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22X

THINK WELh ON'T :

OB,

BEFLECTIONS

ON THE

GREAT TRUTHS *

•OF THB

CHRISTIAN RELIGION,

FOB

JEVERY DAY OF THE MKHE.

BYR. CHALLONER, DD.

cftSi,^®'''-^''""" "?" *^® Jan J made desolate- b«.
cause there is none that considereth in W?heart

Jeremias xii. 11

NEW YORK :

D. & J. SADLIER & CO. 164 WILLIAM ST.

BOSTON: 128 FEDERAL-STBEBT.

MONTREAL, C. E. :

COtt KOTRK-DAMi: AND 8T. KRAJfCIS XATaK-nU.
1864.

INTRODUCTION.

I. Make choice of a proper time and place
for ecollecion; and ehut .he door of .h,

II. Place thyself in the presence of Godj
represenung his incomprehensible Majesty J
hyself by a lively faith, as filling L ve

bufes!" /he"?' '"'""^ ""'" "" "- -A
Dates in the very centre of thy soul Pm J

trate thyself in spirit before li^io !Z
.h.s sovereign Lord, make an en.i;e offeSg
of thyself ,0 him, humbly begging his naf
don for a„ thy past treason's agffnst'ht. ' ""

vou and™h '■'r " "«•" ""<• «"«=« *'«•> for-
the gospel may maite so deep an impression
on thy soul, that thou mayest efflctZl^
lean, to love and fear him. "««B""y

IV. Head the chapter for the day leisurely

•oul time to digest what thou ,rt t^g,

INTEODUCTION.

to Arn^ r, , prayer, endeavour

to draw from ,hy considerations auch affec-
Uons as are suitable to the subject, by oxci

«I ituda f r . " '" ^'^ goodness-
gratuude for h.s benefits-a horror of sin

and smcere repentance for thy past sins Z'

.hen open thy heart as much a's po^^ L^:

tarv^:;""' """ '" ">-« Srel and n !
.hyZ'"" '"'' '""^ •'•^ "^-P- -ot in

VI. Conclude with ri.<.nl»;„»
ment of l,f^ • • "^"""ig on amend-

ment of hfe, insisting in particular on those
fatUngs to which thou art most subject a,!!
finn y determining within thyself to pu; !hf
reaoluttonsthou hast made in'executVn;:

viirT: ? ""^ °"" '"»' -^y <Jay

,k. ;■ ffoquently in the course of

^e day on the chief points of .ho subject
of hy constderation, lest the enemy rob tly

Md conBa^rin;"" '"" ""' ""» ""«»«

CONTENTS.

Days.

« On the necessity of consideration, . . 7

2 On the end of our creation, . . ,1

3 On the benefits of God, J!

4 On tlto dignity and obligation" of a"

Christian, .

6 On T T""-^ "^ '^''^'°'^^' '•"•*•' 2

8 On the sentiments we shall "have at" ^^
the hour of death, . ^

" \^^ P"'i<">l" judgment after'
10 On the great accounting diy,' '. '. '.Z

U On the last sentence of the good and
bad, , ,

13 On hell. ..'.'.'.' ^

14 On the exterior pain8,of hell/ ! ! ' 7c
J^ un the interior pains of hell, . . ' i^

16 On a miserable eternity, . 'Z

17 On heaven, ^^

• ... 93

Days.

18 On the small

CONTENTS.

Pag<

100
107
112

"- mortal ^in:""""*'"^ •"-'-

SO On the relapsing 3i„„e;.; [ [

^ On domg penance for our Bins, ,,„

22 Against delay of renpn..„ ' " ''®

«3 On .in,e and'et rZ "' ' * " "'

24 On .he presence o "Sod *''

^ On .he passion of cS, and firs." '''

tZr^- '- - ---Of-
^5 On^„„ «.,;„„;„-_; .^^^^..4.

"";Sd''^--^---"r-«""
28 0urSavi„„ris.cou;geda"..-hepi,iar:"'

^ ouTLrrca::;:; 1-°™- • • • '^

nailed to it ""'' ^"-^ '»

30 Our Saviour o;.;e;r„;s; .' [ ' ' |^f

3'On.hedeatl.ofourSavi;ur. •.• ^

Rules of a Christian life. " ??

Acts of faith, hope, and chari.;,: i^I

>n«A

■'

Pag«.
t. . 100
. . 107
. . 112
• . 118
. . 126
. . 131
. 136
rst,
of

. 142

ai>

. 148

ite

. 155
r,

. 162
is

. 168
. 174
. 180
. 187
. 191

THINK WELL ON'T.

FIRST DAY.

ON THE NECESSITY OF CONSIDERATIOI..

Consider, ^rst, those words of th.

of all our evils A n, • th» °'"^'^«°"''ce
of.an.i„dseldo.r„;tSC'.^^^^^^^

arej.stalx>uttostep.^!S^°J,''l^',h«7

It they were only made for this !fc
or were always to dwell here i£

Ill

fif

° ON THE NECESSITY

thoughts of Death, Judgment, Heaven
and Hell, mke but little or nolmpT^'
« on upon them, because the? Z no
aUow them to sink deep into th^eirsouk

They ru?r "'^■r'T ^""^''^^ratiol:
1 noy run on, w,th their eyes shut, to

and tKS SZ t™trf f ^^"''^
finH fk / ^*" ^^ ^"^"^> when thcv

fht-KTh7Se!^"'""'=^''^"'"'«'
Consider, seconrf/^, that wo cannn»

»n^ him above all things. Now wr
can neither know, nor Zof. him ^s we

«o«. It ,s this which discovers to us
B.ZT f '•'^«'ion« of this sovereign

wve, and ail the benefits which he has
bestowed upon us his most undeservW
and ungrateful creatures. All which
alas! make no impression on us w Z
-ui serious consideration. Every ihiZ
about us, the heavens, the earth, and all

OF CONSIDERATION.

HEAVEN;

impres-
y do not
leir souls
deration,
shut, to
eternity,
lien they
place of
n^er die,
uenched.
AjI that

cannot
and lov-
row we
•j as we
isidera-
s to us
vercign
eternal
he has
erving
which,

! tvifli-

' thing
ind all

creatures therein, cease not to preach
God unto us, and invite us to love him:
but without consideration wo remain
deaf to the voice of the whole creation;
we are like those that have eyes, and
see not; ears, and hear not. Ah! the
great and dreadful mischiefs that flow
from the want of that true knowledge
of God, which is the fruit of daily con-
sideration! Is it not upon this account
that the whole world is over-run with
wickedness; and that hell opens wide
its tremendous jaws, devouring without
end or number the unhappy children
of Adam, because God is forgotten, be-
cause there is no knowledge of God ujh
on earth? Osee iv. 1.

Consider, thirdly, that in order to
save our souls we must be sensible of
our own misery and corruption, that
we may become humble and diffident in
ourselves: we must know our irregular
inclinations and passions, that we may
fight against them, and overcom.e them:
— we must study and watch over the
motions of our own hearts, that we may
not be surprised by sin, and sleep in

ON, THE NECESSITY

and vef n^^ "^ "^ know all fu-

f ■•««' me the g/:;etT'" "'^' "S'
grant me grace ",„ t '^""^ ^^^^, Lord •
'e' us labour to '° ^"°^ '":>'self:»Z,"

fifej^afton. ''y frequent const-

^ay of v.-.f ^^ ourselves nt • ."®

~to* Of .„■"„:■„ t,""'--«» £

^on the vanifxr • '^^ ^^^ ParticnJn.

^ ♦

^^ necessary
' science of
'\^t the help
!• how un-

,^" things,
jiemselves!

^; "Lord!
^^e, Lordf
seif:" and
two most

^t COW52-

oi'der to
^rne fear

o^ true

in the
-n'ously
ind the
■ dread-
?n the
icular:
Jeitful-
!'t and

awfuj
nthe

OF CONSIDERATION.

»■«•

certainty and uncertainty of death:

on the sentiments we should have when
we come to die; and on the small num-
ber of the elect, &c. Ah! Christians,
let us not neglect this great means
of salvation ! It was the consideration
I of these truths that made so many
I samts;— that has so often reclaimed
even the most abandoned sinners. Oh.
what a pj-ofound lethargy must not
that soul be immersed in, which is
not roused at the thunder of those
dreadful truths. Death,— Judgment,—
Hell, — Eternity.

Consider, Jifthly, the bitter but fruit-
less repentance of the damned, con-
demnmg their past folly for having
thought so little on ^hose things on
which they shall now think for an end-
less eternity. « Senseless wretches as
we were! we once had time, when, by
thinking upon this miserable eternity,
we might have escaped it. Those end-
less joys of heaven were offered to us
at a cheap rate, when a little reflection
might have put us in the way of secur-
ing to ourselves the everlasting posses-

^^ THE END

sion of them R.,*

«''«".• and n:;.,a^r^)^°"W not think

"y soul ! learn to ll' • °° '««e.'' c

""ngs that apnertafn !^ t^^' «« the

tote on the great tr.uh^ ^1?' ^"'''- medi-
«"• thou musTeither^L \°^"'*^ «°«PeJ:
or hereafter, when^. ".^ °^them now

r"I only servl to ai. '^'°"^^' "^ 'hem
'^f all eternity, ^^^ravate thy mf^ery

SECOND DAY.

Consider, /fy,, o ru ■ ■
«o many yeC;^„^J"«''a„ soul! that
come into the worW in^. J*''"' "ot yet
,^a^ a mere noTh inrVh"' "^^ ^"S
lasted near six thotanH "^"'^^ ^^^
mnumerable transaction, ^'."'■'' ^'th
tions ,n every na7on /"^ '^^o'"-

hou ail thJZZ7~A^'i,^here.yast

5uid not think
too Jate." c
by their mis-
y ^ay, on the

^'^y eternal
'^end;n)edi-

the Gospel :
'f them now

^^^ or them
thy misery

OF 0T7R CREATION.

ATION.

soul ! that
5t not yet
^^y being
^'orld has
^i's, with
' re vol u-
lere wast
lou wast

' of the
^st thou

m such a state ? Learn then to hum-

Me thyself, whatever advantages thou

nayest enjoy of nature or grace, since

)t thyself thou art nothing; and, all

(hat thou hast above nothing, has been

?iven or lent thee by thy Maker. Ah!

DOor wretch, what hast thou then to

)e proud of? or what canst thou call

Viy own, but nothing, and sin, which is

hvorse than nothing?

Consider, secowt^/y, that the almighty
land of God, descending into the deep
ibyss of nothing, has drawn thee forth
trom thence, and given thee the being
thou now enjoyest, the most accom-
plished and perfect of any in this visi-
ble world; capable of knowing and lov-
ing God in this life, and designed for
the enjoyment of everlasting happiness
with hmi in the next. Admire and
adore the bounty of thy God, who,
Irom all eternity, has designed this be-
mg for thee, preferable to so many
millions of others which he Las left b«

hind, that had £is fai#a title to a bei-
as thou hadst. Look forward into thai
immense eternity for which thou hast

«N THE END

has neither bSina '' '^^'^ «heo
-aches ft.o„, Sky^fo eTrnit^ '"'

£- or ilSf '"^^- 1 ^^^ •

«nd art owld to ^ "^'" '° ^'•"'
service all f y pow. ° T'l" »° his
fenses; and arf /uiUv 'f """"'"'' «°d
'"justice, aa ofteft'^tho^\T' '^7'"^
pan of thy beina h„ ahusest any

the pursuit^of vanl'tvLw"'^'"^'"^ '' '»
poor soul, hoJuZ Z '"• ^^- "^
thought of th^» h!. ^^'"' r ''"herto

o- 'houghtsXrds't,Sri°^
i*eferred to him v^u^- ®' ^^^ been

"■> and there"o7e'r hTt'ot',.'"^'"-
^nd of all our action"? r« 'r^ '^'
:^;;^so great an Ee^f^-tS

«-7h'eT thf s^^r .««^ -ho

«fralonrZtTr.^.*'?-/orhim:

J^ot that he stood

m need

«D

J^^ully acknow-
^od bears thee

nor end, but

eternity.

^Jng created
aving received
^j thou hy the
"gest to him,
ecrate to his
lacullies, and
1 most crying

abusest any
ploying it in

^n- Ah!mv
^e hitherto
^^I a part of
"^s, has been
first begin-
^ be the last
e confound-
•^epent and

GocI who

ho createil

world f««

' ^or him-
^ in need

OF OUR CREATION. I5

of thee, or can receive from thee anv
increase or addition to hi^ K. • ^
but that he might dve thl v^^^''"'''
in this life, and'l^ nkss iovs^^^^^^^^
kingdom in the ne^t %7 i^ ^^ ^^^

Die an end! and since thou wert r^^L

wuh any thing less than God fear„
then to contemn all that is p^hki ?
temporal, as things Eeath thJI^ ""^
unworthy of thy affection r ' ^."'^

past foll^ and l^Xe gi^s^pS
of mankind, who spend their dayrYn
vain amusements and restlp« /=

about painted toys and'meftrTfle?.'
e^d fo °UTT ^'"''•"g ^f that gSt
this'woria '"^ '^°"' ^''^J^ '^^'"^ '«to

wHI !^?h5""'"^' "'^ "'y soul, viz. th^

.W '^^d In "Jf'»°'-y.-thy understand^
•lb, and all the senses and r..-.«» „f .i,..

^y.were given thee by thy "Crrato/
"ly creation, to be employed during

ON THE BENEFITS OF GOD.

thy short abode in this k*ansitory life,
in the service of thy God, and to con-
duct thee to the eternal enjoyment of
him in the sweet repose of his blessed
kingdom. Alas! my soul, have we not
perverted all these gifts of our Maker,
by turning them all against the Giver.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord! have
mercy upon usj pardon our past trea-
sons, and give us grace to begin now
• to be wise for eternity.

THIRD DAY.

ON THE BENEFITS OF GOD.

Consider, ^/irst, my soul ! how many
and great are thy obligations to the
bounty of thy God. He has thought
of thee from all eternity; he has loved
thee from all eternity: all the blessings
and favours, which he has bestowed
upon thee in time, he designed for thee
from all eternity: they are all the con-
sequences of his eternal love for thee.
Is it possible that so great a God, the
Most High and Most Holy, who dwells

OK THE BENEFITS OF GOD. 17

in eternity, should set his affections

eTthrts ^P°°^?■"'•"' worm of Z
earmr Is it possib e, mv snnH t^o*

thou sI,ouldst have h;da% ace" £
all eternity in the heart of thy gT
and that th.s eternal n,i„d shouW nevtr'

.'^^"on^IeT^"hr"' '^'•''-' '•>'""
return hL,f.h i'T '"■°"='^' ^hat

love? Hn I ?" u"^^ ^"^ 'his ancient
love f How late hast thou loved him

HOW ittle hast thou thought of him

who always thinks on thecr '""'

Consider, secondlj,, that thy God has

^™ ?i°„!fy rS'-l "olhiDB. »bic5
..:.-'„ "'.™'".°'y »•>• taen tty ra_ if

£ «od had but for u„« moment v
<l«awn his supporting hand. Poor

one moment with-
siu-

ON THE BENEFITS OF GOD.

ner! why didst thou not think of this,
when by thy repeated crimes thou wast
waging war against thy God; and he,
with incomparable love, was night and
day watching over thee? How didst
thou dare presume so often and for so
long a time to provoke him, who held
the thread of thy life in his hand, and
who every moment could have crushed
thee into nothing, or cast thee head-
long into hell! O! blessed for ever by
all creatures be his mercy, for having
borne with thee so long.

Consider, thirdly^ the inestimable ben-
efit of our redemption, by which our
loving God has rescued us from sin,
and from hell, the just, reward of sin.
Alas! my poor soul, we must have been
lost for ever, had not this sovereign
Lord and Maker of heaven and e^rth
loved us to that degree as to deliver
himself up to the most cruel and igno-
minious death of the cross for our re-
demption. Greater love than this no

- - - ' • 74A

iiiau nut

/I, lllUb UllO lUl/

for his friend, St. John xv. 13. But,
O dear Lord! thou hast carried thy

ON THE BENEFITS OF OOD. JQ

love much farther, in dying for those
who by sin were thy decla.?.,! „L • '
in dying for such /ngTalelf ,~««;
as would scarce evef S Th^f for'

Krita^.f 'i^^-' ^--K'

Whom the^ll\t -Tl^tti
^mg, or rather less than nothrg) eT

fs:rwe^r/:rZte^:^E\

«e notice of such immense love, which

thft t

dition, void as they are of .„« .

««uge of Jesus Christ, or of his onh.

hK *^r '■"'' ^^'holic church ! Ho^
I'ttle do they think of God, or of Z

ON THE BENEFITS OF GOD.

life to come! With how little appre-
hension or remorse do they run on from
sin to sin, and die impenitent! Ah! the
goodness of God, that has not suffered
us to fall into such misery, though born
and bred up amidst a people seduced by
error! or, if we have also had the mis-
fortune, like our neighbours, to have
gone astray from the womb, has by a
more distinguishing mercy drawn us
out of the dragon's jaws, and brought
us to his fold, the Catholic Church!
Blessed be our God for ever for all his
mercies. O! what^n inestimable hap-
piness it is to have, by the means of
this grace of vocation, God himself for
our Father, and his holy Church for
our Mother! To pass this transitory
life in the happy society of the only
Spouse of God's only Son! to be daily
partakers of the sacraments, those heav-
enly conduits of divine grace! to live
and die in the communion of the saints,
&c. Ah! Blessed are the people who
have the Lord /or their God. Ps. cxlin.
CoNsiDER,^///i?y, Christian soul ! who-
ever thou art, the particular providence

ON THE DIGNliTY ETC. 21

of God towards thee ! With how man v

graces has he prevented thee fi^ "^^

ender years: from how many mTsfor

tunes has he preserved thee/ K he

not borne with thee for a lomT^e

Mns/ Are there not millions now an

tually burning in hell for lesser s.nt

han thou hast committed? Reflect on

he advantages thou hast received atve

ihTf"'-7^^' conveniences of S
what fnends, what health, &c. while

ZT^l"""/^ worthy than hyselfZve
been abandoned to want and misery

01 thy God to thee: be astonished and
confounded at thy past ingratitude: re-
solve from henceforth never to ceie

FOURTH DAY,

On the dignity and, obligation op
a christian.

by na"^^'"^"' /r*'' *''^' «^«'y Christian
t>/ nature, and inasmuch as he is a man.

ON THE DIGNITY Ax^D

is the most perfect of all visible crea-
tures; endowed with understanding and
reason; composed of a body whose struc-
ture is admirable, and of a spiritual
and immortal soul, created to the image
and likeness of God, and capable of the
eternal enjoyment of him ; enriched with
a free will, and advanced by his Crea-
tor to the dignity of lord and master of
all other creatures; though not design-
ed to meet with his happiness in any
of them, but in the Creator alone. Ahl
my soul, hast thou hitherto been sensi-
ble of the dignity of thy nature? Hast
thou not too often, like brute beasts,
looked no farther than this earth, viz.
present, material, and sensible things?
Hast thou not too often made thyself a
slave to creatures, which were only
made to serve thee?

Consider, secondly, that every Chris-
tian, by grace, and inasmuch as he is a
Christian, has been by the sacranient
of baptism advanced to the participa-
!i3 divine nature, made the
,,M c^ God,— heir of God,

tion
adopted

and co-heir rul

ii Chri?t. He has been

*%*

le crea-
ing and
e struc-
piritual
B image
3 of the
icd with
is Crea-
ister of
design-
in any
e. Ah I
in sensi-
? Hast
beasts,
rth, viz.
things?
hyself a
re only

y Chris-
s he is a
crament
articipa-
lade the
of God,
las been

I . OBLIGATIONS OF A CHUISTIAN. 23

made the temple of the Most IIiVh,con-

01 Christ, mJ the unction of his -race-
and receP.ed at the same time mTn
questionable right and title to an ever-'
asting kingdom. O Christian sou P
hast thou ever yet entertained a se-
nous thought of the greatness of the

. f'gj^'ty to whiQh thou hast been lied
at baptism? How has thv life corS
nonded with this dignity? 0» chTld
of heaven, ho:v Ion| wilt thou Z.
slave to the earth? ^"^ ^

the obligations that attend this dignitv
greater than the generality of cS
tians imagine. These obligations are
briefly comprised in our baptismal en
gagements. The first condition upon

-y by oaptism, was that o£ faith tZ
minister of Christ examined us'at tL
font upon every article of our hJlf,
ana 10 each interrogation we answered'

mothers, Crcdo,^I do believe. What

■"C'^^flkit-m-mimmmm

if)

ON THE DIGNITY AND

has thy faith been, O my soul? Has it
been conformable to this thy profession?
Has it been Jirm without wavering? Has
it been generous, so as not to be ashamed
of the doctrine of thy heavenly Master,
or the maxims of his gospel? Has it
shown itself in thy actions? or hast thou
not been of the number of those whose
life gives the lie to their faith? Of
whom the apostle complains, Tit. i. 16.
Who make profession of knowing God,
but deny him by their works.

Consider, fourthly, that at our bap-
tism we made a solemn renunciation of
the devil, and all his works, auii^all his
pomps. Have we ever seriously re-
flected upon this renunciation? or do
we rightly understand the obligations
of it? And yet our title to the inheri-
tance of our heavenly Father is for-
feited the moment we are false to this
sacred engagement. Ah! my soul, if
thou hast renounced Satan, take care
that in the practice of thy life thou
keep lar irom mm: iuku oaic tuuw ^--w
no longer his slave by sin. Fly from
all his works, the works of darkness

? Hash

rofession?
ing? Has
! ashamed
y Master,
? Has it
hast thou
Dse whose
iith? Of
Tit. i. 16.
wing God,

our bap-
ciation of
ni^i^all his
iously re-
)n? or do
)bligations
;he inheri-
ler is for-
ilse to this
y soul, if
take care
life thou

OBLIGATIONS OF A CHRISTIAN. 25

let him henceforth find nothing in theo
that .he may claim for his own! and bv
means of which he may also kv claim
to thee. Despise his vain S. the
false appearance of worldly gSeur
the prodigality, vanity, and sinful amuse'
ments by which he allures poor word
mgs into his net: and if a? any time
hou art invited to take part in tE
fooleries, repeat to thysel/^those wS'ds

CoNsimRffait,, that at baptism each '

o thrSnl? '°;^ n-^ient'cerlonj
with a wh t. ^^'""'^' ^^« ^lo'hed
ilter of Ph • . garment, which the min

Zl?Zrt-f''f ^'"■'""''^' ""^^'^^ thou

-Uls that compiy^r thi? tt"
What a comfort will it be to themTn
We, what a joy and satisfaction in d™.L"

iv^ ijuve Rent thic ■^r.u^ ^r • ^"^

innocence un-
innocence.

♦ .TV 1

I" iiiX,

defiled

where <5h«n « ^ "^P"smai innocence,
wnere shall we find thee in this unhap-

ON THE VANITY

!'■=:

py age? O! blindness and stupidity
of the children of Adam, that part so
easily with so inestixnable a treasure.
Alas! my poor soul, has it not been thy
misfortune? 01 make haste then to
wash away, with penitential tears, those
dreadful stains of sin, which must other-
wise become the eternal fuel of hell's
merciless flames.

FIFTH DAY.

ON THE VANITY OF THE WORLD.

Consider, first, those words of the
wisest of men, Eccles. i. Vanity of van-
ities, and all is vanity: and reflect how
truly vain are all those things which
deluded worldlings pursue with so much
eagerness. Honours, riches, and world-
ly pleasures, are all but painted bub-
bles, which look at a distance as if they
were something, but have nothing of
real substance in them; and, instead of
a solid content and joy, bring nothing
with them but a trifling momentary
satisfaction, followed by cares, uneasi-

OF THE WORLD.

I stupidity
lat part so
1 treasure.
)t been thy
:e then to
;ears, those
iQust other-
3l of hell's

WORLD.

rds of the
nity of van-
reflect how
ings which
ith so much
, and world-
ainted bub-
e as if they
nothing .of
, instead of
ng nothing
momentary
res, uneasi-

ness, apprehensions, and remorse. Ah

i ^"^^^^^ ^"^^. at which their admirers

i^ no sooner offer to grasp, but they d is-

jsolve into air, and leave their hands

|empty! O ! how justly were all S

My enjoyments compared by the royal

Prophet to a di^^am? Dormierunt som

Pmsmm et nihil invenerunt omnes

XXV. I hey have slept out their short
Meep, and when they awoke they found
bothmg m their hands of all those things,

ossess. O! ye sons of men, how lon^

CirT I'n 1^"' ^'^'^^^ ^^^^'^^' ««^ run
^Jter lies? Psalm iv.

Consider, secondly, that saying of St.
"f "^^^"'^onfes. L. i. c. 1. \hou to
^ade us, O Lord! for thyself: and our

nd reflect, that our great Creator has
Siven us a noble soul, made to his own

&/ and like him spiritual and im-
"wnal; which therefore n,^n n.
iiness *

happ

earthly and fading

hings. No, my soul! thou hast a,
lerstanding and a will capable of

an un-
con-

ON THE VANITY

!'' '

templating the sovereign beauty and
sovereign truth, and of enjoying the
one supreme infinite Good; and what-
ever is less than he, is not worthy of
thee. Ah! resolve then no longer to
fatigue thyself, and waste away thy
spirits in running like a* child after but-
terflies : but since thou canst not be
without seeking for happiness, seek it,
in the name of God, where it is to be
found, viz. in the way of virtue and de-
votion, and not in the by-paths which
lead to endless misery.

Consider, thirdly, the shortness of
all worldly enjoyments. The days of
man are very short: the longest life is
less than a moment, when compared
with eternity. A tJiousand years, in
the sight of God, the very truth, are but
as yesterday that is past and gone, Ps.
Ixxxix. Alas ! does not daily experience
convince us, that we are here to-day,
and gone to-morrow, and no sooner out
of sight, but also out of mind ? For as

soon as IVA nro in iVta n-fn'^m 4-U^r.^ *U.»*

we leave behind think no more of us:
All Jlesh is grass, says the prophet

>ii

[V.

^s
m
ror

fin

pi
(fi
nei
^e :
C
loin

lOSi

leg,

fur
ley

parci

TAm .

1 beauty and
enjoying the
)d,- and what-
lot worthy of
no longer to
ite away thy
hild after but-
canst not be
•iness, seek it, i
re it IS to be
virtue and de-
^-paths which

shortness of
The days of
ongest life is
en compared
md years, in
truth, are but
and gone, Ps.
ly experience
here to-day,
no sooner out
Ind? For as

vc, tiiUJSC liiUi.

) more of us:
the prophet Jfve

OF THE WORLD.

Iwhich flour Shi t -Sr "-^ ■'"'•^'''''

-» life compareVt J.' JZ ''"'/ '^
v. to a vapour or a >h^. , ' ""^"P-

Mispersed%3.ri r;S"fS
im no more *5^^Pn? rr - ^iim,

Wared ^Y sZln^^-^l' JV'

:) to a shadow, or to tho fl°^' ''^P'

"d upon the wiZ t * ^'^^^ "^ «

,™m the bow, whfc'h eak'"""^ '^"^

)me of afl ;/ '■'^^^' ^''^' i« now be-
"iifaniy monarchs, eallant tr^nr.

Ue an'Sutd? %rS" r 1
i^'y are all Innr. • "^ ^^- ^^as

- -'s=ea: just so it will be wii^u'
years hence. ^Ih » wn^Mi"
" for one «t^oThieX'

•smrT"

ON THE VANITY, ETC.

are gone before you; and who, from
their silent monunnenls,. where the re-
mainder of their dust lies mingled with
the common earth, call upon you in the
words of the wise man : Memento judicii
mei; sic enim erit et tuum: mihi heri,
tibi hodie, Eccl. xxxviii. "Remember
what we are come to; it will soon be
the same with you: it was our turn
yesterday, it will be yours to-day. We
once had our parts to act upon the stage
of the w#ld; we once were young,
strong, and healthy, as you now are,|
and thought as little as you of what we(
are now come to: like you, we set our|
hearts upon trifles and toys, which wej
could but enjoy for a moment; and for!
these we neglected eternity. Senselessj
wretches as we were, we chose to b6|
slaves to a cheating world, to incon-1
stant perishable creatures, which aban
doned us so soon, rather than serve tha
•Lord and Master to whom nothing dies|
and who neither in life nor death eves

•ft^vcolr^ci fVii^csQ xtrlirk ^reolro nnf n inn IB

O Christian! let us take this warning
let the miscarriages of so many othel

t
I
li

m
U
m

}US1

> ETC.

md who, from

where the re-
s mingled with
pon you in the
VLemento judicii
um: mihi heri,
i. " Remember
it will soon be

was our turn
rs to-day. We

upon the stage
5 were young,

you now are,?;
fo\x of what we
''ou, we set our
toys, which we
omcnt; and for
lity. Senseless
ve chose to be
or Id, to incon
es, which aban
than serve tha
m nothing dies|
nor death eve

-JtllS.'»wf i2-«'

e this warning
so many otheJ

W THE HAPPINESS, ETC. Sj

t teach us wisdom • let ,.„ .
i hearts on this misp!,n "°' ^^' O"
I look upon any thin^n . '^ ^°'^^' "or
^hat i^ eternal. ^ ^ ""'^ S^eat, but

SIXTH DAY.

ON T:ie HAPPIWF.SO „„

'■WNESS OP SERVING GOD

Consider, firof tu
."•ophet Isa ah l^f T'^' °f the
i' i^ well, Isai ii^^^ "a ^^ >*^ «««,

hri well comprisff 2i^"''' *'"«• short
W, both for ^mc !'n?'',^"'"''^« t° 'he
»"•. riches, and Sea " ^'"""J^" H°n-

;" -hich theXi7s74'iT '''^ "'-g^

't'"«= but they are no^ '''^greatest

'^^l^ the world seeks th. ^ ^°""''
,' the service of S p""^' •>"« on'y
["r upon earth h^ „ ' **" ^"^ hon-

Wp se^t^e ;St: «r ''^'

^n of the great idZ \fl ' ^^ ^^opted
''^eeternalFath^a^^J-aeild

?■

ON THE HAPPINESS

eternal Son, a temple of the eternal
Spirit; heiress of the kingdom of heav-
en, and sister and companion to the
angels. O my soul! let such honours
as these be the only object of thy am-
bition.

Consider, secondly^ that the truest
riches are to be found in the service of
God; not indeed always those worldly
possessions, which are attended with so
many cares and fears, and daily ex-
posed to so many accidents, and which
are not capable of satisfying the heart;
but the inestimable treasure of the grace
of God, which is the seed of everlasting
glory; tbe gifts of the Holy Ghost; the
love of God; in a word, God himself,
whom the world cannot take from the
soul, unless she be so miserably blind
as to force him away by mortal sin.
Add to this, the fatherly providence of
God, whose eyes are continually fixed
upon the just, to watch over their wel-
fare: that his angels always encamp |
about them, to guard them

-i-i

oy liigi
xxxiii. 8. That as
he formerly said to Abraham, Gen. xv.

and by day, Ps.

the eternal
lorn of heav-
inion to the
uch honours
t of thy am-

t the truest
le service of
hose worldly
nded with so
[id daily ex-
;s, and which
ig the heart J
3 of the grace
)f everlasting
y Ghost; the
God himself,
ake from the
serably blind
r mortal sin.
)rovidence of
tinually fixed
er their wel-
vays encamp
em by night
8. That as
am, Gen. xv.'

■i

OF SERVING GOD. 33

He himself is their protector, and that
reward exceeding great, lie is the r
fnend the best of fdends; the l^^
herd of their souls, who leads them o^
his admirable pastures, to the foun-
tain of living witers. His tenderne^
towards then, is beyond that of a lathe-
nay, beyond that of the tenderest motK
?r,/*a xlu. 15,16. In a wordrOod
IS all things to those that fear him 0»
ray soul, seek no other treasure' than
him Fear nothing but the losing him.
If thou hast Inm, nothing can make thee

rkTtSir'^^'^^'--^'''^''^-"

Consider, thirdly, the pleasure that «
attends a virtuous life; the satisfaction

E' hv ,h'°^ •"'^ " S-^ conscience
Which by the wise man is compared to

of the Hot ri!"''"''! "'^ conLlatio^s
nLfM- ^.^'""u""'' ">^ comfortable ex-
pectation of a happy eternity after our
exit out of this vale of tears; a holy
confidence in the protection and provi^
dence of God, and a perfect conformilv
i" an liungs to his blessed will. From
these fountains flow such delights, w

ON THE HAPPINESS, ETC.

cannot be conceived by worldlings who
have no experience of them: pleasures
,pure and spiritual, which sweeten all
the crosses of life, are an unspeakable
comfort in death, and carry with them
a certain Ibretaste of the immortal joys
of heaven. Whereas all worldly plea-
sures, like the world itself, are false
and delusive, always besprinkled with
bitterness, attended by uneasiness, fol-
lowed with remorse, and at last ter
minate in eternal sorrow.

Consider, fourtlily^ the saying of ou r
Saviour, one thing is necessary^ Luke x.
42. And what is that one thing, O my
soul! which alone can make thee hap-
py, both here and hereafter? It is to
serve thy God, and to provide in earn-
est for sr.3rnity. As time, compared to
eternuy i 3ss than nothing; so are all
temporal, ancerns, if compared with the
concerns ot' eternity/ This in reality
:is thy oAj jusiness: if thou art careful
^of this, all IS well; but if thou neglect
it, all is lost, and lost for ever. As for
all other things of which thou mayest
>8tand in need in this life, give ear

ON DEATH.

isiness, fol-

again to the same Saviour, Matt. vi. 33.
Seek first the kingdom of God and his
justice, and all these things shall be
given you over and above. Conclude *
then, my soul! since both thy temporal^Hi
and eternal welfare depend on serving^^
God,' to make this for the future thy
only care. Thus only shalt thou meet
true comfort here; thus only shalt thou
come to never-ending happiness.

SEVENTH DAY.

ON DEATH.

Consider, first, that there is nothing
more certain than death. It is appointed
for all men once to die; and, after that
judgment. This sentence is general;
^1a^ P^o^ounced on all the children of
Adam : neither wealth, nor strength, nor
wisdom, nor all the power of this world,
can exempt any one from this common
doom. From the first moment of our
uirin, we hasten to death: every mo-
ment brings it nigher to us. The day
will come, it will certainly come, and

ON DEATH.

God only knows how soon, when we
shall never see the night; or the night
will come, when we shall never see the
nsuing morning. The day will most
lirtainly come, when thou, my soul!
must hid a long farewell to this cheating
world, and all thou hast admired 4here-
in; and even to thy own body, the in-
dividual companion of thy life; and take
thy flight to another country, where all
that thou settest a value upon here will
vanish like smoke: learn then to despise
this miserable world, with all its enjoy-
ments with which thou must part so
soon, whether thou wilt or not.

Consider, secondly, that as nothing is
more certain and inevitable than death,
so nothing is more uncertain than the
time — the place — the manner, and all
other circumstances of our death. " O
my soul!" says St. Francis of Sales,
" thou must one day part with this body:
but when shall that day be? Shall it
be in winter, or in summer? in the city,
or in the country? by day, or by nicht?
Shall it be suddenly, or on notice gfven
theo? Shalt thou have leisure to make

s^hen we
he night
r see the
all most
[ly soul!
cheating
3d <here-
', the in-
and take
^here all
lere will
3 despise
ts enjoy-
part so

)thing is
n death,
han the
and all
th. "
f Sales,
is body:
Shall it
the city,
i night?
:e given
to make

ON DEATH.

37 ^

» thy confession? Shalt thou have the
assistance ofthy ghostly father?" Alas!
of all this thou knowest nothing at all*
only that it is certain thou must ML
j^ and th*t, as it ahnost always happens,
thou must die much sooner than thou
dost imagine.

Consider, thirdli/, that death being so
certam, and the time and manner of it
so uncertain, it would be no small com-
fort if a man could die more than once,
that so, if he had the misfortune once to
die.ill, he might repair the fault by be-
ing more careful a second time. But,
alas I' we can die but once: for when
once we have set our foot within the
gates of eternity, there is no returning
back. If we die once well, it will be al-
ways well; but if once ill, it will be ill
with us for all eternity. O! dreadful
moment, on which depends an endless
eternity! O blessed Lord! prepare us
for that fatal hour.

Consider, fourthly, the folly and stu-
pidity of the greatest part of mankind,
who, though they daily see some or
II other of their friends, acquaintance, or

ON DEATH.

neighbours carried off by death, and
that very often suddenly in the vigour
of youth, yet always imagine death to
be at a distance from them; as if those
arrows of death, which are falling on
all sides of them, would not reach them
too in their turn; or as if they had a
greater security than so many others
who are daily swept away. Senseless
worldlings! why will you not open your
eyes? why will you fondly imagine
yourselves secure from the stroke of
death, when you cannot so much as
promise yourselves one single day 'of
life? How many will die before the
end of this month, that are as young,
as vigorous, and as fiealthy as you are?
and who knows but you may be of that
number? Ah! Christians, take care
lest you be surprised; set your house
in order, and for the future avoid sin,
the only evil which makes death ter-
rible. Live always in those disposi-
tions in which you would gladly be

the hour of death. To act

otherwise, is to renounce both religion
and reason.

ith, and
) vigour
leath to
if those
ling on
:h them
y had a
others
enseless
en your
imagine
:'oke of
luch as
day'of
3re the
young,
ou are?
of that
e care
• house
Did sin,
th ter-
disposi-
dly be
To act
eligion

ON DEATH.

Comimn, ffthly, the state and condi-
tion of this corruptible body of ours, as
soon as we are dead: alas! it immediate-
ly becomes pale, stiff, loathsome, and hid-
eous,- insomuch, that our dearest friends
can scarce endure to watch one night in
the same room with it, much less bear
to he with it in the same bed : for so
fast does it tend to stench and corrup-
tion, that its nearest relations are the
first to wish it out of the house, and to
lay It deep under ground, that it may not
mfect the air. But what companions,
what attendants must it there meet with?
Worms and maggots. For these, O
man! thou art pampering thy body:
these are to be thy inheritance, O man!
or rather, they are to inherit thee:
whatever thou art to-day, to-morrow
thou will be the food of worms. Ah!
worldlings, that are enaimoured with
your own, or the beauty of others, and
thereby too often drawn from your al-
legiance to God, vouchsafe for once to
reflect upon the condition to which both
you and they must soon be reduced,
and you will see what little reason you

40 ON THE SENTIMENTS WE SHALL

have to fix your affections upon such
painted dunghills, which quickly betray
what they are, and end in noisome-
ness and corruption. We read that St.
trancis Borgia was so affected with the
bare sight of the ghastly countenance of
the Empress Isabella after her deatli,
whom he had seen a little before in all
her majesty and charms, as to conceive
an eternal disgust of this world, and a
happy resolution of consecrating him-
self wholly to the service of that Kina
who never dies. Let the like conside-
ration move us to the like resolution.

EIGHTH DAY.

ON THE SENTIMENTS WE SHALL HAVE
AT THE HOUR OF DEATH.

Consider, first, Christian soul ! what
thy sentiments will be at tho hour of
death with regard to this world, and all
Its perishable goods, vain hononvo r=io..
riches, and cheating pleasures! aImI
the world must then end in thy regard:
« will turn upside down before thy

n such
betray
)isome-
hat St.
ith the
mce of
death,
! in all
nceive
and a
; him-
; King
•nside-
Lon.

[AVE

what
ir of
id all

Alas!

jard;

thy

i
1^

DAVE AT THE HOUR OF DEATH. 41

eyes; and thou will begin to see dearly
the .nothingness of all those things on
which thou hast here set thy heart.
How wilt thou then despise all worldly
honours and preferments, when thou
seest thyself at the brink of the grave,
vyhere the worms will make no distinc-
tion between the king and the beggar?
How httle account wilt thou then make
ot the esteem of men, who then will
think no more of thee? How will thou
undervalue thy riches, which must now
be left behind- thee, when six foot of
land, a coffin, and a shroud, will be all
thy possessions? How despicable will
all worldly pleasures then seem to thee,
which at the best could never give thee
any true satisfaction, and which thou,
now beholdest to fly from thee, and dis-
solve into smoke? Ah! my poor soul,
enter now into the same sentiments
which thou Shalt certainly have at the
hour of thy death: as thus, and thus

fifllV. Ciifjlf 4-1-.^.. !-___.■/»,

only,

snait thou be out of danger of

being deceived by this deceitful world.

Consider, secondlt,, what will then bo

thy thoughts with regard to thy sins;

42 ON THE SENTIMENTS WE SHALL

when the curtain, with which thy busy-
self-love has industriously hidden or dis-
guised the deformity and malice of thy
crimes, shall be withdrawn, and all thy
sins shall be set before thy eyes in their
true light: when so many things, which
thou wast willing to persuade thyself
were but small faults, or none at all,
will present themselves before thee in
othar colours, as great and hideous
olfences: when that false conscience,
which thou hast framed to thyself, and
under the cover of which thou hast
passed over many things in thy con-
fussioDs, as slight and inconsiderable,
which thou wast ashamed to declare, or
unwilling to forsake, shall no longer be
able to maintain itself at the approach
of death. Ah ! what anguish, what con-
fusion, what dreadful temptations of
despair must such a sight as this give
to the dying sinner ! Learn then, my
soul! to take better measures now in
time, and thus to prevent so great a
misery.

Consider, thirdly^ and take a nigher
view of the lamentable state of a sinner

HAVE AT THE HOUR OF DEATH. 43

at the hour of his death: when all things
seem to conspire against him, and which
way soever he looks for any ease or
comfort, he can find none. Before his
eyes, he sees a whole army of sins mus-
tered up: a viper's brood of his own off-
spring, which stick close to him, and,
assailmg him with their united force,
make him already begin to feel the
gripes of that never-dying worm of con-
science, which shall be the eternal tor-
ment of the damned. O! how gladly
would he shake off this troublesome
company: but all in vain; they are re-
solved not to leave him. If he look
back into his past life, to seek for some
good works, to oppose this army of sins,
alas ! he finds the good that he has done
has been so inconsiderable, so insigni-
ficant, as to give him no hopes of its
weighing down the scales, when ba-
lanced with his multiplied crimes. His
very prayers, and the confessions and

his face, and upbraid him with his
wretched negligence, and sacrilegious
abuse of these great means of salvation.

44 ON THE SENTIMENTS WE SHALL

The sight of all things about him, his
wife, his children, his friends, bis world-
ly goods, which he has loved more than
God, serve for nothing now but to in-
crease his anguish. And what is his
greatest misery is, that the agonies of
his sickness give him little or no leisure
or ability to apply himself seriously to
the greatest and most difficult of all con-
cerns, which is, a perfect conversion to
God after a long habit of sin.' O! bow
truly may the sinner now repeat those
words of the Psalmist: The sorrows of
death have encompassed me, and the per-
ils of hell have found me, Ps. cxiv. O!
what unspeakable anguish must it be,
to see himself just embarking upon eter-
nity, an infinite and endless duration,
an immense ocean, to whose further
shore the poor sailor can never reach:
and to have so much reason to fear, it
will be to him an eternity of wo.
CoNsiDEn,fourthIy, my soul ! what thy

^^»x^-lXil^^li^O Will UC UL IJIU JIOUT OI tflV

death, with relation to the service of
God, and to virtue and devotion: how
lovely will the way of virtue then ap-

HAVE AT THE HOUE OF DEATH. 45

pear to thee ! How wilt thou then wish
to have followed that charming path!
O! what a satisfaction is it to a dyinff
man to have lived well! What a com-
fort, to see himself now at the end of
al his labours and dangers; to find him-
selt at the gates of eternal rest, of ever-
lasting peace, after a long and doubtful
war! he may now securely come down
from his watch-tower, and repose him-

Father O! what a pleasure, what a
joy to look forward into that blessed
eternity! O! how precious in the sigM
0/ God IS the death of his saints, Ps.
CSV. Ah! Let my soul die t7ie death of
the just and let my last end be like to
theirs Numb, xxiii. Christians! if we

live the life of the just! The only se-
curity for a good death, is a good life.

Consider ffiMy, or rather conclude
trom the foregoing considerations on
death,_to make it the whole business of
your life to prepare for death. Upon
dying well depends nothing less than a
happy eternity. If we die ill, we are

ON THE PARTICULAR

lost, and lost for ever. As, then, we
came into the world for nothing else,
but to provide for eternity, so we may
truly say, we came into the world for
nothing else, but to learn to d'o well.
This the great lesson which we must
all study. Alas! if wp miss it, when
we are called to a trial, an endless
duration of wo must be the necessary,
consequence. Ah! how hard is it to
learn to perform that well, which can
be done but once.

NINTH DAY.

ON THE PARTICULAR JUDGMENT AFTER

DEATH.

Consider, firsts that the soul is no
sooner parted from the body, but she is
immediately presented before the judge,
in order to give an account of her whole
life, of all that she has thought, said, or
done, during her abode in the body, and

A- :-- ^ i j: — u, "P^-

lo recuivu SuiiLUiiuu uutjuruiuji^i}'. xvx

that the eternal doom of every soul is
decided by a particular judgment imme-

JUDCMENT AFTER DEATH. 47

diately after death, we learn from the
gospel ,n the example of Dives an^ La!
zarus: and the sentence that is passed
here will be ratified in the generaljudo'-
ment at the last day. Ch>ltiarsVhol
stand your accounts with God? What

If t us mght you should be cited to the
bar? It may be perhaps your case
Remember that your Lord wil[ come

then to be always ready.

Consider secondly/, how exact, how
rigorous this judgment will be, whel
even the least idle word cannot'eecaje

Jeasures'T-"'^ '>' •'"''g^- O! wh^at
treasures of iniquity will here come to

which h des at present the greatest oart
of our sins from the eyes of the woriS
and even from our own:_wherfi
whole history of our lives shall at oS
be exposed to our view, ^ood G^
who can be able to be^r this dread^.'
-S"u iiere shall the poor souf te

thM^K* 'rT'' «^a°t account of aU
that she has done, or left undone, dur

ON THE PAtlTICTTLAR

ing the whole time of her pilgrimage
in this mortal body: how she has cor-
responded with the divine inspirations;
what use she has made of God's graces;,
what profit she has reaped from the
sacraments she has received, from the
word of God which she has heard or
read; what advantage she has made of
those favourable circumstances in which
God Almighty has placed her; how she
has employed the talents with which
he has entrusted her: even her best
works shall be nicely sifted : her pray-
ers, her fasts, her alms-deeds: the in-
tention with which she has undertaken
them; the manner in which she has
performed them: not in the deceitful
balance of the judgment of men, but in
the scales of the sanctuary. Ah I how
many of our actions will then be found
to want weight, according to that of
"Dan. v. Thou hast been weighed in ike
balance, and art found of too little
weight. Enter not into judgment with
thy servant, O Lord! for no man living
shall be justified in thy sight. Psalm
cxlii.

-*-•

JUDGMENT AFTER DEATH. 49

, Consider, thirdly, the qualities of the
judge before whom we must appear.
He IS mfinitely wise, and therefore can-
not be deceived; he is in^nitely jjozoer-
ful, and therefore cannot be resisted:
he is mfinitely just, and therefore will
render to every one according to his
r«orks No favour is to be expected at
this day: the time of merit and of ao
oeptable repentance is now at an end.
Ah . Christians, think well onH now whilst
It IS your day: you may now wash away
your sins by penitential tears, and thus
hide them from the eyes of your future
judge: you may at present tie up his
hands by humble prayer; you may ap-
peal from his justice to the court of his
mercy, and cause him to cancel the
sentence that stands against you: but at
that day you will find him inexorable-
y°"[^P''=*yers and tears will then come

Consider, fourthly, the inestimable
comfort that the souls of th^ ;„=. „i,~ii
receive at this day from the company
of their good works, which like an in-
vincible rampart shall surround them

ON THE PARTICULAR

on all sides, and keep their hellish foes
at a distance. O my soul I let us take
care to provide ourselves with such
attendants as these, against that hour
which is to decide our eternal doom.
These are friends indeed, who will not
forsake us even in deatlj, but effectually
plead our cause at that bar where no
other eloquence will be regarded.

Consider, ffthly, in what a wretched
plight the sinner, who has taken no care
to lay up any such provision of good
works, shall now stand before his judge.
01 how all things now speak to him
the melancholy sentence, that is just
now going to fall upon his guilty head.
Whatever way he looks, he sees no-
thing that can give him any comfort;
but on the contrary, all things that con-
tribute to his greater ar-^uish and ter-
ror. Beneath his feet he sees hell open
ready to swallow him up: above his
head an angry judge prepared to thun-
der out against him the irrevocable sen-

__ _/•

ic rirrVit

hand, he sees his guardian angel now
abandoning him:' on his left the devils,

JUDGMENT AFTER DEATH.

his merciless enemies, just ready to seize
upon him, and only waiting for the beck
of the judge: if he look behind, he dis-
covers a cheating world, which now
retires from him; if he look before, he
meets with nothing but a dismal eter-
nity. Within he feels the intolerable
stings of a guilty conscience; and on all
sides he perceives an army of those hid-
eous monsters, his own sins, more terri-
ble to him now than the furies of helL
Good God! deliver me from ever hav-
mg any share in such a scene of misery.
Consider, sixtlily, that in order to
prevent the judgment of Gou irom fall-
ing heavy upon us after death, we must
take care to judge and chastise our-
selves, by doing serious penance in this
lite; for thus, and thus only, shall we
disarm the justice of God, enkindled by
our sins. Let us follow the advice of
him who is to be our judge, who calls
upon us to watch and pray nt all times,
so that we may be found
escape these dreadful "d
with confidence before
Luke

worthy to

dangers, and stand

. e the Son of Man.

XXI. 36. Ah! let this judgment

'E:v^S^««€^

"'/r —

ON THE GREAT

be always before our eyes: let us medi-
tate on this account that we are one day
to give. . Let us never forget that there
is an eye above that sees all things; that
there is an ear that hears all things;
that thePB is a hand that writeth down
all our thoughts, words, and deeds, in
the great accounting-book; and that all
our actions pass from our hands to the
hands of God; that what is done in time,
passeth not away with time, but shall
subsist after all time is past. 01 that
men would be wise, and would under'
stand these truths, and provide in earn-
est jTor their last end! Deuter. xxxii.

TENTH DAY.

ON THE GREAT ACCOUNTING DAS'.

Consider, first, that nothing can be
conceived more terrible than the pros-
pect which scripture gives us of the
last accounting day, with all the pro-
digies that shall go before it. The sun
darkened, — the moon red as blood, —
the stars without light, and seeming to

ACCOUNTING DAT.

fall from the firmament!-— the earth
shaken with violent earthquakes,—the
sea swelhng and roaring with unusual
tempests,— the elements all in confu-
sion, and whole nature in disorder.
I he day of the Lord, says the prophet
Joel, chap. li. is a dap of darkness and
obscurity, a day of clouds and whirl-
winds. Before its face devouring fire,
and behind it burning flames. The earth
shall tremble at the appearance of it,
and the heavens be moved at its sight,
Ihe sun and moon are darkened, and
ihe stars have ivithdrawn all their light.
And the prophet Sophonias, chap. i.
cries out, That day, a day of wrath, a
day of tribulation and anguish, a day
of calamity and misery, a day of dark-
nass and obscurity, a day of mists and
whirlwinds. Can any thing be more
trightful than these descriptions? Ah'
what will then be the thoughts of sinful
man, who sees himself threatened by
ail inese signs. Alas! he shall perfect-
ly wither away with fear, in expecta-
tion of that tragedy which must follow
these dreadful preludes.

^ I

■I

ON THE GREAT

Consider, secondly, that the last day
being come, a fire raging like an impet-
uous torrent, shall, by the command of
God, consume the whole surface of the
earth, and all that is thereon; — nothing
shall escape it. Where, O worldlings,
will then be all your stately palaces,
pleasant seats, gardens, fountains, and
grottoes; — where your gold, silver, and
precious stones, &c. Alas! all that you
set your hearts on in this world shall,
in a moment, be reduced to ashes; to
shew you the vanity of the things you
loved, and your own folly in placing
your affections upon such glittering
shadows, upon such painted bubbles.
Learn then, my soul, to despise this
world, with all its goods, since all must
end in smoke and ashes, and lay up to
thyself treasures in heaven, which alone
will be out of the reach of this last fire.

Consider, thirdly, that the final end
of this world being now come, the arch-
angel shall sound the last trumpet, and
raise his voice with a Surgite mortuiy
4^. Arise ye dead and come to judg'
ment: a voice that shall at once be heard

ACCOUNTING DAY.

over the whole universe, that shall
pierce the highest heavens, and pene-
trate down to the lowest abyss of hell:
at this voice, in an instant, by the al-
mighty power of God, all the children
of Adam, from the first to the last, shall
arise from the dust, and each soul shall
«be united again to its respective body,
never more to be separated for eternity.
01 my soul, let ihh i-ist trumpet always
echo in thy ears O! take care to pre-
vent the terrors of this summons, by
hearkening now to another summons
of the great trumpet of the Holy Ghost,
who calls upon thee by the mouth of
the apostle. Arise thou that sleepeth, and
rise from the dead, that is, from the
death of sin, and Christ shall enlighten
thee, Eph. v. It is by thus having part
in the first resurrection, thou shalt pro-
vide in time against that dreadful hour,
when time shall he no more, Apoc. x. It
is thus thou shalt escape the second death.
CoissiijEn, fourthljf, the wonderful dif-
ference there will be at the time of this
general resurrection between the bodies
of the just and the wicked. The just

■ I

•I

ON THE GREAT

shall arise in immortal and impassible
bodies, more pure and beautiful than
the stars, and more resplendent than
the sun : but the wicked shall arise in
bodies suitable to their deserts, foul,
black, hideous, and in every other re-
spect loathsome and insupportable,- im-
mortal, it is true, but to no other pur^
pose, than to endure immortal torments.
O what an inexpressible rack will it be
to these wretched souls, to be re-united
to such carcasses, to be condemned to
eternal confinement in such horrid and
filthy abodes! Ah! my soul, take thou
care to keep thy body now pure from ^
^ the corruption of carnal sins, lest other-
wise it become hereafter an aggravation
of thy eternal misery.

Consider, Jifthlj/, with how much joy
•and satisfaction the souls of the just
shall be again united to their bodies, an
union which they have so long desired;
with what affection will they embrace
those fellow-partners in all their la-
'bours, sufferings, and mortifications;
and now designed io give an addition
io their eternal happiness, by sharing

;ll

ACCOUNTING DAY.

issible

than

than
ise in

foul,
sr re-
; im-

pur#
lents.

it be
nited
3d to
i and
thou
from ^
ther-
atioQ

just
s, an
ired;
race
• !a-
ons;
ition
ring

in the glory of the heavenly Sion.
But, O! what dreadful curses shall pass
at the melancholy meeting of the souls
and bodies of the reprobate? Accursed
carcass! will the soul say, was it to
please and indulge thy brutish inclina-
tion's, that I have forfeited the immortal
joys of heaven? Ah! v/retch, to in-
dulge thee in a filthy pleasure for a
moment, I have damned both myself
and thee to all eternity. O thrice ac-
cursed carrion! it is just, it is just, that
thou, who hast been the cause of my
damnation, shouldst be my partner ia
eternal wo. But oughtest thou not
rather, unhappy soul, to be a thousand
times more accursed by the body, since
it was thy business, and in thy power,
to have subjected its passions and lusts
to the rule of leason and religion; but
thou didst rather choose, for the sake
of a momentary satisfaction, to enslave
thyself to its sensual inclinations, and

is\j i.\j punjiiacsc iic;ii injiti ikjl' il uiiu liiV-

self. Ah! Christians, let us learn to be
wise by the consideration of the mis-
fortunes of others.

58 ON THE GENERAL JUDGIVIENT.

ELEVENTH DAY.

ON THE GENERAL JUDGMENT.

Consider, first, that immediately af-
ter the resurrection of the dead, all
mankind shall be assembled t.>gether
in the place designed for the last judg-
ment, commonly believed to be the val-
ley of Josaphal, near Jerusalem, in
sight of mounts Olivet and Calvary,
where our Lord heretofore shed his
blood for our redemption. O! what a
sight will it be ID behold all the chil-
dren of Adam, that innumerable multi-
tude of all nations, ages, and degrees,
standmg together, without any distinc-
tion, as now, between rich and poor,
great or little, master or servant, mon-
arch or subject; excepting only the dis-
tinction of good and had, which shall
be wonderful and eternal. Alas! how
mean a figure will an Alexander, a

(jjpsar. or nnir r\.

heros of

antiquity, whose very name has made
whole nations tremble, then make?
Those mighty monarchs, who once had

2NT,

ON THE GENERAL JTTDGMENT.

lately af-
dead, all
t.)gether
ast judg-
> the val"
alem, in
Calvary,
shed his
! what a
the chil-
le multi-
degrees,
' distinc-
id poor,
nt, mon-

the dis-
ch shall
is ! how
inder, a
leros of
IS made

make?
nee had

the world at their beck, are now on a
level with the meanest of their slaves,
and would wish a thousand times never
to have borne the sceptre, nor worn
the diadem.

Consider, secondly^ that the deed be-
ing assembled together, the great Judge
shall descend from heaven with great
glory and majesty, environed by his
heavenly courtiers, and whole legions
of angels. O! how different from his
first coming, will this his second ap-
pearance be^ His first coming was in
great meekness and humility; because
that was our day, in which he came to
redeem us by his mercy: but at his se-
cond coming it will be his day, when he
phaL arm himself with all the terrors
ot his justice, tc revenge upon sinful
man the cause of his injured mercy,
with a final irrevocable vengeance. —
Miserablr sinners, how will you be able
to stand b^ore his face, or endure his
wrathful countenance? - Ah! then it is
you will begin to cry out to the moun-
tains and rocks to fall upon you, and
hide you from the wrath of the Lamb,

i '

60 ON THE GENERAL JUDGMENT.

from the face of him that sit'eth on the
throne. Nay, such a dread and hor-
ror will the very sight of the incensed
Judge carry with it, that you will even
wish a thousand times to hide your
guilty heads in the lowest abyss of hell,
rather than endure this dreadful ap-
pearance: but all in vain, you must
endure it.

Consider, thirdli/, that before the
•'"^g® shall be borne the royal stand-
ard of the cross, shining more bright
than the sun, to the great comfort of
the good, and the unspeakable anguish
and confusion of the wicked, for havinir
made so littje use of the inestimabll
benefit of their redemption. Here they
Shall see plainly how much their God
has suffered for their salvation; how
great has been his love for them; that
boundless and unparalled love, which
brought him down from his throne of
glory, and nailed him to th# cross. O!

how will tlipir ri^«, ^ J_ .1 .

: "'^^j "Q"' Cuudumn meir ob-
stinacy in sin, their blindness and in-
gratitude! O! how will this glorious
ensign justify, in the face of the whole

lENT.
r

eth on the
and hor-
e incensed
will even
Lide your
''ss of hell,
^adful ap-
you must

efore the
^al stand-
ee bright
3mfort of
e anguish
)r having
estimable
lere they
heir God
on; how
em; that
1?, which
hrone of
OSS. O!
^heir ob-
and in-
glorious
le whole

ON THE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 61

universe, the conduct of God, and the
eternity of hell's torments: for what
less than a miserable eternity can be a
sufficient punishment for so much ob-
stinacy in evil after such love?

Consider, fourthly^ how at the com-
mand of the sovereign Judge, which
shall be instantly obeyed, the servants
of God shall be selected from out of
the midst of that vast multitude, and
placed with honour on his right hand;
whilst the wicked, with those evil spir-
its, whose parts they have taken, shall
be driven with ignominy to the left.
0! dreadful and eternal separation, after
which these two companies shall never
any more meet. And thou, my soul!
where dost thou expect to stand at that
day? In which of these two companies
shalt thou be ranked? Thou hast it
now at thy option: choose then now that
letter part, which will never he taken
from thee. Fly now from the midst of
Babylon; renounce now the false max-
ims, corrupt customs, and sinful plea-
sures of worldlings; separate thyself
from the wicked in time, that thou

I>'

«{f

62 ON THE GENERAL JUDTxMENT.

mayest not
(lam nation.

Consider, ffthhj, what will then be
the thoughts of the great ones of this
world; what fury, envy, bitter anguish
and confusion will then oppress their
souls ; when they shall see the poor
m spirit, the meek and humble, who
were so contemptible in their eyes
whilst they were here in this mortal
life, now honoured and exalted in the
sight of the universe; and themselves
treated with such confempt. Hearken
to their complaints, as foretold by the
wise nian, Wisd. v. The^e are they whom
heretofore we laughed at, and whom
we made the subjects of our scoffs,
senseless wretches as we were, we es-
teemed their life madness, and their end
without honour. See how they are now
reckoned among the children of Gob, and
with the saints is their eternal lot. Er-
go erravimus a via veritatis, S^c. Alas!
after all, it is ourselves are the persons
ti^at have been mistaken; it is we that
have unfortunately run on in the wrong
way ! and they were truly wise in mak

lENT.

3ir eternal

11 then be
les of this
sr anguish
ress their

the poor
able, who
leir eyes
lis mortal
3d in the
lemselves

Hearken
id by the
hey whom
id whom
ir scoffs,
e, we es-
their end
' are now
Goi),a?id
Jot. Er-
z, Alas!

persons
I we that
le wrong

in mak

ON THE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 63

ing a better choice, which afforded them
comfort in life, and has now entitled
them to endless joys.

Consider, sixthly, how much the an-
guish and confusion of the wicked will
be increased, at the opening of the books
of conscience, when the guilt of their
whole lives shall be laid open to the
public view of the universe. Ah ! poor
sinner! what will thy thoughts be, when
those crimes, which thou hast commit-
ted in the greatest secresy, and which
thou wouldst not have had known for
the world; — those abominations which
thou imaginedst covered with the ob-
scurity of night and darkness, and which
thou didst flatter thyself thy friends
and acquaintance would never know;— .
those works of iniquity, which perhaps
thou couldst not find in thy heart to
discover to one person, tied by all laws
to a perpetual secresy, shall all now be
exposed in their true colours to the eyes
of the whole world, angels and men,
good and bad, to thy eternal shame.
Ah! Christians, it is now in your power
to prevent, by a sincere repentance and

ON THE LAST SENTENCE

confession, this confusion, which you
must otherwise one day suffer.

TWELFTH DAY.

ON THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE GOOD AND

BAD.

Consider, Jirst, how this great trial
shall be concluded by a final definitive
sentence in favour of the just, and for
the condemnation of the wicked. And
first, the sovereign Judge, turning him-
self towards his elect, with a most sweet
and amiable countenance, shall invite
them into the happy nnansions of ever-
lasting bliss: Come, ye blessed of tny
Father, take possession of the kingdom
prepared for you from the beginning of
the world, Matt. xxv. O happy invita-
tion" happy, thrice happy they who
shall be found worthy to hear that com-
fortable sentence! What unspeakable
satisfaction, what torrents of joy and

j-.v„.,^..,i._. TTixi mv^ iicaiiiiy KJi 11 t^iVe to

those blessed creatures? I am filed
with joy, says the royal prophet, at the

i^hich you
r.

OF THE GOOD AND BAD.

GOOD ANJ)

•

^reat trial
definitive
t, and for
:ed. And
ning him-
lost sweet
all invite
3 of ever-
ed of my

kingdom
inning of
3y invita-
hey who
that com-
speakable

joy and
it give to
im filled
et, at the

happy tidings which I have heard, we are
to enter into the house of the Lord, Pa.
cxxi. But, O! what envy, what rage
and malice will the reprobate feel at
the hearing of this invitation, whan
they shall see several of their acqrdmt-
ancc called to take possession of t) at
eternal kingdom, which they also mi,^.;Ht.
have so easily purchased, had not their
own folly and stupidity blindly exchang-
ed it for the flames of hell.

Consider, secondly, and ponder at lei-
sure upon this happy sentence: Come^
says the Judge, ye blessed of my Father^
SfC. Come from the vale of tears, where
for a little while you have been tried
and afflicted by the appointment of my
providence, to the kingdom of never-
ending joy; where grief and sorrow
will exist no more. Come from the
place of thy banishment, where for a
time thou hast sighed and groaned at a
distance from thy heavenly country, to

■"'J '-- T -^i itx^t-iii^ iiv/iiic, ^T(,iic;i,c iiiuu oiiaii

meet with all that thy heart can desire
to complete thy happiness; where thou
shalt be for ever inebriated with the

ON THE SENTENCE

plenty of my house, and drink for ever
at the fountain of life. "Arise, my be-
loved, the winter is now pastj the floods
and storms are over; arise and come."
O universal and eternal blessings ! How
my poor soul contemns all other happi^
ness, in hcpes of having a share one
day in this blessed sentence!

Consider, tkirdly, how the great
Judge, after having invited the just to
his glorious kingdom, turning himself
towards the wicked on his left hand,
with fire in his eyes and terror in his
countenance, shall thunder out against
them the dreadful sentence of their
eternal doom in these words: Go from
tne you accursed into everlasting fre,
which was prepared for the devil and his
angels. Christian souls, weigh well
«very word of this dismal sentence.
Go for ever from me, and from the joys
of my kingdom: O terrible excommuni-
cation! O cruel divorce! O eternal
tanishment! Who can express— who
can conceive, what it is to be for ever
separated from God, — our first begin-
ning and last '^nd,— our great and sov-

OF THE GOOD AND BAD.

k for ever
36, my be-
the floods
id come."
igs! How
ler happi-
hare one

tie great
le just to
: himself
3ft hand,
:or in his
t against
of their
Go from
■ing fire,
I and his
igh well
sentence.

the joys
ommuni-

eternal
ss — who
for ever
it begin-
and sov*

ereign good. Ah! wretches who now
make so little account of losing your
God by mortal sin, what will you then
think, when you shall be sentenced
to this eternal banishment from him;
doomed to seek him during eternity,
and yet never to meet him in any of
his attributes, except his avenging jus-
tice, the weight of which you must feel
for ever. But take notice whither you
are to go, when you go from God.
Alas! into everlasting fire, there to lead
an ever-dying life, there to endure a
never-ending death, in the company
of the devil and his angels; to whom
you made yourselves slaves, and who
shall now, without controul, exercise
their tyranny over you for ever.

Consider, fourthly, that dreadful —
that universal curse which this just but
dismal sentence involves. Go from me,
ye cursed, says the sovereign Judge: as
if he should say. Go, depart from me,

\\iti tn}rck VY\\T u'tirvp \u\jt\\ vnn T wniiM

have given you my blessing, but you
would not have it; a curse you havfi
chosen, and a curse shall be your ever

ON THE LAST SENTENCE

lasting inheritance. It shall stick close
to you, like a garment, for all eternity j
it shall enter into your very bowels, and
search into the very marrow of your
bones. A curse upon your eyes, never
to see the least glimpse of comfortable
light : — a curse upon your ears, to be en-
tertained for all eternity with the fright-
ful shrieks and groans of the damned:
— a curse on your taste, to be for ever

embittered with the gall of dragons:

a curse on your smell, to be always tor-
me ted with the noisome stench of the
pit :f hell:— a curse on your feelings
and on all the members of your body,
to burn and never consume in that

^re which shall never be quenched:

a curse upon your understanding, never
to be illuminated with any ray of truth:
—a curse upon your memory, to be al-
ways revolving in bitterness upon a
late but fruitless ^-^pentance, and the
shortness and vanity of past pleasures:
— a curse upon your imagination, ever
representing present and future mis-
eries:— a curse upon your will, obsti-
nate in evil, torn in pieces with a

OF THE GOOD AND BAD.

ick close
ternity;
^e Is, and
of your
s, never
fortable
o be en-
3 fright-
lamned :
or ever
gons : —
ays tor-
of the
feelingy
r body,
in that
;hed : —
", never
f truth:
► be al-
jpon a
nd the
asures :
», ever
e mis-
) obsti-
^ith a

-3

thousand violent, and withal, opposite
desires, and unable to accomplish' any
of them: — a curse, in fine, upon your
whole soul, to be a hell to itself for all
eternity! Good God! let it never be
our misfortune to incur such dreadful
curses!

Consider, Jifthly, how, after sentence
has been given, the elect shall enter
without delay into the posserision of
that everlasting kingdom, which God
has prepared for those that serve him,
where sorrow can have no place, and
joy no end. But as for the wicked,
the earth shall immediately open and
swallow them all down in an instant,
with the devils who seduced them, into
the bottomless pit; when the gate shall
he shut, never, no never more to be
opened. Behold the end of all worldly
pride: behold the end of all carnal plea-
sure. O! how horrid a thing it is to
fall into the hands of the living Godf
Heb. X.

ON HELL

THIRTEENTH DAY.

ON HELL.

CoN&iDER, first, that as it is said in
holy writ, that neither eye has seen, nor
ear heard, nor has it entered into the
heart of man what God has prevared
for those that serve him, 1 Cor. n. 9.;
so we may truly say with regard to "
hell's torments, that no mortal tongue
can express, nor human heart conceive
them. Beatitude, acco.'ding to divines,
is a perfect and never-ending state, com-
prising at once all that is good, w hout
any mixliire of evil If then da-nnacion
be the opposite to beatitude, it must
needs be a complication, an everlasting
deluge of all that is evil, without the
lecst mixture of good, the least alloy
of ease, the least glimpse of comfort; in
a word, a total privation of happiness,
and a chaos of misery.

Consider, secondly, in a more narti-
culac manner, what'^ damnation is, and
how many and great are the miseriej
It involves. A dying life, or rather a

r w

#'1

1 ^

.♦ "V

1* w

■■'J

I N

ON HELL.

said in
een, nor
into the
revared
r. ii. 9.;
^ard to
tongue
onceive
iivines,
te, com-
tb \out
tiRation
t must
lasting
)ut the
t alloy
brt; in
piness,

parti-
is, and
iseriej
Lther a

♦i

living death; — a darksonne prison, a
loathsome dungeon; — a binding of hand
and foot in eternal chains; — a land of
horror and misery; — a land of fire and
brimstone; — a bottomless pit; — devour-
ing flames;— a serpent ever gnawing;
— a worm never dying; — a body al-
ways burning, and never consumed; —
a feeling always fresh for suffering;—
a thirst never extinguished ; — perpetual
weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
No other company but devils, and damn-
ed wretches, all hating and cursing
each other, and hating and cursing God;
spirits always sick and in agony, yet
never meeting with death, which they
so much desire; cast forth from the
face of God into the land of oblivion,
none to comfort, none to pity them;
wounded to the heart with the sense of
lost happiness, and oppressed with the
feeling of present misery: and all these
sufferings everlasting, without the least
hope of end, intermission, or abatement
This is a short description, drawn for
the most part from the unerring word
of God, of the miseries which eternal

''M

ON HEtL.

damnation imports: this is that bitter
cup of which all the sinners of ^e earth
must drink, Psalm Ixxiv. -^ "'^ ^"'^'^
Consider, thirdly, that God in all his
attributes ,s infinite: as in his powe^!
wisdoir,, goodness, &f. so in his aveng-
wg just.ce als,.. He is a God as mu4
in hell as m Heaven; so that bv the
greatness of his love, n.ercy, and pa!
tience here, we n.-,y measure the great-
ness of his future wrath and venglance
agamst impenitent sinners hereafter!
«y his infinite goodness he has drawn
^em out of nothing: he has preserved
dbw^ Z'' long time; he hr •• even come
down from his throne of glory and si.f
fared himself to be nailed'to a'dis"
ful cross for their eternal saivatiol: he
has frequently delivered them from the
dangers to which they were dail? ex!
posed; patiently borne with their inso-
lence and repeated treasons; still gra-
ciously inviting them to repentance.
AM how justly does his patience, so
-"S aousea, turn at length into fury?
Mercy at last gives place to justice: aid
a thousand woes to th«„, wretches, that

ON HELL.

must ibr ever feel the dreadful weight
of the avenging hand of the living God!
Consider, fourthly, and in order to
uadeiStaiid somewhat better what hell
ip,; set before your eyes a poor sick
man \fmg on his bed, burning with a
pestilential fever attended with an uni-
versal pain over all his body, his head,
as it were, rent asunder, his eyes ready
to fly out, his teeth raging, his sides
pierced with dreadful stitches, his belly
racked with a violent cholic, his reins
with the stone and gravel; all his limbs
tormented with rheumatic pains, and all
his joints with the gout; his heart even
bursting with anguish, 'and he crying
out for a drop of "water to cool his ton-
gue. Can any thing be conceived more
miserable? and yet, let me tell you,
this IS but an imperfect picture of what
the damned must endure in hell for
eternity! where these victims, immo-
lated to the justice of God, shall be
salted all ni^fiT* tnUit ^^^ „^j J

._ ,-.,., i.xjt.vtt, jvro, anu UiJUUre ill

all the senses and members of their
body, and in all the faculties of their
souls, exquisite torments!

ON HELL.

Co}>isiJ)EVx,JifthIi/, that the state of the
poor sick man, of whom we have just
now been speaking, how deplorable so-
ever it may seem, might still be capable
of some alloy of ease, or degree of com-
fort; an easy bed to lie on, a good friend
to encourage or console him, a good
conscience to support him, a will re-
signed to the will of God, and, in fine,
a certain knowledge that his pains must
shortly abate, or put an end to his life.
But the damned have nothing of all
this. Their bed in hell is a lake or
pit burning with fire and brimstone, to
which they are fastened down with eter-
nal chains: their companions are mer-
ciless devils, or what will be to them
worse than devils, the unhappy part-
ners of their sins: their conscience is
ever gnawed with the worm that never
dies: their will is averse from God, and
continually struggling in vain with his
divine will : and what comes in to com-
plete their damnation, is a despair of
ever meeting with an end or abatement
of their torments. Good God! what
would not a prudent man do to prevent

ON THE EXTERIOR, ETC.

the lying but for one night in torments
in this life? and where then are our faith
and reason, when we do so little for
escaping the dreadful night of hell's
merciless flames!

FOURTEENTH DAY.

ON XIIE EXTERIOR PAINS OF HELL.

Consider, /rs^, the description which
holy Job gives us of hell. Job x. when
he calls it a darksome land, and covered
with tht obscurity of death; a country of
misery and darkness, where no order,
but everlasting horror dwells. In this
gloomy region, no sun, moon, or stars
appear; no comfortable rays of light,
not even the least glimpse, are ever
seen. The very fire that burneth
there, contrary to the natural property
of that element, is black and darksome,
and affords no light to the wretches it
torments, excent it hfi in fli«r»nvoi. tr.
them such objects as may increase their
misery. Christians, v/'rut would you
thixik, were you to be ■ ^atenced to pass

ON THE TxiTmon

the remainder of your days in some
horrid dungeon, or deep hole under

F^'u"? \Y.*'^'^ y"""" ^^"'^ '^^ver see uib
ligh Would not death itself be pre-
lerable to such a punishment? And
what IS th.i., when compared to that
eternal mght to which the damned are
sentenced! The Egyptians were in a
sad condition, when for thrc3 days the
whole kingdom was covered with a
dreadful darkness, caused by such -ross
exhalations, that they might even be
felt by the hand. But this misery was
soon over, and they were comforted by
the return of light. Not so the damned
in hell, whose night shall never have a

^^Te"fa T ^'''''' ^''^''''^ ^^^ dawning
Consider, secondly, a.at the horror
ot this eternal night shall be beyond
measure aggravated by .nu dismal /nu-
SIC wherewith those poor wretches shal?
be for ever entertained in this melan-
choly abode; which shall be n. ot^^er
than the dreadfnl nnv^c.^^ ui.

and nsulting voices of the tormentors
and the nowlings, groans, and shrieks

PAINS OP HELl. 77

of the tormented, &c. And that the
other senses may also partake in 'their
Share of misery, the smell shall be for
ever regaled with the loathsome oxt
ations of those infernal dunZ„s and
the mtolerahle stench of half put 'S

lac.e shall Lo oppressed with a mn^t

letling with an insupportable fire.

tormf t'f ■^'r'^^^' "'^^ ''f "» bodily

S there "^ "" '^''" ^"«'" '" »his

, , '"'^y? '^ none more terrible than

to burn alive- .yt, alas! the e is „o

omp^uson b< .ween burning h:r:\"d

DaintJd fl? -7^ • ■°" ««'-'h «re but

of hell Th''' f '°'"/'"°^ '» 'be fire
ot iiell. The fire of this world was
made to serve u<! .mrt i,„ """"was
but that nr h!n ' ^ """^ comfort;

out mat of hell was creaed to be an

instrument of the vengeance of r^
upon sinners. The firf ofThis wS
cannot subsist witho.U beinl nourished
by some pnrr.b..»'.hl'- ---'■ °°'^^'^"cd

Tuk^'irT"""'-' »>"' 'he fi're of hel
«^mdted by the breath of an angry
^, requires no other fuel th^n L.

ON Tins EXTERIOR

which feeds it without ever decaying
or consuming. 01 dreadful stain of
sin, which suffices to maintain an ever-
lasting fire! The fire of this world
can only reach the body; but the fire
of hell reaches the soul itself, and fills
it with most exquisite torments. Ah!
sinnej-s, which of you all can endure
eternal burning?

Consider, /owr/A7?/, and in order to
frame a just notion of hell's torments,
give ear to a most authentic vision, re-
lated by St. Teresa, chap, xxxii. of her
Life. "As I was one day," says the
saint, «in prayer, on a sudden I found
myself in hell: I know not how I was
carried thither; only I understood, that
our Lord was pleased that 1 should see
the place which the devils had prepared
for me there, and which I had deserved
by my sins. What passed here with me
lasted but a very short while; yet if I
should live many years, I do not be-
lieve I should ever be able to forget it.
The entrance appeared to me To re-
semble that of an oven, very low, very
narrow, and very dark. The groand

PAINS OF HELL.

cay in g
\m of
1 ever-
world
le fire
ad fills
. Ah!
endure

dor to
ments,
on, re-
ef her
^s the
found
I was
i, that
ild see
spared
;erved
ithme
!t if I
ot be-
ret it-

3 - -

to re-
, very
round

seemed like mire, exceedingly filthy,
slinking, insupportable, and full of a
multitude of loathsome vermin. At the
end of it there was a certain ho-llow
place, as if it had been a kind of a lit-
tle press in a wall, into which I found
myself thrust, and close pent up. Now,
though all this which I have said was
far more terrible in itself than I have
described it, yet it might pass for a
pleasure in comparison with that which
1 felt in this press: this torment was so
dreadful, that no words can express the
least part of it. I felt my soul burning
m so dismal a fire, that I am not able
to describe it. I have experienced the
most insupportable pains, in the judg-
ment of physicians, which can be cor-
porally endured in this world, as well
by the shrinking up of all my sinews,
as by many other torments in several
kinds: but all these were nothing in
comparison with what I suffered there:

•» ™ "viiiU ni^ugiu, liiii, TiiiS

was to be without end or intermission
for ever: and even this itself is still
little, if compared to the agony the soul

ON THE EXTERIOR

IS in; It seems to her that she is choked,
that she IS stifled, and her anguish and
torture go to a degree of excess that
cannot be expressed. It is too little to
say, that it seems to her that she is
butchered and rent to pieces; because
this would express some violence from
without, which tended to her destruc-
tion; whereas, here it is that she her-
self IS her own executioner, and^ tears
herself in pieces. Now as to that in-
tenor fire and unspeakable despair,
which comes in to complete so many
horrid torments, I own I am not able
to describe them. I saw not who it
was that tormented me; but I perceived
myself to burn; and, at the same time,
to be cut as it were, and slashed in
pieces. In so frightful a place, there
was no room for the least hopes of
comfort; there wsa no such thing as
even sitting or lying down: I was
thrust into a hole in a wall; and those
horrible walls close in upon the noor
prisoners, and press and stifle them.
Ihere is nothing but thick darkness
Without any mixture of light, and

yet

'^v.

PAINS OF HELL.

> is choked,
iguish and
xcess that
00 little to
bat she is
?; because
3nce from
r destruc-
t she her-
ana tears
that in-
5 despair,
so many
not able
)t who it
perceived
ime time,
lashed in
ce, there
hopes of
thing as
: I was
nd those
the poor
^e them,
darkness
and yet

I know not how it is, though there be
no light there, yet one sees all that
may be most mortifying to the sight. —
Although it be about six years since
this happened which I here relate, I am
even now in writing of it so terrified,
that my blood chills in my veins: so
that whatsoever evils or pains I now
suffer, if I do but call to my remem-
brance what ! then endured, all that
can be suffered here appears to me just
nothing." So far the saint, whose re-
lation deserves to be pondered at lei-
sure: for if such t'^rrible torments had
been prepared for her, whose life from
her cradle (a few worldly vanities,
which for a short time she had follow
ed, excepted; had been so innocent,
what must sinners one day expect?

Consider, Jifthly, that there is no
man on earth, in his senses, who would
be willing, even for the empire of the
world, to be broiled on a gridiron like

u-x_A i--.ir

hour by a slow fire, though he was
sure to come off with his life; nay,
where is the man that woifld even ven-
6

ON THE INTERIOR

ture to hold his finger in the flame of a
candle for half a quarter of an hour,
for any reward that this world can
give? Where is then the judgment of
the far greater part of Christians, who
pretend to believe a hell, yet live on
with so little apprehension and concern,
for years together, in the guilt of mor-
tal sin; in danger every moment of
falling into this dreadful and everlast-
ing fire, having no more than a hair's
breadth, that is, the slender thread of
an uncertain life between their souls
and a miserable eternity! Good God!
deliver us from this unfortunate blind-
ness — from this desperate folly and
madness.

FIFTEENTH DAY.

ON THE INTERIOR PAINS OF HELL.

Consider, first, that the fire of hell
with all the rest of the exterior tor-
ments, which are endured there, are
terrible indeed ; but no ways compara-
ble to the interior pains of the soul;

€

\me of a
Lii hour,
>rld can
;ment of
ins, who
live on
concern,
of mor-
Tient of
3verlast-
a hair's
read of
ir souls
od God!
te blind-
>lly and

HELL.

o^hell
'iur tor-
3 re, are
ompara-
le soul;

PAINS OF HELL.

the pcona damni, or eternal loss of God,
and of all that is good — the extremity
of anguish which follows from this loss
— the rueful remorse of a bitter but
fruitless repentance, attended with ever-
lasting rage and despair — the complica-
tion of all those racking tortures in the
inward powers and faculties of the soul,
are torments incomparably greater than
any thing that can be suffered in the
body.

Consider, secondly, in particular, that
pain of loss, which, in the judgment of
divines, is the greatest of all the tor-
ments of hell; though worldlings here
have difficulties of conceiving how this
can be possible. Alas! poor sinners, so
v/eak is their notion of eternal goods,
and so deeply are they immersed in
the goods of this world, amusing them-
selves with a variety of created objects,
which divert their thoughts from God's
sovereign goodness, that they cannot
conceive bow the loss of God can he
so great and dismal a torment, as his
saints and servants, who are guided by
better lights, agree it to be. But the

ON THE INTERIOR

case will be altered when they find
themselves in hell. There they shall
be convinced, by woful experience,
what a misery it is to have Iq^t their
God; lost him totally; lost him irrevo-
cably; lost him eternally; lost him in
himself; lost him in all his creatures*,
and to be eternally banished from him,
who was their only happiness, last end,
sovereign good, nay, the overflowing
fountain of all good: and in losing him
to have lost all that is good, and that
for ever. As long as sinners are in
this mortal life, they many ways par-
take of the goodness of God, v;ho makes
the sun to rise on the good and bad^ arid
the rain to fall upon the just and unjust.
All that is agreeable in this world, all
that is delightful in creatures, and all
that is comfortable in life, is all m some
measure a participation of the divine
goodness. No wonder then, that the
sinner, whilst he so many ways par-

^.1„ - C .1 _ _. _J__ _f /~1-J -1 u

not in this life be sensible of what it is

# to be totally and eternally deprived of

him. But in helu alas! those unhappy

PAINS OF HELL.

jy find
y shall
rience,
it their
irrevo-
him ill
atures*,
m him,
ist end,
flowing
ng him
id that

are in
ys par-
) makes
ad^ and
unjust,
>rld, all
and all
m some

divine

bat the

ys par-
-1 I J

bat it is
iveo 01
nhappy

wretches shall find, that in losing God,
they have also lost all kind of good or
comfort, which any of his creatures
^ heretofore afforded ; instead of which
they find all things now .conspiring
against them, noi any way left of di-
verting the dreadful thought of this
loss, which is always present to their
minds, and grinds them with inexpres-
sible torments.

Consider, thirdly, that every damned
soul shall be a hell to herself,*and all
and every one of her powers and facul-
ties shall have their respective hells.
Her memory shall be for ever torment-
ed, by revolving without ceasing on
her past folly, stupidity and madness,
in forfeiting the eternal joys of heaven,
that ocean of bliss, which she might
have obtained at so cheap a rate, and
which so many of her acquaintance are
now in possession of, for an empty,
trifling pleasure, that lasted but for. a
"• "■ '-"77 ""^ i'-ii' "ULiHiig Deniiia but
the stam of sin, arid the remorse of a
guilty con.science; or, for some petty in-
terest, or punctilio of honour, bv which

ON THE INTERIOR

she was then robbed of all her trea*
sures and honours; and, upon account
of which, she is now so miserably poor
and vliispicable, eternally trodden under
foot by insulting devils. Oh! what will
her judgment then be of this transitory
world, and all its cheating vanities,
when after having been millions of
ages in hell, looking back from that
immense eternity, and scarce being able
to find out in that infinite duration, this
little pofnt of her "mortal life, she shall
compare time with eternity.^ past plea-
sures with present pains, virtue with
vice, and heaven with hell?

Consider, fourthly, that the under-
standing of the damned shall also have
its proper hell, in being for ever de-
prived of the light of truth, always em-
ployed in false and blasphemous judg-
ments and notions concerning God and
his justice, to the great increase of its
own misery; and ever dwelling upon
the thoughts of present and future tor-
ments, without being able for a moment
to think of any thing else: so that all
and every one of the torments which

PAINS OF HELL.

er trea-
account
bly poor
111 under
'hat will
ansitory
vanities,
lions of
om that
ling able
ion, this
5he shall
ist plea-
ue with

i under-
Iso have
3ver de-
"dys em-
us judg.
jod and
se of its
ng upon
ture tor-
moment
that all
s which

the damned endure, and are to enduro
for eternity, are every moment before
the eyes of their understanding; and
^ thus in every moment they bear the
' insupportable load of a miserable eter-
nity.

CONSiBBu, Jifthlp, that as the obsti-
nate will of the sinner has been the
most guilty, so this power of the soul
shall suffer in proportion the greatest
torment; always seeking what she shall
never find, and ever flying from what
she must eternally endure. Ah I what
fruitless longings, what vain wishes,
shall be her constant entertainment,^
whilst she is doomed for eternity, never
to attain to any one, even the least^
thing which she desires! O! who caa
express that violent impetuosity, with,
which the will of these wretches is now
carried towards God : sensible as they
are of the immense happiness which is
found in the enjoyment of him? But,
alas! they always find arr invisible hand
that drives them back, or rather they
always find themselves bound fast down*
in eternal chains, struggling in vain»

'^.--■n^XMtMMtSik?

ON A MISERABLE ETERNITY.

with that hand which they cannot re
sist, and unable to make the least ap-
proach towards the objects of their reet-
less desires. Hence they break forth
into a thousand blasphemies; hence the *
whole soul is torn in pieces with a
whole army of the violeYit, and withal
opposite passions of fury, envy, hatred,
despair, &;c. These torments of the
interior powers of the soul, are attend-
ed with that never-dying worm of con-
science, which shall for ever pr^y upon
those miscreants. By which is meant
an eternal remorse, a bitter but fruit-
less repentance, which is ever racking
their despairing souls. Sweet Jesus,
deliver us from such a dreadful com-
plication of evils!

SIXTEENTH DAY.

ON A MISERABLE ETERNITY.

Consider, Jirst^ that what above all
things makes hell intolerable, is the
itoruity of its torments. It is this eter-
nity, which is au infinite aggravation

ON A MISERABLE ETERNITY.

not re
last ap-
jir reet-
k forth
nee the
with a

withal
hatred,
of the
attend-
of con-
jy upon

meant
t fruit-
racking

Jesus,
il com-

ove all

is the

lis eter-

avatioa

to all and every one of them: it is
this loathsome ingredient which makes
every drop of that bitter cup of the
divine vengeance, of which the sinners
of the eai'th must drink, so insupport-
able. Were there any hopes that the
miseries of the damned would one day
have an end, though it was after mil-
lions of ages, hell would no longer be
hell, because it would admit of some
comfort. But, for all those inexpres-
sible torments to continue for ever, as
long as God shall be God, without the
least hopes of ever seeing an end of
them: Oh! this it is, that is the greatest
rack of the damned. O! eternity, eter-
nity! how little do worldlings appre-
hend thee now! But how terrible wilt
thou be to them one day, when they
shall find themselves engulfed in thy
bottomless abyss, there to be for ever
the butt and mark of all the arrows of
God's avenging justice!

Consider, secondly, if one short nierht
seems so long and tedious to a sick man
in a burning fever; if he tosses and
turns to and fro, and no where finds

ill!

ON A MISERABLE ETERNITY.

rest; if he counts every hour, and with
so much impatience longs for the suc-
ceeding morning, which yet will bring
him but little relief or comfort; what
must this dreadful ni^^ht of eternity be,
accompanied with all the interior and
exterior torments of hell! No man in
his senses would purchase a kingdom
at the rate of lying for ten years on a
soft bed of down, without arising from
it. Ah! what misery then must it be
to be chained dov ;k to a bed of fire and
brimstone, not ^" ion years, nor yet
for ten thousand Hmes ten, but for as
many hundred thousand millions of
ages, as there are drops of water in the
ocean, atoms in the air, or, in a word,
for an immense eternity.

Consider, thirdly^ and in order to
conceive still better what this eternity
is, imagine with thyself, that if any
one of the damned were to shed but
one single tear at the end of every
thousand years, till he had shed tears
enough to fill the sea; what an im-
mense space of time must this require!
The world has not yet lasted six thou-

ON A MISERABLE ETERNITY.

im-

sand years; so that the first of all the
damned would not have shed six tears.
And yet, O dreadful eternity! the time
will certainly come, when anyone of
those wretches, that are now in hell,
may be able with truth to say, that,
at the rate of one tear, for a thousand
years, he might have shed tears enough
to drown the whole world, and fill up
the immense space between heaven and
earth: and happy v/ould he think him-
self if his torments were then to have
an end. But, alas I after these millions
of millions of ages, he shall be as far
from the end of his misery as he was
the first day he fell into hell. Com-
pute after this, if thou pleasest, as many
hundred thousand millions of years as
thy thoughts can reach to; nay, sup-
pose the whole surface of the earth to
be covered with numerical figures; cast
up, if thou canst, this immense sum of
years, and then multiply it by itself,
and multiply again a ^second time the
product by itself; and then at the foot

of this immense account
Here begins eternity,

write down,
terrible eter*

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92 ON A MISERABLE ETERNITY.

nity! is it possible that they who be-
Iieve thee, should not fear thee? and is
It possible, that they v,ho fear thee,
should dare to sin?

Consider, fourthli/, that in this eter-
nity It would be some small comfort to
the damned, if their pains, like those
ot this life, had any intermission or
abatement. But, alas! their torments
are always uniformly the same; their
eternal fever never abates. For as
their sins are always the same, and the '
gate of mercy and pardon is eternally
shut against them,- so the punishment
ot their sins shall always continue in
one and the same degree of rigor, with-
out the least remission or diminution.
I he rich glutton in hell, Luke xiv. has
not yet been able to obtain so much as
that single drop of water, for which he
so earnestly begged; nor will he ever
obtain It for all eternity. Nor shall
length of time inure these wretches to
those evils which they suffer, so as to
make tjiem the more supportable; nor •
Siiau iiabit or custom harden them
against their acuteness; but after mil

ON HEAVEN;

lions of ages their torments shall be as
fresh, and their feelings of them the
same as on the first day. Great God!
who can bear thy indignation, or sup-
port the weight of thy avenging hand.
O! dreadful evil of mortal sin, which
can thus enJcindle this eternal flame?

SEVENTEENTH DAY.

ON HEAVEN.

Consider, first, that if the justice of
God be so terrible in regard to his ene-
mies, how much more will his mercy,
goodness, and bounty, declare them-
selves in favour of his friends! Mercy
and goodness are his favourite attri-
butes, in which he most delights: His
tender mercies, says the royal prophet,
Psalm cxliv. are above all his works.
What then must this blessed kingdom
be, which in his goodness he has pre-
pared for his beloved children, for the
— "•"^'■^■^"-i^^xi v^i Ills liuuus, giory and

magnificei

dom, which the Son of God himself hai

mce for all eternity. A king-

ON HEAVEN.

purchased for us, at no less a price,
than that of his own most precious
blood. No wonder then that the apos-
tle cries out, 1 Cor. ii. 9. That neiihei
eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor hath
it entered into the heart of man, lohat
God has prepared for those that love
him. No wonder that this beatitude is
described by divines, as a perfect and
everlasting state, replenished with all
that is good, without the least mixture
of evil; a general and universal good,
filling to the brim the vast capacity of
our affections and desires, and eterr' "V
securing us from all fear, danger, d
want of change. O! here it is, that the
servants of God, as the Psalmist de-
clares. Psalm XXXV. shall he inebriated
with the plenty of God''s house, and shall
he made to drink of the torrent of his
pleasure; even of ihsit fountain of life
which is with him, and flows from him,
into their happy souls for ever and ever.
Consider, secondly, that although this

nlnca/:>f1 lrinrrrlrv>-r» nKr^nnrjcs tiritV* oil tViof

can be imagined good and delightful,
yet there is one sovereign good, in the

ON HEAVEN.

sight, love, and enjoyment of which
consists the essential beatitude of the
soul; and that is, God himself, whom
\he blessed shaU ever behold face to
fice: and, by the contemplation of his
mhnite beauty, are set on fire with se-
raphic flames of love, and by a most
pure and amiable union, are transform-
ed in a manner into God himself: ,13
n^hen brass or iron in the furnace is
perfectly penetrated by the fire, it loseth
Its own nature, and becoiPeth all flame
and fire. Happy soul! what can be
wanting to complete your joys who are
in perfect possession of God, the over-
flowing source of all good; who have
within and without you, the vast ocean
of endless felicity! O! the excessive
bounty of our God, who giveth his ser-
vants, in recompense of their loyalty, a
reward so great and good, which is no-
thing less than himself, who is the im-
mense joy of angels. O ! shall not that
suffice, my soul, to make thee happy,
"■"'-" ^^"*xveo vjuu iiimseii happy/

CoNsiDEii, thirdly, the glory and beau-
ty ot the heavenly Jerusalem, which

ON HEAVEN.

I I i

the holy scriptiye, to accommodate it-
self to our weakness, represents under
the notion of such things as we most
admire here below. Thus St. John, in
his Apocalypse, describing this blessed
city, tells us, that its walls are of pre-
cious stones, and its streets of pure and
transparent gold: that these streets are
watered by the river of the waters of
life, which, resplendent as chrystal, flows
from the throne of God; and that on
each side the banks of this river grows
the tree of life; that thei^ shall he no
night, nor any sun or moon, but that
the Lord God shall be its light for ever.
O blessed Jerusalem! O! how glorious
are the things t]iat are said of tJiee, O
city of God! But what wonder? For
if our God has given us so great and
noble a palace here below, in this place
of banishment, beautified with the sun,
moon and stars, furnished and adorned
with such an infinite variety of plants,
flowers, trees, and living creatures of

on mnn\7- qnrtQ. nil siib«;firvip!nt. to man:

iff I say, he has so richly provided for
us in this vale of tears, and region of

ON HEAVEN.

nodate it-
nts under

we most
;. John, in
is blessed
re of pre-

pure and
treets are
waters of
^stal, flows
d that on
ver grows
hall be no
, but that
t for ever.
\w glorious
of thee, O
der? For
great and

this place
h the sun,
d adorned

of plants,
matures of
t to man*
ovided for

region of

the shade of death, what must our eter-
nal habitation be in the land of the liv-
ing, l^ here he be so bountiful even
to his enemies, in giving them so com-
modious so noble a dwelling, what may
not his friends and servants expect in
his eternal kingdom; in which, and by
which he designs to manifest to them
his greatness and glory, for endless
ages in an everlasting banquet, which
he has there prepared for his elect?
Jilessed by all creatures be his good-
ness lor ever.

Consider, fourthly, the blessed in-
habitants of this heavenly kingdom,
those millions of millions of angels, of
whom the prophet Daniel, having seen
God Alniighty in a vision, tells us, Dan.
yiu. I hat thousands of thousands min-
istered to him, and ten thousand of hun-
areds of thousands stood before him:
that infinite multitude of saints and
martyrs, and other servants of God of
both sexes gathered out of all nations,

tribes and tonsruRs- unf^ oK^,.« *u .

all, the blessed Virgin Mother of God,
^ueen ot saints and angels: whoso

ON HEAVEN.

number is innumerable: but, O! who
can express the happiness of enjoying
the society of this most noble, glorious,
wise, holy and blessed company. They
are all of blood royal:— all kings and
queens: — all children and heirs of the
most high God; ever beautiful and al-
ways young; crowned with wreaths
of immortal glory, and shining more
bright than the sun. Their love and
charity for each other are more than
can be conceived : they have all but one
heart, will, and soul; so that the joy
and satisfactiou of every one are multi-
plied as many fold, as there are blessed
souls and angels in heaven, by the in-
expressible delight each other takes in
the happiness of all, and every one of
the rest. O! Christians, let us then
imitate their virtues here, that we may
enjoy their happy society hereafter,
and with them eternally sing to our
God the immortal canticles of praise

in Sion.

ComimK, fifthly, that what renders
the joys of heaven, and the felicity of
its blessed inhabitants completely great,

14.

f*i

0! who

enjoying
glorious,
r. They
ings and
rs of the
il and al-

wreaths
ng more
love and
ore than
il but one
t the joy
ire multi-
re blessed
3y the in-
i' takes in
ry one of

us then
t we may
hereafter,
ig to our
of praise

it renders
felicity of
ely great,

ON IffiAVEW.

1 ■».

M the consideration of the daration of
thw bhss, and that infallible certify
and security which they enjov hl^
their happiness is even^linZd'S
Gods eternity; that as C .„ V^
S'> «°t' they shall reli^ ^^
3 '"'»«, Wessed kingdom. O! my

t'tkTorSrtoth-'^''^'''''"''"^
and there tX thys Snnli^T"'^'
pr^pect of endless^gisVo! tSj:

joys for th J*' P'^Pf ^"^ ^"'^h i""norte^
wis JJf •^''^"^ ^'^ ^»°h small ser-
vicer, and designed them for thee from
all eternity Norshill .k;„ •
eternity ren^r., *u ■ ""menso

th^ that etiSllv /'^ ^""^ "

ral. and fro;;;";^!; "^u'rlUa
journey toward, this glorLXvSf

100

ON THE SMALL NUMBER

ly, and eternal kingdom. There thou
Shalt find all that thy heart can desire,
immortal honours; immense riches;
pure and eternal pleasures; life, health,
beauty never fading, &c. O I this alone
is thy true home — the land of the living.

EIGHTEENTH DAY.

ON THE S1\IALL NUMBER OF THE ELECT.

Consider, ^rs^, those words of Christ,
Many are called^ hut few are chosen;
which contain a great and awful truth,
frequently inculcated by the mouth of
truth itself, to rouse unthinking mortals
from that profound lethargy into which
the enemy has lulled them. This is
one of those lessons which he has laid
down for a foundation of christian moral-
ity, in his divine sermon on the moun-
tain, St. Matt. vii. 13, 14. where he
exhorts us to enter in at the narrow
gate, for broad is the gate, and wide is
the way, that leads to damnation, and
many there are that enter by it, O! how
narrmv is the gate, and strait the way

3 thou

desire,
riches;
oealtb,
3 alone
living.

OF THE ELECT.

101

ELECT.

Christ,
chosen;

truth,
uth of
xiortals

which
Phis is
as laid

moral-

moun-
ere he
narrow
wide is
m, and
0! how
.he way

that leads to life, and how few there are
that find it. Hence in the same sermon
he declares, that not every one that says
to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven: hut he that doth the
will of my Father who is in heaven, viz.
by a faithful compliance with the law
of God and his gospel. Without this,
he assures us, that it will avail us no-
thmg, even to have done miracles ia
his name. Many shall say to me on
that day (of judgment,) Lord, have we
not prophesied in thy name, and cast out
devils in thy name, and done many won*
ders in thy name? And then I will de*
dare to them, that I never knew you,
depart from me, ye workers ot' iniquity.
Good God! what will become of us, if
those, that have even done miracles in
thy name, shall nevertheless be ex-
cluded thy eternal kingdom?

Consider, secondly, liow many ways
this frightful truth has been declared
or prefiffured in th*^ Olfl 'T'^cfow,^^*

-L V^ObClXiiUiib.

Ut a!l the inhabitants of the earth only
eight souls, viz. Noah and his family,
were preserved in the ark from the

ON THE SMALL NUMBER

waters of the deluge; of six hundred
thousand of the children of Israel, who
came out of the land of Egypt under
the conduct of Moses, only two persons,
Joshua and Caleb, entered Canaan, the
land of promise; which figure the apos-
tle St. Paul expressly applies to us
Christians, 1 Cor. x. To the same ef-
fect the prophet Isaias, chap. xxiv. 13,
14. likens those that shall escape the
divine vengeance, to the small number
of olives that is left on the tree after
the fruit is gathered, or to the few
bunches of grapes that are found on
the vines after a well gleaned vintage.
Ah! Christians, hear then and obey the
voice of your Saviour, who bids you,
St. Luke xiii. 23. Contend (that is,
strive with all your force) to enter in at
the narrow gate, for many, 1 assure you,
shall seek to enter, and shall not be able:
because the generality of Christians,
though they use some endeavours to
enter, yet they do not strive with all
their force; they are not thoroughly in
earnest in their seeking, and therefore
shall never find. Hear again with fear

-^K

OF THE ELECT.

103

lundred
el, who
i under
)ersons,
lan, the
le apos-
to us
imo ef-
dv. 13,
ipe the
lumber
e after
le few
jnd on
intage.
•ey the
s you,
iiat is,
r in at
re you,
eahle:
stians,
jrs to
ith all
hly in
refore
h fear

and trembling the groat apostle St. Peter,
when he tells you, that if the just mil
hardly he saved, where will the sinner ajh
pear? (First epistle, chap, iv.ver. 18.) O
my soul 1 let us then take care, as the same
apostle admonishes, 2 Pet. i. hygood works
to make our election sure: and if others
will go in crowds to hell, let us resolve
not to go with them for company sake.
Consider, thirdly, that though the
scripture had said nothing of the small
number of the elect, yet that this truth
must appear evident to us, if we com-
pare the lives of the generality of
Christians with the gospel of Christ
and his holy commandments. If thou
unit enter into life, says our Lord, Matt.
XIX. keep the commandments: there is
no other way to life everlasting. And
the first and greatest of all the com-
mandments, is this, thou Shalt love the
Lord thy God with aU thy heart, with
all thy soul, with all thy mind, and with
all thy strength. Matt. xxii. Now how
i8w are there that keep this command-
ment? It is easy to say, with the ge-
nerality of Christians, that we love

104

ON THE SMALL NUMBER

God with our whole heart; but what
is the practice of our lives? Do not
self-love, vain-glory, sensuality, &c. on
every occasion take place? If so, it
is in vain to say we love Mm above
all things. And yet there is no salva-
tion without this love. Think well
ON THIS. Besides, the apostle James
declares, chap. iv. 4. that whosoever mil
he a friend of this world, becomes an
enemy of God: and St. John, epist. i.
chap. ii. ver. 15. If any one love the
world, the love of the Father is not in
him: nay, does not Christ himself de-
clare, that we cannot serve two masters^
Matt. vi. 24. How then can we think
to reconcile the conduct of the greatest
part of those who call themselves Chris-
tians (whose whole study is to please
the world, and conform themselves to
its false maxims, corrupt customs, and
deluded vanities) with their expectation
of the kingdom of heaven, which is not
to be otherwise obtained but by using
T^x^,v,ii-^v- lO »juiocivu«, renouncing uns
sinful world, and by a life of self-denial
and mortification?

t what
l)o not
&c. on
' so, it
above
» salva-

WELL

James
er will
nes an
pist. i.
we the
not in
elf de-
asterSf
think
reatest
Chris-
please
ves to
s, and
station
is not
using
>' this
denial

OF THE ELECT.

105

Consider, fourthly, how great a cor-
ruption is generally found even amongst
the greatest part of true believing Chris-
tians, and from thence form a judgment
of their future lot. How few are proof
against human respects, and the -perni-
cious fear of what the world wiu say!
Alas! what numbers sacrifice their eter-
nal salvation to this accursed fear, by
rather choosing to forfeit the grace of
God, than the false honour and esteem
of this world! How many of those,
whose birth and fortune have advanced
them above the level of their fellow
mortals, live continually in the state of
damnation, by a cursed disposition of
never putting up with an affront, and
of preferring their worldly honour be-
fore their conscience! Unhappy men!
who, by conforming themselves now to
those false maxims of deluded world-
lings, will be trampled under foot by
insulting devils for all eternity! How
few masters of families are sincerelv
solicitous for those under their charge,
to see that instructions be not wanting,
devotions be not neglected, &c. and that

if'

106 ON THE SMALL NUMBER, ETC.

nothing scandalous or sinful lurk under
the favour of their negligence or con-
nivance! and yet the apostle assures us,
that if any man neglects the care of
his family, he is worse than an infidel,
1 rim. V. 8. How few parents effect-
ually take care to bring up their chil-
dren from their infancy in the fear of
Cfod, and to inspire into them an early
horror of sin above all evils ! Ah ! what
a double damnation will the greatest
part bring upon themselves, by sacri-
ncing these tender souls to the devil
and the world, which they might with
so much ease have consecrated to heav-
®? *,./". ^^^^' ^^^ to run over all states
ot life m particular, is it not visible
that injustice, impurity, pride, detrac-
tion, &c. every where reign among
Christians; and that the number of
those who live up to the gospel is in-
deed very small? Good God! have
mercy on us, and grant us grace to be
of the number of the few, that so we
i..^j »^j iiiuiuuuu m me number of the
saved.

'C.

k under
or con-
ures us,
care of
infidel,
5 effect-
iir chil-
fear of
n early
i! what
greatest
^ sacri-
B devil
It with
) heav-
states
visible
detrac-
among
)er of
is in-
havo
) to be
so we
of the

ON MORTAL SIN. 107

NINETEENTH DAY.

ON MORTAL SIN.

Consider, j^rs^, that there is not upon
earth, nor even in hell itself, a more hid-
eous, filthy, abominable monster, than
mortal sin : a monster, the first-born of
the devil ; or to speak more properly,
the parent both of the devil and hell.
There was not in the whole universe a
creature more beautiful, more perfect,
or more accomplished with all kinds of
gifts, both of nature and grace, than
was the bright angel Lucifer, and hia
companions,- yet one mortal sin, and that
only consented to in thought, changed
them in an instant into ugly devils, just
objects of horror and abomination to
God and man. What effect then think
ye will sin have upon man, who is but
mere dust and ashes, if it blast so foully
the stars of heaven? It was this mon-

. i~ i

xjrva, oiii, bliUl \^aOl, KJUl 111 SI UUiUIilS JJUl

of paradise, and condemned both of
them, and us their posterity, to innume-
rable miseries, and to both a tempo-

108

ON MORTAL SIN.

ral and eternal death. It was sin that
drowned the world with the waters of
the flood, and daily crowds hell with
millions of poor souls, to be the fuel of
endless flames. Good God! deliver us
from this accursed evil.

Consider, secondly, that sin is the
death of the soul. For as it is the soul
of a man which gives life to his body,
so consequently that body from which
the soul has departed, is dead: in like
manner, as it is the grace of God which
IS the life of the soul, so that soul is
dead which has lost her God and his
grace by mortal sin. If, then, a dead
corcass, from which the soul has de-
paried, be so loathsome and frightful,
that few could endure to pass one night
m the same bed with it, how is it pos-
sible, unhappy sinner, that thou canst
endure to carry continually with thee
the carcass of a soul dead in mortal
sm, which is far more loathsome and
hideous! Ah ! beg of God that he would
open thy eyes to behold thine own de-
plorable state, and detest the hellish
monster sin, which thou hast so long

ON MORTAL SIN.

109

«f *

nourished in thy breast, and which is,
alas! the true cause of all thy misery!

Consider, thirdly, what the soul loses
by sin, and what she gains in recom-
pense of this loss. She forfeits the
grace of God, the greatest of all treas-
ures; and in the loss thereof, she loses
God himself. She loses the fatherly
protection and favour of God, she loses
the dignity of a child of God, and spouse
of Christ; she forfeits her right and title
to an eternal kingdom; she is stripped
of all the gifts of the Holy Ghost, rob-
bed of all the merits of her whole life;
becomes a child of hell, and a slave of
the devil; spiritually possessed by him,
and with him liable to eternal damna-
tion: this is all she gains by sin: be-
cause the wages of sin is death, Rom. vi.
the death of the soul here, and a se-
cond and eternal death hereafter. Ah!
wretched sinners, open your eyes to
see, and bewail your lamentable blind-
ness, in thus exchanging God for the

UCVlI, llUUVUii lUi" iiuli.

^ Consider, fourthly, that sin is infi-
nitely odious and detestable in the sight

li. ' . y* ". ' '* **' ''*"* " " *' * '* '** ' " *' ! ii't iM fci -ffnan i LiiiL. .

>m mmt ^ ;

110

ON MORTAL SIN.

of God, as being infinitely opposite to
his sovereign goodness. He hates it
with an eternal and necessary hatred;
and can no more cease to hate it, than
he can cease to be just. Hence if the
most just man upon earth were so un-
happy as to fall into the least mortal
sin, he would in that instant become
the enemy of God, and were he to die
in the guilt thereof, he would certainly
feel the weight of God's avenging jus-
tice for all eternity. Ah! Christians,
never let us be so mad as to venture to
wage war with God. Alas! how many
dreadful judgments does he daily exer-
cise upon sin and sinners? How many,
in punishment of sin, are snatched away
in the flower of their age, by sudden
and unprovided death? How many die
in despair?' How many, after having
long abused God's graces, are given up
to a reprobate sense, and hardness of
heart, the worst and most terrible of
all his judgments? O! let us tremble
at the thoughts of so ereat a nnisfor-
tune; let us be convinced, that there
can be no misery so great as that which

ON MORTAL SIN.

Ill

)osite to

hates it

hatred ;

it, than

e if the

e so un-

: mortal

become

3 to die

ertainly

ing jus-

ristians,

nture to

IV many
ly exer-

V many,
3d away

sudden
lany die

having
;iven up
ness of
rible of
tremble

misfbr-
t there
t which

we mcur by mortal sin; and that we
ire more our own enemies, and do our-
selves more mischief, by consenting to
but one mortal sin, than all the men
upon earth, and all the devils in hell
could do us, though they were all to
conspire together to do their worst-
because all they can do, so long as we
refuse consent to sin, cannot hurt the
soul; whereas, by consenting to one
mortal sm, we bring upon our own

nMU ^ ^^^^^^"1 and eternal death.
Crdbd God! never suffer us to be so
blmded as to become thus the murder-
ers of our own souls.

Consider, ffihly, O my soul! and
tremble at the multitude of thy trea-
sons against God, by which thou hast
so often provoked his indignation dur-
ing the whole course of thy life. Alas !
is It not too true, that no sooner didst
thou come to the use of reason, than
thou didst abandon thy king and thy
God, under the wings of whose father-

Iv nroffiPflnn thnij h-yAn*- 1 .•I— %

J- .. ^,,.^t» iiwuas. iiappiivr passed

the days of thy innocence? A! how
early didst thou fly away from the best

112 ON THE RELAPSING SINNBE.

Of Fathers, and, like the prodigal son,
squandering away thy substance in a
strange land, hast sought in vain to
satisfy thy appetite with the husks of
swine. Recall to thy remembrance, in
the bitterness of thy soul, all the years
ot thy past life; and see what treasures
ot iniquity, in thought, word, and deed,
will discover themselves to thy eyes-
consider how long thou hast uncon-'
cernedly sported on the brink of a
dreadful precipice, having no more than
a hair's breadth betwixt thy soul thd
ije 1, and be confounded at thy past
tolly; admire and adore the goodness
ot thy God; and now at least resolve
to embrace his mercy.

TWENTIETH DAY.

ON THE RELAPSING SINNER.

Consider, frst, that if one mortal
sin be so heinous a treason against the
sovereign majesty of God, as we have
seen m the foregoing chapter; if every
such sin be an abomination to our Lord,

SB.

igal son,
ice in a

vain to
msks of
•ance, in
le years
reasures
id deed,
y eyes:

uncon-
k of a
>re than
3ul Shd
ly past
Dodness
resolve

mortal
ist the
i have
every
Lord,

ON THE RELAPSING SINNER. 113

and the death of that unhappy sinner
who is guilty of it, what must we think
of the miserable condition of relapsing
sinners, that is, of such Christians as
are continually relapsing again and
again into the same mortal sins, after
repeated confessions and solemn prom-
ises of amendment? Alas! what can
we otherwise think, but that by this
method of life they are treasuring up
to themselves wrath against the day
of wi'ath; which will in all appear-
ance, sooner or later, draw down the
dreadful vengeance of God upon their
guilty heads. Because by every relapse
their crime is aggravated, and their lat-
ter condition becomes worse than the
former.

Consider, secondly, the ingratitude,
the perfidiousness, the contempt of God,
of which the relapsing sinner is guilty,
as often as, after his reconciliation, he
returns like a dog to the vomit. He is
guilty of the highest ingratitude, in

rcuuuig uiiuur iuul mu gracC Oi recon-'

f «.-.«.-?;=-..-»• ,,_J-« iV-* 4V-..-.

ciliation, by which he had been a little
before raised from the dunghill of sin,

•#

MiMHMlii

»»<.,. I.>.|«T .....Ma»^.-^-.»t-

114 ON THE RELAPSING SINNER.

i and even drawn out of the jaws of hell •

and by a distinguishing mercy restored
to the friendship of God, to the dignity
of a child of God and heir of heaven.
[| tie is guilty of a base perfidiousness, in

breaking the solemn promise he made
to God in his confession. He is guilty
ot a notorious contempt of the Divine
Majesty, in banishing God from his
soul after having invited him in, and
of mtroducmg Satan in his place: and
this, after a full knowledge and expe-
rience of both sides. Good God! to
put the whole universe in balance with
thee, would be a most heinous affront-
since heaven, and all the powers there-
of, the earth and seas, and all things
therein, are less than a grain of sand,
^compared to thee: what then must
we think of the unparalleled injury
done thee by the relapsing sinner,
when, putting thee and Satan in the
scales, he gives the preference to the

_ Consider, thirdly, the dreadful ^nn.

I if !!m ^^ "^^^"^^ ^^^ relapsing sinne7is
daily exposed, from the sword of the

t ■■

•

ON THE RELAPSING SINNER. II5

divine justice hanging over hi, „.,-r.
head, which he his dlily 'voke^ b^:
his ingratitude and insolent aiJ?^

we are all n^ortal; we iX W
he day nor the hour that will be ou^
ast : should we be surprised by dea?h

av^berV/ '""'•^' ''"' - *^
imve been, we are irrecoverably lost

if then It be madness at any tirnr.«

mk eternity by consenting fo mortS

sin, how much more to provokTtt

wnere the worm never dies, nor i« tKi
fire ever quenched! Unhaly wietS
es! they designed as little'^Vdal'
themselves as any of us do- but P^
will not be laughed at. ' ""' ^

CoNsiDER,>„rtA/y, another evil which

"pprenend, is the insincerity of HIq noJ»
repentance. For in v^lv^ ^ P^*

pearanceisth'^l^rtUtSt'^^

116 ON THE RELAPSING SINNER.

resolution of amendment have been
such as God requires, when after so
many confessions he is still the same
man? True contrition is a sovereign
grief, by which the penitent detests his
sm above all other evils, with a full
determination and firm resolution of
never returning to it any more. Now,
how is it likely, that the relapsing sin-
ner detests sincerely his sin above all
evils, with a firm purpose of amend-
ment, when he is so easily prevailed
upon by the first texnptation to return
to it again.

Consider, ffthly, the remedies and
means, by which we are to be pre-
served from this pernicious evil of re-
lapsing into mortal sin. The first is,
to avoid the dangerous occasions w'. .?h
have, or probably may, draw us into
the same sins: without this care io iiy
the occasions of sin, the strongest reso-
lution of amendment will prove inef-
U tnal, as we daily see by woful expe-

pins.\ ^

put

merein, .iccl. lii. No pret
of woildly concerns must here be

ON T!IE RELAPSING SINNER. 117

,r\T> f '' °,'' ^y°' ^°°n°'- than lose
•r.souls Another main preservative
"gainst relapse, is to labour by fervent
prayer, and diligent frequenting of the
sacraments, to suppress the u°nhappy
dispos-Uons that insensibly lead thc^,^^
unto: vigorously to resist the first mo-

.ons to evil,, and to strive with a" po^
sible dil 2cnce to root out that wretched

hard tu "'^ !" '^^ ■'°"'- Ah! how
laid is It to mamtam a castle, where

the enemy has already surprised th^

avenues, and has a strong pa ty witWn

ready to open the gates to him! The'

n hT I P^""°"' '° """"sh carefully
in his heart a truly penitential spirit^
J-^'ly to renew his sorrow for his sins
and to recount in the sight of God "n

ntuit 'err,''' ""''' "'^' ^» hi; Pa^^
Which he has been drawn out of so

118

ON DOING PENANCE

much misery; daily to beg of God with
all the fervour of his soul, sooner to
take him out of this world, than suffer
him any more to die by mor al sin.
Good God ! grant that this may be al-
ways the disposition of our souls. Amen.
Amen,

TWENTY-FIRST DAY.

ON DOING PENANCE FOR OUR SINS.

CoNsiDER,/r5/, those words of Christ,
^uke xiii. 3, 5. Except ye do penance,
ye shall all perish Behold here a ge-
neral rule, nor does our Lord make
any exception. Penance then is neces-
sary: first, for those whose conscience
accuses them of mortal sin:, alas! such
as these must either do penance for
their sms, or burn for them for all
eternity! Poor sinners! their state is
most deplorable! they are playing upon
the brmk of hell, and every moment
one or other of them is tumbling into
that bottomless pit; and is it possible
they should be unconcerned under so

^'.it

FOR OUR SINS.

110

God with
sooner to
an suffer
)r al sin.
ly be al-
ls. Amen,

SINS.

•f Christ,
penance^
n-e a ge-
d make
is neces-
nscience
is! such
nee for
for all
state is
ng upon
moment
ng into
possible
ader so

great and evident a danger ? Why then
do they not lay hold of the grace of
penance, the only plank that can save
hem from shipwreck; the only means
left for the salvation of their souls.
b,econdly Penance is necessary for all
those who, though their conscience ac-
cuses them not at present, yet have, in
heir past life, been guilty of such mor-
ta offences. Ah! Christians, one mor-
tal sm IS enough for us to do penance
during all our life. And how can we
do less, if we consider what mortal sin
is; what It IS to have been the enemies
ot God; what it i? .o have been under
the sentence of eterivil damnation; and
never to know for certain whether this
sentence has been cancelled! Is not

tKn1?^"p' *° oblige us to a peniten-
tial hie? Can we otherwise pretend to
be secure? Even these (and God best
knows how few they are) who are not
conscious to themselves of having com-
mitted such a sin in their whoiR i;c.
time, muse not therefore think theii
selves exempt from the obligation of
doing penance; as well because of their

120

ON DOING PENANCE

own hidden sins, as of those which they
may have occasioned in others; for no
man knows whether he be worthy of love
or haired, Eccl. viii. 9. as also, because
a penitential life is the best security
against sin, which will insensibly pre-
vail over us, if not curbed by self-denial,
mortification, and penance.

Consider, secondly, that as in the me-
thod of penance, different rules must be
prescribed to different persons: those
who have the misfortune to be actually
in the state of mortal sin, or, what is
still more deplorable, are plunged in
the depth of a habit of one or more
kinds of mortal i^ns, as soon as their
eyes are opened to discover the hel-
lish monster which they carry aboul
with them, must, like the prodigal child,
arise without delay, and return to their
Father. A sacrifice of a contrite and
humble heart is what God, above all
things, requires at their hands; this
ought to be the sole foundation of their
penance: without this, corporal auste-
rities will be of small account. Such
sinners ought to allow themselves no

'^-..

FOR OXTR SINS.

121

ch they
for no
of love
because
ecurity
>ly pre-
-denial,

the me-
nust be
: those
ctually
vhat is
ged in
r more
s their
le hel-

aboul
I child,
their
te and
»ve all
;; this
f their
auste-

Such
^es no

respite: till they have made their peace
with God, their sins ought to be always
before their eyes. Their first thoughts
in the morning ought to be upon their
misfortune, in beiag at so great a dis-
tance from God, enslaved by the devil,
and liable to be his companions in eter-
nal misery: the like ought to be their
last thoughts at night'; when, like the
penitent David, they ought to wash
their beds with their tears. As often
as they appear before their God in
prayer, it ought to be in the spirit of
the humble publican, looking upon them-
selves as unworthy to lift up their eyes
to heaven, or towards the altar of God ;
and with, him, striking their breasts,
with a Lord he merciful to me a sinner.
Thus will they certainly obtain mercy
from him, who is the Father of mercy.
Consider, thirdly, that after the sin-
ner has done his best endeavours to
seek a reconciliation with his offended
God, by a sincere repentance and con-
fession of his sins, he must not think
himself exempt from any further pen-
ance, as if he had now no just debt to

122

disch

ON DOmo PENANCB

:arge to the justice of God; nor ob-
iigation of making satisfaction for his
fr .^y,r»;'«?'ial works, or of bring-

Jrror°N ^ "" ^?^' ^"•^ dangerous
eiro, Nor must he content h!mself

with barely acquitting himself of tho
penancaenjoined by his confessor, which
IS, It IS to be feared, seldom sufficient to
satisfy the justice of God. Alas ! if sin-
ners were truly sensible of the enor-
mous injury done to God by mortal sin,
as true penitents must be, they would
certainly do penance in another man-
ner, than -too many do; they would be
more in earnest in chastising their sin-
tul flesh by penitential works, and thus
making a rnore proportionable satisfac-
tion lor their past treasons.

Consider fourthly, that the true
manner of doiug penance for our sins,
IS better learnt from the holy fathers
and doctors of the church, than from
the loose maxims of worldlings, or the
_,,.^.^ ^t ^^^ inany penitents in this
degenerate age. Let us give ear then
to those lights of the church, and fol-

FOB OUR SINS.

123

nor ob-
for his
* bring-
enance;
igerous
limself
of tho
, which
;ient to
II sm-
5 enor-
tal sin,
would
' man-
M be
ir sin-
d thus
tisfac-

true
r sins,
ithers

from
r the
I this

then
i fol-

low their direction on this important
subject. " God himself has taught us,"
says St. Cyprian, (L. de Lapsis) "in
what manner we are to crave mercy
of him. He himself says. Return to
me with your whole heart, in fasting, and
weeping, and mourning, Joel ii. Let us
then return to the Lord with our whole
heart; let us appease his wrath by fast-
ing, weeping, and mourning, as he ad-
monishes us. — Let the greatness of our
grief equal the heinousness of our sins.
— We must pray earnestly, we must
pass the day in mourning, and the night
in watching and weeping, spending all
our time in penitential tears. Our
lodging should be on the floor strewed
with ashes; our covering haircloth, &c.
After having cast off the garment of
Christ, we should not now seek any
(worldly) cloathing. — We must employ
ourselves now i:i good works, by which
our sins may be purged away. We
must give frequent alms,#by which our
souls may be delivered from death."
>rian. With whom

Cyp]

^gJ

St. Pacian; in his exhortation to pea-

124 ON DOING PENANCE,

ance:«Ifanyone call you to a bath,
you must renounce all such delighls.
If any one invite you to a banquet, you
must say, such invitations are for those
that have not had the misfortune to lose
their God: but I have sinned against
he Lord, and am in danger of nlrish-
jng eternally. What have I to dl, with
ftasts, that have offended my God?
you must make your coprt to the poorj
you must beg the prayers of widows
you must cast yourself at the feet of
the priests; you must implore the inter-
cession of the church; you must try all
means, which may prevent your per-
ishmg everlastingly." And St. Am-
brose, in his second -book of penance,
chap.x "Can anyone imagine that
he IS doing penance, whilst he is in-
dulging his ambition in the pursuit of
honours, whilst he is swallowing wine,
&c. The true penitent must renounce
the world; must abridge even the nc-

^r'J *™t *'■ '^'^P'" """^t interrupt it

With hl« ein-ho «v.J _,-i -•. 1 . .^^

"o^^'^y ^"" cui u snort with his

prayers." And e ^

Horn.

-" .c A Csesarius of Aries,

viii. «As often as we visit the

FOB OUR SINS.

125

a bath,
elighle.
let, you
>r those
! to lose
against
perish-
io with
God?
3 poor;
idows;
'eet of
I inter-
try all
r per-
. Am-
lance,
3 that
is in-
uit of
wine,
ounce
le ne-
upt it
h his
i^rles,
t the

sick, or those that are in prison, or
reconcile together those that are at
variance with each other; as often as
we fast on days commanded by the
church — give alms to the poor that
pass by our door, &c. by these, and
such like works, our small sins are
daily redeemed. But this alone is not
enough for capital crimes; we must add
tears, lamentations, and long fasts; and
give alms to the utmost of our power."
Thus, as the same saint tells us, Horn,
i. "By present mortification will be
prevented the future sentence of eter-
nal death: thus, by humbling the guilty,
will the guilt be consumed: and by
this voluntary severity, the wrath of
a dreadful Judge will be appeased.—*
These short penitential labours will pay
off those vast debts, which otherwise
everlasting burning will never be able
to discharge." Christians! let us fol-
low in practice these excellent guides.

126 AGAINST DELAY

TWENTY-SECOND DAY.

AGAINST DELAY OF REPENTANCE.

Consider, /r5^, that of all the deceits
by which Satan deludes sinners to their
eternal ruin, there is none greater or
more dangerous than when he per-
suades them to put off their repentance
and conversion from time to time, till
no more time remains for repentance.
Alas! thousands, nay millions of poor
souls have been thus betrayed into ever-
lasting flames, who never designed to
damn themselves by dying in sin, any
more than we do at present. But, by
putting off their conversion, they have,
by a just judgment of God, been at last
surprised by death, when they least ex-
pected it; and by dying as they lived,
have been justly sentenced to that se-
cond and everlasting death. Unhappy
wretches ! who would not believe their

to watch; and declares in the gospel,
that other ^e he shall come at a time
when they least expect him. Ah! how

OF KEPENTANCE, ' 127

dreadful and how common are these
unprovided deaths! ^

Consider secoridly, the great pre-
sumption of sinners, who put off thefr
reconchat on with an offended God ,m
another t.me, shutting their ears to
his voice, by which he calls thm^ at
rr''T^ '^fusing him entrance in-

self thVv '^.^^ ""hdraw him-

self, they are undone for ever- how

iTeS 'T r ' ""^ -'"so m'u^ch
contempt? Is it not an infinite good-
ness a„d inexpressible condescerision
n this sovereign Majesty, to call after
them, whilst they are running from

without any interest on his side, to re-
turn to him who is their only good

ouitT"' ''^PPi"«««? What then
ought they not to apprehend from his

li Trf ' 'V^^y e'^""«'«'"y «"d insolent!
ly refuse to embrace his mercy? How
dare they m-etend to H,,,„„„„ J.,.. "
tn nr^rva "„' "~ " ' 'r'*i'"='° "» "lu lime
to come, or promise themselves greater
graces hereafter than those wWch they
now abuse;- Do they not kffow tha^

,«**"

\ .

128

AGAINST DELAY

God alone is master of time and gm«>,
and that by his just Pigment; those
^ho presume to tempthim m this man
ner. generally speaking, die in their
sfns? Ahl it is too true, that he who
has promised pavdon to ^^e -nn" tha^
is sincerely converted, has neither prc^
mised time nor efficacious grace to those
who defer their conversion.

CoNSiDEK, tldrdly, the great folly ol
sinners, who put off their conversion to
God til another time, upon pretence of
do°ng more easily hereafter: where-
Sth reason ""d experience make it
evident, that the longer they defer ths
work, the more difficulties they meet to
rmpass it. And how can U be other-
S since by this delay, and by add-
ins daily sin to sin, their sinful habits
lather suength; the devil's power over
fhfm increases,' and God, who is dmly
more and more provoked, >s ^7 Jg-^l^
less liberal of his graces, so that they
vl4» l.«« freouent and pressing; till
. rrengthrby accustoming themselves
to resist his grace, they fall mto the
wretehed stall of blindness and hard-

id grace,
nt, those
this man-
in their
,t he who
inner that
ither pro-
:e to those

1 folly of
iversion to
retence of
jr: where-
^ce make it
r defer this
ey meet to
X be other-
nd by add-
nful habits
power over
ho is daily

by degrees
o that they
ressing; till

themselves
'all into the
3 and hard-

OF REPENTANCE.

129

ness of heart, the broad roc
impenitence!

Consider, fourthly, the unparallel. d
madness of those who defer their con-
version upon the confidence of a death-

nnnnT"'^^"""' ^^^^g^"^^ tO put a chcat

upon the justice of God, by indulging
themselves in sin all their life-irme;
and then making their peace with God
when they can sin no longer. Unhap-
py wretches! consider that God is not
to be mocked: that what a man soweth,
the same shall he reap, Gal. vi. 6. The
general rule is, that as a man lives, so
he dies: a rule so general, that in the
whole scripture we have but one exam^
^f^f/, person who died well after a
wicked life, VIZ. the good thief; an ex-
ample so singular in all its circum-
stances as to give no encouragement to
sinners who entertain ^ premeditated
design of cheatmg the justice of God
by a death-bed conversion. Ah! how

dreadfiillv dlf^i^nl* - -f u ^ "^^

, . ---;.; -'-ixiv^uit ijjuyi, it be ior a

dying sinner, in whom the habit of sin

IS by long custom turned into a second

nature, to attain to a thorough change

i'ljiiiiiziip*''

130

AGAINST DELAY, ETC.

of heart, sincere sorrow and detestation
of sin, love of God above all things,
which he never thought of in his lite-
time, and which now become indispensa-
bly necessary. Ah! how deceitful are
those tears, which are often shed by
dying sinners, (as may be seen in the
case of King Antiochus,) who, being
wholly influenced by the fear of death,
prevail not with the just Judge. And
if there be so much danger, even when
tears are plentifully shed, what must
there be, when, as it commonly hap-
pens, either the dullness and stupidity
caused by the sickness, or the pains
,and agonies of the body and mmd, are
so great, as to hinder any serious appli-
cation of our thoughts to the greatest
of all concerns? For if a head-achebe
enough to hinder us from being able to
pray with devotion, what an obstacle to
prayer must not the agonies of death
•be? No wonder then, that the saints

ana servants ui v^uu mtxi-^^- .^^^

count of those death-bed performarices;
especially since, as we see by daily
experience, that those who made the

! testation
I things,
his life-
dispensa-
iitful are
shed by
m in the
10, being
of death,
ge. And
ven when
hat must
Dnly hap-
stupidity
the pains
mind, are
LOUS appU-
B greatest
;ad-achebe
ng able to
obstacle to
3 of death
the saints

r. liftlft no.'

"ormances ;

by daily

made the

ON TIME AND ETERNITY. 131

greatest show of repentance, when thev
were uj danger of death, n^ sooner es^
^ped that danger, but are still the same

hZsnJT'^u'^""'- O Christians!
le us not then be imposed upon by the
false and flattering discoursis of men!
who are so free in pronouncing favour-
ably of all those, w'ho after a life spl't
a^ Z'- """^^^^T show of repentince

a tie ,fr\.^'' "' rather' tremble
at the deplorable case of such souls-

and remember that the judgments of God
are very different from^ those of men

TWENTY-THIRD DAY.

ON TIME AND ETERNITY.

tim^Ts' wv' if'*'' ^°'' P''^°'°"« ^ thing
away as if u were of no value. Time

^Jt [T ?^. °"''/""'=> so much of our
"- „ aosoiuteiy lost. Time is given

*e 1 ° .'"°'"f "' °f '™«' in which

may not work for eternity, and

138 ON TIItE AND ETERNITY.

Which we may not store "P i™*"
and everlasting treasures. As many
therefore as we lose of these precious
moments, are so many lost eternities.
The present is the only time of work-
ing: It is the only time we can call our
own, and God only knows how long it
will last. It is short; it flies away in
an instant; and when once it is gone, it
cannot be recalled; the very momen in
which we are reading this line, is just
passing, never, no never more to re-
turn. Every hour is posting away,
without stopping one moment, till it De
swallowed up in the immense gull ol
eternity: and as many of these hours
or moments as are lost, are lost toi
ever; the loss is irreparable, l-earn
hence, my soul I to set a just value
upon the present time; learn to husband
it well, by employing it in good works.
Consider, seco7My, Christian soul!
what thy thoughts will be. ^^t „the ap-
proach of death, ol tne vmue vt t,...,.,
which thou makest so little account ot
at present. What wouldst thou not
then give for some of those hours which

ON TIME AND ETERNITY.

133

immense
As many
5 precious
eternities.
} of work-
m call our
ow long it
3s away in

is gone, it
moment in
ine, is just
lore to re-
Ling away,
It, till it be
ise gulf of
;hese hours
re lost for
ble. Learn
L just value
i to husband
good works,
istian soul!
I, at the ap-

1..«. r\C 4-iinno

e account of
it thou not
hours which

thou now losest in vanity and sin ? Ah !
the dreadful anguish that will rack the
soul of the dying sinner, when seeing
himself at the brink of a miserable eter-
nity, he shall wish a thousand times, but
, m vain, that he could recall one day, or
i even one hour of his past time, and had
but the same health and strength as he
formerly had, to employ it in the love
of God, and sincere repentance for his
sms. Ah! worldlings, why are you
then so blind as not to see, that any one
of these hours, which you daily squan-
der away, is indeed more valuable than
ten thousand worlds.

Consider, thirdli/, what will be the
sentiments of the damned of the value
of time, when time shall be no more:
how bitterly will they regret during
eternity, all those hours, days, months,
and years, which were allowed them
by the bounty of their 'Creator, during
the space of this mortal life; by the due
employment of which, thev misht have
prevented that misery, to whu^h they
are new irrevocably condemned; and
might have made themselves eternally

r^v:33g£-~.tESSa^S5 3i(jfc!cg=eri ! a ! a..'.''.' ".' W"!™

r 1^'

s <

. !>
1!

ill I;

134

ON TIME AND ETERNITY.

and infinitely happy; but, alas! they
would not work whilst the time was,
whilst they had the day-light before
them: the night, the dismal and eternal
night is now come, in which it is too
late to work; and during which, they
shall eternally condemn their past folly
and madness, in neglecting and abusing
their precious time. Ahl Christians,
let us be wise at their expence. But
what do you think will be the senti-
ments of the blessed in heaven of this
precious time? Truly, if it were pos-
sible, and if their happy state could
admit of such a thing as grief, there is
nothing tho^e blessed souls would re-
gret more than the loss of those mo-
ments, which in their life-time had not
been well husbanded : when they shall
clearly see, in the light of God, what
an immense increase of glory and hap-
piness they might have acquired, by
the due employment of those precious
moments.

Co^swER^ fourthly, that as all time is
short, and passes quickly away, so all
temporal enjoyments, honours, riches,

■

ON TIME AND ETERNITY.

135

i! they
le was,
before
eternal
t is too
h, they
tst folly
abusing
L'istians,
e. But
e senti-
L of this
ere pos-
e could
there is
auld re-
ose mo-
had not
ey shall
3d, what
ind hap-
ired, by
precious

il time is
y, so all
, riches,

■

and pleasures of this world, are all
transitory, uncertain, and inconstant.
Only eternity, and the goods or evils
which it comprises, are truly great,
as being without end, without change,
without comparison; admitting of no
mixture of evil in its goods, nor any
alloy of comfort in its evils. O! the
vanity of all temporal grandeur, which
must soon be buried in the coffin. O!
how quickly does the glory of this
world pass away? a few short years
are more than any one can promise
himself: and after that, poor sinner,
what will become of thee? Alas! the
worms will prey upon thy body, and
merciless devils on thy unrepenting
soul. Thy worldly friends will forget
thee; the very stones, on which thou
hast got thy' name engraved, will not
long out-live thee. 0! how true is that
sentence, Vanity of vanities, and all is
vanity: but to love God, and to serve
him alone? Tf is thn« nnlv w<i oVioii

be wise for eternity; all other wisdom
is but folly.

ili'BtTn"W-Mm»iiiUMHr~T~

136 ON THE PEESENCE OF GOD.

TWENTY-FOUETH DAY.

ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

Consider, first, that God is every
where present. If I ascend into heav-
en, says the Psalmist, Ps. exxx. 8. thou
art there; if I descend into hell, thou art
there. He fills both heaven and earth :
and there is no created thing whatso-
ever, in which he is not truly and per-
fectly present. In him we live, in him
we move; our very being is in him.
As the birds, wherever they fly, meet
with the air, which encompasses them
on all sides; and as the fishes swimming
in the ocean, every where meet with
the waters; so we, wherever we are, or
wherever we go, meet with God; we
have him always with us; he is more
intimately present to our souls, than
our souls are to our bodies. Alas! my
poor soul, how little have we thought
of this? And yet it is an article of our
faith, in which we have been instructed
from our very cradle. Let us seriously
reflect on this truth for the future : let

ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 137

every

heav-
9. thou
hou art

earth:
vhatso-
[id per-
il! him

1 him.
, meet
3 them
mmirig
t with
are, or
Dd; we
3 more
3, than
IS I my
hought
of our
tructed
riously
re: let

us strive to be always with him, who is
always with us.

Consider, secondly, that God being
every where, sees us wherever we are;
all our actions are done in his sight;
our very thoughts, even the most secret
motions and dispositions of our hearts,
cannot be concealed from his all-seeing
eye. In vain does the sinner flatter
himself in his crimes, saying, like the
libertine mentioned by the wise man,
Eccl. xxiii. that darkness encompasses
him, and walls cover him, and no one
sees him whom he fears. Alas ! the eyes
of the Lord are infinitely brighter than
the rays of the sun; and no darkness,
clouds, walls, or curtains, can screen us
from his piercing sight, which pene-
trating clearly, sees the very centre of
the soul; and no wonder that he shouk
clearly see wliat passes in the place
where he is always present.

Consider, thirdly, that God, who is
in all places, and in all things, is every
where whole and entire, because he is
indivisible; he is every where with all
his majesty, attributes, and perfections.

138

ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

We have then within us, O my soul!
the eternal, immense, omnipotent, self-
existent, infinite Lord and Maker of
all things; and we are with this infinite
Being, who accompanies us wherever
we go. He is in all places by his
omnipotence, to which all things are
subject; what then have his friends to
fear? He is every where with his in-
finite justice ; how then can his enemies
be secure? He is every where infinite-
ly good to his children; his love and
kindness to them surpasses that of the
most tender mother; his providence
watches over them, his wisdom won-
derfully disposes of all things for their
greater good: 01 what comfort then,
must this thought of the presence of
God afford his servants, and those that
truly fear and love him.

Consider, fourthly, that God existing
in all places, requires of us that we
should every where take notice of his
presence. Can there be any object more
vrxjiiiiy .ji uuuuLiuiii ciiiu shaii wc UieH
be so unfortunately blind, as to amuse
ourselves with every trifle that falls in

ny soul!
ent, self-
aker of
3 infinite
wherever
by his
ingo are
riends to
1 his in-
enemies
infinite-
ove and
t of the
Dvidence
•m won-
br their
rt then,
ence of
ose that

existing
that we
e of his
ict more
we tiieu
) amuse
falls in

on THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 139

our way, and let God, the sovereign
beauty and sovereign good, pass unre-
garded? Ah! let us never regret being
alone, since we have always in our
company that infinite Being, the sight
and enjoyment of whom is the eternal
felicity of angels. What if we see him
not with our corporal eyes, is he the
less present? But have we not more
noble eyes, viz. the eyes of the under-
standing, which, assisted by divine faith,
ought to contemplate God, always pre-
sent in the very midst of us? Ah! the
sweetest repose is to be found in him;
all other recreations are vain, when
compared to this.

Consider, ffthJy, that God being
every where present, it is requisite
that we should comport ourselves, in-
teriorly and exteriorly, in such a man-
ner as becomes those who are standing
in his sight. The presence of a per-
son, for whom we have a respect, is
sufficient to restrain us from doing any
thing trivial or indecent: and shall not
the presence of the infinite majesty of
God, in comparison with whom the '

140

ON THE PRESENCE 0^ GOD.

greatest monarchs of the earth are less
than nothing, restram us ir. that exterior
modesty and interior reverence which
are so justly his due? Ought we not
even to annihilate ourselves in the sight
of this immense Divinity? But, O my
God! how far are we from these dis-
positions, as often as we dare to sin in
thy almighty presence, and fly in the
face of thy sovereign Majesty? Alas!
my poor soul, how much should we be
ashamed to have our sins known to
such persons, whose esteem we covet?
we would be ready even to die with
confusion, to have them known to the
whole world. We would be very un-
willing to have our vain and ridiculous
amusements, though otherwise inno-
cent, laid open to the eyes of our neigh
hours: and why will we not consider
the all-seeing eye of our great God,
which is always fixed upon us, and
clearly discerns all that passes in the
most secret closet of our heart? Why

T- .ix iTv iiwt iv>iit;v/.L LiiaL uuruVii HiOUgntS

being known to God, is indeed a greater
shame, a greater loss of our true hon-

ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

our, than if they were published by
sound of trumpet over the universe.

Consider, sixthly^ that God being
every where present, every where re-
quires our love: he is every where
infinitely amiable, beautiful, good, per-
fect, and at all times and in every
place, infinitely good to us. Why then
do we not love him, who is all love?
Deus charitas est, says St. John, chap,
iv. God is love. We have this loving
and most lovely God continually with
us and within us; why do we not run
to his embraces? He is a fire that ever
burns in the very centre of our souls;
how then comes it to pass that we feel
so little of its flames? It is because we
do not approach it. It is because we
will not restrain our thoughts at home,
attentive to that great guest who resides
within us, but suffer tbem continually to
wander abroad upon vain created amuse-
ments. O! convertere, anima mea, in
reouiem tuam. Ps. cxliv. Turn awav.
my soul, from all these worldly toys,
which keep thee at a distance from thy
God; return then to him who is thy

142 ON THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

true and only happiness, for in him
only thou wilt find everlasting repose.

TWENTY-FIFTH DAY.

ON THE PASSION OF CHRIST: AND FIRST
ON OUR SAVIOUR IN THE GARDEN OF
GETHSEMANI.

Consider, first, how the Son of God,
(who came down from heaven, and
clothed himself with our humanity, in
order to be our priest and our victim
and to offer himself a bleeding sacrifice
lor our sms to his eternal Father,) was
pleased to begin his passion by a bloodv
sweat and agony in the garden o{ Geth-
semani, the night before his death.
Here having left the rest of his disci-
pies at some distance, and taking with
him Peter, James, and John, who be-
fore had been witnesses of his glorious
transfiguration on mount Thabor, he

begms to disclose to them that mortal
anormsh fom. ^-^a -,-4 ...

- -_,_ ,^,,,^ „,,^ suduess Winch on-
pressed his heart. My soul, saith he,
IS sad even unto death, Matt. xxvi.

ON THE PASSION OF CHRIST. 143

That is, with a sadness which even
now would strike me dead, if I did not
preserve myself, in order to suffer still
more for you. Sweet Jesus, what can
be the meaning of this? Didst thou
not lately cry out, speaking of thy
passion, and the desire that thou hadst
of suffering for us: 1 have a baptism
loherewith I am to he baptized, and how
lam straitened till it be accomplished,
Luke xii. Whence then comes this
present sadness? Was it not thou,
who hast given such strength and cour-
Tige to thy martyrs, as not even to
shrink under the worst of torments?
and art thou thyself afraid? But, O
dear Lord, I plainly understand that it
was by thy own choice, that thou hast
condescended to suffer thyself to be
seized with this mortal anguish. It
was for my instruction, and that thou
mightest suffer so much the more for
my sake. I adore thee under this
weakness /'If T mnv Ho nllr^worl t^. /^oii

it so) no less than on thy throne of
glory; because it is here that I better
discover thy infinite love for me.

■ I

144 ON THE i'ASSION OF CHRIST.

Consider, secondly, how our dear
baviour, under this anguish and sad-
ness, betakes himself to prayer, as the
only refuge under afflictions,-~the only
shield in the day of battle. But take
notice my soul, with what reverence he
prays, prostrate on the ground, to his
eternal Father,- and with what fervour;
with a loud cry and tears, says the
Apostle, Heh. v. 7. Learn then to im-
itate him. In this prayer he conde-
scended so far as to allow his inferior
part to petition, that the cup of his bit-
ter passion might be removed from
nim: but then he immediately added-
yet not my will, but thine he ^ done- to'
teach us, under all trials and crosses, a
perfect submissfon and resignation to
the divine will.

^ Consider, thirdly, how our Saviour
interrupted twice his prayer to come
and visit his disciples, but found them
both times asleep. Ah! my sbul, and
IS it^nm thy case also to sleep, that is,
to iauuige thyself in a slothful sensual
way of living? whereas the whole life
01 thy Saviour was spent in labouring

[ST.

our dear
and sad-
der, as the
—the only
But take
erence he
nd, to his
t fervour;
says the
;n to im-
le conde-
5 inferior
f his bit-
ted from
y added;
done: to
crosses, a
lation to

Saviour
to come
nd them
oul, and
, that is,

sensual
bole life
bouring

• ON THE PASSION OF CHRIST. 145

for thy salvation; and all he then suf-
tered, he suffered for thee. Ah! pity
now at least his comfortless condition,
whilst on the one hand, his Father
seems deaf to his prayers; and on the
other, his disciples are too drowsy to
attord him the least attention. In this
desolate state, an angel from heaven
appears to comfort Him, who is the joy
ot angels. O! what humi^'^v* But
what kind of comfort, .,k you, did
this angel bring? N<> other but the
representing to him the will of his
eternal Father, and humbly entreating
nim, in the name oi heaven and earth
not to decline the imparting to poor
sinners, by his infinite love, the plenti-
lul redemption, for which he came into
the world, and to undergo the ignomi-
nies and torments of one short day's
continuance, with the prospect of pro-
moting the salvation of mankind, and
that eternal glory and honour which
the Godhead should

sufferings. Let the like

nLs

of the will of God, his

consideration
greater honour

and glory, and the good of thy

own

146 ON THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

soul, comfort thee also under all thy
anguish and crosses. There can be no
comfort more solid. '

ConisiDBK, fourthly, the mortal agony
which our Saviour suffered in his soul
this night during his prayer. We may
judge of his pains and anguish by the
wonderful effect they produced in his
body, by casting him into so prodigious
a sweat of blood, as to imbue the very
ground on which he lay prostrate. —
Sweet Jesus! who ever heard of such
an agony? But what thinkest thou,;
my soul ! was the true cause of all this
anguish, and bitter agony of thy Sa-
viour? Chiefly these: First, A clear
view and lively representation of all
that he was to suffer during the wholo
course of his passion: so that all the
ignominies and torments, that he was
afterwards successively to undergo, were
now all at once presented before the
eyes of his soul, with all their respec-
tive aggravations; by which means he
suffered his whole bitter passion twice
over, once by the hands of his enemies,
and at another time by his own most

ON THE PASSION OF CHRIST. 147

clear and lively imagination of all that

these'' dr'"'"; ^"' ^'^y' '^'^ J-"''
these additional agonies? 'Tis only

thy love can answer. Another cause

that contributed to our Saviour's an

gmsh was a distinct view of he sLs
of the whole world, from the first to

he last; of the horrid crimes and atom-
inations of mankind, all now laid To
h.s charge, to be cancelled by the last
drop of his blood. Ah ! how hideous -
how detestable were all these hellish
monsters, in the eyes of our SavjS'

eno'^Jrbv .' " ^"1 "°''°» °'- S
tZT^' u^ •'^"'"g *'«'»ys before him
a clear sight of the infinite majesty bv
them offended! OLord! how St a
share has not my sins had in th s tra^
gical scene! how much, alas! did they
contribute to thy pains and grief? I
third cause of our Saviour's afoiy, wal
the foreknowledge he had of^he^ Hub

s"ffeSr'^?,in'^_r-^ °'-"'' •"^

and haa-„ess";fT;;;^brwh?rtrev
would pervert this antidofe into a mor^
tal poison, and tread his blood uX

=liir^

148

ON OUR SAVIOUR IN THE

their feet; as well as the eternal loss of
so many millions of souls, for which he
was to die. All these sad and melan-
choly thoughts assailing at once the soul
of our Redeemer, cast him into a mor-
tal agony, and forced from him those
streams of blood. Ah I Christians, pity
now the anguish of your Saviour, and
resolve never more to have any hand
in afflicting his tender soul by sin.

TWENTY-SIXTH DAY.

ON OUR SAVIOUR IN THE COURT OF
CAIPHAS.

Consider, /r5<, how our Saviour aris-
ing from his prayer, after having con-
quered all his fears, returns to his dis-
ciples, bidding them now sleep on and
take their rest, for that his hour was
come, and that the traitor was just at
hand. But thou, dear Lord! when wilt
thou enjoy rest or place? Not till the
last sleep" of death on the hard bed of
the cross. Contemplate, Christians! the
courage and readiness which our Savi-

loss of
hich he

melan-
the soul

a mor-
n those
ns, pity
>ur, and
ly hand
in.

IT OP

)ur aris-
ing con-
his dis-
on and
3ur was
I just at
hen wilt
; till the
I bed of
[ans! the
►ur Savi-

COURT OF CAIPHAS. I49

words F, . r ^^^ ^°"'^ "^ two

^iinas, the father-in-law of the hiVh

servant who struck him on the fZ
Prom thence they led him to he coun
of Catphas, where the chief priestS
elders were assemhio,! i P"®®'^ and
th;« „.„. __.-^^®'"°'«9' 'ongmg to see

,p«"

150

ON OUR SAVIOUR IN THE

friends: contemplate this meek Lamb,
loaded wi.h their scoffs and insults, ia
the midst of ravenous wolves: but carry
the eyes of thy understanding still far-
ther: view the interior of his soul, and
see the joy and satisfaction he takes in
complying with the will of his eter-
nal F?Lther, and suffering for thee: and
learn from thence to have the like dis-
positions in all thy sufferings.

Consider, secondly, how our Lord
was no sooner brought to the court of
Caiphas the high-priest, where the
great council of the Sanhedrim were
assembled, but immediately after a
scornful welcome they proceed to his
trial, and call in the false witnesses,
who were to depose against him. But
behold the providence of God, see the
force of truth, and the wonderful inno-
cence of this Lamb of God; notwith-
standing the malice of this impious
court and their witnesses, men of
neither honour nor conscicnee, yet a^*
that they could allege against him was
either insignificant, or they could not
agree in their story, which made their

COURT OF CAIPHA3.

151

t Lamb,
isults, ia
rt carry
still far-
joul, and
takes in
[lis eter-
lee: and
like dis-

ur Lord
court of
lere the
im were

after a
3d to his
vitnesses,
lim. But
I, see the
I'ful inno-

notwith-
i impious

men of

him was
could not
lade their

testimonies of no weight. But whilst
thou adorest this providence, behold
and admire the meekness and patience
of thy Saviour, who remained silent
under all the provocations given by
these false witnesses; giving thereby a
most convincing proof of his being
more than man, who could thus calmly
hold his peace, whilst his reputation
and life were both attacked by pal-
pable calumnies. The malice of our Sa-
viour's enemies being thus confounded,
the high-priest arises, and adjures him
by the living God, to tell him whether
he was the Christ, the Son of God ! Ia
reverence to which adorable name, our
Lord made a solemn confession and
profession of the truth, teaching, by
his example, all his followers, when
called to the like trial, never to be
ashamed of him or, his faith. Upon
this, Caiphas rends his garments, cry-
ing out, Blasphemy! and they all pro-
nounce him lanrtJtii nf florti'k D.,*. *i

my soul, let us, on the contrary, cry
out with the angels, and all the elect
of God, Rev. v. 12. The Lamb that wcs

152

ON OUR "SAVIOUR IN THE

slain, is worthy to receive power, and
divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and
honour, and glory, and benediction, from
all creatures for ever.

Consider, thirdly, how that unjust
sentence against our Redeemer was no
sooner pronounced by the great coun-
cil) but immediately they all, with un-
heard of barbarity, fell upon him, more
like furies of hell than men, discharg-
ing upon him all kinds of injuries^
blows, affronts, and blasphemy. See,
my soul! how these hell-hounds spit in
the face of thy Saviour, and disgorge
their filthy phlegm on that sacred fore-
head where beauty and majesty sit: be-
hold how they buffet, kick, and strike
him with merciless rage, whilst he, with
his hands tied behind him, is not able to
ward off one blow, nor has any friend
present to wipe his face, or afford him
any other help. See, how they muffle
up his face with a filthy rag, and then
in derision (as if he were a mock pro-
phet or impostor) at every blow bid
him prophesy who it was that struck
ihim: besides many other affronts, which

COURT OF CAIPHAS.

153

wer, and
ngth, and
ion, from

it unjust
jr was no
?at coun-
with un-
im, more
discharg-

injuriesj
ly. See,
ds spit in

disgorge
;red fore-
y sit: be-
nd strike
; he, with
Dt able to
ly friend
ford him
3y muffle
and then

lock nro-
_ , _ ^ - -

blow bid

it struck

ts, which

he endured with an invincible patience
and fortitude.

Consider, fourthly, that of all our
Saviour's sufferings in the court of
Uaiphas, none touched him so much to
the quick as the fall of Peter, the chief
ot his apostles, who bad received the
most signal favours from him; who,
alter having boasted that very night
that though all the rest of his disciples
should abandon their Master, he would
never forsake him, and that he would
sooner die with him, than deny him:
yet, behold the weakness and incon-
stancy of human nature; at the voice

u- ^^f ^ '^^^"^^ ^^ immediately denies
his Master, repeats his denial a second,
a third time, and even asserts with oaths
and imprecations, that he never knew
the man. Sweet Jesus! what is man?
Alas! O Lord, look to me, and support
me by thy grace, or I also shall deny
thee. The causes of Peter's fall were,
.. ..V.WV.I, piiuc uiiu presumption
upon his own strength. Secondly, a
neglect of the admonition of our Sa
viour, in Jeepin^, when he admonished

,mt

154

ON OUE SAVIOUR, ETC.

him to watch and pray. Thirdly^ in
exposing himself to the danger, by run-
ning into ill company. Beware that
the like causes do not produce the like
effects in thee, by leading thee also to
deny, and even crucify the Lord by sin.
Learn to imitate the speedy repentance
of this apostle, who, immediately after
his fall, going out, wept bitterly; a
practice which, it is said, he ever after
retained, as often as he heard the cock
crow.

Consider, ^i5/tZ^, how the high-priest
and scribes, after having pronounced
sentence of death against our Saviour,
retired to take their rest, leaving him
in hands that were not likely to suffer
him to take any rest. 01 what a night
did our Lord pass in the midst of such-
a rabble, who, to gratify their own
cruelty, and the malice of their mas-
ters, repeated over and over again, that
scene of inhumanity, which they had
begun whilst their masters were pre-
sent, loading him with all kinds of
outrages and blasphemies. So that we
may boldly afHrm, that one half of

Mrdly, in
•, by run-
are that

the like
e also to
'd by sin.
jpentance
ely after
tterly; a
ver after

the cock

igh-priest
onounced

Saviour,
vmg him

to suffer
it a night
t of such-
leir own
leir mas-
gain, that
they had
^ere pre-
kinds of
that we

half of

OUR SAVIOUR IS BROUGHT, ETC. 155

what our Saviour suffered on that night,
will not be known till the day of judg-
ment. All which insolencies he not
only bears in silence, but even whilst
they are abusing him, he prays for
them, excusing them to his Father, and
offering up all his sufferings in atone-
ment for their sins. Sweet Jesus! give
us the grace to imitate thee.

TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY.

OUR SAVIOUR IS BROUGHT BEFORE PILATE
AND HEROD.

Consider, Jirst^ how early in the
morning, notwithstanding their late sit-
ting up, the high-priest, and his fellows
in iniquity, convene a more numerous
assembly of the Sanhedrim, and there
again put the same question to our Sa-
viour, Whether he was the Son of God?
and receiving the same answer, con-
firm their former sentence. Yet- as
they did not think it safe for them-
selves, being subjects of the Roman
empire, to put this sentence in execu-

156

OUR SAVIOUE IS BKOUGHT

tion, without the consent of Pontius Pi-
late the governor, they determined to
carry him to Pilate, and by his author-
ity to have him crucified: a kind of ex-
ecution which their malice made choice
of, because it was at the same time,
most ignominious, as being only for
vile slaves and notorious criminals; and
most cruel, as being a long and linger-
ing death, under the sharpest and most
sensible torments. Come now, O Chris-
tian soul! and contemplate thy Saviour,
whilst he is hurried along the streets
with his hands bound, from the house
of the high-priest to the court of Pilate,
attended by the whole council and their
wicked ministers, publishing aloud as
they go on, that now all his impostures
were laid open, his hypocrisy discover-
ed, and himself convicted of blasphemy.
Behold the giddy mob, who a little be-
fore reverenced him as a prophet, now
all on a sudden join with his enemies,
following him with opprobrious shouts
and insults as he passes along the high-
way, and discharging a thousand kind
of injuries and affronts upon him.

'ontius Pi-
rmined to
lis author-
ind of ex-
ade choice
ime time,

only for
linals; and
nd linger-
; and most
r, O Chris-
7 Saviour,
he streets
the house

of Pilate,
and their

aloud as
n postures

discover-
asphemy.

little be-
3het, now

enemies,
us shouts
the high-
and kind
im.

BEFORE PILATE AND HEROD. 157

Consider, secondly, and view the
Judge of the living and the dead, stand-
ing with his hands bound as a criminal
at the bar of a petty governor; and
behold the process. The chief priests
and princes of the people having deliv-
ered him up, and Pilate demanding
what particulars they had to allege
against him, they made no scruple of
inventing fresh calumnies, viz. that ho
was a factious and seditious man, a trai-
tor and rebel to the government, who
had forbid tribute to be paid to Ca3sar,
and set himself up for king of the Jews.
Once more take notice of the invincible
patience of thy Saviour, in hearing
with silence such notorious falsities as
these laid to his charge; in so much
that the governor was astonished that
a man could be silent under such accu-
sations, which aimed at nothing less
than procuring his condemnation to
the worst of deaths. However, as he
plainly saw through all the disguise of

scribes,

-priest

preted this silence in favour of ..u*
Saviour, only hesitating a little at the

mter-

our

158

OUR SAVIOUR IS BROUGHT

word king, and having received full
satisfaction upon that head, by being
given to understand that the kir';dom
of our Saviour was not of this world,
and therefore not dangerous to Caesar's
government, he determined to set him
at liberty. Admire the force of inno-
cence, which could even move a hea-
then, and one of the worst of men,
such as Pilate was, and assure thyself,
that, generally speaking, patience and
silence are a thousand times better
proofs of thy innocence, than returning
injury for injury, and making an op-
probrious and clamorous defence.

Consider, thirdly, how Pilate being
convinced of our Saviour's innocence,
and desirous of setting him at liberty,
met with an obstinate resistance from
the malicious princes and deluded peo-
ple; and therefore understanding that
our Saviour, as being an inhabitant of
Galilee, belonged to the jurisdiction of
Herod, the tetrarch thereof, he from
thence took occasion to rid himself of
their importunity, by sending him to
Herod. Accompany thy Lord, O my

;cived full
by being
3 kinndom
this world,
to Caesar's
to set him
:e of inno-
)ve a hca-
t of men,
re thyself,
tience and
nes better
I returning
ing an op-
mce.

ilate being
innocence,
at liberty,
tance from
sluded peo-
nding that
labitant of
sdiction of
r, he from
himself of
tig him to
Drd, O my

BEFORE PILATE AND IIEROD. 159

soul! in this new stage, and tak^ notice
of his incomparable meckn.ss, whilst
he passes through the stree.s, linec on
each side with an inlUlting i - !.Ui^..de,
and echoing with their reprouohes and
clamours. Herod rejoiced at his coming,
in hopes to see some miracle, and there-
fore put a thousand questions to him:
whilst the princes of the Jews, -with
unwearied malice, were repeating all
their false accusations against him; but
our Lord was still silent, nor would he
satisfy the curiosity of Herod, nor do
any thing by which he might incline
this prince to free him from that death
which he so ardently desired, as be-
ing by the decrees of Jieaven, tlie only
means of our redemption. Blessed by
all creatures be his goodness for ever!
Consider, fourthly., how Herod, pro-
voked by our SaviourVnot consenting
to gratify his inclinations of seeing a
miracle, sought to revenge himself by
treating him with mockery and scorn,
exposing him to the scoffs of his guards^
by ordering him to be clothed in con-
tempt with a white garment as with a

OUR SAVIOUR IS BROUGHT

fool's coat, or perhaps as a mock king:

and in inis dress sent him back agam
to Pilate, attended in the same manner
as he came, wilfl an insulting mob,
headed by the scribes and pharisees.
Stand amazed, my soul I to see the Wis-
dom of the eternal Father treated thus
as a fool ; and learn from hence, not to
repine, or be solicitous about the judg-
ment of the world.

Consider, ffthly, how Pilate, seeing
our Saviour brought back again to his
tribunal, contrived another way to bring
him off, so as to give at the same time
as little offence as might be to the high-
priest and the chief of the Jews. It
was the custom of that nation, on the
day of their paschal solemnity, (which
was celebrated that very day in mem-
ory of their delivery from the Egyp-
tian bondage,) to set at liberty one crim-
inal for whom the people should peti-
tion: wherefore Pilate, taking advantage
of this opportunity, proposed to their
choice our Saviour on one hand, ana
Bt*rabbas, a rotorious malefactor, rob-
ber, and murderer, on the other,- not

ck king;
ck again
i manner
ng mobj
>harisees.
the Wis-
ated thus
ce, not to
the judg-

te, seeing
ain to his
y to bring
;ame time
the high-
Jews. It
)n, on the
Ly, (which
( in mem-
the Egyp-
one crim-
lould peti-
advantage
d to their
hand, and
actor, rob-
other; not

BEFORE PILATE AND HEROD. 161

doubting but they would rather choose
to have the innocent Lamb of God re-
leased, than that Barabbas, the worst
of criminals, should escape due punish-
ment. Ah! Pilate, what an outrageous
affront dost thou here put upon the Son
of God, whilst thou pretendest to favour
him ? What ! must the Lord of life and
immortality, the King of Heaven, stand
m competition with the vilest of men,
with the most notorious criminal that
could be pitched upon.? Must it be put
to the votes of the mob, which of the
two IS the better man, and which is the
more worthy of death? 01 the unpar-
alleled injury! O! the incomparable
humility of my Saviour! O! King of
glory, how low hast thou stooped, to
raise me up from the dunghill!

Consider, sixthly, if it was an into-
lerable affront to compare our Saviour
with Barabbas, what idea must we
frame, or what name must we give to
that blind people's choice, when thev
preferred Barabbas to Christ, and di
sired that the latter might be crucified,
and the former acquitted. Behold, O'
11 '

162

OUR SAVIOUR IS SCOURGED

1=^

my soul, in this wonderful humiliation
of thy Lord, how deep and dangerous
was the wound of pride, which could
not be cured but by so great humility:
O! see if thine be yet cured. Examine
thyself also, whether thou hast not often
been guilty, like these blind Jews, of
preferring Barabbas to thy Saviour; by
turning thy back on him for some petty
interest or filthy pleasure? If so, thou
art more inexcusable than they, because
thou knowest him to be the Lord of
glory, at the same time as thou perse-
cutest him by sin; whereas had they
known him to be such, they would
never have preferred a Barabbas before
him.

TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY.

OUR SAVIOUR IS SCOURGED AT THE PIL-
LAR, AND CROWNED WITH THORNS.

Consider, Jlrst, how the Jews still

eontlniiinfT tn orv nut nfrnin«t nur Tinrd.

and in a tumultuous manner to demand
his crucifixion, Pilate contrives another

GED

humiliation
dangerous
hich could
t humility:
Examine
st not often
d Jews, of
Javiour; by
some petty
If so, thou
3y, because
le Lord of
ihou perse-
j had they
hey would
bbas before

AT THE PILLAR, ETC.

163

DAY.

T THE PIL-
THORNS.

Jews still
t our Lord-

to demand
^es another

way to bring about his being set at
liberty, VIZ. by striving to satisfy their
crue ty, ,n ordering him to be most se-
verely scourged. O! Pilate, how cruel
IS thy mercy! Is it thus' that thou
treatest mm whom thou declarest in-
nocent? Is this thy justice? But our
sins,0 my soul! required that the Lord
of glory should, be thus cruelly treated,
and subjected to this ignominious pun-
ishment, to which none but common
slaves, or the meanest wretches are
liable, and to which a Roman citizen
could upon no account be condemned,
btand thou, my soul! and see in what
™^nner this sentence is executed. Be-
hold how the bloody soldiers lay their
impious hands on this meek Lamb of
G(^, how they strip oft" all his clothes,
and tie him naked fast to a stone pillar-
see how they discharge upon his sacred
DacJt and shoulders innumerable stripes,
lashes and scourges: behold the blood
come spouting forth on all sides: se«
now his body is all over rent and man-
gled by their cruelty, and the flesh lai(J
open to the very bones: behold bis en©.

}

Wli

164

OUR SAVIOUR IS SCOURGED

mies all the while insulting over him,
and rejoicing at his torments; whilst he,
with eyes cast up iowards heaven, is
offering up all that ho suffers for their
sins, and for those of ti?e whole world.
Ah! sinners, take a serious view of your
Redeemer's condition, and contemplat-
ing in his torn and mangled body, the
malice of sin, learn to detest this hell-
ish monster, which has brought on the
Son of God all these sul rings.

Consider, secondly, hotv these bloody
ruffians by their cruel scourging hav-
ing made but one wound of our Sa-
viour's body, from head to foot, loose
him at last from the pillar, leaving
him to put on his clothes as well as he
could. Ahl Christians, have compas-
sion now on your Saviour's abandoned
condition, who has no one to lend him
a helping hand to bind up his gaping
wounds, or staunch the blood that comes
flowing from them! O! present your-
selves now, and offer him what service
you are able : offer at least to assist him
in putting on his clothes, to cover his
green wounds from the cold air. But,

0!h

to hi
aifor
do hi
bing
Cc
less s
vioui

devil
such
since
a ba]

ragge
of loi
press
in his
in dCi
knees
saluta

IGED

over him,
; whilst he,

heaven, is
rs for their
hole world,
lew of your
contemplat-
d body, the
3t this hell-
jght on the
igs.

hese bloody
irging hav-
of our Sa-

foot, loose
ar, leaving

well as he
ve compas-

abandoned
;o lend him

his gaping
I that comes
esent your-
^hat service
o assist him

cover his

1 air. But,

AT THE PILLAE, ETC.

165

O! how rough are these woollen clothes
to his wounded back! Alas! instead of
affording him any ease or comfort, they
do but increase his sores, by their rub-
bing upon them.

Consider, thirdly, how these merci-
less soldiers had scarce given our Sa-
viour a short respite after his scourg-
ing, when they were pushed on by the
devil to act another scene of cruelty,
such as never was heard of before or
since: and that was, to make themselves
a barbarous sport in crowning him a
king. Therefore they drag him into
the court of the Proetorium, and assem-
ble together the whole regiment: then
violently strip him again of all his
clothes, which now begin to cleave to
his wounded body; set him on a bench
or stool, throw about him some old
ragged purple garment, tWist a wreath
of long, hard and sharp thorns, and
press it down on his sacred head, put
in his hand a reed for a sceptre : then
m dension, one by one, they bend their
knees before him, with the scornful
salutation, Hail, ktig of the Jews! they

i ^

III

166 OUR SAVIOUR IS fc^COJRGED

spit in his fhce, bullet him, m\d takin^
the reed or cane out of his haud. strii.!'
him With It on the head, driving the
thorii^ deeper in, whilst the blood trickles
down apace from the many wounds
which ne receives from their points,
bweet Jesus! what shall we hfeie say
or which shall we most admire; the mal-
ice of these ministers of Satan, or thy
unparalleled charity, which made thee
undergo such c heard of reproaches
and torments for ungrateful sinners?
iilessed be thy goodness for ever.
. Consider, fourthly, how Pilate, hop-
ing now that the rage and malice of
the Jews would be satisfied, so as to
insist no longer upon our Saviour's
death, after they should see with how
much cruelty and contempt he had
been treated, in compliance to their
iury, leads him forth in the same • ^n-
dition, with the crown of thorns r .[s
head, and he ragged purpk his

shoulders; :..d from an eminen «ftews
"im to the people, saying, Ecvn ,omo,
hehold the man. Behold in what umx^
ner he has now been handled, mjc

•\

rRGED

baud

3trik

.'iy

driving the
>lood trickles
iny wounds
heir points.
B hire say,
re; the mal-
itan, or thy
made thee
reproaches
ul sinners?
ever.

Pilate, hop-
l malice of
3, so as to
• Saviour's
J with how
3t he had
e to their
i same ' n-
3rns f i, is
>lt his

jn «fiews

what ' a-

Hed, -^oe

AT THE PILLAR, ETC.

167

then any longer to seek his death. Let
his body mangled from head to foot
bespeak your pity. But thou, O Chris-
tian soul! behold the man with other
kmd of eyes than these hard-hearted
wretches; and see to what a condition
thy sms and his own infinite charity
have reduced him. Behold his head
crowned with a wreath of sharp thorns,
piercmg on all sides his sacred flesh,
and entering into his temples with ex-
cessive pain. Behold his face quite
disfigured with blows, and quite be-
smeared with spittle and blood. Be-
hold his whole body inhumanly rent
and torn with whips and scourges; and
now covered with a hard ragged gar-
ment, rubbing, and at each moment
increasing his wounds; and then look
up, and conternplate Jiim upon his
throne of glory, and see what return
thou canst make him for having thus
annihilated himself for love of thee. He
desires no more of thee than an imita-
tion of his patience and humility: learn
then in what manner thou art to prac-
tice these lessons.

168

OUE SAVIOUE CAERIES

TWENTY-NINTH DAY.

OUR SAVIOUR CARRIES HIS CROSS, AND IS
NAILED TO IT.

Consider, firsts how the malice of
the Jews, no way relenting at the sight
of the Lamb of God bleeding for the
sins of the world, but continuing still
in a tumultuous manner to demand that
he might be crucified, Pilate at last
yields to their importunity, and against
his own conscience, sentences our Sa-
viour to the death of the cross. Ah!
Christians, has it never been your mis-
fortune by the like cowardice to con-
demn your Saviour and his doctrine,
and basely to renounce in the practice
of your lives the maxims of the gospel,
for fear of what the world will say?
Has not too often a much weaker temp-
tation than the fear of losing Caesar's
friendship induced you to crucify again
the Son of God? Be confounded and

pen I

Consider, secondly^ that this sentence
of death, how unjust soever from Pilate,

HIS CROSS, ETC.

169

yet as being most just from his eternal
leather, and necessary for our salvation,
was received with perfect submission
charity and silence, by our blessed Ee-
(leemer; who thereupon was immedi-
ately stripped again of his purple gar-
ment; clad with his own clothes; a
heavy cross, of a length and size pro-
portionable to the bearing of a mm,
laid on his wounded shoulders; and two
thieves or highway robbers appointed
to be his associates, and to be executed
with him; to verify the prophecy. With
me wicked he was reputed, Isai. liii
Come now, devout souls, and take a
view of our Lord in this his last pro-
gress or procession. A crier leads the
way, publishing aloud the pretended
crimes and blasphemies of this never
heard of malefactor: then follow the
soldiers and executioners, with ropes,
hammers, nails, fe. After whom go-
eth or rather r .epeth along, our
High-priest and Victim, all bruised and
bloody, with a thief on each hand, and

the cross on his
forward step by

houlde

"p; followed

ragging it

and sT:ir-

OUR SAVIOUR CABRiJ2*

rounded on all sides by the priests, the
scr-bes, and the whole mob of the peo-
ple, cursing, reviling and scoffing at
him,- whilst the cruel executioners are
hastening him forward with their kicks,
and blows. Ah! Christians, now at
least take pity on your Saviour's suf-
lerings, and add not t( his load by your
sins. ^ -^ *

CoNsiLiiR, thirdly, how our blessed
J^ord, having for some time, with un-
speakable labour and torment, carried
his cross through the streets, at last
falls down under its wei ht, unable to
carry it any . rthe. . W under not, my
soul, at this, since besides the load of
the cross oppreoLig his woaried body,
wounded m every part, and exhausted
with the loss of so mud blood, his
heavenly Father hap ^aiH upon his
shoulders another mo i upportable.
weight, viz. that of the sins of the
whole world. Ah! Christians, it is un-
der this intolerable burthen that your
^^ vi-xQ laiis uuwn. In or IS

i.!/7 ^i^ ^^^ °f this merciless
load by Simon of Cyrene, who was

ests, the
the peo-
•ffing at
lers are
ir kicks,
now at
ir's suf-
3y your

blessed
ith un-
carried
at last
able to
lot, my
oad of
[ body,
lausted
)d, his
on hi"
triable,
of the
is un-
1^ your
LNor is
rciless
5 was

HIS CROSS, ETC.

171

compelled to take up the cro.. ^n* i.
no part of the weight ^r .?•' V"^^re

all which theTetlnf/S;^^f.«,'
upon h s belovPfl ^^Tr /^^^"^r laid
by his blood «n/l"'l^ be^ cancelled

by his blood and deatl? ni -^ •
ffonrin^oc ^r .i '"_"catn Qf infinite

• (Ji infinite

^^ J "^^^^ anu aeatJi

being nor-ty.',tra^'°"'"

wear- 'i ^ll^^^^^^^^ ^r.-
wine seasoned 'wfcf '^^^Sht of

again bliding^rrC'cT^

172

OTJR SAVIOUR CARRIES

O! see how, while the cross is prepar
ing, he falls upon his knees, and offers
himself to his eternal Father, a bleed-
ing victim to appease his wrath en-
kindled by thy sins.

CoNsiB^, Jlfthly, how the cross lying
flat on the ground, they lay our dear
Redeemer stretched out upon it, who
like a meek lamb makes no resistance.
And first drawing his right hand to the
place designed to fix it on, they drive
with their hammers a sharp gross nail
through the palm^ forcing its way with
incredible torment through the sinews,
veins, muscles and bones, of which the
hand is composed, into the hard wood of
the cross; in the mean time the whole
body, to favour the wound and the
pierced sinews, was naturally drawn
towards the right side, but was not long
permitted to remain so; for immediately
these cruel butchers laying hold of his
left arm and hand, violently drag him
towards the opposite side, in order to
nail that hand also to the place d ign-
ed for it. Then pulling down his legs,
they fastened his sacred feet in like

HIS CROSS, ETC.

173

en-

manner wuh „a Is to the *vood: and
all this with such violence, that it is

and pul Img they very much strained

many parts, verifying the prediction of
the royal prophet: They have dug mv
^^ds and feet, they have numbered 2
my bones, Ps. xxi. ^h! Christians, if
the contracting or piercing of a nerve

>ng of a bone, though never so small

think o'?T \ ""•'"'■^' ^^''^ ">"«' we
think of the torments vrfiich our Sa-

vjour endured in his dijointed body.

ed, when his hands and feet, where so
many s.news, muscles, veins, and bones
ai meet, were violently bo.ed through
with gross nails! 0!let us never cele
to admire, adore, and love his mer^

174 OUR SAVIOUR ON THE ^ROSS.

THIRTIETH DAY.

OUR SAVIOUR ON THE CROSS.

Consider, firsts how the bloody exe-
cutioners having now nailed our Sa-
viour fast to the cross, begin with ropes
to raise him up in the air. O! what
shouts did his enemies make, when he
appeared above the people's heads ! with
what blasphemies did they salute him!
whilst his most afflicted mother, and
other devout friends, stood by pierced
to the he^.rj at the sight. At length
they let the foot of the cross fall with
a sudden. jolt into the hole prepared for
it J and thus he hung suspended in. the
air under the most excruciating tor-
tures, the weight of his body continual-
ly increasing the wounds in his pierced
hands and feetj without any resting
place for his head, but thorns; or bed
for his wearied and wounded body, but
the hard wood of the cross.

Coi siDER, secon-^ly, the infinite char-
ity of our Saviour, and thj unparallel-
ed malice of his enemies. When in

Jy cxe-
►ur Sa-
il ropes
! what
hen he
s! with
;e him!
jr, and
pierced

length
lU with
red for
I in the
ig tor-
itinual-
pierced
resting

or bed
dy, but

e char-
arallel-
hen in

OUR SAVIOUR ON THE CROSS. 175

^a^^ r-> '^ -OS out,
not e.yi«^S«' i'^ >r ^^ep know

shake their heads athT-' '^'^ ^^"^ ^^^^
thou that desZyest^h^^^^^^ ^«^-'

^ave now thyself ffZ "" ^^^'' ^«^^.
of God, coZdiwn £1 M "'' '^' ^'^
' only the eon. Jn (^0^' ^.T!^^^^

but a so the chiVf^ • ^ soldiers,
unite in loar'i„1"2"!f^'^ and elders
such like renrnaJ^^ ."* ^ 'housand

-wch h: hrtd'it^p^r-'

anf^t ince-hnt ni T '" patience

intenor e^pt2^t of H^'k/"" "^ ">«
whilst he hanJ? , '''^ '''^^^ed soul,

thoughtsVpTafe tTwTrd^lT"^ "'^
ers for us th^ a^^^ • i. "^' ^'^^ P^'ay-

agon.es orihelntSlSf J^'^'Y

which wis to" «! f "'^ "'^^'^ Father,

reden,p.ir„,':Sh ^ast'n'^'^"'''""'
'ng to poor sinners. ^° '"Part-

bleSrCin'S' ^^ P^" '"-t the
^-ngsori^SltdtSjJ-:-

176 OUR SAVIOUR ON THE CROSS.

was verified that prophecy of old Sim-
eon, that the sword should pierce her
very soul. 0! how killing a grief must
have oppressed the soul of this most
tender and loving of all mothers, who
during the whole course of the passion
of her dearest Son, whom she loved
with an incomparable love, was an eye-
witness to all the injuries, outrages, and
torments he endured. Ah I blessed Lady,
may we not truly say that the whips,
thorns and nails, that pierced thy Son's
flesh, made as deep a wound in thy vir-
gin heart, and that nothing less than a
miracle could have supported thy life
under such excess of pain? But, O!
what a deep wound didst thou feel in
thy soul, when thy dying Son recom-
mended thee to his belovec' disciple St.
John, giving to thee the Son of Zebe-
dee, in exchange for the Son of God!
Blessed Virginfwe gladly acknowledge
.thee for our mother, an honour con-
ferred on each of us in the person of
t. Jonn: U; mrougii mi my suuciui^o,
remember us poor banished children
of Eve, before the throne of grace.

iS.

old Sim-
lerce her
:ief must
his most
ers, who
3 passion
he loved
3 an eye-
iges, and
led Lady,
le whips,
Lhy Son's
I thy vir-
ss than a
thy life
But, 0!
u feel in
n recom-
isciple St.
of Zebe-
of God!
nowledge
lour con-
person of

tUliCl lilgOy

children
of grace.

OUR SAVIOUK ON THE CEOSS. 177

Christians! learn the admirable fessona
taught you by our blessed Lady, at the
J°?' °f 'h« cross; imitate her un hiken
faith and undoubted hope; perfect re
f'f «'!?"' Patience and fortitude! O-

L ?h2r ^"^ '° '°r^ J««-' ^"d detest"
sm the true cause of his sufferings

seem ''now"; ^T^'^^' ^""^ «" '^ings
seeni now to have conspired aeainst
pur dearest Lord. The thought ff be
mg forsaken by his Fatherf and the
gnef and presence of his Mother, pierce
him to the heart io <■ ''^MP'erce
onPnP.hr u \ ^ '°'" hisapostes,
dell V " ^'^y^^^^y^A him, another

Donea him. His friends, and all tho<!P
whom he had most favoured and mirac
ulously cured, now either join wi™ hS
persecutors or at least ire aThamed
01 mm His enemies ijisult him, and
triumph over him. His own b^dV tv
•t« weight i» a torment to him Biu

joiesigiu of the ingratitude of nh.;».
from' hU 'T.^'^'f **'*'>" ^'" d'^ri;;
eternal loss of so many souls redeem-

178 OUR SAVIOUR ON THE CROSS.

ed by his precious blood. Ah! sweet
Jesus, suffer me not to be included in
that unhappy number; suffer me not to
be so miserable, as to join with thy
enemies in crucifying thee by sin!

Consider, j^/;/i/^, the lessons that our
Saviour gives us by his last words
upon the cross. First, Of perfect love
and charity to his enemies, by praying
for them, and pleading their excuse
with his eternal Father: Father, for-
give them, for they know not what tkey
do. O! let us learn from our dying
Redeemer, this necessary lesson, to
love and pray for those that hate and
persecute us: and instead of ag:gravat-
ing, excuse their crime, and impute it
to their ignorance! O! how true is it
of every sinner, he knows not what he
does, otherwise he would never dare to
% in the face of infinite Majesty; he
would never be so mad a#to renounce
heaven for a trifle, and cast himself
down the precipice that leads to hell.
Secondly, Learn the efUcacy of a sin-
cere conversion, and an humble confes-
sion of sins, in the plenary indulgence

)SS.

h! sweet
eluded in
me not to
with thy
sin!

i that our
st words
'feet love

praying
r excuse
iher, for-
vhat they
n dying
3sson, to
hate and
iggravat-
mpute it
true is it

what he
r dare to
esty; he
renounce

hlmseif

to hell.

e confes-
iulgerice

OUR SAVIOUR ON THE CROSS. 179

given by our dying Saviour to the good

T^Jrr ^ ""''' "*« «■« paradise.-.
TuirdlyU^,, a filial devodon to he

blessed Virgm, recommended to us as
a mother by her Son, in the person of

l^arn the greatness of the interior
anguish of thy Saviour's soul from
•those words, Mu God m, cL i

for no other reason, but that poor sTn-
ful man m.ght not be forsaken^ Fmh-

ulTJ'f -T^'^ "f 'hy crucified
our t • *''i' '' '° ^ observed, that
our Saviour suffered two violent thirats
upon the cross; the one corpo"eal, pr^

suffered so many torments, and shed S
much blood; the other spiritual in hk
Tation^ •'-/-h^ent defire of our sal!
vation. But, O! cruel wretches, who
would grant him nothing but vinegar
iri"?!'. 1'^. -'•P--' thirst! fnd
»kA^1„"' X- '"","^'''«' «'"" instead of sa-
t'&tying his spiritual thirst by gratitude
and devotion, give him notli|bat "he

m i

■ 3i

180

ON THE DEATH

gall of sin and vi-egar of wickedness!
Sixthly, From these words of our dying
Saviour, // is consummated, learn to
rejoice that the whole work of man's
redemption is now perfected ; that the
figures and prophecies of the law are
fulfilled,- and the hand-writing that stood
against us is now completely cancelled
by the blood of our Eedeemer. Se-
venthly, From those last words of our*
expiring Lord, Father, into thy hands 1
commend my spirit, learn both in life
and death to commit thyself wholly to
God. Happy they that study well these
lessons which their great Master teach-
es from the chair of his cross.

THIRTY-FIRST DAY.

ON THE DEATH OF OUR SAVIOITE.

Consider, /rs/, how our Lord having
spoken these last words, Father, into
thy hands I commend my spirit, with a
loud and strong voice, leaning down his
head in perfect submission 'to his Fa-
ther's will, and perfect charity to us

OF OUR SAVIOUR.

;kedness!
ur dying
learn to
of man's
that the
law are
hat stood
cancelled
ler. Se-
s of our*
' hands 1
1 in life
wholly to
ell these
;r teach-

181

OUE.

; having
ler, into
, with a
uwD hi-*?
his Fa-
y to us

poor sinners, to whom in this posture
he offered as it were the kiss of peace,
breathed forth his pure soul, and thus
ended his mortal Iif;3j which, from the
moment of his birth till now, had been
nothing else but a series of sufferings
endured for us. Hasten now, my soul,
and approach boldly to kiss the sacred
feet of thy Redeemer, view his pale
•limbs, count at leisure all his wounds,
and lament all thy sins, for which he
suffered such exquisite torments.

Consider, secondly, in the passion of
our Saviour, the truth of those words,
which were delivered by him upon an-
other occasion, He that humbleth him-
selj shall he exalted: and see how our
Lord, having humbled himself to the
death of the cross, was even at that
very time honoured and exalted by his
heavenly Father, and that many ways,
i^or during the time he hung upon the
cross, the sun for three whole hours
withdrew his light from the world: and
at nis deatn the earth trembled, the
rocks were rent asunder, and the monu-
ments opened : the veil of the temple,

182

ON THE DEATH

Which hung before the sanctuary, was
rent from top to bottom: the people,
touched with these wonders, went home
strikmg their breasts; and the centurion
or captain of the guards publicly pro-
fessed, that this man, whom they had
crucified, was truly the Son of God.
fiejoice O Christian soul! to see thv
SaviouK's death thus honoured; and
cT """^^l^ «'l events to confide in
Ood, who will at last convert the malice
ot thy enemies to thy honour and ad-
vantage. Sit now down at the foot of
the cross, and there at leisure.

CoNsiDEK, thirdly, and repeat in thv
mind the multitude and variety of the
sufierings which thy Saviour has en!
durec for thee, from his entrance into
the garden of Gethsemani, till his ex-
piring on the cross. View them one
by one and thou shalt see, that not one
part of his sacred body (which being
the most perfect, was to the same timi
the most sensible of pain of any that
has ever been) was free from it/n«n„.
nar torment. His Acarf crowned w[»h
thorns; h

face defiled with spittle,

OF OUE SAVIOUE.

183

ary, was
people,
snt home
enturion
cly pro-
ley had
of God.
see thy
}d ; and
ifide in
3 malice
and ad-
foot of

in thy

of the
las en-
ice into
his ex-
>m one
lot one

being
le time
y that

i with
jpittle,

bruised, and swoln black and blue with
blows; his hair and heard plucked and
torn; his mouth drenched with gall and
vinegar; his shoulders oppressed with
the heavy weight of the cross; his hands
and feet pierced with nails; his whole
body exhausted with a bloody sweat,
mangled and laid open with whips and
scourges; his limbs wearied out, and all
disjointed upon the cross. What he en-
dured in his soul was not a jot less, but
rather infinitely more painful than what
he suffered in nis body. Witness that
mortal anguish which cast him into
an agony in the garden; witness that
grievous complaint on the cross, My
God! my God! why hast thou forsaken
me? He suffered moreover in his re-
putation, by false witnesses and outra-
geous calumnies, which is often dearer
to a man than his life: he suffered in
his honour, by all manner of reproaches
and affronts: he suffered in his goods,
being despoiled of his very clothes, and

han^inor nnlrfid nnnn i\\a n.'r\aa. l^rtciiT

fered in his friends, being forsaker »y
them all: not to speak of other sui^ir-

184

ON THE DEATH

'ngs, which are usuallv ^ .

to flesh and blood vi^.i" '^"'''''°

of those whon he L^ r^ '"g'-atilude

mies, their in,,!,/"""''''" °'' '''« ene-
&c. And in al .K°'"" '"^ *'^«ip'e«.
denied himself fh. ^^ f "fferingsf he

"dually aSsfc^"'"'^'"'' ""^'^^ he

-osseJ,a„dwLtL\"ri"t'''''^'^
est torment, nf ,. "^^^ ^^de the great-
tolerable b- »^? '""'■'y''^ "ot only

fortabi.' t rsraT' r ^-^"^

no other comrn-ri, ? ? "°^^ himse f

will of his Ser « !,^^' °^ '^°'"g the
redemption *^'' ^"^ Purchasin|our

fersTllTh^^^f^^'-hoitisthatsuf.

to,be the eternal ^o'„°V Co?"' '''"'
nal, co-equal anri ^^ ^ °''' ^o-eter-

Father, tie great tTa^'T^^ '"> ^is
heaven' and SMnfint*^ •^'''^^^ "^ .
'n wisdom, and b all n! f .•"" P°^^''
for whom 'does he sufffrf pr" ^"'
poor wretched worm of L ^?"' "

"ngrateful sinners ^raL.^^u''^ f»'
fifll P,.*u """^f t^Sj traitors to his ptf.r
nai leather, and tn h; ^^ " "is eter-

veryJews-that-c7udfi;T'^:4>-h-

OF OtTR SAVIOUR. 185

mortals who for the most part were
never hke to thank him for, or everso
much as think of, his suflbHngs 0°
how admirable art thou, O Lord • n a^l
thy ways, but in none ^nore so than in
the contrivances of thy mercy' o"

of Sd" T/""'K^''^'"'>''*«"''utes
rnfln^f \ '^ ^^"^ ^e discover his

wond rffn^'^r" ^"'! *";»"'y' i" thus
us Ind 111 '"T'^T^^'^S himself to

sars'lTlre°:f^''''n°'°"'
nai-nii^i^j nere we discover his un-

paialle ed mercy, ,n taking upon him-
seU our miseries, and endLirinjr the
stripes due to our sins. Here we be
hold the admirable wisdom of his provi

us by his death. Hero we learn to fear
the seventy of his justice, which felU^

prevent th^ terrors of his iushVp w
mstantly embracing his mercy ?^ ^^

^K -'^^

^.-^

""m

^ ^ NT ^'^

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186

ON THE DEATH, ETC.

Consider, ffthly^ in the sufferings
of thy Saviour, the infinite malice, the
unparalleled heinousness of mortal sin,
which could not be cancelled but by the
blood of the Son of God. This is the
chief lesson which thy Saviour desires
to teach thee, from the chair of the
cross; thou canst not please him bet-
ter than by studying it well. O! never
then be so ungrateful as to crucify him
again by mortal sip. O ! suffer not that
monster to live in thee, for the destroy-
ing of which Christ himself would die.

THE END.

uffe rings
alice, the
ortal sin,
ut by the
lis is the
r desires
r of the
him bet-
0! never
cify him
' not that
destroy-
mld die.

RULES OF

A CHRISTIAN LIFE.

To he observed hy such as desire to se-
cure to themselves a happy eternity.

Settle in thy soul a firm resolution,
on no account whatever to consent to
mortal sm. This resolution is the very
foundation of a virtuous life: whosoever
IS not arrived thus far, has not as
yet begun to serve God. Without this
resolution, it is in vain for any one to
fla ter himself with the hopes of living
hohly, or dying happily. ^

2. In order to enable thyself to keep
this resolution, be diligent in flying all
dangerous occasions, such as bad com-
pany, lewd or profane books, immodest
plays, &c. for he that loves the danser.
shall perish in it. Eccl. iii. 27.

3. Watch every motion of thy heart,
and resist the first impressions of evil'
Keep a strict guard upon thy senses
and imagination, that the enemy may
not surprise thy soul by these avenues

188 RULES OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE.

Contemn not small faults, lest by de-^
grees thou fall into greater.

4. Fly an idle life, as the mother of
all mischief; and take it for a certain
truth, that indulgence will never bring
a Christian to heaven.

5. Never omit, upon any account

thy morning and evening prayers.

Kemember in the morning to present
to God the first fruits of the day, by
giving him thy first thoughts; make
an offering to him of all the actions of
the day, and renew this oblation at the
beginning of every thing thou dost:
Whether you eat or drink, says St. Paul,
1 Cor. X. 31. or whatever else you do,
do all for the glory of God,

6. In thy evening prayers make a
strict examination of conscience, call-
ing thyself to an account how thou hast
passed the day; and whatever sins thou
discoverest, labour to wash them away
by penitential tears, before thou layest
thyself down to sleep: for who knows
but that night may be thy last. In
going to bed, think on the grave; com-
pose thyself to rest in the arms of thy

by de-^

)ther of

certain

Jr bring

account
yers. —
present
day, by
; make
tions of
1 at the
u dost:
>t. Paul,
you do,

nake a
e, call-
ou hast
ns thou
1 away
layest
knows
St. In

,* com-
of thy

RULES OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE. 189

God: and if thou wake in the night,
raise thy thoughts to him, who always
watches over thee.

7. Besides morning and evening de-
votions, set apart some time in the day
for prayer, particularly mental, by an
interior conversation of thy soul with
God, her only sovereign good. In the
midst of all thy employments, keep
thyself as much as possible in the pre-
sence of God, and frequently aspire to
him by short ejaculations. Read often
spiritual books, as letters or messages
sent thee from heaven: and if thy cir-
cumstances permit, assist daily at the
sacrifice of the mass.

8. Frequent the sacraments at least
once a month, and take special care to
prepare thyself to receive them worthily.

9. Have a great devotion to the pas-
sion of Christ, and often meditate upon
his sufferings. " »

10. Be particularly devout to his
blessed mother; take her for thy mo-
ther, and seek upon all occasions her
protection and prayers; but iearn withal
to imitate her virtues.

190 RULES OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE.

11. Study to find out thy predomi-
nant passion, and labour with all thy
power to root it up. ^

12. Let not a day pass without ofl^er-
mg to God some acts of contrition for
past sms, and strive to nourish in thv
soul a penitent spirit.

13. Beware of self love as thy great-
est enemy, and often use violence to
thyself by self-denials and mortifica-
tions; for, remember the kingdom of
heaven is not to be taken but by vio-
lence, St. Matt. xi. 12.

.14. Give alms according to thy abil-
ity : for judgment without mercy to him
that has not showed mercy, St. James ii.
1|3. bet a great value upon spiritual
alms-deeds, by endeavouring to reclaim
unhappy sinners: and for that end daily
bewail their misery in the sight of God.

15. Be exact in all the duties of thy
calling, as being to give an account one
day to that great Master, who has al-
lotted to each one of us our respective
station in his family.

16. Bemember always thy last end
and thou shalt never sin. Eccl. vii.

i'OCJ>|.

FE.

predomi-
i all thy

)ut offer-
ition for
\i in thy

ly great-
lence to
lortifica-
^dom of
by vio-

hy abil-
y to him
ames ii.
ipiritual
reclaim
id daily
of God.
i of thy
unt one
has al-
ipective

St end

* •

11.

ACTS OF

FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY.

Jiecommended to the frequent use of the Fmihfui.

A PRAYER TO BE SAID BEFORE THESE ACTS.

O Almighty and eternal God! grant to us
the increase of Faith, Hope, and Charity and
that we may deserve to obtain what thou
promisest, make us to love what 7hou com^
mandest. Through Christ our LovlVrZ,

AN ACT OF FAITH.

I FIRMLY believe there is one God, and that
m this one God there are three pe sons, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; that
from ?1? *r^^^hi"^«elf the nature of man
from the Virgin Mary's womb, by the opera-

i^-^^r"" ^'''"''" "^^"'•«» he was crucified
and died for us; that afterwards he rose again
and ascended up into heaven, from whenfe he
shall come to repay the jusl eVerlastTng gW
Moreover ""ihpl-^ everiasting punishl^trll
it oCl; l^^^»^^« whatever else the Catho-
..c v^xxUx^h proposes to be believed, and this
because God, who is the sovereign truth
which can ne ther deceive nor be deceived
has revealed all these things to this his ChS!

192 ACTS OF FAITH, HOPE, ETC.

AN ACT or HOPE.

nn? fif ^^V -^^^'"^ °" ^^y al"^ighty power,
and thy infinite mercy and goodness, and
because thou art faithful to thy promises I
trust in thee that thou wilt grant me forgTv'e-'

?hH«f r^..''"'' ^^T?^ ^^^ ^^"^« of Jesus
Christ thy Son: and that thou wilt give mo

the assistance of thy grace, with which I

may labour to continue to the end in the

diligent exercise of all gdod works, and may

nrn^V«%'- ""k'^'" '^^ ^^^'^ ^^^^^ ^hou ha/u
promised in heaven.

AN ACT OP CHARITY.

O Lord! my God! I love thee with my

thou, O God! art the sovereign good; and for
thy own infinite perfections, art most worthy
of all love. And, for thy sake, I also love
my neighbour as myself.

AN ACT OF CONTRITION.

O MY God! for the sake of thy aovereign
goodness, and infinite perfection, which I love
above all things, I am exceedingly sorry from
the botK>m of my heart, and am grieved for
having offended, Iw my sins, this thy infinite
ffoodness: and I firmlv roonKrr. k« *u^ *..«;-

tance Of thy grace, never more to offend thee
tor the time to come, and carefully to avoid
the occasions of sin.

OPE, ETC.

)PE.

almighty power,
d goodness, and
> thy promises, I
grant me forgive-'
e merits of Jesus
lou wilt give mo
3, with which I
the end in the
works, and may
which thou haaU

ITT.

3 thee with my
things, because
jn good ; and for
art most worthy
ike, I also love

riOK.

i thy Bovereign
on, which I love
ingly sorry from
am grieved for
this thy infinite

rC, UJ

e to offend theo
refully to avoid