family, for his own life, to act against his conscience, he replied: "My dear wife, how many years should I live still, were I to do what you ask." "Perhaps twenty or thirty," was her reply; whereupon he said: "Alas! is it for twenty or thirty years more of life I should consign myself to everlasting death," &c.

3. What we are to do in virtue of this Precept.

Ist. To maintain ourselves in a constant state of grace (1 Cor. xiii. 1, &c.)

2ndly. To refer all our thoughts, words and actions. to Him as to our Supreme Lord and Master (1 Cor. x. 31, et sqq.)

Explain how this is done by the oblation of morning prayers, and renewing the oblation during the day, especially before our principal actions. Recommend pious ejaculations, giving some examples.

3rdly. Positive and formal acts of charity from time to time.

Suggest short acts, and recommend them, especially when one is tempted to sin, and at the approach of death. Recommend also to parents to train their children, when they are reaching the use of reason, frequently to lift up their hearts to God with acts of love.

4thly. The observance of God's Commandments. (John, xv. 10; xiv. 15, 21; 1 John, ii. 4; v. 2, 3, 6 ; 2 John, i. 6.) Whence infer how the love of God insures the observance of His Commandments, especially those that relate to Himself, saying, if we love God, we will make Him our Sovereign Lord and Master; we will adore, honour and worship Him with all the powers of our souls.

Here go through in a rapid manner, what is commanded and what forbidden by the three first Commandments, to show how the love of God guarantees the observance of the former, and the avoidance of the latter.

CONCLUSION.

Recapitulate the points, adding some words of exhortation to the love of God, ending with the words of St. Paul: "Who therefore shall separate us," &c. (Rom. viii. 35, et sqq.)

Consult Guillet's "Projets d'Instructions," lxiv.; " Challenor's Meditations," and Bishop Hay's "Devout Christian," vol. 1, chap. ix.

THE LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOUR.

"This is My Commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you."-JOHN, XV. 12.

INTRODUCTION.

We have seen in our last discourse how the entire Law and the Prophets, according to the express words of our Divine Lord, depend on the observance of the two great Precepts of charity, or love-charity, or love, in the first place, towards God, and charity or love, n the second place, towards our neighbour; and that, consequently, these two Precepts do guarantee the fulfilment of the ten Commandments; and that these latter may be all reduced to them. We inferred, therefore, how important these Precepts are; and, having treated of the love of God, we proceed, in God's name, to treat this evening of the love of our neighbour.

[A few words inviting attention, and a short invocation.]

BODY OF THE SUBJECT.

1. Motives for loving our neighbour.

First motive: The natural law. State how the Almighty has written upon the heart of every human being the law, that he is to love his neighbour as himself, that he is to do nothing to his neighbour, that he would be unwilling his neighbour should do to him; and that he would do to his neighbour what he would reasonably wish his neighbour, under similar circumstances, to do to him. Observe, how mankind have felt and recognized this law from the beginning of the world, in all climes and countries, in all the differences in which they might otherwise differ, &c.; and conclude, that man should change his very nature to ignore this law of love for his fellow

creature.

Second motive:

The positive law of God.

Quote a few strong texts, as you will find them in the "Concordantia S. S. Scripturæ."

Third motive: It is a branch of the love of God, springing from the same root or motive, so that it is in God and for God we love our neighbour (1 John, iv. 20, 21).

God makes the love of our neighbour so much the same as the love of Himself, that He takes as done to Himself what we do to our neighbour. (Zach. ii. 8. ; Matt. xxv.), where our eternal destiny is made to depend upon the Precept of fraternal charity, the Supreme Judge taking as done, or denied to Himself, what we shall have done or denied to our neighbour. Quote from verse 35 to the end of chapter.

Fourth motive: The special precept of Christianity.

Quote text, laying special stress on "My," also John, xiii. 34, laying stress upon the word "new" John, xvii. 20, 21, 22, 23; showing that the observance of fraternal charity amongst Christians was to be the testimony of the Christian religion being divine, and that Christ Himself is the Son of God, sent by Him into this world. Quote accordingly,

1 John, iii. 10, 11; and recite what St. Jerome says of St. John, as follows:

Towards the end of his life, when no longer able to walk, he used to have himself carried into the church to preach to his people, and that his sermon consisted of these words: My dear little children, love one another;" and when his attendants observed to him, that he said so little, and always repeated the same words, he replied, giving them an answer worthy, as St. Jerome remarks, of the great Apostle of Charity: "This is the Commandment of the Lord, and if this be done everything else will be done."

Refer to Acts of the Apostles, iv. 32, &c., and adduce the allegory of St. Paul, 1 Cor. xii. 12, et seq.

Recite the fact of St. Pachomius, when, yet a pagan, and serving in the army of Constantine the Great, how, arriving with his men in a town, the inhabitants supplied him with all kinds of provisions with such alacrity that, wondering, he asked who they were, and was answered they were Christians, who, according to the spirit and teaching of their religion, acted in that way towards their fellow-men. Whereupon, he held up his hands to call God to witness, that from that moment he embraced their religion.

Conclude this point by observing, that thus the virtue of fraternal charity is not merely a virtue of Chris

tianity, but so prominent as to be a distinctive mark to all mankind, pagans as well as Christians themselves, that Christianity is a religion from heaven, having this seal of its Divinity set upon it by its Divine Founder.

2. In what the precept consists. It requires the following conditions:

Ist. That our love for our neighbour be interior, having its seat in the heart, and proceeding from the heart, &c.

2ndly. That it be supernatural, as a branch of the love of God, which "is poured forth into our hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is given us." (Rom. v. 5.) It must be also supernatural in its motive, making us look upon our fellow-being as a brother descended of the same parent, made to the image and likeness of his Creator, and a fellow-member with us in the mystic body of Jesus Christ.

3rdly. It must be practical and effective, not confined to sentiments or expression, but exercised in acts and deeds. Quote Fames, ii. 16.

4thly. That it be universal, embracing all mankind, even our enemies. Quote Matt. v. 44.

[A few words to exhort your audience to a charity having these conditions, or an invitation to examine if their charity have such conditions.]

3. How it is practised. Ist. By doing to our neighbour all that we would reasonably wish him to do to us under similar circumstances, and to refrain from doing towards him what we would not like him to do to us. This is a primary dictate of the natural law, enforced also by the positive law of God. Quote