IMAGE THE SEVENTEENTH.

CONSIDER, AND WEIGH VIRTUE WITH VICE, AND ASCERTAIN
THE NATURE OF EACH.

Art thou desirous to arouse thyself more to the attainment of Virtue (A)? see how she outweigheth Vice (B) and the whole World, with whatsoever it hath to bestow. Virtue promiseth and pointeth out to thee the praise and rewards of God: Vice, the chains of slavery and punishment; for he that doeth sin is the slave of sin. Virtue healeth and strengtheneth the powers of the soul; Vice woundeth with a triple weapon,—in thought, understanding, and will, and destroyeth. Give heed to the Occasions (C) of each, embrace each handle of Virtue, and avoid that of sin; for it is Occasion that leadeth thee to every Virtue, or every Vice, and being bald behind cannot be seized when once she is past. Consider how all Virtue (D) leadeth thee on, as by the hand; and maketh thee light and winged towards heavenly things, as in the case of voluntary Poverty (E), and helpeth thee forward on the strait way that leadeth unto Salvation (F). But Sin (G) draweth away from the road to Heaven; and the World (H) and the love of the world and of riches urgeth thee through crooked paths; and so burdeneth thee as to render thy step as slow as that of the tortoise. What therefore? beyond all things let the reflection be ever brought before thy mind, for what end thou wast created (I), and that in order to attain that end, Virtue and all things that appertain unto her can alone aid and promote thee. Whatsoever thou takest in hand, remember the end, and thou shalt never do amiss."

Considerations

ON THE FIRST MEANS OF INCREASING MEDITATION, AND ITS FRUITS; OR A MEDITATION ON THE WEIGHING OF VIRTUE AND VICE, AND THE CHOOSING OF THE FORMER.

LET the place of thy meditation be such as the Image represents. And let thy prayer be, in like manner as in the last case, on the subject thus brought before thee.

FIRST POINT.

God hath made all things in

CONSIDER in the first place, how God hath ordered all things in measure and number and weight; and how much these things of Heaven surpass those of earth, in greatness, dignity and value; weight. and let eternal things be chosen by thee in preference to those which are but for a moment. Look therefore, upon the heavens which are above, and from the sight of what thou there beholdest raise thy affections to heavenly things; for God in His loving-kindness hath created them, that thou who hast at all times to look up to Heaven, mayst contemplate its beauty and magnificence and its dominion over those things which are below; and mayst consider the things themselves as they are in thy God. Enquire then whether thou hast raised continually not thy head only, but thy mind also, upward towards heavenly things; and whether thou art preferring things spiritual and eternal to those that are perishable or art regarding them with that indifference which worldly men are wont to do. In the second place, consider how true is that sentiment of holy David's, As for the children of men they are but vanity, the children of men are deceitful upon the weights: they are altogether lighter than vanity itself. How displeasing to Almighty God is this false estimate of things, Solomon shews where he says, Divers weights and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord. Oh, in how false a balance are heavenly things weighed, and how great the preponderance which is given to things earthly! Behold, how little do men of this

Vain is the

the world.

world esteem those things which serve as materials for forming virtue, things toilsome and painful, the serpent, the thirst, judgment of the heat and the sand of the desert, the endurance of injuries, (which the holy Father Ignatius asserts is to be very highly esteemed, and of very great moment in the sight of our Creator and God,) and poverty also, and hunger. On the other hand, how highly do they prize honours, pleasures, descent, strength, riches and the like: yea, I may say, but one piece of money, and but one word: for oftentimes on account of one or the other of these, they hazard for ever the loss of their soul. They are taken up like children with contests for mere balls and playthings; while things eternal and true virtue they despise. Hence all courts of justice are overwhelmed with the multitude of litigations and disputants; while rare indeed is the emulation and struggle for the attainment of virtue. Thirdly, if you reflect on how it is that these things are so, you will find that it arises from this circumstance, that men do not turn their thoughts to that end for which they were created, but unto things that are present: for if their aims were directed unto that, they would esteem things seen and present of no real worth excepting so far as they tended towards the attainment of that end: in like manner as the sick man estimates the value of a physician or of medicines, according as they conduce towards his health: as the soldier regards his arms or any artificer his tools, with reference to their use towards the desired end. See whether thou art not thyself carried away by this common error; what is it that troubleth thee? what is it that thou hopest for? and towards what end? is it that thou mayst choose the things that are more excellent, on taking into the account the salvation of thy soul? Then from this general enquiry descend to thine own particular faults, and the virtues which thou desirest.

SECOND POINT.

CONSIDER that none can come to a true judgment, nor form a comparative estimate of virtue and of the world, except those who are not imposed upon by the false appearance of things, but intimately know their worth. Behold, therefore, the estimate which God Himself hath formed of the good things of this world, inasmuch as He bestoweth them for the most part on bad men; while to His own children and to the good He imparteth virtue; and for this reason hath sent His Son into the world to teach us to despise the world, and to know the value of virtue. Dost thou in very deed believe thy God? if thou wouldst know this, look into His life and thine own. In the second place, consider what is the judgment which Angels make of these vain things, and of virtue, to which