Introduction to the Devout Life: First Part--Chapter 17

Hey, there, fellow Pilgrims. Welcome back. Today, we are reading the ninth Meditation, which means we only have one more meditation after this. The topic today is on the choice of Paradise. So, often, people accuse God of claiming to be a loving God and, yet, sending some people to Hell. What those people fail to see is that it is our choice whether we wind up in Heaven or not. If we have lived a life where we have turned our back on God, committed grave sin, and refused to repent of it, well, we have told God that we don't want to be with Him. He respects our free will choice. He isn't going to force us. It's not what He wants for us, to be sure, but why would you merit Heaven when you've told God you want no part of Him or anything to do with Him?  But, I've probably said too much, as I don't want these meditations to be about my words, so let's grab our books and open to Chapter Seventeen of the First Part.