some, who laboured hard, and devoted themselves entirely to the service of the community, but who applied not with equal fervour to prayer; spiritual reading, and interior recollection. Now St. Fulgentius never thought so much of these, as of others. He always showed a far greater love and esteem for those who, though unable, by reason of their weak and sickly constitution, to be of any service to the convent, were yet devoted to spiritual things, and careful to advance in virtue. And doubtless he acted right. For, if we are not humble and submissive to the will of our superiors, what will it avail us to have talents, and other good qualities? If on this ground we claim greater liberties and exemptions, it certainly were far better for us never to have had talents at all. The case were different indeed, if in the account which is, one day, to be demanded of the superior, God should ask him, — " Were his subjects men of study and science?" But no! these are the questions God will ask him, — " Have those committed to your charge improved themselves in the science of saints?" " Have they advanced daily in virtue?" "Have they been employed according to their talents, without suffering their exterior occupations to check their interior advancement?" It is this, in the opinion of a very holy man (Tho.-a-Kempis, xiii. c. 3), for which every particular person also shall be accountable to Almighty God, who, on the day of judgment, will not ask us, what we have read, but what we have done — nor how learnedly we have spoken, but how religiously we have lived?
The sacred text relates, that our blessed Saviour having sent his disciples to preach, they returned full of joy, telling him, "That even the devils were subject to them, in his name." To whom our Saviour answered, — " Rejoice not that you work miracles, and that the devils are subject to you; but rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven." (Luke, x. 17, 20.) We ought, then, to place all our joy and happiness in acquiring the kingdom of heaven, for without that all the rest are nothing. "What will it avail a man to gain the whole world, if he loseth his soul?" (Matt. xvi. 26.)
And if we say, what our Saviour himself says, that these occupations which tend to the conversion of souls ought not to make us forget what we owe to our own salvation, since it were useless to have contributed to save all the world, if we do not endeavour to save ourselves — what may we not, with greater reason, say of other occupations? Certainly, it is un-
