Volume II, Treatise VI, Chapter I

The Great Evils Occasioned by Sadness

‘¢ Cast sadness far from thee,” says the wise man, ‘‘ because it has killed many, and is good for nothing.” (Ecclesiasticus 30:24) Cassian, in a treatise he composed on the spirit of sadness, says, that it is a disease more dangerous and harder to be cured, than all other spiritual infirmities, and he proves the grievous effects it produces by the authority of Scripture. Beware, says he, of admitting sadness into‘ your soul, for if it once gets possession of you, it will soon take away all your relish for prayer, and spiritual reading; it will make you think them tedious, and cause you to afford to each less time than ordinary; nay sometimes, it will make you quite leave off both, and lastly, it will diffuse over all your spiritual exercises so much disgust and irksomeness, that it will be almost impossible for you to continue them. Cassian adds that the royal prophet very well expresses all this, in these few words: “my soul is asleep through heaviness.” (Psalms 118:28) He does not say, that his body is asleep, but that his soul is so; because in effect, sadness and spiritual drowsiness give so much irksomeness and disgust to the soul, in all exercises of devotion and holy things, that it falls as it were asleep, and becomes incapable of doing any thing good. Nay, this disgust goes sometimes so far, that the soul even feels itself disquieted and displeased with the fervour of others, and endeavours to withdraw them from it.

Cassian says, that sadness causes another evil, which is, that it make us severe and rude to our brethren. St. Gregory says, ‘‘ that it easily provokes to choler;” and in effect we daily experience, that when we are troubled every thing angers us, and every little matter goes to our heart. Moreover it renders a man impatient, suspicious and untractable; and sometimes it so troubles our mind, that it even deprives us of our judgment, according to these words of the wise man, “where there is bitterness of heart, and sadness, there is no reason.” (Ecclesiasticus 21:15) And do not we ofteti perceive that when a man is attacked by this passion, he has fears, diffidences, and such wild notions, as are considered by persons in their reason to be the effects of frenzy. And even persons of great merit and wisdom, sometimes abandon themselves so far to this deep melancholy, as, in presence of others, to cry like children; or when they find the passion coming, sometimes to shut themselves up in their chambers, that without being seen by others, they may be at liberty to weep.

If you would thoroughly know, says Cassian, the bad effects sadness produces in the heart, the Holy Ghost will teach you by these words of the wise man, “as moths eat garments, or the worms eat wood, even so sadness gnaws the heart of man?” (Proverbs 25:20) As a habit therefore eaten by moths is of no use, and as worm-eaten wood, is neither fit to be wrought, nor does it serve as a prop, because it falls to pieces as soon as it is touched; just so a man who is gnawn and eaten by sadness, becomes unserviceable and unfit for any thing. But the evil stops not here, for sadness causes many temptations, and even very great falls, according to these words of Scripture, “sadness has killed many.” (Proverbs 25:20) Hence some call it the retreat of devils, and explain in this sense the words of Job, speaking of the devil: “He sleeps in the shade.” (Job 40:16) \ It is, say they, in this gloomy melancholy which you indulge, and it is in these thick

-darknesses which obscure your mind, that the devil retires and

reposes himself; and it is when you are in this state, that he takes his time to attack and destroy you. They explain in the same sense these words of the prophet, “you have spread darkness all over; the night is come, and all the wild beasts walk about.’’ (Psalms 103:20) For as wild beasts await the darkness to issue from their dens, so the devils wait till the obscurity of sadness covers you, that then they may torment you with all sorts of temptations. “They keep their arrows ready in their quiver, to shoot in darkness the upright man.” (Psalms 10:3)

St. Francis was wont to say, that sadness in ‘the heart of a Christian, was a subject of joy to the devil; because then it was easy to make him either despair, or turn to the pleasures of the world. Pay due attention to this; for it is a truth of great importance. In effect, what happens to those that give themselves over to sadness is, that sometimes the devil makes them despair, as we see by the examples of Cain and Judas; at other times, to attain his end, he proposes to them pleasures and amusements, as the best means of banishing their lowness of spirits; and at other times, in fine, under the same pretext, he represents to them impure images, on which he endeavours to.Make them look with pleasure. Now, these temptations which regard pleasure and impurity, and are but too frequent in those persons who give way to sadness, are very dangerous. For a religious hereupon begins to fancy that he would have been happier in the world, grows dissatisfied with his state, and readily abandons it. ‘“‘ The soul,” says St. Gregory, “can never be without pleasure; it must take it either in the things of heaven, or those of the earth.”—(Lib. xviii. Moral. c. 8.) When it begins then to have no relish for those of heaven, the devil, who knows perfectly well what man is, represents to him thoughts of impurity; and the pleasures these objects give him in his sadness, urges him to embrace them as a fit remedy for his disease.

Sadness, in a word, produces so many evils, that the wise man says, “that sadness of the heart is the greatest of all wounds, and that it quickly causes death.” (Ecclesiasticus 25).17; xxxviii. 19.) Nay, as St. Austin says, it leads even to eternal death! And it is in this sense he explains these words of Jacob to his children: “You will bring down with sorrow my grey hairs to hell.” (Genesis 42:38) Jacob, says he, was afraid the sorrow he suffered for the loss of Benjamin, would put his salvation in danger, and precipitate him into hell; and it is for this reason, adds the saint, that the apostle advises us to take care, “lest any root of bitterness springing up, should hinder grace, and by it many be defiled.” (Hebrews 12:15) At all events, it was not to ensure our ease and happiness here, that the Scripture, and holy men caution us so much against sadness—were this the only object to be attained, it would avail but little, whether we be sad or not. No! we are cautioned against sadness as being the source of unnumbered sins and evils; and it is for this very reason, that the devil makes every effort to plunge us into sadness.

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