Which begins to treat of the fourth kind of good -- namely,
the moral. Describes wherein this consists, and in what manner joy
of the will therein is lawful.
THE fourth kind of good wherein the will may rejoice is
moral. By this we here understand the virtues, and the habits of
the virtues, in so far as these are moral, and the practice of any
virtue, and the practice of works of mercy, the keeping of the law
of God, and of that of the commonweal,[610] and the putting into
practice of all good intentions and inclinations.
2. These kinds of moral good, when they are possessed and
practised, deserve perhaps more than any of the other kinds
aforementioned that the will should rejoice in them. For a man may
rejoice in his own affairs for one of two reasons, or for both
reasons together -- namely, for that which they are in themselves,
or for the good which they imply and bring with them as a means
and instrument. We shall find that the possession of the three
kinds of good already mentioned merits no rejoicing of the will.
For of themselves, as has been said, they do no good to man, nor
in themselves have they any good, since they are so fleeting and
frail; rather, as we have likewise said, they cause and bring him
trouble and grief and affliction of spirit. Now, although they
might merit that man should rejoice in them for the second reason
-- which is that he may profit by them for journeying to God --
this is so uncertain that, as we commonly see, they more often
harm man than bring him profit. But good things of a moral kind
merit a certain degree of rejoicing in him that possesses them,
and this for the first reason -- namely, for their intrinsic
nature and worth. For they bring with them peace and tranquillity,
and a right and ordered use of the reason and actions that are
consistent therewith, so that a man cannot, humanly speaking, have
anything better in this life.
3. Thus, since these virtues deserve to be loved and
esteemed, humanly speaking, for their own sakes, a man may well
rejoice in the possession of them, and may practise them for that
which they are in themselves, and for the blessing which they
bring to man in human and temporal form. In this way and for this
reason philosophers and wise men and princes of old esteemed and
praised them, and endeavoured to possess and practise them; and,
although they were heathen, and regarded them only in a temporal
manner, merely considering the blessings which they knew would
result from them -- temporal, corporeal and natural -- they not
only obtained by means of them the temporal renown and benefits
which they sought, but, apart from this, God, Who loves all that
is good (even in barbarians and heathen) and, as the Wise Man
says, hinders the doing of naught that is good,[611] gave them
longer life, greater honour, dominion and peace (as He did for
example to the Romans), because they made just laws; for He
subjected nearly the whole world to them, and gave rewards of a
temporal kind for their good customs to those who because of their
unbelief were incapable of eternal reward. For God loves moral
good so much that, merely because Solomon asked wisdom of Him that
he might teach his people, govern them justly and bring them up in
good customs, God Himself was greatly pleased with him, and told
him that, because he had asked for wisdom to that end, this should
be given him, and there should also be given him that which he had
not asked, namely, riches and honour, so that no king, either in
the past or in the future, should be like him.[612]
4. But, although the Christian should rejoice in this first
way in the moral good that he possesses and in the good works of a
temporal kind which he does, since they lead to the temporal
blessings which we have described, he must not allow his joy to
stop at this first stage (as we have said the heathen did, because
their spiritual sight extended not beyond the things of this
mortal life); but, since he has the light of faith, wherein he
hopes for eternal life, without which nothing that belongs to this
life and the next will be of any value to him, he must rejoice
principally and solely in the possession and employment of this
moral good after the second manner -- namely, in that by doing
these works for the love of God he will gain eternal life. And
thus he should set his eyes and his rejoicing solely on serving
and honouring God with his good customs and virtues. For without
this intention the virtues are of no worth in the sight of God, as
is seen in the ten virgins of the Gospel, who had all kept their
virginity and done good works; and yet, because the joy of five of
them was not of the second kind (that is, because they had not
directed their joy to God), but was rather after the first and
vain kind, for they rejoiced in the possession of their good
works, they were cast out from Heaven with no acknowledgement or
reward from the Bridegroom. And likewise many persons of old had
many virtues and practised good works, and many Christians have
them nowadays and accomplish great acts, which will profit them
nothing for eternal life, because they have not sought in them the
glory and honour which belong to God alone. The Christian, then,
must rejoice, not in the performing of good works and the
following of good customs, but in doing them for the love of God
alone, without respect too aught else soever. For, inasmuch as
good works that are done to serve God alone will have the greater
reward in glory, the greater will be the confusion in the presence
of God of those who have done them for other reasons.
5. The Christian, then, if he will direct his rejoicing to
God with regard to moral good, must realize that the value of his
good works, fasts, alms, penances, etc., is based, not upon the
number or the quality of them, but upon the love of God which
inspires him to do them; and that they are the more excellent when
they are performed with a purer and sincerer love of God, and when
there is less in them of self-interest, joy, pleasure, consolation
and praise, whether with reference to this world or to the next.
Wherefore the heart must not be set upon pleasure, consolation and
delight, and the other interests which good works and practices
commonly bring with them, but it must concentrate its rejoicing
upon God. It must desire to serve Him in its good works, and purge
itself from this other rejoicing, remaining in darkness with
respect to it and desiring that God alone shall have joy in its
good works and shall take secret pleasure therein, without any
other intention and delight than those relating to the honour and
glory of God. And thus, with respect to this moral good, the soul
will concentrate all the strength of its will upon God.