Second Point. The uncertainty of the time of our death ought to inspire us with a continual vigilance to preserve ourselves in such a state as to be always ready to appear before God.

III. If he propose to himself to form his hearers to the practice of all Christian virtues, the preacher may present death to them (a) As a motive of humility. (b) As an infallible rule for securing Christian prudence. (c) As a most efficacious means of preserving themselves in a state of fervour. These three points admit of almost infinite amplification and development. The first of them is beautifully treated by Bossuet in his sermon for the Friday in the fourth week of Lent.

IV. If the preacher desire, as the end of his discourse, to dissipate that excessive fear of death which is so unworthy of a Christian soul, he may do so by showing that the death of the true servant of God is full of joy and consolation, both as regards the past, the present, and the future.

(a) The past. The Christian leaves without regret that which he has possessed without being attached to it. He sees himself released from the miseries of this life, and above all, about to be secured from the danger of losing God by sin.

(b) The present. The weary voyage of his mortal life has reached its termination, and he is about to enter into his everlasting rest.

(c) The future. He beholds heaven opened to him, and himself about to enter upon the possession of that eternal happiness for which he was created.

The preacher will find valuable matter on this sub

ject in the Traité des Quatre Fins de l'homme, of P. Pallu; in the 4th vol. of the Moral Essays of Nicole; and in the Retraite pour se préparer a la Mort, of P. Nouet. Bossuet, Bourdaloue, and Massillon's works contain striking sermons bearing on this matter. Amongst the Fathers he may study with great edification and profit, St. Ambrose De Bono Mortis; St. Augustine's Speculum Peccatoris; St. Basil's Admonitio ad Filium Spiritualem; and St. Gregory's seventh book of Moral Discourses.

In treating this subject the preacher is very apt to confine himself to the General Judgment, whilst the consideration of the Particular Judgment, which he thus passes over, is nevertheless one which is most interesting in itself, and wonderfully adapted to affect the individual, and move him to salutary resolutions.

In treating the General Judgment, the preacher should not endeavour to draw too much upon his imagination, as is the case with many, but build his descriptions and his deductions' upon the Word of God, which is his only safe guide in this matter.

Many preachers, when handling this momentous subject, confine themselves too exclusively, if not altogether, to the judgment of the wicked. Now, if the judgment of the reprobate is very terrible, the judg

F

ment of the righteous is no less consoling; and whilst there are undoubtedly many who need to be terrified by the rigours of God's judgment, there are many timorous souls who require to be strengthened and consoled. And, hence, we find that whenever our divine Lord speaks of the terrible judgment which awaits the wicked, he almost always dwells with equal emphasis upon the consolations which await the just at this supreme moment. This is the model which the young preacher should sedulously keep before his mind when preparing himself to speak on a subject so interesting in itself, and so full of terrible, but eminently practical, considerations to the children of men.

If the preacher wish to speak of the Particular Judgment he may represent the soul cited at the moment of death, before the tribunal of Christ, and may divide his subject in the following manner :

First Point. The consolation of the soul, who finds herself at this supreme moment in the state of grace. Second Point. The despair of the soul who finds herself burdened with sin unrepented of.

He may develop the first point of the discourse by showing that everything is calculated to console the just: his judge, his very sins, his good works, his future lot. (a) His Judge: for this is his dearest and best friend.

:

(b) His sins for these are all pardoned and washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ.

(c) His good works: for he has the satisfaction of finding even the most humble of them written in the book of life.

(d) His future lot: for he is about to enter into the possession of infinite and never-ending bliss.

He may develop the second point by painting the state of horror and affright in which the sinful soul finds herself placed.

(a) Overwhelmed with terror, on the very instant of death she finds herself standing alone and unbefriended before her judge. And what a judge! a judge justly offended, a judge who knows the most hidden thoughts of the heart.

(b) She is accused of the sins she has committed, of the good she has left undone, and of the graces she has abused, etc.

(c) She is convicted by the devil, by her judge, nay, even by the testimony of her own conscience.

(d) She is condemned to that punishment which is too horrible to contemplate, and the sentence is immediately put into execution.

(e) The preacher may properly and efficaciously conclude his discourse with an earnest and warm exhortation to his hearers to judge themselves rigorously whilst in life, that they may escape the terrible judgment of God after their death. Si nosmetipsos dijudicaremus, non utique judicaremur.

If the preacher wish to take the General Judgment as the subject of his discourse, he may treat it as follows:

First Point.-A sketch of the circumstances which will precede, accompany, and follow this judgment; dwelling especially upon those which will tend to the consolation of the just, and the confusion of the sinner.

This point when carefully amplified and developed, can be rendered extremely effective and practical.

Second Point. The joy of the just, and the despair of the reprobate, specially treated.

Another very powerful, although, for the reasons already given, less preferable way of treating this subject, is to confine the discourse to the consideration of the judgment of the sinner alone. From this point of view the sinner may be represented as standing before the judgment seat of God-accused, convicted, and condemned.

On this subject the works to which reference was made when treating of Death may be consulted with profit. In addition to these, the student will find valuable matter in the sermon of St. Chrysostom, De secundo adventu Filii Dei; in the 5th Homily on the Epistle to the Romans; in the 3rd Homily of the same saint on the second Epistle to Timothy; and in the 27th sermon of St. Bernard on the Canticle of Canticles.