The Irish standard., 1904-02-27
Cardinals Prophetic Words.

A few hours before the disastrous
fire started in the city of Baltimore,
Cardinal Gibbons preached at the
cathedral sermon which many people
consider almost prophetic. The car
dinal took as his topic, '"The Uses Of
Adversely" and to his usual large con-
gregation he spoke as follows:
Suffering is law Of human life.
No man can escape it, whether he be
pope or king, emperor or president.
'sBut if tribulation is law of hui
man life, it is also, thank God, law
and condition of Christian progress
and perfection. 1t is means or
dained by heaven for our sanctifcation
and salvation.
Through trials and tribulations it
behooves us to enter the kingdom of
God. All who wish to live piously
must suffer persecution for Jesus
Christ. The reason is obvious. To
live piously is to live conscientiously,
is to walk in the straight path of Chris
tian duty, aud you cannot walk along
in that path without confronting OPP
position.
"a great writer has said. Sweet are
the uses of adversely which, like the
toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet
precious jewel in its head
'The teachings of Christian philos-
ophy, with regard to the Uses Of adj
versity, may be summed UP in one
short sentence, that they are to be
borne with patience, and even with
JOY. we glory in our tribulation,'
says the apostle, knowing that tribu-
lation worlleth patience and patience
approval, and approval hope, and hope
confoundet11 not, because the charity
of God is poured forth in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost, who is given u.s.
"Our Heavenly Father is Our ply
sician. He plunges It's one by one in
to the healing pool of tribulation for
the cleansing of the disease that is
special to each of us. Perhaps our
fever is pride and vaingro1y. Our
Lord sends lis some humiliation to re-
duce our swelling pride and make us
humble of heart. Nothing contributes
better to humanity than humiliation.
Your fever is impotence and irritable
ity of temper toward your family and
domestics. The Lord sends you some
affection which brings you home to
yourself and chastiscs you with sweet
patience
| Cor perhaps you have taken vain
complacency in your personal charms
or have made a perverse or wanto,1
use OF your physical strength. God
strikes you down on bed of sickness
| to remind you that your bodies are
not to be profaned on the affairs of
vanity or se1f-indulgence, but are to
| be offered as pleasing victim to the
Lord.
"Your fever consists in an inordi-
nate attachment to earthly riches and
"a financial crash comes which reduces
yon to Strengthened circumstances
You are thereby admonished to accept
the situation in the spirit of Job and
to say with him. THE Lord has given
and the Lord hath taen away; blessed
be the will of the Lord
Lastly, you will say: My cross is
too heavy to bear. suffer more than
any mortal has endured So saying
this you deceive yourselves. No one
can compare his trials with those OF
others. unless their life is laid bare
before him. And this revelation Cod
docs not vouchsafecto make.
"Christians. look on the bright side
instead of the dark side of human life
God sends you ninety-nine blessings
with one affection YOU close youl
eyes at the ninety-nine blessings ana
you stare at the one affection till YOU
imagination and impotence distort anc
magnify beyond all due proportions.
| "Above all, remember that earthl.
scenes are passing away and bringing
It's nearer to eternity. For our pres
ent tribulation, which is momentar
: and light, worketh for us above meas
E ure an eternal weight OF glory"