Table of Contents. CHAPTER I.-ORIGINAL SIN; or, the Misery and Helplessness of Life in the natural state, under the burden of Original Sin. CHAPTER II.-ORIGINAL JUSTICE; or, the Glory and Privileges of the Supernatural State. CHAPTER III.-THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST; or the Life of Grace, lost by the disobedience of the first Adam, restored to us by the obedience and sacrifice of the second Adam. CHAPTER IV. THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS; or, the Super natural State restored and preserved by the gift of the Seven Sacraments of the Church. CHAPTER V.—(I.) BAPTISM; or, the first pillar of the House of Wisdom. CHAPTER VI.—(II.) CONFIRMATION; or, the second pillar of the House of Wisdom. CHAPTER VII.—(III.) THE HOLY EUCHARIST; or, the third pillar of the House of Wisdom. Its threefold blessing, as (I.) the Blessed Sacrament; (II.) the adorable Divine Presence; (III.) the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. CHAPTER VIII.—(IV.) PENANCE; or, the fourth pillar of the House of Wisdom. CHAPTER IX. (V.) EXTREME UNCTION; or, the fifth pillar of the House of Wisdom. CHAPTER X.-(VI.) HOLY ORDERS; or, the sixth pillar of the House of Wisdom. CHAPTER XI.—(VII.) HOLY MATRIMONY; or, the seventh pillar of the House of Wisdom. CHAPTER XII.-THE HOLY CITY JERUSALEM; or, the Christian's land of Promise, when Types and Figures, Veils and Sacraments, shall have passed away. List of Typical Designs. 1.-FRONTISPIECE, The Holy of 10.-Melchisedec, Type of the Holies; or the Type of the Heavenly Jerusalem. 2.-Ornamental Title. I. BAPTISM. 6. The Red Sea, Type of Baptism. II. CONFIRMATION. 7.-Job accused by his friends. III.-HOLY EUCHARIST. 9.-Paschal Lamb, Type of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Blessed Sacrament, combined. adorable Sacrifice of the Mass. 11.-Manna, Type of the Life-giving Bread of the Holy Eucharist. 12.-Elias and the Hearth-cake, Type of the perfecting power of the Holy Eucharist. IV. PENANCE. 13. The Leper Cleansed. V.-EXTREME UNCTION. 14.-The Widow's Cruise of Oil. VI.-HOLY ORDERS. VII.-HOLY MATRIMONY. 16.-Isaac and Rebecca. THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS. CHAPTER I. ORIGINAL SIN, OB, The fallen State. THE MISERY AND HELPLESSNESS OF HUMAN LIFE IN THE NATURAL STATE, DEPRIVED OF THE GIFT OF SANCTIFYING GRACE. WHEN God first created the earth, and made man to be its master, the spot which he chose for Adam to dwell in was a garden of delight, a paradise of pleasure, in which grew abundance of everything that was good for food and pleasant to the eye. Four fountains sprang from the middle of the garden, and watered it in every part. Adam was made its lord and master, and God brought all the brute creatures before him, and he gave to each of them their name. After a time God said: "It is not good for man to be alone: let us make him a com. panion like to himself." And the Lord cast a deep sleep THE MALICE OF SATAN IN DECEIVING ADAM AND EVE upon Adam, and taking one of the ribs from his side he formed it into woman; and Adam on waking from his sleep found his beautiful companion Eve, by his side. Adam and Eve were now master and mistress of the beautiful garden, and they had dominion over everything in the garden except the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil which God reserved for His own, and forbade them under pain of death to touch or take of its fruit. Satan, an angel fallen from heaven through pride and rebellion, saw the innocence and happiness of the newly-created pair, and through envy determined that if he possibly could, he would mar and spoil their paradise of delight. As long as Adam and Eve remained faithful, and observed the one commandment which their God had given them, he had no power to injure or molest them. But they might be brought to break their friendship with their God through disobedience, and to bring about their disobedience became his diabolical and envious scheme. He came into their paradise in the disguise of a serpent, and taking Eve to be the most easily deceived of the two, he began to talk with her about the fruit which they were forbidden to touch, and ended by persuading her that there would be neither harm nor ill consequence from taking it. Eve, listening to the serpent, proceeded THE JUDGMENT OF GOD UPON ADAM AND EVE. THE THREE STATES OF HUMAN NATURE. to take the fruit from the tree and to eat it; and afterwards Adam received part of it from her, and ate of it as she had done. After this evil act was over, then came the sorrowful consequences. The Devil had gained his end, and had marred their paradise. The Lord their God called Adam and Eve into His presence, and passed sentence upon them. "In the sweat of thy brow," He said to Adam, "thou shalt eat bread." And to Eve, "Thou shalt be the mother of children in sorrow." "Dust you are, and unto dust you shall return." Thus began the life of servitude to sin, under what theologians call the natural law. Previous to their breaking the commandment of God they enjoyed the gift of sanctifying grace, which had raised them to what theologians call the "supernatural state." Theology speaks of three states: (I.)-The state of nature, innocent and free from sin: (II.)-The supernatural state, or the same natural state raised through the special mercy and bounty of God, to a dignity and to privileges not belonging by any positive right to the original creation: (III.)-The state of fallen nature, subject to the natural law, and under servitude to sin. It is not necessary to enter into the question discussed between theologians, whether Almighty God |