think of nothing else but salvation

The Wonders of God in the Wilderness Or, The Lives of the Most Celebrated Saints of the Oriental Desarts; Faithfully Collected Out of the Genuine Works of the Holy Fathers, and Other Ancient Ecclesiastical Writers By Richard Challoner: ""

meditation of this great truth

Spiritual Exercises According to the Method of Saint Ignatius of Loyola According to the Method of Saint Ignatius of Loyola By Aloysius Bellecius, Antonio Bresciani: ""

Some Quotes

"Consider that our eternal salvation is not only the greatest, but the only business we have, to which we ought to apply ourselves entirely lest we should do it ill."

"Salvation is our great and chief business; now a man's chief business takes up all his thoughts, and hardly gives him time to think of any other; and if this succeeds he comforts himself for the miscarriage of the rest."

-- Fr. Croiset

[We shouldn't divide our interests between secular things and things of God]

"In this important matter [salvation], a sensible man is struck more strongly by the slightest doubt of the risk he runs than by the evidence of total ruin in other affairs in which the soul is not involved." - St. Leonard de Port-Maurice

St. Gregory: "As there is an infinite distance between eternity and the time of our
life, so there ought to be, according to our mode of
understanding, an infinite distance between the attention
which we should pay to the goods of eternity, which
shall be enjoyed for ever, and the care we take of the
goods of this life, which death shall soon take away
from us."

St. John of the Cross: "If anyone affirms that one can reach perfection without practicing exterior mortification, do not believe him; and even though he confirm this assertion by working miracles, know that his contentions are nothing but illusions."

Bp. Baraga:

The fourth mark of the true love of God is, that we love Him with our whole strength. The true love of God is the greatest happiness and the most precious privilege of a Christian. It is that splendid wedding-garment in which he will be admitted to the happiness and eternal joy of the "Lamb's nuptials." Nothing in the world can be obtained without endeavors and labor; and the more precious the object and the greater the fortune aimed at, the more serious the efforts to obtain it. As the true love of God is decidedly the most precious treasure of a Christian, so also our efforts to obtain and possess it ought to be extreme. But when we consider Christians as they commonly are, we will see how earnestly and perseveringly they endeavor to obtain riches and honors and pleasures, and all the comforts of this perishable life. And the love of God? This is commonly crowded out entirely, or, sought after as a by-thing, not as the "One Thing Necessary." Dearly beloved in Christ Jesus! With all the eagerness and solicitude of a loving father's heart I entreat you, in the name of God, whose Holy Providence has now committed you to my spiritual care, be faithful in the fulfilling of these principal and most essential duties towards God our heavenly Father. Especially endeavor to have the true love of God, which is the very foundation of all Christianity, and the glorious mark of a happy predestination. If you love God sincerely and above all, you will easily fulfill all other duties towards Him. Nothing is difficult, nothing tedious, to a loving heart."

Reasons for St. Aloysius becoming a Jesuit

The life of st. Aloysius Gonzaga: ""

important passages from the meditation "of the Importance of Salvation"

Of the Importance of Salvation

Shall we be able to comfort ourselves with the thoughts that we have been successful in all our other business of no consequence, and have only neglected this, which is the only business of eternity? It is no matter though we live obscurely and forgotten, without friends or support, and die poor, provided we secure our salvation. But what will all our riches and power, all our knowledge and wisdom avail us if we lose our souls? Though all the world should conspire together, they will never be able to deprive a man of heaven, and make him miserable to all eternity: Neither will they be able to make one damned soul happy, or so much as mitigate his torments. What will it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his soul? Or what can he give in exchange for his soul?
...
Salvation is our great and chief business; now a man's chief business takes up all his thoughts, and hardly gives him time to think of any other; and if this succeeds he comforts himself for the miscarriage of the rest.
...
If everlasting misery be so slight a business, why do we tremble at the thoughts of eternity? and if we believe it so terrible, how can we be at rest while we are so careless about it, and in so much danger?

My God! How many days of grace have I abused? How many precious hours have I let pass unprofitably? Wretch that I am, to spend so much time in doing nothing: But how much more wretched shall I be if I do not now at length begin seriously to work out my salvation?

How long shall I fancy those things necessary which are of no use for the next life, while I neglect only the business of eternity?

O my God, since thou hast not yet punished me, though I deserved punishment, I trust thou wilt not refuse me the assistance of Thy grace, though I am unworthy of it. Since this is the day designed for my conversion, the present resolution shall not be like the rest. I believe, I am fully persuaded, I am sensible, that there is but One Thing Necessary, that Eternal Salvation is the only business that concerns me, and I am determined to begin this day to apply myself seriously to it.

Consider that our eternal salvation is not only the greatest, but the only business we have, to which we ought to apply ourselves entirely lest we should do it ill. Whatever else we call great business is not properly business, at least not ours; they concern others more than us, and we labor more for our posterity than for ourselves.

Is all this true? Is there such an eternity? Is life given us only to prepare for it? If I lose my soul can I ever recover it? And shall I certainly lose it if I live as the greatest part of the world do, and as I have done hitherto? Shall I wish at my last hour that I had lived otherwise? That I had done what I could, and what I ought to have done? And will all those things that take me up now, seem vain and trifling then?

Is it possible that other men's business should take me up, that worldly things, recreations and compliments, should have all our time, while the business of our salvation is the least minded, as if it did not concern us?

What are we the better for being endued with reason, if we make no use of it in the business of our salvation, for which alone God bestowed it on us? Alas! we in a manner wear it out in prosecuting trivial designs, we are proud of it in matters of no moment, we value ourselves upon our prudential conduct, and wise counsels in business; but we neglect the real use of it and we act the matters of eternity as if we wanted common-sense.

We can lose our souls with all the tranquility in the world, and we are reasonable creatures in everything that does not concern us; we do not deny that the saints were truly wise, yet all their wisdom consists in preferring their salvation to everything else, in esteeming it their only business.

Are we wiser than they, that our actions are so contrary to theirs? They spent their whole lives in preparing for eternity; to what end did they take so much pains, and spend so much time, for what we pretend to do with so much ease? Miserable, unthinking, wretches that we are, to allow so little time for what requires it all.

What are now the sentiments of those famous statesmen whom we esteem the greatest politicians? Of those extraordinary men who were always busy in pacifying or troubling the world, which their heads were always full of. Those men of riches, as the scripture calls them, who lived without thinking on eternity, and who after an uninterrupted success in all their other business, have miscarried only in this great business of salvation? They are not damned for laziness and sloth; on the contrary, they owe their ruin to too much useless business; they were so busy that their very sleeps were broken by their cares, and they have lost themselves by labouring in what did not concern them, by taking too much pains about nothing, while they neglected their only real business; and 'tis by this that the greatest part of mankind are lost.

And shall not I increase the number of the lost if I continued to live as I have done? What have I done for Heaven? What have I not done to deprive myself of it? I have been careful of everything but my soul, and I act as if its ruin were nothing to me. But I trust in thy mercy, o my God, that the change of my life shall manifest that my heart is changed; I will save my soul; the care of my salvation requires all my diligence, and it shall have it all; I humbly beseech thee to give me thy grace to recover what I have lost, as thou hast given me time for it; I am sensible that this is my only business; I am resolved to do it, let thy grace make me successful.

there were some in hell who had put many souls into heaven.

...when we come to realities we find a wide difference between fancying danger and encountering it. He gave them to understand that if one of them, or even if two together, happened to find themselves in a strange country, knowing little or nothing of the language, surrounded by suspicious eyes, looked upon as savages, refused a shelter, and perhaps in constant risk of death, they would be liable to temptations they had little dreamt of: the empty bubbles of spirituality would be of no service to them here. Let them, therefore, lay in a stock of solid virtues, such as humility, patience, union with God, purity of soul, obedience, and, above all, a perpetual abnegation and renunciation of self; and let them remember that he who has not courage to overcome himself in small things will have still less courage to confront great ones. Let them not reason in this style : — " If God favors and consoles me so much, now that I am attending only to myself, what will he not do for me when I am trying to gain the souls of infidels? Such persons may convince themselves that they will then meet with as many occasions of losing themselves as of gaining others. ...

If they hoped to do much good in others, they must first be good themselves ; and he reminded them that there were some in hell who had put many souls into heaven. What then would it profit them to gain the whole world, if they lost their own souls? He encouraged them, however, not to be desponding, or to lose heart, but, on the contrary, to endeavor earnestly to acquire those virtues, without which it would be vain to hope for a happy issue to the good begun; and, for this purpose, let them study to know themselves; and then, far from presuming on themselves, they will place all their confidence in God, who replenishes with himself and with his gifts those whom he finds empty of self esteem and self love; and this, because he will not allow that which is the work of his mercy and omnipotence to be attributed to any other cause than to himself.

Such is the summary of the saint's letter of advice to the fathers of Goa ; and he desired that copies of it should be taken and sent to all the other fathers who were dispersed about in the different kingdoms of the Indies. It would seem surprising that he who wrote such pressing letters to the King of Portugal, to St. Ignatius at Rome, to Father Rodriguez at Lisbon, and to other parts of Europe, so earnestly entreating them to send more missionaries, where souls were actually perishing from sheer want of them, should nevertheless proceed so cautiously in summoning his own subjects from Goa, and should make them employ so much time upon their own perfection. As I say, at first sight this may appear strange, but not to those who understand true spirituality, and who know how deep a fund of virtue is required in men called to so arduous an apostolate as that of the Indian missions.

He was the superior of the Society in the East, and, as such, gave a sketch of what those workmen ought to be who intended to labor there ; and no one understood what was due to their vocation better than himself, — viz., that, though it was their duty to do much for the salvation of others, they were bound to do quite as much for their own perfection. Besides, with respect to laboring for the benefit of one's neighbor, it is certain that God, in whose hands men are but instruments, concurs to the general good all the more largely, in proportion as he finds the said men more closely united to himself by sanctity of life and by the virtues adapted to so exalted a ministry. And hence it is that the holy self-hatred which we find in good evangelical laborers, their perfect obedience, and other virtues, turn to the advantage of those for whom they labor.

The Life of St. Francis Xavier By Daniello Bartoli

infinite difference between spiritual and temporal goods

If we seek, in this manner, after virtue, we shall be rich in
a short time. If you seek for wisdom, says Solomon, as men
seek for riches ; and if you dig for it, as you would to find a
treasure, you shall then know what is the fear of the Lord, and
you shall learn the true science of God. What God demands
of us here, says St Bernard, is not much; since for gaining
the treasure of true wisdom, which is God himself, he requires
no more exertion on our part than is usually made to
gain earthly riches which are subject to a thousand accidents
and whereof the enjoyment is so short and so troublesome
To keep, then, a proportion in things, were it not proper, that
as there is an infinite difference between spiritual and temporal goods,
so there should also be as great a difference
between our manner of seeking the one and that of our seeking
the other. It is also a great shame and confusion to us, that
worldly men desire those things that are pernicious to them
with more earnestness than we desire those things that are
of the greatest advantage, and that they run faster to death,
than we do to Life.

http://www.archive.org/stream/practiceofchrist01rodr/practiceofchrist01rodr_djvu.txt

'What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?"

God has given us two eyes, two ears, two hands, and two feet,
so that if we lose one of these members we still have one left.
But He has given us only one soul, and if we lose that we have
no other with which to enjoy eternal happiness. Our first care,
therefore, should be to save our soul, which is to share with
the body either eternal happiness or eternal woe. It will avail
no man at this supreme tribunal to urge, "I was dazzled by the
glitter of wealth; I was deceived by the promises of the world."
The inexorable Judge will answer, "I warned you against these.
Did I not say, 'What doth it profit a man if he gain the
whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26)

-- --Ven. Louis of Granada (From The Sinner's Guide)

On the other hand, his thoughts had not yet risen beyond the honors of this world, and they appeared to him the most noble objects which a generous heart could aspire to. Therefore, when Ignatius was associated with him as a companion, the young nobleman seeing him show an equal contempt for esteem and for insults, and clothe himself in so poor and abject a manner, abhorred as the indication of a mean spirit, that which was, in fact, the effect of the most sublime humility.

Thus he began by despising him, and looking upon him with a species of disgust. In vain Ignatius addressed the most salutary exhortations to Xavier, entreating him to commune with himself; bitter raillery or proud disdain were the only answers he obtained. But on the other hand, with that admirable knowledge of the minds of men, with which Ignatius was endowed, he had immediately discerned in Xavier one of those strong souls, from which we must never expect common things, and which, incapable of degrading themselves for any temporal interest, always deviate from the path traced out by the multitude. But when once they lose sight of the earth, and turn their eyes towards eternal things, it is they who soar above all others in their lofty flight.

The greater the distaste which his fellow-countrymen evinced towards him, the more Ignatius endeavored to win his affections, in order that he might afterwards arouse within his heart a desire to serve God. The very ambition of Xavier assisted him in attaining this object; for Ignatius seeing his ardent thirst for distinction in literature and mental labor, sought out pupils and hearers for him, brought them to him himself, and on all occasions showed himself anxious for his glory. The noble soul of Xavier, drawn towards Ignatius by this conduct, he began to regard him in a different light, to consider him as a sincere friend, and gradually to treat him with confidence and familiarity. He knew besides the noble origin of Ignatius, and that he also had formerly been intoxicated with the vain fumes of glory: In a little while, reflecting upon this great change, which the love of God alone had effected, he began to think that it might have proceeded from some other cause than cowardice or meanness of spirit. He who thus considered the world as unworthy of occupying his thoughts, must surely be raised very far above it. Gradually, sanctity began to assume a new aspect in the eyes of the student, and he discovered that the things which are of God open a vast field of contemplation to an elevated mind, and inspire it with thoughts even more generous than his own had hitherto been. Meanwhile, Ignatius never failed to profit by every opportunity which he could find, of making an impression upon Xavier, especially upon those points where he considered himself strongest, but wherein reality his chief weakness lay. Often he would make those words of Our Saviour resound in the ears of the young student; "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Quid prodest homini, si mundum universum lucretur, animae veri suae detrimentum patiatur?" [What doth it avail a man, if he gain the whole world, and sustain the damage of his own soul?]

"Don Francis," said he, "if we are to expect no other life than this here below, if we are born to die, and not to live eternally, then you triumph and I surrender. You are wise in thinking only of the things of this world, and in endeavoring to obtain all those which are still wanting to you. I am mad in advising you, on the contrary, to renounce all you possess. But if this short life is only a passage leading to another which is immortal, which is endless, then compare them the one with eternity, the other with fleeting time, in order to comprehend by the proportion which you will find between one moment and interminable ages, the importance of making a provision for the one, rather than for the other. You weary yourself in laboring to obtain in this world a felicity which the terrestrial and grovelling ideas that now appear to you noble and generous, represent as true happiness; but do you hope, with all your efforts, ever to succeed in obtaining any thing more precious than Paradise more durable than Eternity? Yet Paradise and Eternity are destined for you! And if you wish to gain them, who can prevent you? When you possess them, who shall deprive you of them? Why then so much labor in order to procure earthly happiness for a soul whose origin is celestial, and transitory enjoyment for a heart capable of loving and possessing God himself, for ever! A blind man leans upon the first object which he meets, because he can see nothing beyond it; but he who can contemplate the firmament, does not fix his eyes upon the ground; and esteeming the earth at its true value, cannot find it worthy of making him forget Heaven, and perilling his soul. Even could this world bestow upon you in one moment its most seducing gifts, and show you as by a flash of lightning all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, could you possess them longer than during the short time you have to live? And were you to live a hundred centuries, would not the last hour of their last day arrive at length? And if you the ephemeral possessor of a middling degree of good, have deprived yourself of God himself for all eternity, shall you have gained in the exchange? Who could enumerate all those who have been rich, powerful, honored? yet their grandeur, their possessions were only lent them, and they fatigued themselves in preserving and increasing that which they were at length obliged to abandon. Did any one of them ever carry away with him a vestige of his riches and power? Had he at least carried away one slave, a single one of his slaves, were it the vilest, the most miserable of them all! Had he preserved but one shred of purple, to show beyond the tomb, that he had been a king when upon earth! But, arrived upon the threshold of eternity, all have looked back, and have beheld the wealth and grandeur which were still theirs, already seeking new masters, whilst they were advancing alone, not to exchange them for new treasures, but to receive the reward of their works! By speaking thus to you, I would not narrow the circle of your thoughts, nor abase their loftiness; I would on the contrary render them vaster, more sublime; for I call those narrow, which, notwithstanding all their vain efforts to extend themselves, can embrace but a short space of time; I call abject, those which remain fixed upon the earth. Should you obtain everything which you now desire, you would neither be happy nor satisfied.

"Oh no! your heart is not so narrow that the whole world can suffice for it; nothing, nothing but God can ever fill it. But in Him you will find all that your soul most ardently desires; then, when you contemplate this world which now dazzles you, and compare its happiness with yours, the first will appear like a drop of water compared with the ocean; like a faint glimmer of light, eclipsed by the appearance of a sun, resplendent in immortal beauty. Francis, you have a solid judgment. I leave you therefore to pronounce yourself which is most advantageous; to say now to all the joys of this world, Quid prodest? what have I to do with you? or to enjoy them at the risk of repeating eternally with the unfortunate victims in hell, these other words; Quid profuit superbia, aut divitiarum, quid contulit nobis?"

Such were the lessons of evangelical philosophy which Ignatius offered to Xavier for his meditation, in order to induce him to partake one day in the holy folly of the Cross, which laughs at the wisdom of the world. And the disciple soon became worthy of his master, for God, who dictated the words of the one, made them penetrate into the heart of the other. The first reflections had troubled him; a usual effect of the combat which arises between nature and grace, between vice and virtue; but a salutary crisis uprooted from his heart every terrestrial and worldly thought which lingered there. Ignatius would have wished him at that time to follow the Exercises, but the duties of his office did not permit this. He therefore replaced them as much as possible by conversations upon the fundamental maxims of salvation, which were a kind of spiritual milk for Xavier, preparing him for the reception of more substantial nourishment. The great word of Ignatius, quid prodest, of which, he had felt all the force, since it was the lever which raised him above the world, afterwards became in his mouth one of the most powerful means for producing upon others the effect which he himself had experienced from it.

In later days, in a letter written from the Indies to Simon Rodriguez, Xavier expresses a great desire that the zeal of John III. for the propagation of the Faith in the East, should be excited by the frequent repetition of these few words: quid prodest, &c. "If I could believe," said he, "that the king would not repulse my humble and faithful counsels, I would entreat him to meditate daily, were it but for a quarter of an hour, on that divine sentence, praying to God that he would grant him grace to understand its full meaning and interior sentiment. I would that he terminated all his prayers by these words. It is time to labor to draw him out of error, for the hour approaches more nearly than he believes, when the King of Kings will demand of him an account of his administration. Radde rationem villicationis tua. Occupy yourself therefore in endeavoring to induce him to send the assistance necessary for the conversion of the infidels!"

History of the Life and Institute of St. Ignatius de Loyola by Daniello Bartoli

Of the Importance of Salvation

A Spiritual Retreat for One Day in Every Month

Of the Importance of Salvation

by Fr. Jean Croiset

First Point. The Business of our Salvation is the most Important of all Business.

Second Point. The Business of our Salvation is our only Business.



First Point.

Consider that no business is of so great importance to us as the business of our salvation; an eternity of happiness or misery depends on the success of this [?] other affairs are only permitted as they are subservient to this great work: If we do lose this, we lose all; for we lose God, who is all Good, and without whom there can be no Good; if we fail in this he is lost to [?] and lost forever, without recovery.

Salvation is our own business, everything else is foreign to us; in other things we do the business of our children, our friends, our family, our country, or of the community to which we belong, and not precisely our own business; everything else is a business of time, this of eternity.

If we lose other business, though of the highest importance, we may find a remedy; or if we do not we shall be no losers, provided we succeed in this. The loss of our souls is the only irreparable loss, eternity itself will not be sufficient to deplore it.

Shall we be able to comfort ourselves with the thoughts that we have been successful in all our other business of no consequence, and have only neglected this, which is the only business of eternity? It is no matter though we live obscurely and forgotten, without friends or support, and die poor, provided we secure our salvation. But what will all our riches and power, all our knowledge and wisdom avail us if we lose our souls? Though all the world should conspire together, they will never be able to deprive a man of heaven, and make him miserable to all eternity: Neither will they be able to make one damned soul happy, or so much as mitigate his torments. What will it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his soul? Or what can he give in exchange for his soul?

Is it possible that this business of eternity is the only business of consequence we have to do, and that yet we should neglect this the most, and lay it least to heart?

We fancy that our studies, our trade, our diversions, our visits and conversation, are of great importance to us, they take up all our time, we can never find leisure enough for them, we are unwilling to defer them; but when we should think seriously of our souls, we make no difficulty of deferring; we imagine it is too soon, and that we shall have time enough, and yet (which is still more surprising) we are never at leisure to set about it.

Certainly we must have odd notions of eternal happiness, since we are so careless of securing it; would we be content to take no more pains, and spend no more time in our studies and in temporal affairs, than we do in what concerns our eternal salvation?

If our salvation depended on another, could he have so little zeal or charity as to neglect it more than we do ourselves? Though we know it depends wholly on our own care. What pains does every man take in his calling? If we have a child to provide for, if we have a design to join in partnership with a merchant, how careful are we to inform ourselves, to examine, to advise with our friends? What measures do we not observe? What precautions do we not take? We think we can never be too sure. But when we are to spend a little time for salvation, we think a very little too much.

Salvation is the business of eternity, but it must be done in time; and we have need of all our time for it; God gives us our whole life to think of it; he judged it was all little enough, but we imagine it may be done in less.

If we spend in working out our salvation the hundredth part of the time and pains we throw away in worldly business, we should soon be great saints. This is the only necessary business we can have, and yet we hardly allot a little time for it, nay, we grudge it even that little.

By our proceedings one would think that we believe God our debtor, and obliged to us for saved.

If a man of business or letters pass one whole day in acquitting himself of the duties of a Christian, he looks upon that day is lost; but we spend whole months in vain studies, or in worldly business, and call this spending the time well.

Salvation is our great and chief business; now a man's chief business takes up all his thoughts, and hardly gives him time to think of any other; and if this succeeds he comforts himself for the miscarriage of the rest.

We commonly put off the care of our salvation to our last sickness; that is, we put off the business of eternity, the most important business we have, and which requires all our lives, to a time when we are incapable of following the slightest business in the world, when we are indeed incapable of anything.

Is God mistaken, who tells us, this only is of consequence? Is he deceived in the disposition of his Providence, and in all his care, which tends only to this? Is he, in whom are all good things, and who is all himself, so little to be valued, that we can be indifferent whether we lose him or no? Whence is all that Weeping, that cruel despair of the damned souls, if what they have lost be not worth our seeking? If everlasting misery be so slight a business, why do we tremble at the thoughts of eternity? and if we believe it so terrible, how can we be at rest while we are so careless about it, and in so much danger?

My God! How many days of grace have I abused? How many precious hours have I let pass unprofitably? Wretch that I am, to spend so much time in doing nothing: But how much more wretched shall I be if I do not now at length begin seriously to work out my salvation?

What do I stay for? For a proper time. Alas! That time perhaps is already past for me. Do I stay till thou callest me? Thou hast never ceased to do it. Oh! How long hast thou solicited me to no purpose? Shall this reiterated grace thou givest me now be in vain?

How long shall I spend the best part of my life in vain amusements, which I myself condemn; and do I condemn them only to aggravate my guilt, by losing that time in the pursuit of them which I ought to employ for heaven?

How long shall I fancy those things necessary which are of no use for the next life, while I neglect only the business of eternity?

My God, how great will my despair and confusion be upon a deathbed if I continue to live as I have done hitherto, when all the means and opportunities I have had of securing my salvation, when this present opportunity, and the thoughts I now have of doing it, present themselves to my memory?

O my God, since thou hast not yet punished me, though I deserved punishment, I trust thou wilt not refuse me the assistance of Thy grace, though I am unworthy of it. Since this is the day designed for my conversion, the present resolution shall not be like the rest. I believe, I am fully persuaded, I am sensible, that there is but One Thing Necessary, that Eternal Salvation is the only business that concerns me, and I am determined to begin this day to apply myself seriously to it.

Second Point.

Consider that our eternal salvation is not only the greatest, but the only business we have, to which we ought to apply ourselves entirely lest we should do it ill. Whatever else we call great business is not properly business, at least not ours; they concern others more than us, and we labor more for our posterity than for ourselves.

We may get others to do them for us, and we may let them along, without being everlastingly unhappy, but we must work out our salvation ourselves, and we are lost without recovery if we neglect it . This is that One Thing of which our Saviour speaks so often; this is our only business: Only, becasue this alone is of such mighty consequence, the success whereof depends on us; only, because no other deserves all our care; only, because it requires all our care, (and because we may do it if we will.)

It is equally the only business of all the world, of the king in the government of his kingdom, of the prelate in the administration of his diocese, of the learned in their studies, of the soldier in the war, of the merchant in his trade, of the artisan in his calling. 'Tis not necessary for a man to be a king, a prelate, soldier, a merchant, or a tradesman, a scholar, or a man of business, but 'tis absolutely necessary for him to be saved.

In other matters we have always some recourse in this life, or in the next, but there is none in this; he who has done this, has done nothing, and will never be in a condition to do it again: He who is damned, is damned forever.

What reception would an ambassador deserve from his master, who at his return from his embassy should give an account of the great things he had done during his absence, of the friends he had made, the reputation he had gained, the riches he had acquired, and how well he had diverted himself; in fine, that he had done everything but the business he was sent to do?

God has sent us into the world only to work out our salvation; this was his sole design in creating us, this is his sole design in preserving us; will he be satisfied with our telling him when we come to die, Lord, we have done great things, we have been in great repute in the world, we have got large estates, we have been in instrumental in the salvation of our neighbors, we have neglected nothing but our own salvation, we have done everything, but that One Thing for which Thou hast sent us into the world? And yet this is all the account the greatest part of mankind is able to give, because 'tis at this rate the greatest part of mankind live. And if we were now to appear before God could we give any other account?

Is all this true? Is there such an eternity? Is life given us only to prepare for it? If I lose my soul can I ever recover it? And shall I certainly lose it if I live as the greatest part of the world do, and as I have done hitherto? Shall I wish at my last hour that I had lived otherwise? That I had done what I could, and what I ought to have done? And will all those things that take me up now, seem vain and trifling then?

My God! Do we indeed believe this our great business? The devils and the damned have as good or stronger speculative belief than we, but do we reduce our faith to practice, which is the science of the saints?

Is it possible that other men's business should take me up, that worldly things, recreations and compliments, should have all our time, while the business of our salvation is the least minded, as if it did not concern us?

What are we the better for being endued with reason, if we make no use of it in the business of our salvation, for which alone God bestowed it on us? Alas! we in a manner wear it out in prosecuting trivial designs, we are proud of it in matters of no moment, we value ourselves upon our prudential conduct, and wise counsels in business; but we neglect the real use of it and we act the matters of eternity as if we wanted common-sense.

And (which is yet more surprising) we are all agreed in the importance of salvation, and the vanity of everything else; yet we apply ourselves only to seek those vanities, and are negligent in nothing but the business of salvation.

We are all conceited of our wisdom and capacity in business; every man pretends to understand it; we think ignorance in business, or neglect of it, shows want of sense and breeding, and that our reputation depends upon it; but if we neglect nothing but our salvation, if we live as unconcernedly as if we had no soul to lose, we are so far from blushing or hiding our carelessness, that we glory in it; and though we are never so indevout and irregular, we pass for very honest men; and if we understand the world, and know how to be successful in it, we are accounted wise.

'Tis an affront to tell a man that he does not understand his business; but 'tis no disgrace to be accused of negligence in the business of salvation; surely we do not look upon it as our business: My God! When did this one thing necessary cease to be so?

We can lose our souls with all the tranquility in the world, and we are reasonable creatures in everything that does not concern us; we do not deny that the saints were truly wise, yet all their wisdom consists in preferring their salvation to everything else, in esteeming it their only business.

Are we wiser than they, that our actions are so contrary to theirs? They spent their whole lives in preparing for eternity; to what end did they take so much pains, and spend so much time, for what we pretend to do with so much ease? Miserable, unthinking, wretches that we are, to allow so little time for what requires it all.

Have we found a new way to heaven, whereof the Son of God was ignorant? Or is the price of heaven fallen? And is that happiness, which cost the blood of Christ to purchase, became of less value?

What are now the sentiments of those famous statesmen whom we esteem the greatest politicians? Of those extraordinary men who were always busy in pacifying or troubling the world, which their heads were always full of. Those men of riches, as the scripture calls them, who lived without thinking on eternity, and who after an uninterrupted success in all their other business, have miscarried only in this great business of salvation? They are not damned for laziness and sloth; on the contrary, they owe their ruin to too much useless business; they were so busy that their very sleeps were broken by their cares, and they have lost themselves by labouring in what did not concern them, by taking too much pains about nothing, while they neglected their only real business; and 'tis by this that the greatest part of mankind are lost.

And shall not I increase the number of the lost if I continued to live as I have done? What have I done for Heaven? What have I not done to deprive myself of it? I have been careful of everything but my soul, and I act as if its ruin were nothing to me. But I trust in thy mercy, o my God, that the change of my life shall manifest that my heart is changed; I will save my soul; the care of my salvation requires all my diligence, and it shall have it all; I humbly beseech thee to give me thy grace to recover what I have lost, as thou hast given me time for it; I am sensible that this is my only business; I am resolved to do it, let thy grace make me successful.