Volume II, Treatise VI, Chapter III

That the Small Faults into Which We Fall, Ought not to Make Us Lose Our Cheerfulness and Contentment of Mind

THE saints look upon this cheerfulness asso great a good, that they say, we ought not to be discouraged, or constrained even in our spiritual falls. For though sin, as we shall prove, is one of the things that ought justly to give us sadness, yet this sadness ought to be moderated by the hope of pardon, and by our confidence in God’s mercy, for fear, says the apostle, ‘“‘ he who is in this condi- | tion should be overwhelmed by the excess of sadness.” (2 Corinthians 2:7) It was for this reason that St. Francis, who could not suffer the appearance thereof, in the countenances of his religious, said one day to one of his companions that appeared sad, that a true servant of God ought to be sad for nothing, except for having committed a sin: if you have committed one, repent, and be sorry for it; confess it, and implore the mercy of God; saying to him with the prophet, “render me, O Lord, the joy of thy salvation, and fortify my mind with the spirit of thy all-powerful grace.’” (Psalms 1:14) St. Jerom explaining this passage says, that these words, “render me the joy of thy salvation,” are the same as “render me, O Lord, the joy I had in Jesus Christ before I sinned, and this also shews with what great care the servants of God ought to entertain this holy joy in their hearts, because it is the portion of those who are in the state of grace. Father Avila reprehends those very severely, who walking in the way of God, plunge themselves to no purpose into sadness, and so fill their hearts with bitterness that they feel no more sweetness in the things of God. They appear, says he, languishing, dejected, troublesome both to themselves and to others; and this sometimes happens when they have not committed a mortal sin. But this proceeds, they will tell you, from sorrow for their venial sins, and for their regret at not having served God as they ought, and as they desire to do; and it is for this reason they are in this desolate state. But this is an error and a great illusion; for this excessive sadness into which they are plunged, may give a deeper wound to their souls, than the faults themselves for which they are afflicted. It makes them suffer the disease to augment, which they might have cured with a little prudence and courage; and thus they fall from one inconveniency into another, and this is precisely the state in which the devil wishes to have them, in order to deprive them of strength to act, and to hinder them from doing any thing else but afflict themselves. What the sight of our imperfections and weakness ought to effect in us, is, to render us more humble, and to excite us to beg a greater grace from God, because we perceive how much we stand in need thereof; and lastly, to make us stand more upon our guard, taking from the past warning for the future; foreseeing dangerous occasions to avoid them; and after this manner, we shall advance far more than by suffering ourselves to be dejected by sadness. If we abandon ourselves to this passion for the faults into which we daily fall, who would ever, says Father Avila, have any joy or repose? “For if thou, O Lord, takest notice of our iniquities, who shall be able to bear it.” (Psalms 129:3) Apply yourself seriously, to serve God, and to do your duty, and if you happen to fail in anything, trouble not yourself, and lose not courage for that; since all the world are failing in their duty. You are but a weak man, you are not an angel or saint; and God who knows very well your weakness and misery, would not have you be discouraged when you fall. He only wishes you to ask new strength of him, that, in imitation of children, who as soon as they fall, rise again, and continue to run; even so you ought quickly rise, and begin anew to run in the way of God’s commandments.

Fathers, says St. Ambrose, behold the falls of their children, rather with compassion than anger; God does the same to us. He loves us as his children, he knows our frailty, and therefore our falls and weakness excite him rather to a tender compassion, than to any indignation towards us. “As a father pities his children, go our Lord has pity and compassion upon those that fear him; for he knows of what matter we are made, and he has not forgot that we are dust.” (Psalms 102:13) One of the great consolations those have who serve God with the fervour they ought, is, to know that though they correspond not to his goodness as they should, yet he ceases not to bear with them and to love them; “because he is rich in mercy;” (Ephesians 2:4), so that all our sins disappear before his infinite mercy, and become like wax that melts before the fire. What sentiments of zeal, gratitude and cheerfulness, ought not to be excited in us by the thought, that the many faults, we daily fall into through our weakness, do not hinder God from loving us according to his wonted goodness, and do not at all diminish his

grace in us.

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