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

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of the Inward Voice of Christ. To the
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  Speaker 1: faithful soul, I will hearken what the Lord God shall
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  Speaker 1: say within me, Psalm eighty five, verse eight. Blessed is
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  Speaker 1: the soul which heareth the Lord speaking within it, and
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  Speaker 1: receiveth the word of consolation from his mouth. Blessed are
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  Speaker 1: the ears which receive the echoes of the soft whisper
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  Speaker 1: of God, and turn not aside to the whisperings of
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  Speaker 1: this world. Blessed truly are the ears which listen not
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  Speaker 1: to the voice that soundeth without, but to that which
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  Speaker 1: teaches truth inwardly. Blessed are the eyes which are closed
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  Speaker 1: to things without, but are fixed upon things within. Blessed
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  Speaker 1: are they who search inward things and study to prepare
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  Speaker 1: themselves more and more by daily exercises for the receiving
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  Speaker 1: of heavenly mysteries. Blessed are they who long to have
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  Speaker 1: leisure for God and free themselves from every hindrance of
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  Speaker 1: the world. Think on these things, O, my soul, and
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  Speaker 1: shut the doors of thy carnal desires, so mayest thou
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  Speaker 1: hear what the Lord God will say within thee these things, saith,
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  Speaker 1: my Beloved. I am Thy Salvation. I am thy peace
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  Speaker 1: and thy life. Keep thee unto me, and thou shalt
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  Speaker 1: find peace. Put away thee all transitory things. Seek those
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  Speaker 1: things that are eternal. For what are all temporal things
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  Speaker 1: but deceits? And what shall all create things? Help thee?
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  Speaker 1: If thou be forsaken by the Creator. Therefore put all
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  Speaker 1: things else away and give thyself to the Creator to
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  Speaker 1: be well pleasing and faithful to him, that thou mayest
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  Speaker 1: be able to attain true blessedness. Chapter two. What the
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  Speaker 1: truth saith inwardly without noise of words, Speak Lord, for
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  Speaker 1: thy servant heareth one Samuel chapter three, verse nine. I
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  Speaker 1: am thy servant. Oh give me understanding that I may
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  Speaker 1: know thy testimonies. Incline my heart unto the words of
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  Speaker 1: thy mouth. Psalm one hundred and nineteen, verse one hundred
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  Speaker 1: and twenty five. Let thy each distill as the due
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  Speaker 1: the children of Israel spake in old times to Moses.
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  Speaker 1: Speak thou unto us, and we will hear. But let
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  Speaker 1: not the Lord speak unto us lest we die. Exodus twenty,
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  Speaker 1: verse nineteen. Not thus, o Lord, not thus do I pray,
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  Speaker 1: But rather with Samuel the prophet, I beseech thee humbly
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  Speaker 1: and earnestly speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. Let not
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  Speaker 1: Moses speak to me, nor any prophet, but rather speak thou,
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  Speaker 1: o Lord, who didst inspire and illuminate all the prophets,
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  Speaker 1: For thou alone, without them, canst perfectly fill me with knowledge,
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  Speaker 1: whilst they without thee shall profit nothing. They can, indeed
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  Speaker 1: utter words, but they give not the spirit. They speak
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  Speaker 1: with exceeding beauty, But when thou art silent, they kindle
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  Speaker 1: not the heart. They give us scriptures, but thou makest
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  Speaker 1: known the sense thereof. They bring us mysteries, but thou
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  Speaker 1: revealest the things which are signified. They utter commandments, but
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  Speaker 1: thou helpest to the fulfilling of them. They show the way,
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  Speaker 1: but thou givest strength for the journey. They act only outwardly,
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  Speaker 1: but thou dost instruct and enlighten the heart. They water,
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  Speaker 1: but thou givest the increase. They cry with words, but
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  Speaker 1: thou givest understanding to the hearer. Therefore, let not Moses
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  Speaker 1: speak to me, but thou, o, Lord, my God, eternal truth,
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  Speaker 1: lest I die and bring forth no fruit. Being outwardly
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  Speaker 1: admonished but not enkindled. Within, lest the word heard but
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  Speaker 1: not followed, known but not loved, believed but not obeyed,
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  Speaker 1: rise up against me in the judgment. Speak, Lord, for
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  Speaker 1: thy servant heareth, thou hast the words of eternal life.
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  Speaker 1: John six, verse sixty eight. Speak unto me for some consolation,
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  Speaker 1: unto my soul, for the amendment of my whole life,
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  Speaker 1: and for the praise and glory and eternal honor of
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  Speaker 1: thy name. Chapter three. How all the words of God
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  Speaker 1: are to be heard with humility, and how many consider
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  Speaker 1: them not? My son, hear my words, For my words
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  Speaker 1: are most sweet, surpassing all the knowledge of the philosophers
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  Speaker 1: and wise men of this world. My words are spirit,
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  Speaker 1: and they are life, John six, verse sixty three, and
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  Speaker 1: are not to be weighed by man's understanding. They are
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  Speaker 1: not to be drawn forth for vain appreciation, but to
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  Speaker 1: be heard in silence, and to be received with all
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  Speaker 1: humility and with deep love. And I said, blessed is
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  Speaker 1: the man whom thou teachest, o, Lord, and instructest him
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  Speaker 1: in thy law, that thou mayest give him rest in
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  Speaker 1: time of adversity Psalm ninety four, verse thirteen, And that
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  Speaker 1: he be not desolate in the earth. I saith the
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  Speaker 1: Lord taught the from the beginning, and even now cease
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  Speaker 1: I not to speak unto all. But many are deaf
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  Speaker 1: and hardened against my voice. Many love to listen to
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  Speaker 1: the world rather than to God. They follow after the
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  Speaker 1: desires of the flesh more readily than after the good
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  Speaker 1: pleasure of God. The world promiseth things that are temporal
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  Speaker 1: and small, and it is served with great eagerness. I
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  Speaker 1: promise things that are great and eternal. And the hearts
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  Speaker 1: of mortals are slow to stir. Who serveth and obeyeth
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  Speaker 1: me in all things with such carefulness as he serveth
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  Speaker 1: the world and its rulers, be thou ashamed. O sidon
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  Speaker 1: saith the sea Isaiah twenty three, verse four. And if
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  Speaker 1: thou reason seekest, hear thou me for a little reward,
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  Speaker 1: Men make a long journey for eternal life. Many will scarce,
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  Speaker 1: lift afoot once from the ground. Mean reward is sought
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  Speaker 1: after for a single piece of money. Sometimes there is
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  Speaker 1: shameful striving for a thing which is vain, and for
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  Speaker 1: a trifling promise. Men shrink not from toiling day and night,
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  Speaker 1: but o shame for an unchangeable good, for an inestimable
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  Speaker 1: reward for the highest honor, and for a glory that
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  Speaker 1: fadeth not away. It is irksome to them to toil
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  Speaker 1: even a little. Be thou ashamed therefore slothful and discontented servant,
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  Speaker 1: For they are found readier unto perdition than thou unto life.
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  Speaker 1: They rejoice more heartily in vanity than thou in the
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  Speaker 1: tree truth. Sometimes indeed they are disappointed of their hope.
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  Speaker 1: But my promise faileth no man, nor sendeth away empty
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  Speaker 1: him who trusteth in me what I have promised, I
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  Speaker 1: will give. What I have said, I will fulfill if
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  Speaker 1: only a man remain faithful in my love unto the end.
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  Speaker 1: Therefore am I the rewarder of all good men, and
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  Speaker 1: a strong approver of all who are godly. Write my
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  Speaker 1: words in thy heart and consider them diligently, for they
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  Speaker 1: shall be very needful to thee. In time of temptation,
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  Speaker 1: what thou understandest not when thou readest, thou shalt know
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  Speaker 1: in the time of thy visitation, I am wont to
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  Speaker 1: visit mine elect in twofold manner, even by temptation and
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  Speaker 1: by comfort. And I teach them two lessons day by day,
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  Speaker 1: the one in chiding their faults, the other in exhorting
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  Speaker 1: them to grow in grace. He who hath my words
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  Speaker 1: and rejecteth them, hath one who shall judge him at
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  Speaker 1: the last day. A prayer for the spirit of devotion.
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  Speaker 1: O Lord, my God, Thou art all my good? And
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  Speaker 1: who am I that I should dare to speak unto THEE?
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  Speaker 1: I am the very poorest of thy servants, an abject worm,
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  Speaker 1: much poorer and more despicable than I know or dare
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  Speaker 1: to say. Nevertheless, remember, O Lord, that I am nothing.
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  Speaker 1: I have nothing and can do nothing. Thou only art good,
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  Speaker 1: just and holy. Thou canst do all things, Art over
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  Speaker 1: all things, fill'st all things, leaving empty only the sinner.
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  Speaker 1: Call to mind thy tender mercies and fill my heart
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  Speaker 1: with thy grace. Thou, who wilt not that thy work
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  Speaker 1: should return to thee void. How can I bear this
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  Speaker 1: miserable life unless thy mercy and grace strengthen me. Turn
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  Speaker 1: not away thy face from me, delay not thy visitation,
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  Speaker 1: Withdraw not thou thy comfort from me, Lest my soul
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  Speaker 1: gasp after thee as a thirsty land lord teach me
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  Speaker 1: to do Thy will teach me to walk humbly and
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  Speaker 1: uprightly before THEE. For thou art my wisdom, who knowest
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  Speaker 1: me in truth, and knewest me before the world was made,
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  Speaker 1: and before I was born into the world. Chapter four.
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  Speaker 1: How we must walk in truth and humility before God,
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  Speaker 1: my son. Walk before me in truth and in the
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  Speaker 1: simplicity of thy heart. Seek me continually. He who walketh
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  Speaker 1: before me in the truth shall be safe from evil assaults,
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  Speaker 1: and the truth shall deliver him from the wiles and
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  Speaker 1: slant as of the wicked. If the truth shall make
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  Speaker 1: THEE free, thou shalt be free, indeed, and shalt not
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  Speaker 1: care for the vain words of men. Lord, it is
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  Speaker 1: true as thou sayest. Let it, I pray THEE be
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  Speaker 1: so with me. Let thy truth teach me. Let it
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  Speaker 1: keep me and preserve me safe unto the end. Let
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  Speaker 1: it free me from all evil and inordinate affection. And
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  Speaker 1: I will walk before THEE in great freedom of heart.
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  Speaker 1: I will teach THEE saith the truth, the things which
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  Speaker 1: are right and pleasing before me. Think upon thy sins
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  Speaker 1: with great displeasure and sorrow, and never think thyself anything
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  Speaker 1: because of thy good works. Verily, thou art a sinner
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  Speaker 1: liable to many passions, yea tied and bound with them
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  Speaker 1: of thyself, Thou always tendest unto nothing. Thou wilt quickly fall,
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  Speaker 1: quickly be conquered, quickly disturbed, quickly undone. Thou hast naught
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  Speaker 1: whereof to glory, but many reasons why thou shouldst reckon
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  Speaker 1: thyself vile, For thou art far weaker than thou art
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  Speaker 1: able to comprehend. Let therefore, nothing which thou doest seem
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  Speaker 1: to THEE great. Let nothing be grand, nothing of value
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  Speaker 1: or beauty, nothing worthy of honor, nothing lofty, nothing praiseworthy
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  Speaker 1: or desirable, save what is eternal. Let the eternal truth
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  Speaker 1: please THEE above all things. Let thine own great vileness
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  Speaker 1: displease THEE. Continually, fear, denounce, flee nothing so much as
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  Speaker 1: thine own faults and sins, which ought to be more
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  Speaker 1: displeasing to THEE than any loss whatsoever of goods. There
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  Speaker 1: are some who walk not sincerely before me, but being
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  Speaker 1: led by curiosity and pride, they desire to know my
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  Speaker 1: secret things and to understand the deep things of God,
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  Speaker 1: whilst they neglect themselves and their salvation. These often fall
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  Speaker 1: into great temptations and sins. Because of their pride and curiosity.
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  Speaker 1: For I am against them. Fear thou the judgments of God.
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  Speaker 1: Fear greatly the wrath of the Almighty. Shrink from debating
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  Speaker 1: upon the works of the most High, but search narrowly
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  Speaker 1: thine own iniquities, into what great sins thou hast fallen,
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  Speaker 1: and how many good things thou hast neglected. There are
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  Speaker 1: some who carry their devotion only in books, some in pictures,
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  Speaker 1: some in outward signs and figures. Some have ME in
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  Speaker 1: their mouths, but little in their hearts. Others there are who,
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  Speaker 1: being enlightened in their understanding and purged in their affections,
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  Speaker 1: continually long after eternal things, hear of earthly things with unwillingness,
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  Speaker 1: obey the necessities of nature with sorrow. And these understand
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  Speaker 1: what the Spirit of Truth speaketh in them, For he
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  Speaker 1: teacheth them to despise earthly things and to love heavenly,
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  Speaker 1: to neglect the world, and to desire heaven all the
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  Speaker 1: day and night. Chapter five of the Wonderful Power of
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  Speaker 1: the Divine Love. I bless thee O heavenly Father, Father
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  Speaker 1: of my Lord Jesus Christ, for that thou hast vouchsafed
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  Speaker 1: to think of me poor, that I am O Father
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  Speaker 1: of mercies and God of all comfort. Two Corinthians, Chapter one,
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  Speaker 1: Verse three. I give thanks unto THEE who refreshest me
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  Speaker 1: sometimes with thine own comfort, when I am unworthy of
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  Speaker 1: any comfort. I bless and glorify THEE continually with Thine
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  Speaker 1: only begotten son and the Holy Ghost, the paraclet for
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  Speaker 1: ever and ever, O Lord, God, Holy lover of my soul.
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  Speaker 1: When thou shalt come into my heart, all my inward
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  Speaker 1: parts shall rejoice. Thou art my glory and the joy
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  Speaker 1: of my heart. Thou art my hope and my refuge
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  Speaker 1: in the day of my trouble. But because I am
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  Speaker 1: still weak in love and imperfect in virtue, I need
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  Speaker 1: to be strengthened and comforted by THEE. Therefore, visit thou
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  Speaker 1: me often, and instruct me with thy holy ways of discipline,
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  Speaker 1: deliver me from evil passions, and cleanse my heart from
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  Speaker 1: all inordinate affections. That, being healed and altogether cleansed within,
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  Speaker 1: I may be made ready to love, strong, to suffer, steadfast,
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  Speaker 1: to endure. Love is a great thing, a good above
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  Speaker 1: all others, which alone maketh every heavy burden light and
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  Speaker 1: equaliseeth every inequality, for it beareth the burden, and maketh
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  Speaker 1: it no burden. It maketh every bitter thing to be
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  Speaker 1: sweet and of good taste. The surpassing love of Jesus
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  Speaker 1: impelleth to great works, and exciteth to the continual desiring
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  Speaker 1: of greater perfection. Love willeth to be raised up and
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  Speaker 1: not to be held down by any mean thing. Love
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  Speaker 1: willeth to be free and aloof from all worldly affection,
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  Speaker 1: lest its inward power of vision be hindered, lest it
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  Speaker 1: be entangled by any worldly prosperity, or overcome by adversity.
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  Speaker 1: Nothing is sweeter than love, Nothing stronger, nothing loftier, nothing broader,
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  Speaker 1: nothing pleasanter, nothing fuller or better in heaven nor on earth.
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  Speaker 1: For Love was born of God and cannot rest save
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  Speaker 1: in God above all created things. He who loveth flieth,
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  Speaker 1: runneth and is glad. He is free and not hindered.
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  Speaker 1: He giveth all things for all things, and hath all
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  Speaker 1: things in all things, because he resteth in one who
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  Speaker 1: is high above all, from whom every good floweth and precedeth.
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  Speaker 1: He looketh not for gifts, but turneth himself to the
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  Speaker 1: giver above all good things. Love oftentimes knoweth no measure,
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  Speaker 1: but breaketh out above all measure. Love feeleth no burden,
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  Speaker 1: reckoneth no labors, striveth after more than it is able
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  Speaker 1: to do. Pleadeth not impossibility, because it judged all things
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  Speaker 1: which are lawful for it to be possible. It is
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  Speaker 1: strong therefore for all things, and it fulfilleth many things,
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  Speaker 1: and is successful. Where he who loveth not faileth and
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  Speaker 1: lieth down. Love is watchful, and whilst sleeping still keepeth watch.
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  Speaker 1: Though fatigued, it is not weary, though pressed, it is
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  Speaker 1: not forced, though alarmed, it is not terrified. But like
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  Speaker 1: the living flame and the burning torch, it breaketh forth
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  Speaker 1: on high and securely triumpheth. If a man loveth, he
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  Speaker 1: knoweth what this voice crieth. For The ardent affection of
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  Speaker 1: the soul is a great clamor in the ears of God.
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  Speaker 1: And it saith, my God, my beloved, Thou art all mine,
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  Speaker 1: and I am all thine. Enlarge thou me in love,
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  Speaker 1: that I may learn to taste with the innermost mouth
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  Speaker 1: of my heart. How sweet it is to love, to
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  Speaker 1: be dissolved and to swim in love. Let me beholden
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  Speaker 1: by love, mounting above myself through exceeding fervor and admiration.
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  Speaker 1: Let me sing the song of love. Let me follow THEE,
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  Speaker 1: my beloved on high. Let my soul exhaust itself in
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  Speaker 1: thy praise, exalting with love. Let me love THEE more
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  Speaker 1: than myself, not loving myself except for Thy sake, And
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  Speaker 1: all men in THEE who truly love THEE, as the
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  Speaker 1: law of Love commandeth, which shineth forth from THEE. Love
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  Speaker 1: is swift, sincere, pious, pleasant, gentle, strong, patient, faithful, prudent,
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  Speaker 1: long suffering, manly, and never seeking her own. For wheresoever
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  Speaker 1: a man seeketh his own, there he faleth from love.
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  Speaker 1: Love is circumspect, humble and upright, not weak, not fickle,
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  Speaker 1: not intent on vain in things, sober, chaste, steadfast, quiet
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  Speaker 1: and guarded in all the senses. Love is subject and
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  Speaker 1: obedient to all that are in authority, vile and lowly
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  Speaker 1: in its own sight, devout and grateful towards God, faithful
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  Speaker 1: and always trusting in Him, even when God hideth his face.
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  Speaker 1: For without sorrow we cannot live in love. He who
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  Speaker 1: is not ready to suffer all things and to conform
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  Speaker 1: to the will of the beloved is not worthy to
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  Speaker 1: be called a lover of God. It behoveth him who
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  Speaker 1: loveth to embrace willingly all hard and bitter things for
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  Speaker 1: the beloved sake, and not to be drawn away from
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  Speaker 1: him because of any contrary accidents. Chapter six of the
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  Speaker 1: Proving of the True Lover. My son, thou art not
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  Speaker 1: yet strong and prudent in thy love. Wherefore, o, my Lord,
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  Speaker 1: because for a little opposition, thou fallest away from thy undertakings,
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  Speaker 1: and too eagerly seekest after consolation. The strong lover standeth
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  Speaker 1: fast in temptations, and believeth not the evil persuasions of
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  Speaker 1: the enemy. As in prosperity, I please him, so in
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  Speaker 1: adversity I do not displease. The prudent lover considereth not
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  Speaker 1: the gift of the lover so much as the love
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  Speaker 1: of the giver. He looketh for the affection more than
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  Speaker 1: the value, and setteth all gifts lower than the beloved.
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  Speaker 1: The noble lover resteth not in the gift, but in
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  Speaker 1: Me Above every gift. All is not lost. Though thou
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  Speaker 1: sometimes think of Me or of my saints, less than
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  Speaker 1: thou shouldest desire that good and sweet affection which thou
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  Speaker 1: sometimes perceivest is the effect of present grace, and some
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  Speaker 1: foretaste of the heavenly country. But hereon thou must not
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  Speaker 1: too much depend, for it goeth and cometh. But to
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  Speaker 1: strive against the evil motions of the mind which come
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  Speaker 1: to us, and to resist the suggestions of the devil,
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  Speaker 1: is a token of virtue and great merit. Therefore, let
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  Speaker 1: not strange fancies disturb THEE, whencesoever they arise, bravely observe
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  Speaker 1: thy purpose and thy upright intentions towards God. It is
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  Speaker 1: not an illusion when thou art sometimes suddenly carried away
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  Speaker 1: into rapture, and then suddenly art brought back to the
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  Speaker 1: wonted vanities of thy heart. For thou dost rather unwillingly
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  Speaker 1: undergo them than cause them. And so long as they
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  Speaker 1: displease THEE, and thou strivest against them, it is a
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  Speaker 1: merit and no loss. Know thou that thine old enemy
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  Speaker 1: altogether striveth to hinder thy pursuit after good, and to
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  Speaker 1: deter THEE from every goodly exercise, to wit the contemplation
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  Speaker 1: of the saints, the pious remembrance of my passion, the
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  Speaker 1: profitable recollection of sin, the keeping of thy own heart
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  Speaker 1: and the steadfast purpose to grow in virtue. He suggesteth
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  Speaker 1: to THEE many evil thoughts, that he may work in
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  Speaker 1: THEE weariness and terror, and so draw THEE away from
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  Speaker 1: prayer and holy reading. Humble confession displeaseth him, and if
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  Speaker 1: he were able, he would make THEE to cease from communion.
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  Speaker 1: Believe him not, nor heed him, though many a time
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  Speaker 1: he hath laid for THEE the snares of deceit. Account
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  Speaker 1: it to be from him. When he suggesteth evil and
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  Speaker 1: unclean thoughts, say unto him, depart, unclean spirit, put on shame,
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  Speaker 1: miserable one, horribly unclean art Thou who bringest such things
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  Speaker 1: to mine ears depart from me, detestable deceiver. Thou shalt
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  Speaker 1: have no power in me, But Jesus shall be with
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  Speaker 1: me as a strong warrior, and thou shalt stand confounded.
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: Rather would I die and bear all suffering than consent
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: unto THEE. Hold thy peace and be dumb. I will
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: not hear THEE more, though thou plottest more snares against me.
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom then
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: shall I fear, though a host of men should rise
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: up against me, yet shall not my heart be afraid.
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: The Lord is my strength and my redeemer. Psalms twenty seven,
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: Verses one to three and nineteen, verse fourteen. Strive thou
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: like a good soldier, And if sometimes thou fail through weakness,
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: put on thy strength more bravely than before, trusting in
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: my more abundant grain, and take thou much heed of vain,
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: confidence and pride. Because of it, many are led into error,
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: and sometimes fall into blindness, while nigh irredeemable. Let this
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: ruin of the proud who foolishly lift themselves up be
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: to THEE for a warning and a continual exhortation to humility.
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: Chapter seven of Hiding our grace under the God of Humility,
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: My son, it is better and safer for THEE to
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: hide the grace of devotion, and not to lift thyself
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: up on high, nor to speak much thereof, nor to
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: value it greatly, but rather to despise thyself and to
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: fear as though this grace were given to one unworthy thereof.
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: Nor must thou depend too much upon this feeling, for
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: it can very quickly be turned into its opposite. Think
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: when thou art in a state of grace, how miserable
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: and poor, Thou art wont to be without grace, nor
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: is there advance in spiritual life in this alone, that
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: thou hast the grace of consolation, but that thou humbly
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: and unselfishly and patiently takest the withdrawal thereof, so that
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: thou cease not from the exercise of prayer, nor suffer
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: thy other common duties to be in any wise neglected.
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: Rather do thy task more readily, as though thou hadst
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: gained more strength and knowledge, And do not altogether neglect
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: thyself because of the dearth and anxiety of spirit which
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: thou feelest. For there are many who, when things have
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: not gone prosperous with them, become forthwith impatient or slothful.
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: For the way of a man is not in himself
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: Jeremiah ten, verse twenty three. But it is God's to
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: give and to console when he will, and as much
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: as he will, and whom he will, as it shall
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: please him. And no further, Some who were presumptuous because
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: of the grace and devotion within them have destroyed themselves
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: because they would do more than they were able, not
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: considering the measure of their own littleness. But rather following
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: the impulse of the heart than the judgment of the reason.
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: And because they presumed beyond what was well pleasing unto God,
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: therefore they quickly lost grace. They became poor, and were
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: left vile. Who had built for themselves their nest in heaven,
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: so that being humbled and stricken with poverty, they might
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: learn not to fly with their own wings, but to
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: put their trust under My feathers. They who are as
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: yet new and unskilled in the way of the Lord,
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: unless they rule themselves after the counsel of the wise,
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: may easily be deceived and led away. But if they
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: wish to follow their own fancies rather than trust the
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: experience of others, the result will be very dangerous to them.
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: If they still refuse to be drawn away from their
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: own notion. Those who are wise in their own conceits
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: seldom patiently endure to be ruled by others. It is
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: better to have a small portion of wisdom with humility
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: and a slender understanding, than great treasures of science with
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: vain self esteem. It is better for thee to have
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: less than much of what may make THEE proud. He
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: doeth not very discreetly, who giveth up himself entirely to joy,
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: forgetting his former helplessness and the chaste fear of the Lord,
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: which feareth to lose the grace offered. Nor is he
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: very wise after a manly sought, who, in time of
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: adversity or any trouble whatsoever, beareth himself too despairingly, and
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: feeleth concerning me less trustfully than he ought. He who,
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: in time of peace willeth to be oversecure, shall be
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: often found in time of war over dispirited and full
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: of fears. If thou knowest always how to continue humble
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: and moderate in thyself, and to guide and rule thine
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: own spirit, well, thou wouldst not so quickly fall into
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: danger and mischief. It is good counsel, that when fervor
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: of spirit is kindled, thou shouldst meditate how it will
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: be with THEE when the light is taken away, which
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: when it doth happen, remember that still the light may
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: return again, which I have taken away for a time,
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: for a warning to THEE, and also for mine own glory.
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: Such a trial is often more useful than if thou
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: hadst always things prosperous according to thine own will. For
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: merits are not to be reckoned by this. That a
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: man hath many visions or consolations, or that he is
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: skilled in the scriptures, or that he is placed in
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: a high situation, but that he is grounded upon true
• 35:11
  Speaker 1: humility and filled with divine charity, that he always purely
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: and uprightly seeketh the honor of God, that he setteth
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: not by himself, but unfeignedly despiseth himself, and even rejoiceth
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: to be despised and humbled by others, more than to
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: be honored. Chapter eight of a low estimation of self
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: in the sight of God. I will speak unto my Lord,
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: who am but dust and ashes. If I count myself more, behold,
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: thou standest against me, and my iniquities bear true testimony,
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: and I cannot gainsay it. But if I abase myself
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: and bring myself to naught, and shrink from all self esteem,
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: and grind myself to dust, which I am, thy grace
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: will be favorable unto me, and Thy light will be
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: near unto my heart. And all self esteem, how little
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: soever it be, shall be swallowed up in the depths
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: of my nothingness, and shall perish forever. There Thou ShoWest
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: to me thyself what I am, what I was, and
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: whither I have come. So foolish was I and ignorant
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: Psalm seventy three, verse twenty two. If I am left
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: to myself, behold, I am nothing. I am all weakness.
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: But if suddenly thou look upon me, immediately I am
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: made strong and filled with new joy. And it is
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: great marvel that I am so suddenly lifted up and
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: so graciously embraced by THEE. Since I am always being
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: carried to the deep by my own weight. This is
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: the doing of Thy love, which freely goeth before me
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: and succuereth me in so many necessities, which guardeth me
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: also in great dangers, and snatcheth me, as I may
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: truly say, from innumerable evils. For verily, by loving myself, amiss,
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: I lost myself, and by seeking and sincerely loving THEE alone,
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: I found both myself and THEE. And through love I
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: have brought myself to yet deeper nothingness. Because Thou, o
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: most sweet Lord, dealest with me beyond all merit, and
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: above all which I dare ask or think. Blessed be thou, o,
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: my God, Because though I be unworthy of all thy benefits.
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: Thou bountiful and infinite goodness never ceaseth to do good,
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: even to ingrates and to those who are turned far
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: from THEE. Turn thou us unto thyself, that we may
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: be grateful, humble, and godly. For thou art our salvation,
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: our courage, and our strength. Chapter nine. That all things
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: are to be referred to God as the final end.
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: My son, I must be thy supreme and final end.
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: If thou desirest to be truly happy, out of such purpose,
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: thy affection shall be purified, which too often is sinfully
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: bent upon itself and upon created things. For if thou
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: seekest thyself in any matter straightway, thou wilt fail within
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: thyself and grow barren. Therefore, refer everything to Me first
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: of all, for it is I who gave thee all.
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: So look upon each blessing as flowing from the supreme good.
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: And thus all things are to be attributed to Me
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: as their source. From Me, the humble and great, the
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: poor and the rich draw water as from a living fountain.
• 39:54
  Speaker 1: And those who serve Me with a free and faithful
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: spirit shall receive grace from grace. But he who will
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: glory apart from me, or will be delighted with any
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: good which lieth in himself shall not be established in
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: true joy, nor shall be enlarged in heart, but shall
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: be greatly hindered and thrown into tribulation. Therefore thou must
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: not ascribe any good to thyself, nor look upon virtue
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: as belonging to any man, but ascribe it all unto God,
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: without whom man hath nothing. I gave all, I will
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: receive all again, and with great strictness require I the
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: giving of thanks. This is the truth, and by it
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: the vanity of boasting is put to flight. And if
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: heavenly grace and true charity shall enter into thee, there
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: shall be no envy nor straightening of the heart, nor
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: shall any self love take possession of thee. For divine
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: charity conquereth all things and enlargeth all the powers of
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: the soul. If thou art truly wise, thou wilt rejoice
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: in me alone. Thou wilt hope in me alone. For
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: there is none good but one that is God Luke eighteen,
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: verse nineteen, who is to be praised above all things
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: and in all things, to receive blessing. Chapter ten. That
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: it is sweet to despise the world and to serve God.
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: Now will I speak again, O, my Lord, and hold
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: not my peace. I will say in the ears of
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: my God, my Lord and my King, who is exalted
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: above all. Oh, how plentiful is thy goodness which thou
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: hast laid up for them that fear THEE. Psalm thirty one,
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: verse twenty one. But what art thou to those who
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: love THEE? What to those who serve THEE with their
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: whole heart? Truly unspeakable is the sweetness of the contemplation
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: of THEE, which thou bestowest upon those who love THEE.
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: In this most of all, thou hast showed me the
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: sweetness of thy charity, that, when I was not thou
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: madest me, and when I wandered far from THEE, Thou
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: broughtest me back, that I might serve THEE and commandest
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: me to love THEE. Oh, found in of perpetual love.
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: What shall I say concerning THEE? How shall I be
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: unmindful of THEE who didst vouchsafe to remember me even
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: after I pined away and perished. Thou hast had mercy
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: beyond all hope upon thy servant, and hast showed thy
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: grace and friendship beyond all deserving. What reward shall I
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: render THEE for this grace? For it is not given
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: unto all to renounce this world and its affairs and
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: to take up a religious life. For is it a
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: great thing that I should serve THEE, whom every creature
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: ought to serve? It ought not to seem a great
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: thing to me to serve THEE. But rather this appeareth
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: to me a great and wonderful thing, that thou vouchsafest
• 43:59
  Speaker 1: to receive as thy servant, one so poor and unworthy,
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: and to join him unto thy chosen servants. Behold, all
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: things which I have are thine, and with them I
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: serve THEE. And yet verily it is thou who servest me,
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: rather than I THEE. Behold the heaven and the earth,
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: which thou hast created for the service of men. They
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: are at thy bidding, and perform daily whatsoever thou dost
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: command YEA, And this is little, for thou hast even
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: ordained the angels for the service of man. But it
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: surpasseth even all these things that thou thyself didst vouchsafe
• 44:53
  Speaker 1: to minister unto man, and didst promise that thou wouldst
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: give thyself unto him. What shall I render unto THEE
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: For all these thy manifold mercies. O that I were
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: able to serve THEE all the days of my life,
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: O that even for one day I were enabled to
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: do THEE service worthy of thyself. For verily thou art
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: worthy of all service, all honor, and praise without end.
• 45:30
  Speaker 1: Verily Thou art my God. And I am thy poor servant,
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: who am bound to serve THEE with all my strength.
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: Nor aught I ever to grow weary of Thy praise.
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: This is my wish, This is my exceeding great desire.
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: And whatsoever is lacking to me, vouchsafe thou to supply.
• 45:56
  Speaker 1: It is great honor, great glory to serve THEE and
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: to despise all for thy sake. For they shall have
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: great grace, who of their own will shall submit themselves
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: to thy most holy service. They who for thy love
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: have cast away every carnal delight, shall find the sweetest
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: consolation of the Holy Ghost. They who enter the narrow
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: way of life for thy name's sake, and have put
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: away all worldly cares, shall attain great liberty of spirit.
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: O grateful and delightsome service of God, whereby man is
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: made truly free and holy. O sacred condition of the
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: religious servant, which maketh man equal to the angels, well
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: pleasing unto God, terrible to evil spirits, and acceptable to
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: all faithful ones. O service to be embraced and ever desired,
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: in which the highest good is promised and joy is gained,
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: which shall remain for evermore. End of Chapter ten