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200 and lose heart, and make themselves believe that they are forsaken by, and wholly banished from God, and cannot persuade themselves that the Holy Spirit can abide in a mind filled with such thoughts.

Thus, continuing much cast down, they are ready to despair, and, having left all their good exercises, to return to Egypt.

They do not well understand what grace the Lord bestows on them; for He suffers such persons to be assailed by these spirits of temptation, to bring them back to the knowledge of themselves, and in order that, by feeling their need of Him, they may draw near to Him.

Therefore they ungratefully complain of that, for which they ought to feel themselves indebted to His infinite Goodness.

What you ought to do in such cases is, to bring yourself low by the consideration of your perverse inclinations, which, God wills for your good that you should know, are prone to every sin, even the most grievous; and that, without His succour, you would rush to utter ruin.

And from this enter into a state of hope and confidence, and gather that He is ready to help you, since He makes you see the danger, and wishes to draw you nearer to Himself by prayer and by recourse to Him; for this, therefore, you ought to render Him most humble thanks. And