Chapter 10

Of many other means, which we are to use, when this cruel Enemy doth assault us, with his first blows.

THE advices which thou hast already heard, by way of remedy of this infirmity, are things which ordinarily thou must use; though it be not, in the time of tentation. Harken now to that, which thou art to do, when it sets upon thee, by giving thee the first blow. Then, bless thy¹ forehead, or thy hart, with the sign of the Cross; calling with devotion upon the holy name of Jesus Christ; and say; Not I; I sell not God so good cheap. O Lord thou art more worth, and I love thee more than so. If² the tentation do not then give over, descend, with thy thoughts, into hell; and behold how terribly, that living fire doth burn, and maketh those miserable creatures which were here inflamed with the fire of lust, cry out, and howl, and blaspheme; why lest, in the mean time, the sentence of God is executed upon them, which saith, Let³ somuch torment and desolation be laid upon them, as they glorified themselves, in their delights. Be thou astonished, at the grievousness of the punishment (though yet withal, it be most just) that the pleasure of one moment, should be chastised, with eternal torments. And say, within thyself, as S. Gregory doth, Momentary is that which delighteth, but eternal, is that which tormenteth.

If this contemplation help thee not; send up thy hart to heaven; and represent to it, the purity of that Chastity, which remaineth in that happy City; where no beast can have any entrance; I mean, no person that is bestial. And there continue thou for some time, till thou mayst find strength of spirit; and so that here, thou mayst abhor, that which there is so abhorred through the love of God. It doth also help, to suppose that thy body were in the grave; and to behold, at leisure, how miserable, and stinking the bodies of men and woman, are there to be. So also is it good, to go instantly to Christ Jesus, nailed upon the Cross; and especially, as he is tied to the pillar, and whipped, and bathed in blood, from head to foot; and then to say, with a deep, internal groan; Thy virgineall and divine body, O Lord, so tormented, and so loaden with grievous pains, and that I should put mine into pleasure? this were worthy of all rigorous punishment. Since thou, with scourges so full o● cruelty, dost pay for the delights, which men take in offence of thy law, I will not, O Lord, delight myself so much to thy cost. In like manner, will it avail, to represent thyself instantly, in presence of the most pure Virgin Mary; considering the purity and integrity both of her body, & mind; and instantly to abhor the dishonest thought which came to thee, as darkness is driven away, by the approach of light.

But⁴ above all, if thou canst, shut the door of thy understanding, and shut it well; as we use to do, in the most internal recollection of our prayer, (as hereafter we will declare) thou shalt find help at hand, with more facility, then by all those other remedies. For it happens many times, that by opening the door, to a second good thought, an ill one doth use to enter in; but keeping out both the one & the other, it is a turning from the enemy, & not opening the door, till he be gone, and so he is put to a scorn. So doth it also help, to spread the arms into the form of a cross, to bend the knees, and to beat the breast. But that which most imports, or at least, as much as all the rest together, is, to⁵ receive, with due preparation, the holy body of Christ Jesus our Lord; which was form by the holy Ghost, & is very far estranged from all impurity. This is an admirable remedy against those mischiefs, which would grow upon us, by occasion of our flesh, conceived in sin. And if we could well ponder the blessing that we receive by the coming of Christ Jesus into us, we should esteem ourselves to be as so many precious Reliquaries; and we would fly, from all kind of filthiness, for the honour of him whom we had received.

What⁶ hart can any one have, to profane his body, when it hath been honoured so far, as to close with the most holy body of God humaned? what greater obligation, could have been cast upon me? what more forcible motive could have been offered, to make me live inpurity then to behold with mine eyes, to touch with my hands to receive with my mouth, to ledge in my breast, the most pure body of Jesus Christ? He vouchsafing me that unspeakable honour, to the end, that I might not descend to baseness; and knitting me to himself, and consecrating me, as a place, into which he vouchsafes to enter. How then, & with what body, shall I endure to offend our Lord. since he, being the author of purity, hath entered into the same body? I have fed upon him, and fed with him at the same table; and shall I now be a traitor to him? No; I will never be so, for the whole world. Thus is it fit that we esteem this favour, to the end that we may have a crown put upon this weak and frail condition of ours. But⁷ if we receive him ill, or do not serve ourselves well of this benefit, just the contrary effect doth follow; and such an one, shall find himself more enthralled by dishonesty, than he was before he communicated.

If, with all these considerations, and remedies, this bestial flesh grow not quiet; thou art to use it like a beast; laying good sound loads upon it, since it will not hearken to so just reason. Some find help by pinching themselves very hard, in memory of the excessive pain, which those nails did cause to Christ Jesus our Lord; Others, by whipping themselves severely; calling so to mind, how our Lord was scourged; others with spreading their arms into the form of a Cross; others with fixing their eyes on heaven; others with beating their face; and such other things as these, which put the flesh to pain; for at that time, she understands no other language. This⁸ is the manner, which, by reading, we find that the Saints did hold; whereof one did strip himself stark naked, and did all tumble in thorny bushes; and so by means of his bloody and afflicted body, the war which was made against his soul, did end. Another did cast himself, in the depth of winter, into a pool of water, which was extremely cold; wherein he stayed, till the body came forth half dead, but the soul was freed from all danger. Another, thrust his fingers into the fire, and with burning them, that other fire, which tormented his soul, was quenched. And a martyr there was, who being bound hand and foot, (& then tempted to unlawful pleasure) by cutting of his own tongue, with his own teeth, became victorious in that combat.

And although some of these things are not to be imitated, because they were inspired by particular instinct of the holy Ghost, and not by the ordinary law under which we live, yet hereby we may learn; That in the time of spiritual war, when there is question or hazard of the soul, we are not to be lazy, or to expect till our enemies do give us thrusts; but we must leap back from sin, as from the face of a serpent, as saith the Scripture; and every one must apply that remedy to himself, wherein he finds most profit, according to the address which shall be given him, by his prudent Ghostly Father.

Footnotes

1. divers profitable and practical remedies, against temptations of sense. ↩

2. Note. ↩

3. Apoc. 18. ↩

4. Pray to God to give thee grace, to practise this. ↩

5. The devout receiving of the B. Sacrament, is the most sovereign remedy against tentations of sense. ↩

6. Read this with great feeling. ↩

7. Tremble, and take heed. ↩

8. The example of Saints. ↩