502. Abraham took nothing for himself, but only for his servants. So the
righteous man takes for himself nothing of the world, nor of the applause of
the world, but only for his passions, which he uses as their master, saying
to the one, "Go," and to another, "Come." Sub te erit appetitus tuus.77 The
passions thus subdued are virtues. Even God attributes to Himself avarice,
jealousy, anger; and these are virtues as well as kindness, pity, constancy,
which are also passions. We must employ them as slaves, and, leaving to them
their food, prevent the soul from taking any of it, For, when the passions
become masters, they are vices; and they give their nutriment to the soul,
and the soul nourishes itself upon it and is poisoned.

503. Philosophers have consecrated the vices by placing them in God Himself.
Christians have consecrated the virtues.

504. The just man acts by faith in the least things; when he reproves his
servants, he desires their conversion by the Spirit of God, and prays God to
correct them; and he expects as much from God as from his own reproofs, and
prays God to bless his corrections. And so in all his other actions he
proceeds with the Spirit of God; and his actions deceive us by reason of
the... or suspension of the Spirit of God in him; and he repents in his
affliction.

505. All things can be deadly to us, even the things made to serve us; as in
nature walls can kill us, and stairs can kill us, if we do not walk
circumspe