Thus when we have to face the hard and cruel necessity of death, we are comforted by this consolation, that we shall shortly see again those whose absence we now mourn. For their end is not called death but a slumber and a falling asleep. Wherefore also the blessed apostle forbids us to sorrow concerning them which are asleep,^[1] telling us to believe that those whom we know to sleep now may hereafter be roused from their sleep and when their slumber is ended may watch once more with the saints and sing with the angels: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among people of good will.^[2] In heaven where there is no sin, there is glory and perpetual praise and unwearied singing; but on earth where sedition reigns and war and discord hold sway, peace must be gained by prayer, and it is to be found not among all but only among persons of good will, who pay heed to the apostolic salutation: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^[3] For his abode is in peace, and his dwelling place is in Zion, that is, on a watch tower, on the height of doctrines and of virtues, in the soul of the believer; for the angel of this latter^[4] daily beholds the face of God and contemplates with unveiled face the glory of God.

I will remind you again about Illuminations,^[1] and that often, and will reckon them up from holy Scripture. For I myself shall be happier for remembering them (for what is sweeter than light to those who have tasted light?). I will dazzle you with my words: There is sprung up a light for the righteous, and its partner joyful gladness.^[2] And, The light of the righteous is everlasting;^[3] and You are shining wondrously from the everlasting mountains is said to God, I think of the angelic powers that aid our attempts to do good. You have heard David’s words: The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?^[4] Now he asks that the Light and the Truth may be sent forth for him,^[5] now giving thanks that he has a share in it, in that the Light of God is marked on him;^[6] that is, that the signs of the illumination given are impressed on him and recognized.

You marvelously illuminate from the eternal mountains. He comes to the second part, where he explains in sequence the various miracles of the Lord. And to keep people from investigating where that illumination comes from, he added, from the eternal mountains, that is, from preachers, who are truly eternal mountains because they stand in constant and unchangeable loftiness. Earthly mountains are not permanent and they have no life. But preachers, who are always wise in the task of the Lord, know how to last forever. And he keeps the order of the truth in a beautiful way. He said that Lord illuminates through the eternal mountains, because he himself gave to the prophets and the apostles what was published through the whole world by their holy preaching. And keep in mind that by this epithet eternal he keeps separate true preachers from false ones. For the latter cannot be called eternal when they teach the corrupt things of their perversity and are destroyed along with their teachings.

This life is a dream life; these riches are, as it were, flowing through our sleep. Listen to the psalm, O poorest of the poor, Mr. Rich Man: They have slept their sleep and have found nothing in their hands, all the people of riches. Sometimes, too, a beggar lying on the ground, shivering with cold but still overcome with sleep, will dream of untold wealth, and rejoice and grow proud in his sleep and not deign to recognize his ragged old father, and until he wakes up he is rich. So when he goes to sleep, he finds something false and unreal to rejoice in; when he wakes up he finds something only too real and true to grieve over. So the rich person when he dies is like the poor person when he wakes up, after seeing untold wealth in his sleep. I mean, there was that man too, clothed in purple and fine linen,^[1] a certain rich man who was neither named nor fit to be named, a despiser of the poor man lying at his gate. He was clothed in purple and fine linen, as the Gospel testifies, and he feasted sumptuously every day. He died, he was buried; he woke up and found himself in the flames. So he slept his sleep and found nothing in his hands, that man of riches, because he had done nothing good with his hands.

He has hurled judgment from heaven; the earth trembled and grew quiet. Here that very power of judgment is explained, because from that height of power judgment descends in such a way as if it had been a javelin sent by a very strong and unerring hand. But a lance of that kind brings about a temporal ill, but God’s judgment will wound the ungodly with an eternal blow. Next come the words The earth trembled and grew quiet. Here (as often has been mentioned) the earth means the stout and most noxious sinners, who must be condemned by the authority of God’s verdict. They will tremble when they hear, Go into the eternal fire.^[1] They will grow quiet when they are received into everlasting damnation. But that sort of quiet is without any rest, for they will make their evil works grow quiet, but they will not be quiet amid their punishment, inasmuch as they must be tortured with the eternal flame.

When God arose in judgment to save all the quiet of the earth. That verse must be conjoined to the previous words, for he says, The earth trembled and grew quiet when God arose in judgment. It is well said that he arises in his judgment, seeing that Christ quietly endured all things when he was judged, although even at the final judgment he will render judgment amid all tranquility. But the word arise is interpreted from the custom of earthly judges, who are said to arise whenever they resolve something with unimpeded severity, because they seem to be shaken when they avenge the crimes that have been committed. And in order that you might not believe that that judgment will take place only for the damnation of evil people, he adds to save all the quiet of the earth. The quiet of the earth are those who are not seized by any vices of this world and whose will is not set on fire by them, but they conduct themselves with impartial moderation (as was said earlier) and are shown to have a tranquil peace of mind. They are saved because they receive the promised rewards by the gift of the Lord.

If every one had imitated this cruelty,^[1] nothing else would have been left then for me in my lifetime but to be wasted by want, and, at my death, instead of being committed to a tomb, to be made meat for dogs and wild beasts. But I have found support in those who care nothing for this present life but await the enjoyment of everlasting blessings, and these furnish me with manifold consolation. But the loving Lord caused judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared and was still, when God arose to judgment. But the wicked shall perish. The falsehood of the new heresy^[2] has been proscribed, and the truth of the divine Gospels is publicly proclaimed. I for my part exclaim with the blessed David, Blessed be the Lord God who alone does wondrous things, and blessed be his glorious name: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; amen and amen.^[3]