Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/328

 God's severer  judgments. He represents  Him  as  coming with the  fan  in  His  hand,  to  separate  the  chaff  from  the wheat. Reflect how  much  you  stand  in  need  of  this penance, and  examine  whether  you  be  wheat  or  chaff. If you  find  yourself  to  be  the  former,  take  care  you  do not  degenerate,  and  remember  the  advice  of  St.  Paul: " Let  him  that  thinketh  himself  to  stand,  take  heed, lest  he  fall." (i Cor.  x.  12.)  If  you  find  yourself  to  be the  latter,  endeavor,  by  the  Divine  assistance,  to  reform your conduct,  and  commence  a  serious  conversion. If you do  not,  you  will  be  cast  into  the  "  unquenchable  fire." (Mark ix.  42.)

II. " Every  tree  that  yieldeth  not  good  fruit  shall  be cut  down,  and  cast  into  the  fire." It is  not  sufficient  to produce  any  kind  of  fruit;  the  fruit  must  be  solidly  good. Examine your  works,  whether  they  be  good,  solid,  and perfect, or  not  rather  counterfeit  and  fair  in  appearance only, or  at  least  imperfect  and  not  of  full  growth  and maturity. Tremble at  the  complaint  which  God  utters by the  mouth  of  Isaias,  "  I  looked  that  it  should  bring forth  grapes,  and  it  hath  brought  forth  wild  grapes." (Is. v.  4.)  Tremble,  too,  at  His  terrible  sentence,  "  Cut it  down;  why  doth  it  take  up  the  ground?" (Luke xiii.  7.)

III. The Baptist  did  not  commence  his  preaching  until he had  arrived  at  a  mature  age  and  prepared  himself  by prayer  and  mortification  for  his  holy  office. Then, impelled by  the  Divine  Spirit,  by  whose  inspiration  he  had retired into  solitude,  He  enters  upon  his  office  with  invincible courage. The Holy  Ghost  is  accustomed  to  employ those  whom  He  has  rendered  perfect,  in  procuring the perfection  of  others. Let your  desert  be  that  private life  or  station  in  which  God  has  placed  you,  and endeavor to  sanctify  it  by  prayer,  retirement,  and  mortification. Saints have  been  found  in  every  station  and