to God; it is the only way in which we can show that love, namely, by keeping God’s word, that is, His commandments. This is the sole foundation of our hopes of heaven, the keeping the commandments. Vainly should I hope for salvation, relying on the goodness and mercy of God, if I do not keep His commandments inviolably, as I showed on the last occasion. Vainly should I hope and desire salvation, relying on anything else, no matter what it is, if I do not keep the commandments, and indeed all of them. And yet what a number of people there are in the world who delude themselves with that false hope! as I shall now prove by way of paternal admonition to them, and of exhortation to all to persevere in the service of God.
Plan of Discourse.
Many men desire and hope to go to heaven, hut they do not keep the commandments of God. This is a false and deceitful hope; as we shall see in the first part. A still greater number desire and hope to go to heaven, hut they do not keep all the commandments, or do not keep them constantly. Also a false and deceitful hope; as we shall see in the second part.
O Holy Ghost! do Thou enlighten us and move us all by Thy light and grace, that we may act more reasonably and make our salvation more certain, by building our hopes of it on the faithful observance of all Thy commandments. This we ask of Thee through the intercession of Thy virginal spouse, Mary, and of our holy guardian angels.
To gain heaven it is not enough to desire it.
If nothing more were required to gain heaven but the mere wish and hope, oh, then indeed would all men be saved, and the terrible saying, “few are chosen,” which causes such fear and anxiety, might be erased from the Sacred Scripture! O sinners! no matter how wicked and godless you are; blasphemers, profane swearers, adulterers, detractors, unjust, unchaste men, murderers, drunkards, and all the rest of you from whom St. Paul has taken away all hope of heaven, then indeed might you be of good heart, for heaven would be yours. For there is no one among you so blind and so perverse, if he has a little spark of faith and reason left, as not to feel pleasure at the thought of being saved eternally. There is no one so hardened in guilt as not to be terrified at the thought of the everlasting fire of hell; no one so forgetful of his own welfare as not to wish to go to heaven; no one