Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/310

 never done  us  an  injury? A man who  has  been unfortunate enough  to  ruin  souls  redeemed  by  the blood of  a God,  has  much  reason  to  fear  for  his  salvation. What can  we  reasonably  hope  from  Jesus Christ, after  having  torn  from  him  what  he  had  so dearly  purchased? O fathers and  mothers,  who  do not  live  as  Christians  ought  to  live,  it  were  far  better for your  children  that  they  had  never  been  born ! — you have  given  them  life  only  to  put  them  to  death — that dreadful  death  which  is  eternal! When they shall require  of  you  the  heaven  they  have  lost,  what will you  be  able  to  answer  them?

3. Let  us  clothe  ourselves  with  Jesus  Christ,  according to  the  words  of  the  Apostle: let  his  conduct, his virtues,  and  his  spirit  shine  forth  in  us,  so  that  he may  be  remembered  when  we  are  seen. We contribute not  less  to  our  neighbour’s  salvation  by  an edifying  life,  than  we  do  to  his  damnation  by  a scandalous  one.

[Be very careful  to  do  nothing  that  may  scandalize  your  neighbour; and  humbly  beg  pardon  of  God  for  the  sins  you  have  committed.]

“ Wo be to  the  man  by  whom  scandal  cometh.” — Matt. xviii.

“The scandalous sinner must  answer  for  the  crimes  which  his bad  example  hath  caused  to  be  committed.”— Salvian.

We are  not  Christians  to  be  rich,  and  so  live  at our  ease. It was  not  necessary  to  institute  Christianity for  that  purpose; the  world  might  have  been left as  it  was,  under  the  empire  of  passion  and  opinion. The life  of  a Christian  is  a crucified  life; unless  the cross be  embraced,  faith  must  be  renounced.

2. What  does  the  Gospel  say? “ Blessed are  those who weep: wo  be  to  you,  O rich,  who  have  your consolation in  this  world ! ” Such is  the  language of the  Holy  Ghost. But it  is  now  looked  on  as