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The works then of a sinner, while he is deprived of
holy love, are not profitable to eternal life, and
therefore they are called dead works: on the contrary
the good works of the just man are said to be living,
inasmuch as divine love animates and quickens them
with its life. But if afterwards they lose their life
and worth by sin, they are said to be works in death
(amorties), extinguished, or killed, but not dead
works, especially with regard to the elect.
For as our Saviour speaking of the little Talitha,
the daughter of Jairus, said she was not dead, but
slept only,(1) because, being about to be raised to
life, her death would be of such short duration that
it would resemble sleep rather than a true death; so
the works of the just man (and especially of the
elect) which the commission of sin makes to die, are
not called dead works but only deadlike, killed,
stupefied or put into a trance, because upon the
approaching return of holy love, they will, or at
least can, soon revive and return to life again.
The return of sin deprives the heart and all its
works of life: the return of grace restores life to
the heart and all its works. A sharp winter makes all
the plants of the earth die down, so that if it
always lasted, they also would always continue in
this state of death: sin, that most sad and dreadful
winter of the soul, kills all the holy works which it
finds therein, and if it always continued, never
would anything recover either life or vigour.
But as at the return of the fair spring, not only
do the new seeds which are sown under the favour of
this beautiful and fertile season germinate and
agreeably bring forth their plants, each one in its
kind, but also the old plants, which the rigour of
the past winter had bitten, withered, and made die
down, grow green and vigorous, and take up again
their strength and their life: - so sin being blotted
out, and the grace of divine love returning into the
soul, - not only do the new affections which the
return of this sacred spring brings into the soul
blossom and bring forth ample merits and blessings;
but the works also that were dried up and withered by
the rigour of the winter of past sins, delivered from
their mortal enemy, resume their strength, grow
vigorous, and, as if risen from the dead, flourish
anew, and bring forth fruit of merits for eternal
life.
Such is the omnipotence of heavenly love, or the
love of heavenly omnipotence. When the wicked turneth
himself away from his wickedness, which he hath
wrought, and doth judgment and justice, he shall save
his soul alive. Be converted and do penance for all
your iniquities; and iniquity shall not be your
ruin,(2) says the Lord Almighty. And what means -
iniquity shall not be your ruin, but that the ruin
which it made shall be repaired?
So, besides a thousand endearments which the
prodigal son received from his father, he was
re-established, even with advantage, in all his
privileges, and in all the graces, favours and
dignities which he had lost. And Job, that innocent
image of a penitent sinner, in the end received twice
as much as he had before.(3) In truth the most holy
Council of Trent desires that we should encourage
penitents who have returned to the sacred love of the
eternal God, in these words of the Apostle: Abound in
every good work, knowing that your labour is not in
vain in the Lord.(4) For God is not unjust, that he
should forget your work and the love which you have
shewn in his name.(5)
God then does not forget the works of those who
having lost love by sin recover it by penance. Now
God forgets works when they lose their merit and
sanctity by sin committed, and he remembers them when
they return to life and vigour by the presence of
holy love. So much so, that for the faithful to be
rewarded for their good works, as well by the
increase of grace and future glory, as by the actual
enjoyment of eternal life, it is not necessary that
they should never relapse into sin, but it is enough,
according to the Sacred Council, that they depart
this life in the grace of God and charity.
God has promised an eternal reward to the works of a
just man. But if the just man turn himself away from
his justice by sin, God will no more remember his
justices and good works which he hath done.(6) But
yet if this poor fallen man afterwards rises and
returns into God's grace by penance, God will no
longer remember his sin: and if he do not remember
his sin, he will then remember the former good works,
and the reward which he had promised them; because
sin, which alone had blotted them out of the divine
memory, is totally effaced, destroyed and
annihilated.
So that then the justice of God obliges his mercy,
or rather the mercy of God obliges his justice, to
regard anew the former good works, even as though he
had never forgotten them; otherwise the holy penitent
would never have dared to say to his master: Restore
unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me
with a perfect spirit.(7) For, as you see, he not
only demands a newness of heart and spirit, but he
expects to have the joy given back to him which sin
had bereft him of. Now this joy is nothing but the
wine of heavenly love, which cheers the heart of
man.(8)
It is not with sin in this matter as with the works
of charity. For the works of the just man are not
effaced, destroyed or annihilated by the commission
of sin, they are only forgotten; but the sin of the
wicked is not only forgotten, but also blotted out,
cleansed away, abolished and annihilated by holy
penance.
Wherefore the sin that is committed by the just
man, does not cause the sin that was once pardoned to
live again, because it was entirely annihilated: but
when love returns into the penitent soul, it makes
her former good works return to life again, because
they were not abolished but only forgotten.
And this oblivion of the good works of the just
who have forsaken their justice and charity consists
in this, that they are made unprofitable to us so
long as sin makes us incapable of eternal life, which
is their fruit; and therefore as soon as by the
return of charity we are put back in the ranks of
God's children, and consequently made capable of
immortal glory, God recalls to mind our good works of
old, and they again become fruitful.
It were not reasonable that sin should have as
much power against charity as charity has against
sin; for sin proceeds from our infirmity, charity
proceeds from God's power. If sin abound in malice to
ruin us, grace superabounds to restore us; and God's
mercy, by which he blots out sin, is continually
exalted and becomes gloriously triumphant over the
rigour of the judgment,(9) by which God had forgotten
the good works which went before sin. So in the
corporal cures which our Saviour wrought by miracles
he not only restored health, but moreover added new
blessings, making the cure far excel the disease, so
bountiful is he to man.
I never saw, read, or heard, that wasps, gadflies,
flies, and such little noxious insects when once dead
could come to life and rise again, but that the dear
bees, those virtuous insects, can live again, every
one says, and have often read it. It is said (these
are Pliny's words) that if one keep the dead bodies
of drowned honey-bees all winter indoors, and expose
them to the sunbeams the following spring, covered
over with ashes of the fig tree, they will live again
and be as good as ever.
That iniquities and sinful works can return to
life, after they have once been drowned and abolished
by penance, truly, my Theotimus, never did the
Scripture, nor, as far as I know, any theologian,
aver it: yea the contrary is authorized by holy Writ,
and by the common consent of all Doctors.
But that good works, which, like sweet bees,
compound the honey of merit, being drowned in sin,
can afterwards regain life, when, covered with the
ashes of penance, they are exposed to the sun of
grace and charity, is held and clearly taught by all
theologians: nor are we to doubt but that they become
profitable and fruitful as before.
When Nabuzardan destroyed Jerusalem, and Israel
was led into captivity, the holy fire of the altar
was hidden in a well, where it was turned into mud,
but this mud being drawn out of the well and exposed
to the sun after the return from captivity, - the
dead fire kindled again, and the mud was turned into
flames.(10) When the just man becomes a slave to sin,
all the good works which he had done are miserably
forgotten and turned into mud, but being delivered
out of captivity, when by penance he returns into the
grace of heavenly charity, his former good works are
drawn out of the well of oblivion, and touched with
the rays of heavenly mercy they return to life, and
are converted into as clear flames as ever, to be
replaced on the sacred altar of the divine
approbation, and to have their original dignity,
their first price, and their first value.
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