Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/35

 and in  the  Canticles,  "  Open,  my  sister,  the  door  to  me." (Cant, v. 2.)  He  is  not  content  with  all  this,  but  as  if  he  were  tired  of knocking,  he  sits  down  himself  at  our  door,  to  let  us  know,  that he would  have  entered  before,  had  he  not  found  it  shut;  and still, instead  of  going  away  and  leaving  us,  he  chooses  rather  to sit  down  and  wait  for  us,  that  we  may  be  sure  of  finding  him  as soon  as  we  open  the  door. Though you  have  delayed  to  open your heart  to  God  and  to  comply  with  his  inspirations,  yet  he has  not,  on  this  account,  gone  away. He has  too  great  a  desire of entering,  to  be  so  easily  repulsed ;  and  therefore  he  sits  at  the door and  waits  till  you  open. " The  Lord  waits,"  says  Isaiah, " that  he  may  shew  mercy  to  you." (Is. xxx.  18.)  And  certainly no friend  is  so  eager  to  visit  an  intimate  friend,  as  God  is  to  visit our hearts;  he  longs  much  more  to  communicate  himself,  and grant his  favours  to  us,  than  we  long  to  receive  them ;  the  only thing he  requires  of  us  is,  to  hunger  and  thirst  after  them. " To him  that  thirsts  I  will  give  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life gratis." (Ap. xxi.  6.)  "  If  any  man,  therefore,  thirsts,  let  him come  to  me  and  drink." (John, vii.  37.)  He  would  have  us  feel an earnest  desire  of  acquiring  virtue  and  perfection,  that  the object of  our  desires  being  granted,  we  may  know  how  to  esteem and preserve  it  as  a  most  precious  jewel. For in  general,  whatever is  not  earnestly  wished  for  is,  when  obtained,  not  much esteemed. One of  the  principal  reasons  why  we  make  so  little progress in  perfection  is,  because  we  do  not  desire  and  long  for it so  earnestly  as  we  ought;  we  have  some  desires,  it  is  true,  but then they  are  so  weak  and  languid  that  they  vanish  almost  as soon  as  they  are  felt.

St. Bonaventure (Process,  iv.  Rel.  c.  3)  says,  that  there  are many who  intend  well,  and  who  conceive  the  best  projects imaginable, yet  have  not  courage  enough  to  offer  violence  to themselves,  and  to  overcome  themselves  as  far  as  to  carry  their good projects  into  execution. Hence we  may  say  of  them  what the apostle  said  of  himself:  "  To  will  is  present  with  me,  but  to accomplish  that  which  is  good,  I  find  not." (Rom. vii.  18.) These projects  without  effect  are  not  the  productions  of  a  resolute will, and  to  speak  properly  they  are  but  mere  velleities;  in  a word,  we  will,  but  we  do  not  will  effectually. t$ The  slothful," says  the  Wise  Man,  "  wills  and  does  not  will."  (Prov.  xiii.  4.) u  His  desires  kill  him,  for  his  hands  will  not  work  at  all.  He spends  himself  all  the  day  long  in  desires." (Ib. xxi.  25.)  "He is  a  compound  of  desires,"  says  St.  Jerom;  and  Father  Avila