and daringly offended Thee to the very end of his life; not merely in thought, but in word and deed as well! Is it not right, then, that he should share in my fate?[1] Ah, Christians! what defence shall many of us be able to make against such an accuser? “The devil will repeat before the tribunal of Christ the words of our profession.” You lay people he will accuse with the words of the profession you made to live according to the maxims of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; you secular priests with the words of your profession to live according to the obligations of the priesthood and to lead lives of angelical purity; me and all religious, with the words of our profession to observe our vows and the rules of our order. Wo to you! wo to me! if the evil spirit is able to prove that we are Christians, religious, or priests only in name, or if we have not during our lives blotted out by sincere repentance the sins we have committed against our profession! Alas! I must again repeat, if such is the case we are lost indeed, and there is no hope for us.
He will be accused also by those men whom he injured in temporal things. Yet these accusations shall proceed only from a bitter hatred. There shall be others, wicked Christian, inspired by just indignation and by a love of justice, that shall be brought against you on that day. For complaints shall be made by all those, whether they are amongst the elect or the reprobate, who have been unjustly treated or injured by you during life, whom you have harmed in their honor, health, or temporal goods, according to the words of the Holy Ghost in the Book of Wisdom: “Then shall the just stand with great constancy against those that have afflicted them and taken away their labors.”[2] When King Saul returned from the battle in which he had spared the king of Amalec and the best of his flocks, contrary to the express command of God, he tried to boast to the Prophet Samuel of the manner in which he had performed his allotted task and done the will of God; but as he was speaking, the sheep and lambs began to bleat. What! exclaimed the Prophet, have you indeed done as you were commanded? “What meaneth then this bleating of the flocks which soundeth in my ears, and the lowing of the herds which I hear?”[3] Unjust, unmerciful, vindictive, passionate, treacherous man! will you perhaps try to pass as a man
