Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/105

 an eternal  recompense;  it  is  imperatively  demanded  by  the  justice  and  holiness of  God. His eye  sees  how  frequently upon earth  licentiousness,  crime,  injustice, stalk openly  abroad  or  flourish  in  secret. Where is  the  penalty,  the  punishment? Religion has its  champions,  virtue  its  heroes, faith its  martyrs. Where is  the  reward?

Or are  virtue  and  vice,  innocence  and  guilt, of equal  value  in  the  eyes  of  God? In that case there  would  no  longer  be  virtue  or  vice, guilt or  merit;  everything  would  be  equal and there  would  no  longer  be  a  question  of a  Supreme  Being,  who  is  holy  and  just!

4. Come,  let  us  draw  near  to  a  death-bed. We will  suppose  that  we  see  stretched  upon it a  young  man  who  is  about  to  breathe  his last. He is  at  an  age  when  life  holds  out  the brightest promise  of  enjoyment;  he  is  in  the bloom of  youth,  being  scarcely  more  than twenty years  of  age. He has  grown  up  good and pious,  innocent  of  evil,  a  spectacle  to men  and  angels. Now death  is  approaching; the  bystanders  are  dissolved  in  tears, the dying  man  alone  is  calm;  he  even  smiles, a ray  of  celestial  brightness  hovers  around  his wasted features,  he  exclaims  with  his  final gasp: "Jesus,  I  am  Thine  in  life  and  in death!  Jesus,  mercy!" Now tell  me,  can God answer  the  prayer  of  this  angel  in  the flesh by  dooming  him  to  annihilation?

5. Let  us  approach  another  death-bed. Upon it  there  lies  a  young  man  who  is  about