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Show o r . ' J ( f S : BOOK 2 CHAPTER II. Of Humble Submission. Make no great account of who may be for thee or against thee, but mind I and take care that Clod be with thee In everything thou dost. Have a good conscience and (Jod will sufficiently defend thee: for he whom God. will help, no man's malice can hurt. . I If thou knowest only how to be si- lent and to endure, doubt not but that i thou shalt experience help from the I Lord. He knoweth the time and the J manner of thy deliverence, and therefore, there-fore, it is thy part to resign thyself into His hands. It belongs to God to help up and deliver de-liver us from all confusion. Many 'a time it is a great advantage to us, for the keeping us in greater humility hu-mility that others . ki.ow and reprehend repre-hend our faults. When a man humbleth himself for his faults, then he really paeifieth others and easily satisfieth those who are angry with him., The humble man God protecteth and delivereth; the humble He loveth and consolcth; to the humble He incllneth Himself; on the humble He bestow-?th bestow-?th bounteous grace, and after he hath been brought low, raiscth him up unto glory. To the humble he revealeth his secrets, se-crets, and sweetly inviteth and draw-eth draw-eth him unto Himself. The humble man.,, in the midst of reproaches, re-proaches, remaineth in great peace, for his dependence is on God and not on the world. Never think that thou hast thyself made progress until thou feel that thou are inferior to all. CHAPTER HI. Of the Good Peaceable Man. iFrst keep thyself in peace; and then shalt thou be able to bring others to peace. 1 The peaceable man docs more good than one that is very' learned:- The passionate man turneth even good to evil and readily believeth evil. The good peapeble man turneth all things into good. He that is in perfect peace suspect-i suspect-i eth no man. j But he that is discontented and disturbed dis-turbed is agitated by various suspic- i ions: he neither hath rest himself, nor : suffereth ethers to rest. j i Many times he saith what he ought I not to say and leaveth undone that which it were best for him to do. Have, therefore, a zeal in the first I place over thyself, and then mayst thou also exercise zeal toward thy neighbor. Thou knowest well how to excuse and gloss over thine own deeds, but thou wilt not accept the excuses of others. If it were more just for thee to excuse ex-cuse thyself, and to excuse thy brother. If thou wishest to be borne with, bear also with others. See how far thou yet art from true charity and humility; which knoweth not how to feel anger and indignation against any one but oneself. It is no great thing to associate with the good and the gentle: for this ! is naturally pleasing to all. and everyone every-one preferreth peace and loveth best those who have like sentiments. But to be able to live peaceably with the hard and perverse, or with the undisciplined un-disciplined and those who contradjet us, is a great grace, and a highly commendable com-mendable and manly thing. Some there are who keep themselves in peace, anel have place also with others: and there are some who have peace neither with themselves, or leave others in peace; they are troublesome to themselves. And there are those who keep themselves them-selves in peace, and study to restore peace to others. Nevertheless, all our peace in this miserable life must be placed rather in humble endurance than in not experiencing oppositions. He who best knows how to endure will possess the greater peace. . Such a one is conqueror of himself and lord of the world, the friend of Christ and an heir to heaven. |