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THe time of lent is a time of sanctity and devotion, these are the days of salvation as the scripture stiles them: so that we ought to apply our selves, more at this time then at any other of the year, with an exact fidelity, to our perfection, tha•• is to say:
1. To perform our exercises of de∣votion
with more fervour & frit, & our exteriour exercise with a grea∣ter interiour.
To be more upon our guard, to resist all the sallys of our humour, all the unprofitable reflections or re∣lapses of our minds upon creatures, & all the extravagancies of our senses.
3. To use violence to ones self, to overcome ones naturall repu∣gnances, & to act no longer accor∣ding to custome or inclination, but according to the interiour spirit of grace.
4. To entertain ones self more frequently in the presence of God, either ones mind, by a frequent re∣course to him, or ones heart, by a constant desire to please him.
5. To apply ones self with greater zeal to the practise of some vertue every month, and in the day to make some interiour or exteriour acts of it.
6. To make it o••es study to keep ones self i•• time of prayer, peaceable, humble, submissive, & respectfull before God, ••ithout disquieting or
troubling ones felf for all the di∣stractions, distasts, & sterilitys that may happen in it, seeking nothing else but to please God, without minding to please ones self; Re∣membring the advice our Lord gives us, not to discourse too much in it, & with peace of mind, to be satisfied with the state of privation & insensibility, when God puts us therein.
To labour by means of our exami∣tion, to know all that is bad or ill in us, to correct it; that which is hu∣man, to purifie it, & that which is unprofitable to elevate it.
8. Not to content ones self with an affective devotion, which consists onely in good thoughts, desires, & resolutions, which one may have to do well: but to perswade ones self that true devotion and solid vertue consist in doing what God will have us, in spite of all our naturall repug∣nances.
9. In ones spirituall reading, to relish well what one reads, & as in all ones other actions to expect
therefrom, all the fruit of gods grace
10 To make ones conf••ssions with more sorrow for what is past, mor•• confusion for the present, more re¦solution for the future, & more cir∣cumspection ouer ones self, the day one has confessed.
11. To make ones communion•• with more faith▪ confidence, & loue, with a more ardent desire to unite ones self to Iesus Christ, with a more profound respect, with a greater re∣collection & union to the sacrifice which Christ makes in our hearts, to his eternall Father, more fervency in our demands, more reservedness, the rest of the day.
PEnance is either interiour, which consists in an efficacious sorrow for our sins, or exteriour, which com∣prehe••ds satisfactory works. For the first one, ought all the lent long
to have ones heart continually con∣trite & humble before God, & so perform out of this stock of sorrow, & state of compunction, a conti∣nuall mortification during this holy time consecrated intirely to penance. So that every hour, it were good to make an act of contrition for ones sins, rather by a sigh of our heart, then by Formall words: my God, forgive me, I'le sin no more, my God, I'le do no∣thing more to displease thee. For the second, one ought to observe, when at age, the fast of the Church. But (1.) we must perform it with such joy, as our saviour instructs us to do, as may be so much the greater, the more pain we have to do it, for then the merit is also greater. 2. We must perform it in union with the fast of Iesus Christ, for to honour it. 3. In the exact privation of all things that may flatter our senses I mean, of the curiosity of our eyes, our ears, or the satisfactions or nice choice of words, for we ought to joyn the abstinence of our other sences, with our mouths.
2. We ought to augment our ordi∣nary austeritys according to the ad¦vice of our directour.
3. We ought to distribute greate almes then ordinary, yet not without our directours advice, because w•• ought to do penance at this time fo•• our whole years sins.
TIs at this time the better to ho¦nour the solitude of Jesus Christ that we ought to form to our selve•• an interiour & exteriour solitude The first consists in removing from our memorys all ill, human, & un¦profit••ble thoughts, & to let it b•• taken up with nothing but God pre∣sent; or his holy will; to blot out o•• ones understanding, all esteem of va∣nitys, honours, & reputation before men, & to admit thereinto no othe esteem but that which may render u•• great before God; and by a simpl••
returne towards him, to repress in our hearts, all naturall motions, desires, or tyes & inclinations to any creature, and to entertain continually therein an ardent desire to please God & to overcome ones self. In fine, to cut of all the ill & unprofitable satisfactions of the senses. This watching ouer ones heart, & ouer ones senses, is called interiour solitude. To perform the exteriour one, we ought to cut off all visits which are not made either out of charity, or necessity.
2. To visit every week the poor in the Hospitall, or in prisons, to sa∣ti••fie for so many unprofitable or worldly visits made all the year.
3. To keep, if possible, an hour of silence every day, to honour that which our Saviour kept this holy time.
4. To avoid in conversation, that licencious ness in laughter, & dis∣courses, that tend to excess.
5. To interdict ones self, aboue all things, the speaking ill of our neigh∣bour.
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.
ONe ought to carry a heart thi∣ther well disposed by that fi∣delity, that penance, & by that soli∣tude, of which we have spoken in our generall advices; but in particu∣lar one ought
1. To go to a sermon with a sin∣cere desire of profiting by it, & for this end, in the beginning of it, we should demand this grace, both for our selves & others.
2. You ought to hearken in the mean time with great attention, both to the preacher which speaks to you exteriourly, & to the holy Ghost which speaks interiourly to your soul: & open your soul & your heart to the motions of grace, to the end••
that the truths which are preached to you, may be imprinted and esta∣blished in the bottom of your soul.
3. Receive the word of God with respect, from what mouth soever you hear it, remembring that the truths of the Gospel were delivered to the world, & converted it being preached in a plain simple stile, & far remote from human eloquence: & therefore that the less they are adorned, the more impression they will make.
4. Never apply to another what the preacher says, but perswade your self, he speaks to you alone.
5. Elevate your heart to God du∣••ing the Sermon, begging of him the grace to practise what you hear, & for this end, keep your mind & senses very much recollected.
6. When you go from the sermon, give not way presently to distraction of mind, least the good seed sown in your heart may be choaked by the hindrances of affairs, or rooted up by the first temptation, but after having instructed you in what his pleasure is you should do, beg him
not to permit these verities to prove your damnation for want of practise of them, & endeavour as occasion serves, to remember them.
7. In fine, offer that day some good work, some a••mes, or some mortifi∣cation, that you may do, to obtain for the preacher the grace of touching some obdurate sinner.
IT would be convenient you should take one day in the week, to vis•• the prisoners, or the poor in th•• Hospitall: but take care aboue a•• things, not do to these holy action either out of custome, & without a•• interiour spirit, or out of custome, & without an interiour spirit, or out o•• a pure naturall compassion, & there¦fore before you beging these vi∣sits,
1. Pass by some Church, & the••
demand the benediction of our Sa∣viour, & beg of him that he would animate you with the spirit with which he used himself to visit & comfort afflicted persons; & at the same time offer to him the action you are going to perform, & go to the place you design to visit, with modesty & re∣collection.
2. As soon as you are arrived there, look upon the poor & sick, as the images of Iesus Christ; salute their good Angells, & beg of them, to inspire you with good thoughts, so long as you shall be speaking with them.
3. And since they are not onely often ignorant of what belongs to the duty of a Christian, but always in affliction, entertain them always with some word of instruction, par∣ticularly, concerning confession & communion, and likewise of conso∣lation & compassion, letting them know that you take part in their sufferings, & giving them ho••es they shall one day receive a recompence for them in heaven.
4. Accompany your almes with an actuall desire to please God, & to assist Jesus Christ in his mem∣bers.
5. Shun all vanity & all rebound∣ings of self-satisfaction that may spring from this action, which you are to keep at secret as you can.
6. Overcome generously all she repugnance that you may have in approaching the poor sick persons, & the better to overcome your self, affect rather to approach the party, for whom you find your self to have the greatest naturall horror, provi∣ded his disease be not catching. Salute the blessed Sacrament, retur∣ning from your visit, & beg like a poor body, of Iesus Christ, a spi∣rituall almes for your soul, by the the particular tenderness he has for poor, & those that assist them.
8. In sin, eremember that the Almes done in this manner, is an excellent means to please God, & to blot out your sins, & to purify your heart from all engagements, to obtain for your selves suck particular favours as
God imparts to his freinds, & to gain the heart of Iesus Christ, to ••ppease the wrath of your Iudge, to obtain the vertues you want, & to correct your imperfections.
Wherefore make a resolution never to deny any poor body, since he pro∣cures far more for you towards the salvation of your soul, then you give him for the relief of his body.
ONe must honour the state & con∣dition of Iesus Christ in the blessed Sacrament. 1. In the morning, by offering him your actions, there∣by to return him thanks for this great benefit. 2. by making every hour some aspiration to Iesus Christ who is in the blessed Sacrament on the Altar, with an ardent desire to unite himself to you 3. by reciting every day the Office of the blessed Sacra∣ment, & performing our commu∣nions during this time with an ex∣traordinary
preparation of faith, con¦fidence, humility, & loue, in mor¦tifying your tongue & heart in th•• sallys of your humour, because bot•• the one & the other have the honou•• to receive Iesus Christ.
It is good every day to spend som•• time extraordinary before the blessed Sacrament.
So that the first day you may visi•• and honour him as a victim that sa∣crifices himself for you, & you may remain in his presence, in the spiri•• of a sacrifice, begging of him to make you a victim of his loue, & that he would destroy in you what soever is displeasing to him.
The second day you may honour his annihilations in the Eucharist, & look upon him as a God humbled so low as to put himself under the form of a little bread, for loue of you, & you may remain quite annihilated in his presence, begging him to de∣stroy in you all your pride, & that he would make you love a hidden life
The third day you may honour
his loue, Which makes him give him∣self Wholly to you, that he may in∣tirely transform you into himself, & you may consecrate to him all the inclinations & desires of your heart.
The fourth day, you may honour him as your father, that feeds your with his own proper substance, & re∣main before him, in the spirit of confidence in his goodness.
The fifth day, you may honour his life of consummation, which obliges him, his own self, to loose his sa∣cramentall life & being, & to be de∣stroyed to consummate our perfe∣ction in our souls, & beg of him to destroy in you all that is not God. The 6 7. & 8. th days, you may ho∣nour the vertues which he practises upon the Altar, & beg the imitation of them, as, of his exact obedience, his humility his patience his prayers, or continuall application to his fa∣ther, his charity for the salvation of souls, his loue, his solitude, his mortificaiion: & endeavour each day, to imitate some one of these vertues.