Speculum amatorum mundi

continues from previous page: denied to us, miserable, by divine justice. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear and lay these horrible things to heart, and amending his life, let him repent here in this time of grace, because those who excuse themselves from the scourges of the sons here in the time of grace will be whipped in such a manner in eternal torments. For thus says the blessed Gregorius Gregory the Great: the prosperous success of worldly things is a most certain sign of eternal damnation. What then must be done so that we may avoid hell? I say, God, who according to the Apostle wills all people to be saved and to come to the recognition of His name, has set two words before us in the Gospel. One of which He said while remaining in the flesh, the other He is to say at the final judgment. In which words He sets before us good and evil, life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose, therefore, O man, one of these, because whether you wish it or not, you must follow one of them. Choose, therefore, what you will; you must choose one of these divine things. The first is written in Matthaeus Matthew 3: "Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Such penance, truly said, can be called a religious life virtuously led. The second He will say at the strict judgment, namely on the last day. And it is written in Matthaeus 25: "Depart, you cursed, into eternal fire." For if you accept the first by doing penance, you will surely escape the second. But if you despise the first, without a doubt you will fall into the second. Regarding these words taken together, the holy Bernardus Bernard of Clairvaux says: the lovers of the world answer us when we persuade them to do penance, and they say, "This is a hard saying; who can hear it?" Does it not seem to you, when it is said "do penance," that you are mistaken? But you are being warned of another word, a harsh speech, a hard hearing, a bad hearing, namely: "Depart, you cursed, into eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels," where at last you will eternally sustain intolerable torments. Which God avert by inspiring penance. And what if all these things, both horrible and terrible, are presented