The Practice of Christian and Religious Perfection #246479

Though this work is composed principally for religious, yet it is very useful to all Christians; and this second part, in particular, is so disposed, as to be of very great advantage to all secular persons who desire to give themselves entirely to God's service. For their first duty is to subdue their hearts by mortifying their passions, by subjecting their senses, (especially their tongue,) and by humbling themselves before God, in order that those virtues and good works which they have planted in their souls, may spring up and bring forth such fruit as should be expected. It is for this reason that I treat first of mortification, then of modesty and silence, and afterwards of humility; which are the virtues a Christian ought chiefly practise in the beginning of his conversion. And because the Holy Ghost would have those that enter into God's service, remain in fear, and prepare themselves for temptation, I therefore speak in the fourth treatise, of the profit and advantage of temptations, and point out the means of overcoming them. In the fifth and sixth treatises, I show the obstacles that occur in the paths of virtue, and of how great advantage it is to walk always in these paths with joy and liberty.