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THE CORONATION 439
many times have given up tempting the most blessed
Mary, if his unquenchable pride had permitted him. The
Lord almighty ordained all this, in order that the vic
tories and triumphs of his Mother might be more glo
rious, as we shall see in the following chapter.
INSTRUCTION WHICH THE QUEEN OF THE ANGELS, MOST
HOLY MARY, GAVE ME.
499. My daughter, in the constancy and invincible for
titude with which I vanquished the demons, thou hast one
of the most urgent motives for persevering in grace and
crowns. The human nature and that
acquiring great
of the angels (even though they be devils) are subject
to contrary and opposite conditions; for the spiritual
and that of mortals weak and
nature is indefatigable, so prone to fatigue, that it soon tires and succumbs in
labor. As soon as it finds any difficulty in the practice
of virtue it is
discouraged and turns back; what it
pur
sues with pleasure on one day,
it contemns the next ;
what
seemed agreeable today,
it finds hard tomorrow; now it
wishes, then again
it does not wish; sometimes it is fer
vent, sometimes lukewarm. But the demon is never
fatigued or weakened in his efforts at tempting souls.
The Almighty, however, is not wanting in his providence ;
for He limits and restrains the power of the demons, so
that they cannot pass the measure set for them, nor exert
all their indefatigable powers for the persecution of
souls.
On the other hand He supports the weakness of
men, giving them grace and strength to resist and over
come their enemies on the prescribed battleground.
500. Hence the inconstancy of souls in virtuously
maintaining their position during temptation and in not
bearing with fortitude and patience the inconveniences
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