in the first? Not at all; the sentence once uttered shall not be recalled. On the last day each one shall hear the same sentence that was pronounced on him at the particular judgment on the last day of his life at the moment of death, and no other, says St. Augustine. If I am then condemned to hell, then shall I certainly hear in the last judgment the words: “Depart, accursed!” If I am then admitted to the kingdom of heaven, I shall certainly hear on the last day the words: “Come, ye blessed!” What is then the use of a general judgment? My dear brethren, St. Thomas and other holy Fathers assign several reasons for it, from which 1 shall select two principal ones, the first of which concerns God, and the second us mortals. The first shall furnish me with matter for this and the two following sermons.
Plan of Discourse.
There must necessarily be a general judgment. Why? That God may publicly in the sight of the whole world make good His lessened honor. Such shall be the first part. There must necessarily be a general judgment. Why? That God may publicly, in the sight of the whole world, justify His now incomprehensible providence. Such shall be the second part. Let us now faithfully honor God, and bow down in humble reverence before all the decrees of His providence, such shall be the conclusion.
We beg of Thee, Jesus Christ, the future Judge of the living and the dead, to give us Thy grace to this end, through the merits of Mary and of the holy angels.
God’s honor is disregarded becase He is not properly known.
The reason why most men on earth give God so little of the honor due to Him, and are so backward in fearing and loving Him, is that they have but a dark knowledge of His majesty. We do not know what a great Lord He is, and how worthy of honor, fear, and love. It is true that an infallible faith represents all this to us; but how weak, languid, and neglected is not this knowledge of the faith in most men? Must we not acknowledge, my dear brethren, that such is the case? God, says our faith, is the absolute Lord and Master of all time, of every moment of our lives. We often refuse to act on this truth; we show by our conduct that we believe quite the contrary, for we misspend our precious time given us by God in a most foolish manner, wasting it in idleness, vanity, gluttony, avarice, the lusts of the flesh, gaming, and useless amusements. God, says our faith, is al-