Christian soul, out of this world, in the name of God the Father, who created thee; in the name of Jesus Christ the living Son of God, who has suffered for thee; in the name of the Holy Ghost, who has been infused into thee,” etc. Oh, all these words are so many thunder-bolts in the heart and conscience of the sinner! Go forth! Ah, where? To hell! Christian soul! Swinish soul rather, answers the conscience, whose God was your belly, who lived only to gratify your brutal lusts. Christian soul! Where are the marks of the Christian? Have you not thousands of times disgraced and renounced the holiness of your baptism, the vows made to God therein, and the law of your faith? Christian soul! which lived after the manner of the heathens! Christian soul! Ah, it would be far better it were the soul of a blackamoor, a Turk, or an infidel; for then, not having received so much light, it would not have such a strict account to render. Christian soul! Far better it were the soul of a horse, a dog, or a swine; for then it would die with the body, and would not burn forever. Go forth out of this world! O sorrowful words! Out of this world, to which your heart and its desires were attached, whose customs and laws had more influence with you than the infallible truths of the Gospel of Christ! In the name of the Father, whom you have so scornfully despised! In the name of the Son, whom you have crucified again so often by your sins! In the name of the Holy Ghost, whom you have constantly saddened and driven out of your heart! In the name of God! In the name of the devil rather, will be the answer of your conscience, for you have had that foul spirit more constantly in your mouth by your abominable habit of cursing and swearing. Look down, O Lord! continues the well-meaning priest, on this Thy servant, and hear him who with all his heart now implores Thee for the remission of all his sins. What, the conscience will say; do I not know that the contrary is the truth? that I am a servant and slave of the devil? Have not my confessions for some years been only a mere outward show of repentance, without true conversion or amendment, a mere piece of hypocrisy? I have deferred repentance to my death-bed; and now I have to depart like a brute beast, that has never known or loved its Creator. “Have mercy, O Lord, on his groans; pity his tears!” What tears? Those that he shed when he could not take vengeance on his enemy, or gratify his lusts? “May his dwelling this day be in peace!” Peace for him who is actually a rebel
