基督教是会给人慰藉，但是不同于人类的慰藉，后者只是在补偿失落喜乐的悲伤；基督教的慰藉本身就是喜乐。对于人类而言，慰藉是事后的谎言。在哀伤和痛苦以及喜乐的失落之后，哎，在很久的以后，才有所谓的慰藉。但是基督教的慰藉绝不是事后的补偿，因为它是永恒的慰藉，它比任何尘世的喜乐都要久远。这慰藉是永恒的开端，可以说吞噬了所有的痛苦，因为痛苦和喜乐的失落都是暂时的，即使要好几年，但是和永恒比起来，只是一弹指而已。基督教的慰藉也不是补偿失落的喜乐，因为它本身就是喜乐。和基督教的慰藉相比，所有的喜乐终究只是绝望。
Thus Christianity always has consolation, and its consolation is different from all human consolation in that the latter is aware only of being a compensation for the loss of joy-Christian consolation is joy. Humanly speaking, consolation is a later invention. First came suffering and pain and the loss of joy, and then afterward, alas, long, long afterward, humanity picked up the track of consolation. The same is true of the individual's life: first comes suffering and pain and the loss of joy, and then, afterward, alas, sometimes long, long afterward, comes the consolation. But Christian consolation can never be said to come afterward, because, since it is eternity's consolation, it is older than all temporal joy. As soon as this consolation comes, it comes with the head start of eternity and swallows up the pain, as it were, since the pain and the loss of joy are the momentary-even if the moment were years-are the momentary that is drowned in the eternal. Neither is Christian consolation a compensation for the loss of joy, since it is joy. In comparison with Christianity's consolation, all other joy is ultimately only disconsolate. (Works of Love, p. 64)引自 第二章C 你“应该”爱你的邻人
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