EX LIBRIS GVLIELMI IOSEPHI DWYER ST L SANCTI BERNARDI ECCLESIAE PASTORIS * KAL * NOV* MDCCCCXXXIIII SPIRITUAL EXERCISES ACCORDING TO THE METHOD OF SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA. BY FATHER ALOYSIUS BELLECI0, OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS. ^ranslateb fxom the Italian Persian of FATHER ANTHONY BRESCIANI, B.J. BY WILLIAM HUTCH, D.D., CANON OF THE CATHEDRAL OF CLOYNS. SIXTH EDITION. LONDON : BURNS & OATES, LIMITED. NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO : BENZIGER BROTHERS. BOSTON COLLEGE LIBRAR CHESTNUT HILL, MASS, • L1S35Z, Imprimatur. • r* Joannes MacCarthy, Episcopus Cloynensis . Datum apud Queenstown, A.D. III. Kal. Maias, 1876. gte-imprimatur. Westmonasterii, Die 7 Junii, 1883. IlENRICUS EDUARDUS, Cardinal is Arc/aepixcopus CONTENTS. PAGE Translator's Preface, vii Translator’s Preface to Second Edition, xi Author’s Preface, 1 Introduction to the Retreat, 5 § I. Some motives for attending with diligence to the Spiritual Exercises, - - - - 5 § II. Counsels regarding the interior preparation of the Soul, 13 § HI. Counsels regarding the external arrangement of our affairs, 15 § IV. Counsels to be observed during the time of the Exercises, 17 § V. Plan of the Exercises, 22 First Day. First Meditation. On the End of Man, 26 Compendium of same, 33 Lecture. On the First Meditation, which S. Ignatius calls “ the Foundation,” .... 35 Second Meditation. On the End of the Religious Man, 48 Compendium of same, 57 (Imitation of Christ. Book III., ch. 10.) Consideration. On indifference to every place, every office, every degree, and every condition of health, 58 Examen. On the impediments to indifference, - - 67 Third Meditation . Repetition of the two preceding Meditations, - 69 Compendium of same, - . ■ - - - 75 (Imitation of Christ. Book III . , ch. 17.) IV CONTENTS. Second Day. PACE First Meditation. On Sin, punished in the Rebel Angels and in Adam, 78 Compendium of same, 89 Imitation of Christ. Book III., ch. 14.) Lecture . On Sorrow and Detestation for Sin, - - 90 Second Meditation. On our personal Sins, - - - 104 Compendium of same, 118 Imitation of Christ. Book III., ch. 7, § 2.) Consideration. On the Two-fold root of Sin, - - 114 Examen. On the defects which spring from Pride and Sensuality, 121 Third Meditation. On Hell, 125 Compendium of same, 136 {Imitation of Christ. Book I, ch. 2, 4, §§ 3, 4, 6, 7. Third Day. - 138 - 145 - 146 - 157 . 166 {Imitation of Christ. Book I., ch. 24, §§ 1, 2, 4, 5.) Consideration . On the Manner of preparing for Death, 167 Third Meditation . On the Prodigal Son, - - - 171 Compendium of same, 181 ( Imitation of Christ. Book IV., ch. 9, §§ 2, 3, 6.) First Meditation. On Death, - Compendium of same, - {Imitation of Christ. Book /., ch. 23.) Lecture. On the Knowledge of Ourselves, - Second Meditation. On the particular Judgment, Compendium of same, - Fourth Day. First Meditation.. On the Kingdom of Christ, • - 183 Compendium of same, 190 {Imitation of Christ . Book I., ch, 1 . ) Lecture. On the Imitation of Christ, - - - 191 Second Meditation. On the Incarnation, - - - 200 Compendium of same, 207 ( Imitation of Christ. Book II., ch. 13, §§ 5, 6.) CONTENTS, Consideration. On Humility, - Examen. On the Virtue of Humility, Third Meditation. On the Nativity of Jesus Christ - Compendium of same, - {Imitation of Christ. Book III., ch. 18.) Fifth Day. First Meditation. On the flight of Jesus into Egypt, - Compendium of same, {Imitation of Christ. Book III., ch. 13.) Lecture. On the preparation of the soul for the choice of a state, - Second Meditation . On the Hidden Life of J esus Christ, Compendium of same, Consideration. On Mortification, - Examen. On the virtue of Mortification, - Third Meditation. On the sojourn of Jesus in the Temple, Compendium of same, {Imitation of Christ. Book III, ch. 32.) Sixth Day. First Meditation. On the two Standards of Christ and of Lucifer, ------ Compendium of same, {Imitation of Christ. Book III, ch. 51.) Lecture. On the object of the Exercises of this day, - Second Meditation. On the Three Classes of Men, Compendium of same, {Imitation of Christ. Book III . , ch. 27. ) Consideration. On the Three Degrees of Humility, Practical Exercise on the election of a state, Third Meditation. On the Prerogatives of the Third Degree of Humility, Compendium of same, {Imitation of Christ. Book III . , ch. 11.) FACE 208 215 218 223 225 231 233 244 249 250 257 261 268 270 277 278 289 295 296 303 309 312 VI CONTENTS. PAOB SEVENTH Day. First Meditation. On what Jesus Christ suffered in his honour, and how much suffering tends to instruct us, 314 Compendium of same, 320 {Imitation of Christ. Book III., ch. 19.) Lecture. On the fruit of the Exercises of this day, - 321 Second Meditation. On what Christ suffered in his Body, and on the manner in which he suffered for our instruction, - - - 331 Compendium of same, ----- 337 {Imitation of Christ. Book III, ch. 10.) Consideration. On the happiness and glory of a soul that is despised and afflicted, ... 338 Examen. On Patience and Obedience, - - - 343 Third Meditation . On the death of Christ upon the Cross, - - 347 Compendium of same, 354 {Imitation of Christ. Book II, ch. 12.) Eighth Day. First Meditation. On the Resurrection of Christ, - 355 Compendium of same, 361 ( Imitation of Christ. Book I, ch. 49.) Lecture for the last day of the Exercises, - - - 362 Second Meditation . On the Love of Christ, - - 371 Compendium of same, 378 ( Imitation of Christ. Book II. , ch. 7, 8. ) Consideration. On comformity of our will with the will of God, 379 Examen. On interior Recollection and on Prayer, - 385 Third Meditation. On the Love of God, - - - 389 Compendium of same, ----- 396 ( Imitation of Christ. Book III., ch. 34.) TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE. The publication at Kome, in 1548, of the Book of Spiritual Exercises by the illustrious Founder of the Society of Jesus marks a new era in the History of Mystic Theology. Many saints before Ignatius had, no doubt, written works replete with the unction of the Holy Spirit, and admirably calculated to guide souls safely along the rugged path of Christian Per- fection ; but we may, nevertheless, affirm without hesitation, that the ecstatic recluse of Manresa was the first to reduce the maxims of the Spiritual Life to a well-ordered and logically connected system, and to elevate Asceticism to the dignity of a science in the strict acceptance of the term. The approving voice of the Christian Church, for more than three centuries, has borne ample testimony to the splendid success with which the saint accom- plished his difficult task. Popes, and cardinals, and bishops; the cloistered religious and the man of the world ; great saints and great sinners ; bold soldiers and brilliant statesmen ; learned doctors viii translator’s preface. and humble mechanics; persons of both sexes, of every age, and rank, and condition, and in all parts of Christendom, have experienced the salutary in- fluence of the Exercises upon their souls, and bear testimony to their efficacy in terms which seem to border almost on the language of exaggeration (a). Among the many holy and learned Jesuits who have expounded the Spiritual Exercises of the illus- trious Founder of their Society, Father Aloysius .Bellecio deservedly holds a foremost place. His treatise has won the warm commendations of the most experienced masters of the spiritual life, for the clearness and logical precision of the method which he has adopted, for the weight and solidity of his sen- tences, for the appropriate and vigorous eloquence of his style, and for the pious unction which flows in every page, and which cannot fail to soften the heart even of the most obdurate sinner, if he only read the work attentively and with the proper dis- positions. Father Bellecio composed his treatise in Latin, and this circumstance made it, for most people, a sealed fountain ; owing, however, to the zeal and active industry of his brother Jesuits, it has been translated into many modern languages. Two Italian (a) See “ Introduction,” pp. 5-10, infra , translator's preface. IX translations have appeared, and of these I have chosen for presentation to the English-speaking pub- lic that which was published in 1842, from the pen of Father Anthony Bresciani — himself a child of S. Ignatius, and a man of European fame in the world of letters. Three reasons, principally, influenced me in making this choice. First, Father Bresciani has occasionally abridged the text of Bellecio where he considered it unnecessarily diffuse, and has thus made the work more suitable for the general use of the faithful. Secondly, he has added to each me- ditation a compendium of the same, so that the reader may take in with a single glance, as it were, all that he had been meditating. Finally, he has slightly modified some few opinions put forward by Father Bellecio, which seemed to him too rigid; his object being not to discourage souls, while inspiring them with a salutary fear of God’s judg- ments. Of the English translation now offered to the public, little need be said. I have always considered that the chief excellence of a good translation con- sists in fidelit 3 r to the original. Wherefore, I have endeavoured to adhere to the text of Father Bres- ciani’s work as closely as the difference of idiom (and it is very marked, indeed), between the English and Italian languages would permit ; and I claim no X TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. merit for this little volume beyond the modest one of faithfully reproducing in an English dress the admirable work of the great Italian Jesuit. WILLIAM HUTCiL St. Colman’s College, Fermoy, Feast of the Holy Rosary , Oct. lst 9 187t TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. TriE first edition of this translation, which consisted of three thousand copies, has been for some time out of print ; and, influenced by representations made to me from several quarters, I have judged it advis- able to bring out a second edition. In preparing it for the Press, the book has been carefully revised throughout, so that I trust the present edition will be found an improvement on the former one, and will merit at least an equal share of public favour. WILLIAM HUTCH. St. Colman’s College, Fermoy, *Mh May , 1883 . AUTHOR’S PREFACE. Although Spiritual Retreats are of very frequent occurrence in our days, nevertheless, that total change of life— the result of generous resolutions carried out with fortitude and constancy — which in times past almost invariably accompanied them, is by no means so common. Now-a-days people come out of Retreat pretty much the same as they entered it ; and even though they should gain some additional fervour, and manifest some improvement in their lives, the change is but of brief duration, and at the end of a month they return to their former failings and tepidity. What is the cause of this ? Is it that the Exer- cises have lost that efficacy which formerly rendered them so powerful ? It is not so : but it happens be- cause people do not perform the Exercises in the 2 author’s preface. manner which S. Ignatius requires. They do not endeavour to penetrate his spirit thoroughly ; they do not direct their resolutions into the proper channel ; they do not attend sufficiently to the connection be- tween the different meditations ; they, for the most part, pass over the Exercise on the Choice of a State, around which, as a centre, all the others are grouped ; and they either omit, or but glance hurriedly at some fundamental meditations — such as those on The King- dom of Christ , on The Two Standards , on The Three Classes of Men , on The Three Degrees of Humility — which, as it were, constitute the foundation that sup- ports the entire of this spiritual edifice. Hence they fail to derive from the Exercises all the benefit that they ought. It is my desire, therefore, to help you, if I car , by means of this little book, and to assist you in gathering all that fruit which the Exercises usually produce when they are well performed. But shall I be able to do this of myself ? May the Lord grant me His assisting grace, while on my part I shall leave nothing undone to ensure success. And that AUTHOR'S preface. 3 you may know, reader, that I am not about to place before you any theories of my own, I take the liberty of informing you that I will not lay down in the following pages any doctrine which may not be found either in the work of our holy Father, S. Ignatius, or in the Directory, or in the treatises of other ap- proved interpreters. We shall see later on what weight attached itself to the book of the Exercises ; and the authority of the Directory may be inferred from the circumstances under which it was drawn up. This work was undertaken by command of the First General Congregation, and was by its advice forwarded to all the provinces of the Society, in order that the most experienced Fathers in all places might decide whether there was anything to add to, or take from it, or whether it might be otherwise improved. The judgments and opinions of all having been forwarded to Rome, and subjected in the Fifth General Congregation to a most exact and rigorous examination, by Fathers specially deputed for that task — an examination afterwards scrupu- lously repeated by the Father-General Claudius 4 author’s preface. Aquaviva and the Eathers-Assistant — such opinions as seem most opportune were adopted, arranged in regular order, and collected into this Directory. It is evident, then, that the authority of this hook is very great, and that you should attach very con- siderable importance to such extracts from it as you will find scattered through the pages of the present work. If you only know how to avail yourself of this, and of the work of S. Ignatius, following the closely connected method in which I shall place everything before you, I, on my part, promise you the happiest results from your Retreat. INTRODUCTION TO THE RETREAT. The Spiritual Exercises of S. Ignatius consist in a Retreat of some days, during which the soul, re- moved from all intercourse with the world, and shut in from all worldly distractions and cares, is solely occupied in attending, after the method proposed by the saint, to the all-important business of salvation ; and while bewailing the transgressions of the past, studies to repair them by a more perfect life in the future. That you may accomplish this purpose the more successfully, I shall place before you, by way of preface, some motives and counsels for your en- couragement and direction, so as to enable you to perform during these eight days all that is most necessary in order to derive solid benefit from your Retreat. §. I. Some motives for attending with diligence to the Spiritual Exercises. In the opinion of the most competent judges the qualities which mainly affect the value of any exer- cise may be reduced to these three, viz. — its excellence , which wins for it our esteem ; its utility , which creates within us a desire of it ; and its necessity , whereby the will is impelled to embrace that which the intellect has already recognised as being in itself both useful and excellent. I. Now in the first place, the excellence of these A 0 INTRODUCTION. Spiritual Exercises may be deduced from this ; Eirstly, that they were inspired by God (a) ; secondly, that they were dictated by the most august Queen of Heaven (b) ; and thirdly, that they have not only merited the approval of, but have elicited the high- est encomiums from the Holy See, which has recom- mended them with all the plenitude of its Apostolic authority to the practice of the faithful (c). That this is so, is established by the Bulls them- selves of the Sovereign Pontiffs ; by the testimony of the auditors of the Rota, and of their Eminences the Cardinals of the Sacred Congregation of Rites ; by the universal feeling and conviction of the Society of Jesus (d) ; and by the authority of men equally remarkable for sanctity and learning — the principal among them being the Venerable Lewis da Ponte, Lanciscius, Natalis, Rosignoli, and others — who not only fearlessly assert, but prove by solid arguments that these Exercises of S. Ignatius were inspired by God, enriched by the unction of the Holy Spirit, dictated by the Blessed Virgin Mary, and finally, “of his own certain knowledge,” and without tie change even of a single point, approved of, praised, and authorised by Pope Paul III. ; which approba- tion extends to each and everything contained in them — quoad omnia et singula in eis contentci. Moreover, the Sovereign Pontiffs, as Alexander (a) Lanciscius Opusc. 18, cap. 5, and Rosignolius in lib. “ notizie memorabili dei essercizii spiritually lib. 1, cap. 1. (b) Lud de Ponte in vita Marinae de Escobar, lib. 1, c. 5, p. 2 : Natal iz in lib. “conversatio coelestis”. (c) Paul III. in the Bull “ Pastoralis Officii,” 31st July, 1548. and Julius III. (cl) Directorium Exercitiorum in prooemio, n. 2. INTRODUCTION. 7 yrL and Benedict XIV., have attached to the due performance of these Exercises a Plenary Indulgence, in order that by this largess of the heavenly trea- sures of the Church the faithful might be incited to a >ply themselves to a work so salutary and so pious ” ( i). It is no wonder then that John Camo, Bishop of Belley, while studying this work of S. Ignatius should exclaim in amazement, “ 0 volume, all golden, and more precious than any gem ! 0 divine book, dictated by a special light from God: book which we can never sufficiently praise : book which contains hidden within itself the manna of the desert, the marrow of the cedars of Libanus, and the mustard- seed of the Gospel.” Is it possible to speak more emphatically in favour of the excellence of the Exer- cises ? Let this be for us a powerful incitement to per- f )rm them with all the fervour of our souls. For, if they have been dictated by God, and if he is ac- c arsed who does the work of the Lord negligently, those persons have just reason to fear, who go through the Exercises after a cold or tepid fashion, rejecting the medicine which possesses such efficacy to heal the diseases of their souls. II. In the next place, authority , experience , and reason , clearly demonstrate the utility of this Spiri- tual Retreat. Firstly, as regards authority, I should be far too diffuse were I to cite the testimony of all those persons eminent for wisdom and sanctity who have lavished the highest praise on these Exercises. (a) “Ut Christi fideles hac coelestium Ecclesire thesauro- rum elargitione ad vacandum salutari adeo pioque operi incitarentur.” In bulla Aloxandri VII., die 12 Octobr, 1657. 8 INTRODUCTION. Of the very many whom I might quote I shall con- tent myself with a few. S. Francis de Sales says of the Exercises, that “ they are a holy method which the great servant of God, Ignatius of Loyola, intro- duced for the reformation of men’s lives ” (a). S. Charles Borromeo likewise says of them, “ I have a splendid library ; hut it is comprised within the limits of one small hook, from which alone I learn more than I could from all the other books in the world put together ” ( b ). Pope Julius III. called the Exercises “salutary beyond measure, full of piety and of sanctity, and most useful for the spiri- tual advancement of souls ” (c). And a great prelate styles them “ hidden manna, the grain of mustard seed mentioned in the Gospel, the marrow of the cedars of Libanus, trifles in appearance, but of the greatest value in their effects ” ( d ). Finally, Blosius, Avila, Canisius, Strada, Suarez, and others quoted by Rossignoli call them a new school of Divine wisdom, the quintessence of ascetic doctrine, the most efficacious aid to attain in the shortest period of time to the highest degree of per- fection, a most certain remedy for all evils, an armoury supplying weapons terrible to hell, and one of the most signal blessings which God has bestowed upon his Church in these latter days. In presence of such unexceptionable testimony, who will have the hardihood to deny the usefulness of the Spiritual Exercises ? Secondly, experience supports by facts what these (a) Treatise on the Love of God, lib. 12, ch. 8. (b) Bartol. Life of S. Ignatius, lib. 1, num. 18. (c) In litteris confirmationis Exercit. (c?) Camus in Act. Sactor. ad diem. 31 Julii. INTRODUCTION. 9 authors have advanced in their writings. For (as the Directory attests), very many, after having been well trained by these Exercises, abandoned the world to embrace the religious state; many who were already inmates of the cloister effected wonderful reformations of their lives, nor was this the case of merely a few individuals, but even of entire mon- asteries ; and very many secular persons, also, who had been living in every kind of vice, from which neither sermons nor entreaties nor any other ordinary means could win them, were converted merely by going through a course of the Spiritual Exercises, and afterwards steadfastly persevered in virtue to the end of their lives (a). In a word, unusual move- ments of the soul, extraordinary changes of life, and wonderful progress in the paths of virtue and per- fection are the ordinary fruits gathered from this holy Retreat. It is certain that the society of Jesus acknowledges itself indebted to this little book for its establishment, its growth, its extension, its strength, and its preser- vation to the present day. S. Francis de Sales, S. Charles Borromeo, S. Philip Neri, S. Francis Borgia, S. Francis Xavier, S. Teresa, and S. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi gratefully attribute to it the commencement or the growth of their sanctity. Lewis Blosius, Lewis of Granada, the Bishop of Torres, the Cardinal Henry, afterwards King of Portugal, Bellarmin, Peter Camus, Faber, Lainez, Natalis, and countless others cited by Rossignoli, tell us that they were indebted to these Exercises for having embraced a more perfect life. Add to these those countless martyrs of India, who (a) Tn proocm. n. 7. 10 INTRODUCTION, drew from the Spiritual Exercises that noble forti- tude, which enabled them to endure for the sake of Jesus Christ the many terrible torments to which they were subjected. Thirdly : now the reason of all this is most evident. For, on the one hand, by means of this happy retire- ment from the bustle of worldly business and the distractions of temporal cares, we effectually remo\ e those many obstacles which are so dangerously cal- culated to exclude the lights of heaven from our souls. On the other hand, by meditating on the eternal truths for eight continuous days, the soul is more thoroughly prepared to receive that abundant downpour of graces, with which heaven is wont to inundate our souls during the solitude of this retire- ment. What wonder is it, then, that after the removal of so many obstacles, with our souls so well disposed, and with such abundant favours, placed within our reach by God, lives which were once disorderly should experience a total reforma- tion. If, then, the utility of these Exercises is so great, how culpable shall we not be if we neglect to banish tepidity from our souls by that self-same means by which so many others have become saints ! if that which has proved the balsam of life to so many others should become poison to us ! How appalling at the hour of death will be this thought : I was bound to become a saint in virtue of my vocation : I could have sanctified myself by means of the Exercises, and, nevertheless, I have always lived shamefully enslaved by tepidity. Though living in such close proximity to the Divine light, to the fountain of grace, to the heavenly fire, yet I have always re- INTRODUCTION* n mained In spiritual darkness, aridity, and coldness. 0 what a thorn will this be in your heart at the hour of death ! III. The urgent necessity of this holy Eetreat is proved, in the first place, by the present condition of your soul, which cannot discover any more expedi- tious, or more powerful means to effect its reforma- tion. For, the many rebellious passions which we have not as yet brought under subjection, the many vices which we have not as yet eradicated, the many evil habits which we have not as yet cast off ; more- over, the many troublesome offices we may be called upon to discharge, the many afflictions which await us, the many temptations we shall have to combat — • all point out to us the absolute necessity that exists for applying the axe to the root of our disorders during these days of grace, and of plucking from our soul every germ of sin, while, at the same time, we lay, deep and strong, the foundation of all those vir- tues which the sanctity of our state, the abundance of grace which has been lavished upon us, and God’s will, both expect and demand. Secondly : moreover, the love which we bear to the Society (of Jesus) as our mother, requires that we should apply ourselves with all earnestness to the due performance of the Exercises, inasmuch as she herself declares in the Directory (a), “ that it is principally to them she owes her existence and gradual growth,” and it is on them alone she relies for her future preservation. Wherefore, we must regard as his mother’s ungrateful enemy, whosoever neglects or performs with tepidity that which sup- fa) In prooemio. n. 7. 12 INTRODUCTION. plies the most efficacious and most necessary help towards her preservation. Finally, this Retreat may be, perhaps, the last you shall ever make : perhaps the final grace is an- nexed to it : on it, perhaps, depends your perfection, and, perhaps, the salvation of others also whom God has decreed to convert through you agency, if you render yourself a fitting instrument for his purposes. It would be extremely rash to commit this important “perhaps ” to chance, while it is absolutely certain that you will never have reason to repent if you attend to it with diligence. Therefore, select the more secure course ; otherwise be afraid and tremble ; for “ unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall he required ” (a). From all these considerations, then, we may infer not only the very great excellence and utility of the Spiritual Exercises, but likewise their urgent neces- sity. Wherefore, we ought to apply ourselves to them with all possible fervour; and to do so suc- cessfully, we ought to attend to the following counsels, which are all directed to this end. These counsels are of three kinds. Some regard the intenor preparation of the soul, others the external arrange- ment of matters which should precede the Retreat, and others, in fine, have reference to the practices to be observed during those days of retirement. N. B. The th ird number ( III. )ofth is first paragraph may furnish matter for the meditation or consideration to he made in the forenoon or afternoon of the d,ay pre- ceding the Retreat The other numbers , as well as the following paragraphs , will furnish matter for ( a ) Luke xii. 48. INTRODUCTION. 13 spiritual reading both before and after dinner. Care should be taken to read at least the first and second of the following counsels on the day preceding the Retreat. §. IL Counsels regarding the interior preparation of the Soul . I. Since the fruit of this holy Eetreat consists neither in an abundance of heavenly lights, nor in the gift of copious tears, nor in the full enjoyment of heavenly consolations, nor in merely employing more time than usual in prayer, or in spiritual reading, or in interior recollection, but rather, first, in a solid reformation of our lives ; secondly, in a more marked progress in virtue; and finally, in a more perfect knowledge and a more scrupulous accomplishment of the Divine will concerning ourselves and our state of life ; we must undertake the Exercises in this spirit, and with the intention of becoming, in fact, through their means, quite different persons from what we were before — entirely changed, and in everything pliable to the will of God. Nor ought this resolution to be limited merely to the commencement of the Exercises, but to the very end we ought solely, per- se veringly, and most earnestly keep this object in view (a). II. To accomplish this purpose we must, on the day preceding the Eetreat (after having made a cur- sory examination of the state of our soul), direct our attention to the three following points : — First, we must conceive an earnest desire to know God’s will in our regard, repeating oftentimes in the course of (a) Directory, cli. 2, n. 4. 14 INTRODUCTION. the day that prayer of the Psalmist, “ 0 Lord , teach me to do tliy wilt ” (a). Secondly, we must discovc r that particular vice or failing which is the source whence our other faults spring, in order to pluck it out from the very root. Thirdly, we must determine that particular virtue of which we stand in greatest need, that we may afterwards plant it carefully in our souls. To these matters, as to a double end, we ought to direct all our meditations, reflections, and spiritual lectures. Kemember that this counsel is of paramount importance. III. We ought to enter upon the Exercises, in the first place, with a most thorough conviction that we need them very much; that our future spiritual progress depends entirely on the use we shall make of them ; and that we are about to undertake a matter of the very greatest importance. The greater the esteem we entertain for them the more earner t will be our endeavours to perform them well. Se- condly, w r e ought to commence them with a humble distnist of our own strength; because God rejects the proud, and bestows his heavenly favour's upon the humble only. Thirdly, we should commence them with a soul prepared to act in a generous man- ner with God, and firmly resolved to deny Him nothing; to place no limits to His grace ; to make no ex- ceptions in our own favour; but generously to sacrifice all things, and to perform or to avoid whatever it is God’s will that we should perform or avoid, with an absolute indifference to everything — being veiy carefid , however , not to form incautiously any resolu- tion which ice would be unwilling to abandon after - (a) Psalm cxlii., 10. INTRODUCTION. 15 wirds . Fourthly, we ought, moreover, to commence them with a firm hope that the infinite goodness of God, which has granted us the will to enter upon this holy Retreat, will grant us, likewise, the grace to perform it in a proper manner, since He wills our sanctification. To commence the Exer- cises with such a preparation as this, will be, assuredly, a happy presage of the choice favours a id sublime virtues which we shall acquire through their means. IV. Since venial sins and an over-due engagement of our thoughts in temporal affairs are an obstacle to heavenly graces, which God withdraws from the sinful and worldly-minded, we ought to cultivate a singular purity of conscience and great recollection of spirit, not only during the actual period of tho Exercises (for at this time even a slight fault would prove a serious obstacle to the reception of God’s favours), but also in the course of the preceding day. It not unfrequently happens, even in the case of religious persons, that the day preceding the Retreat is given up to a certain kind of dissipation, as if this were a necessary recreation for the mind before entering on so many days of meditation. This is a most insidious artifice on the part of the devil, who gains very largely by causing the first days of the Retreat, on which the success of all the others may depend, to be spent fruitlessly and in a state of tepidity. §. III. Counsels regarding the external arrangement of our affairs. T. On the day previous to our entry into Retreat, we should arrange all our affairs in such a manner 16 INTRODUCTION. that they be not afterwards to ns an occasion of distractions. We should put our apartment in order, and remove from it everything — even our hooks — which might distract us, so that (as far as possible) it may contain nothing except what is of service for the purposes of the Exercises. II. We should prepare two small blank books, one for the purpose of writing down the lights and in- spirations with which God may favour us, and the other to contain the resolutions which we may form for the future, together with the motives which im- pelled us most strongly to adopt them. This counsel is of the greatest importance. Remember, however, that (as the I) 'rectory observes) these manuscript notes should be very brief, and not extended into diffuse essays, thus appropriating to this purpose the time which has been allotted to other occupa- tions (a). III. We must beg of the Lord, by frequent and fervent prayer, grace to derive good fruit from the Exercises, frequently visiting the Most Holy Sacra- ment for this purpose, reciting the Office or the Rosary with this intention, and with more than ordinary devotion, and selecting some heavenly ad- vocates under whose guardianship we may place ourselves in a very special manner during those days. IY. Even though the person who performs the Exercises should be (as the Directory remarks) him- self a man of learning and prudence, and skilled in the direction of souls, nevertheless, during those days he should not trust at all in his own prudence {a) Directory, ch. 2 and 3. INTRODUCTION* 17 and learning, but should place himself without re serve in the hands of his director. He should regard him absolutely as the instrument of the Lord, sent for his guidance. Wherefore, he should neither conceal nor dissemble anything, but sincerely lay open before him his entire heart. Let him be obe- dient to him in all things, and use no other medita- tions except such as he shall prescribe, and in the same order in which he shall direct him to use them. The same rule must be followed when there is ques- tion of practising mortifications or other penances. In a word, let him be persuaded that the more dili- gently and exactly he follows the counsels of his director, the better will he dispose himself to receive more abundant graces from God, since God is highly pleased with such humility and simplicity, and loves to hold converse with the soul which is adorned with these virtues. Such is the doctrine of the Direc- tory. §. IV. Counsels to be observed during the time of the Exercises . I. During the entire time of this Retreat we must continually cherish a strict spirit of recollection. To attain this end, we must first of all keep a jealous guard over our senses — principally over our eyes, by not fixing them upon any person ; over our ears, by excluding all news, letters, messages, &c. ; and over our tongues, by scrupulously observing a most rigor- ous silence. Secondly, we must restrain our imagi- nation * by not entertaining any thought whatever which is foreign to the Exercises, acting, in fact, as if we had no other business on earth outside of them. To such an extent should we practise this restraint, [8 INTRODUCTION. that we ought to shut out from our minds even pious thoughts, when they have no connection with the subject matter of the past or the coming meditation. Thirdly, we must rigidly observe solitude , by not leaving our apartment without necessity, and by holding ourselves absolutely disengaged from every other occupation ; so that not only during the course of the day, but even after our meals, we should re- frain from reading, or writing, or meditating on anything, except what may have been marked out for that day, or may happen to be connected with the Exercises, or with the object to which they are directed. Nay more, we ought to abstain also from those manual labours which fatigue the body too much, and render the mind dissipated (a). Where- fore, S. Ignatius writes, “ the more detached anyone is from all his friends and acquaintances , and from every human care , the greater will be the progress icliich he will make . And the more secluded and soli- tary the soul is, the better disposed will she become to seek and to find her Creator ” (b). In truth, we ought to imitate that celebrated minis- ter of the German emperor, who having received, while making the Exercises in the Jesuit College at Spire, a letter from his sovereign, bade the atten- dants not deliver it to him, saying, that the business which he was just then transacting with the King of kings would not permit him to bestow any thought upon an earthly monarch. II. We ought to perform the meditations, firstly, ina reverential posture, particularly during that portion (a) Directory, ch. 2. \b) S. Ignatius, Lib. Exerc. ad n. 20, INTRODUCTION. 19 of the time which is occupied by the operations of the will ; because a greater degree of reverence is required at that time than while the reasoning facul- ties of the intellect are engaged. Secondly, we ought to spend in meditation the whole of the time allotted to that Exercise, to the extent even of adding to rather than taking from it, especially during periods of weariness and aridity. And, in order that the meditation may not degenerate into a mere dry study, we should exercise our affections more than our reasoning faculties. Thirdly, we should make the meditation with fervour as regards its practical application to ourselves, being particularly careful, however, not to make rashly, or without due delibera- tion, any promise or vow, and not to injure our health by a too intense application (a). This is a danger which (as the Directory remarks) is apt to occur, either when the soul strives to force herself to devotion and tears in moments of aridity and desola- tion, or when, on the other hand, she enjoys an extraordinary abundance of heavenly consolations. During the meditation, it will be quite sufficient to bestow on the subject that diligence which men usually employ when conversing with some exalted personage, or when discoursing in public. For the real solid advantage of the meditation does not con- sist in a forced attention, nor in making extraordinary efforts to excite ourselves to tears; but is to be sought in the knowledge of those truths, and in those move- ments of the will which proceed from an interior heavenly light. Wherefore, in the moments of consolation two (a) S. Ignatius in lib. Excrcit, annot. iii. 20 INTRODUCTION. things are to be attended to. First, we must direcr these consolations to the amendment of our lives, and to the strengthening of our good resolutions, in order that all solid advantage may not vanish together with that spiritual sweetness which we have tasted. Secondly, we ought to prepare our soul for the period of desolation and aridity, in order that it may not come upon us unprepared. When, however, aridity and desolation do come upon us, we must, first, observe “ the additions ” more accurately (a) ; secondly, we must humble ourselves before the Lord ; thirdly, we must persevere in prayer with patience and constancy, mindful of the Divine promise: “If it make any delay wait for it: for it shall surely come , and it shall not he slack” ( b ). III. The books selected for spiritual reading should not only be good and useful, but they should be such as tend to nourish those affections which we then seek to cultivate. Wherefore, we ought to suit the lecture to the subject of the meditation, and to read it, not in a hurried, careless manner, but with due reflection, weighing well what we read, and drawing from it the necessary fruits. “ The Lives of the Saints ” should also be selected for this pur- pose, and accommodated to the spiritual necessities of the person who is engaged in the Exercises. W T e must be careful, however, that the pleasure which we derive from reading should not so captivate us, as (a) By the “ten additions,” as they are called, are meant certain recommendations of S. Ignatius to assist us in making the Exercises well, and obtaining our requests from God. Their substance will be found given above in the text of the I ntroduction. — Translator . ( b ) Habacuc ii. , v. 3. INTRODUCTION 21 to make us curtail the time allotted to meditation. This is always first in importance, and every other Exercise must be held subordinate to it. Nay, even some short time before meditation, we must leave off everything else in which we may be engaged, in order that the mind may be entirely free for the proper discharge of that duty. IV. The following points should form the subject of the particular examen, to be made twice each day daring the retreat — viz., a great exactness in perform- ing with due fervour the works prescribed ; and an accurate observance of the distribution of time , and of the additions laid down by S. Ignatius . This is the substance of these “additions” — first, before going to sleep to fix the hour of rising, and review in your mind the points of the meditation for the following morning. Secondly, standing a few paces from the place where you are about to make your meditation, to place yourself in the presence of God. Thirdly, should any particular point touch your heart and excite your affections, you ought to dwell upon it, without caring to pass on to anything else; “for it is not the abundance of knowledge, but of interior feeling and sweetness that is wont to satisfy the longing of the soul ” (a). Fourthly, at the end of the meditation you should examine how it has succeeded. Fifthly, during the first and third weeks you should avoid all joyful thoughts, even though they be pious ones, and should rather occupy yourself with such reflections as tend to excite a holy sadness. For this purpose you should keep your room darkened. Sixthly, you should avoid laughter, conversation, and (a) S. Ignatius, annot. 2. B 22 INTRODUCTION* looking fixedly at any one. Seventhly, you should increase your penitential exercises, viz., the use of the hair-shirt, of the discipline, the practice of ab- stinence, sleeping on a harder bed than usual, &c. ; provided, however, that there be no danger of injur- ing your health, and that you retrench nothing of the time which is necessary for sleep {a). The Directory says that we must use great dili- gence in the observance of these additions ; because the more exact each one is in this particular, the more readily and the more abundantly will he find the spiritual fruit for which he is seeking ” (b). g. V. Plan of the Exercises . I. The Exercises of S. Ignatius are divided into four weeks, which are reckoned not so much by the number of days as by the matter of the meditations. The first week corresponds to the purgative way because during that time we endeavour, as it were, to cleanse our souls anew by means of a knowledge of ourselves, and by a hatred of sin. The second and third weeks correspond to the illuminative way ; be- cause by meditating at this period on the virtues practised by Jesus Christ in His public and private life, our souls become wonderfully enlightened, and we are strongly prompted to imitate Him by means of these virtues. The fourth week corresponds to the unitive way ; because by contemplating all this time the glory of Christ, we become intimately united to God, our last end, by means of spiritual love. From this it is evident that the Exercises furnish ( a ) Lib. exercitior. ad finem 1 hebdom. ( b ) Directory, ch. 3, n. 1. INTRODUCTION. 23 us with a short and easy means of attaining to the highest perfection, by detaching us from sin, and by gradually conducting us through the different virtues to a union with God. So that not only is the end to which they aspire most sublime in itself, but the means employed are most admirably suited to its accomplishment. II. For, in the first place, after considering the sublimity of our last end for which we have been created, the will is impelled to make every effort towards its attainment. That this may proceed in a regular and orderly manner, we must (1.) first of all remove the obstacles which lie in our path, that is to say our sins, by detesting and confessing them. But to prevent us from relapsing into our sinful ways, we are still further frightened away from them by the consideration of death, judgment, hell, and of the manner in which God has punished the sin of the angels, and that of our first parents. (2.) Having removed these obstacles, and having returned anew with the Prodigal Son into the grace of our Heavenly Father, in order that we may be enabled to advance in the path of perfection and attain our last end, we are offered a support , namely, the example of Jesus Christ, than whom there is no guide more skilled, no way more secure, no com- panion more faithful, no helper more ready or more powerful to render us assistance. For this reason his virtues and the principal mysteries of his life are proposed to us as the subject of our meditation. (3.) That we may be the more courageous to imi- tate Him, even in a more perfect manner , we are in- vited to make the three celebrated meditations, on the two standards, the three classes of men, and the three degrees of humility. But in order that we 2 4 INTRODUCTION. may remain fixed in our holy choice, we are con- firmed in our resolution of leading a more perfect life, even in the midst of adversity and persecutions, and at the sacrifice of health and reputation, if neces- sary, by the example of Jesus suffering. (4.) Finally, encouraged by the glory of Jesus arisen from the dead, and buoyed up with the hope of the many rewards reserved for us, we are sweetly transported by charity to the love of God, to an in-' timate union with Him, and to an absolute con- formity of our desires with His Divine will, in which consists all our perfection and our happiness, and which is the only end aimed at in this Ee treat. III. What has been said explains sufficiently the plan of the Exercises, and 1 shall only add that the Di- rectory styles the first week the basis and foundation of the others, and says that it must never be omitted on any account. From which we may infer with what fervour we ought to attend to the Exercises as signed for that week, since the happy results of the entire Eetreat depend upon it. The object aimed at during this week, as well as the fruit to be derived from it is threefold, viz. : — 1, an absolute indifference to all the means by which God shall be pleased to conduct us to our last end ; 2, an intense sorrow and detestation for the sins which have caused us to stray so far from this our end ; and 3, a thorough know - ledge of ourselves; that is, of the passions which hold sway in our hearts, of the vicious habits which enslave us, and of the source whence spring those defects which insensibly draw us aside from the pursuit of our end, and are our greatest stumbling- block in the path of perfection (a). (a) Directory, ch. 11 aiid !2. SPIRITUAL EXERCISES ACCORDING TO THE METHOD OJ? SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, TO THE READER. Those points of the Meditation which cannot be gone through within the hour marked out for that Exercise , may be taken up at whatever other time is found most convenient. The matter assigned for Spiritual Lecture will not be found inconveniently long , especially if a portion of the afternoon , as well as of the forenoon, be devoted to it, or it be sub- stituted for the “ Lives of the Saints.” An entire hour should be employed in the consideration , and during this time it should engross our undivided attention. What regards the examination of our state, may be read after the evening meditation , or at some other convenient hour. For the rest, whoever ‘wishes to observe the recommendation laid down by S. Ignatius, of not reading, or meditating upon any- thing except what has relation to the subject of the exercises, will find in this little book alone quite enough of matter to occupy his thoughts during the entire eight days of the Retreat. 26 Jjiret ilan. FIRST MEDITATION. On the end of Man . First Point. You have been created by God. Now, examine yourself, and reflect who it is that has created you, whence He has drawn you, ichat it is He has made you, and with what love He was influenced in bestow- ing upon you your existence ] 1. And in the first place, it was not one of the Angels or of the Powers, neither was it one of the Principalities, or of the Cherubim who created you, but it was God Himself — that God who has no need of any one, and who is infinitely rich and happy in Himself. 2. And He created you from nothing, calling into action (so to speak) on your account all the Omnipo- tence of His power ; for, since there is an im- measurable distance between a state of existence and of mere possibility, it needed all the infinite power of God’s arm to bring you into existence when as yet you had no being. 3. And He has created you “ to His own image and likeness 99 (a); stamping you, as it were, with a ray of His divinity, endowing you with a form which rivals that of the most Holy Trinity, and making you little less than the angels (b). In a word, that God, who is all-sufficient to Himself, (a) Genesis iv. 26. (b) Psalm viii. 6. ON THE END OF MAN, 27 lias not created you devoid of feeling, nor a brutb beast, nor lacking the use of reason; hut He has formed you full of life and intelligence, and capable of enjoying everlasting happiness. 4. And this He has done with an infinite and eternal love , loving you with His entire powers from all eternity, in prefer- ence to innumerable other beings who would have sarved Him in a more perfect manner. He has left them in their nothingness, and in their stead He has created you ; selecting and embracing with that benign affection of His, without any antecedent merit on your part, you a most ungrateful sinner ; nay more, He has fostered you as His child in His paternal bosom, caressing you, and protecting you with sin- gular Providence. Therefore, pay particular atten- tion to the consequence, therefore you are bound to serve God. It is from God you have received those faculties of your soul, those intellectual powers which you possess, those human feelings with which you are e ldowed, and the members which constitute your body. They are treasures, then, entrusted to you with a bountiful hand, that you may traffic with them. Therefore, you are bound to employ them in t 'ie service of God. You might have been born lame, deaf, blind, dumb, an idiot, or crazy. Wherefore , since, through the bounty of your Creator, you are in the enjoyment of those natural gifts, you are bound to employ them in the service of God . Who if he be not an unbeliever, will dare to question these truths ? Second Point. You have been created by God to serve Him in this life , and to enjoy Him in the life to come. To serve 28 FI RSI MEDITATION’. God is man’s paramount business, and his essential end. God might, if He chose, have left us eternally buried in our nothingness ; but having been pleased to create us, it was impossible that He could bestow life upon us for any other end. !No one has been created to the end that He might abound in riches, honours, and pleasures ; that he might gain friends, or store up knowledge, or win himself a name in the world ; but he lias been created to serve God: “ For this is all man” (a), namely to be essentially the ser- vant of God. 2. To serve God is man’s sole end, and his only business : even though he should have managed with the greatest applause the affairs of the entire world ; though he should have governed all its kingdoms, and counselled all its princes and emperors ; though he should have accumulated immense wealth, at- tained to exalted rank, and acquired power almost beyond limit ; yet, if he have not rendered to God that service which is His due, he is, in the judgment of heaven, but a cypher, and a useless burthen upon the earth. On the other hand, even though a per- son should have in nowise laboured for the world, though his lifetime should have been spent in a sick chamber, or he should have lain hidden away in some obscure corner, unnoticed or despised by all, yet, if he have only served God, he has done enough, be- cause he has conducted to a successful issue that work for which alone he was created. 3. To serve God is our last end, and is an affair of such importance that, if brought to a successful termination, it is of itself sufficient to tranquillize our (a) Ecclesiastes xii. 13. ON THE END OF MAN. 29 soul, and to satiate its desires. For, if we attain this one end, and bring this one affair to a happy conclusion, we shall be perfectly contented, even though we should forfeit or neglect all things else. But, if, on the other hand, we fail in attaining this one end, or if we conduct this one affair unsuccess- fully, we shall always be uneasy and disturbed, even though we possessed all other things in abun- dance, and were to bestow upon them our undivided attention. Our desires continually tend with an uncontrollable force towards things greater than those of earth : for as a stone does not find its rest- ing place until it has reached its centre, so man never enjoys perfect repose until he has found God, who is his last end. 4. To serve God is man’s end, and his most im- portant business upon earth; because from it depends an eternity of happiness or of misery; because, should it terminate badly, it would involve an irreparable loss ; and because to have once erred in the management of this business is to have perished for ever. This is that affair which alone will cause us anxiety at the hour of death. In a word, to serve God is man’s end, and his greatest, his last, his only, and his essen- tial business in this world. Therefore, he ought to attend to it with all his powers, and with unflagging perseverance. Man has bean created by God , and for God ; therefore he ought to serve God. Such is the incontestable fact : therefore, you too, reader, are bound to serve God. Let the world prate as it may, let the flesh rebel, let the devil fret and rave, but you are bound to serve God. Every tongue in heaven, upon earth, and in hell proclaims this truth. 30 FIRST MEDITATION, Third Point. We must serve God in that manner in which He wishes to be served . Why do you hesitate ? What doubts do you entertain on the subject ? The far- mer does not permit his servants to work in a man- ner different from that which he has marked out for them. Why, then, should God alone be com- pelled to tolerate similar conduct? No one rewards a service which has been performed contrary to orders. Why, then, should God reward such ser- vices ? Even acts of kindness cease to please, when they are not done in conformity with our desires. How much more displeasing, then, services which are our due ? The very holiest works become empty and valueless when not performed agreeably to the Divine wishes. " I have no pleasure in you ” (a), said the Lord to the Israelites. And why ? because “ in the days of your fast your own will is found ” ( b ). Their actions were the result of caprice, and not of a desire to do God’s will, and the Lord, in consequence, abominated their sacri- fices. From this we perceive, even with the unaided light of natural reason, that it is our duty to serve our Creator, not in whatever manner we ourselves choose to do so, but in that manner which is pleas- ing to Him. Let us ponder well on this funda- mental truth, and let it be deeply graven on our hearts. If, then, the all-wise God desires that you should serve Him in a humble and despiseu condi- tion, surrounded by sickness, calamities, and perse- fa) Malach i, 10. (Z/) Isaias Iviii. 3. ON THE END OF MAN. 51 cution, you are an impious rebel if you would prefer to serve Him in the enjoyment of affluence, health, prosperity, and honours. Hence, you should regard with absolute indifference every kind of service which your Creator may be pleased to r squire at your hands, being prepared to serve 1 Him i 1 every condition of life, or in every degree of per- fection that is pleasing to Him in that state which you have already chosen. This indifference , reduced to practice , is the principal fruit which you ought use every endeavour to gather from the present meditation. You will be much assisted in your effort to do so : 1, by conceiving in your intellect a lively and clear appreciation of the following truth : “ I have been created by God and for God ; 2, by bringing your will to form a firm and efficacious general resolution of serving God henceforward after whatever manner He may wish , and may be pleased to make known to you during the course of these exercises. Affections. You should excite within your soul the following affections principally. 1. An act of Faith , by which you firmly believe that to serve your Creator is your last end , as well as your only, your greatest, and your most essential business ; and that all created things are but means ordained for the attainment of this end. 2. Acts of indifference in respect of those four conditions of things enumerated by S. Ignatius in his meditation on the “ Foundation,” viz. : 1, To serve God whether in honour or dishonour ; 2, whether attended by misery, or surrounded by the 32 FIRST MEDITATION. comforts of life ; 3, whether in health, or in sick- ness ; 4, whether the term of your life be long, or prematurely shortened by labours ; proclaiming yourself ready, moreover (FT. B.), to avoid ox reject that which constitues the chief impediment to the attainment of your last end, and to endure or per- form everything which conduces to lead you securely to that great goal — ready, in one word, to spring for- ward towards that degree of perfection , which it is God’s wish you should strain every nerve to reach during the present course of Exercises. You will be much assisted towards attaining this disposition of soul by a practical faith in the follow- ing gospel truths: 1. 4 4 It is better for thee to go into life maimed or lame, than, having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire” (a). 2. 44 It is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than thy whole body be cast into hell” (6). 3. Finally, 44 What doth it profit a man , if he gain the whole world , and suffer the loss of his own sold / What exchange shall a man give for his soul? }, (c) In a word, what will riches, ho- nours, and a life of worldly happiness profit me if I lose my soul ] And how do I suffer by leading a poor, miserable, and despised existence here, if I only secure my salvation 1 Imprint well upon your mind those words : 44 what doth it profit ? ” 44 how do I suffer ? ” 3. You may also excite within yourself affections : E Of gratitude for the benefit of creation ; 2. Of sorrow for having so often abused the means of sal- fa) Matthew xviii. 19. ( h ) Matthew v. 9. (c) Matthew xvi. 26. ON TEE END OF MAN. 33 vation, by making bad use of your senses and of the faculties of your soul ; 3. Of love towards so beneficent a Creator, resolving firmly to act always, and in all things, with a pure intention ; 4. Of hope and of desire to enjoy eternally God who is our last end. Nevertheless (as the Directory observes), one ought to indulge in these four affections only for a brief period, and in a passing way. For, the object to which this meditation is directed, and the essen- tial fruit to be gathered from it, is simply a thorough indifference to any manner of service which God may require at our hands. Hence, you ought to employ the greater part of this hour in striving, with all your soul, to acquire this spirit of indifference . But if you do not find your soul equal to such perfection, conceive at least a desire of it, and fervently beseech the Lord to grant it to you. Take care, however, not to be discouraged by the difficulty of the attempt ; for if God, for His own most wise ends, should deny you this grace at present, perhaps He will grant it to you the more abundantly hereafter. For the rest, be careful on your part to place no obstacle in its way, and endeavour to render yourself worthy to obtain it. Compendium. 1. You have been created by God. Now, reflect who it is that has created you, whence He has drawn you, ichat it is He has made you, and with what love He has called you into existence. Who ? God — God Himself created you. Whence has He drawn you? From nothing: employing for that 34 FIKST MEDI1ATI0N. purpose all His omnipotence. What has He made you ? A being after His own image and likeness. With what love was He influenced ? With an infi- nite and eternal love ; loving you from eternity with His entire heart, in preference to innumerable other creatures whose creation was equally possible to Him. What consequence, then, should you draw from all this ? It is this — Therefore, you are hound to serve God with your entire sold , and you ought to employ in His service all those gifts with which He has endowed you . 2. You have been created by God to know Him , to love Him , and to serve Him in this life , in order to enjoy Him afterwards in the life to come . Hence, to serve God is your essential end : since it is for this purpose that God has created you, and not that your life should be passed in the enjoyment of riches, pleasures, and honours ; 2. To serve God is your only end . You may have achieved wonders upon earth, but if you have failed to labour for God what does it all avail you ? Nothing ! 3. To serve God is your last end, and for this reason your soul is ever restless until it comes to possess Him ; 4. To serve God is your chief and greatest end, because upon your doing so depends for you an eternity of happiness or of misery. 3. You must serve God in whatever manner is pleasing to Him : since no one values services ren- dered to him against his will. Therefore, in serv- ing God, you ought to regard indifferently whether you do so in riches or in poverty ; amid pleasures, or in afflictions ; surrounded by honours, or sunk in abasement ; during a short life, or a long one ; in that state of life to which He may call you, or, in LECTURE. 35 the state already chosen, in that degree of perfection in which it is His will that you should serve Him. Lecture. On the First Meditation which S. Ignatius calls “ The Foundation § i. It was not without the assistance of the Divine light that S. Ignatius commenced his Exercises with the consideration of the last end for which we have been created. For, 1. in every undertaking the mind naturally reverts, in the first place, to the end for which we act ; this being, as it were, the centre towards which everything else is directed. S. Igna- tius, therefore, wishing, by means of his Exercises, to reform the lives of men, wisely commences by proposing for their consideration the end of man; since, not only is the reformation of our life directed towards this, but even the very method of working out this reformation ought to be regulated with a view to it. 2. Moreover, the object of these exer- cises is to conduct the soul, through the threefold way of perfection, to the attainment of its last end. Now, this cannot be accomplished if the soul have not first discovered what her last end is : therefore, this is very wisely made known to her from the start; 3. Finally, before proceeding to erect a building of any kind, we must first lay the foundation, and for this reason, S. Ignatius very properly places before the other meditations this one which he calls “ The Foundation ”. “ Since ” (as the Directory says), “ it is the basis of the Spiritual Edifice. And as the found- ation supports the entire building, so the influence of this truth is felt throughout all the Exercises, and 36 FIRST MEDITATION. more particularly in wlrat concerns the choice of ■& state (or of a more perfect life), as this election almost entirely depends upon it” (a). For since a true emendation of life consists in electing to serve God in whatever manner is most pleasing to Him, we can never succeed in accomplishing this properly, unless our minds are so evenly balanced as to be generously prepared for any sacrifice. This “ equi- librium ” of mind (if we may so speak) is the fruit which we should principally gather from the present meditation. Hence, we see with what justice it is said to influence all the exercises , and hoio it consti- tutes the foundation of the entire spiritual edifice : nay more, how it is an indispensable condition required in order to derive the desired advantages from the Ketreat. 2. “ Wherefore” (to use the words of the Direc- tory), “ by how much the more successfully we make this meditation, by so much the greater advan- tage shall we derive from the others that are to follow ; and the deeper we dig this foundation, the more solid will be the superstructure which we shall raise upon it” ( b ). What attention, then, and what earnestness ought we not employ, in order to meditate this truth with fervour ! The devil, who well knows how great will be his own loss and our gain if we meditate upon it thoroughly, employs all his powers to distract us, or induce us to read it over hurriedly, as a truth already sufficiently clear, and in fact self-evident. Meanwhile, he suggests to us the desire of making amends for this by redoub- ling our fervour on the morrow, and all this time lie (a) Chap, xii,, n, 1 & 7, (b) Chap, xii., n. 3 & 7, LECTURE. 37 is undermining tlie foundation stone of our spiritual edifice. To counteract the effects of this deception, S. Ignatius does not assign any fixed time for this meditation, nor does he limit its duration, as in the case of the others, to one hour, thus giving us to understand that we should occupy ourselves with it so long as is necessary to imprint deeply in our souls the truth which it conveys (a). For the same rea- son, and in conformity with the intention of the saint, I also direct, that it be repeated in the evening, either to compensate for any want of fer- vour there may have been in the morning, or to increase it. §n. 1. When we meditate upon the end of man, two points demand our most serious consideration. 1. “ Man has been created by God for the purpose of praising, worshipping and serving his Creator, that he may finally enjoy Him. 2. All others things on earth have been created for man’s use, that they may assist him in accomplishing the end for which he has himself been created ” (h). As man, then, has been created for God, so all other things have been created for man ; and there- fore, as God is the end of man, so everything else that exists in the world finds the end of its creation in man. The subject of the first meditation was, that to serve God constitutes our essential, our only (a) Directory, cli. xii. n. 6. I b ) In lib. Exercit. de Fundamento. C 38 FIRST MEDITATION. and our greatest end : the subject of the second will be, that all other created things are merely means to help us in working out this end. From these two truths, S. Ignatius draws two logical consequences of the very greatest importance. The first is : “ Therefore, we are bound to make use of, or abstain from, created things in proportion as they prove a help or a hindrance to us in the attain- ment of our end ” The second is as follows : “ Therefore, we ought to hold ourselves indifferent with regard to all created things, and select and desire such only of them as serve to conduct us mest securely to our last end . In such manner, that we no longer prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honour to disgrace, nor a long life to a short one” (a). The first of these propositions declares the use cf created things; the second regulates the dispositicn of the soul with regard to them. Both combined contain within them the secret by which, we may most securely and speedily attain greater perfection. Oh ! words, then, replete with heavenly wisdom ! Martin Olave, that shining light of the Sorbonne, frankly confessed that in a single hour employed in meditating on “the foundation,” he had learned more than he had from all the speculative theolo^ y which he had been studying day and night for ^o many years. There lived in the convent of “ Torre di Speech i, at Borne, a nun named Bonaventure— a lady of noble lineage and of keen intellect, skilled in mathematics, and endowed with every gift of nature, but so en- tirely given up to vanity and the spirit of the world, (a) In lib. Exercit. de Fundamento. LECTURE. 39 that she retained nothing of the nun beyond the dress and the name. When the venerable Father Lanciscius was on one occasion invited to conduct the Exercises in this convent, she was at first unwilling to listen to him on any account ; but at length, overcome by the entreaties of her sisters, she very reluctantly came to the chapel. No sooner had she heard the medita- tion on the end of man, and reflected upon it atten- tively, than entering her cell, she broke and cast out of it every vain and wordly object which it con- tained ; she severed all particular friendships, and ceased to indulge in useless conversations and argu- ments, offering herself to her Creator without re- serve as indifferent to everything, and in particular with regard to the attainment of that degree of per- fection to which He had called her. “ Father ! ” she said to Lanciscius, “ Father ! I must no longer trifle with God. I have discovered what it is that God requires of me, and what it is He desires I should not do. I wish to belong entirely to God, and for His greater glory to strive with all my soul to become a saint — but to become a saint at once , and a great saint” And she kept her word ; for, during the few remaining months of her life, she emulated the sanc- tity of S. Catherine of Sienna (a). Such a change can the meditation of this great truth effect even in the heart of a worldling ! 2. Nor need this surprise us ; for, once our in- tellect has clearly realised the fact that we have not been placed in this world to enjoy its riches, honours, and pleasures, but that these things, on the con- trary, have been created to enable us to work out (a) Lanciscius Opusc. cap vi. 22. 40 FIRST MEDITATION. our salvation, by making proper use of, or by despis- ing them ; it is certain that our will must of necessity become indifferent to all created things, selecting and desiring such of them only as help towards the at- tainment of our last end. And this harmonizes perfectly with the dictates of reason : for the means, considered merely as means, possess no excellence beyond their aptitude to con- duct us to a certain end. Hence, they are to be sought after only in proportion to the help they supply towards the attainment of that end. There- fore, since worldly glory, riches, pleasures, health, and a long life are nothing more than means ordained by God to aid us in working out our salvation, it follows that they are to be regarded as blessings and legitimate objects of our desires, then, only, when they are conducive to our salvation ; and that they are evils to be held in utter abhorrence, whenever they are an obstacle to us in the attainment of our last end. It is our duty, then, to hold ourselves in a state of absolute indifference with regard to them. The artisan regards with indifference the tools in his workshop. He takes into consideration not so much the materials of which they are made, as their usefulness, and he makes use of them or casts them aside, justs as he finds them suitable or otherwise for the purposes of his trade. The person who should think it beneath him to write with an ordinary pen, and would employ in its stead a golden sceptre would be justly held up to ridicule. But that man acts in an equally absurd manner, who when called / by God to work out his salvation in poverty, humi- liation, and trials, seeks to attain it by a life spent in the enjoyment of luxuries, riches, and honours. LECTURE. 41 3. And, in truth, what does it avail me to have lived in health, in happiness, and in the enjoyment of honours, if after all I be lost ? and how am I in- jured by having lived in poverty, amid humiliations, and in sickness, if, even so, I save my soul f What loss is it now to Lazarus, that, poor, and covered with ulcers, he once lay like a dog at the threshold of the rich glutton ? and of what present advantage is it to the glutton that, during his lifetime, he wal- lowed in riches and in pleasures ? “ The beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died, and he was buried in hell ” (a). That this truth may sink the more deeply into your soul, approach, reader, to the mouth of hell, unbar those dreadful gates, and cry out to those within, “ 0 you lost souls, of what advantage to you were the goods of the world ? What hath 'pride profited you ? or loliat advantage hath the boasting of riches brought you ? ( b ) Come ! tell me of what profit was it ? what advantage has it brought you ? ” Ah ! with loud groans, and with gnashing of teeth, they reply, “ We have wandered from the path of truth . Fools that we were, we have strayed away from our end.” “ Ah ! exclaims the sensual man, “/ did but taste a little honey ! ( c ) That sensual plea- sure lasted but a brief moment, and these torments will be eternal.” The avaricious man cries out, “ I had much goods laid up for many years (d), and here I die of hunger”. “ Oh ! ” exclaims the proud man, (a) Luke xvi. 22 and 25. (c) 1 Kings xiv. 43. (b) Wisdom v. 8. (d) Luke xii. 1 9. 42 FIRST MEDITATION. “ with what shame am I now covered here, who was clothed in purple and fine linen ” (a). Such are the answers you receive from those damned souls, who placed their last end in the means which had been ordained merely for its attainment ; and constituted their happiness in the enjoyment of those things which they ought only to have used. On the other hand, turn your eyes towards heaven ; cast a glance into Paradise. Tell me what injury is it now to those blessed souls “to have entered through many tribulation s into the kingdom of God? ” (b) Oh ! what delight, what overflowing happiness do they not now enjoy, because, during their pilgrimage here below, they had been “ in want , distressed , afflicted ! ” (c) because they were made as the refuse of this world , the off-scouring of all 99 (d). Now do they cry out : Oh, sweet sufferings ! oh, pleasant tribula- tions ! oh friendly trials ! You have been to us so many ladders, by means of which we have reached these heavenly thrones. What answer do you give to these voices from the world beyond the grave ? What at this moment is the actual disposition of your soul ? Come, tell me, is it not better to reach heaven poor, despised, and afflicted, than to be hurled into hell after a life spent in the enjoyment of riches, honours, and happiness ? For, what advantage is it to you to possess every earthly good in abundance, if in the end you are lost? and what injury is it to you to be afflicted with every temporal calamity, if by such means you save your soul ? 0 words ! brief (a) Luke xvi. 10. (c) Hebrews xi. 36. (b) Acts xiv. 21, (d) Cor. iv. 13. LECTURE. 43 indeed, but pregnant with deepest meaning. What doth it profit ? What loss is it ? No sooner had S. Francis Xavier meditated on these words than he said within himself, “ What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul ? ( a ) and, on the other hand, what injury is it to a man to lose every earthly pos- session, if thus he may win heaven ? ” Overcome by such reflections, he generously spurned from him the pride of human greatness, turned his back upon the world, and consecrated himself without reserve to the service of God. So that to this first meditation on “ the foundation,” the society of Jesus is indebted for reckoning Xavier among its children, to it Xavier himself owes his sanctity, and India her conversion to the true faith. And in truth, the man who is not moved by this consideration to detach himself from, and become indifferent to, the perishable goods of earth, must have at once a darkened intellect, and a cold and hardened heart. IV. Should you, too, unfortunately, belong to this class, form a desire at least, of this holy indifference, and treasure up in your memory those two conclu- sions drawn up by S. Ignatius, viz. : — 1. “That we must make use of created things, or abstain from the use of them, precisely in proportion as they are a help or a hindrance to us in the attainment of our last end.” 2. That in order to reduce this to practice, “we ought to regard all created things with a feeling of indifference, and to make choice of and desire those only among them which serve best to conduct us to our last end : in such manner as not (a) Matt. xvi. 26. 44 FIRST MEDITATION. to prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honour to disgrace, or a long life to a short one ” (a). Frequently turn over these considerations in your mind, and, at the same time, reflect on the happiness and nobility of that soul which is equally prepared to live in a humble, poor, and afflicted condition, or amid pleasures, riches and honours, according as it shall please God to make known His will to her in the course of these exercises. In point of fact, the attainment of this state of indifference ought to be the fruit of the first medi- tation. For, since we have been created by God and for God , ice are bound to serve God , and to do so pre- cisely in that manner which He may wish , being abso- lutely indifferent to every kind of service to which His Divine Majesty may be pleased to call us ; so that we would esteem it one and the same thing to be rich or poor, honoured or despised, sick or in good health, living or in our graves, provided that, in any of these conditions, we are thus serving our Creator after the manner which is agreeable to Him. § HI. 1. There are two reasons why S. Ignatius men- tions by name these four states of earthly ex- istence, viz. ; 1, poverty or riches ; 2, honour and dis- grace ; 3, health and sickness ; 4, a long life and a short one. The first reason is, because it is princh pally on account of these things that the soul is drawn away from this happy state of indifference, and led towards evil. The second reason is, that all the other obstacles which impede us in the attain- ment of our last end may be referred to these four, (a) 1 John ii. 16. LECTURE. 45 since S. Jolin assures us that “ all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh , and the concupiscence of the eyes , and the pride of life ” (a). Do not advance in reply that, since health and life are in themselves two blessings in the order of nature, they may lawfully be coveted, nay more, ought to be jealously guarded ; eo that one may not be indifferent when there is question of them. For, the illustrious Suarez answers, that, although they are goods suitable to our nature, and, as such, legitimate objects of our desires and solicitude, nevertheless, as they ordinarily furnish an occasion of sin to man, or prove an ob- stacle to his advancement in virtue, it is most ex- pedient to desire them only in so far as they are a help to our greater perfection. Moreover, as we are sometimes called upon to make light of them, and sacrifice them to God, either as a tribute to virtue, or for our greater perfection, we surely ought to extend to them also the feeling of indifference, in order that we may be ever ready to make this sacrifice when occasion requires ( b ). 2. For the rest, since God has, by the grace of vocation, already made clearly known to Religious the state of life in which He wishes to be served by them, they ought to be no longer indifferent con- cerning this matter; nay more, they ought to fly from every doubt on the subject as from a most horrible temptation. Having established, then, the fundamental point, that God wishes to be served by us in the holy order to which we belong, we ought to be indifferent only with regard to the manner of (a) 1 John ii. 16. (b) De Religionc, tom iv. tract 10, lib. 9, cap. 5, dub. 4. 46 FIRST MEDITATION. serving God in it, according to the measure of the grace which He has bestowed upon us. Moreover, since by reason of the condition of our state, we can no longer be indifferent to poverty, or riches, or worldly dignities, inasmuch as we are already bound by our vows to shun them, it remains for us to exercise the spirit of indifference in respect of other objects, viz. — 1, Being indifferent to high or low offices in our order (a ) ; to being assistants or professed religious ; to being employed in teach- ing the higher and lower classes. 2, Being in- different to a rich or a poor college ; to a commodi- ous or incommodious dwelling; to being governed by gentle or by harsh superiors ; to living with love- able or with disagreeable companions. 3, Being indiffe- rent to health or sickness ; being able to put up with whatever duties may be assigned to us ; with our food, with our apartments, with unwholesome air, and such like matters. 4, Being indifferent whether we live a long life, and whether we shorten it by the discharge of the duties imposed upon us by obedience, by labours, by annoyances, and by wearisome jour- neys. But if, owing to the peculiarity of the cir- cumstances in which he is placed, any one should find these four points ill-suited to his condition, let him offer himself up as prepared with perfect in - difference to avoid or to embrace , to suffer or to execute whatever he shall feel that God requires of him dur- ing the course of these exercises — placing no limit to the Divine inspirations, admitting no compromise (a) From expressions used here, and, occasionally, else- where throughout this book, it is evident that Father Bellicio wrote primarily for the members of the Society of Jesus, to which he himself belonged . — ( Translator. ) LECTURE. 47 between nature and grace, marking out no halting- place in the path of virtue, hut rather generously offering himself as prepared for any lot which his Creator may wish to assign him ; ready, in one word, to mount up to that degree of perfection which God roishes him to attain during the course of these ex- ercises. Wherefore, for the sake of brevity, I have reduced the four first points of S. Ignatius to the three fol- lowing, viz. — 1, that we should be indifferent to every kind of employment ; 2, to every place ; 3, to every condition of health ; adding, as a fourth point, in- difife rence to attain, in the state already chosen, whatever degree of perfection God may wish us to reach, or a certain promptitude to avoid or to embrace , to suffer , or to perform everything which God shall require of us in the course of these exercises. Hence- forward, adding this point to the other three, I shall call it by the name of degree . I do not deny that the attainment of this state of indifference is, in practice extremely difficult ; but I assert that for this very reason the attempt is worthy the ambition of every magnanimous soul ; and I add, moreover, that it is your duty to spare no effort towards attaining this state, if you wish to become a perfect religious — a truth of which you will be convinced after you shall have made attentively the following meditation, which has for its subject “ The end of the Religious Man”. To the Header. Seculars may substitute for the following meditation the second paragraph of the preceding Lecture , as far as section III . Secular priests , who, in virtue of their 48 FIRST DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. vocation , are bound to aim at their own individual perfection , and to procure the salvation of their neigh- bour , will find the second meditation much more neces- sary for them than it may at first sight appear ; nor need they change anything in it beyond a few circum- stances. SECOND MEDITATION. On the End of the Religious Man. First Point. The end of the Religious man, whose life is of a mixed kind, consists not only in attending, with the assistance of Divine grace, to his own perfection and the salvation of his own soul, but also in his using every endeavour to procure the perfection and salva- tion of his neighbour. Hence the end proposed to the members of the Society (of Jesus) is the perfec- tion and salvation of themselves and of others. The excellence, the utility, and the happiness of this end are exceeding great. I. Its excellence is seen in this : — 1. That it was the principal end of the external manifestations of God’s power and goodness, or, as theologians say, of the actions of God ad extra — that is, of the Creation, of the Redemption, of the Mission of the Hoty Ghost, of the life, the labours, and the death of Jesus Christ — these having been directed principally to the per- fection and salvation of the human race. 2. Because, ON THE END OF THE RELIGIOUS MAN. 49 as S. Dionysius attests, to co-operate with heaven in the salvation of souls is the most divine of all divine works — divinorum omnium divinissimum opus est 3. Because he who is zealous for his neighbour’s salvation nobly lifts himself above the earth, becomes superior to the very angels, is constituted a mediator between man and God, and in a certain sense, as it were, another redeemer. IT. The advantages which flow from the pursuit of this end are also of the highest value : 1. Because of the many merits which we acquire thereby. 2. Because of the innumerable graces which are con- ferred upon us on account of it. 3. Because of the sublime reward which will crown our labours. For, assuredly, there is nothing better calculated to appease the Divine Justice, than to present before the throne of Divine Mercy the souls that have been saved through our means. III. Nor is the happiness which flow's therefrom of less account. For they only who attend to perfec- tion, 1. Live tranquilly ; 2. Die calmly ; 3. And enjoy copiously the consolations of heaven. Oh ! a thousand times blessed, then, be the Lord, “ by whom we are called unto the fellowship of his Son I Jesus Christ our Lord ” (a), in which, by reason of our vocation, we are bound to attend to this sublime, this advantageous, and this happy end. It must be borne in mind, nevertheless, that w r e are to labour fdr the attainment of this end, namely, lour own and our neighbour’s salvation — not accord- ling to the individual wish of each one of us, but after the manner which God shall appoint; that is, by (a) 1 Cor. i. 9. 50 FIRST DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. those means , and in that measure , by which, and in which, His Divine Majesty may wish us to attain it. Wherefore, we ought not to strive after any degree of perfection different from that which God wills, nor ought we aim at attaining it by any other means than those which the Lord has appointed for us. Neither ought we to desire to save other souls , nor in greater numbers , nor in other places, nor at other times, nor by other means than it shall please God. Otherwise, we shall be seeking not God’s will but our own. The will of God ought to be the only goal of our actions, and the limit of our desires. Outside of it there exists nothing save error and ruin. Wherefore, let each one of us imprint deeply in his soul this fundamental truth — that the end of a religious who professes a mixed life, and more par ticularly of a religious belonging to the Society of Jesus, consists in serving his Creator by procuring his own salvation and perfection, and the salvation and perfection of his neighbour ; and in doing this expressly hy those means , and precisely in that mea- sure, by which and in which God wishes him to execute this design. 0 Jesus ! who by word and example didst teach this doctrine, grant that my will may embrace what my judgment approves. Second Point. In addition to the frequentation of the sacraments, the exercise of prayer, the practice of retirement, the mortification of the senses and of the passions, and the observance of the rules, the means to attain this end in a mixed order are to be found in the various places in which we may be located, in the ON THE END OF THE RELIGIOUS MAN. 51 various degrees , in our different offices , and in the various powers of our soul and body ; because it is precisely by means of such things that the religious who leads a mixed life procures the salvation and perfection of himself and others. Here three things must be borne in mind : 1. That in religion the different degrees, the changes of place, the variety of offices, the fluctuations of health, are simply means to help us in securing our own salva- tion and that of our neighbour ; and, therefore, that we should covet or avoid them, in proportion as they conduct us towards, or lead us away from, this end ; for the means, considered merely as means, possess no merit beyond their adaptability to the attainment of the end. Whoever, then, would desire any of these things, not because of this property annexed to it, but because of its own intrinsic merits, disturbs the natural order by making the means the end of his actions. We must bear in mind, 2. in the next place, that every degree, every locality, every office, every con- dition of health is for a religious a means suitable to the attainment of his end, since to obtain his own and his neighbour’s salvation he can fulfil God’s will equally in any degree, in any place, in any office, and in any condition of health. For (as we clearly see both from the nature of the thing itself, and from examples), it is possible to arrive at perfection, and I to work out our own and our neighbour’s salvation in one degree as well as in another, in a rich convent or in a poor one, whether engaged in teaching or $in more active duties, whether our pupils be little children or persons already far advanced in their studies, whether the state of our health be infirm or 52 FIRST DAY — SECOND MEDITATION* robust. Therefore, all these are suitable means for the attainment of the end towards which we aim. But, you will say, nevertheless, one means is more suitable than another. No, you deceive yourself. No one of these means is in itself more suitable than another for the attainment of this end : it is merely its greater convenience that commends it to your self-love. Hence, you must remember, 3. in the third place, that of the means mentioned, that one which is in conformity with God’s will is the best adapted to attain the proposed end : that is to say, that place, that degree, that office, that state of health which God shall have appointed for you, either through His : own immediate action, or by the arrangements of your superiors, is for you the one best suited to the service of God, and for the working out of your ow T n and your neighbour’s perfection and salvation. Hea- ven will bestow upon you the graces necessary to attain your end, more copiously and more readily in this state, than in another selected according to the dictates of your own caprice. Wherefore, those insults and those tribulations, those vexations and annoying dispositions of superiors, and such like matters, are means — nay, the very best means — thought of, selected and weighed in God’s balance from eternity, and by His infinite love pro- portioned to our strength, that we may succeed in attaining our end. For, it is certain that the Providence of God, be- cause of God’s infinite wisdom, always selects suit- able, and even the most suitable, means for the accomplishment of an end. When it is His wish, therefore, that we should procure our own and our ON THE END OF THE RELIGIOUS MAN. 53 neighbour’s salvation by the means already mentioned, it is evident that of all possible means these are the very best to attain that end. 0 Omnipotent Lord ! do Thou bend our intellects to assent firmly to these truths, and afterwards lead our rebellious wills to co-operate in constantly reducing them to practice. Third Point. From what has been said up to the present, we legitimately conclude that every religious ought to serve God in the religious state, in that degree, in that office, in that place, and in that condition of health, in which Divine Providence — or Obedience, the interpreter of His will — shall prescribe. Where- fore, it follows that we ought to be indifferent to every degree, to every office, to every place, to every condition of health, because (as has been already established in the First Meditation) we are bound to serve our Creator in that manner which He has ap- pointed to us. Now, it is God’s will that we should serve Him in that place, in that degree, in that office which the Obedience which we owe to our superiors has marked out for us, and in that condition of health which His Providence has been pleased to bestow upon us ; for it is a dogma of Faith that whatever happens, sin alone excepted, happens by the disposition of Divine Providence. So also it is certain, that in doing the will of our superiors we are doing the will of God, who has said, lie that hearetli you liearetli me ” (a) ; and thus by means of the rule “ ice are happy , . . . . (a) Luke x. 16. D 54 FIRST DAY— SECOND MEDITATION. because the things that are pleasing to Gocl are made lcnoicn to us ” (a). Therefore we ought to be indifferent with regard to all these things, and whosoever is not indifferent .fails to serve God in the manner which God requires, and so turns aside from his last end. For as that general indifference to every condition of life — ex- alted or lowly, rich or poor — is necessary for attaining the end of man, as we have seen in the first medita- tion ; so this special indifference to every degree, to every office, to every place, and to every condition of health, is necessary in order to attain the end of the religious man — particularly in the Society (of Jesus) — and as that secular would stray away from his end, who should wish to live in a state different from that to which his Creator calls him, so that religious would fail in attaining his end, who should determine to serve God in another condition of health, in an- other degree, in another office, or in a place different from that in which obedience, or Divine Providence has placed him. Wherefore, let this indifference of feeling in respect of every degree, office, place, and condition of health be the object intended as the special fruit of this meditation. And, assuredly, this indifference is a matter of the very greatest importance, and a prize which we should strive for at any cost. For it constitutes the foundation of all the other meditations, and if it be undermined, it will drag down with it the entire spiritual edifice of the Exercises, and will entail the ruin of the interior man ; since without this a re- ligious can never attain the highest degree of perfection, (a) Baruch iv. 4. ON THE END OF TIIE RELIGIOUS MAN. 55 which is the primary object of the Exercises, and of the religious life. Affections. You shall stir up within your heart the following affections : 1. Acts of thanksgiving for the grace of a religious vocation, which has been bestowed upon you . . . . in preference to so many others who were much more deserving of it, ... . notwith- standing the foreknowledge of your sins .... and to a religious order distinguished by so many choice prerogatives. 2. Ads of sorrow for non-observance of the rules, for violations of your vows, for your carelessness in striving after perfection — in one word, for having failed in fulfilling the obligations of so holy a state, and for having been so lukewarm in labouring for the salvation of your neighbour. 3. Acts of love and of praise of God’s admirable Pro- vidence, which has guided you so lovingly*— even sometimes in opposition to your own inclinations — through so many dangers, and by so many different paths, and has ensured, at length, your safety in the harbour of religion. 4. Finally, resolve to serve God henceforward, in whatever manner He may wish : namely, in that degree of virtue which He shall be pleased to make known to you during these Exercises. Nevertheless, for the reasons already mentioned, we must not occupy ourselves beyond a brief period, with these four affections; we must, instead, concentrate all the powers of our soul in eliciting — II. An act of indifference to every place, to every office, to every degree, to every condition of health. This we must do, however, merely in a general wag , being cautious not to enter too minutely to-day into 56 FIRST DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. particulars where there is question of a matter so difficult in itself, and so utterly at variance with our self-love. For, our will being still weak, we must advance by slow stages, until it becomes gradually stronger through the graces obtained during the pro- gress of the Exercises, and arms itself to face each d i fficu 1 ty in particular . III. A considerable portion of time should also be devoted to eliciting an act of Faith, in virtue of which we firmly believe that all things happening to us through the commands of our superiors or otherwise, are sent to us by God for our greater good, and that they are, consequently, the means best adapted to conduct us to our end. For that self-same God who said, “ This is my Body ” (a), has said also, “ he that heareth you , heareth me ” (b). If then we believe in the truth of the first of these sayings, why should we entertain doubts concerning the truth of the second ? Let us also believe with a most firm faith the fol- lowing dogmas — That God is omniscient , from which it follows that He knows what place, what degree, what condition of health, and what office is most suitable for us. 2. That God is omnipotent , and is, therefore, able to use that which suits us best. 3. Finally, that God burns with an infinite love for us, and will, consequently, bestow upon us the means which are best adapted to the attainment of the end to which He has called us. A lively faith in this truth cannot fail to produce in us the spirit of indifference already mentioned, provided we im- plore it of God by fervent prayer. (a) Matt. xxvi. 26. (h) Luke x. 16. OX THE END OF THE RELIGIOUS MAN. 57 Compendium. I. The end of the religious who professes a mixed life is to attend to his own perfection and salvation, and to that of his neighbour. The excellence , the utility , and the happiness of this end are exceeding great. 1. Its excellence is great, because all the operations of God, ad extra , were directed to this end, and in hav- ing it as our end also, we are in a measure made co-redeemers of men. 2. Its utility is great, because (1) Of the merits ; (2) The graces ; and, (3) The glory which we shall obtain by accomplishing it. 3. Its happiness is great, because it conduces (1) To a tran- quil and contented life ; and (2) To a happy death. But it should be remembered that we must procure our ow T n and our neighbour’s salvation after the manner which God shall wish — namely, by these means , and in that measure , which shall be pleasing to Him. II. In a mixed order, the principal means to attain this end are the various places , degrees, offices , and the powers of our mind and body ; because it is pre- cisely by such agencies that we attain our own perfection and salvation, and procure the perfection and salvation of others. Here observe firstly, that the things just mentioned are nothing more than means. Wherefore, since the means have no other excellence beyond their aptitude to assist us in attaining an end, it follows that they are to be sought after, or avoided, in pro- portion as they conduct us to, or lead as away from, our end. FIRST DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. 58 Observe, secondly, that these various places , de- grees, offices , &c., are means suited to the attainment of our end, since by means of them we can fulfil the will of God. Observe, in the third place, that though all these means are in themselves suited to the accomplishment of our end, yet that one among them is best suited , which it is God’s will we should employ. III. From all this we conclude, that the religious ought to serve God in his vocation, in that degree , in that office , in that place , and in that condition of health which His Divine Providence and Obedience — the interpreter of His wishes — shall direct that He be served ; and that without this total indifference to every means we can neither be perfect ourselves, nor promote the perfection of others. Consideration. On indifference to every place , every office , every degree , and every condition of health . j ■ Since the necessity of this indifference is so great, that without it the entire spiritual edifice of the Exercises would go to ruin, in the same manner as a house would fall if its foundation were undermined ; and since, on the other hand, it is a virtue extremely difficult to acquire, as being diametrically opposed to *our self-love, I have resolved on putting forward a few arguments to persuade you to it, so that the will, assailed in so many ways, and so powerfully, may at length be forced to yield submission, and confess itself vanquished. This is what I propose to myself CONSIDERATION. 59 in the present consideration, and in doing so I am but following out the plan of S. Ignatius, who wishes that the entire of the first day should be exclusively devoted to this subject. I. The first cause which renders this golden in- difference so difficult to us is the dread of the labours, the slights, the annoyances, the sickness which must fall to our lot in such a particular place, or office, or degree of virtue, and so render our lives miserable. The removal then of this dread will help also to remove the obstacles which impede us in at- taining this indifference. 1. To begin, then, with the dread of sickness ; tell me, pray, cannot the Lord punish you with sickness in that place also, and in that office which you desire so much ? And is He not able to preserve you in health in that place, and in that office, which you would avoid through fear of illness? .... Why do you not fear rather that the vengeance of God would punish your repugnance precisely in this manner? .... And, on the other hand, is there not reason to hope that God would reward your in- difference by preserving to you your health ? . . . And, finally, if God, the Arbiter of life and death, does wish that you should be ailing rather than in good health, who are you that you should wish to resist His Omnipotence ? Is it not better to be ail- ing in conformity with God’s will, than enjoying good health in opposition to it? Therefore, the alleged fear of sickness is an extremely weak excuse suggested to you by self-love. Nevertheless, it is not forbidden you to lay before your superiors any well-grounded fear you may have of losing your health, provided you be at the same time prepared 60 FIRST DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. to do afterwards, with a spirit of indifference, what soever they, with a knowledge of the case, shall impose upon you. 2. Next, as regards the labours, the inconveniences, the annoyances, the weariness, the cares, to avoid which you would not wish to be in that place, or in that office, cannot God recompense you abundantly for them by a more sublime gift of prayer, by heavenly consolations, by the happy success of your undertakings, by peace of soul, by purity of heart, and by removing you from greater troubles, afflic- tions, and calamities which you might have to endure elsewhere ? On the other hand, cannot God, for your punish- ment, afflict you in that place or in that office which you so eagerly desire, with innumerable trials — and ones much more difficult to bear than those which you would endeavour to escape? .... Nay, have you not just reason to fear that such trials would befall you? Be wise, then, and repose with in- difference in the designs of Divine Providence. 3. Finally, what has been said of labours may be said also of those insults which you fear to encounter in any particular place, or office, or degree of virtue. If you endure them in peace, God will reward you with an abundance of graces, with robust health, with tranquillity of soul, and with the sweetness of heavenly consolations. On the other hand, oh ! how many have met with nothing but rebuffs and insults in the very place where they had hoped to be crowned with glory ! Oh, how odious when elevated to the rank of superiors do they often become, who, had they remained in the position of equals, would have CONSIDERATION* 01 won the love of every person with whom they might he brought in contact ! Such persons, by a just judgment of God, meet with insults, sickness and labours in that very career in which they had hoped to find ease, honours, and health. Thus Aman, though holding a most honour- able position, ended his life on the gibbet (a). Thus Lot, who had chosen for his residence the most pleasant places in Sodom, would have been destroyed by the fire which rained from heaven, had he not hastened to seek safety in flight ( b ). Thus Ocho- zias, while impatiently desiring to fly from sick- ness, met death, and was forced to hear from Elias that terrible announcement, “ Tliou shall surely die ” (c). And then, what do you gain ] Since even after enduring so many annoyances, and taking so much trouble to withdraw yourself from compliance with what obedience prescribes, it happens, as a general rule, that you must finally yield, and do under com- pulsion that which you now refuse to do of your own free will. For, whether you wish it or not, the will of God must always accomplish itself. God ordered Jonas to go to Ninive and preach there. Fearing that if God should afterwards pardon that people, he would himself be regarded as a false prophet, J onas refused the office that had been assigned to him, and fled from that place. But who can escape from the hand of God 1 He is caught in the midst of the (a) Esther vii. 10. (b) Gon. xix. 24. (c) 4 Kings i. 16. 02 FIRST DAY SECOND MEDITATION. ocean, is buried in its waters, is swallowed by a fish, and is at length saved only when he has passed through many dangers and trials. What happens next 1 “ The word of the Lord came to Jonas the second time,” ordering him to proceed to Ninive. He obeyed ; he went : but only after he had encountered many trials, which he would have escaped if he had only obeyed the first command (a). II. Having removed, then, this chief impediment, let us next consider, for our greater encouragement, the happiness which is enjoyed in this world by a soul endowed with the spirit of indifference. While she covets nothing through self-love, and refuses nothing through fear, she enjoys a heavenly peace, precisely because she puts away from her those two passions which are the fount of all uneasiness, namely, a pain fid longing to obtain that which we desire, and the fear of losing what we already possess. He who desires nothing is the richest person upon earth, because he is rich in himself, and is his own absolute master. He is independent of his superiors, because, being indifferent to everything, he seeks favours from no one. He abounds in every consola- tion, being always certain that he is in that place and in that office in which God wishes him to be, and, hence, in all his difficulties, dangers, and trials, he has recourse to God with entire confidence, being certain of obtaining His assistance. His days are passed in tranquil repose on the bosom of Divine Providence, while he repeats with the prophet, “ The Lord ruleth me, and I shall want nothing ” (b). (a) Jonas iii. 1, ct scq. (b) Ts. xx ii. 1. CONSIDERATION* G3 Finally, the rival of the angels, lie lives a heavenly life, even while lie is yet a sojourner upon earth. For, as the angels of the Lord are always prepared “ to hearken to the voice of liis orders ” (a), arc ready to guard alike a rich or a poor man, a Christian or an unbeliever ; are indifferent to offer up in heaven the incense of the prayers of the saints ( b ), as well as to pour out upon the earth the “ seven vials full of the wrath of God ” (c) ; so this happy soul stands ever on the alert to execute, as do the angels, the slightest order of her Creator, which is the only goal of her actions. Hence, no one can fully estimate the happiness which she enjoys here upon earth. On the other hand, the person who does not pos- sess this beautiful virtue is like a tempest-to sed ocean — ever agitated by a thousand cares, a thousand troubles. He must sacrifice his independence, must humble himself, must become the base flatterer of other men in order that they may favour, or at least, not oppose his ambitious projects. Should adversity come upon him, he dares not, in the fulness of his renibrse, to ask assistance from God ; because he well knows that he has himself sought from the hands of his superior, through intrigue, that position which now causes him so much trouble. And he knows that for his punishment God turns into bitterness, that for the enjoyment of which he withdrew him- self from following the Divine will. Perhaps you have yourself experienced this, . . * . and yet you have not learned wisdom 1 Imprudent man 1 do you not fear that, for your (a) Pfli cii. 20. ( b ) Apoc. viii. 3. (c) Apoc. xv. 7. 64 FIRST DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. punishment, God may permit that you be more fiercely tried by temptation, and even fall perhaps into mortal sin, in that place which you covet so much, while if you had been elsewhere he would not have permitted you to fall ? Do you not fear that in that office which so entices you, God may withhold from you those graces which are specially re- quired to fill it properly 1 How can you presume to live in that place and in that office in which Di- vine Providence has not placed you ? You are as a bone out of its socket, and your life will be always one of pain. Tell me, pray, what contentment will you derive from having always secured the object of your desires ; from having always acted as your own inclinations prompted? Unhappy man! what will this avail you t What reward can you afterwards lay claim to, since you have executed not God’s will but your own ? Ah ! be afraid, — because maledidus homo qui ponit ccirnem b'acliium suum. Wherefore, let us renew with a prompt and gene- rous heart that fundamental resolution already so many times repeated to-day, of serving God hence- forward in that state of life (or in the state already chosen), in that degree of perfection, in that office, in that place, in that condition of health, in which He shall make known to us that He wishes us to serve Him; being firmly fixed in our determination to avoid or to embrace , to suffer or to perform, whatever we may discover in the course of these Exercises to be in conformity with the will of our Creator. III. That this resolution may become still stronger, persuade yourself that it is of Faith that whatever happens in this world is not the result of mere chance, but happens by the disposition of God, who loves consideration. 65 us infinitely, and whose divine wisdom 11 ordereth all things sweetly” (a). Attend to those words, “ all things sweetly ” Wherefore, that place and that office which God has appointed for you by means of your superiors, and this sickness and this trouble with which you may be afflicted, come to you from His paternal hand. In fact it is God — God alone — who wishes that you should be in that place, that you should fill that office, that that sickness should afflict you, that that trouble should come upon you, and that you should make every effort to attain that particular degree of perfection. And yet, you main- tain all the while that these things do not come to you from God, but from jealous rivals, from disagreeable superiors, from your enemies, from the revengeful feelings and the hatred of others. We will for a moment ignore the fact that, in your blind judgments, you are perhaps deceiving yourself — nay, that you mostly do deceive yourself. But let us grant, for the sake of argument, that your trials do really come from those sources which you mention. What,< then ? I willingly allow that your enemies are guilty of grievous sin, and will, in consequence of it, be punished by God. But I affirm and maintain at the same time, that though God does not will sin, He wills its effect. Therefore that place, that office, and those trials which originate in the evil deeds of others, are still the object of the Divine will. Thus, al- ; though God detested the sale of Joseph by his brethren, He approved, nevertheless, of his sojourn and employment in Egypt ; so that Joseph himself ; said to his brothers “ God sent me before you into (a) AVisdom viii. 1. 'J6 FIRST DAY — SECOND MEDITATION, Egypt ” (a). Remark : he does not say “ the jealousy jf my brother. V* but “ God”. The devil over- whelmed Job with every description of calamity, and Job exclaims, “the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away ” ( b ). Observe, “the Lord ,” not the devil. Finally, although God execrated the rage of the Jews, lie decreed, nevertheless, the death of His Son; and Jesus Himself said to Peter, “ The chalice which my Father hath given me , shall I not drink it ? ” ( c ) He does not say “ that chalice which the Jews have given me,” but “which my Father hath given me ” Wherefore, although God condemns the hatred manifested towards you by your companions, the imprudence of your superiors, the envy of your rivals, He wills at the same time that disgrace and those trials which come upon you through these means. Let the world say what it will, let self-love grumble, but, nevertheless, that you should be in that particular place, that you should fill that office, that you should be afflicted with that illness, is the will of God . 2. And all this is intended (0 holy angels ! adore God’s infinite goodness) for your greater advantage, so much so, that if you were enabled to penetrate the secrets of Providence, you would yourself choose these means and no other, and for this reason : God’s in- finitely perfect mind knows what suits you -best, since “ there is nothing hid from his eyes ” (d). Moreover, He is able to give you what suits you best] because “ with God all things are possible”. (ft) Gen. xlv. 5. ( l ) Job i. 21. (c) John xviii. 11/ (d) Eccles. xxxix. 24. EXAMEX. G7 Therefore, lie will give you that which is most suit- able to your condition, for He loves you “ as the apple of his eye ” (a), “as the nurse her little infant ” (b). Hence, whatsoever befalls you happens for your greater good. So it is ; for the Lord has ordered all things “ in measure , and number and weight ” (c), and not only this, but “ with great favour He dis- poses of us ” (d), “ turning evil into good ” (e), “ mak- ing also with temptation issue , that you may be abh to bear it ” (/). Entrust yourself, then, in the spirit of indifference towards every earthly thing, to the loving bosom of Divine Providence. Repose in that bosom, and say with S. Ignatius, “ Domine, fac mecum sicut scis , et vis ; nam scio quod amator sis.” “ All mine is Thine,— say but the word ; Whate’er Thou wiliest shall be done : I know Thy love, all-gracious Lord ; I know it seeks my good alone. ” EX AMEN. On the Impediments to Indijference . Since (as I have said before), S. Ignatius desires that the entire of this day should be occupied in meditating on the Foundation,” and on indijference, which is its natural consequence, I have judged it ^expedient, in accordance with his advice, to examine particularly the chief obstacles to this heavenly spirit (a) Deut. xxx ii. 10. (c) Wisdom xi. 21. (e) Gen. 1. 20. (b) Numbers xi. 1. (cl) Wisdom xii. 18. (f ) 1 Cor. x. 13. G8 FIRST DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. of indifference, so tliot by removing them we may the more easily acquire this fundamental virtue. Therefore examine yourself diligently to-day on the following points, either during the last quarter of an hour allotted to the consideration, or to the spiritual lecture. 1 8 What created thing affords you the greatest pleasure? What disorderly affection enslaves you most ? What difficulty most inspires you with fear ? What is the chief obstacle which hinders you from entering on the path of a more perfect life, and serv- ing God, in the state to which He calls you, after the manner which He requires ; or from ascending, in the state which you may have already chosen, to that degree of perfection which it is His wish that you should make every effort to attain ? 2. What is it that most powerfully withdraws you from that golden indifference so much inculcated by j S. Ignatius ? Is it the concupiscence of the flesh , or the concupiscence of the eyes , or the pride of life ? That is to say, a thirst for honours, a desire of ease I and pleasures, or a craving for riches ? Or is it an over-due aversion to labours, to sufferings, to slights? Have you conceived a proper appreciation of the necessity and excellence of this holy indifference? Have you at least earnestly desired to acquire it ? 3. Are you prompted to desire or to shun any particular place or office, either by your natural pride, I or by sensuality, or by a love of superfluities ? Docs your anxiety for the recovery or preservation of your health, or a dread of impairing it, induce you to ■ choose and seek for, or to fly from that place or that j office ? Does the fear of shortening your life induce | you to abandon this or that labour undertaken for j THIRD meditation. G9 the good of souls, or to neglect this or the other opportunity of advancing the glory of God ? 4. Are you prepared to avoid or to embrace, to endure or to perforin whatever you shall discover in the course of these Exercises that God demands of you? or are you, perhaps, placing limits to God’s grace, by being obstinately resolved not to advance or be enlightened beyond a certain point ? If you should encounter any difficulty in these different points of Examination, remember that you have been created by Gcd and for God, and that you are, consequently, bound to serve Him in that manner which He shall desire. Then, ask yourself who are you that, turning aside from the only true path of rectitude, you should be unwilling to do that which Almighty God wishes you to do ! N.B. — If you have not read yesterday the counsels to he followed during the : time of the Exercises , and which may he found in § IV, of the Introduction (page 17), read them to-day . THIRD MEDITATION. Repetition of the Two preceding Meditations, To the Reader. I. There are tioo reasons why S. Ignatius inculcates so earnestly the necessity of repeating these Funda- mental Meditations, Firstly , because by means of E 70 FIRST DAY — THIRD MEDITATION", repetition , the truths which they contain become more deepl y imprinted upon our understanding . Secondly , because the will , embracing them with repeated efforts, becomes more and more confirmed in its first resolu- tion. In one word , the object of the repetition is to derive from the Meditations that fruit which we fail to gather fully when considenng them for the first time. II. During these repetitions , “ in which we ruminate , as it were , what we had previously meditated ” (a), two things must be carefully attended to: 1. We should dwell pnncipally on these portions of the past Meditations “ which brought us greater light or fer- vour ” .* as also on those parts in which we experienced in a large degree consolation , or desolation , or any other movement of the sold. We should also strive to draio some pious feelings from those portions in which our soul languished through spiritual dry- ness , because it frequently happens that in meditat- ing them anew ire are filled with greater light and consolation (b). 2. We ought to occupy ourselves much more in ex- citing our affections than in the exercise of the reason- ing powers , for in this the principal advantage to be derived from the repetition consists. This is the advice given to us by the Directory , which says : — “ Avoiding prolonged reflections, we ought in these repetitions merely to propose to ourselves, and touch lightly upon what we have previously meditated ; dwelling thereon not so much with the intellect, as (a) S. Ignatius, in lib. Exercit hebd. 1. {b) Directory, cli. xv. n. 3. REPETITION OF PRECEDING MEDITATIONS. 71 witli the will and affections ; and this is the reason why the holy author introduces colloquies more frequently here than in the preceding exercises ” (a). N.B . — The asterisks (*), scattered here and there through the following Meditation , mark the places idler e one might make a somewhat longer pause than usual , if these passages should have in the preceding Meditations afforded him any light , or excited any feelings of consolation , dryness , sadness, §c. First Point. Since we have been created by and for God, rea- son itself clearly points out that we are bound to serve God, and to serve Him in that manner which He may wish ; because no service can be agreeable to Him which is not in accordance with his Divine will. O Lord God ! Creator of all things, I confess that as a man, as Thy servant, and as a Christian, I am b mnd to serve Thee, my God, my Lord, and my Re- deemer ; and I confess, moreover, that this is the s >le, the essential, the last, and the paramount busi- ness and end of man.* But to be bound to do this in that particular manner which is pleasing to you, and to be obliged to hold myself indifferent to all the means through which you have appointed that I should attain my end — this is the difficulty ; this is the critical trial. For “ I will confess against myself my injustice to the (a) Directory, ch. xv. n. 2. 72 FIRST DAY — THIRD MEDITATION. Lord ” (a ) ; here the flesh with its self-love, and my entire human nature rises up in rebellious opposition. Here there is nothing more enlightened than the in- tellect, and yet nothing weaker than my will. I am well aware of the happiness this heavenly indifference brings with it ; I feel within me the powerful in- pulses of grace inciting me to adopt its spirit f but, unhappy being that I am ! “ I see another law in my members, figlding against the law of my mind ” (b) % and persuading me to fly from that good which I desire. I understand the very powerful motives which im- pel me towards this virtue. For, in the first place, equity demands it, since the very husbandman does not permit his dependents to serve him otherwise than he commands, and we ourselves set no value even on favours, if they be not conferred in a manner that is agreeable to us. 2. I perceive too clearly that my own interests require this : because, other- wise, all my good works and my labours would fail to bring me merit, for the very reason that they are not in conformity with the will of God. 3. I know, in fine, that even my happiness in this world de- mands this : because he alone enjoys happiness here below who desires always to execute the will of God. Ah ! I hear resounding in my ears those words of the damned : “ What hath pride profited us ? or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us ” ? (c) I hear them repeating those terrible truths : What profit is it to have abounded in everything, and be (a) Psalm xxxi.. 5. \b) Romans vii. 23. (c) Wisdom v. 8. REPETITION OP PRECEDING MEDITATIONS. 73 afterwards lost? What loss is it to suffer every fc 3 mporal affliction, if one saves his soul? That truth is a sharp thorn which pierces my soul ; * and yet (0 weakness on my part !) I shrink back af- frighted from that heavenly indifference, towards which justice , my own interests , and ny oion happi- ness so strongly impel me. Why dost Thou delay, 0 Lord ? Awaken my torpid soul ; “ Show might in thy arm ; ” (a) and do Thou, who didst command the winds and the sea ( b ), bring this rebellious will of mine, also, into submission to Thy divine de- crees. Wherefore, “ hear , 0 ye heavens ,” the firm resolu- tion which I now solemnly take, “ let the earth give e ir to the words of my mouth ” (c). Since Thou art “ my Lord and my God ” ( d ), I shall, henceforward, devote myself to Thy service, and I shall serve Thee in that manner which pleases Thee best ; in what- ever state of life Thou shalt determine, or, in my present state, in whatever degree of perfection Thou shalt appoint for me, being prepared to avoid or to embrace, to suffer or to perform whatsoever I shall, during the course of the present exercises, discover to be Thy will. Do Thou, O Lord, who art Omni- potent, stretch forth to me Thy helping hand, be- cause, unaided, I am powerless to advance a single step. After this, excite within your heart (but with greater fervour) those acts of virtue, and those pious affections which I have already proposed to you in the first meditation. (a) Luke i. 51. ( b ) Luke viii. 25. (c) Deut. xxxii. 1. (d) John xx. 28. 74 FIRST DAY — THIRD MEDITATION'. Second Point. But, if the end of Man renders this indifference on his part necessary, the end of the religious man demands it still more imperatively ; and we expect to find it in a religious in a far more perfect degree. So it is, 0 my Lord Jesus Christ, author and exem- plar of the apostolic life ! The excellence , the utility , and the happiness of my end (which consists in my own perfection and salvation, and in procuring the perfection and salvation of others), will avail me nothing, if I do not follow it out in that manner which you have appointed : that is to say, by those special means , and in that precise measure , by which, and in which, it is your will that I should attain it.* Moreover, aided by your divine light, I know clearly that in the religious state every place, every office, every degree, and all conditions of health are means , and suitable means , to attain this end.* Nay more, since in the infinite wisdom of your providence, you always select those means which are best pro- portioned to the attainment of the end, I am firmly, persuaded that the place, the office, the degree, and the condition of health in which I may happen to be placed, are the most suitable to attain my end. Therefore, I see as clearly as it is possible, that I am bound to hold myself indifferent in regard of all these things.* And, nevertheless, 0 Lord !'I do not discover in myself this heavenly virtue, nor even the faintest traces of it. The love of ease, of honours, and of pleasures, and the horror of labours, of slights, and REPETITION OF PRECEDING MEDITATIONS. 75 of afflictions hold a tyrannical sway over my heart, and lead me on blindly to think and act merely as they dictate. But, how long, my soul, wilt thou bear this yoke ? And when wilt thou cast it off at once, and for ever ? Didst thou renounce worldly dignities, in order, afterwards, in the school of humility, to grasp with avidity at the smoke of honours ? Didst thou re- nounce wealth, worldly prospects, and the comforts of your father’s house, that you might afterwards, when in the abode of penance, sigh after a life of ignoble indolence? Didst thou sever the ties of flesh that, afterwards, when dead to the world, your life should be given up to pampering your body, and you should become the slave of silly fears regarding your health ? 0 Lord, illumine my eyes, that they may sec that vanity which blinds my soul, with such thick, and such fatal darkness. Grant me, 0 Lord, a firm faith in the truth that Thy providence governs all things : that this place and this office have been allotted to me by Thy command ; that this illness comes to me from Thy hand.* Grant, moreover, that I may ac- cept all these things from Thee in the spirit of in- difference, as being of all others the most suitable for the attainment of my end. After this, repeat with all the fervour of your soul the same affections which I have already proposed to you in the Second Meditation. Compendium. T. 0 Lord ! I acknowledge that, as a man, I am bound to serve You, and that this is my sole , my es- sential } my tasty and my greatest end. But it is 7 G FIRST DAY THIRD MEDITATION, extremely difficult, 0 Lord, to be obliged to do this precisely in that maimer which you wish, that is, with a perfect indifference to riches or to poverty, to pleasure or to sorrow, to honours or to insults, to every state of life, and to every degree of perfection ! And yet, justice , my own interests , and my own hap- piness demand this of me. To this I am prompted by the very voices of the damned souls, who unceas- ingly give utterance to this terrible exclamation — What doth it pro jit us to have made our end of what was merely the means to its attainment 'I What doth it profit us ? But, of myself I am powerless : do Thou assist me with Thy grace, while, on my part, I am firmly re- solved henceforward to accomplish my end. II. 0 my Lord and Creator ! as a religious, my end is to labour for my own perfection and salvation, and for that of others, by means of the various de- grees, offices, places, &c. But I am convinced that the excellence , the utility , and the happiness of this end will avail me nothing unless I am indifferent to these means ! Do Thou enlighten me ; make me understand how, in themselves, all these means are suitable to the attainment of my end, and that those only among them are more and most suitable , which Thou, through means of my superiors, may prescribe for my use. To the Leader. Since thosewlio have not as yet derived much spiritual projit jrom the Retreat , ought to occupy themselves , yet awhile, with the Exercises assigned to the jirst week, both to excite themselves to greater sorrow jor their sins , and to realise the more thoroughly their baseness REPETITION OF PRECEDING MEDITATIONS. 77 and deformity (a), the Exercises of the following day are purposely lengthened ; so that , being divided into two parts, they may furnish matter for two days' me- ditation to those who have resolved to occupy themselves during four days in Exercises of this week. Let such persons, therefore, take for the subject of their reflec- tions to-day half of each of the meditations on Sin and Hell, reserving the other halves for to-morrow . In this manner we shall observe the ride laid down in the Directory , which says: “ On the third day shall be proposed for consideration the matter already meditated on the second, but with the addition of some new points ; for thus we penetrate into it more deeply ” (b). Those persons , however, who will not occupy themselves beyond three days w th the Exer- cises of the first week, may ( if the meditation should seem to them too long) meditate upon one or two points only, and read the remainder, either after prayer, or at whatever other time may be found most convenient . (a) Directory, ch. xvii. 1, (i b ) Ibid. cli. xiv. 1. 73 §uonb Ipaj). FIRST MEDITATION. On Sin 'punished in the rebel Angels and in Adam . First Point. Consider the punishment of the sin committed by the angels, who, through the absence of that spirit of indifference already mentioned, turned away in rebellious pride from the end for which they had been created, refused to serve their Creator in the manner which He wished, and were, in consequence, hurled headlong, with the lightning’s speed, into Hell. Here, reflect on the following points. 1 . Who it is that condemns them to such terrible punishment. Who? It is God, whose justice can- not permit Him to punish beyond what is deserved ; whose mercy always inclines Him to punish less than is deserved ; whose wisdom can appoint nothing without prudence and design ; whose sanctity can do nothing through passion, or imperfectly. And yet, this God, so just, so holy, so wise, and so merci- ful, exacted this severe punishment from the heavenly spirits who, by a single sin, departed from their last end. 2. Reflect who they icere whom He so severely punished. Alas ! they were beings of the most sub- lime intelligence, the princes of the heavenly court, the masterpieces of Divine Omnipotence, distin- SIN PUNISHED IN THE ANGELS AND IN ADAM. 79 flushed by the choicest gifts of nature and of grace, countless in number, and who, had it been permitted to them to do penance, would have for evermore loved their Creator with a most intense and eternal love, and would have expiated their crime by a never-ending and most poignant sorrow. 3. Reflect it was that God, so merciful and so wise, punished such an immense number of noble spirits, and punished them all, without even a solitary exception. Why ? For one (ah ! be terrified, 0 ye heavens, and let the earth be shaken with fear to its very foundations), for a single mortal sin : for one only .... their first .... committed in a single instant .... and only in thought . 4. Reflect in what manner God punished the angels for this one sin. Ah ! He inflicted on them a punish- ment extreme in its intensity, eternal in its duration ; or (as the schools say) finite in its intensity , but, nevertheless, infinite in its extension , and of such nature that (taking into account the pain of loss) the avenging Omnipotence of God could inflict no greater. 5. Consider when it was that God so punished them. It was at a time when there did not as yet exist any example of punishment to forewarn them : when no admonition, no threat of chastisement, had preceded their crime. They had not seen the earth submerged by the waters of the Deluge, nor Sodom destroyed by the fire which rained from heaven, nor Jesus Christ expiring upon the Cross because of sin. And yet, all of them — not merely one in ten — all of them without exception were precipitated into the abyss, precipitated suddenly, with the rapidity of the lightning’s flash, in the very same instant that 80 SECOND DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. they sinned, without being allowed even one brief moment to repent. Ah ! the third part of those noble and countless angelic hosts, who had sinned but once, and that in thought ; who had no examples before them to in- spire them with terror, and no time given them for repentance — the angels (tremble, sinful man !) for their first and only sin a sin of thought .... committed in an instant .... were hurled into Hell ; that is, into a place of torments, countless in their number, terrible in their intensity, and in their duration eternal. And they were consigned to this dread abode by a Judge of infinite justice, wis- dom, sanctity, and mercy. 0 sin ! what a horrible monster, then, and how detestable must thou be : and yet, the blind perversity of man regards thee as a thing of nothing — a mere trifle. Oh, what a terrible evil thou art, deserving to be wept with tears of blood ! thou who hast drawn sinners away from their last end — which is the infinite good — into the depths of every misery. Now, tell me, reader, what conclusions do you draw from all this ? First conclusion . Wherefore, sin is to be avoided and detested with a most intense hatred and horror. Perhaps you would call this into question? But “ if God spared not the angels that sinned: hut de- livered them , drawn down by infernal ropes to the loioer hell , unto torments ” (a), by what means do you hope to be spared ? — you, who are but the slime of the earth; you, who have committed not one sin alone, but so many and such grievous transgressions ; and have repeated them after having been so many (a) 2 Peter ii. 4. SIN PUNISHED IN THE ANGELS AND IN ADAM. 81 times pardoned, and after having witnessed so many examples of punishment, inflicted by the terrible justice of God. Wherefore, moved by a due dread of such punishment, tremble, and “flee from sins as from the face of a serpent ” (a). For, that Hell into which the rebel angels were hurled still burns, and burns for you also .... Yes ! for you also. That same God who pardoned not the angels still exists, and is equally just, holy and powerful, now as then. He exists ! Ah yes ! He does exist, and woe to you should He strike you with death, at a moment when you are in the state of mortal sin. If He pardoned not the angelic spirits, so noble and so numerous, much less will His avenging justice spare you — a vile, worthless worm of the earth. Wherefore be afraid, fly from, and abhor, sin. Second conclusion . The malice of mortal sin being so great as to provoke the anger of God in such a degree, it follows that we ought to grieve for sin with a most intense sorrow. You have sinned, un- happy wretch 1 you have sinned : your conscience proclaims this to you in unmistakable accents : therefore, you have merited Hell, as you know from the teachings of faith. If death had surprised you on that day, at that hour, at that moment when you sinned, alas ! where would you be at present ! Ah ! at this very moment you would “ dwell with devour- ing fire ” (h), and you would have to dwell there for ever. Here reflect. God punished the angels. He has pardoned you. He “ delivered them , dr aim down by (a) Ecclesiasticus xxi. 2. (b) Isaias xxxiii. 14. 82 SECOND DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. infernal ropes to the lower liell, unto torments f while He has granted to you time for repentance. You sinned once, twice, a third time — and yet God par- doned you. You sinned a fourth time, and the fourth time God pardoned you. You sinned a tenth and a twentieth time, and even the twentieth time God pardoned you. Your life has been one continued sin, and yet God has continued to forgive you. He did not delay one instant in hurling the angels into Hell for all eternity, after their first and only sin, and that a sin but in thought ; and in His great pa- tience, He has forgiven you — a miserable, vile, un- grateful creature — hundreds of most heinous crimes. Do you not, then, recognise at length the infinite goodness of the divine mercy towards you 1 Are you not lost in amazement, when you consider the immense affection which God has borne towards you in comparison with so many others h Ah ! you have not a human heart if at this thought you do not burst forth with sighs and lamentations, if your eyes do not dissolve themselves in floods of tears, and your entire soul melt in the flame of reciprocal love. Wherefore excite within yourself most heartfelt sentiments of sorrow and detestation for sin ; griev- ing most intensely for past sins, and most firmly re- solving to avoid all future ones. Let cjrief for sins past, and a horror of future sins be the fruit you will gather from this meditation. Second Point. Consider the punishment inflicted on our first parents , because through sin they strayed away from their last end; inasmuch as, through the absence of the spirit of indifference, they did not remain con- SIN PUNISHED IN THE ANGELS AND IN ADAM. 83 tent with their actual condition, desiring to he “ as gods , knowing good and evil” (a). They wished, it is true, to serve God, hut to do so in a more elevated sphere than He had appointed for them, and to gain which they employed means which had been for- bidden them. Scarcely, however, had they tasted the forbidden fruit when — 1. They are instantly stripped of original justice, and of that dominion which they had previously exercised over the brute creation and their own re- bellious appetites; and, exiled from Paradise, they are driven out into this vale of tears, without ever a hope of return. Nor did the evil consequences of their great fault end here, but its poison was trans- mitted, also, to their posterity. 2. That you may realise this the better, represent to yourself all the accumulated miseries that ever have been, or shall be : all the pestilences, famines, conflagrations, shipwrecks, and wars that have ever occurred ; all the ruin and devastation of so many cities, provinces, kingdoms, and empires, which are chronicled in the world’s history ; all the inundations of rivers and seas which have happened from time to time ; the sufferings consequent on the winter’s colds and the summer heats ; all the ailments, the pains and the torments of the countless beings who have ever been tried by sickness, and even of the martyrs themselves ; in a word, all the calamities and mise- ries which, like a deluge, have inundated, still inundate, and shall continue to inundate the earth. Add to this the lot of the many hundreds of millions of children who, by dying without baptism, have (a) Genesis iii. 5. 84 SECOND DAY — FIRST MEDITATIC N. been deprived for ever of the happiness of heaven; — represent to yourself, as I said, all these evils piled up together in one horrible heap, and with them the bones of all who have ever died, as well as of those who shall yet die, and alas ! according to the testi- mony of the Apostle (a), all these are the unhappy consequence of sin. Wherefore, by the severity of the punishment you can measure the malice of the offence. 3. Yet, withal, this malice is nowhere seen more clearly than on the height of Calvary. For, in order to make due reparation to the Divine Justice for this one sin of Adam, it was necessary (be moved, ye tender hearts, by the terrible sentence) that the Word should be made flesh, .... that Jesus Christ should be nailed to the Cross, .... that a God should die between two robbers. Yet this is so. All the united labours, sufferings, and virtues of all the saints would have been insuffi- cient of themselves to blot out this single sin. Nay more, though one hundred million souls, each one surpassing in sanctity the life of heaven’s queen, had, with this end in view, endured for ten thousand years, with amazing constancy, punishments far surpassing those of hell’s fire ; nevertheless, this would still be insufficient to make reparation for that one sin. Though the entire world should swim in the blood of atoning victims, it would, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, have been all in vain, if the blood of Jesus had not been shed — if the Second Person of the most Holy Trinity had not offered Himself up as a Victim to the offended ma (a) Romans v. 12. SIN PUNISHED IN THE ANGELS AND IN ADAM. 85 jesty of God. Had not this been done the worlds sin would not have been expiated, nor God appeased, — so atrocious, so enormous, so truly infinite was the malice and perversity united to this mortal sin. Now, what conclusions do you draw from all this? First conclusion . If all the pains of the body, if the loss of riches and of reputation, if, in fine, all the calamities of the world, and even death itself are the punishment of Adam’s sin, it follows that sin is a greater evil than all these. For, as S. Thomas says, “ The fault lias in it more of the nature of evil than the punishment ” (a). Therefore, one ought more willingly to endure every evil than commit a single sin. Second conclusion . God dies upon the Cross for the sin of Adam (weigh the words accurately one by one), — God dies upon the Cross for the sin of Adam. Nothing less than the blood of a Man-God was able to cancel it. Therefore, it must be a most grievous and detestable evil, because God would not have ex- pired amidst such fierce torments for a matter of light consequence. Third conclusion . If the Eternal Father did not spare his own Son, although He assumed merely the form of a sinner, and only made Himself a surety for the sin of Adam, how will He treat us — vile slaves, rebellious Deicides, sinners guilty of so many crimes ? Affections. 1. Therefore, let us repent of our past sins, and preserve ourselves from falling into future ones. (a) P. i. q. 48, a. 6. F 86 SECOND DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. 2. Weighed down by the burden of our sins, let us 1 tumble ourselves beneath the Omnipotent hand of God, and let the consideration of them repress in us the desire of being placed above others. 3. Let us cherish a holy hatred of our flesh, constantly detest- ing its allurements as being the source of every sin. Nevertheless, we ought not to occupy ourselves overmuch with these two affections ; as the fruit of this meditation consists in an intense sorrow for past sins, and an efficacious horror of sin in the future. That this fruit may be the more substantial, three \ things demand our attention. 1. Our principal care must be to occupy ourselves especially with this act, and to elicit it with all the j fervour of which we are capable. 2. We should detest our past sins in such a manner as to include in this detestation sensuality and pride, since they 1 are the chief source of all evils. 3. We ought to pass on from a detestation of mortal, to a. detestation of venial sins. For the rest, what is there capable of exciting greater horror in a human breast than sin? And what can excite within us a more intense sorrow, than the Son of God dying nailed to a Cross for our sake. 0 ye Heavens, the Son of God, by command of his Father, dies upon a cross because of sin ! Oh, sight calculated to strike horror into the very demons, and cause the universe to become a total wreck ! God dies upon a cross for sin God ! I believe all this, and yet I do not repent of my past sins, nor start back affrighted at the thought of future ones. ] .... Nay, rather, I continue to sin, “ crucifying ] again to myself the Son of God , and making Him a SIN PUNISHED IN THE ANGELS AND IN ADAM. 87 mockery ” (a). .... 0 thunderbolts of Heaven ! what arm restrains you, what cloud arrests your progress ! Ah ! my soul ! behold your Jesus who dies upon the cross and He dies not for the sin of Adam alone, but, also, for your sins, .... and this He does, the while you, with blood-stained hands, are in the very act of crucifying Him. .... Can you. look upon Him, and yet not melt into tears ? At this sight the sun is darkened, the rocks are split asunder, the very Gentiles return from the scene striking their breasts, and you — you alone remain insensible ! The sepulchres of the dead are opened, the veil of the Temple is rent, all nature is convulsed, while you alone, 0 sinner, are not moved ! You alone ! you, more hardened than steel, gaze with tearless eyes upon your Saviour hanging from the cross, and already expiring amid the most horrible torments ! . . . . Nay more, you dare to renew' this pitiful sight one hundred and one thousand times ! Ah ! let my tears at length gush forth, let me heave deep sighs, let sadness take entire possession of my soul, that I may weep as I ought the offence offered to the majesty of God, which I now under- stand, and which it is impossible to learn better than from the death of Jesus Christ. 0 Jesus crucified ! permit me prostrate at your feet, and melted in tears, to testify to you my grief ; and, in my horror of the malice which sin involves, I pray that I may cease to live sooner than I should cease to grieve for, and detest, it. “ As long as breath remaineth in me, (a) Hebrews vi. 6. 88 SECOND DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. and the Spirit of God in my nostrils , my lips shall not speak iniquity ” (a), nor shall my heart dare to com- mit it. I shall sacrifice every treasure, I shall endure every evil, rather than again offend Thee even slightly. Yes, even slightly. For, venial sin, also, is the cause of the sufferings and death of Christ, and the sanctity of God abhors it beyond measure. Yes, I too abhor and detest them, and especially the sins of .... IT. IT as well as pride and sensuality, the poisoned sources from which they spring. I will exclaim with Thomas k Kempis, “ Oh ! how low oufjht I to cast myself down under the bottom- less depths of thy judgments, 0 Lord: where I find myself to be nothing else but nothing ! I stand as- tonished and consider that the heavens are not pure in Thy sight In the angels Thou hast found sin. Stars have fallen from heaven, and I that am but dust, how can I presume ? Oh, then, how humble and lowly ought I to think of myself !” (b). 0 how deserving of detestation is the appetite for honours and plea- sures, the unhappy source of every evil ! Yes ! I have already adopted my unalterable reso- lution. Like S. Paul, I also will “ chastise my body, and bring it into subjection : ” (c) — that body which was to you, my Jesus, the occasion of so many suffer- ings, and of such a bitter death. Like David, I, too, will “ make myself meaner than I have done : and I will be little in my own eyes ” (d). I will serve Thee, my Lord God, I will serve Thee, in that manner (a) Job xxvii. v. 3. (ft) Imitation of Christ, Book iii. ch. xiv. (c) 1 Cor. ix. 27. (i d ) 2 Kings vi. 22. SIN PUNISHED IN THE ANGELS AND IN ADAM, 69 which shall be pleasing to Thee, and with full and absolute indifference to everything. Compendium. I. Concerning the punishment of sin in the angels , consider, 1. Who it is that condemned them to such punishment. It was a God of infinite Justice .... mercy , .... wisdom .... and sanctity . 2. Con- sider who those are whom He so severely punishes 'i They are the princes of Heaven, the assistants at his throne ; the most beautiful and intelligent of created beings ; in number countless ; most exalted in re- spect of their rank. 3. Consider ichy it was He punished them. For one mortal sin. 0 God ! for one sin only , .... and that their first .... and a sin but of thought. 4. How did he punish them ? By a punishment intense in the highest degree , eternal in its duration, and involving an infinite loss. 5. When did He punish them ? At a time when there did not exist any example of former punishment to serve them as a warning. Oh, what a dreadful thing, then, must sin be ! What conclusion do you draw from all this ] 1. That sin ought to be avoided and detested with intense hatred and detestation , because it is so offen- sive to God, .... because hell, into which the angels were hurled, is open to receive you also, .... because that God, who is so outraged by sin, still exists. . . . He exists, — and woe to you if his jus- tice should overtake you in the state of sin. 2. That as sin is so offensive to God, we should lament our past sins with most intense grief and avoid future ones with the greatest horror . SECOND DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. 00 II. Concerning the sin of our First Parents, con- sider liow they had no sooner tasted the forbidden fruit, than they were condemned to death, and exiled from the terrestial Paradise ; the earth was cursed, and the stain and punishment of their sin were transmitted to their posterity. 2. Eepresent to yourself, as collected together, all the physical and moral evils that ever have been, that are, or that shall be in the world, and reflect that they are all the punishment of sin. 3. Behold Jesus, the Son of God, made man, suffering and dying upon a cross, and this solely to satisfy Divine Justice for the sin of man. Neither the virtues of all the saints, nor the excellences of all the heavenly spirits would have been sufficient to blot out a single sin, so that, for this purpose, no less a sacrifice was required than that the Man-God should shed the last drop of his most precious blood. Wherefore, conclude — I. That since sin is a greater evil than all the other evils in the world, we ought to endure them all rather than commit sin. II. That if no one but God alone was able to blot out sin, it must be the greatest and most abominable of all evils. III. That if God did not spare his only-begotten Son, because He made Himself a surety for man, how much more will He punish man himself, who has incurred the actual guilt of sin ! Lecture. On Sorrow and detestation for Sin. Having laid the principal foundation of our Spiri- tual Edifice, by establishing the obligation which we LECTURE. 91 hive of serving God after the manner in which He wishes to be served — that is, in that state of life, or in the state already chosen, in that office, place, con- dition of health, and degree of perfection to which He shall be pleased to call us, and our consequent obligation to be indifferent to all these things — hiving laid, I say, this foundation, we must next remove the principal impediments which lie in the way of this indifference, and which, necessarily, are also impediments to the attainment of our last end. How, these impediments consist as well in the natural desire of honours, pleasures, riches, health, and a life of ease, as in shrinking from slights, po- verty, tribulations, and a life of greater perfection. Or, to put the matter more briefly, they consist in an inordinate love of pleasures and pre-eminence, and in an undue repugnance to humiliations and troubles. To these two, as to primary sources, all the other impediments may be referred, since it is because of this undue love or hatred that we withdraw ourselves from that state of golden indifference which God re- quires of us, and, in doing so, sin. For, as Jesus Christ has said that “ every evil tree bringetli forth j evil fruit f and even that “ an evil tree cannot bring : forth good fruit (a)f it follows that all the acts pro- ceeding from this poisoned root of inordinate love or hatred, which withdraws us from this heavenly in- difference, are sins , and are either mortal or venial, according as they remove us wholly, or in part, from our last end. II. In order, then, to wean our blind will from this hurtful appetite for honours, pleasures, and (a) Matt vii. 17, 18. 92 SECOND DAY FIE ST MEDITATION. riches, and to reconduct it, by lessening our aversion to humiliation, poverty, and troubles, into the path of indifference already mentioned, which leads to- wards our last end, S. Ignatius proposes for our consideration the malice, the baseness, and the evil effects of sin ; to the end that, by discovering the source whence so much evil flows, we may learn to fly and detest it. I have spoken of “ the source f rc m whence so much evil flows,” because (I would call your most particular attention to this) whenever, in these meditations on sin, we shall be led to detest the crimes of which we are guilty, we should never fail to abominate and detest at the same time the dis- ordered love of pre-eminence and of pleasure, and that undue aversion to humiliations and tribulations from which all sins proceed. To inspire us with a more effectual sorrow and de- testation for sins, S. Ignatius endeavours — 1. To paint . for us in the most lively colours the malice of even a single mortal sin, and, for this purpose, proposes for our consideration the punishment inflicted on the angels and on our first parents, so that we may be in a position to form an estimate of the gravity of the offence, from the severity of the chastisement with which it was visited. And, in truth, a picture so terrible is well calculated to inspire dread into even the most hardened hearts. 2. Since what immediately affects ourselves touches us more forcibly than what has reference to others, the saint proposes for our consideration, in the next meditation, the number, the heinousness, and the malice of our pei'sonal sins , which, being thus brought home to us, cannot fail to inspire us with a most intense sorrow, excite in us a spirit of penance, LECTURE. 93 and lead us to regard them with a feeling of the greatest aversion. 3. Finally, since there are some who arc re- strained from sin most effectually through the fear of the punishment which it entails, S. Ignatius places before us the terrible chastisements to which sinners shall be subjected in hell for all eternity. The fruit which the saint wishes us on to-day to gather from these meditations is “ an intense sorroiv for our sins, and an abundance of tears ” (a). For, during the entire of this week (as he tells us else- where), “ we seek for sorroio and tears for sin (b ) — and not merely an ordinary sorrow, but such a grief as may enable us “ to feel internally a detestation for our crimes,” and may induce us to abhor all those allurements which lead us on to sin. Wherefore, the object which we propose to our- selves to-day, is to conceive a vehement grief, and an efficacious horror of the sins which we have com- mitted, as well as of pride and sensuality which have been their primary cause. Let this day, then, be di- ligently employed in endeavouring to stir up within ourselves this grief and this horror. For, os indiffer- ence to the various means by which God wishes us to attain our last end furnished matter for yesterday’s Exercises; and as the object to be gained on to- morrow will be an intimate knowledge of ourselves , that we may humble and hate ourselves ; so the 'purification of our souls, by means of a serious detes- tation of sin and of its causes, is the end to be kept (a) Lib. Exercit. Hebd. 1. Exercit. 2. proclud. 2. iff) Lib. Exercit adnotat 4. 94 SECOND DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. in view to-day. This end is best attained by means of contrition and confession. §n. Contrition, as defined by the Council of Trent, “ is a sorrow of mind , and detestation of sin committed , icith a purpose of sinning no more ” (a) — that is, a sorrow including in itself, at one and the same time, grief for sins past, and a horror of future sins. To ex- cite this contrition, as it were, by artificial means, S. Ignatius not only forbids us to indulge in laughter, and in words provocative of mirth, but would even have us banish such pious thoughts as are of an agreeable nature ; and desires that we should culti- vate instead a spirit of pious sadness, for which pur pose our apartment should be kept darkened, and we should increase our corporal austerities. The saint fordids the first, “ because every such thought is a hin- drance to tears , and to that sorrow for sin , towards ivliich all our efforts ought to be directed He counsels the second, “ that we may attain a heartfelt sorrow for sin , and an abundance of tears In the next place, to excite our sorrow the more, he puts before us, at the end of the first meditation, Jesus Christ dying upon the cross : while, in the second and third medi- tations, he invites us to consider the infinite mercy of God, extending pardon to us from time to time, and so often, while He hurls into hell countless other souls, who are, perhaps, less guilty than we are. II. The other additional reasons which should be an inducement to us to strive after this intense sor- (a) Sess. xiv. cap. 4. LECTURE. 95 row are : — 1. That in proportion to its intensity will be the abundance of grace which we shall after- wards receive. 2. The more intense it is, the more shall we cancel of the temporal punishment which is due to our sins, and which must be endured either in this life or in the next. 3. Our perseverance in the practice of virtue shall be also more steady ; for our present frequent relapses may be traced to the fact that we so rarely repent with a truly intense sorrow. 4. In proportion to the intensity of our grief will also be the substantial peace of mind which we shall enjoy — a peace springing from a hope sweet beyond measure, and an indescribably delightful security of mind, by which we trust that we have obtained the friendship of God. On the other hand, a languid repentance renders our hope of pardon doubtful, our friendship with God cold, and a relapse easy ; while it diminishes the satisfaction due for our sins, and causes the streams of grace to flow less abundantly upon our souls. The means to attain this intensity of grief are : — 1, Prayer ; 2, Corporal austerities ; 3, To represent to ourselves our entire life, and to place before us all our sins as it were piled up together, saying with Ezechias, “ I will recount to tliee all my years in the bitterness of my soul” (a). For, what horror will it not excite within us, to see thus collected before our eyes our accumulated sins — so numerous, so grievous, so abominable ! III. One of the principal motives, however, to excite us to a most bitter sorrow is the idea of Jesus crucified, and the thought of the infinite mercy and («) Isaias xxxviii. 15. 96 SECOND DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. goodness of God. S. Francis, that rival of tlie seia- pliim, on contemplating Jesus dying on the cross for sin, burst forth into such cries, that a gentleman, who chanced to pass by, supposed that he had been wounded by robbers. And yet, the saint himself thought his sorrow so lukewarm, that he called upon the neighbouring rocks and caves to weep with him. And lo ! the hard flints gave forth drops of water in such abundance as to form rivulets. 0 most obdu- rate and adamantine hearts of mortals ! what are your feelings at such a sight? The appearance of Jesus upon the cross is sufficient to cause the very rocks to weep, and will you allow yourself to be over- come in tenderness by the rocks ? “ 0 angels of peace, iceeping bitterly 31 (a), for the sake of the sorrowing mother of my crucified Lord, obtain for me at length by your intercession, bitter and copious tears of con- trition. It happened once in Spain that a sinner, on hear- ing S. Vincent Ferrer extolling the patience and goodness of God towards sinners, was seized with such a violent grief for his sins that he suddenly fell down dead. And yet, while engaged in meditating upon the self-same truths, we, who have been guilty of, perhaps, greater crimes, remain with souls more dry than the pumice-stone, so that we are forced to conclude either that we have no faith, or that we do not realise to ourselves the malice of sin. S. Catherine of Sienna, for having through curiosity indulged a little her sense of sight, wept so bitterly, that for a considerable time she refused to be comforted. The blessed Alphonsus Kodriguez (a) Isaias xxxiii. 7. LECTURE. 97 wept unceasingly for many years over a single venial sin. And we, perhaps, can scarcely be brought to drop even a single tear over our many mortal trans- gressions. What manner of heart is ours? Nor let us excuse ourselves by saying that, to repent in this manner, one needs must be a saint; for, on the contrary, it is necessary to repent so in order to be- come a saint. But what do I say? — Sinners themselves shall rise up against us to make us blush : there shall rise up so many penitents of the Thebaid; there shall arise against us that soldier, who, through the in- tensity of his sorrow, fell senseless at the foot of the pillar of Simon Stilites. There shall rise up that ;; gentleman, who, on hearing Saint Ulric discourse ; on the malice of sin, was so filled with horror of it that he fell down lifeless. There shall arise against us the many crowds of poor country people, who on hearing the heinousness of mortal sin set forth during the time of a mission, have given way to loud groans, and to torrents of tears. And shall we, religious, shed scarce a single tear ? 0 God, who dost show forth Thy power principally in pardoning and using | mercy, “ overlooking the sins of men for the sake of j repentance (a), mercifully pour forth into our hearts the grace of Thy Holy Spirit ; which , by sighs and tears , may make us wash away the stains of our j sins ; and draw from our eyes such torrents of tears , ) as may extinguish the burning flames ice deserve for j our sins ” ( b ). If our sorrow for past sins be heartfelt ana m- (a) Wisdom xi. 24. lb) Prayer of the Church for the gift of Tears. 98 SECOND DAY — FIPST MEDITATION. tense, it will naturally be accompanied by a horror of future sins. For it is impossible that any one should repent seriously of his past transgressions, and not shrink at the same time from the thought of committing others in the future. That you may the better understand this horror, and test the strength of your resolution in this respect,, imagine that you see before you on the one hand the tyrant Antiochus, who, having cruelly put to death six sons of the mother of the Machabees, endeavours to shake the resolution of the youngest one, by the terror of the punishments reserved for him. Re- present to yourself the instruments of torture ex- hibited to view : in one place, the furnaces are blaz- ing, irons are heating, swords are unsheathed, knives are grasped ; in another, lie scattered heads that have been struck off, mutilated hands, feet severed from the body, and flayed corpses. Again, imagine that you are standing before the furnace which Nabuchodonosor, “ filled with fury , commanded to be heated seven times more than it had been accustomed to be heated” (a). What a dreadful sight it is ! You perceive that, although the fur- nace is already at a white heat, the attendants, never- theless, cease not to add more fuel to it, until the flame mounts to the height of fully forty cubits above the furnace. Now, what will the young surviving Machabee do at the sight of such terrific torments ? Will he taste of the forbidden meats, or will he choose in preference to die in the midst of excruciat- ing tortures'? And the children of Babylon — will they bend the knee before the statue of Nebucliod- (a) Daniel iii. 19. LECTURE. 99 onosor, or will tliey suffer themselves to he devoured by the flames 1 Come, tell me what would you have done, had the alternative been offered to you to sin or to die ? The young Machabee already cries out to the tyrant, “ I will not obey the commandment of the king , bid the commandment of the law which teas given us by Moses” (a). And in the other instance, Ananias exclaims with his companions, “ Be it Jcnovm to thee , 0 King , that we will not worship thy gods , nor adore the golden statue which thou hast set up ” (b) And what would you have said ? What would you have done 1 ? Would it not be. an overwhelming disgrace, that four tender Jewish youths should have had a greater horror of sin than a Christian, a Religious, a priest of Jesus Christ? Oh, if such should be the case, what a reproach will Eleazar one day be to you, who, to save his life, would not so much as pretend to eat the forbidden meats, but publicly cried out u that he would rather be sent into the other world ! ” (c) Remark the words “ into the other world ” ; he not only despises all the torments which this world could inflict upon him, but he would have preferred to be cast into the very pit of hell rather than even pretend to sin. II. 0 God ! in presence of these three examples, what answer will they be able to give, who, without any pressure on the part of a tyrant, or any threat of death, do not hesitate, for a mere nothing, for some base pleasure, to offend and irritate the infinite good- ness, the tremendous justice, the immense greatness of God ! Ah ! the saints say that “ even the very least offence of God is far more intolerable than tlie (a) 2 Macli. vii. 30. (&) Daniel iii. 18. (c) Mach. vi. 23. 100 SECOND DAY — FIRST MEDITATION* fire of hell itself ” (a). And yet you sin so easily ! you sin so frequently ! As you love God, as you fear hell, fly — ah, fly from sin, and not only from mortal, but from venial sins. Yes ! fly also from venial sins; for “ more evil is wrought by one even lesser sin , than by all hell together ” ( b ). §IV. I. As regards confession , which is the second means proposed for purifying our souls, although S. Igna- tius counsels us to make it after the first week of the Exercises, he suggests, nevertheless, that from the beginning we should go through a general examina- tion of conscience, as being of the greatest import- ance both for the purifying of our souls, and as a preparation for confession. This can be performed during the free time which is placed at our own dis- posal ; but we should be careful not to devote to it any of the time which has been already marked out for other Exercises. Though in making this examina- tion, we ought studiously to avoid, on the one part, an over-anxious diligence, as being calculated to produce scruples and annoyances ; yet, an the other hand, we ought to make it with such an amount of accuracy, as may ensure it being to us, afterwards, and particularly at the hour of death, a source of peace and tranquillity. W e ought, therefore, to employ this exact diligence with regard to the time elapsed since our last good confession; 2, regarding the number and gravity of the sins committed since then ; (а) S. Catharine of Genoa. (б) S. Teresa, in her life written by herself, ch. xxv. LECTURE. 101 3, regarding the nature of the avocations in which we have been since that time engaged ; 4, and re- garding the variety of the offices which we have since then filled. II. W e should leave it to the judgment of our con- fessor, to decide whether this examination ought to extend over our entire life, or over a year, or over a shorter period even. However, whether our con- fession be general or particular, we should always be particularly diligent in confessing those sins which up to that time may not have been well confessed, those which trouble or specially annoy us, and those which we have reason to fear may cause us uneasi- ness at the hour of death. Let us seek out above all our hidden sins, and sins of omission ; — the good w'hicli we have omitted to perform ; our negligence in discharging the duties of our state ; and let our great aim be to confess our sins in the same plain, unvarnished language, which the devil will one day employ, when he stands as our accuser before God. In one word, we should make this confession with as much diligence as if, immediately after leaving tha confessional, we were to be summoned to present ourselves before the tribunal of Jesus Christ ; so that we may feel a certain interior assurance, that in the course of these Exercises we have exactly ba- lanced the accounts of our soul, and that there no longer remains any necessity for further examina- tion. Whoever comes out of Retreat without feeling this security, deprives himself of the principal com- fort, and one of the most remarkable advantages which he might derive therefrom. III. The two greatest difficulties to be encountered in the execution of this so holy and so useful an G 102 SECOND DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. undertaking, are the labour involved in the examina- tion of our conscience, and the shame of confessing our sins. As regards the labour, it will he lightened by considering the priceless advantages which result from it. These are — 1, a clearer knowledge of the malice of our sins ; 2, a more intense grief for having committed them ; 3, a more firm determination to avoid them, and more abundant grace from heaven to carry this resolution into effect ; 4, a better pre- paration for the reception of the most Holy Eucha- rist ; and 5, a more firmly-grounded hope of salva- tion, and a more secure source of comfort in our last agony. As regards the shame which we feel in confessing our sins, S. Augustine supplies us with the following motives to enable us to overcome it. The first mo- tive he draws from the person of the sinner himself: “ Why” he says, “ do you blush to confess what you did not at all blush to commit ? Be not ashamed to acknowledge before one , what you icere not ashamed to do , perhaps , in the presence of , and with , many f You feel no shame in sinning, and are you after- wards ashamed to confess your sin? The Saint draws the second motive from the person of the con- fessor. “ 0 man ! ” he exclaims, “ icliy do you fear to confess ? I know less of what I learn through con- fession , than I do of matters of which I am entirely ignorant Why are you ashamed to confess your sins ? /, too , am a sinner like yourself ” 3. The third motive is drawn from the general judgment. “ As- suredly ,” writes the Saint, "it is better to suffer a little confusion before one , than, branded with infamy , to shrink before the gaze of so many thousands on the LECTURE. 103 day of judgment ” (a). You are ashamed to confess your sins to one man, while on the day of judgment they shall he manifested to the entire world. To these reasons we may add another, namely, that we must either confess or be damned — there is no alter- native. Wherefore, for God’s sake, for the sake of Heaven, for the sake of your own soul, “ be not ashamed to say the truth , for there is a shame that bringeth sin , and there is a shame that bringeth glory and grace ” (b). For, to overcome in oneself this kind of shame, is an undertaking worthy of generous souls, and full of glory, as S. Gregory attests, saying — “ I admire an humble confession of sins as much as I do acts of heroic virtue : for greater courage is sometimes re- quired to confess a fault than to avoid it ” (c). From the use of these two remedies, namely, an intense sorrow , and a sincere confession , will follow the purification of our soul, which is the second ad- vantage to be aimed at during the first week of the Exercises ; the first being the spirit of indifference, which we endeavoured to acquire yesterday. But as the soul. cannot be said to be purified at all, if we do not pluck out from it, also, the root of our sins, which, as has been said, consists in yride and sen- suality, we must hold these vices in utter abhorrence, and employ every means to eradicate them from our souls. To redouble our sorrow and detestation for sin, we shall, in the next meditation, direct our attention to our personal sins, which, if we bestow due considera- ( ci ) S. Augustine, Lib. De visit, infir. cap. v. (b) Eccles. iv. 24, 25. (c) S. Greg. lib. xxii. Moral, cap x. 104 SECOND DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. tion upon them, will be sufficient to make us tremble from head to foot. We must not, however, examine them in detail , but only in a general way; for we are not now making our preparation for confession, but simply meditating on the deformity of our sin, which is so enormous, principally for three reasons : 1. Be- cause of the number and grievousness of our offences; 2, Because of the baseness and ingratitude of the sinner ; and 3. Because of the majesty and clemency of Him whom w T e offend. Wherefore, S. Ignatius proposes these points for our consideration in the following meditation. N.B. Those toko spend one day only in meditating on sin and hell , may confine themselves to the second and third points of the folloioing meditation — re- serving the first point for Spiritual reading during some free hour . SECOND MEDITATION. On our personal Sins . First Point. The malice and heinousness of sin is infinite, be- cause of its intrinsic deformity, and its multiplicity. 1. So great is the deformity of even a single sin, that the God of Infinite Beauty hates it with a never- dying and necessary hatred ; He abominates and detests it, as being essentially evil, and essentially opposed to His interests. 2. It is so great, that neither the universal deluge w r hich once covered the earth, nor all the fire which shall yet consume it, nor the blood of all the victims that have ever been ON OUR PERSONAL SINS. 105 offered in sacrifice, nor that of all the martyrs who have ever died, would of themselves be sufficient to atone for it, and wash it out. 3. It is so great, that if, in an impossible hypothesis, the most august Mother of God, and the Sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ, could contract the stain of a single sin, all the splendour of the glory which surrounds them would fade, and in an instant they would become horrible brands from the fire of hell, 4. Ily sin we absolutely recede from God, according to the teach- ing of the angelic Doctor, S. Thomas. (2. 2. q. 161, a. 6. in corp.) Yet, unhappy being, you have, nevertheless, dared many times to soil and to defile with a stain so black and filthy the image of God stamped upon your soul. 0 God ! if a single sinful thought rendered the beauty of the angels so hideous and repulsive, what appearance will I present before the eyes of my Creator, after having sinned so grievously hundreds of times, without remorse, through mere caprice, in pure malice ! II. Ah ! the number of my many crimes has made me more hideous than the very demons themselves. O God, how numerous my sins are ! I, too, shall cry out in sorrow with Antiochus, “ Now 1 remem- ber*' the evils that I have done ” (a). Alas! the three faculties of my soul, which ought to have been a living mirror of the Divine Presence, and the Sacred Temple of the most Holy Trinity, have been, instead, as a sewer polluted with filth of every description, “and the abomination of desolation standing in the holy places ” ( b ). (a) 1 Macliab. vi. 12. ( b ) Matt. xxiv. 15. 106 SECOND DAY SECOND MEDITATION. My imagination was a store-house of most foolish fancies, my intellect a sink of most foul thoughts, my will the workshop in which every iniquity was fashioned. My five senses were five poisoned foun- tains ; instruments in the working of every descrip- tion of wickedness ; gates flung open to admit every vice. The entire series of my years is but an un- broken chain of crime; the actions of my life are but an accumulation of all kinds of defects and sins. Ah ! while I was as yet but a very small child, I was already a great sinner ; and as my body became developed, my wickedness increased in proportion. My youth (I blush to recall it) was polluted with every infamy, my manhood was held in bondage by unruly passions, and my old age, too, perhaps, may be the slave and the toy of corrupted nature. In a word, my entire life has been one continued sin. Oh ! who then will give to my eyes a fountain of tears to weep for so many faults, and infuse into my soul a due horror of them, that I may detest their wickedness. “ My God , I am confounded and asham- ed to lift up my face to Thee, for my iniquities are multiplied over my head , and my sins are grown up even unto heaven ” (a). Second Point. The heinousness of the sin is increased im measure ably by the baseness and ingratitude of the sinner . (1.) The baseness of man is exceedingly great, because of the nothingness from which he derives his exist- ence, because of his powerlessness to act, because (a) 1 Esdras ix. 6. OX OUR PERSONAL SINS. 107 of the rotteness and corruption in which his existence terminates, because of the impurities of his body, the sinfulness of his soul, the ignorance which clouds his intellect, and the perverse inclinations w T hich sway his will. A sinner, as compared with other men, is nothing : all men together are as nothing in comparison with a single angel ; all the angels are nothing in respect of God. What will you be, then, when compared with the Divine Majesty 1 Yet, nevertheless (be horrified, ye heavens !) this handful of dust, this filthy mire, “ hath stretched out his hand against God , and hath strengthened himself against the Almighty . He hath run against him with his neck raised up , and is aimed with a fat neck 11 (a); saying with Pharao, “ Who is the Lord , that I should hear his voice l I know not the Lord ” (h). This worm, so vile, so base, so filthy, has dared “ to cast the Lord off behind his buck” (c). Hide your light, ye stars ! God .... is held of less account than the body .... since the sensual man prefers the gratification of his unbridled lust to the observance of the most holy law of God. 0 angels 1 which excites within you the greater wonder — the impudence of man, who so insolently outrages his Creator, or the patience of God, w r ho so mercifully bears with this monster 1 (2.) The ingratitude which accompanies so much baseness, immeasurably increases the malice of sin. God has conferred upon you, sinner, favours count- less in number, of rare utility, priceless in value, and incalculably great, wdiether we regard the ma- jesty of the Donor, or the intrinsic value of the gift, (a) Job xv. 25, 26. (b) Exod. v. 2. (c) Ezek. xxiii. 25. 10S SECOND DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. or the base condition of the recipient. Moreover, the manner in which God bestowed these gifts upon you is worthy of attention ; for they were the out- come of an eternal love, with which He loved you from the very moment in which He commenced to love Himself ; of an infinite love, the self same with which He loves Himself; and of a purely disinterested love, since He cannot possibly derive from it the slightest advantage. So, then, God has showered down upon you countless favours, and has done so in a manner which argues on His part the greatest love .... God . . . . who is all-sufficient to Himself, who is in Himself infinitely happy ! . . . . And these fa- vours He has conferred upon you — a rebel slave l Upon you, who are but “ as a drop of the morning deco that falleth down upon the earth ” (a) ; 61 a leaf that is carried away with the icind ” ( b ) ; “ a vapour which appeareth for a little while , and aftencards shall vanish away ” (c) ; upon you, a mere nothing, a compound of wretchedness and vice. These fa- vours He has bestowed upon you without any merit on your part; nay, with a foreknowledge of your many sins, He has preferred you to very many other souls who would have served Him with all possible fervour. Y et, nevertheless, with black and most crimi- nal ingratitude, you have dared to offend so gene- rous a God, “ to break his yoke , to burst his bands , and to say : I will not serve” (d). And, in offending Him, you have made use of His own gifts which He had lavished upon you — the senses of your body, (a) Wisdom xii. 23. ( c ) Jamos iv. 15. (6) Job xiii. 25. (d) Jer. ii. 20. ON OUR TERSONAL SIX3. 109 the powers of your soul, the many natural gifts with which you are endowed, and, principally, the health which you enjoy. 0 Lord ! I confess myself more ungrateful even than the very beasts of the forest, for they, at least, do not offend Thee ; more ungrateful than the infi- dels, and the savage children of nature, to whom You have not granted as many favours as You have conferred upon me ; more ungrateful than the very demons themselves, for whom Your Son did not die upon the cross. I confess that this, my ingratitude , united to my natural baseness , increases immeasur- ably the heinousness of my sins. But, have mercy upon one who seriously repents ! . . . . pardon one who promises to be converted. Third Point. Finally, the heinousness of sin is infinite, when wo come to consider the majesty and clemency of the Being whom we offend. 1. As regards His majesty, not even the intellect of the cherubim is capable of comprehending it ; they merely prostrate them- selves and adore. Nor need we marvel at this, for He is “ a vowerful king, and greatlg to be feared ” (a) ; “ tlie Lord sitting on his throne , and all the army of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left ” (b) ; and you, a handful of vile dust, which is blown about by the wind , have dared to jyvovoke such a ternble power (c). 0 monstrous crime ! Filthy toad that you are, consider who it is that you have offended ! He is infinitely powerful, and (a) Eccl. i. 3. ( b ) 2 Faralip. xviii. IS. (c) S. Bernard, Serin, xvi. in cant. 110 SECOND DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. in the very moment of your sin could have hurl< d you into hell. He is all- wise, and his eye, which nothing escapes, was fixed upon you while you were in the act of committing that horrible crime. He is most holy; and the disgust with which He viewed that abomination of yours, was greater than all the joy afforded to Him by the heroic acts of all the saints. Yet, all this notwithstanding, you have dared to offend Him, and to offend Him so many times, and with sins of such an abominable nature. 2. And you dared to offend Him, the very while that His infinite clemency was restraining the thunder- bolts from descending and reducing you to ashes ; while He held in the wild beasts which would have ground you beneath their teeth ; w^hile He hindered the demons from hurling you alive into hell. For “ every creature teas armed against you for re- venge” (a), and God forbade it. The cry of your iniquities, ascending from the earth, was continually calling down upon you the vengeance of heaven, and God spared you, “ overlooking your sins for the sake of repentance ” (b). Nay, more, He guarded you as the pupil of His eye, and carried you in His bosom as a mothei is wont to carry her infant child. Not only this, but He loved you, if not with the love of friendship, which He bestows upon the just alone, yet, with the love of beneficence, being always mindful of you that He might serve you. Tell me, then, is not the malice of sin most detestable, by reason of the majesty and clemency of God who is offended ? (a) Wisdom v. 18. (b) Ibid. xi. 24. OX OUR TERWXAL SIXS. Ill Affections. 1. An act of sorrow. 0 God, I have offended Tine ! I . • . . Thee .... a filthy nothing has offended the most beautiful of beings, a vile worm h is rebelled against the Supreme Monarch, the slave against his Master, the creature against his Creator, man against his God ! And this I have done with un- speakable malice and ingratitude, .... afte t r having received so many favours at your hands, .... offending for a trifle, for some paltry gain, for a filthy pleasure, .... for mere caprice and of pure malice, .... Thee, my most holy Lord 1 And I have done this while Your eye was fixed upon me; the while you held out the threat of hell to frighten me from sin ; and promised heaven as a reward to tempt me on to virtue ; . . . . the while You were heaping so many favours upon me, .... and were pressing me lovingly to Your bosom. And, then, the many times I have offended Thee ! after having been so often pardoned by Thee. Ah ! I am covered with confusion, .... I am sorry, .... I repent. Oh, that my heart would burst itself asunder through the violence of my grief. 2. Resolution for ilie f uture. But I shall never, never more sin, 0 Lord ! In the presence of the whole court of heaven, and of Thy Divine Majesty, I am determined, and do resolve with all the strength of my free will, to lose, one thousand times, all earthly goods, to forfeit all worldly honours, and to yield up my very life in the midst of the most excruciat- ing torments, rather than ever offend Thee for the future by even a venial sin. No, never more shall I 112 SECOND DAT -SECOND MEDITATION. offend Tliec by any sin, and more particularly bv tho sin of (N.) and (N). 3. An act of humility. Ah! “ The confusion of my face hath covered me” (a) ; my soul, is, all over, a filthy ulcer. Ah ! truly, “ lam an abominable and unprofitable man , since I have drunk iniquity like water ” (b) ; for my iniquities are gone over my head” ( c ). 0 accursed pride ! origin of all my mis- fortune, I abominate and detest you with all my soul. Henceforward, I shall neither think, nor do, nor speak anything which savours of pride. Come, insults and scorn, come down upon my guilty head, and avenge the outrages which I have committed against God. Compendium. I. The malice of sin is infinite, because of its in- trinsic deformity , and of the number of times we commit it. ( 1 ). Its deformity is so great, that God essentially detests it, and hates it as much as lie loves himself. It is so great, that all the evils of the world are insufficient to punish it as it deserves. It is so great that, if, in an impossible hypothesis, the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ could defile themselves with a single venial sin, they would, thereupon, become more odious than the demons. And, nevertheless, you have defiled your soul with mortal sin ! (2.) And how often have you sinned ? Ah ! the multitude of your sins is innumer- able ! Ketrace, in thought, the years of your life, and be horrified at discovering that no sooner did (a) Ts. xliii. 16. (b) Job xv. 16. ( c ) Ps. xxxvii. 5. ON OUR PERSONAL SIX9. 113 von begin to know God. than you began to offend Him. II. The malice of sin is increased, when we take into consideration the worthlessness and ingratitude of him who commits it. (1 .) The baseness of the sinner is very great, when we consider the nothingness of his origin, his impotence to act, the corruption which will terminate his mortal career, the many miseries to which his body is subject, and the malice which enslaves his soul. And yet, this vile compound of tilth has dared to offend .... so often, and so grievously, .... the infinite majesty of God ! (2.) The ingratitude of the sinner, superadded to the baseness of his nature, increases immensely the malice of sin. God has lavished upon man benefits countless in number, of infinite utility, and of price- less value ; and yet, ungrateful Man dares to offend his Benefactor and his Lord ! what a monster is Man ! III. The malice of sin appears still greater, when we reflect on the majesty and clemency of Him who is offended. (1.) No human intellect is capable of comprehending the majesty of God ; the very cheru- bim bend down their heads in reverent adoration, and shade their faces with their wings from the brilliant light which dazzles them, while they cry out in wonderment : “ Who is as the Lord / ” (Ps. cxii. 5.) (2.) God’s clemency is infinite. While you were in the very act of sinning, it restrained the thunderbolts of heaven from reducing you to ashes, it pi evented the earth from opening beneath your feet, and saved you from the jaws of hell. Nay more, during the very time when you were sinning, it watched over you, guarded you, loved you. Ah ! after having offended a God so great and so good, you can still 114 SECOND DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. continue to live ! Your heart does not burst with grief ! Nay more, you do not shed even a tear ! not a sigh escapes your lips ! Consideration. On the twofold root of sins. It is not enough to abhor sin with an intense sor- row and detestation, but this detestation must extend itself also to the root of sin ; otherwise, the soul will not be perfectly purified, the fountain of vices will not be dried up, we shall not acquire that golden spirit of indifference after which w r e are striving, and we shall not advance in the proper manner to- wards our last end. For this reason, I observed in the Spiritual Lecture, § 1, n. 3, if you remember, that the sorrow and detestation for our sins, which we are striving to stir up within ourselves to-day, should be such as to include a detestation of the roots from which they spring, and that this is the fruit which we should endeavour to gather from the Exercises of this day. This twofold root consists principally, 1, In a de- sire of our own excellence — that is to say, in pride ; and 2, In a thirst for pleasures, that is sensuality. From these ordinarily spring all sins, both mortal and venial — even those of which the parent is ava- rice ; for we only desire riches in so far as they serve to second our ambitious projects, or to gratify our desires of pleasure. Of the first of these vices the Scriptures testify that “from it all perdition toolc its beginning ” (a) ; and S. Thomas says, “ the cause of (a) Tobias iv. 14. CONSIDERATION. 115 all evil bcfjins from it ” (a). The same, according to S. Ambrose, may be said of sensuality ; for being, as S. Thomas explains, the desire of what pleases our senses — that is, of pleasure which reaches the soul through the medium of the organs of the body, as sight, taste, touch, &c. — it follows that it is the filthy source whence flow all those sins which are committed by means of the senses (b). The con- sideration of the effects produced by sin will be of much assistance towards eradicating this twofold root, to which it owes its origin. I. Consider, then, in the first place, the deformity 1 of a soul defiled with sin. If you reflect upon it at- * teutively, you cannot fail to be inspired with feelings ■ of hatred and disgust for yourself. And yet, who * can fully realise the horrible deformity of a soul in mortal sin ! Collect from the hospitals, the prisons, \ and the dead-houses of the world, all that is most noisome, and revolting within their walls; bring together the most horrible monsters which have yet f. been discovered on land or in the sea ; add to these i whatever is most detestable, most abominable, most i hateful in the entire of hell — and, alas ! all these are \ but a dim shadow, a mere nothing, in comparison with the horrible defilement which deforms a soul j stained with even a single mortal sin. A single mortal sin of thought changed the ex- ceeding great beauty of Lucifer into such hideous ugliness, that the very sight of him constitutes one I of the greatest torments of the damned; and so re- pulsive is it, that some saints who saw him merely 'in a passing glance, declared that they would prefer («) 1. 2. q. 84, a. 2. (b) 1. 2.

) Chrysostom, lib. de Repara t. (c) Apoc. xxi. 8. (cl) S. Chrysostom, Horn. xxiv. in cap. vii. Mutt. 130 SECOND DAY — THIRD MEDITATION# also in its intensity , that is, in respect of the good of which it derives us. As, then, the greatest happi- ness conceivable consists in seeing God, who is infi- nitely lovable, so the greatest possible calamity is to be cast out from his sight. Nay, as S. Augustine declares, the greatness of the loss suffered in being excluded from the vision of God, can be measured only by the greatness of God Himself (a). At present, while we are still sojourners in this world, we seldom entertain an ardent desire of see- ing God, “ and because ice are ignorant of the great net* of this heavenly treasure , ice fail , also, in understand- ing how great an evil it is to be deprived of it ” (b). But once we shall have laid aside the trappings 01 our mortality, the mind will be filled with such ap- preciation of this treasure, it will burn with such an ardent desire of enjoying it, it will feel itself borne onwards with such force to possess it, that of all the torments of hell, the greatest and most intolerable for the damned soul will be to find herself removed from the vision of her Creator. In a word, “ she will be tortured more by the loss of heaven than by the flames of hell” ( c ). Nor need this surprise us : for so infinite is God’s beauty, that, if the damned could gaze upon it, if but for an instant, not only would they cease to feel the pains of hell, but would even fancy themselves suddenly transported to heaven. And, therefore, those miserable wretches would willingly endure a thousand hells, if it were only permitted them to (a) S. Augustine, lib. xix. De Civ. Dei. ca*). 28. (b) Ohrys. Horn. 47 ad pop. Antioch. (c) S. John Chrysostom. ON HELL, 131 behold, even for an instant, that incomprehensible beauty. But in vain ; their sins have shut out His face from them, and this for ever . , , . for ever. Fourth Point. The eternity of the punishments. The most ter- rible of all the terrible punishments of hell is the eternity of this loss, the never-ending duration of this punishment. The day of judgment shall arrive ; the universe shall become a ruin ; after its destruction a thousand years will glide by, and after these many other hundreds of thousands of millions of years; yet, after the lapse of all this time, not a single minute will have been taken from eter- nity. In their turn, there shall pass by as many thousands of centuries as there are grains of sand upon the sea-shore, leaves upon the trees, and stars in the firmament ; yet, all the while, the torments of the damned will be only at their commencement, and will be, as it were, ever beginning anew. Nor is this enough : after the lapse of this immense series of years and centuries, there shall pass by as many other centuries as there are atoms upon the earth and drops of water in the ocean; and lo! the damned shall be still in tortures ; they shall be eternally miserable, “ that all flesh may know that the Lord hath drawn his sword out of its sheath , not to he turned hack ” (a). For “there shall he death without dying , an end yd no ending , and infirmity yet no failing ; for death lives there , and the end is ever beginning , and the failing cannot fail ” (//). “ Where you would think (a) Ezech. xxi. 5, (l) S. Gregory, lib. ix. moral, cap. 49. 132 SECOND DAY — THIRD MEDITATION. that eternity must end , tliei'e it is also beginning says S. Hilary. Do not say that this seems to at- tribute cruelty to God, u for eternal •punishment may justly he inflicted for what never can be expiated” (a) ; and since the malice of sin is, in a certain measure, infinite, it is necessary, also, that the punishment should be infinite in some degree, and at least per- petual in its duration. Otherwise there would no longer be any just proportion between the crime and its punishment, and the wisdom of God would have failed to supply us with, a motive sufficiently power- ful to withdraw us from sin ; as we see in the case of purgatory, the pains of which, though most ex- cruciating, are powerless to deter us from the com- mission of a very great number of venial sins. If in hell there were a hope of redemption, the worm of the damned would finally die, and their punish- ment would cease to be eternal. But God has sworn that “their worm dietli not” (b), and that “ they shall go into everlasting punishment” (c), therefore they shall remain there for eternity. 0 eternity ! 0 word, short, but of most bitter meaning ! Ah ! if the mere sting of a wasp or of a mosquito were to last for ever, we should look upon it as an unbearable torture ; what shall it be, then, to be chained in the centre of so many tortures, there to suffer without respite all possible pains, and to suffer them for ever. 0 horrible thought ! for ever, .... for ever, .... for ever. “ Woe to you who do not believe these truths until they are forced upon your conviction by experience ” (d). (a) S. Bernard. (c) Matt. xxv. 4 G. (b) S. Mark ix. 45. (d) Euscb. Emissenus. ON HELL. 133 Affections. 1. An act of faith. O most wise God, Infallible Truth! I believe that there is a hell, ..... that one becomes deserving of it by the commission of even a single mortal sin, .... that innumerable souls which were created for heaven, are, through mortal sin, precipitated into this abyss, .... and are there punished by Thee, whose justice can never chastise beyond what the crime deserves, and whose mercy always incliues Thee to deal lightly with the sinner; .... from which I conclude that, when I sin, my crime far exceeds the punishment allotted to it, and that sin should, consequently, be detested beyond everything else. Wherefore, I will, with all possible diligence, fly from everything which leads to sin, and I will avoid especially this venial sin (N.), this occasion (N.), this defect (N.), and this passion (N). On the other hand, I will embrace with my entire soul whatever leads aicay from sin, and, in particular, those means (NN.), which are of more than ordinary efficacy in preventing one from offend- ing God. For “It is better .... to cjo into life maimed or tame , than, having two hands or two feet , to be cast into everlasting fire ” (a). 2. An act of detestation of sin. Let the most august Trinity — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost — be my witness, that I prefer rather to be cast into hell than to stain my soul with a single mortal sin. Yes, I am willing rather to burn for ever in flames, being pure and innocent, than to enjoy heaven for eternity if defiled with mortal sin. (a) Matt, xviii. 8. l 134 SECOND DAY — THIRD MEDITATION. And I abominate not only mortal sins, but, also, those venial sins which gradually lead to their com- mission ; and, above all, I detest the accursed root from which spring sensuality and pride . 3. An act of self-humiliation . 0 God of ven- geance ! I have sinned ; I have merited hell. If you had acted upon your rights, I would have been, for many years past, numbered with the damned, . . . . I would be a burning brand in hell’s fire, worthy of all possible contempt and loathing. And yet I am proud ! It is possible that once again I may sin mortally ; it is possible that I may die in my sins ; and it is possible, 0 my God, that I may yet be damned. Nevertheless, I still am proud ! Perhaps I will sin, perhaps I will die in that state, perhaps I will be damned, .... and yet I give way to feelings of pride. “In truth, I confess that I am worthy of all scorn and contempt , because I have deserved for my sins licit and everlasting fire v (a). 4. An act of hatred of ourselves . O my Lord God ! I have, alas ! preferred my body to Thee, and, through love of it, have offended Thee, the infinite Goodness. That I might gratify it with the enjoy- ment of a momentary pleasure, I have exposed it to the risk of eternal damnation. Filled with confu- sion, I confess to Thee my folly. But I now swear before Thee, that, henceforward, I shall take ven- geance on myself. Perish the body, provided the soul be not lost. Let my senses suffer for a while, that my spirit may not be tortured for eternity. Oh, if one of the damned could but return to life, in what manner would he treat his body ? Gratitude bids («) Thomas & Kempis, book iii. c. 52, n. 2 V ON HELL. 135 mo act as he would ; since it is a greater favour never to have been cast into hell, than, having been once precipitated into it, to be permitted to return. Wherefore I shall deny my senses the gratifications (NN.), and shall chastise my body by (N.). 5. An act of indifference. 0 my first Beginning, and my last End ! who hast created me to serve Thee in that manner wnich is pleasing to Thee ; behold, u as clay is in the hand of the potter ” (a), so am I in thy hand. “ Turn me round which way Thou wilt : lo } I am thy servant , ready to obey thee in all things ” (b). Ah ! that state of life to which you called me, or that degree of perfection in the vtate already chosen, to which you invite me is not hell ; that office, that place, that condition of health is not hell. Therefore, I offer myself to Thee as indifferent to everything; for what will it profit me to have had all comforts and honours in abundance, if I lose my soul ; and what loss will it be to have lived a life of misery and contempt, if even, so, I am saved] We never perceive these truths so clearly as when they are illuminated by the glare which comes from the fire of hell. 6. An act of gratitude and of sorrow . 0 sovereign Lord of life and death, I thank thee for not having visited me with death after my first sin ; and for having, so mercifully, granted me time and grace to repent. Ah ! if a sudden death had come upon me when I was in that state of sin (I shudder at the thought), hell would now be my dwelling-place. Thou hast condemned others, and Thou hast par- doned me ; for Thou hast loved me, who am the {a) Jeremias xviii. 6. (£) “ Imitation,” book iii. ch. 15. 13G SECOND DAT — THIRD MEDITATION. most vile of all, more than Thou hast loved others. How, then, was it possible that I could have offended j a God who has been so merciful towards me 1 . . . , I am sorry from the very bottom of my heart, and I grieve for my offences with all the vehemence of feeling of which my soul is capable, . . 9 . and I resolve to die a thousand times rather than to offend Thee, ever, ever more. Compendium I. As regards the punishment of the body, the damned shall suffer in hell ; 1 . All possible pains , and all of them at one and the same time . “ Every sorrow shall fall upon him” 2. They shall suffer them in a most intense degree, because the least possible pains of hell immeasurably surpasses the very greatest endured in this life. 3. They shall suffer them for ever, without respite, without relief, without comfort of any kind. II. With respect to the punishment of the soul , the damned soul will suffer most excruciating torture from this thought alone : God died upon the cross to save me, and yet I am lost I, a Christian, .... a priest, .... a religious, .... who have pointed out the very way of salvation to so many others, .... I am damned. 2. And I am damned through my own fault , since I could have so easily worked out my salvation. 3. And I am damned for a nothing , for a pleasure which lasted but a mo- ment. 4. Nay, more, I have endured greater hard- ships, walking the paths of sin, than would have sufficed to ensure my salvation ! III. The pain of loss , or the exclusion from the ON HELL. 137 beatific vision of God, constitutes by far the greatest punishment of the damned ; and so great is it, that, in comparison, a thousand hells would be a trifle to endure, for it means the loss of God’s infinite beauty, and it is, therefore, a loss infinite in its intensity. IV. The eternity of the punishment . This im- mense loss shall be eternal, and these excruciating torments must be endured for ever. Millions of millions of years shall pass by, and billions of mil- lions of centuries shall roll on, and still the damned shall find themselves damned for ever, “ that all -flesh may know that the Lord hath drawn his sword out of its sheath , not to he turned hack ” (a). (a) Ezccliicl xxi. 5. 133 ^hirb |pa}). FIRST MEDITATION On Death. First Point. Death teaches us to despise worldly goods , which constitute the first obstacle to our entire indifference to all things, and are the first impediment to our progress towards the attainment of our last end. The sentence has already gone forth : “ thou shaft die the death” (a). Thou shalt die: not others in thy stead ; but thou, thou thyself shalt die : and this, once only ; for “ it is appointed unto men once to die ” (b). Moreover, you shall die when you least expect it : for at what hour you think not , the Son of Man will come” (c). You shall die uncertain of the time, and the manner, and the place of your death Without having the slightest shadow of a hope left you of being able to return and remedy the faults you have committed. In one word, sooner or later, despoiled of all you possess, and abandoned by everybody, “ thou shaft go into the house of thy eternity” (d) ; and you will go there unaccompanied, for “every one of us shall render account to God (a) Gen. ii. 17. (c) Luke xii. 40. (b) Hcb. ix. 27. (d) F.cclcs. xii. 5. ON DEATH. 139 for himself (a) ; and you will go there despoiled of everything, “for we brought nothing into this world , and certainly ice carry nothing out ” ( b ). Unaccom- panied, then — despoiled of everything. 0 God, we believe all this, and yet our hearts are so rooted in the perishable goods of this world, that, for sake of them, we stray away from our last end ; and, captivated by their seductive pleasures, we permit them to draw us off from that golden indiffer- ence which is so necessary to us, and we refuse to attain that higher degree of perfection to which the Lord is pleased to call us. 0 child of earth ! “ under thee shall the moth be strewed , and worms shall be thy covei'ing(c). Behold thy entire inheritance — rotten- ness and worms. Out of all that you possessed, your friends will clothe you, for the last time, in your most worthless garment; the rest you must leave behind. “ For when he shall die , he shall take nothing away (d). Nothing — absolutely nothing : “ ^4$ he came forth naked from his mother's womb , so shall he return , and shall take nothing away with him of his labour ” ( e ). Hast thou heard it ? Thou shalt carry nothing with thee — none of thy money, none of thy property, none of thy estates. Nor will you, 0 religious, take with you any of those pretty trifles on which you have set your affections, which you used to carry about with you at such inconvenience, and which you could not bear that others should so much as touch. Take them now : carry them away with you if you can. Meanwhile, your soul, which has sought for (a) Rom. xiv. 12. (&) 1. Tim. vi. 7. ( c ) Isa. xiv. 11. (d) Psalm xlviii. 18. ( c ) Eccles. v. 140 THIRD DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. and has loved such things so immoderately, shall burn in the excruciating flames of purgatory, aban- doned by all, even by those who now enjoy your pro- perty. Oh ! is it not, indeed, the very excess of folly, to be unwilling to sacrifice to God at present, and with so much merit, that which you must here- after abandon, whether you will it or not? Is it not impious to throw away so many degrees of grace, and, consequently, so many degrees of glory, rather than deprive yourself of those childish trifles? And for such vain frivolities, refuse to ascend to a greater degree of perfection ? Alas ! who will not pity the blindness of those religious, who, after having generously renounced their title to their family possessions, and after binding themselves down by a vow of poverty, are ever sigh- ing for little articles of convenience, and for worth- less baubles; oftentimes desiring them more eagerly, and loving them more immoderately than world- lings love their colossal fortunes. Oh ! how they will find themselves confounded at the hour of death, when they behold Jesus Christ upon the cross, poor, and stripped of everything, reproaching them with their too luxurious and too convenient poverty ? Come, take courage ! Conquer yourself, and offer up to-day, at the foot of the cross, that which you shall be forced to surrender at the hour of death. Jesus expects this gift at your hands. Ah ! “ lie is indeed too covetous , for idiom the possession of God is not sufficient ” (a). (a) S. Augustine, lib. xiii. Confess, cap. 8. ON DEATH. 141 Second Point. Death teaches us to despise worldly honours , which are the second impediment to the above-named in- difference, and to the attainment of a higher degree of perfection. Come hither, 0 conceited follower of vain-glory — you who permit yourself to be blinded by this smoke, and to be drawn away from your last end — come hither ; approach this tomb ; look upon that corpse ; fix your eyes well on that putrid car- cass. llehold, whether you wish it or not, “ hitherto thou shall come , and shall go no further, and here thou shall break thy swelling leaves (a). All the glory which now surrounds your name ; all the splendour attached to the offices which you fill, shall vanish at the hour of death like a shadow. As the banners which accompany you to the tomb are lowered, and as the funeral torches are put out, your fame, also, will be extinguished ; and with the last toll of the funeral bell will die out the sound of your name. In a word, after this, you “ shall be as if you had not been ” ( b ). Even a man whose fame is bounded only by the confines of the earth, “when he shall die shall take nothing away ; nor shall his glory descend with him 11 (c). You are aware of all this; and yet you stretch forth your arms so eagerly to embrace this cloud, this shadow — this nothing ! 0 proud man ! death will come upon you when least you expect it ; perhaps in this very month it will despoil you of all the trappings of your great- ness, and will cast you into the tomb, where you (a) Job xxxviii. 11. ( h ) Wisdom ii. 2. ( c ) Psalm xlviii. 18. 14:2 TniRD DAT — FIRST MEDITATION. will no longer be great, or noble, or mighty ; but the food of worms, a mass of corruption, a handful of ashes — nothing. What, then, will it avail you to have been called learned ; to have occupied that professorship of which you were so proud ; to have attained to those exalted positions ; to have received those distinguished honours, if, because of them, your soul burns in purgatory ? You will be forced to say with a certain emperor: “ I have been all things , and the only advantage it brings me is, that at the point of death I am tortured at the thought that it has been so f A few days after death, one religious appeared to another, and said to him : u I was once on a time a famous theologian, and it is nothing ; I was a great preacher, and it is nothing ; I held the post of superior, and it is nothing ; I was a religious, and that is something.” Having uttered these words, lie disappeared. Learn from this that things which we upon earth prize very highly, are regarded as nothing by the dwellers in the other world. There- fore, “ it is vanity to be ambitious of honours , and to raise one's self to a high station ” (a), Therefore, it is an excess of folly, for the vain desire of honours, to abandon the golden principle of indiffer- ence, and the path of salvation. 0 death ! what a teacher of humility thou art ! Third Point. Death teaches us to fly from the allurements of the flesh , which are the third obstacle to the spirit of in- difference, and to a more perfect life. Come, 0 soul, (cc) “Imitation of Christ,” book i, chap. 1. ON DEATH. 143 and see. Come to the grave, and gaze upon that corpse — once the body which you inhabited. Con- template the ultimate destiny of that flesh, through love of which you expose yourself to the danger of damnation, and shrink from embracing a more per- fect life. Look upon it : those two wells, whence worms issue, were once your eyes — the rocks, per- haps, upon which your innocence suffered shipwreck. Those pieces of putrid flesh were once your mouth and your tongue — fatal instruments of gluttony. That spacious nest of worms was your belly, which you adored as your god. This entire mass of rotten- ness was your body — that idol of your self-love, to which so many times you sacrificed your consci- ence. Come; take up that skull, handle those bones, mix those ashes together, gaze upon that nursery of worms. Tell me, is it not extreme folly to wander away from one’s last end for the sake of that mass of corruption ? Is it not madness to concentrate all the labours, all the cares, all the anxieties of life on procuring the means of a brief enjoyment for this accumulation of filth — that it may sleep better, live more delicately, and be more luxuriously nourished — and, meanwhile, bestow not the slightest care on the salvation of the soul? “ 0 earth , earth , earth! hear the word of the Lord ” (a), “ no man can serve two masters ( h ). It is impossible to serve God and the flesh at one and the same time. The fruit which we ought to gather from this meditation is a constant hatred of those three im- pediments, which, principally, destroy within us the (a) Jerein. xxii. 29. ( [b ) Matt. vi. 24. 114 THIRD DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. holy spirit of indifference to all things, and remove us from our last end. These S. John calls u tlie con- cupiscence of the flesh , the concupiscence of the eyes , and the pride of life ” (a). Affections. 0 God, supreme Lord of life and of death f I be- lieve that I shall die, because by Thy command “we all die , and like icaters that return no 7nore, we fall down into the earth (l?). And we die without a fore- knowledge of the time, since Jesus Christ lias said: “ At what hour you think not , the Son of man will come ” (c). I believe that a bad death cannot be remedied I believe that I shall pass from this world to another, after being stripped of all honour and dignity, and that my body shall be reduced into filthy ashes, since the Holy Ghost tells me “ dust thou art, and into dust thou slialt return ” ( d ). 0 Lord, I confess my belief in all these truths, and yet I live as if I should never die. I live as if I “had here a lasting city” (e), wholly occupied with the affairs of the world, stolidly vain -glorious. I live, alas ! the vile slave of the flesh, and so im- moderately do I love this food of worms, that I do not blush to sacrifice to its convenience innumerable degrees of virtue and of glory. I live as unmindful of my soul, and of its future lot, as if “the death of man and of beasts were one , and the condition of them both were equal , and man had nothing more than the beast ” (/). (a) 1 John ii. 16. (b) 2 Kings xiv. 14. (c) Luke xii. 40. I d ) Genesis iii. 19. ( e ) Hebrews xiii. 14. (/) Eccles. iii. 19. ON DEATH. 143 0 my Lord God ! I am the food of worms, corrup- tion, filth, and loathsome rottenness : more filthy than the mire, than corruption itself, and, neverthe- less, I have dared to raise up my head in pride against Thee, the Omnipotent God. I have dared to make Thee of less account than my "body ; preferring its lusts, its pride, and its avarice, to Thy most holy will. 0 Heavens ! for the sake of this filthy flesh, then, I have made God angry, have defiled my con- science, and have cast away grace ! Ah ! I tremble from head to foot when I think of my iniquities. But I repent, 0 Lord, of my insolence \ I am ashamed of my folly. Would that my heart could hurst with grief ! Yes, I have resolved to proclaim henceforward a most determined war against avarice, pride, and sensuality. Let the lightnings of heaven reduce me to ashes, sooner than I should again offend my Creator. The thought of death at length reveals to me the vanity of the world’s goods. Grant to me, 0 Lord, freed from those three bonds which keep me fixed in the mire, the liberty of the children of God. Grant me to emulate the indifference of a dead body, which permits itself to be moved to any side ; equally pleased whether it be clad in purple or in rags, whether it be honoured or despised, whether it be placed in a plain wooden coffin or in a sarcophagus of marble. Compendium. T. Death teaches us to despise worldly goods. “ Thou slialt die the death” You shall certainly die ; but you know not when — how — where. Leaving behind you all that you possessed, “ thou slialt go into the 14G THIRD DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. house of thy eternity” unaccompanied — and stripped of everything. You believe all this, and yet are so much attached to wordly possessions ! And you are so covetous of them, and for their sake you stray from your last end ! II. Death teaches us to despise worldly honours . Approach : gaze upon that corpse. See how it i3 despoiled of every honour ! It no longer prides itself on illustrious titles ; it is nothing but the loathsome food of worms — a mass of corruption — a handful of ashes from which all turn away with disgust. Go, now, and in the presence of all this rottenness, in- dulge in pride if you can. III. Death teaches us to fly from the pleasures of the flesh. Contemplate in that corpse what will one day be the condition of that flesh through love of which you expose yourself to the risk of damnation. Come, take up that skull ; handle those bones ; mix those ashes together ; gaze upon that creeping mass of worms. Tell me, is it not most extravagant folly on your part to have so many thoughts and so many anxieties for this handful of filth, and, meanwhile, to care nothing for the salvation of your soul ] Lecture. On the Knowledge of Ourselves. I. The purgative way proposes to itself three ends : The first is the detestation of our sins ; the second, the extirpation of their roots ; and the third, the know- ledge of ourselves . If a physician be ignorant of the disease from which his patient suffers, he cannot apple the suitable remedies — hence the necessity of thy knowledge of ourselves. If the patient love his ail* LECTURE. 147 ment, he will not seek for medicine to remove it — lienee the necessity for detesting our sins. If the causes of the disease be not removed, a perfect re- storation to health is impossible — hence the necessity for extirpating the roots of our sins. Since, then, it is by these helps, principally, that the soul is disposed to produce the holy fruits of every virtue, we see at once how necessary it is to begin the work, and not abandon it until it is brought to a happy conclusion. By considering on yesterday the malice of sin, and its chastisements, we have been led to detest it above all things. Moreover, we have made every effort to eradicate from our souls pride and sensuality, which are the chief roots of all vices. To-day we shall en- deavour to arrive at a thorough knowledge of our- selves, in order to attain the third end which the purgative way proposes to itself. In our second meditation on yesterday, which had for its object our personal sins, and in the consideration and examen which followed it, we made considerable progress in this knowledge of ourselves. To-day, however, this object must engage our almost exclusive attention ; because the more clearly we see our own nothing- ness, the greater motive shall we have for self- humiliation and penance, and so for eradicating from our hearts sensuality and pride, which are the two greatest impediments to the acquisition of the holy spirit of indifference, to serve God in whatever man- ner He shall please. For it surpasses belief, that any one should have a thoroughly profound knowledge of the wretchedness of his body, and the sinfulness of his soul, without, at the same time, hating and des- pising himself. II. That this thorough knowdedge of ourselves is 148 THIRD DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. in reality the third fruit to be derived from the exer- cises of the first week, according to the mind of St. Ignatius, we learn from the Directory which says : “ Therefore , the person making the Exercises should direct all his efforts to this — to know his own loicly and vile condition , and to feel it in his heart ” (a). S. Ignatius supplies us with three means to help us in attaining this salutary knowledge, viz. : (1) The first manner of making prayer; (2) The ex- amination of conscience ; (3) A general confession. The first method of prayer consists in reflecting within one’s self on the precepts of God and of the Church, on the seven deadly sins, on the three powers of our soul, and on our five senses ; examining suc- cessively, in order, whether we have observed the first, whether we have stained our souls with the second, whether we have made good use of or have abused the last. What else is this but to penetrate “ into the bottom of the deep , and look into the heart of man, into the most hidden parts ” (b). It is self-evident what an efficacious help is found in the double examination of conscience, both daily and general (which precedes confession), to enable one to begin to open his eyes to the knowledge of the sins of his past life, and of the present state of his soul. For this is truly the living light of the lamp that “brings to light the hidden things of dark- ness” (c). And for this reason, from the very com- mencement of the Exercises, S. Ignatius proposes both of them to us, desiring that we should carefully perform the daily exam on for a quarter of an hour (a) Directory, c. xi. n. 3. (b) Eeclesiasticus xxiii. 28. (c) 1 Cor. iv. 5. LECTURE. 149 each day, since It is the best means to search through the most secret hiding-places of our soul. Finally, we learn from the words of the Directory, how powerful a help towards acquiring the knowledge of ourselves is to be found in a general confession, embracing either our entire life, or a considerable portion of it : “for,” says the Directory, “ experience has proved that it has been exceedingly useful to many in attaining a knowledge of themselves, and the amend- ment of their lives ” (a). Nor need this surprise us, for by recalling to mind the sins which we have committed up to the present, it is easy to discover the root in which they have their origin ; the more so if we also examine with diligence what love, or hatred, or desire, or aversion, or hope, or fear prompts us to commit those faults which ordinarily form the matter of our confessions. With reason, therefore, S. Ignatius desires that, the better to arrive at this knowledge of ourselves, we should devote to the examination of conscience almost the entire of the first week, and afterwards go to confession towards its clooe. III. Since S. Ignatius desires that this self-know- ledge should be not only speculative but also prac- tical, tending to the emendation of our lives, and to a detestation of sin and of its root, the Saint supplies us to this end with a most powerful help — namely, the particular cxamcn. In this Exercise each person proposes to examine by itself some one particular defect, and not to rest satisfied, nor cease to combat it, until he has either totally eradicated it from his soul, or at least got it under such control, as not (a) Directory, cap. x. n, 9. K 150 THIRD DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. to permit it any longer to get the mastery over him. § ii. To the three helps mentioned above, S. Ignatius adds also the two meditations on Death and Judg- ment, since there is nothing more powerful than these to make known to us the wretchedness of our body and the sinfulness of our sold. From the con- templation of death and judgment, we see with the greatest clearness that we are merely “ nothingness and sin ” (a), and, therefore, deserving even of our own hatred and contempt. Truly, we can never more fully realise the wretchedness and nothingness of our body than after it has been a few days in the tomb. Ugh ! what a horrible, filthy sight it is 1 Approach and let us examine it. At first the corpse is marked here and there with nasty, decaying spots, which in a short time assume the form of a loathsome blackness. From the face, from the breast, and from the entire body down to the very feet there oozes out a mouldy scum, accompanied by a noisome, musty smell, both forerunners of the corruption which is setting in, and which soon after, when the skin is burst, spouts out and flows over in all directions, until the very limbs seem to swim in it. From this corrupt matter, which partly flows on the exterior, and partly seethes within, there is generated an immense quantity of worms. These greedily devour the de- composing flesh, and, as they feast upon it, it is (a) Concil. Uransican, LECTURE. 151 horrible to see how they swarm over the decaying mass, how they turn and twist themselves in all directions, how they jump in and out through the sockets of the eyes, how they disgorge themselves from the nostrils and mouth, and swim and plunge in that seething lake of corruption. Ugh ! even to picture it in imagination makes one shudder 1 II. Come hither, 0 mortal, gaze upon this " pit of misery and mire of dreys ” (a). Contemplate those filthy pieces of flesh. Here knoio thyself here see who thou art . That great creeping mass of worms was once your body, the idol of your self-love, which you fondled so tenderly, and which you caused to swim in an ocean of delights. Those hideous holes in that skull indicate the places where once were your eyes, your nostrils, and your mouth — the instruments and portals of every vice. See to what your cherished idol is reduced ! grasp that handful of bones, blow into those ashes: behold now who and what you are : see that you are but dust, a sack filled with filth, a whited Sepulchre, a sewer covered over with snow. Behold your nobility ! 0 what a powerful means the consideration of death is, to make known to us our own misery and our own nothingness ! III. To meditate upon the judgment which will be passed upon us immediately after death is of no less efficacy in leading us to a knowledge of our- selves. This shall form the subject of our second meditation to-day, and it will show us, as in a mirror, the sinfulness and nothingness of our soul, making known to us — 1, its depravity; 2, its incli- (a) Fsalm xxxix. 3. 152 THIRD DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. nation to every evil ; 3, its impotence to perform, of itself, anything that is good. 1. First of all, to speak of the soul’s depravity , the soul ought, indeed, to be the image of the most Holy Trinity, the living temple of God, the mirror of holiness reflecting the light of every virtue. But so far from this being the case, alas! what a different tale there is to tell ! The memory, like some vast lake, is filled with most flltliy images, vain fancies, and sinful representations, which ever float upon it, and are continually agitated by our own passions, and by the devil, the enemy of our souls. The in- tellect represents nothing but error, blindness, and darkness, and is the dwelling-place where false maxims, deceits, ignorance, and rash judgments find a sure abode. A sinful disposition rules like a queen in the will, making it the slave of those de- praved inclinations, through which it performs, not the good which it desires, but the evil which it abhors. Moreover, there reigns in the soul an evil incli- nation which ever draws it towards sin ; so much so, that if God’s grace did not restrain it by a merci- ful violence, it would plunge into the abyss of every crime. To form a faint idea of it, imagine that you see a man held by the hair of his head over a fearful pit, all ablaze with sulphur and pitch, and in this you have a very feeble picture, indeed, of man’s in- clination towards sin, and of God’s sustaining power, which alone prevents him from falling into it. The soul not only has an inborn propensity to evil, it is, moreover, of itself, incapable of performing aught that is good. For, without preventing grace and the supernatural aid of God, it cannot produce any LFX’TURE. 153 supernatural act, nor can it produce even a natural act without God’s natural assistance. Wherefore, it is true to say of the soul, that it is nothing . 1. In its essence ; since its existence depends entirely on its Creator, and were He to withdraw, even for a moment, His preserving hand, it would lapse again into its original nothingness. 2. It is nothing in its operations; because without the physical con- currence of God, it could not give motion even to a foot or a finger. 3. It is nothing in respect of merit ; because to elicit an act meritorious of life eternal, one needs must have efficacious supernatural grace ; that is to say, such grace, as, in God’s eter- nal fore-knowledge, would meet with the acceptance of the human will. How this grace is due to no one, of justice ; and, still more, no one can merit it, how worthy soever his actions may be. Wherefore, we see how powerfully these two meditations on Death and Judgment, by placing before us the wretchedness of our body and the sin- fulness of our soul , assist us in acquiring a know- ledge of ourselves, or, in other words, of our own nothingness. § HI. These meditations have a particular efficacy also, as the Directory remarks, “ in withdrawing our mind from the inordinate love of the things of this world ” (a) ; and this is another fruit which we ought to use every endeavour to gather from them. Indeed, we have already made every effort to do so in the first meditation, striving to eradicate from (a) Directory, ch. 15, n. 4. 154 THIRD DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. our souls the appetite for riches, pleasures, and honours, and to realise to ourselves the wretched- ness of our body. And, in truth, if the condition of our body is as wretched as we have seen it to be, “ why is earth and ashes proud ? ” (a) If you are but a sack filled with corruption, and the food of worms, “ why doth tliy heart elevate thee ? why doth thy spirit swell against God ? ” (h) If you are but dust and nothingness, why do you take it ill that you are despised, and that this nothingness is treated at its proper value ? Having nothing to boast of, but sins and failings, why do you desire to be praised ? Why do you dread to be humbled, and to be thought of small account ? Being nothing but rottenness and corruption, why do you think so highly of yourself, and strive to exalt yourself beyond others ? Why are you ambitious of honours, when every honour must, at length, be buried in the grave ? In the meditation on judgment, you shall see your soul torn asunder by contrary and contradictory passions. You shall find it sometimes depressed by sadness, and at another time swollen with inordi- nate pride ; now lashed into unbridled fury, and the next moment burning with the fire of sinful love ; now the prey of despondency, and again of envy ; never at rest, but always tossed about at the mercy of the passions. Why then, I ask, do you think so highly of your soul, when you know that it is so sinful? Or why do you not, on the contrary, regard it with feelings of contempt, and arm your- self with a holy hatred against yourself ? (a) Ecclcs. x. 9. (0 Job xv. 12, 13. LECTURE. 155 I have said, a hatred of yourself. What ] l)o you feel a difficulty in bringing yourself to hate your body — that receptacle of all filth, that sewer overflowing with everything that is unclean ? Do you never reflect that it is the betrayer of your soul, a very nest of vice, the fomenter of concupiscence the seat of temptations, the enemy of virtue, an ocean ever tossed by the tempests of sin ? And do you find a difficulty in hating this monster 1 For the same reason, do you experience a difficulty in hating your soul, that rebel against God, the foe of heaven, the servant of the passions, the mother of error, the despicable slave of the flesh ? How very tender-hearted you are. Come, be strong-minded and resolute. Kemember that “ he that nourislieth his servant delicately from his childhood , afterwards shall find him stubborn ” (a). Therefore “ chastise your body , and bring it into subjection ” ( b ), “ war against you soul ” (c) ) wean your affections from those silly trifles, those baubles of which death may rob you at any moment, and the love of which will cause you sorrow when you stand before God’s judgment seat. (Here form your particular resolu- tions, and find out what those things are from which you ought principally to detach yourself.) II. By means of these meditations the soul is not only weaned frem the love of all worldly goods, but, moreover (as the Directory observes), “ it conceives a holy fear of the Lord , and is confirmed in its hatred and detestation of sin” (d) ; and this constitutes the third fruit to be gathered from this consideration. (a) Proverbs xxix. 21. (b) 1 Cor. xi. 27. (c) 1 Peter ii. 11. (d) Directory, cap. 15 & 30. 156 THIRD DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. And, in truth, whoever seriously reflects that, in the very moment in which he sins, he may be sur- prised by death, and hurried before the judgment- seat of God to render an account of that same sin to a Judge most wise, inexorable, and most strict; who “ can destroy both sold and body into liell ” (a) : who, I say, that reflects on this, can refrain from exclaiming with Joseph : “How then can I do this wicked thing , and sin against my God?” (b). Ho would prefer to face a thousand deaths, and endure the most excruciating tortures, rather than commit sin, and offend anew the majesty of God, according to that saying of Ecclesiasticus, “in all thy works remember thy last end , and thou shalt never sin ” (c). These, then, are the three fruits to be gathered from the meditation of Death and Judgment, and which all belong to the first week of the Exercises, viz. : 1. The detestation of sin. 2. The knowledge of ourselves. 3. The extirpation of the root of sin ; detaching our soul from the things of this world, and principally from the desire of pleasures and of honours, which are the primary source of all sin, and the principal obstacle which the soul has to encounter in its onward progress towards perfection. The parable of the prodigal son, applied practically to ourselves, will be found of much advantage to- wards attaining this object. By means of this meditation, the soul, while con- sidering the wretchedness of that poor spendthrift, arrives at the knowledge of itself : “ I here perish with hunger ”. It next proceeds to detest sin : “ Father , I have sinned”. Finally, like the prodigal, it hurls (a) Matt, x. 28. (6) Gen. xxxix. 9. (c) Ecclcs. vii. 40. ON THE PARTICULAR JUDGMENT. 157 aside all obstacles, bursts the fatal chains that bind it, and plucks out the root of sin : ct I will arise , and loill go to my Father”. From this we perceive that the concluding meditation of the first week’s exer- cises is, as it were, the final impulse given to the soul on the road to perfection ; so that, all impedi- ments being removed, it may come to the determi- nation of returning to its last end, from which it had strayed by sin, and of serving God in whatsoever maimer He may wish, being, for its own part, per- fectly indifferent to all things. SECOND MEDITATION. On the Particular Judgment First Point. “ We must all he manifested before the judgment- seat of Christ ” (a). This sentence admits of no limitation, therefore you, also, must present your- self before that dread tribunal, “ for every one shall hear his own burden” ( h ). Here you shall be judged by a most wise Judge, who cannot be in- fluenced bv any entreaties, whose investigation into your conduct will be most searching, and who has been very much irritated by your sins. “ He will reprove tliee , and set before thy face ” (c) all the (a) 2 Cor. v. 10. (&) Gal. vi. 5, (c) Tsalru xlix. 21. 158 THIRD DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. sins committed during your life-time, through means of your five senses, through the three powers of your soul, in thought, in word, and in deed ; for “ all things that are done , God will bring to judgment, for every error , whether it be good or evil ” (a); and “every idle word that men shall speak , they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment ” (b). In a word, all your actions shall be subjected to a most rigid examination ; all of them, without a single exception. 1. This examination will embrace all the faults committed in violation of the precepts of the Deca- logue and of the Church, by the seven deadly sins, by the violation of vows, by sins against God, against our neighbour, and against ourselves ; nay, even our hidden sins, and those of which we have quite lost all remembrance, shall be inquired into. Alas ! how you shall then see yourself clothed all over with sin ! sins of different species, countless in number, heinous beyond expression, and of indes- cribable malice. 2. Moreover, the good that has been omitted will form the subject of investigation. Oh ! how terri- fied you will be, when you are startled by that dread summons : count , weigh , divide ! Count up the graces that have been lavished upon you during the course of your life . . . . O God ! how numerous these are ! Weigh their price in the balance of the sanctuary Ah ! it is beyond calculation ; it is infinite. Eeckon separately the good and bad use which you have made of them Alas how very much the latter surpasses the former ? (a) Ecclcs. xii. 36. ( b ) Matt, xii. 36, ON TI1E PARTICULAR JUDGMENT. 159 Oh, how many are the obligations of your state un- fullilled, how many the duties of your office which you have neglected, how many the means of salva- tion which you have passed by heedlessly, how many the opportunities of doing good which you have slighted. 3. Poor wretch 1 what will be your feelings when the Divine Judge shall exclaim, with a voice of thunder : Render to me an account of the time so liberally granted to you to do penance, to increase your store of grace, and to merit glory ; time which you have recklessly squandered, either in idleness or in doing something else besides that which you were ordered to do, or, perhaps, in the commission of sin. Give an account of the talents entrusted to you, and which you either buried because you were too indolent to use them, or which you have impiously profaned by their abuse. Give an ac- count of the many confessions, the communions, the meditations, and the retreats, which you have either omitted, or have performed in a careless manner, and without deriving any fruit therefrom. Give an account of the many sins which you might have hindered, of the many souls which you might have saved, of the many pious practices which you might have diffused among the people. Alas ! 0 Lord ! “ shame hath covered my face” (a), “ for my soul is -filled with evil ” (b). 4. Finally, before that dread tribunal there shall be an inquiry even into our good actions which have been badly performed ; for God will search Jerusalem (a) Psalm lxviii. 8. {b) Psalm lxxxvii. *1. 1G0 THIRD DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. until lamps ” (a), and even “ will judge justices” (L\ Alas ! when the Eternal Judge shall examine our good actions, “ all oar justices shall he as the rag of a menstruous woman ” ( c ) ,* and S. Gregory says, “ our justice , when examined by Divine Justice , will he found to he injustice ; and under the rigid examina- tion of the Judge , those things will he found hlamahle , which in our estimation were most praiseworthy” (d). In that terrible hour, even our very best actions will be found faulty, either because of the manner in which they were performed, or of the motive which prompted them, or of the end which we had in view when carrying them out. Even the man who considers that he is rich in merits, shall then discover that he is “ ter etched , and miserable , and poor, and blind, and naked ” ( e ). Here, then, once for all, know thyself .... 0 how very suitable is the meditation of Judgment to discover to us the sinfulness of our soul ! and what a powerful incite- ment is this knowledge towards a profound humilia- tion of ourselves, a detestation of sins, and a hatred of ourselves ! Second Point. Hot only shall we be arraigned on all these counts, but they shall be put before us distinctly, and with all possible precision ; for God “ searchetli the reins and heart” (/), and He “ will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the (a) Sophonias i. 12. (6) Psalm lxxiv. 3. (c) Isaias lxiv. 6. ( d ) Lib. v. moralium, cap. vi. (e) Apoc. iii. 17. (/) Apoc. ii. 23. ON TIIE PARTICULAR JUDGMENT. 1G1 counsels of the hearts ” (a). That eye which pene- trates even the intentions and the thoughts of men, will make a most minute examination of our soul, fully disclosing its secret inclination towards evil, and its natural inability to perform aught that is merito- rious. Before this tribunal, the number of our sins will be calculated with the most scrupulous exact- ness, their species will be distinguished, the precise degree of guilt involved in them will be weighed in an unerring balance, and their heinonsness will appear in most unmistakable colours. One by one, Almighty God will inquire into every feeling of our soul, and will discover the many sources from which our failings have sprung. One by one, He will hold up before our face the silly fancies we harboured, the groundless pretensions we have cherished, the false and seductive maxims which regulated our every act. In a word, on that terrible day, you shall see, as in a panorama, the story of your life year by year ; the opportunities which lay within your grasp of obtaining perfection, and of cultivat- ing the spirit of piety, the powerful impulses of grace which you have experienced, the remedies placed within your reach whenever you chanced to fall, the continuous, unbroken chain of graces which were ever at your command, and which you have always abused. With such knowledge before you, what would you think of the malice of sin? What of that in- satiable thirst of yours for honours and pleasures? What of those baubles which you love so much ? In w r hat state of life would you choose to live, and how (a) 1 Cor. iv. 5. 1G2 THIRD DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. would you wish to have served the Lord in the state already chosen. What, think you, will then be your esteem for the principle of indifference to every place, to every office, and to all conditions of health — a principle so often inculcated. Oh ! how vc ry different will your opinions then be ! “ Then the poor and liumhle will have great confidence , and the proud will fear on every side . Then every devout person will rejoice , and the irreligious id ill be sad. Then the flesh that has been mortified shall triumph more than if it had been always p ampered in delights . Then the contempt of riches shall weigh more than all the treasures of worldlings. Wherefore , learn at present to suffer in little things , that then thou mayst be delivered from more griezous sufferings” (a) . Humble yourself, therefore; chastise your ilesh, and do what, if left undone, may hereafter cause you to weep bitter tears of fruitless penance. Third Point. On that day of wrath and unrelenting justice, not only will all things be examined separately, and on their merits, but the accused will have no chance of flight, no escape from the Judge’s sentence. The time for pleading excuses has passed by : every gate which mercy might hold open is for ever closed against the sinner. And, in truth, even you your- self must needs confess that “ you are inexcusable ” (b) . Should you dare put forward ignorance as your excuse, the dogmas of Faith in which you believed will convict you of a lie. Should you plead your (a) ‘‘Imitation of Christ,” book I. ch. 24. (b) Rom. ii. 1. ON THE PARTICULAR JUDGMENT. 163 natural impotence to do good as a palliation of your crimes, then will rise up against you the many graces which were within your reach. You may, perhaps, s ly that the path of virtue is a difficult one to tread ; but, then, there are the words of Jesus Christ : “My volte is sweet , and my burden light”. You may. per- haps, plead in excuse your tender age, or your deli- cate constitution, but from the east and from the west there shall rise up in judgment against you persons of the same age, and of a constitution equally delicate ; and the example of what they have done will be your strongest condemnation. Even your angel guardian, becoming your adver* sury, will cry out, “ You might have become a saint it you only wished it. You might and you ought to have become one.” Your damnation is of your own choosing. By-and-by the demons, while they mock you, will explain to you both sides of the question, holding up before you on the one side, Faith, and what it prescribes — on the other, your life, the while they say, “ See, this is what you be-' lieved, and yet you have acted thus. Behold, this is the charter of your Faith, and this the picture of your life. These are the laws for the regulation of your conduct, and this your observance of them.” Tears and entreatic s shall then be useless, f i r there will be no longer time for showing mercy. It will be of no avail to repent of sins past, nor to form resolutions against sins in the future, for the hour of repentance has gone by. Then “ time shall be no longer” (a), Not even will it be permitted you to fly for succour to Mary, because in that night of (a) Apoc. x. 6. 164 THIRD DAY SECOND MEDITATION. blackest darkness “ the moon shall not shed her light ” (a), but your sentence shall come, quick, in- evitable, and irrevocable, deciding your fate for eternity. 0 judgment ! 0 dread sentence 1 Affections. 1. Of dismay. “ Alas ! wretch that I am : when will the day of judgment arrive, and the books 1 e opened that disclose the secrets of hearts ! When t shall be said to me, ‘ there is the man , and these at e his acts'. What shall I then do, 0 Lord, when tl e heavens shall make my iniquity manifest, and tl e earth shall rise up against me? In very truth, I have nothing to reply, but, my head bowed down in shame and confusion, I stand before Thee abashed . 9 2. Of fear. O dread moment ! which I can never escape, and which may, perhaps, come upon me very, very soon. What a torturing crisis ! — on the or.e hand are arrayed my sins, which stand as my ac- cusers ; and on the other I see suspended the swoid of Divine Justice, which threatens me with vengeance ; beneath my feet I behold the terrible pit of lull prepared to swallow me up ; above me I sec a Judge justly enraged ; within me I feel the stings of a conscience reproaching me with my manifold faults. Alas, where shall I hide myself! how shall I appear! To hide myself is impossible — to appear is a torture beyond endurance ! Who is it that will not awake at those terrible words, “ Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment!" Ah! “ Thou thunder est forth over my head thy judgments, 0 Lord, and thou shakest all my (a) S Augustine, Med. cap. 39. ON TIIE PARTICULAR JUDGMENT. 165 bones with fear and trembling , and my soul is terrified exceedingly ” (a). 3. Of grief . Alas ! my soul, what hast thou donof in sinning? You have offended that self-same God by whom you shall one day be judged. But I re- pent me of my transgressions ; “ Have mercy on me, 0 Lord , according to thy great mercies , and forgive my sins,” which I abhor and detest with all my soul, because they have offended Thee who art the infinite good , and, henceforward, I purpose to avoid them, and to extirpate the roots from which they have sprung, and, in particular (KN.) 4. Of self-knowledge and hatred of one's self I know full well, 0 Lord, that I am but a sinner. I can see in myself nought but wretchedness and sin ; impotence for aught that is good, and a very decided propensity towards evil. My crimes are more numerous than the very hairs upon my head, and even the few virtues that I do possess have about them a something that savours of vice. Wherefore, I despise myself, and shrink back into the abyss of my own nothing- ness. “ 0 that I could but feel duly humble for my crimes ” (b). 0 accursed flesh, the love of which has so often led me to insult so dread a judge ! Hencefor ward I swear against thee undying enmity. Would that I could claim as mine that golden spirit of indif- ference to every occurrence, be it what it may, to every place, to every office, and to all conditions of health ! With this spirit for my guiding star, I shall hencefor- ward serve God in the manner which pleases him best; that I may one day be enabled to hear from Christ, (a) '‘Imitation of Christ,” book 3, cli. 14 . (b) S. Bernard. L 1 GO THIRD DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. my Ju lge, those consolatory words, u Come % thou blessed of my Father” &c. Compendium. I. We must all needs present ourselves before the judgment-seat of God, where all our faults shall be most minutely investigated. Yes ; all of them. 1. All the sins we have committed. 2. The good that has been omitted, the graces that have been un- availed of, the opportunities squandered, the time lost, the talents ill-employed. 3. Even our good actions, when blamable, either because of the manner in which they were performed, or the motive which prompted them, or the end for which they were undertaken, shall form the subject of inquiry. II. All those things shall be placed most distinctly before us : our sins shall be counted for us ; their species shall be distinguished ; they shall be weighed in an unerring balance ; and their malice shall be held up before us for ourselves to study. Even our most hidden feelings shall be inquired into. Our whole life will be held up before us as in a mirror. III. Escape there shall be none ; neither may one plead in excuse ignorance , or his tender years, or his natural disposition, for there shall arise against him innumerable saints, who though circumstanced in the self-same manner, overcame all obstacles, and eventually became saints. Even your angel guardian shall become your accuser, while the Devil lays the indictment against you. Not even Mary will be your helper : mercy there will be none. 0 Judgment, how terrible thou art ! consideration. 167 Consideration. On the manner of preparing for Death . Among the principal fruits to be gathered from the retreat, may also be reckoned that happy frame of mind in which one always feels himself prepared to die, without even a thought to trouble or disturb him. And, in truth, if one does not prepare for death during the time of Retreat, when will he do so? If he cannot find time during those days, when is he to find it ? Most certainly he is unworthy of salvation, who, on the expiration of those days of salvation, finds himself unprepared to meet death. I submit to you a method which will assist you in doing this great work welL Set about it at once, and the peace of mind which you will afterwards experience will be your reward. § I. How to receive the announcement of Death in a Christian manner . On your knees within your oratory, and with your crucifix in your hands, fancy that your angel guar- dian warns you of the approach of death, saying to you, “ Thus saitli the Lord: Take order with thy house , for thou shalt die , and not live ” (a). On receiving this message, you ought to exclaim with joy, “ Behold me , 0 Lord , ready My Lord and my God, the arbiter alike of life and of death, who hast decreed that because of sin man must die, be- hold, I humbly submit to this thy decree : the while (a) Isaias xxxviii. 1. 168 THIRD DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. I detest, with all the powers of my soul, all the sin 3 of which in my life past I may have been guilty. That death which I have so many times merited, I now freely accept, in the hope that this acceptance may serve in some slight degree to atone for past transgressions, and may help to bring me finally to that happy land where “ Sin shall be no more Yes, my God; let death come to me wherever, whenever, and in what maimer pleases Thee best. For my part, I am perfectly indifferent. Should your Providence decree that my death be one of painful torture, I accept the decree, and kiss your Fatherly Hand. Thy holy will be ever done ? How great soever these pains may be, they will still fall far short of the torments of hell, which I have so many times deserved by my sins. The very hatred I bear myself would make me wish to die, that the worms might consume this flesh of mine, which has been the slave of so many sinful passions. The feeling of my own abasement creates within me a desire of death, that so I may return to my original nothingness, and the world thus have a happy riddance of a wretched sinner, who, casting off the mild yoke of his Creator, has strayed so far away from his last end. § II, On reviewing our past life , and inquiring into the actual condition of our soul. Simultaneously with the announcement of death, our memory shall be flooded with the thoughts of the past, and with a painful consciousness of the actual condition of our soul. Well would it be then to have taken those thoughts to heart at the proper time 1 consideration. 169 1. Examine, then, what is at this moment the condition of your soul. Were the death-summons to come to you at this moment, would you find your- self prepared ? Put this question to your own conscience, and ask yourself honestly would you think yourself prepared? Have you preserved un- stained that robe of innocence which was given to you on the morning of your baptism ? If you have had the misfortune to have lost it, have you again recovered it by a sincere repentence? Have you made exact and good confessions ? In one word, is your soul clothed with the nuptial robe ? Are you habitually in the state of grace? In the present state of your soul, would you be prepared for the death-summons? Were you this moment to get a sudden call to the other world, is there nothing that would give you trouble ? Is there anything to make you anxious? .... Ah? you hesitate about the matter ! Why does your colour change ? What folly then on your part to live, were it only for a moment, in a state in which you should be unwill- ing to die ! 2. And, what has your life been ? What were the objects which engrossed all your cares, and your every anxiety? On what did you expend your time, your labours, and your talents? Was it for Heaven, for your soul’s salvation, for God? or wasn’t it, perhaps, for the world’s follies ; to live a life of indolence ; to serve the enemy of souls ? Of the many years that you have lived, has there passed a single month without a venial sin? What do I say? Has even a single day passed? Have you ever devoted to your Maker’s worship even a single hour of pure, undivided service? What can you 170 THIRD DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. boast that you performed for Christ’s sake ? Where are the sufferings that you have endured to win heaven '? Have you throughout the entire term of your life performed even a single act of heroic virtue ? When the hour of death arrives, are there no sins of commission or of omission to give you trouble 1 And when God demands from you an account of such and such acts of yours, what reply are you to give ? 3. What , at that moment , would you wish your past life to have been ? What would you wish the motive to have been which regulated your actions ? What would be the state in which you would elect to serve God ? or, having chosen a state, how would you discharge its obligations? Eeviewing, at that mo- ment, your past life, would you repent that you had spent it in practices of devotion ? or, would you ap- prove of the life which you are leading at present ? At that dreadful moment, of what avail will it be to have gratified the senses and our sensual inclina- tions? . . • and to have enjoyed to the full all the good things of this life? How will it avail you that you enjoyed positions of eminence? .... And, on the other hand, what hurt would it then be to you, if your life had been passed in bad health, in poverty, in a lowly and abject state ? Ah ! at the hour of death our greatest torture shall be to have lived a tepid life ; and our greatest consolation will be found in the consciousness that our past life has been one of toil, endured for God’s sake, and for our own souls. 4. How will you die ? Does that ever-varying fluctuation of yours between good and evil, between fervour and tepidity, warrant you in hoping for the grace of final perseverance ? Death is but an echo CONSIDERATION. 171 of life; and it would, therefore, be little short of a miracle to end a tepid life by a holy death. Have you any well-founded motive for hoping that you shall escape that last temptation which your great enemy will employ in your last agony in order to ruin your soul ] Have you no cause to fear that your predominant passion, if not extirpated in time, m ly not furnish the devil with a weapon to assault you at the hour of death ] What particular merit can you lay claim to ] Have you performed exercises of penance to cancel the evil that you have done 'l Do you expect that you shall escape the flames of purgatory] ... Weigh these matters attentively, and write out your resolutions in a special paper. Oh ! you shall exclaim with Thomas & Kempis : “ How licippy and prudent is lie , who strives to he such now in this life , as he desires to he found at his death ” (a). § IIL On the spiritual reception of the Holy Via- ticum and Extreme Unction . After having detested your sins with your entire soul, and having resolved rather to endure a thou- sand deaths than ever offend God again by sin, imagine to yourself that the holy viaticum is brought into your chamber, and, prostrated before it with all possible humility, receive it spiritually into your bosom. Then, making the sign of the cross on your five senses, which are usually anointed with the holy oil, say with devotion : “ Through this holy unc- tion, and his most gracious mercy , may the Lord par- don me whatever sins 1 have committed through my sight ■t', through my hearing d*, through my smell d*, (a) Imitation of Christ, Book i. ch. xxiii. 172 THIRD DAY— SECOND MEDITATION. through my taste and tongue *i *, through my touch v* and through the pleasures ^ of the flesh. In the name of the Father , and of the Son , and of the Holy Ghost , Amen? You should, at the same time, elicit acts of sorrow for the sins which you may have committed by means of these senses, and you should offer to God, in ex- piation for them, all that Jesus Christ suffered in each of His senses. Finally, you should petition with the greatest fervour for a full remission of all your faults, and of the punishment which you have merited by them ; and lastly, for the gift of final persever ance. § IY. On the spiritual recommendation of your soul to God. Imagine that your life has been despaired of by the physicians ; that you are just entering upon your last agony ; that the priest has placed in your hands the crucifix and lighted candle, and that you hear sounding in your ears that terrible command : 4 ‘ De- part ^ , 0 Christian soul , out of this icorld ? Where- fore, placed between two eternities — the one of hap- piness, the other of misery — be afraid and tremble. And yet, “ why art thou sad , 0 my sold , and why dost thou trouble me? Hope in God (a), who both knows how to rescue you, and who can and will save you ; for no matter how heinous your sins may be, they will always fall short of His mercies. He is a Father who pities the weakness of His children, who knows our frailty, and whose “ tender mercies ere over all his icorlcs ( b ). And, in truth, will He, (a) Psalm xli. 6, 7. (b) Psalm cxliv. 9. CONSIDERATION 173 who gave up His own beloved Son, deny us heaven 1 Ah, whoever entertains a doubt of His mercy wounds the very pupil of His eye. Add to this, that you “ have an advocate with the Father , Jesus Christ the just” (a). His wounds shall plead in your behalf. Of His own accord He has made you a present of His blood and merits. When you present at the divine judgment-seat this price of your ransom, you are thereby paying more than you really owe. Behold your crucified love who bends down His head to em- brace you ; His arms are stretched out to encircle you ; He opens to you the asylum of His heart. Wherefore, have a hope in Him ; and with your glance, fixed upon the crucifix, break out with all the affection of your heart into the following acts of virtue. 1 believe in Thee, Eternal Truth; I humble myself before Thee, since I am nothing; I repent of having offended Thee, Infinite Goodness ; I am resolved to die rather than again commit even a venial sin ; 1 have hope in Thee, because of Thy mercy, pardons, grace and glory ; I love Thee above all things, my crucified Love ; I thank Thee for the favours which Thou hast showered down upon me during the course of my life. Take me to Thyself — Thou who art my only desire and my last end. Into thy hands I com- mit my spirit. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary 1 § V. Affections of the sold after death. Having elicited these acts of virtue, imagine that you have already breathed your last, and, after aban- 1 John ii. 1. 17 -A THIRD DAY — ‘SECOND MEDITATION. doning this world, have already passed into the house of your eternity — that you have appeared before the judgment-seat, and have been condemned to the flames of purgatory. Hereupon examine yourself briefly. 1. When your soul shall have left your body, and, after abandoning everything, shall have arrived in the other world, how will you then regard the body, and those baubles which you prized so much 1 ? How will you then wish to have treated the former? and what value will you place upon the latter ? What opinion will you form of honours, and of indifference to all things ? 2. On your first entry into those flames, what estimate will you form of the malice of venial sin ? of voluntary penance ? and of the desire of perfec- tion ? Tell me, how will it avail you then to have enjoyed in this world all the conveniences of life, and thus to have increased the flames of your purga- tory ? On the other hand, what loss will it have been to you to have lived poor, despised, and afflicted, if thus you have escaped, or at least diminished those most bitter pains ? v 3. If, after death, you were permitted to return again to life, and your angel guardian were to an- nounce to you, that at the expiration of a month you were to die a second time, what kind of life would yours be during that month ? What kind of life ! Consider these things a little ; and, renewing your good resolutions, live, henceforward, as a man would who had returned to life, and who, having passed through the ordeal of judgment and purga- tory, must die again at the end of a month. “ Blessed is that servant idiom ichcn liis lord shall come , he shall OX THE PRODIGAL SOX. 175 find so doing. Amen , I say to you } lie shall place him over all his goods ” (a). THIRD MEDITATION. On the Prodigal Son . First Point. (1) Consider how the prodigal son, having received the portion of his inheritance, travelled into a far-off land ; and in connection with this fact three points demand our attention, viz. : 1. The place whence he sets out ; 2. The place to which he goes ; and, 3. The motives which impelled him to take this step. And, first of all, why does he abandon the best of fathers, who loved him with the most affec- tionate tenderness ; his father’s house, in which he enjoyed every comfort in abundance ; his familiars and friends, by whom he was greatly respected and intensely loved ? (2) Leaving all these he sets out for a far-off land, of which he knew nothing, and which was very distant from the country of his birth. (3) And this he did, actuated solely by pure petulance, folly, and waywardness ; because he was unwilling to live any longer in that place, in that office, and in that state which his father had ap- pointed for him ; that is, beneath the paternal roof, in the society of an obedient brother, and employed in domestic occupations. Put, alas ! how many calamities befell him because of this conduct ! (a) Matt. xxiv. 46, 47. 176 THIRD DAY — THIRD MEDITATION’. Apply this parable to yourself, and you will find it founded in fact ; for every mortal sin is a separa- tion and a withdrawal from God. Whenever, then, you have sinned mortally, you have abandoned God — God, your most loving, provident, and most liberal Father; the centre of all happiness and glory; the source of all tranquillity and sweetness ; and you went, unhappy wretch ! into the state of sin, than which there can be nothing farther removed from heaven, into the abyss of all disorder, and the centre of all misery. And this you did for .... ah ! shame forbids me to be more explicit. So, also, you abandoned your Creator every time that you fell from a state of fervour into one of tepidity ; every time that, through the absence of the golden spirit of in- difference, you have determined to live in another place, in another employment, in another state diffe- rent from that which God your Creator had appointed for you. But, oh, how many afflictions and how many misfortunes have fallen to your lot because of having acted thus ! Ah ! Father of Mercy ! I, too, have reason to fear that you may say to me, as was said of old to the Israelites, “ You have left me , and 1 have left you” (a). But remember that, though I have refused to be an obedient son to you, you nevertheless have not ceased to be my Father. Have mercy upon me then, and with the bonds of love draw back into your loving bosom me a prodigal. Second Point. Consider the Prodigal Son going forth to herd tho swine (b); 1. Poor and naked, lt he began to be in ( a ) 2 Faralip xii. 5. (b) Luke xv. ON TIIE PRODIGAL SON. 177 want f 9 2. He is dying of starvation : “7 here perish with hunger 3. Abandoned by all those on whom he had squandered his fortune, “ he cleaved to one of the citizens of that country 4. But this man also treated him cruelly, “and he sent him into his farm to feed swine Behold in all this the condition of that soul which abandons its Creator by mortal sin, and recedes from Him by venial sin, falling from its fervour into a state of tepidity. For, such a soul also squanders its substance, namely, grace, time, and talents, by living, if not “ riotously,” at least in a manner far from religious. Wherefore she, too, is (1) poor and naked: naked, because despoiled of the robe of grace ; poor, because deprived of the heavenly lights and assistance ; and she is, moreover, wounded by robbers from hell. (2.) She, also, perishes with hunger : she feels a dislike for the heavenly manna, namely, meditation and the Iloly Eucharist, which is the bread of angels ; she abhors those exercises of piety which maintain the vigour of the soul, and prefers, instead, to be nourished with vetches and acorns ; that is, with vile, sensual pleasures. (3.) She too, is abandoned, scoffed at, and betrayed, by those very persons, through love of whom she had offended her Creator; by a just law of retribution, that she who abandoned her Creator for the sake of creatures, is by them abandoned in turn. (4.) Finally, she is cruelly tyrannized over by those self-same passions which she served so blindly. JN'ay, more, like the Prodigal Son, “ She would fain have filled herself with the husks the swine did eat : and no man gave unto her;” so the pleasures through love of which she left the Supreme Good, will in their turn deny themselves 178 THIRD DAY — THIRD MEDITATION. to that soul, or shall be withdrawn from her, or shall become bitter instead of sweet, either because of the nausea which a surfeit produces, or because of the remorse of conscience which accompanies them. 0 truly deplorable and unhappy state ! How much more happily in his father’s house lived the son that was obedient, than did the spend- thrift prodigal in his wanderings ! The latter suffered much greater wretchedness in striving to live at his pleasure, and according to the dictates of his appetite, than he would have to endure under the paternal roof, in the service of his father. In the same manner, fervent souls who walk in the paths of virtue, obedient to grace, meet with far less trouble than falls to the lot of those lax persons who yield to the dictates of nature, and travel on the road of tepidity. “ They that fear the hoary frost, the snow shall fall vpon them” (a); and, “He shall flee from weapons of iron, and shall fall upon a how of brass ” (b). Third Point. Consider the Prodigal’s return to his father. Three motives prompted him to take this step. 1. The remembrance of his past happiness, and of the abundance of his father’s house : “ How many hired servants ,” lie says, "in my father's house abound with bread.” 2. The picture of his present wretchedness, “ I here perish with hunger”. 3. The consideration of his excellent father’s forgiving disposition : “ I will arise , and will go to my father These three motives, if well considered, will persuade you also to return sincerely to God, and to walk in the path which conducts towards your last (a) Job vi. 16. - {b) Job xx. 24. ON THE PRODIGAL SON. 179 end. These are : — 1. The memory of the happiness which you enjoyed in those years during which, while serving your Creator with fervour, you experienced an ineffable peace, and a holy, heavenly joy. 2. The comparison betioeen the wretchedness of your present state of tepidity, and the blessedness of your former state of fervour. 3. The consideration of the Divine goodness, which graciously recalls the erring sinner to the right path ; patiently waits for him when lie delays ; and, finally, on his return, lovingly embraces him, and clothes him with the splendid robe which he had at one time worn. Read the Gospel narrative, and there you will admire the clemency of this loving father : “ When he ivas yet a great way off, his father saw him .... and running to him (behold the readiness of his mercy) fell uponhisneclc , and kissed him (see in this the tender- ness of his affection) .... and lie said to his servants. Bring forth quickly the first rohe, and put it on him. andpmt a ring onlds ha rarf(behol(l the fulness of grace* .... and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and make merry ” (sec the greatness of his joy), Luke xv. Wherefore, let this ready, tender, full, and joyful readiness to pardon, on the part of so good a Father, be for you a powerful incitement to return repentant to the bosom of His mercy Affections. One ought to burst forth into those same affections to which that unhappy prodigal gave expression in presence of his offended parent : — 1. Of more intense grief for past sins : “ Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee ”. I have deserved a thousand times to be hurled into lu ll, yet, notwithstanding, you ISO TIIIRD DAY — Tm«I> MEDITATION'. not only pardon me, but of your own accord you In- vite me to return to your arms. You, best of Fathers, are the first to rush into the embraces of the worst of sons; you open out your arms to receive me; you bend down to kiss me ; you clothe me again with the robe of grace which I had so impiously cast aside ; you adorn me once more with the ring of love which I had so perfidiously flung from me ; nor yet are you satisfied; you prepare a banquet for me, at which the Bread of Angels, the Holy Eucharist, will renew my wasted strength. 0 Mercy, truly infinite ! I am no longer able to resist such goodness ! Behold me returned to you. You will not reject in his hour of repentance the poor sinful castaway whom you have so long and so patiently waited for, and whom you have so lovingly invited to return. Alas ! alas ! I have offended Thee ; T have offended my Father, , . . and what a father ! . * . . and with what heinous guilt ! Ah, who shall grant me an immense, an infinite sorrow ! 2. We should elicit an act of efficacious horror of future sins. Already has my resolve been taken ; I, too, with the Prodigal Son, “ will arise and will go to my Father I will burst the chains of my vices t I will return to my Father. I call upon heaven and earth to be witnesses of this resolution. I will return to Thee, 0 my God, firmly determined to serve Thee henceforward in whatsoever Thou shalt com- mand, and in a spirit of most absolute indifference. 3. An act of humility , joined to a detestation of pride, which is the main root of all evils. “ I am no longer worthy to he called thy son .” Ah ! I shall cry out with St. Bernard, •* How shall 7, who am so had a son , dare to lift up my face to so good a Father V* COMPENDIUM. 181 I am a sinner ; not only unworthy to be respected, praised, and placed in positions of honour and emi- nence, but deserving above all men every possible i a suit and disgrace. 4. Of hatred of one's self by detesting sensuality, a3 being the second great source of sin : “ Make me a,} one of thy hired ser cants ”. I hate and abominate self-love, which, by inducing me to abandon the most amiable of Fathers, caused me to squander my substance in a far-off land. I hate myself also, for, c msidered in relation to that moment in which I sinned, I am the eternal object of my Creator’s hvtred. My resolution is already formed; I will tike vengeance upon, and will punish myself; and, therefore, there is no labour, no pain, no trouble, no cilamity, which I am not ready to endure, provided I may in this manner appease the Divine Justice. 5. An act of knowledge of ourselves. 0 Lord, I am that prodigal son who has abandoned thee ; I see my life painted in your parable; and that flight, those vices, that poverty, that starvation, are the true pictures of my soul when separated from Thee, and deprived of your grace. Lut, behold, I return ; Father receive me, and heal my many miseries. Compendium. L The prodigal son, having received his portion, travels into a far-off country. Here consider: 1. From whom does he depart? — From a father who loves him ? 2. Whither does he go ? — Into a distant and unknown land. 3. Why ? — Through pure way- wardness. Apply the parable to yourself, and you will find it founded on fact. 1. You abandoned God, the fountain of all good. 2. You turned to 182 THIRD DAY — THIRD MEDITATION. sin, the source of all evil. 3. And this you did, for what ? .... I blush even to think of it. II. Consider the prodigal son employed in herding swine. 1. He is poor and naked. 2. Is dying of hunger. 3. Is abandoned by those very persons on whom he squandered Ins property. 4. Is cruelly treated by the master whom he served. Behold in this the picture of a soul which by sin withdraws from God. 1. She loses grace. 2. Has a loathing for spiritual things, and pines away through want of them. 3. She is abandoned by those very persons to please whom she sinned. 4. She is cruelly treated by those very passions to which she was a slave. How happy would she have been if she had served her Father as an obedient child. III. Consider the return of the prodigal to his father. To this he was impelled : 1, by the remem- brance of his past happiness; 2, by the sight of his actual wretchedness; 3, and by the consideration of his father’s mercy. Do you be likewise moved : 1, by the remembrance of your happiness when you were fervent; 2, by the picture of your misery in your present state of tepidity ; 3, and by the considera- tion of the Divine mercy. 183 fourth glatj. To the Reader. After detesting our sins and returning with the pro- digal son to the bosom of God , our Father , we promised 1 1 serve Him in whatsoever way he shall command. Being f however , ignorant of the way in lohich we o ight to toalk, and not knowing the manner in which we ought to carry his loishes into execution , we need sime guide to follow , and some exemplar to serve for our imitation . This is no other than our Lord Jesus Christ , to imitate whom we are incited in the following medita- tion. The fruit to be gathered from it is a desire to serve God henceforward , in imitation of Jesus Christ , in whatever manner lie shall make known to us in the course of these exercises. FIRST MEDITATION. On the Kingdom of Christ . First Point. l It is just that we should follow Jesus Christ. | cause of the dominion which He has over us. ! I. Be This 184 FOURTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. dominion He possesses (1) by right of conquest , for we are “ a purchased people ” (a), conquered by Him, when by liis death He overthrew the empire of hell ; (2) By light of purchase, for “ the Lord bought us” (b) at the price of all His blood ; (3) By right of donation and inheritance , for u the Father hath given all things into his hands ” (c), and “ hath appointed him heir of all things” (c l); (4) By light of election, through which He has elected us to be His servants and clients ; and we have elected Him for our King and Captain, by renouncing in baptism the devil, the world, and the flesh ; and, still more, by binding ourselves to him by solemn vow in religion. So that He might address to each one of us the words spoken by Moses to Israel : “ Thou hast chosen the Lord . . . to be tliy God , and to walk in his ways .... and the Lordhath chosen thee to be liis peculiar people” (e). And are we, after considering all these things, still doubtful whether we ought to follow the footsteps of this Lord to whom we are bound by so many ties 1 .... It is, indeed, most just that we should fight under such a Captain. II. Moreover, it is just that we should follow Jesus Christ, because of the conditions which He offers us. For, He will share with us all the in- conveniences of the war — the food, the clothing, the labours, the watchings, the battles and the wounds. Kay more : He will be Himself the first to encounter the dangers, the first to smooth down obstacles, the first to bear the brunt of the fight. The victory shall be certain, the triumph splendid, the glory immortal. (a) 1 Pet. ii. 9. (b) 2 Tot. ii. 1. (c) John iii. 35. d Heb. i. 2. (e) Deut. xxvi. 17, 13. OX THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST. 185 What can he more just than this ? Can we imagine any motive more powerful to persuade us to follow Him 1 III. Finally, it is just that we should imitate this King, because of the twofold end which He has in view. (1) The first is ihe glory of God , to be pro- moted by the extirpation of vice and the practice of virtue; “ that Ihe Father may he glorified in the Son ” (ci) ; and since this glory is the sole object of all the operations of the most holy Trinity, its ex- cellence surpasses everything that is not God. (2) The second is the happiness of man: “ for the Son of Man iscome to seelc and tosave that ichich was lost ” ( h ). Since this happiness is substantially the same as that which God Himself enjoys, that is to say, in- finite and eternal, it follows that it is of inestimable value. From which we see that it is impossible to imagine an end mere useful and more sublime than this. Who, therefore, after weighing these reasons, will doubt that it is most just to follow Jesus Christ 'l Yes, 0 Lord, it is indeed but too just that I should follow Thee : “ As the Lord liveth , and as my Lord the King liveth : in ivhat place soever Thou shalt he , Lord , my King , either in death , or in life , there will thy servant he ” ( c ). Second Point. To follow Jesus Christ is an honour to us. I. Be- cause of the excellence of our Captain . For He is “ the Lord of every principality, and of every power; the King of glory; the Image of God, and the Figure (a) John xiv. 13. ( b ) Luke xix. 10. (c) 2 Kings xv. 21. 186 FOURTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. of his substance ; in whom are hidden all the trea- sures of knowledge and of wisdom ; in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells corporally ; to whom is given every power in heaven and on earth ; at whose name every knee is bent in heaven, upon earth, and in hell ”. And will you refuse to follow such a leader, crying out with those rebels : “ We will not have this man to reign over us” ? (a) Far from me, 0 Lord Jesus, be such perfidy. “ Thou art my Lord and my God” To accompany Thee is the highest honour which could be conferred upon me. II. The excellence of the service increases this ho- nour. For those who serve God (1) become kings ; since to serve Him is to reign. (2) Hay, more, they become gods, according to those words of the Psalmist, “ you are gods ” (b). (3) They become the friends, children, and heirs of God: “ You are my friends ” ( c ), “ and cdl of you the sons of the Most High” (d ), “and heirs of the kingdom which God hath 'promised to them that love Him (e). What can there be more glorious ? And, in truth, all the majesty of all the monarchs of the earth, when compared with this sublime slavery, is vileness, littleness, and abjection. “ It is great glory to follow the Lord” (f). 0 mortals, reverence this oracle of God — “It is greed glory to follow the Lord” God Himself has said it, and God does not lie. Therefore, “ let us not stain our glory ” (g) by flying from the cross, which is the standard of Christ. (a) Luke xix. 27. (b) Psalm lxxxi. 6. (c) John xv. 14. (d) Psalm lxxxi. 6. (e) James ii. 5. (/) Ecclcs. xxiii. 33. ( g ) 1 Macch. ix. 10. ON THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST. 187 Third Point. To follow Jesus Christ is easy and pleasant — (1) Because of the road where He Himself goes before us. (2) Because of the assistance which He gives us< (3) And because of the companions who shave our journey. For, whosoever generously follows his footsteps in the path of virtue, finds that, by a won- derful change, “ the crooked ways are made straight , and the rough ways plain” (a). Lifted up by Divine grace, they no longer walk but fly along the most direct paths, and animated by their companions they fight bravely where all, endued with equal courage, are marching towards the same goal. Taught by experience, they know clearly that the ways of the world are more difficult than those of Jesus Christ, and that there are more troubles in- volved in a life of tepidity, than in one of fervour. The aid of grace smoothes down every difficulty, and sweetens every bitterness. Even the one thought — “ those men and women around me have been able to doit ” — lightens and removes every difficulty. O how sweet are the ways of Jesus ! “ Ilis icays are beautiful ways,” because of the pleasantness of virtue, “ His yoke is sweet ” because of the unction of grace, “ and his burden light ” (b) because of the society of our companions. And will you, indolent Christian, refuse to travel upon this road, to take this yoke upon you, to carry this burden 1 And will you re- fuse it in that company in which so many heroes, even with the sacrifice of their lives, proclaimed that (a) Luke iii. 5. ( l ) Matt. xi. 30. 188 FOURTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. to serve Jesus Christ is easy and pleasant ] Ah, ab- ject soul ! unworthy the name of Christian ! Suppose (and this is the comparison which S. Ig- natius makes) that you were in the presence of a magnanimous, generous, powerful, brave, and kind monarch, who kindly invited you to follow him to the conquests which he had planned to make ; proposing to you such conditions only as were both easy and honourable, and swearing to you that he will lead the van in every battle-field, and will share equally with you the toil and the glory of the enterprise — tell me, would he not be a vile paltroon who should refuse to bear him company ] “ But if we ought pay attention and respect to a summons to arms coming f roman earthly monarch n (a) as S. Ignatius says, how much more does Jesus Christ deserve such homage, by reason of the dominion which He exercises over us, of the conditions which He proposes to us, and of the end which He has in view ? How much more glorious is it for us to ac- company this heavenly leader, who is so exalted in his person, who proposes to us such a noble service, and whose march to victory is at once so easy and so pleasant] “ Assuredly,” S. Ignatius justly con- cludes, “ there is no one in his senses who would not most eagerly offer himself as a soldier of Christ f and give utterance to the following Affections. “ Behold, 0 supreme King and Lord of all things, I, although most unworthy, relying nevertheless on your grace and your assistance, make to you an offering (a) De Rogno Christi, part ii. punct. 1. OX THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST. 189 of myself, and place all that belongs to me at the disposal of thy most holy will, protesting before thy infinite goodness, and in presence of thy august mother Mary, and the entire heavenly court, that it is my intention, my desire, and my unalterable reso- lution (for thy greater glory and the good of souls) to follow Thee as closely as I can, and to imitate Thee in bearing injuries and adversity of all kinds, in true poverty, both of will and in act, if it be pleasing to your Divine majesty that I should adopt this kind of life ” (a). And, in truth, what is more just than that I should serve you to whom I entirely belong; to whom I owe, and from whom I hope for, every- thing ; whom alone I ought to fear ; without whose assistance I can do nothing] And what more glori- ous or happy state can there be than to serve you, whose service is a duty, whose yoke surpasses all sweetness ? And, nevertheless, oh ! how many times, have I said, “7 will not serve” J How often have I, a contumacious rebel, shaken off this most sweet yoke ] Ah, I confess it, I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost ” ( b ). But now I present my hands again to receive the manacles, and I bow my neck to re- ceive the yoke: “7 ivill follow Thee whithersoever Thou shalt go ” ( c ). I will renounce the works of darkness, and will follow Thee, the light of life. Ah, only do Thou teach me to do thy will ; that is, the manner in which you wish me to imitate Thee, and behold me ready to follow Thee — ready, and in- different to everything. (a) De Regno Christi, Tart ii. punct. 3. (b) Tsalm cxviii. 176. (c) Matt. viii. 19. 190 FOURTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. Compendium. 1. It is just that we follow Jesus Christ — 1. Be- cause of the dominion which He has over us by right of conquest , by right of purchase , by right of donation and inheritance , and finally by right of election both on his part towards us, and on our part towards Him : since this obligation towards our Lord arises out of our baptism. 2. Because of the conditions which He puts before us: for He shall share with us all the advantages and the disadvantages of the war alike : that is, not only the coarse food, the clothing, the labours, the battles, and the wounds, but also the victories, the triumph, and the glory. 3. Because of the end at which He aims. This end is twofold — the first is the greater glory of God , to be promoted by the extirpation of vice, and the practice of virtue ; the second is the happiness of man : “ For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost ” (a). II. To follow Christ is honourable — 1. Because of the excellence of the Captain, who is “ the Lord of lords ; ” before whom heaven, and earth, and hell bow down in reverence. 2. Because of the excellence of the service ; for, to serve Him is to reign ; and his servants become his children, his friends, and his heirs : “ It is great glory to follow the Lord ” ( h ). III. To follow Jesus Christ is easy and pleasant. 1. By reason of the way y for He himself goes before us— smoothing down every difficulty by His grace, (a) Luke xix. 10. ( l >) Eccles. xxiii. 33. ON THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST. 191 m iking sweet all that is bitter. 2. Because of the assistance which He renders to us. 3. Because of fie companions whom He gives us to accompany us on our road. Were an earthly monarch to invite us to accom- pany him to battle on the like generous conditions, who would be so cowardly as to decline the offer ? And will we refuse to follow God, who holds out to us conditions infinitely more liberal? Lecture. On the Imitation of Christ. Having already detested our sins, we have pro- posed to God to follow Jesus Christ in ivliatsoever manner shall be pleasing to Him. This manner, however, is no other than the Imitation of Christ ; for unto this are you called” says the Apostle S. Peter, “ that you should folloxo Ids steps ” (a). And with reason : “ for lie is the exemplar proposed to us by the Father , that by imitating Him ice may amend and regulate our corrupt manners , and direct our footsteps into the paths of peace ” (b). And, therefore, that special, peculiar manner in which our Lord desires to be served by us consists in the imitation of Christ. In fact, God wishes to be served in that manner which is proper to everyone’s condition, and neces- sary for salvation ; and this for Christians is no other than the imitation of Christ. For, as to serve his Creator is the proper and essential end of Man, so, to imitate Jesus Christ is the proper and essential end (a) 1 Peter ii. 21. (b) Directory, c. xviii. n. 2. 192 FOURTH DAY— FIRST MEDITATION. of a Christian; and for this reason S. Gregory Nis- senus says that “ a Christian is another Christ ;” that is to say, one who in his life and manners re- presents Christ Himself — and this cannot be accom- plished without imitating Him. Therefore, to imitate Jesus Christ is the duty and essential charac- teristic of every Christian. Nay more, this imitation of Christ is in the very first degree necessary in order to attain our last end. For, as he shall not enjoy the kingdom of heaven who has not properly served God, neither shall ho enjoy it who has not imitated Jesus Christ. Ho Himself has taught this doctrine, saying : “ No man cometh to the Father hut hy me ” (a) ; that is, as Cor- nelius a Lapide interprets the passage, “ by imitating me Since He alone is the way that leads to life, whosoever wishes to reach that goal “ ought himself also to icalk even as he walked” (h). Moreover, “whom God foreknew , he also predestinated to he made con- formable to the image of his Son” (c). Therefore, no one will be numbered among the elect unless he is found conformable to J esus Christ ; and no one can be found comformable to Him who does not walk in his footsteps. Behold, then, the manner in which God wishes to be served by us. II. This second week corresponds to the illumina- tive way; for, as the Directory remarks, “ its end is to propose to ourselves Christ our Lord as the true way; for Christ is the Sun of Justice which illumines every man that cometh into this world” (d) ; and He Himself says of Himself, “ I am the way ” (e) ; “ 1 (a) John xiv. 6. (b) 1 John ii. 6. (c) Rom. viii. 29. (d) Directory, ch. xviii. n. 2. (e) John xiv. 6. LECTURE, 193 am the light of the world; he that followetli me ivalketli not in darkness , but shall have the light of life” (a). In the preceding meditation, S. Ignatius lias led us to tlie resolution of following this way and this light; but, for the present, however, he merely puts before us, in a general way, the imita- tion of Christ, reserving the more special application of it for the meditations which are yet to come on. § ii. The preceding meditation is called “ The contem plat ion of the kingdom of Christ” because in it Jesus Christ is represented to us as the restorer of his Father’s kingdom, now for many ages devastated by Adam and his descendants ; and as the meditation on the End of Man is the foundation and corner- stone of the exercises, taken as a whole, so this one may be regarded as the foundation of all the medita- tions that follow during the remaining weeks, for it is interwoven with and influences them all, and particularly that which regards the choice of the method by which we follow Christ, or, in other words, imitate Him in forming for ourselves a more perfect rule of life. From this we may perceive the necessity of the present meditation, and with what fervour we ought to apply ourselves to it, since from it depends the fruit of all the other meditations. II. Add to this, that the meditation is excellent and sublime in itself, for three reasons: 1, because of the matter of which it treats ; 2, because of the (a) John viii. 12. 194 FOURTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. manner in which it is treated ; and 3, because of the fruit which is gathered from it. Nothing can be more sublime than the matter, because, as the Di- rectory remarks, “ it is a summary and compendium of the life and acts of Christ our Lord , in the execution of that work which the Father had given to Him to do ” (a) ; that is, to increase the Divine glory, and to restore fallen humanity, which were the ends for which Christ Jesus put on human nature. The manner in which the subject is treated is quite in keeping with the old associations and mili- tary character of S. Ignatius, for the comparison is drawn from an earthly monarch summoning his sub- jects to the fight (h) ; a comparison very suitable to persuade us to follow Christ. For if one who should refuse to accompany his prince on such terms would be called a poltroon, how can he avoid being called at once both a coward and a fool who refuses 1o follow Jesus Christ, who makes him offers infinitely more generous. Wherefore, at this comparison, every man of sound reason feels himself inflamed with courage, as was Urias, when comparing himself with his general Joab, he burst forth, in the presence of David, into the following words : “ M y lord Joab and the servants of my lord abide upon the face of the earth : and shall I go into my house to eat and to drink ? ... . By thy loelfare and by the welfare of thy soul I will not do this thing ” ( c ). Let such be our sentiments also : Jesus, my Captain, is poor, despised, and in sorrow ; shall 1 then wish to be rich, honoured, and (a) Directory, c. xix. n. 1. (b) Lib. Exercit. liebd. II. (c) 2 Reg. xi. 11. LECTURE. 195 in the midst of every delight ] “ By tliy icelfare , and by the welfare of thy soul , I will not do this thing.” Finally, the fruit which we seek to gather from this meditation consists in exciting within ourselves an ardent desire of imitating this Divine Captain of ours, and of co-operating with him in the great end which He had in view, of glorifying his Eternal Father, and saving the lost souls of men. Now, since there is no end more sublime, or more useful, or more pleasing to God than this, it follows that, not only because of its matter and its method , but, also, because of the fruit to be gathered therefrom, this meditation is of the greatest import, and ought to be reflected upon with all possible fervour. It was in this meditation, principally, that S. Ignatius con- ceived the idea of the Society of Jesus, since it contains within itself, as in a germ, all that perfec- tion at which the Society aims. § nr. For the rest, our Saviour calls all to join Him in this glorious work : namely, of restoring and extend- ing his spiritual kingdom, by promoting, in imita- tion of Jesus Christ, the glory of God, by zeal for our own salvation, and that of others. I have said that He calls all of us ; for it is true of all that “ God hath not appointed us unto wrath , but unto the purchasing of salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ , .... that we may live together with him” (a) ; that is, that we should follow Him, each one, “ in the same (a) 1 Tlicss. v. 9. 196 FOURTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. calling in which he was called ” (a) ; which is as much as to say — each one in his own state. For each one has his own especial state to which he has been called by God, since the apostle says, “ one after this manner , and another after that ” (b). One person is called to celibacy, another to a married life; one has a vocation to serve God in the eccle- siastical, another in the religious state ; but we ought all, nevertheless, endeavour to imitate Jesus Christ, according to the condition of our state. II. From this we begin to see, as the Directory well observes, the different degrees that exist in the imitation of Christ. These degrees are of various kinds; that is, of greater or less perfection, and their future reward will be greater or less, in pro- portion to the perfection with which they carry on the war against the enemy of our salvation. S. Ig- natius enumerates some of those degrees which merit our particular attention. The first is the suppres- sion of that rebellion which manifests itself in our flesh, in our senses, in our love of self, and of the world. The second is the endurance of labours. The third, poverty of spirit. The fourth, actual poverty in respect of the world’s goods. The fifth, fortitude in bearing with insults, and all kinds of adversity ( c ). And the two last-mentioned are, according to S. Ignatius, the two greater and more sublime degrees, to which those persons aspire who wish to devote themselves to the Divine service. III. But, nevertheless, with regard to all these grades, no less than with regard to every condition (a) 1 Cor. vii. 20. (b) 1 Cor. vii. 7. (c) De Regno Cliristi, part ii. punct. 3. LECTURE. 197 of life, place, and office, we must bo entirely indif- ferent, keeping in view God’s will alone. For, as tr serve God after the manner which is pleasing to Him is the principal end aimed at in the first week of the Exercises, so the end of the present week is to serve God by imitating Jesus Christ in whatever state, or in the state already chosen, in whatever degree of perfection lie shall wish to make known to us during the present Exercises — the safest rule in this matter being his Divine will. Wherefore (as in the meditation on the Foundation), this in- difference must extend itself to four things ; that is, to propose to ourselves to imitate Jesus Christ in poverty, or in abundance ; in honour, or in disgrace ; in health, or in sickness ; during a long life, or a short one; abstaining from, or making use of, created things, only in so far as they are a hindrance or a help in paying homage to our King ; and there- fore, as S. Ignatius says, “we should propose to ourselves to use no other food or clothing than what we shall see used by Him, and to endure the same labours, watchings, and dangers, which we shall see endured by our Leader.” § iv. I. This heroic indifference, however, should not degenerate into a state of torpor and stolid inert- ness, whicli would suffocate and destroy the active energy of our soul aiming at a higher state of per- fection ; but, according to the wish of S. Ignatius, it ought to be such that, while it keeps us tranquilly disposed to execute the holy will of God whenever, however, wherever, and in whatever degree pleases 198 FOURTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. Him, it should strive, nevertheless, always, and with a generous impulse, to follow Jesus Christ as closely as possible. It should desire, and firmly propose to itself, never to rest satisfied until it at- tains greater perfection ; until it sees fully accom- plished the most sublime end of procuring the greater glory of God by our own salvation and that of others. Wherefore, according to the Directory, the disposition required in a soul performing the Exercises is this, “ that , as far as in it lies , it should strive after that which is more perfect, according to the measure of God's grace and its own strength ”(a\ II. From this we clearly gather (the Directory continues to remark) “that from this point the sou] already commences to prepare herself for the election of a state v -(b). I say, “to prepare herself f and this advisedly ; for since, on the one hand, the soul, having put aside every inordinate affection for created things, is indifferent to perform whatsoever it shall discover to be the will of God ; and, on the other hand, it feels itself carried forward by an ardent desire to embrace what is more perfect ; it is, therefore, clear that the soul is preparing itself to make choice of that degree of the more perfect life, in which it shall discover that God wishes to be served, and Jesus Christ to be imitated. That this choice may have a happy result, S. Ig- natius requires that those who make the Exercises of the second week, should manifest fervour and a great desire to advance farther in deliberating on a state of life, or to ascend to a higher degree ol perfection in the state already chosen. I have said, (a) Directory, ch. xix. n. 2. (b) Ibid. LECTURE. 199 ‘ fervour and desire ,” for this is an undertaking of such a nature that, if it be not undertaken with fervour of spirit, it cannot be brought to a happy completion” (a). From which we see how grossly those persons deceive themselves, who fancy that they ought, in this second week, to relax somewhat their first fervour. III. The soul having formed, in the past medita- tion, a general resolution to imitate Jesus Christ in the way of perfection, seeks this perfection in a special manner in the following meditations on the Incarnation, the Nativity, and the other principal mysteries of his life ; minutely observing in what manner and in what circumstances it ought to imi- tate its Captain. But, since Jesus Christ, in all the acts of His life, has but waged incessant war against those three capital passions of the world — avarice, sensuality, and pride — by constantly opposing to them, poverty, sufferings, obscurity, and humilia- tions, we also, if we desire to follow Him, ought to keep always before our eyes those three great enemies of our perfection and salvation, in order to wage a bitter warfare against them ; and we ought to allow ourselves no rest until they are not only routed and destroyed, but until, by constant practice, we shall have acquired the three opposite virtues, namely, the love of poverty, of tribulation, and of humility. Wherefore, the ardent desire and firm resolution of following Jesus Christ in acquiring these virtues, is the fruit which we ought to gather from the past meditation. We shall succeed the better in effect- fa) Directory, ch. xviii. n. 4. 200 FOURTH DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. ing this, if (as S. Ignatius desires) we do nothing else during the entire of this day but occupy our- selves with these truths, adapting the spiritual read- ing to the matter of the meditation, and taking care that all our thoughts during the day be directed to bring our resolutions to maturity, while we should remove from our minds all thoughts, even pious ones, which could distract us from our principal object. SECOND MEDITATION. On the Incarnation . First Point. The Second Person of the most Holy Trinity, who assumed human nature, teaches us to esteem, to love, and to desire humility , that is, self-abasement : “Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (a). And, in truth, the mystery of the Incarnation is an astounding instance of this abasement, and this principally for three reasons: 1. Because of the union which exists between the Word and human nature, since, on account of this union, the immortal and impassable God, “ who is strong and mighty , and the king of glory ” (6), now hears Himself called mortal, passable, “ a man of sorrows ” (c), and the outcast of the people” ( d ). By the same union, He who is “the Being,” by essence, unites Himself (a) Matt. xi. 29. (c) Isaias liii. 3. (b) Psalm xxiii. 8. (i d ) Psalm xxi. 1. ON THE INCARNATION. 201 eternally to our nothingness by a bond so close, that one and the same Christ is both man and God. 0 stupendous humiliation ! to be measured only by the infinite distance that exists between the condi- tion of man and that of God. 0 my Jesus ! and shall I resent being called by others low, ignorant, imprudent, and full of defects, when God, through pure love of me, hears Himself called poor, weak, an impostor, “ a worm , and the oidcast of the people ” (a). 2. The mystery of the Incarnation is a prodigy of humility, because of the body which the Divine Word assumed. For since the soul of Jesus Christ enjoyed, from the first moment of its creation, the beatific vision, and an equal glory being consequently due to His flesh, Christ could have united to Him- self a glorious body, endowed with the four privi- leges of the blessed, and therefore, immortal, impas- sible, and subject to no miseries. He could have taken to Himself a body, robust and grown to perfect manhood, as was that of Adam at his creation. He might have assumed a merely apparent body, as He caused to happen in the cases of Kaphael and Gabriel. And yet, 0 wonderful humiliation ! He clothes Him- self, instead, with a body which is subject to all kinds of misery; weak, delicate, in a state of in- fancy, and in need of the help of everyone. In order to liken himself in all things to his brethren, He came "in the likeness of sinful flesh ” (6), renounc- ing His right to those marks distinctive of glory, and other prerogatives, that He might destroy the body of your pride, by “ the body of his lowness ” (c). You (b) Romans viii. 3. (<;) Phil. iii. 21. (a) Psalm xxi. 7. 202 FOURTH DAY SECOND MEDITATION. believe all this, and yet yon, dust and ashes, are proud ! 3. Finally, the mystery of the Incarnation is a prodigy of humiliation, because of the place wherein Jesus Christ confined Himself. For “this most icise prince, like the most tender little worm of the wood ” (a), lay concealed in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Here consider who and hoio mighty He is who lies concealed, and the place of His concealment. He who is Immensity itself, is confined for nine long months in the dark prison of His mother’s womb, where, like a condemned criminal, he offers Himself to the Divine Justice, while awaiting a disgraceful death for our sake ; and this He does (ye angels be astounded !) in order that we, wretched little worms, induced by His example, may moderate our innate craving for distinction ; and that we may Lam to live with equal pleasure should we be hid away in some corner of the world, employed in some low office, and placed in some low degree, wherein, to our thinking, our talents are not duly appreciated, and our merits held in low esteem. 0 vain being, it is pride which cries into thy ear, “ Manifest thyself to the world ” (h). In another state, in another place, in another office, in a different degree of perfection, you might accomplish much more good ; you have the talents to do so. Unhappy man ! these are the whisperings of the infernal serpent. Be persuaded that that is not thrown away which is offered to the Lord. You have been created by God and for God, that you should serve Him, and imitate Jesus Christ in the manner which He (a) 2 Kings xxiii. 8. (J) John vii. 4. ON THE INCARNATION. 203 desires. If it should he His wish, then, that you serve Him by following Jesus Christ in retirement, in obscurity, and in lowly and common employments ; and if He is more honoured by having your talents thrown into the shade, than by having them held up to the admiration of the world, who are you that you should dare to question Him saying, “ Why dost thou so ? ” (a). “ Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it , Why hast thou made me thus ? Or hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump , to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour ? ” (b). Affections. 0 my Lord God ! you come down upon earth to hide yourself beneath the humble covering of our flesh, and I with Lucifer mount up into heaven above the stars of God, and desire “ to he like the Most High n ( c ). You, the Holy of holies, appear ta the likeness of sinf id flesh” (d)\ and I, who was born covered all over with sin, wish to get the reputation of sanctity. AY hen you w r ere in the form of God you annihilated yourself, taking upon you the form of a servant; and I, who am but dust and ashes, the dregs and off-scouring of the world, lift myself up with pride “as if I were something , whereas I am nothing ” (e). Be amazed, ye heavens ! t: God became humble , that even thus the pjride of the human race might not refuse to follow the footsteps of God” (/); and, nevertheless, (a) Ecclesiastes, viii. 4. (/>) Romans ix. 20, 21. (c) Isaias xiv. 14. () Psalm ii. G ; 2 Reg. v. 2. 276 SIXTH DAY - FIRST MEDITATION. I believe, O Lord, that blessed are the poor, blessed are the afflicted, blessed are those that are cursed for Thy name; but, on the other hand, I tremble when I reflect on that dread sentence of thine : “Woe to you that are rich : Woe to you that are filled : Woe to you that now laugh : Woe to you when men shall bless you, for you have your conso- lation ” (Luke vi. 24, et seq.). Wherefore, I de- spise, I hate, and I resolve to fly from riches, plea- sures, honours, and ambition ; while, on the other hand, I esteem and love poverty, adversity, and humiliation. For, what would it avail me to have lived in this world, amid honours and riches, and surrounded by happiness of all kinds, if in, thereby, straying from my last end, and deserting from the standard of Christ, I be condemned, with Lucifer, whom I have chosen for my captain, to endure eternal torments ? Ah ! I am ashamed of myself for having acted so foolishly heretofore ; and I purpose in the future to atone for the errors of the past. And since he does not truly love God who does not love his neighbour also, I am resolved to attend not merely to my individual salvation, but also to the salvation of my neighbour, in what manner soever Thou shalt direct — be it on the foreign mis- sion among strangers, or among the plague-stricken in the hospitals, or attending on those who are closing their eyes on earth to open them in eternity, or guiding souls to heaven in the tribunal of pe- nance, or teaching the doctrine of Christianity to the lowly ones of Christ — be it wherever it may — I am ready : Thou hast but to command, and I shall obey. ON THE TWO STANDARDS. 277 As a parting advice, S. Ignatius says : “ Implore of the Blessed Virgin , through her Son , and, after- wards, through the Son, of His Divine Father, the grace to be enrolled under Christ 1 s banner of poverty a'ld ignominy, and to prove true to it to the death 11 (a). Compendium. I. Consider the object of the war waged by these two captains. Lucifer has but one object — to rob you of heaven, and consign you to eternal perdition. On the other hand, Jesus looks solely to God’s glory, and man’s salvation. “ He came to seek out, and to save that which had perished.” Wherefore you ought to follow Him by working out your own salvation, and by seeking, also, the salvation of others. You should be impelled to adopt this course. 1. By the deadly hate which Lucifer bears towards you, ever inciting him to work your ruin. 2. By the example of Christ , who, to rescue you from hell, suffered every torment, even unto death. 3. And, finally, by the intrinsic excel- lence and utility of zeal for our neighbour’s salva- tion. II. Consider how different are the arms used by these two captains in this campaign. To destroy the souls of men, Lucifer makes use of pleasures, riches, and honours. Jesus, on the other hand, employs mortification, poverty, and humility, to save these self-same souls. Who is there, then, that will not reject the first, when he knows they are meant for his destruction? And who is there that will (a) In lib. Exercit. ad finem liujus meditat. s 278 SIXTH DAY FIRST MEDITATION. not eagerly grasp the arms of Jesus, when he knows that they open for him a path to a glorious victory — whose end is heaven ? III. Consider the different habits of those two captains. Lucifer, seated on his throne of fire, witli proud and stern look, calls out to his followers : “ Come, let us rejoice ; let us be filled with riches ; and let no one gainsay our pre-eminence” Jesus, on the other hand, sits down humbly, while sweetly and mildly He invites each one “ to deny himself” “ to carry his cross,” and to “ place himself in the lowest •place”. Which of the two is the more likely to make you happy 1 If you follow Lucifer, there will ever be a torture within your heart — a restlessness — a worm that will never die— a something that will make you unhappy in time, and miserable for eter- nity. But, if you follow the standard of Jesus, peace, consolation, and spiritual joy will be your reward. And won’t you 1 Lecture. On the object of the Exercises of this day . S. Ignatius in proposing for our imitation tho example of Jesus Christ, would teach us, that we ought to employ ourselves in God’s service without regard to circumstances — caring neither for adver- sity, nor poverty, if it needs be ; neither caring how or where our life is to be spent. How, S. Ignatius takes us one step higher, and by means of the meditation on the two standards , would have us in- different even to the apostolic life, wherein we attend not only to our salvation and perfection, but LECTURE. 279 also to that of others ; and to the means by which God shall be pleased that we reach the highest degree in this noble vocation. To attain this, the saint suggests to us those three great motives which touched us so during the medi- tation, and which the more we think on them will the more excite us and spur us on to adopt generous resolutions. The first (1), is the rage of Satan, who thirsts for the destruction of our souls. Wherefore, S. Ignatius paints him for us in vivid colours : — “ as in the vast plains of Babylon, seated on a throne of fire, surrounded by thick smoke, whilst stand around him an innumerable crowd of demons. Some he despatches to work evil all through the world, having regard neither to any city, nor to any place, nor to any person whatsoever ; and, with words of fierce hatred, he imposes on them to lose no opportunity of laying snares for the souls of men to entrap them, and precipitate them into the eternal abyss.” It is horrible to see how “ hell enlarges her soul and opens her mouth without any bounds” to swallow down so many millions of souls. Truly it breaks one’s heart, to see how solicitous is the evil one, how many are the arts, and the wiles, and the stratagems he uses to destroy them, and how mock- ingly he tramples upon the necks of us — the fools whom he has seduced and betrayed. And shall we quietly endure that so many souls, redeemed by the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, temples of the Iloly Ghost, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven, should fall in crowds into hell 1 Ah ! we should, indeed, be ashamed that the devil would have a reater care for the ruin of man, than we for his 280 SIXTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION* salvation. And what answer shall we give to God when he questions us on this point ? 2. Let the next motive to incite us be the example of Christ , who, in order to procure the eternal salvation of souls, became man, suffered so much, shed so much of His Precious Blood, and endured so cruel a death. He invites us to co-operate with Him in saving souls ; and to encourage us to do so, and to prove to us the price they cost Him, He shows to us the ropes that bound Him, and tl c scourges, and the nails, and the lance, and the cross whereon he poured out his life’s Blood. And such and so great is His desire to rescue souls from hell, that He once said to S. Bridget that He was ready to suffer it all over again, and much more if neces- sary, to save even a single soul. Wherefore, !?. Ignatius paints Him to us, “ as beautiful in appeal - ance and amiable of aspect, standing in the pleasant plain of Jerusalem with His chosen apostles and IPs other servants, whom He would send throughout tl e world to bear His holy and saving doctrine to men c f every rank and condition, and to strive, by all means in their power, to be a help to all ”. Ah ! he must, indeed, have a heart of stone, who, on seeing this example of Jesus, is not moved with zeal for 1 is neighbour’s salvation. 3. The third motive is the sublimity and the utility of the apostolic life. As far as its sublime nature goes, it is so great that it makes us the coadjutors of God. “For ice are God's coadjutors ” (a), says the apostle; and, therefore, S. Dionysius ex- claims, “that the most divine of all divine works is to (a) 1 Cor. iii. 9. LECTURE. 281 co-operate with God in the salvation of souls” And what shall we say of its utility ? If, for a glass of water given to a poor person, God promises so rich a mvard — what, I ask you, will be the reward He shall give to him who has so often, and so many times dispensed the Blood of Jesus Christ in the sacra- ments] What reward will He give to him who has snatched so many souls from hell, and brought them back to repose in His loving bosom] § n. From what has been said you may see how fitting it is, that if God calls you thereto, you should em- brace an apostolic life ; or, if you should already have embraced it, should strive to attain, therein, the highest point of perfection. And here you must reflect that, to enrol yourself under the standard of Christ does not merely imply that you have aban- doned the standard of Lucifer ; for that you are already supposed to have done, after the meditation on the Reign of Christ But the intention is, that you should follow your captain more closely than ever — more perfectly — more generously — and by the same plan , and with the self-same arms , which your leader employs. This meditation on the two stan- dards, gave to S. Ignatius the idea of the Society of Jesus, which, in itself, is nothing else than an apos- tolic institute, and a most exact copy of the Life of the Redeemer. II. The second fruit , which we ought to gather from this meditation, is an esteem, a love, and an ever-increasing desire of slights, of poverty, and other afflictions; for, since Jesus Christ, who was 282 •SIXTH PAY FIRST MEDITATION. Infinite Wisdom, believed that these were the sole means to overcome the demon, the least to be ex- pected from us is to esteem them, and to make use of them. III. The third fruit to be derived from the medi- tation, is a more immediate preparation of the sov.l for the great business of the election of our state. To make a proper choice in this matter, one must be throughly acquainted with the different spirits that try the soul, and the different feelings that agi- tate it, in order to discern what inspirations cone from God, and what from the spirit of darkness. The meditation on the two standards gives us, cn this head, a lesson that there is no mistaking. If you find within your soul the smoke of pride, the spirit of concupiscence, darkness in the intellect, inquie- tude, pusillanimity, a feeling of sadness, anxiety — oh ! say at once to thyself : here is the voice, this is the spite of Lucifer. But if you have meditated on the amiable modesty of Christ, upon His humility, His spirit of recollection, the sweetness of His voice, the serenity of His countenance, the tranquillity of His heart, and you feel within yourself corresponding impulses, which sweetly lead you towards the culti- vating of a like spirit of modesty, of mildness, of humility, of sweet, and gentle, and tranquil thoughts, oh ! then say, without a doubt, it is the voice of Jesus which calls me. We must also attend to two other matters, viz., 1, to the thing that we are prompted to choose; 2, and to the manner in which we are prompted to choose it. If we feel ourselves tempted to select a course that is bad, or though not bad, yet dangerous, pleasing to self-love, and to the senses, and to hu- LECTURE. 283 man pride ; or even though it should be a something perfectly harmless in itself, but which past experi- ence teaches us is fruitful in us of annoyances, temptations, and anxieties ; this is to us evidence, quite sufficient, that the promptings come from the spirit of evil. We should be much assisted in arriving at a know- ledge of these matters, by studying the plan which the devil employs in order to conquer us. Mostly he prepares the path for our destruction by instil- ling into us a desire of riches, as if they were things necessary to life and to the proper sustenance ol one’s family. Having once caught us by this hook, he next impels us to look for honours and for a more exalted station. And once this barrier is passed, there are no further bounds to our ambition. He will tempt us to place ourselves above our equals, to make a show of the little that is in us, and to look upon others as of no account. And it is from this inordinate love of riches, of honours, and of one’s own excel- lence that all those other vices spring, and especially that of sensuality, the appetite of carnal pleasures. § HI. Though the meditation of the two standards is of the highest importance, that of the three classes of men> which S. Ignatius places next in order, is not less so. For, after having generously resolved to serve God and to imitate Jesus Christ, in whatsoever state of life, or in the state already elected, in whatsoever degree of per- fection He shall be pleased to call us to, it remains that we should select also the means which tend to 284 SIXTH DAY FIRST MEDITATION. lead us to sucli a state of life, or to such a degree of perfection. And this is the rock on which the devil would wreck all our resolutions ; for there are those who believe themselves converted, simply because they know how necessary it is that they should change their lives, and they never consider all the while, the difference there is between desiring to change one’s life and changing it in reality. Others there are — and I don’t know how it is — who think themselves saints, because they have conceived a lofty ideal of sanctity, mistaking the sublime idea of perfection for its constant practice ; for it is quite one thing to know what perfection means, and quite another to practise it. In order to supply a remedy for this evil, S. Ignatius, no doubt inspired by heaven, adds to the foregoing exercises the following meditation of the three classes of men , the object of which is, that we should not content ourselves with a general resolu- tion to serve God henceforward, to reform our lives, and to imitate Christ, but that we ought also, with all the ardour of our souls, to seek out , and to follow up such means as are the most likely to crown our resolutions with happy results. II. In this meditation S. Ignatius distinguishes three classes of men : the first are anxious, indeed, to change their lives, nay, more, to aim at perfection; but, meanwhile, they either entirely refuse to practise the means towards the attainment of this great end, or, by most dangerous delays, they defer it until death comes. Men of this description are men of desires ; but they never put their resolutions into operation. It is true that they are anxious to acquire humility, but they reject, meanwhile, everything that can lead LECTURE. 285 to it ; for they have an abhorrence of mean localities low offices, and abject positions. Another, frightened by that terrible sentence, ** Woe to you that are rich,” would wish, it is true, to imitate Christ in leading a life of poverty ; but when the hour of sacrifice has arrived, he cannot make up his mind to resign even things that are but trifles. Another is quite convinced of the necessity of mortification ; of controlling the senses ; of curbing our rebellious appetites ; and he resolves with him- self, “ Yes ! I shall do so and so ; I shall become a model of mortification ”. But by-and-by, when it comes to some petty matter of detail, to a mere trifle, he who was so valiant a short time before, proves himself a coward. There is another class : those who over and over again vow to lead an apostolic life, and whom the slightest obstacle is enough to turn from their resolution when the time to execute it has arrived. Such people resemble a painted soldier. He has the drawn sword in his hand, and every moment looks as though he would strike, yet he never does. So, too, those of whom we have been speaking would become perfect without toil, and saints in imagination ; but, alas ! falling far short of the reality. III. Those who belong to the second class do use, to be sure, some means to attain their end, but not precisely those which they ought to use. They do something it is true ; they take a step in the right direction : but then the doing of it in the manner which God expects of them, the being indifferent not only to evemj condition of life, and in the state already chosen to every degree of perfection, but being SIXTn DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. 286 still more indifferent to whatsoever means God may wish them to adopt in order to attain perfection — the being prepared to endure all slights and trials; to bear poverty, no matter how hard it be ; to sever the natural ties which bind us to our relatives — Ah ! this is indeed, for these the crucial test — “ hoc opus ; hie labor” They would not refuse God anything, and yet they would like to make bargains with Him. They would say to Him, “ So much I concede to Thee, and so far, but no farther will I go. I am prepared to make this and that sacrifice, but there is another one which you demand of me, and which is somewhat hard.” And, meanwhile, they try thus to please at one and the same time God and themselves : “So far,” they would say, “O Lord, so far, but not farther.” IV. Those who belong to the third class are persons who never reject the means of attaining perfection ; persons who will hear of no delay ; persons who are ever striving after that degree of perfection which they have marked out for them- selves, and who are unwilling to reach it till their Lord and Creator shall wish, which means to say, by those helps which God shall have appointed for them. “ These” as S. Ignatius says, u in their single-mindedness , make no half-hearted bargain with their Creator , but leave it to Him to do with them and . theirs just as it shall please Him best ” (a), being resolved to place no limits to the operations of Divine grace, and ready to make, generously, every sacrifice in order to please God. Those, then, of the (a) Lib. Exerc. add. 5. LECTURE. 287 first class are invalids, anxious to be cured, but un- willing to take the necessary steps thereto. Those of the second class are also anxious for a cure, but they won’t have it unless the medicine be sweet, and the drugs palatable. But those who belong to the third class are invalids, anxious to be cured, and who won’t refuse the medicine be it ever so bitter. The Sacred Volume gives us a clear proof of this in the story of Naaman the Syrian. This great general, wishing to be cured of a leprosy, presented himself before the prophet Eliseus, that he might be cleansed. “ And Eliseus sent a messenger to him , saying , Go and wash thyself seven times in the Jordan , and thy flesh shall recover health , and thou shalt be clean . Naaman was angry , and icent away , saying , I thought he would have come out to me, and standing , would have invoked the name of the Lot d his God , and touched with liis hand the place of the leprosy , and healed me.” But when he saw that he should have to wash himself, he said to his servants, Why should I go bathe in the Jordon : ^ Are not the Abana and the Pharpliar , rivers of Damascus , better than all the waters of Israel , that I may wash in them , and be made clean ? So as he turned , and was going away with in- dignation, his servants came to him and said to him , • . . . if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, surely thou shouldst have done it : how much rather ichat he now hath said to thee : Wash , and thou shalt be clean. Then he went down, and washed in the Jordan seven times. ... And he was made clean ” (a). Whoever, then, wishes to be made clean must (a) 4 Kings v. 288 SIXTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. belong to those of the third class ; and if lie be not, his leprosy shall not depart from him. §IV. In what has been said, we see the master-hand of S. Ignatius guiding us, step by step, through the Exercises to the selection of a state. To make this, one needs must have a perfectly tranquil mind — in- different to all things, and free from every passion — so that there should be a brain, clear to think, and a will ever ready to act — so that if passion should draw us aside to any evil, we would shrink from it, and embrace the opposite virtue. Tliuswise, that, if we have an overdue affection to riches, we should not content ourselves with being merely indifferent, but should strive to create within ourselves an ardent attachment to poverty. Though S. Ignatius, during the entire of the second week, has been trying to instil into us this leaning for higher perfection, he does it nowhere with greater efficacy than in this exercise and in the three degrees of humility , the third of which con- sists in this, “ that, to imitate Christ (even though it made no difference as far as God’s glory is con- cerned) one should choose to be poor, and despised, and laughed at, and to be called a fool, rather than be rich, and crowned with honours, and deemed a wise man.” It needs no proof to tell us how powerful this motive is to incite us to perfection; and here we admire more and more the prudence of S. Ignatius, who, step by step, and as it were insensibly, leads us on to this high degree of perfection, whereas had he, at the start, proposed to us this third degree of humility, LECTURE. 289 frightened by the difficulty of the task, we should have shrunk back from attempting it. To this highest degree of virtue — the complement and ultimate end of the Exercises — S. Ignatius gives the name of “ the third degree 99 of humility, because in it, as in a germ, is contained the seed of every virtue ; and since the attainment of it means being true imitators of Christ, S. Ignatius is anxious that during the whole of this day we should turn over in our mind these three degrees of humility, and should have recourse to the Blessed Virgin, bagging of her that, by her intercession, she would obtain for us the third degree from her Divine Son ; und of the Divine Son Himself, that He would obtain it for us from His Eternal Father. And here one’s fervour must be redoubled ; for, if fervour was neces- sary in the past, it now becomes essential in order to derive due fruit from the Exercises. SECOND MEDITATION. On the Three Classes of Men. First Point. Deflect on the perverseness of those who belong to the first class, and who, with the full light of the Holy Spirit shining on them, know what it is they ought to do, and even feel inclined to do it, but never cm summon up courage enough to execute that which they have already resolved on. They keep putting things off from to-day till to-morrow, and they would put them off till the hour of death if 290 SIXTH DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. circumstances only permitted. What downright folly this is ! — to know that there is a good you ought to do ; to know why it should be done, and how to do it ; nay more, to feel within you a desire to embrace a life of a certain kind — and yet, to play the poltroon — to be neither this nor that ; and not to have the courage of making up your mind one way or the other — this is to be either a downright coward, or ilbprepard to act fairly with God. But woe to the man who knows what he ought to do, and does it not ; for “ he shall receive greater judgment” (a). If, in the course of these exercises, Christ had not spoken to him, his sin would have been the less ( b ). But once he has heard so many eternal truths ; once he has discovered the path of virtue ; after the lights he has got, and the impulses he has received ; if he still hesitate, he cannot have even a faint hope of his salvation. Ah ! my sweetest J esus, what is it that I have done ? Why is it that I have resisted such powerful calls that you are making on me. The dread sentence thunders in my ear, “ Out of thy own mouth I judge thee, thou wicked servant ” ( c ). I beg of Thee, 0 Lord, suspend thy judgment ; now do I commence in earnest ; and I shall never, never leave off until I attain that degree of perfection to which you call me. Second Point. Reflect on the fatal folly of the men who belong to the second class, and who, in their pursuit of (a) Mark xii. 40. (b) John xv. 22, (c) Luke xix, 22. ON THE THREE CLASSES OF MEN. 291 virtue, will adopt such means only as suit themselves; not the means that are pleasing to God. They see the necessity of leading a better life : they detest their evil habits : they have already resolved to serve God by imitating Christ : they even propose to themselves some means towards this end, but such only as are not opposed to their self-love. But oh ! how badly this system tells ! how evil are the effects it produces ! for, (1.) They lose the fruit of these Exercises, the higher degree of per- fection they might obtain, and the higher degree of future glory they might truly merit. Many are the graces prepared for us, and which slip every day through our hands, because we are not generous with God. Many are the souls whom God would save, and who will not be saved by him. (2.) Such as these, because of their obstinacy, fall into grievous temptations, into many defects, into protracted tepidity, and, mayhap, the risk of damnation, as some very respectable authors fear happened in the case of that young, man whom Jesus bade sell all that he had, and give it to the poor, and come and follow Him (a). This young man was so very perfect that, according to his own account of himself, he had kept all the commandments from his youth ; he was anxious moreover to lead a more perfect life, but poverty was a thing he could not bear, and “ he went away sorrowing Unhappy wretch, what has become of him ! 3. By acting in this fashion, such persons not only fail to avoid, but, on the contrary, multiply a (a) Matt. x:x. 292 SIXTH DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. thousandfold, the difficulties which frighten them away from the pursuit of virtue. For they volun- tarily put away from them that consoling unction which would have lightened their labours ; that grace is withdrawn from them which would have sustained th<5m in their hour of trial ; the hope of reward which would have made even difficulties pleasant, is greatly diminished ; and God, on the contrary, pours bitterness into the cup of their pleasures, hedges their path with thorns, and places in their way those self-same dangers which they had vainly endeavoured to escape. Who, then, will turn a deaf ear to the call of God, inviting him to work out his salvation by those means which He has appointed for him ? Third Point. Reflect upon the happiness of those who belong to the third class , and who eagerly embrace those means of salvation which God has marked out for them, and which are, consequently, the most opportune of all to reach the desired goal. These look solely to the service of the Lord : perfectly indifferent to all means, they are always on the watch for indications of God’s will ; and no sooner do they discover them, than they apply themselves promptly to put them into execution. Theirs is no half-hearted compliance with the wishes of their Creator ; they make no com- pacts between Nature and Grace, but they generously rush forward towards greater perfection, treading those paths only which God points out to them. But the great happiness which afterwards falls to their lot may be concluded from this, that (1) they enjoy ON THE THREE CLASSES OF MEN. 293 the sweetest consolations even in this life, because of the affluence of heavenly favours showered down upon them, and which in some degree emulate the four privileges of the glorified bodies, namely, a dear- ness of intellect in discerning heavenly truths ; agi- lity in flying to the performance of good works ; subtlety of memory in representing to themselves heavenly images; and a certain impassibility of mind, which is the result of the continual restraint which they place upon their passions. (2.) They are frequently inundated with such tor- rents of heavenly delights that, unable to understand how it is, as it were intoxicated, they abandon them- selves to holy transports of love, until, overpowered by them, they exclaim : Enough, 0 Lord, enough ; I am unable to endure more. (3.) God watches with a special Providence over these, His generous servants, loving them as His very dear children, and as the pupil of His eye, and makes everything turn out to their advantage. The fruit of this meditation is not only a firm resolution to serve God, by imitating Christ in what- ever state, or (in the state already chosen) in what- ever degree of perfection He shall be pleased to assign to us ; but moreover, to labour with all our might to do so by those very means which He shall point out, without placing any limits to the operations of His grace. Affections. 0 God, my Lord and my Judge, I fear Thy judg- ments exceedingly. Alas f what answer can I give, when you summon heaven and earth as witnesses against me. Thou shalt charge me in those words, T 294 SIXTH DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. “ Judge between me and my vineyard . What is there that I ought to do more to my vineyard , that I have not done to it ? ” (a). I called this soul to a high degree of perfection ; I pointed out the way to attain it, and supplied the means in abundance, and yet it refused to obey. Your soul ought to be holy, because of its exalted condition. You might have made it holy, even through the efficacy of the Exercises; and yet, When I looked that it should bring forth grapes , it brought forth ivild grapes . ” Ah ! my God, what answer shall I give to such accusations ! I tremble, and with reason, when I reflect on this terrible pronouncement : “ Unto whomsoever much is given , of him much shall be recpiired ; and to whom they have committed much , of him they will demand the more ” ( b ). Oh, what a misfortune would be mine if this Book of the Exercises, which is calculated to prove for me a ladder wherewith to climb to heaven, should on the contrary serve but to precipitate me into hell ! But no, 0 Lord ! it shall never be so. Behold me entirely and resolutely determined to execute your command, by using only those means which you shall be pleased to point out to me. I abhor the iclckedness of those men of the first class who, content with the gratification of their own desires, will adopt no means to work out their salvation. I detest the imprudence of those of the second class, who will employ only some of the means. But I ardently long for the happiness of those who belong to the third class, and who, with brave, generous hearts, proclaim themselves ready to adopt all the means which you shall point out to them. (a) Isaias v. 3, 4. (b) Luke xii. 18. COMPENDIUM. 295 Here we should fervently implore of the Blessed Virgin, to ask her Divine Son to obtain for us from His Eternal Father all the graces of which we may stand in need. Compendium. I. Beflect on the sinfulness of those of the first class who, when urged by God to abandon sin, and be converted, promise to do so, but never carry that promise into effect. Woe to them ! for God shall say to them, “ Out of thy own mouth I judge thee , thou wicked servant You knew that you ought to be converted, and yet you would not. Your sin is, therefore, the greater : and the greater, also, will be your condemnation. II. Consider the imprudence of those of the second class, who are convinced of the necessity of conver- sion, and resolve, in consequence, to amend their lives, but only by such means as please themselves. Oh, what a grievous loss they suffer thereby ! For they lose, (1.) The fruit of the Exercises and an innumerable number of graces. (2.) They fall into very many defects ; into a state of almost continual tepidity ; and, oftentimes, even into a state of per- dition. (3.) They rob themselves of the helps that grace would confer on them to be strong and con- stant in the path of virtue. III. Think over the happiness of those who belong to the third class, who, by availing themselves of all the means which God places at their disposal to enable them to attain to perfection : (1.) Do attain to it in a very short time; (2.) Persevere with constancy in the practices of a perfect life ; (3.) And have as their reward, even in this life, an overflowing torrent 296 SIXTH DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. of heavenly delights ever pouring in upon their souls. Consideration. On the Three Degrees of Humility . S. Ignatius desires that, “ before we apply our- selves to the matter of electing a state, we should so dispose our souls as to be sure of gathering from our meditations none other than the genuine doc- trine of Jesus Christ ; and, with this end in view, he would have us employ the entire of this day in reflecting, with all the earnestness of which we are capable, upon the three following degrees of humi- lity ” (a). And this is, simply, in conformity with the dictates of common sense ; for, to make a proper choice, one’s mind must be free not only from every sinful, but even dangerous, attachment, and must be perfectly indifferent to all things. But since our corrupt nature tends towards what is evil, rather than towards what is good, this stage of indif- ference can never be reached, unless we cultivate within us a constant yearning after that which is most perfect ; and to cultivate this blessed yearning in the most perfect degree possible, is the object of the present consideration on the three degrees cf humility. I. “ The first degree of humility consists in sub- mitting one's-sclfi without the slightest reserve , to the law of God ; so that we should refuse the empire of the entire worlds and be prepared even to sacrifice our lives mtlier than voluntarily violate any command- ed) In lib. Exercit , not a 3 a , ante tres gradus humilitatis. CONSIDERATION. 207 merit of God , be it in relation to our Creator or to our fellow-creatures, icliicli binds us under •pain of mortal sin ” (a) : the plain meaning of which is, that I ought rather live in the friendship of Christ, though it should entail on me insults, poverty, and afflic- tions, than enjoy all that the world has of riches, honours, and pleasures, if the condition of enjoying them were that I should contract the stain of mortal sin. This first degree is the fruit we are supposed to gather during the first week of the exercises, and the motives to incite us thereto, are : 1. The malice of sin, which is infinite, because of the sin itself, because of the baseness of him who offends, and because of the infinite majesty of Him who is offended. 2. The terrible punishment which followed the sin of Lucifer, and that of our first parents. 3. The fearful and eternal torments which yet await sinners in another life. To these we might add : 1. the natural equity which imposes on us the obligation of obeying Him who is our sovereign Lord ; for “ It is just to be sub- ject to God ” ( b ). 2. The obligation to do so imposed upon us by the Holy Ghost Himself : “ Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is all man” (c). 3. The rewards which await the observers of this precept; for “ Evil pursuetli sinners, and to the just good shall be repaid ” (d). 4. The example of the holy martyrs, who suffered every torment rather than defile themselves by sin ; “ They were stoned , they were cut asunder , they were tempted, they were {a) Direct, xxii. 3 & 4. (c) Ecclesiastes xii. 13. (b) Macch. ix. 12. (e0 Proverbs xiii. 21. 298 SIXTH DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. put to death by the sicord ” (a). 5. The necessity of attaining to this degree, in order to work out your salvation; “for if we sin wilfidly after having the knowledge of the truth , there is now left no sacrifice for sins , but a certain dreadful expectation of judgment, and the rage of a fire ichich shall consume the adver- saries” ( b ). And have you as yet arrived at this degree 1 Do you feel that you are really determined to forfeit fame , honours , health , and even life itself, rather than offend God by sin ? If you have reached this point in the difficult road to perfection, maintain your- self there with, inflexible constancy, for if your foot should slip but ever so little, you may find your- self precipitated into hell. Should your progress, however, not have as yet reached so far, strive to gain that goal at once, for not to reach it is to be damned. II. “ The second degree is one of still higher per- fection, and consists in our being indifferent to riches or poverty, to honour or disgrace, to health or sickness, to a long life or a short one ; and, still more, that no consideration, either of personal inte- rest — how great soever it may be — or of dishonour, or of temporal calamity — even though it involved our instant death — should be powerful enough to draw us to the commission of deliberate venial sin ” ( c ). So that one would prefer to lead in the company of Christ a poor and abject life, full of all sorts of tribulations, rather than purchase, at the price of a single venial sin, whatever riches, and (a) Hebrews xii. 37. (b) Hebrews x. 26, 2?, (c) In lib. Exercitiorum. CONSIDERATION. 299 honours, and pleasures, the world could place within his grasp. From the very first day of the Exercises we have seen that we are bound to be indifferent, in God’s service, to riches and to poverty, to honour or to disesteem, to sickness or to health. We are now asked to come to the conclusion that we should forfeit the highest degree of human happiness, rather than commit even the least venial sin. This will not appear too much if we reflect : 1. That, mortal sin excepted, venial sin is the greatest evil in the world. 2. That God hates it beyond measure. 3. That it infects all our other good actions, diminishes the fervour of our charity, and disposes us to mortal sin. 4. That God punishes it with a very severe punishment. JSTow, tell me, what horror have you conceived for venial sin? Search your heart, and tell me honestly whether you would tell a slight lie, if you thought you could thereby rescue yourself from poverty, or disgrace, or death? And what sentiments do you hold regarding indifference to the goods and ills of this life ? Is it the same to you to have an abun- dance of all things, and to be in poverty ? to enjoy honours and a life of luxury, as to be in disgrace and difficulties ? Come, tell me, what answer does your conscience give you on these points.? .... and yet this degree of perfection, high though it be, was not too high for the noble soul of S. Ignatius, who invites all Christians to embrace not only this high state, but even one still higher. III. This most sublime of the degrees of humi- lity consists in this : “ that even though the glory of God would suffer nothing thereby” (which means 300 SIXTn DAT — SECOND MEDITATION. to say, though I might as easily save my soul, and attain the end of my salvation amid honours and riches, as amid poverty and disgrace), “neverthe- less I would prefer to be like Christ, poor and despised, and the butt of the world’s mockery, rather than be rich, and honoured, and deemed learned ; and this I would desire, solely that I might thereby follow the more closely on the foot- steps of the Bedeemer ” (a). This third degree is the fruit of the exercises of the second week, and especially of the meditations on the “ Beign cf Christ,” and the “ Two Standards The motives which urge us to arrive at this third degree of humility are the following : 1. The example of Jesus Christ , who, solely through love of vs, embraced a life of poverty, ignominy, and sorrows ; who, “ Having joy set before him , endured the cross , despising the shame ” ( b ). And this he did in order that we, reciprocating His love, might be induced to tread closely on His footsteps, not alone at the sacrifice of riches and honours, when these would be a hindrance to our salvation, but even when these would serve equally well to guide us to our last end, and to help us in working out our salvation. How if Jesus Christ, through pure love of you, suffered so very much, submitted to insults of a 1 kinds, became the victim of unspeakable torments, how can you possibly have the heart to deny Him the only consolation it is in your power to afford, and that is to imitatate Him in His poverty, and in His labours, and to share with Him the insults that (a) In lib. Exer. de tribus grad, humilitatis. (< b ) Hebrews xii. 2. CONSIDERATION. 301 He had to hear? If soldiers see their captain the first to lead the storming party and enter the breach, they vie one with the other who shall be the next to follow him ; and will you prove such a coward as to be unwilling to follow your King ? And yet, in the meditation on the “Keign of Christ,” you promised Him, and repeated that promise a hundred times over, “ Behold, 0 Lord of all things, I shall follow Thee, whithersoever Thou goest.” 2. The second motive impelling us to embrace this degree of humility, is the help towards salvation which the soul derives from making a noble effort to reach this third degree ; for a soul which is so gene- rous as to prefer, for the sake of imitating Christ more closely, poverty, sufferings, and contempt, before riches, comforts, and honours, when either state would serve equally well for the purposes of salvation, is not likely, for the sake of such perish- able goods, to offend its Creator, I will not say by mortal, but even by venial, sin. To this powerful motive we may add, that who- soever does not reach this third degree, runs the risk of not remaining firm in the second, or even in the first. For though such a one may be resolved not to sin mortally, or even venially (at least with deliberate intent), though he should be placed in the midst of riches, comforts, and honours, nevertheless every one clearly sees that the difficulty of avoiding many defects is vastly increased, when we are placed in the midst of circumstances which directly tend to open the gate to sins of every description. It is from this last degree of humility that the general idea, and many of the constitutions of the Society of Jesus took their rise. Amongst these 302 SIXTH DAY— SECOND MEDITATION. may be especially mentioned Eule XI. of the sum- mary, in which the members of the Society are directed to abhor entirely, and not merely in part, all that the world loves and sighs for — namely, honours, fame, and a great reputation among men ; and to accept and desire with all the powers of their soul, that which Christ our Lord so much loved, and embraced so assiduously — namely, insults, poverty and calumnies.” Nay more, in the general examination of those who seek admission into the Society (cap. iv. § 44 and 45), S. Ignatius expressly desires that they be asked whether they feel within themselves a desire of this kind : “An hujusmodi desideria in se sentiant ?” And if it should happen that any one, through human frailty and weakness, cannot say that he has yet conceived such a noble* desire, the Saint directs that he be asked whether he has at least a desire to entertain such glorious aspirations ; and if the candidate answer in the affirmative, he directs that he be further questioned “ whether he has resolved, and is prepared to bear patiently, with the grace of God, all the insults, and injuries, and sufferings, which a close imitation of the life of Christ entails.” Now if S. Ignatius requires so much from those who are but novices, what ought we not to expect from those who have already advanced so far that they are reckoned among the seniors of the Society ? This, then, is the last degree to which the gene- rous athletes of Christ aspire ; a degree so sublime that poor human philosophy never dreamt of it, and which can be enjoyed in all its fulness by the humble alone. Wherefore did the Redeemer say: “ I con- fess to Thee , 0 Father , Lord of heaven and earth , CONSIDERATION, 303 because tliou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent \ and hast revealed them to little ones ” (a). This is the best preparation to dispose us for the election of a state — a matter of supreme importance, and one which we shall now apply ourselves to solve in a practical way. Practical Exercise on the Election of a State. First Prelude . Make a lively act of faith in the presence of God, and with it an acknowledgement that you have been created solely to serve Him, after the manner that He shall make known to you. Second Prelude. Having in humble prayer made known to God the affair about which you are so anxious, beg of Him the graces necessary to do His will. Third Prelude. Make acts of absolute indifference regarding the choice of any one state in preference to another, keeping steadily in view one object only, the greater glory of God, and the performance of God’s will. “ Whosoever is engaged in making choice of a state, should be perfectly recollected during the time that he is occupied in this concern of supreme inte- rest, and he should be entirely dead to every con- sideration which has not God and heaven for its object” (b). 1. EXERCISE OF THE WILL, Called by S. Ignatius the Second Time most favour- able for making an Election of State. The soul, being profoundly humbled, and eagerly (a) Matt. xi. 25. (b) Directory, cap. xxxiii. a. 5. 304 SIXTH DAY — SECOND MEDITATION, desirous to discover and to execute tlie will of heaven, should never cease offering herself to God, repeating every now and again, “ Lord , wliat dost Thou wish me to do ? Do you wish me to do this ? . ... or that other thing? Speak, Lord.’ 1 . . . . And, meanwhile, one should observe and diligently watch the secret movements of his heart, in regard to those different circumstances, suspending, as far as possible, every exercise of the three powers of his soul, so that he may thus be the better enabled to hear and recognise the voice of God. And here observe , that should you find yourself prompted by natural inclination to adopt one course in preference to another, you should examine all such interior movements by the rules for the dis- cernment of spirits which we shall just now lay down. 2. But if you feel no such interior move- ment, you must apply yourself to II. THE EXERCISE OF THE INTELLECT, Which S. Ignatius calls the Third Time. I. Here you must balance the reasons for and against any particular state ; its advantages and its disadvantages; the helps that you have reason to hope for, and the obstacles you may justly expect to encounter. Weigh well ail these reasons, scrupu- lously and conscientiously, in the balance of the sanctuary, and then offer them up to the most Holy Trinity, to be approved of or rejected as it shall best please God. II. This being done, put to yourself the following questions : 1. What advice would I give to a friend CONSIDERATION. 305 on tliis matter ? 2. How would I act myself if I were dying? 3. And if I were about to stand before God’s judgment seat ? 4. What choice would I wish to have made with eternity in view ? When you have thought well on these matters, do that which you would advise another, to do, and which you yourself would wish to have done were you i the point of death. III. One should, however, be careful that “evei^ affection (be it great or small) in regard of the matter to be elected, proceed solely from the lov6 of God 99 (a), rejecting every consideration which savours of the flesh, or the world, and which doe? not conduce to a closer resemblance to Christ, who ought to be your model, as we have seen in the con- sideration on the third degree of humility. But this does not forbid you altogether to entertain (in a secondary way) a human motive, if it be a good one ; such, for instance, as your own spiritual con- solation and peace of heart. But your great concern should be, that your election be guided principally by a desire to do that which may conduce most to the glory of God. IV. Finally, when you have maturely weighed all the motives that could influence your choice and have banished from your heart every un worth J consideration which might possibly warp your judg- ment, then elect and determine that which you ought to do or leave undone, to reject or to embrace. III. CONCLUSION OF THE ELECTION. L Having thus taken your resolve, conclude the (a) In lib. Exorcit. 306 SIXTH DAY— SECOND MEDITATION. affair of election, in presence of the whole court of heaven, by protesting before the most Holy Trinity, whose all-seeing eye penetrates the most hidden secrets of your heart, that your choice has been made solely with a view to God’s greater glory, and your own greater good. 2. You must offer up your choice to Jesus Christ, through the hands of Mary Immaculate, asking them to witness it, and begging of them to confirm it, and seal it with their blessing. 3. Invite the saints to join you in thank- ing the Most High, for having made known to you His will, and ask them to obtain from Him the necessary grace to fulfil it. To this end, select one amongst them to be your particular advocate. II. Afterwards employ yourself in vocal or mental prayer, and be particular in observing whether you receive any new lights or fresh impulses of grace to confirm you in your resolution, or to induce you to alter it. If you find that you are but the more confirmed in it, you may take this as a proof that your election was a good one. Should the result of your prayer suggest an opposite conclusion, then you must examine whether the interior movements you have experienced proceed from the Spirit of Light, or from the spirit of darkness. If you have reason to believe that they proceed from the evil one, you should not change the choice you have made ; but if you have just cause to think that they come from God, you must once more apply yourself to the business of examination. But if nothing remakable has occurred while you were engaged in making your election, you may regard it as a proof that God has been pleased to make his w T ill known to you through the mere operation of the intellect. consideration. 307 III. Should it chance to happen that, in “ the second time,” the will should lean to a particular choice, and afterwards, in “the third time,” moved by the arguments of the intellect, should find itself impelled in an opposite direction, you must examine whether the arguments of the intellect are solid, and if they be, you must be guided by them, because in the first case there is no full certainty that the impulse comes from God, and consequently the guidance of the intellect is more secure, and more in conformity with our nature. But should the arguments of the intellect appear weak, while the movements of the will are strong, and highly indica- tive of the call of God, the opposite course must be pursued. IV. Rules for the Discernment of Spirits. I. Should you feel yourself inclined to adopt one course of action in preference to another, examine whether the movements which influence you will fill you with spiritual consolation and peace ; whether you will find them an incentive to virtue ; or, whether they do not, on the contrary, cause you trouble, annoyance, and sadness, and serve as an inducement to tepidity. If they are of the first mentioned class, you may regard them as coming from God ; if of the second, they bear the mark of the infernal tempter. II. Examine, moreover, the beginning, the middle, and the end of these movements of the soul. As regards their hecjinning , or origin, reflect whether you began to feel them for the first time in mo- ments of fervour, spiritual consolation, and peace; 308 SIXTH DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. or rather, whether they first manifested themselves during a period of spiritual disquietude, sorrow, and desolation. Also, whether they came into your head as it were by stealth, in order to distract you from prayer, or from the due performance of duties imposed upon you by obedience. If they be of the latter class, most assuredly they do not come from God, who is the author and fountain of order and of peace. 2. In their iniddle stage, consider if your soul remains tranquil, and your intellect clear, or otherwise. 3. As regards their final stage, reflect whether they leave in your soul an ardent desire to advance with confidence in the paths of perfection ; or whether they may not have affected you with a spirit of sloth, of disgust for spiritual things, and a gloomy feeling of sadness. The first-mentioned signs are manifestations of the Spirit of God ; those mentioned in the second instance, indicate that the feelings you experience have the devil for their author. But, above all things, have recourse to prayer : there you will find light to guide your intellect, and strength to confirm your will in its good resolutions. Be careful, however, in your moments of spiritual consolation not to make any vow ; and you should also abstain from making any resolutions in moments of spiritual desolation. Let your endeavours be all directed to acquiring a spirit of tranquillity, which is the mother of wise counsels. Be particular, more- over, to disclose the state of your soul with all candour to your spiritual director, and to be guided by his advice. OF THE THIRD DEGREE OF HUMILITY. 309 THIED MEDITATION. On the Prerogatives of the Third Degree of Humility. First Point. Consider, first, its excellence. For what can he more heroic than to wish to he despised, poor, and afflicted, in imitation of Jesus Christ, rather than he surrounded by riches, pleasures, and honours, even though in either state the glory given to God , and your own merit , would be the same? 2. What greater generosity of soul can one display, than in wishing to bind his brow with a crown of thorns rather than with one of roses, in order thus to imi- tate Christ the more perfectly ? 3. Can anything be so sublime as to abhor and fly from that which the world so intensely loves and so eagerly covets ; and, on the other hand, to love and ardently long for that which the world so carefully shuns, and so entirely abhors and detests? For if the just man in afflic- tion is a spectacle worthy the eye of God Himself, how great in His sight will that person be, who not only endures patiently, like Job, poverty, loss ol reputation, and corporal afflictions, but even, like the apostle, anxiously longs for such things? 0 Lord, grant that I may not fall short of the sublime aspirations of the children of God ! Second Point. Consider its happiness. The soul which has at- tained the third degree of humility enjoys, in a u 310 SIXTH DAY — THIRD MEDITATION. marked degree, even in this life, the peace of the blessed ; for what can sadden that heart which seeks for poverty, loves labour, and is ambitious of con- tempt 2. It is ever near Christ, who is the centre ©f all happiness and all glory; for, in closest resem- blance to Him, it is ever clad in His own special garment, and partakes of His own particular food ; and sharing His lot, it shares with Him also the special favours and love of the Eternal Father. 3. It constitutes the Paradise of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, where, beneath the shadow of the tree of the cross, He loves to share in its delights all day long. 4. It is the most fitting instrument to promote the glory of God, for “ the foolish things of the world hath God chosen , that he may confound the wise ” (a). And, in the eyes of the world, what can possibly be more foolish and weaker than the third degree of humility ] Oh ! who, then, will not wish to aspire to such happiness ? Who ? Third Point. Consider its utility , for this third degree is the most certain way of salvation, since it withdraws us from those innumerable dangers which are insepara- ble from honours and riches. 2. It is the shortest means to arrive at perfection, because it frees the soul from every sinful affection, and enriches it with the most precious virtues ; it leads us directly to a likeness to Jesus Christ, in which all true sanc- tity consists. 3. It is the most meritorious , because of the continual occasion of suffering which con- fa) 1. Cor. i. 27. ON THE THIRD DEGREE OF HUMILITY. 311 tompt, poverty, and trials place in our path, and because of the strong motives for practising the most sublime virtues which so often have their origin in this state. 4. Moreover, a soul which has reached this degree reposes with the most perfect tranquillity in the bosom of Divine Providence ; it leads upon earth a heavenly life, far surpassing everything in this world, and approximating to the life of the angels ; and since its will is ever conformed to the will of God, it always lives in accordance with the wishes of God, and consequently in the enjoyment of the most perfect peace. 5. Finally, it awaits with a feeling of the most perfect confidence the fulfilment of the Divine promise : “ Amen , I say to you , that you who have left all things , and have followed me. . . . . shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting ” (a). And who is it that leaves all things and follows Jesus Christ most closely, if not the person who has reached the third degree of humility? And what, then, will not their reward be? Affections. I believe, 0 Lord, that “ Blessed are the poor in spirit; that blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake ; that blessed are they whom men revile, and against whom they speak all that is evil, untruly v ( b ). And all this I believe with a most firm faith, because Thou, who art infinite truth and wisdom, hast proclaimed it. 0 what a treasure lies hidden in the third degree of humility ! For how (a) Matt. xix. 28, 29. ( b ) Matt. v. 3, et seq. 312 8IXTII DAY — THIRD MEDITATION. many graces am I not indebted to Thee, because Thou hast made it known to me. I venerate, and lovingly embrace, insults, trials, and poverty, as so many portions of Thy cross, sanctified by Thy precious blood. 0 how late have I come to know their value ! . . . . Truly do I lament my past blindness, which has led me to love and to esteem vanities. Henceforward I shall be wiser, nor shall I ever again wish to be more comfortably circumstanced than Thou wert, my Lord and Master. And while Thy life was spent “ in labour and 'pain- fulness , in hunger and thirst, in cold and naked- ness ” (a), it would be a shame should I, thy dis- ciple and servant, wish to live otherwise. Ho ; from this hour forward, poverty shall be my dearest treasure, a lowly state my highest dignity, tribula- tion my most cherished delight. Thus have I re- solved within myself, and this resolve, with Thy grace, I shall carry out during the entire course of ray life. Compendium. I. Consider the gen&'osity and excellence of the third degree . There is nothing more sublime, more magnamious, more heroic, than to refuse (though we might have them) riches, pleasures, and honours ; and to desire and seek in their stead, poverty, afflictions, and in- sults, for the sole reason of becoming more like to Christ. II. Think upon the happiness which it implies. For (1) Those who attain to this degree enjoy afore- (i a ) 2 Cor. xi. 27. ON THE THIRD DEGREE OF HUMILITY. 313 taste of Paradise. (2.) They are near the source of all happiness — Christ — whom they are incessantly striving to imitate. (3.) The attainment of this degree is the sweetest consolation we can offer to the heart of Jesus; and, (4.) Lastly, it is the means best suited to win souls to God. III. Reflect upon its utility. (1.) It is the surest path by which we may attain perfection, and the salvation of our souls. (2.) It is a most fruitful source of acts meritorious of eternal life. (3.) It makes our desires conformable to the Divine will ; and, (4.) Finally, there is promised to those who embrace it an eternal reward getenth <0aj), FIRST MEDITATION. On what Jesus Christ suffered in his honour ; and how such suffering tends to instruct us. To the Reader. One ought to meditate on the mysteries of the passion of Christ, (1.) as if he were actually present at that awful spectacle ; (2.) as if Jesus suffered solely on his account, and because of his personal sins ; (3.) as if the Redeemer had offered to the Eternal Father, for him alone, the agonies He was forced to undergo. Then, the fruit to be gathered from the meditation is a greater firmness in keeping one’s self in the third degree of humility, that is to say, in wishing to live in poverty, contempt, and affliction, merely for the sake of bearing a closer resemblance to Jesus Christ. First Point. Consider the insults that Jesus had to endure. First, He received a blow ; and three circumstances conspire to make this insult outrageous beyone mea- sure, viz. : (1.) The infinite dignity of the person so insulted, for He was God; (2.) The abject condition ON WHAT JESUS CHRIST SUFFERED. 815 of the offender, who was but a vile menial. (3.). The cruelty of the act, for it was inflicted with a glove of steel. And why this outrage h merely for an answer replete with heavenly wisdom ! 0 my God ! that you should receive a blow ! You ! And from so mean a hand. So horrified arc the Holy Fathers of the Church at this act, that they confess themselves amazed why the earth did not open at that moment to devour the miscreant ; why the sun still continued to shed its rays, and why the entire universe was not again thrown back into chaos . Secondly , Christ was scoffed at. Consider (1.) who it is that was so treated ; (2) and by whom ; (3.) and after what fashion. He who was thus insulted was the Son of God, the glory of the Eternal Father, the Supreme Monarch of heaven and of earth; and yet He is most ignominously reviled by a vile, base, cowardly rabble ; they blindfold Him ; they spit upon His face ; they pluck His beard ; they kick Him ; and in fact exhaust all the methods of insult which the most fertile imaginaton could devise ; and not only is He made sport of by the mob, but, clad in the dress of a buffoon, He is forced to endure the sneers of Herod’s courtiers, and the insulting re- marks of the Scribes and Jewish priests, and the gibes of the officers. Oh ! what a wonderful spec- tacle of humility and of patience ! Thirdly , Christ was held of less esteem than Barab- bas. And here reflect, likewise, (1.) who is it that is held of less esteem; (2.) and in comparison with whom; (3.) and under what circumstances. The God of Infinite Majesty is ranked with a wretched 316 SEVEN in DAY— FIRST MEDITATION. malefactor ; the Giver of every good gift is placed in the same balance with a brigand ; the Author of Life is paired with a murderer ; and to the foimer there is allotted the most infamous of deaths — that of the cross. And to make the insult the greater, His sentence was public and unanimous. The people, the nobles, the doctors of the law, the priests, all voted for it ; and as though the blood of Christ were that of a murderer, they, with one accord, exclaimed: “ His blood be upon us and upon our children ”. Fourthly , the innocent Redeemer is assailed by the most outrageous calumnies. He is called a blasphemer, one possessed by the devil, a Samaritan, a drunkard, one who would destroy the Temple ; an ambitious man, and one of rebellious disposition, who would drive the people to destruction. And here we must consider the false nature of the accu- sations, the infamous character of those who made them, the injustice of those who were placed in the tribunals to administer justice, and, finally, the world-wide reputation of the Redeemer for virtues directly opposed to the vices of which He was accused. Second Point. Consider, and, while considering, admire the silence with which J esus endured those many insults. One might have expected that the Divine Justice would have armed every creature to avenge such misdeeds ; or, at the very least, that Jesus would have employed His Divine eloquence in His own defence. But it is quite otherwise. Jesus forgives, Jesus is silent. “ He teas as a deaf man that hearetli not , and as a ON WHAT JESUS CHRIST SUFFERED. 317 dumb man not opening his mouth , and that hath no reproofs in his mouth ” (a). But, my Jesus, there were very grave reasons why Thou shouldst speak in thy own defence ; for, (1.) The falsehood of your accusers was evident, “for the chief priests and the whole council sought witness against Jesus , that they might put Him to death; and they found not, ichereas many false witnesses had come in ”(b). (2.) Next, the discrepancy in the evidence was notorious, for we read “ that their witnesses did not agree 99 (c). (3.) The judge himself had to acknowledge your innocence, saying : “ I find no cause in this Man”(d). (4.)For he was quite aware of the jealousy of the Jews, “For he knew that the chief priests had delivered Him up out of envy” (e). (5.) Yet his eager- ness for our salvation prevailed, “ and from thence- forth Pilate sought to release Him”. But, neverthe- less, (0 astounding humility !) “ He answered Him never a word ”, 0 holy angels! the most innocent Jesus is accused of so many enormous crimes, before so many judges, in the sight of the entire world. He has such im- mense reputation ; and yet, at this moment, im- minent danger hangs above His head ; and the scourges, the thorns, the nails, and the Cross sur- round Him. Yet, notwithstanding all this, He is silent, “j But Jesus held his peace” (/). But every right demands that we should defend our reputation and life 'l The falsehood of the accusations against Jesus is so evident — the character of His accusers (a) Ps. xxxvii. 14, 15. (c) Mark xiv. 59. (e) Mark xv. 30. (b) Matt. xxvi. 60. (d) Luke xxiii. 4. (/) Matt. xxvi. 63. 318 SEVENTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. stands out in such clear and luminous colours — that He has merely to open His lips in order to confound them. Ah ! but by the dishonours heaped upon Him- self Jesus wished to atone for your sins — for your pride — and therefore it is that we find it recorded of Him in Holy Writ : “ But Jesus held his 'peace Third Point. 1. Detest the habit of defending yourself with impatience when you have to endure similar afflic- tions. Come hither, look upon Jesus, learn, and be silent. What ! do you presume to compare your own innocence with that of Jesus ; the accusations levelled against you, with those crushing ones heaped upon Jesus ; the motives you have for self-defence with those which Jesus had 1 Contrast the losses which you may have to fear, with the calamities which you have seen pouring down upon Him ; yet He is silent, and you 'l Ah ! let your querulous speech put you to the blush. 2. Examine, moreover, of what great advantage it will be to yourself to keep silent ; with how many graces God will reward your silence, even in this life ; with what tenderness He will lift you up on the last day ; to what happiness He will conduct you in heaven ! Do you fancy that S. John of the Cross, S. Peter the Martyr, S. Erancis Eegis, S. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, S. Francis de Sales, and go many othef saints, now regret having in life en- dured in silence so many calumnies ? 3. Consider that your complaints, your excuses, your mad anxiety to vindicate your reputation, serve, not unfrequently, but to increase your disgrace; OX WHAT JESUS CHRIST SUFFERED. 319 for, while, by manifesting this impatience, you become regarded with a feeling of disesteem by others, you at the same time, lose the reputation of virtue, the merit of silence, peace of soul, and an increase of glory. 4. Abhor that ambitions pride which causes you to covet honours so eagerly, while you dread contempt. What ! I receive a blow — He is insulted and mocked, as though He were the very vilest of men ; finally, He is thought more worthy of death than a notorious malefactor ; and we, worms of the earth, slaves of sin, cannot endure to be touched by a single reproachful word ; we, at the slightest offence, burst out into expressions of rage and indig- nation; and, even when the veriest trifles are at stake, we will not suffer anyone to be placed before us. Ah ! let us blush for so much pride, and, taught by the example of Jesus Christ, let us learn to endure insult and derision in peace and silence. Affections. 0 my Jesus ! all bruised and beaten as thou art, thus clothed all over wdth insults, made the last of men and the outcast of the people, I adore thee as my Lord and my God, my King and my Captain. For so long a period have my eyes been accustomed to behold Thee in this abject condition, that, on this account, I the more closely recognise in Thee the Divinity, and the more affectionately do I love thy sacred humanity. For my single sake, it was lowered to the dishonour of such infamy ; for my sake did it die amidst so great agonies. 0 love! 0 love 1 320 SEVENTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. For pity sake, 0 Eternal Father, why didst Thou permit that thy Eternal Son should annihilate Him- self so] for to me were those insults due — to me, who have sinned, and by my pride have so often and so grievously offended thy Infinite Majesty. Upon me, then, let insults and ignominy rain down, and spend the fury of their violence — “ What evil hath this man done ” (a) Ah ! I understand it all. You, my Jesus, wished, even at so great a price, to teach me to trample on my pride, and to love humi- lity. Yes, I love it, and shall ever continue to love it. Yes, I shall ever account blessed the poor in spirit, and all such as are despised. Yes I regard as vanities, the honours, the fame, and the glory of all human greatness. And, therefore, do Thou, 0 my Jesus, receive the protestations of my repentance, by which I am intensely grieved because I allowed my heart to fill with pride, for having coveted honours, and for having abhorred humiliations. Henceforward I shall bear every, every injury, every calumny, every insult — not alone in silence, but with a holy joy. “ I will make myself meaner than I have done : and I will he little in mine own eyes ” ( b ). Do Thou grant me the grace : and since Thou knowest my weakness do Thou encourage me, and make me brave to conquer the assaults of my pride. Compendium. I. Consider the insults which Jesus suffered. (1.) He received a bloio. Who received it ] . . . . Ey whom was it inflicted ? .... In what manner ] (a) Luke xxiii. 22. ( b ) 2 Reg, vi. 22. LECTURE. 321 . . . . (2.) He was scoffed at. . . . Who? .... By whom?. ... in what manner? (3.) He was held of less account than Barabbas. Who was ? God ! And in comparison with whom ? A cut-throat who lay under sentence of death ! He was defamed with calumnies of the blackest hue, being accused as a blasphemer, one possessed of the devil, and a sub- verter of the public order. II. Admire the silence with which Jesus endured all these insults. He might have defended himself, and he had suffliciently grave reasons for doing so. A single word would have saved Him — nay more, would have secured him a triumph over his ene- mies, and, instead of infamy, he would have reaped immense glory. Nevertheless Jesus is silent. III. Observe how much your conduct is opposed to this. Jesus is silent when there is every reason why He should speak ; you speak even when you ought to be silent. (2.) Reflect on the advantages you will reap by bearing with injuries in silence ; and (3.) The losses you will sustain by complaining of them. (4.) Detest your pride, which leads you to desire honours, and to fly contempt, and learn from the example of Jesus Christ the greatest of the vir- tues — humility. Lecture. On the fruit of the Exercises of this Day . In the third week of the exercises (to which this day corresponds), “ We should renew and confirm the choice of a better life, which we have already made, and our desire to serve God henceforward 322 SEVENTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. more perfectly, by placing before ourselves the great example of the passion of our Redeemer” (a). By which words the “ Directory” declares (1.) the fruit which we seek to gather from the exercise of this day ; (2) and the means which Saint Ignatius pro- poses for our adoption in order to obtain it. The former consists in that firm constancy in our good choice on which we resolved yesterday. The latter consists in a loving remembrance of the pas- sion of Christ. Behold the prudence with which S. Ignatius always connects the end with the means ! Behold the eminently useful end which he proposes to us ! See the useful means which he would have us adopt, in order to obtain it. That we cannot aim at anything more useful than constancy in good, we know from the difficulty of the thing chosen, and the natural fickleness of Mm who makes the choice — both which combined consti- tute an immediate danger of abandoning the good choice which we have made, and relapsing into our former state of life. Wherefore S. Francis Xavier wrote of himself, that it is one thing to form gene- rous resolutions, and to propose to ourselves noble and heroic deeds for the future ; but it is quite another thing to find oneself already face to face with the trial, standing to one’s arms, and braving every peril. Where at first all things seemed easy, now every charge shatters, every blow wounds, every danger terrifies. This we see clearly exemplified in the case of our Lord’s Apostles, who were magnificent in their promises, and valiant in speech, saying to Jesus Christ, each one on his own behalf: “ Yea , (a) “Directory,” cap. 35, n. 1. LECTURE. 323 though I should die with Thee , T will not deny Thee ” (a). But when the crisis came, these solemn words proved meaningless, and Peter denied his Master, while all the others abandoned Him. Thus it not unfrequently happens to those, also, who during the period of the exercises seemed pre- pared to raise up a most sublime edifice of perfection, and who, a short time after, as if they had built the foundations upon the shifting sand, see each gene rous resolution of theirs go to ruin ; wherefore, covered with shame because of their weakness, and looking up to the great height from which they had fallen, they remain a miserable spectacle of human inconstancy. S. Ignatius, then, foreseeing these falls, employs to-day the most powerful means to keep us firm in the resolutions which we formed yesterday, when engaged in the choice of a state ; and above all to be steadfast and persevering in the practice of the third degree of humility, as the essen- tial fruit of the exercises. And he believes that, for this purpose, we cannot possibly employ a means more secure, more active, or more efficacious than to place before our eyes the example of the passion of Jesus Christ. Since sensuality and pride are for us 11 a lion in the way , and a lioness in the roads” ( b ), which frighten us, and turn us back from the path of virtue, assuredly we cannot find more powerful arms to subdue these two monsters than the sorrows borne, and the insults suffered by Christ. And as S. Ignatius in the preceding week prepared us to arrive at the third degree of humility, by placing {a) Matt. xxi. 35. (b) Proverbs xxvi. 13. 324 SEVENTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. before us for meditation the virtues which Jesus Christ exercised in His private life, so now to make us persevere in this third degree, and carry out courageously what we have already resolved to per- form, he places before us, as an example, the history of the sufferings of Jesus, in which he luminously unfolds to us the virtues of fortitude, patience, and humility. For here precisely it is that our Divine Captain carries out what He had promised to do in the medi- tation on the kingdom of Christ — namely, that He Himself would always be the first in the battle, the first in encountering labours, vigils, scoffs, poverty, and trials. We now see raging that war which, in the meditation on the two standards, He had proclaimed against the devil, the world, and the flesh ; and we see Him already engaged in fighting valiantly with the enemy, to subdue and break down in us the rebellious appetites of the senses and of self-love. Moreover, He exhibits to us a most per- fect example of the men of the third class, since He not only desires poverty, insults, and affliction, but even embraces them with affection ; and, overcoming their opposites, He of His own free choice elects the third degree of humility. All these considerations tend but to one end — that we, also, should in- flame our hearts with generous emulation, and that the recollection of all Jesus has suffered for us should be a most effective spur, to make us run on with vigour and earnestness in the way of perfection. And in truth, who, while looking upon Jesus carrying His cross amidst so much ignominy, will be so mean and poor-hearted as to covet honours, and shrink back affrightened at the bare mention of LECTURE. 325 contempt ? The saints nerved themselves for deeds of courage, of strength, of heroic sacrifice, by meditating continually on the passion of J esus. This was the whetstone on which they ground their arms ; at this fire they renewed the heat that was dying out; here they acquired fresh strength when they began to grow languid ; when cast down, they arose again ; and when on the point of being vanquished, they here recovered courage to fight more vigorously against the enemy, and eventually triumphed over the conqueror. From what has been said, it is evident that S. Ignatius could not direct the exercises of the third week to a more useful end , than to maintain our- selves with constancy in that degree of perfection of which we made choice yesterday ; nor could he propose a more efficacious means to attain it, than the memory of the passion of Christ, in which he principally makes us meditate the outrages and sor- rows which He endured therein, in order thus to animate us to subdue in ourselves sensuality and pride . §IL I. Ill order to gather the desired fruit from these meditations, we must consider in each mystery the six following point : — viz. (1.) the person who suffers ; (2.) the torments which He endures ; (3.) and (4.) by whom and/or whom , He is tortured; (5.) the reason why He undergoes such a martyrdom ; (6.) the manner in which our most loving Saviour is thus brutally tormented. And 1. In th z person of Christ who suffers such x 326 SEVENTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. anguish, we must admire His infinite dignity ; for He is the brightness of God's glory , and the figure of his substance ” (a) ; the King of kings, the Lord of the angels, the Creator of all things. Add to this His innocence and His sanctity , and then tell me whether you do not feel your soul moved to pity, at seeing Him led out to undergo such terrible tortures. 2. As regards the torments which He is forced to endure, reflect upon their number and their atrocity. He suffered in every member, and He suffered the most acute pain ; He suffered also in His reputation, and to such a degree as to be looked upon as the scum of men, a worm, and a curse to the earth ; He suf- fered in His soul, and the sword of sorrow pierced His very inmost heart. 3. As regards his persecutors — see how numerous they are, how enraged and ferocious. The King, Herod, scoffs at Him ; the Judge , Pilate, condemns Him ; the priests , Annas and Caiphas, rebuke Him ; the Scribes and Pharisees act as His accusers ; the sob diers turn Him into ridicule ; the executioners scourge and crucify Him. 4. Consider the unworthiness , the ingratitude , and the wickedness of men, for whom Jesus suffered so much. They are unworthy , because rebels to His law • ungrateful , because they cast away from them the price of so much blood with which they were redeemed; and impious, because by sinning con- tinually they crucify again their loving Redeemer, and make a mockery of Him. 5. The cause or end for which Jesus exposed (a) Hebrews i. 3. LECTURE. 327 Himself to such and so many sufferings was not His own good but ours ; not any advantage to be reaped by Him, but by us; that is, to satisfy Divine justice for our sins. 6. Finally, the manner in which Jesus endured those tortures was eminently perfect. For He suf- fered of His own free will : “He teas offered , because # it was his own will ” (a), and with an ardent desire of suffering : “I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptized ; and how am I straitened until it be accomplished ” (b) ; and in silence : “He held his peace , and ansioered nothing ” ( c ) ; and with the greatest patience, for “lie gave his body to the strikers , and his cheeks to them that plucked them ” ( d ). Add to what has been said that on this occasion Jesus exercised in a heroic degree all the most ex- alted virtues — poverty of spirit, humility, meekness, fortitude, obedience, charity, and the Jove of His enemies. 0 sweetest Jesus, who will be able to comprehend “ ivhat is the breadth , and length , and height, and depth ” ( e ) of all the virtues which you practised, and of all the pains and sorrows which you suffered during the time of your passion. II. From the thorough consideration of these six points to-day, there ought to flow, as from a foun- tain, the following affections : (1.) Of compassion to- wards Jesus, who so lovingly endured so many tor- ments for our sake ; (2.) Of hatred and horror for sin, which could not be duly atoned for except at the price of the blood of the Son of God. (3.) Of admiration of the exceeding goodness and wisdom of (a) Isa. liii. 7. ( b ) Luke xii. 50. (c) Mark xiv. 61. (d) Isa. 1. 6. (e) Ephes. iii. 18. 328 SEVENTH DAY — FIRST MEDITATION. the Lord, who found the fitting means to blend in such a wonderful manner justice and mercy. (4.) Of hope of our eternal salvation ; “ for if when ut were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death oj his Son, much more being reconciled shall ice be saved by his life ” (a). (5.) Of love of God , who loved us so much as to give His only-begotten Son for our sal- vation. (6 ) Of zeal for the salvation of souls, whom God valued so highly, loved so much, and purchased at so dear a price. But we should observe, with regard to these affec- tions, that it is not necessary that we should excite ourselves to all of them in every meditation, but let each one stir up within himself those which are most useful for his spiritual profit, and which princi- pally tend to lead him to a solid perfection of life, by means of a constant imitation of Christ in the third degree of humility. III. But in order that the exercise of the intellect also, united to that of the will, may reap the desired fruit, the following rules are to be ob- served : — 1. We must propose the suffering of Christ to our mind in a manner so vivid as to seem to our- selves to be present at that mystery, and actually to behold it with our very eyes ; so that we might fancy that we heard the whistling of the whips, the blows of the bludgeons, the shouts of the execu- tioners, the words of the Redeemer ; to feel in our- selves the wounds produced by the blows, the pricks of the thorns, the piercing of the nails ; to taste the vinegar and gall ; to touch the rough, stiff chains (a) Rom. v. 10. LECTURE. 329 and ropes ; to see the pale, livid face of Jesus, covered with filth, smeared all over with spittle, and dust, and blood. In one word, we should strive that “ this mind he in us which was also in Christ Jesus (a). 2, Moreover, let each one of us say to himself — “ Jesus suffered all this for me, and for me individu- ally. He died as much for me alone as for all men. At the moment of His death He thought of me indivi- dually, He prayed for me, and offered up to His Eternal Father for me the sacrifice which He was consummating on the cross. Hay more, even as He descended from heaven to die for all men, so would He have descended to die for me alone, had this been necessary. In such manner that I may say with the apostle. “ He delivered himself for me'' (h ) ; and that sin of mine [N], and that other [N], caused Him such distress, that it forced Him to sweat blood in the garden, it lacerated His flesh at the pillar, it nailed Him to the cross, it tore open His sacred side. 3. We should never lose sight of the third degree of humility, and all the meditations should be directed in an especial manner to those points, in which we have already resolved to imitate, in that third degree, the most noble example of Jesus Christ. § HI. Observe that to-day, principally, it is necessary to keep the soul in a state of holy sadness ; that is, not only not to occupy it with joyous, even though («) Philip, ii. 5. (b) Gal. ii. 20. 330 SEVENTH DAY FIRST MEDITATION. pious, imaginations; but to cultivate therein that silent sorrow which may pierce it through, and to nourish there that holy horror, which should seize it on contemplating the bloody spectacle presented by the scene of the Eedeemer’s crucifixion. For this end you should close the windows, and, drawing down the blinds, keep the room in that state of darkness which contributes so much to the interior recollections of the soul. Bcfresh yourself from time to time with touching passages from the Scriptures, chosen from the Psalms and the Prophets. 2. Increase somewhat your exercises of exterior penance ; for it is fitting that, while contemplating the sufferings of Christ, we, too, should “ bear about in our bodies the mortification of Jesus ” (a). Dimi- nish somewhat the quantity of your food, or abstain, either entirely or in part, from some delicacy which is particularly palatable. It is also a wise counsel to determine before dinner the quantity of food which you will take, and not to go beyond this limit with- out necessity. In fact, during the time of meals, we should keep before our eyes Jesus at supper with His disciples, we should observe His behaviour, and how He acts in respect of food and drink. For the rest, as the fruit of the last meditation was to wish to be despised with Jesus, and to live in contempt rather than surrounded by honours, the fruit of the following meditation will be to wish, to live afflicted with Jesus, amid tribulations rather than enjoyment, solely in order to bear a closer re- semblance to Him. (a) 2 Cor. iv. 10. ON WHAT CHRIST SUFFERED IN HIS BODY. 331 SECOND MEDITATION. On ichat Christ suffered in His body , and on the manner in which He suffered for our instruction . Eirst Point. Consider the pains which Jesus suffered in His body. First of call, He was most cruelly torn with scourges . How terrible this butchery must have been we may infer, first, (1.) from tenderness of his flesh, which was so delicate that, as S. Bonaventure says, the sole of His foot was more sensitive than the pupil of our eye ; add to this that H 3 was extremely weak because of His bloody sweat, worn out after Hi? terrible agony, and exhausted in the last degree after the sleeplessness and sufferings of that dreadful night. 2. From the fury of the executioners, who, by their natural dispositions, were fierce and cruel ; who were, moreover, urged on to their brutal task by the money of the Jews, incited by the demons, and re- lieved each other from time to time to the number of twenty couples, as was revealed to Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi. 3. From the quality of the scourges , which were fresh, thorny rods, whips made from the sinews of oxen, and iron chains studded with spikes, which tore that immaculate flesh into small pieces. 4. From the number of the bloics , which, as Saint Bernard asserts, amounted to 6,666. From all this you may infer what must have been the agony of Jesus under such inhuman tortures. 0 my Jesus ! Pilate caused you to be thus cruelly 332 SEVENTH DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. flogged, in order to awaken in your behalf the com- passion of the hard-hearted Jews ; and I see you wounded all over your body, covered with blood for my sake, yet, nevertheless, harder than flint, I do not breathe a single sigh, I do not shed even one tear in payment for so many oceans of blood. Nay, worse still, although my sensuality has been to you the cause of so many tortures, I continue, neverthe- less, to pamper my flesh. Secondly. He was crowned with thorns . This, also, was a most excruciating torture ; (1). because of the sharpness and number of the thorns which pierced His head in so many parts ; (2.) because of the especial tenderness of the head, which is the most sensitive portion of the body, nay, the very seat of the organs of sense; (3.) because of the cruelty of the executioners, who, with blows of canes, forced the sharp thorns through His temples ; (4.) because of the violent manner in which He was stripped of his garments, which having already adhered to His wounds now re-opened them, and made them bleed afresh. 0 my Jesus ! you are crowned with thorns, and I wish to wear a garland of roses ! You add sorrow to sorrow, while I shrink from the slightest annoy- ance ! Ah ! this shall not be any longer. I will not continue a delicate member beneath a head crowned with thorns. I will not only support with patience the afflictions which you may send me, but of my own accord I will commence to punish myself with voluntary penances. Thirdly. He Himself cam es his cross. This, also was a most painful trial for Jesus; (1.) because of the overpowering weight of that beam; (2.) because ON WIIAT CHRIST SUFFERED IN HIS BODY. 333 of the length and ruggedness of the road ; (3.) because of the steep ascent of Mount Calvary; (4.) because of His physical weakness ; and so great was the torture which Jesus suffered from that weight, that, staggering at every step, and dashing His bare feet against every stone that lay across his path, He fell fainting upon the road. Having been forcibly pulled into an upright position by means of ropes, and the violent efforts of the executioners, who seized His long, flowing hair, He was, nevertheless, unable to continue standing, and fell breathless and exhausted beneath the cross, so that it became necessary that Simon the Cyrenean should bear it the remainder of the journey. 0 my Jesus ! through love of me you suffer so much ; you groan beneath this terrible weight, and I, casting off the mild yoke of thy law, wish to run on through life, unencumbered ; the slightest labour annoys me, and I desire nothing but my own con- venience; But I am now ashamed of my base conduct ! Henceforward, 1 shall labour as far as my strength permits ; I shall endure whatever sufferings you may be pleased to send me ; and, animated by thy example, I, too, shall carry my cross generously, and with perseverance. Second Point. I. Consider the manner in which Christ endures such atrocious tortures; and (1.) He endures them in 'patient silence. The executioners far exceed the number of lashes permitted by the law, and yet He is silent. The soldiers crown Him with thorns through mere wanton cruelty, and He utters not a 334 SEVENTH DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. 'word. He alone is forced to carry His cross, and yet He does not complain. 2. He suffers with the greatest alacrity, and with a desire of enduring still more. While they were raining down the blows upon His back, He said : “ I am ready for scourges ” (a). While ti e thorns were piercing Him, He offered His head to the most agonising pains; and on beholding the cross He saluted it, He embraced it, and pressed it lovingly to His bosom. 3. He suffers with the greatest love towards His Eternal Father, whose kingdom He restored by enduring such torments; towards sinners, who?e salvation He purchased with His blood ; towards you, whom He had specially present before His mind up to the last moment of His agony; and, although He foresaw your ingratitude, your malice, your crimes, nevertheless, He kept in store for you that grace which would have finally converted you. II. Consider the fruit which you ought to gather from all this. Come hither, lift up your eyes to that cross ; look at those thorns which pierce the head of the dying Jesus; behold those most holy limbs, all livid, stripped of the flesh, and torn with lashes ; see those nails which pin Him to that rough wood ; and then, if you have the heart to do so, go pamper your body, crown your head with roses, live in sensual indulgence and refined luxury, and fly from all labour and every annoyance. Are you not the person who, yesterday, promised' Jesus that you were willing to follow Him in every under- taking, to fight beneath His standard, to use those ( and solid ”. Place a curb upon your mouth, and beg of the Holy Ghost the grace never to speak except when and as the occasion requires. The second help to acquire and preserve the spirit of recollection is the frequent use of the presence of God, which consists in eliciting oftentimes during the day acts of faith, by which we believe that God is always intimately present with us; and acts of love , by which, in His presence, we love Him with the most tender affection. This we do by means of frequent ejaculatory prayers. And, with regard to such prayers, we should bear in mind (1.) that they ought to be short, and ought to proceed not so much from the intellect as from the heart. (2.) Let them also not be too numerous, nor jumbled together, so that they may not confuse or distract the mind. (3.) Let them be addressed to God, not as dwelling far away from us in heaven, but as actually present before us, and within us. Wherefore examine your- self, and see whether you practise this holy custom of ejaculatory prayer: be extremely careful not to neglect it, because it is an excellent means to keep you recollected with God, and fervent in His love. As regards prayer both mental and vocal , which is the principal means of keeping alive and nourishing Divine love in the soul, examine: (1.) whether you make due preparation before engaging in mental prayer; (2.) whether you continue in meditation during the entire time allotted for that exercise, and whether you do so in a respectful posture . and with 388 EIGIITn DAY — SECOND MEDITATION. fervour of soul; (3.) whether you spend more time in the exercise of the intellect than of the will ; (4.) whether your resolutions are always practical and directed to some particular point; (5.) whether at the conclusion of the meditation you always make a short examen as to the manner in which you have gone through it. Look carefully into all these points, and where necessary correct any past defects which you may discover. Kegarding vocal prayers, and especially the cano- nical hours, examine diligently — (1.) whether you recite them in a becoming place ; (2.) at the proper time; (3.) in a modest posture; (4.) with distinct utterance ; (5.) with attention of mind ; (6.) in ac- cordance with the directions of the rubrics ; (7.) and in the prescribed order. Should your examination lead to the discovery of past faults under any of these heads, correct them ; for God has declared “ cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceit- fully ” (a). The perfect observance of these matters will lead you to an intimate union with God, and to a tender love of Him. This Divine love will be stirred up within you still more in the next meditation, where- in we reflect on the following points. “That God deserves to be loved by us” — (1.) because of the love He bears towards us ; (2.) because of the manner in which He loves us; and (3.) because of His infinite perfections. (a) Jer. xlviii. 10. ON THE LOVE OP GOD. 389 THIRD MEDITATION. On the Love of God . First Point. God desires our love , because of the love which He bears to us. The charity of God towards us comprises in an eminent degree those three qualities by which S. Ignatius distinguishes true from false love. For (1.) it manifests itself by great works; (2.) it liberally lavishes its goods upon the person loved ; (3.) it is always present with us. First. The love of God performs great things in your behalf, It drew you out of nothing, forming you to God’s own likeness, in preference to an infi- nite number of other possible beings. It gave you a soul with its noble powers, a body with its delicate organs of sense, and complete in all its mem- bers, and furnished with many splendid natural en- dowments. It is through love of you that He pre- serves the world, causes the beasts of the earth to multiply, makes the plants bud forth, clothes the fields with verdure, and enriches the plains with crops. He has made the sun to give you light ; He nourishes you with the productions of the earth ; and He has created the air, fire, water, and earth to comfort and sustain your life. Add to all this the great work of human Redemption ; the mission of the Holy Ghost ; your adoption to be a child of God, a brother of Jesus Christ, an heir to the kingdom of heaven ; finally, the grace of baptism, of a good education, and of a 2 13 390 EIGHTH DAY — THIRD MEDITATION. vocation to the faith, to the priesthood, and to the religious state. See, then, whether God’s love has not done great things for you ! Secondly. Morever, God has given you without reserve all His gifts — nay He has given you Himself. He has placed at your disposal worldly goods [here enumerate them one by one]; He has given you the angels to guard you, grace to merit, and heaven as your future reward. He has given you J esus Christ to be your Master, His life foe your example, His soul and body as the price of your redemption, His flesh for your food, and His blood as your drink, when He poured out the infinite treasures of His love in the most august sacrament of the Eucharist ; so that though He is most wise and omnipotent, He neither knew how, nor was He able, to give you anything greater or better. Add to all this that He has promised you many other most precious gifts ; namely, the assistance of His grace, the habits of faith, hope, and charity, together with sanctifying grace, “ that by these you may be made partakers of the Divine na- ture ” (a). Has He not then given you Himself, and all that was His ? Thirdly. Finally, God proves His love for you by being always intimately present with you — (1.) By His essence , according to that saying of the apostle, “in him we live , and move, and be ” (b). We are surrounded and penetrated by God, more than by the very air we breathe. (2.) He is present with you by His power. It is through God you live, grow, feel, see, hear, think, reason, and remember, because He co-operates in all those actions of yours. (a) 2 Pet. i. 4. ( b ) Acts xvii. 28. ON THE LCYE OF GOD. 391 (3.) He is present by His Providence , for as His child He carries you in His bosom, He defends you, He fondles you, warding off dangers, and showering blessings on you, even 11 making with temptation issue , that you may be able to bear it ” (a). In one word, God is ever dwelling in your body, and in your soul, as in a temple, in order to prove the love He bears you ; because the lover can never endure to be separated from the object of His affections. How since reason itself teaches that we should return love for love, it follows — (1.) that you should also do something great for God, by carrying out with firmness and constancy the resolutions which you formed during the course of these Exer- cises. (2.) You ought also make an offering to Him of yourself, and of all that belongs to you ; more particularly of your honour, your conveniences, your health, and your life, thus remaining constant in the third degree of humility. (3.) You ought also keep yourself ever present with, and united to, your Creator, by means of interior recollection, of attentive and fervent prayer, and of the practice of the presence of God. 0 seraphim ! kindle in my breast a spark of that heavenly love, which rendered the practice of these three points so sweet and so easy to the saints. Second Point. God deserves to be loved, because of the manner in which He loves you. For (1.) He loves you with an eternal love , having commenced to love you ever since (a) 1 Cor. x. 13. 392 EIGHTH DAY — THIRD MEDITATION. He began to love Himself — that is from all eternity: “I have loved thee with an everlasting love , therefore have I drawn thee , taking pity on thee ” (a) ; even though He had foreseen all your ingratitude and your sins. 2. He loves you with a disinterested love ; without any merit on your part, or any hope of recompense on His. For, as Saint John says, “ by this hath the charitt, of God appeared towards us,. . . not as though toe had loved God , and thus merited His love in re- turn ; but because He hath first loved us,” (b), and this too “ when ice were enemies ” (c). 3. He loves you with an infinite love ; that is, as far as regards its entity, with the same love with which He loves Himself, the most Holy Trinity, Christ, and the saints ; loving you with His entire heart, and with all the infinity of His nature; so that there is no perfection in God, and no person in the Most Holy Trinity that does not entertain for you an infinite love. 4. Finally, He loves you with a most tender love, “ carrying you on his shoulders ” (< d ) “ and his bosom, as the nurse is wont to carry the little infant ” (e) ; “ keep- ing you as the apple of his eye” (f); having 61 the very hairs of your head all numbered” (g ) ; “ always mind- ful of you that He may do good to you,” just as if you alone existed in the world, and constituted the sole object of His infinite love. Oh, in truth, my God, it is my bounden duty to love Thee (1.) with a disinterested love : not through (a) Jer. xxxi. 3. (b) 1 John iv. 9. 10. (c) Rom. v. 10. (c?) Deut. xxxii. 11. (e) Num. xi. 12. (/) Deut. xxxii. 10. (g) Luke xii. 7, ON THE LOVE OF GOD. 393 fear of punishment, or in expectation of a reward, but solely for thy own self. (2.) With an efficacious love, “not loving in word nor in tongue , but in deed and in truth” (a). (3.) With a constant affection , exclaiming with the apostle Paul, “ What shall separate me from the love of Christ? Shall tribula- tion, or distress, ... or persecution, or the sword?” (b) No, no; “ For I am sure that neither death , nor life , nor angels , nor principalities , nor powers , , . . nor any oilier creature , shall be able to separate me from the love of God ” (c). Third Point. God deserves to be loved , because of His infinite per- fections. For so amiable is He, that if the heavens were opened, and the damned could see God, even for a single instant, the intense hatred which they now feel towards Him would be changed at once into the most ardent love. Such is His beauty , that in order to gaze upon it, if only for a moment, the damned would willingly endure a thousand hells as terrible as that in which they now dwell. So sweet in His goodness, that if even one drop of it could fall into the infernal abyss, that place of torments would instantly become a paradise. So great is the excel- lence of His sanctity , that even one venial sin causes Him inexpressible disgust. So unfathomable is His wisdom , that He forgets nothing of the Past, knows everything of the Present, and clearly penetrates into all the hidden secrets of the Future. His power is so great, that with Him to wish is to execute. (a) 1 John iii. 18. (b) Rom. viii. 35. (c) Rom. viii. 38, 39. 394 EIGHTH DAY— THIRD MEDITATION. Moreover, He is so rich, that “ there is no end of His treasures” (a); so provident, that He dispenses all things in measure, and number, and weight ; so constant, that “with Himthereisno change, nor shadoto of alteration ” (b) ; so mighty, that “ He is high in his strength, and none is like Him” (c). But who is there able to enumerate His perfections, and the greatness of His works? “ Who is able to declare his icorks ; iclio shall search out his glonous acts ; and who shaH show forth the power of his majesty ; or who shall be able to declare his mercy?” (d) and shall we not love with all the strength of our affection a God so great and so perfect ? Ah ! let us love Him ! let us love Him ! But let our love be real, let it be ardent, let it prove itself by works, so that the ter- mination of these Exercises may be for us the begin- ning of a more perfect life, and that this perfection may go on increasing daily until the hour of our death. Affections. 0 ye Seraphim ! has the tepidity of man, then, come to this, that it is necessary to heap up argu- ments in order to excite him to a love of the supreme good ? 0 my soul ! through love of Thee, and for Thy benefit, God has performed most wonderful works ; He has enriched you with favours beyond reckoning in respect of their number; of incalculable utility ; and of infinite value ; and will you refuse to return Him love for love ? Ah ! unhappy wretch ! God loves you ; . . . God . . . you ; ... the Omnipotent, ... so vile a worm, (a) Isa. ii. 7. (b) James i. 17. (c) Job xxxvi. 22. ( d ) Eccles. xvii. 2, et seq. OX THE LOVE OF GOD. 395 and He loves you with an eternal , an infinite , a disin- terested, and a most tender love; and yet you do not love Him in return. 0 ungrateful being ! you love a person who wishes you well ; nay, the brute beast has a share in your love, if it displays affection for you ; and God presses you to His bosom, He lavishes upon you tokens of His love, He caresses you, He showers favours upon you, He watches over you, He preserves you, He loves you with such unbounded love, and will you not think Him worthy of even a look, will your heart not beat with a single throb of affection for Him ? And is this really possible ! Can there be found a soul so cold, so hard, so cruel, so perverse, so brutal, I will rather say, so stupid, so insensate 1 ? For no soul can be effected with hard- ness so adamantine, nor with such insatiable brutality as not to be softened by the thought that God loves her, and loves her with so boundless a love. 0 God of mercy, I know my ingratitude, I am ashamed of it, and am confounded in Thy presence. Ah ! I have not loved love itself ! I have not re- turned the love of a God who has loved me with an infinite love, and Who is most deserving of all my love, because of His infinite perfections. He has lavished favours upon me, and I have treated Him with neglect. He has loved me, and I have hated Him in return. But I repent, and I detest my hard- ness of heart. Thou hast conquered, 0 infinite love, Thou hast conquered. Thou hast a claim upon my entire heart, and I hereby give it to Thee without reserve. Henceforward I shall love but Thee, and I shall love Thee all the more intensely, because I have begun to love Thee so late. 1 love Thee, I love Thee, 0 infinitely amiable, 39fi EIGHTH DAY — THIRD MEDITATION. good, and beautiful God. I love Thee, I love Thee, not through hope of future reward, nor through fear of future punishment ; but solely for Thy own sake, because Thou art essentially good. I love Thee with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my powers, prizing Thee above everything — above all possible pleasures, riches, and honours, and more than life itself. I will serve Thee in that place, in that office, in that degree, in that condition in which it is your wish that I should serve Thee. I will imitate Jesus Christ in the third degree of humility; and I will imitate Him, fully, constantly, with all possible fervour, and with all the powers of my soul, striving continually after greater perfection. Ah, grant that I may persevere in this my resolution ; and that if I have hitherto lived in sin, I may at least die in transports of Divine love. Compendium. I. God deserves to be loved , because of the love He bears towards its. The charity of God towards us is pre-eminently distinguished by the three characteris- tics of truelove. For (1) It performs great things : such things has God performed for thee. He has created you from nothing ; He has endowed your soul with three noble faculties, He has given perfect senses to your body; He has lavished on your whole being splendid qualities, both in the natural and moral order. For your sake He preserves the world ; for you He makes it produce everything in abundance. Still more, He redeemed you, He sanctified you, He adopted you as His child, He conferred grace upon you, He has prepared paradise for your future abode. JS THE LOVifi Oif GOD. 397 (2.) The true lover communicates all his goods with the object of his affections. God has done this with you in a manner truly wonderful : for not content with having created so many things for your advan- tage, He gave you His own Divine Son to redeem you ; nay, more, to become incorporated with you as your food, in the most holy Eucharist. (3.) The true lover is always present with his be- loved. God is never absent from you. He is always present with you by His essence, His power, and His providence. And will you make no return for so much love ? Will you not do great things for God ? Will you not give Him all that you possess, together with yourself? Will you not desire to dwell always in His presence ? II. God deserves to be loved, because of the manner in which He loves you. For (1) He has loved you from eternity, that is ever since He com- menced to love Himself. (2) He has loved you with a disinterested love, without any merit on your part. (3) With an infinite love. (4) With a most tender love. III. God deserves to be loved, because of His in- finite perfections. So great are His amiability, beauty, and goodness, that if the damned could see and enjoy them, even for a moment, all their tor- ments would be changed into delight : hell would become a paradise; and their hatred towards God would give place to the most ardent love. And will you not love a God who is so perfect ? Laus Deo Semper. Date Due 1 -• ■ ' f i U X f) ! 1 u^Uy / Q ■ Uff -5> to J- W ^ ■ *M '63 F7 / OPT' * 1 _ ftuv ) c T$f2 : net t c; 1991 APR | 1998 uul 1 3 f> BOSTON COLLEGE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. Books may b ept for two weeks unless other- wise specified b, >e Librarian. Two cents a day barged for each book kept overtime. If yc.i cannot find what you want, ask the Librarian who will be glad to help you. The borrower is responsible for books drawn in his name and for all accruing fines. x