John Tauler · 87 of 121

The third way of a poor, perfect life, when you contemplate God internally, is, that a man do not fly from what may kill him in spiritual things. · 74.

But it will be said that Jesus called those accursed who always live in joy here, how can then good people always have such joy? Our Lord only calls those accursed who have their joy and their delight in this moment of time; this sham delight is sinful, therefore God rejecteth it. But the joy of the good doth not issue from the moment of time but from eternity, not from sin but from virtue. They do not procure this joy for themselves, but God giveth it to them.