Outer Darkness, and a Farewell

Then the Evangelist will repeat this to those wretched people: “Go into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” O you miserable people, whom these words do not move now! Then they will see their own punishment and the glory of others. Let them make use of this present world, so long as they do not enjoy the eternity prepared for the saints. Let them abound in riches, let them rest on gold, provided that there they are found needy and destitute. Let them be wealthy in this world, provided they are poor in eternity; for it is written of them, “The rich were in want and went hungry.” But Scripture has added what follows about the good: “but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.” [a]

Therefore, my sister, although those people mock us and call us foolish and unhappy, let us rejoice all the more gladly in such insults, by which glory is heaped up for us and punishment for them. And let us not laugh at their folly, but rather grieve over their unhappiness, because among them are many of our own people, and if we win them over, our glory will be increased. But however they behave, let them be to us as Gentiles and tax collectors, and let us keep ourselves safe and sound. If they rejoice over us now while we mourn, it will be our turn afterward to rejoice over their suffering. Farewell, dearest sister, tenderly loved in Christ. [c]