be among the first to run off. But, my dear brethren, where are we then? Is not this only one town in the wide world, and only one church in that town? There are indeed many of us here together, but what is that compared to the population of the whole city of Treves? What is it compared to the population of the whole world at this present moment? What is it compared to the vast hosts of angels, devils, and men who ever lived, are living, and shall live on earth till the last day? O my God! I think, if I cannot bear to have my shame disclosed before a handful of people who cannot condemn me on account of my sins, how shall I bear it on the last day before heaven and earth? How shall all sinners bear to have their vices made known to all their friends, relations, acquaintances, and to strangers as well? The husband shall then knoAV the vices of his wife; the wife those of her husband; parents shall find out the hidden crimes of their children, and children those of their parents; I and all men shall know what you have done wrong; you and all men shall know the abominations of which I have been guilty. See, they will say; who would have thought it of that person who seemed to be so good and pious? How different he seems now to what we imagined him to be! Now we know what those people are! Ah, it was the fear of this shame that suggested to holy Job that terrible wish: “Who will grant me this, that Thou mayest protect me in hell, and hide me till Thy wrath pass,”[1] so that no human eye may see me? It is the dread of this shame that will force the wicked to cry out to the lifeless stones to cover them: “Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: fall upon us! and to the hills: cover us!”[2] Ye demons, hurry us off at once to hell that we may escape such intolerable shame!
Conclusion and exhortation to confess one’s sins candidly in the tribunal of penance and to avoid sin in future. Oh, how foolish we are to seek so diligently to hide our wickedness, and to sin so recklessly when we have the opportunity of doing so, in the dark, or in a room where no one can see us! For everything shall be made known in the minutest detail to the whole world by the all-knowing God Himself. Goon, then, you wicked deceiver! continue to hide your abominations through shame as long as you may, to conceal sins in confession, and to palliate and excuse them! What good will that be to you? Will you be able to do that on the last day, when the great account-book shall be opened? Ah, I beg of you for God’s sake
