Reply Obj. 3:  In applying the beatitudes to the gifts we may consider two things.  One is likeness of matter.  In this way all the first five beatitudes may be assigned to knowledge and counsel as to their directing principles:  whereas they must be distributed among the executive gifts:  so that, to wit, hunger and thirst for justice, and mercy too, correspond to piety, which perfects man in his relations to others; meekness to fortitude, for Ambrose says on Luke 6:22:  “It is the business of fortitude to conquer anger, and to curb indignation,” fortitude being about the irascible passions:  poverty and mourning to the gift of fear, whereby man withdraws from the lusts and pleasures of the world.

Secondly, we may consider the motives of the beatitudes:  and, in this way, some of them will have to be assigned differently.  Because the principal motive for meekness is reverence for God, which belongs to piety.  The chief motive for mourning is knowledge, whereby man knows his failings and those of worldly things, according to Eccles. 1:18:  “He that addeth knowledge, addeth also sorrow [Vulg:  labor].”  The principal motive for hungering after the works of justice is fortitude of the soul:  and the chief motive for being merciful is God’s counsel, according to Dan. 4:24:  “Let my counsel be acceptable to the king [Vulg:  to thee, O king]:  and redeem thou thy sins with alms, and thy iniquities with works of mercy to the poor.”  It is thus that Augustine assigns them (De Serm.  Dom. in Monte i, 4).

Reply Obj. 4:  All the beatitudes mentioned in Holy Writ must be reduced to these, either as to the merits or as to the rewards:  because they must all belong either to the active or to the contemplative life.  Accordingly, when we read, “Blessed is the man whom the Lord correcteth,” we must refer this to the beatitude of mourning:  when we read, “Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly,” we must refer it to cleanness of heart:  and when we read, “Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom,” this must be referred to the reward of the seventh beatitude.  The same applies to all others that can be adduced.

Reply Obj. 5:  The eighth beatitude is a confirmation and declaration of all those that precede.  Because from the very fact that a man is confirmed in poverty of spirit, meekness, and the rest, it follows that no persecution will induce him to renounce them.  Hence the eighth beatitude corresponds, in a way, to all the preceding seven.

Reply Obj. 6:  Luke relates Our Lord’s sermon as addressed to the multitude (Luke 6:17).  Hence he sets down the beatitudes according to the capacity of the multitude, who know no other happiness than pleasure, temporal and earthly:  wherefore by these four beatitudes Our Lord excludes four things which seem to belong to such happiness.  The first of these is abundance of external goods, which he sets aside by saying:  “Blessed are ye poor.”