Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/108

 hear you  say,  "if  the  horse  refuses  to  eat meat,  and  cares  only  for  oats  and  hay,  since it  is  its  nature  to  do  this." You are  perfectly  right,  but  mark  this:  there  are  human beings, and  unfortunately  they  are  very numerous, who,  like  this  horse  and  other animals, maintain  their  position  at  the  manger, and  eat  their  hay  and  their  oats,  instead of cultivating  an  appetite  for  better  food.

2. You  will  understand  what  I  am  driving at. There are  people  both  young  and  old, who have  no  appetite  for  anything  better than the  miserable  hay  and  oats  of  earthly delights; people  to  whom  pleasure  and  gold seem to  constitute  a  heaven  upon  earth. They long  for  animal  enjoyments,  not  for celestial joys. Such persons  would  willingly learn how  to  pray,  indeed  they  would  go  on praying  until  their  voice  failed,  if  only  God would grant  them  just  one  request. And what, think  you,  would  be  this  request? Do you imagine  that  these  votaries  of  pleasure would pray  for  spiritual  and  eternal  gifts? They can  not  bear  the  thought  of  death  and eternity. I have  already  told  you  that  their heaven is  on  earth. Their sole  wish  is  that the Almighty  would  make  a  bargain  with them, and  promise  that  they  should  never  grow old, and  never  die. You do  not  hear  them say with  St. Paul: "I  desire  to  be  dissolved." Oh, no!  but  "I  desire  to  remain  here,  to  live forever  on  earth."

3. And  what  would  they  promise  if  God