A golden treatise of mentall praier with diuerse spirituall rules and directions, no lesse profitable then necessarie for all sortes of people. First composed by the venerable and blessed father, Fr. Peter de Alcantara, of the Seraphicall Order of S. Francis. Beatified the 18. of Aprill. 1622. Translated into English by G.VV. To vvhich is prefixed a breife relation of the life, and death of the same father vvritten by G.VV. of the same order and obseruance.

The fourth Document.

HEnce we may gather what attentiō, is to be obserued in prayer, wher∣fore the heart must not be languishinge, remisse or deiected; but quicke, attentiue and eleuated to heauenly thinges. And as it is necessarie to come to God with such attention, eleuation of the minde, and ab∣straction from sensible thinges; so it is no lesse necessarie to temper sweetly this at∣tention, that it be neither hurtfull to bo∣dily health, nor impediment to extinguish deuotion. For when any be so intensiue to the matter they meditate vpon, with∣out any respect to their infirme na∣ture,

doe oftentimes so dull their braines, that they be vnapt for other exercises. On the contrarie, there are some, to auoid this danger are so remisse and lasy in their at∣tentiō, that easily they suffer their mindes to be distracted with other idle thoughtes

These two extreames, that they may be both auoided, such moderatiō is necessarie, that the head be not weakened with too violent attention, nor the thoughtes per∣mitted carelessly to wander out of supine negligence, in which thinge, we must im∣mitate a good rider vpon an vntovvard horse, vvhich neither holdeth him in too hard, nor looseth the raines vpon his neck, but guideth him equally, that he giueth not back, nor goeth forvvard too speedily. So vve must striue in meditation that at∣tention be moderate, diligently resistinge euill thoughtes, but not violent vvith anxietie.

We must note also, that, these thinges vve here speake of attention, are cheefly to be taken heed of in the beginninge of meditation: for it often happeneth, that, those vvhich are too violent in the begin∣ninge, doe founder in the middest of me∣ditation. As trauailers makinge too much speed in their settinge forth, are tired in the middest of their iourny.