Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/83

the Lives of the Ancient Fathers, saying, that a certain woman finding her son desirous to become a religious, endeavoured all she could to hinder his executing this good design, laying before him all she thought might serve to prevent him; but the young man, continuing still firm in his holy resolution, made no other answer to all the difficulties and objections his mother urged, but only this, I will save my soul. At last, his mother seeing she could prevail on him, neither by reason nor importunity, left him to his own choice; and so the young man took the habit of religion. But this first fervour cooling afterwards, he began to live so negligently that there could scarce be found any trace of that zeal he had at first shewn for heavenly things. Soon after, his mother died, and he fell sick of a very dangerous fever, in which, lying in a trance, he fancied, that he was carried before God's great tribunal, where he saw his mother, with many others, expecting the sentence of their condemnation; and that his mother, looking upon him, and perceiving- that he was of the number of those who were to be condemned; " Alas! son," said she, "what is become of that good resolution, and that sentence you so often heretofore repeated to me, I will save my soul? Was it to become a lost soul that you made yourself a religious?" This reproach of his mother put him into so great a confusion, that he could not tell what to reply. At last awaking from this trance, and permitted by God to recover from that sickness, he began to consider that the vision he had had was certainly a warning from God; which wrought such a change in him, that he spent all the rest of his life in tears, and continual penance. Many endeavoured to persuade him to moderate, and abate some part of his great austerities and mortifications, lest he should destroy his health by them; but he rejected all their advice, saying, "Alas! if I could not bear those reproaches of my mother how shall I be able to bear those that will be made me by Jesus Christ, and his blessed angels, on the terrible day of judgment?" (Dion. Cart. art. 30 de quatuor novis.)