A treatise of the difference bbtwixt [sic] the temporal and eternal composed in Spanish by Eusebius Nieremberg ... ; translated into English by Sir Vivian Mullineaux, Knight ; and since reviewed according to the tenth and last Spanish edition.

§ 3.

Finally all those joyes of the Blessed both in Soul and Body, which are innumerable, have their sourse and original from that unspeakable joy of the clear vi∣sion of God. And how can the joy be less, which pro∣ceeds from such a cause, who gives himself, being the sweetness and beauty of the world, to be possessed by man, that joy being the very same which God en∣joyes, and which suffices to make God himself blessed with a blessedness equal to himself? Wherefore not without great mystery in those words, by which our Saviour admits the faithful into Heaven, it is said; Enter into the joy of thy Lord. he said not simply into joy, but to determine the greatness of it, sayes, it was his own joy, that joy, by which he himself becomes happy; and truly the immensity of this joy could not better be declared. We are therefore to consider, that there is nothing in this World, which hath not for his end some manner of perfection, and that those things, which are capable of reason and knowledge, have in that perfection a particular joy and complacencie; which joy is greater or lesser according as that end is more or less perfect. Since therefore the Divine per∣fection is infinitely greater than that of all the Crea∣tures,

the joy of God, which is in himself, (for he hath no end not perfection distinct from himself) is infinitely greater than that of all things besides. This joy out of his infinite goodness and liberality he hath been pleased to make the holy Angels and blessed Souls partakers of, communicating unto the Just (although no wayes due unto their nature) his own proper and special felicity. And therefore the joy of Saints, which is that of the beatifical vision, wherein consists the joy and happiness of God, must needs be infinite and un∣utterable, and all contents of this World in respect of it are bitter as alloes, gall, and wormwood.

Besides, by how much a delectable object is more nearly and straightly united to the faculty, by so much greater is the joy and delight which it produces. Therefore God, who is the most excellent and delight∣ful object, being in the beatifical vision united to the Soul with the most intimate union that can be in a pure creature, must necessarily cause a most inexpli∣cable joy, incomparably greater than all the joyes real or imaginable, which can be produced either by the Creatures now existent or possible. For as the Divine perfection incloseth within it self all the perfections of things created, possible, and imaginable, so the joy, which it causes in the Souls of the Blessed, must be in∣finitely greater than all other joyes, which either have, or can be caused by the Creature. If the Greeks warred ten years and lost so much blood for the beauty of He∣len, And if it seemed a small thing unto Jacob to serve fourteen years a Slave for that of Rachel, what trouble can seem great unto us to enjoy God, in com∣parison of whose beauty all which the World affords is but deformity? Absolon and Adonis were most beau∣tiful, and with their very sight drew love and admi∣ration from their beholders. But it looking upon Ab∣solon, another ten times more lovely should appear, we should quickly leave to gaze upon Absolon, and fix our eyes upon the other: and if a third should come

a hundred times more graceful than the second, we should serve the second in the same manner, and our eyes and delight would still follow him, who was the most agreeable. God being then infinitely more beau∣tiful than we can either see or think, and although he should create some other Creature ten hundred thou∣sand times more beautiful than these we know, yet that, and one, another million of times exceeding it, would both fall infinitely short of God himself, espe∣cially that beauty not being alone, but accompanied with perfections without limit, with an infinite wis∣dom, omnipotence, holiness, liberality, bounty, and all that can be imagined good, beautiful, and perfect, which must necessarily force the hearts of those who see him (although before his enemies) to love and a∣dore him. Which is an other proof of the joy which springs from the beatifical vision, in regard it works so powerfully upon the will of him that enjoyes it, that it compels it by an absolute necessity to a most intense love, although it had before detested it; because the joy must equalize the love which it caused. It there were in the World a Man as wise as an Angel, we should all desire to see him, as the Queen of Saba did Salmon; but if to this wisdom were joyned the strength of Hercules or Sampson, the victories of Ma∣chabeus or Alexander, the affability and curtesie of David, the friedliness of Jonathan, the liberality of the Emperour Titus, and to all this the beauty and comeliness of Absolon, who would not love and desire to live and converse with this admirable person? Why then do we not love and desire the sight of God, in whom all those perfections and graces infinitely a∣bove these are united: which also we our selves, if we serve him, are to enjoy as if they were our own?

O how great and delightful a Theater shall it be to see God, as he is, with all his infinite perfections, and the perfections of all Creatures, which are eminently contained in the Deity! How admirable were that

spectacle, where were represented all that are or have been pleasant or admirable in the World! If one were placed where he might behold the seaven Wonders of the World, the sumptuous Banquets made by Assuerus and other Persian Kings, the rare Shews and Feasts exhibited by the Romans, the pleasant Trees and sa∣voury Fruits of Paradise, the Wealth of Craesus, Da∣vid, and the Assyrian and Roman Monarchs, and all those joyntly together, who would not be transported with joy and wonder at so admirable a sight? but more happy were he, upon whom all these were be∣stowed, together with the assurance of a thousand years of life, wherein to enjoy them. Yet all this were nothing in respect of the eternal sight of God, in whom those and all the perfections, that either are or have been, or possibly can be, are contained. What e∣ver else is great and delightful in the World, together with all the pleasures and perfections, that all the men in the World have obtained, or shall obtain to the World's end, all the wisdom of Salomon, all the sci∣ences of Plato and Aristotle, all the strength of Aristo∣menes and Milo, all the beauty of Paris and Adonis, if they should give all these things to one person, it would have no comparison, and would seem to be a loathsome thing, being compared onely to the de∣light, which will be enjoyed in seeing God for all eter∣nity; because in him onely will be seen a Theater of Bliss and Greatness, wherein are comprised as in one the greatness of all creatures. In him will be found all the richness of Gold, the delightfulness of the Mea∣dows, the brightness of the Sun, the sweet taste of Honey, the pleasantness of Musick, the beauty of the Heavens, the comfortable smell of Amber, the con∣tentfulness of all the senses, and all that can be either admired or enjoyed.

To this may be added, that this inestimable joy of the vision of God is to be multiplied into innumera∣ble other joyes; into as many, as there are blessed

Spirits and Souls which shall enjoy the sight of God, in regard every one is to have a particular content∣ment of the bliss of every one. And because the bles∣sed Spirits and Souls are innumerable, the joyes like∣wise of every one shall be innumerable.* 1.1 This St. An∣selme notes in these words.

With how great a joy shall the Just br replenished, to accomplish whose blessedness, the joy of each other Saint shall concur? for as every Saint shall love another equally as him∣self, so he shall receive equal joy from his happiness to that of his own. And if he shall rejoyce in the happiness of those, whom he loves equally unto himself, how much shall he rejoyce in the happiness of God, whom he loves better than himself?

Finally the blessed Soul shall be surrounded with a Sea of joys, which shall fill all his powers and senses with plea∣sure and delight, no otherwise than if a Sponge, that had as many senses of pleasures as it hath pores and eyes, were steeped in a Sea of milk and honey, suck∣ing in that sweetness with a thousand mouths. God is unto the Blessed a Sea of sweetness, an Ocean of un∣speakable joyes. Let us therefore rejoyce who are Christians, unto whom so great blessings are promised: let us rejoyce that Heaven was made for us, and let this hope banish all sadness from our hearts.* 1.2 Palladius writes, that the Abbot Apollo, if he saw any of his Monks sad, would reprehend him, saying, Brother, why do we afflict our selves with vain sorrow? let those grieve and be melancholy, who have no hope of Heaven, and not we, unto whom Christ hath pro∣mised the blessedness of his glory. Let this hope com∣fort us, this joy refresh us; and let us now begin to enjoy that here, which we are ever hereafter to pos∣sess; for hope, as Philo sayes, is an anticipation of joy. Upon this we ought to place all our thoughts, turning our eyes from all the goods and delights of the Earth.

The Prophet Elias, when he had tasted but one little drop of that Celestial sweetness, presently lockt up the

windows of his senses, covering his eyes, ears, and face with his mantle. And the Abbot Sylvanus, when he had finished his prayers, shut his eyes, the things of the Earth seeming unto him unworthy to be looked upon after the contemplation of the heavenly, in the hope whereof we onely are to rejoyce.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ansel. de Simil. cap. 71.
• * 1.2

  Pallad. Hist. ca. 52.