Volume I, Treatise VIII, Chapter XXII

Of the Conformity We Are to Have to the Wil of God in All Public Calamities

Bor it is not only in what regards ourselves, and our own particular sufferings, that we are to be entirely conformed to the will of God; we must have this conformity in public calamities also; for example, in famine, war, plague, and all the other scourges of divine vengeance. For this end we must establish as a fundamental point, that as a just judge, seeing himself obliged to condemn to death a criminal at the bar, is not any ways hindered either by natural compassion, or the bonds of friendship from pronouncing the fatal sentence, and effectually resolving on the death of the criminal; because justice so orders, and the good of the commonwealth requires it; in like manner, the compassion we have for others, whom we see lie under the chastisements of the divine justice, should not hinder us from conforming ourselves to what -pleases Almighty God. For we are to look upon these chastisements as the effects of his holy will; which, by a secret and hidden judgment, has thus decreed it, for certain purposes, conducive to his greater glory and service. For although it is true, that the conformity he requires of us to his holy will in all these accidents, does not oblige us to love them positively; and that it is sufficient we bear them with patience, without murmuring at the orders of Providence; nevertheless, we must assure ourselves there is more merit and perfection, not only in suffering, but even loving and embracing them, inasmuch as they are the effects of his will and justice, and conduce to his greater glory. St. Thomas says, that it is thus the blessed in heaven conform themselves in all things to the will of God; and St. Anselm says, that the will of God and our will shall be conformed in heaven as two eyes in the same body. It is one motion governs both eyes—one cannot look upon anything, but the other looks upon it also; and although both are fixed upon the same object, they present, however, but one image to the brain. Now, as the conformity of the blessed to the will of God sees in all things only what pleases him and tends to his greater glory, to which they are all directed; so we cannot do better than to follow the example of the blessed in heaven, by viewing in all things only the execution of the orders of his providence, and the accomplishment of the divine will, We can never be ina better disposition, than when we only will what God wills, and will it for the same end, and in the same manner as he wills it.

Possidonias, in the Life of St. Austin, says, that the city of Hippo, of which he was bishop, being besieged by the Vandals, who wasted and destroyed all Africa, filling it with blood and slaughter, this great saint comforted himself with these words of an ancient person: “It is not for a great man to think it strange that wood and stone decay, and mortals die.” (Possid. in ejus vita.) But in all calamities of this kind we have a still juster reason of consoling ourselves, if we consider all as coming from the hand of God: that it is his holy will; and although the reason why he afflicts us lies hidden, yet that it never can be but just. ‘The judgments of God are an abyss” (Psalms 35:7), says the Royal Prophet. It would be great temerity in us, with this weak and limited capacity of ours, to dive into the secrets and reasons of God. “For who was there that comprehended the design of God, or who was ever made his counsellér?” (Romans 11:34) We must reverence the judgments of God with profound humility, and believe that since we are governed by wisdom, infinite as his is, nothing can befall us which tends not to our greater good and profit. Upon’ this foundation we are to rest, and rely so far upon his goodness and mercy as to be persuaded he would not permit any such calamities to befall us were it not to draw thence a greater good. God conducts to heaven, by sufferings, an infinity of souls which would perish by any other way. How many are there who, in their crosses and tribulations, turn to God with their whole heart, and die sincere penitents? How many have been saved by this means, who

ee otherwise had been damned? So that what seems to us a scourge and chastisement, is oftentimes a great favour and singular mercy conferred upon us.

In the second book of Machabees, the author, having described the horrid persecution the Jews suffered under King Antiochus, the massacres committed without any regard to age, sex, or quality, the pillaging or profanation of the temple, and the abominations committed therein by this impious and wicked king, adds: “And I conjure those who shall read this book not to be shocked at so many calamities; but let them imagine those befell us for our chastisement, and not for our destruction.” (2 Machabees 6:11) The leech sucks the blood of the sick man, says St. Gregory, with intent to glut itself, and draw out, if it were in its power, the very last drop. But the intention of the physician is only hereby to take from the patient the corrupted blood and to cure him. That of God is the very same in the afflictions he sends us. And as that patient would be guilty of great folly who, considering more the greediness of the leech than the good design of the physician, should hinder the taking away the corrupted blood: in like manner, when any misfortune or affliction happens to us, whether by the means of others or by any creature whatever; we are in this case not to consider those other persons, or any creatures, but the sovereign physician only, who makes use of them as of leeches to purify our blood, and restore us to our perfect health. We must also be convinced that he orders us nothing but for our greater good: and supposing he had no other end herein than to punish us as his children in this world, instead of reserving our punishment for the next; he would nevertheless do us a great favour, and our obligations to him would be most considerable.

It is related of St. Catherine of Sienna, that being once extremely troubled by reason of several calumnies raised against her honour and reputation: our Saviour appeared to her with a crown of gold, all inlaid with pearls and precious stones in his right hand: and in his left a crown of thorns, and said to her: “Know, my dear daughter, that of necessity you must be crowned with one of these two, some time or other. Wherefore take your choice; either the crown of thorns in this transitory life, and have the other reserved for you in the next; or the crown of gold at present, and have that of thorns hereafter.” It is a long time, O Lord! answered the holy virgin, since I have made an entire renunciation of my own will to follow but yours; and consequently, it is not for me to choose. But if, notwithstanding, you will have me answer, I desire to choose that which will be most acceptable to you; and the better to imitate your example, I accept with my whole heart of sufferings. Having said this she took the crown of thorns from our Saviours hand, and putting it upon her head. she pressed it down with such force, that from that time she always had a great pain in her head, caused by the thorns that pierced it.

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