Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/57



I. Consider  the  expression  of  the  Wise  Man:  "By what  things  a  man  sinneth  by  the  same  also  he  is  tormented." (Wis. xi.  17.)  In  each  one  of  the  senses  by which  the  sinful  soul  has  offended  God  it  will  be  punished. 1. The  sight  will  be  tortured  with  the  view  of the  most  hideous  monsters,  of  devils  and  reprobate  souls. The representations  of  past  crimes  will  rise  up  in  horrid succession before  it,  and  perhaps  the  guilty  associates  of former  transgressions  will  be  there  to  add  to  the  poor soul's torment. 2. The  hearing  will  be  tortured  with  the sounds of  blasphemy  and  the  shrill  accents  of  agony  and despair. 3. The  smell  will  be  assailed  by  all  the  filth of hell. 4. The  taste  will  be  punished  with  intolerable hunger and  thirst. 5. The  feeling  will  be  universally tortured over  every  part  of  the  poor  sinner's  body; "Which of  you  can  dwell  with  devouring  fire?  which  of you  shall  dwell  with  everlasting  burnings?" (Is. xxxiii. 14.)  The  will,  memory  and  understanding  will  also  have their appropriate  punishments.

II. The "pain  of  loss,"  as  divines  term  it,  will  be  far more severe  than  all  these  torments. The grief  which we feel  when  we  have  experienced  any  loss  is  always proportionate to  the  object  lost. The reprobate  souls will (for  their  greater  torment),  know  and  feel  too,  what they have  lost  by  their  sins,  viz.,  that  happiness  which is derived  from  the  vision  and  enjoyment  of  the  supreme good, the  society  of  angels  and  Saints,  eternal  rest,  peace, tranquillity and  delight. How can  we  prevail  on  ourselves to  forego  all  these,  and  besides  to  incur  eternal pains, for  some  transitory  gratification,  some  base,  idle, short-lived pleasure? Foolish mortals,  ungrateful  Christians!