Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/143

 (Jude i.  6);  or  "Which  of  you  can  dwell  with devouring  fire";  or  "Which  of  you  shall  dwell with  everlasting  burnings"  (Is.  xxxiii.  14);  01 "The unprofitable  servant  cast  ye  out  into  the exterior  darkness :  there  shall  be  weeping  and. gnashing  of  teeth  "  (Matt.  xxv.  30).

4. But  the  greatest  torments  of  hell  affect not so  much  the  bodies  as  the  soul  of  the damned. Think for  a  moment  what  pain  home-sickness  inflicts  upon  the  soul  of  him  who  endures it,  and  then  consider  the  lot  of  him  who is condemned  to  hell. The reprobate  will  know and feel  what  he  has  lost  by  his  sins. The pain of loss  is  immeasurably  great. Never shall  he enjoy  the  beatific  vision  of  God;  never  shall he enter  heaven,  the  home  of  the  saints,  the place of  everlasting  happiness  and  joy. What horror, what  torment,  what  despair,  will  seize upon the  souls  of  the  damned!

5. But  what  more  especially  makes  hell  to  be hell  is  its  everlasting  duration,  the  utter  despair of the  damned,  since  they  know  that  their  torments can  have  no  end. That the  punishment of hell  does  indeed  last  forever,  is  clearly  and irrefragably proved  by  the  words  of  Holy  Writ, particularly by  the  plain  and  definite  pronouncement of  the  Saviour  Himself :  "  The  wicked  shall go  into  everlasting  punishment."

Do Thou,  O  God,  grant  us  living  faith,  heartfelt love,  courage,  and  strength,  a  true  penitential spirit, and  grace  of  perseverance,  that  so  the horrors which  dwell  "behind  the  veil,"  may not be  our  portion!

As thou  livest,  thou  must  die; As thou  fallest,  thou  must  lie; As thou  liest,  so  thou  must  remain, For everlasting  loss  or  everlasting  gain.