PROP。29.Whatsoever the mind understands under the form of eternity，it does not understand by virtue of conceiving the present actual existence of the body，but by virtue of conceiving the essence of the body under the form of eternity。
Proof。-In so far as the mind conceives the present existence of its body，it to that extent conceives duration which can be determined by time，and to that extent only，has it the power of conceiving things in relation to time。But eternity cannot be explained in terms of duration。Therefore to this extent the mind has not the power of conceiving things under the form of eternity，but it possesses such power，because it is of the nature of reason to conceive things under the form of eternity，and also because it is of the na-ture of the mind to conceive the essence of the body under the form of eternity，for be-sides these two there is nothing which belongs to the essence of mind。Therefore this power of conceiving things under the form of eternity only belongs to the mind in virtue of the mind s conceiving the essence of the body under the form of eternity。
PROP。30.Our mind，in so far as it knows itself and the body under the form of e-ternity，has to that extent necessarily a knowledge of God，and knows that it is in God，and is conceived through God。
Proof。-Eternity is the very essence of God，in so far as this involves necessary ex-istence。Therefore to conceive things under the form of eternity，is to conceive things in so far as they are conceived through thp essence of God as real entities，or in so far as they involve existence through the essence of God；wherefore our mind，in so far as it conceives itself and the body under the form of eternity，has to that extent necessarily a knowledge of God，and knows，＆c。
PROP。31.The third kind of knowledge depends on the mind，as its formal cause，in so far as the mind itself is eternal。
Proof。-The mind does not conceive anything under the form of eternity，except in so far as it conceives its own body under the form of eternity；that is，except in so far as it is eternal；therefore，in so far as it is eternal，it possesses the knowledge of God，which knowledge is necessarily adequate；hence the mind，in so far as it is eternal，is capable of knowing everything which can follow from this given knowledge of God，in other words，of knowing things by the third kind of knowledge，whereof accordingly the mind，in so far as it is eternal，is the adequate or formal cause of such knowledge。
PROP。32.Whatsoever we understand by the is accompanied by God s idea as cause。
Proof。-From this kind of knowledge arises the highest possible mental acquies-cence，that is，pleasure，and this acquiescence is accompanied by the idea of the mind itself，and consequently the idea also of God as cause。
Corollary。-From the third kind of knowledge necessarily arises the intellectual love of God。From this kind of knowledge arises pleasure accompanied by God s idea as cause，that is，the love of God；not in so far as we imagine him as present，but in so far as we understand him to be eternal；this is what I call the intellectual love of God。
PROP。33.The intellectual love of God，which arises from the third kind of knowl-edge，is eternal。
Proof。-The third kind of knowledge is eternal；therefore the love which arises therefrom is also necessarily eternal。
PROP。34.The mind is，only while the body endures，subject to those emotions which are attributable to passions。
Proof。-Imagination is the idea wherewith the mind contemplates a thing as pres-ent；yet this idea indicates rather the present disposition of the human body than the na-ture of the external thing。Therefore emotion is imagination，in so far as it indicates the present disposition of the body；therefore the mind is，only while the body endures，subject to emotions which are attributable to passions。
Corollary。-Hence it follows that no love save intellectual love is eternal。
PROP。35.God loves himself with an infinite intellectual love。
Proof。-God is absolutely infinite，that is，the nature of God rejoices in infinite perfection；and such rejoicing is accompanied by the idea of himself，that is，the idea of his own cause；now this is what we have described as intellectual love。
PROP。36.The intellectual love of the mind towards God is that very love of God whereby God loves himself，not in so far as he is infinite，but in so far as he can be ex-plained through the essence of the human mind regarded under the form of eternity；in other words，the intellectual love of the mind towards God is part of the infinite love wherewith God loves himself。
Proof。-This love of the mind must be referred to the activities of the mind；it is it-self，indeed，an activity whereby the mind regards itself accompanied by God s idea as cause；that is，an activity whereby God，in so far as he can be explained through the human mind，regards himself accompanied by the idea of himself；therefore，this love of the mind is part of the infinite love wherewith God loves himself。
Corollary。-Hence it follows that God，in so far as he loves himself，loves man，and，consequently，that the love of God towards men，and the intellectual love of the mind towards God are identical。
Note。-From what has been said we clearly understand，wherein our salvation，or blessedness，or freedom，consists；namely，in the constant and eternal love towards God，or in God s love towards men。This love or blessedness is，in the Bible，called Glory and not undeservedly。For whether this love be referred to God or to the mind，it may rightly be called acquiescence of spirit，which is not really distinguished from glo-ry。In so far as it is referred to God，it is pleasure，if we may still use that term，accom-panied by the idea of itself，and，in so far as it is referred to the mind，it is the same。
Again，since the essence of our mind consists solely in knowledge，whereof the be-ginning and the foundation is God，it becomes clear to us，in what manner and way our mind，as to its essence and existence，follows from the divine nature and constantly de-pends on God。I have thought it worth while here to call attention to this，in order to show by this example how the knowledge of particular things，which I have called intui-tive or of the third kind，is potent，and more powerful than the universal knowledge，which I have styled knowledge of the second kind。For，although in Part I showed in general terms，that all things（and consequently，also，the human mind）depend as to their essence and existence on God，yet that demonstration，though legitimate and placed beyond the chances of doubt，does not affect our mind so much，as when the same conclusion is derived from the actual essence of some particular thing，which we say depends on God。
PROP。37.There is nothing in nature，which is contrary to this intellectual love，or which can take it away。
Proof。-This intellectual love follows necessarily from the nature of the mind，in so far as the latter is regarded through the nature of God as an eternal truth。If，therefore，there should be anything which would be contrary to this love，that thing would be con-trary to that which is true；consequently，that，which should be able to take away this love，would cause that which is true to be false；an obvious absurdity。Therefore there is nothing in nature which，＆c。
PROP。38.In Proportion as the mind understands more things by the second and third kind of knowledge，it is less subject to those emotions which are evil，and stands in less fear of death。
Proof。-The mind s essence consists in knowledge；therefore，in Proportion as the mind understands more things by the second and third kinds of knowledge，the greater will be the part of it that endures，and，consequently，the greater will be the part that is not touched by the emotions，which are contrary to our nature，or in other words，evil。Thus，in Proportion as the mind understands more things by the second and third kinds of knowledge，the greater will be the part of it，that remains unimpaired，and，conse-quently，less subject to emotions，＆c。
PROP。39.He，who possesses a body capable of the greatest number of activities，possesses a mind whereof the greatest part is eternal。
Proof。-He，who possesses a body capable of the greatest number of activities，is least agitated by those emotions which are evil that is，by those emotions which are con-trary to our nature；therefore，he possesses the power of arranging and associating the modifications of the body according to the intellectual order，and，consequently，of bringing it about，that all the modifications of the body should be referred to God s idea；whence it will come to pass that he will be affected with love towards God，which must occupy or constitute the chief part of the mind；therefore，such a man will possess a mind whereof the chief part is eternal。
PROP。40.In Proportion as each thing possesses more of perfection，so is it more active，and less passive；and，vice versa，in Proportion as it is more active，so is it more perfect。
Proof。-In Proportion as each thing is more perfect，it possesses more of reality，and，consequently，it is to that extent more active and less passive。This demonstration may be reversed，and thus prove that，in Proportion as a thing is more active，so is it more perfect。
Corollary。-Hence it follows that the part of the mind which endures，be it great or small，is more perfect than the rest。For the eternal part of the mind the understanding，through which alone we are said to act；the part which we have shown to perish is the i-magination，through which only we are said to be passive；therefore，the former，be it great or small，is more perfect than the latter。
PROP。41.Even if we did not know that our mind is eternal，we should still con-sider as of primary importance piety and religion，and generally all things which，in Part IV。，we showed to be attributable to courage and high-mindedness。
Proof。-The first and only，foundation of virtue，or the rule of right living is see-king one s own true interest。Now，while we determined what reason prescribes as use-ful，we took no account of the mind s eternity，which has only become known to us in this Fifth Part。Although we were ignorant at that time that the mind is eternal，we nev-ertheless stated that the qualities attributable to courage and high-mindedness are of pri-mary importance。Therefore，even if we were still ignorant of this doctrine，we should yet put the aforesaid precepts of reason in the first place。
PROP。42.Blessedness is not the reward of virtue，but virtue itself；neither do we rejoice therein，because we control our lusts，but，contrariwise，because we rejoice therein，we are able to control our lusts。
Proof。-Blessedness consists in love towards God，which love springs from the third kind of knowledge；therefore this love must be referred to the mind，in so far as the latter is active；therefore it is virtue itself。This was our first point。Again，in Pro-portion as the mind rejoices more in this divine love or blessedness，so does it the more understand；that is，so much the more power has it over the emotions，and so much the less is it subject to those emotions which are evil；therefore，in Proportion as the mind rejoices in this divine love or blessedness，so has it the power of controlling lusts。And，since human power in controlling the emotions consists solely in the understanding，it follows that no one rejoices in blessedness，because he has controlled his lusts，but，contrariwise，his power of controlling his lusts arises from this blessedness itself。
Note。-I have thus completed all I wished to set forth touching the mind s power over the emotions and the mind s freedom。Whence it appears，how potent is the wise man，and how much he surpasses the ignorant man，who is driven only by his lusts。For the ignorant man is not only distracted in various ways by external causes without ever gaining，the true acquiescence of his spirit，but moreover lives，as it were unwitting of himself，and of God，and of things，and as soon as he ceases to suffer，ceases also to be。Whereas the wise man，in so far as he is regarded as such，is scarcely at all dis-turbed in spirit，but，being conscious of himself，and of God，and of things，by a cer-tain eternal necessity，never ceases to be，but always possesses true acquiescence of his spirit。If the way which I have pointed out as leading to this result seems exceedingly hard，it may nevertheless be discovered。Needs must it be hard，since it is so seldom found。How would it be possible，if salvation were ready to our hand，and could without great labour be found，that it should be by almost all men neglected？But all things ex-cellent are as difficult as they are rare。