Catholic Treasury | The Sinner's Guide

"The essence of perfection is to embrace the will of God in all things, prosperous or adverse. In prosperity, even sinners find it easy to unite themselves to the divine will; but it takes saints to unite themselves to God's will when things go wrong and are painful to self-love. Our conduct in such instances is the measure of our love of God."

St Alphonsus de Liguori

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"For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God?"

Thomas á Kempis

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"Whom do you seek, friend, if you seek not God? Seek him, find him, cleave to him; bind your will to his with bands of steel and you will live always at peace in this life and in the next."

St Alphonsus de Liguori

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Venerable Louis of Granada, OP (1504-1588)

THE SINNER'S GUIDE

By Venerable Louis of Granada, OP

CONTENTS
Imprimatur and Apostolic Brief of Pope Gregory XIII
Motives for Practising Virtue
1.	The First Motive which obliges us to practice Virtue and to serve God: His Being in itself, and the excellence of His Perfections
2.	The Second Motive which obliges us to practice Virtue and to serve God: Gratitude for our Creation
3.	The Third Motive which obliges us to serve God: Gratitude for our Preservation and for the Government of His Providence
4.	The Fourth Motive which obliges us to practice Virtue:Gratitude for the Inestimable Benefit of our Redemption
5.	The Fifth Motive which obliges us to practice Virtue: Gratitude for our Justification
6.	The Sixth Motive which obliges us to practice Virtue: Gratitude for the Incomprehensible Benefit of Election
7.	The Seventh Motive for practicing Virtue: The Thought of Death, the First of the Four Last Things
8.	The Eighth Motive for practicing Virtue: The Thought of the Last Judgment, the Second of the Four Last Things
9.	The Ninth Motive for practicing Virtue: The Thought of Heaven, the Third of the Four Last Things
10.	The Tenth Motive for practicing Virtue: The Thought of Hell, the Fourth of the Four Last Things
11.	The Eleventh Motive for practicing Virtue: The Inestimable Advantages promised it even in this Life
	The Privileges of Virtue
12.	The First Privilege of Virtue: God's fatherly Care of the Just
13.	The Second Privilege of Virtue: The Grace with which the Holy Spirit fills Devout Souls
14.	The Third Privilege of Virtue: The Supernatural Light and Knowledge granted to Virtuous Souls
15.	The Fourth Privilege of Virtue: The Consolations with which the Holy Spirit visits the Just
16.	The Fifth Privilege of Virtue: The Peace of a Good Conscience
17.	The Sixth Privilege of Virtue: The Confidence of the Just
18.	The Seventh Privilege of Virtue: The True Liberty Of the Just
19.	The Eighth Privilege of Virtue: The Peace enjoyed by the Just
20.	The Ninth Privilege of Virtue: The Manner in which God hears the Prayers of the Just
21.	The Tenth Privilege of Virtue: The Consolation and Assistance with which God sustains the Just in their Afflictions
22.	The Eleventh Privilege of Virtue: God's Care for the Temporal Needs of the Just
23.	The Twelfth Privilege of Virtue: The Happy Death of the Just
24.	The Folly of those who Defer their Conversion
25.	Of those who Defer their Conversion until the Hour of Death
26.	Of those who Continue in Sin, trusting in the Mercy of God
27.	Of those who allege that the Path of Virtue is too Difficult
28.	Of those who refuse to practice Virtue because they love the World
29.	The First Remedy against Sin: A Firm Resolution not to commit it
30.	Remedies against Pride SECTION I - General Remedies SECTION II - Particular Remedies
31.	Remedies against Covetousness SECTION I - Against Covetousness in General SECTION II - Against the unjust Detention of Another's Goods
32.	Remedies against Lust
33.	Remedies against Envy
34.	Remedies against Gluttony
35.	Remedies against Anger and Hatred
36.	Remedies against Sloth
37.	Other Sins to be avoided
38.	Venial Sins
39.	Shorter Remedies against Sins, particularly the Seven Deadly Sins
40.	The Three Kinds of Virtues in which the Fullness of Justice Consists; and first, Man's Duty to Himself SECTION I - Our Threefold Obligation to Virtue SECTION II - The Reformation of the Body SECTION III - Temperance SECTION IV - The Government of the Senses SECTION V - The Government of the Tongue SECTION VI - The Mortification of the Passions SECTION VII - The Reformation of the Will SECTION VIII - The Government of the Imagination SECTION IX - The Government of the Understanding SECTION X - Prudence in Temporal Affairs SECTION XI - Means of Acquiring this Virtue
41.	Man's Duty to his Neighbor
42.	Man's Duty to God SECTION I - Man's Duties in General SECTION II - The Love of God SECTION III - The Fear of God SECTION IV - Confidence in God SECTION V - Zeal for the Glory of God SECTION VI - Purity of Intention SECTION VII - Prayer SECTION VIII - Gratitude SECTION IX - Obedience SECTION X - Patience in Afflictions
43.	The Obligations of our State
44.	The Relative Importance and Values of the Virtues
45.	Four Important Corollaries of the preceding Doctrine SECTION I - The Necessity of Exterior as well as Interior Virtues SECTION II - Discernment in the Pursuit of Virtue SECTION III - Virtues that are Less must sometimes yield to those that are Greater SECTION IV - True and False Justice
46.	The Different Vocations in the Church
47.	The Vigilance and Care necessary in the Practice of Virtue
48.	The Courage necessary in the Practice of Virtue