Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/97

 state, when  the  heart  retains  not  the  word  of  God. The Royal Prophet knew  this  truth  very  well,  when  he  said,  "  I  have  hid thy  words  in  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  to  the  end  I  may  not  sin against  thee." (Ps. cxix.  11.)  And  in  effect  how  often  does  it happen,  that  we  are  tempted,  and  are  in  danger  of  yielding  to the  temptation,  and  that  then  remembering  only  some  passage of Scripture,  or  some  holy  maxim  we  heard  in  a  sermon,  we regain  new  strength,  and  derive  from  it  very  powerful  assistance? And we  know  that  by  three  passages  of  Scripture,  our Saviour overcame  the  three  temptations,  wherewith  the  enemy assaulted him.

By all  that  has  been  said,  it  is  easy  to  comprehend,  in  how great an  error  these  are,  and  what  prejudice  they  do  themselves, who go  to  sermons  and  exhortations  for  fashion  sake;  or suffer  themselves  to  be  overcome  with  sleep  and  distractions during the  sermon. " The  devil,"  says  our  Saviour  in  the gospel, "  comes  and  snatches  the  word  of  God  out  of  their hearts,  lest  they  should  believe  and  be  saved." (Luke, viii.  12.) And it  is  in  this  manner,  that  unhappily  is  verified  in  them  the parable of  the  grain  which  was  eaten  by  the  birds  as  soon  as  it was  sown. Perhaps one  word  which  you  lost  when  you  were asleep or  distracted,  would  have  contributed  very  much  to  your spiritual advancement;  and  for  that  reason  the  devil,  who nourishes a  mortal  envy  and  hatred  against  you,  endeavours  by all  means  possible  to  prevent  this  good  seed  from  taking  root in your  heart. St. Austin  says,  "  That  the  word  of  God  is  like a  fish-hook  which  never  takes,  but  when  it  is  taken;  and  as  the fish  remains  a  prize  to  the  hook,  so  we  remain  a  prize  to  the word  of  God,  when  we  take  and  receive  it." And for  this  reason the devil  exerts  all  his  powers  to  hinder  us  from  receiving  it, lest our  heart  should  thereby  be  engaged,  and  we  should  never be able  to  get  loose  or  free  ourselves. Let us  endeavour therefore to  go  to  sermons  and  exhortations  with  so  requisite a disposition  as  this  is;  and  to  hear  the  word  of  God  in  such sort, that  it  take  root  in  our  heart,  and  produce  the  fruit  of justice. " Practise  it,"  says  St.  James,  "  and  be  not  content  to hear  it  only,  thereby  deceiving  yourself;  for  he  who  hears  the word  of  God,  and  practises  it  not,  is  like  a  man  that  considers his  face  in  a  glass:  he  views  himself,  and  goes  his  way,  and soon  forgets  what  kind  of  man  he  was." (James, i.  22.) u Those  who  hear  the  law,"  says  St.  Paul,  "  are  not  just  before God, but  those  who  practise  it  shall  be  justified."  (Rom.  ii.  13.)