EXAMPLES OF THE BLESSING

WHICH RESULTS FROM

EARLY PARENTAL INSTRUCTION.

SAINT AUGUSTINE.

SAINT Augustine is one of the most encouraging and striking instances of the benefits resulting from early maternal instruction and prayer. In his youth he was 'far from righteousness, and not only abandoned to the pleasures and vices of the world, but he fell into great errors of doctrine, through the love of philosophy falsely so called.' In much ignorance,' he says, 'I at that time derided thy holy servants, and was justly exposed to believe most ridiculous absurdities. And thou didst send thy hand from above, O Lord, and free me from this depth of evil, while my mother was praying for me, more solicitous on account of the death of my soul than other parents for the death of the body. She was favoured with a dream, by which thou comfortedst her soul with hope of my recovery.

She appeared to herself to be standing on a plank, and a person came to her and asked her the cause of her affliction; and on being answered that it was on my account, he charged her to be of good cheer, for where she was there also I should be. On which she immediately beheld me standing by her, on the same plank. Whence was this but from thee, gracious Omnipotent, who takest care of each one, and of all of us?

'When she related this to me, I endeavoured to avoid the force of it, by observing that it might mean to exhort her to be where I was. Without hesitation she replied, It was not said where he is, there thou shalt be; but, where thou art, there he shall be. Her prompt answer made a stronger impression on my mind than the dream itself.

'For nine years, while I was rolling in the filth of sin, often attempting to rise and still sinking deeper, did she, in vigorous hope, persist in in. cessant prayer. I remember also that she entreated a certain bishop to undertake to reason me out of my errors. He was a person not backward to attempt this, where he found a docile subject. 'But your son,' said he, 'is too much elated at present, and carried away with the pleasing novelty of his error, to regard any arguments, as appears by the pleasure he takes in puzzling many ignorant persons with his captious questions. Let him alone; only continue praying to the Lord for him; he will, in the course of his

study, discover his error." All this satisfied not my anxious parent; with floods of tears she persisted in her request, when at last he, a little out of temper on account of her importunity, said, 'Be gone, good woman, it is not possible that the child of such tears should perish.' She has often told me since, that this answer impressed her mind like a voice from heaven.'

For nine years after this, St. Augustine continued to be alienated from the life of God, seeking death in the error of his ways. Yet,' says he, 'thy hands, my God, in the secret of thy providence forsook not my soul day and night; the prayers of my mother came up before Thee, and thou wroughtest upon me in ways marvellous indeed, but secret. Thou didst it, my God; for man's goings are from the Lord; and who affords salvation but thy hand which restores what thou hast made?'

He determined to go to Rome in pursuit of worldly honour; but the true cause of my removal,' he says, 6 was at that time hidden both from me and my mother, who bewailed my going away, and followed me to the sea-side, but I deceived her though she held me close, with a view either to call me back, or to go along with me. I pretended that I only meant to keep company with a friend till he set sail, and with - difficulty persuaded her to remain that night in a place dedicated to the memory of Cyprian. But

that night I departed privily, and she continued weeping and praying. Thus did I deceive my mother, and such a mother! Yet I was preserved from the dangers of the sea, foul as I was, in all the mire of sin; and a time was coming when thou wouldst wipe away my mother's tears with which she watered the earth, and even forgive this my base undutifulness.

And what did she beg of thee, my God, at that time, but that I might be hindered from sailing? Thou, in profound wisdom, regarding the hinge of her desire, neglectedst the particular object of her present request, that thou mightest gratify the general object of her devotions.

'The wind favoured us, and carried us out of sight of the shore, when in the morning she was distracted with grief, and filled thine ears with groans and complaints, whilst thou punishedst her carnal desire with the just scourge of immoderate grief. She loved my presence with her as is natural to mothers, though in her the affection was uncommonly strong; and she knew not what joy thou wast preparing for her from my absence. She knew not, therefore she wept and wailed. Yet after she had wearied herself in accusing my perfidy and cruelty, she returned to her former employment of praying for me, and went home while I went to Rome.'

There St. Augustin fell ill of a fever. She was ignorant' says he, of this, and yet prayed for

me, being absent. But thou, every where present, didst hear her, and pity me. Morning and evening she frequented the church, to hear thy word and to pray; and the salvation of her son was the constant burden of her supplications. Thou didst hear her, O Lord, and perform, in due season, what thou hadst predetermined. Thou recoveredst me from the fever, that at length I might obtain also a recovery of still greater importance.'

From Rome St. Augustine went to Milan, where he was led to attend the ministry of Ambrose. He was first delighted with him as a man, then as an orator; and he attended only to the beauty of his language: but, says he, "the ideas which I neglected came into my mind with the words with which I was pleased, and I was gradually brought to attend to the doctrine of the bishop. My mother was now come to me, courageous through piety, following me by land and sea, and secure of thy favour in all dangers.

'She found me very hopeless with regard to the discovery of truth: but when I told her my present situation, she answered, that she believed in Christ; that before she left this world, she should see me a sound believer. To thee her prayers and tears were still more copious, that thou wouldst perfect what thou hadst begun. And with much zeal and affection she attended the ministry of Ambrose. Him she loved, as an angel