A
Christian has other and far better blessings within, namely,
faith in Christ; of which it is said in Psalm xliv, "The king's
daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is of wrought
gold." [Ps. 45:14 f.] For, as we said concerning the evil of the
first image,[41] that no evil in a man can be so great as to be
the worst of the evils within him; so too the greatest of the
blessings which are in the Christian, he himself is unable to
see. Could he perceive it, he would forthwith be in heaven; since
the kingdom of heaven, as Christ says, is within us. [Luke 17:21]
For to have faith is to have the Word and truth of God; and to
have the Word of God is to have God Himself, the Maker of all. If
these blessings, in all their fulness, were discovered to the
soul, straightway it would be released from the body, for the
exceeding abundance of sweet pleasure. Wherefore, of a truth, all
the other blessings which we have mentioned are but as the
monitors of those blessings which we have within, and which God
would by than commend unto us. For this life of ours could not
endure to have than revealed, but God mercifully keeps them
hidden, until they have reached their full measure. Even so
loving parents give their children foolish little toys, in order
thereby to lead them on to look for better things.

Nevertheless, these blessings show themselves at times, and break
out of doors, when the happy conscience rejoices in its trust to
Godward, is fain to speak of Him, hears His Word with pleasure,
and is quick to serve Him, to do good and suffer evil. All these
are the evidence of that infinite and incomparable blessing
hidden within, which sends forth such little drops and tiny
rills. Still, it is sometimes more fully revealed to
contemplative souls, who then are rapt away thereby, and know not
where they are; as is confessed by St. Augustine and his
mother,[42] and by many others.

CHAPTER II

THE SECOND IMAGE

THE FUTURE BLESSING, OR THE BLESSING BEFORE US

Those who are not Christians will find small comfort, amid their
evils, in the contemplation of future blessings; since for them
all these things are uncertain. Although much ado is made here by
that famous emotion called hope, by which we call on each other,
in words of human comfort, to look for better times, and
continually plan greater things for the uncertain future, yet are
always deceived. Even as Christ teaches concerning the man in
the Gospel, Luke xii, who