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10 - The Imitation of Christ - Thomas Kempis · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Book three, chapters forty one to fifty. Chapter forty one,
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  Speaker 1: of contempt of all temporal honour, My son, make it
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  Speaker 1: no matter of thine if thou see others honored and exalted,
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  Speaker 1: and thyself despised and humbled, lift up thine heart to
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  Speaker 1: me in heaven. And then the contempt of men upon
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  Speaker 1: earth will not make THEE sad. O Lord, we are
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  Speaker 1: in blindness, and are quickly seduced by vanity. If I
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  Speaker 1: look rightly within myself, never was injury done unto me
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  Speaker 1: by any creature. And therefore I have naught whereof to
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  Speaker 1: complain before THEE. But because I have many times and
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  Speaker 1: grievously sinned against THEE, all creatures do justly take arms
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  Speaker 1: against me. Therefore to me, confusion and contempt are justly due.
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  Speaker 1: But to THEE praise and honor and glory. And except
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  Speaker 1: I dispose myself for this, namely, to be willing that
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  Speaker 1: every creature should despise and desert me, and that I
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  Speaker 1: should be esteemed altogether as nothing, I cannot be inwardly
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  Speaker 1: filled with peace and strength, nor spiritually enlightened, nor fully
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  Speaker 1: united to THEE. Chapter forty two. That our peace is
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  Speaker 1: not to be placed in men, my son, If thou
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  Speaker 1: set thy peace on any person, because thou hast high
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  Speaker 1: opinion of him and art familiar with him, thou shalt
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  Speaker 1: be unstable and entangled. But if thou betake thyself to
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  Speaker 1: the ever living and abiding truth, the desertion or death
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  Speaker 1: of a friend shall not make THEE sad. In me
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  Speaker 1: ought the love of thy friend to subsist, And for
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  Speaker 1: my sake is every one to be loved, whosoever he be,
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  Speaker 1: who appeareth to THEE good and is very dear to THEE.
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  Speaker 1: In this life without me friendship hath no strength or endurance.
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  Speaker 1: Neither is that love true and pure which I unite.
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  Speaker 1: Not thou oughtest to be so dead to such affections
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  Speaker 1: of beloved friends, that as far as in THEE lieth,
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  Speaker 1: thou wouldst rather choose to be without any companionship of men.
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  Speaker 1: The nearer a man approacheth to God, the further he
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  Speaker 1: recedeth from all earthly solace. The deeper also he descendeth
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  Speaker 1: into himself, and the violer he appereth in his own eyes,
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  Speaker 1: the higher he ascendeth towards God. But he who attributeth
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  Speaker 1: anything good to himself hindereth the grace of God from
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  Speaker 1: coming to him, because the grace of the Holy Ghost
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  Speaker 1: ever seeketh the humble heart. If thou couldst make thyself
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  Speaker 1: utterly nothing and empty thyself of the love of every creature,
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  Speaker 1: then should it be my part to overflow into thee
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  Speaker 1: with great grace. When thou settest thine eyes upon creatures,
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  Speaker 1: the face of the Creator is withdrawn from thee. Learn
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  Speaker 1: in all things, to conquer thyself for the Creator's sake.
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  Speaker 1: Then shalt thou be able to attain unto divine knowledge.
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  Speaker 1: How small soever anything be, if it beloved and regarded inordinately,
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  Speaker 1: it holdeth us back from the highest good, and corrupteth
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  Speaker 1: three against vain and worldly knowledge. My son, let not
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  Speaker 1: the fair and subtle sayings of men move thee. For
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  Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
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  Speaker 1: One Corinthians four, verse twenty. Give ear to my words,
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  Speaker 1: for they kindle the heart and enlighten the mind. They
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  Speaker 1: bring contrition, and they supply manifold consolations. Never read thou
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  Speaker 1: the word that thou mayest appear more learned or wise,
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  Speaker 1: but study for the mortification of thy sins, for this
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  Speaker 1: will be far more profitable for thee than the knowledge
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  Speaker 1: of many difficult questions. When thou hast read and learned
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  Speaker 1: many things, thou must always return to one first principle.
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  Speaker 1: I am he teacheth man knowledge Psalm ninety four, verse ten.
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  Speaker 1: And I give unto babes clearer knowledge than can be
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  Speaker 1: taught by man. He to whom I speak will be
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  Speaker 1: quickly wise, and shall grow much in the spirit. Woe
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  Speaker 1: unto them who inquire into many curious questions from men
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  Speaker 1: and take little heed concerning the way of my service.
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  Speaker 1: The time will come when Christ will appear, the Master
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  Speaker 1: of masters, the Lord of the angels, to hear the
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  Speaker 1: lessons of all, that is, to examine the consciences of
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  Speaker 1: each one. And then will he search Jerusalem with candles
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  Speaker 1: Zephaniah one, verse twelve. And the hidden things of darkness
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  Speaker 1: one Corinthians four, verse five. And the hidden things of
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  Speaker 1: darkness shall be made manest, and the arguings of tongues
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  Speaker 1: shall be silent. I am he who in an instant
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  Speaker 1: lift up the humble spirit to learn more reasonings of
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  Speaker 1: the eternal truth than if a man had studied ten
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  Speaker 1: years in the schools. I teach without noise of words,
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  Speaker 1: without confusion of opinions, without striving after honor, without clash
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  Speaker 1: of arguments. I am he who teach men to despise
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  Speaker 1: earthly things, to loathe things present, to seek things heavenly,
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  Speaker 1: to enjoy things eternal, to flee honors, to endure offenses,
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  Speaker 1: to place all hope in me, to desire nothing apart
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  Speaker 1: from me, and above all things, to love me ardently.
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  Speaker 1: For there was one who, by loving me from the
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  Speaker 1: bottom of his heart, learned divine things and spake things
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  Speaker 1: that were wonderful. He profited more by forsaking all things
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  Speaker 1: than by studying subtleties. But to some I speak common things,
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  Speaker 1: to others, special to some, I appear gently in signs
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  Speaker 1: and figures, and again to some I reveal mysteries in
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  Speaker 1: much light. The voice of books is one, but it
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  Speaker 1: informeth not all alike, because I inwardly am the teacher
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  Speaker 1: of truth, the searcher of the heart, the discerner of
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  Speaker 1: all thoughts, the mover of actions, distributing to each man,
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  Speaker 1: as I judge meet Chapter forty four, of not troubling
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  Speaker 1: ourselves about outward things, my son, in many things, it
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  Speaker 1: behooveth THEE to be ignorant, and to esteem thyself as
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  Speaker 1: one dead upon the earth, and as one to whom
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  Speaker 1: the whole world is crucified. Many things also thou must
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  Speaker 1: pass by with deaf ear, and must rather think upon
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  Speaker 1: those things which belong unto thy peace. It is more
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  Speaker 1: profitable to turn away thine eyes from those things that displease,
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  Speaker 1: and to leave each man to his own opinion, than
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  Speaker 1: to give thyself to discourses of strife. If thou stand
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  Speaker 1: well with God and hast his judgment in thy mind,
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  Speaker 1: thou wilt verily easily bear to be as one conquered.
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  Speaker 1: O Lord, to what have we come? Behold? A temporal
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  Speaker 1: loss is mourned over for a trifling gain. We labor
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  Speaker 1: and hurry, and spiritual loss passeth away into forgetful and
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  Speaker 1: we rarely recover it. That which profiteth little or nothing
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  Speaker 1: is looked after, and that which is altogether necessary is
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  Speaker 1: negligently passed by. Because the whole man slideth away to
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  Speaker 1: outward things, and unless he quickly recovereth himself in outward things,
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  Speaker 1: he willingly lieth down Chapter forty five, that we must
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  Speaker 1: not believe everyone, and that we are prone to fall
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  Speaker 1: in our words. Lord be thou my help in trouble,
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  Speaker 1: for vain is the help of man Psalm sixty, verse eleven.
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  Speaker 1: How often have I failed to find faithfulness where I
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  Speaker 1: thought I possessed it. How many times I have found
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  Speaker 1: it where I least expected Vain. Therefore is hope in men.
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  Speaker 1: But the self invasion of the just O God is
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  Speaker 1: in THEE. Blessed be thou, o, Lord, my God. In
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  Speaker 1: all things which happen unto us, we are weak and unstable.
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  Speaker 1: We are quickly deceived and quite changed. Who is the
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  Speaker 1: man who is able to keep himself so warily and
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  Speaker 1: circumspectly as not sometimes to come into some snare of perplexity?
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  Speaker 1: But he who trusteth in THEE, O Lord, and seeketh
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  Speaker 1: THEE with an unfeigned heart, doth not so easily slip.
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  Speaker 1: And if he fall into any tribulation, howsoever he may
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  Speaker 1: be entangled, yet very quickly he shall be delivered through THEE,
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  Speaker 1: or by THEE, shall be comforted, because Thou wilt not
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  Speaker 1: forsake him that trusteth in THEE. Unto the end. A
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  Speaker 1: friend who continueth faithful in all the distresses of heith
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  Speaker 1: friend is rare to be found. Thou, O Lord, Thou
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  Speaker 1: alone art most faithful in all things, and there is
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  Speaker 1: none other like unto THEE. Oh, how truly wise was
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  Speaker 1: that holy soul who said, my mind is steadfastly fixed,
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  Speaker 1: and it is grounded in Christ Saint Agatha. If thus
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  Speaker 1: it were with me, the fear of man should not
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  Speaker 1: so easily tempt me, nor the arrows of words move me.
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  Speaker 1: Who is sufficient to foresee all things? Who to guard
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  Speaker 1: beforehand against future ills? If even things which are foreseen
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  Speaker 1: sometimes hurt us, what can things which are not foreseen
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  Speaker 1: do but grievously injure? But wherefore have I not better
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  Speaker 1: provided for myself? Miserable that I am? Why two have
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  Speaker 1: I given such heed to others? But we are men?
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  Speaker 1: Nor are we other than frail men, even though by
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  Speaker 1: many we are reckoned and called angels. Whom shall I trust? O? Lord,
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  Speaker 1: whom shall I trust? But THEE Thou art the truth
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  Speaker 1: and deceivest not, nor canst be deceived. And on the
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  Speaker 1: other hand, every man is a liar Psalm one hundred
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  Speaker 1: and sixteen, verse eleven, Romans three, verse four, weak, unstable,
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  Speaker 1: and frail, especially in his words, so that one ought
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  Speaker 1: scarcely ever to believe what seemeth to sound right on
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  Speaker 1: the face of it. With what wisdom hast thou warned
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  Speaker 1: does beforehand to beware of men, And that a man's
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  Speaker 1: foes are they of his own household Matthew ten, Verses
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  Speaker 1: seventeen and thirty six. And that we must not believe
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  Speaker 1: if one say unto us lo here or lo there
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  Speaker 1: Matthew twenty four, verse twenty three. I have been taught
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  Speaker 1: by my loss, and oh that I may prove more
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  Speaker 1: careful and not foolish. Hereby be cautious, sayth some one,
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  Speaker 1: be cautious, keep unto thyself what I tell THEE. And
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  Speaker 1: whilst I am silent and believe that it is hid
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  Speaker 1: with me, he himself cannot keep silence concerning it, but
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  Speaker 1: straightway betrayeth me and himself, and goeth his way. Protect me,
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  Speaker 1: O Lord, from such mischief making and reckless men. Let
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  Speaker 1: me not fall into their hands, nor ever do such
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  Speaker 1: things myself. Put a true and steadfast word into my mouth,
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  Speaker 1: and remove a deceitful tongue far from me. What I
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  Speaker 1: will not suffer. I ought by all means to beware
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  Speaker 1: of doing. Oh, how good and peace making a thing.
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  Speaker 1: It is to be silent concerning others and not carelessly
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  Speaker 1: to believe all reports, nor to hand them on. Further,
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  Speaker 1: How good also to lay oneself open to few, to seek, ever,
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  Speaker 1: to have thee as the beholder of the heart, not
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  Speaker 1: to be carried about with every wind of words, but
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  Speaker 1: to desire that all things inward and outward be done
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  Speaker 1: according to the good pleasure of thy will. How safe
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  Speaker 1: for the preserving of heavenly grace to fly from human approval,
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  Speaker 1: and not to long after the things which seem to
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  Speaker 1: win admiration abroad, but to follow with all earnestness those
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  Speaker 1: things which bring amendment of life and heavenly Further, how
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  Speaker 1: many have been injured by their virtue being made known
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  Speaker 1: and too hastily praised. How truly profitable hath been grace
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  Speaker 1: preserved in silence in this frail life, which, as we
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  Speaker 1: are told, is all temptation and warfare. Chapter forty six
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  Speaker 1: of having confidence in God When evil words are cast
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  Speaker 1: at us, my son, stand fast and believe in me.
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  Speaker 1: For what are words but words? They fly through the air,
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  Speaker 1: but they bruise no stone. If thou art guilty, think
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  Speaker 1: how thou wouldst gladly amend thyself. If thou knowest nothing
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  Speaker 1: against thyself, consider that thou wilt gladly bear this for
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  Speaker 1: God's sake. It is little enough that thou sometimes hast
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  Speaker 1: to bear hearts, for thou art not yet able to
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  Speaker 1: bear hard blows. And wherefore do such trivial matters go
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  Speaker 1: to thine heart, except that thou art yet carnal, and
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  Speaker 1: regardest men more than thou artest. For because thou fearest
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  Speaker 1: to be despised, thou art unwilling to be reproved for
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  Speaker 1: thy faults, and seekest paltry shelters of excuses. But look
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  Speaker 1: better into thyself, and thou shalt know that the world
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  Speaker 1: is still alive in THEE and the vain love of
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  Speaker 1: pleasing men. For when thou fleest away from being abased
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  Speaker 1: and confounded for thy faults, it is plain that thou
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  Speaker 1: art neither truly humble nor truly dead to the world,
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  Speaker 1: and that the world is not crucified to THEE. But
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  Speaker 1: hearken to my word, and thou shalt not care for
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  Speaker 1: ten thousand words of men. Behold, if all things could
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  Speaker 1: be said against THEE which the utmost malice could invent,
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  Speaker 1: what should it hurt THEE? If thou wert altogether to
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  Speaker 1: let it go, and make no more account of it
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  Speaker 1: than of a mote. Could it pluck out a single
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  Speaker 1: hair of thy head. But he that hath no heart
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  Speaker 1: within him, and hath not God before his eyes, is
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  Speaker 1: easily moved by a word of reproach. But he who
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  Speaker 1: trusteth in Me and seeketh not to abide by his
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  Speaker 1: own judgment, shall be free from the fear of men.
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  Speaker 1: For I am the judge and the discerner of all secrets.
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  Speaker 1: I know how the thing hath been done. I know
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  Speaker 1: both the injurer and the bearer from me went forth
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  Speaker 1: that word by my permission. This hath happened, that the
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  Speaker 1: thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Luke to thirty five.
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  Speaker 1: I shall judge the guilty and the innocent, But beforehand
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  Speaker 1: I have willed to try them both by a secret judgment.
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  Speaker 1: The testimony of men often deceiveth My judgment is true.
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  Speaker 1: It will stand, and it shall not be overturned. It
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  Speaker 1: commonly lieth hid, and only to few in certain cases
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  Speaker 1: is it made known. Yet it never erreth, nor can err.
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  Speaker 1: Although it seemed not right to the eyes of foolish
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  Speaker 1: men to me. Therefore must men have recourse in all judgment,
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  Speaker 1: and must not lean to their opinion. For there shall
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  Speaker 1: no evil happen to the just Proverbs twelve, verse twenty one.
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  Speaker 1: Whatsoever may be sent to him by God, even though
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  Speaker 1: some unjust charge be brought against him, he will care little.
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  Speaker 1: Nor again will he exalt above measure, if through others
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  Speaker 1: he be clearly vindicated. For he considereth that I am
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  Speaker 1: he who try the hearts and reigns Psalm seven, verse nine,
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  Speaker 1: who judge not outwardly and according to human appearance. For
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  Speaker 1: often in mine eyes that is found blameworthy, which in
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  Speaker 1: the judgment of men is held worthy of praise. O,
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  Speaker 1: Lord God, O judge, just, strong and patient, who knowest
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  Speaker 1: the frailty and sinfulness of men. Be thou my strength
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  Speaker 1: and my whole confidence. For my own conscience sufficeth me not.
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  Speaker 1: Thou knowest what I know not, and therefore ought I
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  Speaker 1: under all rebuke to humble myself and to bear it meekly. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: mercifully forgive me as often as I have not done this,
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  Speaker 1: and want me the next time. The grace of greater
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  Speaker 1: endurance for better unto me is Thine abundant pity for
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  Speaker 1: the attainment of Thy pardon than the righteousness which I
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  Speaker 1: believe myself to have for defense against my conscience, which
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  Speaker 1: lieth weight against me. Although I know nothing against myself.
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  Speaker 1: Yet I am not hereby justified One Corinthians four, verse four,
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  Speaker 1: Because if thy mercy were removed away in thy sight,
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  Speaker 1: should no man living be justified. Psalm one hundred and
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  Speaker 1: forty three, Verse two, Chapter forty seven. That all troubles
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  Speaker 1: are to be endured for the sake of eternal life.
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  Speaker 1: My son. Let not the labors which thou hast undertaken
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  Speaker 1: for me break THEE down, nor let tribulations cast THEE
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  Speaker 1: down in any wise. But let my promise strengthen and
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  Speaker 1: comfort THEE. In every event. I am sufficient to reward
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  Speaker 1: THEE above all measure and extent. Not long shalt thou
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  Speaker 1: labor hear, nor always be weighted down with sorrows. Wait
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  Speaker 1: yet a little while, and thou shalt see a speedy
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  Speaker 1: end of thine evils. And hour shall come when all
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  Speaker 1: labor and confusion shall cease. Little and short is all
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  Speaker 1: that passeth away with time. Do earnestly what thou dost
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  Speaker 1: labor faithfully in my vineyard. I will be thy reward. Write, read, sing, weep,
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  Speaker 1: be silent, pray, endure adversities, manfully eternal life is worthy
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  Speaker 1: of all these conflicts, YEA, And of greater peace shall
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  Speaker 1: come in one day, which is known to the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: which shall be neither day nor night Zachariah fourteen, verse seven.
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  Speaker 1: But light, eternal, infinite clearness, steadfast peace, and undisturbed rest.
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  Speaker 1: Thou shalt not say, then, who shall deliver me from
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  Speaker 1: the body of this death Romans seven, verse twenty four,
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  Speaker 1: Nor cry out woe is me? For my sojourning is
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  Speaker 1: prolonged Psalm one hundred and twenty, because death will be
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  Speaker 1: utterly destroyed, and there shall be salvation which can never fail.
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  Speaker 1: No more anxiety, happy, delight, sweet and noble society. O.
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  Speaker 1: If thou sawest the unfading crowns of the saints in heaven,
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  Speaker 1: and with what great glory they now rejoice, who aforetime
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  Speaker 1: were reckoned by this world contemptibly, and as it were
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  Speaker 1: unworthy of life, Truly thou wouldst immediately humble thyself even
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  Speaker 1: to the earth, and wouldst desire rather to be in
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  Speaker 1: subjection to all than to have authority over one. Nor
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  Speaker 1: wouldst thou long for pleasant days of this life. But
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  Speaker 1: wouldst more rejoice to be afflicted for God's sake, and
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  Speaker 1: wouldst esteem it gain to be counted for naught amongst men. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: if these things were sweet to thy taste and moved
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  Speaker 1: thee to the bottom of thine heart, how shouldst thou
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  Speaker 1: dare even once to complain? Are not all laborious things
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  Speaker 1: to be endured for the sake of eternal life? It
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  Speaker 1: is no small thing the losing or gaining the Kingdom
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  Speaker 1: of God. Lift up therefore thy face to Heaven. Behold
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  Speaker 1: I and all my saints with me, who in this
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  Speaker 1: world had a hard conflict, now rejoice, are now comforted,
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  Speaker 1: are now secure, are now at peace, and shall remain
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  Speaker 1: with me evermore in the Kingdom of my Father. Chapter
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  Speaker 1: forty eight. Of the Day of Eternity and of the
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  Speaker 1: straitnesses of this life, Oh, most blessed mansion of the
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  Speaker 1: city which is above, Oh, most clear day of Eternity,
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  Speaker 1: which the night obscureth not but the supreme Truth, ever
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  Speaker 1: enlighteneth day, always joyful, always secure, and never changing its
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  Speaker 1: state into those which are contrary. Oh, would that this
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  Speaker 1: day might shine forth, and that all these temporal things
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  Speaker 1: would come to an end. It shineth indeed upon the saints,
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  Speaker 1: glowing with unending brightness, but only from afar, and through
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  Speaker 1: a glass upon those who are pilgrims on the earth.
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  Speaker 1: The citizens of Heaven know how glorious that day is,
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  Speaker 1: the exiled sons of Eve grown, Because this is bitter
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  Speaker 1: and wearisome. The days of this life are few and evil,
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  Speaker 1: full of sorrows and straits, where man is defiled with
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  Speaker 1: many sins, ensnared with many passions, bound fast with many fears,
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  Speaker 1: wearied with many cares, distracted, with many questionings, entangled with
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  Speaker 1: many vanities, compassed about with many errors, worn away, with
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  Speaker 1: many labours, weighed down with temptations, enervated by pleasures, tormented
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  Speaker 1: by poverty. Oh, when shall there be an end of
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  Speaker 1: these evil? When shall I be delivered from the wretched
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: slavery of my sins? When shall I be mindful, O,
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: Lord of THEE alone? When shall I rejoice in THEE
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: to the full. When shall I be in true liberty
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: without any impediment, without any burden on mind or body?
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: When shall there be solid peace, peace, immoveable and secure
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: peace within and without peace, firm on every side, Blessed Jesus,
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: When shall I stand to behold THEE. When shall I
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: gaze upon the glory of Thy kingdom? When shalt thou
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: be to me all in all? O? When shall I
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: be with THEE in thy kingdom, which thou hast prepared
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: from the foundation of the world for them that love THEE.
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: I am left destitute and exile in a hostile land,
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: where are daily wars and grievous misfortunes. Console my exile,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: mitigate my sorrow for towards THEE. All my desire longeth.
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: For all is to me a burden. Whatsoever this world
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: offereth for consolation. I yearn to enjoy THEE intimately, but
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: I cannot attain unto it. I long to cleave to
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: heavenly things, but temporal things and unmortified passions press me down.
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: In my mind, I would be above all things, but
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: in my flesh I am unwillingly compelled to be beneath them.
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: So wretched man that I am. I fight with myself
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: and am made grievous even unto myself. While the spirit
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: seeketh to be above and the flesh to be beneath. Oh,
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: how I suffer inwardly, While with the mind I discourse
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: on heavenly things, and present a crowd of carnal things
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: rushes upon me. While I pray my God, be not
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: thou far from me, nor depart in wrath from thy servant.
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: Cast forth thy lightning and scatter them. Send out thine
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: arrows Psalm one hundred and twenty one, verse twelve. And
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: let all delusions of my enemy be confounded. Recall my
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: senses unto thyself. Cause me to forget all worldly things.
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: Grant me quickly to cast away and despise the imaginations
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: of sin. Succor me O eternal truth, that no vanity
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: may move me. Come unto me, O heavenly sweetness, and
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: let all impurity flee from before thy face. Pardon me also,
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: and of thy mercy deal gently with me whensoever in
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: prayer I think on anything besides THEE. For truly I
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: confess that I am wont to be continually distracted, For
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: often and often wherein the body I stand or sit,
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: there I myself am not, But rather am I there
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: whither I am born by my thoughts. Where my thought
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: is there am I? And there commonly is my thought?
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: Where that which I love is that readily occurreth to me,
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: which naturally delighteth or pleaseth through custom. Wherefore thou who
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: art the truth, hast said plainly, where your treasure is,
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: there will your heart be also Matthew six, verse twenty one.
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: If I love Heaven, I gladly meditate on heavenly things.
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: If I love the world, I rejoice in the delights
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: of the world, and are made sorry by its adversities.
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: If I love the flesh, I am continually imagining the
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: things which belonged to the flesh. If I love the Spirit,
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: I am delighted by meditating on spiritual things. For whatsoever
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: things I love, on these I readily converse and listen,
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: and carry home with me the images of them. But
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: blessed is that man who, for thy sake, O Lord,
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: is willing to part from all creatures, who doth violence
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: to his fleshly nature, and crucifieth the lusts of the
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: flesh by the fervor of his spirit, so that with
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: serene conscience he may offer unto thee a pure prayer
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: and be made worthy to enter into the angelic choirs,
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: having shut out from himself both outwardly and inwardly, all
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: worldly things. Chapter forty nine of the desire after eternal life,
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: and how great blessings are promised to those whose strive,
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: my son, When thou feelest the desire of eternal happiness
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: to be poured into THEE from above, and longest to
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: depart from the tabernacle of this body, that thou mayst
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: contemplate My glory without shadow of turning. Enlarge thine heart
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: and take in this holy inspiration with all thy desire.
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: Give most hearty thanks to the Supreme Goodness, who dealeth
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: with THEE. So graciously visiteth THEE, so lovingly stirreth THEE up,
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: so fervently raiseth THEE so powerfully, lest thou sink down
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: through thine own weight to earthly things. For not by
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: thine own meditating or striving dost thou receive this gift,
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: but by the soul gracious condescension of supreme grace and
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: divine reward, to the end that thou mayest make progress
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: in virtue and in more humility, and prepare thyself of
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: future conflicts, and cleave unto me with all the affection
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: of thine heart, and strive to serve me with fervent will,
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: My son, Often the fire burneth, but the flame ascendeth
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: not without smoke. So also the desires of some men
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: burn towards heavenly things, and yet they are not free
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: from the temptation of carnal affection. Thus, therefore they are
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: not acting with an altogether simple desire for God's glory
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: when they pray to him so earnestly. Such too, is
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: sometimes thy desire when thou hast imagined it to be
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: so earnest. For that is not pure and perfect, which
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: is tainted with thine own self seeking. Seek thou not
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: what is pleasant and advantageous to thyself, but what is
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: acceptable and honorable unto me. For if thou judgest rightly,
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: thou must choose and follow after My appointment rather than
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: thine own desire. Yea rather than anything that can be desired.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: I know thy desire, and I have heard thy many groanings.
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: Already thou longest to be in the glorious liberty of
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: the children of God. Already the eternal home delighteth thee
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: and the heavenly country full of joy. But the hour
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: is not yet come. There remaineth still another season, even
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: a season of warfare, a season of labor and probation,
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: Thou desirest to be filled with the chief good, but
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: thou canst not attain it immediately. I am that good
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: wait for me until the Kingdom of God shall come.
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: Thou must still be tried upon earth and be exercised
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: in many things. Consolation shall from time to time be
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: given THEE, but abundant satisfying shall not be granted. Be
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: strong therefore, and be thou brave, both in working and
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: in suffering things which are against thy nature. Thou must
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: put on the new man and be changed into another man.
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: Thou must often do what thou wouldst not, and thou
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: must leave undone what thou wouldst do. What pleaseth others
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: shall have good success, what pleaseth THEE shall have no prosperity.
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: What others say shall be listened to. What Thou sayest
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: shall receive no heed. Others shall ask and receive. Thou
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: shalt ask and not obtain. Others shall be great in
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: the report of men. But about THEE shall nothing be
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: spoken to others. This or that shall be entrusted. Thou
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: shalt be judged useful for naught. For this cause. Nature
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: shall sometimes be filled with sadness, and it is a
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: great thing, if thou bear it silently. In this and
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: many like things, the faithful servant of the Lord is
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: wont to be tried, how far he is able to
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: deny himself and bring himself into subjection in all things.
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: Scarcely is there anything in which thou hast need to
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: mortify thyself so much as in seeing things which are
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: adverse to thy will, especially when things are commanded THEE
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: to be done which seem to THEE inexpedient or of
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: little use to THEE. And because thou darest not resist
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: a higher power being under authority, therefore it seemeth hard
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: for THEE to shape thy course according to the nod
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: of another, and to forego thine own opinion. But consider
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: my son, the fruit of these labors, the swift end,
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: and the reward exceeding great. And thou shalt find it
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: no pain to bear them, then, but rather the strongest
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: solace of thy patience. For even in exchange for this
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: trifling desire, which thou hast readily forsaken, thou shalt always
• 36:44
  Speaker 1: have thy will in Heaven. There Verily thou shalt find
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: all that thou wouldst all, that thou canst long for
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: There thou shalt have all good within thy power, without
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: the fear of losing it. There Thy will, ever at
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: one with mine, shall desire nothing outward, nothing for itself.
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: There No men shall withstand THEE, none shall complain of THEE,
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: none shall hinder, nothing shall stand in thy path. But
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: all things desired by THEE shall be present together, and
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: shall refresh thy whole affection and fill it up even
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: to the brim. There I will glory for the scorn
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: suffered here, the garment of praise for sorrow, and for
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: the lowest place a throne in the kingdom. For ever
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: there shall appear the fruit of obedience, the labor of repentance,
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: shall rejoice, and humble subjection shall be crowned gloriously. Now therefore,
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: bow thyself humbly under the hands of all men. Nor
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: let it trouble THEE who said this or who ordered that.
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: But take special heed that, whether thy superior, thy inferior,
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: or thy equal, require anything from THEE, or even show
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: a desire for it, take it all in good part,
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: and study with a good will to fulfill the desire.
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: Let one seek this another that, let this man glory
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: in this and that man in that and be praised
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: a thousand thousand times. But rejoice thou only in the
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: contempt of thyself and in mine own good pleasure and glory.
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: This is what thou art to long for, even that,
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: whether by fire or by death, God may be ever
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: magnified in thee. Philippians one, verse twenty, chapter fifty. How
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: desolate man ought to commit himself into the hands of God,
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: O Lord, Holy Father. Be thou blessed now and evermore.
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: Because as thou wilt, so it is done, and what
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: thou doest is good. Let thy servant rejoice in THEE,
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: not in himself nor in any other. Because thou alone
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: art the true joy. Thou art my hope and my crown.
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: Thou art my joy and my honor. O Lord, What
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: hath thy servant which he receiveth not from THEE, even
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: without merit of his own. Thine are all things which
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: thou hast given, and which thou hast made. I am
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: poor and in misery, even from my youth up Psalm
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty eight, verse fifteen. And my soul
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: is sorrowful unto tears. Sometimes also it is disquieted within
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: itself because of the sufferings which are coming upon it.
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: I long after the joy of peace. For the peace
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: of thy children do I beseech, For in the light
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: of thy comfort they are fed by thee. If thou
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: give peace, if thou pour into me holy joy, the
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: soul of thy servant shall be full of melody and
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: devout in thy praise. But if thou withdraw thyself, as
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: too often thou art wont, he will not be able
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: to run in the way of thy commandments. But rather
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: he will smite his breast and will bow his knees,
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: because it is not with him as yesterday and the
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: day before, when Thy candle shined upon his head Job
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: twenty nine, verse three, and he walked under the shadow
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: of thy wings. Psalm said seventeen, verse eight, from the
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: temptations which beset him, O Father, Righteous and ever to
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: be praised. The hour cometh when thy servant is to
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: be proved, O beloved Father. It is well that in
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: this hour thy servants suffer somewhat for thy sake, O Father,
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: ever more to be adored, as the hour cometh, which
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: thou foreknowest from everlasting, when for a little while thy
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: servant should outwardly bow down but always live inwardly with THEE,
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: when for a little while he should be little regarded, humbled,
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: and fail in the eyes of men, should be wasted
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: with sufferings and weaknesses, to rise again with THEE in
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: the dawn of the new light, and be glorified in
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: the heavenly places. Oh, Holy Father, thou hast ordained it
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: so and so hast willed it. And that is done
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: which thou thyself hast commanded. For this is thy favor
• 42:09
  Speaker 1: to thy friend, that he should suffer and be troubled
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: in the world for thy love's sake, how often soever,
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: and by whomsoever, and whosoever thou hast suffered it to
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: be done. Without Thy counsel and providence, and without cause,
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: nothing cometh to pass on the earth. It is good
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: for me, Lord, that I have been in trouble, that
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: I may learn Thy statutes Psalm one hundred and nineteen,
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: verse seventy one, and may cast away all pride of
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: heart and presumption. It is profitable for me that confusion
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: hath covered my face, that I may seek to THEE
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: for consolation rather than unto men. By this also I
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: have learned to dread Thine unsearchable judge, who afflictst the
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: just with the wicked, but not without equity and justice.
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: Thanks be unto THEE, because thou hast not spared my sins,
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: but hast beaten me with stripes of love, afflicting pains
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: and sending troubles upon me. Without and within. There is
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: none who can console me of all things which are
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: under heaven, but thou only, O Lord, my God, Thou
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: heavenly physician of souls, who dost scourge and hast mercy,
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: who leadest down to hell and bringest up again Job thirteen,
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: Verse two. Thy discipline over me, and thy rod itself
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: shall teach me. Behold, O, Heavenly Father, I am in
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: thy hands. I bow myself under the rod of thy correction.
• 44:01
  Speaker 1: Smite my back and my neck, that I may bend
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: my crookedness to thy will make me a pious and
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: lowly disciple, as thou wert wont to be kind, that
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: I may walk according to every nod of thine to THEE.
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: I commend myself and all that I have for correction.
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: Better is it to be punished here than Hereafter Thou
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: knowest all things and each of them, and nothing remaineth
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: hid from THEE in man's conscience before they are. Thou
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: knowest that they will be, And thou needest not that
• 44:42
  Speaker 1: any man teach THEE or admonish THEE concerning the things
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: which are done upon the earth. Thou knowest what is
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: expedient for my profit, and how greatly trouble serveth unto
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: the scrubbing off the rust of sin. Do with me
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: according to Thy desired good pleasure, and despise, not my life,
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: which is full of sin, known to none, so entirely
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: and fully as to THEE alone. Grant me, o, Lord,
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: to know that which ought to be known, to love
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: that which ought to be loved, to praise that which
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: pleaseth THEE most, to esteem that which is precious in
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: thy sight, to blame that which is vile in Thine eyes.
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: Suffer me not to judge according to the sight of
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: bodily eyes, nor to give sentence according to the hearing
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: of the ears of ignorant men, but to discern in
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: true judgment between visible and spiritual things, and above all things,
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: to be ever seeking after the will of Thy good pleasure.
• 45:56
  Speaker 1: Oftentimes the senses of men are deceived in judging The
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: lovers of the world also are deceived in that they
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: love only visible things. What is a man better, because
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: by man he is reckoned very great. The deceiver deceiveth
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: the deceiver, the vain man, the vain, the blind man,
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: the blind, the weak man, the weak when they exalt
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: one another, and in truth, they rather put to shame
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: while they foolishly praise. For as humble Saint Francis saith,
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: what each one is in Thine eyes, so much he is,
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: and no more. End of Chapter fifty