Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/277

 joy great  tranquillity  of  soul. For order  produces  peace; it makes  known  what  is  to be  done,  and  when; it  restrains the  flightiness  of  the thoughts; it advances  and finishes every  work  that  is begun; it  banishes  idleness; while the  very  recurrence  of the  time  warns  thee  of  thy duty, and  every  hour  calls  for its own  employment.

. Thy  counsel,  O Lord, is just  and  acceptable  to  me, but how  can  it  be  practised? Thou knowest,  O Lord,  how much time  is  often  snatched from us,  even  against  our  will, by our  employments,  our  affairs, visits,  conversations  of friends,  and  other  necessities of this  life. Thou seest  too, O Jesus, that  this  corruptible body is  a load  upon  the  soul, and that  our  earthly  habitation presses  down  the  mind that muses  upon  many  things.

This is  what  displeases me  extremely,  that there are  so  few  who  know the value  of  the  time  which  I allow  to  men  to  do  penance, to grow  in  my  grace,  and  to gain  glory  in  heaveD. Behold the acceptable  time passes away,  never  to  be  recalled, and  none  lays  it  to heart; the  days  of  salvation glide by,  and  no  one  mourns that the  occasions  which  he had  of  doing  good  are  gone, never to  return.

But thou,  shun,  as  far  as thou  canst,  those  thieves  of time,  friends,  conversations, and profitless  engagements; and Decause  the  days  are evil, redeem  the  time  that should be  given  to  thy  better friends, to  me,  and  to  thy souL Is  that  which  I ask  of thee  a hard  and  troublesome thing? Look, how  much time is  given  to  the  body,  to food,  sleep,  recreation,  conversation, entertainments,  &amp;c., and wilt  thou  not  give  so little  to  thy  God,  thy  soul, and eternity? Oh, how  prodigal are  men  of  their  time when it  is  for  the  service  of vanity! how niggardly  when it is  to  be  devoted  to  piety, to which  all  of  it  justly  is due!

Moreover, I advise  thee, my son,  not  to  have  many occupations; for with  various distractions, thou  wilt  not have strength  for  all. He that is  less  in  action  shall  receive wisdom. For the  bed of thy  heart  is  very  narrow, and the  short  coverlet  cannot cover both. More than  one of the  wise,  even  of  this  world, have discovered  that  no  one who is  full  of  business  can attain to  soundness  of  judgment. And how  wilt  thou attain to  true  holiness,  if  overwhelmed with  so  many  engagements? Look at  men  of business. Oh, if  thou  couldst look into  their  consciences, thou wouldst  see  how  miserably they  are  torn,  as  though they were  among  thorns  and