DE RE RUN

Mis

———— — mise,

all things whatsoever I have commanded you." (Matt, xxvHh I9; 30) .* Keep my commandments.” (John xiv, 18),

One must understand in consequence that for him who professes to be a Christian, the main point, the condition absolutely necessary, is to show himself obedient to the commands of Jesus-Christ, to bring to Him, as his Master and Supreme King, an entirely submissive and faithful will.

That is a grand work and one which often demands great pains by energetic and constant efforts. In fact, though the grace of the Redeemer may have renewed mankind, there exists, nevertheleess, in each of us, like a certain state of disease, weakness and vice. On all sides various desires allure man. And the seductions of outside objeets ensily drive the soul to look for what pleases it, rather than follow the orders of Christ, And yet, it is necessary, on the contrary that we should make all our efforts and resist our passions with all our power “in obedience to Christ" These inclinations, if they are not submitted to reason, rule man, and after having destroyed all he has done for Christ, they make him their slave. “The men whose minds are corrupted and who have repudiated the faith, do not any longer try to serve, ‘They are slaves, in fact, of a triple passion: Whieh may be called voluptuousness, ambition and a desire to display." (S. Augustin, de la Vraie Religion.)

In such a battle each one ought to be inclined to face even sorrows and diflieulties for the sake of Christ. It is diffioult to repulse objects which, in the midst of so great a work, fascinate and amuse us: it is hard and painfull to despise those things they call temporal favours and riches, so that one may comply with the will and commandments of Christ, our Master. But it is necessary that the Christian should carry out his duty to the end with a perfect patience and valour, if he wishes to pass in a Christian manner the time allots ted for life on earth

( Matt, Do we forget, then, of what body and of what head " (John | we are members ? It is with joy He wished that as He

has carried His cross, we also should renounce ourselves. H who Therefore it's on these dispositions of which we have condi- à: spoken that the dignity of manhood depends. In faet, edient | as ancient wisdom too has so often understood it: to i, as | rule oneself, and to do it in such a way that the inferior jissive part of the soul may be submissive to the superior part, |

is by no means the work of a depr essed and enfeebled

nands will. Rather is it the effort of generous virtue, admira- : 1 fact, bly in accord with reason, and essentially worthy of | iewed man. Moreover our destiny is such that we must ‘bear 1 , like and suffer many evils. Man can no more make for him- 1 n all self a life free from sorrows and full of all joys than he d ons ol can repeal the designs of his divine Creator, who has . à what willed that the consequences of the ancient fault may LA And perpetually remain. It is expedient therefore not to i hould look for an end of sorrow on earth, but to strengthen ^ Il our our soul in order to bear it; since by this sorrow we A ms, il learn to appreciate the firm hope of more precious bles- E. after sings. It is not to the rich, or to those of luxurious life, B make or to those who live for honours or for power, but to i3 upted the patient and penitent, to those zealous for justice, and [4 onger pure of heart that Christ has promised the heavenly d pas- ' eternal blessing. L Panis Lastly all this shows clearly what must be expected ' from the error and pride of those who treat with con- » face tempt the sovereignty of the Redeemer, who place man "ae > at the top of the universe, and who declare that man- iy of es kind should rule everywhere and in all things. Moreover 4 d and not only are they unable to reach. this power, but they 1 poral are incapable of ‘defining what it would be, The reign É ihe of Jesus-Christ draws from divine love its form and its lut it power. To love holily and according to order, such it & hie is in its depths and such in its height. Henee results, ur. if necessarily, for man the obligation to aecomplish his allot duties without restriction, to injure in no way the rights

of others, to regard earthly goods as inferior to those of

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Heaven, finally to prefer the love of God before all things.

As to the power of mau who openly denies Christ, or who does not trouble to know Him it relies entirely on love of itself, it is destitute of charity and ignores devotion. — It is indeed lawful that man should command in the name of Jesus-Christ, but, on this condition only, that he serves God before all, that he draws scrupulously, from the Divine law, the rule an^ model of his conduct.

From the law of Christ, we not only understand the natural precepts concerning manners, or those which were divinely revealed to the first one—precepts to which without doubt Jesus-Christ has given their perfect form and which He has raised to a supreme dignity in prescribing, interpreting and sanctioning them—but even the rest of His doctrine, and without exception all those things which He has instituted. The principle of these things assuredly is the Church. — Can they mention any institution, having Christ for its author, which may not be fully contained and embraced by the Chureh ? For the ministry of this Church being solemnly founded by Him, He has wished to perpetuate the mission which He Himself had received from His Father, and as, on the one hand, He has collected in it all that which ean ensure the salvation of mankind, on the other hand, He deereed this most important matter, that men must be submissive to the Church exactly in the same degree as to Himself, and carefully take it for n guide during life. “He that heareth you, heareth me, and he that despiseth you despiseth me,” (Luke 10, 16). It is then from the Church that the law of Christ must be entirely demanded, and behold why the Church is for man, the “way " as it is the Christ. It js the latter by itself and by its nature; the former by the mission whieh has been entrusted to it and by the communication of divine power. It follows that whoever wishes to spread salvation outside of the Church deceives himself in the road and trusts to useless efforts.