c2


36

Jeremiah,  "sit  alone  because  of  Thy  Hand3,"  "  sit
alone  and  keep  silence  k,  bearing  the  yoke  upon  us  ;  "
we  "  may  put  our  mouth  in  the  dust,  if  so  be  there
may  be  hope."     If  we  may  not  use  austerities  which
wear  the  body,  at  least  we  may  long,  with  S.  Paul,
"  to  spend  and  to  be  spent ;  "  we  may  lawfully  wear
ourselves  in  body  and  mind  for  the  souls  and  bodies
of  our  brethren.     The  punitive  measures  of  the  Anci-
ent Church  were  in  part  to  chastise  the  flesh  which
sinned,  in  part,  as  the  natural  accompaniments  of  sor-
row.   "  If  one  member  of  the  body  is  afflicted,  all  the
rest  suffer  with  it."   "And  if,"  adds  Bp.  Taylor1,  "the
heart  be  troubled,  he  that  is  gay  in  any  other  part,
goes  about  to  lessen  his  trouble  ;  and  that  takes  off,
it  does  not  promote,  repentance."     We  make  all  out-
ward things  to  harmonize  with  deep  human  sorrow ;
are  we  sincere,  if  we  heap  around  ourselves  every-
thing out  of  harmony  with  Divine  ?     True  "  sadness  "
of  heart,  whereby  it  "is  made  better,"  heart-broken
sorrow  for  having  offended  God,  is  itself  the  truest,
deepest,    penance ;   whatever   besides,    the    Ancient
Church  recommended  to  aid  it,  this,  as  it  is  the  end
of  all,  so  is  it  every  where,  in  every  form,  enforced
as  the  very  chiefest  amends  to  God.m     Let  any  obtain
it  in  what  way  he  can,  it  is  a  great   gift  of  God ;

J  Jer.  xv.  17.  k  Lam.  iii.  28,  29.
1  On  Repentance,  c.  x.  sect.  vi.  on  Ecclesiastical  Penance,  or  the  Fruits  of
Repentance.
m  e.  g.  "  tears  which  make  amends  to  God,"  satisfacientibus  Deo  fletibus.
