Page:Beautifulpearlso00oreirich.djvu/491

 love of  God,  so  much  is  he  removed  from  God. If any man  praise  thee,  and  speak  well  of  thee,  render the praise  solely  to  God:  and  if  any  speak  evil  of thee,  or  revile  thee,  do  thou  help  him  therein,  speaking yet  worse  of  thyself.

If thou  wouldst  do  thy  part  well,  study  to  make it seem  bad,  and  that  of  thy  companion  good,  ever accusing thyself,  and  ever  praising  and  sincerely excusing thy  neighbor. When any  one  would  contend or  dispute  with  thee,  if  thou  wouldst  be  the winner, lose,  and  thou  shalt  win;  for  if  thou  wilt contend in  order  to  overcome,  even  when  thou  shalt think thyself  the  winner,  thou  shalt  find  that  thou hast lost  greatly. And, therefore,  my  brother, believe me  that  the  direct  way  to  save  thyself is to  lose  thyself;  for  if  we  cannot  bear  well  our tribulations, neither  can  we  follow  after  heavenly consolations.

There is  much  greater  consolation,  and  much greater merit  in  suffering  injuries  and  insults patiently for  the  love  of  God,  and  without  murmuring, than  in  feeding  a  hundred  poor,  or  fasting continually every  day. For what  profiteth  a  man, or what  availeth  it  him,  to  despise  himself,  and  to afflict  his  body  with  much  fasting,  vigil,  and  discipline, if  he  cannot  bear  a  little  injury  from  his neighbor? For this  cause  shall  a  man  receive much greater  reward,  and  greater  merit,  than  for all the  afflictions  he  can  impose  on  himself  of  his own will;  since  to  endure  insults  and  injuries  from our neighbor,  in  humble  patience,  purifies  from  sin much more  quickly  than  a  fountain  of  msny  tears. Blessed is  the  man  who  keeps  ever  before  his  mind the memory  of  his  sins,  and  of  the  benefits  of God;  for  he  will  bear  patiently  every  tribulation and adversity,  expecting  from  them  the  greatest consolations.

A man  who  is  truly  humble  expects  from  God neither merit  nor  reward;  but  only  studies  continually how  he  can  offer  satisfaction  in  all  things, knowing himself  to  be  God's  debtor;  and  any  good thing that  he  has  he  acknowledges  that  he  has it solely  through  the  goodness  of  God,  and  not through any  merit  of  his  own;  and  any  adversity that befalls  him  he  acknowledges  truly  that  he receives  it  for  his  own  sins.

A Brother  once  asked  Brother  Giles:   "Father, if  in  our  time  some  great  adversity  or  tribulation should  befall,  what  ought  we  to  do  under  this  visitation?" To which  Brother  Giles  replied. " My Brother,  I  would  have  thee  to  know  that  if  the Lord  should  cause  it  to  rain  stones  and  thunderbolts from  heaven,  they  could  not  do  us  any  harm whatever,  if  we  were  such  as  we  ought  to  be,  because if  only  a  man  were  what  he  ought  to  be,  all  evil  and all  tribulations  would  be  turned  to  his  good,  for  we know  that,  as  the  Apostle  has  said:  '  All  things work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God;' and  so  likewise  to  the  man  of  bad  will  all  good things  turn  into  evil,  and  into  chastisement.  If thou  wouldst  be  saved,  and  attain  celestial  glory, thou  needest  not  desire  any  vengeance  or  any justification  at  any  time  from  any  creature;  for the  heritage  of  the  Saints  is  ever  to  do  good,  and ever  to  receive  evil.  If  thou  knewest  of  a  truth how  much  and  how  greatly  thou  hast  offended  thy Creator, thou  would  perceive  that  it  is  meet  and just that  all  creatures  should  persecute  thee,  and bring thee  pain  and  tribulation,  for  thus  they  would but avenge  the  offences  which  thou  hast  committed against their  Creator.

"It requires  great  virtue  to  overcome  one's  self,  for he  who  overcometh  himself  shall  overcome  all  his enemies,  and  attain  all  good.  Much  greater  virtue would  it  be,  if  a  man  should  suffer  himself  to  be overcome  of  every  one;  for  he  should  be  lord  over all  his  enemies,  that  is  to  say,  his  vices,  the  devils, the  world,  and  his  own  flesh.  If  thou  wouldst  Lc saved,  renounce  and  forsake  all  consolations  which all  the  things  in  the  world,  or  any  human  creature, could  give  thee;  because  greater  and  more  frequent are  the  falls  which  come  from  prosperity  and  earthly consolations,  than  from  adversities  and  tribulations."

On one  occasion,  a  Religious  murmured  against his Superior,  in  the  presence  of  Brother  Giles,  on account  of  a  hard  command  which  had  been  given him by  obedience;  to  whom  Brother  Giles  said: " Most  beloved,  the  more  thou  murmurest  the greater  will  be  thy  burden  and  the  more  heavy  to bear,  but  the  more  humbly  and  devoutly  thou bendest  thy  head  under  the  yoke  of  holy  obedience the  easier  and  the  sweeter  to  thee  will  it  be  to  bear that  obedience.     But   it   seems   to   me   that   thou