JUDGMENT AND THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN
IN ALL things consider the end; how you shall stand before the
strict Judge from Whom nothing is hidden and Who will pronounce
judgment in all justice, accepting neither bribes nor excuses. And
you, miserable and wretched sinner, who fear even the countenance of
an angry man, what answer will you make to the God Who knows all your
sins? Why do you not provide for yourself against the day of judgment
when no man can be excused or defended by another because each will
have enough to do to answer for himself? In this life your work is
profitable, your tears acceptable, your sighs audible, your sorrow
satisfying and purifying.
The patient man goes through a great and salutary purgatory
when he grieves more over the malice of one who harms him than for his
own injury; when he prays readily for his enemies and forgives
offenses from his heart; when he does not hesitate to ask pardon of
others; when he is more easily moved to pity than to anger; when he
does frequent violence to himself and tries to bring the body into
complete subjection to the spirit.
It is better to atone for sin now and to cut away vices than to
keep them for purgation in the hereafter. In truth, we deceive
ourselves by our ill-advised love of the flesh. What will that fire
feed upon but our sins? The more we spare ourselves now and the more
we satisfy the flesh, the harder will the reckoning be and the more we
keep for the burning.
For a man will be more grievously punished in the things in
which he has sinned. There the lazy will be driven with burning
prongs, and gluttons tormented with unspeakable hunger and thirst; the
wanton and lust-loving will be bathed in burning pitch and foul
brimstone; the envious will howl in their grief like mad dogs.
Every vice will have its own proper punishment. The proud will
be faced with every confusion and the avaricious pinched with the most
abject want. One hour of suffering there will be more bitter than a
hundred years of the most severe penance here. In this life men
sometimes rest from work and enjoy the comfort of friends, but the
damned have no rest or consolation.
You must, therefore, take care and repent of your sins now so
that on the day of judgment you may rest secure with the blessed. For
on that day the just will stand firm against those who tortured and
oppressed them, and he who now submits humbly to the judgment of men
will arise to pass judgment upon them. The poor and humble will have
great confidence, while the proud will be struck with fear. He who
learned to be a fool in this world and to be scorned for Christ will
then appear to have been wise.
In that day every trial borne in patience will be pleasing and
the voice of iniquity will be stilled; the devout will be glad; the
irreligious will mourn; and the mortified body will rejoice far more
than if it had been pampered with every pleasure. Then the cheap
garment will shine with splendor and the rich one become faded and
worn; the poor cottage will be more praised than the gilded palace. In
that day persevering patience will count more than all the power in
this world; simple obedience will be exalted above all worldly
cleverness; a good and clean conscience will gladden the heart of man
far more than the philosophy of the learned; and contempt for riches
will be of more weight than every treasure on earth.
Then you will find more consolation in having prayed devoutly
than in having fared daintily; you will be happy that you preferred
silence to prolonged gossip.
Then holy works will be of greater value than many fair words;
strictness of life and hard penances will be more pleasing than all
earthly delights.
Learn, then, to suffer little things now that you may not have
to suffer greater ones in eternity. Prove here what you can bear
hereafter. If you can suffer only a little now, how will you be able
to endure eternal torment? If a little suffering makes you impatient
now, what will hell fire do? In truth, you cannot have two joys: you
cannot taste the pleasures of this world and afterward reign with
Christ.
If your life to this moment had been full of honors and
pleasures, what good would it do if at this instant you should die?
All is vanity, therefore, except to love God and to serve Him alone.
He who loves God with all his heart does not fear death or
punishment or judgment or hell, because perfect love assures access to
God.
It is no wonder that he who still delights in sin fears death
and judgment.
It is good, however, that even if love does not as yet restrain
you from evil, at least the fear of hell does. The man who casts aside
the fear of God cannot continue long in goodness but will quickly fall
into the snares of the devil. |
Of the judgment and punishment of the wicked
In all that thou doest, remember the end, and how
thou wilt stand before a strict judge, from whom nothing is hid, who
is not bribed with gifts, nor accepteth excuses, but will judge
righteous judgment. O most miserable and foolish sinner, who art
sometimes in fear of the countenance of an angry man, what wilt thou
answer to God, who knoweth all thy misdeeds? Why dost thou not
provide for thyself against the day of judgment, when no man shall be
able to be excused or defended by means of another, but each one shall
bear his burden himself alone? Now doth thy labour bring forth fruit,
now is thy weeping acceptable, thy groaning heard, thy sorrow well
pleasing to God, and cleansing to thy soul.
2. Even here on earth the patient man findeth
great occasion of purifying his soul. When suffering injuries he
grieveth more for the other's malice than for his own wrong; when he
prayeth heartily for those that despitefully use him, and forgiveth
them from his heart; when he is not slow to ask pardon from others;
when he is swifter to pity than to anger; when he frequently denieth
himself and striveth altogether to subdue the flesh to the spirit.
Better is it now to purify the soul from sin, than to cling to sins
from which we must be purged hereafter. Truly we deceive ourselves by
the inordinate love which we bear towards the flesh.
3. What is it which that fire shall devour, save
thy sins? The more thou sparest thyself and followest the flesh, the
more heavy shall thy punishment be, and the more fuel art thou heaping
up for the burning. For wherein a man hath sinned, therein shall he
be the more heavily punished. There shall the slothful be pricked
forward with burning goads, and the gluttons be tormented with
intolerable hunger and thirst. There shall the luxurious and the
lovers of pleasure be plunged into burning pitch and stinking
brimstone, and the envious shall howl like mad dogs for very grief.
4. No sin will there be which shall not be
visited with its own proper punishment. The proud shall be filled with
utter confusion, and the covetous shall be pinched with miserable
poverty. An hour's pain there shall be more grievous than a hundred
years here of the bitterest penitence. No quiet shall be there, no
comfort for the lost, though here sometimes there is respite from
pain, and enjoyment of the solace of friends. Be thou anxious now and
sorrowful for thy sins, that in the day of judgment thou mayest have
boldness with the blessed. For then shall the righteous man stand in
great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him and made
no account of his labours.(1) Then shall he stand up to judge, he who
now submitteth himself in humility to the judgments of men. Then
shall the poor and humble man have great confidence, while the proud
is taken with fear on every side.
5. Then shall it be seen that he was the wise man
in this world who learned to be a fool and despised for Christ. Then
shall all tribulation patiently borne delight us, while the mouth of
the ungodly shall be stopped. Then shall every godly man rejoice, and
every profane man shall mourn. Then the afflicted flesh shall more
rejoice than if it had been alway nourished in delights. Then the
humble garment shall put on beauty, and the precious robe shall hide
itself as vile. Then the little poor cottage shall be more commended
than the gilded palace. Then enduring patience shall have more might
than all the power of the world. Then simple obedience shall be more
highly exalted than all worldly wisdom.
6. Then a pure and good conscience shall more
rejoice than learned philosophy. Then contempt of riches shall have
more weight than all the treasure of the children of this world. Then
shalt thou find more comfort in having prayed devoutly than in having
fared sumptuously. Then thou wilt rather rejoice in having kept
silence than in having made long speech. Then holy deeds shall be far
stronger than many fine words. Then a strict life and sincere
penitence shall bring deeper pleasure than all earthly delight. Learn
now to suffer a little, that then thou mayest be enabled to escape
heavier sufferings. Prove first here, what thou art able to endure
hereafter. If now thou art able to bear so little, how wilt thou be
able to endure eternal torments? If now a little suffering maketh
thee so impatient, what shall hell-fire do then? Behold of a surety
thou art not able to have two Paradises, to take thy fill or delight
here in this world, and to reign with Christ hereafter.
7. If even unto this day thou hadst ever lived in
honours and pleasures, what would the whole profit thee if now death
came to thee in an instant? All therefore is vanity, save to love God
and to serve Him only. For he who loveth God with all his heart
feareth not death, nor punishment, nor judgment, nor hell, because
perfect love giveth sure access to God. But he who still delighteth
in sin, no marvel if he is afraid of death and judgment. Nevertheless
it is a good thing, if love as yet cannot restrain thee from evil,
that at least the fear of hell should hold thee back. But he who
putteth aside the fear of God cannot long continue in good, but shall
quickly fall into the snares of the devil. |