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 destroy the  spirit  of  prayer  and  recollection;  and  the nun that  entertains  such  friendships  will  be  in  the church in  body,  but  her  thoughts  will  be  fixed  on  her friends. Such friendships  serve  to  weaken  her  affection for the  sacraments,  and  to  conceal  from  herself  and others the  source  of  her  tepidity;  and  thus  she  daily becomes more  imperfect. She loses  her  peace;  for should anything  be  said  against  those  for  whom  she  has conceived a  regard,  or  whose  conversation  she  seeks  to enjoy,  she  is  at  once  disturbed,  and  censures  the  person by whose  language  she  is  offended. She loses  obedience; for when  admonished  by  the  Superior  to  break  off  such friendships, she  excuses  herself  by  various  pretences, but does  not  obey. In fine,  she  loses  the  love  of  God, who desires  to  possess  her  whole  heart,  who  will  not suffer any  affection  that  is  not  for  him;  and  therefore seeing her  soul  attached  to  others,  he  withdraws  himself, and  deprives  her  of  his  special  assistance. The Venerable Sister  Frances  Farnese  used  to  say  to  the  religious under  her  care:  "We  are  shut  up  in  this  monastery, that  we  may  neither  see  nor  be  seen,  but  that  we preserve  our  souls  spotless  before  God." The more  we hide  ourselves  from  seculars,  the  more  God  will  manifest himself  to  us  by  his  grace  in  this  life,  and  by  his glory in  the  next.

Affections that  arise  from  certain  external  qualifications, possessed  by  persons  of  a  different  sex,  not  only deprive the  soul  of  great  advantages,  but  also  expose her to  very  great  danger. In the  beginning  they  appear indifferent,  but  by  degrees  they  become  sinful,  and finally lead  the  soul  into  some  mortal  transgression. St. Jerome says:  "  Man  and  woman  are  like  fire  and  straw, and  the  devil  does  not  cease  to  blow  so  that  there  may be  a    blaze." Persons of    different   sexes,  as  soon   as