The
Second Precept, Which Is, To Die to the World
Now, that we may live well it is necessary, in the first place, that we
die to the world before we die in the body. All they who live to the world are
dead to God: we cannot in any way begin to live to God, unless we first die to
the world. This truth is so plainly revealed in Holy Scripture, that it can be
denied by no one but infidels and unbelievers. But, as in the mouth of two or
three witnesses every word shall stand, I will quote the holy apostles, St.
John, St. James, and St. .Paul, witnesses the more powerful, because in them
the Holy Spirit (who is the Spirit of Truth) plainly speaketh. Thus writes St.
John the Evangelist: "The prince of this world cometh, and in me he hath
not anything," (chap. xiv. 30.) Here the devil is meant by " the
prince of this world," who is the king of all the wicked: and by the
"world" is understood the company of all sinners who love the world,
and are loved by it.
A little lower the same Evangelist continues: "If the world hate
you, know ye that it hath hated me before you. If you had been of the world,
the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." And in
another place: "I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast
given me." Here Christ clearly tells us, that by the "world"
those are meant, who, with their prince the devil, shall hear at the last day:
" Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." St. John adds also in his
Epistle: "Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world. If any
man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him. For all that is in
the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes,
and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the
world passeth away, and the concupiscence thereof. But he that doth the will of
God abideth for ever." (1 Epist. ii.) Let us now hear how St. James speaks
in his Epistle: " Adulterers, know you not that the friendship of this
world is the enemy of God? Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world,
becometh an enemy to God." (chap. iv. 4.)
Thus St. Paul, that vessel of election, speaketh; in his First Epistle
to the Corinthians, writing to all the faithful, he says: "You must needs
go out of this world;" and in another place in the same Epistle: "But
whilst we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord: that we be not condemned
with this world." (chap. xi. 32.)
Here we are clearly told, that the whole world will be condemned at the
last day. But by the "world" is not meant heaven and earth, nor all
those who live in it; but they only who love the world. The just and pious in
whom reigneth the love of God, not the concupiscence of the flesh are indeed in
the world, but not of the world: but the wicked are not only in the world, they
are also of the world; and therefore not the love of God, but the
"concupiscence of the flesh" reigneth in their heart, that is, luxury
and the concupiscence of the eyes," which is avarice and "the pride
of life," which is an esteem of themselves above others; and thus they
imitate the arrogance and pride of the devil, not the humility and mildness of
Jesus Christ.
Since, then, such is the truth, if we wish to learn the Art of dying
well, it is our bounden and serious duty to go forth from the world, not in
word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth: yea, to die to the world, and to
exclaim with the Apostle, "The world is crucified to me, and I to the
world." This business is no trifling matter, but one of the utmost
difficulty and importance: for our Lord being asked, "Are they few that
are saved?" replied, " Strive to enter by the narrow gate;" and
more clearly in St. Matthew doth He speak: "Enter ye in at the narrow
gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and
many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way
that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!" (chap, vii.) To
live in the world, and to despise the pleasures of the world, is very
difficult: to see beautiful objects, and not to love them; to taste sweet
things, and not to be delighted with them; to despise honours, to court
labours, willingly to occupy the lowest place, to yield the highest to all
others in fine, to live in the flesh as if not having flesh, this seems rather
to belong to angels than to men; and yet the apostle, writing to the Church of
the Corinthians, in which nearly all lived with their wives, and who were
therefore neither clerics, nor monks, nor anchorets, but, according to the
expression now used, were seculars still, he thus addresses them: "This
therefore I say, brethren, the time is short; it remaineth, that they also who
have wives be as if they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not;
and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though
they possessed not; and they that use this world, as if they used it not, for
the fashion of this world passeth away." (1 Corinth, vii. 29. & c.)
By these words the apostle exhorts the faithful that, being encouraged
by the hope of eternal happiness, they should be as little affected by earthly
things as if they did not belong to them; that they should love their wives
only with a moderated love, as if they had them not; that if they wept for the
loss of children or of their goods, they should weep but little, as if they
were not sorrowful; that if they rejoiced at their worldly honours or success,
they should rejoice as if they had no occasion to rejoice that is, as if joy
did not belong to them; that if they bought a house or field, they should be as
little affected by it as if they did not possess it. In fine, the apostle
orders us so to live in the world, as if we were strangers and pilgrims, not
citizens. And this St. Peter more clearly teaches where he says: "Dearly beloved,
I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims to refrain yourselves from carnal
desires which war against the soul." (1 Epist. ii.) Thus the most glorious
prince of the apostles wishes us, so to live in our own house and city as if we
dwelt in another’s, being little solicitous whether there is abundance or
scarcity of provisions. But he commands us, that we so abstain "from
carnal desires which war against the soul;" for carnal desires do not
easily arise when we see those things which do not belong to us. This,
therefore, is the way to be in the world, and not of the world, which those do
who, being dead to the world, live to God alone; and, therefore, such do not
fear the death of the body, which brings them not harm but gain, according to
the saying of the Apostle Paul, "For to me, to live is Christ: and to die
is gain." And how many, I ask, shall we find in our times, so dead to the
world as already to have learnt to die to the flesh, and thus to secure their
salvation? I have certainly no doubt, that in the Catholic Church are to be
found, not only in monasteries and amongst the clergy, but even in the world,
many holy men, truly dead to the world, who have learned the Art of dying well.
But it cannot be denied also, that many are to be found, not only not
dead to the world, but ardently fond of it, and lovers of its pleasures,
riches, and honours: these, unless they resolve to die to the world, and in
reality do so, without doubt will die a bad death, and be condemned with the
world, as the apostle saith.
But perhaps the lovers of the world may reply, "It is very
difficult to die to the world, whilst we are living in it; and to despise those
good things which God has created for our enjoyment." To these words I
answer, that God does not wish us entirely and absolutely to neglect or despise
the riches and honours of this world. Abraham was an especial favourite with
God; and yet he possessed great riches. David also, and Ezechias, and Josias,
were most powerful kings; and at the same time most pleasing to God: the same
may be said of many Christian kings and emperors. The good things of this life,
therefore its riches, honours, and pleasures are not entirely forbidden to
Christians, but only an immoderate love of them, which is named by St. John,
" the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the
pride of life."
Abraham certainly possessed great riches, but he not only made a
moderate use of them, he was also most willing to dispose of them, when and how
the Almighty willed. For he who spared not his only beloved son, how much more
easily could he part with his riches, if God so wished? Wherefore Abraham was
rich, but he was richer in faith and charity; and therefore he was not of the
world, but rather dead to it. The same may be said of other holy men, who,
possessed of riches, power, and glory, and even kingdoms, were yet poor in
spirit, dead to the world, and thus living to God alone, they learned perfectly
the Art of dying well Wherefore, not abundance of riches, nor kingdoms, nor honours,
make us to be of the world; but "the concupiscence of the flesh, the
concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which in one word is called
cupidity, and is opposed to divine charity. If then we should begin, the grace
of God inspiring us, to love God for His own sake and our neighbours for God's
sake, we shall then not be of this world: and as our love increaseth, our
cupidity will diminish; for charity cannot increase without the other
diminishing. Thus, what appeared impossible to be done, when our passions
reigned within us, "to live in this world as if we did not belong to
it," will be made most easy when love resides in our heart. What is an
insupportable burden to cupidity, is sweet and light to love.
As we said above, to die to the world is no light matter, but a
business of the greatest difficulty and importance. Those find it most
difficult who know not the power of God's grace, nor have tasted of the
sweetness of His love, but are carnal, not having the Spirit: all carnal
objects become insipid, when once we taste of the divine sweetness.
taken from the Art of Dying Well, by Saint Robert Bellarmine
Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons
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