B Y T H E SAME AU T H OR.

Wi h fi Illust rated Life of Christ . t ne half

ton e ustration s. x z mo c ot Ill , l h ,

Ex pla nation of the H oly Sacrifi ce of the

Mm . P r fac i t R ev . C . P . Macs e e by R gh ,

m c D . D. xz o ot , l h ,

BENZlGER BROTHERS

N z w YOR K C H ICA G O. , CINCINNATI , B Y

FATHER MARTIN VON COCHEM ,

” R m mb r th la t end and t ou s a t n v r sin . e e e y , h h l e e

‘ . N W YOR K , CIN CIN N A N , Cu ra cao B E N Z IG E R B R O T H E R S

r m n as TO TH ! P U B L I SH E RS 0 ? ' n ow AP OSTOL I C as : 1 n u z xc n s MAG AZ I N L Q f m emenusm v m , u 9 ‘ x flibil abstat.

T O MAS . KIN KE AD H L ,

1!mprtmatut

. M C E AU G U ST IN E 4 I HA L ,

N EW YO R K O tobe r 1 8 , c 5, 99.

Co ri ht 1 8 b B e n zi e r B rothers. py g , 99, y g CO NTENTS.

— PART l. ON DEATH.

ca n . n o:

the Te rro rs of Dea th I . On 7

O n the ssau ts of Sa tan at the ou of Death . 1 II . A l H r 4

On the arition of the S irits of Dark n ess 1 III . App p 9

On the F ear of e 2 2 IV. H ll

V On the ud ent 2 . J gm 5

PART l| - THE AST U DGMENT . L J .

On the Si n that shall P re cede the ast u d men t. I . g s L J g 33

On the esu r cti on of th D ead 0 II . R re e 4

III O n the Man n e r in which the G ood an d the Wick ed

o d will b e C on du cted t the P lace of J u gm ent .

’ H ow all Men wil w it C hrist s Comin in the IV. l A a g Vale of J osaphat

’ V On the A ear n of h t . pp a ce C rist s C ross in he

V O n the d n I . A v e t of the J u dge

V II O n the Man n r n h h l tak H i P . e i w ich C rist wil e s lace

on the u d m en t- e t 2 J g s a .

’ O n the easo n wh C h t A e aran ce on the V III . R y ris s pp

Da of F in al u d en t will be T errib e an d on y J gm l , the Hein ou sness of Mortal 6 Con tm ts.

can .

On the Manner in which the F i nal ud ment will IX . J g 86

X On the en th of Time that the F inal ud men t . L g J g

On the P ublication of the Sen tence P assed upon

the G ood a n d the B ad .

H ow the Damn ed wi ask in ain fo r Me rc and ll V y, will be cast down in to Hell

H ow the B lessed will o u in to eav en afte the X III . g p H r

d entQ O O O Q O O O O O 0 Ju gm O O Q O O O . 0 . 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

— PART [IL ON HELL.

I. On the F ire Of H eIIO O O Q O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O Q O O O O O

O th un e an d Thirst Suff red II . n e H g r e in

On the i e O dors of ell III . V l H

Some Other To rm n IV. e ts of

On the C om an of ell V. p y H .

o VI . On the Loss f the B eatific Vision of G od

V II The Wo ha Di . rm t t eth

n E t rnit . VIII . o e y ’

PART lV — H A N . ON E VF .

the a I . On N tu re

. On the o s of eav en II J y H . .

On the o o v n III . J ys f H ea e

IV . On the N umbe of the av e r S d . THE FOU R LAST THINGS.

T 1 PAR .

O N D E A T H .

R I CH APTE .

OF ON TH E TERRORS DEATH .

I'r appears to me unnecessary to say much about

sufii the terrors of death . The subject has been

c ien tly enlarged upon by various writers besides , every one knows and feels for himself that life is

sweet and death is bitter . However old a man may

be , however broken in health , however miserable his

u n wel circumstances , the thought of death is an ,

0 n come o e . There are three principal reasons why all sensible people fear death so much t Firs , because the love of life , the dread of death

is inherent in human nature . Secondly , because

every rational being is well aware that death is bitter , and the separation of soul and body cannot take place 8 On D ea tfz.

t t ff . wi hou inexpressible su ering Thirdly , because t no one knows whither he will go after dea h , or how he will stand in the Day of Judgment . It will be well to explain the second and third of t these reasons ra her more fully , in order on the one hand that those who lead a careless life may per haps be awakened thereby to a fear of death , and t learn to avoid sin , and on the o her that each one m of us ay be warned to prepare for death , lest we be ih overtaken by it unawares . Every one shrinks stin ctiv el y from death , because it is bitter , and pain The ful beyond description to human nature . soul of man is subject to many anxieties , apprehensions and sorrows , and the body is subject to pain and sickness of all kinds , yet none of these pains can be compared to the agony of death . A man who loses his good name and his property feels acute grief , ff but he does not die of it . All su ering and sick ness , all grief and anguish , however terrible , is less bitter than death . Hence we see death to be a m mighty onarch , the most cruel , the most relentless , t L the mos formidable enemy of mankind . ook at a w man wrestling ith death , and you will see how the

disfi u res tyrant overpowers , g . prostrates his victim . ? Now why is death so hard , so terrible a thing It is because the soul has to separate itself from the body . Body and soul were created for each other , and so intimate is their union that a parting between T them seems almost impossible . hey would end ure n il : o D f/z O t e Ter r or f ea . 9

almost a nything rather than be torn asunder.

n n The soul is fearful of the future , and of the unk ow land to which she is going . The body is conscious me that as soon as the soul departs from it , it will beco h t e prey of worms . Consequently the soul cannot the bear to leave the body , nor body to part from the soul . Body and soul desire their union to n e e e en the remain u brok n , and tog th r to joy sweets of life .

In one of his epistles to St. Augustine , St . Cyril , B e e him ishop of J rusalem , relat s what was told by a man who had been raised from the dead . Amongst

u other things , he said The moment when my so l f left my body, was one of such aw ul pain and distress one that no can imagine the anguish I then endured. If all ‘ conceivable suffering and pain were put together they would be as nothing in comparison with the torture I underwent at the separation of ” z he soul and body. And to emphasi e his words , added , addressing St . Cyril Thou knowest that thou hast a soul , but thou knowest not what it is .

Thou knowest that beings exist called angels , but thou art ignorant of their nature . Thou knowest o com als that there is a God , but thou canst not prehend H is being. So it is with everything that has not corporeal shape our understanding cannot m grasp these things . In like anner it is impossible for thee to un derstand how I could suffer such in ” tense agony in one short moment. 1 o 071 B ewili .

And if some people apparently pass away most e peacefully , this is because nature , xhausted by ff su ering, has no longer the force to struggle with O ur R e death . We know from the testimony of deemer Himself that no agony is like the agony of t the death . Although throughou whole course of P His sorrowful assion , He was tortured in a terrible manner , yet all the martyrdom He endured was not to be compared with what He suffered at the moment T of His death . his we gather from the Gospels . Nowhere do we find that at any period of His life the greatness of the pains He bore extorted

r L from O u ord a cry of anguish . But when the s moment came for Him to expire , and the ruthles hand of death rent His Heart asunder, we read that

He cried out with a loud voice , and gave up the ghost . Hence it is evident that at no period of the P assion did Christ suffer so acutely as at the most painful separation of His sacred soul from H is blessed body . In order that mankind might at least in some measure understand how terrible was the death

Christ died for us , He ordained that we , at our dissolution , should taste something of the bitterness of His death , and experience the truth of the follow ’ ing words of Pope St . Gregory Christ s conflict t e with dea h r presented our last conflict , teaching us that the agony of death is the keenest agony that man has ever felt or will ever feel . It is the will of 72 r r 0 tire fl ro s of D ea f/z. 1

God that man should suffer so intensely at the close

z of his life , in order that we may recogni e and ’ the appreciate magnitude of Christ s love for us , the inestimable benefit He has conferred on us by enduring death for our sakes . For it would have been impossible for man fully to know the infinite

too u love of God , unless he had dr nk to some extent ” of the bitter chalice which Christ drank. In this passage from the writings of the holy Pope Gregory we are taught that Christ ordained that all men in the hour of their dissolution should suff er the like pains which Christ suffered for us in His e last agony , in order that they may gain som knowl e edge , by their own experienc , of the terrible nature

us of the death He endured for , and the great price He paid for our ransom . How painful , how terrible , how awful death will be for us , if our death is in any degree to resemble Christ ’ s most agonizing death 1 How severe a conflict is before us poor mortals ! What torments await us at our last hour ! O n e is almost inclined to think it wou ld have been preferable never to have been born , than to be born ff to su er such anguish . But it is thus that heaven is to be won , and through this narrow gate alone 0 can we enter into paradise . Wherefore , Christian , a t accept your destiny cheerfully , and form a ste dfas resolution to bear unmurmuringly the bittern ess of ’ death . For it is a great merit to yield up one s life 1 a On D ea f/i .

— the life every man loves so well— and submit with a ready and willing mind to the pangs of death . And for the purpose of encouraging you to gain merit in your last moments , let me counsel you to make the following determination to suffer death bravely .

S RE OLUTION .

0 a God of all justice , who hast ord ined that since the Fall of our first parents all men should die , and also that it should be the lot of many amongst us to taste in their death something of the pains Thy Son t endured at the hour of His dea h , I submit most willingly to this Thy stern decree . Although life t is sweet to me , and dea h appears most bitter , yet out of obedience to Thee I voluntarily accept death with all its pains , and am ready to yield up my soul whenever, wherever, in what way or manner soever it may please Thy divine providence to appoint . An d so since Thou hast made death bitter to man , in order that we may feel to a certain extent by our o wn experience how painful a death Thy beloved w Son under ent for our sakes , I willingly accept the t penal y of death, that I may at least at my latter end know something of the pains my blessed Lord

u f of s fered on my account. In honor, therefore ,

ul His bitter Passion and death , I now cheerf ly sub j ect myself to whatever sufferings I may be called upon to pass through at the moment of my depart n {11 5 Ter rors D a O qf ea t . 1 3

and m m ure , declare y determination to bear the with l a l the constancy of which I am capable . I pray that this resolution on my part may be pleasing in

Thy sight , and that Thou wilt give me grace to bear

‘

en e . m my last agony with pati c A en . CHAPTER II .

‘ O N TH E SS S O F S TH E or A AULT ATAN AT HOUR DEATH .

ALTHOUGH death is in itself most bitter, yet its bitterness is not a little enhanced by the vivid remem brance of the sins of our past life, by the thought t of the judgment to come , of the eterni y before us , and by the assaults of Satan . These four things

fill the soul with such terror , that it would infallibly despair unless strengthened by the help of God. We will enter into some explan ation of each of these i four th ngs , and also indicate some means of com bating the fears they inspire .

With regard to the assaults of Satan , know that the all- just God permits him to have great power to assail us at the hour of death not indeed for our perdition , but for our probation . Before expiring the Christian has yet to prove that nothing can avail i to make h m forsake his God . For this reason the m e evil enemy e ploys all the power he has rec ived , and brin gs all his forces to bear upon a man when he the e is dying, in hop of causing him to sin , and D thrusting him down to hell . uring our whole e e he a a an d n e n o me lif tim tt cks us fiercely, egl cts ans I 4 t n t fie u r o /z 1 On Me Assa u lts of Sa a a t [ Yo f D ea t . 5

e whereby he may deceive us . But all these pers c ution s do not bear comparison with the final ou slaught with which he endeavors to overcome us at the last . Then he raves and rages , like a roaring lion , seeking whom he may devour. This we learn from the following passage in the

1 2 Apocalypse (xii . ) Woe to the earth and to the e sea , b cause the devil is come down unto you , having great wrath , knowing that he hath but a short time . e Th se words bear a special application for the dying, against whom the devil conceives a great wrath , and ff whom he makes every e ort to seduce . For he knows full well that if he does not get them into his

o p wer now, he will never again have the chance of doing so . Hear what St . Gregory says on this point Consider well how terribl e is the hour of death , and how appalling the remembrance of our b evil deeds will eat that time . For the spirits of d arkness will recall all the harm they have done us , and remind us of the sins which we have committed at their instigation . They will not go to the death of l bed the godless on y , but they will be present e with the elect , striving to discover som thing sinful ! whereof to accuse them . Alas how will it fare with us hapless mortals in that hour, and what can e we say for ours lves , seeing how innumerable are the sins to be laid to our charge ? What can we n e all s answer to our adversaries , whe th y place our ins e befor us , with the object of reducing us to despair 1 6 On D ea f/i .

The evil spirits will tempt their unhappy victim at the moment of death on various points , but

‘ especially in regard to the sins into which he has most frequently fallen . I f during his lifetime he has cherished hatred towards any one , they will conjure up before his dying eyes the image of that

e p rson , rehearsing all he did to injure him , in order e to reviv the flame of hate towards that enemy , or

r kindle it anew . O if any one has transgressed against purity, they will show him the accomplice of his sin , and strive to awaken the guilty passion felt for that individual . If he has been troubled with doubts concerning faith , they recall to his mind the w f article of belief hich he had di ficulty in accepting , representing it to him as untrue . If a man has a e t t ndency to pusillanimi y , the evil spirits encourage it in him , that they may perchance rob him of his Th h0 pe of salvation . e man who has sinned through

e to pride, and boast d of his good works , they seek e ensnare by flatt ry , assuring him that he stands high in the he n favor of God , and all has done can ot

e . fail to secure him a place in h aven Again , if in e wa his lifetime a man has giv n y to impatience , allowing himself to be angry and irritated by every i tr fle , they make his illness appear most irksome to e him that he may b come impatient, and rebel against

God for having sent upon him so painful a malady. Or if he has been tepid and indevout , without fer vor in prayer or assiduity in his religious exercises

1 8 On D ea ta.

battle with his spiritual adversaries , he stands a poor chance of prevailing against them at the he moment of death . If does so , it will be only through the assistance of almighty God , of our L blessed ady, of his guardian angel , or of one of m the saints . For our erciful God and His angels and blessed saints do not abandon the Christian in the hour of his direst need ; they hasten to his help, ” that is , provided he is deserving of their aid . In ’ ’ order to prepare one s self b efore ' on e s last illness to combat these temptations , it will be advisable to recite with due devotion the following prayer R 0 Jesus, compassionate edeemer of mankind , I recall to mind the threefold temptation Thou didst e e undergo from the evil n my , and I pray Thee through the glorious victory Thou didst obtain over him , to stand by me in my last conflict and fortify t me against all his tempta ions . I know that in my own strength I cannot contend against so powerful a foe , and I must assuredly be vanquished unless

Thou , or Thy blessed saints , grant me timely assist ance . Therefore I now earnestly implore Thy help

an d and that of Thy saints , propose to arm myself to the best of my ability by Thy grace , to meet the temptations that await me . I promise now, before

Thee and the holy angels and blessed saints , that I will never voluntarily expose myself to any temp tation , of whatever nature it may be , but with the help of Thy grace I will combat it vigorously . Amen . III CH APT ER .

ON TH E APPARITION O F TH E SPIRITS or DARKNESS .

BESIDES what has been already mentioned , the terrible appearance of the evil Spirits makes death yet more alarming to us . It is the opinion of many of the Fathers , that every one , when expiring, sees the evil enemy , at any rate at the moment of draw

t e. ing his last brea h , if not befor How appalling this sight is , and with what terror it must inspire e the dying, exceeds the pow r of words to declare .

It is related of Brother Giles that one day , when he was praying in his cell , the devil appeared to him in so frightful a shape , that the Brother lost the power a h d . of speech , and thought his last hour come As e his lips could not utter a sound , he rais d his heart

n in humble supplication to God , and the apparitio f vanished . A terwards , when relating what had

- befallen him to his brother monks , he trembled from head to foot as he described the hideous aspect

t he . of adversary of mankind Then going to St .

: Francis , he asked him this question Father, have you ever seen anything in this world the sight of which was so horrible that it was enough to kill one I 9 2 0 On D ea t/z. to behold it And the Saint replied : I have indeed seen such a thing it is none other than the devil , whose aspect is so loathsome that no one could e gaz e upon it even for a short time and live , unl ss ” God specially enabled him to do so .

St. . n St Cyril also , writi g to Augustine , says that one of the three men who were raised from the dead told him As the hour of my departure drew nigh , u a m ltitude of devils , countless in number, came and stood about me . Their forms were more hor

n e rible than anything imagination can conceive . O would rather be burnt in the fire than be com

elle p d to look upon them . These demons ranged t hemselves around me , and reproached me with all the misdeeds I had ever done , thinking to drive me to despair . And in fact I should have given way n ot before them , had God in His mercy come to my succor . Here we have the testimony of one who actually had learnt by his own experience how frightful the appearance of the evil enemy is , and who declares that nothing can be more horrible than the form the devil assumes . O my God ! how overwhelming the terrors that will take possession of the hapless individual who lies at the point of death when the infernal dragon appears , full of rage , and threatening to swallow him up in his fiery jaws . I n this hour of supreme distress , send my guard r n s 2 On tfic App a r ition of tb e Sp ir its of D a k es . 1

O T ian angel to me , God , I pray hee , that he may

in fal drive away the evil enemy , otherwise I shall libly fall into despair and lose all hope of my sal vation . 0 most blessed V irgin Mary ! who didst crush the head of the serpent , be with me in the hour of my death and do not permit the presence of the cruel adversary to cause my eternal perdition . T IV CHAP ER .

N TH E OF O FEAR HELL .

DEATH is rendered yet more bitter to us by the e e fear of h ll and the clear view of eternity befor us . e For wh n we are dangerously ill , and death stares the us in the face , the terror which fills us at pros

ect e we are p of ternity is so overwhelming, that w s filled with fear . For e ee plainly that in a few — a — we e days few hours perhaps must ent r eternity , and we know not what awaits us there . The dread lest we should be lost everlastingly is so great as to cause us to shudder . e e e Mor ov r , the alarm that tortures us is not a littl augmented by the remembrance of the sins whereby we have oftentimes deserved hell for no man can e be certain whether he has done p nance aright , and whether he has really obtained pardon . This is explained by a passage from the writings of the aforementioned Pope St . Gregory , who describes this fear in the following words The just man who is truly concern ed about his eternal salvation will from time to time think of his e e future Judge . He will meditat b fore death over 2 2 e r o On Me F a f H ell. 2 3 takes him upon the account he will have to give of his life . If there are no great sins wherewith his conscience reproaches him , he still has cause for alarm on account of the daily sins of which he per haps takes little heed . For how often do we not sin in thought ? It is comparatively easy to avoid

v diffic ult ~ m atter e il deeds , but it is a far more to ’ keep one s heart free from inordinate thoughts . Yet we read in Holy Scripture Woe to you that devise that which is unprofitable and work evil in your

I thoughts (Mich . ii . ) . And again In your P heart you work iniquities ( s. lvii . “ Hence the just are ever in fear of the awful judgments of God , for they are conscious that all b e . these secret sins will brought to judgment , as St Paul says : In that day God shall judge the secrets

R om f of men ( . ii . And although all his li e e long a good man will walk in fear of the judgm nt, yet this fear will n otably increase as he draws

ur near to the end of his days . It is said of O L ord , that when the time of His death approached , w He began to be sorro ful and to fear, and being in

in an agony , He prayed the longer. Was not this tended to teach us how it would be with us in our e latter end , and what distr ss and anguish would overwhelm us

Such are the words of Pope St . Gregory, calculated

to inspire not only sinners , but also the just with fear, since, as the saint says , even those who are 2 4 On D ea l/i . not conscious of having committed any grievous sins , are yet full of apprehension in regard to the n e se t nce that will be passed on them . If the just

m S are not devoid of alar , what can we poor inners n do , wh o k ow ourselves to be guilty of many and manifold transgressions , and who every day add sin to sin What will become of us What can we do Is there no means we can employ to obtain mercy of God I know no better counsel than that which Christ Himself gives us in the words Watch ye therefore , praying at all times , that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come , and to stand before the Son of man L ( uke xxi . Since Christ points out to us prayer as the best and easiest means , let each one faithfully follow this exhortation an d diligently call upon almighty God

an d s i im lor and His Blessed Mother , all the a nts , p e him m e ing them day by day to prot ct , and co m nd ing to them his latter end .

2 6 On D ea l/z.

n to Again St . Paul says I am not co scious myself e of anything , yet am I not h reby justified ; but He ” that judgeth me is the L ord ( I Cor. iv . We read also in the lives of the Fathers that the holy Abbot Agathon was overwhelmed with fear as his end drew near. His brethren said to him Why shouldst thou be afraid , reverend Father, thou hast led so pious a life But he answered them The judgments of God are very different from the ” judgments of man . The holy Abbot Elias used likewise to say : There are three things that I fear. First I dread the moment when my soul has to leave my body ; secondly , the moment when I must stand before the tribunal of God thirdly, the ” moment when sentence 1 8 passed upon me . No one can fail to concur in the saying of this saintly man , for indeed , beside the general judgment , there is nothing so much to be apprehended as these three things . All good and holy men have feared them , all do fear them . Those who do not fear them , prove that they know very little about them , or have meditated scarcely at all upon them . For the benefit of one who may be so unenlightened , I will give a brief instruction on the subject .

Consider , first of all , what a strange new sensa tion it will be for thy soul , when she finds herself separated from the body , in an unknown world . Hitherto she has kno wn no existence apart from the body now the is suddenly separated from it . /z u nt 2 On t e J dgme . 7

H itherto she was in time ' ; n ow she has passed into eternity . r Now for the fi st time her eyes are opened , and he sin s sees clearly what eternity is , what is , what the D virtue is , how infinite is the being of eity, and how wondrous is her own nature . All this will appear so marvellous to her that she will be almost petrified with astonishment . After l the first instant of wonder , she wi l be conducted before the tribunal of God , that she may give an account of all her actions and the terror that will then seiz e upon the unhappy soul surpasses our po wers of conception . No wonder the hapless sinner shrinks from appearing before a tribunal where he will b e con v icted of all his misdeeds and severely punished for them I Would he not rather b e thrown into a dark an d b e e dungeon , fed on bread and wat r, than have to stand before this judgment seat and b e put to open shame If it is so hateful to a criminal to b e brought e e m b for an earthly agistrate , well may the poor soul quake with fear when she is introduced into the pres ence of God , the strict and omniscient Judge, and required to give the most accurate accou nt of all the thoughts , words , deeds and omissions of her past life . Holy Job acknowledges this when he says

Who will grant me this , that Thou mayst protect me in an d h me w ob hell, ide till Thy rath pass (J 2 8 On D ea a .

I xiv . Observe that even the patient Job would

r n rather lie in a da ksome pit, and be co cealed in a m e e gloomy , so bre cave , than app ar befor the countenan ce of an angry God . There are six things which strike terror into the mm n soul , when she is su o ed to the particular judg ment . ( I ) The soul fears because she knows her Judge

‘ ‘ to be omniscient ; that nothing can be concealed in from Him , nor can He be any way deceived . (2 ) Because her Judge is omnipotent ; n othing can e H im withstand Him , and no one can escap from . the (3) Because her Judge is not merely most just, b u t the e most strict of judges , to whom sin is so hat ful that He will not allow the slightest transgression to pass unpunished . (4) Because the soul knows that s God is not her judge alone , but al o her accuser H im she f she has provoked to anger, has o fended e against Him , and H will defend His honor and f e e th avenge every insult o fered to it . (5) B caus e soul is aware that the sentence once uttered is irrev ocable ; there is no appeal for her to a higher e a court , it is us less for her to compl in of the sen b e e. n e e e tenc It can ot r v rsed, and whether advers 6 The or favorable she must n eeds accept it . ( ) most powerful reason of all why the soul fears to appear before the judgment seat is because she he knows not what the sentence of t Judge will be . n e An d She has far more cause to fear tha to hop . n u d n t 2 On t e j gme . 9

e e all thought of help is now over . Forev r , forev r damn ed l lost ; forever, forever These six points fill the soul with such unspeakable anguish and ter

S e ror, that were she mortal instead of immortal , h would be willing to die the most cruel and violent death as a means of escape .

Consider, furthermore , in what form thou wilt e appear before thy Judg , and how thou wilt be put to confusion on account of thy sins . If a man in punishment of his evil deeds were sentenced to be stripped to the skin in presence of a whole multitude , how greatly ashamed he would feel ! But if some loathsome and disgusting sore upon his body were thus disclosed to sight , he would be still more ashamed . Thus will it be with thee , when thou standest before thy Judge in the presence of many e hosts of angels . Not m rely will all thy wrong doings , thy thoughts , words and works be revealed , but all thy evil propensities will be made manifest to b e e thee , and thou wilt put to terrible shame becaus of them . Thou canst not deny that these evil pro cliv ities cling to thee , for art thou not given to anger , e impatienc , revenge , hatred , envy , pride , vanity ,

e - sensuality , sloth , greedin ss , self love , avarice , world lin ess and all malice ? These and other bad ten den cies disfi u re cleave to thy soul , and g it so fright the fully , that after death thou wilt be alarmed at t me sigh of thy own soul , and heartily asha d of all the stains upon it. 0 n D ea th 3 O .

Next consider in what manner thy holy Judge will

a earest receive thee , when thou pp before Him not merely laden with a countless multitude of sins , but in a state of indescribable impurity . Thou wilt stand before Him in the greatest confusion , not knowing which way to look . Beneath thy feet hell lies ; above thee is the angry countenance of thy

Judge . Beside thee thou seest the demons who are there to accuse thee . In thy own interior thou i beholdest all thy sins and misdeeds . It is m possible to hide thyself ; and yet this exposure is intolerable . This would be a fitting time to expound how the

all evil enemy will accuse thee , how he will bring thy sins to light and call down upon them the v en gean ce of God and also how the just God will demand the most accurate account of all thy actions .

But this has so often formed the theme of preachers , that , for the sake of brevity , I will not enlarge on this t part of my subjec , but conclude with the following anecdote . Two intimate friends agreed together that which

of ever the two should die first , should appear to the survivor , provided he was permitted by God to t do so . When at leng h one was removed by death , faithful to his promise he appeared to his friend , but

e 0 with a sad and woebegone asp ct, saying N I knows l man knows no man knows no . man

What is it that no one knows his friend asked. d n t On tfie ju gm e . 3 1

And the spirit answered No one knows how bf how strict are the judgments God , and severe His chastisements

These things being so , what does it behoove us to do the , in order not to fall into hands of a wrathful Judge I can give thee no better counsel than this R of epent thy sins , make a sincere confession , amend thy ways , and begin to think seriously about thy eternal salvation . Whilst thou art still in good health think sometimes of death , and prepare thyself

Do for it . not postpone this until old age comes

n upon thee , or a mortal sick ess overtakes thee . e There is no gr ater, no more important art upon earth than the art of dying a good death . Upon this thy whole eternity depends an eternity of sur

r passing felicity o of unutterable torment . Only one trial is accorded thee if thou dost not stand this one trial , all is lost , an eternity of misery is before thee . And if thou hast not learned this all important art in thy lifetime , when thou art well and

how strong, canst thou practise it to thy eternal gain when upon thy death- bed It will be utterly impos sible for thee to do so unless God works a miracle

n ot of mercy on thy behalf. Thou canst reckon upon this God has not promised it nor hast thou deserved so great a favor. Therefore let me entreat

to thee follow my friendly counsel , and prepare thyself frequently for death whilst in full health and strength for this is the only means whereby thou n D a t/z 3 2 O e . mayst hOpe to become proficient in the art of dying

u well , and pass successf lly through the one trial that e e i awaits thee , by which thy t rnal destiny w ll b e determined .

lz u n t 3 4 T e L a st j dgme .

S beginning of the world until now, neither hall be.

And unless those days had been shortened , no flesh ” ! should be saved . What an awful announcement What a terrible prophecy ! Could there be any more terrible prediction made to us than this which comes from the lips of eter nal Truth ? When God was about to destroy the t ci y of Jerusalem , He announced its downfall by several signs . A comet , resembling a fiery sword ,

z bla ed over the city , and hosts of armed warriors were seen contending in the air . Jerusalem might at the last moment have interpreted aright these Signs and done penance unto salvation . But Jerusalem knew not the time of its visitation . If God caused such wondrous signs to appear before the destru c tion of one single city , will He not announce the approaching end of the world , and the chastise t men s that are to come upon it, by awful and terri fic signs ? There is therefore every reason to b e

L Da lieve , that a considerable time before the ast y , fearful Signs will appear in all lands in the

hr heavens . This C ist appears to indicate in the “ : words There shall be signs in the sun , and in the

n t moo , and in the stars ; men wi hering away for

S fear , and expectation of what hall come upon the ”

. whole world These signs, will become more nu merou s be day by day , and men will struck with such terror, that if God did not shorten those days , the even very elect would begin to despair. Then , s/z ll recede tae a st u d men t Tlze Signs tna t a P L j g . 3 5

t. as S Jerome says , the heavens will be overcast t e with heavy clouds , and a dreadful emp st will arise . The force of the wmd will carry the inhabitants of

the off earth their feet , and whirl them aloft in the L air ; trees will be uprooted , houses unroofed . ong

peals of thunder will resound in the heavens , the t flashes of lightning, like serpen s of fire , will light

up the sky , and with their forked tongues , playing

about the dwellings of mankind , will kindle a gen

’ fla ration c on . eral g , amid the crash of thunder The waters of the ocean will be so agitated that their

- waves will rise mountain high , towering almost to

the clouds . The roaring and raging of the storm

swept billows will last for some time . All the beasts

of the earth will lift up their voice , and their dismal

howls will fill the air , so that the hearts of men will

stand still for terror .

O u r L Yet this is but the beginning of sorrow, ord

tells us . What will next occur He describes in these “ words : Immediately after the tribulation of those

‘ the days , the sun shall be darkened , and moon shall

S not give her light , and the stars hall fall from ” heaven , and the powers of heaven shall be moved . This darkening of the sun will take place in the

full light of midday . And as its golden rays en lightening the face of nature rejoice both man and wi l. beast , so the sudden withdrawal of its light cause sorrow and distress to the whole of creation m And this all the more , because the oon will cease li a s u en t 3 6 T e L t j dgm .

i to shine , and her gentle , peaceful light w ll no longer illumin ate the shades of night . All the stars also which bespangle the firm amen t and cast a gli mmer

t ing to ear h , will disappear from their accustomed

u place . This awf l darkness will strike such alarm and anguish to the heart of all living creatures , both men and brutes , that the mourning and lamentation will be universal . With the wail of distress ascend ing from the dwellers upon earth , the howls of the ‘ i i evil sp r ts in the air will mingle in hideous concert , for they will perceive from these signs that the Day of Judgment is at hand ; they kn ow that they will soon have to appear before the rigorous tribunal of God ; they know they will be cast down to hell for all eternity . Hence their fury , their rage , and frantic raving . Here we may repeat the words Spoken by Christ ” This is but the beginning of sorrow , and we may

e . e add , th re will be no end to it For aft r the ter rific darkness all will be upset and in disorder , and t t : the elements will be let loose , so ha men will fear lest the heavens Should fall and the earth sink from beneath their feet . This is what Christ means “ when He says : The powers of heaven shall be or moved and the stars shall fall from heaven . F e firmam ent in accordanc with the divine will , the with all its stars , the sun with its attendant planets , m the at osphere with its veil of clouds , will be so e mightily shak n and made to tremble , that appalling u st u d m n t T/ze Sign s tna t sb a ll P r ecede t e L a j g e . 3 7

sounds of crashing, breaking, fearful explosions , will

T he everywhere be heard . stars will be driven from their orbits , and thus the great powers of heaven will conflict with one another . What will the feelings be of the man who lives ? through events such as these How all mankind , ! all created beings , will mourn Christ Himself tells us this will be so : Upon earth will be distress of nations by rea son of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves ; men withering away for

an d S fear , expectation of what hall come upon the ” L 2 whole world ( uke xxi . 5 , And in another place He says : T here shall be then great trib u la tion , such as hath not been from the beginning of

t . the world until now , nei her shall be And unless

S those days had been shortened , no flesh hould be

2 1 r L . . O u saved (Matt xxiv , ord could have used no stronger expression to describe the u tter misery of unhappy mortals , than by saying , they shall wither away for fear, and apprehension of the things that are yet to come upon the world . How is it possible for the men who shall be alive at that time not to despond , not to despair, in pres ence of such fathomless misery ? Even the faith and courage of an apostle would be sorely tried to bear up against such unspeakable wretchedness . All men will have the appearance of one who has

T e n d seen a ghost . heir hair will stand on , their k i nees w ll strike together, they will quake with st u 38 Tli e l a j dgmen t.

fear, their terror will deprive them of the power of t speech , their hear s will die within them for tribu lation , they will lose reason and consciousness , no one will help his neighbor , no one will comfort his neighbor, no one will so much as exchange a word with his neighbor ; only they will all unite in weeping and wailing, and fly to hide themselves in the caves of the earth .

When this lamentation has lasted for a time , the

God of justice will put an end to their misery , and all that is beneath the firm am en t of heaven shall be destroyed by fire . For fire will fall down from heaven , and ignite everything with which it comes in contact . In many places also flames will spring up out of the ground , and terrify unhappy mortals to such an extent that they will not know how to escape from them . Some will seek shelter in cel lars and caverns , others will immerse themselves in rivers and lakes . The devouring flames will spread

the a d so fast that forests will be set on fire , n the towns and villages will be included in the destru c

the an tion . At length whole earth will be on fire d

con fla ration a general g will ensue , such as never has been seen or heard of . The heat of the raging flames will be so intense that the stones and rocks will melt , and the sea and all waters upon the earth

. t will boil and hiss All men then living, every beas upon the land and every fish in the sea will be de

r n h stroyed in this U niversal con flag atio . Thus t e Tne i n s t/za t s/za ll P recede the L a st u d men t S g j g . 3 9

whole world will be brought to a terrible end , and everything on this earth will be either consumed or purified by the fire . After this has happened , the appearance Of the earth will b e completely changed . H I C APTER I .

TH E S O F TH E ON RE URRECTION DEAD .

T H E reader will perhaps not take what has been t t said in the preceding chap er much to hear , because he cherishes the hope that he will not be alive e during that awful p riod . But what we are now n about to speak of concer s every one , whoever he may be . Wherefore let him read it attentively and ponder it seriously . The first event that will follow upon the end of

the the world is general resurrection of the dead .

All men , whoever they may be , and whenever and wherever they have lived , not excepting infants t whose existence has been but one brief momen , will rise again . With the solemn blast of a trumpet God will cause m all men to be summoned to the Last Judg ent . Con cerning this Christ says He shall send His angels with a trumpet and a great voice and they shall gather together H is elect from the four winds , from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds P of them (Matt . xxiv. And St . aul says

We shall indeed all rise again , but we shall not 40

2 l e L a st u d ment 4 j g .

T o hey cannot choose , but must obey the v ice of The the trumpet . general resurrection begins while

t e— DO its sound still echoes over the whole globe . not pause to ask how this can be , for we know that ’ it will be so , on the irrefragable authority of God s omnipotence and His word which cannot deceive . However long ago the body of a man may have crumbled into dust , whatever changes it may have passed through , every portion and every particle will unite to form again the same body which was his during his lifetime . And the sea gave up the dead that were in it , and death and hell gave up

. I their dead that were in them (Apoc xx . 0 Consider this solemn truth , Christian, for it con cerns thee closely. As certainly as thou now livest , so certainly wilt thou one day rise again from the grave . Place this awful moment vividly before thee .

u Even if thou wert pio s , and shouldst end thy days in the grace of God , yet , according to the testi mony of Holy Scripture and of the Catholic Church ,

' fear and trembling will lay hold upon thee . Con sidering how inconceivably rigorous God will be in

His judgment of men , even the just will have cause as to fear in appearing before His tribunal , we shall presently show . And if good and just men are afraid , what will be the fear that thou , poor sinner, wilt feel , when the trumpet calls thee to judgment

Wherefore amend thy ways , and make thy peace now with thy strict Judge , by works of p enance, On tile R esu r rection of tile D ea d. 43

while there is yet time . Now in order that thou mayst prepare thyself for that terrible hour of resur rection , we will describe first the resurrection of the

‘ good , and then that of the reprobate . Awakened by the solemn sound of the trumpet the t all the souls of jus will come down from heaven ,

ua and , accompanied by their g rdian angels , betake themselves to the spot where their remains were

The interred . graves will be open , and in them the bodies will be seen lying , incorrupt but yet lifeless . T he body of every good man will rest in the grave as if he were asleep it will be blooming as a rose ,

S an fragrant as a lily , hining as a star , fair as angel and perfect in every member . What will the soul say when She beholds the body appertaining to her lying before her in such beauty She will say

Hail , blessed and beloved body , how I rejoice

to once more rejoin thee How lovely thou art , how ' ! glorious , how pleasing, how fragrant Come to me , ” to that I may be wedded thee for all eternity . Then through the power of God the body will be reunited to the soul , and in that same instant return to life .

0 n my God , what will be the astonishme t of the t body when it finds i self alive again , and moulded in so beauteous a form ! Soul and body will greet each other lovingly and embrace each other aff ec tion atel t S y wi h heartfelt emotion . The soul will peak thus to the body : How earnestly I have longed for thee, how I have desired to see this day Now I will Tlze L a st u d en t 44 j gm . conduct thee to the regions of heavenly bliss that we t ” may rejoice toge her for evermore . And the body

: will answer Welcome , dearest soul ; it is indeed b e a heartfelt joy to me to with thee again . The greater the pain our past separation caused me , the ff ” greater the delight our present reunion a ords . T hen the soul will speak again , and say to the

: body Blessed be thou , my chosen companion , who hast been so faithful to me . Blessed be thy senses and all thy members , for they have ever abstained from evil ” And the body will reply O Be thou rather blessed , dearest soul , for it was t by thy instigation I did so , and thou dids incite me to all that was good . It is to thee that I owe my present felicity, therefore I praise and magnify thee , t ” and I will praise and magnify thee to all eterni y. Thus body and soul will rejoice together with in ex pressible satisfaction . Then the holy guardian angels will congratulate these blessed beings and exult with them over their t joyous resurrection . In all ceme eries , and places e where many p rsons are buried , the blessed will arise first with resplendent glorified bodies . That they will take the precedence over the others may t’ be gathered from Chris s words , when He says

Wonder not at this for the hour cometh , wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the

Son of God . And they that have done good things shall come forth to the resurrection of life but they - n tire D ead Ou Me R esu rrectio of . 45

that have done evil , unto the resurrection of judg ” V . 2 8 ment (John , And as in every graveyard there are many per

sons to rise again , and amongst these a considerable i proport on will be good and just , imagine the pleas l ure it wil be to them to see one another again ,

arrayed in such shining glorious bodies . God grant that I be counted amongst the number of these happy individuals ! How heartily will I thank Him if He grant my request ! The resurrection of the wicked will follow imme of ff diately upon that the just ; but oh , how di erent will it be ! In every burying- ground all the lost souls will assemble whose bodies have been interred there , and they will be compelled again to assume them and reun ite themselves to them . But what will be the reluctance , the disgust wherewith they ! will do this When the soul sees her own body , She will shrink back from it with the utmost repu l

sion , so hideous will it be , and she will feel that she had rather go straight to hell than again unite her

self to it . For the bodies of the reprobates will

resemble devils more than men , so frightful , so

f . loathsome , so o fensive will they be Yet , however the soul resists and opposes the reunion with her

body , now so hideous , she must submit to it , for

God compels her to it . Who can depict the despair that takes possession of

the body when , reanimated by the return of the soul , b e a st d men t 46 T L ju g .

it awakens to a consciousness that it is lost forever. With a shriek of rage it will exclaim : Woe is t ! me , woe is me to all eterni y Better were it for me a thousand times never to have been born , than tdhave come to this resurrection of misery ! Then “ : the soul will rejoin Thou accursed body , I have already for several hundred years had to endure the t t torments of hell , and now I must return wi h hee to the everlasting burning. Thou art to blame for all this misfortune ; I gave thee good counsels , but T thou wouldst not follow them . herefore thou art forever lost . Alas for me , unhappy soul ! that I am Alas for me , now and for ever more l Thou hast been the means of bringing me to this endless misery . Therefore I execrate the ” hour in which I first came to dwell with thee . And then the body will answer the soul after this

: O manner accursed soul , what right hast thou to

z anathemati e me , when thou art thyself the cause of all this wretchedness ? Thou shouldst have ruled me more firmly and held me back from evil , for it t was with this object that God uni ed thee to me . Instead of associating thyself with me in works of t penance , thou didst revel wi h me in sinful pleasures . t It is for me , therefore , to curse thee to all eterni y, because thou art the one who hast brought us both to ” u everlasting perdition . Th s soul and body will mutually anathematiz e each other . Such are the unhappy circumstances that will n t/ze esu r rection o Me e O R f D a d. 4 7

attend the resurrection of the bodies of the dam ned in all graveyards and cemeteries when they leave

the grave and enter upon a second life .

n o w And , reader , endeavor to imagine the shame and confusion which will weigh those poor crea tures to the ground when first they see each other

again . Husband and wife will meet , brothers and t sis ers , parents and children , friends and acquaint an ces ; those who have li v ed in the same town or the same village and have known each other from b e childhood . Their shame will so overwhelming that they would prefer to endure any physical torture than be exposed to it . And their bodies will be so hideously ugly , so disgusting in appearance , that they will shudder at the sight of one another . Who can describe the mourning and lamentation that will prevail amongst these hapless creatures ! Their

r mise y is indeed unutterable .

Bethink thyself , whoever thou art who readest or

z hearest this , what awful despair would sei e upon thee if thou wert amongst the number of these lost

souls . In what piteous tones thou wouldst bewail wt “ ! i h them thy hapless fate . Alas what have we done ? Woe to us most miserable ones ; would that ! we had never been born Cursed be thou , my wife , k ! who didst pro e me to sin Cursed be you , my m ! children , who are the cause of y damnation u C rsed be you , my friends and acquaintances , for you were the occasion of this calamity that has come 8 li d n t 4 T e L ast ju gme . upon me ! Cursed forever be all those who have h t en partners of my life and partners of my sin 0 Think over this , sinner, and let your hard heart be softened . Whenever you pass by the cemetery of the place in which you live , remember that perchance thou mayst ere long be laid there to rest in the grave until the general resurrection . Wherefore make such good use of the brief period

Of a life , that thou mayst be numbered mong the t just , and arise with them to everlasting felici y , and not with the reprobate to everlasting torments . Pray Often thus in thy heart : 0 most compassion at L Th e ord Jesus , I implore Thee for the sake of y

P an d L bitter assion and death , through the ast Judg ment at which Thou wilt be the Judge of the whole n t world , grant me grace to live in such a ma ner hat at the resurrection I may arise with j oy and not ” me . with shame . A n

t u d n t 5 0 Tile L a s j gme .

Of L me oe not probable theatre the ast Judg nt , it d s necessarily follow that all mankind will be crowded into that narrow space . We will now consider in what manner we shall be e assembl d for the final judgment . If the good and the evil are found together in the graveyards and else

O u r L where , that will come to pass which ord pre dicted : So shall it be at the end of the world : the angels shall go out , and shall separate the wicked from among the just (Matt . xiii . For since the good are laid to rest amongst the wicked , it follows that at the resurrection they will be found amongst

i e . R the w ck d Accordingly , after the General esur rection the holy angels will come and Separate the elect from the reprobate . St . Paul , speaking of

: L this , says For the ord Himself shall come down from heaven with commandment, and with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God ; and the dead who are in Christ shall rise first .

Then we who are alive who are left , shall be taken up together with them in the cloudsto meet Christ

1 . . 1 into the air ( Thess iv 5 , All the good , that is to say, will be carried on the clouds with splendor and great glory by the angels to the place of judgment . Now imagine to thyself what a beautiful sight it will be , when the saints with their glorified bodies , shining like burnished gold in the sunlight , will be

t ar transported through the air, escorted by heir gu d t Me lace u d men t A P of j g . 5 1 ian angels I With what exultation and rejoicing will they pass on their tri u mphal way l And when they all come together in the valley of

Josaphat , they will greet one another lovingly , and embrace one another with mutual joy . 0 ho w Think for a moment , Christian , thou wouldst rejoice if thou wert so fortunate as to find thyself amongst the number of the blessed . This happiness is yet within thy reach ; if thou dost really desire it with all the strength of thy will , thou wilt be counted in this happy company . Bestir thyself to fulfil all thy duties well and faithfully , and thou too shalt one day join in that glorious and triumphant procession . We will now consider how the wicked shall be transported to the valley of Josaphat , and what will await them there . Alas their doom is so sorrow ful , that I can scarcely venture to describe it in detail . What will these unhappy sinners think , what will they say , when they see the holy angels taking the elect from their midst and carrying them with glory and splendor through the air The Wise Man gives us an insight into their thoughts when he tells us These , seeing it , shall be troubled with terrible fear and shall be amaz ed at the suddenness of the unexpected salvation of the just saying

t a n within themselves , repen ing and groaning for guish of spirit T hese are they whom we had some

in e . time derision , and for a parable of r proach We d 5 2 7 7m L a st ju gment. fools esteemed their life madness and their end

n without honor . Behold how they are umbered the among children of God , and their lot is among

v . 2 r the saints (Wisd . How it will g ieve them to behold those whom they formerly despised so utterly now honored an d beloved by the angels of

God , and conducted by them in glory and triumph to meet Christ . And they who once made such a display of their riches , who despised all their fellow creatures in their arrogant pride , now stand amongst

e m . the fall n angels , poor , iserable , contemned When the angels have escorted all the elect to the valley of Josaphat , they will proceed to drive all S the reprobate thither , with the evil pirits that are mingled with them . They will cry with a loud

T he voice Away with you , away to judgment Judge of the living and the dead commands you to ” appear before Him . What a piercing cry of anguish these unhappy creatures will utter They will do their utmost to resist the behest of the angels , but they will struggle in vain ; they must obey the command ’ of God s messengers . Together with the evil spirits the damned will be forcibly driven to the place of

u judgment . What an awf l journey The air is rent with cries of rage . The spirits of darkness , with diabolical malice and cruelty , already vent their spite in tormenting the hapless creatures whom sin has made their victims . Hear the shriek of despair u en t A t tne P la ce of j dgm . 5 3 wrung from the wretched beings Fools that we were thoughtless fools Whither has the path of transgression led us Alas it has brought us to the severe , the terribly severe tribunal of God L 0 isten , sinner, to the sorrowful lamentations and

- self accusations of these poor creatures . Beware lest thou too shouldst be of their number . Pray

God to preserve you from so shocking a doom , and say Most merciful God , remember at how great a price Thou didst purchase me , and how much

Thou didst suffer for me . For the sake of that inestimable price do not permit me to be lost, rescue me , number me amongst the sheep of Thy fold . With them I will then praise and magnify Thy loving ” kindness to all eternity. H IV C APTER .

’ H ow ALL ME N WILL AWAIT CHRIST S COMING IN TH E OF OSAP H A’I‘ VALE J .

LET us now contemplate the multitudes gathered m together in the place of judg ent . All mankind , e every human being who has ever liv d upon earth , as well as all the rebellious spirits who were cast out e e e e e e of heaven , will be comp ll d to app ar h r befor the judgment seat of Christ . Who can attempt to enumerate these countless multitudes The number of the earth ’ s inhabitants living at this present moment amounts to about This vast multitude will have dis e in e e appear d l ss than half a c ntury , and another generation , no less numerous, will have taken their place and filled the earth anew . So it will L D go on and on until the ast ay . What countless hosts there will b e arraigned before the judgm ent seat of Christ the The good will be all together, rejoicing in certainty of their etern al salvation . They are e the adorned with glorious apparel , and shine lik

e . on e t e stars of heav n They know another, h y 54 ’ H ow a ll Men will A wa it /zrist n C s Comi g . 5 5

con ratu greet one another, and exchange mutual g a tion s l respecting their happy lot .

Not so the wicked . The good stand on the right

- hand , and they upon the left . Unfortunately the num ber of the wicked is far, far larger than that of the

an d ~ af r good . Both before te the coming of Christ the prince of darkness held sway over a much

r greater number of subjects than Ch ist Himself. Al ! as my God , what an immense multitude there will be on the left hand 1 The mourning and misery amongst them will be so unparalleled that the good

e who are on the right hand would , were it possibl , be deeply touched with compassion . For all these countless millions of human beings will pour out their excessive sorrow and anguish in the piteous lamentations . Awaiting coming of the the supreme Judge , they stand together , apart from e just , full of confusion at their own hid ousness , and e e esp cially at their sinfulness , now vident to all .

Y- et above and beyond all this misery is the con Stern ation that prevails on account of the coming Of the Judge it is beyond the power of words to n express . For now these u happy creatures first become fully aware how terrible are the judgments me e of God , which they during their lifeti heed d so e little . Now for the first time th y recognize what a fearful disgrace it is for them to have their sins made manifest in the presence of all the angels and s the saint , in presence likewise of the devils and of st 56 H e L a ju dgment.

N ow n the lost . for the first time they are co scious of the awful nature of the senten ce that will be passed on them by the Judge whom they have often insolently set at naught . These and many other things contribute to imbue them with such an unut terab le r the d ead of coming of their Judge , that they quake in every limb with terror, and almost swoon away with apprehension and alarm . They will say to one another in plaintive tones Alas , what have we don e How terribly we have deceived ourselves

For the sake of the few and transitory joys of earth , we must undergo an eternity of anguish . What the good are all riches , the voluptuous pleasures , the the ow ? the pride , honors of world to us n We fools have trifled away celestial and eternal goods for the poor and paltry things of earth . Alas , what will become of us when our Judge appears ! Ye mountains , fall on us , and ye hills , cover us , for truly it would be less intolerabl e for us to be crushed u m e the der your weight, than to stand b fore whole world covered with shame and confusion , and behold the wrathful countenance of the just Judge 1 e Unhappy sinner, whoever thou art who read st te this book, do not flat r thyself with the vain hope that this description of the misery of the lost is ex aggerated . They will complain a thousand times e mor loudly , and their pain and misery will be unut

r l te ab e . Avail thyself of the short and precious s n e e n easo of thy earthly existenc , do p na ce, do now

H V C APTER .

’ ON T H E APPEARANCE o r CH R IST s CROSS IN TH E S HEAVEN .

WHEN all mankind are assembled in the valley of

O u r L Josaphat , the prediction of ord will be fulfilled

Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what Shall come upon the whole earth . For they will be in such anxiety and terror in anticipation of the approaching judgment that , if such a thing were possible , they would faint away . They will look up to the heavens continually with fear and trembling, and every moment that the coming of the dreaded Judge is delayed will serve to increase their e Of appr hension this advent . At length the b eav ’ ens will be opened , and the Sign of Christ s triu m

t the S phant vic ory , ign of the holy cross , will be carried down by a host of angels and exhibited to the whole world . ’ These are O u r Lord s words in regard to this “ : e mystery The powers of h aven shall be moved , and then shall appear the Sign of the Son of man in heaven , and then shall all tribes of the earth

‘ m . . 2 ourn (Matt xxiv 9, The Catholic Church 58 ’ ea a nce Cler ist s ross in Me H ea ens l e App r of C v . 59

t teaches us what this sign will be , which is o appear in heaven : The Sign of the cross will appear in L heaven , when the ord shall come to judgment . All the Fathers concur in interpreting this Sign which will be displayed in the heavens as the cross

O u r L of Christ . Although the cross whereon ord ffe su red is now divided into innumerable little pieces , et into particles even , y by divine power it will once more form a complete whole . It will be carried down from heaven by the angels with solemn pomp and the angels who bear it will be followed by D m others , who , as the Angelic octor, St . Tho as

in stru Aquinas , maintains , will carry all the other P ments of the assion ; that is to say , the pillar, e the lance , the scourges , the hamm r, the iron e glove , the dice , the scarlet rob , the white robe

the - the seamless tunic , holy winding sheet, the vessel containing myrrh and all the other in

r m en s st u t that were employed during the Passion , and the Object of this will be to make manifest to the whole world how many and manifold were the pains Christ suffered for our sakes . Now when all mankind behold the holy cross and all the other sacred instruments of the Passion shin

In g like the sun at midday , for the cross of Christ l will gleam with a ight of unexampled brilliance , those who are waiting below will stand in trembling fear and woeful lamentation . For the sight of the holy cross and the other instruments of torture will 60 Tb e l a st u d men t j g . recall to their mind all the grievous pains that O u r L ord endured , and indeed in so forcible and vivid a manner , that His whole Passion will seem to be re- enacted before them . Then the bitterest remorse r will fill the hea t of the wicked . But this remorse , how great and how deep soever it may be , will be futile . It comes too late . This remorse is the

Of companion of despair . In their anguish soul and their despair they will exclaim with Cain , the frat ricide : My iniquity is greater than that I may

h s deserve pardon ; or with Judas , who betrayed i L “ ord and Master I have sinned, in betraying ” innocent blood . Yes , all the lost will concur in “ ! exclaiming, Alas we have sinned in betraying innocent blood . We have tortured , we have cruci fied , we have put the Son of God to death by our ” sins . Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn , for they will perceive how grievously they have ff o ended against God , but the cries of mourning and despair prevailing everywhere will be in vain .

What will the unfortunate heathen say , who have ’ never heard , never known anything about Christ s Passion ? They will bitterly bewail and lament their ignorance , saying Alas we unhappy ones , had we but known this , we should never have come to this ’ we kn own that misery . Had but the great and

uff infinite God did and s ered so much for us , how grateful we should have been to Him , how willingly we would have served Him ! We were deluded by ’ Tne A ea ra n ce o ar ist s Cr ss in t/ze n s 1 pp f C o [ f ea r/e . 6

our false gods . We saw in them no Virtues , only vile and vicious deeds . Against the promptings of conscience we imitated their vices , and hence we are damned . We cannot complain , or think our selves wronged by the holy and just God , because we are amongst the reprobate . If only we had hea rk ened to the voice of our conscience , this would not have been our fate . But what will those say who put Christ to death ?

Pilate , Caiphas , Annas , the high priest , as well as “ “ the Jews who cried : Crucify Him ! and His ” blood be upon us and upon our children , all who took part in the cruel , atrocious crime of crucifying l S their God , wi l at the ight of the sacred instruments of the Passion shriek aloud in despair and desire to be annihilated . Execrated and cursed even by the damned , they will stand there , branded as deicides , objects of abhorrence to the whole world . It is not my intention to discuss what bad Chris tians , who have blasphemed the Son of God by ’ word or deed , will feel at that time ; for brevity s sake I leave thee , reader , to meditate upon it for

l r thyself . Only one thing I wou d ask of thee ; e

flect t upon his , what thou wouldst say , what thou l wou dst most deeply regret , if thou wert amongst

u t the n mber of the damned , and didst hen perceive that thou hadst been the cause of Christ’ s sufferings and hadst crucified Him by thy sins . Couldst thou now feel in thy heart something of the contri u st u d en t 6 2 T e L a j gm .

tion which would then pierce thy soul , assuredly thou wouldst never again for the remainder of thy life commit any heinous sin . Couldst thou now mourn over the sufferings of Christ with expressions of such poignant sorrow as would then rise to thy

Of lips , thou wouldst infallibly obtain the remission thy sins . Wherefore , frequently adore thy crucified ff Saviour, call to mind His su erings for thy sake , and recite the following prayer O R faithful edeemer of the world , who didst endure ff such unspeakable su erings for me , a miserable P sinner, I pray Thee let not Thy bitter assion and

Thy death upon the cross be unavailing for me . Impress the remembrance of them deeply upon my heart , that I may have them ever before my mind , and may avoid Sin which was the cause of Thy su f

t fe ing . Thus when Thy cross shall appear bright and shining in the heavens on the Day of Judg

S ment , may it not be to me a ign of damnation , but

S . of salvation , a ign of Thy mercy and of Thy love

Amen . R V CHAPTE I .

E ON TH ADVENT O F TH E JUDGE .

0 WHAT we have hitherto heard , Christian reader , l is indeed most fearfu and terrible , but it is nothing in comparison with what we are now about to con sider . For the coming of the Judge will be so awful , so dreadful , that all that is in heaven or upon earth will tremble and quake . The power and majesty wherewith He will come is beyond the power of words to describe . In order that we may

n k ow something concerning it , and be able to form some conception of it , Christ has Himself foretold His coming in these words When the Son of man shall come in His majesty , and all the angels with im H , then shall He sit upon the throne of His maj

b e esty , and all nations shall be gathered together

I fore Him (Matt . xxv . 3 , And again They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty (xxiv . Thus we see O ur Lord twice asserts that He will n come in the clouds of heave , attended by all His

t . angels , in great might and majes y

Who can depict the greatness of that power , 63 H e L a st u d men t 64 j g .

the the splendor of that majesty, countless number of those angelic hosts L isten to what the P salmist “ says on the subject : A fire shall go before Him and shall burn His enemies round about . His light m ings have shone forth to the world , the earth saw and trembled . The mountains melted like wax at the L L presence of the ord , at the presence of the ord of the whole earth . The heavens declared His justice ”

P . an d all people saw His glory ( S xcvi . 3 And “ in another psalm we read : Out of Sion the love lin ess of His beauty shall shine forth . A fire e a d m shall burn befor Him , n a mighty te pest shall The be round about Him (xlix . prophet Isaias also predicts the advent of the Judge in the follow L ing terms Behold , the ord will come with fire , and His chariots are like a whirlwind, to render His wrath in indignation and His rebuke with flames of ” e fire (Is . lxvi . Moreover, Christ Hims lf t t declares As lightning come h out of the eas , and appeareth even into the west : so shall also the com ing of the Son of man be (Matt . xxiv . If such be the manner in which the Judge shall

cou n te come , if flames of fire proceed from His nance , if He descends from heaven in a fiery char lot t , armed with wrath agains sinners , who but

! a must tremble at His coming We shall in f ct , all falter and be afraid . Besides the terrors of the

Judge Himself, the sight of the innumerable com

. in pany of angels that will descend with Him , will

st u d n 66 H e L a j gme t.

the wrath of God the almighty . And He hath on His garment and on His thigh written : King of ”

L . 1 1 kings , and ord of lords (Apoc . xix O How we all shall tremble , my God , when we behold these hosts of celestial spirits with their kingly leader ! D The prophet aniel once saw an angel , and he

- was so terror struck at his appearance , that he fell ff was to the ground like one dead . If such an e ect produced on him by the sight of a single angel , whose errand was one of comfort and consolation , what will become of us , when so many hundreds of thousands of heavenly princes draw n igh to us

ul ? with wrathf countenances St . Ephrem , speak ing of this says The angels will stand there with m a enacing mien , their eyes flashing with the sacred n e fire of just indig ation , rous d by the iniquities of ” mankind . N ow if the sight of the angels alone , who will e com to judgment with the divine Judge , is so ter rible , what will be the fear and dread inspired by the Judge Himself , when He comes in all the wrath of offended justice As in heaven there is no greater delight than the contemplation of God , so at the L ast Judgment there will be no greater pain than to look upon the angry Judge . Before entering upon an explanation of this , let us see with what majesty Christ will come to judgment. The advent of Christ will be so terrible that /i d n t n u d e 6 T e A v e of t e j g . 7 n either man n or angel is capable of describing it aright . For all that is most calculated to appal the he sinner will be here seen , and nothing will want ing that can enhance the majesty of Christ . When wn a monarch makes his entry into a to , what pomp and splendor is displayed there ! Strains of lively music mingle with the more solemn peal of bells , salutes are fired , the whole population is astir, every one straining his eyes to see the monarch ; t first come his servan s , then his counsellors , then n the obles of the land lastly he comes himself, t surrounded by a vast mul itude of people . Yet what is all this magnificence the world can offer when compared with the majesty which will attend the coming Of the King of kings ! Compare a poor ragged beggar - boy with a sovereign prince e who enters riding in a chariot of gold , and we hav a feeble and insufficient image of the diff erence that exists between the pomp and splendor of this world an d t the glory wherewi h Christ will come to judgment . Yet His advent will not merely be grand and glorious beyond measure , it will likewise be awful in its nature . If the graves opened at the blast of ’ the the angel s trumpet , and sound of that trumpet re- echoed throughout the whole world , what a panic of fear will seize upon mankind when the angels who precede Christ ’ s triumphal car cause the sound of their trumpets to be heard ” m . e e us What , asks St Augustin , will b co e of ne a st n t 68 T L ju dgme .

Da u en on that dreadful day , the y of J dgment , wh the Lord shall descend with His angels with the sound of trumpets , and the whole earth shall tremble with fear

When God came down of old upon Mount Sinai , we read in Holy Scripture Now the third day was come and the morning appeared ; and behold thunders began to be heard , and lightning to flash , and a very thick cloud to cover the mount , and the noise of the trumpet sounded exceeding loud , and ” the people that was in the camp feared . And when all the people heard the thunder and the sound of the e trumpet , and saw the lightning and the smok aris the ing from out of mount , they were terrified , and “ : withdrew to a distance , saying to Moses Speak thou to us and we will do all things that the Lord L hath commanded , but let not the ord speak to us lest we die (Exod . xx . If all this happened when God came down from the heaven to give His law to Hebrew nation , and 0 adopt them as His children , what , thinkest thou , e Christian , will be the case when He com s to require an account of the manner In which His command ments have been kept ? If the children of Israel were so terrified at the giving of the law that they w t s S thought they should die of fear, ha cau e hall e not we mortals , we Christians especially , hav to e t n es e tremble , since we hav so of e wilfully transgr s d the commandments of God ! n t tire u d e 6 I lze A dv e of j g . 9

O God , almighty Judge of all men , Thou wilt descend from heaven at the Last Day with great power and majesty , to act in Thy character of Judge , and the thought of Thy coming causes me to quake with fear . Inspire me now, I beseech Thee , with a salutary fear, so that I may void sin , and may not

. m merit to be crushed by Thy just anger A en . I CHAP TER V I.

ON TH E MANNER IN WHICH CHRIST WILL TAKE H IS

T H E - S PLACE ON JUDGMENT EAT.

P Av 0 heed , reader, to what is now coming, and do not imagine that it concerns thee not . Thou wilt most assuredly witness it all one day with thy bodily e e eyes , and all will be a thousand times mor t rrible than my pen can depict it .

has e When Christ , in His chariot of fire , r ached O Mount livet , He will pause in the air, at such a

men height that He can be clearly seen by all , until the angels have prepared the throne of judgment . The prophet Daniel thus portrays the scene I beheld till thrones were placed , and the Ancient of days sat ; His garment was white as snow and the hair of His head like clean wool His throne like

n flames of fire , the wheels of it like a bur ing fire . A swift stream of fire issued forth from before Him ; thousands of thousands ministered to Him , and ten times a hundred thousand stood before Him : the

Dan judgment sat and the books were Opened ( .

V ii. 9 , But Christ will not sit in judgment alone ; the 70 ’ rist s u d men t- se t C/z j g a . 7 1

e twelv apostles will be with Him , according to the promise He gave them Amen I say to you , that you who have followed Me , in the regeneration , when the Son of man shall Sit on the seat of His

sit majesty, you also shall on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt . xix . Who can give any idea of the magnificence of ’ Christ s throne ? It beggars all description . We read that King Solomon caused a wonderfully b e beautiful throne to constructed out of ivory ,

richly adorned with gold and precious ston es . This throne was so magnificent that the inspired writer says of it that in no kingdom of the world had any

- such work been made . If the judgment seat of King Solomon was composed of such costly material

and fashioned so skilfully , what will be the splendor

- t of the judgment sea of the King of kings , on which He will sit in His majesty to judge the whole world

O u r L ord speaks of this judgment- seat as a throne

: of great splendor, when He says When the Son

of man shall come in His majesty , and all the angels H e the with Him , then shall sit upon seat of His

majesty (Matt . xxv . Some idea of what the appearance of this throne will be may be gathered from the words which have e D just b en quoted from the prophet aniel , and also “ this description given by St . John : There was a the t rainbow round about throne , in sight like un o an

emerald . And from the throne proceeded light 2 Tlze L a st u d ment 7 j g . n in s g , and voices , and thunders and there were seven t lamps burning before the hrone (Apoc . iv . 3 Such are the images whereby Holy Scripture

the - portrays judgment seat of Christ . Who of all mankind can venture to raise his eyes to this fiery throne Will it not be more dazz lingly bright than the lightnings and fiery flashes of a tempest The divine Judge will seat Himself upon this throne and His grave countenance will be visible to men and angels . All created beings will tremble with awestruck reverence . St . John declares this “ : in the Apocalypse I saw a great white throne , O n e t e t and si ting upon it , from whos face the ear h and heaven fled away , and there was no place found h 1 I . t e for them (Apoc . xx . ) In these words prophet of the New Testament appears to indicate that the heavens and the earth will n ot be able to bear to t meet the eye of their Judge hat all rational beings ,

S both angels and men , will quake at the ight of His stern countenance .

That the angels also will fear and tremble , is

i In the asserted by St . August ne , following passage from his writings : When O u r Lord says that the e the powers of heaven shall be moved , He allud s, to

the angels ; for so terrible will judgment be , that the angels will not be exempt from fear ; they too will tremble and be afraid . For just as when a judge Sits in judgment his grave countenance not t t b u t only strikes terror in o the culpri s before him ,

st u d 74 I 7ze L a j gment.

Da m the y of Judg ent, when they behold Christ in His awful majesty and are called upon to give to an e ? 0 Him account of their whole lif And , poor how ee i sinner, will it then fare with th , and w th all m the reprobate , if even the angels and saints tre ble at the coming of the Judge ? Words cannot express the terror and dismay of evil spirits and un repentant

S sinners , when they hall behold their divine Judge t on the throne of His majes y , and know that He will rigorously judge and condemn them to hell for all eternity. In order to give some idea of the terrible dread an d alarm of the fallen angels and of unhappy sin

n ners , let us hear what Holy Scripture says concer ing the appalling exterior of the Judge and the greatness of His anger , in the first chapter of the

: Apocalypse , where St . John tells us I saw the Son of man clothed in a garment down to the feet a olden H is and girt about the breast with g girdle . head and His hairs were white as white wool and as snow, and His eyes were as a flame of fire , and His

fe . et like unto fine brass , as in a burning furnace

And His voice as the sound of many waters . And

m - e from His outh came out a sharp two dged sword , and His face was as the sun shineth in His power. n Upo His head were many diadems , and H e was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood . He treadeth the wine- press of the fiercen ess of the wrath lm H i me of God the a ighty , and He hath on s gar nt ’ Oltrist s u d men t- sea t j g . 75

and H is thigh written : King of kings an d Lord of ” lords .

Meditate upon these wondrous words, 0 Chris tian , and picture to thyself thy future Judge in vivid colors . How could His majestic appearance be described more forcibly than in the words we have just quoted What must be the Splendor of that countenance which is said to shine as the sun at its meridian ! what must be the brilliance of those eyes which glow with holy fervor like flames of fire ! what the force of that voice which has the sound of a volume of waters ! what must be the keenness of that tongue which cuts like a two- edged sword what a glorious head that must be which is adorned with many costly diadems ! How terrible that garment must be to look upon which is sprinkled with blood ! And what the dignity of that regal name : The King of kings and Lord of ! lords How frightened we all shall be , what fear and woe will overtake us when our Judge looks upon us ! And imagine what the feelings of the e damned will be, when they behold the Judg of all their wicked deeds ; how they will quail and quake beneath His gaz e in the hour of His just wrath I We shall perhaps form a better conception of n th what the wrath of God is , if we liste to what e prophet I saias says concerning it d 76 l e L a st ju gmen t.

“ m L Behold the na e of the ord cometh from afar, w t e His rath burne h , and is heavy to b ar His lips are

filled with indignation , and His tongue as a devour ing fire ; His breath as a torrent overflowing even to the midst of the neck, to destroy the nations ”

n . . 2 into nothi g (Is xxx 7 ,

a r D These e of a truth terrible words . o they not clearly indicate with what great wrath Christ will manifest Himself to the world ? Well may all unhappy Sinners be overwhelmed with terror and dismay and anguish ; well may they cry to the mountains to fall on them and the hills to cover them . Now when the Judge is seated upon the throne

are of His majesty , all who assembled in the val ley of Josaphat , angels and devils , the redeemed

‘ t ill los w e . and the , all have to ador Christ , as St “ Paul says : We shall all stand before the judg

- t . : ment sea of Christ For it is written As I live , t L e b ow sai h the ord , very knee shall to Me , and e e e R om very tongu shall conf ss to God ( .

1 0 xiv. , How solemn and how sublime a scene will then O the be enacted , my God , when all millions e and thousands of millions of angels , tog ther with e the blessed , in visible form will prostrat them selves upon the ground , and the evil spirits with t their unhappy vic ims , and all the damned , will be forced against their will to adore Christ and ac ’ s u d n t- s t Ckr ist j gme ea . 77 knowledge H im as their God an d Judge ! These

On wretched creatures will fall their knees , and bend a their heads down to the e rth , not daring to raise e their eyes , lest they should ncounter the angry

an d glance of their Judge . They will lament

bewail , filled with unutterable consternation and dis e may . Gladly would they hav the earth open and e swallow th m up, nay , they would , if it were pos e sible , cast thems lves down into a bottomless

abyss rather than suffer such humiliation . 0 Pause and consider , sinner , what thy feelings would be if thou wert amid the number of these lost souls ; thou wouldst be overwhelmed with sorrow

and distress . V St . incent relates that a young man of disso lute life once dreamed that he was arraigned before

- the judgment seat of God , and required to give

- an account of his ill spent life . His terror was so

great that it turned his hair perfectly white . If the terrors of the Last Judgment experienced only in a dream were suffi cient to turn the color of that ’ young man s hair , what , thinkest thou , will be the t w effec they will produce on thee and on me , hen we L are present , not in a dream , but in reality , at the ast e Judgment , and with our bodily eyes we b hold our Judge in all His holy indignation 0 ee most just Judge , look down , I bes ch Thee ,

n from Thy throne in heaven upon me , a poor sin er , and for the sake of Thine in finite compassion be t u d ment 78 Tne La s j g .

merciful to me in the day of final judgment . I know that I shall not be able to stand in that dread day , but by Thy j ust sentence I shall be condemned to eternal damnation . Yet I know also that if a sinner implores mercy of Thee in the time of grace , it will not be denied him . Therefore I entreat

Thee with deep humility and contrition , through

Thy bitter Passion , that Thou wouldst pardon my sins and pass a lenient sentence upon me in the Day

men . of Judgmen t . A CH APTER VI I I .

’ ON TH E REASON WH Y CHRIST S APPEARANCE ON TH E AN D DAY OF FINAL JUDGMENT WILL BE TERRIBLE ,

ON TH E HEINOUSNESS OF MORTAL SIN .

TH E reader may, perchance , be inclined to ask e ame ed the r ason why Christ, the s Christ who liv amongst us on earth in all gentleness and meek n ess , should wear so terrible an aspect when He comes to b e our Judge ? There are a great many reasons why Christ in this capacity should judge

h i mankind with such awful severity . T e pr ncipal one is because He has been most grievously out raged by the sins of men . Theologians assert that every mortal sin is in l ff itse f an infinite evil , and is an infinite a ront to i ff the divine majesty . It s an o ence of such mag n itude that neither the ton gue of angels nor of men is capable of describing it . It will be understood , m e therefore , that as in every ortal sin there is malic u D v of so deep a dye , it must deeply wo nd the i ine

Heart of Jesus , and provoke Him to just anger against the individual who has been guilty of that Sin . And in order that it may be more apparent s t e f od e m how ju t h ire o G is , when rous d by ortal 79 lze s u d m n t 8 0 T L a t j g e .

sin , it will be well to explain more clearly how f great is the insult o fered to God by wilful sin . Imagine the three divine persons of the Most Holy

Trinity to be on one side , with their infinite treas ures of grace and glory , and on the other side the Spirit of evil with all the punishments and torments of hell ; and a man standing in the midst betwixt the two , debating within himself whether he should show honor to God by doing His will , or whether he should act in Violation of H is will , and thereby cause the devil to rejoice . If the man commits the he sin , acts towards God , and God regards his e action , exactly as if he utt red these blasphemous words , or others of the same nature O I do indeed believe , God , that I was created by Thy almighty power , redeemed by Thy mercy , made a child of predilection by Thy bounty I know

me r that Thou hast promised ete nal life , all the sweetest bliss of heaven . I am also well aware that this accursed Satan , Thy great enemy and mine , is prepared to strip me of all that is good , and hurl i i me down into everlasting pefd t o n . And yet b e cause Satan tempts me now, because he suggests to me a thought of unchastity , a desire for revenge , a movement of envy , I choose rather to yield to this impulse and thereby render myself deserving of t everlasting punishmen , than resist and repel the evil suggestion and thus merit heaven hereafter an d

S . e e piritual graces now Th refore , I delib rately

8 2 H e L ast u d men t j g .

and cold , all manner of hardships for my sake , whilst Satan has done nothing of the sort for me on he me the contrary , pursues day and night and strives to ensnare me. In spite of this I prefer to

“ t belong to him rather han to Thee . I prefer to

him . please , and grieve Thee 0 R e e It it true , my de mer, that for my sake Thou t was torn with scourges , crowned with thorns , fast ened with nails to the cross and put to death amid bitter tortures ; yet for all this I offer Thee no

. N n thanks ay more , although I k ow that by my sins I scourge Thee , I crucify Thee , I put Thee to death anew, yet I will not forsake my sins ; I will e trample upon Thy precious blood , I will ador Satan instead of Thee I will make him my dearest friend ” and do my utmost to give him pleasure .

a sk blas he Again I , are not these utterances p mous in the extreme Do they not Show the black est ingratitude on the part of the sinner towards his Saviour ? On e can scarcely imagine that a Christian R would grieve his edeemer in so shameful a manner . wh n ot And yet there are many thousands o, if in words , yet in deeds , address such language to their

S aviour . n In the third place , the audacious sin er outrages and defies the Holy Spirit of God , for his actions “ : are equivalent to expressions such as these Thou ,

O Holy Ghost , hast certainly sanctified my soul , cleansed it in the blood of Christ and b eautified it ' s rt n I li e H ei nou snes of Mo a l Si . 83

by Thy grace. I know that Thy sanctifying grace is so precious that every so ul which is adorned by it thereby becomes a daughter of the heavenly

Father, a sister of the divine Son , a spouse of the

h the - H Holy G ost, dwelling place of the Most oly e n Trinity , a temple of the sov reig Godhead , an heir of eternal felicity , a friend of angels and saints , yet what do I trouble myself about these exalted i prerogatives , what do I care for th s priceless pearl , this costly jewel ? Away with them ; I will cast this and w m pearl , this jewel to the dogs s ine , to wit, y e evil passions. I will sacrific all to them , I will ” serve sin and live in sin . e s n ot 0 e S e t thou now, reader, how hat ful sin is , n n atrire how shocki g the of the sinner, how infinite e f the th o fence against God , contempt of God which is inseparable from sin ? Art thou n ot convinced that God has j u st cause to feel holy indignation

n against sin and the slaves of sin , and to co demn the sinner to everlasting damnation

G od n And if the wrath of , who is infinite in sa c tity and justice , is aroused to such an extent by one

l an d single morta sin , how greatly must He , the just One n ff holy , be a gered and o ended by the millions upon millions of shameless and shameful sins daily

n a d e committed not o ly by Jews n heath ns , but also ! e h e e by Christians All this ang r , all t is s ns of out f n ne raged dignity at insult of ered , which the si r G od arouses within the Heart of , is treasured up 8 7 72e La st u d men t 4 j g .

Th until the Day of Judgment . e holy sacrifice of the Mass and the powerful intercession of the saints as yet restrains the divine arm from execu ting ven n gea ce . But when mankind have filled up the measure of t n heir i iquities , the day of wrath shall come . No one can form a conception of how awful the out of pouring the wrath of God upon sinners will be . In the Psalms we read “ Who knoweth the power n e m of Thy a ger, and for Thy f ar can nu ber Thy wrath ? ( P S . lxxxix .

Woe , then , to us poor sinners Then for the first time we shall appreciate aright what we have done and how deeply we have offended God by our grievous Sins . The wrath of God is so bound e less that n ither the Mother of God , nor all the angels and saints have any power to diminish or restrain it it will turn with holy z eal and mete out to every man his deserts with rigorous justice . Hear what the Judge Himself says of this , His wrath , by

e z : the mouth of the proph t E echiel Now, thou son c m of man , is an end o e upon thee , and I will send

My wrath upon thee , and I will judge thee accord ing to thy ways , and I will set all thy abominations

e and against th e , and My eye shall not spare thee , I

S t E z ech. . will how thee no pi y ( Vii 3 ,

These are truly terrible words , and the threat

. Oh they contain is most appalling , how unsparing w m ill be the judg ent to which God , who has been Tlze lifein ou sn ess o rta l i f Mo S n . 8 5 ff o ended by transgressions so innumerable , will i summon all mank n d .

e fin Alas for me and for the , if we d ourselves amid the countless multitude of sinners , and God ! we cannot in justice spare us What shall do , that we may not fall into the hands of the angry Judge ?

We must abandon the way of iniquity , and now, while there is yet time , make our peace with the

Judge whom we have offended . L et us awak en from

o ur S time to time sincere contrition for ins , employ ing these or similar expressions of sorrow

the Most just Judge of the living and dead , I acknowledge before Thee that I have sinned often and grievously . I have forsaken my Father in R heaven ; I have crucified Thee , my edeemer ; I have grieved the Holy Spirit an d frifled away n His grace . I have do e this by the countless e sins I have committed in thought , word and d ed . Through my transgressions I have incurred the S penalty of everlasting death . But ince Thou will est not the death of the sinner, but rather that he me e should do penance and live , let experience her ff the e ect of Thy justice , which is ever wedded to e mercy . All the trials that Thou send st me in this life I will thankfully receive from Thy hand , and ki ss the rod whereby Thou dost chastise me with paternal severity in order that at the Day of Judg n me ment I may find mercy, and Thou mayst gra t

e . n a place in the ranks of Thine el ct Ame . I CH APTER X .

ON TH E MANNE R IN WHICH TH E FINAL JU DGMENT W ILL BE COMMENCED .

S the es the WHIL T angels and saints , besid all com pany of the devils and the damned , are prostrate b e efor their Judge in lowly adoration , He will open H is e e lips , and with a loud voic utt r these or similar “ w : L ords isten , ye heavens , to My voice ; listen , O e the arth , to words that I shall speak ; listen , ye

a - ngels , listen , ye demons , listen , also , all ye sinners , for n e 1 I a nounc to each and all of you that , Jesus the V Christ , true Son of God and of the irgin Mary, R e L your Creator , your ed emer, your sovereign ord , fi am about to exercise my of ce of Judge . With infinite patience I have borne with your innumerable iniquities the time of grace is now past , the time of justice has come . Every one shall be rewarded according to his works . Those who have done good shall presently go with Me into e eternal life , and those who have don evil shall be cast into the abyss of everlasting torment and see e anguish . All creation shall and acknowledg

am n ot c i to that I a just God , that I judge a cord ng 8 6 Tire F ina l ju dgmen t Commenced 8 7

th appearances , but according to the measure of at ” which each man has deserved . Some such words as these will proceed out of the e e mouth of the Judg , and they will be pronounc d with such majesty that all men will quake and tremble . All miserable sinners will begin to weep e and wail afresh , so that the very arth might be moved with compassion . Alas for us poor ” wretches , they will exclaim with one voice , how can we stand before the face of our Judge ! Moun

e us tains , fall on us , and rocks , cov r us , and hide o from the face of Him that sitteth up n the throne , L m and from the wrath of the a b . For the great a b e day of their wrath is come , and who sh ll able to stand An d since at every tribunal an accuser must be the n present , to bring charges against i dividual who n e is to be judged , so at this ge eral judgm nt the angels and the devils will b e the accusers of man kind . St . Michael will first stand forth and say

Most just Judge , I bring an accusation against these defiled millions of sinners , who the earth to such an e s ee in xtent by their mi d ds , that Thou in Thy holy dignation didst see fit to purify it by fire ; I call upon Thee now to pun ish these transgressors ac ” cording to Thy justice . L the e Then ucifer, speaking in name of all the vil e spirits , will rais his voice with a roar like that of a an d b : M lion , accuse all mankind in a ody ost j ust 8 8 Tthe t u d men t La s j g .

u d e of J g the living and the dead , I bring a charge against all the human beings assembled here . Since it seemed right to Thy stern justice to banish me and all the angels who joined with me from heaven on account of one single sin , and to con demn e us to verlasting damnation , it is only fair that Thou shouldst include all mankind in the same

e men cond mnation with myself , and cast all here present into the abyss of hell . For there is not one single individual here who has not committed sin , ” and trangressed Thy law . Then Christ will answer the accusation in this S 0 wise It hall be done as you request, ye angels and ye demons ; all men must appear before My

- judgment seat , and each one shall receive that which is his due chastisement to the wicked , recompense ” to the good . When all those whom Christ has chosen to share with Him His offIce of Judge shall have taken their seats , His apostles having the precedence of all others , the judgment will commence . It appears from what the Apostle St . Paul says that no per son , not even the saints , will be exempted from this ordeal . We shall all stand before the judgment m seat of Christ (R o . xiv .

T his standing before the judgment- seat of Christ will fill every one with fear . No one will b e free from it ; even the just will feel it to a certain degree , as well as the unhappy sinner . Even though the just

st d en 90 an L a ju gm t.

with them in blissful jubilation . An d how all who are yet waitin g for their sen tence will marvel at the i or s a e g y that is theirs , and long to h r it with them . n i u the e Most bou t f l Jesus , in nam of all the

n e e es e en sai ts and l ct, whom Thou dost d tin to the o men t e e j y of t rnal felicity , I beseech Thee of Thy in lov m n ma n m finite g kind ess , that I y sta d a ongst Da Thy saints in the y of Judgment . I am Indeed the e unworthy of this favor, but for great r honor e and praise that will be ascribed to Th e , I pray Thee let Thy boundless mercy be manifested to wards me cast me not away, poor sinner that I am .

me at And I entreat you , saints of God , to help to tain to your blessed company . I know that your intercession is powerful enough with God to induce

be in ~ Him to look upon me with compassion , and

finitely mercifu l to me in His judgment of my IIICu H X C APTER .

ON TH E LENGTH OF TIME THAT TH E FIN AL JU DGMENT S WILL LA T.

H ow long will the duration of the Last Judgment be ? No definite answer can be given to this ques et tion , for it is a matter which no one knows ; y it may be conj ectured that it will occupy a consider e able period . Some indeed say that it will be ov r n quickly , because God could judge all ma kind in a single instant . Yet this Opinion does not seem to b e held by the Fathers of the Church, nor is it sup

in da ported by Holy Scripture , which we find a y of judgment invariably spoken of . t e St . Paul , for ins ance , says God hath appoint d a day wherein He will judge the world in equity

(Acts xvii . And we read in the prophecies of

: L Isaias Behold the day of the ord shall come , a cruel day and full of indignation and of wrath and ” e e fury (Is . xiii . In thes and many oth r pas sages of Holy Writ the Last Day is spoken of as a e day, not an instantaneous judgment . The proph t e on e e Jo l indicates that the day will be a long , wh n , he says : The day of the Lord is great and very

1 An terrible ; and who can stand it (Joel ii . d 9 1 a st u d m n t 9 2 Tlze L j g e .

m . the N e w of this sa e day St John , prophet of the “ D : ispensation , also says The great day of their e i ? wrath is come , and who shall be abl to stand t

(Apoc . vi . In many other passages of Holy Scripture we find similar expressions the Day of Judgment

rea t e being called a g day , which probably m ans a

lon . . g day St Jerome held this opinion , for he “ says : The day of the Lord will be a great day ” because of the eternity following upon it . St . e Augustine , when sp aking of the duration of the “ : O final judgment , expresses himself thus ver how many days the judgment will extend we have n o means of ascertaining ; yet we know that a con siderable period is often designated in Holy Scrip ” u e ture as a day . St . Thomas Aq inas agre s with

St . Augustine on this point ; he brings forward several arguments to prove that the final judgment

n will be of lo g duration . And wherefore should God shorten that day ? There is abundant reason why He should rather ’ prolong it . For it is the day of Christ s greatest triumph ; the day whereon the saints attain their greatest glory and the damn ed are put to the gr eat est shame . ’ e m It is the day of Christ s great st triu ph , because He will not only be adored by all the angels and S saints , but also by the wicked pirits and lost souls , On and acknowledged by all to be their Judge . that H ow Lon tlte F ina l u d men t f ll st g j g IVi La . 93 day all His enemies will be beneath His feet ; on that day all His foes will be forced to confess their ff o ences against Him , the divine Arbiter . They will then and there be compelled to own His div inity , His infinite charity , the countless benefits He

or has bestowed on them , in return f which they per secuted Him , blasphemed Him , put Him to a cruel death . Secondly , the blessed saints will on that e day attain th ir greatest glory , because they will be held in honor and esteem by all mankind , as well as by God and by the angels . For Christ will then make manifest to all present how faithfully they

t - sacrificin z served Him , wi h what self g eal they labored for the conversion of sinners . He will then make manifest the secret penances they per

the . formed , fierce temptations they resisted He will then make manifest the pitiless persecutions e the h they endur d from c ildren of this world , and how all manner of evil was spoken against them unjustly. Thus Christ will crown them with the t t honor hat is heir due , and all their adversaries will be confounded . e Thirdly , on that day the reprobat will be put to the greatest Ignominy and anguish . For the Judge will reveal all the shameful , the abominable character of their misdeeds : He Wi ll reveal in the sight of angels and saints , of the devils and the damned , the infamous deeds they performed under cover of dark

. Yes e H is ness , He will pour out the full chalic of ne t d n t 94 T Las ju gme .

n i dignation upon those wretched beings , who under the mask of their hypocrisy dared to desecrate His very sanctuary . He will c ause those who have been corrupters of innocen ce to be seiz ed and placed the e among evil spirits , whose diabolical , thric ac

n cursed work they carried on on earth . O that day the div m e Judge will give all the impenitent sinners n the m to dri k deeply of cup of shame and igno iny ,

: as St . Basil tells us , when he says The confusion that will overtake the godless sinn er in the Day of Judgment will be more cruel torture to him “ than if ” he were cast into a flaming fire . This is in fact the reason why God has appointed the final judg m ma ent , that sinners y not only be punished by the h pain which will be their portion , but t at they may also b e put to public shame . St . Thomas Aqu inas

: The Si n he says nner does not o ly deserve pain , e m n deserves disgrac and igno iny, for this is a pu ish ment to which human b eings only can be subjected.

a m The lower ni als can be chastised and put to death , but they cannot know what it is to suffer shame and ” contempt . This accounts for the fact that any one who has a single spark of self- respect would rather suffer the e heaviest punishment in s cret , than be exposed to public disgrace . O n all these grounds it will be surmised that the final judgment will stretch over a considerable pe riod of we e time , and hence have all the more r ason to Lon tne F in a l u d men t L a st g j g . 95

tremble at the prospect of it , and earnestly pray God that on that great day He will not overwhelm us with shame and confusion . but will grant us a share in His joy and glory. CHAPTER X I.

ON TH E PUBLICATION O F TH E SENTENCE PASSED

UPON TH E GOOD AN D TH E B AD .

WHAT has hitherto been said concerning the Last

now Judgment is indeed most awful , but that which is to come is yet more so : we are about to speak of

e e the s nt nce pronounced upon the wicked , and how they will b e cast down into hell . This is so terrible that nothing in all eternity can be found equal to it in horror. When the supreme Judge shall have searched the

o f hearts all men , and weighed all their actions in the balance of justice , when all has been made open and manifest to the whole world , He will pass sen tence upon the good and upon the bad . He will first turn a kindly countenance to His elect (who stand on the right hand) , and address to them the consoling words Come , ye blessed of My Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world . For I was hungry and t you gave Me to eat ; I was thirs y, and you gave

Me to drink ; I was a stranger and you took Me in , naked and you covered Me , sick and you visited Me

I was in prison and you came to Me (Matt . xxv. 96

8 I ke l ast u d ment 9 j g .

What have we done to entitle us to endless felicity ? It is of Thy mercy and infinite charity alone that Th Thou dost admit us to y kingdom of glory . Be Thou blessed for evermore our mouth Shall con tin u ally extol Thy majesty !

After this , Christ will command His angels to bring all the saints before Him . And as they come e up to His throne , He will array ach one in a gar ment of glory , brilliant and beautiful , so that they

n i will shine like stars . O their heads He w ll place i golden crowns of surpassing brightness , and nto

- their hands He will give lilies , roses , palm branches , t and a sceptre , to betoken the Victory hey have d achieved over the world , the flesh , and the evil . The lost will witness the glory an d exaltation of i the saints . They will hear their shout of tr umph and it will be to them gall and wormwood . They will gnash their teeth in rage and remorse ; all the pleasure they felt in their sins will now be gone . They will mourn and lament , and say , amid “ sobs of deep despair Alas , how unfortunate , how miserable we are What have we done B e

so ’ hold those whom once we despised now happy , so enraptured , so honored and glorified , and we , who thought scorn of them , are now so unhappy , so miserable, so disgraced , branded forever with every sign of reprob ation l And yet we might have won for ourselves the same glorious destiny as they the toil an d difficulty would not have been en tence a sse fi e S P d. 99

beyond our strength . But we in our accursed folly have trifled away the supreme Good , and deprived ourselves of eternal felicity for the sake of worthless

. Oh and transient pleasures , what folly , what mad ness on our part ! How could we allow ourselves to be daz z led to such an extent by the vile debauch eries of the world 1 After these unhappy beings have bewailed their m misery for a considerable ti e , the trumpet will again send forth a mighty sound . This blast of the trumpet is to announce the sentence passed upon the reprobate , and it will impose silence on every one present . Then the Judge will turn to

cou n te the wicked , and , looking at them with a “ : nance kindled with holy wrath , He will say 0 O ! the foolish , blind sinners Now dreadful day has come whereof I spoke to you when I was upon — earth the day , the hour of judgment . Now He stands before you whose enemy you have always shown yourselves . In your arrogant presumption you caused all manner of pain and in

to jury to Me , to My Church , My brethren and sisters , to all the children of God . Behold the wounds you inflicted on Me behold the side which you pierced ; behold the cross whereon you nailed Me ; behold the pillar at which you scourged Me , and to which in after years you bound My Church , m y spotless spouse , for century after century , lacer ating and tearing her flesh with the scourge of your b s . u n I 0 0 T e L a t j dgme t.

m a insolent ockery , your unbelief , your scand ls, your seductions , your infamous deeds of every sort .

O ut of love for you I came down from heaven , and out of love for you I endured the cruelties of

; death And yet My love , so wondrous in its ex

in tent , awakened no response your hearts , met with no love in return on the contrary , you thrust Me away with contempt and hatred when I stood at the door of your heart as a suppliant, desirous of gaining admittance there . How often did I call to you , and you would not listen to Me . I stretched out my hands to you , but you drew back from My embrace . I employed threats , I visited you with many a loving chastisement , but you would not bow your proud neck beneath My sweet yoke . You deliberately chose to serve the devil as your god,

S lot b e and therefore you hall share his now , and

i with him in the abyss of damnat on to all eternity . l I also will laugh at your destruction . Beho d My ser vants , all the just , shall eat and be filled , whilst you shall hunger everlastingly . My servants shall be giv n en to drink in abunda ce , whilst you shall thirst , and your thirst shall never be quenched . My servants shall rejoice and you shall mourn . My servants

an d will exult in rapturous bliss , you will shriek in D agony and despair . epart from Me , ye cursed , into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels . For I was hungry and you gave Me not to eat ; I was thirsty and you gave

1 0 2 Tlze st d me l L a J u g n .

done , and what you would give as the price of your ransom , were it possible for you to be liberated .

Well , then , do now what you would then wish to have done . Confess and bewail your grievous sins whilst there is yet time , and pray God to preserve

- you from never ending torment . 0 most merciful God, Thou hast told us by the lips of Thy prophet : In an acceptable time I will hear thee , and in the day of salvation I will help the thee . Behold now is day of salvation , where fore I call upon Thee with the utmost confidence , and from the bottom of my heart I beseech Thee that Thou wouldst grant me grace and help in propor tion to my necessities , that I may not finally be cast 0 L away . For the dead praise Thee not , ord neither those that go down into hell , but the living, we who live in Thy presence , will extol Thy holy

m . name forever and ever . A en H II C APTER X .

H OW TH E ASK F OR Y AN D DAMNED WILL IN VAIN MERC ,

WILL BE CAST DOWN INTO HELL .

’ WE know from the testimony of Christ s own words that the damned will be permitted to speak to

d . Him , after they have receive their sentence Then

the (that is , after sentence has been pronounced) “ He tells us , They also shall answer Him , saying

L e ord , when did we ev r see Thee hungry , or thirsty, or a stranger , or naked , or sick , or in prison ,

? . and did not minister unto Thee (Matt . xxv When the lost souls perceive that there is no rem nant of hope that their terrible sentence of con dem

ih nation may be mitigated , they will , their despair, pour out horrible imprecations Cursed be the par ents who gave us birth ; cursed be all those who led us into sin ; cursed be all men who have lived with us upon this earth ; cu rsed be He who created us ; cursed be the blood of Christ , wherewith we were redeemed ; cursed be all the saints of God ! What will the divine Judge do when He hears them revile God in this shocking manner ? When

He Himself, standing before the Jewish council , e acknowledg d that He was the Son of God , the 1 03 u d men t 1 0 4 Tb e L a st j g . high priest Caiphas rent his garments and cried “ with a loud voice He hath blasphemed ; now ?” you have heard the blasphemy , what think you And the people answering said : He is worthy of death . The same scene will take place now , only it will be a thousandfold more terrible . When H e Christ hears these blasphemies will exclaim , in holy indignation They have blasphemed God , they have cursed Me and My sain ts ! You have ? heard it yourselves , now what think you Thereupon all the angels and saints will answer

ev erlast They are worthy of eternal death , of the ing pains of hell ! Away with them to the place of wt t ! torment , away i h hem into everlasting fire Then that will be fulfilled which is foretold in the book of Wisdom T he divine Judge will take z the eal as His armor, and will arm creature for the revenge of His enemies . He will put on justice as t a breastplate , and will take true judgment ins ead of a helmet . He will take equity for an invincible t shield , and He will sharpen His severe wra h for a spear , and the whole world shall fight with Him against the unwise . Then shafts of lightning t shall go direc ly from the clouds , as from a bow well bent. They shall be shot out and shall fly to the mark . And thick hail shall be cast upon them from the stone- casting wrath the waters of the sea the l shall rage against them , and rivers sha l run to t l gether in a terrible manner . A migh y wind shal

b s n t 1 0 6 T e L a t ju dgme .

such violence as this shall Babylon , that great city , n m e be thrown down , and shall be fou d no or at all

(Apoc . xviii . Do not these words that the angel uttered signify that all the lost souls will go down into hell with the impetus of a millstone that sinks to the bottom of the abyss of waters into which it is hurled O , awful fall of the damned Who can think of it without shuddering Alas for those for whom i t is prepared ; better were it for them that they had never been born

Thus they will descend , and hell , when they reach it , will , like a fierce dragon , open its jaws to devour

- b e them , and they will engulfed within them , accord ing to the prophecy of Isaias Hell hath enlarged her soul , and opened her mouth without any bounds , e and then strong ones , and their p ople , and their high and glorious ones , shall go down into it

(Is . v .

Who can portray the despair of the damned , the rage wherewith in the deep and sombre abyss of hell they will seek in their fury to tear and lacerate the one another . What words can describe howls and groans that will re- echo through that place of torment ? It is beyond the power of man to con ceiv e . For if Holy Scripture tells us that eye hath e not seen , nor ear heard , neither hath it enter d into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that love Him, may it not also be said that man st 1 0 Tfie Con demna tion of Me Lo . 7 cannot form any idea of what God has prepared for those who have so frequently , so wantonly , insulted Him ? And if the joys of heaven surpass all our m powers of description , will not the tor ents of hell also be inconceivably great O t R eflect upon this , reader, reflect upon it of en , and do not fritter away thy life in idle pleasures , o but look to it that thou save thy soul . Call up n e God with all the fervor of thy h art , and beg Him to grant thee a favorable sentence in the day of final

judgment , saying men ! Most just God , and Judge of all Many

ff e times , and grievously, I have o ended The , and I have nought to expect from Thy justice but severe

chastisement . Yet I now confess my misdeeds ; I repent of e them and abhor th m , and I firmly purpose from this

time forth to be ever faithful unto Thee . Where

fore , I beseech Thee mercifully to pardon my sins , ma in order that I may escape eternal death , and y e e ! attain v rlasting felicity . Amen R X I I I CHAPTE .

H OW TH E BLESSED WILL G O U P INTO HEAVEN

AFTER TH E JUDGMENT .

WHEN the earth has opened and swallowed up the lost souls , then the angels and the blessed will exult and rejoice . They will extol the justice of

God , and confess that the reprobates fully deserved their fate .

. l St John , in his Apocalypse , gives a beautifu description of how the blessed will rejoice an d magnify the justice of God .

I saw an angel come down from heaven , having great power ; and the earth was enlightened with his

r An d glo y . he cried out with a strong voice , say

: : ing Babylon the great is fallen , is fallen and is

he r become the habitation of devils . For sins have L reached unto heaven , and the ord hath remem R bered her iniquities . ender to her as she also e n hath rend red to you , and double u to her accord ing to her works . As much as she hath glorified e hers lf, and lived in delicacies , so much torment and R sorrow give ye to her . ejoice over her, thou e heaven , and ye holy apostles and proph ts , for God

u hath judged yo r judgment on her. 1 0 8

1 r o Tne L a st u d j gmen t.

' whereon Christ died . For the cross and all the other instruments of the Passion will be preserved in heaven— at least such is the Opinion of several learned theologians . Following upon these sa cred relics will come the

first choir of angels , together with those members of the company of the saved , to whom the sentence of Christ has assigned a place in the lowest of the angelic choirs . Children who have died in infancy , and souls who have persisted in sin unto the last, and yet have been saved through the infinite mercy of God and real contrition on their part , will be with the first choir of angels . How fervently they will praise their G od for His unspeakable compassion ! c Next will ome the choir of archangels , and with them those saints who have deserved a place in this

- second angelic choir. God fearing married people, t devout widows , besides o her pious persons who have lived in the world , will , adorned in marvellous

e . b auty , laud and magnify God with the archangels l In the third place wi l come the choir of powers , amongst whom will be all priests who have led a holy life on earth .

The choir of the principalities will come next , with all the saintly bishops and prelates who have ruled the Church to the glory of God and the salva tion of those who have been subject to them . The choir of virtues will come fifth with the doc tors of the Church and all who , by their doctrine and 7 lessed a ter u d n t 1 1 2 ze B f j gme . r

e e e n pr aching , have conv rt d u believers , and brought them to the knowledge of the true faith . In the sixth place will come the choir of the dom in ation s ff , with the confessors who su ered great persecution for the faith , and died in misery and ’ destitution for Christ s sake .

The choir of the thrones will follow next , with the holy martyrs who shed their blood , and gladly gave

up their lives for the name of Christ .

The eighth choir is that of the cherubim , amongst whose ranks will be those holy virgins who have not

merely kept their chastity unsullied , but who , con

um s ed by divine charity , have led a life of highest

perfection . The ninth and highest of the angelic choirs is

that of the seraphim . With them will be the holy

apostles and servants of Christ , who , following in R the footsteps of the edeemer, have lived on earth ’ an angel s life .

In a word , every one of the blessed will have his place assigned him in whichever of the angelic choirs for whose company his virtues render him

most fit .

How glorious will be the procession of the choirs , and how melodious the celestial canticles they will ! it sing Words fail us when we attempt to describe . And to close the triumphal cortege the King of r heaven and ea th comes , crowned with splendor , t e e e Christ, h first begott n Son of the h avenly Father, lz r r 2 T e L a st ju dgmen t. accompanied by His most blessed Mother the V irgin

Mary . He is surrounded with such beauty and majesty , that heaven and earth , angels and men , are t struck with amaz ement . In fact this ascension in o heaven will be in every respect attended with such grandeur and glory . it will be so inexpressibly

e sublime and b autiful , that the lips even of an angel ' i would fa l to give an adequate idea of it . Consider what will be the rapture of the redeemed t when they soar alof through the air , both soul and body, as if they were pure spirits , ascending ever and ever higher , beyond the shining orbs of heaven with their golden refulgence , approaching nearer f and nearer to the heavenly Jerusalem , the city o 1 God . And oh what ecstatic joy will inebriate them

b e when they enter through the golden gates , and hold the splendor and magnificence of the city of

m a n ifi God . When the Queen of Saba saw the g ’ cence of Solomon s palace , she was struck dumb with astonishment . But a greater than Solomon is there , and the majesty and loveliness of the palace of the King of kings is infinitely greater than that of any earthly monarch . Hence we may surmise what the blissful rapture of the blessed will be , when it is granted them to behold what God has prepared for them that love

Him . D O ost thou not desire , pious Christian , to dwell with the redeemed an d enjoy the unspeakable

PAR T III .

H L ON EL .

R CHAPTE I .

TH E O F ON FI RE HELL.

ALTHOUGH m the present day many are found to e deny the existenc of hell , or, at any rate , the eter nit n ot y of punishment, we do consider it incumbent upon us to bring forward a number of proofs that there is such a place as hell . In the case of the

Christian reader , for whom this book is intended , evidence of this nature is quite superfluous , because

- In he will not have made shipwreck of his faith . deed , what further proofs can be required for the existence of hell and the eternity of punishment, seeing that the prophets , that Christ Himself, that the apostles , and the Fathers of the Church , nay ,

as un the very Turks and heathens , speak of it an 1 1 5 I 1 6 On H ell.

e e n e questioned fact . Those who d ny the xiste c of hell must consequently be counted amongst the fools who say in their heart that there is no God who punishes their misdeeds . It would undoubt edly be very agreeable for these people if all things t ended wi h this life , if there were no day of reckon ing, or if, at least , the infernal regions were some what less intolerable . This accounts for their catch ing at any apparent arguments wherewith to delude themselves and lull to sleep their fear of the eternal chastisements of hell . We will not enter upon any examination of the wretched Sophisms wherewith these fools deceive themselves ; for the teaching of the Catholic Church on this point is all we need. She teaches that there is a place or state of u n ‘ equalled and never- ending pain in reserve for the damned .

We know that there really is fire in hell , from the “ words Christ spoke to the wicked Depart from

Me , ye cursed , into everlasting fire , which was pre ” pared for the devil and his angels (Matt . xxv . T his shows that there is real fire in hell , and that in it the damned must burn eternally . What the intensity of that pai n Wi ll be it is beyond the power of man to depict . For of all the varied kinds of physical suffering to which man can be sub ected a on iz j , there is none so great , so cruel , so g ing , as that which is caused by fire . The rack, the ’ wheel , amputation of a man s limbs , are all terrible

1 1 8 On li e/l. he ll- fire should so far exceed earthly fire in the in . its tensity of heat, there are several reasons which account for this fact . the In first place , every one knows that the larger

. The the fire , the greater the heat it throws out

flame of a wax taper is not very hot, but if the whole taper is burning at once , the flame arising from it is much hotter. When a house is on fire , the heat in he e t immediat neighborhood is very great , but if a

confla ra whole village is in flames , the heat of the g tion becomes unbearable even at a distance . If e such be the effect produced by the fire of arth , which is comparatively but small in its extent , what

the the immeas will action be of fire of hell , that is u rably greater than any con flagration seen upon earth !

Secondly, a fire that is enclosed in a furnace burns far more fiercely than if it were in the Open air, because the heat being shut in cannot escape ff and di use itself, or be tempered by the surround

u ing air. If that is so , with what f ry the flames of

u the huge furnace of hell will rage , with what l ten siry they will glow Suppose such a misfortun e as

an - a m being thrown into a lime kiln , or a furnace heated to white heat— how terrible would be his suf ferin gs ! The next reason why the fire of hell surpasses in intensity of heat all other fire is that it is kindled

: by the breath of G od . For the prophet Isaias says n lze F ir f l r O t e of B e l. r9

L Behold , the wrath of the ord burneth and is heavy

is to bear, His lips are filled with indignation , and H tongue as a devouring fire . His breath as a torrent overflowing even to the midst of the neck, to destroy the nations unto nothing . And again

Topheth (hell) is prepared from yesterday , deep and wide . The nourishment thereof is fire and much wood ; the breath of the Lord as a torrent of ” 2 brimstone kindling it (Is . xxx . 7 , What a frightful description is here given of hell

Do and its torturing fire . not say that in these and other familiar passages of Holy Scripture the expres

ro h sions employed are mere figures , whereby the p p ets foretold the divine judgments about to fall on sinful nations , and not to be taken in a literal sense , as referring to hell and its punishments . L et . e e us not deceive ourselves Thes imag s are ,

i i it is true , in the r pr mary signification to be under m stood as indicating the doo of sinful nations , but ,

the in in a wider and a higher sense , according to terp retation given of them by the exponents Of

Scripture , they are predictions of the judicial chas tisem en t e which , after the final judgm nt , will be the portion of reprobate sinners . “ : St . Bridget justly says in her revelations The ‘ heat of hell - fire is so great that if the whole world e in the con fla ra were wrapp d flames , the heat of g ” tion would be as nothing in comparison with it . Hence we learn that that earthly fire bears n o n 1 2 o O H ell. more resemblance to the fire of hell than the feeble flame of a wax taper to the white heat Of a glowing

. R 0 e furnace emember this , sinn r, and lay it well to heart . St . Augustine tells us that the most fearful fire on earth is , in comparison with the fire e of hell, lik a painting of fire compared to a real

fire .

When thou seest a fire , call to mind the fire of hell . And since thou couldst not endu re to put thy hand for a single instant into that fire , think what

- fire the heat of hell must be , surpassing as it does so infinitely the small fire thou seest before thee . e If thou canst not b ar this , how canst thou endure the other ? It has n ow been made clear that the damned will one day be cast, body and soul , into the huge n and awful fur ace of hell , into the immense lake of

fl . fire , where they will be surrounded by ames There will be fire below them , fire above them , fire all round about them . Every breath will be the scorching breath of a furnace . These infernal e flames will penetrate very portion of the body, so m that there will be no part or ember, within or without , that is not steeped in fire .

How despairing the cries , how agonizing the shrieks that will ascend from this bed of torture ! “ Woe to us miserable creatures ! Woe to us a thousand times ! We are tortured in this flame ! The excruciating pain pervades every member of r 2 2 On H ell. consummate folly ! God grant that these blind t sinners may be enlightened , in order that hey may become aware of the unwisdom of their conduct, and may apply themselves in time to the things which concern their salvation . O God of j ustice ! how great is Thy wrath and how all- powerful is Thy hatred of sin and of the sin ner ! Woe betide me and all who have the terrible me misfortune to commit mortal sin . May God keep from such sin as would be the means of casting f me into eternal perdition . I will gladly su fer all e the things , the greatest temporal troubl s , acutest

e: pains , even the cruellest death , in order to escap

! everlasting torment in hell . This is my firm pur po se ; wherefore grant me Thy grace and strengthen me in my good resolution . CH AP TER I I .

I S S E ON TH E HUNGER AN D THIR T UFFER D IN HELL .

JUST as the crimes whereby the sinner in this life provokes the anger of God are of various kinds , so the pains of hell whereby those crimes will be pun ished also vary in their nature . We know that men often sin through intemperance , greedily indulging themselves in food and drink . Consequently God has appointed a severe penalty for this sin inthe

. e the next world Christ foretells it , ind ed , in words e a e Woe to you that are fill d , for you sh ll hung r

i 2 (Luke v . “ ” O u r L When ord utters the word Woe , He always intends to threaten or predict some great L et calamity . us consider for a moment what it really is in this case . It is impossible for us to form

Of a true idea the pangs of hunger, because we have never felt them . If for a whole day one has nothing

m r to eat , the ti e seems ve y long, and one wants e some food very much . And if one w re deprived ee of any nourishment for two or thr days , what misery it would be ! But if a man had nothing what e ever to eat for a whole week , and were left a pr y n e e e to hu g r, what would b com of him 1 2 3 1 2 4 On H ell.

In times of dearth and famine one is horrified to the ff see what are e ects produced by hunger , and what a terrible visitation the scarcity of food is . For to still the intolerable pangs Of hunger people will devour whatever they can lay their hands on grass , leaves , unclean and disgusting animals , nay , men have even been driven to feed on the flesh of

- their fellow men , mothers to sacrificing their children , and some have been known to gnaw their own flesh . And when the poor famished wretches have nothing e more , they wander about lik shadows of their a e . form r selves , p le and emaciated as death itself

They drag on a lingering existence , until all their strength is consumed ; finally, through the torture of starvation , they lose their senses they rave and cry and howl , and die the most miserable of deaths . f If such are the e fects of hunger upon earth , what will the hunger be which shall be expe rienced in hell If want of food for a few days only causes such

e - tortur , what will a continual , never ending hunger be ? Who can think without horror of the hunger suffered in hell ! Woe betide those who have to endure it . The prophet Isaias testifies to the ex isten ce u of real , actual h nger in hell , in this passage of H oly Scripture God thus speaks by the mouth “ of the prophet : Because I called and you did not e answer, I spok and you did not hear ; behold , My servants shall eat and you shall be hungry ; behold,

1 2 6 On H ell.

n and does not heartily repent of it, can ot hope for eternal felicity. What could be more rash and foolish than for so despicable a satisfaction to expose one ’ s self to the danger of eternal perdition ! O ! , hardened sinner, whither art thou going Think of the unending hunger to b e endured in ! hell , and have pity on thine own soul Besides hunger the damned s uffer the most burn ing thirst , which it is beyond the power of words to describe . Every one knows how terrible are the suf ferin s g caused by thirst they are simply unbearable . Those who are plagued by thirst will drink from the most impure sources , and if nothing at all can be a obt ined to quench their thirst , a lingering and painful death is the result . The thirst s u ffered by

u lost so ls is infinitely greater , more intense , more

u n painf l tha any thirst experienced on earth , how ever great that may be . If a mortal man could feel e e he it even for a bri f p riod , would faint away and die immediately. There is never any rest or respite for the damned they are driven from on e torment to another u m c easin gly . This occasions thirst . But the heat of

- fire an d hell , wherein they burn day night , forever and ever, is the principal cause of the intolerable thirst that consumes them . They are immersed in

flames , and never do they obtain the refreshment of a draught of water . My God , how great their ! et thirst must be It is unbearable , and y they must m If unger a nd 7 7zirst of H ell. 1 2 7

L n eeds endure it . isten to the piteous appeal of a lost soul earnestly imploring the boon of a single drop of

: water Father Abraham , have mercy on me , and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue ; for I am tormented in

t L . 2 his flame ( uke xvi 4 ) Most merciful God , I ask on ly for water ; I crave only one drop of water to give momentary relief to my burning re tongue . Thou wilt not refuse so moderate a e e qu st , Thou who art praised by all Thy creatur s as goodness itself But this supplication is in t vain . God turns a deaf ear to the voice of heir entreaty . Not a single drop of water is given to mitigate their sufferings . o 0 Is it p ssible , my God , that Thou canst be so ? e stern Fath r of compassion , why wilt Thou not hear their prayer ? Thy justice and Thy hatred of sin will not allow Thee to yield ; they oblige Thee to punish sin eternally and in the most terrible manner. But we are told that not only are the damned tormented with excessive hunger and thirst , they are also fed with flames and given to drink of the Of chalice divine wrath . If any man shall adore

he Of the beast , shall also drink the wine of the wrath of God , which is mingled with pure wine in t the cup of His wrath , and shall be tormented wi h fire and brimstone: And the smoke of their to r m o ents shall ascend up f rever and ever (Apoc . 1 2 8 On .Hell.

xiv. In the book of Moses we also read

Their wine is the gall of dragons , and the venom ”

D . of asps , which is incurable ( eut . xxxii R O eflect , sinner , upon this indescribable agony .

Fire and brimstone will be the food of the damned , ’ their drink the wine of God s anger . What can ? exceed such torture My God , how rigorous Thou art ! How severe are Thy chastisements

Think , you sinners , who now drink to excess , think what is the wine prepared for you hereafter , think of the fearful thirst that will consume you to

n all eter ity . If you cannot bear to be thirsty for one day, how will you bear the burning thirst from which you shall never obtain relief ? R eflect upon this in your heart , and indulge no longer in your

infalli intemperance . Give up this vice , which will bly drag you down to perdition .

St. Paul expressly closes the door of heaven D against you , when he says runkards shall not

. t . possess the kingdom of God ( 1 Cor vi . o)

There you have your sentence , pronounced upon you beforehand . If you continue to pursue your i n e ev l way, you cannot plead ignora ce as to wh re it will fin ally condemn you.

1 3 0 On H ell.

burning brimstone and pitch , and every one knows

ff i the t how o ens ve are fumes heygive out .

The unbelieving, and the abominable , and mur derers an , and whoremongers , and sorcerers , d idol aters v , and all liars shall ha e their portion in the t pool burning with fire and brimstone , which is he ” second death (Apoc . xxi . The prophet of the New Dispensation here speaks i of a pool , full of stagnant , foul , st nking water, for which there is n o outlet . He adds that this pool is filled with burning brimstone from which a dense “ smoke ascends , as he says elsewhere The smoke of their torments shall ascend up forever and ” ever. The very bodies of the reprobate are so foul and f d disgusting that they emit a most o fensive o or , worse than any stench in this world . According to

of St . Bonaventure , the body a single reprobate would so taint the air on earth as to cause the death of all living beings coming near it .

If one single body emits so horrible a stench , what can the exhalation be that rises from many millions Of these wretched beings ? It is related of the tyrant Max en tiu s that he was

to wont , as a punishment , to cause a living man be bound to a corpse , face to face and limb to limb , until the unhappy victim fainted , or even died through contact with the dead and decomposing ne an body . That is indeed a torture of which no o c 1 On Me Vile Odors of H ell. 3

think without shuddering. How much worse will it

e an be in hell , wh re the bodies will lie close to one

of . other, without any hope being separated

Bad as this stench is , it is greatly increased by the presence of the devils , who naturally are far more offensive to the nostrils than the bodies of the lost .

We read in the life of St . Martin that the evil one

appeared to him upon one occasion , and the stench that filled the room was so overwhelming that the “ saint said to himself : If one single devil has so

disgusting an odor, what can the stench be in hell , where there are thousands of devils all together ?” How much suffering this abominable stench must cause to the damned ! how it must aggravate their distress and pain ! For it must be pestilential b e

yond description , arising as it does from so many ff — di erent sources hell itself , the bodies of the

the damned , the devils , the worms and reptiles , fire

of pitch and brimstone , each and all of which stink

in the nostrils of the lost . Judge by what has been said how insupportable the combined Odors of all

these things must be . Alas for the unfortunate beings who are con dem n ed to breathe such an atmosphere ! Alas for the poor sinners who have to dwell in it for endless ! T e ages hey must sink under it , th y must constantly

. 0 be on the verge of death my God , I beseech e me Thee by Thy infinite clem ncy , spare from so

terrible a fate . IV CHAPTER .

S S o r OME OTHER TORMENT HELL.

IT is the Opinion of many that some of the repro bates will be doomed among many other intolerable pains, to endure a most fearfully intense cold . The venerable Bede relates the following a n ec

T rithelm dote of a man whose name was u s. This man was dangerously sick , and one night he was

recov thought to be dead . The next morning he e er d consciousness , to the astonishment of all who s were with him , and ro e from his sick bed , saying

n that God had granted him a prolo gation of days , in order that he might lead a different life to that which he had hitherto led . Af t ter dividing his proper y amongst his children , and giving a portion of it to the poor , he entered ff upon an excessively di erent mode of life . Shutting himself up in a small tent beside a river , he spent

i his days and nights in weeping. In W nter time he plunged up to the throat into the icy waters of the river, and then , shivering and benumbed by the cold , he immersed himself in hot water , a proceed ing which caused him such agony that he could not restrain his cries .

1 n ff el 3 4 O l.

m slowly to them , and their pain see s doubly weari T some . hey count the hours , and each one appears as long as the night . What will it be for the deni t zens of hell , where hick darkness holds sway , and night never gives place to daylight ? In this horrible darkness the damned lie help e l ss as blind men , or as those who have had their eyes

u t ou t. cruelly p They see nothing, for the acrid smoke stings their eyes , and the poisonous fumes of sulphur destroy their sight . We know how dense this smoke is from the accou nt given by St . John To him (Satan) was given the key of the bottom less pit (hell) . And he Opened the bottomless pit ; and the smoke of the pit arose as the smoke of a great furnace ; and the sun and the air were dark ened with the smoke of the pit (Apo c . ix . And again They shall be tormented with fire and m brimstone , and the smoke of their tor ents shall

' ascend up forever and ever ; neither have they rest

1 day or night (Apoc . xiv .

ro h These are indeed terrible threats , and this p p cey foretells in the plainest terms what will be the fate of those who are servants of sin and of the devil . They shall be tormented with fire and brim stone to such a degree that the smoke of their tor ment shall ascend forever and ever. 0 fearful words ! 0 torture inexpressible O Consider , misguided sinner, what thy feelings would be if thou wert confined for one single day her r n ts o l 1 Some Ot To me f H e l. 3 5

in this dark and noisome dungeon . Thou knowest how disagreeable pungent smoke is to the eye s and

t a nos rils ; in fact , no one can remain in it for a qu r ter of an hour without being asphyx iated and half blinded . If this is so on earth , what will it be in hell ? The existence of the damned is more like death

u n than life ; it is a living death , an everlasting, limited torture and misery . And since we are told v that the smoke of their torment goes up fore er , it follows of necessity that complete darkness must prevail in hell . In connection with this subject , venerable Bede relates the experiences of the man T rithelm u s (of whom mention has already been

and made) whilst he lay in a trance , was supposed

. O n u s to be dead recovering conscio sne s , amongst other things he narrated the fo llowing I was con ducted by a being clothed in shining garments t through a country quite unknown to me , un il we h came to a region enveloped in t ick darkness , that

made me shudder with fear and horror. I could

distinguish nothing but the figure of my guide . As

e we penetrated de per and deeper into this obscurity, I perceived in the midst of the darkness an abyss

of immense extent filled with smoke and a lurid glare , the sight of which caused my hair to stand on end

with terror . From this abyss proceed ed piteous

wailing, which sounded as if a number of men and w n ome were being put to cruel torture and death. n l 1 3 6 O ff e l.

the But worst was that my guide vanished , leaving

a me alon e in this terrible spot . I c nnot describe the agoni z ed apprehension that took possession of me in vain I looked around in the hope of finding su ccor or solace . The terror I felt was so great t hat I thought I should have died . “ a When I looked down into the black byss , I was t it afraid les I should fall into , and be lost , body and soul . For with the lurid flames that rose not of the abyss there came burning sparks that fell back into it with a deafening noise , besides masses of sul phu rou s smoke - like clouds that seemed as if they might at any moment sweep me down with them into the depths of the fiery gulf . These were all lost sou ls which were driven upwards like sparks from burning logs by the force of the underground ff fire . God alone knows what I su ered ; a cold sweat broke out all over me . Whilst I stood there in this agony , not knowing which way to turn , there sounded from far above my head peals of laughter , and mingled with the laughter bitter weeping and howling . As this noise came nearer, I saw a number of devils who had with them five helpless souls whom they were persecuting and tormenting. The devils were in exultation , mocking and laughing ; the souls were in despair, uttering lamentations and cries of poignant anguish . Imagine what my feelings were t the when I heard their cries , and observed hat accursed devils were coming nearer an d nearer.

n H l 1 38 O e l.

In additio n to the sinister obscurity that prevails in hell , caused by the stifling smoke that rises in d ense clouds from the lake of brimstone , there is the presence of frightful demons who increase the pain and torment of the damned .

We read in the legend of St . Anthony the Her mit , that the demons frequently appeared to him h n under various forms , plaguing and frig teni g him th in indescribable ways . Sometimes they took e shape of wild beasts , lions , bears , dragons or savage dogs at other times they appeared in human form ,

fierce- k n that of loo ing men , beautiful wome , or mon sters of hideous aspect. Sometimes they beat and maltreated him so barbarously that they left him half dead ; sometimes they caused him such terror

not by their strange spectral apparitions , that had

God and his angel guardian come to his aid , he would have incontinently expired .

Now if they did all this to a man of saintly life , over whom they had no rightful power, what will they not do in hell to the ungodly sinn ers who are completely at their mercy ? D e as the oubtless these diabolical spectr s , suming shape of wild animals , will fall upon the wretched sinners and mishandle them shamefully. This will N be a fresh misery for them . o one can imagine what new terrors and torments the ingenuity of these Spirits of hell will devise to harass the damned an d pour out on them their devilish malice. tlzer Tor men ts Some O of H ell. 1 3 9

If thou dost fear this darkness , and all the horrors t attending it , see tha thou fear the works of dark “ : t ness , whereof Christ says Every one that doe h t evil hateth the light , and cometh not to the ligh , that his works may not be reproved (John iii .

But if thou lovest darkness , and seekest the dark ness that thou mayst sin with greater impunity , it will be no act of injustice on God ’ s part to cast thee into everlasting darkness , and at thy death to say to the devils Because throughout his life he has Of loved darkness and the works darkness , bind his hands and his feet and cast him into the exterior darkness , where shall be weeping and gnashing of ” teeth .

Would that all obdurate sinners could see this , and consider the frightful torments which await the f careless and indi ferent . For in that wherein we

have sinned we shall also be punished . And as in our own day there are so many tepid and negligent Christians who have not the slightest zeal for relig

or ion religious exercises , we bid them beware lest

they be one day cast into hell- fire at the command

of Him who calls Himself a jealous God , and who is alone to be feared b e cause He can destroy both ” body and soul into hell .

O ' Wherefore consider, cold and careless Chris w t tians , ha a fate is before you . Truly , were you to

at reflect upon these frightful torments , you would t once enter upon a new life . Instead of being epid , On H ell 1 40 .

be sluggish , lax , cold Christians , you would quickly

z u t come ealo s, ac ive , scrupulous , fervent servants of

God . t t ff Away , then , wi h all epidity , all indi erence in the great business of our salvation Whosoever t a rt t to t hou who reades this, resolve fulfil thy du ies h as a Christian with all earnestness . Approach t e sacraments more frequently than thou hast done t t hi herto ; hear Mass more frequently than hither o ,

t n t be more instant and ferven l prayer than hither o . h t Think more Often of God and of t e last hings .

t the ff Thus hou wilt surmount indi erence , the cold t t t t t t ness ha has crep over hee , hou wil make God th the t y friend , hope of e ernal felicity will rise up i t t w thin hee and become a blessed certain y . God grant that by His grace it may be so with thee and with me !

1 4 2 On H ell. who hates us with so int en se a hatred that he longs eve ry momen t to hu rl us down into the abyss of perdition . And when at length he has got some

Wi one into his power , he deals th him more barbar ou sly than savage despot ever dealt with his dead liest foe . All the envy and hatred which at the time of his fall he conceived against God , and which he cannot he vent upon Him , vents upon the damned , torment ing them with plagues the very thought of which ’ makes a man s blood run cold . Even if he were a not to do any harm to the damned , the mere f ct of his dwelling with them for all eternity would be such terrible misery for the unhappy sinners , that the horror of their position would be like a contin u al death to them .

Of S e all the fallen pirits , not one is so abominabl L as the chief of all , the haughty ucifer, whose t cruelty , malice and spi e render him an Object of

the dread not merely to damned , but also to the

s L devils subject to him . Thi ucifer is called by

o various names in H ly Scriptures , all indicating his

n malignity . O account of his repulsiveness he is called a dragon ; on account of his ferocity , a lion

Old on account of his malice , the serpent ; on account of his deceitfulness , the father of lies ; on account of his haughtiness , king over all the children of pride ; and on account of his great power and m ight , the prince of this world . n /z m n O t e Co p a y of H ell. 43

Listen to what the Fathers of the Church and some expositors of Holy Scriptures say of the dread ful appearance that Satan presents : they apply to him the description given of the leviathan in the “ book of Job : Who can discover the face of hi s garment , or who can go into the midst of his mouth Who can open the doors of his face ? his teeth are terrible round about . His body is like molten

S hields , shut up close with scales pressing one upon

. O n e another is joined to another, and not so e w much as any air can com bet een them . His

sneezing is like the shining of fire , and his eyes like

the eyelids of the morning. O ut of his mouth go

. ut forth lamps , like torches of lighted fire O of his

nostrils goeth smoke , like that of a pot heated and

boiling. His breath kindleth coals , and a flame

cometh forth out of his month. In his neck strength

shall dwell , and want goeth before his face . His S heart hall be as hard as a stone , and as firm as a ’ smith s anvil . When he shall raise him up , the

angels shall fear and , being affrighted , turn to God

for protection . He shall make the deep sea to boil as a pot ; there is no power upon earth that can be

compared with him who was made to fear no one . He beholdeth every high thing ; he is king over all the children of pride ( Job

. St. It is the opinion of St . Cyril , St Athanasius , Gregory and other learned expositors of both the L d Greek and atin Churches , that although this o 1 44 On H ell.

t the scription , taken li erally , is that of a monster of

a e se , yet it is int nded , in its mystic sense , to apply to Lucifer. And if one compares what is said of the leviathan with the attributes ascribed to the t prince of darkness , it is impossible to deny heir coincidence ; moreover, one knows as a general fact that evil things have their types and figures in the n atural world as well as good things , the one serving us for warning, the others for an example . Besides the prince of darkness there a re hundreds of thousands of inferior devils , which though less bad and abominable than himself , are yet so wicked an d horrible that one could hardly look upon them and live .

St . Antony relates that one of the Brothers of his Order uttered a piercing scream at the sight of a

- devil who appeared to him . His fellow monks , run m ning to him in alar , found him more dead than alive . After giving him something to revive and

t . s rengthen him , they asked him what was the matter Then he told them tha t the devil had appeared to him , and terrified him so that all the life had gone out of him . And on their inquiring what the devil

: looked like , he answered That I really cannot say ; I can only say that if the choice were given me

t - I would rather be put in o a red hot furnace , than ” look again at the countenance of the demon . m We read much the sa e thing in the life of St .

ha Catharine of Si enn a . She too declared that she d

1 n 46 O H ell. themselves with the thought : at any rate we shall

- have our fellow men with us in hell , and no lack of them either . Beware how you delude yourselves m with this false co fort . Every lost soul would far rather be alone in hell , were the option given him .

For as in hell there is no divine charity , so there ’ is no love of one s neighbor ; on the contrary , all the d e on e amned are so mbittered against the other, t hat they only wish evil to one another, and mutually mock at and curse one another in the most unkind manner. And since on earth it is very grievous to be forced to live with an enemy who does one all manner of ffl harm , so it is no small a iction to be continually with thousands of people , all of whom they hate and detest from the bottom of their heart . What thinkest thou would be thy feelings if thou wast sorely tormented and maltreated and persecuted

i by devils , so that thou couldst not refra n from utter ing loud cries of pain and vexation , and yet among all the thousan ds who bore thee company thou couldst not find one to show thee the slightest sym t pa hy , but thou wert laughed at and cursed by all , for every one would rejoice in thy misery . Even i thy father and mother, thy w fe and children , thy brothers and sisters , thy friends and relatives would then be thy declared enemies , and instead of show ing thee any gratitude would only seek to injure thee . n o H ell. 1 On t/ze Comp a y f . 47

But amongst all thy en emies the most inveterate will be those to whom thou hast given scandal by thy bad example , whom thou hast led into sin by counsel

n T or example , who owe to thee their perditio . hey will hate and execrate thee so bitterly , and torment thee with such animosity that they will appear less like men than fiends incarnate . re In connection with this subject St . Bernardin “ lates the following instance : A wealthy usurer had

on e e e O two sons , of whom enter d a r ligious rder , whilst the other remained in the world with his father. Not long after the father died , and in a short space of time he was followed to the grave by his son , to whom he had bequeathed all his property .

The other son , who had become a monk, was much concerned about the fate of his relatives , and ear n estly implored almighty God to reveal to him their lot in another world . His entreaties at length prevailed ; he was one day transported in

S t t pirit in o hell , but al hough he looked everywhere t around him , he could not descry his fa her and P t his brother . resen ly he noticed a fiery abyss , the

flames of which rose up to a great height . In this it p of fire he saw those of whom he was in search , rivetted together with iron chains , raving and rag ing at one another . The father cursed his son , laying all the blame of his damnation upon him , : O t saying A curse upon thee , wicked son , hou art the t alone cause of my perdi ion . For thy sake , to 1 48 On H ell.

e man e make the a rich , I practis d usury ; had it not ’ been for thee , I should not now be in this misery .

: Then the son retorted upon his father, saying A o O curse up n thee , ungodly father, for thou art alone the cause of my perdition . Hadst thou not taken usury and bequeathed to me thy unjust gains ,

I should not have been the possessor of ill- gotten ’ riches , and should not have come to this misery .

re Thus will it be with thee , if thou art in any way sponsible for the loss of a soul . Thy wife and children will anathematize thee , and reproach thee with the occasions of sin thou didst put in their way . Dives felt this so keenly that he earnestly besought ’ Father Abraham to send Laz arus to his father s f house , to testify to his brethren of the su ferings he endured , lest they should also come to that place of n ot torments . This he did do out of love for his brothers , as St . Antony says , but because he was well aware that if they joined him in hell , it would greatly aggravate his torment . But supposing that natural affection still existed in hell , especially between those who had sincerely loved one another on earth , and who had not been ’ t the cause of one another s damnation , the socie y of one who was dear to thee would augment rather than diminish thy pain , and this in proportion to the love thou hadst for him . For what anguish it would be to thee to see thy dearest friend tortured and tormented in every possible manner. It would

n l 1 5 0 O H e l.

a m Fin lly , the torment of hell is greatly aug ented ' t by the e ernal shame which will be its portion .

St . Thomas Aquinas tells us that the sins of each one will be as fully known to the others as if l t they cou d behold them wi h their bodily eyes .

Every one can imagine what anguish this must be . For what is so painful on earth as to be p u t to open shame To a man who has lost his good name life is not i worth living ; t is only a burden to him . In form er times , in some countries , it was customary to brand

- m evil doers , robbers , for instance , with a ark on the forehead or the shoulder . What ignominy for any one who had a spark of self- respect ! Whenever e anybody looked at him , he must have blush d crimson . The devil will brand all the reprobate with the s mark of hame on their foreheads , or on that part the of body wherewith they sinned , in order that all the shameful deeds they perpetrated in their life time may be made known . It is this everlasting disgrace which God foretells to the Sinner by the “ mouth of His prophet : I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you , and a perpetual shame which ” t . L et shall never be forgot en ( Jer xxiii . the ff damned do what they will , no e ort on their part f will ever avail to e face this mark , or to conceal it

- f . T . from their fellow su ferers hus , as St Ephrem

S in su says , this hame and infamy will be more p 1 1 On Me Compa ny of H ell. 5

- fire t portable than hell i self, because it will keep constantly before their remembrance the sins where by they defiled themselves on earth . S e Dionysius , the Carthusian , p aks of one of his religio us brethren in England , who , after a trance that lasted three days , g ave the following account , at the earnest request of the monks , of what he had “ seen : I was conducted by my guide a long way u ntil we came to a region of gloom and horror, where were a countless multitude of men and

f . women , all su fering terrible torments These were the persons who had sinned with their bodies ; they b were plagued y huge fiery monsters , who sprang

upon them , and , despite their resistance , clasped them and hugged them with their paws till they

shrieked with pain . Amongst those who were tor m en ted in this manner I saw a man whom I knew e very well , and who had been much esteem d and

respected in the world . Seeing me , he cried aloud : ‘ ! t in piteous tones Alas , alas woe is me tha I

sinned as I did in my lifetime , for now the pain I

endure grows greater day by day. But the worst

of all , what I feel most acutely , is the shame and

disgrace to which my sins expose me , for all know

them , and all despise me and mock at me on ’ account of them .

it e m Hence will be se n that, im easurable as are

the torments of hell , what the damned dread yet more than physical torm ents is to be an object of 1 2 n H e 5 O ll. scorn and derision to their fellows on account of their sins . And thus their misery , far from being

s ‘ le sened by the company of others , is vastly in creased by it. Wherefore think not to console thy self with the thought of the compan i ons thov

i wilt find in hell , for their soc ety is only to be dread bl ed . And in order that thou mayst never brought into such company , beware of associating in this world with any who may lead thee into sin and perhaps bring thee to perdition .

1 n H el 5 4 O l. to the lowest hell ; and shall devour the earth with l her increase , and sha l burn the foundations of the mountains . I will heap evils upon the tran sgres s sors of My law , and will pend My arrows among

. them They shall be consumed with famine , and birds shall devour them with a most bitter bite ; I will

m r send the teeth of beasts upon the , with the fu y of

. S serpents Without the sword hall lay them waste ,

man and terror within , both the young and the vir

man gin , the sucking child with the in years

D 2 2 —2 ( eut . xxxii . Holy Scripture contains many similar and equally appalling menaces . There is no doubt that in the e next world , where justice , not m rcy , will rule , God will chastise the insolent violators of His holy com m an dments with an unsparing hand . The punish ments of eternity will be without number and with out limit . The damned will be encompassed with

in trouble and sorrow , with agony and torments the numerable . St . Bernard says the pains of e en u damned are countless , no mortal tongu can merate them . the e n Yet of all these pains , that which gives k e est anguish is being deprived of the vision of God . It will never be gi ven to the damned to behold the divine countenance . This pain will far outweigh all the other torments of which we have spoken . It is impossible for mortal man to understand how this can be so great an affliction for the damned . /z s il Visi n T e L o s of t e B ea tifie o . 1 5 5

Yet such is the teaching of the Fathers ; they all maintain that there is nothing which the lost bewail so bitterly as being shut out forever from the vision

b u t of God . Whilst we live in this world , we think little of the vision of God , and what it would be to us to be deprived of it eternally . This arises from the bluntness of our perception , which prevents us from comprehending the infinite beauty and goodness of b e God , and the delight experienced by those who

. e we hold Him face to face But after death , wh n are freed from the trammels of the body , our eyes will be opened , and we shall at least to some extent perceive that God is the supreme and infinite Good , and the enjoyment of Him our highest felicity . And then such an eager desire will take possession of our soul to gaz e upon and enjoy this supreme

Good , that she will be irresistibly drawn to God , and will long with all her powers to contemplate His if ineff able beauty . And on account of her sins

b eatific she is deprived of this vision , it will cause N her the most intense anguish . o grief , no torture known in this world can be in any wise likened to it .

St . Bonaventure bears witness to this, when he “ says : The most terrible penalty of the damned is being shut ou t forever from the blissful and joyous h ” t e . contemplation of Blessed Trinity Again , St . John Chrysostom says I know many persons only fear hell because of its pains , but I assert that the 1 6 n l 5 O H e l. loss of the celestial glory is a source of more bitter ” all n pain than the torme ts of hell . The evil one himself was made to acknowledge this , as we read in the legends of Blessed Jordan , D O at one time General of the ominican rder . For when Jordan asked Satan , in the person of one who was possessed , what was the principal tor d : ment of hell , he answere Being excluded from ” the presence of God . I s God then so beautiful to ” look upon ? Jordan inquired . And on the devil H e m replying that was indeed ost beautiful , he ” asked further : H ow great is His beauty ? ” “ re omder Fool that thou art , was the j , to put such a question to me Dost thou not know that His beauty is beyond compare ? ” Canst thou not ” u S s ggest any imilitude , Jordan continued , “ which may give me to some extent at least an idea of the divine beauty ? Then Satan said : Im ag ine a crystal sphere a thousand times more brilliant than the sun , in which the loveliness of all the col ors of the rainbow, the fragrance of every flower, c ostli the sweetness of every delicious flavor , the men ness of every precious stone , the kindliness of and the attractiveness of all the angels combined ; h fair and precious as t is crystal would be , in com

u n parison with the divine beauty , it would be ” sightly and impure . And pray , the good monk “ inquired , what wouldst thou give to be admitted ” to the vision of God ? And the devil replied : “ If there were a pillar reaching from earth to

1 n 5 8 O H ell. attractions of earth cannot compare with it in the

. remotest degree In fact , all celestial happiness , how l great soever it might be , wou d be turned to bitterness if the vision of God was wanting ; and the redeemed would choose rather to be in hell, if

b eatific they could there enjoy that vision , than be . in heaven without it . Just as the privilege of b e holding the divine countenance constitutes the chief felicity of the blessed , the one without which all a others would be no h ppiness at all , so it is the chief misery of hell , that the lost souls should for

n ever be excluded from it . O this subject St . John Chrysostom says “ The torments of a thousand hells are nothing in comparison to the anguish of being banished from everlasting bliss and the vision ” of God .

z To reali e , in some measure , how great this pain of loss is , we should bear in mind that we have been created by God to be forever happy . This love of happiness , this yearning for it , which every one of us feels in his heart , will never be destroyed , not D even in hell . uring this life men , impelled by t his desire and blinded by passion , seek happiness in riches , in honors , in sensual gratification . These vain images of happiness deceive us so long as our soul is united with our body. But after the soul ha s severed her connection with the body , all these e She false , fl eting pleasures disappear , and becomes aware that God alone is the source of all happiness , ' li e ss o til e ea ic Visi n 1 T Lo f B tif o . 59 and that she can find happiness solely in the pos

a session of Him . No longer deceived by false p

earan ces p , no longer blinded by passion , she per c ei es t v clearly the ineffable , ravishing beau y of God and His infin ite perfections ; she sees His infinite power in creating the world , His infinite wisdom

b e in governing it, His excessive love for her in coming man , in dying for her, in giving Himself to

u her as the food of her so l in the Blessed Sacrament, in destining her to share His own happiness forever in heaven . This knowledge of the grandeur, of the goodness and loveliness of God will remain deeply impressed on her for all eternity . She will also see the justice of the punishments which God inflicts forever in hell upon all those who do not keep His commandments .

Then the reprobate soul , yearning after happiness , and feeling irresistibly drawn to God , who alone can make her happy , endeavors to rush to God with all t the impetuosi y of her nature , in order to behold She Him , to enjoy Him , to be united to Him ; but

finds herself repelled with infinite force from God , and hated by Him on account of her sins . Were the all the riches , honors and pleasures of world f now o fered to that soul , she would turn away from them , and would even curse them all , for she yearns for God alone , and can be happy only in God .

T he t reprobate soul in hell , spurred on by frigh ful pains , looks about her for some alleviation , for 1 60 On H ell. some word of comfort ; b u t not even a sympathizing r look greets her, for she is su rounded by cruel devils and bitter enemies . Not meeting with any compas sion where she is , she raises her eyes to heaven , and beholds it so beautiful , so enchanting, so delightful , so full of true happiness . She remembers that she was created and destined to enjoy its bliss , and

in now, the midst of her most excruciating pains , she longs for its pleasures with a still more in describ f able yearning, and makes extraordinary e forts to go there , but she cannot leave her abode of torment .

No one in heaven seems to take any notice of her .

She sees the throne that God , in His goodness ,

n o w had prepared for her , occupied by some one else ! There is no longer any room for her in heaven . She beholds there some of her relatives , of her companions and acquaintances but they do not heed her. She beholds all the elect in heaven full of joy and gladness . They do not even sym “ athiz e p with her , but as the Psalmist sings , the just will rejoice when he shall see the revenge ”

P S . ( lvii .

In vain the reprobate soul calls on the saints , on the Blessed V irgin and on our divine Saviour Him im self . She feels drawn to God by an irresistible

u p lse , and understands that God alone can quench her thirst for enjoyment and make her happy . She longs to see and possess H im ; she repeatedly en deav ors to spring towards Him , but she feels her

CHAPTER V II .

TH E WORM THAT DIETH N OT.

“ O U R divine Saviour says : If thy hand scandal

off [ i ize thee , cut it it is better for thee to enter nto life , maimed , than , having two hands , to go into e hell , into the fire that cannot be quench d , where

ex tin their worm dieth not , and the fire is not

u ished . Off g And if thy foot scandalize thee , cut it ; it is better for thee to enter lame into life , than ,

two n u n having feet , to be cast i to the hell of quenchable fire , where their worm dieth not , and the fire is not extinguished . And if thy eye scan dalize thee , pluck it out ; it is better for thee with one eye to enter the kingdom of God , than , having b e two eyes , to cast into the hell of fire , where their ” worm dieth not , and the fire is not extinguished

2 (Mark ix . 4 By these words our blessed R edeemer wished to impress on our minds the necessity of avoiding the occasions of Sin and of making even the most pain ful sacrifices to avoid sin and thus escape the end

eu less pains of hell . He , moreover, wished to grave deeply i n our minds the fact that two of the 1 62 t/z t 1 I 7ze Worm tlza t D ie lVo . 63 most fe arful torments of hell are its unquenchable — e see a fire and its n ever dying worm . We hav n in foregoing chapter in what consists the terrible fire

n ow m in of hell . It re ains to us to examine what ” consists the worm that dieth not . All the senses of the reprobate have each their

u e t peculiar p nishm n ; their reason , or intellect , is

a we punished by the p in of loss , as have seen in the ce t e n pre ding chap er , a punishm nt far surpassi g that

Th tors of the Sen ses . e memory of the reprobate is ” mented by the worm that dieth not , that is by a most keen and constant remorse of conscience w i which ill g ve them no rest . The lost sinner will remember how many graces and means of salvation he had during life to save his Soul ; how God sent him so many holy inspira

in stru ctidn s tions , how he received so many good , how he had the grace of prayer within his power to the t t enable him to practise vir ues of his s ate , to e t m overcom temp ation , to keep the co mandments of God and of His Church ; how his pious friends ex horted him to lead a good life both by their ex r e ho tations , but esp cially by their good example ; how he had so many opportunities of instructing himself in his obligations by the hearing of the

G 06! the n o word of and readi g of good b oks , and of strengthening him self in the discharge of his duties by the reception of the sacraments and by the prae tice of devotion to the Blessed Virgin ! n 1 64 O H ell.

s nn e m m The lost i r will , in a word , re e ber with how little trouble he might have saved his soul and avoided hell . He will say to himself : So little effort was required for my salvation ; even after my numerous sins a good confession would have suf

ficed . But through shame , through human respect,

I did not make it . How foolish I was ! How often did my conscience , my family , my friends urge me to go to confession But it was all in vain . Others

t b e commit ed greater sins than I did , , but they wailed them , went to confession and changed their life , and now they are enjoying unspeakable happi ness in heaven And as for me , I am lost forever, and that through my own fault , for I had at my dis posal a superabundance of means of salvation . ! But now repentance is unavailing , it is too late But let us consider the expressions of regret of the various lost sinners . Their sorrow is vain , for, like that of Judas , it is the sorrow of despair . “ D uring life , these lost sinners will say to them selves , I loved ease and comfort and luxury , fine garments , costly jewelry and princely mansions . To gain these I did not scruple to defraud my neighbor in every available way . I stole from my employers , I t took false oa hs , I joined secret societies , I even ! sold my virtue I stayed away from Mass , I ate meat on forbidden days , I neglected the sacraments , t I went so far as to deny my faith . I contrac ed

t he marriage before a civil magistra e , or before a

1 66 On H ell.

de e n s murderers , of the most degra d b i g that have ! ever lived I have no longer a loving parent , a

e . N loving child , a sympathizing fri nd o ; all the e f e ties of friendship , all the ti s o natur , are forever

r broken , forever turned into devilish hate . Eve y e te evil spirit, very reproba insults me , curses me ,

o u e f . t rt r s me , seeks to make me su fer the more I e s must submit to all this , becaus during life I refu ed to submit to the holy will of God . I could so easily

e e am hav be n saved , and now I lost , lost forever, and that through my own fault Ne ver shall I see e t e ht e God , n ver shall I enjoy h delig s of h aven , never more shall I be released from these terrible ! torments . It is now too late All m co this , and much ore , will the worm of n s i cience say to the damned , sting ng him with reproaches so relentlessly that he will almost be

e . d driven crazy with d spair In fact , the amned a d e e s will rave n rage as if they w r posses ed , and

Wi ll invoke curses on themselves . But all in vain ; to e it is o lat for repentance . This terrible remorse w will do nothing to ards atoning for their sins , it will only add to their anguish . e sin o Consider this , obdurat sinner, who dost s o n h th h b ldly , and eve w en y conscience pricks t ee , s e turnest a deaf ear to its reproaches . Be a sur d that one day thy own consc ience will be thy tor e s mentor , and will plague the more pertinaciou ly a e th n the demons themselves . If thou dost desir to /z V t Wor m tha t D iet J o . 1 67

- th escape this never ending misery, listen to e voice of conscience now, follow its counsel when it bids e an d ee to do thee abstain from doing vil , urges th that which is right. H R V I I C APTE I .

Y ON ETERNIT .

IN the preceding pages some slight portrayal of the torments of hell has been placed before the reader ; now eternity is the subject that must occupy our attention , one on which it is not easy to write

S . or peak The torments of hell are all so horrible , so appalling, that they are enough to make the bravest man tremble . But the thought of eternity is so awful that the serious consideration of it is ’ almost enough to deprive one of one s senses . For f in this world , however a flicted a man may be , he e has one sure source of solace , the knowledg that, sooner or later , his misery will end . It appertains to human nature to get weary of everything after a time , even things that are agree t able to our nature and suited to our tas e . If a Sit man were forced to all day long at table , he would get a disgust of the viands before him . If one were made to Sleep day and night for a whole week in the softest and most comfortable bed , how long the time would seem to him . If the most ar dent lover Of the dance were compelled to continue this favorite amusement day and night without rest, 1 68

1 n el 70 O H l.

of deliverance . This is what rend ers the torment of the damned so immeasurable ; this is what drives them to fury and despair. What dost thou imagine

. a that eternity really is , or wh t its duration will be Eternity is something that has no b eginning and no d e end. It is time which is always present an nev r t e t e m passes away . Thus h torments of h da ned w r en v w . e nd ill neve . d, ne er pass a ay Wh n a thousa o e years hav e gone by, another th usand willcommenc , a d S0 on m . n e ne an n . th d . for ever ore No e of dam c i reckon how long .they have been n hell, because o there is no succession of day and night, n division m u t an e the of ti e , b continual d ternal night from first moment of their entrance into hell for ever more. And if thou wouldst conceive some faint t the e ide a of eterni y, suppose whole terrestrial glob a d e t to be composed of millet seeds , n suppos tha

an o e o every year a bird came , d picked out n f those n f m tiny seeds , what an infinite umber o years ust elapse before the whole earth was eaten up in this

a . N s w y ay , how many thousand years mu t pass e e was i i b fore one littl hillock consumed , It s m e possible to mak any estimate of the number. Tho u mayst perhaps think that it would take all t t e etern ity o destroy h earth by that slow process . B e d ut believ e m , it might be estroyed many times F h over before eternity could end . o r t e earth must

en c n at last come to an d, even if only once in a e e as ak m th w o tury on single grain w t en fro e h le , it 1 On E tern y . 7 1

c n e e n but eternity cannot end , for nothing a b tak from it . H ow terrible is this thought ! It is indeed ap palling when on e at tempts to realize it . m The da ned would be joyful , they would give G o f l d thanks , i they cou d hope , after millions and n t e a e millions of years of torme t, o b t last r leased from their misery . But there is no hope at all of their final release from the pains of hell . N 0 one who thinks seriously u a Of this can fail to be awestr ck nd horrified. O o o h God , h w terrible Thou art H w great is T y s t ! the f everi y How canst Thou , Father o mercies, see these u nhappy creatures condemned to such e how punishments forever and ev r, canst Thou hear unmoved their despairing cries All this teaches us how grievous every mortal sin m the - c f a ust be , since Thou , all mer i ul God, c nst sentence the Sinner to eternal damnation for one

si . O i he mortal n Christian , I beseech thee , n t name f ll do not in i o n o o a that is holy , s so l ghtly , d t think o o sin s e ow d t s little f mortal , e h readful is he chas i n t sement inflicted upon the unfortu ate sinners. It may perhaps appear scarcely credible to thee that a e in God , whose mercies r infinite , could possibly flict upon one of H is frail creatures a never- ending si punishment for one single mortal n . Yet so it is an d it is ev en true that a man who has led a pious u e t e life will , if before his death he sho ld hav h un 2 1 7 On H ell.

m speakable isfortune to commit a mortal sin , and die impenitent , be consigned to eternal perdition . The Psalmist could not help expressing his aston ishment at this in fact he appears to think it hardly L t possible. is en to his words I thought upon m the days of old , and I had in y mind the eternal the years. And I meditated in night with my own heart , and I was exercised and I swept my spirit . Will God then cast Off forever ? or will He never be more favo rable again ? or will He cut off His m e ? ercy forever , from gen ration to generation or will God forget to show mercy ? or will He in His

m P S . anger shut up His ercies ( lxxvi . 6 In “ another Psalm he answers these questions : Man

S hall not give to God his ransom , nor the price of the redemption of his soul ; he shall labor forever, ” and still live unto the end , that is to say he shall be

e P s. . torment d forever , and yet live on ( xlviii 9,

The reason wherefore the all- merciful God pun e m ishes mortal sin with an et rnal punish ent , and nevermore pardons it , is because the sinner, when he w is damned , will not awaken contrition and sorro within his heart , or ask forgiveness of God . For if any one dies in mortal sin , he is so hardened in it , that he will not desist from it to all eternity .

And because God has consigned him to perdition , he conceives so intense a hatred against Him , that he would injure Him in every way that he could . R h l G od ather t an humble himse f before , and

1 74

' justice Of their doom; for this cause they b egin to desp air, and to c UrSe themse lves and all that the f hand o God has created. e on u s f r Their d spair ly a gment their su fe ings . This we se e frOrn the ex ample of our fellow crea

v e Wa to e s a . tures on earth , if they gi y d p ir It is

‘ impossib le to do anything with a man Who is in de

on e can c nso e him spair ; no help or o l , no one can

im 1 comfort h 0 bring him to reason. H e looks like a spectre ; he raVes an d rages like the very devil himself ; he declares he will put an en d to his life, that he will drown himself or ha ng himself ; he de stroys everything that comes in his Way ; he curse s all men and all things. This the damned do in their despair, and thereby they torture themselves even more than the devils can torture them . They h u e and o shriek and owl , they c rs swear, they st rm

’ and r e in a e e as w ag ; f ct , th y b have just if they ere fiends incarn ate . In their fury and spite they attack one another

' a m n a e a o with the fiercest ni osity y , they nde v r by every possible me ans to strangle themselves in their frantic desp air.

ei effor s ow . t Th r t are , h ever, futile All that hey re e n accomplish is to inc ase th ir torme t , and inflict

On themselves fresh pains . Would that every obdurate sinner would lay this

an d e e es he e me the to heart , tak he d , l t one day b co prey of this eternal despair . n lem fl 1 O E y . 75

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the ” . . n ow living God , says St . Paul (Heb x If we

a n dread hell , we shall not have y reason to fear or on e f endure it in the next life . Every has su ficient n grounds for dreadi g it . The just and holy should

e et . n fear hell , b cause they may y fall into it So lo g are as they remain on earth , they surrounded by not

. O only exterior, but also interior, dangers utside of

' w t e e them there is the orld wi h its allur m nts , its scandals and temptations , and human respect .

an we Within them dwell violent passions d a ak will . Only a single mortal sin suffi ces to cause their con~

mn a i n de t o to the infernal abyss . How many are n ow fer e e for in hell , who a time were r markabl

’ t and who a their pie y virtue , but gradu lly grew care

s in v c G od r les the ser i e of , and finally fell into mo tal sin and died withou t having become reconciled with a in r God . E Ven the great St . Teres was dange of for ow e t e damnation , God sh ed her the plac des in d

she not u e u . for her in hell, if did give p c rtain fa lts

‘ ’ The greatest saints have shuddered and trembled at the thought of the danger they were in of comm it ting mortal sin and of being condemned for it to

' ta e of . St. the ndless torments hell Peter of Alcan ra , m s rea e who perfor ed uch g t penances , dreaded ev n in n er a his last moments the da g of f lling into hell .

. B r w St Augustine and St . ernard we e filled ith terror at the very thought of hell and of the danger they were in of deserving it. n I 76 O H 2”.

The careless , the lukewarm Catholic should , above all , dread hell , for he is continually walking on the brink of the infernal abyss . He makes little of the the precepts of hearing Mass , of prescribed abstinence

the from flesh meat, he scruples not neglecting religious training of his children , he associates with persons and frequents places that are to him an oc

n casio of sin , he yields to impure thoughts , commits sins of impurity without remorse , gives way to his vindictive feelings against his neighbor, appropriates l to himself the goods of his neighbor , indu ges to ex cess in eating and drinking, neglects prayer and the sacraments . Now is the time for him to be aroused from his life of sin , now is the time for him to give up sin and change his life , for if he defers doing so , it may soon be too late . This may , indeed , be the last

. Oh warning that God gives him , if the damned could k to come bac life , to what penances and austerities would they not eagerly and cheerfully submit l The prophet Isaias asks Which of you can dwell with devouring fire (Is . xxxiii . Canst thou stand the fearful torments of hell for all eternity , thou who art so fond of comfort and so sensitive to the least pain Which of you has deserved to dwell in hell Every one of us already deserved , immediately after our first mortal sin , to be con dem n ed to that abyss of misery and woe ! It is owing to the divine mercy that we have not been so

the L condemned . Unless ord had been my helper ,

T PAR IV .

V ON H EA EN.

R CHAPTE I .

N TH E O F O NATURE HEAVEN.

WE s s must not , as some do , picture to our elve heaven as a purely Spiritual realm . For heaven is a definite place , where not only God is , and the

n i a gels now are , but where Chr st is also in His

a m Ou r L s cred hu anity , and ady with her human

d . too the e bo y There , , all bless d will dwell with their glorified bodies after the L ast Judgment . If heaven is a definite locality , it must accordingly be a visible , not a spiritual kingdom ; for a place must in its nature b e to some extent conformable to those who abide in it .

n t L t m Besides , we k ow that af er the as Judg ent *he e e e e saints will b hold heaven with th ir bodily y s , I 79 1 8 0 On H ea v en .

m and consequently it ust be a visible kingdom. We are ignorant of what the material structure of heaven will be composed , we only know that it will be something infinitely superior to and more costly m e of the e than the att r which oth r spheres , the sun , the moon , and other heavenly bodies , are formed . For since God has created heaven for H im self and for His elect, He has made it so beau tiful and so glorious that the blessed will never tire of the contemplation of its splendors to all eternity . I Yet, repeat , it is not within the power of the w riter to describe , nor within that of the reader to w comprehend , what it is of hich heaven is actually composed . Something may perhaps be learned con cerning this from what St . Teresa writes . Speak

oi ing of herself , she says The Blessed Mother

God gave me a jewel , and hung around my neck a superb golden chain , to which a cross of priceless value was attached . Both the gold and the precious stones thus given to me are so unlike those which we have here in this world that no comparison can be instituted between them . They are beautiful b e beyond anything that can conceived , and the matter whereof they are composed is beyond our s knowledge. For what we call gold and preciou stones beside them appear dark and lustreless as ” charcoal . From these words we may form some idea of the

1 8 2 On M a v en .

w d h e u no orl , all t es inn merable spheres would t fill the immensity of heav en . St . Bernard also says that we are warranted in the b elief that every on e of

e w e an nher the sav d ill have a . plac and i itan ce of no na rrow limits assigned him in the celestial c ountry . How immeasurably vast in exten t must heaven then b e ! Well may the prophet Baruch exclaim :

O e how e of G od an h Isra l , gr at is the house , d ow vast is the place of His possession I It is great and a n o en d immen e h th ; it is high and s (Baruch iii .

2 4 ,

e e t for we a e e We can readily beli v his , h ve b for h our eyes the boun dless realms of space . But of t e nature of the infinite realms of heaven we kn ow

and et me t e m nothing, y we can to so ex ent pictur the i i n mm n to our mag natio . It would be against co o sense to think that these vast celestial dom ains are

a Artificer m empty and bare , th t the great , to who i n the creat on of worlds is a very little thi g, would leave the m u nb eau tified and u nadorne d . es S e e no If princ and lords fill every pace , and l av corne r in their pa laces or their grounds un embel lished s and unadorned , shall we suppo e that the

a e n gre t King of h ave would permit His regal palace , e e a i e His c lestial paradis , to be lacking in m gn ficenc and in beauty What would there b e to delight the senses of the saints if he aven were a large em t ? t b eatific p y space What enjoymen , except the l r o n 07: ti e N atu e f H ea v e . 1 83

vision of God , would there be for them , if they stood i all together in a barren plain , l ke sheep in a pen fold ? Are we not justified in believing that there are splendid and spacious mansions in heaven con l m ? structed of incorruptib e aterials Nay , more , a learn ed expositor of Holy Scripture considers it probable that by the won drous skill an d wisdom of t the grea Creator, these fair palaces and dwellings

e he are of vari d form and size, some being lower , ot rs

e e an o e . high r, some more richly adorn d th th rs

n a an d in d Toweri g bove all , surpassing all gran eur n a e the re at n e and magnifice ce , the pal c of g Ki g J sus Christ stand s pre eminent ; and next in Splendor i n i ab e of e n Lad and d g ty ranks the od our Sover ig y ,

the Que en of heaven . Then come the twelve

the are and palaces of twelve apostles , which so rich beautiful that heaven itself marvels at their magn ifi n e i t e e m ce c . Bes des h s are ansions and dwellings in n umerable which render the heavenly Jerusalem

inde scribably imposin g and attractive . These sp len did abodes were created when heaven itself was

e e b e the re made , and d stin d to dwellings of the

me . i n dee d The Church teaches us , the office for a c of h lect hi martyrs , that e h one t e e will have s own

th n r ! pla ce in e kin gdom of heaven . D abo sa d zl met

2 . i . . Mart . (In noct An t ph. I . de Com pl j ) I will giv e to My saints an appointed pla ce in the kingdom ” n of My Father . A d the R oy al Psalmist says: 1 8 n 4 O [ f ea r/m .

T he saints Shall rejoice in glory ; they Shall b e b P e s. joyful in their ds ( cxlix . ’ “ We have also Christ s words : Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity ; that when you shall fail , they may receive you into everlasting dwellings ; that is to say , spend what you have

' over and above on works of charity and b en ev olen ce , that these may prove as friends to you , who will obtain for you admittance into the eternal and celestial dwellings (Luke xvi . “ ’ Again : In My Father s house there are many mansions . Hence it may be inferred that each one of the redeemed has his separate abode in heaven . For as a just and prudent father divides his real and personal property amongst his chil dren , assigning to each one his particular share, so our heavenly Father apportions to each of

His elect a part of His celestial treasures , both visible and invisible , giving to each one more or less , according to the amount he deserves to receive . Who shall describe the majesty and glory of these heavenly mansions ? If the kings and princes of this world build grand and costly palaces for

S themselves , what must be the plendor and beauty of the celestial city which the King of kings has built for Himself and those who love Him and are e ? e His fri nds Hear what St . John says conc rning “ this city : An angel showed me the holy city

1 8 6 072 [ f ea r/m . does not constitute the whole of the heaven ly Jeru salem , it is the special dwelling place of the most a m of high God , wherein the s cred hu anity Christ r t abides , togethe wi h many companies of ange ls and of the most eminent saints . F or be sides this august

are t the city , there o hers innumerable in heavenly e the e plains , wherein the r deemed dwell in soci ty of e ea ang ls . The more good a saint has done on rth , the grander is the reside nce assign ed him in

n a nd a are heave . These palaces m nsions trans parent as crystal and built of precious ston es of the

on costliest kind . And we may add the authority the e of a learned theologian , that bless d hold inter r course with one another, and meet togethe to laud and magnify the omnipotence of the Most High , o d who prepared for them such gl rious abo es , and m join in extollin g His wisdo and His love . Do 0 i st thou not , my soul , feel an intense long ng t to behold this heavenly ci y, and , what is more , to dwell therein for evermore ? We esteem it a pleas ure to visit a fine city , renowned for its architectural and other attractions ; and many are the travellers

n who jour ey all over the world to see foreign towns, and feast their eyes on their beauty . What are these cities of earth in comparison with the celestial cities ? Could we but look into it for a few mo

n b e me ts only, what wondrous things we should hold l S We hould assuredly exclaim , in the words

D : s of King avid How lovely are Thy tabernacle , a 1 8 On t/ze N a tu re of .He v m . 7

O Lord of hosts ! My soul lo ngeth and fainteth

' and m for the courts of the Lord . My heart y flesh e se have rejoiced in the living G od . Bl s d are they Th 0 L that dwell in y house , ord ; they shall praise e on e d a thee foreve r and ever . For b tter is y in Thy courts above thousands ; I have chosen to be an abjec t in the house of my God rather than to dwell P in the tabernacles of sinne rs ( S. If we may ve nture to spe ak of the interior of the e e we m the st im c l stial realm , may assu e that va , measurable space of heaven does not on ly contain m m e es these heavenly cities , but uch ore b sid , all of the which enhances delights of that blissful lan d . Fo r as kings and princes on earth have garde n s and ou t e e t i a es pleasure grounds laid b sid he r pal c , t s e s in m s on where hey amu e thems lve the su mer eas , e e e are e en so , many th ologians assert , th r h av ly par dises ff e h l a t e e . , that a ord increas d delight to b ess d n ot of ed l For only the souls the sav , but their g ori ned b e uc e of bodies also , will cond t d by the angels

in e n after he Da m t d en . God to h ave ‘ y of Ju g t

. St. A el and o he s St Augustine , ns m , many t r aints do not hesitate to maintain that there are in heaven e and ea l w e real trees , r al fruits , r l f o ers , ind scribably

a h the e sm attr ctive and delig tful to sight , tast , ell , u ff e t we e and to ch , di er nt from any hing can imagin . In the revelations of the saints mention is made d of the gar ens in heaven , and the flowers that

there a nd the blossom ; , we know it is recorded in 8 72 1 8 0 11 mm ” .

l D She i . Theo h egend of St orothea , that sent to p lus by the hands of an angel a basket of flowers ' in culled the gardens of the celestial paradise , of such surpassing beauty that the Sight of them led w him to become a Christian , and lay do n his life for the faith of Christ .

Di a . d cu s We also read in the life of St , that on coming to himself after a trance into which he fell

: 0 shortly before his death , he cried aloud what flowers there are in paradise ! what flowers there are in paradise ! Similar incidents are frequently to be met with m the legends of the saints . Conside r how delightful it will be for thehappy ones who are saved to wander 1 n the celestial gar dens , and contemplate those fair flowers . How pleasing the lovely blossoms are to the eye , how e ! Of delicious is the fragrance they exhal a truth, if a man were to obtain possession of a Single one e of th se heavenly flowers , it would produce on him ff the same e ect as on Theophilus . He would be e spoiled for all the b auty of earth , and would strive with his whole soul after the perfect beauty of heaven . e e e e Meditate oft n , th r for , upon the things of heaven ; raise thy eyes and thy heart to the bright

firm am ent above , and awaken within thy heart by this or other means a keen de sire to behold the e mansions of the eternal Fath r, and to dwell in them for evermore .

P CH A TER I I .

ON TH E YS or N JO HEAVE .

N ow that we have meditated upon the heaven ly

e u m i e con J r sale , the city of God , we w ll proce d to sider the happiness which the saints who dwell the rein enjoy , both in regard to body and soul . It as e is true yet th y have not their bodies , as a general L Da em rule , but at the ast y they will all have th a gain , and those bodies will then be so beauteous , t that no hing in the world can compare with them . An d this will pr incipally be be cause every member b e e will ndowed with four qualities or attributes,

m : b 1 m a ssibili n t t t . a ely eau y , p y , agility , and subtle y By reason of its beauty or glory the body of each ec et one of the el t will shine like a star, y , as one ff o star di ers from another in gl ry , so the saints will S hine with greater or less splendor, according as their lives upon earth have been more or less holy . In these glorified and radiant bodies the blessed will b e l so inexpressibly beautifu , that if a mortal man e w re now to behold one of these resplendent beings , he would be dazz led by its brilliance and be ready to eXpire for joy of heart . 1 90 /z s n 0a t e J ay 4 H ea v e . 1 9 1

n her . s I revelations to St Bridget , the Ble sed Mother of God once said The saints stand around

u my Son like co ntless stars , whose glory is not to

e . be compar d with any temporal light Believe me , if the saints could be seen shining with the glory they n w m n ld o possess , no hu a eye cou endure their light ; ”

n l n . all would tur away, dazz ed and bli ded k e t Thin what happin ss it will be for hee , when thy body shines like the Sun at midday . Everything that lives and moves rejoices in the light and warmth

n I of su . the , it gladdens all the face of nature n like manner thy body will be a joy and delight to e thyself and all around thee in heaven , b cause of its beauty and its glory . the The second attribute is impassibility , for glorified body is incapable of suffering. It will n v be u n e er sick or infirm , it will not grow old or sightly. It will n ever again be inconvenienced by hunger or thirst, by heat or cold , by draught or

n dampness . It can evermore be burned by fire , h drowned in water, wounded by the sword or crus ed a beneath a weight ; it will be immortal , unch ngeable , eternally endowed with perfect health and unfailing strength . If any one on earth could purchase this he he gift of impassibility , how gladly would give all possessed to obtain it !

The third attribute is agility. The glorified body will be able to traverse the greatest distance with the speed of thought. In one moment it can come n e 1 92 O H a v en . down from heaven to earth ; in one moment it can pass from one end of the heavens to the other, with

ffi . out labor, without fatigue , without di culty We often wish that we could fly like the birds , that we could speed on our way like clouds on the wings

its of the wind , that we could follow thought in rapid flight . If it were possible to purchase this

e r pow r, eve y one would part with all his worldly wealth for it , if only to obtain it for one single y ear . e How is it, then , that thou dost take so little troubl to ensure for thyself the possession of this gift for all eternity The fourth attribute of the glorified body is sub tlet y , which consists in the faculty of penetrating all

assm . matter, of p g m and out wheresoever it will

No wall is so thick , no iron gate so massive , no mountain so great as to form an obstacle to the ’ glorified body . As the sun s rays pass through glass ,

o the s bodies of the redeemed as they are in heaven , penetrate all matter , however dense and solid it may

in be . They can also make themselves visible or be v isible at will . What wouldst thou not give to come possessed of such a faculty t How great is Thy bounty , almigh y God , towards

Thine elect ! Thou v b estow est upon them precious ’ u t and s blime gifts , that no amoun of this world s riches can purchase . Who would not gladly spend his life in Thy s ervice and suffer afflictions in this

n n 1 94 O [ f ea r/e . will be so undimmed that they will be able to gaze flin chin without g at the sun , even were its light a hundredfold more daz z ling. Their sight will be so ffe keen that no obstacle will o r a hindrance to it .

Now think what delight awaits thy sense of sight , when thy eyes first rest upon the glories of heaven .

First they will behold the city itself, with its palaces S and mansions , whereof the plendor and majesty is so great that the contemplation of these magnificent structures would afford pleasurable employment for a whole eternity.

z In the second place , thou wilt ga e with delight e upon the fair flowers , the tre s , the gardens , and all the other beauteous sights that will arrest the eye in heaven . T b e e hirdly, it will an unspeakable pl asure to thee to behold thyself and all the other saints arrayed

S in beauty , glory , plendor, grace and majesty far surpassin g anything seen in this world . see Fourthly, thou wilt the incomparable beauty of the angels , for it is believed that those celestial Spirits will assume bodies of great loveliness formed from the air, in order to render themselves visible

e . . to th blessed . This Opinion is held by St Anselm And if the beauty of an angel immeasurably exceeds the all human beauty , wilt thou not rejoice in con tem lation p of so many thousands of angelic beings ,

n t all of surpassing loveliness , for all eter i y on n h ne e es Fifthly , ot ing will thi ey s r t with such 1 On the joy s of H ea v en . 95 keen delight as on the inexpressible beauty of Jesus

M r and a y , whose glorified bodies are so irresistibly e charming , attractive , beautiful and maj stic , that if e the damned were permitted to b hold them , they would no longer find hell intolerable . Now consider what a fertile source of delight it b e will , to be continually and forever surrounded

r n by Sights so enchanting and so sublime . O u atural inclination leads us here below to take long journeys e S for the sake of seeing some b auteous ight, to ex pend large sums to obtain some beauteous object , and even to imperil our souls in our eager Search after what is beautiful . Since the love of the beautiful is so deeply rooted

! n ot in our nature , how strange that we do yearn t for the b eau y of heaven . Why do we not close

ma our eyes to the attractions of earth , that we y be found worthy to open them upon the splendors of heaven

From sight let us pass on to hearing. It would be unwise were we to attempt to describe the gratification it will be to the ear to hear the can ticleS 'of the angels , and the soft music of their harps . The nine choirs of angels will sing the praise of G od , and the blessed will join them not only in e heart , for th y will mingle their voices also in the e r swe t ha mony . Thus the powers of both soul and e i body will be exercis d , and the pra ses of God will en asc d in melodious hymns and celestial songs . n H ea en 1 96 O r/ .

For if we mortals are imp elled by fervent love an d heartfelt joy to lift our voice in song, how much more will the holy angels and blessed saints do so ,

aflam e who are all with the love of God , and filled

r with joy unspeakable . Their hymns of praise will e

oi sound without ceasing through the courts heaven . “ In a prophetic spirit the elder Tobias says : The gates of Jerusalem shall be built of sapphire and of d emeral , and all the walls thereof round about with precious stones , all its streets shall be paved with white and clean stones , and alleluia shall be sung in its streets (Tob . xiii . These words seem to indicate that the redeemed will walk at their pleasure with one another in the heavenly Jerusalem , their voices uniting in happy alleluias . In wondrous harmony the angels and saints will praise and magnify their God . What happiness for 0 them , my God , what sweetness , what joy If sweet songs rejoice us here , and awaken elevated feelings within our breast , the canticles of the angels and saints will indeed cause us rapture and delight , when we have the felicity to be admitted into their blessed company . My God and my all how great is the abundance of the favors Thou hast prepared for them that love Thee My heart thirsts for the stream of t celestial joys . Truly blessed are they tha dwell in 0 L e e Thy house, ord ; they shall praise Thee for v r

' 1 8 n H ea n 9 O v e .

glorified . Above all the bodies of Christ and of His Blessed Mother will exhale so sweet a perfume b e e that all heaven will p rvaded by it . l e n O L How love y are Thy tab r acles , ord , wherein we shall be invigorated by the aromatic odors that environ us ! For if sweet odors refresh and re vive us here below , the odors of paradise will surely give strength and refreshment to the blessed . Even the sense of taste will be gratified in e e h av n , not , it is true , by the consumption of ordi o nary f od , but in a manner whereof we can as yet form no conjecture . The blessed will taste a sweet e sustenance which will satisfy them , as we l arn from the words of the R oyal Psalmist : They shall b e e inebriat d with the plenty of Thy house , Thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of Thy pleas ure (P s. xxxv . The sense of touch will have its own peculiar enjoyment . The more one has mortified himself the b e here on earth , greater will his bodily well “ l : being hereafter . St. Anse m says In the future life the saints will experience a feeling of untold comfort and case. This pleasurable sensation will o n pervade every member, pr duci g a wondrous sense ” of peace and contentment . e In fact , what can be wanting to the glorifi d body in heaven ? It is in the enjoyment of perpet t s ual health , perpetual rest , perpe ual happines , so that in the superabundan c e of joy and satisfaction n tile o s o [ f ea r/en 1 O j y f . 99 it can scarce realize how enviable is its condi tion . the Finally, redeemed will take very great pleas e ure in beholding one anoth r , in conversing with one another, in kindly intercourse and friendly com

i n mu n icat o . Think how beautiful a sight it will be to see hundreds of thousands of beings in all the

o splendor of their gl rified state . If on earth we e est em it a pleasure to look upon a handsome face , we can appreciate in some slight degree what it will be in heaven , the lowliest of whose inhabitants is possessed of a beauty far exceeding the personal attractions of any mortal man .

Moreover, the redeemed are un ited together by

l an the bond of mutua charity , for they love one other more clearly than the most affectionate of brothers and sisters . If they have never met on earth , yet they know one another better than if they had been brought up together . Each one will know the incidents of his earthly career . ’ Each one will be able to see into the other s heart , and know how great is the aff ection he feels for him ’ . Each one will rejoice in the other s glory as much as if it were hi s own ; and the lowliest in the kingdom of heaven exults as much in the glory of the highest as the latter can possibly do . This was explained to St . Augustine by St . John the ” a B ptist in a vision . Know , he said to him , that on account of the inexpressible charity that the '

2 0 0 On H ea rxen .

blessed have towards one another, that each takes no less pleasure in the exaltation of another than if it were his own . Nay , more , he who is greater th wishes that e lower were equal to him , and even more honored than himself ; for m his triumph he , too , would triumph . In like manner those who are in a lowly place rejoice in the glory of those who are in the highest place ; they do not envy them , far from it . They would not desire the high position if the others had it not ; they would rather give them a part of their ” own glory , were this possible . Hence it may be seen that the saints take pleasure in the Splendor t wherewith their fellows are crowned , and enter ain ff for each and all of them a heartfelt a ection . More especially do they love one who has , by word or example , helped them on their way to heaven ; to such a one they know not how they can sufficiently d testify their gratitu e . Each one will also feel a particular affection for the saint whom he chose as his patron upon t ear h , and whom he honored with a special devo tion ; and this aff ection will be reciprocated by the h object of it . Those who stood in t is relation to one another will meet together more often ; they will converse on holy subjects and mutually relate

ex en en ces ho w their p on earth , telling marvellously the providence of God saved them from eternal

t the f to the perdi ion . In a word , pleasures af orded

T R 1 1 1 CHAP E .

TH E YS o r JO HEAVEN (Continued) .

WITH regard to the spiritual joys of the redeemed

e t a in heav n , they are in such great abundance , h t in speaking of them one does not know where to begin or where to end . Think of the Spiritual con solations granted to eminent servants of God in this h world . We know concerning some saints t at their life on earth was more that of angels than of men, e v is so fr quently were they favored with ecstasies, t ions , interior ligh s , and divine consolations of all kinds . And yet all these favors were but as a drop t out of the boundless ocean of celes ial sweetness . What rapture it will be for holy souls in heaven to

- e drink from the fountain head , and draw fr ely from the inexhaustible source of all felicity ! All the powers of the mind , the understanding, the mem or y , the will , the imagination , every thought , every desire, the whole intellectual being, elevated and perfected by God Himself , will be fully satis hed the the , and will add to and heighten joys of soul . With the understanding the blessed will behold zo z On t/ze o s o [ f ea r/en 2 0 j y f . 3

all created things in the light of God , and thor

oughly penetrate the secrets of nature . It is t e “ corded of King Solomon that God gave to So lo mon ed wisdom and understanding exce ing much , as the sand that is on the seashore . And the wis dom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the O rientals and of the Egyptians , and he was wiser than all men . He also spoke three thousand para bles , and his poems were a thousand and five . And he treated about trees from the cedar that is in L ebanon unto the hyssop that cometh out of the

an wall ; and he discoursed of beasts , d of fowls ,

. An and of creeping things , and of fishes d they came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solo h mon , and from all the kings of the eart , who heard

2 of his wisdom 3, Kings iv . 9 u l We have never heard of wisdom eq a to this , nor can we cease to wonder at the wide range and ’ astuteness of this great king s understanding. Yet compared with the wisdom of the least of the saints o in heaven , it ranks n higher than does the knowledge possessed by a child of three years old beside the erudition and wisdom of the most learned of men .

For all the operations of nature , all the powers of the universe are Open and revealed to the least of the saints in heaven . Nothing is hidden or myste n e rio s in his ey s . He knows all that the Holy T ha s e rinity accomplish d from all eternity , in how a r l an d e m ve lous a manner the heavens. the arth were n en 2 0 4 O H ea r/ .

or created out of nothing , how wisely all has been dered and maintained from the beginning to the end of time . He knows how the Son of God was b e gotten of the Father before all ages ; he kn ows how the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son . He knows how Christ was born of an earthly mother without violation of her virginity ; he knows all that O u r Lord did and suffered during

His whole life , and how each saint and servant of

God lived for God and labored in His service . All that is mysterious and incomprehensible to us in H the oly Scriptures , the mysteries of religion and ’ t reflec of nature , he understands wi hout a moment s t tion . Hadst thou been on earth but a simple , illi erate t peasant , on thy en rance into heaven thy eyes would be opened , and thou wouldst see clearly and understand all things perfectly. What joy , what happiness this knowledge and clear insight will be to thee ! What grateful thanks thou wilt render to God for it !

Secondly, in as far as their memory is concerned , the blessed will also find fulness of joy in heaven , for it will , like the understanding, be enlightened by God ; and all the events of their past life will be as fresh and as distinct to their remembrance as if they beheld them inscribed on tablets before their eyes . Then they perceive by what a marvellous way God led them to their eternal goal , how merci f ully He pardoned their transgressions, how He

20 6 On H eav en .

n e e a divi charity , that th ir will resembles live coal ,

w n w glo i g ith light and heat , until it is absorbed by

re the fi of which it is a part . So it is with the t saints in heaven imbued with divine charity , hey e burn and shin in the light of God , and reflect His “ a St. : im ge more and more . John says We know that

b e when He shall appear we sha be like to Him , cause we Shall see Him as is ( 1 John iii: In the love of God and in union with Him they find ff such ine able delight that , inebriated by the sweet of ness divine charity they lose themselves in Him . There is no greater happiness upon earth than to be love and loved , and the more tender , pure and s d ardent thi love is , the greater the joy and elight f f . N it a ords us ow the love of heaven , the love of d m G od the re ee ed for and for one another, is the m affec ost tender, the most pure , the most ardent tiOn f u , an af ection infinite and boundless co se quently it is a source of immense delight and happi

“ ness unspeakable . May the God of all grace make s us partaker of this love , and we shall then know by experience that of which words fail to convey an t idea . No one will b e privileged to par ake in this e love , unl ss here below he lives in the love of God , i L e and d es in His friendship . t us therefore strive

a t to incre se within us this divine chari y, that we may be admitted hereafter to the full enjoyment of

His love . The b eatific vision of the divine countenance is a n 2 0 On t/ze joy s of M a v e . 7

joy above all joys , a delight far surpassing all the celestial pleasures of which we have spoken . With

all o out this other joys w uld lose their savor, they

e . On would be chang d to bitterness one occasion , when the devil was speaking by the mouth of a pe r

e : son who was possess d , he said If the whole

e n S h ave s were a heet of parchment , if the whole

ocean were ink, if every blade of grass were pen ,

earth a scrib e ffi and every man on , it would not su ce to describe the intense , immeasurable delight which ff ” the Vision of God a ords to the blessed . And at another time he said that if God would but vouch safe to grant him the privilege of beholding His

divine countenance for a few moments , he would ,

own if it were possible , gladly bear in his person all the torments of hell until the Day of Judg ment . This teaches us that if a man spent his w hole life in works of most severe penance , and after his death were pe rmitted only for one

instant to gaze on the face of God , he would have received an ample recompense for all his

m ortification s. Now consider how transcendent must be the bliss t which the sain s derive from the contemplation , the the ! enjoyment, possession of the supreme God If to gaze on the divine countenance for one passing moment is a joy beyond all that a life of pleasure ff o ers to the worldling, what rapture will it be to

z u ih ga e for evermore , with ndimmed eyes , on His z 0 8 On H ea v en .

fi me nite beauty , what rapture to call this supre ’ Good one s own for all eternity God is a being in whom all that is most admir able and desirable exists in the highest degree. In H im is all that most attracts and fascinates us ;

em cl ency , beauty , justice , compassion , wisdom , maj

an d esty, every sweet sublime attribute in its fullest perfection . From God proceeds all grace , all that we need for our spiritual and temporal welfare , all the e the happin ss , joy , the repose , the consolation , all the benefits and blessings which His creatures enjoy in heaven and on earth . And when the re deemed enter upon the contemplation of this infinite

Good , upon the possession of this source of all that m is to be loved and ad ired and longed for, their joy will indeed b e full . What unspeakable delight it will afford them to understand the mystery of the ! Incarnation , the mystery of the Holy Eucharist What unspeakable delight it will be to them to comprehend how God can be invisible Himself, and y et see everything ; how He can Himself be u n moved , and yet the source of all motion ; how He can be Himself immutable , and yet the author of all change . These and many other mysteries will be

made clear to , the blessed in the light of God , and this fount of knowledge will not be exhausted to all Th . e eternity more they know God , the more will their desire to know Him better increase , and of b o e this kn owledge there will e no limit and n def ct.

n z 1 o O H ea v en . service ; and this I will do in the hope of winning e i Th e, the nfinite and eternal Good , and beholding for evermore Thy infinite beauty . Nay , even did I S know that I hould be lost, I would still love Thee . For I do not love Thee because I hOp e for eternal t b salvation hrough Thee, but I love Thee ecause

a n d G Thou art perfect Beauty infinite oodness , worthy to be the sole object of our affections and aspirations .

n t h Thus believi g and hus oping, I desire to live

die and , and I call the angels and saints to witness to the truth of what I say . And in attestation of the same I repeat with heart and vorce

M G o d ov e Thee n ot b ecau se y , I l , I hop e fo r heav en thereby N o r be ca u se they who lov e Thee n o t

Mu st b u rn etern ally .

t th the ho e of ainin N o wi p g g a ught, N ot seekin g a rewa rd ;

B u t Th se f hast o v e d m e as y l l ,

r- lov in ord O ev e g L . IV CHAPTER .

O TH E OF TH E S N NUMBER AVED .

IN the three previous chapters it has been our pleasurable task to point out how beauteous is the celestial paradise , how great is the happiness en joy ed by the redeemed . And doubtless in the heart of each one of our readers a fervent desire has arisen to gain a dmission to the realms of eternal

i . l ght , and become a partaker of its joys Perhaps each one will feel sure that his hopes in this respect will be fulfilled . It is , however, greatly to be feared that many a one will come short of the goal , and will be forever excluded from the kingdom of heaven , L m . et e as this chapter is intended to demonstrate , however , beg all who peruse it , not to allow what is

u sillan said to discourage them , and render them p imous , but rather to let it increase in them the m t spirit of hu ility and salutary fear , and s imulate them to greater energy and diligence in working out their salvation i f this appear to them less easy than they were incli ned to imagine . My only motive in writing this chapter is to open the eyes of the reader,

. e I h and Show him his danger. For wer not to do t is 2 1 1 2 1 2 On H ea v en .

m on the w n he ight go on blindly ro g road, and only become awar e that it is the road to perdition when e e e it is too lat to r trace his st ps , when the hand of death draws the veil from his eyes . Thereupon I con sider that I Shall do the wanderer a service if I the enlighten him as to risk he is incurring, and endeavor to direct his steps into the path to heaven . L et 0 e me ask thee , r ader, what proportion thinkest thou of all who live upon thi s earth will be saved ? Half or a third part ? or perhaps a quarter Alas , I fear, and not without good reason , that the number will not be nearly so large . Jesus

Christ , who is eternal Truth , His holy apostles , and t the Fathers of the Church , all tell us hat so it will be . What does Christ say about the number of the ? elect His words are these : Many are called, b ut ” few are chosen . He repeats these words when He speaks of the guest who had not on a wedding gar

: n ment Bind his ha ds and his feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness . For many are called , but ” few chosen . Were nothing more to be found to this s intent in the whole of the Scriptures , this pa sage could not fail to alarm u s. But there are many other similar ones , of which I will quote one or two .

In the Gospel of St . Matthew we read that O ur L ord said Enter ye in at the narrow gate , for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth

t re unto destruction , and many here a that go in thereat. How narrow is the gate and strait is the

2 n 1 4 O H ea v en . gather that those are but few in n umber who find

' the way to heaven , and yet fewer are those who i persevere n following it unto the end . Now be cause Christ knew that these words of e His would be misinterpret d , and understood in a e false sense by both believ rs and unbelievers , on another occasion He accentuated and emphasized what He had already said concerning the small n um e ber of the elect . For when one of the discipl s

H im : L S b e asked ord , are they few that hall ” saved ? He answe red and said Strive to enter Shal by the narrow gate ; for many, I say unto you , l seek to enter and Shall not b e able (Luke xiii . L isten to the words of the divine Teacher. He bids m e e us strive , take trouble , ak use of all our pow rs An d in order to enter unto the n arrow gate . what e t is still mor calculated to appal , He adds hat many shall seek to enter in an d shall not be able . If those who desire and endeavor to enter into l b e the kingdom of heaven fail to do so , what wil e un come of those who lead a car less , perhaps an godly life , and manifest no zeal , no interest in what concerns their eternal salvation We have already heard Christ three times declare to us that the numb er of the elect is small ; that in proportion to the great mass of mankind only a few will be saved . And because He was aware that we should not lay thi s weighty truth to hea rt as we

e in re e . ought, He r iterates it yet mo xplicit language o r 2 1 On t/ze N u maer f fi e Sa v ed. 5

Af ter He had told a rich man who came to Him ‘ his ossession s to leave all p and follow Him , and

ad the man had gone away sorrowful , He said , dressing His disciples How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God !

And the disciples were astom shed at His words .

a : i But Jesus again nswering saith Ch ldren , how hard it is for them that trust in riches to ente r into ! the kingdom of God . It is easier for a came to pass through the eye of a needle tha n for a rich

man to enter into the kingdom o f God . Then the em disciples wondered the more , saying among th

? And selves , Who then can be saved Jesus look

: i ing on them saith With men it is mpossible , but not with God ; for all things are possible unto ” 2 God (Mark x . 3 T ruly these words , coming from the lips of our

divine Master, are enough to inspire us with pro found alarm they are almost enough to cause us to

despond . For they expressly tell us that the work e fi of our salvation is a work of imm nse dif culty , an

al most miraculous achievement , and that it is well n igh i mpo ssible for poor humanity to enter into the e m kingdom of h aven . It is in reality as uch of a miracle for a man to escape everlasting perdition

on e and to attain eternal felicity , as it would be for

man single- handed to vanquish and put to flight a

whole army . For all the powers of hell are leagued together with the wicked world against us ; all the 2 1 6 On If ea v en . powers of hell put their forces in array in order to conquer and enslave every one of us mortals . And f k with the aw ul powers of dar ness the evil , crafty

con c u is world makes common cause , and the p cences of the flesh do the same , for the purpose of compassing our ruin . e Now , since there are so many adv rsaries who assail us , adversaries so crafty , so strong, so fierce , who can deem himself sure of victory ? It is little Short of a miracle if one escapes the clutches of foes so numerous and so formidable . Who can hope in his own strength to triumph over them ? We must needs acknowledge that all who have over e come the vil enemy, the evil world , and their own evil proclivities , have been strengthened by God with see His special assistance . Hence we how toilsome and laborious a work it is to win heaven ; and we ’ O u r L learn the truth of ord s words , when He said “ ff e The kingdom of heaven su ereth viol nce , and the Violent bear it away (Matt . xi . For the consolation and encouragement of the Christian it must here be remarked that if the num ber of his enemies is so appallingly great, the num ber of his friends is still greater . h Fear not , for t ere are more with us than with ” them . So spoke the prophet Eliseus to his fright “ L ened servant . And the ord opened the eyes of the servant and he saw ; and behold the mountain was full of horses and of chariots of fire Kings

2 r8 07: H ea v en .

“ : Wo t h luxuries to you hat are ric , for you have

. We t e your consolation to you hat are fill d , for

wo for you shall hunger ; to you that now laugh ,

n e you shall mourn a d w ep . Wo to you when men ” h men s all bless you , that is , when of bad princi e the a ples , Oppos d to m xims of religion , applaud T your words , your actions , your Opinions . his ’ denunciation from O u r Lord s lips may well fill us with dismay . What object in life have the great majority of mankind ? What is it that they strive after and crave for ? b e i b e to They desire to r ch , to prosperous , live in luxury , and to be praised by their fellow r men . Nobody conside s this to be a sin . And yet Ou r Lord declares that everlasting death will be the doom of such persons , and He denounces them in forcible language . n From these and similar passages , which abou d in e t m e Holy Scripture , thou se st hat God is or tr a m e s ict th n thou dost imagine , and it is a or easy a s e matter to lose thy soul than thou perh p think st . e d Wh refore do not any longer live so hee lessly, but

r out wo k thy salvation with fear and trembling, as a the Apostle exhorts thee . The s ints did so at all ’ i e m be t mes , having the f ar of God s judg ents ever

r . fo e their eyes The ungodly, on the contrary , ere n w ever wont to say, as many do at the prese t

: G od m e day is erciful , He will not cond mn us so il u r: tlze a ed On t e N mbe qf S v . 2 1 9

lightly to eternal damnation . But remember what is said in Holy Scripture : Be not without fear

about sin forgiven , and add not sin to sin . And L H e say not , The mercy of the ord is great , will e have mercy on the multitud of my sins . For mercy and wrath come quickly from Him , and His i wrath looketh upon s nners (Ecclus . v . 5 e We also find St . Catharin of Sienna saying : O e unhappy sinners , do not rely upon the gr atness of ’ o e the G d s mercy ; believe me , the mor you provoke the e e anger of this merciful God by wilful sin , de p r h ” you will be cast into t e abyss of perdition . It is undoubtedly true that we ought to place our ’ trust in God s mercy ; but what the nature of our confidence should be , we are taught by St . G regory . “ L et He says him who does all that he can , rely

firmly upon the mercy of God . But for him who does not do all that lies within his power to rely upon the mer cy of God would b e simple presu mp ” tion . To each and all of us the Apo stle Peter says

L r e abor the more , that by good wo ks you may mak ” P your calling and election sure (2 et. i . Several of the Fathers of the Church consider that from the fact that at the time of the deluge only n So eight persons were saved , at the destructio of — Lot i e dom and Gomorrha only four namely , , his w f

t — e and his two daugh ers escap d with their lives , and of the six hu ndred thousand able men who departed out of Egypt not more than two reached the Prom 72 n 2 2 o 0 [ f ea r/e .

L all ised and , the others dying in the desert , it may be concluded that the number of the elect amongst Christians will be proportionately small .

This agrees with what St . John Chrysostom said on one occasion when he was preaching in the city of

: Antioch What think you , my hearers , how many of the inhabitants of this city may perhaps be saved

What I am about to say is very terrible , yet I will

ut not conceal it from you . O of this thickly popu lated city with its thousands of inhabitants not a hundred will be saved ; I even doubt whether there f will be as many as that . For what indi ference we see amongst the aged , what wickedness amongst the ”

e . young, what impiety amongst all class s of people

Such words as these may well make us tremble . We e should hesitate to beli ve them , did they not come from the lips of so great a saint and Father of the Church . And if it is true that in the first five

e z t centuries , wh n the eal and devotion of Chris ians was much more fervent than it is now, so small a b num er attained everlasting salvation , what will it be in our own day , when crime and vice prevail to so fearfu l an extent

e on e Since it is impossibl for any to deny , or even e to doubt , that the number of the lect is small in I proportion to that of the reprobate , beseech thee, 0 Christian reader, exert thyself to the utmost to l accomp ish the work of thy salvation . Thou know est what a n awful thing it is to be damned eternally .

2 2 2 On H ea v en .

S CONCLU ION .

Let us m e , y dear reader, courag ously and cheer

fully do all , undertake all , sacrifice all that we may

gain the ineffable happiness of heaven , for we never c i can purchase heaven at too lear a pr ce . L et us

not be disheartened at the difficulties on our road , fi for , after all , it is not so dif cult to merit heaven . Were we to do for heaven half as much as people

i e t o do to earn a living, to acqu r a little weal h , p wer

or e e secu fam , or to njoy life , we would be sure of r

in g a high place am ong the saints . All we have to do to gain heaven is to keep the commandme nts of G od e and of His Church , to b ar our little crosses ,

to discharge the obligations of our state of life , to overcome temptation and although this is above

n n our atural strength , we nevertheless can cou t on G od the grace of , if we pray earnestly for it , and ’ with God s help everything will become compa ra I i . : t vely easy , for, as St Paul says can do all

r n n th . things in Him who st e gthe e me (Phil iv .

a n e . E r st , persistent prayer will secure heaven to us

the the I now , dear reader , address to you words mother of the Machabees addressed to her youn gest a m t b e son, ere boy , when he was abou to tortured six be to death , as his brothers had been fore him ” L My son , I beg thee to look up to heaven . ook

s up to heaven every day , e pecially in time of trial and temptation . Heaven is well worth every suffer n tire N u mber o tbe a O f S v ed. 2 2 3 ing and every sacrifice and every combat required ! L of us , and even a thousand times more ife is f e short its trials , its su f rings , its labors , its combats , its crosses also are short and transitory but heaven

i and its joys are inconceivable , satiating every des re of the heart and never- ending l O u r present momentary and light tribulation worketh above measu re exceedingly an eternal weight of glory

2 ( Cor. iv . May God in His mercy grant this happy end to the writer of this book and all into whose hands it ma y fall.

rinte en z i er rot ers N ew Yor . P d by B g B h , k

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S R FT . B a ma . n et T IVING A ER PERFECTION y , l ’ - S S S . S oan n t 0 UNDAY CHOOL DIRECTOR GUIDE l . e , ’ - S S S . S oan . n et 0 UNDAY CHOOL TEACHER GUIDE l ,

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S E Be r am o . n et 2 00 CHRI T FOR EVERY DAY IN THE Y AR . g , R T L C MEN THOUG HTS AND COUN SELS F O CA HO I YOUNG .

Wirt . n et 1 25 h , a ame e ci ia . n e t 0 75 TRAINING OF CHILDREN . M d C l ,

T S . e m or n t 0 7 S S e . e 5 TRUE POLI ENE , LETTER ON D ,

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. ru c er . n et 1 50 WAY OF INTERIOR PEACE B k ,

S . B r n n n n e 25 S e a . t 1 WHAT CATHOLIC HAVE DONE FOR CIENCE ,

S ru r . P a Q 25 ot 0 60 WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHE . D y ; Cl h , - S ! S ! Sem e . a eI n et 0 1 5 WHAT TIME WHAT MORAL pl p ,

S . S oa n . n et 0 75 WITH CHRI T MY FRIEND l , T La san ce ot eat e r 2 00 WI H GOD . . Cl h , L h , ’

S . La sa n c e . ot 0. 75 eat er 1 25 YOUNG MAN GUIDE Cl h , ; L h ,

NOVELS

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. rro BLACK BROTHERHOOD Ge ld .

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B S S S . a r e FA IOLA SI TER Cl k . r ac e FATAL BEACON . B k l .

F AU STU LA. A sc ou gh . in n FORGIVE AND ORGET . L ge . FRIENDLY LITTLE HOU SE .

S . E dh or HEART OF GOLD . - SS C RON E N STE I N a n a n . HEIRE OF . H h H h o t HER BLIND FOLLY . H l . ’ in son HER FATHER S DAU GHTER . H k .

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S. ou s LINKED LIVE D l a s.

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IN N ST LY P H AR . Sa ier RED AT . dl .

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W . B orni e r ROMANCE OF A PLAY RIGHT .

S . artin . n et RO E OF THE WORLD M , S S ROUND TABLE OF GERMAN CATHOLIC NOVELI T . N S S ROUND TABLE OF FRENCH CATHOLIC OVELI T . N S ROUND TABLE OF AMERICAN CATHOLIC OVELI ST . S S N S S ROUND TABLE OF IRI H AND ENGLI H CATHOLIC OVELI T .

S. V o . ROUND THE WORLD SERIE l. I

V o l. . ROUND THE WORLD SERIES . II

S S . V ol ROUND THE WORLD ERIE . III .

S S V ol. V ROUND THE WORLD ERIE . I .

S S. V ol. V ROUND THE WORLD ERIE .

V ol. . ROUND THE WORLD SERIE S. V I

S . V ol ROUND T H E WOR LD SERIE . VII .

T H E S S. V ol. ROUND WORLD ERIE VIII .

S . V ol. I ROUND T H E WORLD SERIE X .

S V ol. ROUND THE WORLD SERIE . X . e on RULER OF THE KINGDOM . K .

S S . ooke . n et ECRET OF THE GREEN VA E C , ’ S S . n et ENIOR LIEUTENANT WAGER ,

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in son . GREAT CAPTAIN , THE . H k

S R I DI N G DALE . e a rne GUI LD BOY OF B .

. M n n C a ix . HALDEMAN HILDREN , THE

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E . i U V N I L E ROUND TABLE Thir d Se r e s.

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TT S. e ama re LI LE APOSTLE ON CRUTCHE D l .

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T mi . AV E L I N G . S S t MILLY . . h ’ MORE FIVE O CLOCK STORIES .

S . in n MOSTLY BOY F . in n MY STRANGE FRIEND . F .

arton . MYSTERY OF CLEVERLY . B

a ie r. MYSTERIOU S DOORWAY . S dl i r MY STERY OF HORNBY HALL. Sadl e .

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S . Wa ama n TRONG ARM OF AVALON g . S - C . algm UGAR AMP AND AFTER S g . S i a e r. UMMER AT WOODVILLE. S dl E S S S. a e TAL AND LEGEND OF THE MIDDLE AGE C p lla .

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. ot er Sa ome TOLD IN THE TWILIGHT M h l .

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. B on estee YOUNG COLOR GUARD l .

The follow in cata o u es w i be se n t ree on a ica tion l g ll f . ’ pl ata o u e O f n z i r rot er s tan a r atho e u c at n s C l g Be B h S d d C r P bli i o . a a o u of m u m B oo s ata o u e O f Sc oo oo s. t e e C l g h B k C l g Pr i k .

r . ata o u e o f r a e r oo s. a ta o u e o f L i b a n es. [ oo s C l g P y B k C l g . B k u o f L atm an d tu r a ata o u e o f m o rte o o s. a ta o e c C l g I p d B k C l g . Li gi l “ ” A c opy o f Cath olic B ook s i n E n gli sh n ow i n p ri n t I n Ame rica i O 5 e n s ou n I n c ot i a n d ur o e wi be se n t on rece t f 0 c t . t E p ll p B d l h , n u r c on tain s over titl es a n d ove r 300 illu strati o s o f a tho s. Su pple men ts Will be issu e d f rom tim e to tim e to m a ke the c ata fu rm sh r o o u e as c om ete as ossi e , a n d t e se i be ed ee f l g pl p “bl h W ll ” f is char ge to th ose orde ri n g Catholic B ooks in Engl h . 1 1