dorned with the tree of life, issues from the throne of
God. The Blessed drink of the torrent of pleasure, and are inebriated
with the plenty of the house of God. All tears are wiped away from
their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor
sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away.

And, when we are assured that no mortal eye hath seen nor ear heard,
nor heart of man conceived the happiness prepared for God's children,
we must conclude that the magnificent language describing the
heavenly Jerusalem is only symbolical; that the Holy Ghost speaks of
the most precious and beautiful things we know, in order to raise our
minds to the reality which they faintly represent. It has been the
aim of the author of the following pages to discover the meaning
concealed under those enticing figures. In his exposition of "The
Happiness of Heaven," he has endeavored to follow the teachings of
the most approved theologians of the Church. Moreover, mindful that
our Divine Model spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven in parables, he has
laid aside, as far as possible, the technical language of the
schools, and has replaced it by illustrations, which are better
adapted to the capacity of all.

Should the worshipper of mammon, on perusing these pages, pause in
his headlong course, to think of "treasures which neither the moth
nor rust consumes;" should the votary of pleasure be induced to sigh
after the joys that pass not away; should the poor and the afflicted
of every description, cast a lingering, longing glance toward that
blessed region where sorrow is unknown; should those who have
consecrated themselves to God be incited to a greater perfection and
to a desire of a higher degree of glory in heaven, the writer will
deem himself amply rewarded for his labor.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

I. The Beatific Vision

II. In the Beatific Vision, "We shall be like Him, because we
shall see Him as He is."

III. In the Beatific Vision, our Intellect is glorified, and our
Thirst for Knowledge completely gratified

IV. In the Beatific Vision, our Will is also to be glorified,
and then we shall be happy in loving and being loved

V. The Beauty and Glory of the Risen Body

VI. The Spirituality of the Risen Body

VII. The Impassibility and Immortality of the Risen Body

VIII. Several Errors to be avoided in our Meditations on Heaven

IX