Augustine of Hippo, on Isa 57:19

“I created the fruit of the lips, peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, said the Lord, and I healed him.”

“Through love of this true life you ought, then, to consider yourself desolate in this world, no matter what happiness you enjoy. For, just as that is the true life in comparison with which this other, which is so much loved, is not to be called life, however pleasant and prolonged it may be, so that is their true comfort that God promised by the prophet saying, "I will give them true comfort, peace on peace." Without this comfort there is no more grief than consolation to be found in earthly comforts, whatever they may be.… Not by such goods do we become good, but having become good otherwise, they make these things good by their good use of them. Therefore, there is no true comfort in these things; rather, it is found where true life is. A person's happiness necessarily must come from the same source as his goodness.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.