The mirrour of religious perfection deuided into foure bookes. Written in Italian by the R. F. Lucas Pinelli, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by a Father of the same Society.

Of the Ioy, which the Religious ought to make vpon the day of their Conuer∣sion, and what ioy it ought to be vnto them.

IT would be good to haue a particuler deuotion of thy Vows, that is to say, that euery yeare thou make a festiuity of the Day that thou didst enter into Religion, and madest thy vowes. For as we euery yeare celebrate the day of the dedication of a materiall Church: so ought we in like manner, and with more iust reason keep solemne the day of the dedication of our Soule, which is the liuing Temple of the Maiesty diuine. And for the well effecting thereof, thou mayst practise, and do these three thinges.

1. In the first place, thou must make a generall Confession of all the yeare past.

2. In the second, thou must offer thy selfe anew to God, to serue him in perpetu∣all Pouerty, Chastity, Obedience, and En∣closure, being sory for not hauing, for the tyme past, perfectly kept that which thou hast promised him, and for hauing profited so meanely in vertue, and in his holy ser∣uice.

3. Lastly thou must take new hart, & new forces, renewing thy holy purposes, and thy first desires and feruours, returning to thy exercises intermitted, and endea∣uouring to perfect thy selfe in them. Fur∣ther, thou must see if thou canst by the grace of God, find out any other meanes, more proper, and easy for helping of thee to put in execution all that which thou art to do, and in particuler thou must haue at al tyms this desire to renew thy selfe in the vertue of prayer, and in the exercise of all other vertues. O how would this festiuity, and celebration of this thy Conuersion, & day of entring into Religiō, haue profited thee, if thou hadst done it as thou shouldst. But thy own slouth and negligence hath beene an occasion, that thou hast omitted to vse the meanes, and helps, that God hath af∣foarded thee. And therefore pray thou instantly, that he would please to pardon thy passed faults, and to giue thee grace to do thy endeauour better for the tyme to come.