him, and was therefore struck with a "leprosy." [1] Finally, Judas, solicited and drawn by his avarice, admitted Satan to enter into him; and not content with stealing what was given to His master, sold Him, and hanged himself. [2]
Colloquy. — O my soul, how is it that thou art not afraid of so fierce a vice that assails and overthrows kings and plebeians, rich and poor, secular and religious, servants of the prophets and primitive Christians, and one of the twelve Apostles?
3. After these chastisements come the eternal punishments of hell, where the covetous shall suffer very great anguish with the knowledge of their terrible necessity, seeing they want all that their avarice desired; and the richer and more covetous they were here, so much the more they shall there be tormented: like the rich covetous man whose abundance ended in horrible misery.
Colloquy. — O omnipotent God, rich in doing mercy, deliver me from this avarice, out of which spring so many miseries, for I had rather without it suffer temporal necessity than with it fall into eternal!
POINT III.
1. Thirdly, I am to consider the great benefits that are included in the perfect mortification of avarice. And as there are two ways of mortifying it — one, keeping still the dominion of my riches, and mortifying only the inordinate affection to them; (in which consists the first degree of poverty of spirit, including the virtue of liberality, which distributes its goods when and as it is convenient, and the virtue of mercy, which remedies the necessities of the poor;) the other, forsaking all the riches that I have or
