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FOR there is a great difference between one who puts out the fire of
sin within him by fear of hell or hope of future reward, and one who from
the feeling of divine love has a horror of sin itself and of uncleanness,
and keeps hold of the virtue of purity simply from the love and longing for
purity, and looks for no reward from a promise for the future, but,
delighted with the knowledge of good things present, does everything not
from regard to punishment but from delight in virtue. For this condition
can neither abuse an opportunity to sin when all human witnesses are
absent, nor be corrupted by the secret allurements of thoughts, while,
keeping in its very marrow the love of virtue itself, it not only does not
admit into the heart anything that is opposed to it, but actually hates it
with the utmost horror. For it is one thing for a man in his delight at
some present good to hate the stains of sins and of the flesh, and another
thing to check unlawful desires by contemplating the future reward; and it
is one thing to fear present loss and another to dread future punishment.
Lastly it is a much greater thing to be unwilling to forsake good for
good's own sake, than it is to withhold consent from evil for fear of evil.
For in the former case the good is voluntary, but in the latter it is
constrained and as it were violently forced out of a reluctant party either
by fear of punishment or by greed of reward. For one who abstains from the
allurements of sin owing to fear, will whenever the obstacle of fear is
removed, once more return to what he loves and thus will not continually
acquire any stability in good, nor will he ever rest free from attacks
because he will not secure the sure and lasting peace of chastity. For
where there is the disturbance of warfare there cannot help being the
danger of wounds. For one who is in the midst of the conflict, even though
he is a warrior and by fighting bravely inflicts frequent and deadly wounds
on his foes, must still sometimes be pierced by the point of the enemy's
sword. But one who has defeated the attack of sins and is now in the
enjoyment of the security of peace, and has passed on to the love of virtue
itself, will keep this condition of good continually, as he is entirely
wrapped up in it, because he believes that nothing can be worse than the
loss of his inmost chastity. For he deems nothing dearer or more precious
than present purity, to whom a dangerous departure from virtue or a
poisonous stain of sin is a grievous punishment. To such an one, I say,
neither will regard for the presence of another add anything to his
goodness nor will solitude take anything away from it: but as always and
everywhere he bears about with him his conscience as a judge not only of
his actions but also of his thoughts, he will especially try to please it,
as he knows that it cannot be cheated nor deceived, and that he cannot
escape it.
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