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.

A Meditation for Munday.

THis day thou shalt call to memory thy sinnes, and shalt exercise thy selfe in the knowledge of thy selfe, that on the one side, thou maiest truly ponder the greatnesse of thy offences, and on the other side, thou maiest looke into thy basenes, and thy owne nothing, and acknowledge that all the good which thou hast, is from God. This consideration will gett thee submission of mind, and true humility the mother of all vertues.

First therfore waigh with thy selfe, the multitude of the sinnes of thy former life, and namely those sinnes which thou hast cōmitted whē as yet thou wert not illumi∣nated with the diuine splendour to know God Almightie rightly. These if thou dost examine with exquisite diligence, thou wilt finde to bee so many in number, that they will exceede the haires of thy head: for in this time thou leadest the life of a heathen, ignorant of the diuine powre, and as it were without any knowledge of his sacred Deity.

Then consider how thou hast behaued thy selfe about the tenne commaundemēts and the 7. deadly sinnes, and thou wilt fin∣de, that there is no precept of Almightie God, which thou hast not violated, nor any mortal sinne, into which thou hast not fal∣len, eyther in thought, word, or deed. Af∣ter that, call to minde God Almighties be∣nefittes, which he hath bestowed vpon thee in the whole course of thy former life, and see whether thou canst giue a good accompte of them or no.

Tell mee I pray the, how thou hast con∣sumed the dayes of thy infancy, thy youth and the flower of thy manly age? how hast thou employed thy 5. exteriour senses, and inward faculties of thy soule, giuen vnto thee by God, only to bee busied about his holy seruice, and the contemplation of heauenly thinges, what hast thou turned thine eyes vnto, but to beholde vanityes? what haue thine cares listned after but lies and tales? what hath thy tongue vttered but mnrmuringes, and blasphemous spea∣ches? what hath thy tast and feeling bene delighted in, but wanton pleasures? how hast thou vsed the remedy of the holy Sa∣cramentes, giuen vnto thee, as a singular gif∣te? what thanksgiuing hast thou restored for soe many benefittes which he hath

heaped vpon thee? what alacrity hast thou vsed to satisfie his holy iuspirations? how hast thou spent thy health of body and na∣turall forces? how hast thou dispensed thy goodes of fortune? what good vse hast thou made of the commodity, and profer∣red occasions to liue well? what care hast thou had of thy neighbours welfare? what workes of mercye, or of bountye, hast thou done vnto them? what wilt thou answere in that terrible daye of iud∣gement, when thou must render a seuere accompte of all these thinges! o withered tree destinated to eternal flames, except thou doest penance! what excuse wilt thou then frame, when thou must giue an ac∣compte of euery yeare, of euerye month, of euery weeke, of euerye daye, of euery moment?

Thirdly consider, those sinnes, which thou hast euery day committed, after God Almighty hath illuminated and opened the eyes of thy soule to meditate vpon heauenly thinges: and thou shalt finde that the old Adam hath yet borne a great sway in thy actions, and that sinfull roote to haue procreated in the, many and per∣uerse habits.

Diligently ponder, how vngratefull thou hast bene to God Almighty, how vn∣mindfull

of his benefites, how contrary thou hast behaued thy selfe against his ho∣ly inspirations, how slouthfull and remisse in his diuine seruice: in which thou scarce hast euer vsed due alacrity and diligence, or such purity of intention as it is requisite, nay hast thou not serued God for worldly respectes and commodity?

Enter into consideration how rigid thou art to thy neighbour, and how indul∣gent to thy selfe? how thou louest thy owne will, how thou adhearest to thy sen∣suality, how chary of thy honour, and of euery thing that belongeth vnto thee. Waigh well with thy selfe, how euery day thou growest more arrogant, more ambi∣tious, more vaine, more prone to anger, more desperatly bent to malice, more pro∣ne to delightes and pleasures, more muta∣ble, more vnconstant, more propense to carnal sinnes, and a greater louer of earthly vanities. Consider thy inconstācy in good, thy indiscretion in wordes, imprudence in deedes, in heigh and difficult matters pu∣sillanimity sometimes, and often audacious temerity.

In the fourth place, after thou hast takē notice of the number and order of thy sin∣nes, pause vpon them a while in thy min∣de, and waigh euery one in the ballance of

due consideration, that thou maiest percea∣ue with what misery thou art on euery si∣de enuironed. Which that thou maiest the better doe; consider these three circum∣stances in the sinnes of thy former life. First a gainst whom thou hast sinned. 2. Why thou hast sinned. 3. How thou hast sin∣ned. Which if thou doest diligently pene∣trate, thou wilt finde that thou hast offen∣ded God, whose maiestie and goodnes is immense, who hath obliged man vnto him with so many benefites, as there are sandes in the sea, or drops of water in the Ocean.

Why hast thou sinned, or what violent occasiō hath enforced thee to any cryme? a litle momentary pride: a foule represen∣tation of pleasure; some smale commoditye placed in thy sight, and oftentimes, no oc∣cation at all, but euil custome, and mere contempt of God.

But alas how hast thou sinned? with such facility, with such notable audacity, with so litle feare and conscience, yea with such security and pleasure, as though thou hadest to doe with no other then a woo∣den God, who regardeth not these sublu∣nary thinges, neyther vnderstandeth or seeth any thing, what is done vpon the fa∣ce of the earth. Is this the honour due vn∣to his supreme maiesty? is this a remunera∣tion

of his benefittes? doest thou with such seruices requite his whippinges, his buffettinges, and pretious bloud sheadd vpon the Crosse for thy sake? o wicked wretch that hast offended so great a maie∣sty, more miserable, that for so sleight a cause, and most deplorable, that thou art not sensible of thy vtter Ruine; that after sinne thou fearest not damnation, and so neglectest to doe penance.

Moreouer it is very profitable, to insist a while vpon this consideration, and that thou esteeme thy selfe nothing, and cer∣tenly perswade thy selfe that thou hast no∣thing of thy selfe but sinne; all other thin∣ges to be the gistes of God Almighties bountie. For it is most euident, that all our good, both of grace and nature doth flowe from him: for he is the Author of the gra∣ce of predestination (which is the fountai∣ne and originall of all others) of the grace of our vocation, of concomitant and perse∣uering grace, and of the grace of euerla∣sting life. What hast thou then, that thou canst boast of, but sinne? only this nothing thou canst attribute to thy selfe, all other things belong to God: Whence thou ma∣rest clearly and manifestly perceaue what he is, and what thou art, and hence come∣cture, what diffidence thou oughtest to

haue in thy selfe, and what confidence in God; to loue him, and to glorifie thy selfe in him, and not in thy selfe, but so farr as his grace doth freely operate in thee.

These thinges being digested with attē∣tiue meditation, as much as thou canst, vrge thy selfe, to a contempt of thy selfe: ima∣gine that thou art like an emptie reede shaken with euery blast of wind, without grauity, without vertue, without constan∣cy, without stabilytie, and finally without any thing. Thinke thy selfe to bee a Lazarus foure dayes dead, a stincking and abhomi∣nable carcasse, swarming with vermin, so filthy that passers by are forced to stoppe their nostrels, least they smel such a nastye sauour. Beleeue me, thou hart more abho∣minable, before God and his holy Sain∣ctes. Thinke thy selfe vnworthy to lifte vp thine eyes to Heauen; to tread vpon the earth, or that the creatures should serue thee; yea not worthy to eat bread or breath in the aire. Cast thy selfe with the sinfull woman in the Ghospel, at our Blessed Sa∣uiours feete: presenting thy selfe vnto him with a cōfused and blushing countenāce, no otherwise thē the womā takē in adul∣tery before her husband, and with inward sorrowe, and true compunction, begg par∣don of thy sinnes: that for his infinite

mercy and goodnes, he would vouchsafe to receiue thee againe into his fauour, and that thou maiest dwell in his howse for euer.