so great patience waited for me till now, and I thank Thee especially for the light which Thou now givest me, by which Thou teachest me to know my madness, and the wrong that I
detest them, and I repent with my whole heart, pardon me by Thy Passion, and so assist me by Thy grace, that I may never offend Thee more. Justly now I ought to fear, that after another deadly sin Thou wilt abandon me. Oh, my Lord, I pray Thee, place before my eyes this just fear whenever the devil may tempt me to offend Thee again. My God, I love Thee, never will I lose Thee any more. Assist me by Thy grace, so that I may never more lose Thee.
Second Point.
He who once enters hell shall never leave it for all eternity. This thought made David tremble, and say, " Neither let the deep swallow me up, and let hot the pit shut her mouth upon me." (Ps. lxix. 15.) When the lost one has fallen into that pit of torment, the pit closes its mouth and opens it no more. In hell there is a door of entrance, but no door of exit; so Eusebius Emissenus says " there will be a descent, but no ascent," and he explains the Psalmist's words, " let not the pit shut her mouth upon me," (Ps. lxix. 15), as implying, that the pit, when it has received the wicked, is closed above and opened below. As long as the sinner lives, he can ever hold to the hope of a remedy; but if he shall be caught by death whilst in sin, all hope for him will be ended. " When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish." (Prov. xi. 7.) The lost, at least might be able to flatter themselves with this false hope, and so find some alleviation for their despair. That poor wounded one, confined to his bed, whom the physicians have despaired of being able to cure, yet flatters and consoles himself by saying, "Who knows, but that I may yet find some physician or some remedy to cure me?" That wretched one, condemned to the galleys for life, even comforts himself by saying, " Who knows, whether I shall succeed and free myself from these chains?" At least, I say, the lost might be able to say similarly, "Who knows,
