02.04. Of those who find comfort in the recollection of God

4. Of those who find comfort in the recollection of God But it will be well to note what class of people takescomfortin the thought ofGod. Surely not thatperverseandcrookedgeneration to whom it was said, “Woe unto you that arerich; for ye have received your consolation” (Luke 6:24).

Rather, those who can say withtruth, “Mysoulrefuseth comfort” (Psalms 77:2). For it is meet that those who are not satisfied by the present should be sustained by the thought of the future, and that the contemplation ofeternalhappinessshould solace those whoscornto drink from theriverof transitory joys. That is the generation of them thatseektheLord, even of them thatseek, not their own, but the face of theGodofJacob. To them that long for the presence of the livingGod, the thought of Him is sweetest itself: but there is no satiety, rather an ever-increasing appetite, even as the Scripture bears witness, “they that eat me shall yet be hungry” (Sir 24:21); and if the one an-hungred spake, “When Iawakeup after Thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it.” Yea,blessedeven now are they which dohungerandthirstafterrighteousness, for they, and they only, shall be filled. Woe to you,wickedandperversegeneration; woe to you, foolish and abandoned people, whohateChrist’s memory, and dread His secondAdvent! Well may youfear, who will not nowseekdeliverance from thesnareof the hunter; because “they that will berichfall intotemptationand asnare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts” (1 Timothy 6:9). In that day we shall notescapethe dreadful sentence of condemnation, “Depart from Me, yecursed, intoeverlastingfire” (Matthew 25:41). O dreadful sentence indeed, O hard saying! How much harder to bear than that other saying which we repeatdailyinchurch, in memory of the Passion: “Whoso eateth Myfleshand drinketh Mybloodhatheternallife” (John 6:54). That signifies, whosohonorsMydeathand after My examplemortifieshis members which are upon theearth(Colossians 3:5) shall haveeternallife, even as theapostlesays, “If wesuffer, we shall alsoreignwith Him” (2 Timothy 2:12). And yet many even today recoil from these words and go away, saying by their action if not with theirlips, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60). “A generation that set not theirheartaright, and whose spirit cleaveth not steadfastly unto God” (Psalms 78:8), but chooseth rather totrustin uncertainriches, it is disturbed at the very name of theCross, andcountsthe memory of the Passion intolerable. How can such sustain the burden of that fearful sentence, “Depart from Me, yecursed, intoeverlastingfire, prepared for thedeviland his angels’? “On whomsoever thatstoneshall fall it willgrindhim to powder” (Luke 20:18); but “the generation of thefaithfulshall be blessed” (Psalms 112:2), since, like theapostle, theylaborthat whether present or absent they may be accepted of theLord(2 Corinthians 5:9). At the last day they too shall hear theJudgepronounce their award, “Come, yeblessedof MyFather,inheritthekingdomprepared for you from thefoundationof the world” (Matthew 25:34). In that day those who set not theirheartsaright will feel, too late, how easy is Christ’s yoke, to which they would not bend their necks and howlightHis burden, in comparison with the pains they must thenendure. OwretchedslavesofMammon, you cannotgloryin theCrossof ourLordJesusChristwhile youtrustintreasureslaid up onearth: you cannottasteand see how gracious theLordis, while you are hungering forgold. If you have notrejoicedat the thought of His coming, that day will be indeed a day ofwrathto you. But the believingsoullongs andfaintsforGod; she rests sweetly in the contemplation of Him. She glories in thereproachof theCross, until thegloryof His face shall berevealed. Like theBride, thedoveofChrist, that is covered withsilverwings(Psalms 68:13), white withinnocenceandpurity, she reposes in the thought of Thineabundantkindness,LordJesus; and above all she longs for that day when in thejoyfulsplendor of Thysaints, gleaming with the radiance of the Beatific Vision, her feathers shall be likegold, resplendent with thejoyof Thycountenance.

Rightly then may she exult, “His left hand is under my head and His right hand doth embrace me.” The left hand signifies the memory of that matchless love, which moved Him to lay down His life for His friends; and the right hand is the Beatific Vision which He hath promised to His own, and the delight they have in His presence. The Psalmist sings rapturously, “At Thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore” (Psalms 16:11): so we are warranted in explaining the right hand as that divine and deifying joy of His presence.

Rightly too is that wondrous and ever-memorablelovesymbolized as His lefthand, upon which theBriderests her head untiliniquitybe done away: for He sustains the purpose of hermind, lest it should be turned aside to earthly,carnaldesires. For thefleshwarsagainst the spirit: “The corruptible body presseth down thesouland the earthlytabernacleweigheth down themindthat museth upon many things” (Wis 9:15). What could result from the contemplation ofcompassionso marvelous and so undeserved,favorso free and so well attested,kindnessso unexpected, clemency so unconquerable,gracesoamazingexcept that thesoulshould withdraw from allsinfulaffections,rejectall that is inconsistent with God’slove, and yield herself wholly to heavenly things? No wonder is it that theBride, moved by the perfume of these unctions, runs swiftly, all onfirewithlove, yet reckons herself aslovingall too little in return for the Bridegroom’slove. And rightly, since it is no great matter that a littledustshould be all consumed withloveof thatMajestywhichlovedher first and whichrevealeditself as wholly bent onsavingher. For “God solovedtheworldthat He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should notperishbut haveeverlastinglife” (John 3:16). This sets forth the Father’slove. But “He hath poured out Hissouluntodeath,” was written of the Son (Isaiah 53:12). And of theHoly Spiritit is said, “The Comforter which is the HolyGhostwhom theFatherwill send in My name, He shallteachyou all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

It is plain, therefore, that God loves us, and loves us with all His heart; for the Holy Trinity altogether loves us, if we may venture so to speak of the infinite and incomprehensible Godhead who is essentially one.