stroke ? And, finally, they so well employ and multiply those talents which the great Commander of heaven and earth hath bestowed upon them here, that assuredly they may expect an eternal reward in the kingdom of heaven hereafter.
But that which is more admirable to see, a multitude of the weaker sex abandon all worldly pleasures, they who in the world might have swum in bravery, and have had all things at their own command, to inclose themselves in a retired cloister ; there to spend their days in penance, and to consecrate the very flower of their springing youth a sweet-smelling sacrifice to their celestial spouse, Jesus Christ. These, truly, are those that✝ fill and beautify the garden of paradise with
* Hieron. Platus de bono status relig. 1. 2. c. 30.
✝ Nuptia replent terram virginitas paradisam. D.
Hieron.
PROLOGUE.
lilies of purity: these are the flowers✝ of our holy mother, the Catholic Church, which make her glorious and fruitful. These are they that make that happy change, a moment's fading pleasure for an immortal crown of glory.
Thus we see perpetual rivers streaming from the fountain of Almighty God's mercy. But let us descend a little further into his abundant charity, and take notice of his Fatherly providence, that in process of declining times, when the blood of our Redeemer hath often begun to wax cold in the hearts of men, he would not suffer it altogether to be extinguished, but according to variety of times, never ceased to repair his church, by the ministry of some elected servants, whom he sent into this world as second Apostles, who by their
✝ " Flos est ille Ecclesiastici germinis, decus atque ornamentum gratias spiritualis, latae, indolis, laudis et honoris, opus integrum atque incorruptum Dei imago respondens, ad sanctimoniam Domini, illustrior portio gregis Christi, gaudet per ipsas, atque in illis largiter floret S. Matris Ecclesise gloriosa faecunditas, quantoque plus gloriosa Virginitas numero suo addit, tanto plus gaudium matris augescit. Cypr. de habit, virg. 1. 4. c. 24.
PROLOGUE.
example and doctrine, might draw men out of the mire of their sins, renew the fervor of our Blessed Saviour's passion, and reduce collapsed discipline to her former rigor. Many hath he sent for this end, and amongst many this blessed saint, St. Peter de Alcantara, a man, from his very cradle, consecrated to evangelical perfection; he was a faithful laborer in our Lord's vineyard, with great fidelity performing his commanded task, as it will plainly appear by that which followeth in his life.
THE TABLE OF CONTENTS.
_______
| page. | |
| The Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | v |
| Of the birth and education of Blessed Alcantara | |
| and of his entering into religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 17 |
| —his natural gifts, and of his prudence and mor- | |
| tification of his eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 23 |
| —his religious simplicity, and mortification of his | |
| eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 25 |
| With what austerity and mortification the holy | |
| Father lived . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 27 |
| Of his great purity and humility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 33 |
| —his fervent prayers and raptures, and of his | |
| spirit of prophecy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 38 |
| —his patience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 41 |
| —his charity towards his neighbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 43 |
| —his poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 44 |
| A letter of the Blessed Father Fr. Peter de Al- cantara, to the holy Mother Theresa of Jesus, who demanded his counsel, whether, she should found monasteries with rents or no . . . . | |
| 46 | |
| Of his confidence in Almighty God's providence . . | 49 |
| —his knowledge in holy Scripture, and of his | |
| preaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 55 |
| —his religious zeal and of his death . . . . . . . . . . . . | 58 |
| —the fruit of prayer and meditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 68 |
| —the matter of prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 73 |
TABLE.
page.
| A meditation for Monday: of sins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 75 |
| A meditation for Tuesday: of the miseries of the life of man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | |
| 81 | |
| A meditation for Wednesday: of death. . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 86 |
| A meditation for Thursday : of the latter judgment. . . | 91 |
| A meditation for Friday: of the torments of hell. . . . . . | 96 |
| A meditation for Saturday: of the joys of heaven. . . . . | 100 |
| A meditation for Sunday: of Almighty God's be- nefits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | |
| 105 | |
| Of the time and fruit of these meditations. . . . . . . . . . . | 110 |
| —seven other meditations of the passion of our Blessed Saviour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | |
| 112 | |
| A meditation for Monday: of the washing of the disciples' feet, and of the institution of the Blessed Sacrament. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | |
| 116 | |
| A meditation for Tuesday: of the prayer in the garden; and the contumelies he suffered in the house of Annas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | |
|
121
|