angelic will become so hideous and deformed in that place of torments that the most revolting of the demons, Lucifer himself, will appear to you fair and comely beside it. The eyes that you now so foolishly liken to the stars in the sky will then shoot forth flashes of lightning to fill you with anguish and dread. Those comely locks that now captivate your eyes shall then be changed into writhing serpents to bite and gnaw at you for all eternity. The mouth that now is full of endearing expressions, and lends itself so easily to your caresses, will then vomit forth curses and imprecations on you.
They shall curse each other forever. Accursed seducer, it will cry out; do I see you here? You have brought me to the abyss of hell! I have satisfied your brutish passion through love of money, or the hope of marriage, or human respect, or poverty, or mere sensuality. Accursed wretch! now I will revenge myself on you for all eternity! And you in turn will exclaim: wanton woman! you are the cause of my damnation; it is you alone I have to thank for being in hell; your indecency in dress, the unchaste songs you sang, the letters you wrote, your flatteries and caresses, your efforts to please me brought me down to the depths of vice, and from there into hell! For all eternity I shall give you no rest; you shall be the object of my undying rage and hatred. In a word, the very presence of the person whom you now find so hard to leave will then be to you a hell in itself. A certain prince who was taken prisoner in battle, seeing his captor standing before him, cried out with averted countenance: take away that man out of my sight, or else have pity on me and strike me dead! Unhappy sinner! how many thousand times you will wish to die in hell; or since death will then be an impossibility for you, what a great alleviation you would think it to have that person removed from your sight whom you now call your treasure and the idol of your heart! But all in vain: you will be able to curse and revile that hellish fury, but her society you will never be freed from for all eternity.
So, too, shall husbands and wives.
But, we might think and ask, how will it be then with those who lived together on earth in lawful, honorable, dutiful love, such as should exist between man and wife, father and son, mother and daughter, brothers and sisters, friends and relations? Will not these, at least if they are together in hell, console each other somewhat in their misfortunes by mutual sympathy? No, dear Christians; in that place where, according to the words of God Himself, there is no order nor reason, but eternal confusion,