help and defence, thou wouldst be cast down headlong into ruin. This done, raise thy heart with a good hope and confidence in thy Creator; seeing that it is He only who permitted thee to fall into this adversity, that thou mightest take hold of the occasion to draw nearer unto Him by humble prayer; and therefore thou art obliged to render grateful thanks to His Divine Majesty for these like troubles and temptations. And take this for a certainty: That all such perverse thoughts are sooner expelled with meek sufferance and patience than with much solicitude and study.

CHAPTER XXIX.

THAT THE WORTHY FREQUENTING OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT IS AN EFFICACIOUS MEANS TO CONQUER OUR PASSIONS.

Meditate the day be

munion

on thy Saviour's desire to come to thee,

1. THE sacred Communion, or most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, is received by devout Chrisfore Com- tians for divers ends. But if thou desirest to take it for the particular strengthening of thy soul against the assaults of evil inclinations, attend to what I shall now teach thee :-The day before thou intendest to communicate, meditate, if thy leisure give thee leave, on the great desire thy dear Saviour hath to unite Himself to thee by the means of this Sacrament, and thereby to root out thy vicious

affections.* For this His desire is so immense that no created understanding can comprehend it. But that thou mayest have a small glimpse thereof, consider these two things. First. What pleasure our Lord takes to dwell in us, since the holy Scripture calls this His delight; and in requital of this love He only requires our hearts. Secondly. How much He hateth our sins, which hinder His nearer union with us, and are directly opposite to His incomparable perfections. For He, being the only chief Good, the purest Light, and most perfect Beauty, cannot but detest that which is mere darkness, frailty, and the corruption and canker of our wretched souls. And that this loving desire of thy dear Lord may make yet deeper impression on thy mind, meditate often on His marvellous works, related in the Old and New Testament; especially upon His most bitter Passion and cruel Death, which He did expressly suffer to deliver thy soul from sin, and to cleanse it from such affections as are contrary to His Divine Majesty. Concerning which point, all the illuminated doctors of God's Church do unanimously conclude and teach :That Christ our Saviour would again, if it were needful, expose Himself to a thousand deaths to free us from the least evil passion or affection.§

The morning of Communion remember in thy prayer that, notwithstanding thy wretchedness, thou art about to receive God; and in thy prayer at night, that thou hast received Him.' Maxims of St. Teresa, 58.

† My delights were to be with the children of men. Prov. viii. 31. My son, give Me thy heart. Prov. xxiii. 26.

§ See Note to chap. xxxiii. § 5.

and move

thy soul to

desire to

2. By such considerations thou wilt easily gather the great desire thy dear Saviour hath to dwell a reciprocal with thee. And from thence conclude how fitwards Him. ting it is that thou shouldst reciprocally stir up in thyself an ardent affection to receive and entertain Him. This thou mayest do by these and the like ejaculatory prayers: Come, O my Lord and my Love; help Thy vile creature to conquer her enemies. When, O when, my dear spouse, will that happy hour come, that I may receive Thee, the Bread of life; and being comforted and encouraged by Thee, may fully conquer myself, and totally subdue my own evil passions and disordered affections ?'

voke thy

passions to battle.

3. And when thou art strengthened with the hope of Then pro- thy sweet Saviour's Coming into thy soul, then provoke thy passions to battle, call up thy affections and curb them again and again with perfect hatred and horror.* This done, produce acts and desires of the virtues which are opposite to these vices; and let this be thy evening's entertainment and morning's employment.

4. But when the hour of sacred Communion draws

time of

Commu

yet have

Near the near, think seriously of thine own faults, failnion, fear, ings, and unfaithfulness to thy Lord God since Confidence. the time of thy last approach to the sacred table, and for which ingratitude and unfaithfulness thou tremblest with fear and confusion before His dread Majesty. But then, again, encourage and comfort thyself

*

They should be stirred with great caution. Compare chap. vii. xi. xxx. § 9.

with the consideration of His goodness, His readiness to pardon, and His inclination to mercy. And with a pious confidence that He will have thee receive Him, notwithstanding thine own indignity, go on with alacrity of spirit to the holy banquet, and joyfully embrace thy Lord God in thy soul.*

After Com

cover thy

5. The sacred Communion thus received, presently shut up thyself within the closet of thine own munion disheart, and discover to thy Saviour thy wants wants, and thy weaknesses, saying in thy mind:-'Thou seest, O my sweet Saviour, how I am possessed with this passion and pestered with this perverse affection. Thou also well knowest, O my Lord, my weakness to resist it, and that it is not possible for me by my own diligence to be delivered. Therefore, this battle is Thine. I resign this my quarrel against these enemies into Thy powerful hands, and from Thee alone I look for the victory.'

stantly hope for the

6. After thou hast thus silently prayed, turn thyself to the eternal Father, and piously present His and condear Son Jesus unto Him, for the same grace divine help. for which thou now receivest Him into thy soul. And expect with constant hope His divine help, which, although thou presently perceivest not, yet thou shalt infallibly and plentifully receive, when it shall be most expedient for thee.

Each time of communion,' says St. Teresa, 'beg some gift of God, by the compassion wherein He has entered thy poor soul.' Maxims, 64.

CHAPTER XXX.

HOW TO EXCITE IN US AFFECTIONS OF LOVE BY THE SACRED
COMMUNION.

God's love

ity in the

munion.

1. If thou desirest to stir up in thy soul, by means Consider of this most Holy Communion, that fervent love and liberal- of thy Lord God which destroys and consumes Holy Com- all self-will and self-love within thee, devote thyself, in the evening which precedes thy Communion, to meditate upon thy Lord's immense love and liberality towards thee, unworthy wretch, the work of His own hands. How, not content to have formed thee of nothing to His image and likeness, and to have sent His only Son from heaven to inhabit our earth, and to serve thee for the space of three-and-thirty years in continual labours and travails, and, lastly, to undergo His most bitter Passion and ignominious Death for thy redemption, He would further bequeath this His Son unto thee in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, for the perpetual food and refreshment of thy soul.

1. Who it is

that comes unto thee;

2. And that by the due consideration of this special Weighing benefit of sacred Communion thou mayest become all fire and love, thou shalt thus order thy devout exercise:-Consider, in the first place, Who it is that confers on thee this so large and liberal gift. Surely it is thy Lord God Himself, the divine and uncreated Wisdom and Goodness, Whose worth and perfection infinitely exceeds the reach of all created capacity.

3. Then look upon the gift itself, which is the true