"From whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead." Here let us meditate on our blessed Redeemer's return at the end of the world, with great pomp and majesty, in quality of Sovereign Judge of the living and the dead. As soon as the last trumpet shall sound, and the angel repeat these words in the four corners of the earth: "Arise ye dead, and come to judgment!" the whole race of mankind, both the good and the wicked, are to appear before his awful tribunal, in sight of Mount Calvary, in order to give a strict account of all their thoughts, words, and actions; for, besides the particular judgment which is passed on every soul immediately after death, the justice of God requires that a general judgment should also take place, in order that the children of Adam should be assembled together, and receive their sentence; either of eternal salvation or eternal reprobation. O let us make a timely provision for this woful day, in order that we may then meet with a favourable judgment, and be entitled to receive the happy sentence of the elect; saying for this end, "Our Father," &c. "Hail Mary," &c.
Eighth Article.
"I believe in the Holy Ghost."—Let us now meditate on the great work of our sanctification, which is particularly attributed to the Holy Ghost, the third person of the ever blessed Trinity; because he is the love of the Father and the Son, and because it is from God's love to us that all sanctity, all grace, all justification and virtue flow. For which reason the apostle says, "the charity of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us." We first receive the Holy Ghost, and are made his living temples at the font of baptism, and afterwards we receive him in a more perfect manner in the sacrament of confirmation, &c. O what a happiness it is to possess this divine and heavenly guest in our souls! and how solicitous should we be to invite him into our hearts, to engage him to stay with us, and to make our souls his dwelling-place for time and eternity! Let us devoutly implore this greatest of blessings; saying, "Our Father," &c. "Hail Mary," &c.
Ninth Article.
"The holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints."—We are now to meditate on the infinite goodness and mercy of God, who, by a special grace, has vouchsafed to call us to the light of his true and saving faith, and to include us within the pale and bosom of his One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, in preference to so many thousands in different parts of the world, left in ignorance, or buried in the darkness of error and infidelity. This grace of our vocation is so signal a blessing, that it calls upon us for our most grateful acknowledgments, and will render us more culpable at the last day than pagans or infidels, if, instead of living up to our holy profession, we dishonour it by the immorality of our lives. On the contrary, if we square our actions according to our belief; if we show the purity of our religion by the purity of our morals, and live as becomes worthy members of the Catholic Church, we shall assuredly be made partakers of all spiritual blessings and treasures thereof, and benefit by all the prayers, sacrifices, and good works, which are wrought therein by our fellow-members; for as there subsists a common union between all the parts of the human body, there subsists, in like manner, a common or general union in spirituals between all the parts of Christ's mystical body, the holy Catholic Church. O what an inestimable blessing then must it be, to live and die in the communion of his church! and, on the contrary, what a grievous loss and misfortune to be cut off therefrom by excommunication, like rotten and dead members separated from a natural body by amputation! Let us beware of incurring the like misfortune, and beseech the Almighty to grant us grace to be always obedient hearers of the pastors of his church, those spiritual guides to whom he has committed the care of our souls; saying for this end, "Our Father," &c. "Hail Mary," &c.
Tenth Article.
"The Forgiveness of Sins."—Here let us also meditate on a second signal advantage which may be obtained within the pale of the holy Catholic Church. Besides the mutual communication in spirituals, and participation in good works, that subsists between all the parts of the church in their three different states, viz. the saints in heaven, the souls in purgatory, and the true believers on earth, who compose the church triumphant, sufferant, and militant; the apostles also teach us, in this article of their creed, that there is a power left by Jesus Christ to his church, to forgive the sins of such as truly repent, and properly apply for absolution. Original sin has been already remitted by the sacrament of baptism, and the actual sins committed after baptism are pardoned in the sacrament of penance, when duly administered by the pastors of the church, and received with the proper dispositions on the part of the repenting sinner. Let us therefore beseech the Father of mercies to grant us these dispositions; saying, "Our Father," &c. "Hail Mary," &c.
Eleventh Article.
"The Resurrection of the Flesh."—Let us here meditate on a third signal privilege reserved in the next life for the living members of the holy Catholic Church. On the last day there will be a general resurrection of the dead; and the whole human race, which at the fall of our first parents had been sentenced to return to their original dust, shall arise again to receive their final and irrevocable doom. As soon as the angel, by the sound of his trumpet, proclaims the awful summons, "Arise ye dead, and come to judgment!" the bodies of all the children of Adam, re-animated by their respective souls, shall instantaneously, in the "twinkling of an eye," issue forth out of their several graves and sepulchres, never more to be separated for an endless eternity. But, alas! how very different will be the manner of the resurrection of the reprobate from that of the elect! for whereas the bodies of the former shall arise in a condition suitable to their deserts, that is, foul, hideous, heavy, inactive, and only fit to be the fuel of everlasting flames, (immortal indeed they shall be, but to no other end than to endure immortal torments,) so those of the latter shall arise glorious, beautiful, immortal, and impassible, brighter than the stars, and more resplendent than the sun. This glorious state of immortality is infallibly reserved for the bodies of such Christians as in this life have been as it were consecrated by receiving the holy sacraments, and particularly the Eucharist; since Christ himself expressly declares, "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." O let us then frequently approach this heavenly banquet, with the proper dispositions, that thereby our bodies and souls being preserved pure from the corruption of sin, may both arise together at the last day to a happy immortality. That this may be our happy lot, let us with the most fervent devotion, say, "Our Father," &c. "Hail Mary," &c.