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536. Man is so made that by continually telling him he is a fool he believes
it, and by continually telling it to himself he makes himself believe it.
For man holds an inward talk with his self alone, which it behoves him to
regulate well: Corrumpunt bonos mores colloquia prava.90 We must keep silent
as much as possible and talk with ourselves only of God, whom we know to be
true; and thus we convince ourselves of the truth.
537. Christianity is strange. It bids man recognise that he is vile, even
abominable, and bids him desire to be like God. Without such a counterpoise,
this dignity would make him horribly vain, or this humiliation would make
him terribly abject.
538. With how little pride does a Christian believe himself united to God!
With how little humiliation does he place himself on a level with the worms
of earth!
A glorious manner to welcome life and death, good and evil!
539. What difference in point of obedience is there between a soldier and a
Carthusian monk? For both are equally under obedience and dependent, both
engaged in equally painful exercises. But the soldier always hopes to
command and never attains this, for even captains and princes are ever
slaves and dependants; still he ever hopes and ever works to attain this.
Whereas the Carthusian monk makes a vow to be always dependent. So they do
not differ in their perpetual thraldom, in which both of them always exist,
but in the hope, which one always has, and the other never.
540. The hope which Christians have of possessing an infinite good is
mingled with real enjoyment as well as with fear; for it is not as with
those who should hope for a kingdom, of which they, being subjects, would
have nothing; but they hope for holiness, for freedom from injustice, and
they have something of this.
541. None is so happy as a true Christian, nor so reasonable, virtuous, or
amiable.
542. The Christian religion alone makes m