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Show i 1 j ; , ' 'Stomas QIKprnfij.j CHAPTER XXVIII. Son, take it not to heart if some people peo-ple think ill of thee, and say of thee what thou art not willing to hear. Thou oughtest to think worse things of thyself and to believe no one weaker than thyself. If thou walkest interiorly, thou wilt make small account of flying words from without. It is no small prudence to be silent in the evil time, and to turn within to Me. and not to be disturbed with the judgment of man. Let not thy peace depend on" the tongues of men; for whether they put a good or bail construction on what thou doest, thou art still what thou art. Where is true peace or true glory? Is it not in Me? And he who neither desireth to please nor feareth to displease dis-please men shall enjoy much peace. From inordinate love and vain fear ariseth all disquiet of heart and distraction dis-traction of the senses. CHAPTER XXIX. Blesspd, O Lord, be Thy name forever, for-ever, who hast been pleased that this trial and tribulation should come upon me. I cannot escape it, but must of necessity fly to Thee; that Thou mayst help me, and turn it to my good. Lord, I am now in tribulation, and my heart is not at ease; but 1 am much afflicted af-flicted with my present suffering. And now, beloved Father, what shall I say? I am taken. Lord, in these straits: O save me from this hour. But for- this reason I came unto this hour, that thou might be glorified when I have been exceedingly humbled ami delivered deliv-ered by Thee. May it please Thee, O Lord, to deliver de-liver me; for. wretch that I am! what can I do and whither shall I go without with-out Thee? Give me patience, O Lord, even at this time. Help me. O my God. and I shall not fear how much sorer I am distressed. And now in the midst of these things what shall I say? Lord. Thy will be done. I have well deserved to be afflicted af-flicted and distressed. It behooves me to bear it: and would that it were with patience, till the storm pass over, and it grow better. But Thy almighty hand is able to take away from me this temptation also, and to moderate its violence, that I sink not altogether under un-der it: as Thou hast often done heretofore hereto-fore for me, O my God, my mercy! And how much the more difficult this is to me, so much the easier to Thee is this change of the right hand of the Most High. |