Meditations vppon the mysteries of our holy faith with the practise of mental praier touching the same composed in Spanish by the R.F. Luys de la Puente ... ; and translated into English by F. Rich. Gibbons ...

The Second Pointe.

SEcondly, I am to consider the causes, and Cir∣cunstances of this eternitie, pondering how that all that is in Hell is eternall. First, the Damned is eternall, not onely as concerning his soule, but al∣so his Bodye: for hee shall bee Immortall, neither can hee kill himselfe, * 1.1 nor can any other kill him, neither will God annihilate him. And though hee himselfe should desire Death, it will flye from him, and God will not accomplish this his Desire: rather his raving to dissolue himselfe will ter∣riblie torment him, seeing hee cannot obtaine what hee desireth.

Secondly, * 1.2 the place of the Prison is eternall, and cannot bee ruinated: For the Earthe (in the middest whereof Hell is) shall continue for ever: * 1.3 The fier likewise shallbee eternall; for the eternall breathe of God (as the Prophet Isayes saith) shall serue for Brimstone to preserue it, and so, that it shall haue neede of no other fewell. Or if brimstone serue for fewell, it shall like∣wise bee eternall, for the same breathe of God shall preserue it. And Fier, which hath the Vertue to burne, * 1.4 and to consume, hath there by Gods Omnipotencie, its Vertue divided, for there it burneth, and consumeth not: And so that which forever burneth, forever continueth.

Thirdly, * 1.5 the VVorme that there biteth shall bee eternall, and none, (as Christ our Saviour saide,) shall bee able to kill it. For the Corrup∣tion, whereof it is ingendred, which is Sinne, never endeth; and the liuely apprehension

thereof, and of the Paine never ceaseth: and so that cruell gnawing which it maketh in the Con∣science, shall never haue an ende. Fourthly, the Decree of God is eternall, and immutable; for he is resolved never to revoke the diffinitiue sentence that hee hath giuen, nor to deliuer out of Hell him, that once entreth therein: Quia in inferno nulla est redemptio. For in Hell there is no Redemption of Captiues, nor ransoming of Prisoners, nor any price for them, for as much as the blood of Christe passeth not thither. * 1.6 And if when it was freshe, and was shed vpon mount Caluarye; it drewe out of Hell none of the Damned, neither shall it now deliuee any.

Finally, all the Paines shall bee eternall, be∣cause the sinnes shall likewise bee so. For as much as in Hell there is no pardon of sinnes, no true Penance, nor satisfaction that may bee accepted, neither is the blood of Iesus Christ applyed vnto them. From whence it proceedeth, that whosoever will dye without doing penance for his sinnes, * 1.7 hee virtually willeth to remaine in them for ever, and that his sinnes should bee e∣ternall, and therefore hee meriteth that Gods Iustice should chastize him whith paines ever∣lasting. And heerevpon it is, that allbeeit a sin∣ner dye with true Faithe, and Hope, yet en∣tring into Hell, hee is deprived of them, not onely for beeing (as is aforesaide) vnworthy of them, but also for that now there remaineth with him, no obiect of Hope, neither to obtei∣ne pardon of sinnes, nor to bee heard in his petitions, nor to issue out of myserie, nor ever to attaine to any blessednesse. Then hovv is it, * 1.8 o my soule, that thovv fearest not this beeing eter∣nall, obliged to eternall miseries? Hovv is it, that thou art not affrighted vvith this fiere, this breather,

this vvorme? and this decree of God immutable, and sempiternall? Consider, that yet God vvill alter the sentence, if thou vvith penance alterest thy life. At∣tende not till thy sinne bee eternall, for then so like∣vvise shallbee thy punishement.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Apocal. 9.6.
• * 1.2

  Eccles. 1.2.
• * 1.3

  Isa. 30.33.
• * 1.4

  Psalm. 28.7.
• * 1.5

  Marc. 9.44.
• * 1.6

  D. Tho. 3. p. q. 52. art. 6
• * 1.7

  Nota. Ex D. Th. 1.2. q. 87. ar. 3. ad 1. cum D. Aug. & D. Greg. quos ci∣tat. Me∣ditat. 9. pūcto. 4.
• * 1.8

  Colloquie