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260 "Why, then, do you offend Me? why not return to Me?" "Return to Me, for I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgression, and as a cloud, thy sins."

HE reasons why man sleeps on in lukewarmness, and neither rises out of sin, nor advances in virtues as he ought, are many: the following are some of them.

Because man does not dwell within himself, to see what goes on in his inner house, and who is its owner; but with a wandering and curious mind wastes his days in pastimes of vanity. And even if he is occupied with things which are lawful and good in themselves, and with such as concern virtues and Christian perfection, he does not give his mind to them.

And if at times he thinks and becomes conscious of his need, and is called and moved by God to change his life, he answers, "To-morrow, to-morrow"; "By and by, by and by." But neither "to-day" nor "now" ever arrive; for through this vice of procrastination and delay,