Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/67

 was all  overrun  with  briers  and  thorns,  sent  his  son  to  stub  and clear it. The young  man,  perceiving  the  laborious  task  imposed on him  by  his  rather,  lost  courage,  and  fell  asleep  the  first  day,  and the second  day  he  did  the  same,  for  which  his  father  reprehended him, saying,  Son  you  must  not  look  upon  this  work  all  together, and in  the  gross,  as  if  you  were  to  do  it  all  at  once;  but  you  must undertake every  day  as  much  as  you  can  easily  perform. The son followed the  father's  advice,  and  in  a  short  time  the  whole  field was cleared.

But the  chief  obstacle  to  our  advancement  in  virtue,  and  to  our receiving new  graces  from  God,  is  our  not  putting  into  execution those good  desires  with  which  he  inspires  us;  so  that,  by  the bad use  we  make  of  his  gifts,  we  compel  him  to  withhold  his hand. In the  affair  of  perfection,  he  treats  us  as  scholars  are treated by  a  writing-master,  who,  until  they  form  their  first letters well  according  to  the  copy  already  given,  will  not  allow them to  get  a  new  one. The longer  we  refrain  from  making good use  of  the  graces  God  has  given  us,  the  longer  he  defers to give  us  new  ones;  and  the  more  we  endeavour  to  put  in practice  those  good  inspirations  which  he  sends  us  in  time  of prayer,  the  more  he  is  inclined  to  bestow  on  us  his  heavenly  gifts. Doctor Avila  says,  that  he  who  makes  good  use  of  the  lights  God has given  him,  shall  receive  additional  ones  from  him;  but  he that  neglects  to  make  good  use  of  those  already  received,  can have no  pretensions  to  ask  for  others;  for  }ie  may  be  justly  answered, why  do  you  desire  to  know  the  will  of  God,  when  you  do not  accomplish  it  in  these  things  wherein  you  already  know  it? (M. Avila,  lib.  i.  de  las.  ep.  fol.  241.)  If  you  do  not  put  in practice  the  good  desires  which  he  gives  you,  how  can  you  expect that he  will  confer  on  you  greater  favours? With what  confidence can  you  entreat  him  in  your  prayers,  to  bestow  on  you such a  gift,  which  you  stand  in  need  of,  if  you  omit  to  amend those faults,  which,  by  his  holy  inspirations,  he  has  so  often reminded you  to  correct? I cannot  comprehend  how  any  person, who wilfully  and  deliberately  persists  even  in  one  fault,  how trivial soever  it  may  appear,  can  lift  up  his  eyes,  or  open  his lips, to  beg  of  God  new  and  extraordinary  graces. If we  desire  to obtain  them,  let  us  be  careful  to  put  in  execution  the  holy inspirations which  he  sends  us.

It is  the  opinion  of  all  the  saints,  that  he  who  makes  good  use of the  grace  he  has  received,  deserves  to  obtain  new  ones;  but,  on the  contrary,  he  who  does  not  employ  the  first  well,  becomes  un-