1890.
Preface.
It is advisable that all should have a clear understanding as to the
nature of Conscience, the dangers to which Conscience is liable, the
Nature of Sin, and the Effects of Sin. Too many people go on easily
from day to day making no spiritual advance, because they do not know
what ails their Consciences, do not even suspect that their Consciences
are ailing, and so make no effort to escape from their unsatisfactory
condition. It is hoped that this little book of meditations may be of
use to such.
Contents.
PAGE
Ash Wednesday--
ON CONSCIENCE 1
First Thursday in Lent--
THE NATURE OF CONSCIENCE 4
First Friday in Lent--
THE NATURE OF CONSCIENCE--_continued_ 6
First Saturday in Lent--
THE OBLIGATIONS OF CONSCIENCE 9
First Sunday in Lent--
CAUSES OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONSCIENCE 12
First Monday in Lent--
CAUSES OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONSCIENCE--_continued_ 15
First Tuesday in Lent--
ON THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONSCIENCE--_The
Direct Conscience_ 18
Second Wednesday in Lent--
THE FALSE CONSCIENCE 21
Second Thursday in Lent--
THE SCRUPULOUS CONSCIENCE 24
Second Friday in Lent--
THE RELAXED CONSCIENCE 27
Second Saturday in Lent--
THE DOUBTFUL CONSCIENCE 30
Second Sunday in Lent--
ON PRUDENCE 33
Second Monday in Lent--
ON FORTITUDE 36
Second Tuesday in Lent--
ON SIN--_The Nature of Sin_ 39
Third Wednesday in Lent--
THE NATURE OF SIN--_continued_ 42
Third Thursday in Lent--
THE NATURE OF SIN--_continued_ 45
Third Friday in Lent--
SOURCES OF SIN 48
Third Saturday in Lent--
TEMPTATIONS TO SIN 51
Third Sunday in Lent--
THE GENESIS OF SIN 54
Third Monday in Lent--
ON ORIGINAL SIN 57
Third Tuesday in Lent--
THE EVIDENCE FOR ORIGINAL SIN 60
Fourth Wednesday in Lent--
ACTUAL SIN 63
Fourth Thursday in Lent--
THE CONDITIONS OF SIN 66
Fourth Friday in Lent--
CONDITIONS THAT DIMINISH GUILT 69
Fourth Saturday in Lent--
CONDITIONS THAT AGGRAVATE GUILT 72
Fourth Sunday in Lent--
ON FREE WILL 75
Fourth Monday in Lent--
THE DETERMINATION OF THE WILL 78
Fourth Tuesday in Lent--
PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS 81
Fifth Wednesday in Lent--
THE GRAVITY OF SIN 83
Fifth Thursday in Lent--
THE GRAVITY OF SIN--_continued_ 86
Fifth Friday in Lent--
THE EFFECTS OF SIN 89
Fifth Saturday in Lent--
THE EFFECTS OF SIN--_continued_ 92
Fifth Sunday in Lent--
THE DEADLY VICES 95
Fifth Monday in Lent--
IN WHAT THE VICES ARE ROOTED 98
Fifth Tuesday in Lent--
PRIDE 101
Sixth Wednesday in Lent--
AVARICE 104
Sixth Thursday in Lent--
LUXURY 107
Sixth Friday in Lent--
ENVY 110
Sixth Saturday in Lent--
GLUTTONY 113
Palm Sunday--
ANGER 115
Monday in Holy Week--
SLOTH 117
Tuesday in Holy Week--
THE SACRIFICE FOR SIN 120
Wednesday in Holy Week--
THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST 123
Thursday in Holy Week--
THE EFFECTS OF CHRIST'S SACRIFICE 125
Good Friday--
THE EFFECTS OF THE PASSION--_continued_ 128
Easter Eve--
THE APPLICATION OF THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST 131
Conscience and Sin.
Ash Wednesday.
_ON CONSCIENCE._
God has created man for a purpose, and that purpose is, that he should
attain to everlasting blessedness.
God is good and loving unto all His works. He made the plants and the
beasts, and set them ends to accomplish here on earth, but the ends for
which man was made are not to be attained in this life.
Through the Fall man's mind is darkened, his connexion with God is
broken, his sight of the aim to which he should tend is obscured.
God has given to him His law as the rule of his actions, that man,
hearkening to the revealed Will of God, may be guided aright, and
so accomplish that end for which he was made, and attain finally to
everlasting blessedness.
Every act of man that is in conformity with the revealed law of God is
_good_.
Every act of man that is contrary to this revealed law of God is _bad_.
Every act that is in conformity with the law of God is not only
_actually_ good, but it is _relatively_ good--that is to say, it tends
to our individual advantage. It is not only good in the sight of God,
but it is profitable to our own selves.
So also is the converse true, that every act done against the law of
God is _actually_ and _relatively_ bad; it is bad in the sight of God,
and it does injury to our own selves.
Now, in order that we may be able to judge whether our acts are in
conformity with the law of God, He has set in us a faculty which has
the office of applying the law of God to our own circumstances; and
this faculty tells us whether our acts are in conformity with or
contrary to the external law of God. Thus we have the exterior law, and
the interior faculty, which we may almost term a law, and this inner
law is called _Conscience_.
II. The revealed law of God, considered in itself and in relation to
God, its Author, is holy, inviolable, and inalterable. "The law of the
Lord is perfect, converting (_or_ restoring) the soul; the testimony
of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord
are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for
ever; the judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether....
In them is Thy servant warned: and in keeping them there is great
reward." (Ps. xix. 7-11.)
But though the revealed law of God is fixed and immutable, yet when
applied to the human Conscience it takes different forms, according to
the state of the Conscience.
Hence it follows that the divine law _ill-applied_, so far from being
a sure rule, may become perverted into a sanction whereby we evade the
obligations laid on us, and authorize ourselves to commit that which is
wrong.