says he if any of you goes astray out of the way of Salvation and any one shall contribute to his Conversion he ought to know that he shall save the Soul of his Brother and that his Sins shall be forgiven him CHAP. XIX Of Friendships I Speak here of Friendships because they conduce much to bring Youth to Good or Evil according as they are good or bad and since young People are much inclin'd to Love and besides not having sufficient Light to discern good Friendship from hurtful it often falls out that they contract very bad Friendships which prejudice them very much and are most commonly the cause of their Destruction There is a difference between the Love of our Neighbor and Friendship We must love all Men in the manner we have said but we cannot have Friendship with all Men because Friendship is a mutual and particular Love. It is a reciprocal Communication of Affections What Friendship is by which two Persons particularly love one another and mutually procure Good to one another Friendship is such as is the Subject on which it is founded if we love in a Friend a wicked thing the Friendship is bad and vicious If we love a vain and frivolous thing as Beauty good Behavior the Friendship is frivolous and impertinent If we love a good thing the Friendship is good and laudable Now this good thing must be a real Vertue or a Perfection which may advance Vertue as Science a good Nature or the like Friendship to be good and real Three Conditions of Friendship to be good ought to have three Conditions which you must observe well It must be founded upon Vertue Tending to Vertue and Conducted by Vertue 1. It must be built upon Vertue that is we must love a Friend by reason of some good and laudable Quality which we know in him 2. Tending to Vertue because Friendship ought to desire and procure the Good of a Friend Now Vertue is the greatest and most necessary of all Goods And the Friendship by which Friends procure Favors to one another if it neglect mutually to advance Vertue according to its power is not a Friendship but a manifest Deceit 3. It ought to be directed by Vertue that is Vertue ought to be the Rule of it Amicus usque ad aras and a Friend should do nothing to a Friend which may be contrary to Vertue Friendship which causes God to be offended by a Friend is a detestable and cursed Friendship because it makes one love Man more than God. By these three Conditions Theotime you will easily discern good Friendship from evil and those you ought to fly from those you ought to seek You ought to fly the Friendship of those in whom you find no Vertue nor any Perfection which you may love as also the Friendship of those you know to be subject to any Vice as to Impurity Drunkenness Swearing whose Friendship will make you learn their wicked Quallties because as the Wiseman says Amicus stultorum similis efficietur Prov. 13. A Friend of Fools that is of vicious People will become like them Fly all Friendship which doth not tend to make you better Such is the Friendship of those who search after nothing in your Love but their own Profit or some vain Complacence they take in loving you or being belov'd by you of those who when they can do not advertise you of your Good and Salvation But above all abhor the Friendship of those who solicit you to Sin Vir iniquus lactat a micum suum ducit eum per viam non bonam Prov. 16. or flatter and cherish you in the Vices you have You ought to avoid these Friends as your greatest and most mortal Enemies Avoid the Company of all those who scruple not to offend God for your sake and to please you for Example to Rob to Cheat to Quarrel to Swear to Detract to treat ill their Neighbor to Challenge in a Duel and other such like things Have a horror for these Friendships and account that Maxim for certain Non potest homini esse amicus qui Deo fuerit infidus S. Amb. 3. Offic. cap. 19. That he who is unfaithful to God cannot be a Friend to a Man And altho' he might yet you cannot adhere to that Friendship without making your self an Enemy to God. On the contrary seek after the Friendship of those who you know carry themselves well and are endow'd with some good Qualities Melior est manisesta correptio quam amor absconditus Meliora sunt vulnera diligentis quam fraudulenta oscula odio habentis Prov. 29. by which you may profit who will move you to Vertue by their Example and good Discourses who will assist you therein by their Counsels not flatter you in your Vices but freely and charitably admonish you And in fine those who in their Friendship have the Fear of God for their Rule and your greatest and most desirable Good which is your Amendment and Salvation for their principal End. These Theotime are the good and real Friendships you must by so much more seek after as they are most rare and carefully entertain when you have found them These are the Friendships whereof the Wiseman speaks when he says that * Amicus fidelis protectio fortis qui invenit illum invenit thesaurum amico fideli nulla est comparatio amicus fidelis medicamentum vitae immortalitatis Eccl. 6. A faithful Friend is a strong Protection and he who hath found him hath found a Treasure he is more worth than all Gold and Silver he is a Medicine for Life and Immortality Ne derelinquas amicum antiquum novus enim non erit similis Eccl. 6. Love and seek after these Friendships apply your self to find them and when you have met with one conserve him carefully and abandon him not for a light changeable Mind as young People ordinarily do To find this Friendship remember First to demand it often of God for he is the Author of it and He who fears him Qui timet Dominum aeque habebit amicitiam bonam Eccl. 6. says the Wiseman will find it In the Second place be careful to love first for you must love to be belov'd But this Love must be such an one as we have said built upon Vertue tending to Vertue and directed by Vertue CHAP. XX. Of Sports and Recreations REcreation is necessary to relax the Spirits and particularly of young People and that which is taken in Sports is most proper for them it being more proportion'd to their Nature and the Capacity of their Mind Pastime then and Recreation is not contrary to Vertue but rather commanded and it is an Action of Vertue when it is done as it ought To be such The Motive of Sport. it is necessary before all things that the Motive of it be good that is that it be taken to recreate the Mind and to make it
long time For in the Ninth Year of his Reign the City of Jerusalem was Besieg'd by Nabuchadonosor King of Babylon and after Two Years Siege it was Taken Sackt and put to Fire and Sword the Temple Ransackt and Burnt those of the People who had escap'd the fury of the Sword or Famine were sent into Captivity And he flying with his Children was taken and brought before the proud King who after having receiv'd him with Expressions of Fury and Indignation caused his Childrens Throats to be cut before his Face and afterwards pull'd out his Eyes and made him be sent Captive into Babylon where he dy'd miserably undergoing the just Punishment of his Iniquities We must add to these Examples those which we have recounted in the Sixth Chapter being that all those of whom we spoke in that place are dead in their Sins and by Sins begun in their Youth These Examples are very common in Sacred Scripture the contrary are there very rare and as I have said we shall find but one only in the Old Testament who was truly Converted after he had liv'd wickedly in his Youth viz. Manasses and that by so strange a Means that it manifests more clear than Day the dreadful Difficulty with which one Corrects the wicked Inclinations of his younger Years This Prince having lost his Father Ezechias 4 Reg. 21. one of the most pious Kings of Juda at the Age of Twelve Years was Inheritor of his Crown but not of his Vertues For blotting out of his Mind presently the holy Examples and wise Documents he had receiv'd from him he addicts himself to all sorts of Vices and Impieties such as the Scripture recounts His Iniquities went on encreasing until the Fifteenth or according to others till the Two and twentieth Year of his Reign wherein God sent him an extreme Affliction He was taken by the Assyrians in the City of Jerusalem sent Captive into Babylon loaden with Irons and Chains cast into a frightful Prison where he was daily afflicted with a vast number of Miseries and Persecutions Being reduc'd to this extremity of Misery he began to open his Eyes and call upon him in his Afflictions whom he had forgotten in his Prosperity He acknowledg'd his Iniquities and begg'd Pardon for them with a truly contrite Heart and by the force of Tears and Prayers obtain'd from God his Deliverance After which he did Penance for his Sins and liv'd in Holiness all the remainder of his Life even to the Age of Sixty seven when he dy'd St. Jerom adds to this History a very remarkable Particularity which he took out of the Tradition of the Hebrews For Explicating what the Scripture says in general Terms * Qui posteaquam coangustatus est oravit Dominum Deum suum Hieron in ques Heb. in Paral. That Manasses being opprest with Affliction had recourse to God he saith that it was in the Extremity of a frightful Death to which he was expos'd He should have been put to Death in a great brazen Vessel pierc'd with many Holes set upon a hot Fire which heating the Vessel and penetrating it on every side should consume that miserable Prince by its Flames by so much the more cruel as it was tedious in duration He was shut up in this Vessel and the Fire kindled under him In this dreadful Representation of Death this misfortunate Prince apply'd not himself to God but first to the Idols which he had ador'd so strangely was he blinded with his former Sins But when he perceiv'd that it was to no end to invoke their Assistance he call'd to mind a Sentence of the Sacred Scripture which he had often heard from his Father in his Youth by which God promis'd his Succours * Dum quaesi eris Dominum Deum tuum invenies eum si tamen tâ—â—o corde quae ieris tota tribulatione animae tuae Deut. 4. to those who had recourse to him in their Tribulations and converted themselves to him with all their Heart and had a great Sorrow for their Sins He presently raises his Heart to God with Sighs and Lamentations and begs of him his Deliverance with such a Contrition for his Sins that God shew'd him Mercy and not only deliver'd him from that frightful Death but from his Slavery and made him return to Jerusalem where he spent the rest of his Life after the manner I have already touch'd See here Theotime a Conversion after a wicked Life of Youth but a Conversion purchas'd at a dear Rate CHAP. XIII Of the great Evils which spring from the wicked Life of Youth THE greatest of Evils is that whereof we speak Tenth Motive which obliges young People to Vertue viz. The loss of Salvation and Eternal Ruine which befalls many by the Sins of their Youth it being certain that Sins committed in that Age are the original Cause of Damnation to many But besides that there are many others issuing from the same Fountain which are necessary to be known dear Theotime to the end that knowing them you may conceive a greater horror of the Cause which produces them ARTICLE I. The first Evil viz. Death which the Sins of Youth hasten to very many I put in the first place Death hasten'd which happens to many young Persons in punishment of their Sins I do not mean that all those who die in the Flower of their Age die in punishment of the Sins they have committed nor also that all those who follow Vice in their Youth should be punish'd with an untimely Death I know very well that the Pious sometimes depart in the prime of their Youth and that this Death is a Recompence of their Vertue and an Effect of the Love God bears them according to that Testimony of the Sacred Scripture in the Book of Wisdom If the Just says the Wiseman Justus si morte praeoccupatus fuerit in refrigerio erit placens Deo factus dilectus vivens inter peccatores transsatus est Raptus est ne malitia mutaret intellectum ejus ne fictio deciperet animam illius facinatio enim nugacitatis obscurat bona inconstantia concupiscentiae transvertit sensum sine malitia consummatus in brevi explevit tempora multa placita enimerat Deo anima illius propter hoc properavit Dominus educere illum de medio iniquitatum Sap. 4. be prevented by Death he will find therein Repose and Salvation his Vertue having render'd him agreeable to God made him purchase his Love and merit to be taken out of this World where he liv'd amongst Sinners God withdrew him betimes lest Corruption should slip into his Mind and his Soul be deceiv'd with the false appearance of the Vanity and Pleasures of the World which delude Men and make them love those things which are most opposite to their Salvation I know also very well that there are many Sinners who live a long time and who grow old in the Vices they had contracted in their Youth
of the Emperor Theodosius the Great That he was so much in inclin'd to Meekness that he esteem'd himself oblig'd very much when one ask'd him Pardon and when he was most angry he pardon'd easiest so that one desir'd in him what was fear'd in others viz. that he should be in Choler O what an excellent Example is this and which deserves to be well consider'd 5. When you shall be put into Passion impose some Punishment upon your self as some Prayers Alms or other things express a trouble for it to those who see you 6. There is scarce any Person but says or do's something in his Anger of which he repents himself after When therefore you shall be in Choler restrain your self as much as you can from saying or doing any thing which Passion suggests Never believe your self when you are in Passion expect till it be past to judge whether a thing be ill spoken or done and you will often find that it was not 7. Entertain not your Thoughts with the Subject of your Displeasure to persuade your self that you have just cause to be angry this is but to cherish your Passion there is none but thinks he has a great deal of Reason when he is in Choler On the contrary convince your self that you may be deceiv'd and divert your Mind to another thing 8. If you desire to have an aversion for Anger consider another attentively when he is in Passion you will see nothing in him and his Actions but what will displease you The same happens to you in respect of others when you are angry And if you should see your self in a Looking-glass you would be vexed at your self and would not endure your self in that Condition 9. Fly the Conversation of impatient and cholerick Men Noli esse amicus homini iracundo ne forte discas semitas ejus Prov. 29. according to that rare Precept of the Wiseman Contract not Friendship with a cholerick Man lest you learn his Humor In sine accustom your self to be affable and benign toward others to excuse their Faults to forget Injuries to pardon easily not to be so delicate and sensible in the things which concern you to speak mildly to all And learn in good time Theotime the practise of that adorable Sentence of Jesus Christ * Discite à me quia mitis sum humilis corde Mat. 11. Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart CHAP. XV. Of Peace with our Neighbor against Quarrels and Enmities ANger produces Quarrels Young People are much subject to Quarrels Enmities and other bad Effects which we have spoken of Now it is important that you should he well Instructed concerning these had Effects of this wicked Cause being that young Men are much subject to these Disorders The Heat of their Age makes them impatient to suffer the least Injuries indiscreet and inconsiderate to be able to repress them any other ways than by those of Passion which carries them to Dissentions Enmities and Revenge From hence arise a vast number of Mischiefs and amongst other the ruin of Vertue in these young Souls for where there is no Peace there can be no Charity nor consequently Vertue And as the Apostle St. James says * Ubi zelus contentio ibi inconstantia omne opus pravum Jac. 3. Where there are Emulation and Contention Inconstancy and all sort of wicked Actions are there also It is a Rock which with all possible care you must seek to avoid learning in good time to hate Quarrels and Enmities Pacem habete Deus pacis dilectionis erit vobiscum 2 Cor. 11. and to love Peace and Concord For if you have not a peaceable Spirit the God of Peace will not be with you To acquire and preserve this peaceable Spirit Means to acquire a peaceable Mind you must have a care of Three things 1. Not to quarrel with any Person 2. Not to give occasion to others to offer any to you 3. To behave your self discreetly when any one hath a Difference with you 1. Raise no Quarrels Raise not therefore any Quarrels with others upon whatsoever occasion There are some Spirits naturally quarrelsom who are always at Debate with others Impatient Spirits which can suffer nothing rash and inconsiderate always guided by a fantastical Humor and not by Reason It is a wicked and pernicious Quality which is the Mark of a sottish and impertinent Spirit For as the Wiseman says a Labia stulti miscent se rixis os ejus jurgia provocat Prov. 18. The Vnwise thrusts himself into Quarrels and his Mouth provokes Dissentions Be not you such an one Theotime b Honor est homini qui separat se à contentionibus omnes autem miscentur contumeliis Prov. 20. It is an Honor says the Wiseman to be separated from Debates they are only ill-bred Spirits who engage themselves therein Where I speak not of another sort of quarrelsom Spirits who through Malice and a very wicked Inclination seek Quarrels and take a pleasure in raising them and making themselves Enemies These are ungracious Spirits who seek their own Misfortune and find it at length according to that Verity of the Scripture * Semper jurgia quaerit malus angelus autem crudelis mittetur contra eum Prov. 13. The Wicked seeks always Quarrels but a cruel Angel shall be sent out against them that is the Devil will bring him some Disaster which will destroy him 2. It is not sufficient to abstain from stirring up a Debate with any one you must have a care not to give occasion to others to cause a Difference with you Give no occasion of Quarrels Sometimes occasion is given upon Design and deliberate Purpose which is proper to turbulent malicious Spirits Lovers of Disturbance and Enemies of peace Sometimes and most frequently Offence is given by Imprudence for want of taking care of the things which might provoke our Neighbor This is what you must be solicitous to avoid Ejice derisorem exibit cum eo jurgium Prov. 22. Endeavor therefore to abstain from every thing that may disgust your Neighbor as too great Contradictions Detractions indiscreet Reports Contempts Sâ—offs Injuries and a thousand other like things 3. Carry your self Wisely if you be quarrell'd with Now if it chance that any one quarwith you even when you gave no occasion on your part endeavor to comport your self discreetly not permitting your self to be carry'd away with the Passion of Anger or at least returning presently to your self Above all suffer not your self to go so far as to offer an Injury or Reproach as we have already said strive to appease your Neighbor with sweet Words shewing modestly that you have done him no wrong Responsio mollis frangit iram sermo durus suscit furorem Prov. 19. or excuse your self mildly if you have offer'd him any If he be not pacifi'd for that withdraw your self from
more capable of Labor which it could not be able to undergo if it were always employ'd So that Labor is the End and Motive of Sport and Recreation From thence three Conditions follow Three Conditions to be observ'd which must be observ'd in Play that it may be good and vertuous The First Moderation To keep therein a civil Moderation for if it be taken in excess it is no more a Recreation but rather an Employment it is not to Play to be made more fit for Labor which is the sole End Pastime ought to have but only for Pleasure which is a vicious End yea it is to make one unsit for Labor because excess of Play dissipates the Spirits enfeebles the Forces of the Body and oftentimes considerably prejudices the Health by the Distempers it causes The Second Condition is An orderly Affection Not to have a disorderly Affection to Play as it happens frequently to young Persons This Affection makes them fall into the Excess we spoke of lose much Time think continually of the Means to divert themselves It is the cause that they almost never apply themselves seriously to Labor and when their Body is at Study their Mind is at their Sport and Divertisement The Third Condition is Avoiding the Cames of Hazard To fly as much as possible the Plays of Hazard such Plays keep the Mind too much ty'd to them principally young Peoples They serve not to recreate the Spirits but to give them more disturbance It is hard to observe therein a Moderation one is so engag'd either by Loss or Gain They Play there only out of Covetousness The bad Effects of Play. and to gain which is a wicked End Add the ordinary Losses one suffers which leave after them Displeasure Vexation and Despair Joyn to these the Cheats unjust Gains Choler Swearing Quarrels of which these sorts of Plays are ordinarily full The excessive loss of Time the dissipation of Mind and Goods the wicked Habits of Anger of Impatience of Swearing of Lying of Covetousness and many others which Play produces The disorderly Inclination to Play which continues all their Life and frequently ruins their Possessions and Honor and reduces them to extream Miseries as we daily see but by too many Examples and in fine makes a Man incapable of any Good. Avoid these Sports Theotime Practice as absolutely contrary to your Salvation and Happiness and addict not your self but to honest Pastimes which serve for the Divertisement of the Mind or Exercise of the Body observing therein the Conditions we have spoken of and chiefly keeping your self from Excesses which * Relaxabantur etiam mihi ad ludendum habenae ultra temperamentum severitatis in dissolutionem affectionum variarum S. Aug. lib. 2. Confes S. Augustin in his Confessions acknowledg'd to be one of the Causes of the depravation of his Youth Now this Excess is understood not only of the Time employ'd therein which ought to be well regulated but also of the Mony you Play which ought always to be very little otherwise you will Play for Gain and not for Recreation and the Sport will be a Hell and Disquiet rather than a Divertisement Besides the Mony you lose at Play would be better employ'd amongst the Poor whose Necessities will cry one day to God for your Excesses and against those of all Gamesters CHAP. XXI Of Liberality against Covetousness ALtho' it may seem that Covetousness is not an ordinary Vice amongst young Persons Youth must be arm'd against Covetousness yet it is very necessary to arm them against this Passion which easily taking root in young Souls is insensibly augmented and causes vast Disorders in their Life There are two sorts of Covetousness Two sorts of Covetousness The one which makes us love Mony to heap it up to get Treasures and Purchases The other which makes us affect it to dispose and employ it for our proper Pleasures The First is very rare amongst young People but the Second is very ordinary with them and highly prejudicial Experience makes appear that it is ordinary with them How ordinary among young Persons for as they earnestly love their Pleasures they seek after all Means to satisfie them which cannot be effected without Mony From hence it comes that they apply all their Endeavors to get it From hence the Cheats and Tricks they make use of towards their Parents to get it from them From hence their Cozening in Play their Hard-heartedness to the Poor and sometimes Robberies and unjust Ways to procure it From hence the love of Riches which we see in young Spirits the desires of great Fortunes the imaginary Designs they lay to purchase them This Passion having thus taken its beginning in Youth easily increases How prejudicial and strengthening it self by Age becomes so strangely rooted that it can never be pull'd up all the remainder of their Life And it causes that so general a Disorder which is found amongst Christians and which the Prophet deplores when he says that a A minore usque ad majorem omnes avaritiae student Jer. 16.13 From the least to the greatest all are given to Covetousness that is to the irregular love of the things of the World which b Radix omnium malorum est cupiditas 1 Tim. 6. S. Paul says is The root of all Evils This Vice takes its origin from three Causes in Youth The First is Three Causes of Avarice in young Men. what we have now spoken of The Second is the common Example of the World which they see loves and esteems Mony above all things and runs after it with insatiable greediness The Third is the Fault of Parents who inspire this Love into their Children from their tender Years Discoursing of nothing but the Care to get their Livelihood if they be Mean or Poor or of advancing and aspiring to a higher Fortune if they be Rich teaching thus their Children that which S. Cyprian reproaches them for that is Filios tuos doces patrimonium magis amare quam Christum S. Cypr. lib. de oper Eleem. To love more their Riches than Jesus Christ and to labor in such a manner for the Goods of this mortal Life that they think little or nothing on the Eternal This Evil dear Theotime must be prevented in good time It must be prevented betimes and hindred from taking possession of your Heart it being certain that there is no Vice which increases more with Age than this and which becomes more incapable of remedy For this Effect take notice of what I counsel you 1. First Means Being as we have said that the greatest Cause of this Covetousness in young People springs from the love of Pleasures use all your Endeavors to moderate that Passion which may be said to be one of the greatest Mischiefs of Youth the Cause of all the Misfortunes it commits and the chiefest Obstacle of all the Good
State and from all the Disorders that are committed in the Celebration of the Nuptials as well by the Marry'd as by those who are invited For how can God give his Benediction to a Marriage wherein the Parties bring a Heart full of lewd Thoughts and unchast Desires where they make Expences of Garments and Feasts which offend Christian Modesty and frequently exceed their State and Ability and where all things pass in a licencious freedom of saying and doing any thing So that these Nuptials are rather the Triumph of impure Love and a Feast of the Devil than a Marriage of Christians which ought to be consecrated to Modesty and sanctifi'd by the Presence of Jesus Christ These are the the most ordinary Causes of bad Marriages and of all the Miseries and Misfortunes which arise from thence From whence it follows that the first Means to succeed well in so great and important an Enterprise is carefully to avoid all these so dreadful Causes To perform this with success this is what you shall do You must be convinc'd of three Truths which are certain and undoubted Maxims in this matter The First is That the greatest Happiness that can befall him who embraces a Marry'd Life is to succeed well in the choice of the Person he would Espouse as on the contrary there is no greater Misfortune than to prosper ill in this Occasion The Second is That this good success can only come from God. And the Third That God doth not ordinarily shew this Favor but to those who have liv'd well or have done Penance and have not fall'n into the Faults we have pointed at These three Truths are express'd by the Holy Ghost himself he teaches the First when he says by the Mouth of the Wiseman a Qui invenit mulierem bonam invenit bonum hauriet salutem à domino Prov. 18. Mulieris bonae beatus vir Eccl. 26. That he who hath found a good Wife hath found a great Blessing for a good Wife makes her Husband happy That it is a Blessing which surpasses all Blessings That there is nothing which can be compar'd to a vertuous Wife And on the contrary he saith That b Qui tenet mulierem nequam quasi qui apprehendit scorpionem he who hath met with a wicked Wife is like him who hath taken up a Scorpion in his Hand And that c Commorari leoni draconi placebit quam habitare cum muliere nequam Eccl. 25. the Company of a Lion or Serpent is more supportable than that of a bad Wife The Second Truth is express'd by these excellent Words That d Datum Dei est mulier sensata tacita non est immutatio eruditae animae Eccl. 26. a prudent and discreet Wife is the Gift of God to which there is nothing comparable And in the Proverbs That e Domus divitiae dantur à parentibus à Domino autem proprie uxor prudens Prov. 19. Parents may well give a House and Riches to their Children but it appertains only to God to give a discreet Wife The Third Truth is a consequence of the Second for if God gives this great Blessing it follows also that a Man must merit it from him as he himself hath declar'd by the same Wiseman who says f Pars bona mulier bona in parte timentium Deum dabitur viro pro factio bonis Eccl. 26. A Man is happy when he finds a good Wife and that it is the Portion of those who fear God and that God gives it to Man in recompence of his good Actions And the Angel Raphael says to the Father of young Sara that his Daughter was reserv'd for young Toby because he fear'd God and that the others had been unworthy of her by reason of their Sins Huic timenti Deum debetur conjux filia tua propterea alius non potuit habere eam The Second thing you shall have to do when you shall be fully convinc'd of these Truths is to concern your self to avoid the four Faults we mention'd which are the most ordinary Causes of bad Marriages and by avoiding them to practise the contrary Actions which are the necessary Dispositions for Marriage First then Live well during your Youth Be Chast and let not the love of Pleasures take possession of your Heart Follow not the Torrent of the bad Example of those of your Age who gape after nothing but Pleasures Be afraid lest God punish you by the same way by which you shall have sinn'd and that for the Pleasures you shall have taken during your Youth which are soon past he send you the anguish and trouble of a misfortunate Marriage which will continue all your Life Secondly When you shall be at the time of thinking of Marriage be careful to look upon it with a chast and pure Eye and have nothing but a holy Intention which seeks not Pleasure and Delight in so pious a thing but the vertuous End which a Christian ought to propose to himself The Angel Raphael hath declar'd it in a word to young Toby a Accipies virginem cum timore Domini amore filiorum magis quam libidine ductus Tob. 6. You shall Marry in the Fear of God with an intention of having Children and not thro' a love of Pleasures Call to mind the terrible Example of the seven Husbands of young Sara who were all stifled by the Devil on the Day of their Nuptials and learn from thence the Cause which the same Angel told to Toby b Audi me ostendam tibi qui sunt quibus praevalere potest daemonium Hi namque qui conjugium ita suscipiunt ut Deum à se à sua mente excludant suae libidini ita vacent sicut equus mulus quibus non est intellectus habet potestatem Daemonium super eos Ibid. Give ear to me says he to him and I shall tell you who those are over whom the Devil hath power For those who enter into Marriage not having God with them or thinking on him and who only seek wanton Pleasures as Beasts which have no Reason are they over whom the Devil hath power Imprint these words deeply in your Mind and know that if the Devil only kill'd those immediately who abus'd the Sanctity of Marriage he wants not other Means to exercise over them the power God hath given him whereof he discovers but too many Effects by all the Miseries with which he infests Marriage They who would not fall into them ought to avoid the Cause and have nothing but a chast Love in their Heart so that they may truly say to God those excellent words of young Toby * Et nunc Domine tu scis quia non luxuriae causa accipio sororem meam conjugem sed sola posteritatis dilectione in qua benedicatur nomen tuum in saecula saeculorum Tob. 8. Lord thou knowest that it is not the love of Pleasures which makes me
discover themselves to any Person they fly from those who may keep them in the good Path or set them right when they are gone astray which is the cause why they remove themselves so so far from them and often never or too late return to them Act not in this manner Theotime call to mind that St. Augustin attributes to this Cause the Disorder he fell into at the end of his Studies because he had no one to take care to root out the Vices which then grew in his Soul. Forget not also what the Scripture recounts of King Joas That he was vertuous as long as he was instructed by the High Priest Joiada Fecit Joas rectum coram Domino cunctis diebus quibus docuit cum Joiada sacerdos 4 Reg. 3. he had no sooner lost the Conduct of that holy Man but he became wicked and was misfortunately ruin'd ADVICE III. That young Men must fly carefully wicked Company and particularly that of young vicious Persons of their Profession The first Snare the Devil sets at that time for the Salvation of young People See Part 3. Chap. 9. is the meeting with wicked Company We have spoken above how hurtful it is principally at that time where it is dangerous beyond imagination The reason is because the World is full of them and it is impossible but that they should fall amongst them Besides they have not as yet sufficient Judgment to discern them nor sufficient Conduct to avoid them nor force of Mind to resist them The Wicked besiege them continually to draw them to their Disorders as it is said in the Proverbs * Fili mi si te lactaverint peccatores ne acquiescas eis Si dixerint veni nobiscum c. ne ambules cum eis Prov. 1. They tell them they must do as others do Complacence moves them and Shame hinders them from contradicting Thus they find themselves overcome and perverted in a small time O God Theotime who will deliver you from this so great and so present a Danger Stand mightily in fear of this Precipice if you desire your Salvation you can never sufficiently apprehend the Danger Beseech God daily that he would deliver you Stand upon your guard to avoid them or retire from them when you shall fall amongst them Amongst wicked Company have a care chiefly of those of your own Profession you will meet with them more frequently you will have more trouble to resist them we easilier permit our selves to be won by those that are like us a Postquam autem obiit Joiada ingressi sunt principes Juda adoraverunt Regem Qui delinitus obsequiis eorum acquievit eis Et dereliquerunt templum domini Dei patrum suorum Paral. 24. King Joas who had liv'd so holily during his Youth under the Conduct of the High Priest Joiada was preverted by his Courtiers so as by their solicitation to fall into Idolatry Stand upon your guard I say that at least you may not be corrupted by them altho ' you cannot absolutely avoid the meeting with such Company For this reason fly their Conversation as much as you can when you cannot avoid them stay not long with them find some Means to break off fairly from them O Theotime how happy would you be if after this so dangerous a time of Youth you might truly say as King David b Funes peccatorum circumplexi sunt me legem tuam non sum oblitus Psal 117. Protexisti me à conventu malignantium à multitudine operantium iniquitatem Psal 65. The Snares of Sinners have environ'd me thou hast preserv'd me O God from the Assembly of the Wicked and from the multitude of those who work Iniquity ADVICE IV. That they must apply themselves quickly to some Labor which may employ their Time and make them avoid Idleness which is then most dangerous and more than at any other time Idleness is the greatest cause of the Dissoluteness of young Men when they have finish'd their Studies It is the Mother of Vices and very hard to be avoided at that time Nature of her self is inclin'd to it and most of all in Youth after Labor and a Labor perform'd with some Restraint such as is that of Study or other Employments of young Men. For this reason when they begin to enjoy Liberty and to be Masters of themselves they give reins to Idleness with so much less Restraint as they have a long time sighed after it and know not the necessity of Labor at that time nor the great Damages Idleness will bring to them In this slothfulness Vice and ill Habits grow up in a short time as it happen'd to S. Augustin They think of nothing but Play and Pastimes following all their Pleasures seeking after Companions and all the Occasions of destroying themselves To avoid this Disorder Theotime I advise you to have a great care to fly at that time this so pernicious an Idleness Apply your self betimes to a regular Labor and chiefly to that which is necessary for you to make you capable and expert in the Profession you embrace you are oblig'd to it in Conscience and in the sight of God. Add thereto the Studies proper to improve your Mind as that of History as well Sacred as Profane Chronology Geography proper Language good Authors and other like Studies which are both honest profitable and pleasing If you will take pains you will find Means enough to employ your time well and besides the Profit of your Labor you will find therein most perfect Pleasures and Satisfaction of Mind Read Part 3. Chap. 7. to which all the Contentments of the World are not comparable ADVICE V. That young People ought to have a care of avoiding three ordinary Causes of their Ruin at that time Play Wine and Impurity These are the three great Rocks on which at this time young People split and to which Idleness and Company bring them and cause their Shipwreck Some are lost by the irregular love of Gaming which occasions an excessive loss of Time prodigality of their Means Vexation and Despair and casts them frequently into Extremities Others by the excess of Wine and good Cheer which they seek then as their chiefest Happiness and which besides the ruin of their Health and Fortunes is frequently the cause of sad Mischiefs Others and the greatest part by the detestable Sin of Impurity which so universally possesses young People and principally at that time and often by all these together I beseech you dear Theotime in the Name of God to observe attentively these three Evils as the three Precipices you are to avoid at that time See what we have said above of each of these in Part 3. Chap. 8. and in Part 4. Chap. 20. Use all possible Endeavors to fly them and be confident that upon this Flight depends all your Good and Salvation ADVICE VI. That they must avoid at that time Irresolution concerning the State they ought to choose
ab adolescentia sua Thren 3. good for a Man to carry his Yoke from his Youth that is to addict himself to Vertue and to bear the pleasing Yoke of Gods Commandments Why in Ecclesiasticus doth it exhort young People so powerfully to Vertue by those excellent Words able to win the most insensible Hearts Son d Fili à juventute tua accipe doctrinam usque ad canos invenies sapientiam quasi is qui arat seminat accede ad eam sustine bonos fructus illius in opere enim illius paululum laborabis cito edes de generationibus illius Quam aspera est nimium sapientiae indoctis hominibus non permanebit in illa excors Quibus autem cognita est permanet usque ad conspectum Dei. Eccl. 6. receive Instructions from your Youth and you shall find Wisdom even to the end of your Life Approach unto it as he who would Cultivate the Earth that is with Care and Labour and expect the pleasing Fruit which it will bring you You will labour a little to obtain it but soon after you will tast of its admirable Fruits 'T is true Vertue is hard and difficult but it is only to those who are insensible and vicious But those who have once known it well find it pleasing and never part with it any more and it will continue with them even to the last accomplishment of their Salvation in Eternal Glory And all the rest of that Chapter is but a continual Exhortation to young People to become Vertuous Wherefore in the Twenty fifth Chapter doth it say Quae in juventute tua non congregasti quomodo in senectute tua invenies Eccl. 25. That it is impossible to find in old Age what was not laid up in Youth And Lastly Amongst the Books of Sacred Scripture why was there one expresly made for the Instruction of Youth which is that of Proverbs Doth not all this manifestly discover that the Holy Ghost would give Men to understand that the Time of Youth is of extream Consequence and the greatest Part esteem it not And that all Happiness and Misfortune of Men whether in this Life or in the next depends ordinarily on that Time well or ill bestow'd It being commonly most certain that those obtain their Salvation who in their Youth are bred up in the Fear of God and Observation of his Commandments And that those who have not been Educated in that Fear of God or who cast it from before their Eyes to follow Sin with more Liberty do misfortunately Perish All this Truth is rais'd from those Two Foundations whereof the First is That those who have follow'd Vertue in their Youth continue easily therein all the remainder of their Life And the Second That on the contrary those who have given themselves over to Sin at that time do very hardly correct themselves and most frequently are never withdrawn We shall discover these two Truths more amply in the following Chapters CHAP. VIII That those who have follow'd Vertue in their Youth conserve it easily all the remainder of their Life EXperience makes this Proposition so evident Eighth Motive that it is accounted a thing most certain in the Sentiment of the Sacred Scripture and understanding Men. To make you more sensible of it I shall discover unto you the Reasons thereof relying upon both those Authorities The First is That Habits gotten in Youth are conserv'd a long time and are not easily lost This is clear in the Holy Scripture Prov. 22. The young Man will not leave in his old Age the manner of Living he hath once begun that is very rarely It is incredible how powerful the first Impressions are and how deeply the first Habits are rooted in young Souls The first Impressions of young Minds saith S. Jerom are very hardly defaced S. Jero Epist ad Laet. Difficulter eraditur quod rudes animi perbiberunt lanarum conchylia quis in pristinum candorem revocet recens testa diu saporem retinet odorem quo primum imbuta est Wooll which hath once taken its first Tincture doth not easily lose it to return to its former Candor And an Earthen Vessel keeps long the Smell and Tast of that Liquor wherewith it was first Season'd For this Reason the Scripture says a Thren 3. That it is good that is to say very important for a Man to addict himself to Vertue in his Youth Because having acquir'd it in that Time it is easily conserv'd the remainder of ones Life As it says in that other place b Eccl. 6. Receive Instruction in your Youth and you shall find Wisdom even unto the end of your Life S. Bernard says S. Bern. lib. De ordi vitae Multi senes diu viventes nihil proficientes quia nullas sibi in opportuno tempore divitias congregarunt That we need not seek any other Causes why we see so many old Men full of Vices and destitute of all sorts of Vertues but because they acquir'd them not in their Youth which is the proper Time for it * Senectus eorum qui adolescentiam suam honestis artibus instrukerunt in lege Domini meditati sunt aetate fit doctior usu certior processu temporis sapientior veterum studiorum dulâ—issimos fructus metit Jerom. Epist ad Nepot And S. Jerom describing the excellent Qualities of the old Age of those who apply'd themselves to Vertue in their Youth saith That they become more Knowing by their Age more Assur'd by Experience more Discreet by the Process of Time and gather the agreeable Fruits of the ancient Labours of their Youth The Second Reason is because Youth is the Time of most violent Temptations which being overcome we easily surmount all others The Temptations of Pleasure are without question the most violent Inter omnia Christianorum certamina duriora sunt praelia castitatis ubi quotidiana pugna rara victoria S. Aug. Serm. 250. de temp Quem tormenta non vicerant superabat voluptas Jer. in vit Paulin. they sometimes conquer those whom Torments could not overcome Now altho' these Temptations are common to all Ages yet nevertheless it is most certain that they are ordinarily more strong and frequent in Youth which as * Adolescentia multa corporis bella sustinet inter incentiva vitiorum carnis titillationes quasi ignis in lignis viridibus suffocatur S. Jerom. Epist ad Nepot S. Jerom says is a continual Combat of Chastity and being environ'd with the Occasions of Sin and urg'd by the Provocations of the Flesh it suffers very much to conserve its Purity like Fire that is almost choak'd with green Wood heap'd upon it But when by the Succours of Divine Grace which as we have shewn above are greater and more abundant in Youth as the Temptations are more frequent and impetuous one has gain'd the Victory in these first Encounters it happens
he suffer'd this with an admirable Meekness comforting himself in the satisfaction of his Innocence of which he had God for Witness and Protector And God who had always been with him leaves him not on this Occasion but as the Sacred Scripture says * Descenditque cum illo in foveam in vinculis non dereliquit eum donec afferret illi Sceptrum regni Sap. 15. he descended with him into the Cistern assisting him with his Grace and wonderfully delivering him as he did presently after To these two Trials succeeds the Third yet greater This was the high Prosperity to which he was rais'd For having Interpreted Pharaoh's Dream by the Knowledge God gave him of Things to come Gen. 41. this King not only delivers him out of Prison but makes him the Chiefest of all his Kingdom over which he gave him a general Charge with an absolute Power to dispose of all things according to his Will and with a Command to all his Subjects to Obey him as himself In this high Degree of Fortune which ordinarily dazles Mens Eyes and where mean Vertues are lost and quickly ruin'd Joseph remains firm in his former Vertue always like himself The forgetfulness of God Pride Covetousness Revenge which are accustom'd to attend upon high Fortunes could never prevail upon his Mind Having occasion to revenge himself of his Brothers who came into Egypt to make their Provision during a severe Famine he not only refuses to do it but receives them with such Tenderness and Testimonies of Affection as draw Tears from those who read the Account the Scripture gives of it He governs himself in his Charge with so much Justice Gen. 45. that never any made Complaint of his Conduct And on the contrary the Egyptians did Honourably acknowledge him for their Deliverer being freed from Want during a Seven-years Famine by his eminent Prudence which purchas'd for him in those Countries the Name of The Saviour of the World. He persever'd thus in Vertue and Fear of God in the midst of his Grandeurs from the Age of Thirty when he was rais'd to that Fortune even to the Age of an Hundred and ten wherein he dy'd O Theotime reflect well upon this Example and learn from it what a Vertue acquir'd in Youth is able to do I should content my self with this Example if that which follows were not also admirable to discover the same Verity It is of Toby the Father of young Toby of whom the Scripture reports things full of Admiration which he perform'd first in his Youth and afterwards in the remainder of his Life See what it says Toby was a young Man of the Tribe and City of Nephthali Second Example of Toby Tob. 2. Cumque esset Junior omnibus in tribu Nephthali nihil tamen Puerile gessit in opere Denique cum irent omnes ad vitulos aureos quos Jeroboam fecerat Rex Israel Hic solus fugiebat consortium omnium pergebat in Jerusalem ad Templum Domini ibi adorabat Dominum Deum Israel omnia primitiva sua decimas suas fideliter offerens Haec his similia secundum legem Dei puerilus observabat and altho' he were the youngest of all those of his Tribe yet nothing of Youth or Childishness appeard in his Actions And when all others went to Sacrifice to the Golden Calf of Jeroboam King of Israel he alone flying the Company of them went to Jerusalem to the Temple of God and there Ador'd the God of Israel Offering to him faithfully all his First-fruits and Tenths He perform'd these things adds the Scripture and many other such like according to the Law of God being yet very young O the admirable Life Theotime of a young Man who acted nothing Childish that is nothing contrary to Vertue who permitted not himself to be carry'd away by the Torrent of ill Example continuing in the Service of God when all others withdrew themselves from it A Youth spent so vertuously could not but be follow'd by a perfect and a Saintly Life as you shall see Toby being come to Mans Age In captivitate positus viam veritatis non deseruit was sent into Captivity by the Assyrians with all his Country-men to the City of Ninive Being there he departed not from the Path of Vertue which he had so happily enter'd in his Youth For First Et cum ederent ex cibis Gentilium Ipse custodivit animam suam nunquam contaminatus est in escis eorum As he had learn'd in his Youth to resist the wicked Examples of others he permitted not himself to be corrupted in his Captivity by the Example of his Country-men who eat licentiously the Meat of Gentiles which the Law of God forbad them Secondly Having receiv'd from the King of the Assyrians whose special Favour he had gain'd by the reputation of his Vertue Permission to go freely thro' all his Kingdom he went to Visit all those who were in Captivity Pergebat ergò ad omnes qui erant in captivitate monita Salutis dabat eis and gave them Admonishments concerning their Salvation Exhorting them to continue faithfully in the Service of God. Thirdly The Affliction of the Captiv'd Israelites being become more severe he daily went to Visit and Comfort them Distributed amongst them what he was able to give them Fed the Hungry Cloth'd the Naked and had a particular Care with an unparallell'd Charity to Bury all the Dead he found notwithstanding the Displeasure of the King which he had incurr'd by that Action even to the danger of his Life But what is yet more admirable is the Patience with which he endur'd the most sensible Affliction of Blindness which befell him by an unexpected Accident in the Fifty sixth Year of his Age. One Day as he return'd to his House weary'd with the Burial of many Dead he chanc'd to fall asleep under a Wall from the top whereof the Dung out of a Swallows Nest fell upon his Eyes and took away his Sight This was doubtless a very great Affliction and a most rigorous Trial but he supported it with so admirable a Patience that the Sacred Scripture compares it to that of Job And that which is most considerable is that it attributed the Cause thereof to the Piety and Fear of God wherein he had liv'd in his Youth Behold what it says a Hanc autem tentationem ideo permisit Deus evenire illi ut posteris daretur exemplum patientiae ejus sicut sancti Job Nam cum ab insantia sua semper Deum timuerit mandata ejus custodierit non est contristatus contra Deum quod plaga caecitatis evenerit ei sed immobilis in Dei timore permansit agens gratias Deo omnibus diebus vitae suae Now God permitted that this Temptation should befall him to give to Posterity an Example of his Patience as of that of holy Job For whereas he always feared
non fatageret idem pater qualis crescerem tibi aut quam castus essem dummodo essem disertus Ibid. Volebat enim illa secreto memini ut monuerit cum solicitudine ingenti ne fornicarer Qui mihi monitus muliebres videbantur quibus obtemperare erubescerem Ibid. The little Care his Father took for his Salvation and Manners concerning himself little that his Son should be Vertuous so that he became Learned and Eloquent as it happens to many Fathers Thirdly The Contempt of the Admonitions of his Mother who knowing her Sons Mind exhorted him continually not to permit himself to be carry'd away by the Excesses of Impurity but to no Effect Fourthly Quid dignum vituperio nisi vitium ego ne vituperarer vitiosior fiebam ubi non suberat quo admisso aequarer perditis fingebam me fecisse quod non feceram ne viderer abjectior quo eram innocentior ne vilior haberer quo eram castior Ibid. The wicked Examples of those of his Age so much prevail'd upon his Mind that he endeavour'd to be more Impious to the end he might be more like unto them and when he saw himself surpass'd by them in Wickedness he feign'd some Naughtiness which he had never committed fearing to be contemn'd by how much he appear'd less Vicious than others Fifthly Relaxabantur etiam mihi ad ludendum habenae ultra temperamentum severitatis in dissolutionem affectionum variarum Et in omnibus erat caligo intercludens mihi Deus meus serenitatem veritatis tuae prodibat tanquam ex adipe iniquitas mea Ibid. Cap. 5. The great Liberty his Parents gave him for Play and Recreations as he himself also takes notice These Causes cast him into Vice and cherish'd him in his Disorders the space of Three Years after which he began to open his Eyes and acknowledge his Misery It is here Theotime where you shall know the great Difficulty with which one withdraws himself from the Vices of his Youth Being Nineteen Years of Age he conceiv'd very effectual thoughts of his Salvation which God rais'd in him by reading * Ille vero Liber mutavit affectum meum ad teipsum Domine mutavit preces meas ac vota ac desideria mea fecit alia a Book of Cicero whose Title is Hortensius containing an Exhortation to Wisdom The reading of this Book as he himself saith chang'd presently his Mind and Inclinations and made him convert his Thoughts upon God and alter his Desires Viluit mihi repentè omnis vana spes immortalitatem sapientiae concupiscebam aestu cordis incredibili Et surgere jam caeperam ut ad te redirem Quomodo ardebam revelare à terrenis ad te Lib. 3. cap. 4. He began to contemn temporal and perishable Goods and Pleasures and to aspire with an incredible Longing after the Beauty of Wisdom which never perisheth And from that Time he began to depart from Vice and to return to God with a most ardent Desire Who would not have believ'd but that these good Motions would have been soon follow'd by a perfect Conversion But alas Theotime what is not a wicked Habit contracted in Youth able to do Vice and wicked Inclinations had so seis'd upon his Heart that altho' these Thoughts of his Conversion were very strong and that he us'd all his Endeavours to recover himself from that Puddle of Dirt wherein he was plung'd yet he continu'd therein not only a Day a Month a Year but from the Nineteenth to the Thirtieth Year of his Age And the Vices contracted in Three Years of his Youth kept him in Slavery Twelve whole Years During which Time he not only remain'd in his former Disorders but fell into others yet greater For as Immodesty leads to Error and Blindness he lapsed into the Heresie of Manichaeus wherein he continu'd Nine Years joyning to his Heresie the continual keeping of a Concubine in which State he liv'd from his first Corruption until the Time of his Conversion Being about Thirty Years of Age he thinks more seriously of his Conversion than formerly as he describes it in the Sixth Book Chap. 11. But hearken Theotime with what trouble he purchas'd his Design After that first Thought Cum haec dicebant alternabant hi venti impellebant huc atque illuc cor meum transibant tempora tardabam converti ad Dominum Deum deferebam de die in diem vivere in te non deferebam quotidie in meipso mori he remain'd yet above Two Years in his wicked Life deferring daily as he saith himself to be Converted unto God and to seek in him the Life of Grace not reflecting on the Death he caus'd in himself by his deprav'd Life He ought to have employ'd much Time in curing his Understanding and rooting out the Errors and Ignorances which yet remain'd of his Life past as he describes them in the Seventh Book and convincing himself of the necessity of his Conversion His Understanding being overcome Et non erat jam ulla excusatio qua videri mihi solebam propterea me nondum contempto saeculo servire tibi quia incerta mihi esset perceptio veritatis jam enim ipsa certa erat ego autem adhuc terra obligatus militare tibi recusabam impedimentis omnibus sic timebam expediri quemadmodum impediri temendum est Lib. 8. cap. 5. Et ego ad me quae non in me dixi quibus sententiarum verberibus non flagellavi animam meam ut sequeretur me conantem post te ire renitebatur Recusabat non se excusabat Consumpta erant convicta argumenta omnia Remanserat muta trepidatio quasi mortem reformidabat restringi à fluxu consuetudinis quo tabescebat mortem Cap. 7. and his Will not yet submitting the vicious Habits did in such a manner possess his Heart that they made him fear his Amendment more than his Life as he himself testifies He should have rooted out the Vices one after another Ambition Covetousness Impurity Ambition and Covetousness were soon banisht out of his Soul but that misfortunate Impurity kept yet a firm possession He was so enslav'd therewith Mihi displicebat quod agebam in saeculo oneri mihi valde erat non jam inflammantibus cupiditatiâ—us ut solebant spe honoris pecuniae ad tolerandam illam servitutem tam gravem Sed adhuc tenaciter colligabar ex femina Lib. 5. cap. 1. Putabam me miserum fore si feminae privarer amplexibus Lib. 6. cap. 11. that he thought he should never have been able to have got his Liberty accounting it an extreme Misery to be depriv'd of those ignominious Pleasures which are the source of all Misfortunes And Lastly The difficulty of his Conversion was so great that after many Combats which he underwent in his Soul during the space of Fourteen or Fifteen Years after the Solicitude Prayers and Tears
most proper to them makes a particular Congratulation to young People for the Victory they have gain'd over that Enemy as be those who are most persecuted * Scribo vobis adolescentes quoniam viciltis malignum Scribo vobis juvenes quoniam fortes estis verbum Dei manet in vobis vicistis malignum 1 Job 2. I write to you young Men says he because you have conquer'd the malignant Spirit I write to you young People because you are valiant and the Word of God hath remain'd with you and you have over come the Enemy O dear Theotime happy are all those young People to whom with truth we may say that they have conquer'd the Enmy of their Salvation I represent unto you here the War he wages against those of your Age that we may congratulate you in that manner and that by the Persecution he raises against you you may know First how necessary it is that you should be Vertuous in your Youth since the Devil endeavors so powerfully to divert you Secondly with how much Courage you ought to resist the Attempts of that cruel Enemy who seeks your Destruction with so much Fury How is it possible you should not stand in horror of that Enemy of your Salvation and that you should not stand more in dread of letting your self be overcome by that detestable Enemy who seeks all ways to destroy you for ever than of Death it self CHAP. XV. The Conclusion of all that hath been said above IT is time to put an end to this First Part Reed attentively this Chapter and in Recapitulating all that we have said to represent to you in short the great Obligations you have to addict your selves to Vertue in your Youth Certain it is then Theotime that it is of no light Consequence that you should be Vertuous in your younger Years and that the good or evil Life of Youth is not Childs Play nor a thing that deserves little Care or Regard as the greatest part of the World thinks but that it is a Business of great Importance the Consequence whereof is founded upon all that is most high and sacred in the Interests of the Service of God and Salvatiion of Men. 1. Above Chap. 1. You are oblig'd to Serve God in your Youth by reason of the Acknowledgment you owe to him as to your Creator and as to your Sovereign Master for the Being you have receiv'd from him and by reason of the most sublime and excellent End for which he hath Created you having made you for nothing less than to possess him eternally in Heaven after you have faithfully Serv'd him upon Earth 2. Chap. 2. By reason of the vast Favours he has bestow'd upon you by Calling you to Christianity and to the true Religion out of which there is no Salvation 3. Chap. 3 4. Because the Service of young People is singularly pleasing to God since he loves them with a particular Affection and is pleas'd to confer many Benefits upon them 4. Chap. 5. Because you cannot refuse him your Service without offering him a very heinous Injury 5. Chap. 6. By reason he hath an incredible Aversion for wicked young People 6. Chap. 7 8 9 10 11 12. Because your Eternal Salvation hath a great dependence upon the Life you lead in your Youth So that if you set your Affection upon Vertue in your younger Years you will easily conserve it all the remainder of your Life and if you follow Vice you cannot withdraw your self but with very great difficulty and perhaps not at all 7. Chap. 13. By reason of the heavy Misfortunes which spring from the wicked Life of Youth untimely Death Obdurateness in Sin the loss of many fair Hopes and the overflowing of Vice amongst Men. 8. Chap. 14. And Lastly Because of the Persecution which the Devil raises against young People whom he continually endeavors to withdraw from the Service of God and cast betimes into Disorders that he may destroy them without recovery After all these Reasons I demand of you Theotime whether now you have any cause to doubt what you have to do Are not these Considerations powerful enough to convince you absolutely of the Obligation you have to addict your self to Vertue in your Youth And if you be convinc'd thereof what do you mean What is your Design and Resolution for the future Perhaps hitherto you have not comprehended the greatness of this Obligation but now understanding it clearly what Judgment ought you not to expect from God * Job 24. Ipsi fuerunt rebelles lumini If you be rebellious to the Light and act as those Impious in the Scripture who say to God Depart from us Qui dixerunt Deo recede à nobis Scienti am viarum tuarum nolumus we will not receive the knowledge of thy Ways The Sacred Scripture recounts that the Jews being return'd from the Captivity of Babylon 2 Esdras 8. the Prophet Esdras caus'd the Book of the Law to be publickly Read unto them from whence they had receiv'd no Instruction for the space of the Seventy Years of their Captivity That People had scarce begun to understand the Law when they fell a Weeping most bitterly and made the Air to refound with their Cries and Lamentatious So that the Priests and Levites who Read the Law were more Employ'd to stop their Tears and Comfort them than to Instruct them This poor People did miserably deplore their Misfortune of being ignorant of their Duty and Obligation to the Service of God and of being so far remov'd as not to come to the knowledge thereof O dear Theotime I beseech the Divine Goodness by his Grace to work the same Effects in your Heart After reading the Truths I have represented to you is it possible that you should not be touch'd with the force of Truth and your own Salvation And that after reading all these Reasons which shew you the strict Obligations you have to the Service of your Creator you should shut the Book without making any reflection upon your self or upon your Resolutions for the future I conjure you by the Honor and Respect you owe to God by the Love you owe to his Son Jesus Christ your Gracious Saviour by the Affection you ought to have for your Eterna Salvation I conjure you I say that you do not read these Truths unprofitably and that when you have read them you do not cast the Book out of your Hands until you have made a full Resolution to hink seriously on your Salvation and to Correct your past Life by a Holy and Vertuous one if it hath been Disorderly It is here dear Child where you must open your Eyes to see your self and deplore your past Offences and the Blindness which hath produced them saying with S. Augustin * Vae vae tenebris meis in quibus jacui Vae caecitati illi in quâ videre non poteram lumen coeli
the Fault of Parents who are wanting in this great Obligation God hath impos'd upon them of Educating them in his Fear and disposing them to Vertue Now there are four Defects which Parents may be guilty of in this Obligation which most frequently are the Cause of the Corruption and Ruin of Children Four Faults Parents may commit in the Instruction of their Children 1. When they neglect to Instruct them in the knowledge of Vertue and their Salvation 2. When they are too Indulgent in their Place giving too much Liberty and not Correcting them when they do ill 3. When they give them bad Example by their Actions 4. When they suborn them in things contrary to Piety We have spoken above of the First Defect As to the Second it is not to be imagin'd how common this Fault is amongst Parents and how it daily destroys Children appears by Experience The greatest part of fathers and Masters affect their Children with a foolish and blind Love which regards nothing but the present and sensible Good of their Children and are afraid to give them the least trouble by keeping them within the Bounds of Vertue by a discreet Admonition or by a reasonable Correction they choose rather to leave them in their wicked Inclinations which for want of Correction encreasing with Age make them wicked and vicious for all the remainder of this Life and miserable after this Life for all Eternity Misfortunate Parents who by this sort of Mildness precipitate themselves with their Children into the deep Pit of Wickedness like those foolish Animals which kill their young ones by the vehemence of embracing them Blind Fathers who see not that this Mercy you shew to your Children is the greatest Cruelty you can exercise in your Condition and you would not be so cruel if you took away their Life with your own Hands it being certain that by this Inhumanity you would but destroy their Bodies whereas by your Mildness you cause the ruin of their Souls and the eternal loss of their Salvation The time will come wherein your Children will lay their Curses on you will require of God revenge against you and will accuse you as the Authors of their Misfortune witness he who being Condemn'd to Death cry'd out aloud It is not the Judge but my Mother who is the Cause of my Punishment Your culpable Meekness will one day draw upon you the Curse of God and also upon your Children Upon your selves because you have neither Instructed nor Corrected them when they stood in need Upon your Children because they made use of your Indulgence to give themselves over to vice and Disorder See the Example of the High Priest Heli recounted above and learn from that terrible Punishment God laid upon him what you ought to expect For all the Miseries which besel as well him as his Children and his whole House and for their first and principal Source the great Indulgence he had towards his Children not Correcting them for their Sins This is the Testimony God himself gives thereof I will judge says he the House of Heli Praedixi quod judicaturus essem domum ejus propter iniquitatem eo quod noverat indignè agere filios non corripuerit eos 1 Reg. 3. by reason of his Iniquity because having knowledge of the wicked Life of his Children he hath neither reprehended nor corrected them I cannot sufficiently exaggerate this Fault of Parents Theotime to raise in you so great a horror as it deserves Practice It is to admonish you if God hath bestow'd upon you wise and vertuous Parents who have had a great care to Instruct you in Vertue to Reprehend you when you were faulty that you acknowledge the Obligation you owe to God and make good use of this high Favor by rendring your self pliable and easie to be Instructed by their Admonitions But on the contrary if your Parents forgetful of their own Duty and your Salvation fail to reprehend you when you commit any Misdemeanor have a great care lest you be ruin'd by their misfortunate Indulgence Beg of God very earnestly that he would change their Disposition and give you Masters who would supply their Defect and take notice of your Actions to redress them when you shall wander never so little out of the Path of Vertue I say the same if your Parents be not only negligent in reprehending you but what is yet worse if they give you ill Example teaching you as it often happens by their Actions to love the Pleasures of this Life to desire Riches without measure to affect Vanity to be Proud Ambitious Cholerick seeking Revenge not suffering the least Injury Immodest in Words addicted to Feasting to Drunkenness to Impurity and other like things And yet more if they be so miserable as to teach you by their Discourses one or many Vices approve or praise them when you have committed them O God dear Child stand in fear of all these Occasions you cannot be in a greater danger of your Salvation and having recourse to God beseech him that he would illuminate you to discern Good from Evil that he would strengthen your Mind against the bad Impressions you shall receive and not be destroy'd by their Fault who ought to be the first who should contribute to your Salvation CHAP. III. The Third Obstacle of the Salvation of Youth the Vntractableness of young Persons SAint Jerom says excellently well Saepe magister peccat saepe discipulus nonnunquam patris vitium est nonnunquam filii ut male erudiatur S. Hier. in cap. 6. Michaeae That altho' the depravation of Children springs often from the Parents and Masters Pault yet it very frequently proceeds also from the Childrens Wickedness who will not receive Instruction and this Fault is call'd Vntractableness This Untractableness is a want of submission to the Conduct of others or a secret Presumption of ones self by which one will not be inform'd of the Truth he ought to know nor receive Advice in those things he ought to do nor be Reprov'd and Corrected when he has err'd nor Exhorted to Good when he has done amiss This Vice is one of the worst Qualities a Mind can be infected with A very bad Quality of the Mind For if we regard its Causes it proceeds from Pride Its Causes which makes them contemn all that comes from another or from Obstinacy or Confidence in their own Judgment or from a too great Lightness of Mind which considers nothing and which makes them despise the most important things If we consider its Effects Its Effects it infallibly causes the Corruption and Ruin of those who are infected with it being it takes away all Means of Correction or Amendment for how should one do Good if he will not know it How correct his Faults if he will not be rebuked The Sick who will acknowledg his Distemper and rejects the Remedies for it is out of hope of any
instituit ut laboret S. Bern. in Declam Consider that all Men are born for Labor God hath oblig'd them thereto by a solemn Sentence which he pronounc'd at the beginning of the World. If then you would be exempt leading an Idle Life you resist the Will of God and break the Order he hath so solemnly Establish'd 2. If Men be oblig'd to Labor all their Life-time they have yet a stricter Obligation to it during their Youth because if that Age be not Exercis'd in vertuous Undertakings it heaps up many Vices and wicked Habits which continue all the rest of their Life 3. Chiefly young Men. Because Youth is the proper time to cultivate the Mind and form it for Good and wherein only they may make themselves capable of an Employment where they may busie all the succeeding time of their Life If this Time be once lost it can never be repair'd Time lost in any Age never returns but there is this difference that Time lost in other Ages may sometimes be recover'd but Time lost in Youth is irreparable 4. The Sorrow for loss of Time in Youth Consider attentively the Grief you will one day have for losing the Time of your Youth when you shall find your self unfit for pious Employments and uncapable of any Good as it happens to many You believe it not at present but one day you will be sensible of it when it is too late 5. The Account that must be given If this Grief at present move you not the exact Account you shall give to God of the ill-spent Time of your Youth will at his Judgment make you tremble In that dreadful Judgment all your Life shall be set before your Eyes in order one Part after another and the first Article of the Account which shall be Examin'd will be that of the Employment you have follow'd in your Youth What will you answer to this Demand There you will distinctly discover all the Disorders which have sprung from that first Fault the Ignorances it hath caus'd in you the Sins it hath made you commit the Vices wherein you have been involv'd all the Goods you have been render'd incapable of What have you to answer to all these things 6. Many damned for the ill spending of their Touth How many others are there now in Hell who acknowledg the origin of their Damnation to arise from the ill spending the Time of their Youth If they could but hope for one sole Moment of Time which you have now in your power O God what would they not do to obtain it and bestow it profitably Is it possible that their Misery doth not move you and that you will not grow wise at other Mens Expence learning by their Example to avoid that irreparable Misfortune into which they are faln by their Idleness O dear Child for the love you ought to have for your Salvation fly absolutely this Vice I beseech you which is one of the greatest Impediments you could put And that you may remember to avoid it remember to perform two things The First is Two Practices against Idleness To apply your self to some modest Exercise which may keep you busi'd for the Time of your Youth and that you may perform it as you ought see what we have spoken of it above in Part 2. Chap. 12. The Second is That you take care as much as you can never to be Idle any more without doing something use constantly some Action whether of Labor wherein you are engag'd or Reading or Divertisement Let your Recreations be accompany'd with Actions either of Body or Mind The Devil seeks no better opportunity than to find you Idle that he may tempt and suprise you For this reason practise diligently that excellent Precept of S. Jerom * Facito aliquid operis ut te semper diabolus inveniat occupatum Hieron Epist ad Rust Be doing always something that the Devil may always find you employ'd CHAP. VIII The Eighth Obstacle Impurity WE are now come to the greatest most powerful and most universal of all the Obstacles of the Salvation of Youth viz. the Sin of Impurity At the Entrance whereof I cannot refrain from uttering that Expression of the Prophet Jeremy * Quis dabit capiti meo aquam oculis meis fontem lachrymarum plorabo die nocte interfectos filiae populi mei Jerem. 5. O that my Head were full of Water and my Eyes had a Fountain of Tears that I might weep Day and Night for the Desolation of my People For who can attentively consider the infinit number of young People which this Sin keeps miserably enslav'd the havock it makes of their Souls the innumerable Offences it causes them to commit the Disorders it brings to them the Misfortunes into which it daily precipitates them and chiefly the height of Misery viz. the ruin of their Soul and Eternal Damnation Who can consider these things I say without having his Heart pierc'd with Sorrow and without being mov'd with Compassion to advertise them of the Danger and afford them Assistance to withdraw them from the Misfortune into which they blindly run For this reason Theotime I beseech you six here your Thoughts and read attentively some Points of which I am to Discourse with you concerning this Sin that I may raise in your Mind the horror and apprehension you ought to have of it as of the greatest Enemy of your Salvation and of the certain cause of your Destruction ARTICLE I. That the Sin of Impurity is the greatest Enemy of Youth and Damns more than all other Vices together I would to God this Proposition were rather a Dream than a Truth and that there were as much reason to question the certainty as to hold it for infallible But it is made too clear and visible by daily Experience which evidently discovers two things 1. That a great part of Youth is addicted to this miserable Sin. 2. That amongst those who are inclin'd to it there are many who are no less subject to other Sins than that First Youth much given to the Sins of Impurity Is it not a most deplorable thing to see the innocentest Age of Life so corrupted by that infamous Sin and the most flourishing Portion of Gods Church dishonor'd in such a manner by that detestable Vice They are no sooner capable of Reason but this Vice attacks and gains upon them it creeps into their Mind it possesses their Desires it seises on their Thoughts it inflames their Hearts with a love of dishonest Pleasures which daily encreasing with Age becomes so strong that it is almost impossible to extinguish it This arises partly from the Corruption of Nature Three Causes of Impurity Sensus cogitatio humani cordis in malum prona sunt ab adolescentia sua Gen. 8.3 which as the Sacred Scripture takes notice is inclin'd to Evil from its Youth partly from the Temper and Constitution of that Age which the
Remedy is to resist it betimes and in its first assaults before it hath gotten possession and render'd it self Master of your Heart This The necessity of this Remedy Theotime is the great Remedy against this Sin and principally in Youth wherein it is so necessary that for want of practising it the greatest part of young Men are misfortunately engag'd in this Vice and oftentimes so deeply that they are never able to free themselve or with very great trouble It is the chief Maxim for all Distempers whether of Body or Soul to apply their Remedies in the beginning Principiis obsta sero medicina paratur Cum mala per longas invaluere moras The Motions unto Ill at first withstand The Cure's too late when Vice has got Command Now if the practice of this Maxim be necessary in all both Corporal and Spiritual Distempers it is particularly in this Sin of Impurity which is easily increas'd and makes a wonderful progress in a small time For this reason the Fathers have recommended it with much care hearken Theotime to what they shall deliver to you St. Cyprian says Diaboli primis titillationibus obviandum nec foveri debet coluber donec in draconem formetur Cypr. de jejunio Diabolus Serpens est lubricus cujus capiti hoc est primae suggestioni si non resistitur totus in interna cordis dum non sentitur illabitur S. Hier. in c. 9. Eccles Quid est libido nisi ignis Quid virtutes nisi flores Quid item turpes cogitationes nisi paleae Quis autem nesciat si in paleis ignis negligenter extinguitur ex parva scintilla omnes paleae accenduntur Qui ergo virtutum flores in mente non vult exurere ita debet libidinis ignem extinguere ut per tenuem scintillam nunquam possit ardere S. Greg. in c. 25. 1 Reg. l. 6. That we must resist the first Temptations of the Devil and to do otherwise is to cherish an Adder which will grow up into a Serpent able to devour him who harbour'd it S. Jerom says That the Devil is a creeping Serpent and as to keep a Serpent from entring into a Hole we hinder it from putting in its Head which being once enter'd it cannot be stopt from introducing its whole Body So to hinder the Devil from having admittance into our Soul by Sin we must resist the first Temptations which if not withstood he insensibly creeps into the Heart and makes himself Master of it St. Gregory says That Impurity is enkindled in the Soul like Fire in Straw and as if one doth not quickly and entirely extinguish the Fire it burns all that it encounters so if the Flame of Incontinence be not carefully put out it causes a Fire in the Soul which is often without remedy But give ear In initio cogitationis iniquae repelle fugiet à te cogitatio prava delectationem parit delectatio consensum consensus actionem actio consuetudinem consuetudo necessitatem necessitas mortem Sicut vipera à filiis suis in utero positis lacerata perimitur ita nos cogitationes nostrae intra nos nutritrae occidunt S. Bern. lib. de interi Dom. cap. 39. Theotime to the excellent Counsel of St. Bernard with the reason he there adds Reject evil Thoughts at the beginning and they will fly from you Lascivious Thoughts which are not resisted cause Delight Delight draws on Consent Consent produces the Action from the Action springs a Habit from a Habit Necessity and from Necessity Death And as the Viper is kill'd by the little ones she carries in her Womb so we receive Death by our vicious Thoughts when we nourish them in our Hearts The Reason of this Maxim so much recommended by the Saints is that it is easiest to resist the Sin of Impurity at the beginning and very hard to surmount it when it is become inveterate and strengthned by a long Habit. To comprehend better the greatness of this Difficulty see what we have said in the First Part of the trouble one is to undergo for his Salvation when he hath liv'd ill in his Youth for all that we have said above and the Examples we have brought are particularly to be understood of the Sin of Incontinence ARTICLE V. That we must avoid the Causes of Impurity The Second Means against the Sin of Immodesty is to avoid carefully the Causes and Occasions of it Second Remedy A Means absolutely necessary it being certain that to hinder the Effect we must take away the Cause and he who puts himself in the Occasion of Evil cannot avoid falling into it because according to the Maxim Qui amat periculum peribat in illo He who loveth Danger shall perish therein The first Cause we must fly is Idleness First Cause to be avoided Idleness which is the Mother of all Vices as we have said but principally of this It is that which opens the door to evil Thoughts Omnium cogitationum malarum tentationum sentina and immodest Desires which increase extreamly in an idle Mind and make it commit a vast number of Sins It is the Sink and Receptacle of impure Temptations according to St. Bernard Impurity says he Luxuria cito deripit homines otio deditos gravius urit quem otiosum invenit S. Bern. Serm. ad Frat. de Mon. Dei. hath never a greater advantage to surprise Men than in Idleness it burns more violently those it finds lull'd asleep in Vice. This Verity is so common that the Pagans themselves have taught it us Otia si tollas periere Cupidinis arcus Contemptaeque jacent sine luce faces Quaeritur Aegyptus quare sit factus adulter In promptu causa est desidiosus erat If Sloth be banisht Cupid's Bow 's unbent His Torch extinct and all his Arrows spent Why did the Egyptian Adultery commit The Reason's clear he first did Sloth admit Have a care then Theotime to fly as much as you can this great Cause of Impurity never remaining Idle but especially when you are all alone See what we have said of Idleness in the former Chapter and of employment of Time in Part 2. Chap. 14. The Second Cause of Impurity is Intemperance in Eating and Drinking Second Cause with which it is impossible to conserve Chastity in whatsoever Age it be principally in Youth The Heat of Blood which boils in that Age excites them very much to Sensual Pleasures but when it is assisted by exterior Causes as Wine and good Cheer it produces an incredible disturbance Hearken to what S. Jerom says who speaks of it by his own Experience In his Epistle to Furia he says a Non Aetnaei ignes non Vulcania tellus non Vesuvius aut Olympus tantis ardoribus aestuant ut juveniles medullae vino dapibus inflammatae S. Jer. de Virg. Serv. That Mount Aetna Mount Vesuvius and Mount Olympus which continually exhale Fire and Flames did not
to blaspheme And St. Gregory relates how a Child accustom'd to Swear in his Impatiences by the Name of God was seis'd by a mortal Distemper and assaulted by malignant Spirits which caus'd him to depart this Life in his Fathers Arms who being too indulgent in Correcting him had bred up in this Child a great Sinner for Hell as the same Saint observes The Remedy of this Sin Remedy when one has never so little a Habit or Inclination to it is to fly the Causes as Anger Plays of Hazard wicked Company and all other things which every one knows to be to them an occasion of Swearing But above all it is a powerful and even necessary Remedy to impose upon ones self some rigorous Punishment for every time he shall fall into this Sin as some Alms some Prayers to be perform'd the same Day some Fasting to be observ'd soon after or some other painful Action Fly also all sorts of Oaths or Imprecations and certain Fashions of Speaking which not being Oaths are Dispositions to Swear upon Occasions Christian Modesty requires that we should not Swear at all according to that holy Precept of our Saviour * Ego autem dico vobis non jurare omnino sit autem sermo vester est est non non Quod autem his abundantius est a malo est Mat. 5. I say Swear not at all and let your Words be yea and nay what is said besides this comes from the Devil Of Detraction Detraction is another Sin of the Tongue which you ought not only to avoid but abhor To Detract What Detraction is is to report of another a Sin able to defame him which he hath not committed or else a Sin which he hath committed but is not known or publick for as long as the Sin of our Neighbor is secret to reveal it to them who knew it not is to do him an Injury Detraction is sometimes committed out of Malice It is done two ways as by Hatred Revenge Envy or Design to hurt our Neighbor Sometimes by Indiscretion and Lightness of Mind and by an Inclination one has to speak of the Evil he hath heard or knows of another which is too common amongst young People Altho' the first manner of Detraction be most criminal the second nevertheless is not without Sin for it always takes away the Reputation of our Neighbor it obliges to repair the Honor he was depriv'd of And this promptness to talk of others Defects is the result of a Mind defective in Charity or Prudence and often in both For Charity makes us conceal the Faults of others as we would have our own kept private and Prudence hinders us from speaking ill of another on purpose or without necessity Avoid this Sin Theotime as a vile thing It is odious to God and Man. Abominatio hominum detractor Prov. 24. unworthy of a generous or truly Christian Soul and as an odious Vice before both God and Men. A Detractor says the Wiseman is the the abomination of Men. Be not therefore light in speaking of others Defects Practice but keep them secret when you know them The Wiseman says excellently well Audisti verbum adversus proximum tuum commoriatu rin te Eccl. 19. When you have heard any Speech against your Neighbor let it die within you that is let it go no farther In fine conserve the Honor of another as you know it is dear to him and as you would desire he should conserve yours Yet it is to be observ'd An important Remark that it is not Detraction to speak of anothers Sin when it is for his Good or to hinder that it do not prejudice others when one tells it to a discreet Person who can or ought to apply a Remedy to it On the contrary it is always Charity to do so and there is frequently an Obligation of Conscience and a very strict Obligation in which one is sometimes defective out of Fearfulness or some vain Pretence he frames to himself which springs only from the want of Charity and affection to the Salvation of our Neighbor and which are the Causes that one is made culpable in the sight of God of the Sins of others See more of this Subject in Chap. 18. of this Part. Of Injuries and Reproaches Fly also Quarrels which are the Causes of many Evils as we shall shew hereafter And in Debates which arise avoid to speak injurious Words utter not Reproaches or Threats these are vile things and unworthy of a vertuous Soul. Homo assuetus verbis improperit in omnibus diebus non erudietur Eccl. 23. Call to mind that to return Injury for Injury Reproach for Reproach is to wash a Spot with Ink and make it yet more black for it is to blot out an Injury one hath done you which is often only in the Imagination with a Sin which is frequently mortal It is to defend your Honor to the prejudice of your Salvation if that can be accounted to defend your Honor which defends it by the ruin of anothers Credit The Spirit of Christianity is not only ignorant of offering an Injury but also of returning to those who first offer it you according to those excellent Maxims of S. Paul * Benedicite persequentibus vos benedicite nolite maledicere nulli malum pro malo reddentes non vosmetipsos defendentes fed date locum irae Noli vinci à malo sed vince in bono malum Rom. 12. Bless those who persecute you bless them and curse them not Render not Ill for Ill nor revenge your self nor give way to your Anger Permit not your self to be overcome by Ill but overcome Ill by Good that is the Ill which another do's you by the Good you render him This you 'll say is very hard 'T is true Theotime therefore you must learn to practise it betimes These Maxims are difficult to those who are not Instructed in their Youth and have not learn'd to live but according to the Inclinations of Nature yet they are facil to those who apply themselves in good time to do the Will of God and live according to the Spirit of his Son Jesus Christ by imitating his Example and practising his Maxims as a Christian ought to do otherwise he is a Christian in name and not in reality Of Sowers of Discord Have a care also of another Sin of the Tongue Non appelleris susurro c. Susurratori odium inimicitia contumelia Eccl. 5. which is but too common amongst young Persons yet very prejudicial It is to be the Author of Discords by Reports which are often made by Indiscretion not regarding the Evil which may from thence arise and sometimes out of a bad Design to stir up Divisions and Discords This Sin is great and more heinous than is imagin'd for it is the cause of many other Sins and of all the Ills which accompany Quarrels The Wiseman says that God detests it
is proper to promote me in the World and advance my Fortune but he doth not say it is fit to promote me in Vertue and effect my Salvation or else it is not sutable to me because I foresee I shall offend God in many Occurrences I see therein Obligations I cannot satisfie many Occasions and Dangers of ruining me This Fault is great and against all Reason for to deliberate wisely of the State wherein we must spend our Life we must cast our Eye upon the End for which our Life is given us This End is the Service of God and the Salvation of our Souls We must then refer the Calling we choose to that to do otherwise is to stray out of the Way at the beginning and suffer Shipwreck in the Port. The Third Fault is 3. Without Counsel That in deliberating on the Condition they ought to embrace they only consult with themselves without communicating or asking Counsel of any one This Fault is very common amongst young People and besides one of the greatest they can commit in this Choice For what appearance is there of deliberating well of the most important Affair of our Life in an Age wherein we have as yet neither Judgment nor Experience of any thing without taking Counsel of wise and discreet Persons This cannot but be the effect of an insupportable Rashness or certainly of a great Ignorance which deserves so much more compassion as it is the cause of many Mischiefs If the Wiseman recommend so much to young People * Ne innitaris prudentiae tuae Prov. 3. Fili sine consilio nihil facias post factum non poenitebit Eccl. 32. Not to trust to their own Judgment to do nothing without Counsel is it not in this so important Affair more than in any other where they ought to follow the Advice of the Holy Ghost himself Observe well this Fault for the Devil oft makes use of it to deceive young Persons in the Choice of their Calling We shall tell you hereafter with what kind of Persons you should consult in this Concern There is a Fourth Fault yet more dangerous 4. They consult not God. which is That in this Deliberation they consult not him who ought to be consulted with above all others viz. God himself They have no recourse to him by Prayer humbly to demand of him his holy Inspirations and Grace to know his Will altho' it be by him alone that we can succeed well in this Choice He is the Father of Lights he is the Author of good Counsels Besides it belongs to him to give us our Calling and the Employment wherein he would have us serve him in this Life we must receive it from his Hands He hath a mind that we should have recourse to him and to advise with him in important Affairs he accounts himself offended when we are defective therein and frequently he gives us not his Blessing See a convincing Example The Israelites desirous to sly the Persecution of their Enemies took a Resolution to return into Egypt out of their own Heads without consulting God to know what they should do He reproach'd them exceedingly by his Prophet and threatned them that their Design should not succeed but have a dreadful issue as in effect it had * Vae filii deserteres ut faceretis confilium non ex me ordiremini telam non per spiritum meum ut adderetis peccatum super peccatum qui ambulatis ut descendatis in Aegyptum os meum non interrogastis erit vobis fortitudo Pharaonis in confusionem fiducia umbrae Aegyptiae in ignominiam Isai 30. Wo says he be to you fugitive Children who abandon me to enter upon a Design without consulting me and to begin an Enterprise without expecting my Will adding to your former Sins a new one of taking your Resolution without my Counsel Your Design shall turn to your Misfortune and Confusion I would to God all those who deliberate of the Choice of their State had frequently these Words in their Memory CHAP. III. Of the Means to choose well a State of Life And First That a good Life during Youth is a Means highly necessary to succeed in this Choice AFter having shew'd you the Faults which are accustom'd to be committed in the Choice of a Condition I come to the Means you must employ to succeed therein The First I assign you is a Means on which few Persons reflect altho' it be most important in this Affair viz. A good Life during the time of Youth I promote this Means The Sins of Youth the cause of an ill Choice Theotime to teach you betimes a Truth which the greatest part of Men are ignorant of or learn it too late which is That there is no greater Obstacle to the Choice of a happy Calling than the Sins of Youth and that the most ordinary Cause of the bad Election many make of their Condition is a disorder'd Life and full of Sins which they lead whilst they are young It is not hard to manifest this Truth The Proof which many experience daily too much God in punishment of their Sins not affording them the Favor to know the Calling proper for them abandons them in this Choice of so great Importance as they have deserted his Service He denies them high Light as they have refus'd him their Obedience and Love. They have given their first Years to the Devil and God permits also that the Devil should deceive them in this Election making them undertake a State contrary to their Good. And as they would not hearken to the Voice of his Commandments and holy Inspirations he also gives not ear unto them when they have need of his Assistance * In vocabunt me non exaudiam mane consurgent non invenient me eo quod exosam habuerint disciplinam timorem Domini non susceperint Prov. 3. They shall call upon me says he and I will not hear them they shall seek after me and shall not find me because they have hated Instruction and have not receiv'd the Fear of God. The Scripture is also full of the like Menaces by which God assures us he will deny his Light to those who have made themselves unworthy by their Sins Those Threats which were utter'd by the Mouth of the Prophet Ezechiel are astonishing Many Persons of Quality being come to this Prophet to consult God by his Mediation God speaks to the Prophet and tells him * Fili hominis viri isti posuerunt immunditias suas in cordibus suis nunquid interrogatus respondebo eis Homo homo de domo Israel qui posuerit immunditias suas in corde suo Et venerit ad Prophetam interrogans per eum me Ego Dominus respondebo ei in multitudine immunditiarum suarum Ezech. 14. That he would not answer them that is he would not let them know his Will because they were wicked and still kept their
your Courage in good Occasions for the Service of your Prince and Country If he threaten to assault you wheresoever he shall find you answer That you will defend your self but make no Appointment either directly or indirectly saying I pass by such a Place or the like If after this he attack you defend your self 5. Avoid the Causes of Duels as Quarrels and Enmities Offend no Person or if by Imprudence or otherwise you wrong any one give him Satisfaction and declare you had no intention to offend him This is what concerns Duels As for what remains towards the regulating your Life be no Swearer and Blasphemer as others See what we have said of Oaths Ornet mores tuos pudicitia conjugalis ornet sobrietas frugalitas Valde enim turpe est ut quem non vincit homo vincat libido obruatur vino qui non vincitur ferro S. Aug. Epist 205. ad Bonifac. Part 4. Chap. 12. Fly Impurity like Death there is nothing more unworthy of a generous Soul and besides it is the Source of all the Misfortunes which befall those of your Profession See what hath been said of this Vice Part 3. Chap. 8. Hinder Disorders as Duels Blasphemies Injustices Robberies Vexations Violences Sacrileges and all other Mischiefs which Soldiers may commit You are oblig'd to it when you can and chiefly if you have Command You shall answer to God for all the Disorders which shall be acted under you if you have not us'd all your Endeavors to stop them And you are oblig'd to make Restitution for all the Damage which is done to others by your Fault Have a care of ever commanding to do an Injustice or even to put in Execution the Commands of others which you clearly see to be unjust Be assisting to the Afflicted Erue eos qui ducuntur ad mortem qui trahuntur ad interitum liberare necesses Prov. 24. protect the Poor and all those who suffer Violence or Injustice Be not insolent in Victory nor cruel towards the Conquer'd but mild and favorable as much as Prudence will permit following that Maxim of S. Augustin Hostem pugnantem necessitas perimat non voluntas Sicut enim rebellanti resistenti violentia redditur ita victo vel capto misericordia jam debetur maxime in quo pacis perturbatio non timetur S. Aug. supra who says That as Force is us'd toward the Enemy who resists so Mercy ought to be shewn to him who is overcome when he is no more in a Condition to hurt Examin often your Conscience to keep your self still in a good State Confess frequently beg of God daily that he would give you Grace to avoid the Dangers of your State and Condition ARTICLE V. Of other Conditions of a Secular Life The Four Conditions whereof we have spoken are the most difficult and dangerous of a Secular Life for this reason we were oblig'd to handle them more at large Others also have their Difficulties and Dangers which are necessary to be foreseen when one deliberates on them to be arm'd in respect of them and prepar'd to surmount them I shall here only run over the most considerable Counsellors and Solicitors are to avoid Ignorance in their Profession Rashness in Affairs undertaking the Defence of bad Causes that are either unjust or ill grounded counselling a Process in most doubtful Affairs answering according to the Affection of the Parties rendring all Businesses probable Hi sunt qui docuerunt linguas suas loqui mendacium diserti adversus justitiam eruditi pro falsitate sapientes ut faciant malum eloquentes ut impugnent verum S. Bern. lib. 1. de Consid cap. 10. making use of Cheats Surprises Cozening Falsity Injustices Detraction of the Neighbor in defending themselves speaking of the Ill he hath not done revealing what is secret when it doth not appertain to the Cause making Invectives offering all sorts of Injuries wherein they give themselves an incredible Licence as if it were permitted to violate Charity to conserve ones Right making their Clients suffer by Delays and Negligences prolonging unjustly the Suits to render the Opponents Poor and put them into an Incapacity of pursuing their just Right pronouncing unjust Judgments exacting more than they ought for their Wages and particularly of poor and mean People following poor Mens Businesses negligently continuing the Suits which might easily be ended animating Parties one against another fomenting Divisions and Enmities and having with these Businesses their Minds so much employ'd that they almost never or very rarely think of God or their Salvation which is too ordinary amongst those of their Profession who often revolve in their thoughts every thing except themselves and who following the Temporal Affairs of their Neighbor neglect the most important Affair of their own Salvation Physicians who are of a necessary Profession for the Life and Conversation of Men must avoid being ignorant in their Science rash in their Advice negligent in knowing exactly the Distempers they meddle with and studying for the Remedies too confident in their own Sufficiency little careful of the Salvation of their Patients not admonishing them in good time to set in order their Conscience which is the cause why many die in a bad State thro' the Physicians Fault too complacent in giving Judgment and putting them to Charges without sufficient necessity too free in attributing much to Nature and little to God who is the Author of Nature and other like things I add the Dangers of Chastity to which they are often expos'd by reason of the necessity they have of treating with Objects which may excite Impurity which is a Reason why they should have a great Precaution against this Vice. Merchants ought to avoid Covetousness or the excessive desire of Gain or Riches which totally possesses their Mind Deceits disguising or falsifying Merchandizes breaking their Word unjust and excessive Gain Usury and other Disorders The same in proportion is to be said of Artificers and other Professions which have relation or combination with the former Thus in every Profession there are Vices and Dangers which must be known before one enters into them that they may have a care of them because without this Precaution they follow the great Road of others are engag'd in the Abuses of their Profession and by these Abuses in the ruin of their Salvation CHAP. XII Of the State of Marriage WHEN you shall be enter'd in to one of the former Employments of a Civil Life you must come ere long to settle in the World which ordinarily is perform'd by Marriage and sometimes tho' more rarely by an unmarry'd Life I spoke nothing of these States in the first Impressions of this Book but after I made reffection of it when I review'd it for this Edition I conceiv'd it very proper to speak to you of them and give you some necessary Advices to make you avoid a great number of most important Faults which Men are