Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/69

 humility when  occasions  offered  themselves;  believe  that  you have lost  so  much  time,  and  make  a  firm  resolution  not  to  let  the remaining part  of  the  day  pass  in  the  same  manner. You will find it  impossible  to  observe  this  rule,  without  gradually  advancing, and making  in  a  short  time  a  considerable  progress  in  the  way  of perfection.

In order  to  attain  perfection,  to  which  during  life  we  should  continually aspire,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  never  to  commit  any fault deliberately. This being  premised,  we  must  understand  that there are  two  sorts  of  venial  sins:  one,  into  which  those  who  fear God most,  often  fall,  through  frailty,  ignorance,  and  inadvertence; although there  is  generally  a  little  negligence  mixed  with  these frailties. They who  serve  God  faithfully  and  with  an  upright heart, should  find  in  these  faults  rather  a  subject  of  humiliation than of  affliction:  for  God  will  not  on  that  account  abandon  them, but on  the  contrary,  will  afford  them  his  divine  grace,  and  animate them with  fresh  courage,  when  upon  these  occasions  they  humbly address themselves  to  him. There is  another  species  of  venial sins, into  which  they  who  are  cold  and  remiss  in  the  service  of God  wilfully  and  deliberately  fall. These faults  are  a  very  great obstacle to  those  graces  which  God  in  his  infinite  goodness  would have bestowed  on  us,  if  we  had  not  committed  them. These are also the  cause  why  we  find  no  comfort  or  satisfaction  in  prayer, and that  God  ceases  to  impart  to  us  those  spiritual  consolations and favours,  which  he  was  accustomed  to  bestow. So that  if  we intend  to  advance  in  Christian  perfection,  and  to  engage  Almighty God to  continue  his  favours  towards  us,  we  must  be  very  careful never to  commit  a  wilful  or  deliberate  fault. Those we  daily commit, through  ignorance  or  inadvertence,  are  but  too  many,  and therefore we  should  not  multiply  greater  faults. Our distractions in prayer,  springing  from  the  natural  -inconstancy  and  wanderings of the  imagination,  are  but  too  great,  without  voluntarily  diverting our minds  to  other  objects:  and  the  faults  which  through  frailty  we often  commit,  contrary  to  what  is  required  by  the  strictness  of  our rule and  profession,  are  such,  as  we  need  not  aggravate  by  consent.