Sixth meditation. Judgment

First point.

Eefleot, O my soul, that you are truly senseless if you tremble not at the remembrance of the Last Day, when consuming lire will go before the J udge, when thunder and whirlwinds will roar around Him, when the waters will rise and cast out fiery flames, and the monsters of the deep and the beasts of the earth will howl most frightfully. When the Judge shall appear, the heavens will be shaken, the stars will fall at His feet, the moon will become like blood, and the sun will be obscured. O God, what a convulsion of nature! But it is God alone who does this, for the uni-

JUDGMENT.

verse is so noble that no one can destroy it save its Creator.

Second point.

Reflect that God, being on the judgment seat, with all the nations of the world before Him, will, like a shepherd, separate the goats from the sheep. He will, in an admirable manner, imprint on the minds of the reprobate dread of the loss which they are about to sustain. The divine Majesty will show them clearly the beauty of His face, and the treasures of His goodness. At the sight of that infinite abyss of delight, their will, by a supreme effort, will seek to rush toward God, in order to unite itself to Him and to enjoy His love, but that will be impossible. From the instant that the divine beauty penetrates the understanding of these unfortunate beings, the divine justice will so deprive their will

JUDGMENT.

of strength that it will be unable to love that most amiable Object They will hear this frightful sentence: " Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire I "

Third point.

And the Judge turning to His dear sheep: " Come/' He will say, " ye blessed of My Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you." Then the commandment to love shall give way to the command ef happiness, and we shall see that the commandment of love, which the King Jesus gave to the citizens of Jerusalem militant^ was given only that they might merit citizenship in Jerusalem triumphant.

Affections.

O sovereign Judge, when Thou shalt have enclosed all humanity in eternity, Thou shalt break the shell of this visible

JUDGMENT.

world. I adore Thy power, but I invoke Thy mercy. For if on that day of Thy wrath the pillars of heaven are shakea, how greatly shall my poor heart be disturbed which, like a straw, is agitated by every wind? Alas> O good God! Thou wilt render to every one according to his works; therefore, I should strive only to do well, for that will be the day of Thy general reward. Yes, even the earth, O my God, which has supported Thy elect> will be changed in form, and made more transparent than a mirror; the sun will have seven times more light than it now possesses, and the moon will be made bright as the sun. Oh, what happiness to behold the Bang, Jesus on the day of His triumph!

What do I say! On that day, alas! what advantage will it be to the wicked to see God, if they cannot love Him? Lord \ deliver me from that eternal misfortune and

JUDGMENT.

from the never-ending despair of those that will find themselves not only unable to love Thy goodness, but will even feel an aversion for it

My soul, now is the time to judge, to condemn, to correct yourself, and to acquire the solid virtues of your vocation; for even if on that fearful day, you should be able to say: " Lord, I have raised the dead, I have wrought miracles in Thy name," you will not fail to hear these terrible words: " Go, worker of iniquity, I know you not, for you have not observed your vows and Rules."

O holy and happy company, may you be eternally blessed! Ah! you are indeed blessed, because you have been docile and obedient as sheep. Grant, O sweet Jesus, my kind Master, that I may bless Thee during the course of this life by good digitized by works, so that Thou wilt bless me throughout eternity, and give a place at Thy right to the work of Thy hands*

HELL.