This book is not written for any special class of persons. On this account, anything which would lead to the idea that it is a book exclusively for religious, is sedulously avoided. The principles laid down in it are only those that every good Christian, whether in religion or in the world, ought to know and to live up to. There are numbers of persons in the world who practise Perfection withou t any formal aim at it. It is for these especially that we write j as it appears to us that a little direction, and study of the grounds of Perfection, would be a wonderful help to them. Man's object in life is shown to consist in Charityin the love of God and the love of our neighbour. We have thought it very important to keep this point before the minds of our readers, because otherwise their devotions may be misdirected. We next deal with the various means of attaining to this end. The writer has made every effort to put things as briefly and as plainly as possible so that his teaching may be within the reach of the ordinary mind. He has avoided all digressions and has set before his readers their main business in life, telling them what they must do, rather than what they must not do. His plan did not permit him when treating of the virtues to treat of the opposite vices. With slight alterations the opening Chapters are taken for the most part from Father Scaramelli's Guide to the Spiritual Life, and the closing Chapters from the Christian and Religious Perfection of Father Rodriguez, This course is adopted because the writer believes that nothing better can be said on the subject than has been said by these two masters of the Spiritual Life. Their works cannot be too highly praised. They are excellent, and should be better known and studied, The Chapters on the Virtues are a summary of St. Thomas's teaching. To treat them at length is outside the scope of the present work, The desire of the writer is to promote the glory of God, and the spiritual advancement of Christians, so that they may be helped along the path of Perfection to their heavenly country.
