Christopher C. Dean

“ There is no time to lose: every moment may be the last of our lives. The longer we have lived, the nearer we approach to the grave. Our death is not less distant the more it has been put off. 3. What will our notion of this earth be, when we are forced to quit it? Let us now take advice from death - it is a faithful counsellor - it will not deceive us. What will become of this beauty, this money, this pleasure, this honour? What will be our thoughts of them at the hour of death? In our lifetime, appearances often deceive us; but, at our death, we shall see things as they really are. ”

“ Heaven, thou glorious state-no heart can conceive, no tongue can describe, what thou art! Exemption from all that is evil-assemblage of all that is good-masterpiece of God's omnipotence--the price of the blood of Jesus --and more than man can desire. ”

“ An action done for God, how trifling soever it may be, is of far greater value than the renowned exploits of heroes. It we pique ourselves upon so much courage in labouring for vanity, what should be done when we are employed for eternity ? What! the servants of the devil spare no pains - they do not complain of what they go through - they are ever indefatigable. Is Jesus Christ, then, less considerable than the devil? Is paradise less valuable than hell? ”

“ We are bound to believe in this Saviour of all mankind, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, true God, and true man; perfect God from all eternity, equal to his Father in all things; and perfect man, from the time of his coming down from heaven for us, having a body and soul like us. ”

“ It would seem that two Christians, who hate each other, are not really professors of the same religion ; for how can they approach the same altar - eat the same food - seek the same heaven - and hope to be together eternally ? Mutual hatred is allowed but to the devils, it belongs to them alone. There is not a more formal sign of reprobation than that of refusing to pardon an enemy ;: and a soul in such a disposition may be looked on as in danger of hell. ”

“ Sin must necessarily be punished either by him who commits it, or by God , against whom it is committed . If sinners do not punish themselves in time, the Divine Justice will punish them in eternity. The flames of hell must punish what the waters of penance have not effaced. Is it not, therefore , better to weep for a few days, than to burn for an eternity ? ”

“ Man, whilst alive, esteems the world - man, when dying, despises it. But which should we reasonably believe - man living, or man at the point of death? Ah, how trifling will the world appear by the light of that torch which faintly glimmers near the bed of death! ”

“ We are commanded to love our enemies ; why then should we destroy those souls which have never done us an injury ? A man who has been unfortunate enough to ruin souls , redeemed by the blood of a God , has much reason to fear for his salvation . What can we reasonably hope from Jesus Christ, after having torn from him what he so dearly purchased ? O fathers and mothers , who do not live as Christians ought to live , it were far better for your children that they had never been born ; you have given them life only to put them to death , that dreadful death which is eternal! ”

“ To see God clearly, and as he is in his glory; to love God without measure; to possess God without ever fearing to lose him; to be happy in the felicity of God himself-such is the object of my hopes. But a day or two of pilgrimage and exile, and then I shall be with him for ever. ”

“ A soul in the state of grace is beautiful beyond expression ; it is a brilliant image of God himself; the Holy Ghost animates it. But , when mortal sin is allowed to affect it , its beauty is lost, its light is extinguished , the Divine Spirit departs, the devil takes possession : all then is darkness, filth , and deformity. If a God-man, dying, was a dreadful spectacle, mortal sin is yet more dreadfui; for Christ died but to atone for sin , and sin can daily frustrate all his merits ”

“ We are not Christians merely to be rich, and to live at our ease . It was not necessary to institute Christianity for that purpose ; the world might have been left as it was , under the empire of passion and opinion. The life of a Christian is a crucified life; unless the cross be embraced , faith must be renounced. ”

“ From the moment we are attached to the world we cease, in some measure, to be Christians. This profane world, so passionately fond of grandeur, of pleasure, of every thing that can flatter self-love, is the capital enemy of Jesus Christ ”

“ Never to see God-to be burning in flames for ever-the blood boiling in our veins, the marrow in our bones-to be trampled on by the devils-to have all that is hideous for ever before our eyes-to have rage, anguish, and despair eternally rooted in our heart, without comfort or mitigation. ”

“ The son of God died on the cross that he might take possession of his glory ; the saints have arrived in heaven only by the path of sufferings. Shall we, then , imagine that what the Son of God and the saints have so dearly purchased, shall be given to us for nothing ? No; the cross is the distinctive mark and portion of the elect; a soul which suffers nothing, bears the strongest character of a reprobate. We must, of necessity, either suffer in this world or in the next . ”

“ Oh, what a terrible day is the day of God's wrath!--where the in most recesses of the heart shall be openly exposed; where every fault shall be strictly examined. If the just themselves shall be hardly found just, what will become of unhappy sinners! ”

“ We must believe the Catholic or universal Church of Christ, of which he is the perpetual Head, and his Spirit the perpetual Director; which is founded upon a rock, and is ever victorious over all the powers of death and hell. ”

“ God is the greatest parent of mankind : our Lord Jesus Christ has taught us to call him Father . Not a hair can even fall from our heads without his knowledge. His providence reaches from end to end , disposing all things sweetly. ”

“ The world has nothing worthy of an immortal soul; it has not even wherewithal to requite even its most devoted servants. Its treasures, its amusements, its honours, may indeed occupy and disturb the heart of man, but they can never satisfy ii. ”

“ The damned must not only suffer during eternity, but suffer every moment an eternity entire. Eternity is always present to them-it enters into their punishment-their mind is incessantly struck with the endless duration of their torments. ”

“ Let us then never be so weak or foolish as to trust to ourselves. Many whom torments could not shake have wretchedly perished in a slight temptation ; they were victorious over tyrants, but vanquished by concupiscence.
3. There is no man , of how exemplary soever a conduct, that should not tremble at the justice of God, because he cannot be certain whether he be worthy of love or hatred. To the all seeing eye of infinite perfection the very angels themselves shall not appear without blemish. Sanctity may be lost in a single moment, the saint may be transformed into an odious reprobate. ”

“ All things but sin fall out by God's appointment. Though his arm be raised to strike, we are sure that his hand is conducted by his heart. What have we to fear from a heart that loves us . We will , then , desire nothing but what he pleases; we will not complain of losses, sickness, troubles, & c . The name and the nature of these things are changed as they pass through the hands of God . What the world calls misfortune, affliction, dishonour, is an advantage, a grace ,and a favour from heaven , when considered in the order of Providence . ”

“ If it be the most consummate folly to doubt of a doctrine which God has revealed, which so many martyrs have sealed with their blood, and which the devils themselves have so often confessed, is it not downright madness to believe this doctrine, and yet live as if it were supposed to be false? ”

“ A soul that is not satisfied with the will of God seems to doubt, in some measure , of his authority. To desire that what he ordains and permits in this world should go on otherwise than it does, is to desire that God should not be master. ”

“ We communicate with the saints in heaven, as out fellow-members under the same head, Christ Jesus; we give thanks to God for his gifts to them, and we beg a share in their prayers. We communicate with all the saints upon earth in the same sacraments, and sacrifice, and in a holy union of faith and charity. ”

“ As Christians, it would be very profitable for us to reflect, every morning, that we have on that day a God to glorify, a Saviour to imitate, our souls to save, our bodies to mortify, virtues to acquire, sins to satisfy for, heaven to seek after, hell to avoid, eternity to meditate on, time to improve, temptation to overcome, the devil to resist, our neighbour to edify , our passions tosubdue, the world to guard against, and, perhaps, death and judgment to undergo. ”

“ If eternity could have an end , the torments of the damned in hell , even to the day of judgment , would not be too much to obtain his heavenly love. There is not one of these miserable souls that would not think itself happy, provided, after ages of suffering, it could love that infinite beauty. ”

“ Let us clothe ourselves with Jesus Christ, according to the words of the apostle : let his conduct, his virtues, and his spirit shine forth in us, so that he may be remembered when we are seen . We contribute not less to our neighbour's salvation by an edifying life, than we do to his damnation by a scandalous one . ”

“ We must fly all idolatry, all false religions and superstitions; under which name are comprehended all manner of divinations or pretensions to fortune-telling; all witchcraft, charms, spells, observations of omens, dreams, &c. All these things are heathenish, and contrary to the worship of the true and living God, and to that dependence a Christian soul ought to have on him. ”

“ So essential is charity to the Christian religion, that we are obliged to love even our enemies : Christ hath given the commandment, and set the example. God orders it, and shall we find it hard to obey ? A God forgives his very executioners, and shall we refuse to pardon a brother ? ”

“ Men think themselves unfortunate when they lose all their possessions at law, or some other cause, What is it, then, to love an infinite God? Unhappy the soul which loses its God by sin: but far more unhappy the soul that considers this loss as nothing.
2. O sin! how common art thou among men; but how little. at the same time,art thou known to them. Playing and amusing themselves, they become the execration of God. And what play, what amusement is this ? God, who is all love, detests sin with infinite hatred ; should any thing, therefore , be so shocking in our eyes as this hellish monster ? ”

“ Every Christian must believe that there is one God, and no more than one God: that this God is a pure Spirit, the Lord and Maker of heaven and earth, who has neither beginning nor end, but is always the same; is every where present; knows and sees all things; can do all things whatsoever he pleases; and is infinite in all perfections.
2. Every Christian is bound to believe that in this one God there are three several Persons, perfectly equal, and of the same substance: the Father, who proceeds from none ”

“ However, the greater part of mankind think less of saving themselves than of any thing else. Every other business is carefully attended to, except the affair of salvation. All other concerns are turned to account. This sum of money must be put out to interest—this field must be tilled—these lands must be let at a more considerable rent. All other losses are bewailed, except the one without resource. Great expenses are incurred for the body, and nothing at all done for the soul. ”

“ It would be irrational, and, therefore, degrading to man, to neglect an affair whose consequences are so great, whose success is so uncertain, and whose loss is irreparable, What blindness! what folly! to think only of living, and not to think of living well! ”

“ And we communicate with the faithful, who have departed this life in a more imperfect state, and who, by the law of God's justice, are for a while in a place of suffering, by offering prayers and alms and sacrifice to God for them.
12. We must believe also the necessity of divine grace, without which we cannot make so much as one step towards heaven; and that all our good and all our merits are the gift of God; that Christ died for all men; that God is not the author of sin; and that his grace does not take away our free will. ”

“ We must all believe that this God created the angels to be with him forever, and that one part of them fell from God by sin, and became devils; that God also created Adam and Eve, the first parents of all mankind, and placed them in the earthly paradise, from whence they were justly banished for the sin they committed in eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree; and that by this transgression of Adam we are all born in sin, and must have been lost for ever, if God had not sent us a Saviour. ”

“ Every one should have what justly belongs to him: let us then give ourselves to God, since it is he who has a right to us. If we be not his children of our own accord, we must be his slaves in despite of us. We must of necessity live under the dominion of his justice or of his bounty. ”

“ Play, luxury, and debauch have ruined innumerable families, but alms have impoverished none .
3. Men, at the day of judgment, shall be accountable for their alms ; but what answer can the unfeeling rich ones make when the poor shall accuse them ? when Jesus Christ himself shall reproach them with their insensibility ? “ Go, ye cursed, into eternal fire. I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat ; I was naked , and you did not clothe me," & c . A heart that is hard to the poor is the heart of a reprobate; but , on the contrary, a soul that is truly charitable is a soul acceptable. ”