84. Because long peace makes many slothful, the saints rejoice to be tempted. — For their own felicity has laid many low the worse, and long peace has made many slothful; and the unexpected enemy has struck those the more grievously, the more he found them negligent through long enjoyment of quiet. Whence holy men, when they consider that they are advancing much in the prosperity of virtues, by a certain governance of the supernal dispensation exult even to be exercised by temptations, because they guard the more robustly the glory of virtues they have received, the more, shaken by the assault of temptation, they more humbly acknowledge their own infirmity.
Therefore the steed, having heard the trumpet, says: Aha! because indeed the warrior of God, when he perceives the force of temptation pressing upon him, considering the usefulness of the supernal dispensation, trusts the more strongly from that very adversity. The contests of that adversity therefore do not overcome him, because they never tempt him unforeseen. For from afar he takes prior note out of each single matter of what vice's battle may spring up. Whence it also follows: