Читать книгу A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer - St. Peter de Alcántara - Страница 17

BLESSED ALCANTARA.

soul with his heavenly consolations* here abstracted from all worldly tumults, it may attend only to divine wisdom, and the noise of all temporal cares, being hushed and silent, it may be wholly employed in sacred contemplation, and ravished with eternal pleasures. Almighty God hath now wafted thee over this troublesome sea, and placed thee here, in the quiet harbor of thy salvation, in which state, in re- spect of thy former, thou art far more sure to✝ fall more seldom, rise sooner, stand more securely, live more sweetly, and die more confidently. Go to, 1 say, why standest thou still? why earnest thou hither ? Consider thy coarse habit, and see what penance it exacteth ? Look upon the place, and reflect what spirit it teacheth thee ? be courageous and make no delay, thy death is certain, and thy hour uncertain, the judge is at hand. ✝ Alas ! the pleasure of this world is short, but the punishment for it perpetual. A little suffering here and infinite glory hereafter. Thus, this new soldier

* Anima â corporeis cupiditatibus ssepius libera in aula mentis possit divines vacare sapientiae, ubi omni strepitu terrenamm silente curarum, in meditationibus Sanctis et in deliciis laetetur seternis,S. Leo. in ser. 8. de jejunio 10 mensis et eleem.

✝ In religione homo vivit purius, caditrarius, surgit velocius, incedit cautius, quiescit securius, irroratur crebrius, purgatur citius, moritur confidentius, muneratur copiosius. idem. Horn, simile est regnum ccelorum homini negotiatori.

✝ S. Fr. verba exhort, ad fraties.