fense of the grace, of the opportunities which are ftill afforded us, let it be our refolution not to lose any part of it by remiffness or delay. To begin by prayer for the neceffary graces, let us beg a fhare in the laft bleffing, which our Divine Redeemer imparted to his Apostles at his Afcenfion. It carries with it every grace, and every good gift. Jacob would not let go the angel till he had obtained his bleffing. With much greater ardour ought we to say to Christ, that we will not depart from his facred feet till we can hope to have received his univerfal bleffing: Strengthened by which we may tread in his steps here, and after this fhort pilgrimage afcend, and be eternally with him in his glory. THE THE NINTH TREATISE. O N WHITSONTI D E. CHA P. I. On the Preparation for WHITSONTIDE. THE HE ten days which intervene between the Feast of our Lord's Afcenfion and Whitfontide ought, in imitation of the Apostles, to be employed in fuch exercises as may invite the Holy Ghoft to vifit our fouls with the most abundant effusion of his gifts on the enfuing folemnity. All the time that the difciples had enjoyed the heavenly converse of our Divine Lord, was a remote preparation of their fouls for the defcent of the Holy Ghoft upon them, and they had been particularly difpofed, by the daily inftructions and continual example of Chrift, and by his adorable mysteries, efpecially thofe of his Sufferings, Death, Refurre&tion and Afcenfion, to receive this great gift of God. Yet all this did not fuffice; but Chrift left them orphans ten days, that these might be an immediate preparation of their minds for the worthy accomplishment of this mystery in them. For this end he commanded them to abide retired in the city, till they should be cloathed with ftrength from above, by receiving the Holy Ghoft (1). Some degree of flight from the world, by fhunning its corruption, vanity, and fpirit of diffipation, is pointed out to all Chriftians, as their circumftances will allow them an opportunity, as the firft part of their preparation. A fpirit of fequeftration, retirement, filence, and recollection must be entertained by all who defire to be in difpofitions to liften to the voice of the Holy Ghoft in their interior, or to invite him into their hearts. This fpirit of recollection ought to be conftant, and cannot be found but in those who endeavour as their circumftances will allow, to have certain times of retirement in their clofet, or in the church, to be spent in prayer and pious meditation, (1) Luke xxiv. 49. tation, or reading; and who, during their bufinefs and converfation with men, are careful to give fome attention to the Divine Prefence, by frequent and fervent fecret afpira tions. For more fervent prayer and meditation, every one ought to fhut himself up fome time every day, in the most secret corner, or clofet, in his apartment, in which he may fhut the whole world out of his heart, to attend with all the powers of his foul on God alone. In these exercises he ought to redouble his fervour at this feafon. "If Daniel was 66 prepared by folitude, to fee the angel (2)," fays St. Chryfoftom (3), much more were the difciples obliged "to fequefter themselves from the world in retirement, be"fore they could receive the great gift of God." 2dly. In our devotions and retirement, in order to prepare our fouls for the defcent of the Holy Ghost, our first care must be by self-examination, confeffion of our fins, repeated acts of compunction and penance, to cleanse our fouls from all fin. This is the avowed enemy of the Holy Ghoft, whom it every where drives away, being incompatible with his prefence, or the gift of his fanctifying grace, and an object of fovereign abhorrence and abomination to him. "Wisdom will not enter into a malicious foul, nor ❝ dwell in a body fubject to fin. For the Holy Spirit of "difcipline (the Master of true wisdom), will flee from the "deceitful, or hypocrite; and fhall not abide, when ini"quity cometh in (4)." Bees will never approach smoke, nor places which exhale ftench and corruption; their very atmosphere is mortal to thofe clean infects. Much more is the God of fovereign purity and fanctity expelled with outrage and infult by mortal fin. Sanctity and vice being fovereignly and infinitely contrary to each other, nothing can be equally irreconcileable and incompatible. Venial fin, indeed, does not "extinguifh the spirit (5)" like that which is mortal, but it "grieves the Holy Spirit of God (6)." It damps the ardour of the heavenly spouse in vifiting the foul, cools his embraces, and is a check to his liberality in the effufion of his most precious gifts. Above all things this monster must not be deliberately and habitually entertained: and the leaft ftains which are contracted by furprise and frailty must be washed away by daily compunction and pe nance, (2) Dan. vi. 10. (3) S. Chryf. hom. 1. in Act. n. 5. T. ix. p. 8. (4) Wild, 1, 4, 5. (5) 1 Theff. v. 19. (6) Ephef. iv. 30. nance, and guarded againft with the utmoft watchfulness. Who would wait upon a perfon of diftinction in patched or dirty clothes, or entertain his prince in a room full of stench and filth? 3dly. This divine guest requires a perfect difengagement of the heart from the world, and from all inordinate attachment to creatures. Christ, fpeaking of the promised Paraclete, fays: "Whom the world cannot receive (7)." That is to say: "It is incapable of receiving him; its fpirit, maxims, and life; all its difpofitions and manners are a direct oppofition to him and his fpirit; the one effentially excludes the other. "Whoever will be a friend of this world, becometh an ene"my of God (8):" Confequently, he can never hope to be favoured with the vifit of this great gueft, who can admit no rival in our affections. We must reserve them all for him to fubdue and fill; we must love no creature with God, but what we love in him and for him; no object in such a manner as can give us any trouble, or difquiet, or be any way contrary to the order established by God. Every irregular attachment is baneful to our fouls, and injurious to our heavenly spouse. The leaft affection, which is not referred to him, is an obftacle to the perfect union of our hearts with him, and obstructs the bounteous effufion of his gifts. How ought we to be terrified and awaked to fervour by the example of the purity of heart, which was required in the Apostles before they could be difpofed to receive the Holy Ghost. No attachment of the fenfes could be in itself more holy or more just than that of the difciples, to the corporal, vifible prefence of our divine Redeemer. Yet this was to be removed before the Holy Ghoft could defcend upon them to replenish their fouls. "As yet the Spirit was "not given, because Jefus was not yet glorified (9)." His humanity was the facred fource of graces and bleflings, and his prefence was the greatest spiritual advantage to those who had the happiness of enjoying his bleffed converfation; but the hindrance to the Defcent of the Holy Ghoft upon them, according to St. Auftin, and St. Bernard, arofe from a too fenfible comfort which they found in their attachment to his corporal prefence. For this diverted their minds from the pure love of him, who was to be the only comfort and delight of their whole hearts. "What!" fays St. Bernard (10), "Is it poffible that the prefence of Jefus Chrift, "fhould (7) John xiv. 17. (8) James iv. 4. (9) John vii. 39. xvi. 7. 13. p. 926. "should be contrary to the vifit of the Comforter? Could not the Holy Ghost dwell together with that flesh of the "Saviour of men, which he himself formed in the womb "of the holy Virgin?" What is the meaning of those words: "If I go not away, the Comforter Spirit will not come unto you." It is as if he had faid: "If the pre"fence of my flesh is not taken from before your eyes, your "mind which is wedded to it, will not be able to contain the "plenitude of fpiritual grace; nor your heart to poffefs it." St. Auflin gives the following expofition of those words of Chrift (11): "It is for your advantage that this form of a flave "is to be withdrawn; becaufe you must not confine your "hearts to a fenfible affection, and content yourselves al<6 ways to feed on this milk, and remain in the state of "fpiritual infancy. If I take not from you this light food, you will not feel that hunger and defire of folid nourish"ment: If you remain carnally wedded to the flesh, you "will never be capable of fpiritual things." St. Bernard tells us (12), that "the Apostles whilft they were earthly and "carnal, were not able to bear the brightness of the pure "light of God. Therefore the Word fhewed himself to "them in the flesh, as the fun hid in a cloud, or as honey in "the comb of wax. But this cloud was of great advantage "to them. For their mind not being yet capable of being "raised to spiritual things, he drew their affections from the "love of the world by his humanity, and engaged them to "place them with their whole ftrength on him. But his "aim was to conduct them higher for thus he defired to "raife them to his fpirit, that is, to the divinity itself." St. Bernard makes upon this declaration of Chrift, the following reflection with refpect to ourselves and our own duty in this point. If the Apostles on account of their attach"ment to the most holy humanity of Chrift, the Holy of "Holies, could not be replenished with the Holy Ghoft till "that fenfible facred object was removed, how can you, "wedded as you are to an unclean body, and full of filthy "defires and thoughts, pretend to receive the divine Spirit, "the author of all purity, if you do not first endeavour to renounce yourselves, and crucify your fenfual appetites "(13) " And again: "It being certain that the too "ftrong attachment of the Apostles to the fenfible prefence " of 66 (11) S. Aug. Tr. 94. in Joan. n. 4. T. iii. part. 2. p. 729. (12) S. Bern. Serm. 5. de Afcenf. (13) S. Bern. Serm, 3. de Afcenf. n. 8. p. 917. |