St. Peter of Damaskos on Sanctification

St. Peter of Damaskos 12th Century

There are four forms of wisdom: first, moral judgment, or the knowledge of what should and should not be done, combined with watchfulness of the intellect; second, self-restraint, whereby our moral purpose is safeguarded and kept free from all acts, thoughts and words that do not accord with God; third, courage, or strength and endurance in sufferings, trials and temptations encountered on the spiritual path; and fourth, justice, which consists in maintaining a proper balance between the first three. These four general virtues arise from the three powers of the soul in the following manner: from the intelligence, or intellect, comes moral judgment and justice, or discrimination; from the desiring power comes self-restraint; and from the soul’s heart comes courage. Book 1, A Treasury of Divine Knowledge, The Four Virtues of the Soul