Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/58

 soar beyond  this  world  towards  those  things  which  are  supernatural and eternal. We must  make  such  use  of  earthly  treasures,  as  not  by their  abuse  to  lose  everlasting  treasures. It is,  moreover,  God’s  will that man  should  have  dominion  over  the  beasts,  but  it  is  not  God’s will that  he  should  be  cruel  to  them. “The just  regardeth  the  lives of his  beasts,  but  the  bowels  of  the  wicked  are  cruel”  (Prov.  12,  10). Therefore, be  on  your  guard  against  cruelty  to  animals!

Twofold death.  By  the  words: “What  day  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou shalt die  the  death”,  Almighty  God  threatened  man  with  a twofold death, the  death  of  the  soul  end  the  death  of  the  body. This last  did not take  place  immediately  after  the  sin  was  committed,  for  Adam  lived on earth  till  he  was  930  years  old; but  all  the  same,  from  the  moment he sinned,  his  body  became  liable  to  death. The death  of  the  soul, on the  contrary,  took  place  the  very  instant  the  sin  was  committed. A distinction must,  of  course,  be  made  between  the  natural  and  the supernatural life  of  the  soul. It cannot  lose  its  natural  life,  because it is  an  immortal  spirit;  but  it  loses  its  supernatural  life,  founded  on sanctifying  grace  and  friendship  with  God,  the  moment  it  commits  a grievous  sin. The loss  of  grace  is  the  soul’s  spiritual  death,  and  leads to its  eternal  death,  on  which  account  grievous  sins  are  called  mortal or deadly  sins.

The Blessed  Trinity.  The  words:  “Let  Us  make  &amp;c.”,  imply  that there are  more  persons  than  one  in  God.

The unity  of  the  human  race.  Why  did  God  form  Eve  out  of  one of Adam’s  ribs? Firstly, because  all  mankind,  even  Eve,  was  to  proceed from Adam. Secondly, because  husband  and  wife  ought  to  belong  to one  another,  and  to  be  but  one  heart  and  soul  by  their  love  and  unity.

The happiness  of  Heaven.  The  life  of  our  first  parents  in  the earthly paradise  was  a type  of  the  life  of  the  blessed  in  heaven. They were perfectly  happy  in  paradise. Peace reigned  within  and  around them, because  they  were  at  peace  with  God. They had  abundance  of everything;  they  knew  no  pain,  no  want,  no  vexation,  and  lived  in undisturbed  joy  and  friendship  with  God  and  with  each  other. So also the  life  of  the  blessed  in  heaven  is  one  of  supreme  happiness: there is  no  complaint  nor  sorrow  there,  nothing  but  peace,  joy  and glory. In the  earthly  paradise  God  held  intercourse  with  our  first  parents, as  a father  does  with  his  children. In heaven  the  blessed  gaze on God  face  to  face,  and  are  united  to  Him  by  the  closest  love. But now comes  the  difference: the  happiness  of  the  earthly  paradise could be  lost,  but  the  happiness  of  the  blessed  in  heaven  must  be  theirs for ever.

The probation  of  man.  Man,  like  the  angels,  was  gifted  with  free-will, and like  them  he  had  to  undergo  a probation. God gave  him  a command, by means  of  which  he  could  freely  choose  either  to  side  with  Him  or