vi. The sixth, not to commit adultery, prohibits all that which is declared in the 20th meditation on luxury. But yet there are other sorts of spiritual adultery and fornication, in forsaking God, who is the true spouse of our souls, to join myself by inordinate love to some creature; or in defiling the works and? words of n Almighty " God," [1] and saying them not to please Him, or to beget spiritual children that may be pleasing to Him, but for my own pleasure or temporal profit; [2] or, finally, by being altogether forgetful of God, and diverting myself with idle occupations.
Vii. The seventh, not to steal, prohibits all that has been spoken of in the 21st meditation on avarice; and, besides this, I commit theft, in a spiritual manner, and destroy many things belonging to others, contrary to the will of their owners. For I rob God of His glory, and play the spendthrift with His gifts; I am prodigal of the time that I had to spend in His service; I pay Him not the debts I owe Him on account of my sins, or of His benefits, by satisfying for those, and being thankful for these. I rob Him of my will, which I delivered to Him by my vow of obedience; and I usurp His authority by arrogating to myself to judge of the secret acts of my neighbours which belong to His tribunal. And, in like manner, I destroy the charity and spiritual riches of my neighbours, aiding the captain of thieves, the devil, who is continually busied in robbing them.
viii. The eighth, not to bear false witness, prohibits all sins of the tongue that are against the honour and fame of our neighbour, of which mention was made in the 22nd meditation, on anger. Also, to judge rashly of his affairs, or to suspect evil of them, taking them in the worst part without a sufficient foundation; or to deceive him by any manner of lie or fiction, as is that of hypocrisy, flattery,
