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.

I. To honour the Passion, & the Sacred wounds of Iesus Christ with some particular devotion.

AS Lent disposes us to celebrate with more devotion the myste∣rys of the Passion of Jesus Christ, so 'tis convenient the better to con∣form ones self to the intention of the holy Church to imploy ones thoughts oft••n on them during this time, & to honour after a particular manner, the wounds which our Lord received for loue of us; of which I here give you the practise.

1. Make every day an hour of meditation upon one of the mysteries of the Passion of our Saviour, with sentiments of compassion, for the suf∣feri••gs of a God; of sorrow for your sins, the cause of them: of loue,

for the exceeding goodness which re∣duced our Saviour to so pittifull a condition: of confidence, in that ado∣rable blood shed for our sakes: and of imitation, to animate our selves to suffer any thing at the sight of God expiring for loue & pain for you.

2. Say every day the little office of the holy cross.

3. Let no day of Lent pass without a desire to suffer something either in body or mind, by the rigour of the season, by your own discontents or the ill humours of others, & when you find any such occasion instead of making any return, or com••laint of others, or of tenderness towards your self, do you offer up likewise all your pain to Jesus Christ crucified, unite your self to his interiour dispo∣sitions, sacrifice your self to the ri∣gour of his divine justice for your sins, & for his loue, as he sacrificed him∣self thereto for yours. Stifle all the bitterness of your heart, & all the murmours of your mouth, with the thoughts of a God dying of loue & pain for you; Desire not to be pittied

by men, or to be eased in your pain, but drink as Jesus Christ did, the chalice quite pure, in all its bitterness•• & if you find that day no occasion of suffering, either from your self, or others, mortify your self in some thing, & make your self suffer, that you may no day fail to be the image of Christ crucified.

4. At night at the end of your examen Kiss the 5. wounds of Jesus Christ with al imaginab••e tenderness & with all the sentiments of a heart pierced with sorrow for its sins, & with loue of a God, whose life they have taKen away. It is not necessary to say any thing in making this ado∣ration of the cross, the heart alone ought to s••eaK there by its sighs & tears: but if one finds not ones self touched, one may say an Ave Mary Kissing each wound, in memory of the dolours of the sacred Vir∣gin, & demand of our Saviour, by his adorable head, a lively & animated faith; by his sacred feet humility: by his right hand, patience, by

left hand, the loue of our enemys: by the wound of his side, a con∣summation in his loue. In fine, apply the Crucifix to your senses, begging of Iesus Christ, that he would san∣ctify them, & consecrate them to himself. This practise of devotion may continue all the frydays of the year.

5. During the Day time, cast your eyes often upon Iesus crucified, but look upon him sometimes with loue, with respect or confidence, & with a lively resentment of your sins: these casts are of so great merit before God, & so capable of purifying a soul, that the holy fathers assure us, that they are more agreable to God then many fasts, almes, & other au∣steritys than one can perform.

6. In fine, endeavour to overcome your self in something, & to sur∣mount your naturall repugnances, to bridle your impatience, & not to follow the motion of your humour, & that 5. different times in the day; to honour the 5. wounds of Iesus Christ, to whom this sacrifice of

mortification is more pleasing then all the austeritys of the body that you can offer to him.