Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/32



Our first  duty  is  to  remove  every  impediment  which may prevent  us  from  attaining  the  end  of  our  creation, and from  serving  God;  and  then  procure  a  supply  of virtue. Now this  impediment  (and  it  is  the  only  one) is sin,  the  guilt  and  detestable  nature  of  which  you  may learn by  meditating  the  fall  of  Lucifer,  and  then  that  of our  first  parents.

I. In  what  a  glorious  state  Lucifer  and  his  companions were created! Of them  are  understood  the  words  of Ezekiel  [xxviii. 12], "Thou  wast  the  seal  of  resemblance, full  of  wisdom  and  perfect  in  beauty;  thou  wast in  the  pleasure  of  the  paradise  of  God,  every  precious stone  was  thy  covering,  the  Sardius,  the  Topaz,"  etc. These  precious  ornaments  were:  1. Pure spirituality, without any  material  combination. 2. Immortality. 3. Superior subtilty  of  understanding. 4. An  universal knowledge of  all  inferior  objects. 5. Strength  and power superior  to  all  other  creatures. 6. Free-will  and command over  their  own  actions. 7. Eminent  sanctity, resulting from  the  gifts  of  grace. 8. They  were  inhabitants of  heaven.

II. In a  moment  they  lost  or  obscured  all  these  ornaments of  nature  and  grace  by  pride,  and  (as  all  sinners do)  by  wishing  for  that  which  was  unlawful  for  them. Reflect how  they  were  immediately  cast  headlong  into hell, without  hope  of  mercy. Meditate deeply  those words of  St.  Peter:  "If  God  spared  not  the  angels  that sinned,  but  having  cast  them  down  into  the  place  of  torments, delivered  them  into  the  chains  of  hell  to  be  tormented, the  Lord  knoweth  how  to  reserve  the  unjust unto  the  day  of  judgment  to  be  tormented." (2 Peter ii.  4.)