Chapter II.

Of The Joy Of The Souls In Purgatory-- Comparison Which Shows How These Souls Behold God More And More Clearly-- Difficulty Of Describing This State.

I do not believe that there can be any peace comparable to that felt by the souls in purgatory, unless that of the saints in paradise. And each day this peace increases by the influence which God exercises over the soul. It increases in proportion as the impediment to that influence is consumed.

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This impediment is nothing else than the rust of sin. The fire consuming the rust, the soul is more and more exposed to the divine influence. An object which is covered cannot correspond to the reverberation of the sun's rays; not by any fault of the sun, which ceases not to shine, but because of the covering on the object. If that be consumed, the object beneath is laid open to the sun; and the more completely the covering is consumed, the more perfect the reverberation.

So the fire of purgatory wears away the rust of sin which covers the soul, exposing it to God--the true sun--in proportion to its purity, and, in the same proportion, increasing its peace. So that its happiness goes on increasing and the rust wearing away till the time be fully accomplished.

The pain which results from the desire of beholding God does not diminish, but the time of its duration does. As to their will, these souls can never say their pains _are_ pains, so satisfied are they with the will of God, with which their will is united in purest love.

On the other hand, nevertheless, they endure a torment so extreme that no tongue can depict it--no understanding grasp the least comprehension of it, unless by a special grace from God. He has given me some idea of it, but I cannot well express it. What the Lord has revealed to me has always remained imprinted on my mind. I will relate what I can of it. They will understand me to whom God giveth the intelligence.