The practise of Christian workes. Written in Spanish by the R. Father Francis Borgia, sometymes Duke of Gandia, and the third generall of the Society of Iesus. Togeather with a short rule, how to live well. Englished by a father of the same society. VVhereunto are adioyned certaine pious meditations vpon the beades: translated also out of the Spanish

THE CONCLVSION.

MATTER faileth me not, but tyme, and therefore this may serue the turne for the prudent Reader, who of a few things may gather many more, and thereof reape the fruite of Confusion, and of humbling himselfe, especially if he exer∣cise himselfe in them continual∣ly, and diligently: which euery one ought to do with the greater care and circumspection, for that therein consisteth the greatest part of spirituall profit, for the knowing, and acknowledging

of our great infirmity, and mise∣ry.

And they who haue attayned this, and haue begon to build v∣pon such a foundation before lai∣ed, may with safty proceede in building, and go on forward in that spirituall edifice: and they that build their worke in any other manner then this which we haue said, when they haue once raised it high, it is wont to fal to the ground againe. For it hapneth, that the com∣forts of prayer, which are wont to help to the furthering, and in∣creasing of vertues, vnles they be supported and conserued by Hu∣mility, do degenerate into false, counterfaite, & deceitfull con∣solations. So the desires of good things be indeed good, but if we so ascribe them vnto our selues,

as we acknowledge them not for Gods benefits, we both grea∣tly deceaue our selues, and can∣not possibly build any strong matter vpon so weake a founda∣tion.

Wherefore who meaneth to haue his works perfect, must both begin them with confusi∣on, and conserue them by it: ney∣ther must he be so hardy as to proceed in any thing without confusion accompayning the same. And so it will follow, that he, who neuer forgetteth to con∣found and humble himselfe, shal neuer be forsaken of God: who ne∣uer despiseth a contrite & humbled hart, but willingly conuerseth with the humble and lowly. And this we may say is the wedding gar∣ment, which whosoeuer shall haue vpon his backe, he shall

neuer be shut out from the wed∣ding feast.

This is the badge and liue∣ry of Gods children: this he must haue and weare, who hath a wil to follow Christ, because he did weare it himselfe, when he said: My bashfulnes is al the day long against me: and the confusion of my face hath couered me ouer & ouer. And if confusion did also couer Christs face ouer and ouer, who was the looking glasse of the Angells, and the glory of the Saints: why should it not couer the face of a synner ouer & ouer? Or who but he that hath it on, dare come into the sight of God, sith it is written: Let them, who detracte me, be clad with shame: and let them be couered ouer and ouer with their confusion, as with a doublet?

Marke further, what our

Lord sayth: Vpon whome shall my spirit rest, but vpon the humble, and contrite in hart, and dreading my speaches? And if God confound the iust, the synner must not thinke to escape, especially sith not ōly the iust on earth, but also the Saints in heauē are clad with this garment. And no lesse maybe vnderstood by the words of the Gospell, when they speake vnto Christ in the day of iudgment in these words: when did we see thee an hungred, and we sed thee? That is, they speake as men astonished, and wondring, that by so little works they haue merited so great rewards.

And the same is sufficiently insinuated by S. Augustine, when he bringeth them in saying thus, Lord, why hast thou prepared so great and such glory for vs? And if this Hu∣mility

raiseth vs vp into heauen, it is reason that we imbrace it here, and that we commit our selues vnto it, as to a sure anker in a dangerous tempest: and that we doubt not, but if we rely v∣pon it, we shall get ouer the stormy and dangerous sea of this miserable life, and in the end, through Gods mercy, ariue to the safe port of Heauen. Amen.