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MYSTICAL, CITY OF GOD
BOOK 1
CHAPTER 17.
STILL TREATING OF THE MYSTERY OF THE CONCEPTION OF HOLY MARY AND EXPLAINING THE TWENTY-FIRST
CHAPTER OF THE APOCALYPSE.
244. The Immaculate Conception of the most holy Mary contains such great and such exalted
sacraments that in order to make me more capable of understanding this admirable mystery, his
Majesty opened up to me many of the hidden meanings of the twenty-first chapter of the
Apocalypse of St. John and referred me to it for my guidance. In recording some of the
things which were manifested to me I will divide this explanation into three parts,
thus relieving the monotony which too long a chapter might entail. And first I will give
the very words of that chapter which begins in the following manner:
245. 1. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first
earth were gone, and the sea was now no more.
2. And I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, Coming down out of heaven, from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3. And I heard a great voice from the throne
saying: Behold the tabernacle of God with men,
and He shall dwell with them. And they shall be his people and God himself with them shall
be their God. 4. And God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes; and death shall be no more, nor crying,
nor mourning, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away.
5. And He that sat upon the throne said: Behold I make all things new. And He said to me:
Write, for these things are most faithful and true.
6. And He said to me: It is done; I am the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the
end. To him that thirsteth I will give of the fountain
of the water of life, freely. 7. He that shall overcome shall possess these
things and I will be his God; and he shall be my Son.
8. But the fearful and the unbeliever and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers,
and sorcerers and idolaters, and all liars, they shall have their portion in the pool
burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death."
246. This is the first of the three parts of the literal rendering of this chapter and
I will begin to explain it verse for verse. "I saw," says the Evangelist, "a new heaven
and a new earth." He speaks of the creation of Mary by the hand of the Almighty and the
formation of that material, from which the most holy human nature of the Word originated.
With great propriety can that divinely human nature and the virginal womb, where and from
which the Word was formed, be called a new heaven; for in that heaven, God began to dwell
in a new way,
(Jeremiah. 31, 21),
different from that in which He had dwelt before in the old heaven and in any of his
creatures. But also the old heaven after the mystery of the Incarnation could be called
new, for through it the novelty was made possible, that henceforth also mortal men could dwell
therein. Moreover the renovation, which was wrought by the glory of the humanity of Christ
and that of his most pure Mother, was so splendid, that in addition to its former essential glory,
it renewed the heaven and added to it unheard of beauty and splendor. Although the good
angels already dwelt there, that was a thing as of old and of yore; therefore it was as
it were a new event, that the Onlybegotten of the Father should by his death restore
to men the glory lost through sin, and merit for them admittance into heaven, whence they
had been expelled and incapacitated as inhabitants through their own fault. And because all this
renewal of heaven had its beginning in most holy Mary, the Evangelist, in speaking of
Mary born without sin, said that he saw a new heaven.
247. He saw also a new earth; for the old earth was stained and laden with the guilt
of sin and the reprobation; but the holy and blessed earth of most holy Mary was a new
earth without the fault or the malediction of Adam; and it was so new, that since the
creation of the first earth none other was seen until the creation of most holy Mary.
It was so new and free from the malediction of the old earth that in this blessed earth
were renewed all the rest of the children of Adam. For on account of the blessed earth
of Mary and through it, and in it, the earthly material of Adam was beginning to be blessed,
renewed and vivified, having until then remained cursed and grown old in malediction. All was
renewed in most holy Mary and in her innocence; and therefore the Evangelist, seeing that
in Her this renovation of the human and earthly elements took its rise, says that in Mary
conceived without sin he saw a new heaven and a new earth. He continues:
248. "For the first heaven and the first earth were gone." It naturally followed that as
soon as the new earth and new heaven of Mary and her Son the Godman appeared in the world,
the old heaven and the earth, grown old by the sin-tarnished human and earthly matter,
should disappear. There was now a new heaven for the Divinity in that human being, which,
being preserved from sin, could furnish a new habitation to God through the hypostatic
union of the person of the Word, Already the first heaven ceased to exist, that one which
God had created in Adam and which had become deficient and unfit for the indwelling of
a God. This disappeared and for it was substituted the other heaven in the coming of Mary. Then
also arose the new heaven of glory for the human beings, not inasmuch as the empyrean
heaven was removed, but in so far as from now on there would not be wanting the presence
of men therein, who had been excluded for so many ages. In this respect it ceased to
be the old heaven and it became a new one through the merits of Christ, now beginning
to shine forth in the aurora of grace, most holy Mary, his Mother. Thus vanished the first
heaven and the first earth, which until then was without hope of remedy. "And the sea was
no more." For the sea of abominations and sin, which had flooded the world and destroyed
the earth of our being, ceased to exist with the coming of most holy Mary and of Christ;
for the sea of his blood superabounded, overwhelming the sea of sin in such an abundance, that
no amount of guilt could prevail against it. If the mortals would only approach this infinite
sea of the divine mercy and merits of Jesus Christ our Lord, all the sins of the world
would cease to exist, since the Lamb of God came to undo them and take them away.
249. "And I, John, saw the holy city and the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from
God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." As all these mysteries had their beginning
in most holy Mary, and were founded in Her, the Evangelist says, that he saw the holy
city Jerusalem, for under this figure he speaks of Her. To Him was given to see Her, in order
that he might value so much mort highly and watch with befitting solicitude over the Treasure,
which was confided to his care at the foot of the Cross. And although nothing could ever
fill up the void caused by the absence of her Son, yet it was befitting that saint John
should be enlightened as to the dignity of the office, which he was to assume, namely,
that of a substitute for her natural Son.
250. On account of the wonderful works, which God had accomplished in the city of Jerusalem,
it was a most excellent symbol of Her, who was his Mother, the center and the focus of
all wonders of the Almighty. For a similar reason it is also a figure of the works of
the Church militant and triumphant; both were revealed to the eagle vision of saint John
and he was shown the correspondence and similarity which those two mystical Jerusalems presented.
But in an especial manner he viewed as from a watchtower the exalted Jerusalem of the
most holy Mary, in which are portrayed and reproduced all the graces, wonders, gifts
and excellences of the Church militant and triumphant. Whatever was transacted in Jerusalem,
the city of Palestine, and all that it signified together with its inhabitants, is reproduced
in the most pure Mary, the holy City of God, and with a greater and more marvelous excellence
than in all the rest of heaven and earth and their inhabitants. Hence She is called the
new Jerusalem, since all her gifts, her greatness and virtues are new and are the cause of new
wonder to the saints. New also, because She came after all the ancient Fathers, Patriarchs
and Prophets, and in Her were renewed and accomplished all their clamors, their prophecies
and promises; new, because She came without the contagion of guilt and under a new dispensation
far from the law of sin; new, because She entered into the world triumphant over sin,
the devil and the first deceit, thus being the greatest new event since its beginning.
251. As all this was now on the earth and could not have proceeded from earthly causes,
She is said to "come down from heaven." Although She was derived from Adam according to the
ordinary course of nature, She did not tread the well-worn paths of sin in her coming,
as had been done by all the preceding children of that first delinquent. For that Lady alone
there was a special decree of divine predestination and a new path was opened, by which She should
descend into this world with Her divine Son, neither being Herself the companion of any
other of the mortals, nor any of them being found worthy of treading the same path as
She and Christ our Lord. Thus She, as a new creature from the heaven of the divine mind,
descended from the exalted spheres of divine forethought and pre-ordination. Just as the
other children of Adam, derived from the earth, are earthly and tainted, so this Queen of
all creation comes from heaven derived from God himself by innocence and grace; for ordinarily
we say, that such a one is descended from this or that house or family, since he descends
therefrom as from a source of his being. Now the natural substance of Mary, which She derived
from Adam, scarcely comes into consideration, when we take into account her dignity as Mother
of God with all that it imports as bringing Her so near to the eternal Father by grace
and participation of the Divinity. This dignity causes her natural being to appear as merely
accessory and of minor importance. Hence the Evangelist directed his gaze upon that which
was in Her most exalted and heavenly, and not upon the insignificant part of her being
that came from the earth.
252. He continues saying that She came "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." For the
day of the espousal it is customary among mortals to procure the most precious adornments
and presents obtainable for adorning the terrestrial bride, and the most precious jewels will even
be borrowed, in order that nothing may be wanting to the array befitting her state and
condition. Therefore, if we admit, as we are indeed forced to admit, that the most pure
Mary was the Spouse of the blessed Trinity, and Mother of the second Person, and that
She was adorned and prepared for these dignities by the omnipotent God, who is infinite and
rich without measure or limit: what adornments, what preparation, what jewels must those be
with which He fitted Her out in order that She might be a worthy Spouse and Mother? Would
He reserve any of his jewels in his treasury? Would He withhold any grace that could beautify
and make Her precious? Would He permit Her to be deformed, ill-favored, blemished in
any way or for the least instant ? Would He be sparing and niggardly with his Mother and
Spouse, when He so prodigiously lavishes the treasures of the Divinity upon other souls,
who, in comparison, with Her, are less than servants and slaves of his house? Let all
confess with the Lord Himself, that She alone is the chosen One
(Canticles. 6, 8),
and the perfect One, whom the rest must recognize, proclaim and magnify as the immaculate and
most happy among women, of whom in wonder and with joyful praise they ask: Who is She
that comes forth like the morning, beautiful as the moon
(Canticles. 6, 9),
and terrible as the serried armies? This is the most holy Mary, the only Spouse and Mother
of the Almighty, who descends to the world adorned and prepared as the Bride of the blessed
Trinity for her Spouse and her Son. This coming and entrance was made memorable by such great
gifts of the Divinity, that the splendor of them made Her more agreeable than the sunrise,
more beautiful than the moon, more exquisite and admirable than the sun, and without equal
among things created; She came more valiant and powerful than the heavenly hosts of saints
and angels. She descended adorned and prepared by God, who gave Her all that He desired,
and who desired to give Her all that He could, and who could give all that is not the essentially
Divine, namely, all that is most approximate to the Divinity and farthest removed from
any blemish of a creature. Entire and most perfect was this adornment, so that all defect
was excluded, which would not have been the case, if in any regard She failed in grace
and innocence. Without this the treasures of grace would not suffice to make Her so
beautiful, since they would adorn but a distorted visage, a nature infected with sin, or a garment
soiled and besmirched by guilt. Forever there would have been a stain, a shadow and blot
of guilt, which no diligence on her part could obliterate. All this was unbefitting the Mother
and Spouse of God, and if it was unbefitting Her, it was also unbefitting Himself; for
He would have failed to adorn and prepare Her, with the love of a Spouse, or the solicitude
of a Son, if, having in his possession most rich and precious vestments, He would have
clothed his Mother and Spouse, and Himself, in soiled and worn-out garments.
253. It is verily time, that the honor due to our great Queen should be unveiled and
made clear to human insight, and that whoever was misled by opposite opinions, should hesitate
and cease to belittle and deny Her the adornments of her immaculate purity at the instant of
her heavenly Conception. Compelled by the force of truth and by the light, in which
I see these ineffable mysteries, I proclaim over and over again, that (as far as revealed
to me), the privileges, graces, prerogatives, favors and gifts of most holy Mary, not excluding
even that of her being the Mother of God, all depend upon, have their origin, and are
founded upon the fact, that She was immaculate and full of grace in the moment of her most
pure Conception, hence all of them would appear ill-proportioned and deficient without this
favor, like a sumptuous edifice without a solid and well-built foundation. All depend
and are founded in a certain way upon the purity and innocence of her Conception and
on this account it was necessary to refer so often in the course of this history to
this mystery, especially when treating of the divine decree, the formation of most holy
Mary, and the incarnation of her most holy Son. I will not enlarge on this; but I will
give notice to all, that the Queen of heaven so esteems the beauty and adornment given
to Her by her Son and Spouse in her purest Conception, that She will be correspondingly
incensed against those, who, with evil intention and obstinacy, try to despoil Her and debase
Her in this point, while her most holy Son had deigned to show Her to the world thus
adorned and beautified for his glory and for the encouragement of the mortals. The Evangelist
proceeds:
254. "And I heard a great voice from the throne saying: Behold the tabernacle of God with
men, and he shall dwell with them. And they shall be his people and God himself with them
shall be their God." The voice of the Most High is great and strong, sweet and efficacious
to move and draw toward Him all creation. Such was the voice which saint John heard
proceeding from the throne of the most blessed Trinity and which caused him to pay perfect
attention, in order to understand thoroughly the mystery which was then shown to him. He
was privileged to see the dwelling of God among men and that He lived among them, that
He was their God and they his people. All this was contained in the mysterious figure
of most holy Mary descending from heaven in the form I have described. Since this divine
tabernacle of God had now come to the earth, it followed, that God also dwelt among men
for He lived and remained in this tabernacle. It is as if the Evangelist had said: the King
has taken possession and is holding his court in the world and for no other reason than,
that He might remain and dwell on earth. And in such manner, that from this tabernacle
He was to assume the human form, in which He was to be a Dweller among men. In it He
was to be their God and they his people, as the inheritance of the Father and also for
his Mother. We were the inheritance of the Father to his Son, not only because in Him
were all things created and because all was given to Him through the eternal generation:
but also because He redeemed us as man clothed in our human nature, buying us as his people
and as the inheritance of the Father and making us his brethren. For the same reason, namely,
on account of his human nature, we are the legitimate inheritance of Mary most holy,
since She gave Him the form of human flesh by which He purchased us for Himself. She,
being the Mother and the Spouse of the Blessed Trinity, was also the Mistress of all creation,
which She left as an inheritance of her Onlybegotten; for the human laws, are founded on right reason
and therefore need not be invalid in the divine order of things.
255. This voice proceeded from the royal throne through an angel. who with a sort of holy
envy seemed to me to say to the Evangelist: Behold and see the tabernacle of God among
men, and He shall live with them and they shall be his people; He will be their Brother
and He will assume human form in this tabernacle Mary, whom thou seest descending from heaven,
by her conception and formation. But we can answer with equal joy to these heavenly courtiers:
indeed the tabernacle of God is with us, for it is our tabernacle, and in it God becomes
our own; He will receive from it life and blood, which He offers in purchase for us
in order to make us his people. He shall live in us as in his dwelling and habitation, since
receiving Him in the holy Sacrament we are made his tabernacle. Let those heavenly spirits
be content to be our elder brothers, less in need than we. We are the frail little ones,
who must be strengthened and regaled by our Father and Brother. Let Him come to the tabernacle
of his Mother and to us; let Him assume human form in her virginal womb; let the Divinity
be encompassed and live among us and in us. Let us hold Him in our midst, in order that
He may be our God and we his people and his resting-place. Let the angelic spirits break
forth in wonder and praise at such great marvels: but let us mortals enjoy Him, uniting with
them in praise and love toward Him. The text continues:
256. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and death shall be no more, nor
crying, nor mourning, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed
away." In consequence of the Redemption, of which the Conception of most holy Mary has
assured us, the tears, which sin has caused to flow from the eyes of the mortals, shall
be dried. Those that avail themselves of the mercy of the Most High, of the blood and merits
of his Son, of his mysteries and sacraments, of the treasures of his Church, of the intercession
of his Mother, there is no more death, no sorrow, no tears: since the death of sin and
all that resulted from sin is abolished and has ceased. The true mourning is now left
to the sons of perdition that dwell in the abyss whence there is no deliverance. The
sorrows of labor are not a mourning, not a true sorrow, but only an apparent one, entirely
compatible with the true and the highest kind of joy. For when accepted with submission,
it is of inestimable value and the Son of God chose it as a loving pledge for Himself,
his Mother, and his brethren.
257. Nor will there be heard any clamor, nor the voice of quarrel; for the just and the
wise, following the example of their Master and of his most humble Mother, must learn
to bear themselves with silence, like the artless lamb, when it is slaughtered as victim
of the sacrifice.
(Isayah. 53, 7).
They must renounce the right of our weak nature to vent itself in cries and to complain, seeing
that his Majesty, their supreme Lord and model, was slaughtered on the frightful Cross in
order to repair the damages wrought by our impatience and want of confidence. Why should
our human nature be permitted to complain of labor and trouble, in view of such an example?
Or how can hateful distinction and uncharitable sentiments be allowed among men, when Christ
has come to establish the law of eternal charity? The Evangelist repeats: "and sorrow shall
be no more," for if any sorrows remained among men, they are those of a bad conscience; but
as a remedy of this kind of sorrow, there is the sweet medicine of the incarnation of
the Word in the womb of the most holy Mary, so that now this sorrow is become acceptable
and the cause of rejoicing, not any more meriting the name of sorrow and containing within itself
the highest and the sincerest joy. With its introduction the first things have passed
away, namely, the sorrows and the useless hardships of the ancient laws, which are now
sweetened and assuaged by the abundance of grace in the new law. Therefore he adds: "And
behold, I make all things new." This voice proceeded from the One, who is seated on the
throne, because He declares Himself as the Artificer of all the mysteries of the new
law of the Gospel. Since all this newness was to begin with such an unheard of and such
an inconceivable event, as the Incarnation of the Onlybegotten of the Father and the
preservation of the virginity of his Mother, it was necessary, that, just as in all things,
so in this Mother, there should be nothing old and worn-out. But original sin clearly
is as old as visible nature, and if the Mother of the incarnate Word was to be infected with
it, He would not have made all things new.
258. And He said to me: "Write, for these things are most faithful and true." And He
said to me: "I am the Alpha and the Omega: the beginning and the end." According to our
way of speaking, God was deeply grieved, because the great works of love performed for us in
the Incarnation and Redemption should be so much forgotten; and as a remembrance of these
great benefits and as a satisfaction for our ingratitude He commands them to be written.
Therefore men should write them in their hearts and should begin to dread the offense, which
they commit against God by their gross and execrable forgetfulness. Although it is true,
that the Catholics believe and trust in these mysteries, yet by the contempt, which they
show in their want of esteem for them and in their forgetfulness, they seem tacitly
to repudiate them, living as if they did not believe them. Protesting against their foul
ingratitude, the Lord says: "For these things are most faithful and true." Let the torpid
and listless mortals in their sloth and listlessness understand, that these words are most faithful
as well as most powerful to stir the human heart from its torpidity, as soon as they
become fixed in the memory, pondered and revolved in the mind as the most certain truth. For
God has made them true for each one of us.
259. But as God does not repent of his gifts
(Romans. 11, 29)
and does not retract the good which He confers, even if man makes himself unworthy, He says:
"It is done;" as if He wanted to say to us, that although by our ingratitude we have offended
Him, He will not turn back from his course of love, but having already sent into the
world the most holy Mary free from original sin, all that pertains to the Incarnation
is already an accomplished fact. Since the most pure Mary was now on earth it appeared
impossible, that the divine Word should remain in heaven and not come to earth in order to
assume human flesh in the womb of the ***. And He assured us again saying: I am the Alpha
and the Omega, the first and the last letter, the beginning and the end, including the perfection
of all things; for if I give them a beginning, it is for the purpose of raising them to the
perfection of their ultimate end. This I will do through Christ and Mary, commencing and
perfecting in Them all the works of grace. In man I will raise and draw all creatures
toward Me, as to their last end and their center, where they shall find repose.
260. "To him that thirsteth I will give of the fountain of the water of life, freely.
He that shall overcome shall possess these things." Who among creatures shall presume
to give counsel to God
(Romans. 11, 34)
or who shall give so much to Him as to oblige Him to make a return? So says the Apostle,
wishing to make it understood, that all that God does or has done for men, was of his free
grace, and not through obligation toward anyone. The source of a fountain owes nothing to him
that drinks from its stream; freely and gratuitously it flows for all that approach; and that all
do not partake of its blessings is not the fault of the fountain, but of those that do
not approach, for it invites all to partake of its joyful abundance. And if they do not
seek it, it issues itself to seek such as will partake, flowing on without ceasing,
in order that freely and without reward it might offer itself to all. O most reprehensible
dullness of mortals! O most abominable ingratitude! If the true Lord is in no way obliged to us,
and if He has given and gives all out of liberality, and if He has even exceeded all his graces
and benefits by becoming man and dying for us, thus giving Himself to us entirely and
letting flow the stream of his Divinity until it meets our human nature and unites Itself
with us, how is it possible, that we, being so desirous of honor, glory and delight, do
not hasten to drink from this freely flowing fountain?
(Isayah. 55, 1).
But well I see the cause. We do not thirst for the true glory, honor and happiness, but
we seek only for the apparent and deceitful ones, despising the fountains of grace, which
Jesus Christ has opened for us by the merits of his Death.
(Isayah, 12, 3).
But to those that have thirst after the Divinity and its graces, the Lord promises, that He
will give freely of the fountain of life.
(Jeremiah. 2, 13).
O what a great sorrow and pity it is, that having discovered the fountain of life, so
few are thirsting for it, and that there are so many, who run after the waters of death!
Those that conquer the demon, the world, and their own flesh within themselves, will certainly
possess these things. And it is moreover said, that He offers them, for it might be doubtful,
lest the waters of grace might at some time be denied or withdrawn: therefore in order
to assure us, they are offered freely for our possession without limit or restriction.
261. Over and above, the Lord hastens to certify all this by another assurance, saying: "I
shall be his God and he shall be my son",
(Apocalypse. 21, 7),
and if He is to us a God, and we are to Him as sons, it is clear, that we are made to
be sons of God, and being sons, also heirs of all his goods
(Romans. 8, 17)
and being heirs (although all our heirship is that of grace) we are made secure of our
inheritance, just as children are secure in the inheritance of the possession of their
parents. As He is Father and God at the same time, infinite in his attributes and perfections,
who can estimate the goods, which He offers to us in making us sons? Therein is included
the paternal love, our preservation, our vocation, our enlivenment and justification, all the
means thereto, and finally our glorification and the state of happiness, which neither
eyes have seen, nor ears have heard, nor ever has entered into the heart of man. All this
is destined for those that conquer and have shown themselves true and courageous children.
262. "But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers,
and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, they shall have their portion in the pool
burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." On this formidable roster
innumerable sons of perdition have written their names of their own accord, since infinite
is the number of the foolish, who blindly have chosen death, blocking up for themselves
the path of life. For this path is not hidden to those who use their eyes, but only to those
who willfully close their eyes and who have allowed and are allowing themselves to be
fascinated and deceived by the fraudulent tricks of satan. According to the different
inclinations and tastes he proffers them the poisonous cup of vice, after which they seek.
"The fearful" are those, who continually hesitate, and thus fail to taste of the manna of virtue
and never enter into the pathway of eternal life; to whom virtue appears insipid and burdensome,
though the yoke of the Lord is sweet and his burden is light;
(Matthew. 11, 30);
deceived by this fear they are overcome by their cowardice rather than by the difficulties.
Those other ones, "the unbelievers," neither admit that truths are revealed, nor give belief
to them, like the heretics, pagans and infidels; or if they do believe them, like the Catholics,
it seems as if they heard them from afar and only through the faith of others, not giving
full assent to the evident truth contained therein. Thus they hold but a lifeless belief
and they live like unbelievers.
263. "The abominable," are those who follow vice without distinction, without repentance
or limit, and rather boast of their wickedness and contempt, making themselves hateful to
God and drawing down his wrath and curse. Thus they arrive at a state of rebellion and
become incapable of good works. They draw away from the path of eternal life, as if
they were not created for it, they separate and become estranged from God and his benefits
and blessings, objects of disgust to God and his saints. Likewise are mentioned "the murderers,"
who, without fear or reverence for the divine justice, usurp the right of the supreme Lord,
the sole Governor of the universe, and presume to chastise and avenge injury; these deserve
to be treated and judged according to the same measure, which they use in treating and
judging others.
(Luke 6, 38).
"The adulterers" are excluded from that kingdom, since, for a short and impure pleasure, which
is abhorred as soon as it is attained, and yet in its disorder is never satiated, they
despise the friendship of God and the eternal joys, which on being tasted are the more sought
and are an unfailing fountain of undiminished delight. The "sorcerers" likewise, who believe
and testify to the false promises of the dragon, hidden under the cloak of friendship; they
are deceived themselves and so perverted that they deceive and pervert others. "The idolaters"
cannot enter heaven for they seek after and feel the presence of the Divinity and do not
find it, though He is in all our surroundings.
(Act 17, 27).
They ascribe Divinity to the works of their own hands, which are only inanimate shadows
of the truth and empty cisterns, totally inapt to suggest an idea of the grandeur of the
true God.
(Jeremiah. 2, 13).
"The liars" also, who standing in opposition to the highest truth, which is God, are deprived
of his rectitude and virtue, occupying the opposite extreme, confiding more in fraudulent
deceits than in the Author of truth and of all good.
264. Of all these the Evangelist says he heard the sentence, "Their portion shall be in the
pool of the fire burning with sulphur, which is the second death." Nobody can complain
of divine justice and equity since He has justified his cause by the greatness of his
benefits and numberless mercies. He descended from heaven to live and die among men and
rescue them by his own life-blood. He opened up vast foundations of grace, which are freely
offered to us in the holy Church. In addition to all this He gave us his Mother and the
fountain of her most holy life, through which we may attain it. Therefore, mortals cannot
excuse themselves, if in spite of all these gifts, they have not made use of his grace,
and if they have abandoned the inheritance of eternal life in the pursuit of momentary
delights of their mortal life. No wonder that they harvest that which they have sown, and
that their portion shall be in the terrible abyss of burning brimstone from whence there
is no redemption nor hope of life, when once the second death of punishment has overtaken
them. Although this second death is infinite in its duration, yet more wicked and abominable
was the first death of their sin, into which they voluntarily precipitated themselves.
For the death of grace caused by sin is opposed to the infinite sanctity and goodness of God;
it offends Him, who is to be reverenced and adored. The death of infernal pains is the
just punishment of these damnable souls and is the equitable retribution of his most unerring
was outraged and despised by sin. Let it through all the ages be feared and adored. Amen.