The spiritual man, or, The spiritual life reduced to its first principles . e referred to such as are more , the vegetative life tends to the sensitive, the sensitive tothe reasonable, and the life of grace to the light of should frequently beseech God to augment in us thisprecious gift, saying with the apostles : Lord, increase ourfaith. Faith is the first duty which justice obliges us to render toGod, for we are bound by our creation, redemption andadoption, to give ourselves entirely to God ; and we can do SIXTH GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. 279 this only thr
The spiritual man, or, The spiritual life reduced to its first principles . e referred to such as are more , the vegetative life tends to the sensitive, the sensitive tothe reasonable, and the life of grace to the light of should frequently beseech God to augment in us thisprecious gift, saying with the apostles : Lord, increase ourfaith. Faith is the first duty which justice obliges us to render toGod, for we are bound by our creation, redemption andadoption, to give ourselves entirely to God ; and we can do SIXTH GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. 279 this only through faith. Christianity is established on thebasis of humility, consequently faith ought to hold the firstrank in our souls ; for faith*is the true humility of our mindand judgment, since it is the perfect submission of them toGod. Hence let us hear and follow this counsel of St. Paul:* Be vigilant, stand firm in faith. Continue in faith, groundedand settled immovable. In all things showing good fidelity,that you may adorn the doctrine of God, our Saviour, in CHAPTER VII. SEVENTH GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. Continual prayer. NE of the greatest maxims of Christianit),and one of the duties which our Lord mostearnestly recommended by Himself, and byHis ministers, is, to pray to God continu-ally. We must always pray and not faint,says He in St. Luke ; that is, we must pray asunceasingly as our strength will permit. He atteststhat our salvation is the one thing necessary, and warnsus to watch and pray at all times. St. Paul, writing to theThessalonians, tells them to pray without ceasing. Andto Timothy he says : I desire that men pray in all , he tells the Ephesians to be constant in prayer andcontinual supplications, made in the spirit and with invincibleperseverance. The Prince of the Apostles, in his first Epistle,admonishes us to be prudent and to watch in long before him, the preacher had given this advice : Be not hindered from
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