Roger Baxter

“ Solid joy can only be found in the exercise of virtue, and in the hopes of eternal life, and not even in special powers or favors, or miraculous gifts. These ought rather to increase our caution, and fear of abusing them, than inspire vanity or pride. Learn, therefore, to seek contentment of mind in heavenly things alone, for the joys of this world are but vain and fictitious. ”

“ No day, therefore, ought to pass in which the disciple of Christ does not make some progress in mortification. Hence the learned St. Augustine remarks, "The whole life of a Christian, if he lives according to the Gospel, is a cross and a martyrdom." Embrace, therefore, your cross willingly, and whatever is disagreeable to flesh and blood; for the cross will be a passport to an everlasting life of happiness. ”

“ Be ashamed of your negligence in laboring for the kingdom of heaven, because you will not exert yourself as much to obtain that happiness and glory as worldly men do to gain some empty object of ambition or folly. ”

“ Baptism opens the gates of heaven, it reveals the divine mysteries to us, it remits all sin, it gives us the grace of the Holy Ghost, and it renders us the adopted children of God. Frequently renew your baptismal engagements; give God thanks for the benefits received by means of this sacrament; and since you are now an adopted son of God, raise your thoughts and affections to your heavenly habitation, whose gates are now opened for you, and say with the Psalmist, "Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest." ”

“ In the same manner, the Devil, when he wishes to lead us into sin, promises us happiness, honor, and enjoyment; but those who listen to him are universally and uniformly deceived and disappointed.
II. Christ resisted the temptation with constancy and resolution, and taught us by His example that we ought not to commit any sin, even " to gain the whole world." And yet how many thousands rush headlong into hell for a more trifling gratification than the enjoyment of the whole world! " Begone Satan! for it is written, The Lord thy God thou shalt adore, and Him alone shalt thou serve." ”

“ We ought to seek, in the first place, and in all our actions, the honor and glory of God, and do all that we can, to induce mankind to honor and worship Him. We must begin with ourselves, we must love and glorify Him by the sanctity of our lives. ”

“ Go and relate to John, what you have heard and seen: The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them." Christ does not in express terms declare that He is the Messias, to avoid even the shadow of boasting, but proves it from His works. " Louder," says St. Bernard, " is the sound of works, than of words." It is your duty to prove yourself to be a good Christian, and a follower of Jesus Christ in your state of life, whatever it may be, not by words, but by actions. ”

“ He has made these so many steps, by which we may ascend to Heaven, in order to enjoy our ultimate and everlasting happiness. These are poverty of spirit, meekness, sorrow for sins, hunger and thirst after justice, mercy, purity of heart, the making of peace both with God and men, and the suffering of persecutions for Christ's sake. You must ascend these steps, if you wish to enter into the joys of your Lord. " Blessed is the man, whose help is from Thee; in his heart he hath disposed to ascend by steps." ”

“ Christ joins fasting and mortification to His prayer in the desert, for prayers and mortification are two sisters that wish never to be separated. Prayer excites mortification, and mortification refines prayer as fire refines gold. ”

“ The Christian, whose heart is clean, is free from all sin, both mortal and venial; his mind is frequently exercised with pious and holy thoughts, and all his actions are accompanied with a right intention. He does nothing to gain the applause of mankind. Hence the Apostle requires from all Christians, " Charity from a pure heart and a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith." ”

“ Examine yourself seriously, whether this be your character, or whether like a reed you be easily shaken, by the breath of men, in your good purposes, and without the substance of solid virtue, to support your outward appearance of religion. External appearances of virtue, without the substance, is sacrilegious mockery. ”

“ Be not, therefore, alarmed or disconcerted when you find yourself attacked by any temptation, but remember the saying of the Wise Man: "Son, when thou comest to the service of God, prepare thy soul for temptation." ”

“ The character of a Christian requires, that he make, in the first place, domestic peace, that is, that he subject the flesh to the spirit, and the sensual appetite to reason. He is bound to keep peace also with others, to give no one occasion for complaining against him, and to excite no angry thoughts in others. He is obliged, besides, to do what he can to reconcile those who are at variance with one another. But the most perfect act of this virtue is to reconcile sinners to their offended Creator. ”

“ Admire the humility of the Son of God, who, although He was creator of all things, did not disdain for forty days to live among brute beasts. He might truly have said with Job, " I was the brother of dragons, and companion of ostriches." (Job xxx. 29.) Be confounded at your want of virtue, when you cannot live contentedly except with companions of your own choice and humor. Learn to bear patiently with the crosses arising from troublesome associates; for, as the great St. Gregory says, "No one is perfect who is impatient among bad or troublesome neighbors." ”

“ Learn from this that there is nothing so holy, as to escape the censures of the wicked. Hence, if on any occasion it be your fate to suffer reprehension or slander for having performed good actions, remember that "The disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant above his Lord." ”

“ The body dies when the soul is separated from it, and the soul dies when it is separated from God by sin. Christ therefore says, let those that are dead to God take care of those that are dead to the world: but do you take care to preserve the life of your soul, lest you fall into sin and be cast off from the face of God. ”

“ Those who aspire to the perfection of a religious life, or who wish to lead an apostolic life, must not only renounce their worldly possessions, but even their parents, for Christ's sake. They must convert their human affections into Spiritual love, and make them subordinate to the Divine service. Examine whether your human affections do not sometimes prevent you from aspiring to higher perfection and from leading a more virtuous and regular life. ”

“ Worldly men place their happiness in the enjoyments of this mortal life, which however passes away like a shadow. In opposition to this the Holy Spirit exclaims, " the day of death is better, than the day of one's birth." (Eccles. vii. 2.) The day of our birth introduces us into a world of misery and woe, but the day of our death, if we have spent life well, unites us to God himself. Constantly, therefore, fix your attention on your last moment, and prepare for it in all your actions. Remember your last end and you will never sin. ”

“ O wonderful poverty of this sovereign King! This poverty, however, is of such immense value as to be able to purchase the kingdom of heaven. " Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. v. 3.)
III. The true disciples of Jesus Christ ought, like their master, to have no coffers in which to hoard their treasures (as foxes "have their holes") , and they ought not to be like birds who build their nests on high; that is, they ought not to seek high and dignified employment, but court humility and obscurity. ”

“ Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." The will of God displays itself in two different ways, viz.: by counsel and by precept. By this petition, then, we pray that all, whom He calls to a religious state of life, may obey His counsels, and holy inspirations, and that every one may observe His commandments. "Give us this day, our daily bread." By this we pray for both corporal and spiritual food, but particularly for the latter, because by it the soul is preserved from spiritual death. "Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded! ”

“ Entreat God, that you may die the death of the just, and by that means secure a short and easy passage to heaven. Offer yourself frequently to God, and be willing to endure every pain, and even the loss of life, and all its goods, in His holy service. Imitate the example of so many glorious martyrs, who have died for their faith, by continually practicing virtue, by being constant in your faith and in the exercise of your religious duties. ”

“ Other men are trees of the wood, and produce no other than wild and sour fruit, to wit, sin. Christ alone, in the sense of the Canticles, is the apple-tree which brings forth delicious fruit; and as the apple by its juice gives both food and liquid, so Christ by giving us His precious body and blood in the Eucharist is both the meat and drink of our souls. ”

“ These are caused by the Devil or his ministers, sometimes, also, by mistake (God so permitting) , by the just themselves. They are suffered for justice sake, when they are borne with patience and accompanied with the exercise of virtue, and in compliance with our duty toward God and men. They ought not to be suffered with patience only, but with joy at the greatness of the reward; therefore, St. Peter says, " Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a railer, or as coveting the goods of others, but if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name." ”

“ By this we pray that we may have efficacious grace to surmount every temptation. It is not in the dispensation of providence, that we should never be assailed with temptations, for our virtue must be tried and improved; but it is our duty to resist them, and overcome them. By the last words we pray, that we may be delivered both from the guilt and punishment of sin, from all evil, present and to come, and ultimately, that we may enjoy everlasting happiness in the next life. Remember the purport of this Divine prayer whenever you pronounce it. ”

“ Thus, as long as we exist in this world we are repeatedly exposed to temptations, which we must not neglect, but use all our endeavors to overcome, by having recourse to the spiritual arms of prayer and recollection. At last Christ came to His disciples, walking over the sea, to convince them of His power. He is always at hand to assist us, and to perform the character of "a helper, in due time, in tribulation." ”

“ Thus, many wish to serve God, but according to their own ideas, and after they have gained some desired object in the world, enjoyed some of its pleasures, or gratified some favorite feeling. After this is accomplished, when life can no longer be coupled with pleasure, they are willing to surrender their old age to God, to virtue and religion. ”

“ No man putting his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke ix. 62.) The ploughman, who has his hands on the plough and looks the contrary way, is incapable of ploughing; in the same manner, he who intends to be a disciple of Christ, and turns round to look on worldly affairs is not fit to preach the gospel. The ploughman must see what is before him, so must Christ's disciples, " forgetting the things that are behind and stretching forth to those that are before." ”

“ Reflect what reasons you have to imitate the example of so great a master, and rank yourself with the wise, rather than the foolish.
III. Consider the reward attached to mourning. " They shall be comforted," in this life with Divine enlightenment and the testimony of a good conscience, and in the next, " they shall be inebriated," O God, " with the plenty of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of Thy pleasure." (Ps. xxxv. 9.) Lament, therefore, your own and your neighbors' sins, for they, who sow in tears, shall reap in joy. ”

“ Mark their prompt obedience; they neither excuse themselves, nor plead incapacity, nor poverty. Such ought to be your obedience to God, and to His holy inspirations, to superiors, and those who are in your regard, the representatives of God,- without any complaint, murmur, or excuse. Worldly cares and business are the nets that entangle and hinder man from surrendering himself without reserve to God. You must therefore leave all if you wish to follow Christ and lead an apostolical life. " For no man can serve two masters." ”

“ Great was the force of this call, which was able to withdraw a man from his riches: and yet the same call, perhaps, would not be forcible enough to withdraw you from smaller impediments. Who can despair of salvation, when he sees public sinners taken out of a custom house, assumed not only to the friendship of God, but raised to the highest dignity of the apostleship. ”

“ Examine whether you serve and adore the Lord your God as you ought, or whether you do not rather follow your inordinate desires, and, by sacrificing your duty to them, virtually adore the enemy of your salvation. ”

“ There are seven acts of spiritual mercy, and seven works of mercy corporal. These are known to every one, who is acquainted with the elements of his religion. These works of mercy, however, must be accompanied with three conditions to render them perfect and acceptable to God. 1. They must extend themselves to all without exception, even to our enemies. 2. We must take advantage of every occasion of doing good, in every species of distress, and exert ourselves to the extent of our abilities. ”

“ Examine your conscience on this subject, and see how you may improve in this self-abnegation to the greater glory of God. Without self-denial there can be no true religion or virtue on earth, because the human will is naturally prone to evil, and if not denied it will certainly prefer vice to virtue. No one can be religious or virtuous without imitating the suffering Redeemer.
III. The Apostle exhorts us to carry our cross daily in these words: "Always bearing about in our body the dying of Jesus." ”