Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/48

 tepidity falling  into  negligence,  yon  will  quickly  bring  on  your ruin. The example  of  the  Pharisee  in  the  gospel  shows  us plainly  what  must  befall  those  who  act  in  this  manner. He casts his  eyes  on  the  good  works  he  had  done,  and  then  enumerating them,  he  says, "  I  thank  thee,  O  God,  that  I  am  not  as  the rest  of  men,  extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers,  or  such  as  this publican.  I  fast  twice  in  the  week:  I  give  tithes  of  all  that  I possess.  And  the  publican  standing  afar  off  would  not  do  so much  as  lift  up  his  eyes  to  heaven:  but  striking  his  breast, saying,  O  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner.  I  declare  to  you," says our  Saviour,  "this  man  went  down  to  his  house  more justified  than  the  other." (Luke, xviii..l  1,  14.)  Thus  we  see  the one by  humbling  himself  was  justified,  while  the  other  by  his criminal presumption  drew  upon  himself  the  sentence  of  his condemnation and  of  his  death. This is  the  plan  the  devil  has formed against  us. By always  representing  to  us  the  good  we have  done,  his  design  is  to  instil  into  us  an  high  esteem  of  ourselves, and  a  contempt  of  our  neighbour,  that  by  yielding  to  pride, we may  bring  on  our  own  condemnation.

There is  still  another  danger,  as  St.  Bernard  says,  in  looking back on  the  good  we  have  done. For we  will,  in  consequence, make no  effort  to  advance;  we  will  grow  cold  in  the  business  of heaven,  and  at  length  fancying  that  we  have  done  enough,  we  will think only  on  resting  ourselves. As travellers  when  they  begin  to grow  weary,  look  behind  and  consider  the  journey  they  have made; just  so  when  those  on  the  road  of  perfection  begin  to  get tired, they  look  back  to  the  journey  they  have  made,  and imagining they  have  advanced  a  great  deal,  they  content  themselves, and  through  shameful  sloth,  stop  half  way.

In order  to  avoid  these  inconveniences,  we  must  always  think not on  what  we  have  already  done,  but  on  what  still  remains  to  be done. For the  former  tempts  us  to  stop,  while  the  latter  incites us to  go  on  with  our  work. This is  the  second  branch  of  the means the  apostle  teaches  us — to  have  our  eyes  fixed  on  what  we are  deficient  in,  that  we  may  be  encouraged  to  attain  it  St. Gregory  explains  this  by  several  familiar  comparisons,  and  says, that as  a  man  who  owes  a  thousand  crowns  does  not  think  his  debt discharged by  his  having  paid  three  or  four  hundred,  but  still  reflects on  what  he  is  still  to  pay,  and  cannot  be  at  ease  till  he  has fully satisfied  his  creditor,  so  we,  who  are  deeply  indebted  to  Almighty God, ought  not  to  reckon  upon  what  we  have  paid,  but  always  consider what  we  are  still  to  pay  in  order  to  satisfy  the  debt  that