Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/42

 mark we  can  have  is  to  feel  in  our  hearts  an  ardent  desire  of  daily perfecting ourselves  more  and  more  in  virtue. So that  there  can be no  need  of  any  motive  but  this  to  urge  us  to  cherish  this  desire, since it  gives  us,  in  some  measure,  an  assurance  that  we  are  in the  state  of  grace,  than  which  nothing  in  this  life  can  be  of greater  consolation.

This may  be  easily  confirmed  by  what  the  Holy  Ghost  says  in the  Proverbs:  11  The  ways  of  the  just  are  like  the  sun  that  rises, and increases  both  in  light  and  heat  till  mid-day."  (Prov.  iv.  18  ) The  farther  they  proceed,  the  more  they  increase  in  virtue,  and to  use  the  words  of  St.  Bernard,  the  just  man  never  believes  that he  has  fully  performed  his  duty;  he  never  says  it  is  enough,  but always  hungers  and  thirsts  after  justice;  so  that  if  he  were  to live  here  always,  he  would  perpetually  strive  to  become  more  just and  more  perfect,  and  to  advance  always  from  good  to  better.  (Ep. 253  to  Ab.  Gaurin.)  Again  it  is  written  of  the  just,  "  they  shall proceed from  virtue  to  virtue"  (Ps.  lxxxiii.  8);  i.e.  they  shall continually  increase  in  fervour,  and  advance  in  virtue  without stopping  till  they  ascend  the  height  of  perfection.  But  the way  of  the  tepid,  the  imperfect,  and  the  wicked,  is  like  unto  the light  of  the  evening,  which,  decreasing  every  moment,  at  length disappears,  and  leaves  us  in  the  darkness  of  night.  "The  way of the  wicked,"  says  the  Wise  Man,  "  is  full  of  darkness,  so  that they cannot  see  the  precipices  into  which  they  fall."  (Prov.iv.  19.) They  stumble  every  step  they  take.  Their  confusion  is  so  great, and  their  blindness  so  deplorable,  that  they  see  not  their  faults, and  feel  no  remorse  for  them.  On  the  contrary,  judging  of  sins according  to  their  fancy,  they  will  not  believe  that  to  be  a  sin which  is  so  in  reality,  and  will  often  think  that  to  be  but  venial which  is  mortal;  nay,  will  consider  it  to  be  nothing  more  than  a trivial  imperfection.

It is a  maxim  received  by  all  holy  men,  that  in  the  way  of  God we certainly  go  back,  if  we  do  not  advance. This is  the  point I intend  to  demonstrate  here,  that  it  may  be  a  powerful  motive to encourage  us  daily  to  make  new  progress  in  perfection. For what man  is  there,  that,  after  having  travelled  homeward