Chapter 77

That the Mortification of our passions, is the second fruit which we are to draw out of the meditation of the passion of Christ our Lord; and how we are to use this exercise, that so we may gather admirable fruit thereby.

THAT which, in the next place, thou art to procure by the meditation of the sacred passion (that so by little, & little, thou mayst go ascending, from the lower, to the higher), is the curing of the wounds of thy passions, by the medicine of the passion of our Lord, whom Isay¹ calls the flower of the rod of jesse. For² as flowers, use to be the means of giving health, so Christ Jesus being grinded upon the Cross, & applied by our devout consideration to our sores, how dangerous soever they are, they willbe cured thereby. Of this S. Augustine³ had experience, and he said, When I am assaulted by any deformed thought, I go instantly to the wounds of Christ, when the devil layeth any ambush for me I run into the bowels of the mercy of my Lord; and so the devil flieth from me If the ardour of any dishonest conceit would put my body into disorder, it is quenched, by my remembrance of the wounds of my Lord, the son of God, In all my adversities, I have not found any remedy of so great force, as the wounds of Christ; wherein I sleep secure, and discharge my care, without fear.

The same did S. Bernard say, and know by experience; as all they do, who finding themselves, as it were assaulted by their Passions, as the stag is by a kennel of dogs; do go with a pious hart, to drink of those sacred fountains, of our Saviour; painful indeed to him, but the causes of restauration, and joy to us. And there, they learn by experience, how great a truth that is, which⁴ Moses, declared, in figure, by the commandment of God, when he raised the brazen serpent upon a staff; to the end, that being beheld, by such as were stung by venomous serpents, it might free them from death, and restore them to health. This serpent, although by the shape, it would seem to carry poison in it, yet it had none indeed; for it was a serpent of brass. And in the same manner, Jesus Christ our Lord, had true flesh, like the flesh of sin, whereby it was subject to pain; but indeed it is fare from all sin, because it is the flesh of God; and framed by the holy Ghost; and kept, by him; and being placed on high, upon the⁵ Cross, and being dead upon it, it delivereth from death, and giveth health, to all such, as being bitten by temptations, have recourse to him, with Faith, and Love..

And since thou hast so powerful a remedy for thy recovery, so near at hand; there remaineth no more, but that⁶ thou take a very particular account, to know what serpents they are, which sting thy soul; by daily and leisurely examining what inclinations thou hast, in the very bottom of thy hart; what are the quickest passions that thou art subject to; what are the faults, into which thou fallest sometimes; and such observations as these, whereby thou mayest be so perfect, and clear in the knowledge of thy frailtyes; as that thou mayst have them, not only in thine eyes, but even, at thy very fingers ends. Thou wilt not arrive, in short time to this; no nor yet, in long, unless thou be assisted by light from heaven; whereby thou mayst discern the very roots of thy hart; which is so deep, that not thyself, but God alone can throughly sift it. It⁷ will help thee much, towards this knowledge, to consider the virtues, which our Lord did exercise in his passion; since he is to be the glass of thy soul, instead of that other, by which women, that are married, use to dress themselves, for the pleasing of their husbands.

Behold⁸ his meekness, his Charity, his invincible patience; his profound silence; and so thy faults will grow plain to thee, how hidden soever they may be. Yea and thy virtues being compared with his, will appear to thee evidently, to be faults. And thou wilt be ashamed both of the one, & of the other. Yet be not thou dismayed, but present thyself with them all, before ou● Lord; though not without groaning sighs;⁹ as the Child would do, who letteth the mother see, where the thorn hath haspt itself into his hand; and he beggeth of her with tears, that she will pull it out; and so will our Lord do with thee. For, as he is a glass to declare thy faults; so, by his example, and helping hand, he is the true remedy thereof. And now, considering through how great shame he was content to pass, for the love of thee, thy hart willbe kindled, towards the casting away off, all affection to honour; and his patience, will kill thy anger; & his gall, & vinegar, will cure thy gluttony; and thy seeing him obedient to his Father, even to the death of the Cross, will tame thy neck, towards the obedience of his holy will, even in those things, wherein thou mayst find the greatest difficulty.

And when thou shalt behold, how, that most high God, humaned, the Lord of the heavens, and of the earth, & all that which they contain; did¹⁰ obey those wretches, when they were pleased to strip him stark naked; and then to apparel him again; and when they bound him; and when they unbound him; and when they commanded him, to spread himself upon the Cross; and to stretch out his arms, that they might be nailed thereunto; I am deceived, if it will not give thee a desire, (and that with the deepest sighs of thy hart) if it be capable of any feeling) to be obedient, not only to thy betters, and equals, but to thy inferiors also; and to submit thyself, for the love of God, (as S. Peter¹¹ saith), to all the reasonable creatures in the world; and that, so fare, as even to be ill used by them. By this means also, will covetousness come to dye in thee, if thou behold those hands boared through for the good of men; that they may accomplish that, which formerly he commanded, when he said,¹² Love you one another, as I have loved you. And, in a word, thou wilt find by experience, that S. Paul¹³ said true, when he told us, that our old man, was crucified with Christ.

If thou do not find this cure, and conquest over thyself, to grow instantly, as thou wouldst desire; be¹⁴ not yet dismayed; and give not over thy good beginnings. But¹⁵ as now thou art come to know, that the hardness of thy hart, and thy wickedness, is greater, than thou couldst have thought; so, do thou sigh out so many more groans; and with so much the more humility, beg thou of our Lord; that his mercy may not permit thee to remain sick, since he, being God, did suffer and dye, to make thee whole. And have thou hope, that he will not make himself deaf, who hath commanded thee to cry out upon him; and that he will not carry such bowels of cruelty about him, as to see thee sick, & to hear thee cry out, at that gate of the hospital of his mercy, which are his wounds; but that, some one day, or other, he will take thee in, to cure thee. But¹⁶ I advertise thee of this, that it is not a business, to be dispatched, in so short a tyme. And, although S. Paul,¹⁷ said in few words, That they, who were of Christ, had crucified their flesh, with the vices and desires thereof; yet such, as are not content, with departing only from mortal sin, but have a desire to obtain a perfect victory over themselves; by overcoming those seven generations of enemies, which have taken possession of the land of promise, do find by experience, that the thing which is said in one word, is not completely performed in many years. But our sovereign Lord, is wont, to give such persons hope of perfect health; vouchsafing them now, and then, the cure of some particular infirmity.

We¹⁸ read of the Captain joshua, that having overcome five Kings, he said thus to his soldiers: Set¹⁹ your feet upon the necks, of these Kings; and do not fear; but take hart, and comfort; for, as our Lord hath overcome these, so will he also, all those others, whom you fight against. Do²⁰ thou, in this manner; and resolve either to conquer, or to dye; for if thou obtain not the victory over thy passions, thou wilt not be able to proceed, in the exercise of this familiar conversation, with our Lord. For it is not reason, that the most sweet repose, which is taken, with joyful peace, in the arms of our Lord; be afforded, but to them, who first have fought, and with difficulty have overcome themselves. Nor can they obtain, to be the quiet Temples of that peaceable Solomon; if first they be not hammered, by the blows, of the mortification of their passions; and by the breaking off their wills. For²¹ the smoke, which unmortified passions raise up, in the soul, do not suffer the sight to be so clear; as it fit, for the beholding of the King in his beauty. Nor do they permit the soul, to have that purity which is requisite for the uniting of it, with God; like a chaste Spouse; and in a manner, which is particular, and secret, & kept safe for them, to whom our Lord vouchsafes to give it; after they have laboured many years, as jacob did, for Rachel.

Footnotes

1. Isa. 11. ↩

2. Such as are medicinal by being bruised. ↩

3. Thou needest not fear to take S. Augustins' word, in a more doubtful matter then this is. ↩

4. Num. 21. ↩

5. The infinite power of the Cross of Christ our Lord. ↩

6. How necessary it is to be exact in making the Examen of our selves; & especially concerning our passions. ↩

7. The most excellent means, whereby we may come to know ourselves exactly, is to consider diligently the virtues of our Lord jesus expressed, in his sacred passion. ↩

8. The unspeakable virtues of our Lord. ↩

9. A sweet and significant comparison. ↩

10. See here whether or no thou have any reason to be impatient or proud. ↩

11. 1. Pet. 2.
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12. joan. 13. ↩

13. Rom. 6. ↩

14. We are so wicked, that we had need to have much patience with ourselves. ↩

15. If we have little feeling of those things at the first, we must not yet despair, but be humble, & diligent in prayer. ↩

16. The perfect cure of thy soul will not be wrought upon a sudden. ↩

17. Gal 18.9. ↩

18. A place of Holy Scripture excellently applied. ↩

19. joshua 10. ↩

20. If thou consider the reward even in this life, which is here mentioned; thou wilt not think thy labour ill employed, and therefore resolve upon the word of this holy Author, which is, Either to conquer, of dye. ↩

21. The smoke of the passions deprive the soul of being able to see that sweetness and sublimenes God's beauty. ↩