Introduction to the Devout Life
The author’s preface and all 119 chapters in five parts. Historical source notes are retained separately from the main text. The later website introduction and index are not included.
Historical English translation, published anonymously by Rivingtons in 1876.
Rivingtons, 1876 · Library of Spiritual Works for English Catholics
Preface
Part 1
- 1. What true Devotion is
- 2. The Nature and Excellence of Devotion
- 3. Devotion is suitable to every Vocation and Profession
- 4. The Need of a Guide for those who would enter upon and advance in the Devout Life
- 5. The First Step must be Purifying the Soul
- 6. The First Purification, namely, from Mortal Sin
- 7. The Second Purification, from all Sinful Affections
- 8. How to effect this Second Purification
- 9. FIRST MEDITATION
- 10. SECOND MEDITATION
- 11. THIRD MEDITATION
- 12. FOURTH MEDITATION
- 13. FIFTH MEDITATION
- 14. SIXTH MEDITATION
- 15. SEVENTH MEDITATION
- 16. EIGHTH MEDITATION
- 17. NINTH MEDITATION
- 18. TENTH MEDITATION
- 19. How to make a General Confession
- 20. A hearty Protest made with the object of confirming the Soul's resolution to serve God, as a conclusion to its acts of Penitence
- 21. Conclusion of this First Purification
- 22. The Necessity of Purging away all tendency to Venial Sins
- 23. It is needful to put away all Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things
- 24. All Evil Inclinations must be purged away
Part 2
- 1. The Necessity of Prayer
- 2. A short Method of Meditation. And first, the Presence of God, the First Point of Preparation
- 3. Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation
- 4. The Third Point of Preparation, representing the Mystery to be meditated to Your Imagination
- 5. Considerations, the Second Part of Meditation
- 6. The Third Part of Meditation, Affections and Resolutions
- 7. The Conclusion and Spiritual Bouquet
- 8. Some Useful Hints as to Meditation
- 9. Concerning Dryness in Meditation
- 10. Morning Prayer
- 11. Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience
- 12. On Spiritual Retirement
- 13. Aspirations, Ejaculatory Prayer and Holy Thoughts
- 14. Of Holy Communion, and how to join in it
- 15. Of the other Public Offices of the Church
- 16. How the Saints are united to us
- 17. How to Hear and Read God's Word
- 18. How to receive Inspirations
- 19. On Confession
- 20. Of Frequent Communion
- 21. How to Communicate
Part 3
- 1. How to select that which we should chiefly Practise
- 2. The same Subject continued
- 3. On Patience
- 4. On Greater Humility
- 5. On Interior Humility
- 6. Humility makes us rejoice in our own Abjection
- 7. How to combine due care for a Good Reputation with Humility
- 8. Gentleness towards others and Remedies against Anger
- 9. On Gentleness towards Ourselves
- 10. We must attend to the Business of Life carefully, but without Eagerness or Over-anxiety
- 11. On Obedience
- 12. On Purity
- 13. How to maintain Purity
- 14. On Poverty of Spirit amid Riches
- 15. How to exercise real Poverty, although actually Rich
- 16. How to possess a rich Spirit amid real Poverty
- 17. On Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship
- 18. On Frivolous Attachments
- 19. Of Real Friendship
- 20. Of the Difference between True and False Friendship
- 21. Remedies against Evil Friendships
- 22. Further Advice concerning Intimacies
- 23. On The Practice of Bodily Mortification
- 24. Of Society and Solitude
- 25. On Modesty in Dress
- 26. Of Conversation; and, first, how to Speak of God
- 27. Of Unseemly Words, and the Respect due to Others
- 28. Of Hasty Judgments
- 29. On Slander
- 30. Further Counsels as to Conversation
- 31. Of Amusements and Recreations: what are allowable
- 32. Of Forbidden Amusements
- 33. Of Balls, and other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements
- 34. When to use such Amusements rightly
- 35. We must be Faithful in Things Great and Small
- 36. Of a Well-Balanced, Reasonable Mind
- 37. Of Wishes
- 38. Counsels to Married People
- 39. The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed
- 40. Counsels to Widows
- 41. One Word to Maidens
Part 4
- 1. We must not trifle with the Words of Worldly Wisdom
- 2. The need of a Good Courage
- 3. Of Temptations, and the difference between experiencing them and consenting to them
- 4. Two striking Illustrations of the same
- 5. Encouragement for the Tempted Soul
- 6. When Temptation and Delectation are Sin
- 7. Remedies for Great Occasions
- 8. How to resist Minor Temptations
- 9. How remedy Minor Temptations
- 10. How to strengthen the Heart against Temptation
- 11. Anxiety of Mind
- 12. Of Sadness and Sorrow
- 13. Of Spiritual and Sensible Consolations, and how to receive them
- 14. Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness
- 15. An Illustration
Part 5
- 1. It is well yearly to renew Good Resolutions by means of the following Exercises
- 2. Meditation on the Benefit conferred on us by God in calling us to His Service
- 3. Examination of the Soul as to its Progress in the Devout Life
- 4. Examination of the Soul's Condition as regards God
- 5. Examination of your Condition as regards yourself
- 6. Examination of the Soul's Condition as regards our Neighbour
- 7. Examination as to the Affectations of the Soul
- 8. The Affections to be excited after such Examination
- 9. Reflections suitable to the renewal of Good Resolutions
- 10. First Consideration--of the Worth of Souls
- 11. Second Consideration--on the Excellence of Virtue
- 12. The Example of the Saints
- 13. The Love which Jesus Christ bears to us
- 14. The Eternal Love of God for us
- 15. General Affections which should result from these Considerations, and Conclusion of the Exercise
- 16. The Impressions which should remain after this Exercise
- 17. An Answer to Two Objections which may be made to this Book
- 18. Three Important and Final Counsels