her last moments, are only, properly speaking, her last act of inconstancy.

2. Our Saviour, in the second place, by his resurrection, removed the scandal which attended his ignominious death; dispelled the doubts and fears of his disciples; restored all things to order; and fully satisfied the justice of his Father. Thus, having died once, he dieth now no more.

Our resurrection from the death of sin must be accompanied with the same effects. Complete reparation must be made for our past disloyalties, and the justice of God must be satisfied. But we are defective in this point, as well as in the former; and to this again, in part, may be attributed our relapses.

After a life of vanity and pleasure, of tepidity and concupiscence, we do not chastise ourselves either by retrenchments or self-denials. When the forty days of Lent are expired, we think no more of penance until the sor

rowful tidings of the next fast are announced. We descend from the cross at this time; but, instead of arising to a new life-a life of purity and spiritual joy, we plunge impetuously into the abyss of sensual pleasures and worldly, enjoyments. We, perhaps, are sincerely desirous of effecting our deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan: but what are our motives? because the yoke begins to weigh heavy on our shoulders;-because the hurry and agitation of the passions are no longer pleasing;-because the world has lost its attractive charms in our eyes. We, perhaps, would willingly forsake the ways of iniquity: and why? because the cries of conscience are

redoubled, because eternity

ap

proaches, because death is at hand,— and because the voice of an angry God sounds in our ears. We would gladly embrace a life of virtue: but our only inducement is the pleasure and

the happiness of being free from uneasiness and remorse, and the enjoyment of the sweets of interior tranquillity and peace. We seek ourselves only, in our return to God. We throw off the yoke of concupiscence; but we do not take up the yoke of Christ :--we turn away from the sorrows of guilt, but we refuse to taste the bitter draught of repentance :—we divest ourselves of the ignominy of the old man; but we do not put on the mortification of the new we deliver ourselves from the oppression of Egypt; but we do not enter the laborious paths of the desart : -in a word, we forsake the ways of sin, but we have no other object in view, than the pleasure of being sinners, no longer.

In the second place, we neglect to make the reparations which justice demands. Religion enforces the necessity of giving every man his own, of paying our just debts, and of taking

no more than what is our due. If we have transgressed in either of these points, full reparation must be made to the injured party. This is an indispensable duty but by how few is it observed! The rich, instead of making satisfaction for the past, continue their oppressions, and increase their debts. The merchant, the tradesman, instead of restoring their former unjust gains, extend their unlawful dealings, and devise new plans of increasing their profits at the expense of honesty.

The

servant and the workman, instead of atoning for their former neglect, either by restitution, by a redoubled diligence, or by a more scrupulous inspection, linger on in their accustomed indolence, and, perhaps, even continue to repeat their depredations.

Lastly, we neglect to make reparation for the injuries which our neighbours have sustained by the unrestrained liberty with which we have

exposed their failings, and censured their actions. Alas! we foolishly imagine, that so many calumnies which we have invented, so many malicious. conjectures which we have proclaimed as known facts, so many unfounded suspicions which we have secretly spread abroad,-crimes which floods. of tears and perpetual silence would hardly atone for; we foolishly imagine, I say, that no other reparation is required, than to be more on our guard for the time to come, and never to indulge our uncharitable remarks, but in private, and in the society of our select friends. Thus do we confirm the opinion which is so prevalent in the world, that whatever other sacrifices the devout observer of his duties. may make, he always reserves the liberty of detraction, in order, as it is. said, to make amends for the restraints. of piety, by the pleasure of censuring the vices of others.