The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-05-11

| struction and who will gl0at over your
ruin and finally never-ending pains in
ficted by the .omnipotent hand OF an an
gry God.
has other motives than fear to deter US
from sin and to inspire us with the reso-
| luton to persevere in His grace. And it
is a pleasure to turn from the thought of
punishment to that of reward.
The first effect of a good life that cam
not fail to impress you strongly IS the
cheerfulness and JOY oorn cs the testimony
| Of a good conscience. Instead OF the de-
pressing and overpowering sense OF guilt
produced by sin, you now experience a
| light heartedness and buoyancy which
tells you plainly that terrible weight
has been lifted from your soul. The dom
inant note of your life now is peace, that
peace which surpasseth all understand
ing" the peace that enables you to- look
The world in the face unconscious OF pub
lie offense or secret defiIement. You were
strangers to this neace while you were
aware that you were not in the friendship
| of God. Now that it is yours you will
| guard it against all attacks and never
again forfeit it by sin. You will not allow
yourselves to be blinded by the seductive
| and heeting pleasures Of the moment. You
will be brave and loyal and steadfast in
| temptation and remain true to your God
| and grateful for His mercies. Evermore
YOU will keep before your minds the prom
| ise of our Lord: BE faithful until death
and I will give thee the crown of life;
And when, at lc::::, the struggle Is about
from your sight, with the smile Of God
| sweetly beckoning you on, vou' will be able
to lay down youl weary heads in peace
and resignation. You will take courage
from the declaration of Christ: He that
perseveres unto the end, he shall be
saved" Death will have no terrors for
you because you will be able to regard it
as the gate through which all must, pass
to enter upon the rewards # eternal life.
The inspired words of Holy Scripture:
Blessed are the dead who die in the
Lord" will find their fulfllment in your
case, for you will 60 cheerfully with the
seal of faith to the sweet repose OF ever
lasting peace.
Whittier? To God and HIS heaven. Let
US consider our reward. Let US try to
pierce the skies and catcl 4 glimpse OF the
lows awaiting us. Our mental vision
ranges over the myriads angels Ind arch
angels, patriarchs and prophets, 'postles
and martyrs, confessors and virgins, who
bask in the sunshine of the presence Of
God. Our souls are transported beyond
the bounds of the material Dody when we
think that we, too. are called to join IN
the praise of God, with the nine choirs OF
angels. Our hearts expand with joy when
us, have battled with .-e enemies of their
salvation. They have fought the good
fight, they have finished their course, they
have kept the faith. Now they are enjoy
ing the crown of justice which God, the
Just Judge, has awarded them for their
fidelity. They are placed beyond the
reach of tribulation, for in heaven God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and death shall be no more, nor mourn
ing, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any
more, for these things have passed away"
How clearly does their happy state ex-
emplify the apostles words: The suffer.
ings Of the present time are unworthy OF
being compared to the glory to come
And to think that the blessedness of the
saints is the destiny which God has
marked out for you. This is the final
vocation to which God has called you.
Listen to St. Paul: You are come" says
he, Ito the Mount of Zion, and to the city
of the living God, the heavenly Jerusa-
lem, and the many thousands of angels,
and the church of the first born who are
written in heaven, and God the Judge of
All, and Jesus the Mediator of the New
Testament" Has earth any joys compared
to these? Is there anything under God
which can justify. us in forfeiting this I'M
more loving father than God, sweeter
friend than Christ, kinder mother than
Mary, nobler brothers and sisters than the
apostles, martyrs ana virgins already re-
joicing before the throne of God? Oh,
what humiliation it must cause US to feel
ourselves so sin stained and unworthy,
and yet to know that we are called to as.
sociate with such purity and splendor!
Who are we that we should aspire to the
companionship of the blessed? What have
we done that with them we should gaze
forever on the biissful vision Of God, that
we should intone the canticles OF adora-
tion with the quiring seraphim, that we
should kneel as children at the feet of
the Immaculate Mary, that We should con-
sort with such saints as Peter and Paul,
that we should proclaim the glory of the
Lamb of God with John the Baptist, that
we should sing His praises with Holy
David, that we should repose in peace and
rest with the victorious martyrs, that we
should attend in the train of Christ with
spotless virgins, that we should behold the
bright radiance of eternal truth and beau
ty with St. Augustine and st. Thomas?
All this and unspeakably more is the lot
of those who are numbered among the
saints. And yet it is to this that God
invites us, calls US and entreats US.
Let US listen to His voice and let our
thoughts and affections dwell in heaven,
and let us serve God as the saints served
Him. Strive heroically, consistently and
steadfastly with your passions Follow
faithfully the means of perseverance point
ed out to you in the holy tribunal Of pen
ance. Keep in sight the crown of glory
laid up for you. And although your names
may not be registered among the canon
lied, nevertheless recurrence of this
happy day will find you reigning in bliss.
The storm will be past, the haven reached,
the inheritance secured. Happiness un-
speakable! for "eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither hath it entered into the
heart of man, what things God hath pre-
pared for those who love Him" May you
and T and all who love God one day be
numbered among those who stand before
the throne when God shall wipe away all
t;ars from our eyes, and death shall be no
more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sor-
row shall be any more. for those things
shall have. passed away"