5p42d.md (998B)
1 Blessedness consists in love towards God (V. xxxvi and 2 note), which love springs from the third kind of knowledge (V. 3 xxxii. Coroll.); therefore this love (III. iii. lix.) must be 4 referred to the mind, in so far as the latter is active; 5 therefore (IV. Def. viii.) it is virtue itself. This was our 6 first point. Again, in proportion as the mind rejoices more in 7 this divine love or blessedness, so does it the more understand 8 (V. xxxii.); that is (V. iii. Coroll.), so much the more power 9 has it over the emotions, and (V. xxxviii.) so much the less is 10 it subject to those emotions which are evil; therefore, in 11 proportion as the mind rejoices in this divine love or 12 blessedness, so has it the power of controlling lusts. And, 13 since human power in controlling the emotions consists solely in 14 the understanding, it follows that no one rejoices in 15 blessedness, because he has controlled his lusts, but, 16 contrariwise, his power of controlling his lusts arises from this 17 blessedness itself. Q.E.D. 18 19