Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/309

 repays with  liberality  the  crumbs  that  are  given  for his sake: his  rewards  are  laid  up  even  for  a cup  of cold  water. Play, luxury,  extravagance,  have  ruined innumerable families,  but  alms  have  impoverished none.

3. Men,  at  the  day  of  judgment,  shall  be  accountable for  their  alms: but  what  answer  can  the  unfeeling rich  ones  make  when  the  poor  shall  accuse  them? when Jesus  Christ  himself  shall  reproach  them  with their insensibility? “ Go, ye  cursed,  into  eternal fire. I was hungry,  and  you  gave  me  not  to  eat; I was  naked,  and  you  did  not  clothe  me,”  &amp;c. A heart that is  hard  to  the  poor  is  in*  danger  of  becoming  the heart of  a reprobate; but,  on  the  contrary,  a soul that is  truly  charitable  bears  a strong  mark  of  predestination. What can  our  judge  say  against  us when  he  shall  see  our  clothes  upon  himself,  when  he shall  see  our  bread  and  our  money  in  his  own  hands? We shall  approach  his  awful  tribunal  with  confidence, provided the  poor  be  our  advocates.

[Consider seriously how  you  behave  to  the  poor;  whether  you treat them  as  members  of  Jesus  Christ,  by  doing  them  all  the  good in your  power.]

“He gives at  interest  to  the  Lord  who  has  pity  on  the  poor.” — Prov. xix.

“ Give unto all,  lest  he  whom  you  refuse should  be  Jesus  Christ.” — St. Austin.

1. Bad  example  has  been  the  means  of  damning more souls  than  the  preaching  and  good  example  of all  the  saints  together  have  been  the  means  of  saving.

2. Were  the  gates  of  hell  to  be  laid  open,  scarcely would any  one  be  found  that  would  not  say,  It  is such  or  such  a one  that  has  damned  me. Oh, what  a reproach! We are  commanded  to  love  our  enemies, why, then,  should  we  destroy  those  souls  which  have