Volume I, Treatise VII, Chapter VIII

That in Our Examens We Must Chiefly Dwell Upon Making Acts of Sorrow for Our Faults and Resolutions of Amendment

WE must take particular notice that, in our examens which contain three points, the two last are the principal ones, and that these consist in exciting in our hearts deep sorrow and extreme regret for our faults and negligences, and in making a firm resolution to correct them. ‘Excite yourselves to sorrow and compunction on your beds” (Psalms 4:5), says the Psalmist; and since all the virtue and efficacy of our examen consist in compunction and true repentance for our faults, and in a firm resolution not to relapse into them, it is, therefore to this that we ought particularly to apply ourselves. One of the chief reasons why very many profit so little by their examens is, that in a manner they only apply themselves to find out how often they failed in their duty; and they have scarce done this, but the time of the examen being almost at an end, they pass over very superficially all the rest; and they have no time at all left to repent of their defects; to ask God pardon for them; to make a purpose of correcting them either in the afternoon or in the morning, or to beg grace and strength for this effect. Hence it happens that the next day they fall into as many defects as they did the day before, because, having done nothing else but called to mind the number of them, they sought not the means of amending them, which is, to raise a lively sorrow in their hearts for them, firmly to purpose not to fall again into them, and to beg the grace of God to fulfil this purpose. Without this we can never hope to correct ourselves; for amendment for the future so much depends upon sorrow for the past that the one is regulated by the other; it being certain that the care we take to avoid anything will be in proportion to the horror we have of it.

We daily preach to seculars that morality which we ourselves ought to practise. How does it happen, say we, that persons in the world so easily fall again into the same sins, after so many confessions?.It ordinarily happens from their not having a true sorrow for their sins, and because they brought not with them to confession a firm resolution of not relapsing for the future; so that their heart not being entirely converted to God, and having renounced vice only by halves, they easily return to what they never entirely deserted. But had they had an efficacious sorrow and regret, and a true horror of their sin, and had they made a firm resolution of not relapsing into it, they would not commit it so soon after, nor with as much facility as if they had never confessed it. Let us, therefore, examine ourselves by this rule, and we shall find that what causes us to commit in the afternoon, and the day following, the sins we committed the day before, is, that we had not a true repentance, that we did not abhor them with our whole heart, that we did not dwell long enough, during our examen, in the exercise of these acts. For did we but acquit ourselves well of this duty, our relapses would not be so frequent, because we are not wont to permit ourselves to be carried away easily, by things which we detest, and which we regret our having done.- hen the repentance is true, it is not only a remedy for what is past, but also a preservative against what istocome. For whosoever has a horror of sin, is far from falling into it. The efficacy of this remedy was not unknown to that ancient philosopher, who, when a bad woman asked a great deal of money to abandon herself to his desires: ‘“‘ I buy not repentance,” says he, “at so dear a rate.” And if we take notice of this answer, we shall find it to be worthy not only of a philosopher, but of a Christian and a religious also. I sometimes set myself to consider the strange folly.or rather madness of these, who resolve to commit sin, saying, I will afterwards repent, and God will pardon me. Is there common sense in imagining, that for the satisfying an irregular appetite, and for a moment’s pleasure, you should resolve to purchase trouble and regret all your life long, and a continual repentance? For I grant, as you say, that God afterwards pardons your sins; but if you do wish him to pardon it, you must have true repentance, you must have a real and entire sorrow for having committed it. This seems to me a most powerful reason, which, morally speaking, ought to take place, though that of the love of God, which should be our chief motive, moves us not; and though we had in view only ourselves, and our own satisfaction. I will not do that which I know I shall be extremely sorry for. The pleasure of gratifying myself will pass away in a moment; but the sorrow for not having been able to overcome myself will last during my whole life. I cannot, then, feel any satisfaction in committing sin—“I will not purchase repentance at so dear a rate:” I cannot suffer that pleasure so transient should cost me sorrow so durable. This idea is still better expressed by St. Paul, in these words: “What fruit have you gathered from the things you now blush to think on?” (Romans 6:21) What proportion is there between so short a satisfaction, and so long a sorrow, which we must afterwards undergo? All that I have said ought maturely to be considered beforehand; and when, after this, we are attacked by any temptation, let us say to ourselves, I will not do that which will give me shame and regret all my life long. When you would dissuade any one from any undertaking, you say, Take care of what you are about to do; you will, hereafter, heartily repent it; and if he will still persist in his design, he will make answer that he shall not repent it. Hence, if he feel persuaded that he must repent, there is no one would be guilty of so great a folly, as to do what he knew would afterwards cause him great sorrow and confusion..

I have enlarged somewhat upon this matter, to show evidently that a real compunction and true repentance of our faults is a powerful remedy to hinder us from relapsing; and also that we may know of how great importance it ig to dwell some time and remain hereupon in our examens. It is true, that though we may have conceived a lively sorrow for our sins, and a firm resojution of amendment, yet, notwithstanding, we may be subject to a relapse; because when all is done we are not angels but weak men, formed of clay, and consequently of a matter which may be easily broken and dissolved, and as easily mended and inade whole again. But as, when a secular person, as soon as he goes from confession permits himself to be overcome by the same passions and sins he but just came from confessing; we ordinarily say he had not a true sorrow for them, and had not made a firm purpose of amendment, because he returns so soon to his former manner of living: 80 it is a great mark, that a religious, in his examen at noon or night, has neither truly repented his having broken silence, nor firmly resolved to break it no more 3. when the very same day, or the next day at least, he is not more careful of keeping it, than if he had made no examen at all. And what I say of silence may be applied to all other things, upon which the.particular examen is made. You would be ashamed to own before your brethren, or to hear yourself reproached in their presence, with a fault which you had three or four times accused yourself of before them. How far greater confusion, therefore, ought you to have, to be reproached with it in God’s presence, if you had before heartily accused yourself of it unto him—if you had truly and from the bottom of your heart repented it, had asked him pardon, and promised amendment; and that not only three or four times, but even thirty or forty times? There is no doubt but we should soon grow better, and should advances in perfection in a very different manner, if we truly repented, and made a firm purpose and resolution of amendment.

About ReligiousBookshelf.com · A Supernerd Media project