The spiritual conflict writen in Italian by a deuout seruant of God ; and lately translated into English out of the same language.

Of the gouernement of the sen∣ses.

Chap. 13. (Book 13)

THy sences (by the which our enemies are wont to enter) thou shalt keepe in such sort, that they may be gates, by the which thy God may enter in. When thou dost perceiue thy selfe too much busied a∣bout any creature, penetrate with the internall eye of thy soule, to thy God hidden there in, who giueth being to the same thing, and then returne to thy selfe, and behold him also in thee, in like maner, to whome thou mayst say in this fort.

Thou art (my Lord) present

indeede, more vnto me, then I am to my selfe, and I vngrate∣full and carelesse thinke not on thee, loue thee not, honor thee not. Or againe; some o∣ther times thou maist lift vppe thy vnderstanding to the in∣comprehensible greatnes, and perfection of the same Lord, reioycing in thy selfe to see in him so great good as he pos∣sesseth, yea more then if it were thine owne, feeling grea∣ter ioy that he is incōprehen∣sible, then if he did not exceed thy capacitie. And when thou seest in any reasonable crea∣tures, power, wisedome, boun∣tie, iustice, and other perfecti∣ons, lift vp thy selfe to God and say in thy mind: behold the litle riuers of the fountaine

vncreated, and of the infinite sea of all goodnesse.

And feeling thy selfe to be delighted with the beautie of creatures, quickly passe from that with thy thought to the supernall beautie, and deligh∣ting thyselfe onely in it, thou shalt say, when shall I my Sa∣uior take onely in thee all my delight?

By another manner, thou maist auoide this delectation: assoone as thou perceiuest thy selfe to be drawn with any de∣lectable obiect, behold with thyne vnderstanding, that vnder this delight, there lieth the infernall serpent, prepared to kill thee, or at the least to wound thee, against whom thou shalt thus say: ah thou

cursed serpent, how secretly dost thou lie in wait to venom me?

Afterward thy mind being lifted vp to God, thou shalt say: Blessed be my Lord God which hath discouered my e∣nemie which did ly in waite to kill me.

In the variety of diuers other accidents, thou mayest thus exercise thy selfe, when, for example, thou art oppressed with sorrowe, or doest suffer heate, cold, or any other pain∣full thing, thou shalt lift vp thy mind to that eternalwil, whose pleasure it is, that thou in such measure, and at such a time doe feele that discommoditie: wherefore full of loye thou shalt say in thy heart: behold in

me the accomplishment of the diuine will, which from the beginning thou hast disposed that I, in such time, and with such measure should receiue and suffer this; and the same thou shalt doe in other acci∣dēts also: as when the skies are filled with clowdes when it raineth, is windie or faire wea∣ther, and in another thing that doth happen vnto thee. And that euen when thou dooest reade, thou maist keepe our Lord in thy presence, ascend wyth thy thought to him, and beholde him vnder those words, & receue them as from his diuine mouth, and when any good thought cōmeth to thy mind, sodainely turne thy selfe to God, and with lowly 〈1+ pages missing〉〈1+ pages missing〉

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