The daily exercises of a Christian life or the interiour spirit with which we ought to animate our actions throughout the whole day: With an easy instruction for mentall prayer, translated out of French by I.W. of the Soc. of Jesus.

III. PRAYER.

AT seven of the clock, or half an hour past it, (according to the time necessarily required for your dres∣sing and ordering the affaires of your houshold) maKe your prayer for the space of half an hour, retiring your self in to a Closet, if you are not alone in your chamber, or if you cannot perform it with convenient recollection at home, you may go to the Church; but it would be much more to the purpose to maKe it before you quite dress your self, if you maKe it at home. In prayer, follow the advice of your directour, without consulting others, and aboue all, remember to observe three things, first, often to renew the presence of God, & sweetly and familiarly entertain your self with him concerning the truths you meditate of, to the end you may always remain with due respect, and more easily avoid distractions; Se∣condly receive with patience such ari∣dities, disgusts, distractions, or wan∣drings of the imagination, as God per∣mits

to happen to you in prayer, loo∣king on this as the best way to profit much in a short time in the pure loue of god, which is so remote from what∣soever is sensible: Moreouer in this condition you ought to do nothing else save onely (1) to humble and annihi∣late your self before the divine Maje∣sty of God, looKing on your self as unworthy to speaK unto him. (2.) of∣fer up your disabilities and weaKnesses to God; resigning your self to his will, & protesting that you seeK or desire nothing but purely to please him. (3.) raise your self by frequent elevations of your heart to God, & chiefly by acts of faith, hope, charity, humility and resignation, not troubling your self if you do not this with sweetness or facility & being throughly perswaded, that the more violence you use towards your self, the more pleasing you are to Al∣mighty God. (••.) in fine, you ought in this condition, to continue on your Knees with fidelity, during the whole time of your prayer, (unless you are hindred by indisposition) detaining your self in a posture full of respect, and as a victime sacrificed as well to the power

of a God, whom you honour by exe¦cuting his will, in spite of the difficulty you find in it, as to his justice, which you glorifie by suffering, either the proof he makes of your fidelity, or the pain wherewith he punisheth your past unfaithfulness▪ The third thing to be observed in prayer is, to make particular purposes & resolutions, as for example, to overcome your inclina∣tions & humours, to renounce your own will, to mortifie your senses, to humble, moderate, & recollect your 〈◊〉〈◊〉 such & such occasions. In con∣••usion, you ought to offer your good purposes & resolutions to Jesus-Christ by the hands of his blessed mother. The last thing to be performed is that when you know that God acts in you by certain lights or good motions, which he bestows upon you, you must receive these graces with a spirit altogether annihilated, with an humble heart full of silence, without abando∣ning your self intirely to sensibility, & without endeavouring by sighs or other tendernesses, to conserve or augment the favours which you feel, above all keep your self barely attentive during the

whole time to God who acts in you, rather then to what he does. You must take care not to rest in a specu∣lative & languishing faith of his ve∣rities accompanied with a barren & emptie satisfaction, but ought to animate both with a lively & practi∣call faith, & efficacious resolution to act accordingly.