Page:The Judgment Day.pdf/168

 form of spiritual or natural truth, while the other is the consequence of disobeying the same law. It is in fact impossible to conceive of the existence of happiness, unless we, at the same time, regard misery as the inevitable effect of disobeying the laws from which hapiness results.

The principle here stated, is believed to be perfectly in accordance with what every intelligent mind has observed, in regard to spiritual, as well as physical, suffering. And this is the true explanation of the miseries of hell. The inhabitant of those dismal abodes, while seeking for temporary and selfish gratifications, has voluntarily perverted and deranged the faculties of his spiritual nature, till every movement of those faculties is followed by pain. And yet the same disorderly affections, that have consummated his ruin, still adhere to him, and constitute his life's love.—Urged onward by the raging fire of self love, he is constantly intent upon some gratification, which involves a disregard of the rights and interests of his fellow spirits; while each of those spirits, in return, is not only seeking to protect his own interests, but to retaliate upon the aggressor, where it can be done without injury to himself. Each, therefore, is doomed to suffer the bitter disappointment of unsatisfied self love. The gratifications which unrestrained self love demands, are so much greater than it can possibly obtain, that, although some measure of infernal delight may be experienced, when evil ends are obtained; yet such delight is much more than counterbalanced by the sad and withering disappointment, which the unhappy spirit is doomed to suffer. Revenge is said to be sweet, and yet the revengeful man is always miserable. The infernal delight, which he feels, when inflicting injury upon his enemy, is inconceivably less than the misery which he brings upon himself in return. And a bitter ingredient in that misery is, that revenge is always unsatisfied. It is a raging fire which directs its greatest fury against him who provides it with fuel, and but seldom reaches him for whom it was kin-