the power of temptation against the strongest virtue. I have seen stars
fall from heaven, and pillars of the firmament totter; but these things
alarm me not. While I hope in Thee I am sheltered from all misfortune,
and I am sure that my trust shall endure, for I rely upon Thee to
sustain this unfailing hope. Finally, I know that my confidence cannot
exceed Thy bounty, and that I shall never receive less than I have
hoped for from Thee. Therefore I hope that Thou wilt sustain me against
my evil inclinations; that Thou wilt protect me against the most
furious assaults of the evil one, and that Thou wilt cause my weakness
to triumph over my most powerful enemies. I hope that Thou wilt never
cease to love me, and that I shall love Thee unceasingly.
* * * * *
Transcriber’s Notes
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations
in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and
punctuation remains unchanged.
The reference to the Quietests in the Preface has been corrected to
Quietists.
Italics are represented thus _italic_.