“Nothing but virtue and devotion can make your soul content in this world.”

Source: Benedict_Ven

St Francis of Sales, Introduction To The Devout Life, Part 5 Chapter 11:

“Consider that nothing but virtue and devotion can make your soul content in this world. See how beautiful they are, and draw a comparison between the virtues and their contrary vices.

What sweetness in patience, compared with revenge? In meekness, compared with anger and vexation? In humility, compared with arrogance and ambition? In liberality, compared with covetousness. In charity, in comparison with envy? In sobriety, compared with revellings?

Virtues have this admirable quality, that they delight the soul with an incomparable sweetness and satisfaction after we have exercised them; whereas vices leave the soul exceedingly wearied and disordered.

Why then do we not endeavour to acquire these sweetnesses?”