CONSIDERATION XXIX
Of Heaven
"Your sorrow shall be turned into joy." S. John xvi. 20.
First Point.
LET us now endeavour to endure patiently the afflictions of this life, offering them to God in union with the pains which Jesus Christ endured for our sakes, and let us encourage ourselves with the hope of paradise. All these afflictions, sorrows, persecutions, and fears, will one day come to an end; and when we are saved they will become joys and pleasures for us in the kingdom of the blessed. Even thus does the Lord encourage us, " Your sorrow shall be turned into joy." Let us, therefore, reflect today somewhat upon paradise. But what can we say of this paradise, if the saints who had more knowledge than we, were unable to make us understand the joys which God has in store for His faithful servants, and David could only express his praise of it by saying, that paradise is a rest which is very desirable, " Oh, how amiable are Thy dwellings, Thou Lord of Hosts." (Ps. lxxxiv. I.) But thou, at least, my holy Paul, thou who hadst the happy chance of being ravished at the sight of heaven, "caught up into paradise," tell us something of what thou hast seen. No, says the Apostle, it is not possible to explain what I have seen. The delights of paradise are " unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." (2 Cor. xii. 4.) They are so great that they
