III. Consider the greatness of the glory which you hope for in heaven. The joys of heaven are (1) Infinite, (2) Eternal. There your body shall be clothed in light, and shall enjoy the prerogatives of agility, subtility, and impassibility. Your soul shall enjoy the plenitude of happiness in its memory, in calling to mind the graces to which you corresponded and the temptations which you resisted. The intellect shall see God face to face. The will shall possess God, and in God every treasure; and all these joys shall be eternal. O what a glorious thought this is! They shall be eternal.

LECTURE.

For the Last Day of the Exercises.

As the first week of the exercises regarded the purgative way, and the second and third the illuminative way, so the fourth week (to which this last day is referred) regards the unitive way; because during this period, by conceiving an ardent desire of heaven, by the love of Christ, and by conforming our will to the will of God, we unite ourselves to that last end of ours which Saint Ignatius proposed for our consideration on the first day of the exercises; so that that should be last in execution which was first in intention; and that by seeing the happiness of the goal towards which we tend, we may be the more easily induced to shun the goal from which we started, which is sin.

In order to attain this object the more securely, S. Ignatius conducted us, by means of the consideration of the heinousness of offending God, and the

recollection of the four last things, to the detestation, principally, of mortal sin, and (by means of a knowledge of ourselves) to the extirpation of its roots, guiding us in this manner along the path of salvation and virtue. That we may tread this path with greater safety, in the meditation on the kingdom of Christ, He proposes Jesus as our conductor, that we might imitate Him, principally in the practice of poverty, and in bearing contempt and afflictions; thus restraining that vicious appetite for riches, honours, and pleasures, which exercises such a powerful influence over our corrupt nature.

Moreover, in the meditation on the two standards, and on the three classes of men, he encouraged us to ascend to the third degree of humility, persuading us to imitate Christ, poor, humble, and afflicted; in troubles, humiliations, and poverty; even though we might live amidst riches, prosperity, and honours, with equal glory to God, and equal profit to our own souls; and this solely in order to bear a stronger likeness to Jesus Christ. To confirm us in our noble resolution, he yesterday proposed for the subject of our meditation Jesus Christ suffering, and to-day he calls our attention to Christ arisen from the dead; so that, incited by His example, and lured on by the hope of sharing His glory, we may be more constant and persevering in the third degree of humility.

How closely the exercises of this week are connected with the unitive way, we may infer from the tendency which they have to unite us to God, by inflaming us with His love, by stirring up within us a longing for our heavenly country, and a desire of conforming our will to the will of God, by means

of fervent meditation, continual recollection of spirit, and a tender and affectionate contemplation of the glorious humanity of Christ.

II. The fruit which we ought endeavour to gather to-day is: (1.) To confirm ourselves more and more in the third degree of humility, seeing with what riches, happiness, and glory, the poverty, sufferings, and humiliations of Christ were rewarded at His Resurrection by His Eternal Father. Add that, unless we attain this degree, we cannot accomplish the end to which the exercises are directed, which is to unite ourselves to God, our only end, by the sweet bond of love. For since it is necessary, in order to reach this great goal, to have banished from our hearts the vicious inclination towards riches, pleasures and honours, we can easily perceive that, unless we aspire to the third degree of humility, we can never reduce this tyrannical appetite to subjection. (2.) The second fruit is a more perfect practice of those virtues which most powerfully excite, and most effectually promote in our hearts the love of God (which is the sole end of the exercises); and those virtues consist principally in a fervent meditation, made regularly every day; in a continual recollection of spirit; and in the absolute conformity of our wishes and desires with the will of God (3.) The most essential fruit, however, is a more clear knowledge, and a more intense love, of Jesus Christ, which is the special and most particular occupation of a soul that has reached the sublime height of the unitive way. To the attainment of this love, and the love of the Eternal Father, we shall be helped on in a special manner by the two following meditations, which are the two last links

in that admirable chain, by means of which S. Ignatius, in the school of the exercises, has connected all the means with the end.

III. In order to gather the more perfectly today the three fruits which we have just mentioned, we must observe the following additions of S. Ignatius (1.) We must occupy ourselves during the entire day exclusively in joyous thoughts, regarding the glorious mystery which has already formed the subject of our meditation, and which we shall meditate still further later on. (2.) We should now open the windows, to enjoy the full light of heaven; and if the season permits it, we should go out to gladden our sight with the beauties of nature-the flowers, the verdure, the waters of the fountains dancing in the sun, the fresh rich fields; and in all we should admire, praise, and glorify our Creator and Redeemer. (3.) We should, also, mitigate somewhat our corporal austerities; but we should be very careful in observing the order or distribution of time, silence, and the other additions, as also not to read or write anything which has not reference to the exercises.

Above all, we must be on our guard against that evil suggestion of the devil, whereby he tempts us to give up our mind to-day to all kinds of rambling thoughts; for, if we do not, on the contrary, keep ourselves thoroughly recollected, we run a risk of losing in a moment the entire fruit of the exercises. A holy joy is quite a different thing from dissipation; the former nourishes and supports fervour and love, while the second extinguishes even the most burning charity, and chills even generous resolutions.

IV. For the rest, the affections in which we should indulge principally to-day are: (1.) Those of joy, by which we congratulate Jesus Christ on the splendid victory which He has won over His enemies; on the glory with which He was crowned, and on the plenitude of power with which He has been invested by the Eternal Father; (2.) Of hope and desire to obtain happiness like to that of Christ; not however a hope and desire which are but the haughty presumption of the soul; but a practical hope and a practical desire, namely, which is based upon works, and not on the deceitful consciousness of our struggles and past victories. (3.) Of love towards Jesus Christ. This love should be constant, burning, and unflinching, even in the most difficult trials; it should be loyal amidst the most seductive allurements, it should be operative and indefatigable, it should generously despise even the most trying dangers, and lead us on to walk in the most difficult paths; for Saint Gregory says that love consists not in words but in deeds: "The proof of love is shown in works, and where love exists it works great things". In securing these splendid prerogatives for ourselves, we shall be greatly assisted by the last meditation, which treats of spiritual love, and we shall now set forth in the second paragraph how this is connected with all the others.

§ II.

Man has been created in order to know and to love God, as we have already seen in the first meditation on the Foundation. In the fruitive love of God in heaven consists man's supreme happiness;