WE MUST WALK BEFORE GOD IN HUMILITY AND TRUTH
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
MY CHILD, walk before Me in truth, and seek Me always in the
simplicity of your heart. He who walks before Me in truth shall be
defended from the attacks of evil, and the truth shall free him from
seducers and from the slanders of wicked men. For if the truth has
made you free, then you shall be free indeed, and you shall not care
for the vain words of men.
THE DISCIPLE
O Lord, it is true. I ask that it be with me as You say. Let
your truth teach me. Let it guard me, and keep me safe to the end. Let
it free me from all evil affection and badly ordered love, and I shall
walk with You in great freedom of heart.
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
I shall teach you those things which are right and pleasing to
Me. Consider your sins with great displeasure and sorrow, and never
think yourself to be someone because of your good works. You are truly
a sinner. You are subject to many passions and entangled in them. Of
yourself you always tend to nothing. You fall quickly, are quickly
overcome, quickly troubled, and quickly undone. You have nothing in
which you can glory, but you have many things for which you should
think yourself vile, for you are much weaker than you can comprehend.
Hence, let none of the things you do seem great to you. Let nothing
seem important or precious or desirable except that which is
everlasting. Let the eternal truth please you above all things, and
let your extreme unworthiness always displease you. Fear nothing,
abhor nothing, and fly nothing as you do your own vices and sins;
these should be more unpleasant for you than any material losses.
Some men walk before Me without sincerity. Led on by a certain
curiosity and arrogance, they wish to know My secrets and to
understand the high things of God, to the neglect of themselves and
their own salvation. Through their own pride and curiosity, and
because I am against them, such men often fall into great temptations
and sins.
Fear the judgments of God! Dread the wrath of the Almighty! Do
not discuss the works of the Most High, but examine your sins -- in
what serious things you have offended and how many good things you
have neglected.
Some carry their devotion only in books, some in pictures, some
in outward signs and figures. Some have Me on their lips when there is
little of Me in their hearts. Others, indeed, with enlightened
understanding and purified affections, constantly long for everlasting
things; they are unwilling to hear of earthly affairs and only with
reluctance do they serve the necessities of nature. These sense what
the Spirit of truth speaks within them: for He teaches them to despise
earthly things and to love those of heaven, to neglect the world, and
each day and night to desire heaven. |
How we must walk in truth and humility before God
"My Son! walk before Me in truth, and in the
simplicity of thy heart seek Me continually. He who walketh before Me
in the truth shall be safe from evil assaults, and the truth shall
deliver him from the wiles and slanders of the wicked. If the truth
shall make thee free, thou shalt be free indeed, and shalt not care
for the vain words of men."
2. Lord, it is true as Thou sayest; let it, I
pray Thee, be so with me; let Thy truth teach me, let it keep me and
preserve me safe unto the end. Let it free me from all evil and
inordinate affection, and I will walk before Thee in great freedom of
heart.
3. "I will teach thee," saith the Truth, "the
things which are right and pleasing before Me. Think upon thy sins
with great displeasure and sorrow, and never think thyself anything
because of thy good works. Verily thou art a sinner, liable to many
passions, yea, tied and bound with them. Of thyself thou always
tendest unto nothing, thou wilt quickly fall, quickly be conquered,
quickly disturbed, quickly undone. Thou hast nought whereof to glory,
but many reasons why thou shouldest reckon thyself vile, for thou art
far weaker than thou art able to comprehend.
4. "Let, therefore, nothing which thou doest seem
to thee great; let nothing be grand, nothing of value or beauty,
nothing worthy of honour, nothing lofty, nothing praiseworthy or
desirable, save what is eternal. Let the eternal truth please thee
above all things, let thine own great vileness displease thee
continually. Fear, denounce, flee nothing so much as thine own faults
and sins, which ought to be more displeasing to thee than any loss
whatsoever of goods. There are some who walk not sincerely before me,
but being led by curiosity and pride, they desire to know my secret
things and to understand the deep things of God, whilst they neglect
themselves and their salvation. These often fall into great
temptations and sins because of their pride and curiosity, for I am
against them.
5. "Fear thou the judgments of God, fear greatly
the wrath of the Almighty. Shrink from debating upon the works of the
Most High, but search narrowly thine own iniquities into what great
sins thou hast fallen, and how many good things thou hast neglected.
There are some who carry their devotion only in books, some in
pictures, some in outward signs and figures; some have Me in their
mouths, but little in their hearts. Others there are who, being
enlightened in their understanding and purged in their affections,
continually long after eternal things, hear of earthly things with
unwillingness, obey the necessities of nature with sorrow. And these
understand what the Spirit of truth speaketh in them; for He teacheth
them to despise earthly things and to love heavenly; to neglect the
world and to desire heaven all the day and night." |