Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/672

, to  which  the  good reader is  referred  for  them.

When first  taken  illy  lose  no time  in  receiving  thy  sickness from the  Lord's  hand, and thank him  for  visiting  thee  as a Father  visits  his  son. Nay more, offer  thyself  up  for worse; throw  thyself  entirely and trustfully  into  the  hands of his  Divine  Providence, and place not  thy  confidence  in the  physiciant  the  hurtfulness of  which  to  King  Asa is recorded  in  Holy  Scripture.

Let a physician,  however,  be employed,  especially  for  the soul, that  is,  thy  Confessor. For the  health  both  of  body and soul  is  to  be  provided  for with the  remedies  proper  to each; but  that  of  the  soul  the more in  proportion,  as  it  is worse  for  the  soul  than  for the body  to  perish.

Moreover, they who  love the health  of  the  body  should hold nothing  dearer  than  the care of  the  soul. For the  body is often  affected  by  the  sins which are  the  ailments  of  the soul; and  it  is  through  the Providence of  God  that  our limbs are  seized  with  diseases, by reason  of  the  bad  passions which affect  our  souls. First, then, we  must  put  these  to  flight, and thus  we  shall  expel  the more easily  the  maladies  of  the body, or (what  is  equally  desirable) bear  them  with  greater profit to  the  soul.

This method  of  cure  was taught us  by  our  Supreme  Physician himself, whose  manner it  teas,  in  proceeding  to heal  the  sick, to  postpone  the necessities of  the  body  to those  of  the  soul.

Let us  act  as  he  did,  and while we  strive  to  be  healthy in body, look  first  to  the  health of the  soul. But, oh,  how  stupendous is  the  stake,  where  the issue lies  between  a life  that is momentary  and  a life  that is eternal. In the  case  of the  one,  we  never  act  otherwise than  with  earnestness and despatch; in  that  of the  other,  we  scarcely  act  at all,  and  Mien  with  procrastination and  wavering. If thou art wise,  dear  Christian,  let thy first  act,  when  attacked  by disease,  be  to  draw  near  to God,  and  be  reconciled  to  him. He will  either  make  thy  subsequent cure  efficacious  to  the health of  thy  body,  or  else the disease,  and  even  death itself, efficacious  to  the  health of thy  soul.