Page:Beautifulpearlso00oreirich.djvu/502

 the Friars  Minor,  more  than  any  other  Order,  follows in  the  way  and  the  footsteps  of  the  best,  the most holy,  and  the  richest,  that  ever  was,  or  will be, namely,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  Himself."

If a  man  had  ever  before  his  mind  the  remembrance of  his  death,  and  of  the  final  judgment, and of  the  pains  and  torments  of  lost  souls, most sure  it  is  that  he  would  never  wish  to  sin, or to  offend  God. But if  it  were  possible  that a man  should  have  lived  from  the  beginning of the  world  until  this  present  time,  and  during all the  time  had  suffered  every  adversity,  tribulation, pain,  and  affliction  and  sorrow:  and  then that he  should  die,  and  that  his  soul  should  receive the eternal,  celestial  recompense;  what  harm  would all the  evils  he  had  sustained  in  the  past  do him? And in  like  manner:  if  a  man  had  had, during the  same  time,  consolation  in  the  world, and then  dying,  his  soul  should  receive  the  sentence of  the  eternal  pains  of  hell:    how  would  it comfort   him,   to    have    received    all   these things in  the  past?

An idle  and  slothful  man  once  said  to  Brother Giles: "I  tell  thee,  that  I  would  fain  live  long  in this  world,  and  have  great  riches  and  abundance  of all  things,  and  be  held  in  much  honor." To whom Brother Giles  said:  "  My  Brother,  if  thou  wert  lord of  all  the  world,  and  shouldst  live  in  it  a  thousand years,  in  every  enjoyment,  delight,  pleasure,  and temporal  consolation,  tell  me  what  reward  and  what merit  couldst  thou  expect  to  have  of  this  miserable flesh,  which  thou  wouldst  so  greatly  serve  and please?  But  I  tell  thee,  that  if  a  man  live  well according  to  God,  and  guard  himself  from  offending God,  of  a  surety  he  shall  receive  from  God  the  fulness of  all  good,  an  infinite  and  eternal  recompense, and  great  abundance,  and  great  riches,  and  great honor,  and  long,  even  eternal,  life  in  the  everlasting glory  of  Heaven:  to  which  may  this  good  God,  our Lord  and  King,  Jesus  Christ,  bring  us  also:  to  the praise  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  His  poor  little  one, Francis.