Volume I, Treatise II, Chapter IV

That Another Means to Perform Our Actions Well, Is to Imagine Each One the Only One We Have to Do

Tar third means of doing our actions well is, to do separately each one, as if it were the only one we had to do—to make our prayer, to say mass, to recite our beads, and divine office, and to do all the rest of our actions, as if in effect we had nothing else to perform but the one we are engaged in. There is nothing to hurry us—-let us not be disturbed in what we are doing—let us not suffer our actions to clash with another, but let us apply ourselves totally to what we are engaged in. Whilst we are at our prayers, let us not think of our studies, nor of anything else, nor even of the duties of our office or employment. For these thoughts tend only to divert us from our prayer, and to hinder us from acquitting ourselves well of it. We have the rest of the whole day to study, er to full the other obligations of our charge. “All things have their time” (Ecclesiasticus 3) v. 1); let us not confound or disturb their order to no purpose, but let us remember our Saviour’s words: “That sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:34) Each day’s disquiet and affliction is sufficient to take up our thoughts, without thinking of the evils to come. This is so profitable a means, and so conformable to reason, that the Pagans themselves made use of it, to be able to keep themselves with more profound respect before their false gods and idols; which gave rise to the ancient proverb: “Let those sit that adore.’

Let those that adore God in prayer, and thereby entertain themselves with him, do it with repose and attention, and ‘not run about as if they were thinking of something else. Plutarch speaking of the reverence with which priests in his time approached their gods, says, that whilst the priest offered sacrifice, there was one appointed to cry out continually with a loud voice: “Do what you do;” as if he would have said, think of nothing else but what you are doing, distract not yourself, but apply your mind wholly to your business. It is by adopting the means at present proposed, you will do all things well. Apply yourself closely and entirely to each action alone, as if you had nothing else to do; attend only to this, apply to it with all your care; banish all other thoughts, and you will never fail to do well. “‘ Let us do what we are about at present,” said Aristippus, “without thinking either of what is past or to come;” and let us apply ourselves wholly to the present action; because it is that alone which is in our power; and what is to come is so uncertain, that we cannot answer whether it will happen or not. How happy should we be, if we could gain so much upon ourselves, and were so much masters of our thoughts and imagination, that we never thought of anything, but what we are at present about? But then so unsteady is our heart—besides, so crafty and industrious is the devil to.avail himself of our natural levity, that when we are employed about anything, he sets before our eyes what we should do at another time, in order to distract our minds, and divert us from doing what we are engaged in at present. This mode of tempting us is the more frequently practised by him, as he sees it to be more dangerous and prejudicial to us; for by this means he hinders us from ever performing anything well. In time of prayer, he fills our minds with the thoughts of our studies and of other affairs, that we may not be able to pray as we ought; and as long as he can but take away our attention from what we are about, he ceases not to suggest a thousand excellent means, of performing afterwards our other actions well. But when we come to dothem, he will not fail to set others before our eyes, that we may not acquit ourselves so well of what we are about at present, endeavouring after this manner continually to deceive us, and to render all our actions imperfect. But since “‘ we are not ignorant of his thoughts” (2 Corinthians 2:11), let us lay aside future affairs; rejecting them as soon as they present themselves. It will be good to think of them in their due time; but it is bad to do so when we ought to be taken up with other thoughts. But if the fear of not being able to think afterwards of those things, which now present themselves to your imagination, cause you to dwell upon thein; that very circumstance ought to shew you, that it is not an inspiration from God, but a temptation of the devil. For God is a friend of peace, and of order; and therefore whatever troubles your repose, and interrupts the order of things, comes not from God, but from the devil, who loves only confusion and disorder. Banish, therefore, whatsoever presents itself to your imagination under this pretence. Be not diverted from what you are doing, and assure yourself if you perform then your duty well, that God will not fail to put you in mind, in due time, of the thoughts you had before banished for his sake, and will fix them again in your mind to your greater advantage. If, for example, it happens that in time of your spiritual exercises you should be surprised with some thought of your studies; and if some convincing reason on a hard point or difficulty, or any light concerning some obscure passage, or a solution of some hard doubt offers itself, cast all equally away, and believe that you will be rather a gainer than a loser thereby. “The knowledge that is despised for the sake of virtue,” says St. Bonaventure, “is afterwards acquired by the virtue itself; and Father Avila advises us, when any business comes into our mind out of due time, to say, God ordains not this at present; wherefore I will not think on it—when he pleases to command me, I will diligently apply inyself to it.

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