120 



GhazzaWs Alchemy of Happiness. 



day, " Would rather that I had fallen into the abyss of the 

 earth and perished !" The severity of his torture is 

 in proportion to the amount of sensual enjoyments in 

 which he had participated while he was a prince. And it 

 is plain that this torture is not inflicted on the body, but 

 upon only the spirit, and' that it is more excruciating than 

 any pains of the body would be. 



So long as a man is attached to the things of this world 

 engrossed with the care of his body, and gives over his 

 nature to intercourse with sensual enjoyments, he will not 

 care for the warnings his spirit receives in this world, nor 

 for the torment that it will incur in the future world. A 

 sick man for example will not be so excessively despondent 

 about his malady in the day time, because his senses are 

 interested in other things, and as his heart follows in their 

 train, he in some measure forgets his malady. In the 

 night, however, when his senses have nothing to be em- 

 ployed about, his thoughts about his malady do not leave 

 his mind free for one moment, and his pain increases. So 

 also in death, the cares and thoughts of the world and the 

 external senses cease entirely to operate on account of the 

 torment of the spirit, and then the perfect torment of the 

 spirit becomes manifest. 



The second kind of torment in hell, beloved, is the fire 

 of ignominy and shame. In illustration of this, suppose 

 that a prince receives into his friendship a poor and hum- 

 ble man, treating him with great honor and making him 

 the favorite among all his confidential servants. He gives 

 into his hands the keys of all his treasuries, commits his 

 honor and wife and family to his care, and in short confides 

 all his affairs into his hands, in full reliance upon him. 

 Then, suppose that the poor man, after being elevated to 

 this high rank, should be puffed up with pride, and should 

 be disposed to betray the honor of the prince, — that he 

 should begin to indulge in unworthy conduct with his wife 



