Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/217

 it is  the  most  prone  to  sin. When a wound  in  thy  head needs a remedy,  to  what  purpose wouldst  thou  apply  a plaister  to  thy  feet? Even so there  are  remedies  proper for every  vice,  as  for  every disease. Nothing insures  true penitence but  hatred  of  sin. When thy  repentance  is  such, that what  was  heretofore sweet to  thy  body  tastes  bitter to  thy  soul,  then  thou truly repentest,  and  makest me really  thy  friend.

Perhaps my  counsel  seems hard to  thee; but  that  is harder  from  which  I would have my  counsel  preserve thee. But tell  me,  hast  thou hot heretofore  suffered  harder things  than  these  for  the world and  the  flesh? Thou hast promptly  and  cheerfully complied with  their  pleasure and the  suggestions  of  Satan, but hast  rejected  with  disgust my precepts,  my  counsels, nay, my  entreaties,  that,  for the sake  of  my  love  and  of my  blood,  thou  wouldst  carry about in  thy  body  my  mortification. Is it  not  so?

Behold, I will  reprove  thee, and set  it  before  thy  face. If any hope  of  gain,  honour,  or preferment,  had  gleamed  upon thee,  wouldst  thou  not,  to gain  it,  at  once  have  turned every stone,  and  undertaken the longest  journeys  by  land and sea? If attacked  by  disease, thou  wouldst  have  endured cutting  and  burning, and have  spent  all  thy  substance  on  physicians,  rather than risk  thy  life. If another had inflicted  on  thee  injury, loss, or  insult,  what  wouldst thou not  have  done  to  defend thy property,  reputation,  or honour? But, to  please  me, how little  hast  thou  done! True it  is,  that  a very  little pains would  have  gained  thee much repose; for,  hadst  thou done for  heaven  the  tenth part of  what  thou  hast  done for the  world,  thy  life  would indeed be  secure  and  happy, for my  yoke  is  sweet,  and  my burden  light.

But is  it,  then,  wonderful, if this  almost  surpassed  thy belief? Thou hadst  not  tasted how sweet  the  Lord  is,  nor relished the  things  that  are above, for  thou  wert  fed  only upon those  which  are  upon  the earth. What fruit  hadst  thou, then, in  those  things  of  which thou art  now  ashamed,  the end of  which  is  death? But now, being  made  free  from sin, thou  art  become  the  servant of  justice. Therefore, as thou  hast  yielded  thy  members to  serve  uncleanness  and iniquity, to  iniquity; so  now yield them  to  serve  justice, to sanctification. Then shalt thou know  how  sweet  and good I am  to  those  that  are of an  upright  heart.

Man. It is  true,  O Lord, that when  I turn  myself  to  all the labours  in  which  I have hitherto laboured  in  vain, I see nothing  in  them  all but vanity  and  vexation  of