Chapter III. Of the time and fruit of these meditations

These, Christian reader, are the seven Meditations on which thou hast to dwell, and with which to occupy thy thoughts in each day of the week. Not that thou mayest not think of other things as well; for, as we have said, whatever may lead our hearts to the love and fear of God, and the keeping of His Commandments, is matter for Meditation. But these ‘passages which I have chosen are especially suitable, because, for one thing, they are on the principal Mysteries of our Faith, and those which, for their part, most move ‘us. And because, for another reason, beginners, who are “such as have need of milk," have here; as it were, already digested for them the things on which they are to meditate ; and so they may go forth, not as foreigners in a strange country, wandering by uncertain paths, first taking one thing and then another, without settling down quietly on any.

We must observe, also, that the Meditations for the days of the week are very suitable in the beginnings of Conversion, as when a man first turns to God. For it is well then to begin with those things which may move us to sorrow and abhorrence of sin, to fear of God and contempt of worldly things ; these are the first steps in this way. And, for this reason, beginners should, for some space of time, persevere in the consideration of these things that they may be the better grounded in the virtues and affections above mentioned.