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.

A PRACTISE OF MENTAL PRAYER very easy for all sorts of persons.

The whole method of prayer consists in four things.

FIrst, in the consideration or view of the truth we meditate:

Secondly, in the application which the mind makes of this truth, to its self, to be moved with it, & to put it in practise:

Thirdly, in the affections which the heart produces at the sight of this truth:

Fourthly, in the good resolutions which it makes in putting it in pra∣ctise, & the fervent petition it makes to God, to obtain it by the intercession of the blessed Virgin.

HOW THE MEMORY IS to be imploye••d befote prayer.

First, an Act of Faith upon the presence of God.

MY God, I believe al your seing eye beholds me; you, before whom the very Angells tremble with an humble dread, & in whose presence I am as a pure nothing: I behold you with a profound respect, as my God, with a confidence, as my father, & with fear, as my judge.

Second Act of Adoration.

I adore you o my God, as my crea∣tour, & as my soverain Judge, & to whom I must one day render an account of this very action I am about to perform.

Third Act of Petition.

I beseech you to grant me your

grace to execute this day what you are about to inspire me with in this prayer, pardon the sins & imperfe∣ctions I may commit in it, & the distraction that may take up, or hin∣der my mind in the due performance of it.

HOW THE MIND IS TO imploy it self during prayer.

First, consider the truth propos'd, which is done by a certain view or act of faith; repeat strongly, & sweetly in your mind, the truth of that matter or subject which most of all moves you, then after, rather by a simple view thereof, then by any long ratio∣cinations thereon, make an act of faith, with all the fervency you are able.

Yes, o my God I firmly believe what you have now taught me in this truth, but, animate my faith, and convert it into practice, that it may not one day serve to my greater damnation.

Secondly, reflect on your self, pausing some time on each point.

Well, o my soul, what hinders thee from practising this vertue? 'tis thy duty to practise it, tis in thy power to performe it, God ordains it, thy Jesus urges its performance thy sal∣vation depends upon it, thou oughtest from this very day forward, to pra∣ctice it, why wilt thou not? what hinders thee? o I see very well what it is, tis such & such a hankering, such a vanity, such a curiosity, such a passionate word, such & such occa∣sions: what? ought a creature to rob thee of thy Creatour? wilt thou always live unfaithfull? what, wilt thou never as long as thou livest, be intirely gods? & how then canst thou hope to be intirely his in Eternity? my God, I am yours, no my dear Jesus, no toy or trifle shall any more hinder me from being intirely yours, I will not any more rob you of a heart which is so justly yours, & which besides, has cost you so dear.

THIRDLY, WHAT AFFECTIONS the heart is to be imployed in.

YEs, o my God, yes I am resolved to love you a thousand times better then my self; I am resolved to be all yours, as you are wholly mine: I have horrour of whatsoever is displeasing to you, I desire nothing more then to express my love to you, & to that end, I desire to imitate you this day, in what I have learnt in this med••tation: I conjure you, my Jesus, to put me in mind of these les∣sons, when any occasion of practice offers it self.

Resolutions for the time to come.

I am resolved, my God against & from this very present, I break off in∣tirely with th•• d••fect, which I perceive is the source of many others in me: I will have you alone to be the abso∣lute master of my heart, it is yours, ô my God, it is wholly yours.

DIVERSE AFFECTIONS which may be made in time of prayer.

1. Of Confidence.

MY God, since I find my self so weak & inconstant in my re∣solutions, grant, I may execute them as effectually as you have assisted me to make them: I expect all from your goodness, my Iesus, & confide as much in the assistance of your grace, as I diffide in my own weakness.

2. Love.

O my Jesus, o my amiable father, o infinite goodness, which has loved me from all eternity, & which daily bestows infinite graces & favours upon me, & which has destin'd me for Paradise: ah, how can I live without loving you! shall I never leave offen∣ding you, who never leave of doing me good! How can I behold you my

Jesus, how can I see you dying with love & sorrow for me, & not live intirely to you, I have a heart for no other and then to love you a mind onely to Know you, & yet I love & think of nothing less then you: o, that I had, never thus displeased you!

3. Resignations to the difficulties we meet with in prayer.

I am confounded, o my God, to see my self so insensible of your love, & so little touched with the truths which I meditate: you see, o Lord, my miseries & extream poverty: I em∣brace it with my whole heart, I sub∣mit to your pleassure; I sacrifice my self to all the severities of your justice; I am contented never more to tast the sweetness of your presence, so that I may but have the whole fruit & effect of it: tis but just, that you should retire your self, & leave a heart so unfaithfull to you, & which hath withdrawn it self a hundred times from you: revenge your self, o my God, & satisfie your justice, I desire no other satisfaction but to see you

satisfied: & I am sure you are more pleased to see me contented with my weakness, & to suffer with peace in your presence, then if I were filled with consolation.

ADVICE OF IMPORTANCE, how to make ones prayer with fruit & facility.

1. For distractions of mind.

AS soon as you find your self dis∣tracted, presently make a return to God. O my God, let me be all yours, all for you, & wholly in your presence: when you have done this, make no reflection at all upon your distractions, either to examine them, or to disquiet your self. You may sometimes remain before God, all quite ouerwhelmed with confusion, to see how little respect you bear to his presence.

2. For desolations of heart.

The more you feel of tediousness, of oppression, or disgust, the more you must force your self to remain with courage, respect, & submission, before God, & for this reason, keeip your self always upon your knees, your hands joyned, & your eyes humbly cast down, with a submission of mind & heart, to the pain you suffer, & so sacrifice your self gene∣rously, without reserve, to the rigour of the divine justice: give no way to this oppression, permit your self to be crucified by all those wandrings of your mind, & by all those disquiets & troubles of your heart, & believe that in this state, God requires nothing else, then that you suffer with patience, humility, & submission to his will.

3. For prayer of affection.

1. If you find difficulty in medi∣tating upon your subject, imploy your self in affections, after you have

made an act of faith upon that truth which moves you most; but after ha∣ving also formed an affection con∣formable to your subject, or to the inspiration God shall give you upon it, remain in silence for a little while, in gods presence, that it may take the deeper impression, & never passe forward to a second affection, before your heart has penetrated, & remained content in the first; because when one makes light, & hasty acts, they make very light, or no impression upon the will.

3. For the prayer of Silence.

First, if the onely presence of God, which you behold within you, does take you wholly up, & recollect you, which causes a great peace & calm over your heart, be not so unfaith∣full, as to disturb, or trouble this strong & efficacious operation of God, by your own thoughts & affections, which would make you deviate from this respect which you ow to so greate a God, who makes you feel his pre∣sence

by a sweet & inward inspiration that recollects you: then content, & please your self with what he works in you, abandoning your self intirely into his hands, & put no obstacle to whatsoever he shall work in you. You are all, my God, & I am nothing; these two words will suffise, whilst you shall remain in this sacred silence, & when that is past, return to your matter.

Secondly, accustome your self ac∣cording to the counsell of Jesus Christ, to iscourse little in prayer, that is to say, that your mind be contented with a simple view of the truths you meditate, without tiring your self with long discourses, especially, if these views make more impression in your heart then discourses, and that you have long before, meditated these truths.

Thirdly, let not your will dilate it self too much in its affections; but let it reduce them insensibly to holy, & fervent aspirations, which your heart may form towards God. If God gives you any sensible grace or fa∣vour,

receive it with humility, with∣out reflecting upon it, or giving you•• self up too much to it, & unite you•• self always to the Authour of thos•• graces, & not to the graces themselves

Fourthly, act when God acts not, but remain silent when he speaks, & be not like those souls who remain whole hours in pure idleness of min•• expecting that God would touch o•• move them, or of those who alway•• speak to God: this idleness is not tha•• which we call the prayer of silence, which keeps a soul elevated above the motions of anger & self-love, which sustains it, recollects it, & penetra∣tes it with a holy respect in gods pre∣sence, & animates all the actions of the mind, with his grace.

Advice how to draw fruit out of prayer.

The reasons why one profits not by prayer, are.

FIrst, because one does not suffi∣ciently penetrate the truths one meditates upon.

Secondly, because one makes not ••cts, with such fervour & affection as one ought.

Thirdly, because one makes reso∣••utions after a slack & generall manner.

Fourthly, because one stays not ••ong enough upon every affection, & ••hat one makes them after a slight manner.

Fifthly, because one gives too much way to the disgust & pain one finds ••n prayer, thinking it lost time, & that it is altogether unprofitable, that one imagines ones self to do nothing, when it is evident, that to suffer this affliction before God, with humility, ••s to make a good prayer.

Sixthly, because one soon forget the good resolutions made in prayer, instead of often renewing them by thinking of them in the day, & chief∣ly at such time when one is in the occasions of performing them.

Now, to profit in prayer, one ought first, to be free, & have ones heart disengaged; secondly, to recollect one self often in the day, as in gods presence; Tihrdly, to mortifie ones sen∣ses & passions, upon all occasions: Fourthly, to retire ones self from com∣pany, & to love retirement: In fine, one ought to prepare ones self for it with care, in time of it, to conserve ones self with great reverence & res∣pect, in gods presence, & not dissipate or distract ones self soon after it.