On the Second Reason for the Last Judgment.
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The Gospel of Christ teaches us a holy doctrine.
Finally, there must and shall be a day of general judgment in order to defend and uphold the lives of the just and pious against the erroneous opinions and judgments of vain worldlings, If we contrast the laws and maxims of the Gospel of Christ with the lives and conduct of most Christians,, what a discord we shall find between them! It will seem as if Our Lord had preached mere fables to us, or at least as if His truths are not necessary to be practised by Christians who wish to go to heaven. The Gospel blesses the poor in spirit, but threatens woe to the rich who seek their pleasure and consolation in earthly goods; it says that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man, whose heart and desires are attached to temporal things, to enter heaven; it blesses the meek and the peaceful, who give way in silence to their opponents, and repay injuries with prayers and benefits, according to the law which says you must love your enemies and do good to those that hate and persecute and calumniate you; you must refrain from taking revenge under pain of eternal damnation; he who does not pardon his enemy cannot expect pardon from God; he who says to his brother with real, deliberate anger in his heart, “you fool!” is deserving of hell fire, and so on. It blesses those who weep and mourn here, and are tried by all kinds of crosses and tribulations, provided they bear them with patience and resignation to the divine will, while it threatens woe and eternal gnashing of teeth to those who laugh here and lead a voluptuous life. It blesses those who hunger and thirst after justice, while it threatens the tepid and slothful in the service of God, and warns them that God will vomit them out of His mouth. It blesses those who suffer persecution for justice’ sake, and are despised and looked down on by others, while it menaces eternal curses to those who are addicted here to cursing. It raises up to heaven the humble, who seek the lowest places here, while it says to the proud that unless they change and become as little children they shall never enter the kingdom of heaven. It treats of self-denial, mortification, crucifying the flesh, moderation in eating, drinking, and sleeping; of taking up and bearing the cross daily; of imitating the life and example of Christ, if we wish to go to heaven, but it holds out no hope of heaven to the voluptuous, to gluttons, and drunkards. It treats of flying the world, whose usages and customs we are forbidden to follow; and it condemns the friends of the world as enemies of God. It points out the rug-
