“On the morrow, at your waking, think on the sins which you observed in the examen of the night before; and while you are putting on your clothes, ask the assistance of God’s grace, that you may not that day relapse into your yesterday’s offences.  Then perform your morning’s meditation, and proceed through your whole day’s work, as I have ordered you.  But be so punctual, and so constant in all these spiritual practices, that nothing but sickness cause you to forbear them.  For if, when you are in health, you should defer, or leave them off, under some pretence of business, be sure you make a scruple of it, and let not the day pass over you, till, in the presence of your brethren, you confess your fault, and of your own free motion demand penance for having omitted or neglected that which was so strictly commanded by your superior.

“For what remains, whatsoever you do, or in whatsoever condition of spirit you may be, labour with all your power still to overcome yourself.  Subdue your passions, embrace what is most abhorring to your sense, repress all natural desire of glory most especially; and spare not yourself in that particular, till you have torn out of your heart the very roots of pride; not only suffering yourself to be debased beneath all men, but being glad to be despised.  For hold this for certain, that, without this humility and mortification, you can neither advance in virtue, nor serve your neighbour as you ought, nor be acceptable to God, nor, to conclude all, persevere in the Society of Jesus.

“Obey in all things the Father with whom you live; and however displeasing or difficult the things may be which he commands you, perform them with much cheerfulness, never opposing his orders, nor making any exceptions on your part, on any account whatsoever.  In fine, hearken to him, and suffer yourself to be directed in all things by him, as if Father Ignatius were personally present, speaking to you, and directing you.

“With whatsoever temptations you shall find yourself assaulted, discover them all sincerely to him who governs you; and remain persuaded, that this is the only means of subduing them.  Besides this advantage, there accrue other spiritual profits, in making known the secret motions of your heart; for the violence which you do to yourself, to surmount, that natural shamefacedness which hinders you from acknowledging your imperfections and frailties, draws down the grace of God upon you; and on the other side, this overture, and frankness of your heart, ruins the designs of the evil spirit, who can never do mischief but when he is in disguise; but when once discovered, is so far disarmed, and despicably weak, that they, for whom he lies in ambush, laugh at him.”—­

It was in this manner, that the holy apostle, Francis Xavier, instructed the young men of the Society; and nothing, perhaps, could better explain to us the great resemblance that was betwixt the souls of Xavier and Ignatius.