Nine Discourses for Times of Calamities

I. God threatens to chastise us in order to deliver us from chastisement 4 II. Sinners will not believe in the divine threats until chastisement has come upon them 12 III. God is merciful for a season, and then chastises 21 IV. The four principal gates of hell 30 V. External devotions are useless if we do not cleanse our souls from sin 42 VI. God chastises us in this life for our good not for our destruction 50 VII. God chastises us in this life that he may show us mercy in the next 58 VIII. Prayers appease God, and avert from us the chastisement we deserve, provided we purpose to amend 68 IX. Most Holy Mary is the mediatrix of sinners 76 Nine Discourses for Times of Calamities. FIRST DISCOURSE. God Threatens to Chastise us in order to deliver us from Chastisement. "Heu, consolabor super hostibus meis, et vindicabor de inimicis meis." "Ah, I will comfort Myself over My adversaries: and I will be revenged of My enemies."- Isa. 1:24. SUCH is the language of God, when speaking of punishment and vengeance: He says that he is constrained by his justice to take vengeance on his enemies. But, mark you, he begins with the word Heu, "Ah: " this word is an exclamation of grief by which he would give us to understand, that if he were capable of weeping when about to punish, he should weep bitterly at being compelled to afflict us his creatures, whom he has loved so dearly as to give up his life through love for us. "Alas!" says Cornelius à Lapide, "Is uttered by one who is lamenting and not insulting; God signifies by this word that he is grieving, and that he is unwilling to punish sinners." No, this God, who is the Father of mercies, and so much loves us, is not of a disposition to punish and afflict, but rather to pardon and console us. For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of affliction. But someone will say, since such is his character, why does he now punish us? Or, at least, appear as if he meant to punish us? Why so? Because he wishes to be merciful towards us: this anger which he now displays is all mercy and patience. Let us then, my brethren, understand how the Lord at present appears in wrath, not with a view to our punishment, but in order that we may cleanse ourselves of our sins, and thus enable him to pardon us. Such is the subject of our discourse: GOD THREATENS TO CHASTISE IN ORDER TO DELIVER US FROM CHASTISEMENT. The threats of men ordinarily proceed from their pride and impotence; whence, if they have it in their power to take vengeance on an object, they threaten nothing, lest they should thereby give their enemies an opportunity of escape. It is only when they want the power to wreak their vengeance that they betake themselves to threats, in order to gratify their passion, by awakening at least the fears of their enemies. Not so the threats of which God makes use; on the contrary, their nature is quite different. His threats do not arise from his inability to chastise, because he can be avenged when he wills; but he bears with us in order to see us penitent, and thus exempt from punishment. Thou hast mercy upon all, because Thou canst do all things, and winkest at the sins of men for the sake of repentance. Neither does he threaten from hatred, in order to torment us with fear; God threatens from love, in order that we may be converted to him, and thereby escape chastisement: he threatens, because he does not wish to see us lost: he threatens, in fine, because he loves our souls. But Thou sparest all, because they are thine, O Lord, who lovest souls. He threatens; but notwithstanding bears with us and delays the infliction, because he wishes to see us converted, not lost. He dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance.