Thirteenth Day — On Delay of Conversion
1. By deferring so long to give myself up to God, it should seem as if I intended to escape out of his hand. Is it then a misfortune to belong to him? To-morrow! to-morrow!—Why not to-day? why not at this very moment? Will my chains be more easily broken to-morrow? will my heart be less hard?—No, certainly. Time, that weakens every thing else, adds new strength to bad habits. By putting off the remedy, the complaint becomes incurable.
2. What is it that prevents our obeying the voice that calls us to repentance? What is it that terrifies us? That there is great difficulty in changing our lives, must certainly be granted; but what should not a Christian do, who adores a crucified God, and who looks up to heaven? If we have any thing to fear, it should be the abuse of God’s graces.
3. There is time to come; but can I call it mine? Is it a possession I am master of? God waits for me, it is true—the scriptures tell me so—but still they do not tell me how long I am to live. He that promised pardon to those who repent, has not promised another day to those who continue in their vices. Perhaps I shall have time, and perhaps I shall not. Must not I have lost my senses, to trust my salvation to a mere perhaps?
Reflect now upon the time you have been deferring your conversion to God, and tremble at the sight of your danger.
“I said: now I have begun.”
Psalm lxxix.
“We cannot be too cautious, where eternity is at stake.”
St. Gregory.