A guide to salvation, bequeathed to a person of honour, by his dying-friend the R.F. Br. Laurence Eason, Ord. S. Franc. S. Th. L.

CHAP. II.

Of Interiour and Affective Prayer.

BY speaking here of Interiour and Mental Prayer, I intend not to exclude Vocal, if it be performed with the attention of the mind, and the affection of the heart; for if these be wanting to it, I esteem it not worthy the name of Prayer. The necessity of Pray∣er, to sustain this spiritual life of ours, appears by this, That in Sacred Writ there is not any precept so often repeat∣ed, nor so seriously recommended to us, as this, Non impediaris orare semper; [Eccles. 18. 22.] Be not hindred from Praying alwayes. It is the Councel of

the Wise Man; no business howsoever profitable or necessary should hinder thee from the assiduity in this exercise. The Prophet David in many places of his Psalms, commends to us not any thing more than the study of Prayer, and praising God; our B. Saviour often and carefully puts us in mind of this, Oporter semper orare: [Luc. 18.] Ye ought alwayes to Pray; there is a necessi∣ty of it, not some time, not often, but you must alwayes Pray: And again, Vi∣gilate semper orantes, [Luc. 21.] Watch, alwayes Praying. He did not only teach us the necessity of Prayer, by words, but also by his own example; he often as∣cended Mountains, and retyred into de∣sert places to be more vacant to Prayer; and as St. Luke testifies, he often spent whole nights in Prayer; not for his own necessities, but for our instruction. St. Paul seriously commends and com∣mands this: [1 Thes. 1.] Be instant in Prayer, pray without intermission. And a∣gain, [1 Tim. 2.] Volo vos orare, &c. I will that you pray in every place.

But some may scruple here, how this precept of alwayes praying can be obser∣ved and practised? some expound it, that we ought to be always employed in some good, to the honour of God; eve∣ry good work, as they say, being a kind of Prayer: But this cannot be the true sence of it, because Christ maketh a difference between prayer and good works, and maketh Alms, Prayer, and Fasting, distinct things; therefore there is some other way how this may be un∣derstood. St. Augustine [St. Aug. E∣pist. 112. c. 9.] expounds it thus, To pray without intermission: what other thing doth it mean, then to desire without inter∣mission, Eternal Life? Let us desire this of our Lord, and we always pray; and by this we may easily conceive any man al∣ways to pray, and to spend both day and night in Prayer: And this desire in the heart of the godly doth never cease, but they alwayes seek and implore the Di∣vine assistance, whether they eat or drink, or what else soever they do; as a man in Prison clogg'd with Irons, al∣wayes

desires his Freedom. Others an∣swer to this doubt in this manner; we must not understand this so strictly, that we should not in a moment of time cease from prayer, but that very often and di∣ligently we should employ our selves in it, nor for other works less necessary, o∣mit it; as if a Physitian should say to his Patient, see that you always eat this kind of dyet, and never intermit it; he doth not mean by this manner of speech, that he should sit day and night at the Table eating; but that at convenient times, as at Dinner and Supper, he should not ab∣stain from it: So he is said always to pray, who every day hath set-times con∣secrated to prayer, and permits not him∣self to be called or hindred from thence. We may easily continue this exercise all the day, by the help of jaculatory prayers, which we may use at all times, in all places and company; for which St. Au∣gustine commended certain Monks in Egypt.

What work or company can hinder thee from lifting up thy heart to God, with

the Psalmist [Ps. 37] in these few words, Intend unto my aid O Lord God of my Salvation. Which words Cassianus affirms to bemost powerful & efficatious; or one may use a variety of such short speeches. This thou maist do saith St. Chrysostom, wheresoever thou art, no place can hin∣der thee from lifting up thy heart to God; if thou wert dressing meat, wash∣ing dishes, sweeping the house, or the like, thou may'st thus pray. I could wish that they who are delighted in pray∣er, and willingly spend their time in it, would not burden themselves with a multitude of Vocal prayers, and discour∣sive Meditations; but give more to the affection of the Will, than to the specu∣lation of the understanding; spending most of that time in setting their affecti∣ons on fire towards God, which is the true end of prayer.

A man may understand the necessity of prayer, who truly considers the mise∣rable estate of man, reduced to such a misery and poverty in spirituals, that he cannot of himself act, speak, or think a∣ny

thing that is grateful to God, unless assisted by his holy Spirit. What re∣mains for an infirm Beggar, who hath no art, no patrimony, nor strength to labour for his being? What remedy in this condition, but to beg, or else to perish? Doth not then our condition, like to this, enforce us continually to fly to God by prayer, and by this means to beg of him (who is rich in mercies) a supply of all necessaries for this our life, as we are instructed in the Pater Noster, by asking our daily bread? The Salvation of every Christian depends on God, whom we must daily implore for the ob∣taining of it, and because this Salvation of ours is in continual danger, and that every one is bound to procure it with all care and diligence he can; hence it is, that always we are bound to pray to God for it, seeing it is not to be obtained by any other means, than from him, and by him. Again, there is no man, who hath not somtimes sinned, nor that hath any warrant or security hereafter not to sin; and in this respect, it is most necessary

for us, by daily prayer, not only to seek that he would gratiously pardon and for∣give our former sins; but also that he would be pleased to prevent with his grace, lest we fall again into other sins, through which we may incur eternal Damnation. We have a continual War, as the Apostle informs us, with in∣visible and powerful Enemies, and of our selves we are weak and unable to resist and conquer; how can we be for a mo∣ment secure, if we neglect to implore aid and assistance from God? this St. Chry∣sostom sets out to us by that of Exodus; [Exod. c. 17.] where it is said, that when Moses lifted up his hands in prayer, Israel did overcome: but when he was remiss in it, the Amalekites his Enemies did prevail; from hence that Holy Fa∣ther concludes, that he is not to be ex∣cused, who would not have his Enemy o∣vercome, and yet ceaseth from prayer; O∣ratio jugis, infirmitas hostis, as he speaks, Continual Prayer is a weakning & worst∣ing of our Enemy. He affords weapons against himself, who ceaseth to weary his

Enemy by the instancy of prayer: and lastly, he concludes with this exhortati∣on; If thou desirest to be freed from dan∣gers, to overcome the Devil, to subdue the Flesh, to suppress the sensual Appe∣tites, to root out Vices, to procure Vertues, to contemn Temporals, to love and possess Eternals, give thy self seriously to Pray∣er. But prayer, to be powerful and efficatious, for a supply of all necessaries, must be qualified with these two conditi∣ons especially: First, it must be done with attention and recollection of Spirit; Christ by his own example in the Prayer he made in the Garden, immediately before his Passion, taught us this; he would not prostrate himself there to his Heavenly Father, before he was abstract∣ed and separated from his Disciples there with him, Quantum jact us est lapidis, [Luc. 22.] as far as the cast of a stone; to inform us, that in this exercise of prayer, we should abstract our selves from all Creatures.

This at the first was a defect in St. Au∣gustine, as he confesseth, [Lib. 10.

Conf. c. 27.] Mecumeras, & tecum non eram: Thou wert with me, but I was not with thee. God was with him by his immensity, but he was not with him, by reason of his Distractions. St. Chrysostom Councelleth that our prayer ought to be Mysterium, a Mistery; so secret and intimate, as known only to God, and not so much as to our selves. Cassianus affirms, that not to be a per∣fect prayer, in which a man reflects up∣on what he prays, he should be not only distracted, but also so retired and ab∣stracted, as to be, not only seperated from others, but even from himself by Union with Gods will; and such a pray∣er is a true Mistery and secret. It is the advice of Origen, that the Soul should have always a fixed Altar in it self, in which it should offer up unto God the Sacrifices and Victims of praises and prayer: It is the admonition of our B. Saviour in the Gospel, that when thou prayest, Intra in cubiculum, Enter into thy Chamber or Closet; which is not only to be understood of a

material Chamber, or place of Retire∣ment, but of entering into the Heart, & remaining inclosed there from all the World, as St. Chrysostom Expounds it, In cubitulo orat: He prays in his Chamber, though it be in the Church. Qui Solum Deum attendit: who there only attends to God. St. Ambrose renders the same sence of our Saviours words, Habes ubi{que} cubi∣culum: Thou hast thy Chamber, which is thy Heart, every where; into that thou must Retire, and remaine there∣in inclosed, in the time of Prayer; the doors of the Sences being shut, and all distracted occasions and imaginations Excluded. This Chamber hath three Cells, into which thou must enter; these are the three Powers, Memory, Intellect, and Will: enter into the Memory, being only mindful of God, and what thou art to meditate of; into thy Intellect, con∣sidering God present in thy Soul, and contemplating those things only, which belong unto him, and being very atten∣tive what he speaks there, to thy Soul: into thy Will, produceing there, Acts

of Affection towards God. True Devo∣tion is of the nature of a Turtle, which seeketh solitary places, that there she may not be interrupted in her amorous Sighes and Languishings; which one should principally practise in Domestick and ordinary Prayers, not as many do, who say their Prayers in dressing them∣selves or by the fire-side in hast, and so their Prayers vanish as Smoak. As for Prayers in publick, as in Churches, where one cannot enjoy the retreat of a place, they must retyre the so much the more, to the retreat of their Heart, as the Alcyons, which in their little Nests injoy a calm in the midst of Waves, a repose in the Sea, tranqui∣lity in an Element troubled with Winds and Storms: which we may do, if we shut our Eyes, and regard not the objects which inviron us; our Ears by not hearkning to the discourses of o∣thers; our Mouths in talking only with God, our Imagination chasing away vain and imperfect Thoughts, by which we shall enjoy Peace and Retyrement in

the midst of Assemblies. Joseph would not manifest himself to his Brethren, till all the Aegyptians were out of the place, neither will Christ communicate his Comforts and Sweetness to a Soul, if Aegyptians be present, vain imagina∣tions and distractions, which disturbs the Peace of it. The second condition Required to the efficacy of Prayer, is purity of Mind, from the affection of Sin, as Women who go to fetch clean Wa∣ter, are careful to carry Pots or Ves∣sels cleansed from other Liquors. This God required of his People, by the Prophet Isay [C. 1.] Lavimini, mundi estote. Wash, and be clean. remove the evil of your thoughts, from my Eyes; Luxurious, remove thy im∣purity. Vindicative, thy Anger and Choller; Malitious, thy Envy; Proud, thy Arrogance; Covetous, thy Ava∣rice; Sinner, thy Abominations; for if thou come thus defyled and polluted before the face of God, he will reject your Prayers, as he assures you by his Prophet, Cum multiplicaveris orationes.

When you shall multiply your Pray∣ers, I will not hear you; Manus enim vestrae Sanguine sunt plenae. Because your Hands are full of Blood; your Hands are defiled with the Blood of your Neighbours by many injustices; with your own Blood, by Sin, which Murders your Souls. By the Blood of Christ, so unprised by you: and thus you presume to present your Prayers to me, with bloody Hearts and Hands, full of iniquity, without having clean∣sed them by the waters of true Contri∣tion, I will turn my Eyes from your de∣filed Hands, my Ears from your im∣pure Prayers, my Heart from your polluted Hearts; I will not hear you.

This informs us, that we must come to prayer with contrition for our sins, with hearts pure from affection to e∣vill. As they report of the Viper, that when she goes to the fountain to drink, she vomits up her poyson, that she may not be endangered by it; or as the Oyster casteth our the salt water,

when she will open her shell, to re∣ceive the celestial dew, to conceive pearls: or as the place on which man∣na was to fall, was first purged from dust and filth by a precedent blast of wind; or as the victims which the an∣tient Jews offered to God, were wash∣ed in a cistern of water, placed at the port of the temple, for that use. In like manner, Wash, and be clean, before you come to pray, if you will have your prayers gratefull to God, and be∣neficiall to your Souls.

This is the ground of that incou∣ragement, in holy Job. [c. 11.] si ini∣quitatem abstuleris à te; if thou wilt remove from thee thy iniquity, then thou mayst lift thy face to God boldly, without offence.

The conditions requisite to prayer are comprehended in those few words of our Blessed Saviour to the Samaritan woman, Spiritus est Deus; God is a spirit, and ought to be adored in spirit and truth: in Spirit, by the interiour affection; in truth and verity, by the

purity of mind and intention; in spirit, without voluntary distractions; in truth, without hypocrisie; in Spirit, fervently and humbly; in truth, sin∣cerely and cordially.

O Soul! if thou didst but consider the benefit of spirituall prayer, how rich and liberall God is towards them, who truly invocate him, then would'st thou be diligent, fervent, per∣severant to knock at the door of his mercy; thou wouldst not permit whole dayes to pass without pray∣er: this would be thy exercise in morning, mid-day and night; pray∣er would open the begining, con∣duct the progress, conclude the end of all thy enterprises.

The reason, why most people in the world, are plunged in a carnal, and sensuall life, is the defect of In∣ternal and spirituall prayer, by the exer∣cise of which they would enter into their hearts, to discover the true causes of their distempers, and so be excited to apply convenient re∣medies

against them. If every one would be solicitous, to demand of God all graces necessary, for his souls conduct in his vocation and condition, it is impossible that God should re∣fuse him, or that he should suffer shipwrack of his Salvation; because God cannot lye, because he is enga∣ged by his word to give his grace; and his light, to conduct those, who demand it of him; if their prayers be accompanied with requisite con∣ditions, with confusion for their sins, a desire of his grace; with interiour attention, humility, perseverance. Dabit Spiritum bonum; he will give his good spirit, to those that demand it, and every one who seeks, shall find, si petiisses; if thou hadst asked, he would have given thee the water of life. But many spend whole days entirely, without thinking that there is a God, or that they have a soul to save, riseing and lying down with∣out once lifting their hearts to hea∣ven, Sicut equus et mulus; as horses and

beasts: others come to Church, to see and be seen, to prattle rather then to pray; others for the most part, pray for temporalls, as honours, riches, health and conveniences of the body, rather then for the grace and light of Gods spirit, to enable and direct them, in the affairs of their Souls Sal∣vation; The prayers of others, are ac∣companied with such distractions, ima∣ginations, and negligence, that we must conclude with St. James, [cap. 6.] petitis, et non accipitis; ye pray, and receave not, because you ask not as you ought. Of all prayers, all things equally considered, the morning pray∣ers are most profitable; and the earlyer, the better. It is a reprehension of St. Chrysostome [St. Chrisost. deoran∣do Deo] qua fronte: with what face do'st thou behold the riseing Sun, un∣less thou first adore God, who sends thee that gratefull light? Hence in the primitive times, the Christians, resorted to the Churches early in the morning, before day-light, as Ter∣tullian

and Eusebius relate; conforma∣ble to which, is that exhortation of St. Athanasius [St. Athana. do virg.] Oriens sol videat: let the rising Sun behold a prayer-book in thy hand. St. Basill informs us, it was the custome of Christians in his time, to prevent the rising Sun in their prayers. The Gentiles and Pagans, by the light of reason, did thus adore their Gods. Vergil [Li. 11. Aen.] relates of Aeneas, that first of all he did pay his vows to God; we read in Exodus [c. 7.] that God thus commanded Moses, vade; Go to Pharaoh early in the morning: behold, he goes then forth unto the waters, to perform some kind of a∣doration to them, as Abulensis and o∣thers affirm, upon that place: this Pagan understood, that morning ado∣ration was most proper for God. Elias [Reg. 3. 18.] granted to the prophets of Baal, the morning to sacrifice to him, for this reason, as Theodoret ob∣serves, left being confounded by his not hearing them, they might excuse

themselves, by saying that he did not first of all in the Morning receive a Sacrifice from them. The Prophet David found the benefit of this Morning Prayer, when he said, Domine mane: Lord in the Morning thou shalt hear my Prayer; this may be one Reason why these Prayers are most grateful to God; Because the first fruits, by all right, are due to him: so he offends against this, who gives them to another. Is it not a perversity in Christians to invert this order, to be intent and busied about o∣ther things? St. Chryfost. confounds Christians, negligent in this, by this Ex∣ample: A King comes into a place, and men think it honour to prevent others, and to be the first in rendring homage to him, and think it a neglect to suffer In∣feriours to go before them in it: But this diligence, saith he, is wanting in Christians, in rendring their Devotions and Service to God: they do not care if they be prevented in it, even by unrea∣sonable and inanimate Creatures: what is this but to prefer, and esteem more of

an Earthly King, than of the King of Heaven; but many here, saith the Ho∣ly Father, pretend excuses, by reason of necessary employments; but if the love of God were fervent, and the esteem of him the chiefest above all, such frivolous and cold excuses would not prevail: who more employed in necessary af∣fairs than King David was? and yet in the Morning he did consecrate the first∣fruits to God; lay thou aside all ex∣cuses, and cease to palliate Sloath and Tepidity under the Cloak of Necessity, which is so displeasing to God, that he is, as it were streightned and oblidged by it, to be sparing in bestowing bene∣fits, as he speaks by his Prophet Za∣chary, [c. 11.] Contracta est anima mea in eis; My Soul is streightned in them. Another reason, why these morning and early prayers are so grate∣ful to God, may be this; Because it is the proper Office of the Angels; and God, to render us like unto them, would have us joyn with them in praising him in this manner. That this

is proper to Angels, holy Job [Job 38. 7] informs us, calling the Angels Morning Stars, Cum me laudarent; when the Morning Stars did praise me together, and all the Sons of God exulted for joy. SSt. Hierome, Gregory, Bede, and others, by the Morning Stars understand the Angels which are said to be Morning Stars, because from the very beginning, as soon as they were Created, the first thing they performed, was to praise God. A last reason of these Morning prayers may be, because they are not so subject to distractions, being performed before we be ingaged in other things; and pre∣venting all affairs, they have a gratious influence upon all the good we do the day following, to direct it aright to the honour and glory of God; And thus every good work may be stiled a Prayer when it is done, in vertue of precedent Prayer; and so one may pray all the day long, by doing some good or other in vertue of his former Prayers.

I will conclude this with that of So∣lomon, [Eccles. 39.] The just man will

give his heart, to resort early to our Lord that made him, and will pray before the most high.

I have been somthing tedious about this Interiour and Spiritual Prayer, be∣cause of the great necessity of it, to re∣gulate and preserve a spiritual life, and because it is so much neglected in these times.

The last Means to Preserve and En∣crease a Christian Life in us, is a Devout Frequenting of the Sacred Eucharist.

This appears clearly by the Words of our Blessed Saviour in St. John, [C. 6.] Qui manducat me, ipse vivet propter me; he who eats me, shall live by me; for which Reason the Anti∣ent Affrican Christians called this Mistery Life; as St. Augustin relates of them. [S. Aug. de pec. merit. lib. 1. c. 24.] because he gives himself here to every one in particular, to render him Partaker of his Divine Life. For

this reason Paschacius compares this Sacrament, to the Tree of Life, planted in Paradice, to preserve and prolong the Life of Man. And to signifie thus much, it is instituted under the forms of Bread and Wine; to inform us, that it produceth the same effects, in order to a Spiritual Life, as these Elements do, about the Corporal Life of Man; for which, it is stiled by St. Cyprian [St. Cypr. Ser. de laps. de coena dom. Ep. 54.] a Celestial Viand, the aliment of Immor∣tality, a Divine Nourishment: So the grace of the Eucharist, is properly nou∣rishing Grace, because this Sacrament is instituted and ordained, to augment, for∣tifie and conserve the Spiritual Life of the Soul. It is an observation of St. Cyril [Cyril. Alexand. lib. 4. in Joan.] that our Blessed Saviour ordinarily in work∣ing of Miracles, used the Application of his Sacred Body; as when he would cure the infirm, or raise the Dead, he touched them with his Hands, to shew that his Flesh united with the Divinity Vivifica esset: had a vivificative Vertue

in it. That which he did visibly in the world, he doth invisibly by Grace in this Sacrament; and by the Real Pre∣sence of his Body in this Mistery. By which Union with him, we receive in a most excellent and abundant man∣ner, the communication of his Life and Spirit. We are incorporate here, and made one Body with him, to the end that we live by him, as St. Au∣gustine affirms, [St. Aug. tract. 26 in Joan.] This Sacred Eucharist renders us strong in Dangers, constant in La∣bours, patient in Afflictions; it expels humane Fears, and exceedingly con∣firms the Heart of Man; and was live∣ly represented by the Bread which Elias received from the Angel; by the vertue of which, he walked through the de∣sert to Oreb, the Mount of God. David shadowed it out, in that of the 22. Psalm, parasti mensam: thou hast pre∣pared a Table before me, against all that trouble me; and what other Table can he mean, but this, which Christ hath set before all his faithful? What o∣ther

Table can fortify him against all his Enemies, but this, wherein is eaten Fortitudo Gentium, the Fortitude of the Gentiles? hence St. Chrysostome saith, that we should depart from this Table, Tanquam leones, as generous Lyons brea∣thing Flames of Fire, and become ter∣rible unto the Devils. The reason why this Celestial Food, Armeth our Souls against all the assaults of our Enemies, may be easily conceived by this; for it would little avail a Souldier Armed without, if he were destitute of natural Force and Strength of Body to man∣nage his Weapons; if for Hunger his Vital Spirits failed, if he were so weak that he could not strike a Blow: there∣fore Meat is necessary to restore his lost Forces, and consequently to Arm him within, against the Troops of his Ene∣mies: So likewise Internally, doth this Holy Eucharist fortify us by Spiritual nutrition and vital Sustentation, against our ghostly Foes; therefore Christ saith, Caro mea vere est cibus, my Flesh is Meat indeed. To signifie this, the Coun∣cell

of Trent [Sess. 13. c. 2.] would have this Sacrament receaved, as Spiritual Food, to Nourish and strengthen the Soul; and as an Antidote, to free us from venial Sins, and preserve us from Mortals. Hence the Affrican Council, as St. Cyprian relates, though it had de∣termined, the Eucharist not to be given to those, who had denyed their Faith in Persecution, unless it were in case of Necessity or Infirmity; yet a new Persecution arising, they Decreed it to be Administred to such, lest they should fail in the profession of their Faith, by Torments. Such fortifying Ver∣tue they attributed to it, as St. Cyprian Affirms, that he is not sufficiently pre∣pared to suffer Martyrdom, Qui ab Ec∣clesia non armatur ad praelium; who by this means, is not Armed by the Church to Combate against the Ene∣mies of it. In this Sacrament, we do not not only receave an encrease of Sancti∣fying grace, but in consequence of our communions, the Divine providence is, as it were obliged, to give us ac∣tuall

graces, lights, motives, inspira∣tions to assist us, and further us in good, for the future; why so? be∣cause this Sacrament is instituted to conserve, and encrease the Spiritual life of the soul; And because, the means necessary to make this encreas, and establish perseverance, is the exer∣cise of holy actions, and the practise of good works; of which succours we have assurance, by vertue of this Sa∣crament, if we will worthily cooperate with them, and conserve them in our hearts, to make them eternally pro∣fitable: for which reason, it is Stiled by our B. Saviour, Food, qui permanet in vitam aeternam, which remains to life eternal. Do not think therefore, that the Blood of Christ works only in our hearts, in time of Communion, or whilst it remains in us really, un∣der the form of the Sacrament, but that it also presents us an eternall fecundity and motive to good works, which St. Augustine expresseth by this similitude; The command which God

gave to the earth in the begining, to produce herbs and fruits, was not only operative for then, but that same im∣pression works, for all ensuing Ages; in so much, that the productions, which we see in order of the Nature, are but Explications of that first Word Germinet terra, Let the Earth bring forth: [Gen. 1.] So the Communion we Receive, is a Secret impression, and tacite Command, which Jesus Christ made, to produce the Fruits of good Works in us; Germinet ter∣ra: Let the Earth, watered and made Fruitful, by my Blood, thus bring forth; nor do these impressions only work, during these pretious Mo∣ments of his Reall Presence in us, but they extend their Activity, through the rest of our Life; so that all the actions of a Christian, ought to be explications, and living inter∣pretations, of this Subsistant Word, and Life, which Jesus Christ leaves in us. This is the opinion of St. Ber∣nard, saying, Siquis vestrum; if any

one of you finds not in himself, such violent motions of Anger, Envy, Lust, & the like, let him give thanks to the Bo∣dy and Blood of Christ, because the vertue of the Sacrament works in him. Is it not now reasonable that you live and work as true Christians, after having recei∣ved in you, such a fruitful principle, cause and root of good. Radicati in ipso: [Col. 2.] rooted thus in him? If there be any thing, can give us assurance of the efficacy of this Sacrament in us, it is the exercise of good works and a ver∣tuous life; one knows a tree by the fruit of it; and you know, if you have effective∣ly received this Sacrament, by the works it causeth you to produce in your Lives; so you may therefore suspect your Communions, when they produce not such Fruits in you. Upon which St. Peter [Ep. 1. 2.] Exhorts us, to assure our Vocation by good Works, which parti∣cularly is understood of the grace of this Mistery.

Receiving in our hearts the Life of our Saviour, being assured of His Pre∣sence,

and of our Obligations to do good works, which answers the fecundity of this Cause, the power of Succours, the efficacity of Motives here, which we have in this Mistery; is it not strange to see so little fruit produced by this a∣mongst Christians? There is nothing so common as the use of the Eucharist; Priests say Mass every day; a great part of Christians Communicate once a Month, many oftner. And notwith∣standing this, where is the Sanctity of Manners which should follow this ope∣rative Life received, this powerful principle and cause of Grace? you may see Dames, who make profession, often to approach this Holy Mystery, and yet they are not by this less violent in their passions, or less vain in their Conversations; nor are they more de∣vout, or more charitable; which gives occasion to Hereticks to judg amiss of our Faith; and to Libertines, to blame the frequent use of this Sacrament; from whence then proceeds this pro∣digious sterility amongst Christians in a

Sacrament so fruitful and operative? It is not the fault of the vertue of it, be∣cause we received the self-same, which produced the courage of Martyrs and Sanctity of the Church. Sure we ought to accuse our selves as defective causes, by putting obstacles to the effects of it; for we have free liberty to render un∣profitable all the causes of good, pre∣sented unto us. The precious Body and Blood of Christ have an extream in∣clination to save us, an infinite Vertue to confer Graces and Succours; and in the mean while, we oppose Obstacles to them, and offer violence to Christ himself in this Mistery: This may hap∣pen divers ways: First, it may be, we bring not necessary dispositions to render this Sacrament efficatious; but rather we receive it in the state of Mortal Sin, and thus trample the preti∣ous Body and Blood of Christ under our feet; he gives us his Sacred Body to be the Means and Cause of Grace, and we by a Sacrilegious Communion make the same Body the Instrument of our Sin;

and so change the Sacrament of Love, into a Sacrament of our Rage and Ma∣lice; and as the Apostle says, we be∣come Guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ. But suppose we come fee from Mortal Sin, and in the estate of Grace, as much as we can assure our selves, yet we come with a certain tepidity and negligence which hinder us from re∣ceiving the fervour of Charity, and the active quality of Grace, which gives not only the Power, but the Inclinations and Motions to good works. And a∣gain, If we are well disposed, and re∣ceive an encrease of Sanctifying Grace, and by the vertue of our Communions, God gives us the Succours of actual Gra∣ces; we may put another Obstacle to their efficacy, in not cooperating with them, by not seconding their influen∣ces, but rather refusing their impressi∣ons; and therefore no wonder if our Communions are so unprofitable. And thus truly one may say of us in this con∣dition, as St. Paul said of the Infidels, Veritatem dei in injustitia detinent,

[Rom. 1.] they detain the truth of God in injustice. Jesus Christ, the Truth, which we have received in Communi∣on, his Grace, his Lights, and his Inspi∣rations, we hold Captives in our hearts; and commit a high injustice by hindring them from produceing their effects in us.

A Last Reason of this sterility may be, because we consider not the Commu∣nion we have made, nor the Obligati∣ons it imposeth on us, to render them efficatious. After the use of Commu∣nion, we should often think of it, and a∣mongst the occasions of sin, or doing of good, we should receive this Sacrament Spiritually, in our minds; saying, be pleased my Saviour, that I do not any thing unworthy your Pretious Blood; Live in me continually by your holy Operations, that I may one day receive from your hands, the recompence of it in glory. It is St. Chrysostom's Advice and Councel, [Hom. 60. ad pop.] to consider this our dignity in the occasions of sin, to the end that such a consideration may serve us as

a Bridle to Curb our Passions, and as a Spur and excellent Motive to excite us to good; Quaenam erit nobis excusatio; what excuse can we have, that being partakers of such Mysteries, we commit such Crimes? So the Holy Father far∣ther especially exhorts, that we ought to be Good and Vertuous before and af∣ter Communion; before, to render us worthy to receive the Sacrament; after, not to appear unworthy of having re∣ceived it; And by this means, our Communions will produce in us Perse∣verance in Grace, and Consummation of a Spiritual Life, which is the last end of the Sacrament, and the Object of our Hopes.