St. Bridget justly says in her revelations: "The heat of hell-fire is so great that if the whole world were wrapped in flames, the heat of the conflagration would be as nothing in comparison with it."
Hence we learn that that earthly fire bears no more resemblance to the fire of hell than the feeble flame of a wax taper to the white heat of a glowing furnace. Remember this, 0 sinner, and lay it well to heart. St. Augustine tells us that the most fearful fire on earth is, in comparison with the fire of hell, like a painting of fire compared to a real fire.
When thou seest a fire, call to mind the fire of hell. And since thou couldst not endure to put thy hand for a single instant into that fire, think what the heat of hell-fire must be, surpassing as it does so infinitely the small fire thou seest before thee. If thou canst not bear this, how canst thou endure the other?
It has now been made clear that the damned will one day be cast, body and soul, into the huge and awful furnace of hell, into the immense lake of fire, where they will be surrounded by flames. There will be fire below them, fire above them, fire all round about them. Every breath will be the scorching breath of a furnace. These infernal flames will penetrate every portion of the body, so that there will be no part or member, within or without, that is not steeped in fire.
When it gets into the hundreds here, you can go outside and take a deep breath. You can feel the heat smothering your nostrils, mouth, throat, and can sometimes takes away your breath, it is so hot! I cannot imagine breathing in fire and smoke all the time forever!
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