I
am walking in a path by which I shall not return."[383]

VII

Has Contemplation its Joys?

In Wisdom viii. 16 we read: _Her conversation hath no bitterness, nor
Her company any tediousness, but joy and gladness._ And S. Gregory
says[384]: "The contemplative life means a truly lovable sweetness."

There are two sources of pleasure in contemplation; for, firstly, there
is the very act of contemplating, and everyone finds a certain pleasure
in the performance of acts which are appropriate to his nature or to his
habits. And the contemplation of truth is natural to man as a rational
animal; hence it is that "all men naturally desire to know," and
consequently find a pleasure in the knowledge of truth. And this
pleasure is enhanced according as a man has habits of wisdom and
knowledge which enable him to indulge in contemplation without
difficulty.

Secondly, contemplation is pleasurable owing to the object which we
contemplate, as when a man looks at something which he loves. And this
holds good of even bodily vision, for not only is the mere exercise of
the visual faculties pleasurable, but the seeing people whom we love is
pleasurable.

Since, then, the contemplative life especially consists in the
contemplation of God, to which contemplation we are moved by charity, it
follows that the contemplative life is not merely pleasurable by reason
of the simple act of contemplating, but also by reason of Divine Love
Itself. And in both these respects the delights of contemplation exceed
all other human delights. For on the one hand spiritual delights are
superior to carnal delights; and on the other hand, the love of Divine
charity wherewith we love God exceeds all other love; whence it is said
in the Psalm: _Taste and see that the Lord is sweet._[385]

Some maintain, however, that contemplation is not pleasurable, thus:

1. Pleasure belongs to the appetitive powers, whereas contemplation is
mainly in the intellect.

But while the contemplative life mainly consists in the
intellect, it derives its principle from the affective powers,
since a man is moved to contemplation by love of God. And since
the end corresponds to the principle, it follows that the goal
and term of the contemplative life is in the affective powers,
in the sense, namely, that a man finds a pleasure in the sight
of a thing which he loves, and this very pleasure stirs up in
him a yet greater love. Hence S. G