The exercise of a christian life. Written in Italian by the Reuerend Father Gaspar Loarte D. of Diuinitie, of the Societie of Iesus. And newly translated into Englishe. by I.S.

CERTAYNE remedies for such, as could not haply finde sauour or de∣uotion in the former meditations.

¶ Cap. 11. (Book 11)

WOTING wel (as I haute alreadie saide) what great good this exercise of prayer doth purchace to our foules; I haue in this respect bene more willing to ex∣tende my selfe a litle the further in intreating thereof. And for the same

some cause haue thought good like∣wise in this Chapter to annexe cer∣taine remedies to releeue thee with at suche times as thou foundest thy selfe barrein of deuotion, and with∣out any relishe or tast in the foresaid meditations.

FIRST therfore it is requisit thou * 1.1 haue this in minde, howe one of the principal meanes and helpes for thee both in this life to liue vertuouslye, and in thother to enioy God euerla∣stingly, is this exercise of prayer; and therfore what paines and care soeuer it behoued thee to take for the gay∣ning of so great a iewel, ought in no wise to seeme greeuous and yrksome to thee; yea, propounding this so rich a recompence before thine eyes, thou oughtest with al might and maine to remoue suche obstacles and lets, as might any waies impeache the due and orderly perfourming of this ex∣ercise. Thou oughtest therefore take

heede of distracting thy minde in di∣uers vaine thoughts, of spending the time in profane and vnprofitable cō∣uersations; of disordinate affections; of excessiue passions of thy soule; as anger, heauines, too much laughing, and reioysing in worldly matters; and of too great a carke and care in thy temporal affaires and busines. These and suche other like imperfections, whereby the peace and serenitie of thy soule may be shadowed and takē away, are in any wife, so much as may be, to be auoided. Neither behoueth it onely to haue this watch and ward ouer thy heart and inwarde powers; but also to vse the like touching thy outward senses, which are the dores wherby these distractions enter & pe∣netrate into thy heart: as might be a curious eye, in viewing; a listning af∣ter nouelties and impertinent mat∣ters; too much speech and talke; and eche other thing whatsoeuer that ex∣perience

teacheth vs to breede dis∣traction. No doubt therfore, but soli∣tarines would in this case be a soue∣raine * 1.2 helpe to suche as might conue∣niently vse it; for by it, are al occasi∣ons of distracting the senses clene cut off; and therby a man may with more facilitie, eleuate his mind vp to God, and stande wel garded within him selfe: wherevpon this saying hath bene woorthely of longe, time vsed, that a contemplatiue man ought to be deafe, blinde, and dombe; that by this meanes wanting occasions to distract his minde in outward thinges, he might alwaies be gathered and attentiue in∣wardly in godly cogitations.

It shal profite likewise to procure deuotion, and eleuation of minde vp to God to vse abstinence, fasting, and * 1.3 other afflictions and corporal chas∣tisementes moderately applied. For like as these proceede of deuotion, so doo they mainteine and increase de∣uotion.

A puritie and cleanes of conscience * 1.4 is also verye necessary for gayning this deuotion; the which ought not only to be kept vndistained with any mortal sinne; but also free from veni∣al, so much as may be: for these doo swage and abate the feruour of cha∣ritie, which is the nurse and mother of deuotion. It behoueth therfore, if thou couet to finde a sweetnes and sauoure in thy prayers, to shunne al kinde of sinne, and such imperfecti∣ons, as may gaule and fret thy consci∣ence; as also to shake off scruples, & al superfluous remorse; the which, like priuie thornes lye pricking and paining the soule, and wil not suffer it to enioye any quiet rest or fruitful sauour in deuotion.

THE SECOND remedie which * 1.5 concerning this matter of meditati∣on is by diuers good & vertuous men

proued to be very profitable, is, for one to straine him-selfe continuallye to walke in the presence and sight of * 1.6 Gods diuine Maiestie; supposing (as moste true it is) that we alwaies stand before his eyes; he beholding euerye houre and moment what we doo, speake, or thinke; and keeping with eche one a particuler accompt of eue∣rye thing. Seing therfore, God euer∣more hath vs in his heauenly eye and * 1.7 presence, right meete and requisite is it, we alwayes haue him in ours. And in very deede, the taking vp of this custome shal helpe in this respect ve∣rye muche, to make vs afraide of cō∣mitting any filthie and dishonest act, when we bethinke vs, that the eyes of God are euery where vpō vs.

THE THIRD remedie that helpeth * 1.8 greatly to gather attention and deuo∣tion, is an often frequentation of cer∣taine prayers euery day, which the holye fathers cal darting prayers, for * 1.9

that they bee in maner of amorous and louing dartes throwen vp at Gods heart. The maner of doing this is by saying with a zeal and inflamed desire certain verses of Dauid, or som other sentences of holy Saints, which thou must euer haue in memorie; and at such time, as thy deuotiō shal serue, to sai those that be fittest for that pre∣sent affection thou then feelest; as for example, finding at some time a disposition of repentance and com∣punction for thy sinnes, then to re∣hearse certaine verses of the a 1.10 Miserere psalme, or some other suche like brief sayings, seruing to signifye this affect of repentance. At an other time, fee∣ling a desire to be more and more in∣flamed in the loue of God, saye that b 1.11 verse, Diligam te domine fortitudo mea, An∣other time desiring to bee with God, saye; Quemadmodum desideras 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ad fon∣tem c 1.12 aquarum &c. Otherwhiles, longing to approche and draw nighe to those

heauenly bours; say, a 1.13 Quam dilecta taber∣nacula tua Domine. &c, Beati qui habitant in domo tua Domine. An-other time, with an affect to geue thankes to God for his diuine benefites, thou maiest saye certain everses of the psalme: b 1.14 Benedie anima mea Domino, & omnia quae intra me sunt. &c. or c 1.15 Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore: And so in like maner, accor∣ding to the diuersitie of eche other affect thou haply findest thy self tou∣ched with in soule; for cche kinde, wherof either in the prophetes, or in some other of the Saintes and fathers thou maiest finde very fitt words and sentences, to signifie thy meaning with But if so be thou want skil and knowledge thy selfe to cul and gather them out; then maiest thou frame wordes of thine owne, (according as the holye Ghoste shal vouchsafe to instruct & teache thee) such as maye serue moste fitly for thy purpose, and cause thy zeale to increase to God∣ward,

and to good desires. And albe∣it at the first it may seeme thou dar∣test not those amorous arowes with any great feruoure or fierie heate of soule; yet faile not to send and breath them forth; for no doubt but they shal afterwardes kindle and gather heat, and helpe thee greatly to warm thy soule withal. But if haply thou couldest not light of such wordes as thou wisshest for; sende then vp cer∣taine sighes and grones drawen out from the bottome of thy heart, and these shal supplye and serue in steede of wordes to God-warde, who wel woteth, what thy spirite doth craue and longe for. These darting prayers, with the sentences, sighes, and spee∣ches abouesaide, shal likewise helpe such gretly, as lack conueniūt leisure, to perfourme this exercise, in suche * 1.16 maner as I haue heretofore declared.

THE FOVRTH remedie, whiche maye be vsed at suche time, as thy

distraction wer greater, then that the former aduises coulde suffice to cal thy minde home, and to cause atten∣tion; then maiest thou haue recourse to reading; whereto shal-be very ex∣pedient thou be prouided of some godly booke, ful of good deuotiō and sound doctrin; & theron to read with leisure, faire and softly; not lightlye running ouer many leaues, but pau∣sing at euery periode and sentence, to chawe the same, and to picke thence some profite, and fruitful deuotion, staying therein so longe as attention serueth thee; which once wanting; proceede then on forwarde to an-o∣ther sentence, doing likewise in that; and thus mightest thou by meanes of such wordes as thou readest, vse those speeches, sighes, and inflamed desires, whereof I jastly spake in the third remedie; sith no doubt, but they are very valable, and of great force to retire thy minde home, and to kindle

in it a deuotion, and feruent loue to God-warde.

The fittest bookes for this purpose are suche, as stirre a man vp to pietie and deuotion, and that withal, geue good instructions for life and ma∣ners; as might be the meditations, So∣liloquies, and Manuel of S. Austin; certaine smal treatises of S. Bernarde, and S. Bonauenture, which are to be founde a-part and printed by them∣selues; especially some suche one as intreateth of the life of Christe; but aboue al other, shal that booke bene∣fite and doo thoe good, which is cal∣led De contemptu mundi, Or The folowing of * 1.17 Christe, intituled to Iohn Gerson, though in very deede it was of one Thomas de Kempis making, this being a worke of wonderful profite, and moste notable doctrine; The liues of Saintes shal-be likewise very good for this purpose, who earst haue shewed them-selues liuely paterns of christian perfection.

In these and suche like bookes mai∣est thou exercise thy selfe; nowe rea∣ding, now meditating on them, and alwaies committing some spiritual poynt to memorie, which thy soule may amongst other thy busines, nou∣rishe and comfort it selfe withal.

How-be-it, because this remedie is onely to serue their turnes that can reade; others, that lacke that skil may vse pictures in steede of printed * 1.18 bookes, and therein beholde that pas∣sage they meane to meditate on; and thus shal the picture serue them in stede of bookes, and helpe to procure inward collection of their minde, and to purchase deuotion which is wan∣ting; This shal chieflye helpe yonge beginners, and such as be yet rawlye rooted in these exercises; as also at the beginning & first entrance into prai∣er, when the soul doth cōmonly find disquietnes, by reason of vaine thou∣ghtes and wandring cogitations.

THE LAST remedie thou art to * 1.19 take concerning this matter; is, to force thy selfe to perseuer in prayer; howe distract and frosen soeuer thou shalt finde thee; for that, who so shal thus force and strain him-selfe to en∣dure the tedious toile and paine of praier, whiles thus he feeleth him∣selfe frosen, and caried away with di∣uers forraine thoughtes and fancies, wel may he beleeue, that at the ende of his praier he shal for the most part receaue comfort and contentation; and that, as it happed to our Sauiour (whom the a 1.20 Angel came and com∣forted in the garden, after his longe perseuerance in prayer, which he made three seueral times;) euen so likewise shal it in th'ende befal to him. And as in other workes experi∣ence teacheth vs, that custome taketh away the toile which we feele at the beginning therof; euē so shal custome & continuance in this exercise; (not

slacking or neglecting it at any time) eut off the toile and trauaile thereof, and cause a conquest of al such diffi∣culties, as in the beginning seemed right painful to vs.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The first 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a∣gainst 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.2

  Solitarines a great helpe to 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.3

  Abstinence and disci∣pline.
• * 1.4

  Puritie of conscience.
• * 1.5

  The second reme-lie a∣gainst dis∣traction.
• * 1.6

  A continis al eye vpon God.
• * 1.7

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 118. 168.
• * 1.8

  The thirde remedie a∣gainst dis∣traction. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.9

  Darting prayers.
• a 1.10

  Psal. 50.
• b 1.11

  Psal. 17.
• c 1.12

  Psal. 41.
• a 1.13

  Psal. 83.
• b 1.14

  Psal. 102
• c 1.15

  Psal. 33.
• * 1.16

  The fourth remedie is, the reding of some godly 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.17

  The folow∣ing of Christe, a booke greatly pro fitable.
• * 1.18

  Pictures ignorant mens books
• * 1.19

  The fift re∣medie a∣gainst dis∣traction, is perseuerāce
• a 1.20

  Luc. 22. a.