The fourth kind of goods: Moral Goods. How the will may lawfully rejoice in them.

The fourth kind of goods in which the Will rejoices are Moral Goods. By these I mean virtues, the moral habits of them, the practice of any virtue whatever, works of mercy, keeping of God’s law, politeness, good dispositions and temper. These moral goods, in possession and in practice, deserve, perhaps more than the other three kinds I have mentioned, that the will should rejoice in them. Man may rejoice in these for one of two reasons, or for both together, either because he possesses them, or because of the benefits which they bring with them, of which they are, as it were, instruments or means. Now the possession of the other goods is deserving of no joy whatever, for of themselves they

do good to no man, neither is it in them, for they are fleeting and frail, yea, rather they are the occasions of pain and grief and sorrow of heart. Even if they deserved to be rejoiced in for the second reason, namely that man may employ them towards elevating his soul to God, yet this is so uncertain that in general such rejoicing does more harm than good.

Moral Goods, however, deserve some Joy on the part of their possessor, for their intrinsic worth. And as they bring with them in their train peace and tranquillity, the right use of Reason, and a consistent conduct, man cannot, humanly

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Their trinsic worth, happy

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speaking, possess anything better in this world. And as virtues merit love and esteem, for their own sakes, humanly speaking, men may well rejoice in the possession and practice of them, for what they are in themselves, and for the good, human and temporal, of which they are the channels.

It was in this sense that the Philosophers and wise men and princes of old esteemed and commended virtue, laboured to acquire it and to practise it, though they were heathens, and regarded it only in a worldly light, seeing nothing in it but the temporal, corporal, and natural benefits which resulted from it. They not only obtained those benefits, and the reputation they aimed at, but more than this; God Himself, Who loves all goodness, even in heathens and barbarians, and Who impedes no good, as it is written, ‘ which nothing hindereth, beneficent,’ * increased their substance, honours, dominion, and peace. He thus dealt with the Romans: because they enacted good laws, He made them masters almost of the whole world; He recompensed, for their good customs ina temporal way, those who, because of their unbelief, were incapable of the everlasting reward. God loves moral goods: for when Solomon asked for an understanding heart to judge the people, He was so pleased with this prayer that He said unto him: ‘ Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life or riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern judgment, behold I have done for thee according to thy words,.... yea, and the things also which thou didst not ask, I have » given thee, to wit, riches and glory, so that no one hath been like thee among the kings in all days heretofore.’t

Though a Christian.too ought to rejoice in Moral Goods, and in the good works he does, because they minister to his temporal well-being, his joy ought not to stop there where

* Wisd. vii. 22. + 3 Kings iii, 11-13.

that of the heathens did, who saw nothing beyond this mortal life; but inasmuch as he has the light of Faith, by which he hopes for everlasting life, and without which all things whatever are valueless, his sole and chief rejoicing should be of the second kind, namely, that eternal life is the reward and issue of the good works he does for the love of God. All his care and all his joy ought to be that he serves and honours God by his virtues and good life. For without this intention all our virtues are worthless in the sight of God, as we are taught in the parable of the Ten Virgins. All these had preserved their virginity and had wrought

good works, yet five of them, whose joy therein was not of the second kind, directed unto God, but rather of the first, for they rejoiced and gloried in mere possession, were denied admission into heaven, unrecognised and unrewarded by the Bridegroom.*

There have been many persons in the world of old times who had some virtue and did good works; and there are many Christians also at this time, who are virtuous men, and who do great things, but their virtue and good works are utterly useless in the matter of eternal life: because they do not, in them, seek the honour and glory and love of God solely, and above all things. A Christian ought to rejoice, not because of his good works and virtuous life, but because his life and acts are such solely for the love of God, and for no other reason whatever. For as works done only for God’s honour will have a greater reward of glory, so good works which men do under the influence of other considerations, will end in our greater confusion in the sight of God. The Christian, therefore, if he will direct his rejoicing to God in moral goods, must keep in mind, that the value of his good works, fasting, almsgiving, penances, and prayers, does not

* S. Matt. xxv.

depend on their number, and nature, but on the love which moves him to perform them for God; and that they are then most perfect when they are wrought in the most pure and sincere love of God, and with the least regard to our own present and future interests, to joy and sweetness, consolation and praise. The heart, therefore, must not rest on the joy, comfort, delight, and advantages which holy habits and good works bring with them, but refer all to God, purifying itself from all joy, and hiding itself from it in darkness; and desiring that God only may rejoice in what it does in secret, and all this without respect to any other consideration than God’s honour and glory. Thus all the energies of the will, with

regard to moral goods, will be all concentrated in God. 4