Esteem Value not your self for any thing whatsoever neither for your Riches nor for your Quality nor Beauty or good Behavior for the Glory one takes in these things is base and impertinent and belongs only to vain Spirits Nor for your Wit or Science for these are the Gifts of God and you offer him an Injury when you raise your self Esteem from thence Nor much less for Vertue for it springs far less from you and he who glories therein puts himself in danger of absolutely losing it Besides we often imagin we have Perfections which we have not and when we find in our selves any Advantage we ought to give the Glory to God who is the Author of it and not to our selves who have receiv'd it and say from our Heart Non nobis Domine Psal 113. non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam It is an excellent Maxim of S. Bernard Gloriam meam alteri non dabo quid ergo dabis Domine Quid dabis nobis Pacem inquit do vobis pacem relinquo vobis Sufficit mihi gratanter accipio quod relinquis relinquo quod retines sic placet sic mea interesse non dubito Abjuro gloriam prorsus ne forte si usurpavero non concessam perdam merito oblatam Pacem volo pacem desidero nihil amplius Cui non sufficit pax non sufficis tu tu es enim pax nostra qui secisti utraque unum Et infra Gloria in Excelsis Deo in terra Pax hominibus bonae voluntatis At vero non bonae sed planae iniquae voluntatis est qui nequaquam pace contentus superbo oculo insatiabili corde inquietus anhelat ad gloriam Dei nec pacem proinde retinens nec gloriam apprehendens S. Bern. Serm. 13. in Cant. which ought to be deeply engraven in your Mind That amongst all the Favors God hath bestow'd upon us he hath reserv'd nothing to himself but the Glory of being the Author of them and having committed to us the whole Fruit of them it is a very unjust and criminal thing that we should take to our selves the Profit and also the Glory of them retaining our Part and usurping that which belongs to God after he hath declar'd that he would give it to no one I will not give says he my Glory to another Weigh well this Reflection Theotime 2. 2. Towards God. Be humble towards God in consideration of his incomprehensible Greatness before which you are nothing in contemplation of that Power Substantia mea tanquam nihilum ante te Psal 38. of that Sovereign Majesty which makes the Angels themselves to tremble Acknowledge the Offences you have committed against this infinite Greatness the Favors which without number you have received from his Bounty the Abuses you have offer'd it the Account you must give in his Judgment the Necessity you have of his Graces for your Salvation with a thousand like things and you will find reason enough to humble your self or rather annihilate your self before God. 3. 3. Towards Men. Be humble towards Men. There are those who are humble towards God for how should not a wretched Creature abase it self before its Creator its Lord and its Judg but they are proud in respect of Men and so have not true Humility To practise this Humility be careful never to despise any Person and be ready to honor every one amongst Men Some are above you others equal to you others Inferiors As to the First Respect towards Superiors be Respectful Tractable and Obedient to all those who have any Authority over you Suffer humbly to be reprehended if you do otherwise you are proud Honor also all those who surpass you in any thing in Age in Science in Quality As for your Equals Towards Equals endeavor to treat them always with Esteem with Honor with Deference without being well-conceited of your self without being offended at his Rank of Honor nor desiring to precede you must leave these Vanities to those who affect them As for your Inferiors Towards Inferiors be mild and benign to all those who Serve you considering them as your Brethren a Et vos domini eadem facite illis remittentes minas scientes quia illorum vester Dominus est in coelis personarum acceptio non est a pud eum Ephes 6.9 And you Masters says the Apostle S. Paul treat sweetly your Servants refraining from Threats remembring that you have a common Master with them in Heaven who hath no respect of Persons Shew your self humble and affable to all others that are of a meaner Condition than you according to that excellent Precept of the Wiseman b Congregationi pauperum affabilem te facito Be affable to the company of the Poor be ready to serve and assist them in their Necessities In fine A great Means to repress Pride is to consider what Man is his Baseness his Miseries the shortness of Life and what follows after Death c Quid superbis terra cinis omnis Potentatus vita brevis Rex hodie est cras morietur cum morietur homo haereditabit serpentes bestias vermes Eccl. 10. Dust and Ashes what dost thou glory in says the Wiseman All Authority is but of a short continuance To day a King to morrow nothing and when Man shall be dead he will inherit Beasts Serpents and Worms O God what a Motive is this of Pride Respect not Theotime many exterior things which environ you and raise in you Pride and Vanity but consider what you are in your self and you will find reason enough to be humble It is the Advice S. Bernard gives you in those excellent Verses which I shall present to you to meditate attentively on Forma favor populi S. Bern. Medit. cap. 3. fervor juvenilis opesque Subripuere tibi noscere quid sit homo Vnde superbit homo Cujus conceptio culpa Nasci paena labor vita necesse Mori Post hominem vermis post vermem faetor horror Sic in non hominem vertitur omnis homo Youth and Beauty Wealth and th' Worlds Applause Make Man forget his Nature and her Laws His Life 's a Toil Conception Sin a Pain His Birth and needs must die Why then so vain His Crops will Worms possess and Stench and Dread Will Worms succeed See then what 's Man when dead The Meaning is That if Man will consider himself attentively he will find reason enough to repress his Pride he will find that his Conception casts him into Sin his Birth into Misery that his Life is a continu'd Chain of Labors that Death is an unavoidable Necessity and that after Death he shall possess nothing but Stench Corruption and Horror as to his Body But as for his Soul she is to be presented before the Judgment of God to receive there the Decree of her Eternal Happiness or Misery and this Judgment shall be terrible
to hinder the Evil or Sin of another when he knows it and can remedy it by himself or by other Persons which may be employ'd for that effect From whence it follows That to discharge ones self of the Obligation of this Commandment one is oblig'd to divert the Mischief by another when one cannot by himself We have already manifested the greatness of this Obligation in which one cannot fail without a heinous Sin and the neglect of it will be found most reprehensible at the Divine Judgment In effect Theotime is it not a highly criminal thing before God to see or know any one in the danger of his Soul and contemn the Assistance he might afford him in that State And to be concern'd no more to hinder his Neighbor from mortally offending God when he can than to divert him from drinking a Glass of Water a Qui habuerit substantiam hujus mundi viderit fratrem suum necessitatem habere clauserit viscera sua ab eo quomodo charitas Dei manet in eo 1 Joh. 4. If any one says S. John sees his brother in necessity and shutteth up his Compassion from him when he hath wherewithal to assist him how dwelleth the love of God in him If this be so in Corporal Necessities what will it be in Spiritual b S. Chris de ferend reprehensionibus S. Chrysostom says it is an extream Cruelty to neglect thus a Neighbor And if it be an unspeakable Harshness not to help to raise a Beast fallen under his Burthen how can it but be the utmost Cruelty not to do that for the Soul of his Brother which Men do for brute Beasts A Beast fallen saith S. Bernard finds those who raise it Cadit asinus est qui sublevet perit anima non est qui reputet S. Bern. Hom. 4.1 ad Cor. a Soul is destroy'd and no one concerns himself If the Old Law says St. Chrysostom strictly commanded not to neglect the Ox of ones Enemy when he is found stray'd but to bring him back to his Master what Pardon ought he to expect who neglects and abandons not a stray'd Ox of his Enemy but the Soul of his Brother Christian lost in Sin If your Brother says S. Augustin had a mortal Wound upon his Body which he would conceal for fear of Incision would it not be an Inhumanity in you to conspire by your Silence with him in his Design as on the contrary you would shew him a great Kindness to discover his Distemper to a Physician to apply a Remedy to it With how much more reason ought you to do the same thing for the Wounds of his Soul since they are far more dangerous to be neglected and permitted to putrifie in the Heart lest they cause Death in him and infect others with their Stench In sine if you should see the beginning of a Fire which you might easily put out either by your self or at least by advertising others who might do it would you not be guilty of all the Burning if you were defective therein How many mortal Sins are there committed in consequence of such a like Negligence as this Consider Theotime and weigh well all these Reasons What would you answer to God in his dreadful Judgment if thro' Remissness or some vain Fear or some miserable Complacence as it frequently happens you should be so misfortunate as to fall into that criminal Negligence What Reason could you alledge which had hinder'd you What is the Salvation of a Soul worth or one mortal Sin which you might divert What will you say when you shall be reproach'd that you had more apprehension of displeasing your Neighbor than of offending God and that frequently by Indiscretion Anger or Malice you were not afraid to divulge the same thing which you would not discover secretly by Charity But what will you answer when it shall be made appear that you might have often hindred the Wickedness of another without any Danger and that you had only an imaginary Fear or rather a great Slackness or foolish Complacence which hath hinder'd you from it You will then see your self culpable of the Sins of another and charg'd with many Faults which you might have hinder'd and which were caus'd by your Silence God will exact an Account of you for them You must avoid this Misfortune Theotime and to perform it practise what the Son of God hath prescrib'd us When you see any one offend God mortally as by Swearing Talking uncivilly Soliciting you to Wickedness or know of any notable Disorder endeavor to divert him from it if you can by your mild and charitable Admonitions If you cannot as not having sufficient Boldness to do it or sufficient Authority to hinder it do what our Lord appoints you employ discreetly other Persons therein which you know can perform it better than you and particularly those who have the Conduct of him whom you know to have gone astray This is the Rule which S. Augustin after our Lord gives on this Occasion in his 109. Epistle where he adds these excellent Words which are inserted in the Canon Law * Non vos judicetis esse malevolos quando crimen alterius judicatis magis quippe innocentes non estis si fratres vestros quos judicando corrigere potestis tacendo perire permittitis S. Aug. 5. Quest c. 1. Believe not says he that it is to do hurt to your Neighbor to discover thus his Wickedness to cure it On the contrary you are guilty of his Ruin if when you might heal his Evil by declaring it to the Physician you permit him to perish by your Silence Afterwards he adds a Comparison cited above Now if we must act thus even when the Neighbor's Sin hurts but him alone Quaedam sunt peccata occulta quae sunt in nocumento proximorum vel corporale vel spirituale quia ille qui sic occulte peccat non solum in te peccat sed etiam in alios oporter statim procedere ad denunciationem ut hujusmodi nocumentum impediatur S. Thom. 2.2 q. 23. a. 7. we are much more oblig'd when it prejudices others whether by ill Example if his Sin be known to any or because he induces others to Sin for then he must desist from his particular Admonition which can avail nothing and go directly to them who can and ought to watch for the Good and Salvation of others that he may prevent by them the Mischief and hinder the Ruin of another or of many following that Rule of S. Thomas and other Divines For Conclusion Theotime I shall give you that excellent Saying of S. James the Apostle to meditate on * Fratres mei si quis ex vobis erraverit a veritate converti fecerit quis eum scire debet quoniam qui converti fecerit peccatorem ab errore viae suae salvabit animam ejus à morte operiet multitudinem peccatorum Jacob. 5. Brethren
not to commit Wickedness when one is not Tempted But to resist Evil and fly from Sin in the Time of Temptation and in the Age where one finds the greatest danger of being ruin'd is a real Proof of true Vertue and an assur'd Mark that one loves God above all things These Reasons Theotime make appear that God hath a special Affection for the Service of young Persons which being employ'd in the flight of Sin and Service of God are the most agreeable that can be Offerd unto him And as a Learned Author says excellently well * Qui hac aetate se domant Deo se sociant offerunt Deo Hostiam viventem Deo placentem immaculatam Hugo à Sanct. Vict. those who in this Time of Youth overcome themselves resisting couragiously the Temptation of Sin to Consecrate themselves entirely to the Service of God Offer in their Youth a continual Sacrifice wherein they Present to God a living Victim and a most agreeable Offering to God without Spot since they have a horror for the uncleanness of Sin and make a perfect Oblation in all Points O Theotime retain well this Truth in your Mind and never forget it CHAP. IV. That God particularly loves young People and takes a delight to bestow upon them many Favours I SAY moreover Theotime Fourth Consideration to Serve God in Youth that God not only earnestly desires to be Serv'd by you in your Youth but loves you in that Age with a particular Kindness and takes a delight to bestow upon you more Favours at that Time than in any other to assist you to Serve him and to attract you to it more powerfully This Verity is no less certain than the former See how I Prove it God is pleas'd with his Favours particularly to assist Thre sorts of Persons The Weak The Simple that is those who have least knowledg of Evil And the Humble The Weak because there the force of his Grace doth most appear a Deus non projiciet Simplicem nec porriget manum Malignis Job 8. The Simple because having less knowledg of Evil they ordinarily put the least Impediments to the Grace of God who as the Sacred Scripture says b Cum Simplicibus Sermocinatio ejus Prov. 3. Rejects not the Simple as he stretcheth not out his Hand to assist the Wicked The Humble because as the chief Obstacle of the Grace of God is Pride so the best Disposition to obtain it is Humility according to that Saying of Scripture c Deus superbis resistit humilibus autem dat gratiam Jacob. 4. God resists the Proud and gives Grace to the Humble Now these Three Qualities ordinarily occur in Youth There is found in Youth the most Weakness not only of Body but Mind the Judgment not being as yet well form'd by Knowledg and Experience nor the Will sufficiently fix'd against Impressions contrary to its Good. There is in Youth more Simplicity having less knowledg of Evil and less discernment than in a more advanc'd Age. There is also in Youth more Humility which is as it were natural to that Age which is fram'd to be Subject and Obey and if Pride be found as it happens but too often in young Minds it is by an extream Corruption which subverts the Order of things and destroys Nature her self Hence it manifestly follows That God who is delighted to make his Bounty appear towards those who have most need of it and render not themselves undeserving is pleas'd to communicate many Favours to young People and to cherish them with good Thoughts and Desires and all other Assistances of his Grace when they oppose not him by their wicked Life and make not themselves unworthy by corrupting the Innocence of their Age with the malice of their Mind and by the multitude of their Sins For Confirmation of this Truth there needs no other Testimony than Experience which makes it appear most manifestly Alas Theotime how many are there who advancing forward out of Youth find in themselves a great Change not being partakers any more of so many Favours as they receiv'd in their Youth Then holy Inspirations were frequent good Desires and pious Resolutions were familiar to them they had an aversion and apprehension of Evil Goodness was agreeable to them Vertue was sweet and facil to them But now they find that all these things are chang'd Inspirations more rare Sin causes in them a less horror Devotion becomes cold and sometimes totally extinct by a sad alteration which makes them with much reason regret the Time past and Favours lost which those Words of Job * Quis mihi tribuat ut sim juxta menses pristinos secundum dies quibus Deus custodiebat me sicut sui in diebus adolescentiae meae quando erat omnipotens mecum Job 29. Who will shew me the kindness that I may see again the Time past and the State wherein I was in my Youth when God was with me by the assistance of his Grace S. Augustin did very notably Experience this Change in his own Person as he himself acknowledges in his Confessions for he saith That being a Vidisti Deus meus quo motu animi quâ fide baptismum Christi tui Dei Domini mei flagitavi a pietate matris meae matris omnium Ecclesiae tuae Aug. l. 1. Confes c. 19. faln into a Sickness when he was yet a young Youth he demanded Baptism with very great Earnestness and Devotion which was deferr'd him for some particular Reasons b Neque desiderabam in illo tanto periculo baptismum tuum melior eram puer quando illum de materna pietate flagitavi sicut jam recordatus confessus sum Ibid. lib. 5. cap. 9. And that in another great Distemper which he had about Thirty Years of Age he never thought of asking for it O Theotime I beseech God that this Change and Sorrow never befall you But it happens to many and shews clearly the Love God bears to young Persons and the Favours he bestows upon them which he doth not withdraw from them but when they contemn them and make themselves unworthy But if you will yet have a convincing and demonstrative Proof of the particular Love God bears young People consider what the Son of God did upon this Occasion whilst he was in the World. Besides that he would become himself a Child and pass thro' all the Degrees of Age of Infancy of Childhood of Youth he being able to dispence with himself and become a perfect Man from his first Entrance into the World how often did he during his Life testifie his Love and Tenderness for that Age Matth. 19. Marc. 10. Luc. 18. The Gospel recounts in many places how he frequently call'd to him little Children and commanded they should be permitted to approach to him He was displeas'd when they were never so little hindred from drawing near him saying that it was to them that the
Si praebes animae tuae concupisccentias ejus faciet te in gaudium inimicis tuis Eccl. 18. Run not says he after your Concupiscence and divert your self from your Affection this is to be understood when it is evil If you give to your Soul all she desires she will make you yield unto your Enemies who will rejoyce at your Destruction So that according to the Judgment of the Wise-man we must know in our Youth the Inclinations of our Soul that we may repress them when they are wicked It is the first Knowledge we must learn and to which we must in good time apply our Studies that we may practise it all our Life It is the Science of Sciences without which all other are of no Advantage For what doth it profit us to know all things and to be ignorant of our selves * A te tua consideratio inchoet ne frustra extendaris in alia te neglecto Quid tibi prodest si universum mundum lucreris te unum perdens Eetsi sapiens sis deest tibi ad sa pientiam si tibi non fueris Quantum vero ut quidem senserim ego totum noveris licet omnia mysteria noveris lata terrae alta coeli profunda maris si te nesciens eris similis aedificanti sine fundamento ruinam non structuram faciens S. Bern. l. 2. de Consideratione c. 3. Begin your Study with the Knowledge of your self saith S. Bernard It is in vain to extend your Knowledge to things which belong not to you neglecting your self What doth it advantage if you gain the whole World and lose your own Soul Whatsoever Wisdom you possess if it be not so for your felf the greatest part of Knowledge is wanting Altho' you should know all the highest Mysteries of Faith and all the Secrets included in Nature if you know not your self you are like to him who builds without a Foundation preparing a Ruine rather than an Edifice And it befalls them who neglect this Knowledge of themselves as it did that Philosopher who being attentive to the Consideration of the Stars fell into a deep Ditch for want of looking to himself and made himself the Object of Laughter to his Spectators Be careful then dear Theotime to Exercise your self in the Knowledge of your self and in moderating your Affections Learn in time to understand that you must not follow all the Motions and Inclinations of your Soul but that there are many which you must resist with all your Power by the Grace of God. To attain to this Knowledge and Moderation you must perform Three Things 1. Practice Accustom your self to make Reflection upon your self to take notice of your Inclinations and the Vices to which you are subject you will daily see some Passion or Vice which bears dominion more than others either Pride Choler Love of Pleasures or the like You will discover others which spring up from time to time and which will encrease unless you carefully repress them Sometimes it will be an Unaptness to learn and Disobedience Sometimes Cursing and Swearing at other Times Discord and Revenge and so of others When you shall thus discover them permit them not to grow up Principiis obsta serò medicina paratur Cum mala per longas invaluere moras The Motions unto Ill at first withstand The Cure's too late when Vice has got Command Endeavour quickly to apply the Remedies in the Third and Fourth Part you will find them against every one of these Vices 2. Being that we discover not clearly enough our Constitution in the Knowledge we have by our selves in our Youth seek to be Admonish'd of your wicked and dangerous Inclinations by those who know you and particularly by your Ghostly Father give credit easily to what he shall tell you and labor to correct your self 3. Above all be diligent in demanding of God frequently the Grace to know your self and to reform the Evil which is in you O God Deus meus illumina tenebras meas Psal 17. illuminate the darkness of my Soul that I may know all that is in me displeasing to thy Divine Majesty and that I may amend it by thy Grace Offer frequently unto him that excellent Prayer of St. Augustin O God Noverim me noverim te Noveris te ut Deum timeas noveris ipsum ut aeque ipsum diligas S. Ber. 37. in Cant. let me know my self and know thee These Theotime are the two Knowledges chiefly necessary that of your self and that of God. The First produces Humility and Amendment which is the beginning of Vertue The Second produces Charity and the Love of God which is the top and height of Perfection CHAP. XVI Of the Reading of Pious Books THE wise Man will seek the Wisdom of the Ancients Fourteenth Means Reading good Books Sapientiam omnium antiquorum exquiret sapiens in prophetis vacabit Eccl. 39. and will apply himself to the reading of the Prophets that is of holy things It is another Means which the Wiseman assigns you very necessary and extreme useful to acquire and conserve Vertue We become not Learned but by the Study of Science and we become not vertuous but by our Application to Vertue We have shewn above that Instruction is necessary to learn Vertue Now we cannot receive Instructions by Documents of Masters only but also by Reading of Books We are not always near our Pastors and Directors to learn from them the Way of Vertue Their Instructions their Admonitions their Exhortations their Counsels continue but for a time in our Memories we easily lose them if they be not maintain'd and renew'd by the Reading of Books and Meditation upon holy Things For this reason the Wiseman in Ecclesiasticus Chap. 6. after he had said that to acquire Wisdom we must hearken to the Documents of the Wise adds this other Means as necessary viz. * Et si dilexeris audire sapiens eris cogitatum habe in praeceptis Domini in mandatis illius assiduus esto Eccl. 6. That we must Study and Meditate upon the Law of God. Cast your thoughts says he upon the Precepts of God and meditate carefully upon his Commandments Charity Theotime is a Fire which must necessarily be sustain'd by good Thoughts and pious Affections If this Nourishment be taken away from her she becomes weak and at length entirely extinguished if that fail not she is enflam'd and daily encreases Now the Sources of these Thoughts and Affections is the reading of pious Books which serves as an Instrument of Divine Grace to inspire us with them It was by this that God wrought that admirable Conversion of S. Augustin Example which was begun by the reading of a Book call'd Hortensius Treating of Wisdom as he himself recounts in the Third Book of his Confessions Chap. 4. it was advanc'd by the Relation of the Conversion of two Courtiers who had been Converted by the reading of the Life of S.
it for your Neighbor You will perform this by Praying for him by endeavoring to withdraw him from Vice and from ill Occasions when there are any either by your self or by others who can prevail with him by Advertising him mildly of his Duty or causing him to be Admonish'd by giving him good Counsel and good Example and by other Means which Charity will suggest to you Accustom your self to do all these things to them you have most occasion of as to your Friends your Companions your Domesticks your Servants and to those with whom you converse This is the true Love of our Neighbor to love him for his Salvation and Eternity There remains a Third thing necessary for the Love of our Neighbor To support his Defects which is charitably to support his Defects and excuse his Faults as much as Prudence will permit a Priusquam interroges ne vituperes quemquam cum interrogaveris corripe juste Eccl. 11. Not to be inclin'd to blame and reprehend either without Knowledge or with Bitterness or without any Necessity or Profit Now there is no Necessity or Profit when the Reprehension doth not avail for the Amendment of him who is Faulty nor for the Edification of others In fine Theotime the great Rule of the Love of our Neighbor consists in judging our Neighbor by our selves according to the Maxim of the Wiseman b Intellige quae proximi sunt ex teipso Eccl. 31. Judge of that which concerns your Neighbor by your self and in practising that great Maxim of the Scripture and which Nature her self teaches us c Quod ab alio oderis tibi fieri vide ne tu aliquando alteri facias Tob. 4. Omnia quaecunque vultis ut faciant vobis homines vos facite illis Mat. 7. Do nothing to another which you would not have done to your self And also do to others the Good which rationally and according to God you would have done to you in the like Occasion CHAP. XVIII Of Fraternal Correction or of the Obligation of hindering the Ill of another when one can THAT which we have said of the Obligation Charity imposes upon Christians of procuring the Salvation of our Neighbor when we can deserves a more particular Reflection it being a thing of high Importance and nevertheless infinitely neglected and for the most part absolutely unknown This Obligation is not understood what it is it is taken for a new Language and for a thing almost incredible Yet there is nothing more common in the Sacred Scripture which teaches us That a Mandavit unicuiqâ—e de proximo suo Eccl. 17. God hath given the Charge of his Neighbor to every one That b Aedificate alterutrum sicut sacitis 1 Thessal 5. Pleni estis dilectione ita ut possitis alterutrum monere Rom. 15. Nolite communicare operibus infructuosis tenebrarum magis autem redarguite Ephes 5. we should Edifie one another mutually Admonish one another Not to be partakers of the Works of Darkness that is of the Sins of another but reprehend him freely In fine to love God above all things and our Neighbor as our selves For how do we love our Neighbor as our selves if these greatest Necessities which are those of his Salvation move us so little that we abandon them for our least Interests which are frequently only in the Imagination and Fopperies And how do we love God above all things if we neglect to hinder him from being offended when some means is offer'd to effect it This Obligation is so great that it hath made St. John Chrisostom deliver an astonishing Expression S. Jo Chrisost adversus vituper vitae Monast lib. 5. viz. That God will require no less Account of us of the Salvation of our Neighbor than of our own And that when we shall have liv'd all our Life very piously if we have neglected the Salvation of others upon occasions the Sanctity of our Life shall be unprofitable it being certain that that Negligence is so criminal that it alone may be the cause of our Damnation He gives the Reason Because he who is wanting to assist his Neighbor in his corporal Necessities is rejected by God at the Day of Judgment notwithstanding the Good he hath otherwise perform'd Much more he who neglects to succor his Brother in a thing of far greater Consequence as is the Salvation of his Soul will deserve all manner of Punishments The Discharge of this great Obligation depends upon the practise of the Commandment of Fraternal Correction which our Lord hath given us and whereof he hath prescrib'd the Order in Chap. 18. of S. Matthew in these Words * Si peccaverit in te frater tuus vade corripe eum inter te ipsum solum Si te audierit lucratus es fratrem tuum si autem te non audierit adhibe tecum unum vel duos quod si non audierit eos dic Ecclesiae Mat. 18. If your Brother sin against you go and reprehend him secretly if he hear you you have gained him if he hear you not take one or two others with you if he will not hear them tell the Church That you may understand this Commandment Five things of Consequence to be observ'd in this Command so much unknown and so ill practis'd I shall observe here four or five things which will facilitate the Understanding and Practise of it The First is the End of this Commandment It s End. which is to remedy the Misfortune of our Neighbor that is to hinder that our Neighbor who hath sinn'd may not relapse into his Fault or that others do not offend by his Example or Inducement The Second is The Persons it obliges That this Commandment obliges not only Superiors but all sorts of Persons it being a Command of Charity which as S. Thomas saith every one is oblig'd to have The Third is The Circumstances wherein it obliges That this Obligation is understood only when these two Circumstances occur 1. When we know the Ill committed and the apparent danger that our Neighbor will relapse into it or cause others to fall therein 2. When we may hinder the Evil of another and bring some Remedy for it The Fourth is That this Power of stopping the Mischief is not only understood of what we our selves may do but also of what we may effect by anothers means This is what our Lord made evidently appear in saying If he hear not you take some other Person with you and if he still continue to persist tell the Church The Fifth Remark is That what he says of telling the Church that is the Superiors may be perform'd either privately or publickly and that when the First Way that is the secret suffices to hinder the Misfortune as ordinarily it doth we are not oblig'd to the Second Thus to collect all these Observations and joyn them together The Commandment of Fraternal Correction obliges every one
which the great Apostle wishes particularly to his dear Disciples and to all Christians * Non cessamus pro vobis orantes postulantes ut impleamini agnitione voluntatis ejus in omni sapientia intellectu spirituali ut ambuletis digne Deo per omnia placentes in omnibus in opere bono fructificantes crescentes in scientia Dei. Colos 2. I cease not says he to pray for you and to beseech God that you may be fill'd with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and understanding and that you may walk worthily pleasing God in all things fructifying in all sorts of good works encreasing in the knowledge of God. MAXIM V. That we cannot be in the Grace of God without having a constant Resolution never to offend him upon any score In this Resolution consists the Practice of the great Commandment of loving God above all things without which it is impossible to please him and be in his Grace for he who loves him not remains in death Now we cannot love God without this Resolution of never offending him * Si quis diligit me sermones meos servabit Qui non diligit me sermones meos non servat Joh. 14. If any one loves me says the Son of God he keeps my Commandments He who loves me not observes not my words MAXIM VI. That Sin is the greatest Evil which can befall a Man. Sin offers an infinite Injury to God which all Men and Angels know not how to repair It deprives Man of the Grace of God and makes him incur his Hatred and Indignation It causes him to lose Heaven for ever and puts him in the State of Eternal Damnation It renders him unworthy of all the Graces necessary to raise him from that deplorable Condition wherein God may justly leave him as he does many O God is there any Mischief in the World to be compar'd to this MAXIM VII That the worst of all Misfortunes is to die in Mortal Sin. It is the Misery of Miseries because it is the beginning of Eternal Calamities the loss of all Happiness the Source of all Evils and that without remedy without recovery and without any hope in a word it is Eternal Damnation To comprehend this Misfortune consider if you can what it is to lose God and that for ever to be banish'd from Heaven and that for ever to be condemn'd to the Flames of Hell with the Devils and that for ever without end without cessation without comfort without hope always in Rage always in Despair for being fall'n into this dreadful Calamity having been able to avoid it having despis'd God's Grace having lost such Means of Salvation O Theotime is it possible to think on this Misfortune and not stand in dread of it MAXIM VIII That this Misfortune happens to many and to those who think not of it It happens to all those who have not time to do Penance before their Death or having time were not Penitent at all or as they ought dying without the Dispositions necessary for Salvation For this reason the Son of God hath so often advertis'd us to * Vigilate orate nescitis enim quando tempus sit Mat. 13. Watch to be upon our guard We know not when the time will come We know neither the day nor the hour To be always prepar'd because he will come at the hour we think not on Vigilate quia nescitis diem neque horam Mat. 25. Et vos estote parati quia qua hora non putatis filius hominis veniet Mat. 24. Luc. 12. Quod autem dico vobis omnibus dico vigilate Marc. 13. What I say to you I say to all watch MAXIM IX That we must think frequently on Death Judgment and Eternity This is the chief Means to avoid that so common a Misfortune He who shall reflect well on the Judgment of God will be afraid to fall into Sin or to continue in it never so little This is the great Advertisement of the Wiseman which all Men ought to have continually in their memory * In omnibus operibus tuis memorare novissima tua in aeternum non peccabis Eccl. 7. In all your Actions remember your last things and you shall never sin MAXIM X. That we must serve God for himself and by Love. Altho' the Considerations of Death Judgment and Eternity be effectual and necessary to move us to Vertue nevertheless we must not stop there Read Part 4. Chap. 2. 3. and the Instruction about Communion Part 2. Ch. 3. Art. 4. it appertains only to servil Souls to be conducted by Fear alone generous Souls serve for Love and because he deserves to be belov'd honor'd and serv'd Fear is good but it must not be alone Love must perfect what Fear hath begun O Theotime how is it possible for a Soul to serve a God so amiable in himself and from whom she hath receiv'd all she possesseth otherwise than by Love MAXIM XI That we must have a Rule of our Actions and that this Rule ought to be the Law of God the Example and Doctrin of Jesus Christ and not the World nor the Example of others nor Custom It is a common Maxim amongst Men To do as others do and to bring for a Reason of their Actions That the World does so That it is the Custom That such and such act so This is a wicked false and pernicious Maxim Men are not our Rule but God. The World is all full of Error Men whatsoever they be are subject to Failings God is Truth himself he hath given us his Law to conduct us he hath sent his Son Jesus Christ to teach us * Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi bene complacui ipsum audite Mat. 17. he hath commanded us to hearken to him ipsum audite that is the Rule we ought to follow Let not those says S. Jerom who make profession to be the Disciples of Truth Nec turbam sequantur errantem qui se veritatis discipulos confitentur Hunc certe imitari tutissimum est atque ejus vestigia sequi qui dixit ego sum via veritas vita nunquam errat qui sequitur veritatem S. Hieron Epist ad Celant Magister vester unus est Christus Mat. 18. Qui Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi sicut Ethnicus Publicanus Mat. 18. Qui vos audit me audit qui vos spernit me spernit Luc. 10. follow the erring Multitude It is most safe to follow him who saith He is the Way the Truth and the Life Never govern your self by the World by Custom or by Example of others And in all your Actions look not upon the Practice nor Judgment of Men but upon the Law of God and the Doctrin of Jesus Christ and his Church which he hath commanded us to hear and follow and act nothing but what shall be conformable to that infallible Rule MAXIM XII That the World is