But the peace which is our own we enjoy now with God by faith, and shall enjoy hereafter eternally with Him by sight. But the peace which we enjoy in this life, whether common to all or our own, is the solace of our misery rather than the positive enjoyment of happiness. Our very righteousness, too, though true insofar as it looks to the true good, is still in this life of such a kind that it consists rather in the remission of sins than in the perfecting of virtues. Witness the prayer of the whole city of God in its pilgrim state, for it cries to God by the mouth of all its members, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 And this prayer is effective not for those whose faith is “without works and dead,” James 2:17 but for those whose faith “works by love.” Galatians 5:6 For since reason, though subjected to God, is still “pressed down by the corruptible body,”⁠a as long as it is in this mortal condition, it has not perfect authority over vice, and therefore this prayer is needed by the righteous. For though it exercises authority, the vices do not submit without a struggle. For however well one carries on the conflict, and however thoroughly he has subdued these enemies, there steals in some evil thing, which, if it does not find ready expression in act, slips out by the lips, or insinuates itself into the thought; and therefore his peace is not full as long as he is at war with his vices. For it is a doubtful conflict he wages with those that resist, and his victory over those that are defeated is not secure, but full of anxiety and effort. Amid these temptations, therefore, of all of which it has been summarily said in the divine oracles, “Is not human life on earth a temptation?” Job 7:1 who but a proud man can presume that he so lives that he has no need to say to God, “Forgive us our debts?” And such a man is not great, but swollen and puffed up with vanity, and is justly resisted by Him who abundantly gives grace to the humble. Hence it is said, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” In this, then, consists the righteousness of a man, that he should submit himself to God, his body to his soul, and his vices, even when they rebel, to his reason, which either defeats or at least resists them; and also that he should beg from God grace to do his duty, and the pardon of his sins, and that he should give thanks to God for all the blessings he receives. But, in that final peace to which all our righteousness is directed, and for the sake of which it is maintained, since our nature will enjoy a sound immortality and incorruption, and will have no more vices, and since we will experience no resistance either from ourselves or from others, it will not be necessary that reason should rule vices which no longer exist, but God will rule the man, and the soul will rule the body, with a sweetness and ease suited to the happiness of a life which is done with bondage. And this condition will there be eternal, and we will be assured of its eternity; and thus the peace of this blessedness and the blessedness of this peace will be the supreme good.