life? No, no, Lord, I detest my pride, I accuse my remissness, and renounce the delicacies and effeminacies of this world, to the end I may imitate you, and partake of the spirit, grace, and merits of your death and passion. Point III. COnsider Jesus suffering in all things which may bring him pain, humiliation, and confusion, to expiate the abuse we make of every thing, which we employ in offending the Divine Majesty; and to condemn the inordinate love wherein we prefer the creature before the Creator. Implore his grace to make good use of all things and take an aversion to the wantonness of the flesh. PRAYER. O Amiable jesus, you have created me to love you, and have loved me to oblige me to your love, nay, all that you have done and suffered, was but to draw me to you, and to engage me in your service. I render you thanks with my whole heart, and I beseech you to give me the grace that I may love you above all things, and love nothing but yourself in all things. Be pleased to annihilate in me, whatsoever is opposite to your love, consume in my heart self-love, and all affections to creatures, to the end I may unite myself to you, and live wholly for you. I know very well that my crimes and offences have rendered me unworthy of this grace; But (O God of love and goodness!) you have suffered death on the Cross, to obtain for us this grace, and to attract us to your love. Fix then if you please, (O benign jesus) fix I say your love in my heart, and your fear in my soul, and grant that I may love you with all my power, and with all my forces in order to your command. jesus upon the Cross. Point I. IEsus suffers in all the parts of his body, who hath nothing whole from the feet to the head; for he is covered all over with wounds, bruised with blows, and his blood quite exhausted. He endures all these several pains, to expiate the abuse which we make of our bodies, & to condemn the pleasures and volupties of the world. Offer your Soul, your body and life to Jesus, and desire strength of him to despise the delights of this life, and grace to suffer whatsoever shall happen to you. PRAYER. Benign jesus, what comparison can there be between the grandeurs of your Sovereign Majesty, and the abasement of the Cross? You are life in your divine Essence, and you are life and glory to every rational creature. Why do you then abase yourself (O ineffable greatness) even to the torment of an ignominious death? You undergo it for me, poor and miserable sinner, and your love reduces you to a death on the Cross, to give life to me, who am dead by sin. This state is too unworthy of your greatness, remain rather on the Throne of your glory, and leave me in the miseries and misfortunes which I have acquired by my demerits: And if your goodness excite and invite you to show me favour, let it be at least without concernment of your greatness, or abasement of your incomprehensible Majesty. But I clearly discern (O my jesus) that it is your infinite goodness that invites you to love us with an infinite love, and hath procured the communication of yourself to our souls, in an unconceivable manner; for you exhaust your own person, to give yourself unto men, and you even consume yourself in the flames of Charity, to show me your love and oblige me to love you. You suffer and die, to the end, that having purchased me at the price of your blood, and life, I may be no longer mine, and live no more to myself, but remain wholly yours, and live only for you. Alas Lord! when will this happiness befall me? it is what I desire; for I am yours, my sold, my body, and actions are yours. I offer and submit them entirely, and eternally to your holy will, that you may do in, and by me what you please; for I am wholly yours, as you are all mine. Point II. JEsus thus covered over with wounds, and suffering in all the members of his body, is on the Altar of the Cross, as a victim for all sinners, offering himself to his Father, to heal them of the wounds made by their sins, and he gives even to the last drop of his blood, for expiation of their offences. Compassionate his Dolous, render him thanks for the love he bears you, and protest never more to offend him. PRAYER. ALl that you suffer on the Cross (O amiable jesus) and the pains which have consummated your Passion, are but the ransom of my offences, and the satisfaction of all my crimes; for they are my sins which have deprived you of life, it is my pride which hath humbled you; my my selfe-love, and the pleasures of my life, have scourged you; my perverse inclinations and vain desires have crowned you with thorns: in fine you die upon the ignominious Tree of the Cross to deliver me from the capiivity of the Devil and sin, and to satisfy the divine Justice, justly irritated against me; so that I consider you on the Altar of the Cross, as an holy victim, which you offer unto your Father to appease him; and your death is a sacrifice, which you make to him of yourself, to merit life for me, and to obtain pardon for my offences. After so great a benefit, can I be so unhappy, as seek to revive sin in my soul, and render myself still a slave to it? Can I desire to enter into a new commerce with vice, and obey my own concupiscences, which have crucified you? No, no, (succour of my Soul) I detest them with my whole heart, and hate them with all my force, for the love of you. I will no longer offend you by the assistance of your holy grace, which I beg of you by the merits of your passion. Since you die only to extirpate sin in my soul, and to banish vice out of my conscience: Effect Lord, effect what you desire, and give me a holy inability of offending you. Point III. IEsus sheds his blood in suffering, and expires by the effusion thereof; But the nails and Executioners being unable to extinguish the ardour of his love, which even in death itself cannot die, he conserveses what remains of it in his heart and body, to pour out upon the Cross, even to the last drop, that he may evidence to us the profusion, which he intends to make of his spirit, of his graces and love. Sacrifice unto him your heart, and offer yourself to him to bear the effects of the Cross, as he shall please to imprint them in your Soul. PRAYER. I Adore you (O my jesus) crucified, as the beginning of all happiness, and as the Spring of all graces and benedictions, which either have been, or shall ever be communicated to men: I adore all the thoughts and desires, which you have had upon the Cross, of giving your grace & love to your elect; finally (my Saviour) I adore the profusion you make of your blood, even to the last drop, and the excess of love, which you express in all the states of your life, and death. Grant me the grace to bear the effects thereof, and faithfully to cooperate with the merits of your Passion: for what will it avail me (O God, of love) that you are dead upon the Cross, and bountiful in communicating your Spirit, and grace, if I render myself unworthy of it, and oppose myself against it by my iniquity? Nevertheless it is what I fear, for I am too miserable, and shall surely remain obdurate in my sin, if you prevent me not with your grace, if you guard me not with your succour, and if you continue not your favour to me. Wherefore (O ●●exhaustible goodness) be pleased not to think it enough to have given your blood and life; but bestow on me over and above, I beseech you, your spirit, your grace and love. And I make a gift to you of my heart, my spirit and life, and remit into your hands, the liberty wherein you have created me, to the end I may become from henceforth a slave to your love, and that my soul may live no longer, then to receive the effects of your death, and the life of your Cross. JESUS lying dead between the arms of his holy Mother. Point I. IT is an unheard of thing to see God upon the Cross, and life in death; yet you behold Jesus stretched out between the arms of his holy Mother. He is dead, but by this means he becomes the life of our Souls. This manner of death is infinitely distant from the greatness of God; but love hath wrought this wonder to convey life to your soul, and death to your sins. Give yourself to Jesus and Mary, to be are in you these two effects of life and death. PRAYER. IF I desire to live in God, and in order to what he requires of a Christian, I must needs die to sin, altar my depraved customs, and withdraw my heart from self-love and all affection to creatures. But how shall I do it, O blessed Virgin, if I receive not powerful assistance? for I am able to act nothing, if I want efficacious grace which operates in and with me, what God desires of me. Now from whence may I have it, but from and by you, O Mother of grace and mercy, since God hath put into your hands, the price of my Salvation, and since you hold in your arms, the fountain of all graces? I repair then to you (O benign Virgin) and I give myself to you, to the end by the power which you have in quality of my Saviour's mother, you may produce in my soul the effects of life and death; my meaning is, that you operate in such sort by your favour, that I may really die to my vices and sins, that I may detest and hate them, and lead such a life as God expects of me, and to which I obliged myself, when by Baptism I was incorporated, and made a member of jesus Christ, your Son. Point II. THe Son of God vouchsafed to unite pains, sorrows, afflictions, and crosses to himself, and his holy Mother, with design to render them from thenceforth pleasing, sweet, and worthy to be esteemed and desired on earth. Begin to esteem them because they are deified in Jesus, and honoured in his holy Mother. And if you are unable to ask them of God, at least resolve to be are them with humility and patience, when they shall happen to you. PRAYER. YOu have ever been (O holy Virgin) the well-beloved of the eternal Father: You are amongst all the pure creatures, the worthiest object of his love; You are his spouse, and the true Mother of jesus, as he is his Father; and he gives you his Son, & with him hath put into your hands the treasures of Heaven, and earth, and all the riches of Divinity. For this reason you are the worthiest of all pure creatures, and with my jesus you are the happiness of the whole world; Nevertheless (O Mother of God) I see you in the midst of mount Calvary, and at the foot of the Cross, holding your Son dead between your arms: You take off the Crown of thorns, you wipe his wounds, you wash his body with tears, and kiss a thousand times the bruises of his flesh: You suffer likewise with him the ignominies, and dolours of the Cross; so that humiliations, crosses & afflictions are both in you and in Jesus. In him and you they are become divine, sanctified and rendered acceptable; And for this cause they are worthy of being esteemed, and desired by Christians. What must I then do (O holy Virgin) if I will love you? what other thing can I do, but affect Crosses and humiliations with you, and humble myself like you. I desine and purpose it thus in my soul, procure me only the grace that in all occasions I may bear every thing with fidelity and patience, in such sort as God requires of me, and you desire I should. Point III. THe holy. Virgin holding her Son between her arms, offers him to God and the divine justice, for satisfaction of our offences; And as the Father hath given his Son to the world, and the Son delivered himself up to the Cross to save us; So the holy Virgin both with heart and will, sacrificeth her own Son, that she may in this sort minister unto our Salvation. Give her thanks for this extraordinary Charity, and beseech her to render you faithful to all the graces, which the death of the Son of God hath acquired. PRAYER. YOu have been chosen (o Mother of grace and mercy!) to be the repairer of the world, and to cooperate in a most peculiar manner to the salvation of all mankind. You did when you gave your Son Christ Jesus to be delivered up to the death of the Cross, and you do it when, holding him dead between your arms, you offer him to the divine Justice, as a Victim and Sacrifice of propitiation, which satisfies God for the sins of the world: And in this respect you are our Repairer; for Jesus who is the Saviour of men is yours, he is your Son, and you are his Mother. And in this quality, you have right to his life, his preservation, and all his condition?. Nevertheless, (O Mother of our Souls) you consent to his death, you encourage him to torments, you conduct him to the Cross, and like another Abraham you sacrifice in will and affection your only Son, and you sacrifice him for my sins, so great is your charity and love towards me. But what can I do in recognition of so sublime a benefit? Wherein am I able to acknowledge, (O benign Virgin) so ardent a Charity? At least since you give your Son for me, procure that I may be your slave, and since you resign him to efface the sins of the world, and that he may merit for us such graces, as are necessary for our salvation, be pleased to mediate, that I may be faithful to all the graces, which he hath purchased for me by his death, and that I may live no longer, but for his honour and yours, as you give him to the Cross and deliver him up to death for me. Our LADY of Compassion. Point I. Since the Eternal Father can have no compatency in the dolours of his Son, he substituted the holy Virgin, imprinting in her heart, and Spirit, the virtue of the Cross, and the Spirit of his sufferings; and, piercing her heart with the sword of sorrow, he made her suffer with her Son, that in some manner she might cooperate to our Salvation. Consider what Jesus and the holy Virgin suffer for you, and from henceforth take delight in the thought of their sufferings, and in the love of the Cross. PRAYER. O Virgin and mother of my jesus! I render you thanks for having contributed to our salvation, not only by giving your Son, but also in taking your share in his Passions; for if he endure, you suffer with him; The scourges, the thorns, the nails and the lance, have pierced his body; but love and sorrow have transpierced your heart, and gauled your soul. Wherefore (holy Virgin, the true refuge of sinners!) I adore jesus for my Saviour; but I reverence you as his Mother, and acknowledge you for the Repairer of the Universe; since you cooperate doubly in the good of our souls; For you give us your Son, and suffer with him for us. Be pleased also to mediate (O Virgin, spring of life and grace) that I may be from henceforward the object of your commiserations. And since you have loved me so much, as to give me your Son, and to give him even for the Cross: since your love and charity fastens you to my interests, and makes you suffer for me, procure that I may suffer all for you; but chief engrave in my heart such a hatred of sin, as I may rather endure a thousand deaths, than so much as once offend my Jesus, your Son, who died for my sins. Point II. THe great love of the holy Virgin, hath made her suffer extremely; her life is no other but a Martyrdom; her thoughts are fixed only upon the Cross, and her eyes have no other object, than death, and the death of her Son: Her love is now but languishing, and her languishments cause her incessantly to sigh after her God and her Son. O my soul! how happy should you be, if you could live no longer, but to love and suffer. PRAYER. Holy Virgin! how shall I attain so light enough to conceive your greatness, and grace to imitate the several dispositions of your soul? I know and faith teacheth me, that you are the Mother of God, that your soul is full of grace; and I confess that you are the worthiest object of love, and the most capable of favours from the blessed Trinity; yet I see your soul all immersed in the bitterness of the Cross, Your life is no longer but a Martyrdom, your love is languishing, and the object of your sighs are fixed only on the death of your Son. O how content should I be (O Virgin, life of my soul!) if I could lead such a life as yours, How happy should I be, if in imitation of you, I had no other repose then in afflictions, no other delight but in the Cross, nor other life but in the death of your Son! I deserve not this favour, I have not grace enough to live in so holy a manner; nevertheless I desire to live no longer, but to love, and no longer to love, but to suffer. I offer myself unto you, for all this, dispose now wholly of me, as you shall please. Point III. IF Love makes our Soul live, in what she most affects; surely the holy Virgin lives no longer but in Jesus suffering and dying, since (he loves nothing but Jesus: And as Jesus is crucified in his body, so the Virgin is in her soul: The Son dies on the Cross; The Mother 'swounds at his feet; The side of the Son is pierced with a Lance, the heart of the Mother is transpierced with the sword of sorrow; thus both of them live and die together. What will you do (O my Soul) at the sight of this sad spectacle, since all this is done and accomplished for you? Beseech the Son and the Mother to inspire you with true love, and to render you worthy of bearing faithfully, the grace and effects of the Cross and Passion. PRAYER. WEre I unwilling (O benign Mother of my soul) yet the affection, which you bear me, obligeth me to love you. I am content, nay I desire it with my whole heart; but I am unable to effect it without a favour from heaven: But as it is a great mercy, that you vouchsafe to love, and cooperate to my salvation; so is it a great grace, that I may be able to love you, and live in your service. I beg then this favour of you (O Virgin, Mother of my soul) and I beseech you to change my heart, that from henceforward I may be yours, and entirely dedicated to your service. Put me in a state of perpetual servitude towards you, establish me in the true love of Jesus, and procure that I may both live and die, persevering in that love and service which I own you. I remit my life (O holy Virgin) into your hands; I remit into your hands the hour of my death, because I will be wholly yours, and depend on you in such sort as my God and my jesus desires it of me. Be pleased then (O Mother of mercy!) to receive me into your protection, and to look on me as the object of your goodness, and the subject of your commiseration. Accept of my good will, fortify my weakness, and give me the grace to put in practice the good purposes which God hath suggested to me by your intercession, and no longer permit that I act any thing, which may annihilate in my soul the effects of grace: but obtain for me a capacity of receiving in my heart such effects of the Cross, as my jesus shall infuse into it, and fidelity to cooperate therewith in such sort, as my God and my jesus requires of me. ASPIRATIONS OF The Soul unto God, in form of PRAYER. The oblation of ones self unto God. Lord jesus! of myself I can do nothing, for I am a miserable creature; but with you nothing is impossible to me. Abide then in me, (O happiness of my soul) live and reign over me to effect in me what is acceptable to you. You have all power, and I offer it you a fresh over my life, and actions, even from the bottom of my soul: I remit into your hands, the same liberty, will, and life which you have given me. Be pleased to accept and keep them as yours; for I am wholly yours, and will depend on you. Another Oblation. MY jesus, by the nature of your being, by the eminency of your greatness, and by the state of your miseries, you have been pleased to be, both my Father, my Lord, and my Judge; I implore all these adorable qualities, and I invoke the power which you have over me, by these holy properties which are in you, and I beseech you by the same mercy and goodness, which hath made you take on you those states, that you would vouchsafe to inspire me with that fidelity, which I own you, that I may be by my life your Son, as you are my Father by grace, that I may be your slave by a true subjection, since you are my Lord. And as I acknowledge and adore you as my Saviour, so let me be your captive, being wholly yours, and acting nothing but for you. And since you are my Judge, and that I confess myself criminal, be pleased to distil into my soul, the zeal of your Justice, to the end by your Grace, and with your Justice, I may execute Justice on myself, and satisfy your just indignation, occasioned by the multitude of offences, which I have presumed to commit against your divine goodness. Thus I desire it, thus do I give myself up unto you (O jesus, Saviour and judge of my Soul) to become the victim of your will, and to bear the effects of your grace, Spirit, and mysteries, in such sort as you shall please. In this manner I renounce myself, to enter into all the dispositions, and states, which the eternal Father will have me bear in you, and for your sake O jesus. A Resignation to the will of God. O jesus! Father and beginning of all light, illuminate my soul with your splendour, that I may discern what is disagreeable to you, and give me the grace to avoid it. Grant that I may both know your will, and accomplish it, in every point; for I desire to be wholly yours, and to live no longer but for you. To put one's self into the protection of Almighty God. SAviour of my soul, Author of my salvation! see the dangers wherein I am remaining in this life, sustain me with your hand, that I may not fall, and govern me by your Spirit, that I wander not in the nations of my perverse inclinations. Defend me (good jesus) and deliver me from myself, and permit me not to adhere to my affections, nor to follow my own appetites: I renounce them all, since they separate me from you; and I conjure your goodness to annihilate them, to the end, that adhering wholly unto you, I may be for nothing but yourself; for such is my desire, you know it, O love of my soul! To ask the love of God. OBject of all Love, perfect Beauty, ineffable Goodness! who can choose but love you? I purpose it, but am unable. I will love to death, and will die, but in loving you. Transpierce my heart with your love, and my body with your fear, effect (O powerful God) effect powerfully, that your Spirit may consume in me, all that is of myself, that I may be wholly yours, and love none but you, and that living in you; I may die to all other things. A protestation of Love. Shall I be always overlightned in myself, distracted in my thoughts, inconstant in my motions? How long will you permit me (Lord) to follow my own inclinations, and to be violently affected with the Creature? Recall my spirit, withdraw it from all things, to retain it for yourself. Let not your just conduct (O most amiable goodness) abandon me, for leaving me to myself, blind that I am, I should lose myself in my Cupidities, and separate myself from you, to live no longer but for myself. Let death rather force me away, yea, fill (O God of love) fill rather my life with bitterness, my heart with fear, and my soul with continual displeasure, then permit, that to please the Creature, or to satisfy myself, I may displease your divine Majesty. An Act of Love. WHy shall I not love you (O most amiable goodness?) You oblige me thereunto by your love, you attract me by your benefits, and you command it by your goodness; I will then love you because I ought, and I desire that my heart may love you with all his power, because nothing is amiable but yourself: But I cannot love, if you inspire me not with love. Abide then in me (O desirable love!) live in me, to the end that following the laws of your love, I may live, and consummate myself in you. Aspirations of Love. Whether are you gone (sweet Spouse of my soul?) Alas! I carry a heart replenished with bitterness, when I have no sense of you. I keep myself aloof from you, loft in my thoughts, I perceive myself wand'ring in various objects, & for a height of misery, I walk in the night of a heart, darkened with self-love. My life is all humane, and (as a child of Adam) my life is in the old man. I know not whether I have a being or no, only I know that I am miserable: but to live in this sort is a cruel death; it is not to live at all, to live without you; it is too long a Martyrdom. Take pity on my soul, return and possess me entirely. Restore me your spirit, give me your life and change my whole heart. Why can I not like a Phoenix, consume myself in the ardours of your eternal love, and alter my course of life & being, to be no longer but in you, & to live no longer but for you? You can effect this (O God) who can do all things. Sighs of Love. MY eyes are bathed in tears, and my voice is broken with sighs, my life is but a death, and all things are but a Martyrdom to me, when I think where my God is. Alas! this thought makes me power out all my soul, and I languish both day and night, when I know that I must remain in this abode of misery. I cry out from, the bottom of my heart, How long Lord, how long? And must I yet live for a long time in the land of the dead and (absent from your face) remain among the perils of this miserable life? Must I, being oppressed with my body, feel myself removed from the sweet attractives of your Caresses; I am content with it, since it is your Pleasure. Great God, Master of my soul! your will is my delight, your love my direction: But effect (O God, who can do all things) effect by your mercy, that as your Son, and my jesus lives only in love, and this love makes him die; so I may live no longer then in loving you, and that love may make me suffer. To sue for the contempt of all things. TOo long (O my soul) dost thou seek vanity and affect lies: This world hath nothing in it stable & permanent, all is perishable therein; Goodness, truth, peace and repose are found only in God; thou losest thyself, in self-loving and seeking thyself, thou art estranged from God; Come then to my succour (O Saviour of my soul!) and reach me your hand, dissipate all these allurements, which detain me captive: Open to me your heart (O my so amiable jesus!) to shelter me in the midst of so many surprises: see, Lord, see how from all sides snares are laid for me, to make roe fall in love with this world: Do not permit it (O love of my soul) my heart is for you alone, preserve it then as yours. Another. MY eyes discern not (O Adorable verity!) the error of vanity, and my heart feels not the horror of all vices: But come (O Sun of justice!) come and shine upon my soul, consume with your beams all that is displeasing to you; give me your spirit, which opens my eyes to discern verity, which inspires me with love to adhere unto it, which redresseth my will and teacheth it to detest the world, and gives me the grace to seek you alone, and to live only for the love of you. To demand light and direction for your soul. Sun of justice! illuminate the darkness of my spirit; Comforter of souls! draw me out of the ignorance wherein I live. I walk in the shadow of death, amidst the perils of this life, and (severing myself from you, who are the way and life of my soul) I run like a vagabond into the curious research of the objects of my senses: Do you not see it (O my God) who see all things: Come then to my succour, (light of my soul) I ask nothing but yourself; my heart fighes after you, and my eyes seek you every where. Dart therefore (O jesus!) a glance of your face, infuse a ray of your beauty into the bottom of my Soul, to call me back to you, and make me know who you are, and what I am; to the end I may be wholly yours, and that being no longer mine, I may love you alone. To invoke Grace. GReat God your Treasures are unexhaustible, and your hands full of gifts. You are rich only in goodness, and in showing mercy you evidence what you are. Mercy then Lord, mercy, for I am a sinner, one glance of your eye, one word of your mouth can deliver me from evils; for while you look on me, I shall love you, while you speak to me, I shall follow and run after you, in the odour of the sweet perfumes of your heavenly grace. To call for Contrition. FRom the depth of my misery I elevate my heart unto you, O God of goodness! my soul sighs after you, God of mercy! And now that I am sensible of my misfortune, & that the weight of my sins oppress me within, I cry aloud unto you, lend me your ears, and fix on me your benign eyes, to withdraw me from the evil whereunto I find myself fastened. Give me your arm (Father of mercy) to sustain the yoke of my offences, light to know them, tears to bewail them, and the zeal of your justice to satisfy for them; I can no longer endure the foulness of my life, nor to live any longer distant from you; (O happiness of my soul!) I pant after you, you know it, but I cannot escape out of the place which captivates me, nor break the bands which fasten me, if the power of your Spirit, and the Spirit of your love, do not dissolve and break them in pieces: loosen them then (O Lord) and render me the liberty, which you have purchased for your children at the price of your life. Affection to accomplish our good purposes. I Feel myself seized with a flame of love, which makes me protest never more to forsake you (O Jesus, the love of my soul!) I am weary to see myself in the midst of so many inconstancies; I desire to be entirely yours, you know it very well, Lord; for it is of you, as of a spring of goodness, that my soul is full of desires, and my will of good affections; it is a gift of your hand, preserve it by your grace, and give me your arm and benediction to uphold me in my good purposes, and that I may punctually accomplish what I have promised you, stimulated and incited by the motions of your Spirit, always holy; to the end you may finish and perfect in me, what you have begun by your infinite mercy; for without you I can do nothing, and by you am enabled to do all things. FINIS. A PRAYER, which the Church useth to invoke the love of God. DEUS qui diligentibus te facis cuncta prodesse: da cordibus nostris inviolabilem tuae charitatis affectum: ut desideria de tua inspiratione concept, nullâ possint tentatione mutari: Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, etc. Amen.