Volume II, Treatise I, Chapter XXI

What Has Been Said in the Preceding Chapter, Confirmed by Some Examples

WE read that the companions and scholars of one of the ancient fathers, having observed his continual mortifications and rigid austerities, pressed him once to be more moderate in his excessive penances. He answered them, saying: my dearest children, were the condition of the blessed in heaven capable of-grief, they would extremely regret their not having suffered more in this world, since they now clearly see the reward they might have had, and how much they might have increased their happiness, and at how easy arate. St. Bonaventure’s sentiment is the very same, who says, “that as much as we spend of idle time here, so much do we diminish our degrees of glory hereafter, which, if we had employed our time well, we might have very much improved.”

This is confirmed by what is recorded of St. Mechtilda. Jesus Christ, whom this saint had chosen for her spouse, and to whom she entirely dedicated herself, frequently used to visit her and give her a view of the glory of heaven. One day she heard the happy ‘souls cry out, and say, O thrice happy you, who still live in the world, in whose power it is to augment your glory every moment] Did but man know how much he might increase his merit every day, he would never wake without @ cheerful heart replenished with joy, to think he is to begin another day, in which living to God, he may be assisted by his divine grace every moment to advance his honour, and his own merit. This very thought is sufficient to encourage and strengthen us against all difficulties and mortifications, and make us suffer them with satisfaction.

The Spiritual Meadow (approved of in the second council of Nice, and written by John Evirat, though others say St. Sophronius, patriarch of Jerusalem, was its author,) tells us, that an hermit who went about twelve miles to fetch all the water he used, finding himself once extremely weary, began to complain upon the way, that he was not able any longer to undergo so great labour, and said thus to himself’:—what necessity is there of giving myself all this trouble? It is better for me to go and build myself a little cell near the fountain, and live there. The. next time he went with his pitcher for water, he began to consider what place would be most convenient for an hermitage, and in what form he should build it, and what kind of life he should lead therein. Immediately he heard the voice of a man, as he supposed, counting one, two, three, &c.: being surprised to hear one measuring the way, or casting up accounts in the desert, he turned about, but saw nobody. Going on his way, he had no sooner thought of his new design of building, but he heard the same voice again, and looking round about him, he still saw nothing. But the same thing happening a third time, he stopt and saw a lovely youth, all in glory, following him, who bid him take courage; I am, says he, an angel of God, who have counted every step you have taken, each of which shall be particularly rewarded. Having said thus he vanished out of his sight. The hermit reflecting seriously within himself, cried out, how is it possible, that I should lose my senses so far as to be willing to renounce so great a blessing, and deprive myself of so certain a reward? From that very moment he resolved to live still farther from the water than before, in order to increase his labour, and thereby his merit.

It is related in the lives of the fathers, that an ancient anchoret, who lived in the desert of Thebias, used every evening to make an exhortation to a young disciple of his, who lived with him, and was very much liked by him; after which they said some prayers together, and so went to rest. It happened one day that some secular persons, invited by the sanctity and reputation of this good old man, came to visit him, and stayed with him very late. He had no sooner dismissed them, but he began, according to custom, his exhortation, which he made so long that he fell asleep. His scholar expected every moment he should awake to finish their usual devotions, and then retire to rest. But the old man continuing to sleep, the scholar grew somewhat impatient, and found himself moved to go to rest. This temptation attacked him seven times, but he courageously resisted and overcame them all. Being now past midnight the holy anchoret awoke, and finding his scholar still by him, asked him why he let him sleep all that while? He answered, that he was afraid to disturb him. Here they began matins together, which being ended, the good old man gave his disciple his blessing, and sent him to rest. The holy hermit had no sooner fallen to his prayers, but he was in spirit rapt unto paradise, where an angel shewed him a bright and glorious throne, upon which stood seven very rich crowns. The saint desired to know for whom these crowns were designed, and the angel told him they were for his young disciple, to whom God had allotted the throne as a reward of his holy life, and as for the crowns, he had purchased them that very night. As soon as it was day, the good hermit calls his scholar, and asks him what had happened to him after his falling asleep. To whom he replied; I found myself often moved to impatience; and the temptation of going to sleep before you awoke, attacked me seven times, but I yielded to none of them. Here the good father understood how his scholar had purchased those seven crowns he had seen.—(Pa. iii. fol. 237.)

The brother of St. Francis the seraphic, met him once in the middle of winter, and seeing him almost naked and shivering with cold, scornfully bid one ask him to sell him a drop of his sweat. The saint, putting on a pleasant countenance, answered, tell my brother, that I have already sold it to God, and that at a very dear rate, The same saint was at another time most grievously tormented with such excess of pain, and with such troublesome temptations, that in all human appearance it was impossible for him to suffer them for any considerable time. Notwithstanding, a comfortable voice from heaven bid him rejoice, and told him that his sufferings would procure him a treasure in heaven, to which, were the whole earth one sold mass of gold, the stones all turned into pearls and diamonds, and all the waters here below changed into the most precious balm, they would, not be comparable, nor ever reach the greatness and value of that reward which was laid up for him there. This assurance so softened and mitigated his pains, that from that, time forward he scarcely felt any, and being transported with spiritual joy, he called his religious and acquainted them with the comfort Almighty God had bestowed upon him.

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