13. That we receive more as the reward of our suffering than what we endure here in the suffering itself,

The blessed Apostle Paul proves; who by the divine condescension, being caught up into the third heaven and into paradise, testifies that he heard unspeakable words, who boasts that he saw Jesus Christ by the faith of sight, who professes that which he both learnt and saw with the greater truth of consciousness, and says:  “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory which shall be revealed in us.”116    Rom. viii. 18. Who, then, does not with all his powers labour to attain to such a glory that he may become the friend of God, that he may at once rejoice with Christ, that after earthly tortures and punishments he may receive divine rewards? If to soldiers of this world it is glorious to return in triumph to their country when the foe is vanquished, how much more excellent and greater is the glory, when the devil is overcome, to return in triumph to paradise, and to bring back victorious trophies to that place whence Adam was ejected as a sinner, after casting down him who formerly had cast him down; to offer to God the most acceptable gift—an uncorrupted faith, and an unyielding virtue of mind, an illustrious praise of devotion; to accompany Him when He shall come to receive vengeance from His enemies, to stand at His side when He shall sit to judge, to become co-heir of Christ, to be made equal to the angels; with the patriarchs, with the apostles, with the prophets, to rejoice in the possession of the heavenly kingdom! Such thoughts as these, what persecution can conquer, what tortures can overcome? The brave and stedfast mind, founded in religious meditations, endures; and the spirit abides unmoved against all the terrors of the devil and the threats of the world, when it is strengthened by the sure and solid faith of things to come. In persecutions, earth is shut up,117    “The eyes of the earth are closed” is the reading of other editions. but heaven is opened; Antichrist is threatening, but Christ is protecting; death is brought in, but immortality follows; the world is taken away from him that is slain, but paradise is set forth to him restored; the life of time is extinguished, but the life of eternity is realized. What a dignity it is, and what a security, to go gladly from hence, to depart gloriously in the midst of afflictions and tribulations; in a moment to close the eyes with which men and the world are looked upon, and at once to open them to look upon God and Christ! Of such a blessed departure how great is the swiftness! You shall be suddenly taken away from earth, to be placed in the heavenly kingdoms. It behoves us to embrace these things in our mind and consideration, to meditate on these things day and night. If persecution should fall upon such a soldier of God, his virtue, prompt for battle, will not be able to be overcome. Or if his call should come to him before, his faith shall not be without reward, seeing it was prepared for martyrdom; without loss of time, the reward is rendered by the judgment of God. In persecution, the warfare,—in peace, the purity of conscience, is crowned.118    [It is hard for us to retain the fact that for three hundred years to be a Christian was to be a martyr, at least in spirit and in daily liability. 1 Cor. xv. 31; 1 Pet. iv. 12.]

CAPUT XIII.---PLUS NOS ACCIPERE IN PASSIONIS MERCEDE, QUAM QUOD HIC SUSTINEMUS IN IPSA PASSIONE.

Probat beatus apostolus Paulus, qui, dignatione divina usque in tertium coelum atque in paradisum raptus, audisse se inenarrabilia verba testatur; qui oculata fide Jesum Dominum vidisse se 0674D gloriatur, qui id quod et didicit et vidit, majori conscientiae veritate profitetur: Non sunt, inquit, condignae 0675Apassiones hujus temporis ad superventuram claritatem, quae revelabitur in nobis (Rom. VIII, 18). Quis ergo non omnibus viribus elaboret ad tantam claritatem pervenire, ut amicus Dei fiat, ut cum Christo statim gaudeat, ut post tormenta et supplicia terrena, praemia divina percipiat? Si militibus saecularibus gloriosum est ut hoste devicto redeant in patriam triumphantes, quanto potior et major est gloria, victo diabolo, ad paradisum triumphantem redire, et unde Adam peccator ejectus est, illuc, prostrato eo qui ante dejecerat , trophaea victricia reportare, offerre Deo acceptissimum munus, incorruptam fidem et virtutem mentis incolumem, laudem devotionis illustrem, comitari eum cum venire coeperit, vindictam de inimicis recepturus, lateri ejus assistere, cum sederit judicaturus, 0675B cohaeredem Christi fieri, Angelis adaequari, cum Patriarchis, cum Apostolis, cum Prophetis caelestis regni possessione laetari? Has cogitationes quae persecutio potest vincere? quae possunt tormenta superare? Durat fortis et stabilis religiosis meditationibus fundata mens, et adversus omnes diaboli terrores 0676A et minas mundi, animus immobilis perstat, quem futurorum fides certa et solida corroborat. Clauduntur in persecutionibus terrae, sed patet coelum: minatur Antichristus, sed Christus tuetur; mors infertur, sed immortalitas sequitur: occiso mundus eripitur, sed restituto paradisus exhibetur; vita temporalis extinguitur, sed aeterna reparatur. Quanta est dignitas et quanta securitas exire hinc laetum, exire inter pressuras et angustias gloriosum? claudere in momento oculos, quibus homines videbantur et mundus, et aperire eosdem statim ut Deus videatur et Christus! Tam feliciter migrandi, quanta velocitas ! terris repente subtraheris, ut in regnis coelestibus reponaris. Haec oportet mente et cogitatione complecti, haec die ac nocte meditari. Si talem persecutio 0676B invenerit Dei militem, vinci non poterit virtus ad praelium prompta . Vel si accersitio ante praevenerit, sine praemio non erit fides, quae erat ad martyrium praeparata. Sine damno temporis merces, judice Deo, redditur: in persecutione, militia; in pace, conscientia coronatur.