A new form of meditations for every day in the year. Written originally in French by F. John Crasset. And put into English at the request of several persons of honour and quality, by a well-wisher to devotion.

XVIII. MED. Of the Conditions of a true Pennance.

A True Repentance ought to proceed from the bottom of the heart. 'Tis the heart that conceives sin, 'Tis the heart that must destroy it. 'Tis the heart that withdraws it self from God, 'Tis the heart that must return to God. Hatred takes its rise out of love. One hates only, because one loves. I ought therefore to hate Sin, As much as I ought to love God: As much as I ought to love my self: As much as I ought to love Heaven: As much as I ought to fear Hell. I ought to love God singularly: I ought to hate Sin singularly. I ought to love all things in order to God. I ought to hate all things in order to Sin. I ought to love God above all things. I ought to hate sin above all things. I cannot exceed in the love of God. I cannot exceed in the hatred of sin.

That Repentance is nothing worth, Unless it be of all crimes.

Unless grace blots them all out, It blots not so much as one out. One cannot be reconcil'd by halfs. One cannot be both beloved and hated. One cannot be both in sin and in grace. One cannot be both God's and the Devil's at once. One cannot be both worthy of Heaven, and Hell. Unless one believes all, one believes nothing. To be a Son of the Church, One must believe all things. To be a Son of God, one must hate all sin. King Saul made exceptions, And it was the cause of his ruin. He became God's enemy, For having saved one of his enemies. What does it avail you to conquer one sin, If you be a slave to another? What good is it to bewail your Cholers, If you be a slave to your Impurities? One mortal stroke alone Is enough to bereave the body of its life. One mortal sin alone Is sufficient to deprive the soul of life.

That man is no true Penitent, Who will be so but for a time. One must always hate that evil, Which is always hated by God. That friendship is not broke off, Which one designs to make up again. Can he be said to hate sin,

Who has a mind to commit it again? Can he be said to have true Contrition, Who only feels some small Aversion? One may hate his sin, Although he feel not the hatred. One may feel sorrow, And, yet, not have a true sorrow. Then does one truly hate sin, When one is resolv'd to destroy it. If you love the causes of sin, you still love sin.

'Tis not enough to hate it: You must repair the damages thereof: You must restore your ill-gotten goods: Restore the honour you have taken away: Repair the Scandals you have given: Satisfie those whom you have offended. You must punish by sorrow The pleasure you have taken in sinning. God transfers to Pennance The right he has to punish a Sinner. If Pennance spare him, Justice spares him not. If Pennance punish him, Justice punishes him not.

O my God! How much reason have I to fear Least I be yet in the state of sin, Have I hated it Sincerely: Universally: Constantly: Efficaciously? Am not I at the end of the year The same man still that I was at the beginning? Oh! I will change my life.

My God, change me from my heart. Give me a new Spirit, that I may lead a new life.

If with all your heart you will return to our Lord, Take away the strange God from the midst of you. 1 Kings 17.

He that hides his crimes shall not be directed, but he that shall confess them, and relinquish them shall obtain mercy. Prov. 28.

Turn unto me with all your heart, and rent your hearts, and not your garments: be converted to God your Lord, because he is gracious, and merciful, patient, and of much compassion, and ready to be moved upon the malice. Joel 2.

Ananias, why did Satan tempt thy heart to sin to the Holy Ghost, and defraud of the price of the field? thou didst not ly to man, but to God. Act. 5.

Her transgressing Sister hath not return'd to me with her whole heart: but in lying. Jer. 3.

Cast away from you all your prevarications, and make to your selves a new heart, and a new spirit. And why should you die, O house of Israel? Ezech. 8.