Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/87

 of the  mountain  of  perfection  the  greater  we  perceive  the  extent of virtue  to  be."  (De  Prof.  Rel.  ca.  21.)  When  we  contemplate  a high  mountain  at  a  distance,  we  imagine  that  it  reaches  so  near the  heavens,  that  were  we  upon  the  top  thereof,  we  fancy  we might  be  able  to  touch  the  clouds  with  our  hand;  but  having  travelled on,  and  got  up  to  the  very  top,  we  find  that  we  are  still  far from  the  heavens;  just  so  it  happens  with  those  who  travel  in  the way  of  perfection,  and  advance  perpetually  in  the  knowledge  and love  of  God.  St.  Cyprian  explaining  the  words  of  the  Psalmist, "Man  shall  arrive  at  the  greatest  height  that  his  heart  is  capable of and  God  will  still  be  more  and  more  exalted,"  says,  "  That the higher  our  souls  are  by  degrees  raised  to  the  knowledge  of God,  the  higher  he  appears  still  exalted  above  us. Whatever knowledge of  God  you  have  attained,  and  how  great  soever  your love is  of  him,  there  remain  still  infinite  degrees  of  knowledge and love  of  him,  beyond  what  you  have  already  acquired."  (Ad Corn.  Pap.  Ps.  lxiii.  8.)  In  fine,  there  will  still  remain  a  great way  to  ascend,  in  the  path  that  leads  up  to  perfection,  and whosoever  imagines  that  he  has  got  to  the  top,  is  yet  very  far from  it,  which  makes  him  so  easily  imagine  he  can  reach  the heavens  with  his  hand.

This may  be  understood  by  what  is  experienced  in  human sciences, viz.,  that  the  more  a  man  knows,  the  more  he  finds  he has  still  to  learn. This made  the  wisest  of  all  the  philosophers say, "  All  that  I  know,  is,  that  I  know  nothing." (Socrates.) And an  excellent  musician  was  wont  to  say,  that  it  grieved  him to find  he  understood  nothing  of  music;  because  he  discovered in that  science  things  of  such  vast  extent,  that  he  perceived  he could  never  arrive  at  any  perfection  in  it. On the  contrary, the ignorant,  who  are  not  sensible  of  their  own  wants,  and  who see not  how  many'  things  they  have  still  to  learn,  readily  imagine that  they  know  a  great  deal. Just so  it  is  in  spiritual science. Those who  are  best  versed  .in  perfection,  know  they have a  great  way  still  to  go,  before  they  can  arrive  at  their end; and  therefore  the  more  they  improve  in  this  knowledge, the more  humble  they  become;  because  according  to  that  proportion or  progress  they  make  in  other  virtues,  they  make  the same also  in  the  virtue  of  humility,  and  in  the  knowledge  and contempt of  themselves,  which  are  things  inseparable  one  from the other. For the  more  knowledge  they  acquire  of  the  goodness and  majesty  of  God,  the  more  clearly  they  perceive  their own misery  and  nothingness. " One  abyss  invokes  another" (Ps. xli.  8),  says  the  Royal  Prophet. The great  abyss  of  the