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 Sunday.

THis day thou shalt spend, in recogita∣ting God Almightie his benefitts, that thou mayest bee gratefull to him for the same, and thy heart inflamed with the loue of him, that hath heaped so manie fa∣uours vpon thee. VVhich seeing they bee innumerable, thou shalt take fower of the cheifest to thy consideration, which are the benefitts of thy Creation, Preseruation, Redemption, and Vocation, besides parti∣cular benefitts specially bestowed vpon thee.

Touching the benefitt of thy creation, examine diligently what thou wert before, what God hath giuen thee when thou hadest no precedent meritts. Behold thy comely bodie well composed of its mem∣bers and senses: Looke vpon thy noble soule, beutified with these excellent facul∣ties, the vnderstanding, will, and memo∣rie.

Remember that when he gaue thee thy soule, he gaue thee all thinges, seing there is

no perfection in any creature, which is not found more excellent in the soule of man. Hence it manifestly followeth, that when God bestowed this great benefitt vpon thee, he with it bestowed what els soeuer thou hast.

Concerninge the benefitt of thy con∣seruation and preseruation, consider that all thy being dependeth vpon the diuine prouidence and disposure, without which thou canst not moue a foote, or subsist the least moment of time. More-ouer for thy vse he hath created the wholl vniuersall world, and all thinges therin conteined; the earth, the sea, birds, fishes, beasts, plants, nay the verie Angels themselues he hath ordai∣ned to doe thee seruice. Consider thy health, the strength of limes, and thy verie life it selfe, which thou enioyest, to be the great benefitts of God Almightie, who, by dayly nourishment and other temporall helps, cōserueth all these in their proper vi∣gour. Obserue the miseries and tribulatiōs vnto which other mortall men are subiect; into which, as others thou hadst easily fallē, had not the diuine goodnes protected thee

In the benefitt of thy Redemptiō: con∣sider the aboundant good both in quanti∣tie and qualitie, which he hath purchased to thee by it.

Then call to minde the bitternes of his torments, which he suffered in soule and bodie to ease thee; and that the acknow∣ledgmēt of these fauours may take a grea∣ter impression in thee, in the mysterie of his passion take notice of these fower thin∣ges. First, who it is that suffereth, secondly what he suffered, thirdly for whome he suffered, fourthly why he suffered.

He that suffered, was God, what he suf∣fered, weare the most greuious torments, and such that neuer any mortall man did endure the like.

For whome? for most ingratefull crea∣tures, cursed and worthy of hell fyre.

VVhy? not for any comoditie or profitt of his owne, or that we had merited so much by our precedent meritts. But only moued to it by his infinite loue and bounty tovvards vs.

Cōcerninge the benefit of thy vocation, cōsider the grace he gaue thee, vvhē he infu∣sed into thee, the Christian faith, by the re∣ceiuing of Baptisme and other Sacraments: when he did enrolle thee in the booke of his eternitie, amongest faithfull soules. If after thy first vocatiō, vvhen by sinne thou hadest lost the innocencie of baptisme, he hath dravvne thee againe out of the mire of thy ovvne corruptiō, restored thee to grace

and brought thee back againe into the way of thy owne salutation: VVhat than∣kes giuinge oughtest thou to render vnto him, for so great a benefit? How great was his mercie to thee, that with longanimitie he expected so manie yeares? that he per∣mitted thee to spend thy dayes in so great impuritie of wickednes? that he hath often visited thee with good and holy in∣spirations? that he did not cutt of the thred of thy peruerse life, as he serued others in the same place? To conclude, that he called thee with such efficacious grace, that he re∣stored thee from death to life, and opened thine eies to contemplate his cleare light? How great was his clemēcie towards thee, that he supported thee with his grace, not to returne back againe to thy former sinns. But to ouercome the enimies of mankind, and constantly to perseuere in a vertuous course.

These are the comon benefits. Besides these, there are manie secret ons known to none but those that receiue them, and others, which indeed are not cleerly known vnto themselues, but only to him that bestowed them. How often for thy prid, arrogancie, ingratitude and slouth hast thou deserued to be left of God as many for lesser causes haue beene? Yet not

withstandinge he would not? How often hath God with his singulare prouidence, exempted thee from euill, remoued occa∣sions of offending, brokē the snare that the enimie had laied for thy perdition; hath frustrated his expectation, and would not permit that his councells and machinations should preuaile against thee? hovv often hath he done to vs as he did to S. PETER in the Gospell: Ecce Satanas expetiuit vos, vt cribaret sicut triticum. Ego autem rogaui pro te, vt non deficiat fides tua: Behold Sattan hath required to haue you for to sift as vvheat but I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not. And vvho can knovv these secret benefits but God alone? benefits, vvhich be palpable are easie to be seene, but those vvhich be priuate consistinge in the vvor∣kinge of good or preuentinge of ill the mind of man can not perfectly compre∣hend. Wherfore it is meet and conuenient to reason, that vvee should render immor∣tall thankes to God, for all these benefits and cōfesse ingenuously, that vve haue re∣ceiued more, thē vve are able to restore, and that our obligations tovvards him, are so great, that vvith any goods of ours vve shall neuer liue to requite them, vvhen vve cannot so much as number or compre∣hend them in our vnderstandinge.

Notes

• Luc. 22.