Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/237

 careful, and  follow  our  Lord’s counsel: When you  shall stand to  pray, forgive,  if  you have aught  against  any  man. Otherwise, if  man  reserve wrath for  man,  how  shall  he seek  remedy  of  God?

6. But  if  we  learn  to  be gentle  minded  and  placable towards all  who  injure  us, we have  to  take  care  that  this gentleness does  not  degenerate into  softness  and  remissness, and  that  the  devil  does not thus  gradually  seduce  us into  carnal  luxury.

When, then,  we  see  that this detestable  vice  of  luxury is dominant  far  and  wide  over the human  race,  so  that  all flesh has  corrupted  its  way no less  at  this  day  than  of old,  we  should  have  a strong fear of  this  pestiferous  head  of the  Beast; for,  says  the  Wise Man, It  has  cast  down  many wounded, and the  strongest have been  slain  by  it. Let us therefore  implore  God  to be  our  helper,  for  we  cannot be continent  except  by  the gift of  God. Therefore, let us pray,

That is,  permit  not  us  to be  led  into  it,  who  are  frail  to resist  it,  because,  if  we  are left to  our  own  strength,  such is our  proneness  to  evil,  that we are  certain  to  be  led  into it, and  overcome  by  it.

7. But  though  our  wicked enemy should  find  himself foiled in  his  previous  attacks, still he  will  not  desist,  but will endeavour  to  destroy the soul  by  the  poison  of envy,  the  sin  most  peculiarly his own  ( for  by  the  envy  of the  devil  death  came  into the  world),  and  to  make  our neighbour’s prosperity  become our  cross  and  torment.

Hence it  is  that  we  do  not look with  a good  eye  upon our neighbour,  but  grieve  at his  prosperity,  and  rejoice at his  adversity. From this diabolical and  worst  of  vices, we pray,  finally,  to  be  delivered, in  saying,

The evil,  that  is,  of  envy, which makes  us  wholly  and entirely evil. For the  evil one infects  and  inflames  men with the  poison  of  which  he is  himself  full  to  the  uttermost. For what  is  worse  than for one  to  turn  to  his  own hurt the  good  of  another, who, by  rejoicing  in  another’s good, might,  as  it  were,  make it his  own,  and  thus  himself be made  by  it  better,  happier, nearer to,  and  more  worthy of, the  Supreme  Good?