vi. (a) " For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat!' — Then the Judge declares the just reason of His sentence, saying, " For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat," nor did you exercise towards me the other works of mercy. And the damned, desiring to excuse themselves as not having failed in such works towards Christ, He will say to them, " As long as you did it not to one of these least, you did it not to me; for I was in them, and therefore what you did not to them you did not to me. For he that loveth not his neighbour, whom he seeth visibly with his eyes, how can he love Almighty God who is invisible? And he who forgetteth the image of Almighty God whom he hath present, how will he remember God Himself, whom he considers as absent?" [1]
(b) I will also consider that Christ our Lord in the reason of the sentence alleges those sins that seem the lesser, to give us to understand with how much more rigour He will chastise the greater sins, of which He will also make mention. And He will especially declare to every one (so that all shall understand it) the cause for which He condemns him, saying to the luxurious, " Depart from me, ye cursed, to everlasting fire, for the luxuries and impurities in which you lived;" and to the perjured and blasphemous, " Depart from me, because you profaned my holy name, whilst I had so great care of honouring yours," &c.
(c) I will consider that the wicked in the day of judgment will allege for their acquittal some glorious works which they did, saying to Christ, " Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and cast out devils in Thy name, and done many miracles in Thy name? [2] Then why dost thou separate us from Thee?" But our Lord will answer them, " I never knew you; depart from me, you that work iniquity:" as if He should say, " I know this faith and these
