Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/28

 ways in  my  mouth."  (Ps.  xxxiii.  1.)  "You  were  born  for heaven; take  care  that  you  do  not  degenerate  from  the lofty thoughts  of  the  sons  of  God"  (Father  Azevedo), "take  care  that  you  do  not  carry  in  an  upright  and straight body  a  crooked  soul;"  that  is,  a  soul  unnaturally inclined  to  the  fleeting  objects  of  this  world.

I. Since  the  object  of  your  existence  is  to  praise  and serve God  alone,  and  since  the  means  relating  to  any  end are good  or  bad  only,  inasmuch  as  they  help  us  to  attain that  end  or  withdraw  us  from  it;  so  it  is  evident that you  ought  to  make  use  of  creatures  only  inasmuch as they  further  the  attainment  of  that  object,  and  to avoid  them  when  they  withdraw  you  from  it. Therefore you are  not  to  desire  riches,  honor,  nor  the  conveniences of  this  life,  nor  even  health,  unless  they  help  you to praise  and  serve  God. Wherefore the  devout  author of the  Imitation  of  Christ  says  well:  "Better  is  the  humble peasant,  that  serves  God,  than  the  proud  philosopher, who  neglecting  himself,  meditates  on  the  course of  the  heavens."

II. Examine if  you  possess  any  disordered  affections for the  objects  mentioned  above. Examine whether  you be willing  to  suffer  poverty,  reproach,  sickness,  and  even death itself,  if  God's  glory  could  be  increased  by  it. Offer yourself  to  your  Creator,  with  perfect  indifference to  all  things. Say with  the  prophet,  "My  heart  is ready,  O  God,  my  heart  is  ready"  (Ps.  cvii.  28);  and  with Christ, "Not  as  I  will,  but  as  Thou  wilt." (Matt. xxvi. 39)

III. How irrationally  those  men  live  who  in  their  actions pursue  any  other  object  than  God,  who  misspend