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 might have, the more to uproot my affections from them (in which consists the voluntary poverty of religion).

i. In both ways are included great benefits. For generally, to all the poor of spirit Christ our Lord promised the kingdom of heaven; as well the kingdom of the other life as that which is enjoyed in this life, which is "justice, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." So that if I mortify and vanquish avarice I shall enjoy three benefits — justice, with abundance of good works; peace, without any noise of disturbance; and spiritual joy, free from gloominess and vexation, because I shall have' taken away the root of the evils that hinder this good.

ii. Besides this, avarice being vanquished, if I am liberal towards God, in giving for His sake what I have, God will be most liberal towards me in giving me His benefits, as well temporal, which shall be expedient for me, as also spiritual, both in this life and in the other. For it is He who said, " Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, and pressed down, and shaken together, and running over shall they give into your bosom," where it will be very secure and much esteemed. He says, " Dabunt," " they shall give," to signify that our gifts are the cause why Almighty God gives us this measure with those four conditions, which, when it is most abundant, it may have. And He adds, that " with the same measure" we " shall mete, it shall be measured to" us "again;" for our liberality increasing towards our neighbours, the liberality of God will increase towards us, so that he that sows much shall reap much.

Colloquy. — Therefore, O my soul, be liberal towards God and for His love towards others, and God in Himself and in others will be liberal towards thee! For " the soul which blesseth shall be made fat that which gives shall be enriched, and " he that in