A Little Book of Eternal Wisdom [26]
what is that?
Eternal Wisdom.--Accidental reward consists in such particular delight
as souls obtain by particular and meritorious works wherewith they have
conquered here below, even as the souls of great doctors, steadfast martyrs,
and pure virgins. But Essential reward consists in the contemplative union
of the soul with the pure Divinity, for rest she never can till she be born
above all her powers and capacities, and introduced to the natural entity of
the Persons, and to the clear vision of their real essence. And in the
emanation of the splendour of Their essence she will find full and perfect
satisfaction and everlasting happiness; and the more disengaged and
abstracted the self-expression of such souls is, the more free will be their
soaring exaltation; and the more free their exaltation, the deeper will be
their penetration into the vast wilderness and unfathomable abyss of the
unknown Godhead, wherein they are immersed, overflowed, and blended up,[5]
so that they desire to have no other will than God's will, and that they
become the very same that God is: in other words, that they be made blessed
by grace as He is by nature. Raise then thy countenance joyfully, forget for
a while all thy tribulations, comfort thy heart in this dark silent scene
with the secret vision which thou now enjoyest of the society of the
blessed, and behold how blooming and fair those faces appear which here on
earth were so often red with shame for My sake; lift up thy glad heart and
speak as follows: Where now is that bitter shame which so cruelly pierced
your pure hearts? Where now the bowed heads, the cast down eyes? where the
suppressed sorrow of heart, the deep sighs and bitter tears? where the pale
looks, the dire poverty, and manifold infirmities? Where is now the
miserable voice thus speaking: "Alas, my Lord and my God, how sad at heart I
am!" Where are all those now who so greatly oppressed and despised you? No
more are heard such words at these: "Ho, for the combat! ho, for the strife!
be ready day and night like one who fights against the heathen!" Where is
now what you were wont, in the presence of grace, to say a thousand times
interiorly: "Art thou prepared to combat steadily when forsaken?" No more is
heard the sad and lamentable cry which you so often uttered: "O God, why
hast Thou forsaken me!" Rather do I hear the sweet words lovingly sounding
in your ears: "Come hither to Me, My blessed ones, possess the everlasting
kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world." Where is now all
the sorrow and affliction which ye ever endured on earth? O God, how swiftly
is it all vanished like a dream as though ye had never known tribulation! Of
a truth, gentle Lord, how inscrutable are Thy judgments to the world! Happy
you, ye elect, it is all over now with dwelling in nooks and corners, with
stealing away and hiding yourselves from the senseless follies of other men.
Oh, if all hearts were but one heart, they could not sufficiently reflect on
the great honour, the immeasurable deserts, the praise which you will
evermore possess. O ye heavenly princes, O ye noble kings and emperors, O ye
eternal children of God, how full of joy are your countenances, how full of
gladness your hearts! What a loftiness of soul ye have! How right cheerfully
do your voices swell forth in this song: Praise and thanksgiving, glory and
benediction, grace and joy and everlasting honour to Him, from world to
world, from eternity to eternity, from the very bottom of our hearts, to Him
by whose goodness we possess all these things for ever and ever! Amen! Lo,
here is our fatherland, here is heartfelt jubilation, here is unfathomable
everlasting life!
The Servant.--O wonder above all wonders! Ah, fathomless good, what art
Thou? Yes, my gentle Lord, my chosen One, how good it is to be here! O my
only Love, let us tarry here!
Eternal Wisdom.--It is not yet time to tarry here. Many a sharp
conflict hast thou still to endure. This vision has only been shown to thee
that thou mayest
Eternal Wisdom.--Accidental reward consists in such particular delight
as souls obtain by particular and meritorious works wherewith they have
conquered here below, even as the souls of great doctors, steadfast martyrs,
and pure virgins. But Essential reward consists in the contemplative union
of the soul with the pure Divinity, for rest she never can till she be born
above all her powers and capacities, and introduced to the natural entity of
the Persons, and to the clear vision of their real essence. And in the
emanation of the splendour of Their essence she will find full and perfect
satisfaction and everlasting happiness; and the more disengaged and
abstracted the self-expression of such souls is, the more free will be their
soaring exaltation; and the more free their exaltation, the deeper will be
their penetration into the vast wilderness and unfathomable abyss of the
unknown Godhead, wherein they are immersed, overflowed, and blended up,[5]
so that they desire to have no other will than God's will, and that they
become the very same that God is: in other words, that they be made blessed
by grace as He is by nature. Raise then thy countenance joyfully, forget for
a while all thy tribulations, comfort thy heart in this dark silent scene
with the secret vision which thou now enjoyest of the society of the
blessed, and behold how blooming and fair those faces appear which here on
earth were so often red with shame for My sake; lift up thy glad heart and
speak as follows: Where now is that bitter shame which so cruelly pierced
your pure hearts? Where now the bowed heads, the cast down eyes? where the
suppressed sorrow of heart, the deep sighs and bitter tears? where the pale
looks, the dire poverty, and manifold infirmities? Where is now the
miserable voice thus speaking: "Alas, my Lord and my God, how sad at heart I
am!" Where are all those now who so greatly oppressed and despised you? No
more are heard such words at these: "Ho, for the combat! ho, for the strife!
be ready day and night like one who fights against the heathen!" Where is
now what you were wont, in the presence of grace, to say a thousand times
interiorly: "Art thou prepared to combat steadily when forsaken?" No more is
heard the sad and lamentable cry which you so often uttered: "O God, why
hast Thou forsaken me!" Rather do I hear the sweet words lovingly sounding
in your ears: "Come hither to Me, My blessed ones, possess the everlasting
kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world." Where is now all
the sorrow and affliction which ye ever endured on earth? O God, how swiftly
is it all vanished like a dream as though ye had never known tribulation! Of
a truth, gentle Lord, how inscrutable are Thy judgments to the world! Happy
you, ye elect, it is all over now with dwelling in nooks and corners, with
stealing away and hiding yourselves from the senseless follies of other men.
Oh, if all hearts were but one heart, they could not sufficiently reflect on
the great honour, the immeasurable deserts, the praise which you will
evermore possess. O ye heavenly princes, O ye noble kings and emperors, O ye
eternal children of God, how full of joy are your countenances, how full of
gladness your hearts! What a loftiness of soul ye have! How right cheerfully
do your voices swell forth in this song: Praise and thanksgiving, glory and
benediction, grace and joy and everlasting honour to Him, from world to
world, from eternity to eternity, from the very bottom of our hearts, to Him
by whose goodness we possess all these things for ever and ever! Amen! Lo,
here is our fatherland, here is heartfelt jubilation, here is unfathomable
everlasting life!
The Servant.--O wonder above all wonders! Ah, fathomless good, what art
Thou? Yes, my gentle Lord, my chosen One, how good it is to be here! O my
only Love, let us tarry here!
Eternal Wisdom.--It is not yet time to tarry here. Many a sharp
conflict hast thou still to endure. This vision has only been shown to thee
that thou mayest