of being reconciled with God. Thus, "as I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live, Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; and why will you die, O house of Israel?" Ezek. xxxiii. 12. And to shew wherein this turning consists, he says, "Cast away from you all transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart and a new spirit, and why will you die, O house of Israel?" Ezek. xviii. 31. "When you stretch forth your hands,, I will turn away my eyes from you," says God to sinners," and when you multiply prayer, I will not hear, for your hands are full of blood;" that is, you are hateful to me by reason of your sins. But what must be done to find favour? He immediately adds, "wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from my eyes; cease to do perversely, learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow, and then come and accuse me, saith the Lord. If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow; and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool." Is. i. 15. "Seek the Lord," says the same holy prophet, "while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him and to our God, for he is bountiful to forgive," Is. lv. 6. And no wonder that this conversion should be so strictly enjoined; for how can we expect that God should be reconciled with us, if we still go on to offend him? This is what we would not do ourselves to one that injures us. Hence we find, that all true penitents were remarkablo for the great change of their lives; David, St. Paul, St. Mary Magdalen, Zachæus, and others.

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Q. 12. But considering the weakness of human nature, the strength of evil habits, and the violence of temptation, how is it possible for one to be thus thoroughly changed all at once? Such a perfect change is the work of years?

A. This perfect conversion to God is, no doubt, the effect of the grace of God, more than the work of man; and Almighty God has not been wanting to give the world examples of the power of his grace, in giving some sinners all at once a perfect conversion of the whole man, as in those last mentioned. But this is not the ordinary course of his divine providence. A change of the heart, a firm and determined resolution of the will never more to offend God, is absolutely and essentially required in true repentance, This resolution, though it greatly fortifies the superior will against all passions, evil habits, and temptations, yet it does not entirely, and at once, destroy them, and, therefore, does not give the sinner an absolute security against all relapses into sin, which, indeed, we can never have in this life; but this resolution of amendment, if it be sincere, must work an effectual change, at least, in the following particulars: (1.) In avoiding, with the utmost care, all dangerous occasions of sin; for, if he exposes himself to the danger, that clearly shews he has no sincere resolution to avoid the sin, seeing the word of God assures us, that "he that loves the danger shall perish in it." (2.) In being most attentive to resist all temptations, especially at the beginning; for, if he willingly entertain, and dally with the temptation, it is evident that his horror for the sin is not what it should be, (3.) In using the proper remedies, especially such as are prescribed by his spiritual director, for breaking his passions, and destroying his evil customs; because, if he be sincere in desiring the end, he must be assiduous in using the means. (4.) In

being most earnest in the duties of prayer, spiritual reading, assisting at Mass, frequenting worthily the sacraments, and the like; as these are the most assured helps to avoid sin, and fortify the soul against it. Whereas a penitent sinner is assiduous in these particulars, his conversion is real, and there is no fear, if he persevere, but he will avoid falling back to his sins, and, in time, get the perfect victory over them; but if he be negligent in these things, and take little or no more care to avoid sin than he did before, his conversion is but a pretence, and by no means such as will find favour with God.

SECTION III.

OF DOING PENANCE FOR SIN.

Q. 13. What is meant by doing penance for sin? A. The voluntary punishing ourselves, in order to satisfy the justice of God for the offences committed against him.

Q. 14. Does sin of its own nature require to be punished, or is punishment inflicted only as a warning to others, and for the correction of the guilty themselves?

A. Some people, of free-thinking principles, in these modern times, seem much inclined to suppose, that sin requires little or no punishment in itself, and that the principal, if not the only design of punishing, is to correct the guilty, and be a warning to others. But the whole conduct of the divine providence, as well as the feelings of our own heart, manifestly shew, that sin, of its own nature, essentially requires to be punished, and that wherever the guilt of sin is found, the justice of God acquires a full and perfect right to punish the offender. For, (1.) When great numbers of the angels fell into sin, the justice of God

pursued them with immediate punishment, and condemned them to hell-fire, which was prepared for that purpose. This, sure, was not for their correction, but for their eternal destruction; neither was it as a warning to others, for there were no others to be warned by it, the good angels, by their allegiance, being then confirmed in eternal. happiness. So severe a punishment, from a God of infinite goodness, clearly shews that the guilt of their crime most justly and necessarily required it. (2.) The punishment inflicted on all mankind for the sin of our first parents, in being deprived of original justice, shews the same truth beyond reply; this punishment was not for the correction, but for the destruction of the whole race of Adam, which would have effectually followed, if the goodness of God had not provided a remedy; neither was it for warning, for there were no others to be warned by it, all were already involved. (3.) The eternal torments of hell, inflicted upon all impenitent sinners, no less clearly shew the same thing. (4.) The holy Scripture every where speaks of the punishment inflicted by God on sinners, as being what their sins necessarily deserve from God's justice, without the smallest hint of its being sent for correction or warning, though this, no doubt, is also commonly intended in the punishments of this life. Nay, in some places, it is said, that certain more enormous sins cry to heaven for vengeance, and that justice absolutely demands they should be punished. Correction and warning, therefore, are but necessary causes of punishment, but the essential source of punishment is the malignity and guilt of sin, which necessarily deserves and demands it; and justice absolutely requires this satisfaction by the punishment of the guilty. (5.) As God is a being of infinite justice, it is impossible he should always, and on every

occasion, punish sin wherever he finds it, even with temporal punishments, and much more with eternal torments, if sin, of its own nature, did not justly require it; because, in numberless instances, especially in the eternal punishment, his doing so could neither serve for correction nor warning; and, as he is a being of infinite goodness, it is impossible he should take pleasure in the torments and sufferings of his creatures, if the order of justice did not absolutely require it. Yet we find it frequently declared in Scripture, that it is the fixed rule of his justice to render to every one according to his works; rewards for doing good, and punishment for sin; and sin is every where held forth as the primary cause of all our sufferings, both in this life and in the next.

Q. 15. Is it a rule of God's justice never to let sin go unpunished ?

A. It is, as appears from the following declarations of holy writ: "I feared all my works," says Job, "knowing that thou didst not spare the offender," Job ix. 28. And again, "Far from God be wickedness, and iniquity from the Almighty; for he will render to a man his work, and according to the ways of every one he will reward him," Job xxxiv. 10. "God hath spoken once; these two things have I heard, that power belongeth to God, and mercy to thee, O Lord! for thou wilt render to every man according to his works," Psal. Ixi. 12. "I am the Lord,” says the great God himself, "that search the heart and prove the reins; who give to every one according to his way, and according to the fruit of his devices," Jer. xvii. 10. 66 For God is great in council, and incomprehensible in thought, whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the children of Adam, to render unto every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit