Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-05-02
CHAPTER liz

hope and Joy.
CHAPTER III.
| Long before the priest arrived at the Church
de st. SsLspice, it became thronged with an
eager and inpatient multitude of people
There were gathered the rich and the poor,
with large numbers of the nobility, whose
| splendid equipages surrounded the temple of
Jehovah, with their lacqueys in rich livery
and seryile regalia. The occasion seemed one
of extraordinary interest. 1t was not alone
the jealous believer In the Catholic faith. but
tho usaDds of gay people, whose motive in be-
ing there was one of curiosity rather than de-
yotion. At length the priest hast4ned along the
street, and crowded his way amid the throng
of carriages and the living mass, till be enter
ed the church and reached the pulpit, almost
breathless and covered with dust and perspira-
| ton. The imparience of the people at his long
delay had begun to be expressed in murmurs
of dissatisfaction and disapprobation; but now
there was speedy silence. and every eye and
ear was bent to see and hear the speaker
The priest calmly wiped the drops from his
brow advanced to the desk of the pulpit, and
In sweet and impressive tones uttered the words
of the Psalmist,
'' he has filed the hungry Nth good things,
and the rich he has sent empty array
Whether there was anything in the mere
words of the text, or the peculiar manner in
which they were pronounced, there was a
thrill and hum of voices, like the rustling Of
the wings of many birds, throughout the en-
tire church, for few seconds, when all again
was silent as the grave. The eager priest
then commenced that famous exordium of the
Abby Maury, SO generally esteemed as one of
the most eloquent sermons ever delivered to
any people in the world.
g In appearing before an audience so nume-
rous and so intelligent as the present" he be-
gan, 9 on any other occasion. my heart might
be filed with pride, and my soul with self
graft lation and vanity. As it is, however, /
feel that am but as the humblcst of the hum
BILE, and among the weakest of the weak Yes,
my brethren, feel that ] am only poor,
miserable sinner, like all who have gone astray
from God, aud worthy of his wrath and eternal
condemnation. | feel that / am destitute of
the talents and abilities requisite TO reach the
sensibilities of the gay and thoughtless multi
tude within the sound of my voice. feel that
l ought not to speak unless it be to ask your
indulgence for poor missionary ike myself
Oh, my brethren, / have seen that to-day which
has impaired to my bosom everything averse
to pomposity and in-glory. III am humili-
ated, it is at the paltriness aud presumption
of the race of man Yet God is not willing
that any of his servants should slacken in their
duty to arouse mankind to a sense of their lost
condition without repentance and atonement
of their sins thr ugh the precious blood of
Christ, the Saviour. You are all sinners ike
myself, and it is only to Him, your God, and
my God, that | am to bow. have gone
through the land, and preached Gods mercy
and justice to the poor aud to the rich yet
have not done the half that should have done
in the great cause of faith, love and charity
Wretch, that am what have not omitted
in my ministrations among the low and mis-
cradle of humanity? Have sincerely taught
the holy precepts of our blessed religion, and
preached repentance to unfortunate beings
with the fefyer apd power becoming the sol
emn calling of my office / have seen the
poor, those best friends of God. despised and
des oiled on every hand by the proud and lord
ling of men, and yet have failed to rebuke
them with the thunder tones of Heaven right
eous indignation | have seen the pure and
the faithful, whom | should have pitied and
consoled. driven by terror and cruelty to the
verge of hopeless despair, and yet have turned
upon them deaf ear and closed my eyes to
their complaints of helplessness and wretched-
ness. Ana here in this very church, now
see before me many of these noble and wealthy
oppressors of humanity-sinners of most har-
dened audacity that they are 1t is here, then
my duty must be done. 1t is here. amid so
many offenders, that my voice must ring in
thunder-tones In the ears of the vile and gull
ty. 1t is here, from this pulpit, that must
declare the judgments of God upon all who
are without repentance and hope In the i'm
maculate Redeemer. God win surely judge |
you all-the just and the unjust Tremble, |
proud man, for the share of mercies and IA
vors that have been granted TO you. Death |
is certain And after death, that dreadful |
day-the day of the last judgment-will inev-
itably overtake us ALL Oh, my brethern. how
few the number of the righteous that. will be |
savedl How many of the sinners that win be |
cast into hell, TO all eternity. You stand up
on the brink. even now, of everlasting burn
ing Oh. flee flee to the Lamb of God, and |
be savedy
The speaker ceased his speech. and stood |
like very angel of warning and light in his |
pulpit The audiance were perfectly electri- |
fed by the terror of his words and the eloquent
majesty of their leliverance from his inspired /
lips The shafts of remorse seemed to pene-
trate many conscience-and many were the |
tears which fel. from the eyes of the wealthy
and proud of heart in that swaying and agita-
ted audiance.
The preacher continued;
within this very hour. God placed in my
way family stricken down with sickness, hun |
ger and despair. There was the father on a
bed of anguish and palma wifsexhausted from !
fatigue and the lack of food. with dear sweet
child literally dying for nourishment that was
not to be obtained fron It's helpless parents