Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/619

 of the  Psalmist's  prayer:  "  Not  to  us,  O  Lord,  not to  us,  but  to  Thy  name  give  glory." But if,  as  doubtless is  the  case,  it  were  unreasonable  to  look  for  such like sentiments  on  such  an  occasion,  consider  us  in our  cooler  moments,  and  you  will  find  that  as  a  nation; alas! we do  forget,  unhappily  we  do  forget. Such all-absorbing  interests  have  our  farms  and  merchandise become,  that  they  serve  to-day  among  our critics as  a  byword  and  reproach. More lavishly than ever  before  the  beeves  and  fatlings  have  been killed and  the  Lord's  banquet  more  sumptuously prepared, but  take  a  census  of  our  people  and  see how many  respond  to  His  repeated  invitations. Where much  is  given,  much  will  be  exacted. At Abraham's prayer  and  for  the  sake  of  ten  just  men God would  have  spared  the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha. Are we  quite  sure  the  Lord  will  never  find in us  proportionate  iniquity? Moral degeneracy  is sure  to  follow  on  our  refusal  to  listen  to  God's  messengers. What a  commentary  it  is  on  our  decaying Christianity that  even  a  civil  governor  feels  called upon to  raise  his  voice  in  solemn  protest! And even such Christianity  as  we  have  is  in  great  part  so diluted  with  worldliness  and  unbelief  that  on  analysis we find  the  residue  but  little  better  than  rankest Paganism. Witness the  hundreds  and  thousands  of sectarian  churches  utterly  deserted,  or,  if  used  at  all, frequented for  their  social  rather  than  their  religious attractions. Read the  sermons  preached  therein  and learn how  very  odious  Christ's  Gospel  has  become, how popular  the  gospel  of  the  world  and  even  of