ON MEDITATION.

Ir will be in vain for you to promise yourself any solid or permanent fruits from the best instructions and most Christian education, if you do not learn early to consider Meditation as one of your most important, indispensable duties, and as such persevere in it with the utmost exactness. A great deal depends on your conceiving such correct ideas of this holy exercise, as will prevent your being misled by the illusion of those who call Meditation an exercise of extreme difficulty, or else of too great sublimity for ordinary Christians. This opinion may easily be traced to the devil, the great enemy of all good; particularly as it is universally held by such as are nost in the habit of listening to his suggestions. Those who pronounce most decidedly on the difficulty or impossibility of Meditation, are always the very persons who never even attempt it, and who certainly on that account alone, are of all others least qualified to give an opinion on an exercise of which they have no experimental knowledge. Still, notwithstanding the unfounded prejudices entertained against Meditation, nothing is more certain than that this exercise is absolutely necessary for those who would work out their salvation, and that it is so easy, and so adapted to the most limited understanding, that every person is capable of it.

Aware of this important truth, consider that Meditation is indispensably necessary, according to the unanimous opinion of the holy Fathers: St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom assert, that reflection and consideration of the truths of salvation are the foundation of good works; and certainly it is clear to every one, that those who do not meditate or reflect on the maxims of the gospel, on their various duties, on the obstacles which impede their progress in virtue, and the means best calculated for removing them run a very great risk of forgetting those max

ims, neglecting those duties, yielding to those obsta cles, and slighting those means; consequently, of being lost eternally. On the contrary, those who meditate assiduously, morally insure their salvation; because Meditation naturally produces such good desires, holy affections, and efficacious resolutions, as at length excite to the execution of good designs, to the perfect amendment of life, and to the habitual practice of virtue. How consolatory is it to think that an exercise so necessary, is likewise so easy! In effect, nothing more is requisite for Meditation, than to be a reasonable creature, because Meditation is nothing more than an exercise of the three powers of the soul, memory, understanding, and will; that is, an application of those three powers to some particular subject, whether spiritual or temporal. There fore it is clear that Meditation, rightly understood, is not only easy, but universally practised, since all from the first to the last, have some object in view some scheme to accomplish, some business to pur sue; and there is no one, if he wishes to avoid being rash or foolish, who does not frequently reflect on and adopt the means most likely to insure success. The greatest saint is not distinguished from the greatest worldling precisely by meditating or reflecting more frequently and profoundly, but by the difference in the subject of his reflections. On the concerns of the soul alone Meditation is found troublesome and difficult. For example, what difficulty does a merchant find in meditating, that is, in reasoning and reflecting on commerce a farmer upon husbandry ?-a tradesman upon his employment? Those persons frequently call to mind what they heard for or against the plans they pursue, and thus they exercise the memory ;-they make serious reflections upon what they found profitable or the reverse; and consider frequently how far their plans are calculated to insure success, or expose them to failure: this is the exercise of the understanding.—

Lastly, however little capacity those persons inay nave, their reflections never fail to excite in their will hopes and desires of success, fears of danger, or sorrow for disappointment, which is the exercise of the will; and those same reflections afterwards urge them to take precautions against the accidents they foresee, and adopt such measures as may repair past losses, and insure ultimate advantage.

This is what is called Meditation, and is it not clear that it is practised by every description of persons? What, then, can hinder those who reflect, or meditate on temporal concerns, from doing the same in the momentous business of their eternal salvation? Why should not they, in the same manner, reflect on what may conduce to or hinder their attainment of eternal felicity? Why should not they examine well the state of their soul, its dispositions and inclinations, and consider what they ought to pursue or avoid? The whole secret is, to think of eternity as often, at least, as we do of time ;-to feel as much interest for our soul as we do for our body ;—and to be as willing to encounter difficulties and overcome obstacles for immortal treasures, as we are for perishable goods. But, alas! the want of these dispositions is precisely what constitutes the difficulty of Meditation on spiritual matters. With desolation, says the Holy Scripture, is the land made desolate, because there is none that thinketh in his heart on the danger he runs of eternal perdition, or on the means of saving him self from unspeakable misery. Still, as the dispositions for Meditation are acquired and perfected by the habit of this exercise, you cannot be too strenuously exhorted to adopt and persevere in the holy custom of devoting a short time daily to Meditation on some of those great truths of salvation, which at the hour of death, will most certainly appear to you as the only subjects worthy of your serious consideration.

The METHOD of MEDITATION.

1st. CALL to mind the presence of God, by a short act of faith, which teaches us that God is every where and profoundly adore and humble yoursel before that infinite Being, to whom no mortal is wor thy to speak.

2d. Make a short act of contrition, to cleanse your soul from sin, that being the great obstacle to com munication with God.

3d. Implore his divine assistance and the light of his Holy Spirit, to make the meditation you are going about in a manner pleasing to his divine Majesty, and profitable to your soul.

Then call to mind the Christian Truth, or mys tery, on which you desire to meditate. Thinking on that, to the best of your power, is the proper exercise of the memory. It is almost morally impossible but some reflection will arise, or present itself to your mind, concerning the truth you have present to your recollection. Any reflections, even one consideration, however simple, would suffice, if you dwell on it, and endeavour to penetrate it well. These reflections will naturally lead you to consider the state of your soul, to draw from the truth on which you meditate, some conclusion for the reformation of your life. Thus you exercise your understanding.

From the understanding having been convinced and enlightened by reflection, the will must consequently be affected according to the nature of the objects reflected upon.-For example, such alarming truths as the rigorous justice of God,-Hell-or Eternity, will produce in our hearts, fear, horror, aversion, and sorrow. Those subjects that are amiable and attractive, as the birth of the divine Infant Jesus, the adorable Sacrament of our Altars, will, on the contrary, excite feelings cf love, admiration, gratitude, desire, hope, and confidence; and in producing such acts consists the exercise of the will.

Preparatory Acts for Meditation.

() ETERNAL and omnipotent Being! before whom the Angels tremble, I firmly believe that I am in thy adorable presence, and I acknowledge, in the face of heaven and earth, that I am most unworthy of the honour and happiness of conversing with thy Divine Majesty. But, O dearest Lord, since I know it is thy will that I should pray, and that thou hast perhaps annexed my salvation to serious reflection on the truths of eternity, I approach to thee, notwithstanding my wretchedness, and beseech thee to accept on my behalf the divine dispositions of Jesus Christ my Saviour, when he entered the Garden of Olives to pray.-Eternal Father! I offer thee my memory, and entreat thee to banish from it every earthly idea. Adorable Jesus! I offer thee my understanding deign to dissipate its darkness, and fill my soul with the light of thy grace. Divine Spirit! I offer thee my will, and beseech thee to render it conformable to thine, and to inflame it with the fire of perfect charity.

Act of Contrition.

I MOST sincerely regret, O merciful Father! every sin and fault of my whole life, particularly those which may at this moment prove an obstacle to the graces thou desirest to bestow on me in this meditation. O adorable Jesus! let thy infinite merits atone for my offences, and deign to efface them by thy precious blood, that my heart may be purified, and disposed to receive the impressions of thy grace. I renounce every thought or affection which may distract me in thy divine presence; and I conjure thee to grant, through the intercession of thy blessed Mother and my good Angel, that this meditation may conduce to thy honour and my salvation. Amen.

*** Meditations are generally divided into two or three parts that is, the same subject is considered under different points of view, or else its principal circumstances are separately reflected on