Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/295

 firmly as  if  the  last  trumpet  had  already  sounded  to call  up  all  the  dead  to  judgment.

2. What  shall  we  say  at  the  sight  of  so  many  bad thoughts, of  so  many  criminal  actions,  of  so  many graces despised? O what a terrible  day  is  the  day of God’s  wrath! where the  inmost  recesses  of  the heart shall  be  openly  exposed — where  every  fault shall be  strictly  examined,  if  the  just  themselves shall be  hardly  found  just,  what  will  become  of unhappy  sinners?

3. What  sentence  must  an  impenitent  sinner expect from  an  offended  and  inexorable  God? O tremendous condemnation! Depart, ye accursed , &amp;c. Alas! where shall  these  miserable  wretches  go,  to whom  you  thus  give  your  malediction? To what part of  the  world  shall  they  retire  when  they  withdraw from you? Where can  there  be  so  miserable a dwelling? To be  banished  the  presence  of  God ! to be  accursed  of  God ! O what a shocking  destiny!

[Imagine yourself now  before  the  tribunal  of  Christ. What are you  most  ashamed  of  at  this  very  moment? Reflect seriously  on it,  and  remember  that  all  your  secret  sins  shall  be  exposed  at  theday  of  judgment,  if  you  do  not  here  efface  them  by  a sincere repentance.]

"Who shall be  able  to  stand  before  the  face  of  his  wrath?"— Nahum i.

“ Woe even to the  praiseworthy  life,  if  without  mercy,  O God, thou  shalt  examine  it." — St. Austin.

1. How  great  would  be  our  horror  if  the  shrieks of the  damned,  if  their  groans  and  blasphemies  could reach us! They roar  like  wild  beasts — they  accuse themselves of  their  sins — they  bewail,  they  detest them. But it  is  too  late: their  tears  but  add  new strength to  the  fire  that  torments  them. O repent-