them nothing but humility, modesty, temperance, watching, fasting, prayer, mortification, carrying the cross, etc. Oh, what a desirable, joyful life is the former, and how sad and melancholy the latter! So should we say if we judged by mere outward appearances. But wait a while; let the day of judgment come, and what will become of worldlings then? Away with the useless weeds that have brought forth no fruit of good works! Away with them to eternal fire! “Gather up first the cockle, and bind it into bundles to burn.” But what shall become of the good wheat? “The wheat gather ye into My barn,” because it has brought forth good fruit. Oh, what a terrible difference! Before considering it, my dear brethren, we shall continue the meditation of the matter we have commenced. On last Sunday we have seen how the criminal is examined in the judgment, and forced to answer to his great shame and confusion. But even if he were to keep silent, and it were possible for him not to acknowledge his sins; if he might say: I have not done the evil things I am asked about, what would that help him? For he shall find accusers enough and more than enough to carry on the case against him, and to convict him beyond the shadow of a doubt: as I now proceed to show.
Plan of Discourse.
The criminal accused in the judgment. Such is the whole subject of this meditation. Its object is to inspire the just with a constant, salutary fear of sin, and the wicked with a wholesome dread, so that they may accuse themselves in time in the tribunal of penance, and amend their lives; that thus they may be able to defend themselves against all accusers on the last day.
Give us all Thy grace to this end, O Lord; we ask it of Thee through the intercession of Mary and of our holy angels.
When many credible witnesses testify against one accused of a great crime, the latter has a poor chance of escape.
The case is lost for the criminal against whom there is a great crowd of witnesses who can prove him guilty of many crimes worthy of death, and that all the more when his accusers are moved by hatred against him, and when under the influence of a just indignation they demand that justice should be done on the guilty one. Still less is the latter’s chance of escape when the witnesses against him are nearly all men of probity, who are high in favor with the judge. In such a case I, for my part, would not give a farthing for the man’s life. For if only one man appeared against me in judgment he would have enough