Page:The Classical Heritage of the Middle Ages.djvu/152

134 THE CLASSICAL HERITAGE [chap. fear to sin, they desire to persevere, they grieve in sins, and rejoice in good works." ^ From the greatness of his nature Augustine recog- nized the emotions, above all the love of God ; never- theless, like many other Christian writers of the early centuries, he was deeply affected by pagan, and espe- cially by Neo-platonic, thought in his conceptions of supreme blessedness in this life and hereafter. Christ had set the Kingdom of Heaven above all, and men might enter even here on earth ; the life absolute, eter- nal, is of supreme worth for men ; and on earth they may receive it. But on earth the Kingdom must be entered and eternal life attained in ways of action according with the realities of human life in its earthly conditions. Christ set forth a plan for truly perfect- ing the earthly life, a scheme of human progress, in which mankind must participate in modes of action suited to earth. Man shall not on earth strive to at- tain unearthly, and so for this life unreal, states of bliss. Neither in the synoptics nor in the gospel of John does Christ set forth as man's highest goal on earth any mystical vision of God or any mystical union of the soul with God. Here on earth commun- ion with God comes through doing His will in faith and love and knowledge. Nor does Christ suggest that love's service shall cease in the Kingdom of Heaven. But the Christian Fathers, steeped in the moods of the centuries which found their pagan expression in Neo-platonism, and looking forward to the final, mys- tic, ineffable vision of God, felt that this vision was 1 Augustine, Civ. Dei, XIV, 9.