11. On the fear of eternal punish- ment, as a preservative against the vices of the flesh and pride of spirit

" Confge tirnore tuo carries meas.

" Pierce thou my jlesh with thy fearr 1 . Such a prayer is good to repress the evil incUriations of the flesh, and humble the pride of the spirit ; because these two enemies fight against man and harass him daily : for either the flesh torments him by its irregular appetites, or the spirit seeks the praise of men : — applying its own good works to the gratification of vanity. o o I o Both of these enemies are great evils, and from either side there is imminent peril.

When thou art drawn to evil, by that miserable tlesh, so shortly doomed to be the prey of death, think of the torments of eternal tire. Thns shalt thou extinguish the fires of concupiscence, by thinking on those of hell : for it is happily ordered that impressions more feeble should disappear before those which are stronger, that the soul may be saved " so as by fire."* Short is the duration of all carnal pleasure : — beauty of body, glory, honours, — all the enjoyments of this world, are vain and deceitful.

As a violent headache forces complaints and groans, even from the thoughtless and the negligent, so the fear of death, and the dread of the punishment of hell, cause o o the man subject to his passions, to resist temptation, and abstain from sin.

2. He that is without fear, shall quickly fall into evil : and he that refuses to humble himself, in the presence of God and His saints, shall be confounded by devils in the day of judgment, and cruelly tormented by them for ever.

Listen to an irrevocable decree, applicable to every creature, — to angels as well as to men : — " God resisteth the proud, and givelh grace to the humble."* But the mercy of the Lord is with His saints and elect, from eternity unto eternity.

Tremble, then, proud man, at the judgment of God in all thy actions, and cease to glory in the vanity of a passing reputation.

When thou hast done all that thou canst, and all that thou oughtst to have done, there yet remain many things, and scarcely couldst thou restore one for a thousand.

Tremble then at the rod and staff of God's vengeance — tremble on account of the judgment to come.

Every virtue shall be rewarded, but every bad action shall be punished.

If fire were to break out in thy dwelling, wouldst thou not fear ? — wouldst thou not rise on the instant and fly ? Such is the effect that ought to be produced in thy soul by the fear, and dread and thoughts of the pains to come, which shall never end ; and whoever entertains in his heart a lively horror — a salutary dread — of the punishments of hell, shall thereby overcome lukewarmness, and rekindle his fervour.