L

that are dear. Now, those who are converted to God lose those things which they were accustomed to embrace as dear in this world for they do not rejoice in the things in which they formerly rejoiced; and until the love of eternal things be formed in them, they are wounded by some measure of grief: they will therefore be comforted by the Holy Spirit, who on this account chiefly is called the Paraclete, i.e. the Comforter, in order that, while losing the temporal joy, they may enjoy to the full that which is eternal.

6. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Now He calls those parties lovers of a true and indestructible good. They will therefore be filled with that meat of which the Lord Himself says, "My meat is to do the will of my Father," which is righteousness; and with that water, of which whosoever "drinketh," as the same authority says, it "shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." 1

7. "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall ob. in mercy." He says that those are blessed who relieve the miserable, inasmuch as it is repaid to them in such a way that they are freed from misery.

8. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." How foolish, therefore, are those who seek God with these outward eyes, while He is seen with the heart! as it is written elsewhere," And in simplicity of heart seek Him." For that is a pure heart which is a single heart: and just as this light cannot be seen, unless with eyes that are pure; so neither is God seen, unless that is pure by which He can be seen.

9. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." It is the perfection of peace, where nothing offers opposition; and the children of God are peacemakers, because nothing resists God, and surely children ought to have the likeness of their father. Now, they are peacemakers in themselves, inasmuch as by bringing into order all the passions of their soul, and subjecting them to reason―i.e. to the mind and spirit-and by having their carnal lusts thoroughly subdued, they become a kingdom of God: in which all things are so arranged, that that element which is chief and pre1 John iv. 34, 14. Wisd. i. 1.

eminent in man rules without resistance over the others, which are common to us with the beasts; and that very element which is pre-eminent in man, i.e. mind and reason, is brought under subjection to something better still, which is the truth itself, the only-begotten Son of God. For neither is he able to rule over those things which are inferior, unless he himself yield subjection to what is superior. And this is the peace which is given on earth to men of goodwill; this is the life of one completely and perfectly wise. From a kingdom of this sort brought to a condition of thorough peace and order, the prince of this world is cast out, who rules where there is perversity and disorder. When this peace has been inwardly established and strengthened, whatever persecutions he who has been cast out shall stir up from without, he only increases the glory which redounds to God; being unable to bring to the ground anything in that edifice, but by the failure of his machinations making it to be known with how great strength it has been built inwardly. Hence there follows: "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

CHAP. III.-10. There are in all, then, these eight sentences. For now in what remains He speaks in the way of address to those who were present, saying: "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you." But to the previous sentences He was giving a mere general direction: for He did not say, Blessed are ye poor in spirit, for yours is the kingdom of heaven; but, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven :" nor, Blessed are ye meek, for ye shall inherit the earth; but, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." And so with the others up to the eighth sentence, where He says: "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." After that He now begins to speak in the way of address to those present, although what has been said before referred also to His present audience; and what follows, and which seems to be spoken specially to those present, refers also to those who were

1 Luke ii. 14.

L

absent, or who would afterwards come into existence; and therefore the number of sentences before us is to be carefully - considered. For the beatitudes begin with humility: "Blessed are the poor in spirit," ie. those not puffed up, while the soul submits itself to divine authority, fearing lest after this life it go away to punishment, although perhaps in this life it seem to itself to be happy. Then it comes to the knowledge of the divine Scriptures, where it must show itself meek in its piety, lest it should venture to disparage that which seems absurd to the unski''ul, and should itself be rendered unteachable by obstinate disputations. After that, it now begins to know in what entanglements of this world it is held by means of carnal custom and sins: and so in this third stage, in which there is knowledge, the loss of the highest good is mourned over, because it sticks fast in what is lowest. Then, in the fourth stage there is labour, where vehement exertion is put forth, in order that the mind may wrench itself away from those things in which, by reason of their pestilential sweetness, it is entangled: here therefore righteousness is hungered and thirsted after, and fortitude is very necessary; because what is retained with delight is not abandoned without pain. Then, at the fifth stage, to those persevering in labour, counsel for getting rid of it is given; for unless each one is assisted by a superior, in no way is he fit in his own case to extricate himself from so great entanglements of miseries. But it is a just counsel, that he who wishes to be assisted by a stronger should assist him who is weaker in that in which he himself is stronger therefore "blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." At the sixth stage there is purity of heart, able from a good conscience of good works to contemplate that highest good, which can be discerned by the pure and tranquil intellect alone. Lastly, there is, as the seventh, wisdom itself— i.e. the contemplation of the truth, tranquillizing the whole man, and assuming the likeness of God, which brings us to this conclusion: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." The eighth, as it were, returns to the starting-point, because it shows and expresses approval of what is complete and perfect: therefore in the first and in the eighth the kingdom of heaven is named, "Blessed are the

poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven;" and, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven:" as it is now said, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"1 Seven in number, therefore, are the things which bring perfection: for the eighth brings into light and shows what is perfect, as it were starting from the beginning again, so that the others also are perfected by means of these stages.

CHAP. IV.-11. Hence also the sevenfold operation of the Holy Ghost, of which Isaiah speaks, seems to me to correspond to these stages and sentences. But there is a difference of order for there the enumeration begins with the more excellent, but here with the inferior. For there it begins with wisdom, and closes with the fear of God: but "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." And therefore, if we reckon as it were in a gradually ascending series, there the fear of God is first, piety second, knowledge third, fortitude fourth, counsel fifth, understanding sixth, wisdom seventh. The fear of God corresponds to the humble, of whom it is here said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," i.c. those not puffed up, not proud: to whom the apostle says, "Be not highminded, but fear;" i.e. be not lifted up. Piety corresponds to the meek: for he who inquires piously honours Holy Scripture, and does not censure what he does not yet understand, and on this account does not offer resistance; and this is to be meek whence it is here said, "Blessed are the meek." Fortitude corresponds to those hungering and t`irsting: for they labour in earnestly desiring joy from things that are truly good, and in eagerly seeking to turn away their love from earthly and corporeal things: and of them it is here said, 'Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness." Counsel corresponds to the merciful: for this is the one remedy for escaping from so great evils, that we forgive, as we wish to be ourselves forgiven; and that we assist others

2 Isa. xi. 2, 3.

3 Rom. xi. 20.

1 Rom. viii. 35. Augustine follows the Septuagint, which has "piety" instead of "the fear of the Lord" in the last clause of Isa. xi. 2.

where we are able, as we ourselves desire to be assisted where we are not able: and of them it is here said, "Blessed are the merciful." Understanding corresponds to the pure in heart, the eye being as it were purged, by which there may be beheld what eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, and what hath not entered into the heart of man:1 and of them it is here said, "Blessed are the pure in heart." Wisdom corresponds to the peacemakers, in whom all things are now brought into order, and no passion is in a state of rebellion against reason, but all things together obey the spirit of man, while he himself also obeys God: and of them it is here said, "Blessed are the peacemakers." 2

12. Moreover, the one reward, which is the kingdom of heaven, is variously named according to these stages. In the first, just as ought to be the case, is placed the kingdom' of heaven, which is the perfect and highest wisdom of the rational soul. Thus, therefore, it is said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven:" as if it were said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." To the meek an inheritance is given, as it were the testament of a father to those dutifully seeking it: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." To the mourners comfort, as to those who know what they have lost, and in what evils they are sunk: "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." To those hungering and thirsting, a full supply, as it were a refreshment to those labouring and bravely contending for salvation: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." To the merciful mercy, as to those following a true and excellent counsel, so that this same treatment is extended toward them by one who is stronger, which they extend toward the weaker: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." To the pure in heart is given the power of seeing God, as to those bearing about with them a pure eye for beholding eternal things: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." To the peacemakers the likeness of God is given, as being perfectly wise, and formed after the image 1 Isa. lxiv. 4 and 1 Cor. ii. 9.

This is guarded against misconstruction in the Retract. I. xix. 1.