A guide to salvation, bequeathed to a person of honour, by his dying-friend the R.F. Br. Laurence Eason, Ord. S. Franc. S. Th. L.

The third Consideration and Motive.

We may discern the importance of our Salvation, by the many crafts and endeavours the Devil useth to hinder it, which are so many and so great, that he hath his name given him from them, be∣ing

called the Tempter; and as Tertullian speaks, Eversio hominis, operatio ejus; his only work is the ruine of man. The Prophet Hab. saith, that cibus ejus e∣lectus; his food is very choice, he desires to devour the Elect: he loves these deli∣cate morsels; he labours not, but to re∣sist the Salvation of men, and to procure their Damnation; this is his joy and triumph: And in the estate of misery, in which he is plunged, if he be capable of any satisfaction, it is the Damnation of man; for which reason, he is stiled by our Blessed Saviour in the Gospel, Inimi∣cus hominis, the Enemy of man; for be∣ing not able to revenge himself on God, he turns his fury against his Servants; and thinks he commits a great outrage against him, if he can reverse the design he hath for the Salvation of man, and de∣face Gods Image in our Soul. He is the Enemy of man, because he knows man is to possess the place he left vacant by his revolt. He is the Enemy of man, because by this, he thinks to find some solace in his misery, having Compani∣ons

with him in his sufferings, and sub∣jects upon which to exercise his fury; he useth all artifices, employs all his po∣wer; he is Prodigal in promises to com∣pass this, and to be an Usurper of Souls. He speaks as the King of Sodom did to Abraham, Da mihi animas, caetera tolle tibi; Give me the Souls, and take all the rest.

The pleasures of the Flesh are not for me; I misprise Riches, I leave Honours to the Ambitious; but for Souls, I con∣tinually thirst, and can never be satisfied. He was so bold, as to attempt against our Blessed Saviour himself, and to perswade him to adore him; he promised to give him Honours, Riches, Pleasures, all the Kingdoms of the Earth to do it; haec om∣nia tibi dabo; All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me. See here the esteem he makes of one Soul, from which Salvianus takes an oc∣casion to condemn the stupidity of men, who truly consider not the price of their Souls; Quis furor? viles habere ani∣mas, quas diabolus putat esse pretiosas?

What madness, to have a vile esteem of our Souls, which in the opinion of the Devil are judged so pretious? To sell that for a little money, for a momentary pleasure, for a blast of Honour, which the proper Enemy of it, valued above the whole world, seeing he presented that to pur∣chase it. This extream folly moved the said Salvianus, thus to exclaim, No∣vum genus emptionis & venditionis! A strange kind of buying and selling! the Devil gives nothing, and takes all! man receives nothing, and parts with all! When a Merchant contracts for any Ware, he receives the price agreed up∣on for it, and the buyer receives the Mer∣chandize: But here is the contrary. See the foolish traffick of Sinners, the Devil sells them the pleasures of the sences, he promiseth them Honours, which are but smoak; Riches, which a Theif, a Violence, an Injustice may de∣prive them of; and in selling these, he gives them nothing, because these are not at his disposal, he being not Lord of them; and for these, he receives from

us all the pretious things which concerns our Salvation. What a deplorable blind∣ness is this of Sinners, to esteem so lit∣tle of their Souls? I earnestly desire, that every one of them would follow that Counsel of the Wise man, [Eccles. 10. 31.] Serva animam tuam & da illi honorem secundum meritum suum: Save thy Soul, and give it that honour which is due unto it, according to its worth and dignity. And he adds, Quis honorifica∣bit? Who shall honour him, who dishonours his Soul? and who can defend or excuse him against the justice of God, who offends against his own Soul?