farewell, go." And, driving God away from his soul, he allows the devil to enter in immediately, to take possession of it. By the same door through which God departs, the enemy enters; " Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there." (S. Matt. xii. 45.) When a child is baptized, "the devil is commanded to depart from it with the words: " Depart, thou unclean spirit, and make room for the Holy Ghost." Yes, because that soul, by receiving grace, becomes the temple of God. " Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?" (i Cor. iii. 16.) But when a man consents to sin, he does the contrary, for he says to God, Who is dwelling in his soul, " Depart from me, O Lord, give place to the devil."
Would it not grieve you very much if you were to receive a great injury from some one to whom you had been very kind? This is the grief you have caused your God, Who gave His life even to save you.
The Lord calls upon heaven and earth, as it were, to pity Him because of the ingratitude which sinners show to Him. " Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me." (Isa. i. 2.) In fact, sinners with their sins give sorrow to God. " They rebelled and vexed His Holy Spirit." (Isa. lxiii. 10.) God is not able to feel grieved, but if He were, one deadly sin alone would be sufficient to cause Him great sorrow. As S. Bernard observes, " Sin, so far as it is possible, would destroy God Himself." Therefore, the sinner, when he commits a deadly sin, gives, as it were, a poison to God. " The ungodly is so proud, that he careth not for God." (Ps. x. 4.) And, as S. Paul declares, he " hath trodden under foot the Son of God," (Heb. x. 29,) for he despises all things that Jesus Christ hath done and suffered, to take away the sin of the world.
Affections and Prayers.
Therefore, my Redeemer, whenever I have committed sin, I have sent Thee away from my soul. Now I can hear Thee ask me, "Tell Me what I have done to Thee what have I done to
