Library of Spiritual Works
For
English Catholics

Introduction To The Devout Life

--by Saint Francis de Sales

Bishop and Prince of Geneva

A New Translation

RIVINGTONS
London : Oxford : Cambridge
MDCCCLXXVI

Contents

Preface By The Author

Part I. Counsels and Practices Suitable for the Soul's Guidance from the First Aspiration After a Devout Life to the Point When It Attains a Confirmed Resolution to Follow the Same.

Chapter

• I. What True Devotion is . . .
• II. The Nature and Excellence of Devotion . .
• III. Devotion is suitable to every Vocation and Profession . . .
• IV. The Need of a Guide for those Who Would enter upon and advance in the Devout Life . . .
• V. The First Step must be Purifying the Soul . . .
• VI. The First Purification, namely, from Mortal Sin . . .
• VII. The Second Purification, from all Sinful Affections . . .
• VIII. How to effect this Second Purification . . .
• IX. First Meditation--Of Creation . . .
• X. Second Meditation--Of the End for which we were Created . . .
• XI. Third Meditation--Of the Gifts of God . . .
• XII. Fourth Meditation--On Sin . . .
• XIII. Fifth Meditation--On Death . . .
• XIV. Sixth Meditation--On Judgment . . .
• XV. Seventh Meditation--Of Hell . . .
• XVI. Eighth Meditation--On Paradise . . .
• XVII. Ninth Meditation On the Choice open to you between Heaven and Hell . . .
• XVIII. Tenth Meditation--How the Soul chooses the Devout Life . . .
• XIX. How to make a General Confession . . .
• XX. A hearty Protest made with the object of confirming the Soul's resolution to serve God, as a conclusion to its Acts of Penitence . . .
• XXI. Conclusion of this First Purification . . .
• XXII. The Necessity of Purging away all tendency to Venial Sins . . .
• XXIII. It is needful to put away all Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things . . .
• XXIV. All Evil Inclinations must be purged away . . .

Part II. Containing Sundry Counsels as to Uplifting the Soul to God in Prayer and the Use of the Sacraments.

Chapter

• I. The Necessity of Prayer . . .
• II. A short Method of Meditation. And first, the Presence of God, the First Point of Preparation . . .
• III. Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation . . .
• IV. The Third Point of Preparation, representing the Mystery to be meditated to your Imagination . . .
• V. Considerations, the Second Part of Meditation . ..
• VI. The Third Part of Meditation, Affections and Resolutions . . .
• VII. The Conclusion and Spiritual Bouquet . . .
• VIII. Some Useful Hints as to Meditation . . .
• IX. Concerning Dryness in Meditation . . .
• X. Morning Prayer . . .
• XI. Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience . . .
• XII. On Spiritual Retirement . . .
• XIII. Aspirations, Ejaculatory Prayer and Holy Thoughts . . .
• XIV. Of Holy Communion, and how to join in it . . .
• XV. Of the other Public Offices of the Church . . .
• XVI. How the Saints are united to us . . .
• XVII. How to Hear and Read God's Word . . .
• XVIII. How to receive Inspirations . . .
• XIX. On Confession . . .
• XX. Of Frequent Communion . . .
• XXI. How to Communicate . . .

Part III. Containing Counsels Concerning the Practice of Virtue.

Chapter

• I. How to select that which we should chiefly Practise . . .
• II. The same Subject continued . . .
• III. On Patience . . .
• IV. On Exterior Humility . . .
• V. On Interior Humility . . .
• VI. Humility makes us rejoice in our own Abjection . . .
• VII. How to combine due care for a Good Reputation with Humility . .
• VIII. Gentleness towards others and Remedies against Anger . . .
• IX. On Gentleness towards Ourselves . . .
• X. We must attend to the Business of Life carefully, but without Eagerness or Over-anxiety . . .
• XI. On Obedience . . .
• XII. On Purity . . .
• XIII. How to maintain Purity . . .
• XIV. On Poverty of Spirit amid Riches . . .
• XV. How to exercise real Poverty, although actually Rich . . .
• XVI. How to possess a rich Spirit amid real Poverty . . .
• XVII. On Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship . . .
• XVIII. On Frivolous Attachments . . .
• XIX. Of Real Friendship . . .
• XX. Of the Difference between True and False Friendship . . .
• XXI. Remedies against Evil Friendships . . .
• XXII. Further Advice concerning Intimacies . . .
• XXIII. On the Practice of Bodily Mortification . . .
• XXIV. Of Society and Solitude . . .
• XXV. On Modesty in Dress . . .
• XXVI. Of Conversation; and, first, how to Speak of God . . .
• XXVII. Of Unseemly Words, and the Respect due to Others . . .
• XXVIII. Of Hasty Judgments . . .
• XXIX. On Slander . . .
• XXX. Further Counsels as to Conversation . . .
• XXXI. Of Amusements and Recreations: what are allowable . . .
• XXXII. Of Forbidden Amusements . . .
• XXXIII. Of Balls, and other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements . . .
• XXXIV. When to use such Amusements rightly . . .
• XXXV. We must be Faithful in Things Great and Small . . .
• XXXVI. Of a Well-balanced, Reasonable Mind . . .
• XXXVII. Of Wishes . . .
• XXXVIII. Counsels to Married People . . .
• XXXIX. The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed . . .
• XL. Counsels to Widows . . .
• XLI. One Word to Maidens . . .

Part IV. CONTAINING NEEDFUL COUNSELS CONCERNING SOME ORDINARY TEMPTATIONS.

Chapter

• I. We must not trifle with the Words of worldly Wisdom . . .
• II. The need of a Good Courage . . .
• III. Of Temptations, and the difference between experiencing them and consenting to them . . .
• IV. Two striking illustrations of the same . . .
• V. Encouragement for the Tempted Soul . . .
• VI. When Temptation and Delectation are Sin . . .
• VII. Remedies for Great Occasions . . .
• VIII. How to resist Minor Temptations . . .
• IX. How to remedy Minor Temptations . . .
• X. How to strengthen the Heart against Temptation . . .
• XI. Anxiety of Mind . . .
• XII. Of Sadness and Sorrow . . .
• XIII. Of Spiritual and Sensible Consolations, and how to receive them . . .
• XIV. Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness . . .
• XV. In Illustration . . .

Part V. CONTAINING COUNSELS AND PRACTICES FOR RENEWING AND CONFIRMING THE SOUL IN DEVOTION.

Chapter

• I. It is well yearly to renew Good Resolutions by means of the following Exercises . . .
• II. Meditation on the Benefit conferred on us by God in calling us to His Service . . .
• III. Examination of the Soul as to its Progress in the Devout Life . . .
• IV. Examination of the Soul's Condition as regards God . . .
• V. Examination of your Condition as regards yourself . . .
• VI. Examination of the Soul's Condition as regards our Neighbour . . .
• VII. Examination as to the Affections of the Soul . . .
• VIII. The Affections to be excited after such Examination . . .
• IX. Reflections suitable to the renewal of Good Resolutions . . .
• X. First Consideration--Of the Worth of Souls . . .
• XI. Second Consideration--On the Excellence of Virtue . . .
• XII. The Example of the Saints . . .
• XIII. The Love which Jesus Christ bears to us . . .
• XIV. The Eternal Love of God for us . . .
• XV. General Affections which should result from these Considerations, and Conclusion of the Exercise . . .
• XVI. The Impressions which should remain after this Exercise . . .
• XVII. An Answer to Two Objections which may be made to this Book . . .
• XVIII. Three Important and Final Counsels . . .

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