quently men are not punished in this life, according
to Job 21:13: "They spend their days in wealth." Therefore neither do
the rewards of the beatitudes refer to this life.

Obj. 3: Further, the kingdom of heaven which is set down as the
reward of poverty is the happiness of heaven, as Augustine says (De
Civ. Dei xix) [*Cf. De Serm. Dom. in Monte i, 1]. Again, abundant
fullness is not to be had save in the life to come, according to Ps.
16:15: "I shall be filled [Douay: 'satisfied'] when Thy glory shall
appear." Again, it is only in the future life that we shall see God,
and that our Divine sonship will be made manifest, according to 1
John 3:2: "We are now the sons of God; and it hath not yet appeared
what we shall be. We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be
like to Him, because we shall see Him as He is." Therefore these
rewards refer to the future life.

_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Serm. Dom. in Monte i, 4):
"These promises can be fulfilled in this life, as we believe them to
have been fulfilled in the apostles. For no words can express that
complete change into the likeness even of an angel, which is promised
to us after this life."

_I answer that,_ Expounders of Holy Writ are not agreed in speaking
of these rewards. For some, with Ambrose (Super Luc. v), hold that
all these rewards refer to the life to come; while Augustine (De
Serm. Dom. in Monte i, 4) holds them to refer to the present life;
and Chrysostom in his homilies (In Matth. xv) says that some refer to
the future, and some to the present life.

In order to make the matter clear we must take note that hope of
future happiness may be in us for two reasons. First, by reason of
our having a preparation for, or a disposition to future happiness;
and this is by way of merit; secondly, by a kind of imperfect
inchoation of future happiness in holy men, even in this life. For it
is one thing to hope that the tree will bear fruit, when the leaves
begin to appear, and another, when we see the first signs of the
fruit.

Accordingly, those things which are set down as merits in the
beatitudes, are a kind of preparation for, or disposition to
happiness, either perfect or inchoate: while those that are assigned
as rewards, may be either perfect happiness, so as to refer to the
future life, or some beginning of happiness, such as is found in
those who have attained perfection, in which case they refer to the
present life. Because when a man begi