Roger Baxter

“ I. God is infinitely just in the infliction of punishment, which nevertheless is always (in the language of divines) below our deserts, whilst His rewards are above our merits. Reflect deeply, then, on the grievousness of the offence, by considering the punishment due to every sin. Enter, in imagination, into hell, and view the torments which God has prepared for even one mortal offence. Contemplate those fiery regions — those torrents of sulphur — that gnawing of teeth, and hear those shrill accents of furious agony and settled despair which the reprobate souls continually utter. ”

“ Above all, reverence and pray to the Queen of angels and saints, who, as St. Epiphanius styles her, " is the mother of the living." She surpasses all the citizens of heaven, both in her affection for us, and in power with her divine Son. Thank your Saviour for having committed your cause to so potent an advocate, and recommend yourself with all earnestness to her care, "for she never denies help to those, who petition for it, nor does she ever intercede in vain with her Son." ”

“ II. How great is the dignity of a fisher of men! "Of all Divine things the most Divine is to co-operate with God for the salvation of men." Examine how you can concur to this noble work according to your state of life and vocation. It was the salvation of souls that called Jesus Christ down from heaven, from the throne of His glory, and induced Him to undergo so many labors, and ultimately to surrender Himself to pains and torments on the bloody cross. Endeavor, as far as you can by prayer, counsel, and particularly by good example, to assist the Redeemer in His holy design. ”

“ You must prepare your heart to entertain so great a guest. Your guest is content even with what is mean, provided it be pure; hence he would take flesh in the purest womb of the Virgin, be laid in a new sepulchre, and wrapt in a clean winding-sheet. He is highly pleased with humility, and as much offended with pride and self-conceit. If there be a "valley" of imperfection in your soul you must fill it up, as is said in the gospel of to-day, if there be a " hill" of pride you must level it. ”

“ I. How different are the thoughts of God from the thoughts of men! Christ was no sooner born, than sent into banishment. The Almighty could easily have rid the world of Herod, or have appeased his anger, or have rendered His divine Son invisible; but He adopted the ordinary means of safety, and His Son must fly. Reflect how derogatory this was to the dignity of the Redeemer, and how full of inconveniences. Thus God always treats those whom He loves best. Are you greater or better than the Son of God? Why, then, do you complain when His providence prepares crosses for you? ”

“ Christ performs to the full extent all the offices of a good shepherd. He came down from heaven to feed them; He marks them for His own, with a divine and indelible character; He leads them by His example to all virtue; He cures their infirmities; He defends them from the wolves of hell; He provides them with the rich pastures of His doctrine and sacraments, and finally He gives them His own body and blood for their food and nourishment. The faithful hear His voice, obey His commands and follow Him wherever He leads the way ”

“ Our understandings are not infinite, and He is not an imperfect being; therefore, we cannot comprehend, by any faculty of which we are possessed, this mysterious generation. It is sufficient for us, that we adore Him with an unshaken faith, and rejoice in His glory, which is substantially equal to the glory of His Father. Learn to detest that pride, which prompts ignorant man to ascend to heaven, and to scan the power and works of the Divinity. ”

“ The haste with which the Jews were commanded to eat the paschal lamb prefigured the hasty fury of His persecutors. The bitter wild lettuce represented the gall to His mind, and the bitter chalice of His passion, which He had to drink to the very dregs. Great must have been His love for mankind, when, with all these presentiments and feelings, He could still persevere in hastening to commence His passion! ”

“ II. Every member of your body is a particular and distinct favor of God. Reflect how wretched you would be had you been born blind, deaf, or dumb. How grateful you would be to the man who should restore to you the use of any one of your limbs it you had lost it! How much more grateful, then, ought you to be to God for having given them to you whole and entire! Take care that you do not abuse any of them to the displeasure and dishonor of their Creator, "by yielding them to serve uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity, but yield them to serve justice unto sanctification." ”

“ What an honor is it for miserable wretches formed of the dust of the earth to be the friends of the ruler of the universe!
II. This friend of yours will visit you to-day in the Eucharist, to instruct you with His divine wisdom, to enrich you with His treasures, to defend you by His power, and to inflame you with His love. Among friends all things are in common. It is recorded of the friendship which existed between David and Jonathan: "The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David." ”

“ Thus our Lord does not carry with Him a scourge against us, but makes one of our sins. Sin is its own worst punishment, for what can be equal in torture to the reproaches of a lacerated conscience, or, if the sinner's state be yet more deplorable, what can be a greater curse than the silence of an obdurate heart? Divest yourself, then, of all sin, and God can find no instrument of punishment against you. You cart find no real gratification in sin, and by seeking for it there, you only increase your misery. ”

“ How pleased was the heavenly Father at this new sight; "When He introduceth the first-begotten into the world, He saith: And let all the angels of God adore Him." (Heb. i. 6.) Imagine you see the angels of heaven falling prostrate in adoration, saying, "Holy, holy, holy. Lord God of sabaoth, the heavens and the earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory." Rejoice, and adore your new-born Saviour. ”

“ I. “Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son.” (Luke i. 30.) Reflect how the angel dispels all fear from the mind of the Virgin, and observe that it is the character of a good spirit to bring peace and security to the soul. “Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found grace with God ;” for true joy and security are only to be found in the grace of God, and not in worldly gratifications and pleasures, in which we have too often sought them. ”

“ II. What a folly it would be to offend a sovereign, by whom you knew you would be cruelly tormented on the rack in consequence of your offence! How much greater folly is it to displease God, "who can destroy both body and soul in hell"! (Matt. x. 28.) And if so great a punishment be due to one mortal sin, though that is below its deserts, what an excess of torments is due to your numerous transgressions! Look back on the days of your youth, and reflect what would have become of you if God had called you from life on such and such occasions. ”

“ You have hitherto wandered up and down " through the ways of your own inventions," deviating from the boundaries of that virtue and perfection, to which God has called you. You have refused to devote to Him your external and internal actions. You take no longer delight in the rich pastures, in which God wishes you to dwell, but you have sought for satisfaction and pleasure in the things of the world. "All we, like sheep, have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way." ”

“ He chose, however, to be born of a mother: first, in order to honor both sexes, man in His own person, and woman by taking flesh and blood of her; secondly, that in her we also might have a mother to plead in our behalf with her son, who will be our Judge; thirdly, that becoming Himself a helpless infant, and subject to His mother, He might give us a striking example of humility and subjection. Reflect how in all these things, which were subject to His own will, He always chooses the worst and most repugnant to sense. ”

“ His love for you is infinitely beneficial to you; yours for Him is in no respect profitable to Him. Notwithstanding this, out of pure affection for you, and to gain your love, He has given you His own precious body and blood, and even His life on the cross, for your redemption. ”

“ Christ is a true vine, both in regard to the most precious wine which He poured forth on the cross, and in as much as His blood is daily presented to His Father for us, in the chalice of salvation. Every one may be a branch of this vine ”

“ III. This Divine pledge does not only give us an earnest of future glory, but even now, if not prevented, it produces some of these glorious effects in our souls. It brings with it the lustre of habitual grace, than which nothing is more glorious in the sight of God. It renders the soul in some respect impassible, that is, not subject to be moved or disturbed by any worldly adversity. It gives us spiritual agility to obey the commands of God with promptness and fervor. It endows the soul with a certain degree of subtilty, and enables it to pass through every difficulty. ”