Preparation for death/XXXI. OF PERSEVERANCE
CONSIDERATION XXXI
Of Perseverance
"He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." S. Matt. xxiv. 13.
First Point.
"It is of the many to begin, of the few to persevere," writes S. Jerome. Saul, Judas, Tertullian, began well, but they ended badly, since they did not persevere in good. " In Christians, the beginnings are not sought for, but the end," continues the saint; and S. Bonaventure confirms this by saying, " Perseverance alone is crowned;" hence, S. Laurence Justinian calls perseverance " the door of heaven." So that he cannot enter into heaven who cannot find the gate of entrance. My brother, you have at this present time abandoned sin, and may justly hope that you have been pardoned; in this case, you are the friend of God, but know that you are still, not saved. And when will you be saved? When you have persevered even to the end. " He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Have you begun the good life? thank the Lord; but S. Bernard warns you, " The reward is promised to those beginning, it is given to those who persevere." It is not enough to run for the prize, but we must run until we obtain it; or, as the Apostle says, " So run that ye may obtain." (i Cor. ix. 24.)
Now, truly, you have. put. your hand to the plough, you have begun to live well; but now, ever very much, fear and tremble: " Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Phil. ii. 12.) Wherefore? Since, if you turn and look back which God forbid and go back to your evil life, God will declare you to be excluded from heaven: " No man, having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (S. Luke ix. 62.) Pray for the grace of the Lord, frequent the Holy Communion, make a daily meditation; blessed are you if you have progressed to do thus, and if, so doing, Jesus Christ shall find you, when He comes to judge you. " Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when He cometh, shall find so doing." (S. Matt. xxiv. 46.) But do not believe, that now that you have set yourselves to serve God, temptations are either wanting or are at an end. " My son, if thou come to serve the Lord .... prepare thy soul for temptation." (Ecclus. ii. I.) Know that now, more than ever, you ought to prepare yourself for the battle, since your enemies, the devil, the world, the flesh, more than ever will arm themselves to fight against you, to make you lose what you have already gained. Denis the Carthusian says, " By how much any one the more bravely endeavours to serve God, by so much does the adversary rage against him." This is stated in the Gospel according to S. Luke, where it is said, " When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out Then goeth he and taketh seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first." (S. Luke xi. 24, 26.) The " unclean spirit," when he is cast out of the soul, finds no rest, and he uses all his energy to return and enter into it; he even calls his companions to his aid; and if he succeeds in re-entering it, it will quickly be much worse with that soul in its second fall than it was at the first.
Consider, therefore, what arms you have, which will avail to defend you from these enemies, and to preserve you in the grace of God. Against being overcome of the devil, there is no defence save prayer; for S. Paul says, " We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers." (Eph. vi. 12.) He wishes by this statement to warn us, that we have not strength to resist one so powerful, whence we need help from God, by which we can do all things. " I can do all things through Christ, which strengthened! me." (Phil. iv. 12.) So said S. Paul, and so ought to say each one of us. But this help is not given unless it be sought for in prayer. "Ask and ye shall receive." Let us not trust ourselves, then, or our resolutions; for if we put confidence in these, we shall be lost; but when we are tempted of the devil, let us place it in the help of God, commending ourselves to Jesus Christ. This is especially needful when our chastity is tempted, since this temptation is the most terrible of all, and it is that by which the devil gave the most victories. We have not strength in this respect, save from God. We must, therefore, in such temptations, quickly fly to Jesus Christ, and frequently invoke His holy Name. He who so acts shall conquer; and he who acts not thus, shall be overcome.
Affections and Prayers.
"Cast me not away from Thy presence." (Ps. li. 11.) Ah, my God, do not cast me away from Thy presence. I know well that Thou wilt never abandon me if I do not first abandon Thee; but from the experience of my past wisdom, I am fearful of doing this. But, Lord, do Thou give me the strength that I must have to resist hell, which seeks to find me again its slave. I ask it of Thee, for the love of Jesus Christ. Establish, O my Saviour, between Thee and me, a perpetual peace, which will never be broken; and therefore give me Thy holy love. " He that loveth not, .... abideth in death." (i S. John iii. 14.) But he who loves Thee, is not dead; Thou, O God of my soul, must save me from this unhappy death. I was lost, truly Thou knowest it; it was Thy goodness alone which led me back to my present condition, and I hope to continue in Thy grace. Ah! do not suffer me, my Jesus, by that bitter death which Thou enduredst for me, willingly to turn away and lose myself. I love Thee above all things; and I trust ever to be bound by this holy love, and so being bound, to die and so being bound, to live for ever.
Second Point.
Let us now consider how it is possible to conquer the world. If the devil be a powerful enemy, the world is a worse one; for if he did not make use of the world and of wicked men, who form the world, he could not obtain the victories that he does. Our Redeemer warns us, not so much to be on our guard against devils as against men. " Beware of men." (S. Matt. x. 17.) Men sin ofttimes more than devils, since the devils flee at prayer and at the invocation of the Name of Jesus; but if evil companions tempt any one to sin, and he answers by some spiritual word, they flee not, but rather the more tempt him, and deride him; they call him a poor creature, one without breeding, one who is fit for nothing; and when they can say nothing else against him, they call him a hypocrite who feigns holiness. And certain weak minds, to escape such reproaches and derisions, miserably associate with these ministers of Satan, and return to the vomit. Be persuaded, my brother, that if you desire to live well, you will have to bear the taunts and revilings of the wicked. " He that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked." (Prov. xxix. 27.) He who lives badly cannot bear to see those who are living well; and why? Because their life is a continual reproach to him, and therefore he would wish that all should imitate himself, so as not to have that pain of remorse which the good life of others causes him. There is no help for this, says the Apostle, for " all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 S. Tim. iii. 12.) All the saints have been persecuted. Who is more holy than Jesus Christ? And the world so persecuted Him even to a bloody death upon the Cross.
There is no help for this, since the precepts of the world are wholly contrary to those of Jesus Christ. That which the world esteems, by Jesus Christ is called folly. " The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." (i Cor. iii. 19.) Whilst, on the contrary, the world calls that folly which is esteemed by Jesus Christ. " For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness." (i Cor. i. 18.) But let us comfort ourselves, that if the wicked curse and vituperate us, God blesses and praises us. " Though they curse, yet bless Thou." (Ps. cix. 27.) Is it not enough, perchance, for us to be praised by God, by all the angels, by the saints, and by all good men? Let us leave these sinners to say what they will, and let us persevere in pleasing God, Who is so grateful and faithful to those who serve Him. The more repugnance and contradiction that we experience in doing good, the greater will be our merits and God's pleasure. Let us imagine ourselves to be in the world with none others save God and ourselves. When these wicked ones scoff at us, let us commend ourselves to the Lord, and rather thank God for having given to us. that light which He has not given to those miserable ones; and let us pursue our own way. Let us not be ashamed of appearing as Christians, since our blessed Lord protests that "whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He shall come in His own glory." (S. Luke ix. 26.)
If we desire to be saved, we must resolve to suffer and to strive; nay, even to do violence to ourselves. " Narrow is the way which leadeth unto life." (S. Matt. vii. 14.) "The "kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." (S. Matt. xi. 12.) They who do not force themselves will not be saved. There is no remedy for us since we must go contrary to our rebellious nature, if we wish to follow what is good. We ought especially to endeavour at the beginning to root out every evil, and to acquire every good habit; since when a good habit is formed, it renders the observance of the Divine law, easy, and even sweet. S. Bridget said that he who, in the practice of virtue, with patience and courage, endures the first pricks of the thorns, shall afterwards find the thorns become roses. Attend, therefore, my Christian; Jesus Christ says to Thee now, as he said to the paralytic, " Behold thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." (S. John v. 14.) Remark what S. Bernard says: " Thou nearest that it is worse to relapse, than to fall." Woe, says the Lord, to those who take hold of the way of God, and then leave it. "Woe to the rebellious children." (Isa. xxx. 1.)
Such as these are punished as rebels against light. " They are of those that rebel against the light." (Job xxiv. 13.) And the punishment of such rebels who have been favoured by God with much light, and who are afterwards unfaithful, will be, to remain blind, and so to finish their lives in their sins. " But when the righteous turned away from his righteousness, .... shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done, shall not be mentioned; in his trespass and in his sin, .... in them shall he die." (Ezek. xviii. 24.)
Affections and Prayers.
Ah! my God, I have often merited such a punishment, since by means of the light which Thou gavest me I have often left sin, and I have afterwards miserably returned to it again. I thank very much Thy compassion, for not having abandoned me to my blindness, and left me entirely deprived of light, as I deserved. How greatly, then, O my Jesus, am I indebted to Thee, and how very ungrateful should I have been, could I have turned away to fly from Thee. No, my Redeemer. " My song shall be always of the loving-kindness of the Lord." (Ps. lxxxix. 1.) I hope, during the remainder of my life, and through all eternity, ever to sing and to praise Thy great mercy, by ever loving Thee, and not finding myself at any time deprived of Thy grace. The ingratitude which in time past I have shown to Thee, and which above every evil I detest and abhor, makes me ever to weep, and to weep bitterly, for the injuries which I have done to Thee, and to kindle in me fresh love towards Thee, Who, after the many offences which Thou hast received from me, hast given to me such great grace; Yes, I love Thee, O my God, worthy of infinite love; and from this day forwards, Thou shalt be my only Love: my only Good. O Eternal Father, I ask Thee for final perseverance in Thy grace and in Thy love, through the merits of Jesus Christ, and I truly know that Thou wilt grant it me as often as I ask for it. But who can assure me that I shall attend to ask of Thee this perseverance: therefore, my God, I ask for perseverance, and for grace ever to ask for it.
Third Point.
We come to the third enemy, which is the worst of all, that is the flesh; and let us see how we must defend ourselves from it. In the first place, by prayer; but this means we have already considered. In the second place, by avoiding any opportunities of sin; and this we desire now to consider thoroughly.
S. Bernardine of Sienna says, " That, amongst the precepts of Christ, one of the most celebrated, which is as it were the foundation of religion, is to flee from the opportunities of sin." If the devil did converse with us, he would tell us that the most hateful exhortations to him, are those which counsel, the flying from sinful opportunities; that he laughs at the resolutions and promises of a repentant sinner who does not avoid the temptations to sin. These opportunities, in reference to sensual pleasures especially, are as a bandage which is placed over the eyes, and which prevents any person from further seeing the resolutions he has made, the lights he has received, and the eternal truths; in short, it makes him to forget all things, and renders him like one blind. This was the cause of the ruin of our first parents their not fleeing from the opportunity of sin. God had prohibited them even to touch the forbidden fruit; for Eve said to the serpent, " God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." (Gen. iii. 3.) But the incautious one " saw," " took," and " did eat." First she began to admire the apple; then she took it in her hand; then she ate it: "He that loveth danger shall perish therein." (Ecclus. iii. 27.) S. Peter says that " your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (i S. Peter v. 8.) Hence, says S. Cyprian, what does he do when he seeks to enter a soul from whence he has been cast out? He bides the opportunity. " He explores what may be that part of it through the opening in which, it may be entered." If the soul suffer herself to be led with the sinful opportunity, the enemy truly will enter it again, and will devour it. The Abbot Guerric says, that Lazarus from the dead " came forth bound hand and foot with the grave-clothes," (S. John xi. 43); and rising so, returned to die. The author would express, the unhappiness of him who rises from sin, but rises bound with the opportunities of sinning; that such an one, though he rise, nevertheless will turn back and die. He who desires to be saved must leave not only the sin, but even the opportunities, of sinning.
But you will say, I have now changed my life, and I have no longer any evil design with that person; not even any temptation to sin. I answer It is related that there are in Africa certain bears who hunt apes which save themselves upon the trees. The bears then feign death; the apes descend and become their prey. The devil acts thus; he makes the temptation appear to be dead, but when the person has descended, he then quickens the temptation, which devours him. Oh, how many miserable souls who frequented prayer, Holy Communion, and who might have been called Christians, but who, by throwing themselves into temptation, have remained the prey of hell.
Isaiah was bidden to " Cry, .... All flesh is grass." (Isa. xl. 6.) Upon which S. Chrysostom reflects and says, Is it possible that grass should not burn when placed in the fire? " Place a lamp amidst hay, and then dare to deny that it is consumed." S. Cyprian says likewise, " It is impossible to be surrounded with flames and not to burn." The prophet warns us that our strength is as tow in the flames. " The strong shall be as tow." (Isa. i. 3 1.) Solomon likewise says that he is a fool who would pretend to walk, upon red-hot coals and not be burned. "Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?" (Prov. vi. 28.) Such also is the fool who pretends that he can place himself in the temptations of sin without falling. There is the command given, " Flee from sins as from the face of a serpent." (Ecclus. xxi. 2.) Gualfridus says that we must not avoid its bite only, but that we should avoid even the touch and the approach of it.
But you say, that house and that friendship are to my interest; but if you really see that that house is for you the way of hell " Her house is the way to hell, (Prov. vii. 27) there is no remedy; you must leave it, if you would be saved. Our Blessed Lord goes beyond this, saying that " If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee." (S. Matt. v. 29.) Mark the words "from thee." You must cast it, not near, but far from you, which is saying, that you ought to remove afar every temptation to sin. S. Francis of Assisi said, that the devil tempts spiritual persons who have given themselves to God in a different way from that in which he tempts the wicked; and first, he does not seek to bind them with a cord, he is content with a hair; then he binds them with a thread; then with a string; afterwards with a cord, and so finally he draws them into sin. He who wishes, therefore, to be liberated from this danger, it behoves from the first to despise all those hairs, all those sinful opportunities, such as salutations, presents, notes, and the like. And, speaking particularly of those who have the habit of the sin of impurity, it will not suffice to avoid the proximate temptations only; the remote must be shunned, to save from falling back again into sin.
It is necessary for him who desires earnestly to save his soul, to strengthen and renew continually his resolution, never to separate himself from God, to repeat frequently the saying of the saints, " Let all be lost, and God not be lost." But it is not enough to resolve alone not to lose Him more, he must adopt means also, so as not to lose Him. The first means, is to avoid the temptations to sin, of which already mention has been made; the second, is to frequent the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion. In that house which is often swept, dirt does not reign; so by confession the soul is kept pure, and it not only obtains remission of sins, but even help to resist the temptations. The Communion, then, is called Heavenly Bread, because as the body cannot live without earthly food, so the mind cannot live without heavenly food. " Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of man, and drink His Blood, ye have no life in you." (S. John vi. 53.) On the other hand, to him who often eats of this Bread it is promised, " If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever." (S. John vi. 51.) Wherefore the ancient Fathers called the Communion " The medicine by which we are freed from our daily sins and are preserved from deadly sins." The third means, is mental prayer. " Remember the end, and thou shalt never do amiss." (Ecclus. vii. 26.) He who keeps before his eyes the eternal truths, death, judgment, eternity, will not fall into sin. God enlightens us by meditations, " They had an eye unto Him, and were lightened." (Ps. xxxiv. 5.) In meditation, He speaks to us and causes us to understand what we ought to fly from, and what we ought to do. " I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." (Hos. ii. 14.) Meditation, then, is that blessed furnace in which is enkindled Divine love. "While I was thus musing, the fire kindled." (Ps. xxxix. 4.) Moreover, as it has been often shown, to be preserved in the grace of God, it is absolutely necessary to " continue instant in prayer," and to ask for the graces which we need. He who does not use mental prayer, hardly prays, and he who does not pray, will certainly be lost.
We ought therefore to use the means of working out our salvation, and of leading a well-regulated life. In the morning, on rising, make the Christian acts of thanksgiving, love, offering, and good resolution with prayer to our Blessed Lord, that He would preserve us for that day from sin. After meditation, go to Holy Communion. Practise some spiritual reading during the day, and in the evening make an examination of conscience. Ask of God always the gift of holy perseverance, and especially in the time of temptations, invoking then more frequently the holy Name of Jesus as long as the temptation lasts. So doing you will certainly be saved, and if you do it not, you will as certainly be lost.
Affections and Prayers.
My dear Redeemer, I thank Thee for the lights which Thou hast given to me, and the means which enable to work out my salvation, and I promise Thee that I will firmly follow them. Give me Thy help, that I may be faithful; I see that Thou wiliest to save me, and I desire to be saved, principally to please Thy heart Thou Who hast so greatly desired my salvation. I do not wish, no, my God, to resist any more the love Thou bearest for me: which made Thee bear with me with so great long suffering whilst I had offended Thee. Thou callest me to Thy love, and I desire nothing more than to love Thee. I love Thee, O Infinite Good! Alas! I pray Thee, by the merits of Jesus Christ, never more to suffer me to be ungrateful; either make my ingratitude to cease, or end my life. Lord, Thou hast begun the work, now complete it. " Stablish the thing, O God, that Thou hast wrought in us." (Ps. lxviii. 28.) Give me light, give me strength, give me love.