CHAP. XII. Of Joy.
I. Gladness is the Term or Bound o•• all Af∣fections. GLadness or Joy may be called the Term or Bound of all the motions of our Soul; which as they begin in Admiration, so they cease or terminate in Joy as in their own proper Scope or Aim: For desire of Good ceaseth in the obtain∣ing of Good, and all inquietude is removed from us, as soon as we possess those things which we so greatly desired. In present Joy Fear ceaseth, Sad∣ness is banisht, Desperation is destroyed, Love is at rest, and the rest of the Affections vanish, whilst we are wholly taken with Joy or Pleasure.
II. The Defini∣tion of Joy. Gladness or Joy is a pleasant commotion of the Soul, in which the possession of that Good consists, which the impressions of the Brain represent to it as its own. We say, that the possession of Good consists in a pleasant commotion of the Soul, in regard it is as it were the only Fruit of all the Goods it has, which being taken away, it can no more be said to injoy them, than if it were totally deprived of them. To which it is properly ad∣ded, that that Good, by the impressions of the Brain, is represented to the Soul as its own: That Joy, which is a Passion, may the more easily be distin∣guisht from that which the Soul experiments by Action, which that they may not be confounded, it will not be from the purpose to observe the Na∣ture of each.
III. Joy is two∣fold sen∣sual and Intellectual. For Joy is twofold, one Sensual or which so depends upon the Body as to make it its principal Object, the other Intellectual, which is a plea∣sant commotion of the Soul, springing from a clear and distinct knowledge of the Good wich is apprehended: Which distinction is hence under∣stood, namely, because the Intellectual Joy may sometimes be without the Sensual, as when from any good Action, we feel a satisfaction from that pure consideration that we have performed our Duty; altho' it be difficult to experiment it, so long as the Soul is in the Body, since the Intellectu∣al Joy makes always some impression upon the Body, such as is required to the framing of a Pas∣sion, for there is so streight a Union between our Soul and Body, that tho' the Good which the Soul is sensible of belongs not to the Body; yet Ima∣gination always fains some Idea in the Brain, from whence there follows a motion of the Spirits, which produces the Passion of Joy.
IV. The Exter∣nal cause of this affection is the pos∣session of a Good. The cause of this Passion, as may be gathered from its Definition, is the possession of som•• Good; for then the Soul seems to be satisfied, when it injoys that thing which it esteems to be its own Good, and to conduce to its Felicity; tho' it often happens, that we find our selves overjoy'd, and wrapt up in I know not what kind of Pleasure, when the cause of this change is utterly unknown: As when our Body is chearfully dispos'd, and with great alacrity performs its offices, but this pro∣ceeds from hence, namely, that the Good impres∣ses some Idea's in the Brain, without the help of our Soul: That is, when the constitution of the Brain is such, that the Animal Spirits may the more easily be brought down into the Nerves, as well those which serve for dilating the Orifi∣ces of the Heart, as others. So when the Heaven is somewhat more than ordinary Serene, we feel a kind of Hilarity or Chearfulness in our selves, which proceeds from no Function of the Intellect, but only from the impressions, which the motion of the Spirits excites in the Brain.
V. The Inter∣nal causes are the Blood and motion of the Spirits. The Internal Causes of this Passion are the Blood, and motion of the Spirits, not so much in the Nerves of the Stomach and Intestines, as in Love, or of the Milt and Liver, as in Hatred, as in those which are spread through the rest of Body, those especially which are about the little Mouths of the Heart. In regard they by open∣ing and inlarging afford a way to the Blood, which other Nerves propel from the Veins to the Heart, that it may go in and out in greater plenty than usually; but because the Blood having many times before entred the Heart, and so flowing out of the Arteries into the Veins, is thereby more sub∣tilized, it thereupon becomes the more easily rare∣fied and creates Spirits, which by reason of their equality are adapted for the forming and corro∣borating impressions of the Brain, which supply the Heart with joyful and serene Cogitations; whence it happens that so long as the Soul is affected with Joy, the Pulse of the Arteries is equal, and more quick than usual; moreover a certain grateful Heat is felt, not only in the Breast, but also in the Ex∣ternal part of the Body, into which together with the Blood it is copiously transmitted.