my soul, bewail bitterly thy sins, not only on account of hell, which thou hast deserved, but much more for the great evil thou hast committed against Almighty God! Cease forthwith to sin, that God may not strike thee "with a cruel chastisement," and "with the wound of an enemy," [1] permitting thee to grow obdurate in thy sins until He chastise thee with neverending pains.
2. Concerning this last consideration, it is to be recollected that it is set down, not as if it were necessary to make this comparison, for hell is neither without sin, neither can there be any case in which hell may be chosen as an alternative rather than to commit a sin, but only that hereby we may see how great an evil sin is, and how worthy it is to be much more absolutely abhorred than hell, even though there were no hell at all. Upon which St. Ambrose [2] says, that there is no pain more grievous than the wound of conscience, nor any judgment more rigorous than the interior, with which every one judges himself guilty. And though the just man (says he) had Gyges' ring with which he might do what he would invisibly, yet would he not sin; for he departs not from sin for fear of punishment, but for the horror of wickedness and love of virtue.
3. That which has been declared in this meditation in general will more manifestly be seen by that which will be declared particularly in the ensuing on the last things of man, and in the special punishments that correspond to the seven deadly sins.
MEDITATIONS ON THE LAST THINGS OF MAN, TO MOVE US TO A DETESTATION OF SINS.
The meditations of the last things of man, which are death and the grave, judgment particular and universal, hell, purgatory, and glory, are most efficacious to move us
