beseech Thee, that it may please Thee, of Thy gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of Thine elect, and to hasten Thy kingdom; that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of Thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in Thy eternal and everlasting glory; through JESUS CHRIST Our LORD. Amen.

HEAVEN is the absence of all evil, the presence of all good; empty of sorrow, full of bliss. Desire what we will, imagine what we will, if it would add to our happiness, we shall find it there. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." What must not that be, of which CHRIST saith, "I go to prepare a place for you?" What must not that state be, in which He will receive us to Himself?

Far, far off, to our understanding; yet, God grant not far from our affection, not far from our condition, are the blessed Eternal Hills. We see the sun shining perpetually upon their heights, and they are reflected on our souls when calm and devout. Let us gaze, and learn what we can; and by learning, love; and loving, seek; and seeking, find.

Every calm after storm is a type of Heaven, for Heaven is peace after trouble. Jerusalem on earth was the vision of peace, Jerusalem which is above is its possession. Rest is a joy of Heaven. There remaineth a rest for the people of GOD. Every deliverance from danger, pain, sorrow, care, is a type of

1 1 Cor. ii. 9.

Heaven; for into Heaven these cannot enter. Every loving family, parish, and Church, and the whole Catholic Church, are types of Heaven; for they consist by unity; they live by love. In so far as they love not they are dead. In Heaven all jealousies, suspicions, cares, are extinguished; for "GOD is Love," and Heaven is GOD.

The Seventy went up into the Mount with Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and saw the GOD of Israel, after a manner; but they saw not GOD, as GOD; and they descended again into the Wilderness, to live and die as mortal men.'

Moses was with GOD in the Mount; but "No man hath seen the FATHER:" and he also came down, and died as a man.

S. Peter, S. John, and S. James beheld a figure of Heaven at the Transfiguration. They saw the saints in glory, the LORD transfigured, the shining cloud; and they heard the Voice of GOD: but they too were in the body, and descended to bear their infirmities and sorrows, and to suffer many things. But blessed was that vision which called forth the desire, “Master, it is good for us to be here, and let us make three tabernacles." Heaven is all that these types foreshewed, and supplies what they foretold not. Heaven will explain itself to those who win it.

The best image of Heaven which we possess, is the worship of the Church. When we are assembled with one mind and one mouth to glorify God, and enjoy His Presence, and that of the Angels, then are we most like unto Heaven. And the perpetual round of the Church's services, and her calm musical voice of prayer, set forth to us the changeless bliss of eternal praise. To "wait on the LORD without distraction," is by the Apostle set forth as the highest estate; but here, alas! our distractions are from within, as well as from without. It is not only that we can

1 Exod. xxiv.

not be always worshipping, but that even whilst we worship, our thoughts wander, our fervour cools, and we sadly perceive our infinite distance from those who "rest not day and night" praising GOD. But in Heaven, both inward distraction and outward alike shall cease, and we shall be free to worship, without ceasing, Him whom without ceasing we shall love; and Who will be our continual and ever-present joy. Sweet is sympathy even now, even amongst such as we yet are; sweet a common heart, confidence, love felt in loving, love felt in being loved. These are sweet, although marred by our faults: how sweet then will they be when perfect. Imperfect they are here; for who would have all his thoughts or feelings known by his dearest friends? Who is free from some unworthy thoughts, from heat and coldness, wrong desires, and selfish wishes?

"My Brethren, the thoughts which now none sees but God, all shall mutually behold in that society of saints. No one there wishes that which he thinks to be concealed, for no one there thinks evilly. Think ye, that ye will recognise me, because ye have known me, and will not know my father whom ye did not know, or some Bishop who was in this Church many years since? Ye will know all. Those who will be there will not recognise each other because they see countenances. The mutual recognition there will be built upon greater knowledge. All will see in that manner, and much more excellently, in which the Prophets are wont to see in this world. They will see divinely when they shall be filled with GOD. Nor shall there be anything to offend, nor to be concealed from the observer."" Thus the blessed in Heaven shall see and know not only those they knew on earth, but those by whose prayers, writings, labours, sufferings, examples, they were assisted to attain that bliss. O to see and know

1 S. Aug. Serm. 243, s. 5.

Abraham, and Moses, and the Prophets; and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and S. John the Baptist, and the great Peter, and John the beloved, and the Army of Martyrs, and the Confessors, Virgins, Solitaries, devoted of all times and places! O to see the glorious Angels and Archangels, Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael; the Cherubim and Seraphim, and the holy order of the heavenly choirs !

Nor shall the greater glory of others diminish the perfect happiness of ourselves. "The penny of the parable is equal to all, which the father of the family commands to be given to all who have worked in his vineyard; not distinguishing in it who laboured less, who more: inasmuch, as by this penny, is signified eternal life, in which no one lives more than another, since there is no different measure of living in eternity. But many mansions,' signify the different dignities of merits in one eternal life. For there is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for one star differeth from another star in glory; so also is the resurrection of the dead.' Like stars the saints obtain different mansions of different brightness in the kingdom, as in the heavens but on account of the one penny no one is separated from the kingdom, and so GoD will be all in all; so that since GOD is Love, it will come to pass through love, that what each has is common to all. For thus each also himself possesses when he loves in another that which he himself has not. And so there will be no envy of unequal glory, since unity of love will reign in all."

And in Heaven all doubts will have vanished before entering, and all mysteries shall be solved after entering. Then shall we "know even as also we are known." The difficulties and perplexities which here tried our faith shall there reward it, shall be the food of our minds, and minister perpetual joy. The deep 1 S. Aug. in Johan. Ev. Tract. lxvii. s. 2.

things of GOD, and the hidden wisdom shall be a fountain of fresh knowledge ever flowing, light issuing in unceasing streams from the Light of light.

But blessed as it is to see the saints and angels, and to know mysteries, yet are these things nothing, "by reason of the glory that excelleth." What is

this? "I will come again, and receive you unto Myself." "I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice." "We shall see Him as He is." In Heaven we shall see JESUS Who lived, and died, and rose again for us: JESUS our strength and our consolation: JESUS, into Whom we were baptized, and on Whom we feed. We shall behold the Sacred Wounds of His Love. We shall see the Eye which looked on the Canaanite and on Peter; the Hands which were laid upon the sick, and which blessed the children; the Feet that trod the burning road; the Head which had no place to rest on; and Him, Whom now at times we strive to picture to ourselves, or rather to draw toward ourselves with unspeakable desire; but, alas! we cannot; Him, Whom we desire with unsatisfied soul; Him we shall see and know for ever. Now we say, "Tell me, O Thou Whom my soul loveth, where Thou feedest, where Thou makest Thy flock to rest at noon." By night on my bed I sought Him Whom my soul loveth: I sought Him, but I found Him not." "I opened to my Beloved; but my Beloved had withdrawn Himself, and was gone: my soul failed when He spake: I sought Him, but I could not find Him; I called Him, but He gave me no answer.”” But in Heaven our hearts shall rejoice in the presence of the Beloved, and our joy no man taketh from us. Yea GOD, in His Divine Nature, the Ever-blessed TRINITY shall be seen; Whom here none hath seen; Whom none can see and live; Him shall we see, and the sight shall be life eternal.

"Thou hast made us," O GOD, "for Thyself, and 1 Song of Solomon i. 7; iii. 1; v. 6.