Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/427

 wealth among  the  poor;  and  the  Lord,  you  know, commended the  unjust  steward,  but  Dives  was  buried in hell. A soul  that  has  been  more  active  in  hoarding up perishable  treasure  on  earth  than  in  heaping  up everlasting  treasure  in  heaven,  hears  death's  announcement with  somewhat  of  the  awful  anxiety  and terror with  which  the  wicked  shall  start  at  the  sound of Gabriel's  trumpet. In an  instant  it  finds  itself shorn of  all  its  earthly  possessions  and  exposed,  poor and naked  and  miserable,  alike  to  the  helpless  pity of its  friends,  men  and  angels,  and  to  the  ridicule  of its  enemies,  the  devils. The wretched  plight  of David's  ambassadors  when  King  Hanon  shaved  half of their  heads  and  one  side  of  their  faces  and  cut away their  nether  garments  and  sent  them  away,  is an  eloquent  picture  of  the  utter  confusion  of  an  unjust steward  of  God  when  suddenly  called  upon  by his  Master  to  render  an  account,  for  that  now  he  can be steward  no  longer. " What  shall  I  do?  "  he  says. " What  shall  I  do?  To  dig  I  am  unable,  for  for  me the  time  for  acquiring  merit  has  closed  forever;  and to  beg  I  am  ashamed,  for  how  can  I,  unmerciful  as  I have  been,  hope  to  obtain  mercy?  What  shall  I  do? What  shall  I  do? "

Brethren, consider  thirdly  the  steward's  device, thought out  in  the  few  moments  yet  available,  and whereby he  hoped  to  provide  for  his  future. While in favor  with  his  lord  he  had  doubtless  dealt  severely with his  master's  tenantry,  but  now  that  he  can  be steward  no  longer  he  hastens  to  curry  favor  with those he  had  formerly  oppressed. What an  amount