THIRTEENTH DAY : ON DELAY OF CONVERSION.
1. By deferring so long to give myself up to God , it would seem as if I intended to escape out of his hands. Is it, then , a misfortune to belong to him ? To-morrow , to-morrow ! Why not to-day ? Why not this very moment ? Will my chains be more easily broken to-morrow ? Will my heart be less hard ? No, certainly. Time, that weakens every thing else, adds new strength to bad habits. By putting off the remedy, the complaint becomes incurable.
2. What is it that prevents our obeying the voice that calls us to repentance ? What is it that terrifies us ? That there is great difficulty in changing our lives must certainly be granted ; but what should not a Christian do who adores a crucified God, and who looks up to heaven ? If we have any thing to fear, it should be the abuse of God's graces.
3. There is time to come, but can I call it mine? Is it a possession I am master of ? God waits for me, it is true - the Scripture tells me so ; but still it doth not tell me how long I am to live . He that hath promised pardon to those who repent has not promised another day to those who continue in their vices. Perhaps I shall have time; and perhaps I shall not. Must I not have lost my senses, to trust my salvation to a mere perhaps ?
[ Reflect now upon the time you have been deferring your conversion to God, and tremble at the sight of your danger.]
“ I said , Now I have begun” (Psalm lxxix. ).
“ We cannot be too cautious where eternity is at stake ” ( St. Gregory).
FOURTEENTH DAY : ON HUMAN RESPECT.
1. What will the world say ? Let it say what it will ; should the talk of fools hinder you from being wise ? What will my acquaintance say? They will say that you fear God more than you fear man. The greatest libertines will secretly admire you, and acknowledge within themselves that you are doing right. But what matters it , after all, what people may say of you, provided you do your duty, and that God be satisfied ?
2. Oh , what cowardice to blush at the Gospel ! To wear the livery of a prince is honourable ; is it then shameful to wear that of Jesus Christ ? The lowest mechanics make open profession of their trades, and yet Christians, in the church , blush at being thought Christians ! The Son of God will deny before his Father in heaven, the Christians who shall have denied him before men .
3. What, then ! Is is there any thing in Jesus that you should be ashamed of? Is his name infamous ? Is it shameful to follow his maxims and example ? You are not ashamed , perhaps, of being a libertine , a drunkard , a blasphemer ; you probably may even glory in it ; and yet you blush at being a good man. But let people say what they will , the man that is most esteemed is he who serves God with the most fidelity , and who openly professes himself to be a follower of Christ.
[ Ask yourself seriously whether this phantom of the earth doth not
