sons of instruction are, then, to be specially pressed upon the attention of the faithful: the first, that marriage is not to be sought from motives of sensuality, but that its use is to be restrained within those limits, which, as we have already shown, are fixed by God. They should be mindful of the exhortation of the Apostle: " They," says he, " that have wives, let them be as though they had them not." [1] The words of St. Jerome are also worthy of attention: " the love," says he, " which a wise man cherishes towards his wife, is the result of judgment, not the impulse of passion: he governs the impetuosity of desire, and is not hurried into indulgence. What greater turpitude than that a husband should love his wife, as the seducer loves the adulteress." [2] But as every blessing is to be obtained from God by holy prayer, the faithful are also to be taught sometimes to abstain from the marriage debt, in order to devote themselves to prayer. This religion continence, according to the proper and pious injunction of our predecessors in the faith, is particularly to be observed for at least three days previous to communion, and for a longer time during the solemn and penitential season of Lent. Thus will the faithful experience the blessings of the holy state of marriage by a constantly increasing accumulation of divine grace; and living in the pursuit and practice of piety, they will not only spend this mortal life in peace and tranquillity, but will also repose in the true and firm hope, " which confoundeth not," [3] of arriving one day, through the divine goodness, at the fruition of that life which is eternal. [4]
- ↑ Cor. vii. 29.
- ↑ S. Hier. lib. 1. contra. lovian. in fine.
- ↑ Rom. v. 5.
- ↑ Vid. 33. q. 4. per totan et de consecr. dist. 2. cap. omnis homo. Hier. in apol. pro lihris contra lovian. post medium inter epist. num. 50. et in c. 12. Zach. super, iliud: " In die planctus magnus erit fructus thori immaculati."
