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 last Means to Preserve and En∣crease a Christian Life in us, is a Devout Frequenting of the Sacred Eucharist.

This appears clearly by the Words of our Blessed Saviour in St. John, [C. 6.] Qui manducat me, ipse vivet propter me; he who eats me, shall live by me; for which Reason the Anti∣ent Affrican Christians called this Mistery Life; as St. Augustin relates of them. [S. Aug. de pec. merit. lib. 1. c. 24.] because he gives himself here to every one in particular, to render him Partaker of his Divine Life. For

this reason Paschacius compares this Sacrament, to the Tree of Life, planted in Paradice, to preserve and prolong the Life of Man. And to signifie thus much, it is instituted under the forms of Bread and Wine; to inform us, that it produceth the same effects, in order to a Spiritual Life, as these Elements do, about the Corporal Life of Man; for which, it is stiled by St. Cyprian [St. Cypr. Ser. de laps. de coena dom. Ep. 54.] a Celestial Viand, the aliment of Immor∣tality, a Divine Nourishment: So the grace of the Eucharist, is properly nou∣rishing Grace, because this Sacrament is instituted and ordained, to augment, for∣tifie and conserve the Spiritual Life of the Soul. It is an observation of St. Cyril [Cyril. Alexand. lib. 4. in Joan.] that our Blessed Saviour ordinarily in work∣ing of Miracles, used the Application of his Sacred Body; as when he would cure the infirm, or raise the Dead, he touched them with his Hands, to shew that his Flesh united with the Divinity Vivifica esset: had a vivificative Vertue

in it. That which he did visibly in the world, he doth invisibly by Grace in this Sacrament; and by the Real Pre∣sence of his Body in this Mistery. By which Union with him, we receive in a most excellent and abundant man∣ner, the communication of his Life and Spirit. We are incorporate here, and made one Body with him, to the end that we live by him, as St. Au∣gustine affirms, [St. Aug. tract. 26 in Joan.] This Sacred Eucharist renders us strong in Dangers, constant in La∣bours, patient in Afflictions; it expels humane Fears, and exceedingly con∣firms the Heart of Man; and was live∣ly represented by the Bread which Elias received from the Angel; by the vertue of which, he walked through the de∣sert to Oreb, the Mount of God. David shadowed it out, in that of the 22. Psalm, parasti mensam: thou hast pre∣pared a Table before me, against all that trouble me; and what other Table can he mean, but this, which Christ hath set before all his faithful? What o∣ther

Table can fortify him against all his Enemies, but this, wherein is eaten Fortitudo Gentium, the Fortitude of the Gentiles? hence St. Chrysostome saith, that we should depart from this Table, Tanquam leones, as generous Lyons brea∣thing Flames of Fire, and become ter∣rible unto the Devils. The reason why this Celestial Food, Armeth our Souls against all the assaults of our Enemies, may be easily conceived by this; for it would little avail a Souldier Armed without, if he were destitute of natural Force and Strength of Body to man∣nage his Weapons; if for Hunger his Vital Spirits failed, if he were so weak that he could not strike a Blow: there∣fore Meat is necessary to restore his lost Forces, and consequently to Arm him within, against the Troops of his Ene∣mies: So likewise Internally, doth this Holy Eucharist fortify us by Spiritual nutrition and vital Sustentation, against our ghostly Foes; therefore Christ saith, Caro mea vere est cibus, my Flesh is Meat indeed. To signifie this, the Coun∣cell

of Trent [Sess. 13. c. 2.] would have this Sacrament receaved, as Spiritual Food, to Nourish and strengthen the Soul; and as an Antidote, to free us from venial Sins, and preserve us from Mortals. Hence the Affrican Council, as St. Cyprian relates, though it had de∣termined, the Eucharist not to be given to those, who had denyed their Faith in Persecution, unless it were in case of Necessity or Infirmity; yet a new Persecution arising, they Decreed it to be Administred to such, lest they should fail in the profession of their Faith, by Torments. Such fortifying Ver∣tue they attributed to it, as St. Cyprian Affirms, that he is not sufficiently pre∣pared to suffer Martyrdom, Qui ab Ec∣clesia non armatur ad praelium; who by this means, is not Armed by the Church to Combate against the Ene∣mies of it. In this Sacrament, we do not not only receave an encrease of Sancti∣fying grace, but in consequence of our communions, the Divine providence is, as it were obliged, to give us ac∣tuall

graces, lights, motives, inspira∣tions to assist us, and further us in good, for the future; why so? be∣cause this Sacrament is instituted to conserve, and encrease the Spiritual life of the soul; And because, the means necessary to make this encreas, and establish perseverance, is the exer∣cise of holy actions, and the practise of good works; of which succours we have assurance, by vertue of this Sa∣crament, if we will worthily cooperate with them, and conserve them in our hearts, to make them eternally pro∣fitable: for which reason, it is Stiled by our B. Saviour, Food, qui permanet in vitam aeternam, which remains to life eternal. Do not think therefore, that the Blood of Christ works only in our hearts, in time of Communion, or whilst it remains in us really, un∣der the form of the Sacrament, but that it also presents us an eternall fecundity and motive to good works, which St. Augustine expresseth by this similitude; The command which God

gave to the earth in the begining, to produce herbs and fruits, was not only operative for then, but that same im∣pression works, for all ensuing Ages; in so much, that the productions, which we see in order of the Nature, are but Explications of that first Word Germinet terra, Let the Earth bring forth: [Gen. 1.] So the Communion we Receive, is a Secret impression, and tacite Command, which Jesus Christ made, to produce the Fruits of good Works in us; Germinet ter∣ra: Let the Earth, watered and made Fruitful, by my Blood, thus bring forth; nor do these impressions only work, during these pretious Mo∣ments of his Reall Presence in us, but they extend their Activity, through the rest of our Life; so that all the actions of a Christian, ought to be explications, and living inter∣pretations, of this Subsistant Word, and Life, which Jesus Christ leaves in us. This is the opinion of St. Ber∣nard, saying, Siquis vestrum; if any

one of you finds not in himself, such violent motions of Anger, Envy, Lust, & the like, let him give thanks to the Bo∣dy and Blood of Christ, because the vertue of the Sacrament works in him. Is it not now reasonable that you live and work as true Christians, after having recei∣ved in you, such a fruitful principle, cause and root of good. Radicati in ipso: [Col. 2.] rooted thus in him? If there be any thing, can give us assurance of the efficacy of this Sacrament in us, it is the exercise of good works and a ver∣tuous life; one knows a tree by the fruit of it; and you know, if you have effective∣ly received this Sacrament, by the works it causeth you to produce in your Lives; so you may therefore suspect your Communions, when they produce not such Fruits in you. Upon which St. Peter [Ep. 1. 2.] Exhorts us, to assure our Vocation by good Works, which parti∣cularly is understood of the grace of this Mistery.

Receiving in our hearts the Life of our Saviour, being assured of His Pre∣sence,

and of our Obligations to do good works, which answers the fecundity of this Cause, the power of Succours, the efficacity of Motives here, which we have in this Mistery; is it not strange to see so little fruit produced by this a∣mongst Christians? There is nothing so common as the use of the Eucharist; Priests say Mass every day; a great part of Christians Communicate once a Month, many oftner. And notwith∣standing this, where is the Sanctity of Manners which should follow this ope∣rative Life received, this powerful principle and cause of Grace? you may see Dames, who make profession, often to approach this Holy Mystery, and yet they are not by this less violent in their passions, or less vain in their Conversations; nor are they more de∣vout, or more charitable; which gives occasion to Hereticks to judg amiss of our Faith; and to Libertines, to blame the frequent use of this Sacrament; from whence then proceeds this pro∣digious sterility amongst Christians in a

Sacrament so fruitful and operative? It is not the fault of the vertue of it, be∣cause we received the self-same, which produced the courage of Martyrs and Sanctity of the Church. Sure we ought to accuse our selves as defective causes, by putting obstacles to the effects of it; for we have free liberty to render un∣profitable all the causes of good, pre∣sented unto us. The precious Body and Blood of Christ have an extream in∣clination to save us, an infinite Vertue to confer Graces and Succours; and in the mean while, we oppose Obstacles to them, and offer violence to Christ himself in this Mistery: This may hap∣pen divers ways: First, it may be, we bring not necessary dispositions to render this Sacrament efficatious; but rather we receive it in the state of Mortal Sin, and thus trample the preti∣ous Body and Blood of Christ under our feet; he gives us his Sacred Body to be the Means and Cause of Grace, and we by a Sacrilegious Communion make the same Body the Instrument of our Sin;

and so change the Sacrament of Love, into a Sacrament of our Rage and Ma∣lice; and as the Apostle says, we be∣come Guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ. But suppose we come fee from Mortal Sin, and in the estate of Grace, as much as we can assure our selves, yet we come with a certain tepidity and negligence which hinder us from re∣ceiving the fervour of Charity, and the active quality of Grace, which gives not only the Power, but the Inclinations and Motions to good works. And a∣gain, If we are well disposed, and re∣ceive an encrease of Sanctifying Grace, and by the vertue of our Communions, God gives us the Succours of actual Gra∣ces; we may put another Obstacle to their efficacy, in not cooperating with them, by not seconding their influen∣ces, but rather refusing their impressi∣ons; and therefore no wonder if our Communions are so unprofitable. And thus truly one may say of us in this con∣dition, as St. Paul said of the Infidels, Veritatem dei in injustitia detinent,

[Rom. 1.] they detain the truth of God in injustice. Jesus Christ, the Truth, which we have received in Communi∣on, his Grace, his Lights, and his Inspi∣rations, we hold Captives in our hearts; and commit a high injustice by hindring them from produceing their effects in us.

A Last Reason of this sterility may be, because we consider not the Commu∣nion we have made, nor the Obligati∣ons it imposeth on us, to render them efficatious. After the use of Commu∣nion, we should often think of it, and a∣mongst the occasions of sin, or doing of good, we should receive this Sacrament Spiritually, in our minds; saying, be pleased my Saviour, that I do not any thing unworthy your Pretious Blood; Live in me continually by your holy Operations, that I may one day receive from your hands, the recompence of it in glory. It is St. Chrysostom's Advice and Councel, [Hom. 60. ad pop.] to consider this our dignity in the occasions of sin, to the end that such a consideration may serve us as

a Bridle to Curb our Passions, and as a Spur and excellent Motive to excite us to good; Quaenam erit nobis excusatio; what excuse can we have, that being partakers of such Mysteries, we commit such Crimes? So the Holy Father far∣ther especially exhorts, that we ought to be Good and Vertuous before and af∣ter Communion; before, to render us worthy to receive the Sacrament; after, not to appear unworthy of having re∣ceived it; And by this means, our Communions will produce in us Perse∣verance in Grace, and Consummation of a Spiritual Life, which is the last end of the Sacrament, and the Object of our Hopes.