Chapter 59

Wherein he prosecuteth the exercise which conduceth to the knowledge of ones self; and how we are to profit in the use of reading, and of Prayer.

HAVING then found out this private place; retire thyself into it, twice every day, at the least; Once in the morning to think upon the sacred passion of Jesus Christ our Lord, as I will show thee afterward; and once again, in the evening, at the shutting up of the day, to attend to the exercise of knowing thyself, and let thy way to that, be this. Take first some book of good instruction, wherein, as in a glass, thou mayest see thy faults; and that thy soul may therewithal receive such food,¹ as to be encouraged in the way of God. This reading, must not be used with any trouble, nor by turning over many leaves; but with raising up the hart to our Lord, to beseech him, that he will speak to it, with his living and powerful voice, by means of those words which there thou readest. And that he will give thee the true understanding thereof; and with this attention, and reverence, observe and hearken to God, by those words which thou readest, as if thou heardest himself preach, when he spoke here in the world. In such sort, that although thine eyes be cast upon the book, do not thou fasten thyself to it, with so great an anxiety of mind, as to make thee not so well to think of God; but conserve a moderate and peaceful attention, which may not enthrall thee, nor hinder the free, and superior kind of attention, which thou art to yield unto our Lord; and reading thus, thou wilt not grow weary.

By this means, our Lord will give thee, the living sense of the words, which in thy soul may work, sometimes repentance of thy sins, at other times a confidence in him, and his pardon of them; and he will open thy understanding towards the knowledge of many other things, although thou read not many lines. Sometimes, it willbe fit to interrupt thy reading, & to think of somewhat, which resulteth from thence; and then to return again to read, and so at once thou shalt profit, both in reading, and prayer. And with a hart thus devout and recollected, thou mayest begin to enter, upon the exercise Of the knowing of thyself; & then upon thy knees, thou shalt think to what an excellent, and sovereign majesty thou art going to speak. Which yet² thou must not conceive to be fare from thee; but that he filleth heaven and earth; & that there is nothing wherein he is not; and that he is more within thee, than thou thyself. And considering thine own poorness, make thou a profound internal reverence, humbling thy hart, as if it were a kind of Ant in the presence of an infinite Essence, and desire that thou mayst have leave to speak. Begin first to speak ill of thy self; and make thy confession in general: and particularly also (if it occur to thee) demand pardon of that, wherein thou mayst have offended him, that day.

Resort then to some of those³ devotions, to which thou art accustomed, but let them not be so many, as that they may break thy brains, & dry up thy devotion; nor yet do thou leave them altogether; because they serve to stir up the soul to piety; and for the offering also of that service of our tongue to God, in token that he gave it to us. For this reason, S. Paul teacheth us, That we must pray, and sing, with the spirit both of the voice, and of the soul. And these prayers must serve to obtain favours of our Lord, not only for thyself, but for them to whom thou hast particular obligation; and for the whole Church of Christ; the care whereof, thou art to have deeply fixed in thy hart. For if thou love Christ, it is reason that thou be nearly touched, by that for which he shed his blood. Pray as well for them that live, as for the souls that are in Purgatory, and for all that infidelity, which is deprived of the knowledge of God: beseeching him to bring all unbelievers to his holy Faith, since he desireth that they should all be saved. And these prayers, or the most of them, are to be addressed two ways. By the one, to our⁴ Blessed Lady; towards whom thou must be sure to carry a very cordial love, and to have entiere confidence, that she will be a true mother to thee in all thy necessities; and the other to Christ Jesus our Lord, which also must be a most familiar refuge in thy troubles, and the only hope of thy salvation.

Footnotes

1. A most excellent advice how spiritual books are to be read with great profit of the soul. ↩

2. How we are to think upon God when we go to pray. ↩

3. Some few vocal prayers, wherein moderation is to be used. ↩

4. Our B. Lady must be devoutly prayed to, by us, as a great intercessor with her Son our Lord, for the pardon of our sins. but especially Christ jesus our Lord, who is the only hope of our salvation. ↩