“The soul of the just contemplates in sleep a mysterious heaven.”

“The souls of the upright in sleep have vision of a mysterious heaven.”

“Wisdom requires not only the investigation of many things, but contemplation of the mystery.”

“Contemplation means rest, suspension of activity, withdrawal into the mysterious interior solitude in which the soul is absorbed in the immense and fruitful silence of God and learns something of the secret of His perfections less by seeing than by fruitive love.”

“For while we are enclosed in these confinements of the body, we perform as a kind of duty the heavy task of necessity; for the soul from heaven has been cast down from its dwelling on high and sunk, as it were, into the earth, a place just the opposite to godlike nature and eternity. But I believe that the immortal gods have sown souls in human bodies so there might exist beings to guard the world and after contemplating the order of heaven, might imitate it by their moderation and steadfastness in life.”

“Contemplate the extent and stability of the heavens, and then at last cease to admire worthless things.”