To learn what pertains to faith and salvation, good will suffices.
We are always sure to succeed in pleasing God when we are sincerely
desirous to serve Him; in this regard we can never anticipate Him.
Not so with the science which teaches how to please men and secure
their good will or favor, to enter into their views, conform to their
laws and customs. No matter how great our desire may be to succeed,
we are never sure of success, and very often the efforts made to
secure it remove us farther from the desired end. Consequently, very
often the surest means of securing the esteem of the world is to
despise it, and withdraw from its tyranny. If you fail to disengage
yourself from it, and if you wish to servilely adhere to its maxims,
you will often experience that they are severe and hard; and you will
reproach yourself more than once for having desired in your youth to
taste of those fruits, externally so beautiful but internally so
bitter.
Hence, moderation of the mind's curiosity is necessary, and in order
to satisfy its activity apply it to those things that can be of
interest to your conscience and salvation, to the knowledge and study
of those sublime truths which, while enlightening your intelligence,
will elevate your heart and strengthen your will.
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