Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/478

 touched with  a  spirit  of  envy,  when  another  is  commended or  preferred  to  them. Learn, hence,  to  be particularly  on  your  guard  against  this  bad  spirit. You ought  rather  to  wish  with  Moses,  that  all  might praise and  honor  God  in  the  most  exalted  manner. " O that  all  the  people  might  prophesy,  and  the  Lord  would give  them  His  spirit." (Num. xi.  29.)

III. The father  answers  mildly  and  endeavors  to  reclaim him  from  his  error. "Son," he  says,  "thou  art always  with  me,  and  all  I  have  is  thine." O what  a happiness  it  is  for  the  just  to  have  God  always  with them! How rich  must  he  be,  who  has  every  thing  in common  with  God! Learn to  rejoice,  when  your  brother is brought  back  to  Christ,  and  endeavor  yourself  to  bring as many  as  you  can  to  Him.

I. "  A  certain  man  went  down  from  Jerusalem  to Jericho,  and  fell  among  robbers." (Luke x.  30.)  In  this parable the  fall  of  mankind  in  Adam  is  represented. Man in  his  first  creation  was  ordained  to  take  the  course of this  life  from  Jericho;  that  is,  from  this  sublunary world (for  Jericho  means  the  Moon)  to  the  heavenly Jerusalem. He, however,  has  turned  his  affections  from Jerusalem to  Jericho,  and  fallen  among  thieves;  that  is, his spiritual  enemies,  who  have  robbed  him  of  original justice; "and  having  wounded  him,  went  away,  leaving him  half  dead."

II. The Angelical  Doctor  enumerates  four  wounds, which human  nature  received  in  the  fall  of  Adam. The