that we aske if we make no great account of them, we render our felves unworthy of them.

and that we have

7. The reason why we pray negligently not a great defire to be heard, is that we ponder not the exricam need we have of Gods metcy : we confider this affair as a thing indifferent, or of little confequence; We ought to believe firmly, that if God hath not pity on us, we shal be moft miferable and unhapy creatures; we know not that God hath pardoned the fins of our youth that we have had a fupernatural and legitimate repentance of them; and if we should know this we know not what will becom of us; for we ate more

:

fragil than glass more weak then reeds, and more unconftant then the winds: what will then becom of us, if God hath not pity on us.

;

7. He that knows not how to pray, let him go to fea, and fee how they pray in a great ftrom, and in danger of death: and let him pray fo always and He will be faved infallibly. We are in a greater danger of damnation then they are of death they are not fo endanger'd, but by two or three winds : we are by more then fix by pride, avarice, avarice, envy luxury and other paffions; betwixt them and death there is but a planke: betwixt me and bell there is but my will which is more fra gil than that planke; if that planke were left alone, it would laft a longtime: but if my will were left to it felf but a little while it would fall into horrible precipices, and lofe it felf; we are more uncapable to govern our felves and obtain falvation without a particular grace of God, than a man who hath neverbeen at fea 9 is to govern a ship in a tempeft in the midft of rocks and fands; Now I make your felves judges, if we ought not to pray with all the force of our hearts ?

8. But let us not go to fea: let us ftay on land: there is no need to go fo far to learn to pray; I find here a great number of excellent Teachers: but I am a bad fcholler and learn not my leffon well: thefe are the poor that ask alms; they give us, not thinLing of it fine inftructions, if we reflect upon them. If they know where early in the morning is a great concours of people, they rile not flowly, but haften to the place; Rife you fo

carly

early, to have opportunity to pray half an houre or an houre:
the Spirit is then more fresh, lefs incombred with affaires, and
more vigorous to pray. They range about the streets and Chur-
ches where they know are rich and charitable perfons; make
you recours to the friends of God, to the Saints who are rich in
merits,
and powerfull with the Son of God ; The Poor dif-
cover their wounds, they shew their ulcers, and half rotten mem-
bers and if they have none, they counterfeit fome to move
men to compaffion; we have no need to counterfeit we have
but many in our fouls: we must acknowledg them in the
prefence of God, and expofe them to the Compaffionat aspects of his
mercy, and fay: my God! you fee I am but darkness, weakness, pover-
ty, :
and mifery I have nothing of my felf, but ignorance and fin.

Though many of thefe Poor are Idiots and ignorant: yet they find words reafons, and arguments to move us to compaffion, to perswade us to mercy, and, to draw from us an Alns ; Madame have pity on me beftow one penny upon me, you will not be the poorer, and I will pray for you. I am a poor orphan, a ftranger and far from my friends and country, where I was ruined by fire ; shew your charity to me, I ask it for the love of God for the Paffion of our Saviour. why find they fo many words to beg an alms, and we find them not to pray God? It is becaus they have a great defire to receive an alms from men and we defire but little to receive one that is more neceffary from God. Tis neceffaty that the feeling of our wants do fuggeft to us words; and one half houre of prayer made with fuch a feeling will be better then three houres of prayer without

it.

9. Salomon made a prayer accompanied with the two first conditions he asked of God continence with humility and fervour; he asked it humbly: for he acknowledged that he could not have it of himself, and that it pertain'd to God only to give it Wisdom. to him. he asked it fervently for with all the force of his heart and 8.21. yet he was not heard : he obtain'd not chastity whence was this? It was becaus his prayer failed of the third condition which is perfeverance; he prayed once or twice, and this was not enough he should have continued it: It is the counsell

T

;

which

in Matt.

S. Luke. 18. 1.

which the true Salomon our Saviour gives us, who having preached
the rigour and the feverity of the laft judgement, concludes :
watch therefore, praying at all times; He fpeakes not to Religious
or to Priefts only, but to all Chriftians; He knew the impedi-
ments we should have the importance of our affaires, and
He fays, pray at all times.
pray at all times. It was by
by perfeverance that the
Cananean woman obtain'd of the Son of God the deliverance of

to you

,

;

:

her daughter as Saint Chryfoftome hath noted she prayed Chryfoft. with interior humility: fince she favd, whelp, alfo eate of the crummes = bom. 5 and with exterior: for she proftrated at the feet of our Saviour with fervour of Spirit which she shewed by crying-out, clamavit; NevertheS. Mik. Jefs the Son of God rejected her, and would not hear her; But 7. 29. she ftrugled with him, and got the Victory by her importunity; fo muft you to have fuccefs, ftand obftinate in a holy obftinacy,and pray unto the end. And therefore our Saviour himself fayes in S. Luke, It behoves you to pray always and not to be weary. 10. And what hinders you from praying? Is it that you have not leafure that you have many affaires, and affaires of importance? this is that which should oblige you to pray; for the more ferious your affaires are, the more it concerns you to have fuccefs in them and ptaver is the means to obtain it. You have notleafure to pray: Why not? You find time for dinner, fupper, and other neceffities of the body, notwithstanding your great affaires and why find you not time for the refection of your Soul it is as neceffary to pray God well for to work your Salvation, as to take your tefection to preferve your life. You have not time to pray? Believe me you have enough, if you manage it well. Cut off fuperfluous vifits, idle words idle words, unprof table workes and converfations, and unneceffary divertitements, and there will remaine time to be employ'd in prayer. But are you fo preft with bufinefs that you cannot find now and then a quarter of an hour to spend in prayer? At least then in working elevate often your heart to God by jaculatory prayers, adore him from time to time, and beg of him his love, grace, and guidan ce: put a pin upon your fleeve, that feeing it you may be minded of it, 'til you are accuftom'd to it for it behoves you to pray always.

What

What is that which hinders you? Is it that you have offended grievously? This is as if you should fay, I am too much wounded: I muft not go to the Surgeon. On the contrary, this should in line you more to go to him: Com to me all ye who are burdened, Says our Saviour; He fays not receive me, communicate fo much the more often and the more boldly, the more you are burdened wi h fin but com to me, to pray me, and to ask help and fuccour of me; however great, and numerous may be your fins if you have a lively refentment of them if you defire to be deliver'd from them it is a good motive to shew God to obrain his mercy: It is that which David did when he fayd, I am poor and needy. 'Tis that which the Publican did faying, God be mercifull to me a finner; 'Tis that which the Church puts into your mouch: we finners do beseech thee to hear us.

What is that in fine that hinders you? Is it that God heares you not, that He rejects you, and withdraws himself from you, and that it is long fince you beg'd of Him, not temporal goods. but fpiritual, and you obtain not? This gives you caufe to per fever, and to pray more fervently; fince He defers fo long to hear you, 'tis a figne that what 'tis a figne that what He will beftow upon you, is most excellent and precious; though He feems to refufe what you ask, He is pleafed with your devotions; and if He de lays to hear you, it is for good reafons; 'Tis to exercise your patience, to heat your defire › to try your perfeverance, to augment your merit ; And if you have patience, and perfever importuning him Sooner or later He will accomplish your de fires, and give you grace in this World, and glory in the ether Amen.

I.

foules

DISCOURS Xxv.

OF FASTING.

And the Institution of Lent.

F the Apoftle S. Paul were now on earth he would bewaile extreamly the horrible blindness of thofe, who prefer the pleasure of their mouthes before the precept of the Church, and the Salvation of their He would fay to us what he fayd to the Philippians, Philip. 3. there are many amongst you of whom I weeping tell you, that are enemies of the Cross of Chrift, that abhorr all mortification of the flesh that have the belly for their God, and shal have eternal dam nation for their end. for our fafts, are not things, indifferent workes of fupererogation they are workes of precept. and obligation.

18.

ΟΙ

Some will fay to me, your fafts are not prefcrib'd in Scripture: they are commandements of men and therefore oblige not other in Confcience. But if a Diffenter should command his child a thing very profitable or neceffary for his family: and his child should fay to him: Father you are a man: the Comman dements of men oblige not in confcience; I find not In the Scripture that God commands me to go to fuch a place, or to do fuch a thing; No, he will fay to him But he commands thee to obey thy Father and thy Mother; So I fay you It is not in Scripture, that you muft faft fuch a day: Epbes.6. that you keep fuch a holy day; But God commands you in maColofs.3. ny places of the Scripture, to obey the Church your Mother. For the Apoftle that fayd in the behalfe of God Children obey your PaHeb. 13. rents the fame fayd alfo, Obey your Prelates. If men have not power to command other men, nor to oblige them in Confcien ce :

20.

17.

to

whence