Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/89

 "Many begin  well,  but  few  end  well." (Contra Jovin.)  Of  this we have  a  great  example  in  the  Israelites. Holy Scripture observes, that  there  went  out  of  Egypt  about  six  hundred thousand men,  besides  women  and  children;  and  that  nevertheless, of  all  that  great  number,  there  were  but  two  that  entered into the  Land  of  Promise. " It  is  then,"  adds  the  saint,  "  no great  matter  to  begin,  but  the  chief  thing  is  to  perfect  what  we have  begun;  for  it  is  in  that  alone  that  perfection  consists." (Aug. Serm.  ad  frat.  in  Erem.)  St.  Ephrem  makes  use  of  a  very just comparison  on  this  subject,  saying,  "That  as  when  you build  a  house,  the  greatest  difficulty  is  not  only  in  laying  the foundation,  but  in  raising  the  building  to  its  perfect  height;  and that  the  higher  the  building  is  raised,  the  more  the  labour  and expenses  increase:  so  in  the  spiritual  building,  the  hardest  task is  not  to  lay  the  foundation,  but  to  carry  your  work  on  to perfection  ." (Exhort, ad  Piet.)  It  will  avail  us  nothing  to  have begun well,  unless  we  also  end  well. "In Christians,"  says St. Jerom, "we  consider  not  how  they  begin,  but  how  they  end. St.  Paul  began  ill,  but  ended  well;  Judas  began  well  and  ended ill." (Ad Furiam  vid.)  What  did  it  avail  him  to  have  been  an apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  have  wrought  miracles? Wherefore what will  your  good  beginnings  avail,  if  a  miserable  end contradicts and  gives  them  the  lie? It is  to  perseverance  only, that the  crown  is  promised:  "He  who  shall  persevere  to  the end,"  says  the  Son  of  God,  "shall  be  saved." (Mat. xxiv.  13.) Jacob saw  Almighty  God,  not  at  the  foot,  nor  in  the  middle, but at  the  top  of  the  ladder;  to  let  us  know,  says  St.  Jerom, that "It  is  not  enough  to  begin  well,  nor  yet  to  continue  to  do well  only  for  a  time,  unless  we  hold  on  and  persevere  to  the end." (Ep. ad  Ab.  Gaurin.)  "  What  does  it  avail,"  says  St. Bernard,  "  to  follow  Jesus  Christ,  unless  we  overtake  him  at last?" Wherefore St.  Paul  bids  us  "  Run  so,  as  that  at  last  we may  gain  the  prize." ( 1 Cor.  ix.  24.)  Let  thy  race,  O  Christian! and thy  progress  in  virtue  have  no  other  bounds,  than what Jesus  Christ  prescribed  to  himself:  "  He  rendered  himself obedient  even  to  death." It is  in  vain  for  you  to  run,  unless you continue  your  race  to  the  last  moment  of  your  life. Without this you  will  never  get  the  prize.

The Son  of  God  gives  us  a  special  warning  of  this,  when  he assures  us,  that  "  Whoever  puts  his  hand  to  the  plough,  and looks  back,  is  not  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven." (Luke, ix.  62.) As also  when,  at  another  time,  he  bids  us  "  Remember  Lot's