Mistrust of oneself and confidence in God are very necessary, but if they were our only weapons, not only would we fail to achieve victory over ourselves, but we would plunge into many evils. Thus, in addition to these, we need exercise, which is the third thing proposed above. This exercise must be performed mainly with the intellect and the will. As to the intellect, we must guard it from two things that customarily fight against it.

One is ignorance, which darkens the intellect and impedes it from coming to know the truth, its proper object. Thus, this exercise must make the intellect lucid and clear, so that it might see and discern well how necessary it is to purify the soul from disordered passions and decorate her with holy virtues. We can obtain this light in two ways.

• The first and most important is prayer, asking the Holy Spirit that he deign to pour this light into our hearts. If we truly seek God alone, He will do this always as long as we seek to do his holy will and subject everything, even our judgment, to the decision of our spiritual father.
• The other way is a continual exercise of profound and loyal consideration of things to see them as they are, be they good or bad: and this according to the Holy Spirit’s teaching and not according to their outward appearance, their sensory representation, nor their value to the world.

When this consideration is done properly, it makes us understand clearly that what the blind and corrupt world loves and desires, and with various ways and means goes about procuring, ought to be esteemed as nothing, as vanities and lies. We understand that earthly honors and pleasures are nothing other than vanities and afflictions of the spirit, that what brings true glory are the injuries, infamies, and quiet tribulations the world gives us; that disdain for the world is worth more than being its master; that one ought to value the humble knowledge of self higher than any science. We realize that forgiving our enemies and doing good to them is magnanimous and among the greater similarities to God; that contempt for the world is worth more than being its master; that glad obedience to the vilest creatures out of love for God is more magnanimous and generous than commanding great princes. We realize that conquering and mortifying our own appetites, however small they may be, is worth more praise than taking many cities by storm (Proverbs 16.32), than conquering powerful armies with weapons in hand, than working miracles and raising the dead. (note)

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To achieve a better flow in English, I have changed the ordering of the benefits acquired from the exercise.