Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/287

 despair, whilst  they  cannot  find,  and  for  all  eternity never will  find,  rest  or  consolation. O hell! hell f is  it  necessary  that  men  should  wait  until  they  are swallowed by  thy  flames  to  believe  in  thee? You, who even  now  are  reading  this  page,  what  do  you say? [ Pause here  awhile, and  with  this  terrible truth  in  view , think  on  your  besetting  sin.]  If  you had to  die  this  moment,  where  would  you  go? What you cannot  bear  even  a spark  of  fire  on  your  hand; and do  you  think  to  be  able  to  live  in  an  ocean  of fire,  where,  abandoned  by  every  creature,  desolate and desperate,  you  will  have  to  pass  a never-ending eternity? [Encourage in  your  heart  the  deepest sentiments  of  contrition,  and  make  a firm  resolution.]

II. Consider well  those  pains  which  afflict  the faculties of  the  soul  in  hell. The memory  will  be everlastingly  tormented  by  the  stings  of  conscience. This is  that  worm  which  will  for  ever  gnaw  in  the conscience of  the  damned,  to  remind  him  how foolishly he  consented  to  his  own  ruin  for  the  sake of a few  poisoned  pleasures. O God! how will  each moment of  sinful  pleasure  appear  to  him  then,  after a hundred, after  a thousand  years  spent  in  hell! That gnawing  worm  will  recall  to  his  mind  the  time which God  gave  him  for  conversion,  all  the  opportunities and  means  he  had  to  secure  the  salvation  of his  soul,  the  good  example  of  his  friends,  all  the holy resolutions  made,  alas ! but broken. [Examine yourself well  on  these  points,  and  place  before  your eyes  your  predominant  sin.]  And  then  he  will  see that there  is  no  longer  any  way  of  escaping  from  his eternal ruin. O God ! O God t What  a double  hell  will this be! The will  is  doomed  to  be  always  thwarted; it will  never  have  that  which  it  desires,  and  will  ever have that  which  it  desires  not,  that  is  to  say,  every