Chapter 1. All the Blessed Are the Familiar Sons of God.

" I REJOICED at the things that were said to me : We shall go into the house of the Lord." (Psalm cxxi.) That good and faithful servant has abundant and unspeak able cause to rejoice, who hath either dili gently laboured in the vineyard, or multi plied his ^ talents in business, or was the first to win the prize in the race, or who hath gained a crown in Avar or single com bat, who hath carefully fed the flock entrusted to him, and courageously defended them from the wolves: and now having completed all his labours, he enters with joy into the house of his Lord. But let us consider why that is called a ' House/ which before was named a city: it is not because the house is narrow, and therefore doth not deserve the name of a city: on the contrary, it is infinitely more extensive

than any city or kingdom. Hear how the prophet Baruch exclaims : f ' 0 Israel, how great is the house of God, and how vast is the place of his possession ! It is great, and hath no end: it is high and immense/' (chap. iii. 24.) But why is the House so great? The first reason is, because the blessed — although occupying every part of the kingdom of heaven, are all the familiar friends and domestics of God. For if men tion were only made of a kingdom or city, it might be supposed by some, that there would be many in the city of 'our God, who could never see him, never speak unto him, except they gained admittance by other greater saints. But this is not the case ; for all behold God always ; they hold converse with Him, they speak with Him face to face — whether seraphim or cheru bim, apostles or prophets, or inferior angels and saints. Of our angel-guardians who belong to the last order of spirits, our Lord saith : " Their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." And St. Paul, writing to the Ephesians, tells us, that all the blessed are not only citizens of the saints, but also " domestics of God." Wherefore, their habitation is not only called a city, but likewise a ' House/ There are many mansions in heaven, some high, some low ; there is also a diversity of crowns, some great, some in ferior, according to the degree of merit : but yet all the citizens are blessed and happy,

IOC THE KINGDOM OF GOD, OR THE and all clean of heart, and full of charity. Wherefore, every one in that ' House ' sees God, and converses with him as a domestic and friend ; although in earthly kingdoms and cities, there are many who can never see the king, and very few who are admitted to his friendship, or to an interview. Ano ther reason appears to be, because although in a city many do see the king and speak to him, yet all are not his sons and heirs, but only those who live in the palace, and are acknowledged to be his sons and heirs. But in the kingdom of heaven and in the city of our God, all the saints, without any exception, are true sons of God, brothers of Christ, heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ: neither do the great despise the inferior, nor is there any envy or jealousy amongst them. And when our Lord taught us to recite daily the " Our Father," he therein excluded no one : and when he will say at the last day, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdon, prepared for you from the foundation of the world/' he will not exclude any one of the just : and when the Apostle said to the Ro mans, " Whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God ;" and again, "For the Spirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God. And if sons, heirs also ; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ," no one is excluded, neither great nor little, provided he possess the Spirit of God, and suffer him-

self to be led by him. This is also given to all who have been regenerated in Christ, and who shall persevere in faith, hope, and charity. St. Peter also, in his first Epistle, promises to the ' regenerated/ " an inheri tance incorruptible and undefiled, that can not fade, reserved in heaven." In fine, St. John in his Epistle says to all the Just, without exception : " Behold, what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God." (chap, iii.)

Justly, therefore, is the habitation of the blessed called a ' House^and not merely a city and kingdom, wherein all are sons and heirs of our great King, and all beloved by Him as his sons, and by Christ as his brothers: with reason may they exclaim with the prophet: " How good and pleasant is it, for brethren to dwell ^ together in unity." What greater happiness can be conceived, than to converse with innumerable angels, to be loved by them with a most sincere love, to be treated as a brother, to be embraced as a brother !