Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/114

 evil, and  rejoice  in  most  wicked  things."  (Prov.  ii.  14.) Reflect  whether  you  do  not  sometimes  repine,  and  feel inward  trouble,  when  approaching  festivities  remind  you of  preparing  for  the  sacraments,  or  when  you  are  called upon  to  perform  something  of  greater  perfection,  because you  are  unwilling  to  lose  anything  of  your  wonted liberty.  "And  all  Jerusalem  with  him."  (Matt.  ii.  3.) Thus,  inferiors  often  imitate  the  conduct  of  their  superiors, particularly  in  what  is  wrong.  Ponder  the  evil resulting  from  this  kind  of  conduct;  and,  if  you  have been  guilty,  correct  it.  Learn  to  rejoice,  too,  only  in those  things  that  regard  your  salvation,  and  give  good example  to  those  who  have  a  right  to  expect  it  from you.

I. "And  assembling  together  all  the  chief  priests,  and the  scribes  of  the  people,  he  inquired  of  them  where Christ  should  be  born." (Matt. ii.  4.)  The  children  of this  world  are  more  anxious  in  their  temporal  concerns "than are  the  children  of  light  in  regard  to  those  of heaven.  Observe  the  conduct  of  the  king:  "Then Herod, privately  calling  the  wise  men,  inquired  of  them diligently the  time  of  the  star's  appearing  to  them." (Matt.  ii.  7.)  He  was  more  anxious  to  find  Christ,  in order  to  destroy  Him,  than  you  are  to  love  Him  and serve  Him.  Reflect  on  the  wonderful  providence  of God,  which,  drawing  good  from  evil,  makes  even  the wicked  concur  to  its  divine  designs,  and  to  our  good. The  evil  intentions  of  Herod  manifested  Christ  to  the sages,  and  by  them  to  the  Gentile  world,  whilst  he  was doing  all  in  his  power  to  conceal  Him  and  to  destroy Him.