find thee: “Seek and ye shall find:" I seek thee, I desire thee; grant that I may find thee. I am sorry for my sins and will never more offend thee.
III. When then, dear Christian, thou art tempted to commit sin with the hope of confessing it on the morrow, say to thyself: but who knows but that this moment may be my last? And if in this moment I should be guilty of sin, and death should overtake me, whither should I go? O God, how many miserable sinners have been struck by death in the act of feasting themselves on some poisonous gratification! The devil will say to thee: this misfortune will not befal thee. But do thou answer him: if it should befal me, what will become of me for eternity? O God, may not that happen to me which has happened to so many other unhappy sinners? How many are now in hell for lesser sins than I have committed! I give thee thanks, O Jesus, for having waited for me with so much patience, and for having now enlightened me. I have erred in forsaking thee; and death might have been my punishment; but since thou givest me time, henceforward I will think of nothing but of loving thee. Assist me with thy grace. And do you, Mary, assist me by your holy intercession.
Meditation Forty-ninth.
On the eternity of hell.
I. IF hell were not eternal, it would not be hell. Punishment which does not continue for a long time is not grievous punishment. On the other hand, punishment, however light it may be, when it continues for a long time, becomes intolerable.
