that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the consupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life." It was, therefore, supremely important for man to repress these passions which are so fatal to his innocence, to his rest, and to his salvation, and which always are sure to turn out his tyrants, unless he make them his slaves. The great science of man is to know the malignity of these passions; the great art of man is not to suffer himself to be surprised by these passions; the only happiness of man in this world is to make himself master of these passions. The great secret of salvation for man consists in struggling continually against these passions, and never to yield them the victory. O how much was the adorable God-man convinced of these truths! For if you examine his gospel with attention, you will find that his moral doctrine, properly speaking, has no other object but to teach men to know, to fear, and to curb these passions. Exhortations, parables, maxims, but above all precepts and counsels, all turn upon that. CLXLIX. Precepts of Jesus Christ respecting Pride. Pride is of all passions the most unjust and the most disas-trous, and still it is that which is most natural to man: none is entirely exempt from it: of all passions it is the only one that every man hates and condemns in all other men, whilst he is sure always to approve it in himself. To cure man of this passion, it was therefore necessary to make him acquainted with its injustice, and behold, how Jesus Christ sets about it. First. He declares and proves to men, that they have nothing and that they can do nothing of themselves, unless God lend them his succour, either as author of nature or as author of grace. "And which of you by thinking, can add to his stature one cubit?" Luke xii. 25. "You cannot make one hair of your head white or black," as if he were to say to them: O presumptuous mortals, who so rashly confide in your pretended strength, what are you about? Can any one of you add but one cubit to his size? What do I say? Can any one of you change even the colour of one of his hairs? And how then could you give to your body one limb or one sense more? And if you cannot make the slightest alteration in your body, nor give it the least grace which it wants, how could you possibly alter your soul, either by enriching it with some new power, or by giving the powers which it possesses already, a greater extent, or the least degree of perfection? Such is the reasoning contained in the words of Jesus Christ, which I have just quoted, words which strike a terrible blow at human pride ; but something more was wanted to overthrow that monster. Man is free, and he knows that he is so, he knows it because he feels it. On that ground man persuades himself that he stands in need but of himself to be good, as he has no need but of himself to be wicked; that he owes virtue but to himself, and holds it but from himself; that it is as easy for him to rise as to fall, and to pass from vice to virtue, as from virtue to vice. It is a mistake in man to think thus, and this error is the more fatal to him that it is the more agreeable and the more flattering. Jesus Christ undeceives him by these words, which we can never sufficieutly meditate upon. (St. John xv. 4.) "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine; so neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit for without me you can do nothing," that is to say, nothing conducive to salvation, nothing meritorious of everlasting life, nothing great, nothing little, nothing at all, as St. Augustin remarks, for he who says nothing, excludes absolutely all. And in chap. viii. 31, 32, of the same gospel, we see that Jesus Christ after having uttered these words: "If you continue in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," observing that the Jews were murmuring against him as if he had treated them like slaves, he answered, "Amen, Amen I say unto you: that whosoever com : mitteth sin, is the servant of sin ;" and he adds, " if, therefore, the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” Men, therefore, cannot without the grace of Jesus Christ be delivered from the bondage of sin, nor practise any virtue, at least after a manner conducive to salvation; I say, after a manner conducive to salvation: for man can, without the help of grace, perform actions morally good; but besides that what he does in that state, avails nothing for heaven, what hẹ can do in that line is very trifling, and that trifle even man owes to God as the author of nature much more than to himself. It is thus Jesus Christ made known to mankind the injustice and folly of pride; for what can be more unjust and more silly than to draw vanity from what does not come from us, and does not belong to us? And lest men should ever come to forget these great truths, Jesus Christ has obliged them to make to God every day a solemn avowal of their weakness, of their misery, of their extreme dependence, and of the need they have in all things of the all-powerful assistance of God. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven: give us this day our daily bread: forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." It is after this manner Jesus Christ has commanded all men to pray, kings as well as subjects, rich as well as poor, 'the righteous as well as sinners; those that are born with happy dispositions for virtue, as well as those that are born with fatal inclinations for vice. Man is then under an absolute impotency with regard to all those things which are the objects of this prayer, and he is bound to beg them of God as graces; and if man can do nothing of all this, what then can he do, and what is he? What results from these principles, but that man ought to refer to God with an humble acknowledgment the glory of all the good that is in him, of all the usefulness he possesses, in fine, of all that is praise-worthy in him, and that he cannot appropriate to himself the smallest particle of that glory with out rendering himself guilty of usurpation? And hence the admirable precepts which Jesus Christ has given us in matter of humility. The precepts to shun the praises of men, even the best deserved, and for that end, to conceal from their eyes all the good works which we practise, except those which ought necessarily to shine forth for the sake of public edification. "Take heed that you do not your justice before men, that you may be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have`a reward from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore, when thou doest an alms-deed, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father, who seeth in secret, will repay thee. And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues, and at the corners of the streets that they may be seen by men. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But thou, when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, will reward thee. And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad: for they disfigure their faces, that to men they may appear fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head and wash thy face, that thou appear not fasting to men, but to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret, will reward thee." Math. vi.1—16. The precept to forsake all that savours of vain show and ostentation, the desire of striking the eyes of men, and of being taken notice of by them, of attracting their admiration and respect, of being distinguished and of being raised above others. "The Scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses. All, therefore, whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do ; but according to their works do ye not-for all their works they do for to be seen of men: for they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes. And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in synagogues, and salutations in the market-place, and to be called by men, Rabbi. But be not you called Rabbi ; for one is your master, and all you are brethren. He that is the greatest among you, shall be your servant." Math. xxiii. 3-11. : The precept for those whom providence (which has ordained that men should be governed by other men as well in civil as spiritual order,) has raised above others, to look upon themselves not as their masters, but as the ministers of God in their regard. What do I say? as their servants and their slaves you know that the princes of the gentiles over-rule them: and they that are the greater exercise power upon them. It shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be the greater among you, let him be your master; and he who would be the first among you shall be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." Math. xx. 25. Finally, the precept given to man to stifle in his heart all sentiment of vain complacency in himself on account of the virtue which he possesses, or the good works which he has done: "when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth," and "when you shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say: we are unprofitable servants : we have done that which we ought to do." St. Luke xvii. 10. Such are the precepts of Jesus Christ with regard to humility, and these precepts are as many direct inferences from the principles which he had established on that matter, to wit: that all the good that is in man comes from God; and that man is nothing, has nothing, and can do nothing of himself, especially in the order of salvation and eternal life. And in order to render men more attentive to these precepts `and inspire them with courage to fulfil them, he solemnly declared to them that their salvation was attached to humility, and that the gates of heaven would be eternally shut against pride. "Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you be converted and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Math. xviii. 3. |