Active life consists chiefly in man’s relations with his neighbor, either by way of duty or by way of spontaneous gratuity.  To the former we are disposed—­by a virtue, so that we do not refuse to do our duty to our neighbor, which pertains to justice—­and by a gift, so that we do the same much more heartily, by accomplishing works of justice with an ardent desire, even as a hungry and thirsty man eats and drinks with eager appetite.  Hence the fourth beatitude is:  “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice.”  With regard to spontaneous favors we are perfected—­by a virtue, so that we give where reason dictates we should give, e.g. to our friends or others united to us; which pertains to the virtue of liberality—­and by a gift, so that, through reverence for God, we consider only the needs of those on whom we bestow our gratuitous bounty:  hence it is written (Luke 14:12, 13):  “When thou makest a dinner or supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren,” etc . . . “but . . . call the poor, the maimed,” etc.; which, properly, is to have mercy:  hence the fifth beatitude is:  “Blessed are the merciful.”

Those things which concern the contemplative life, are either final beatitude itself, or some beginning thereof:  wherefore they are included in the beatitudes, not as merits, but as rewards.  Yet the effects of the active life, which dispose man for the contemplative life, are included in the beatitudes.  Now the effect of the active life, as regards those virtues and gifts whereby man is perfected in himself, is the cleansing of man’s heart, so that it is not defiled by the passions:  hence the sixth beatitude is:  “Blessed are the clean of heart.”  But as regards the virtues and gifts whereby man is perfected in relation to his neighbor, the effect of the active life is peace, according to Isa. 32:17:  “The work of justice shall be peace”:  hence the seventh beatitude is “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Reply Obj. 1:  The acts of the gifts which belong to the active life are indicated in the merits:  but the acts of the gifts pertaining to the contemplative life are indicated in the rewards, for the reason given above.  Because to “see God” corresponds to the gift of understanding; and to be like God by being adoptive “children of God,” corresponds to the gift of wisdom.

Reply Obj. 2:  In things pertaining to the active life, knowledge is not sought for its own sake, but for the sake of operation, as even the Philosopher states (Ethic. ii, 2).  And therefore, since beatitude implies something ultimate, the beatitudes do not include the acts of those gifts which direct man in the active life, such acts, to wit, as are elicited by those gifts, as, e.g. to counsel is the act of counsel, and to judge, the act of knowledge:  but, on the other hand, they include those operative acts of which the gifts have the direction, as, e.g. mourning in respect of knowledge, and mercy in respect of counsel.