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Introduction to the Devout Life

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Introduction to the Devout Life Introduction to the Devout Life St.Francis de Sales Introduction to the Devout Life St. Francis of Sales Table of Contents About This Book. p. ii Title Page. p. 1 Preface by the Author. p. 1 CONTENTS. p. 5 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.. p. 8 CHAPTER I. What true Devotion is. p. 8 CHAPTER II. The Nature and Excellence of Devotion. p. 9 CHAPTER III. Devotion is suitable to every Vocation and Profession. p. 10 CHAPTER IV. The Need of a Guide for those who would enter upon and advance in the Devout Life. p. 11 CHAPTER V. The First Step must be Purifying the Soul. p. 13 CHAPTER VI. The First Purification, namely, from Mortal Sin. p. 14 CHAPTER VII. The Second Purification, from all Sinful Affections. p. 14 CHAPTER VIII. How to effect this Second Purification. p. 15 CHAPTER IX. FIRST MEDITATION. p. 16 CHAPTER X. SECOND MEDITATION . p. 17 CHAPTER XI. THIRD MEDITATION. p. 18 CHAPTER XII. FOURTH MEDITATION. p. 19 CHAPTER XIII. FIFTH MEDITATION. p. 20 CHAPTER XIV. SIXTH MEDITATION. p. 21 CHAPTER XV. SEVENTH MEDITATION. p. 22 CHAPTER XVI. EIGHTH MEDITATION. p. 23 CHAPTER XVII. NINTH MEDITATION. p. 24 CHAPTER XVIII. TENTH MEDITATION. p. 25 CHAPTER XIX. How to make a General Confession. p. 26 CHAPTER 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. p. 27 CHAPTER XXI. Conclusion of this First Purification. p. 28 CHAPTER XXII. The Necessity of Purging away all tendency to Venial Sins. p. 28 iii Introduction to the Devout Life St. Francis of Sales CHAPTER XXIII. It is needful to put away all Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things. p. 29 CHAPTER XXIV. All Evil Inclinations must be purged away. p. 30 PART II. CONTAINING SUNDRY COUNSELS AS TO UPLIFTING THE SOUL TO GOD IN PRAYER AND THE USE OF THE SACRAMENTS.. p. 31 CHAPTER I. The Necessity of Prayer. p. 31 CHAPTER II. A short Method of Meditation. And first, the Presence of God, the First Point of Preparation. p. 32 CHAPTER III. Invocation, the Second Point of Preparation. p. 33 CHAPTER IV. The Third Point of Preparation, representing the Mystery to be meditated to Your Imagination. p. 34 CHAPTER V. Considerations, the Second Part of Meditation. p. 35 CHAPTER VI. The Third Part of Meditation, Affections and Resolutions. p. 35 CHAPTER VII. The Conclusion and Spiritual Bouquet. p. 35 CHAPTER VIII. Some Useful Hints as to Meditation. p. 36 CHAPTER IX. Concerning Dryness in Meditation. p. 37 CHAPTER X. Morning Prayer. p. 38 CHAPTER XI. Evening Prayer and Examination of Conscience. p. 38 CHAPTER XII. On Spiritual Retirement. p. 39 CHAPTER XIII. Aspirations, Ejaculatory Prayer and Holy Thoughts. p. 40 CHAPTER XIV. Of Holy Communion, and how to join in it. p. 43 CHAPTER XV. Of the other Public Offices of the Church. p. 44 CHAPTER XVI. How the Saints are united to us. p. 45 CHAPTER XVII. How to Hear and Read God©s Word. p. 46 CHAPTER XVIII. How to receive Inspirations. p. 46 CHAPTER XIX. On Confession. p. 48 CHAPTER XX. Of Frequent Communion. p. 50 CHAPTER XXI. How to Communicate. p. 51 PART III. CONTAINING COUNSELS CONCERNING THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE.. p. 53 CHAPTER I. How to select that which we should chiefly Practise. p. 53 CHAPTER II. The same Subject continued. p. 55 CHAPTER III. On Patience. p. 57 CHAPTER IV. On Greater Humility. p. 59 CHAPTER V. On Interior Humility. p. 61 CHAPTER VI. Humility makes us rejoice in our own Abjection. p. 63 CHAPTER VII. How to combine due care for a Good Reputation with Humility. p. 65 iv Introduction to the Devout Life St. Francis of Sales CHAPTER VIII. Gentleness towards others and Remedies against Anger. p. 66 CHAPTER IX. On Gentleness towards Ourselves. p. 68 CHAPTER X. We must attend to the Business of Life carefully, but without Eagerness or Over-anxiety. p. 70 CHAPTER XI. On Obedience. p. 71 CHAPTER XII. On Purity. p. 72 CHAPTER XIII. How to maintain Purity. p. 73 CHAPTER XIV. On Poverty of Spirit amid Riches. p. 74 CHAPTER XV. How to exercise real Poverty, although actually Rich. p. 75 CHAPTER XVI. How to possess a rich Spirit amid real Poverty. p. 77 CHAPTER XVII. On Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship. p. 78 CHAPTER XVIII. On Frivolous Attachments. p. 79 CHAPTER XIX. Of Real Friendship. p. 80 CHAPTER XX. Of the Difference between True and False Friendship. p. 82 CHAPTER XXI. Remedies against Evil Friendships. p. 83 CHAPTER XXII. Further Advice concerning Intimacies. p. 84 CHAPTER XXIII. On The Practice of Bodily Mortification. p. 85 CHAPTER XXIV. Of Society and Solitude. p. 88 CHAPTER XXV. On Modesty in Dress. p. 89 CHAPTER XXVI. Of Conversation; and, first, how to Speak of God. p. 90 CHAPTER XXVII. Of Unseemly Words, and the Respect due to Others. p. 91 CHAPTER XXVIII. Of Hasty Judgments. p. 92 CHAPTER XXIX. On Slander. p. 95 CHAPTER XXX. Further Counsels as to Conversation. p. 97 CHAPTER XXXI. Of Amusements and Recreations: what are allowable. p. 98 CHAPTER XXXII. Of Forbidden Amusements. p. 99 CHAPTER XXXIII. Of Balls, and other Lawful but Dangerous Amusements. p. 100 CHAPTER XXXIV. When to use such Amusements rightly. p. 101 CHAPTER XXXV. We must be Faithful in Things Great and Small. p. 101 CHAPTER XXXVI. Of a Well-Balanced, Reasonable Mind. p. 103 CHAPTER XXXVII. Of Wishes. p. 104 CHAPTER XXXVIII. Counsels to Married People. p. 105 CHAPTER XXXIX. The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed. p. 108 CHAPTER XL. Counsels to Widows. p. 109 CHAPTER XLI. One Word to Maidens. p. 111 v Introduction to the Devout Life St. Francis of Sales PART IV. CONTAINING NEEDFUL COUNSELS CONCERNING SOME ORDINARY TEMPTATIONS.. p. 113 CHAPTER I. We must not trifle with the Words of Worldly Wisdom. p. 113 CHAPTER II. The need of a Good Courage. p. 114 CHAPTER III. Of Temptations, and the difference between experiencing them and consenting to them. p. 115 CHAPTER IV. Two striking Illustrations of the same. p. 116 CHAPTER V. Encouragement for the Tempted Soul. p. 117 CHAPTER VI. When Temptation and Delectation are Sin. p. 118 CHAPTER VII. Remedies for Great Occasions. p. 119 CHAPTER VIII. How to resist Minor Temptations. p. 120 CHAPTER IX. How remedy Minor Temptations. p. 120 CHAPTER X. How to strengthen the Heart against Temptation. p. 121 CHAPTER XI. Anxiety of Mind. p. 121 CHAPTER XII. Of Sadness and Sorrow. p. 123 CHAPTER XIII. Of Spiritual and Sensible Consolations, and how to receive them.. p. 124 CHAPTER XIV. Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness. p. 128 CHAPTER XV. An Illustration. p. 130 PART V. CONTAINING COUNSELS AND PRACTICES FOR RENEWING AND CONFIRMING THE SOUL IN DEVOTION.. p. 133 CHAPTER I. It is well yearly to renew Good Resolutions by means of the following Exercises. p. 133 CHAPTER II. Meditation on the Benefit conferred on us by God in calling us to His Service. p. 133 CHAPTER III. Examination of the Soul as to its Progress in the Devout Life. ..
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