Jesus Christ, and asked him to restore her to life: ” Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." In explaining this passage, St. Bonaventure turns to the sinner, and says: ” Your daughter is your soul; she even now is deadly sin; hasten your conversion. ” Brother, your soul is your daughter, that has just died by committing sin. Return immediately to God. Hasten; if you delay, and defer your conversion from day to day, the wrath of God shall suddenly come upon you, and you shall be cast into hell. ” Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not from day to day." (Eccl. v. 8, 9.) Behold the sermon for this day, in which I will show, first, the danger to which he who is in the state of sin, and defers his conversion, is exposed; and secondly, the remedy to be adopted by him who is in sin, and wishes to save his soul.
First Point. The danger to which a person in sin, who defers his conversion, is exposed.
1. St. Augustine considers three states of Christians. The first is the state of those who have always preserved their baptismal innocence; the second is the state of those who have fallen into sin, and have afterwards returned to God, and persevered in grace; the third is of those who have fallen and have always relapsed into sin, and are found in that unhappy state at death. Speaking of the first and second class, he pronounces them secure of salvation; but, speaking of the third he says: "Non dico, non præsumo, non promitto." (Hom, xli. int. 50.) ” I do not say; I do not presume; I do not promise." He neither says, nor presumes, nor promises, that such sinners are saved. From these words it appears that, in his opinion, it is very improbable that they obtain eternal life. St. Thomas teaches (2, 2, qu. 109, a. 8) that he who is in the state of mortal sin cannot long abstain from the commission of some new sin. And St. Gregory says: ” A sin which is not blotted out by repentance by its weight soon draws to another sin; hence it is not only a sin, but the cause of sin." (1. 3, Mor. c. ix.) One sin is the cause of another, because, in the sinner reason is disordered, and inclines him to evil; and therefore he cannot long resist temptation.
