Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/19

 test, but  though  the  gold  of  faith,  the  basis  of religion,  is  fast  dwindling  away,  scarce  a  single  voice is raised  in  opposition. The lack  of  currency  causes a widespread  panic,  but  a  falling  off  in  the  currency of good  deeds — deeds  of  mercy  and  charity — though never more  general  or  more  direful,  causes  no  concern to  any  but  the  starving  poor. Men make  wry faces at  the  files  of  bills  that  come  in  month  after month and  they  strain  every  nerve  to  make  ends meet, but  they  never  reflect  what  would  happen  were God to  hand  down  to  each  of  us  a  monthly  report, showing how  much  He  paid  out  to  us  day  by  day  and how little — the  nothing — the  worse  than  nothing — we did  for  Him  in  return! The debit  and  credit column of  day-book  and  ledger  are  carefully  told up and  squared  day  by  day  and  month  by  month  and year by  year, — but  how  hopelessly  do  the  same  men neglect their  spiritual  accounts — how  recklessly  do they  rush  into  spiritual  bankruptcy — and  what  a sorry  tangle  their  accounts  will  present  on  the  great reckoning day! Again, cholera  or  smallpox  threatens the  country  and  we  move  heaven  and  earth  to keep  it  off;  our  children  are  sick,  we  send  for  the doctor and  give  medicine;  a  friend  dies,  we  lift  up our  voice  and  weep;  but  the  cholera  of  sin  runs  riot among us,  and  we  let  it  pass  quarantine,  forgetting an ounce  of  prevention  is  worth  a  pound  of  cure; we dose  our  children's  souls  with  the  poison  of  bad example, and  when  our  nearest  and  dearest  dies  by mortal  sin,  we  shed  never  a  tear. We take  care  to have  our  property  and  lives  safely  insured,  but  when