as S. Dionysius attests, to co-operate with heaven in the salvation of souls is the most divine of all divine works-divinorum omnium divinissimum opus est. 3. Because he who is zealous for his neighbour's salvation nobly lifts himself above the earth, becomes superior to the very angels, is constituted a mediator between man and God, and in a certain sense, as it were, another redeemer.

II. The advantages which flow from the pursuit of this end are also of the highest value: 1. Because of the many merits which we acquire thereby. 2. Because of the innumerable graces which are conferred upon us on account of it. 3. Because of the sublime reward which will crown our labours. For, assuredly, there is nothing better calculated to appease the Divine Justice, than to present before the throne of Divine Mercy the souls that have been saved through our means.

III. Nor is the happiness which flows therefrom of less account. For they only who attend to perfection, 1. Live tranquilly; 2. Die calmly; 3. And enjoy copiously the consolations of heaven. Oh! a thousand times blessed, then, be the Lord, "by whom we are called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (a), in which, by reason of our vocation, we are bound to attend to this sublime, this advantageous, and this happy end.

It must be borne in mind, nevertheless, that we are to labour for the attainment of this end, namely, our own and our neighbour's salvation-not according to the individual wish of each one of us, but after the manner which God shall appoint; that is, by

(a) 1 Cor. i. 9.

those means, and in that measure, by which, and in which, His Divine Majesty may wish us to attain it. Wherefore, we ought not to strive after any degree of perfection different from that which God wills, nor ought we aim at attaining it by any other means than those which the Lord has appointed for us. Neither ought we to desire to save other souls, nor in greater numbers, nor in other places, nor at other times, nor by other means than it shall please God. Otherwise, we shall be seeking not God's will but our own. The will of God ought to be the only goal of our actions, and the limit of our desires. Outside of it there

exists nothing save error and ruin.

Wherefore, let each one of us imprint deeply in his soul this fundamental truth-that the end of a religious who professes a mixed life, and more particularly of a religious belonging to the Society of Jesus, consists in serving his Creator by procuring his own salvation and perfectiou, and the salvation and perfection of his neighbour; and in doing this expressly by those means, and precisely in that mea sure, by which and in which God wishes him to execute this design. O Jesus! who by word and example didst teach this doctrine, grant that my will may embrace what my judgment approves.

SECOND POINT.

In addition to the frequentation of the sacraments, the exercise of prayer, the practice of retirement, the mortification of the senses and of the passions, and the observance of the rules, the means to attain this end in a mixed order are to be found in the various places in which we may be located, in the

various degrees, in our different offices, and in the various powers of our soul and body; because it is precisely by means of such things that the religious who leads a mixed life procures the salvation and perfection of himself and others.

Here three things must be borne in mind: 1. That in religion the different degrees, the changes of place, the variety of offices, the fluctuations of health, are simply means to help us in securing our own salvation and that of our neighbour; and, therefore, that we should covet or avoid them, in proportion as they conduct us towards, or lead us away from, this end; for the means, considered merely as means, possess no merit beyond their adaptability to the attainment of the end. Whoever, then, would desire any of these things, not because of this property annexed to it, but because of its own intrinsic merits, disturbs the natural order by making the means the end of his actions.

We must bear in mind, 2. in the next place, that every degree, every locality, every office, every condition of health is for a religious a means suitable to the attainment of his end, since to obtain his own and his neighbour's salvation he can fulfil God's will equally in any degree, in any place, in any office, and in any condition of health. For (as we clearly see both from the nature of the thing itself, and from examples), it is possible to arrive at perfection, and to work out our own and our neighbour's salvation in one degree as well as in another, in a rich convent or in a poor one, whether engaged in teaching or in more active duties, whether our pupils be little children or persons already far advanced in their studies, whether the state of our health be infirm or

robust. Therefore, all these are suitable means for the attainment of the end towards which we aim. But, you will say, nevertheless, one means is more suitable than another. No, you deceive yourself. No one of these means is in itself more suitable than another for the attainment of this end: it is merely its greater convenience that commends it to your self-love.

Hence, you must remember, 3. in the third place, that of the means mentioned, that one which is in conformity with God's will is the best adapted to attain the proposed end: that is to say, that place, that degree, that office, that state of health which God shall have appointed for you, either through His own immediate action, or by the arrangements of your superiors, is for you the one best suited to the service of God, and for the working out of your own and your neighbour's perfection and salvation. Heaven will bestow upon you the graces necessary to attain your end, more copiously and more readily in this state, than in another selected according to the dictates of your own caprice.

Wherefore, those insults and those tribulations, those vexations and annoying dispositions of superiors, and such like matters, are means-nay, the very best means thought of, selected and weighed in God's balance from eternity, and by His infinite love proportioned to our strength, that we may succeed in attaining our end.

For, it is certain that the Providence of God, because of God's infinite wisdom, always selects suitable, and even the most suitable, means for the accomplishment of an end. When it is His wish, therefore, that we should procure our own and our

neighbour's salvation by the means already mentioned, it is evident that of all possible means these are the very best to attain that end. O Omnipotent Lord! do Thou bend our intellects to assent firmly to these truths, and afterwards lead our rebellious wills to co-operate in constantly reducing them to practice.

THIRD POINT.

From what has been said up to the present, we legitimately conclude that every religious ought to serve God in the religious state, in that degree, in that office, in that place, and in that condition of health, in which Divine Providence-or Obedience, the interpreter of His will-shall prescribe. Wherefore, it follows that we ought to be indifferent to every degree, to every office, to every place, to every condition of health, because (as has been already established in the First Meditation) we are bound to serve our Creator in that manner which He has appointed to us.

Now, it is God's will that we should serve Him in that place, in that degree, in that office which the Obedience which we owe to our superiors has marked out for us, and in that condition of health which His Providence has been pleased to bestow upon us; for it is a dogma of Faith that whatever happens, sin alone excepted, happens by the disposition of Divine Providence. So also it is certain, that in doing the will of our superiors we are doing the will of God, who has said, he that heareth you heareth me" (a); and thus by means of the rule ". we are happy,.

(a) Luke x. 16.