Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/263

 but of  the  means  of  gaining  the  kingdom  of  God,  by tribulations  and  sufferings. " The  kingdom  of  heaven suffereth  violence,  and  the  violent  bear  it  away." (Matt, xi. 12.)  Learn  hence  willingly  to  engage  in  pious  conversation. It is  very  probable,  that  during  these  forty days, Christ  delivered  many  instructions  to  his  Apostles concerning the  form  and  government  of  His  future Church, which  have  been  handed  down  to  us  by  tradition. Entreat your  Saviour  to  converse  with  you  in  the  secret closet of  your  heart,  and  there  instruct  you  in  His  holy law. Say with  the  Prophet;  "  Blessed  art  thou,  O  Lord, teach  me  thy  justifications." (Ps. cxviii.  12.)

III. Reflect seriously  within  yourself,  how  often  God has spoken  interiorly  to  your  heart,  concerning  the  kingdom of  God,  moving  you  to  a  desire  of  ensuring  it,  by works  of  mortification,  temperance,  charity,  and  perfection. Perhaps you  have  not  paid  attention  to  His  voice. Listen to  Him  for  the  future,  lest  He  inflict  on  you  some of those  plagues  of  which  Moses  speaks. " The  Lord shall  increase  thy  plagues,  and  the  plagues  of  thy  seed, plagues  great  and  lasting,  infirmities,  grievous  and  perpetual, because  thou  nearest  not  the  voice  of  the  Lord thy  God." (Deut. xxviii.  59,  62.)

I. The  various  circumstances,  which  accompanied  the apparitions of  Christ  after  His  resurrection,  are  like those, which  attend  His  interior  visits  to  the  souls  of  His faithful servants. His apparitions  were  always  of  short duration, and  they  were  more  or  less  frequent  according to the  dispositions  and  fervor  of  those,  to  whom  He  appeared. The same  economy  of  providence  God  observes