forty years been employed in the function of exhorting the novices, or other religious ; and having gathered divers things together for this purpose, my superiors, and many other persons to whom I owe a deference, were of opinion that I might render great service both to God and to religion, and that the advantage drawn from my labours would be more lasting, if I should take care to review and put in order what I had already composed.
I considered also, that in the Constitution before cited,- St. Ignatius puts this alternative : — " Let there be," says he, 6i one appointed to deliver these spiritual exhortations to the religious, or at least let the religious be obliged to read them." I was still more encouraged in my undertaking, when I reflected that it is a practice established in the Society, and very much recommended by saints, to read something every day that may promote our spiritual advancement. This being the principal design of the following work, I have for this reason laid before you as clearly and briefly as I was able such things as are more essential, and more common to our profession. These, I trust, will serve us as a mirror, wherein, if we daily view ourselves, we shall be enabled to correct our imperfections, and decorate our souls in such a manner as will render them more pleasing to the eyes of Divine majesty.
Moreover,' though my principal intention was to fulfil the particular obligation I have to serve those, whom religion has constituted my fathers and brethren in Jesus Christ; yet, because we ought to extend, as far as we can, the effects of charity, and being particularly obliged to it by our Institute, I have endeavoured to dispose this work after such a manner, as that it may be useful not only to our Society in particular, but to all other religious, and even to all persons in general, who aspire to Christian perfection. Wherefore that the title may correspond to the work, and may indicate that it is a profitable and useful book for all the world, I have entitled it, Practice of Christian Perfection. I call it Practice, because things are treated in it after such a manner, as may render the practice very easy.
I hope, by the mercy of our Lord, that my labours will not be unprofitable ; and that this grain of seed of the word of God, being sown in the good soil of souls aspiring to perfection, will render not only thirty or sixty, but even a hundred fold.
