Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/58

 been? " Alas,"  replied  the  holy  man,  "  miserable  sinner  that  I  am! I  have  no  right  to  bear  the  name  of  a  religious;  I  have  seen  an Elias,  I  have  seen  a  St.  John  the  Baptist  in  the  desert,  when  I beheld  Paul  in  his  solitude." We read  also  of  the  great  St. Macarius,  that  having  seen  the  sublime  perfection  of  some  holy hermits whom  he  had  visited,  the  blessed  man  wept,  saying  to  his disciples, "  I  have  seen  a  real  and  true  religious;  but  as  for  me, I  deserve  not  the  name  of  a  religious." What these  great  saints said out  of  pure  humility,  we  may  say  with  a  great  deal  of  truth, when we  consider  the  example  set  by  themselves,  and  by  many others who  lived  before  and  since  their  time. Let us  then  seriously reflect on  the  great  perfection  they  attained,  that  we  may  be  encouraged either  to  make  efforts  similar  to  theirs,  or  if  our  strength tails, that  the  confusion  and  shame  we  must  justly  feel  for  being  so tardy,  may,  in  some  measure,  supply  what  is  defective  by  reason of our  frailty;  and  thus,  at  all  events,  the  means  I  here  propose cannot but  prove  of  exceeding  great  advantage.

"He that  contemneth  small  things,"  as  it  is  said  in  Ecclesiasticus,  "shall  fall  by  little  and  little." (Ecclus. xix.  1.)  The doctrine contained  in  these  words  is  of  great  importance  to  all persons, especially  to  those  who  aspire  to  perfection:  for  we are  exact  in  the  performance  of  great  things,  as  they  carry  with themselves their  own  recommendation;  but  it  is  very  usual with us  to  be  careless  in  small  things,  as  we  fancy  they  are  of no  great  consequence. In this,  however,  we  deceive  ourselves, because it  is  very  dangerous  to  neglect  and  fail  in  these  things; and therefore  the  Holy  Ghost  in  this  passage  of  Scripture declares to  us,  "  That  he  who  contemns  small  things,  shall  fall by  little  and  little." To convince  us  then  of  this  truth,  and  to oblige  us  to  be  watchful,  it  ought  to  be  sufficient  that  God himself says  so:  but  in  order  that  this  may  make  a  deeper impression on  our  minds,  when  treated  more  at  large,  let  us consider  what  was  the  opinion  of  the  saints  on  this  subject. St. Bernard  says,  "  That  those  who  run  into  disorders  and crime,"  of  the  highest  nature,  begin  at  first  by  committing  small faults, and  no  person  ever  falls  or  plunges  himself  all  at  once