hour of the time which Thou hast granted to me; and I, what shall I do? Shall I continue to spend it on things which displease Thee? No, my Jesus! do not allow this by the merits of that Blood which hitherto has delivered me from hell. I love Thee, O Highest Good; and because I love Thee, I repent of having offended Thee. I desire to offend Thee no more, but ever to love Thee. Grant that I may obtain the gift of perseverance and of Thy holy love.
Second Point.
The punishment which most torments the senses of the lost, is the fire of hell which torments the touch. " The vengeance of the ungodly is fire and worms." (Ecclus. vii. 17.) Therefore it is, that the Lord makes special mention of it in His description of the judgment. " Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." (S. Matt. xxv. 41.) Even in this life, the pain which is caused by fire is sharper than any other; but there is so much difference between this pain and that which will be caused by the fire of hell, that S. Augustine tells us, the pain we suffer here would seem to be but painted. And S. Vincent Ferrer observes, that in comparison to that fire, our fire is but cold. The reason is, that our fire is made for our use; but the fire of hell is created by God on purpose to punish. Tertullian observes that the fire which is for human use, is very different from the fire which serves for the judgment of Cod. The wrath of God kindles that avenging fire. " A fire is kindled in Mine anger." (Jer. xv. 14.) Therefore, by Isaiah, the fire of hell is called the spirit of burning. " When the Lord shall have washed away the filth .... by the spirit of burning." (Isa. iv. 4.) The lost shall not only be sent to the fire, but into the fire. " Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." So that the miserable ones will be surrounded with fire, like wood in a furnace. The lost will find themselves, with an abyss of fire beneath, an abyss of fire above, and an abyss of fire around them. If they touch anything, if they see, if they breathe, it is only fire that they touch, see, and breathe. They will be in the fire as a fish is in the water. But not only will this fire remain, surrounding those
