this knocking of thy conscience, and " be at agreement with thy" good " adversary," [1] that pricketh thee when thou sinnest; for in hell, like a mad and enraged dog, she will bark and bite, revenging the injury thou didst her, when in this life thou contemnedst her!
4. The fourth tormentor will be the invisible hand of Almighty God, which discharges itself upon the damned, using His omnipotence against them; who, knowing this, turn their rage against Him, breaking out into horrible blasphemies, and desiring that He might cease to be. But all is turned to the increase of their anguish and torment.
Colloquy. — O most heavy hand of the Omnipotent, who can abide thee? Oh, what "a fearful thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God," [2] when He is offended! Keep, O Lord, very far from me this Thy hand of chastisement, and touch me with that of Thy mercy, that, being freed from these fears, I may ever enjoy Thee, world without end! Amen.
MEDITATION XVII.
ON THE PAINS OF THE SENSES AND INTERIOR FACULTIES, AND ON THE PAIN OF LOSS OR DAMNATION WHICH IS SUFFERED IN HELL.
As the sinner commits two great evils, which are, to separate himself from Almighty God, the fountain of living water, [3] and to turn to creatures, to enjoy their perishing delights, so in hell he is punished with two sorts of pain — one which we call of loss, or damnation, for the first evil; and another which we call of sense for the second. [4] With this we will begin, because the pain of sense is more easy to perceive.
