of the world, how he may please his wife; and he is divided (1 Cor. vii. 32, 33).

35. Can people in the world also lead a perfect life?

Yes, if they do not live according to the spirit of the world, but according to the spirit of Jesus Christ.

If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him; for all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life' (1 John ii. 15, 16). Whosoever will be a friend of this world becometh an enemy of God' (James iv. 4) If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His' (Rom. viii, 9).

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36. Is, then, the spirit of the world at variance with the spirit of Christ?

Most certainly it is, as we distinctly see from those sentences of our Saviour which are called the 'Eight Beatitudes.'

37. Which are the Eight Beatitudes ?

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

2. Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land.

3. Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.

4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall have their fill.

5. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain

mercy.

6. Blessed are the clean of heart; for they shall see God.

7. Blessed are the peace-makers; for they shall be called the children of God.

8. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven' (Matt. v. 3-10).

38. How do we know from the Eight Beatitudes

that the spirit of the world is at variance with the spirit of Christ?

We know it from this: that the world esteems those very persons miserable and foolish whom Christ our Lord calls blessed.

The world is accustomed to set forth riches, reputation, honors, and sensual pleasures as the sources of happiness; Jesus Christ, on the contrary, teaches us in the Eight Beatitudes to seek our happiness in God and in His holy service, and, therefore, willingly and cheerfully to endure poverty, persecution, and any hardships that may fall to our lot.

39. What means must a Christian use, let his condition be what it may, in order to attain to Perfection?

He must, 1. Delight in prayer, diligently hear the word of God, and often receive the Holy Sacraments; 2. He must steadily subdue and deny himself; and 3. He must perform his daily actions in the state of grace, and in a manner acceptable to God.

1. They were persevering in the doctrine of the Apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers' (Aets ii. 42). 2. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me' (Matt. xvi. 24). 3. Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God' (1 Cor. x. 31).

40. How should we deny ourselves?

We should refuse ourselves many things that are dear and agreeable to us, and should also deprive ourselves of lawful things, that we may the more easily abstain from unlawful ones.

41. How may we most easily perform our daily actions in a manner acceptable to God?

By representing to ourselves how Jesus Christ performed them, and by striving to imitate Him for His sake.

42. How should we do our daily work after the example of Christ?

We should do it diligently, patiently, and with a view to please God. Therefore we should form a good

intention at the beginning, and renew it sometimes when the work is of long continuance.

43. What should we do when we take our meals? We should before and after meals say grace, reverently and devoutly, and be temperate and modest at table.

44. May we also be allowed to take recreation?

Yes; for nothing forbids our taking proper recreation in due time. We should, however, sanctify it by a good intention and by the remembrance of God, and keep within the bounds of modesty.

45. What should our intercourse with our neighbor be?

It should be, 1. Kind, that we may not offend any one; and 2. Prudent, that we may not in any manner be seduced to evil.

46. How should we act in our afflictions?

We should remember and feel that they come from God, and we should offer them up to Him, and beg of Him the grace necessary to make a good use of them.

Application. Think that these words, which God spoke to Abraham, are also addressed to you: Walk before me, and be perfect' (Gen. xvii. 1). Strive earnestly to become daily more pious and virtuous. Let this be every morning your resolution, and every night examine your conscience upon it. My son, serve God with a perfect heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the thoughts of minds. If thou seek Him, thou shalt find Him; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever' (1 Par. xxviii. 9).

PART III.

ON THE MEANS OF GRACE.

ON GRACE IN GENERAL.

1. Can we, by our own natural strength, keep the Commandments and be saved?

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No; we cannot, without the grace of God.

'Without me you can do nothing,' says Christ (John xv. 5). I will put my Spirit in the midst of you, and I will cause you to walk in my commandments' (Ez. xxxvi. 27).

2. What do we understand by the grace of God? By the grace of God we understand here an internal supernatural help or gift, which God communicates to us, through the merits of Jesus Christ, for our eternal salvation.

3. How many kinds of this supernatural help and gift, or of Grace properly so called, are there?

There are two kinds, 1. The grace of assistance, called also actual or transient grace; and 2. The grace of sanctification or justification, called also sanctifying or habitual grace.

The grace of assistance is called actual and transient, because it acts transiently upon the soul, whereas the grace of sanctification or justification remains habitually in the soul, beautifies it, and makes it holy and just in the eyes of God.

1. On the Grace of Assistance.

4. In what does Actual Grace, or the Grace of Assistance, consist?

Actual Grace consists in this: that God enlightens our understanding, and inclines our will to avoid evil, and both to will and to do what is good.

• Give me understanding, and I will search Thy law, and I will keep it with my whole heart. Incline my heart unto

Thy testimonies,' etc. (Ps. cxviii. 34, 36).

5. How far is the assistance of grace necessary to us ?

It is so necessary to us that, without the grace of God, we can neither begin, continue, nor accomplish the least thing towards our salvation.

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For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish' (Philip. ii. 13).

6. Why is grace so indispensable to everything that relates to salvation?

1. Because eternal salvation is a good of a supernatural order, and, consequently, can be obtained only by a supernatural power and help-that is, by grace; 2. Because by grace alone we enter into connection with Christ, and partake of His infinite merits, which are the source of everything that leads to salvation.

1. Not that we are sufficient to think anything [conducive to salvation] of ourselves, as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God' (2 Cor. iii. 5). 2. 'I cast not away the grace of God; for if justice be by the law, then Christ died in vain' (Gal. ii. 21); e., if the observance of the law alone, without being united by grace with Christ, did justify us, or lead us to eternal salvation, it would not have been necessary for Christ to die in order to merit salvation for us.

By this, however, it is not meant that man is naturally quite incapable of performing any action that is morally good, but only that by such morally good actions as proceed from his naturally good will he can neither merit, nor in any way obtain, grace or salvation; by them he can only prepare himself for grace, in so far as he does not, by bad actions, still increase the obstacles of it. 'No man can come to me,' says Christ, unless it be given him by my Father' (John vi. 66).

7. Does God give His grace to all men?

Yes; God gives to all men sufficient grace to enable them to keep, as they are in duty bound, the Commandments, and to work out their salvation.

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The Son of Man is come to save that which was lost' (Matt. xviii. 11). 'God will have all men to be saved, and to come to