Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/64

 cold nor  hot  I  will  begin  to  vomit  thee  out  of  my  mouth."  (Apoc. iii.  16.)  God  has  not  as  yet  entirely  rejected  the  lukewarm  man, but  he  begins  to  spew  him  out,  in  consequence  of  his  inattention, and  of  the  faults  he  commits  with  deliberation,  which,  though  they seem  to  him  but  small,  still  cause  God  to  withhold  his  efficacious grace,  without  which,  a  sinner  will  certainly  fall  into  greater  crimes, and  will  be  spewed  out,  and  at  last  be  absolutely  rejected.

Let us  then  consider  what  great  reason  we  have  to  fear,  lest,  by our  negligence  and  indifference,  we  render  ourselves  unworthy  of God's  special  favour  and  assistance. How often  do  we  behold ourselves tempted,  and  in  great  danger  of  falling;  how  often  do  we behold  ourselves  reduced  to  so  great  extremities,  that  we  doubt whether or  not  we  have  dwelt  with  complacency  on  the  sinful  object— whether  or  not  we  have  given  consent  to  an  evil  thought,  and whether; by  this  consent,  we  have-  not  defiled  our  souls  with  the guilt of  mortal  sin? In this  doleful  situation,  what  an  advantage would it  be  for  us,  if,  having  been  more  liberal  towards  God,  we deserved  at  his  hands  that  special  favour  and  assistance,  which  is the  pure  gift  of  his  bounty,  and  with  which  we  would  have  infallibly supported ourselves  against  the  violence  of  the  temptation;  but without which  grace,  we  will  be  not  only  in  great  danger  of  falling, but in  all  probability,  we  will  be  actually  overcome.

Speaking of  our  spiritual  enemy  the  devil,  and  of  the  continual war he  wages  against  us,  St.  Chrysostom  observes,  that  the  means here described  is very proper and  efficacious  for  resisting  and  over coming temptations. " You  know,"  says  he,  "that  we  have  an  irreconcileable  enemy,  from  whom  we  must  expect  neither  peace  nor truce;  so  that  if  we  wished  not  to  be  overcome,  we  must  stand  continually upon  our  guard.  But  what  shall  we  do,  not  only  to prevent  ourselves  from  being  overcome,  but  even  to  defeat  the enemy?  Would  you  know  it?" says the  saint:  "  The  only  means we  have  to  vanquish  him,  is  to  merit  the  assistance  of  Heaven,  by the  purity  and  innocence  of  our  lives;  it  is  thus  we  shall  be  always victorious." (Cor. hom.  60.  sup.  Gen.)  We  must  remark that the  saint  does  not  say,  it  is  the  best,  but  that  it  is  the  only means whereby  we  shall  be  victorious. St. Basil  tells  us  the  same, when he  says,  "  That  he  who  expects  assistance  from  God,  must never  be  deficient  in  performing  his  duty  in  the  best  manner  he is  capable  of,  and  if  he  acts  in  this  manner,  divine  grace  will  never be  wanting  to  him;  wherefore,  we  must  be  extremely  cautious,  that our  conscience  may  not  accuse  us  of  anything  whatsoever"  (Bas. in  const,  mon.  cap.  ii.)    From  these  words  of  St.  Basil,  it  is  evi-