Page:Thecompleteascet02liguuoft.djvu/40

 already deserved  to  be  sentenced  to  eternal  death. No, I desire  not  to  present  myself  guilty  before  Thee,  but penitent and  pardoned. O my  sovereign  good! I am grievously  sorry  for  having  offended  Thee,

2. O  God! what will  be  the  anguish  of  the  soul  when it shall  first  behold  Jesus  Christ  as  its  judge,  and  behold him  terrible  in  his  wrath? It will  then  see  how  much he  has    suffered    for    its    sake;    it    will    see   what    great mercies he  has  exercised  towards  it,  and  what  powerful means he  has  bestowed  upon   it  for   the    attainment  of salvation;  then  will  it  also   see   the  greatness  of  eternal goods, and  the  vileness  of  earthly  pleasures,  which  have wrought its  ruin;  it  will  then  see  all  these  things,  but  to no  purpose,  because  then  there  will  be    no  more  time  to correct  its  past  errors;  what  shall   have  then  been  done will be  irrevocable. Before  the  judgment-seat  of  God, no nobility,  nor  dignity,  nor  riches  will  be  considered; our works  alone  will  be  weighed  there.

Grant, O  Jesus! that when  I  first  behold  Thee  I  may see Thee  appeased;  and,  for  this  end,  grant  me  the  grace to weep,  during  the  remainder  of  my  life,  over  the  evil which I  have  done  in  turning  my  back  upon  Thee,  to follow  my  own  sinful  caprices. . No,  I  desire  never  more to offend  Thee. I love  Thee  and  desire  to  love  Thee forever.

3. What  contentment  will  that  Christian  enjoy  at  the hour of  death  who  has  left  the  world  to  give  himself  to God;  who  has  denied   his  senses  all   unlawful  gratifications:  and  who,  if  he  has  on  some  occasions  been  wanting, has at  last   been  wise  enough   afterwards  to  do  worthy penance for  it! On the  other  hand,  what  anguish  will that Christian  experience  who  has  continually  relapsed into the  same  vices,  and  at  last  finds  himself  at  the  point of death! Then will  he  exclaim:  "  Alas!  in  a  few  moments I  must  appear  before  Jesus  as  my  judge,  and   I  have  not as  yet  even  begun  to  change  my  life  !    I  have  many  times