And to rejoice even now in the hope of heaven hereafter. I hope and trust to see my God forever in heaven; therefore I will enjoy a foretaste of this happiness already on earth as far as may be, and shall constantly keep myself in the presence of God, and offer np all my actions by the good intention for His sake and in His honor. I hope and trust to love God forever in heaven; therefore 1 will now at once begin with this love, and in this life I will love God with all my heart above all things, and in future no pleasure, no gain, no mortal, no creature shall have such value in my sight as to withdraw me from the love of my God by sin. I hope and trust to come to heaven and rejoice there forever with God; therefore I will now seek my only consolation and joy in my Lord and God. That is what Christ promised to His disciples and in their persons to us all. They came to Him exulting and told Him how they had cast out demons, and forced them by their word to leave the bodies of the possessed; “but yet,” said Our Lord, “rejoice not in this, that spirits are subject unto you;” that is not a matter for you to make so much of: “but rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven.”[1] That is an advantage that may well cause you to rejoice with good reason: that your names are written in the Book of Life among the elect to eternal glory. Dear Christians, this is said to us also. If we have received special gifts of nature from God, that is nothing for us to rejoice at; if we are rich in temporal goods, high in honors before the world, that is nothing to rejoice at; if we are comely of person and beloved by many, and find much pleasure in earthly things, that is no reason for us to rejoice. Ah, these things are far too vile to be the cause of true joy! If there is one who is made happy by them, there are hundreds whom they have brought to damnation. For one reason alone shall we rejoice in the Lord, namely, the hope we have of being in the number of the elect. If we have to live in all sorts of misery, to endure crosses and trials, poverty, trouble, and persecution, that is no reason why we should be sad or ill at ease; if there is one in hell on account of such things, there are hundreds in heaven who have reached there by the rugged way of the cross. This hope alone can fill us with true joy; this alone can give us courage and delight us in this life above all joys, that our names are written in the Book of Life, that we shall see our God forever in heaven, love Him, and rejoice with
- ↑ In hoc nolite gaudere, quia sipitus vobis subjiciuntur; gaudete autem, quod nomina vestra scripta sunt in cœlis.—Luke x. 20.
