Meditation Fortieth.
On God's abandoning the sinner in his sins.
I. IT is a grievous chastisement of God, when he cuts the sinner off in his sins; but still worse is that whereby he abandons him and suffers him to add sin upon sin. “ No punishment, is so great," says Bellarmin, “ as when sin is made the punishment of sin.” I give thee thanks, therefore, O Jesus, for not having suffered me to die in my sins; and I give thee still greater thanks, for not having abandoned me in my sins. And oh! into how much deeper an abyss of sin should I have fallen, if thou hadst not supported me. Continue, O Lord, to keep me from sin and do not forsake me.
II. I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall he wasted. Is. v. 5. When the master cuts down the fence of his vineyard, and leaves it open for any one to enter therein, it is a sign that he considers it not worth cultivating, and abandons it. In like manner does God proceed when he forsakes a sinful soul: he takes away from her the hedge of his holy fear, of, his light, and of his voice; and hence the soul being blinded and enslaved by her vices, which overpower her, despises every thing, the grace of God, heaven, admonitions and censures; she thinks lightly even of her own damnation, and thus enveloped in darkness is certain to be lost for ever. The wicked man when he is come into the depth of sins, contemneth. Prov. xviii. 3. This have I deserved, O God, for having so often despised thy light and thy calls. But I see that thou hast not yet abandoned me. I love thee, O my God, and in thee do I place all my hopes.
III. We would have cured Babylon, but she is not healed; let us forsake her. Jer. li. 9. The physi-
