Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/149

 himself in  soft  garments,  but covered his  loins  with  camels’ hair, and  took  nothing  but wild honey  and  locusts  for food. Others served  God in fasting  and  prayer  all  the days of  their  life. All their will and  pleasure  was  in  the law of  the  Lord; to  talk  with God, or  of  God,  was  the  chief occupation of  their  whole  life. Oh, how  great  was  the  fervour of  the  saint 8! How great their  zeal  for  God’s service! Oh, how  wonderful, O Lord, hast  thou  been  in thy  saints!

My son,  thou  dost right to  admire  the  wonderful works of  my  power,  and  to celebrate  the  glorious  combats of  the  saints; but  their glory is  now  thy  shame. Thou seest that  the  saints  were men with  passions  like  thyself, mortal  and  frail. The strength of  rocks  was  not their strength,  neither  was their flesh  brass. But they were framed  from  the  same clay, and  encompassed  with the same  carnal  infirmity  as thou. They too  felt  a law in their  members,  fighting against the  law  of  their  mind. They were  also  sorely  persecuted by  the  world. Nor was Satan more  gentle,  nay,  he was  even  fiercer,  to  them  than to thee. Yet, see  ho w bravely they stood  up  in  the  fight! how they were  animated  by  my love! They gave  their  body no rest,  sleep  fled  from  their eyes; with fear  and  trembling they worked  out  their  salvation; they  walked  before  me anxious  only  to  please  me. Thus they  went  from  virtue to virtue,  and  their  path,  as  a shining  light,  increased  even to perfect  day. Behold, these are they  who  are  come  out  of great  tribulation. These endured scoffs  and. blows, besides chains  and  imprisonment. They were  stoned,  they were cut  asunder,  they  were tempted, they  were  put  to death  by  the  sword,  they  wandered about  in  sheepskins  and goatskins, being  in  want,  distressed, afflicted;  and  they esteemed worthy  of  all  those sufferings the  eternal  glory which they  laboured  to  gain by so  many  trials  and  hardships; and  yet  a longer  than ordinary prayer,  a short  abstinence from  food,  or  a light mortification, appears  to  thee too hard  and  troublesome  to earn  it  with.

But ask  now  my  apostle Paul, whether  he  regrets  the toils that  he  underwent  for me? That he  chastised  his body, and  brought  it  into subjection; that he  was  often beaten with  rods,  and  covered with so  many  wounds; that he encountered  so  many  dangers by  land  and  sea; that  he laboured  more  than  all  the apostles; that he  felt  very troublesome the  angel  of Satan,  the  sting  of  the  flesh, which I so  ordered  for  his  salvation? Even then  he  gloried in his  infirmities,  and  soothed