Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/36

 very justly  compares  him  to  those  who,  in  their  dreams,  imagine they do  great  feats,  but  when  they  awake  have  not  courage  to undertake  anything,  as  is  said  by  the  Prophet  Isaiah:  "He that  is  hungry  sometimes  dreams  that  he  eats,  but  when  he awakes,  his  soul  is  empty  as  before." (Isa. xxix.  8.)  This description of  persons  fancy,  while  at  prayer,  that  they  burn with a  desire  of  suffering,  and  of  being  despised,  but  on  the  first occasion that  presents  itself  after  prayer,  they  behave  in  a manner  quite  different  from  what  they  had  fancied  to  themselves; for in  fact,  it  was  not  a  real  desire,  but  a  sort  of  dream  they  had at the  time. By others  they  are  compared  to  soldiers  represented on  the  canvass,  who  always  brandish  their  swords  over the enemy's  head,  but  never  strike;  and  this  is  one  of  the  senses wherein may  be  taken  the  following  words  of  the  Psalmist: " Men  are  like  images"  (Ps.  xxxviii.  7) — they  hold  the  arm  always raised,  but  they  strike  not. Comparing them  likewise  to women  in  labour,  who  cannot  be  delivered,  we  may  apply  to them  these  words  of  Ezekias  in  Isaiah:  "  The  children  are come  even  to  the  birth,  and  the  mothers  have  not  strength  to bring  them  forth." (Isa. xxxvii.  3.)  St.  Jerom,  explaining  these words of  St.  Matthew:  "  Wo  to  such  as  are  with  child  and give  suck  in  those  days"  (Matt.  xxiv.  19),  says,  Wo  to  those  souls that have  not  brought  up  their  buds  to  the  maturity  of  a  perfect man — wo to  those,  who  have  not  brought  forth  the  good  desires they had  conceived,  but  who  extinguish  them  in  their  breasts: for when  we  do  not  carry  them  into  effect,  do  we  not  extinguish them? And wo  to  those  who  pass  all  their  life  in  wishes,  and are surprised  by  death,  before  they  perform  any  good  work. For then they  will  derive  not  only  no  advantage  from  having  had those good  desires,  but  they  shall  be  severely  punished  for  not having carried  them  into  execution. In fine,  they  will  see  their own children  they  had  conceived  rise  up  against  them,  when,  had they brought  them  forth,  they  might  have  derived  great  advantage  from  them.

Holy Scripture  (2  Kings,  xviii.  9)  tells  us,  that  Absalom had a  most  comely  head  of  hair;  but  it  only  proved  his ruin. For the  bough  of  an  oak  having,  in  his  flight,  caught him by  the  hair,  he  hung  between  heaven  and  earth,  and in that  situation  was  killed  by  Joab. Death will  surprise us in  the  same  manner,  while  our  good  desires  hold  us, as it  were,  suspended;  and  these  good  desires  will  make, in part,  the  subject  of  our  condemnation. St. John  says