seen of men—that it is in this they place their good—in this that they delight the vanity of
their heart—in this is their emptiness, and inflation, their swelling, and wasting away. For
why was it not sufficient to say, “Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men,”
but that he added, “that ye may be seen of them,” except because there are some who do
their “righteousness before men;” not that they may be seen of them, but that the works
themselves may be seen; and the Father which is in heaven, who hath vouchsafed to endow
with these gifts the ungodly whom He had justified, may be glorified?
4. They who are such, neither do they account their righteousness as their own, but His,
by the faith of whom they live (whence also the Apostle says, “That I may win Christ, and
be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is
of the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith;”1946 and in another place,
“That we may be the righteousness of God in Him.”1947 Whence also he finds fault with the
Jews in these words, “Being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and wishing to establish their
own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God”1948).
Whosoever then wish their good works to be so seen of men, that He may be glorified from
whom they have received those things which are seen in them, and that thereby those very
persons who see them, may through the dutifulness1949 of faith be provoked to imitate the
good, their light shines truly before men, because there beams forth from them the light of
charity; theirs is no mere empty fume of pride; and in the very act they take precautions,
that they do not their righteousness before men to be seen of them, in that they do not
reckon that righteousness as their own, nor do they therefore do it that they may be seen;
but that He may be made known, who is praised in them that are justified, that so He may
bring to pass in him that praises that which is praised in others, that is, that He may make
him that praises to be himself the object of praise. Observe the Apostle too, how that when
he had said, “Please all men in all things, as I also please all men in all things;”1950 he did
not stop there, as if he had placed in that, namely, the pleasing men, the end of his intention;
for else he would have said falsely, “If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of
Christ;” but he subjoined immediately why it was that he pleased men; “Not seeking,” saith
he, “mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”1951 So he at once did
not please men for his own profit, lest he should not be “the servant of Christ;” and he did
please men for their salvation’s sake, that he might be a faithful Minister of Christ; because
1946 Phil. iii. 8, 9.
1947 2 Cor. v. 21.
1948 Rom. x. 3.
1949 Pietate.
1950 1 Cor. x. 33.
1951 1 Cor. x. 33.
580
On that which is written in the Gospel, Matt. v. 16, 'Even so let your light…