Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/36

 many temptations  and  miseries,  nothing  can  excite  us  so powerfully  to  endure  with  fortitude  the  toils  and  hardships of the  present  life,  or  even  comfort  us  in  adversity,  as  the Life, or  example,  and  the  Death  and  Passion  of  our  Saviour. For, Christ  having  suffered  in  the  flesh,  let  us  also  be  armed with the  same  thought; relying  on  the  hope  that,  if  we suffer, we  shall  also  reign  with  him. Hence the  Sixth  Part will treat  of  the  Contemplation  and  Imitation  of  the  Life and Passion  of  Christ.

VII. While, therefore,  we  live  continually  devoted  to these  exercises  and  holy  studies,  we  are  hastening  at  the same time  to  the  goal  of  life. But this  we  shall  the  more certainly accomplish  if  we  live  in  the  constant  recollection of death,  and  are  always,  even  until  death,  assiduous  in  the worship of  the  Virgin  Mother  of  God,  the  mother  of  life, and the  Mistress  of  death. To this  end  the  Worship  of  the Virgin Mother  and  the  Care  of  Death  are  set  forth  in  the Seventh Part. That, as  God  rested  on  the  seventh  day  from all his  work  which  he  had  done, so  also,  by  her  in  whose tabernacle the  Lord  has  rested, man  may  at  length  rest happily from  his  labours  in  the  eternal  enjoyment  of  God, who is  himself  his  labourers’  reward.

In this  method  and  plan  it  appears  to  me  that  I have comprised all  that  is  to  be  desired  for  the  exercise  and  practice of  Christian  devotion. For it  has  been  my  special  purpose to  comprise  within  the  compass  of  one  small  and convenient volume,  what  is,  in  theory  as  well  as  in  practice, the sum  and  pith  of  all  piety. And it  is  my  wish  that  the Meditations or  Exercises  with  which  each  Part  commences, should be  read  and  weighed  with  attention,  since  in  them  are expressed, in  words  and  sentences  taken  principally  from Holy Scripture,  the  most  important  lessons  of  the  spiritual life. And this  I have  done  in  the  form  of  a colloquy  between Christ and  Man,  because  I hold  it  certain,  that  the  greater the authority  of  the  teacher  and  the  counsellor,  the  more