FRIDAY IN THE SIXTH WEEK AFTER

PENTECOST.

Patior, sed non confundor. Scio enim cui credidi, et certus sum quia potens est depositum meum servare in illum diem.-2 Tim. i. 12.

I suffer, but I am not ashamed. For I know Whom I have believed, and I am certain that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.

I. CONSIDER that the most grievous temptations in the spiritual life are temptations to diffidence, under the influence of which it would seem that all that one does or suffers for God is useless and in vain. Against such temptations as these let the words of the Apostle be a remedy: Patior, sed non confundor—I suffer, but I am not ashamed. He admits that he suffers much, but with all his suffering he is not disconcerted. Dost thou perhaps imagine that the Saints, with all their ardent love of God, did not feel the sharp edge of sufferings? Such is not the case. They felt them most keenly; but they did not lose their courage, because they well knew Who that Lord was to Whose care they had committed themselves. Scio cui credidi. But thou wilt say, thou art so extremely sensitive to any suffering of mind or body. Well, what then? That is no argument: if thou didst not feel them, thou wouldst not suffer. Be content, therefore, to suffer, and not lose courage, by maintaining a lively faith and trust in Almighty God.

II. Consider what this deposit is of which the Apostle makes mention: Certus sum quia potens est depositum meum servare in illum diem-I am certain that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. It consisted of the many sufferings

he underwent for God's sake, because he had entrusted them all to the keeping of God, and he was therefore sure that they would be all hoarded up for him, one by one, with the greatest exactness, to his own future advantage. Seek to do the same thyself; exert thyself, toil and endure for love of God, and tell Him that thou wishest to depend entirely on Him, and to leave thy whole self under His complete control. In manibus tuis sortes meœ--Ps. xxx. 16-My lots are in Thy hands. In this way thou wilt be far surer of reaping all the fruit of thy sufferings.

III. Consider that the Apostle says that his sufferings were hoarded up not for this world, by receiving a reward for them on earth, but in illum diem—against that day-that is to say, for that last day of the particular judgment, and of the universal judgment, because there can be no day in this life like unto that, so pregnant of good for the holy and of evil for the wicked. It is this day thou must ever keep present in thy memory to encourage thee; and remember, that at the particular judgment thy heavenly Master will repay thee, as far as thy soul is concerned, for all thou hast undergone for His sake, and on the day of the universal judgment He will, moreover, return to thee that very body in which thou hast suffered. In this, then, consists that deposit of which the Apostle was truly able to say: Potens est depositum meum servare in illum diem-He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.

SATURDAY IN THE SIXTH WEEK AFTER PENTECOST.

Lava a malitia cor tuum, Jerusalem, ut salva fias: usqueque morabuntur in te cogitationes noxia ?-Jer. iv. 14.

Wash thy heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that thou mayest be saved; how long shall hurtful thoughts abide in thee?

I. CONSIDER how few there are that wash their hearts from wickedness. Many rinse their hearts, as it were, in the laver of confession, and so rid themselves of the sins with which they had defiled their consciences; but very few wash their hearts in such a manner as to leave behind no attachment or affection to their sins. Thou accusest thyself, for instance, of having sought after the vain applause of others; but thou makest no effort to detach thy heart at the same time from the affection thou still retainest to the good opinion of others. Thus thou cleansest thy heart to a certain extent; but thou dost not wash it thoroughly. It is the same story over again, as regards certain friendships that are not altogether praiseworthy-the love of certain distinctions and pastimes. If it were as easy a matter to wash thy heart as it merely is to rinse it out, it would not have been said to Jerusalem -that is, to the soul consecrated to God: Lava cor tuum ut salva fias-Wash thy heart that thou mayest be saved.

II. Consider that thy thoughts are the criterion by which to ascertain whether thy heart is washed from wickedness or not. If the thoughts that are fostered there are tainted with grievous sin, thy heart would not be cleansed in any degree at all: and if they are

less guilty, but still are such as may little by little incite thee to grievous sin, such as thoughts of worldly pleasures, and greatness, and amusements, it is a clear sign that thy heart, if partially cleansed, is not certainly washed. But note well that bad and wicked thoughts will frequently pass through the minds of all-and that affords no proof of attachment to sin. The proof of this is the dwelling on those thoughts: usquequo morabuntur in te cogitationes noxic ?—how long shall hurtful thoughts abide in thee? All the harm consists in this wilful dwelling on the thought: just in the same way as the most delicate balm is not spoilt by the flies merely passing over it, but by their settling on it. Examine thyself, and see how far thou keepest thy mind free, not only from sinful thoughts, but even from such as are hurtful, and thou wilt thus know from what affections thou must endeavour to wash thy heart.

III. Consider how thou hast to set about cleansing thy heart from wrong affections, and thus effectually washing it. Endeavour, in the first place, to conceive an intense hatred of sin, because if thou wouldst avoid being again entangled by the love of objects that have a great tendency to drag our corrupt nature after them -any weak sort of a hatred is of no good-thy hatred must be deep-seated. It was in this way that Esther acted, who to avoid growing attached in her heart to the diadem she wore on her brow, accustomed herself to hold it in detestation: Tu scis quod abominor signum superbiæ meæ-Esth. xiv. 16-Thou knowest that I abominate the sign of my pride and glory. She was well aware that if she had not conceived a lively dislike to her worldly greatness, it would have engaged her little by little to love it more than was right. We have another illustration of this in the case of the Israelites, who by reason of their entertaining so strong a liking for the onions of Egypt came at last to commit

a sin that they never committed in Egypt itself—that of bowing down in adoration before the idols of Egypt. Thou who hast gone forth from the Egypt of the world, be on thy guard against retaining any affection. to the things of the world, if thou wouldst avoid running the risk of worshipping them.

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

Attendite a falsis prophetis, qui veniunt ad vos in vestimentis ovium, intus autem sunt lupi rapaces.—Matth. vii. 15.

Beware of false prophets who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

I. CONSIDER who those are that would seem to be innocent lambs, but are in reality wolves that seek to devour thee. They are those unruly desires that thy self-love engenders and nurtures in thy inmost soul, and which artfully strive to draw thee over to seek for honour and ease, and to be continually humouring thy every whim by flying from humiliation and suffering. Then again, outside of thee they are those friends and inobservant companions, who by their bad example and their ill-counsel invite thee and entice thee to a more remiss manner of life, to pay little heed to the bidding of thy superiors, and to give thyself up to an easy-going style of conduct. Instead of avoiding and hating the like of these as so many wolves, thou hast hitherto welcomed and entertained them as faithful and innocent friends!

II. Consider that it is a very difficult thing to discover the wiles and deceit of these desires that are the