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SECT. IV.

Of Temperance.

A. It is a virtue that moderates our sensual appetites, and keeps them within the bounds of reason, that they may not allure us from virtue.

WHAT is Temperance ?

INSTRUC.-Virtue has two great enemies in this world; 1. Terror and persecution, which would force us from the practice of it. 2. Sensual pleasures, which, by their power, too often allure us to what is contrary to it; against the first, fortitude is necessary; against the second, temperance: and as amongst all sensual delights, carnal pleasure and gluttony are the most violent, we have in a particular manner need of temperance, to contain those appetites within the bounds that reason prescribes, that we neither commit sin, nor abandon God for them. As every cardinal virtue is attended with a train of lesser virtues, which, though they come not up to the full perfection of their cardinal virtue, yet have something of the nature of it in them; so temperance, whose perfection chiefly lies in moderating our appetites to the carnal pleasure and gluttony, which are the most violent, branches out into many lesser virtues, which bridle us from excess in pleasures that are less violent; for instance, there is temperance not only in eating and drinking, but in dress, furniture, equipage; moderation in all things; in our mirth, discourse, and recreation; in our curiosity after knowledge; in the opinion we have of our own abilities; which are all parts of temperance; as is also clemency, which mitigates the punishment due to others; and mildness, which moderates anger; abstemiousness from certain meats, at certain times, called fasting; sobriety in drinking; chastity, to refrain from all carnal pleasures forbidden; and continency, to abstain even from lawful ones, and to withstand the most violent attacks of them, which have all something of temperance in them and spring from it. Temperance then relateş both to soul and body; it is a virtue so necessa

ry, that there is no heaven for us without it, He that is abstinent, shall take life. Consider how many evils spring from intemperance? How many make a God of their belly, and idols of themselves? How many, with the rich glutton, damn themselves by a brutish intemperance in diet and cloathing? How many have no bounds in the liberty of the tongue, and the exorbitant desires and passions of their hearts? Temperance then is absolutely necessary to moderate all these extravagances; to regulate our interior, as well as exterior. Hence is that lesson of St. Paul, Let us live honestly, not in rioting and drunkenness, but put on our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. xiii. 13.

EXHOR.-What more necessary virtue for you, 0 christian, to live the sober, chaste and temperate life of Christ and his saints, than temperance ? Prayer, fasting, and penance, are the only means to preserve it; austerities and self-denials help and maintain it; if you fail in these, this virtue is easily and soon destroyed. Blessed temperance, that keeps us in subjection to God, and preserves us in all good, against the most violent forbidden pleasures! Temperance breeds serenity of mind, and renders us happy, both in this world and the next: labour hard then to obtain of God this cardinal virtue, from whence so much good proceeds. Keep a watch over every motion of your sensual appetite; and if in any respect you become irregular or immoderate in the offices of life, correct yourself, and let temperance govern you; let temperance accompany all the blessings of nature you enjoy; use them with moderation, such as God requires: follow necessity, not excess and superfluity; whatever exceeds the bounds of necessity degenerates into luxury: bridle your appetite, that no gluttony proceed from meat and drink, which makes us degenerate into brutes: let temperance also govern the inward. man, and bridle your excessive passions, and the immoderate desires of your heart. Let it govern the outward man, that nothing bad proceed from your lips: let it teach you when, where, how much and in what manner to speak. In a word, let it regulate your whole comportment; that nothing but degency and modesty may

be seen in it. Live soberly in this world, and abstain from all forbidden pleasures; so shall you be satiated with the torrent of eternal pleasure in the next.

Of the gifts of the Holy Ghost.

Q. WHAT are the gifts of the Holy Ghost? A. Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, the fear of our Lord.

INSTRUC. These gifts of the Holy Ghost are set down by the prophet Isaiah, c. lxi. 1. Our Saviour was replenished with them; he brought them from heaven for us his servants, and distributes them to the faithful, according as he pleases. They transcend moral virtues : moral virtues are habits that only incline us to follow reason in our actions; but these gifts incline us to obey the impulse and motion of the Holy Ghost, by whom we are led to life everlasting. They are as so many superior graces, to improve us in virtue and to perfect us in a christian life. They supply all the necessities of our infirm state, in order to a blessed eternal one.

Wisdom teaches us to order and direct all our actions to the glory of God, and our last end: understanding, elevates us to penetrate and to submit to the mysteries of faith: council, discovers to us the frauds and deceits of the Devil, the better to avoid them: fortitude, strengthens us against the persecutions of the world: knowledge, teaches us to know and understand the will of God: piety, makes us devout and zealous to put the same in execution: fear, makes us cautious not to offend so tremendous a Majesty. These gifts are infused into the hearts of none but true believers.

EXHOR.-How much ought you, O christian, to covet and preserve these divine gifts of the Holy Ghost, so essential to happiness! O what are all the gifts of nature to them! They raise us up, poor and miserable as we are in this world, to eternal glory. They truly come from God, and carry us to God. Behold now the assistance they give us, to advance and conduct us to happiness everlasting; to which ordinary virtues, without these, would not be sufficient in our infirm state; because,

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without these, virtue is not long preserved.-As corrupt nature carries us away to sensual objects, and to embrace false, for true delights, to take evil for good; wisdom corrects the mind, and teaches us to frame a right judgment, to aspire to higher things; to pursue virtue, and the love and knowledge of God: this is the wisdom of God, and produces life; the wisdom of the world brings death: O how necessary is this divine gift amidst the dark follies of life!-As we are all born with a natural blindness, and weakness of reason, in respect to hidden mysteries of God, the gift of understanding helps us to discern the truths God has revealed to his church; enlightens us to see beyond time into eternity; this is what we ought to pray for: Lord, give me understanding to know thy ways. O what is it, but the want of this, makes so many wise in their own conceits; and to pass judgment upon what they are not in the least able to comprehend! Hence how many walk in the dark, and plunge themselves into error, infidelity and vice! Counsel helps the ignorance of our minds, by embracing wholesome instructions given us; this teaches us to shun evil, and do good; it discovers to us the snares of the Devil, and informs us of the many dangers a spiritual man is exposed to: to hear and follow counsel, is the way to be preserved from those dangers which are the overthrow of innumerable souls.-Fortitude is the armour of a christian, and most necessary for him whose life is a warfare and continual combat upon earth; it is only through fortitude we can be victorious over all, and secure our virtue here, and felicity hereafter. Through fortitude, we are armed against the most violent assaults of the Devi!, malice and persecution of wicked men ; by it, we vanquish self-will, self-love, our greatest enemy. So great is this gift, that of it the wise man says: Better is he who commands his soul, than he who conquers cities. Prov. xvi. 32.-Knowledge preserves us from the eager pursuit of our own wills, and shews us what is the will of God, and what our duty to him; many follow their own fancies, and have themselves for their guide, what is this, but the blind leading the blind, till both fall into the pit? Of whom St. Bernard rightly says, "He that has

himself for his master, "has a fool for his scholar." Great is the gift of knowledge, which preserves us from so great a folly; teaching us to know God, and to know ourselves; to see the follies of life, and the joys of eternity. If knowledge please the soul, counsel shall guard thee, and prudence preserve thee, from all evil. Prov. ii. 10. Piety is a noble gift, which inspires us with zeal and devotion, to serve the great God of Majesty, and with earnest labour to work out our salvation: we have certainly great need of this gift, who have hitherto been so lukewarm and indifferent in our duty to God, and our spiritual concerns.-The fear of the Lord is the beginning of true wisdom, and inspires us with reverence for God; so adorable in love and goodness, that we dread nothing more, than the evil of sin, so displeasing and opposite to that infinite good, which is in God. This gift of the Holy Ghost is not a servile, but a filial fear; the fear a child has to offend a loving parent: it is like to that the Angels have in heaven, who with trembling, fall down and adore their great beloved God; it is a fear all just men have on earth, who with this fear and trembling work out their salvation. This is the fear, O christian, you must pray for, as it is the beginning of all good alas! it is the want of it is the beginning of all folly and wickedness: this is what all the good, all the saints desired Pierce, O Lord, my flesh with thy fear, for I have dreaded thy judgments. Let this holy fear accompany you in all you do, and then you will not sin.

Of the fruits of the Holy Ghost.

7. WHAT are the fruits of the Holy Ghost? 4.

Charity, joy, peace, patience, longanimity, goodness, benignity, mildness, fidelity, modesty, continence, chastity. So they are numbered by St. Paul to the Galations, c. v. to which seems to answer, what is said in the Apocalypse, in the description of the celestial Jerusalem: On both sides the river is a tree of life that bringeth twelve fruits. c. ult.

INSTRUC.-The fruit is the last product we expect from the tree; and when it comes to its perfection and