Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/514

 life the  least  desirable  of  all. Such things  happen  to all  flesh,  but  to  sinners  sevenfold  more. For though the irreligious  may  ignore  his  soul,  yet  will  she  not be ignored. If she  cannot  have  the  truth  and  the love she  craves,  she  will  turn  and  fill  herself  with  the husks of  sin. If he  will  not  praise  God  in  prayer, be sure  he  will  not  fail  to  blaspheme. If he  will  not sanctify the  Sabbath  day  by  going  to  church,  you may look  for  him  in  the  policy  shop  or  den  of  iniquity. If he  will  not  drink  the  chalice  of  His  blood that Christ  offers  him,  he  will  drain  the  glass  of  hellfire  the  devil  ministers. Ah! who shall  tell  the  consequent miseries  to  himself  and  family! As well  try to count  the  drops  of  rain  or  the  sighs  of  the  wind, as enumerate  the  tears  of  his  poor  children  or  the moans of  his  heart-broken  mother,  wife,  or  sister. Life, God  knows,  is  at  best  wretched  enough,  but life without  religion  would  be  unbearable. It would be this  earth  without  the  sun;  a  wild  night  with  no moon;  a  trackless  expanse  of  stormy  ocean  with  no hope  of  land  or  friends  beyond. Were the  uncreated offered life  without  religion,  they  would  shrink  in horror  from  existence;  for  their  greatest  happiness would be  that  of  never  having  been. But with  religion as  our  guide  we  are  consoled  through  it  all. We see  the  thorns  of  life  spiritualized  in  Our Saviour's crown;  and  hope  carries  us  on  to  that happy land  where  our  places  shall  be  allotted,  not  by the  favors  of  fortune  or  the  accident  of  birth,  but where each  has  the  making  of  his  own  future;  all happy, the  afflicted  comforted  and  the  weary  at  rest.