Notes on doctrinal and spiritual subjects v.2

Front matter

NOTES

ON

DOCTRINAL AND SPIRITUAL SUBJECTS.

Section I. The Church

YEAR. PAGE

I. Epiphany Lectures .. 1851

1. The History of the Church .. .. 3

2. The Vicissitudes of the Church

3. The Empire of the Church .. .. 8

4. The Church at, War with the World ] ]

5. The Conversion of England .. 13

6. The Last Age of the,Church, and Reign of Antichrist .. .. .. _ 16

II. The Holiness of the Church .. .. 1350 19

in. The Living Church. Thanksgiving for the

Definition of the Immaculate Conception.

Second Sunday after Euater .. 1555 21

IV. Peace the Life of the Church. Synod of

V. Thankfulness that we are Catholics .. .. 1^52 28

VI. On the Treatment of Temptations against Faith . 29

VII. Mary and the Modern Church. May . . 18J1

1. Mary s place in the Modern Church . . 3-4

2. The Church in Intercession .. .. 35

3. The Church in Thanksgiving .. .. 37

4. The Church at War with Heresy .. 39

5. The Church at War with Sin ... 4;{

6. The Church making Saints . . . . 47 7- Mary magnifying God.. ... .. 50

Till CONTENTS.

Section II. The Sacraments

YFAU. PAGE

I. The Sacraments a Fountain of happiness ,. 1856 55

II. The Conversion of a Soul from sin . , .. 1851 56

III. How to Confess well . . . . . . 1847 58

IV. Hatred of sin .. .. .. .. 59

^f. Purpose of Amendment in Confession . . 1848 60

VI. The obligation of Restitution .. .. 1848 62

1. The Nature of Scandal ... ... 64

2. The Injury it does to God ... ... 66

3. The Injury it does to others ... ... 69

4. The Injury it does to ourselves |... 71 YIII. God s view of our past sins ... ... ... 1855 73

IX. Fruits of a good Communion .. ... 1S48 76

X. Hardening of heart from slovenly Communions 1861 77

XI. The influence of Catholic Priests over their

XII. Extreme Unction . . ... ... 1818 81

Section III. Controversy

TEAK. PAGE

I. The Reasonableness of the Catholic Religion ... 1854

2. In its relation to Scripture ... ... 88

3. In its relation to the nature and wants of

4. In its relation to the character of God ... 94 II. English Catholicism"

1. Actual position of Catholics in England... 97

2. What Protestants would expect English

Catholics to be like ... ... ... 99

3. The real aspect of English Catholicism to

the eye of the enquirer ... ... 102

CONTENTS. IX

YEAR. PAGE

4. The way in which we act upon Protes tants.., ... ... ... ... 105

5. Fear of our own doctrines ... ... 103

6. The influence of the presence of Protes tantism on the ordinary character of Ca tholics ... ... .... ... HI

7. The influence of Protestantism on the

devout character of Catholics ... ... 114

III. Protestantism, its rise and present condition ... 117

IV. Protestant notions of our Blessed Lord ... 119

VI. Journalism. Little Oratory ... ... 1852 122

PART V.

THE SPIRITUAL LIFE.

TEAR. PAGE

I. New Beginnings, Lent ... ... I860

1. What has hecome of our old begin

2. Little Encouragements ... .. 129

3. Little Discouragements .. .. 131

4. The God we have to deal with ... 134 II. The Management of our Grace. Lent .. 1858

1. The Abundance of Grace ... .. 137

2. The Varieties of Grace .. .. 142

3. The Jealousy of Grace .. .. 145

4. The Knowledge of our Grace ... 151

5. Correspondence to our Grace . . 155 III. The Fear of God ... .. .. 1859

1 The Unity of God 160

2. Punishments and Ptewards ... .. 177

3. Our own sin and misery .. .. 202

4. From the nature of grace ... ... 206

5. From the Perfections and Character

6. The excellence of Fear 210

Contents

YEAH. PAGE

V. The one drawback of life ...- ... 1861 213

VI. How it is that life is short ... ... 1856 216

Section I. Old Testament Histoky

TEAR. PAGE

I. The Fall of the Angels. Lent. ... ... I860 291

II. The Flood. Lent ls ,- 2 93

III. The Tower of Babel. Lent.... .. ... i860 295

IV. The Cities of the Plain. Lent. ... ... I860 299

V. Jonas and Ninive. Lent Ib60 304

VI. Baltassar s Feast. Lent. I860 310

Section II. Special Occasions

I. Sunday after the opening of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street.

The Ecclesiastical Titles Bill ... ... i 8 51 30 j_

III. Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament.

.........

IV. At the profession of a Sepulchrine Nun. New

The Secular Clergy. S. EJmnmTs College ... 1850 327 VI. Closing of the Oratory in Kin- William Street.

Feat (ftlielhly Name of Mary ... 1853 329

VII. Opening of the Oratory at Brompton. Marcli^ 1854 332 VIII. For the Poor Schools. Ftast of the Sacred

Lhe Workhouse Grievance. Lent ... ... 1861 336

Xll CONTENTS.

Section III. Life

YEAR. PAGE

1. The Nature of Life ... ... ... 341

2. The Characteristics of Life ... ... 844

3. The States of Life ... . . ... 348

4. The Meanings of Life ... ... ... 353

PART VII.

THE LAST THINGS.

Section I. The Four Last Things

TEAR. PAGE

. I. The light of a deathbed ... ... ... 1850 359

II. Bad deaths of those who have once been good 1856 361

III. The Particular Judgment .. .. ... 1850 364

IY. Eternity. Schools of Compassion .. ... 1852 366

V. The mistake found out too late .. ... 1853 370

VI. The judgment of the reprobate .. ... 1853 373

VIII. Why our Blessed Lord said so little about

Heaven. Little Oratory ... ... ... 1856 377

IX. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord ., 1861 379

X. We with Jesus afterwards ... .. 1850 381

CONTENTS.

SECTION H.

PURGATORY.

YEAR. PAGE

[I. The Severity of Purgatory .. .. ... 1357 339

III. The Consolations of Purgatory .. ... 399

IV. Devotion to the Passion ... ... .. 1 86 Q 393

V. The Love of Jesus for the Holy Souls ... 1856 394

VI. The Queen of Purgatory ... ... ... 397

VII. The Deliverance of a Soul .. ... 1353 398

Appendix

TO THE THIKD PART.

T mt, T T j YEAR. PAGE

1. Ine Immaculate Conception. Triduo and Feast lt>54

1. The Mother and the Son ... 403

2. The Mother and her many Sons ... ... 405

3. The Mother of the Immaculate Queen .. 408

4. The Immaculate Queen ... ... ... 410

II. Praying for Sinners. May .. .. ... I860 414

III. Meditations on the Angels .. .. 4)7

IV. Motives for a peculiar devotion towards our own

dear Guardian Angel .. ... 405

V. Devotional practices in honour of our Guardian

PAET FOUBTH.

THE FAITH.

SECTION I.

THE CHUECH.

I. Epiphany Lectuees. 1

THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

I. The idea of the Church and its kingdom in the mind of Christ.

1. Its royalty the Man Christ Jesus King above nationalities subject to no other power in spirituals represented -in prophecy as the enemy of empires highest and most myste rious of allegiances quite a fearful vision to see it starting on its journey across the world.

2. Its exclusiveness in government in doctrine in tone and temper.

8. Its supernaturalness image of Christ subject to the same misrepresentations and accusations to the same treatment yet eluding all with Christlike vitality.

4. Its sufferings, mingled with its majesty, like His within and without opposites unite in hating it.

5. Its triumph, at unexpected moments in the long run it gains its end, and survives its enemies. Hence Catholics are not proud when they compare Christ and the Church.

II. The Chronicle of His kingdom briefly sketched.

1. His preaching : little work was done hut the novitiate of the apostles.

2. The work of the apostles in the great towns seed scattered along the side of the Roman roads.

3. Melting away of the Roman Empire thus its first victory was over a state.

4. Age of heresies and of patronage heresy leans towards the civil power ; it is in effect a protest against the royalty of Christ.

5. The vision of the papacy the royalty of Christ coming out still more peace to men of good will, to others war.

6. Feudal system, and temporalities of Popes to secure freedom from states, and freedom to teach.

7. Age of the Council of Trent saints spi rituality missionary life laws of the Church.

8. Age of saints of modern life, their characte ristics, 1. love, 2. simplicity, 3. love of deri sion, 4. devotion to Mary, 5. love of Holy See, 6. upon the whole not being learned, 7. full of visions.

9. Progress and civilization of today, in which the Church keeps her ground.

III. Marvels of that Chronicle.

1. Unity of faith, in spite of heresy, contro versy, free opinion, or increase of science.

2. Succession of Popes, so long, so holy, so clear on the whole, righting itself after troubles.

3. Preservation of one city, in spite of exiles, sieges, &c. &c.

4. Dying out of heresies the Church simply outliving them.

5. Similarity and reproduction of saints.

6. Two homages to the Church in all ages, in tellect and fear i. e., the faith of devils.

7. That it should be still a living, energizing power, frightening grave men out of their proprieties, even at the present day. The late commotion may be thus accounted for the reappearance of the royalty of the Church, which always frightens men we were obscure before. Will England reject Christ ? Ecce Homo, a King crowned, but with thorns !

THE VICISSITUDES OF THE CHURCH.

I. Why the Church, being what she is, should have vicissitudes.

1. To be like her King, and to represent His royalty.

2. For the perfection of her children.

3. Because it is a conflict between good and evil, and man is free Michael s war in heaven.

4. Because God is glorified by them.

5. Because faith and loyalty are tested by them.

6. Because God punishes the world by them.

7. Because her children are not true to her high exclusive principles.

II. Kinds of vicissitudes.

1. Vicissitudes in conflicts for doctrine, e. g., near triumph of Arianism.

2. Vicissitudes of missionary success, e. g., Japan and Paraguay.

3. Vicissitudes of toleration, e. g., Eussia and England.

4. Vicissitudes of temporal power, e. g., in the Middle Ages, and now according as God provides work for her.

5. Vicissitudes of saints 1. in times 2. in places Ireland and England have had none canonized for three hundred years.

III. Examples of vicissitudes.

1. Momentary triumph of Arianism, illustrat ing royal patronage, the supernaturalness of truth, and the necessity of a celibate body of unworldly heroes to checkmate evil powers.

2. Lives of immoral Popes even this lesson might be wanted to show the royalty of the Church as distinct from her grace, yet it is a pious belief that no Pope is lost, on account of St. Peter s prayers for them.

3. The Greek schism court intrigues incest of Bardas pride of Photius heroism of Ig natius absence of human respect in the Holy See providence in the legate s treachery and sin all how like Henry VIII., save that we had no Ignatius.

4. The Eeformation immense evil, of course, and frightful loss of souls yet how it has brought out the vitality of the Church, and is now refuting itself by death or fresh divi sion.

5. Eecent vicissitudes of the papacy like Pius VI. and Pius VII. as if a drama of history, which we had come to regard as almost poetical, were acted over again before our eyes.

IV. Lessons learned from these vicissitudes.

1. Supernaturalness of the Church : no need of arm of flesh : English Catholics should lay this to heart.

2. Detestation of compromise boldness, open ness, yet prudent concession to any limit when no principle is compromised : e. g. in concordats : yet for this the Church is called double-dealing.

3. Increased intensity of loyal love what can we fear, when all imaginable vicissitudes but those of Antichrist are exhausted? no new thing can befall us, but his coming.

4. Not to be in a hurry : we can afford to sacri fice today for the sake of tomorrow, which the world cannot afford to do ; picture of the Godlike patience and providencelike policy of the Holy See.

The world s fear at the resurrections of the Church. Whilst England is busy building glass palaces, quays and custom houses filled with the productions, planning to fit the city to receive earth s foreigners, out comes the risen Church, with her defunct hierarchy, and England is filled with rage, fear, convulsions, self-contradictions, fighting, like a possessed demoniac.

THE EMPIRE OF THE CHURCH.

The Church was to be a kingdom in Christ s intention : whosoever should fall on it should he broken, and on whomsoever it should fall, it should grind him to powder.

I. The difficulties it had to encounter.

1. Sin and selfishness its power was to be in selfdenial and unworldliness.

2. Prejudices and traditions it introduced an entire set of new associations celibacy vocation the royalty of the Church attained by its militia of religious orders.

3. It had to persuade supernatural doctrines, which shocked men on two opposite counts, 1. either by being without analogy, or 2. too analogous to bygone superstitions.

4. To overwhelm nationalities : this is the essence of the Gospel.

5. To ignore castes making the laity as sub servient as the clergy.

6. To stand independent of civil power and where half belonged to the Church to claim the whole, because the temporal half cedes to the spiritual.

7. Yet it had to compel civil governments, not to ignore it, but to notice and provide for it : e.g. in England.

II. "Wherein its empire consists.

1. The voluntary homage of the understand ing : how the world frets at this in men of intellect W 7 ho are Catholics.

2. Homage of the conscience occasional ro mance of this in civil history, but nothing equal to it as a characteristic of the empire of the Church.

3. Love of it superior to patriotism or love of country.

4. Zeal to do or suffer, without any discourag ing doubt of ultimate victory.

5. Arbitrary regulation of private life which men will not allow to civil government : e.g. marriage, fasts, &c.

6. Recognition of its right to meddle with third persons, as in the case of occasions of sin, excommunicated persons, &c.

7. Submission to spiritual punishments.

Thus its empire rests on what men call blind ness, i.e. on the cultus of a mysterious region of the soul, which the sanctions and prohibitions of the Church alone can reach : i. e. faith.

III. The character of this empire.

1. It cannot be touched it eludes the world it gives way to pressure, and yet loses no volume.

2. It invites persecution as being a kind of per secution itself.

3. Its apparent insincerity, simply because it eludes grasp ; it seems like a huge conspiracy against the temporal welfare of mankind.

4. Its appearance and disappearance on the sur face of society it frightens and wearies men hunted in one city, it flies into another.

5. Its arrogance and historical pretension, with little or no outward dignity : it seems to be always proving too much about itself, and no two men see it in the same light.

6. It is catching, and proselytizes without car ing much to do so, and by putting forward its weak points ; e.g. a lecture on the help lessness of the Church is more converting than one on its historical glories.

7. Suffering and constraint consolidate it ; it compels its enemies to the savagery of physical force ; irritable humiliation of this, e.g. newspapers lately.

Look at this empire ! What can men do but curse it, or submit ?

4.

THE CHURCH AT WAR WITH THE WORLD.

We have seen that the Church is a kingdom, and what manner of kingdom it is : now look at the Church and world alongside of each other. I. What the world thinks of itself.

1. That it is going to last for ever : so it plants and builds and projects and dreams, over valuing its dreams, and, poor blindfold thing, not seeing that they are dreams, realizing not that it is a victim condemned to be burnt, with its sentence uncertainly de layed.

2. That there are no other interests but its own ; ignoring the personality of God.

3. That there is nothing like itself anywhere ; yet the devil could contrive many equal manifestations of his ability.

i/

4. That religion was made for its convenience, to satisfy an appetite, and must not forget itself.

5. That there cannot be two opinions about its own value ; its case is selfevident.

6. That of all vulgar things spirituality is specially vulgar, cowardly, and little.

7. It sees no disgrace in eating its own words, when convenient unlike the infallibility claimed by the Church. Leading articles of modern newspapers an instance of the hold the world has on men without their knowing it, and irrespective of sin.

II. What the Church thinks of the world.

1. No middle course she judges it enmity with God calls it a devil the Holy Ghost bids her do so. Here war to the knife is proclaimed at once.

2. Foolishness of temporal affairs ; and how the Church contrives to take all interest out of them : the world retaliates builds glass houses shows what it can do without the faith as at the tower of Babel.

3. The literary character the Church enforces moral element purity needed for divine science.

4. The mercantile character woe to it danger of it severe dealing with it in foro conscicntice usury, &c.

5. The political character the Church frus trates it ensnares it plays it false without deceit despises it.

6. The domestic character truth not peace vocations confessional precept of almsgiv ing.

7. Her quiet faith in her contempt for the world ; she assumes it, hardly taking the trouble to reason it out.

III. State of the case with the two kingdoms. 1. Both claim to be exclusive, and infallible, and imperial, and hereditary.

2. The Churcli will not admit the state to co -reign with it :

3. While the world, because of its weakness, is ready to admit the Church to share its em pire, and is maddened because the Church will have all or none.

4. The mystery of the Church s obedience to the powers of the world is beyond all else, and the ease wherewith she can shift from favour to suffering one of her most grace ful movements.

5. By the longsuffering of her obedience she attains her end in the course of years.

6. Hence implacable hatred the world paying the Church the dread homage of its anger, its hatred, and its fear.

A Franciscan monk amid the Apennines shown the leaders in the Times he quietly philoso phizes on them. My son! this is but noise, empty noise: these are words of today, not of yesterday, nor of tomorrow : God s words effect what they say, so do in her degree the Church s words this will soon be forgotten like the bab bling of a nightmare, humorous even in its horror.

THE CONVERSION OF ENGLAND.

I. What do we mean by the Conversion of Eng land ? 1. Anything sudden ?

2. Large masses ?

3. Government or nobles ?

4. Science or universities ?

5. The poor in an influx ?

II. Is there any appearance of this ?

1. None whatever.

2. Neither is it God s usual way save in cases of simpleminded nations.

3. Neither does the looking out for it produce a good habit of mind, but

1. Eagerness about conversions and gossip : while the Pope and our principles are at stake.

2. Forgetfulness of asceticism, which is our only strength.

3. Neglect of the little ones of Christ.

4. It is contrary to the tranquillity necessary for high graces.

4. Neither is it likely in England, because of 1. Money: 2. National pride: 3. Political power : 4. Adherence to traditions. The servility of Anglicanism is convenient.

5. We can only look for great successes through sufferings which humility ought to shrink from encountering lest it should fail : e.g. it may be that the reign of Antichrist must come first.

III. The actual work of conversion in England the gradual incoming of souls.

1. Most prosperous in all classes.

2. From increasing divisions elsewhere we may grow to be a huge body, in comparative com pactness, and so outweigh others. 3. Effects of the late tumult.

1. Increased enquiry : controversy against us always brings converts.

2. Effects of reaction, especially on the ani mal generosity of Englishmen.

3. Comfort of the homage of national pride to the power of Church and Holy See this is better than controversy.

IV. Have we hopes of more than ordinary suc cess ? Yes.

1. From what has actually happened in the way of conversions.

2. From the manner in which it has happened independently of Catholics.

3. From the increasing loss of all faith outside the pale.

4. From prophecies and visions of the saints.

5. From the instinct of intercession for Eng land all through the Church.

V. If we may look for supernatural help, what

spirit should this breed in us ?

1. Internal union.

2. Increased strictness, and unworldliness, and more abundant alms.

3. Manly assertion of high principle, and ful ness of doctrine : God will be ashamed of us, if we are ashamed of Him, and so will not show the world that we are His.

English Catholics do not look like a body whom God would go out of His way to help beyond the common measure; we are more likely to be holding God back!

THE LAST AGE OF THE CHURCH, AND REIGN OF ANTICHRIST.

From the first, all the troubles of the Church were regarded as types of Antichrist, as Christ had His types ; so we naturally conclude with this. It is not an idle speculation : Scripture puts it before us.

I. The person of Antichrist.

1. A single person. " The man of sin, the son of perdition, that wicked one."* " This is Antichrist, who denieth the Father and the Son."t v. Apoc. xix.

2. Many believed in a demoniacal incarnation this will not be so but he will be a man utterly possessed. (Card. Berulle.)

3. Not come yet Mahomet was not he the signs are not fulfilled.

4. He is to be a king his kingdom in visible antagonism to the kingdom of Christ so all civil oppositions have been precursors of Antichrist.

5. Certainly a Jew uncertain if of tribe of Dan origin probably obscure.

* 2 TLess. ii. 3. 1 1 John ii. 22.

6. With, zeal for the temple, gives himself out as the Messias.

7. With immense talents, awfully assisted by the devil immense wealth, Dan. xi. im moral, Dan. vii ; and xi. unparalleled in deceit deceiving even the elect.

8. His doctrine an apparent contradiction of no religion, yet a new religion. Comparison with French Revolution. 1. He denies the divinity of Christ. 2. Asserts that he is the Messias. 3. Worship of devils. 4. He is an atheist, 5. but begins by affecting respect for the law of Moses. 6. Lying miracles, false resurrection, mock ascension. 7. He has an attendant pontiff, so separating regal and prophetic office.

II. His kingdom.

1. Not hereditary got by degrees, by fraud, talent, and iniquitous diplomacy.

2. It will begin at Babylon.*

3. It will extend in influence over the whole civilized world.

4. Jerusalem will be the metropolis.

5. When his empire is at its full, it will last only three years and a half.

HI. His persecution.

1. Unparalleled horror of it.f

2. In spiritual things 1. there will be hardly any mass, 2. but the worship of his image and the wearing his mark; 3. majority of

* Zach. v. 11. t Apoc. xx,

Christians will apostatize, 4. but the Cliurcla will not be destroyed.

3. Saints will be greater than ever martyrs greater, as the first fought against men, the latter will fight against devils,* our Lady s Saints, vide Grignon de Montfort.

4. Enoch and Elias,t now confirmed in grace, and waiting they will preach in sackcloth for as long a time as Christ, i. e. three years and a half less nineteen days their martyrdom they w T ill lie unburied.

5. Jesus kills him, and comes to the doom fortyfive days after ; some say that St. Michael will kill him on Mount Olivet.

IV. Protestantism an anticipation of Antichrist. 1. Its attitude towards the Blessed Virgin

Mary, 2. the Mass, 3. the sign of the Cross.

4. All its sects unite against the Church.

5. Its carelessness about Baptism; sixth angel drying up Euphrates. 6. It blas phemes Saints.

V. The Five-and-Foriy Days.

1. Space for repentance. 2. Full of signs. 3. The Lord comes and the weary world is judged and burnt.

Lessons.

1. The reign of Antichrist is to be the last temporal reign : so the Church s last enemy is to be a kingdom, the consummation of the wickedness of all kingdoms ; how signi ficant !

2. What part should we take in this persecu tion ? Let us measure it by the boldness of our profession now by our strictness with ourselves by our selfdenial in charity for others by our perseverance in the practices of penance by the fervour and the frequency of our prayers by the rigorousness of the examinations of our conscience. It is always to each of us the five-and-forty days : Christ will come He will not tarrv let us have

\s

our loins girded and our lamps burning, that when the midnight cry is raised, and the Bridegroom cometh, we may go forward with holy awe to meet our Saviour and our Judge.

II. The Holiness Of The Church

Various true senses in which the Church is holy ; select the one which, while it is the most spoken against, puts in the clearest light the dif ference between the Catholic and the Protestant religion, viz., the peculiarities of the Catholic saints.

1. The end of the Christian religion is not to be an engine of government, a purification of literature, a civilizer ; not to give a standard of morals, but "to train men for Heaven, to form characters w r hose proper sphere is not this w r orld at all, who are awkward in it, and mostly unsuccessful in its ways ; it makes men moral by the way, and in consequence of something else, but it does not aim at that as an end. Considering the shortness of life and the length of eternity, it would be almost blasphemy to suppose it could be otherwise.

2. Now look at the New Testament to see what sort of character this was to be : examples 1. The Baptist, simply man; 2. Jesus, God and Man.

I. The example of the Baptist.

1. Likeness of John to Jesus, yet discrepancy.

2. Sketch of St. John penance in innocence.

3. Fulfilment of the type in the Catholic reli

gious life.

1. Hiddenness.

2. Carelessness of reputation.

3. Unnecessary suffering.

4. Seeking humiliations.

5. Rejoicing in persecutions.

6. Proportion of prayer to work.

7. Contempt of riches.

8. Lifelong renouncement of selfwill.

9. Joy in the world s hatred.

II. Our Blessed Lord.

1. He is our pattern.

2. Sketch of His life, and spirit of His maxims.

3. Supernatural and unworldly characteristics.

4. Parallel in the Catholic spiritual life.

5. Now look at Protestantism it makes good husbands, fathers, citizens, on tombstones let us grant it for once still it has

1. No supernatural marks.

2. No provision for evangelical counsels, as in the Church.

3. Its perfection is the very reverse of enmity with the world; yet this enmity is of the essence of scriptural holiness.

You would not at all think that the New Testa ment was the book on which Protestants were formed. If Catholics would well consider this whole subject, how many difficulties they would find answered ! The strength of our religion is in its supernaturalism.

The prayer of Jesus to His Father how often we should read it and meditate on it verse by verse I have given them Thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world.*

III. The Living Chukch

THANKSGIVING FOR THE DEFINITION

OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.

They that are in a home, or live amid beautiful scenery, do not realize it : so is it with us in the Church, with all the blessings of her maternal love around us. Thanksgiving for being in the Church: how the Definition brings it home to us. I. The Church is one of God s most wonderfuj works in

* St. John xyii. 14.

1. Its constitution.

2. Its destinies and history.

3. Its supernatural powers.

4. Its doctrine and teaching.

5. Its genius and spirit.

II. The essence of the Church is that it is

o

1. It is not a literature or a philosophy.

2. Nor a merely authoritative interpreter of God s word and will : the swing it allows to mind.

3. Nor is it simply a government.