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 would avoid  death,  ever  concealing  through  shame  any sin in  confession,  and  for  this  purpose  they  should  relate to them  the  sad  example  of  persons  who  had  the  misfortune of  being  condemned  to  hell  for  having  made  sacrilegious confessions.

St. Basil  prescribed  a  very  severe  chastisement  for the nuns  of  his  Order  who  should  entertain  particular friendships. St. Bernard  calls  such  friendships  "  poisoned attachments,  and  the  enemies  of  the  peace  of communities." They are  a  source  of  disturbance,  of murmurings,  of  irregularities,  of  factions,  and  of  parties; and  sometimes  they  influence  the  votes  at  elections to office  in  favor  not  of  the  most  worthy,  but  of  the greatest favorites. Let it  be  your  study  to  love  all  and to serve  all,  so  that  each  will  regard  you  as  a  friend. But abstain  from  familiarity  with  any;  let  your  intimacy be only  with  God. Be particularly  careful  to  avoid familiarity with  all  who  manifest  attachment  to  you. The way  through  which  you  walk  in  this  life  is  dark and slippery:  if  you  select  an  imperfect  companion who will  lead  you  to  the  precipice,  you  are  lost.

Beware of  all  human  respect — of  the  accursed  fear  of what  others  will  say  or  think  of  you. " If,"  you  will say, "  I  give  up  all  intercourse  with  such  a  secular;  if  I separate  from  such  a  one;  if  I  consecrate  myself  to  retirement, to  prayer,  and  to  mortification — what  will  be said  of  me?  I  shall  be  an  object  of  jest  and  derision  to all." Ah! how many  religious  of  both  sexes  has  this accursed weakness  of  human  respect  brought  to  eternal misery? " Oh!" says St.  Augustine,  "how  many has  this  infirmity  precipitated  into  hell?" St. Francis Borgia says  that  he  who  desires  to  consecrate  himself to God  must,  in  the  first  place,  trample  under  his  feet all regard  for  what  others  will  say  of  him. O my  God,