theologians that God shows mercy even in hell, and chastises sin much less than it deserves.
For the damned are never freed from their sins, and shall remain obdurate in evil forever. Thirdly, this punishment is, according to St. Bernard, right and just, “because with reason is the chastisement eternal, since the guilt can never be blotted out.”[1] You know, my dear brethren, what goes on in the workshop of the artist who is making a statue out of metal; while the furnace is glowing, the metal melting, and the tools all in readiness, he can make whatever statue he pleases—a man, an angel, a lion, a devil. But when the metal has been already poured out and has grown cold, can he then improve on or change the statue that has just been made? No; as it comes from the mould so it must remain. Christians! as long as we are in this life we are like the molten metal, and can become a likeness of God by grace, or a likeness of the devil by sin; when death comes, the casting is over, and we retain the figure we receive therein, that is, in our last moment. If it is the diabolical figure of a reprobate sinner it cannot be changed any more, and the sin ner is no longer in a state to do proper penance or to awaken a meritorious contrition for his sins. Nay, according to St. Gregory, the reprobate are not only incapable of meritorious contrition and sorrow, but for all eternity they will retain obstinately and pertinaciously the wicked will in which they died. Although they know that God is their only happiness and is worthy of all love, they will hate and curse Him forever. From this again the conclusion is evident: since the malice of sin lasts forever, God must hate and punish it forever; and since the sinner, now obstinately persisting in his wickedness, does not cease to be wicked and to curse his Creator, neither can God cease to take vengeance on the sinner. Consequently it is and must be true that eternal fire is meet chastisement, for even one mortal sin. Yes, O Lord! we again acknowledge that “Thou art just, and Thy judgment is right.” The damned themselves, in spite of their torments, shall to their own greater confusion be forced to make the same confession and to acknowledge that they are justly treated, rightly condemned to eternal fire.
From this we see what a hideous monster it is and yet it is committed so wantonly. My dear Christians, what are we to think of all this? O sin, sin! what a terrible monster thou art, since thou alone compellest the infinitely merciful and good God to punish without mercy in everlasting fire the creatures whom He loved even to the death of the cross; and that punishment too is not only meet
- ↑ Merito ultio sempiterna desæviet, quod nunquam possit culpa deleri.
