Page:Thecompleteascet02liguuoft.djvu/43

 I do  love  Thee  with  my  whole  heart;  I  love  Thee  above all things,  more  than  I  love  myself,  and  I  desire  nothing so much  as  to  be  loved  by  Thee;  and,  recollecting  how  I have  despised  Thy  love,  I  would  willingly  die  of  grief for having  done  so. Jesus, grant  me  perseverance  in virtue. Mary, my  holy  mother,  obtain  for  me  the  happiness  of  being  faithful  to  God.

1. The  souls  in  hell  will  be  tormented  in  their  memory. Never, in  the  abode   of  infinite  misery  will  they  lose  for a moment  the  remembrance  of  the  time  that  was  allowed them in  this  life  to  practise  virtue,  and  to  make  amends for the  evil  which    they  have  done;  and  never  will  it  be concealed  from  them    that   there  is   no  longer  the   least hope of  remedy. They will  call  to  mind  the  lights  which they received  from  God,  his  many  loving  calls,  his  offers of pardon,  all  despised;  and  they  will  see  that  all  is  now at an  end,  and   that   nothing    remains   for  them,  but   to suffer  and  to  despair  for  all  eternity.

O Jesus! Thy blood,  Thy  sufferings,  and  Thy  death are my  trust  and  hope. Alas! suffer me  not  to  fall  into hell, there  to  curse  forever  even  the  blessings  which Thou hast  bestowed  upon  me.

2. The  souls  in  hell  will  be  tormented   in  their  under standing, by  thinking  continually  of  heaven,  which  they have  wilfully   lost    through   their   own    fault. The  immense  felicity  enjoyed   by  the  blessed    in    the   abode  of delights  will  be  forever  before  their  eyes;  and  this  will render their  life  of  dreadful  sufferings,  which  they  must drag on  forever  in   the  prison  of  despair  and  woe,  still more tormenting.

Had I  then  died,  my  Redeemer,  when  I  was  in  sin,  I should  now  have  had  no  hope  of  ever  enjoying  Thee  in