f others, take a secret satisfaction
in applause, love too much their own ease and conveniences, and seek
those things which flatter self-love. How much are these souls their own
enemies by not giving themselves to God without reserve, and taking a
firm resolution to labor diligently in watching over themselves, and
cutting off all irregular attachments, and purifying their hearts! The
neglect of this fosters many habitual little disorders and venial sins,
which incredibly obstruct the work of our sanctification, and the
advancement of the kingdom of divine grace in our souls. These little
enemies wilfully caressed, weaken our good desires, defile even our
spiritual actions with a thousand imperfections, and stop the abundant
effusion with which the Holy Ghost is infinitely desirous to communicate
himself to our souls, and to fill them with his light, grace, peace, and
holy joy. The saints, by the victory over themselves, and by making it
their principal study to live in the most perfect disengagement and
purity of heart, offered to God, even in their smallest actions, pure
and full sacrifices of love, praise, and obedience. If we desire to
cultivate this purity of heart, we {503} must carefully endeavor to
discover the imperfections and disorders of their souls, especially such
as are habitual, and strenuously labor to root them out. Secondly, we
must keep our senses under a strict guard, and accustom them to
restraint by frequent denials. Thirdly, we must live as much as may be
in a habit of recollection, and the practice of the divine presence,
and, after any dissipating affairs, return eagerly to close retirement
for some short time. Fourthly, we must, with perfect simplicity, lay
open our whole interior to our spiritual director, and be most
solicitous to do this, with particular candor and courage, in things in
which we are tempted to use any kind of duplicity or dissimulation.
Lastly, we must propose to ourselves, in all our thoughts and actions,
the most perfect accomplishment of the will of God, and study to square
our whole lives by this great rule, watching in all we do with
particular care against motives of vanity, pride, sensuality, interest,
and aversions, the great enemies to purity of intention.

SS. MARINUS AND ASTERIUS, OR ASTYRIUS, 1131.

ST. MARINUS was a person remarkable both for his wealth and family at
Caesarea in Palestine, about the year 272, and was in course to succeed
to the place of a cen