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 therefore, hath  eye  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor  hath  it entered  into  the  heart  of  man,  to  conceive  the  full extent of  the  malice  of  one  mortal  sin.

Brethren, let  us  read  the  history  of  sin  from  the beginning, and  judge  of  its  nature  from  its  awful effects. What have  been  the  effects  of  sin  in heaven? We go  back  in  spirit  to  the  time  prior  to this  earth's  creation,  when  naught  existed  but  God and His  angels. We see  in  paradise  those  millions and billions  of  angelic  spirits,  second  to  God  alone in the  beauty  of  their  natures,  reflecting  in  their  glorious attributes  the  perfections  of  the  Divinity,  basking in the  full  splendor  of  the  beatific  vision,  and  inconceivably happy  in  the  possession  of  the  All-Good. Ah ! we see  them  as  in  a  vision,  and  we  seem  to  hear  their heavenly voices  chanting:  "  Sanctus,  Sanctus,"  and intoning: "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest " — but  alas! even as  we  gaze,  the  voices,  like  an  interrupted  chorus, suddenly cease,  and  as  when  a  thunder-cloud  crosses the face  of  the  sun,  so  the  heavenly  vision  disappears. What has  happened? Mortal sin  hath  entered heaven and  blasted  the  glory  thereof. Lucifer and his followers  have  given  for  an  instant  to  their  own splendor the  homage  due  to  God  alone,  and  immediately glorious  angels  become  loathsome  devils. God smites His  own  fair  creation,  and  like  a  thunderbolt Satan and  his  rebel  comrades  fall  into  the  everlasting fire God's  justice  has  prepared  for  them. Behold the first mortal  sin;  see  its  effect. For one  mortal  sin that lasted  but  a  moment,  one  sin  of  thought  without previous  example  or  warning,  for  one  such  sin