progresses through the various phases of this meditation Ambrose asks; “what are the
effects, O my soul, of this eternity?” He replies; “[o] what ravishing of spirit will the
souls of the just be cast into, at this recalling of time past and that the memory of
things here below.”^158 Later the meditation addresses the “[f]ruition of God” which
includes the “happinesse of Heaven.” He continues by declaring, “[a]nd in this kinde
of love of God, and enjoyment of themselves in God, the Saints are ravished with
God and are in a kind of extasie eternally.” This expansive experience involves all of
the faculties of the soul. For “here is the pure, spiritual quintessential joyes of
Heaven! the Saints are so swallowed up in God.”^159 Ambrose employs almost
identical language in a sermon entitled Heavens Happiness. After he introduces the
theme of fruition he asserts, “[t]o be with God, implies the fruition of God.” One
aspect of fruition is to “enjoy God fully.” Next, he speaks in a manner reminiscent of
Bernard of Clairvaux and mentions three degrees of love. The third degree “is a love
of the glorified Saints; and in this kinde of love of God, and enjoyment of our selves
in him, the soul shall be ravished with God, and be in a kinde of extasie eternally.”^160
At this point a person has passed from the personal experience here on earth to the
expectation of the fuller experience in heaven. That focus is more clearly articulated
in Looking Unto Jesus. Ambrose reminds believers of their earthly experience when
Jesus “whispered to thy soul the forgiveness of thy sinnes... oh what joy was then?
what meltings, movings, stirrings, leapings of heart were then in thy bosome? but was
that joy any thing to this? or to be compared with this? that was a drop, but here’s an
Ocean, here’s fullness of joy; oh what leapings of heart, what ravishments will be
(^158) Ambrose, Media (^) (1657), 256. (^)
(^159) Ambrose, Media (1657), 260-1.
(^160) Ambrose, Ultima in Prima, Media, Ultima (1654), 221. Ambrose begins with
Bernard’s second degree of love since his focus is on loving God and not self.