Ebook St. Bonaventure's Life of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

Wherefore, St. Bernard says, that he labors in vain in the pursuit of virtue, who hopes to find it anywhere but in the Lord of 'virtues, whose doctrine 18 the school of prudence, whose mercy is the work of justice, whose life is the model of temperance, and whose death is the pledge of fortitude. Whoever, therefore, follows this divine pattern, can neither be deceived himself, nor deceive others, for the soul by frequent re?ection on his virtues, is both animated and instructed in the imitation and pursuit of them, and at length becomes so habituated to virtue, that the bare light of it is sufficient to direct her judgment in discerning truth from falsehood. This is so true, that many very illiterate persons have become, by the same means, profoundly versed in the most sublime m steries of God. By what other means than that of a famifiar and mental conversation with his divine Lord could St. Francis of Asissium, attain to such an eminent state of erfection, so deep a knowledge of the holy scri tures, an that dis cernment with which he discovered t e frauds of his spir itual enemies, and ba?ied the power of vice Hence it was, that he grew so passionately affected with the life of Christ, as to render his own life almost a picture of it. He copied to the utmost of his power, the practice of eve virtue and Christ, at length, crowning his afiections with the accomplishment of his wishes, he became totally trans. Formed into his Saviour, and received the impression of his sacred wounds on his person. To such an eminent state is the soul led by meditating on the life of its Saviour: and yet this is but, as it were, the foundation on which the soul rises to more sublime degrees of contem plation. For the unction therein to be found purifying by degrees, and elevates the soul, instructs it, and renders it full of all divine knowledge but this tends not immedi ately to our present purpose. Now, I propose to introduce you, gentle reader, to the meditations on the blessed life of our Saviour, though I could wish you a more learned and able guide, being my self very unequal to so great a task. However, as I com ceive it to be more for your advantage that I rather say something than remain silent on so useful a subject, Ishall endeavor to make the best use of my slender ability, by discoursing in a familiar, though plain and unpolished style that dyou may the more easrly comprehend the matter here treate and study rather to improve vour mind and heart than ?atter your ears.