old your welcome for ever and ever." And it almost seemed that the
sauciness and bitterness of the devils, in jeering and mocking their
victims, were worse to bear than the pain itself. What was worst of all,
their conscience was at present utterly aroused, and was tearing them
worse than a thousand of the infernal lions. We proceeded farther and
farther downward, and the farther we proceeded, the more horrible was the
work which was going on; the first place we came to in our progress was a
frightful prison, in which were many human beings under the scourge of
the devils, shrieking most shockingly. "What place is this?" said I.
"That," said the angel, "is the couch of those who cry 'woe is me that I
did not--!' Hark to them for a moment!" "Woe is me that I did not
purify myself in time from every kind of sin!" says one. "Woe is me that
I did not believe and repent before coming here!" says the other.

Next to the cell of too late repentance, and of debate after judgment had
been passed, was the prison of the procrastinators, who would be every
time promising amendment, without ever fulfilling their promise. "When
this business is over," says one, "I will turn over another leaf." "When
this obstacle is removed, I will become a new man yet," says the other.
But when the obstacle is removed, they are not a bit the nearer to
reformation, for some other obstacle is always found to prevent them from
moving towards the gate of Righteousness, and if they do sometimes move a
little, they are sure to turn back. Next to this was the prison of vain
confidence, full of those who, on being commanded to abstain from their
luxuriousness, drunkenness, or avarice, would say, "God is merciful, and
better than his word, and will not damn his creature for ever for so
small a matter." But here they were yelping forth blasphemy, and asking
where is that mercy, which was boasted to be immeasurable. "Peace, hell-
dogs," at length said a great lobster of a devil who was hearing them,
"peace! would you have mercy without doing any thing to obtain it? Would
you have the Truth render his word false, for the sake of obtaining the
company of such filthy dross as you? Too much mercy has been shown to
you already. You were given a Saviour, a comforter, and the apostles,
with books, sermons, and good examples, and will you never cease to
deafen us with bawling about mercy, where mercy has never been?" On
going out from this fiery gulf, I