CHAPTER XLIII
THE LIBERTY OF THOSE HEARTS THAT ARE DEVOTED TO GOD
(The True Christians are unmoved.)
They obtain, therefore, that for which all the wisest men in the world have laboured vainly—to wit, full liberty of the mind; hence are they subject and bound to nothing but to God, nor are they obliged to do anything contrary to their will. In the world, as I had seen, everything was full of disappointment; the business of each man went differently from what he wished. Everyone was dependent on himself or others more than was beseeming, and being forcibly carried along by his own will or that of others, he ever warred either with himself or with others. Here everything was calm. For each one of these men had given himself over wholly to God, heeded nothing else, recognised no one save God as being above him. Therefore they obeyed not the commands of the world, flung its promises from them, laughed at its threats; everything outward they declared evil, for they were certain of their inward treasure.
