The second is that man be well off as to his body, in food and drink, and so forth; this he excludes by saying in the second place:  “Blessed are ye that hunger.”  The third is that it should be well with man as to joyfulness of heart, and this he puts aside by saying:  “Blessed are ye that weep now.”  The fourth is the outward favor of man; and this he excludes, saying, fourthly:  “Blessed shall you be, when men shall hate you.”  And as Ambrose says on Luke 6:20, “poverty corresponds to temperance, which is unmoved by delights; hunger, to justice, since who hungers is compassionate and, through compassion gives; mourning, to prudence, which deplores perishable things; endurance of men’s hatred belongs to fortitude.” ________________________

FOURTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 69, Art. 4]

Whether the Rewards of the Beatitudes Are Suitably Enumerated?

Objection 1:  It would seem that the rewards of the beatitudes are unsuitably enumerated.  Because the kingdom of heaven, which is eternal life, contains all good things.  Therefore, once given the kingdom of heaven, no other rewards should be mentioned.

Obj. 2:  Further, the kingdom of heaven is assigned as the reward, both of the first and of the eighth beatitude.  Therefore, on the same ground it should have been assigned to all.

Obj. 3:  Further, the beatitudes are arranged in the ascending order, as Augustine remarks (De Serm.  Dom. in Monte i, 4):  whereas the rewards seem to be placed in the descending order, since to “possess the land” is less than to possess “the kingdom of heaven.”  Therefore these rewards are unsuitably enumerated.

On the contrary, stands the authority of Our Lord Who propounded these rewards.

I answer that, These rewards are most suitably assigned, considering the nature of the beatitudes in relation to the three kinds of happiness indicated above (A. 3).  For the first three beatitudes concerned the withdrawal of man from those things in which sensual happiness consists:  which happiness man desires by seeking the object of his natural desire, not where he should seek it, viz. in God, but in temporal and perishable things.  Wherefore the rewards of the first three beatitudes correspond to these things which some men seek to find in earthly happiness.  For men seek in external things, viz. riches and honors, a certain excellence and abundance, both of which are implied in the kingdom of heaven, whereby man attains to excellence and abundance of good things in God.  Hence Our Lord promised the kingdom of heaven to the poor in spirit.  Again, cruel and pitiless men seek by wrangling and fighting to destroy their enemies so as to gain security for themselves.  Hence Our Lord promised the meek a secure and peaceful possession of the land of the living, whereby the solid reality of eternal goods is denoted.  Again, men seek consolation for the toils of the present life, in the lusts and pleasures of the world.  Hence Our Lord promises comfort to those that mourn.