41. Of the Kingdom of Grace and Glory

IN the fourth place God shows His kingdom to distinguished men and His friends in the ligkt of grace and glory, and this takes place beyond the senses, beyond the light of nature, and beyond all those things which can be learnt from the Scriptures ; nevertheless it is not contrary to the Scriptures. For what good things and What joys God shows to his friends in this light, these neither can the Scripture so evidently express, nor anyone so perfectly deliver in writings to a living person, as are displayed by God to spirits burning with love. For that king dom, which is manifested to His lovers, is the fruit and taste of all the virtues, which is the food of angels, of blessed spirits, and of good men. For there are many who rely upon acts of the virtues, but without virtue, that is, without divine charity, and therefore 207 least of all taste the fruits of virtues. There are others who cultivate and exercise acts of the virtues, and indeed are endowed with divine love ; but because they are not sufficiently enlightened neither can they themselves taste the fruits of the virtues for this reason. But those who desire the king dom to be shown to them, and long to taste its fruits,- — these must needs have been established i)y God in the very core of the king dom of their own soul, in the supreme height of their mind, that is, amid the superessential, inherent, contemplative, and emanating active life. And now enough has been said of action and contemplation.