Volume II, Treatise I, Chapter XII

How the Exercise of Mortification Ought to be Put in Practice

Suscxz the exercise of mortification is the chief means we can make use of to overcome ourselves, and to master our passions and irregular appetites, it is fit I should explain more particularly what you ought to do, to put this exercise in practice. The general rule given in things of this sort, is to look to what is most necessary, and first of all to endeavour to obtain that. Begin this exercise then, by profiting of those occasions of mortification which are daily offered you by your superiors, your brethren, or by any cause whatsoever. Receive all with a good will, and make your profit of them; because it is what is most necessary for your own peace, as well as for the edification of your neighbour. The advantage we must derive from mortifications ought to make us love them so far as continually to importune our superiors to mortify us in something; to command us those things to which we have the greatest repugnance; to impose: penance upon us; and to give us particular reprehensions in public. But if your fervour carries you not thus far, take at least in good part, and bear patiently the occasions of mortification that present themselves, and which God sends you for your good, and greater advancement in perfection. Many of them offer every day; and if we attended to them, with design to profit by them, we should daily find sufficient matter of mortification. For first, as to those that may happen to us in the point of obedience; you will oftentimes think that they command you the hardest things, and that the whole burden is put upon you, whilst others ought to bear their part: and does it not frequently happen that something or other in every thing you do gives you some pain and mortification? Reap profit from this—prepare yourself for it, and believe that the difficulty you feel in it is the cross you are to carry after the Son of God. At another time, subject of mortification will arise from your meat, drink, lodging, or clothing; rejoice, as the rule counsels, that the worst things of the house are given to you. Again, it will happen, that a superior will give you a penance, or reprehend you for what you think has not deserved it, or at least that your fault was not so great as he makes it, and that the matter was otherwise represented to him than it happened. Well, then, be glad of what has passed—do not excuse yourself nor make any complaint at all, nor say any thing in your own defence to make your ignorance appear. Hence, if we will profit of all these cases of mortification that happen to us from our neighbour or brethren, we shall meet with a sufficient number of all sorts; some will mortify us unintentionally; others through negligence, but without a bad intention; whilst others, in fine, will mortify us either through contempt, or through want of due esteem and concern for us. But if we consider those which God immediately sends us, as sickness, temptations, disquiet of mind, the unequal distribution of his gifts, as well natural as supernatural; we shall find them te be number-leas, and that an infinity of these daily present themselves. Behold here the occasions, in which we ought, in the first place, to exercise mortification; and since these occasions happen continually, and depend not at all upon us, we must endeavour to make a virtue of necessity, that being obliged to suffer them, we may reap some fruit from them. But besides the spiritual profit we shall hereby gain, we shall also spare ourselves a great deal of labour and pains, if we receive them well; because oftentimes it happens, that the difficulty we find in things, comes not so much from the things themselves, as from the contradiction and repugnance of our own wills; and hence, the great secret of rendering them easy and supportable, is to embrace them with a good and cheerful heart, There are other mortifications which we must also voluntarily practise. They are called active, in order to distinguish them from those mortifications which, because we are not at liberty to suffer, or not to suffer them, are called passive. But though the active mortifications are to be received voluntarily, yet they are necessary;

and, of course, are to be placed in the first rank. Of these some are necessary in order to our becoming true Christians, and for the attainment of our salvation; as is the mortifying ourselves in whatsoever hinders the observance of God’s commandments. Others are necessary in order to our becoming good religious men, and acquiring perfection; as the observing our rules of religion, and the performing well whatever is required of us by obedience. For it is ‘certain, not only all sins, but also all negligences and imperfections, into which we fall in the way of virtue, spring only from a want of mortification; and from our eagerness to avoid some pain that wé find in the exercise of virtue and perfection, or from our unwillingness to abstain from some pleasure we experience in bad and vicious courses. But let us descend to a more particular examen of matter of fact: for example, when we offend againt obedience, against the observance of rules, against temperance, against silence, against modesty, against patience, or, in fine, against any other virtue whatsoever, we find it is always through want of mortification; it is because, that either we will not undergo the pain annexed to these virtues, or will not deprive ourselves of the pleasure we take in committing the vices contrary to them. Now, as in order to become good Christians, and to save our souls, we must mortify ourselves in all things that are opposite to the law of God, according to the words of Jesus Christ, “he that desires to follow me, let him deny himself;” (Mat. xvi. 24,) and if he does not deny and mortify himself in this point, he can never be a good Christian, or save his soul: even so, to become good religious, and to attain perfection, we must mortify ourselves in all things that are contrary to the state of perfection. Look, then, upon all things you do from morning till night; take notice of what hinders you from performing your ordinary actions with due perfection; and endeavour to remove that impediment, and strive to mortify your-. self in that, which is the cause why you do not what you ought to do; and by this means, your actions daily becoming better and more perfect, you yourself will also become better and more perfect. For the whole affair of your spiritual advancement depends upon resolving to do what I have said.

A religious proposing this question, how it could come to pass, that having very good desires, yet he found himself, notwithstanding, very weak in executing them, and fell into many faults, without being able to arrive to perfection? They to whom he proposed it, attributed this weakness to a want of attending to himself; and.

each one prescribed what means he judged most profitable for him. But they prescribing several, which he found.did him no good at all, he at length addressed himself to an ancient father, well versed in spirituality, who told him that this happened not from a want of attending to himself, but rather from a want of courage and resolution. It is this, therefore, which is in effect the cause why we make so little progress in virtue, and why we cannot compass an entire correction of our faults and defects. Take courage, then, and make a firm resolution of mortifying yourself in what I have spoken of, and by this means you will soon become perfect.

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