Of the benefits which come to the soul through the withdrawal
of its rejoicing from moral good.
VERY great are the benefits which come to the soul when it
desires not to set the vain rejoicing of its will on this kind of
good. For, in the first place, it is freed from falling into many
temptations and deceits of the devil, which are involved in
rejoicing in these good works, as we may understand by that which
is said in Job, namely: 'He sleepeth under the shadow, in the
covert of the reed and in moist places.'[624] This he applies to the
devil, who deceives the soul in the moisture of rejoicing and in
the vanity of the reed -- that is, in vain works. And it is no
wonder if the soul is secretly deceived by the devil in this
rejoicing; for, apart altogether from his suggestions, vain
rejoicing is itself deception. This is especially true when there
is any boasting of heart concerning these good works, as Jeremias
well says in these words: Arrogantia tua decepit te.[625] For what
greater deception is there than boasting? And from this the soul
that purges itself from this rejoicing is freed.
2. The second benefit is that the soul performs its good
works with greater deliberation and perfection than it can if
there be in them the passion of joy and pleasure. For, because of
this passion of joy, the passions of wrath and concupiscence are
so strong that they will not submit to reason,[626] but ordinarily
cause a man to be inconsistent in his actions and purposes, so
that he abandons some and takes up others, and begins a thing only
to abandon it without completing any part of it. For, since he
acts under the influence of pleasure, and since pleasure is
variable, being much stronger in some natures than in others, it
follows that, when this pleasure ceases, both the action and its
purpose cease, important though they may be. To such persons the
joy which they have in their work is the soul and the strength
thereof; and, when the joy is quenched, the work ceases and
perishes, and they persevere therein no longer. It is of such
persons that Christ says: 'They receive the word with joy, and
then the devil taketh it away from them, lest they should
persevere.'[627] And this is because they have no strength and no
roots save in the joy aforementioned. To take and to withdraw
their will, therefore, from this rejoicing is the cause of their
perseverance and success. This benefit, then, is a great one, even
as the contrary evil is great likewise. The wise man sets his eyes
upon the substance and benefit of his work, not upon the pleasure
and delight which it gives him; and so he is not beating the air,
but derives from his work a stable joy, without any meed of
bitterness.
3. The third benefit is divine. It is that, when vain joy in
these good works is quenched, the soul becomes poor in spirit,
which is one of the blessings spoken of by the Son of God when He
says: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom
of Heaven.'[628]
4. The fourth benefit is that he that denies himself this joy
will be meek, humble and prudent in his actions. For he will not
act impetuously and rapidly, through being impelled by the wrath
and concupiscence which belong to joy; neither presumptuously,
through being affected by the esteem of his own work which he
cherishes because of the joy that he has in it; neither
incautiously, through being blinded by joy.
5. The fifth benefit is that he becomes pleasing to God and
man, and is freed from spiritual sloth, gluttony and avarice, and
from spiritual envy and from a thousand other vices.