Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/53

 may see  Him  whom  they  have  crucified.'  2. That the just may  receive  that  honor  and  glory  before  all  mankind, which  they  deserve,  and  the  wicked  meet  with  that confusion which  they  have  merited;  for  in  this  world,  for His own  wise  purposes,  God  frequently  suffers  the  wicked to be  exalted  and  permits  the  virtuous  to  be  depressed. 3. That  our  bodies  may  receive  reward  or  punishment, as they  have  been  the  instruments  of  virtue  or  of  vice.

II. What terrors  will  precede  the  general  judgment? "There shall  be  great  earthquakes  and  pestilences  and famines  and  terrors  from  heaven." (Luke xxi.  11.) "The sun  shall  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the powers  of  the  heavens  shall  be  moved." (Matt. xxiv.  29.) And, as  St.  Peter  says,  "the  heavens  being  on  fire  shall be  dissolved." (2 Peter  iii.  12.)  The  sea  will  be  troubled in the  most  terrible  manner  and  the  trembling  earth shall be  all  on  fire. " For  behold,  the  day  shall  be kindled  as  a  furnace,"  says  the  prophet,  "and  all  the proud,  and  all  who  do  wickedly,  shall  be  stubble:  and the  day  which  cometh  shall  set  them  on  fire." (Malac. iv. 1.)  Beware  lest  on  that  day  you  prove  to  be  nothing  but stubble.

III. The angel  will  go  forth  and  sound  on  his  trumpet the terrible  words,  "Arise,  ye  dead,  and  come  to  judgment!" The dead  will  then  resume  their  bodies;  but with what  different  feelings! The wicked  will  inveigh against  their  bodies,  because  for  their  gratification they have  committed  so  many  crimes. They will  exclaim to the  mountains,  "  fall  upon  us,  and  to  the  hills,  cover us." (Luke xxiii.  30.)  But  their  exclamations  will  be uttered  in  vain. At that  moment  sinners  will  wish rather to  have  led  virtuous  lives,  than  to  have  worn crowns or  governed  empires. Reflect, therefore,  fre-