Volume I, Treatise I, Chapter VI

That not to Advance in Virtue Ts to Go Back

It is.a maxim received by all holy men, that in the way of God we certainly go back, if we do not advance. This is the point I intend to demonstrate here, that it may be a powerful motive to encourage us daily to make new progress in perfection. For what man is -there, that, after having travelled homeward

.

several days, would feel inclined to go back, particularly when he calls to mind the sentence the Saviour of the world pronounces against him, “Whosoever puts his hand to the plough and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of heaven?” (Luke 9:62) These are the words which should make us tremble; and the great St. Austin, upon this occasion, says, we cannot possibly prevent ourselves from descending, but by always striving

_to ascend; for as soon as we begin to stop, we descend, and

not to advance, is to go back; so that if we wish not to go back, we must always run forward without stopping. (Ep. 113 to Dem. Vir.) St. Gregory, St. Chrysostom, St. Leo Pope, and many other saints, say the same, and express themselves almost in the same terms. But St. Bernard enlarges on this subject in two of his epistles, wherein addressing himself to a negligent and tepid religious, who contents himself with leading an ordinary life, and struggles not for his advancement, he thus discourses with him in the following dialogue: Well! will you not advance? No. What then? Will you go back? By no means. What will you dothen? I will remain as [ am, and grow neither better nor worse. Then you will do what is impossible, for in this life there can be no state of permanency. This is a privilege appertaining to God alone, “With whom there is no change nor the least shadow of vicissitude.” (James 1:17) ‘Iam the Lord,” says he, “and I do not change.” (Malachias 3:6) But all things in this world are subject to a perpetual change. “All shall grow old like a garment,” says the Psalmist, speaking of the heavens, ‘and as a garment thou shalt change them; but as for thee, O Lord! thou art always the self-same, and thy years shall not fail.” (Psalms 101:28) Man, above all, according to the testimony of holy Job, is never long in the same condition; “He passeth like a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.” (Job 14:2) Jesus Christ himself, as St. Bernard adds, as long as he lived here on earth and conversed with man, was never stationary; “He grew in wisdom, age, and favour, before God and men.” (Luke 2:52) That is to say, that as he grew in age, he gave more signal proofs of his wisdom and holiness, “And prepared himself as a champion to run his race” (Psalms 18:7) of labour and sufferings. St. John also declares, that “Whoever saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk even as he walked.” (1 John 2:6) But if, while our Saviour runs on, you stop, is it not clear that you will remain behind him instead of approaching near him?

“Holy Scripture (Genesis 28:12) tells us; that Jacob saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, on the top of which Almighty God leaned, and that it was full of angels ascending and descending perpetually without ever resting. Now, according to St. Bernard, this is to show us, that in the way of virtue, there is no medium between ascending and descending, between advancing and going back. But as when we work at the lathe, the wheel flies back when we wish to stop it, even so, the very moment you cease to advance in virtue, you must of necessity go back. Abbot Theodore explains the same thought in these terms related by Cassian (Cas. Collat. vi.): We must, says he, apply ourselves without remissness to the study of virtue, and strenuously exert ourselves in the practice thereof, lest ceasing to grow better, we should instantly begin to grow less perfect; for, as was already said, our souls cannot remain long in the same state, so as not to increase or decrease in virtue; but not to gain is to lose, and whoever feels not in himself.a desire of making progress is in danger of falling instantly.

The same Cassign explains this by a very just comparison, which St. Gregory (Greg. iii. 2. past. adm. 51.) likewise makes use of. Those who lead a spiritual life, says he, are like a man in the midst of a rapid river; if he stops but for a moment, and strives not continually to bear up against the stream, he will run great risk of being carried down. Now the course we ought to take is so directly opposite to the current of our nature corrupted by sin, that unless we labour and force ourselves to go on, we shall certainly be hurried back by the impetuous torrent of our passions.

“The kingdom of heaven is to be taken by storm, and it is only the violent that carry it.” (Matthew 11:12) And, as when you go against the tide, you must always row without ceasing, and when you stop but for a while, you find yourself drifted far from the spot you had rowed to; so here you must still push forward, and make head against the current of your depraved passions, unless you be content to see yourself quickly carried far back from that degree of perfection which you had before attained. St. Jerom and St. Chrysostom elucidate this truth still more by quoting a point of doctrine universally approved of, and which is stated by St. Thomas (St. Th. ii. 2. 9. 84. ar. 5. ad. 2.) in the following words: A religious life, says he, is a state of perfection: not that a man becomes perfect as soon as he becomes a religious, but because religious have a more strict obligation of aspiring to perfection; and because he who strives not to become perfect, and who does not apply himself in good earnest to it, cannot be said to be a true religious, as he does not do the only thing for which he should have embraced that profession. I will not here discuss the question, whether a religious would sin mortally who should say, “I content myself with being faithful to the commandments of God and to my essential vows; but as for other rules not binding under pain of sin, I design not to observe them.” My intention, I say, is not to decide this point, as it is a disputed question. Some divines maintain that he would sin mortally; others say he would not, unless he acts through some kind of contempt on the occasion. But what is certain, and what they all agree in, is, that a religious in such a disposition of mind, and who would make such a resolution, would give very bad example, and, morally speaking, would be in great danger of falling into mortal sin. ‘For he that despiseth small things will by little and little-fall into great.” (Ecclesiasticus 19:1) To explain this the more clearly, St. Chrysostom gives several familiar examples: If a servant, says he, were not a thief nor drunkard, nor gamester, but trusty, sober, and without vice; yet, if he should idle his time, sit down all day, without performing the duties of his state, there is no doubt, but he would deserve to be severely punished; for though he-did no positive harm, yet it is fault enough to neglect what he ought to do. Again, if a husbandman, though exceedingly well conducted in every other respect, should nevertheless stand with his arms across, and neither plough nor sow, it is certain, though he did no other harm, he would, on this account alone, be culpable; for it is fault enough to neglect one’s duty. In fine, if one of our hands gave us no pain, but were paralytic, and absolutely of no use to us, should we not consider that circumstance alone to be of great detriment? It is just so in spiritual matters. If a religious remains idle—if he makes no effort to advance in virtue, he is much to be blamed, because he fulfils not the obligations of his profession. To conclude, what greater fault can we find with land, than that it is barren and bears no crop, though it had been well tilled? Inthe same manner, if land, like your soul continually cultivated by so many good instructions, watered by frequent showers of heavenly graces, and warmed by the rays of the sun of justice, produces no fruit, but remains dry and barren, will you not think that dryness and barrenness a great misfortune to yourself? It is of this the Psalmist complains, when he says, “They returned me evil for good, and afforded me nothing but barrenness.” (Psalms 34:14)

Another comparison is also made use of, which suits the present purpose, and strongly confirms what has been already said. As sailors on the main ocean dread nothing so much as a calm, because then they consume all their provisions, and afterwards feel themselves in want of the necessaries of life; so by those who navigate the tempestuous sea of the world, and steer towards heaven, there is nothing more to be dreaded than an unhappy calm, which stops them in the midst of their course, and prevents. them from making sail. Because the small provision they had laid in for their voyage is soon consumed, and the little virtue they had begins to fail them; and afterwards amidst the storms and temptations which assail them on all sides, they find themselves, even in their deepest distress, destitute of all help, and in the greatest danger of perishing. Wo to such as are surprised by acalm so dangerous. “You did once run well,” says the apostle, “‘ who has hindered you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7) You went at first in full sail, what calm or sand-bank has stopped you? Certainly “you are satiated, you are become rich.” (1 Corinthians 4:8) You fancy you have done enough; feeling yourself tired, you think yourself entitled to repose; you imagine that your present stock is sufficient. But reflect and consider well, that you have still a great way to go, for “that part of your journey that still remains is very long.” (3 Kings, mx. 7.) Be persuaded that many occasions will still offer, wherein you will have need of more perfect humility, more cou- Tageous patience, more absolute detachment, and more constant Mortification; and perchance you will be surprised and found unprovided, at the time of your greatest distress.

About ReligiousBookshelf.com · A Supernerd Media project