Chap. VI Of the Joy of a Good Conscience
1. The glory of a good man, is the testimony of a good conscience. Keep a good conscience, and thou shall always have joy.
A good conscience can bear very much, and is very joyful in the midst of adversity.
A bad conscience is always fearful and uneasy.
Sweetly wilt thou take thy rest, if thy heart reprehend thee not.
Never rejoice but when thou hast done well.
The wicked never have true joy, neither do they feel internal peace; because, There is no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord. Isaiah xlviii.
And if they shall say, we are in peace, evils will not come upon us, and who shall dare to hurt us, believe them not; for the wrath of God shall rise on a sudden, and their deeds will be brought to nothing, and their projects shall perish.
2. To glory in tribulation is not hard to him that loves: for so to glory is to glory in the cross of our Lord.
That glory is short lived, which is given and taken by men.
The glory of this world is always accompanied with sorrow.
The glory of good men is in their own consciences, not in the mouths of others.
The joy of the just is from God, and in God: and they rejoice in the truth.
He that desires true and everlasting glory, values not that which is temporal.
And he that seeks after temporal glory, or does not heartily despise it, shews himself to have little love for that which is heavenly.
That man has great tranquillity of heart, who neither cares for praises nor dispraises.
3. He will easily be content, and in peace, whose conscience is clean.
Thou art not more holy, if thou art praised: nor any thing the worse, if thou art dispraised.
What thou art, that thou art: nor canst thou be said to be greater than God sees thee to be.
If thou considerest well what thou art within thyself, thou wilt not care what men say of thee.
Man beholds the face; but God looks upon the heart.
Man considers the actions; but God weighs the intentions.
To do always well, and to hold one’s self in small account, is a mark of an humble soul.
To refuse a comfort from any created thing, is a sign of great purity and interior confidence.
4. He that seeks no outward testimony for himself, shews plainly, that he has committed himself wholly to God.
For not he that commendeth himself, saith St. Paul, is approved, but he whom God commendeth. 2 Corinthians x.
To walk with God within, and not to be held by any affection without, is the state of an internal man.