The Evils which befall the soul when the will has joy in Sensible Goods.

In the first place, if the soul does not quench the Joy which

proceeds from Sensible things, by directing it to God, all

those evils in general, of which I have spoken, the fruit of

every kind of joy, flow also from this joy in sensible things: namely, obscuration of Reason, tepidity, spiritual sloth and the like. But to descend to particulars, there are many evils, spiritual and temporal, into which men fall ero this joy in sensible things.

1. Joy in visible things, when we do not deny ourselves therein for the sake of God, produces directly a spirit of vanity, distraction of mind, unruly concupiscence, want of modesty, interior and exterior restlessness, impure thoughts and envyings.

2. The Joy which the hearing of unprofitable ihfogs produces, begets directly distraction of the imagination, gossiping, envy, rash judgments, and changing thoughts, from which many and other ruinous evils flow.

3. Joy in sweet odours begets a loathing of the poor which is contrary to the doctrine of Christ, a dislike of ministering. unto others, an unhearty submission to humble deeds, and spiritual insensibility, at least proportional to the appetite

for this joy.

4. Joy in meat and drink produces directly gluttony and drunkenness, anger, discord, and uncharitableness towards our neighbour and the poor, and makes us like the Rich Man in his treatment of Lazarus, while he himself ‘ feasted sumptuously every day.’* From this arise bodily disorders, sickness, and evil impulses, because the provocations of luxury are increased. It is the source of great spiritual torpor also, and it vitiates the desire for spiritual things, so that the soul has no pleasure in them, cannot even endure them, nor in any way occupy itself about them. This joy, too, dissipates all the other senses and the heart, and creates a feeling of general discontent.

5. Joy in matters of touch occasions much greater and more pernicious evils, which most rapidly immerse the senses and injure the mind, destroying all energy and vigour. Hence the abominable sin of effeminacy, or the provocations to it, in proportion to this joy. It produces luxuriousness, makes the mind effeminate and timid, the senses delicate

* S, Luke xvi. 19.

and yielding, disposed for sin and wickedness. It fills the heart with empty rejoicing, makes the tongue licéntious, and the eyes wanton, and renders the other senses proportionally brutish. It confounds the judgment, and buries it in folly and spiritual stupidity, it begets moral cowardice and inconsistency of purpose, and by reason of the soul’s darkness and the heart’s weakness, makes men fear even where no fear is. It creates at times a spirit of confusion, insensibility of mind and conscience, because it enfeebles the Reason so that a man can neither take good counsel nor give it, and incapacitates the soul for all moral and spiritual good, rendering it useless as a broken vessel. =

All these evils flow from this particular joy. In some people more, in others fewer, more or less intense, according to the intenseness of this joy, and according to the weakness and irresolution of him who indulges himself in it. For there are some people who naturally are more hurt on slight, than others on great, occasions.

Finally, the evils into which men fall through the joy of the touch are as numerous as those occasioned by that of Natural Goods. AsI have already described them, I shall not repeat them here, nor the many others also, such as the diminution of spiritual exercises and of corporal penances, tepidity, and indevotion in the use of the Sacraments of Penance, and of the Eucharist.