ALL MEN ARE NOT TO BE BELIEVED, FOR IT IS EASY TO
ERR IN SPEECH
THE DISCIPLE
GRANT me help in my needs, O Lord, for the aid of man is
useless. How often have I failed to find faithfulness in places where
I thought I possessed it! And how many times I have found it where I
least expected it! Vain, therefore, is hope in men, but the salvation
of the just is in You, O God. Blessed be Your name, O Lord my God, in
everything that befalls us.
We are weak and unstable, quickly deceived and changed. Who is
the man that is able to guard himself with such caution and care as
not sometimes to fall into deception or perplexity? He who confides in
You, O Lord, and seeks You with a simple heart does not fall so
easily. And if some trouble should come upon him, no matter how
entangled in it he may be, he will be more quickly delivered and
comforted by You. For You will not forsake him who trusts in You to
the very end.
Rare is the friend who remains faithful through all his
friend's distress. But You, Lord, and You alone, are entirely faithful
in all things; other than You, there is none so faithful.
Oh, how wise is that holy soul[38] who said: "My mind is firmly
settled and founded in Christ." If that were true of me, human fear
would not so easily cause me anxiety, nor would the darts of words
disturb. But who can foresee all things and provide against all evils?
And if things foreseen have often hurt, can those which are unlooked
for do otherwise than wound us gravely? Why, indeed, have I not
provided better for my wretched self? Why, too, have I so easily kept
faith in others? We are but men, however, nothing more than weak men,
although we are thought by many to be, and are called, angels.
In whom shall I put my faith, Lord? In whom but You? You are
the truth which does not deceive and cannot be deceived. Every man, on
the other hand, is a liar, weak, unstable, and likely to err,
especially in words, so that one ought not to be too quick to believe
even that which seems, on the face of it, to sound true. How wise was
Your warning to beware of men; that a man's enemies are those of his
own household; that we should not believe if anyone says: "Behold he
is here, or behold he is there."
I have been taught to my own cost, and I hope it has given me
greater caution, not greater folly. "Beware," they say, "beware and
keep to yourself what I tell you!" Then while I keep silent, believing
that the matter is secret, he who asks me to be silent cannot remain
silent himself, but immediately betrays both me and himself, and goes
his way. From tales of this kind and from such careless men protect
me, O Lord, lest I fall into their hands and into their ways. Put in
my mouth words that are true and steadfast and keep far from me the
crafty tongue, because what I am not willing to suffer I ought by all
means to shun.
Oh, how good and how peaceful it is to be silent about others,
not to believe without discrimination all that is said, not easily to
report it further, to reveal oneself to few, always to seek You as the
discerner of hearts, and not to be blown away by every wind of words,
but to wish that all things, within and beyond us, be done according
to the pleasure of Thy will.
How conducive it is for the keeping of heavenly grace to fly
the gaze of men, not to seek abroad things which seem to cause
admiration, but to follow with utmost diligence those which give
fervor and amendment of life! How many have been harmed by having
their virtue known and praised too hastily! And how truly profitable
it has been when grace remained hidden during this frail life, which
is all temptation and warfare! |
That we must not believe everyone, and that we are
prone to fall in our words
Lord, be thou my help in trouble, for vain is the
help of man.(1) How often have I failed to find faithfulness, where I
thought I possessed it. How many times I have found it where I least
expected. Vain therefore is hope in men, but the salvation of the
just, O God, is in Thee. Blessed be thou, O Lord my God, in all
things which happen unto us. We are weak and unstable, we are quickly
deceived and quite changed.
2. Who is the man who is able to keep himself so
warily and circumspectly as not sometimes to come into some snare of
perplexity? But he who trusteth in Thee, O Lord, and seeketh Thee
with an unfeigned heart, doth not so easily slip. And if he fall into
any tribulation, howsoever he may be entangled, yet very quickly he
shall be delivered through Thee, or by Thee shall be comforted,
because Thou wilt not forsake him that trusteth in Thee unto the end.
A friend who continueth faithful in all the distresses of his friend
is rare to be found. Thou, O Lord, Thou alone art most faithful in
all things, and there is none other like unto Thee.
3. Oh, how truly wise was that holy soul which
said, "My mind is steadfastly fixed, and it is grounded in
Christ."(2) If thus it were with me, the fear of man should not so
easily tempt me, nor the arrows of words move me. Who is sufficient
to foresee all things, who to guard beforehand against future ills?
If even things which are foreseen sometimes hurt us, what can things
which are not foreseen do, but grievously injure? But wherefore have
I not better provided for myself, miserable that I am? Why, too, have
I given such heed to others? But we are men, nor are we other than
frail men, even though by many we are reckoned and called angels.
Whom shall I trust, O Lord, whom shall I trust but Thee? Thou art the
Truth, and deceivest not, nor canst be deceived. And on the other
hand, Every man is a liar,(3) weak, unstable and frail, especially in
his words, so that one ought scarcely ever to believe what seemeth to
sound right on the face of it.
4. With what wisdom hast thou warned us
beforehand to beware of men, and that a man's foes are they of his own
household,(4) and that we must not believe if one say unto us Lo here,
or Lo there.(5) I have been taught by my loss, and O that I may prove
more careful and not foolish hereby. "Be cautious," saith some one:
"be cautious, keep unto thyself what I tell thee." And whilst I am
silent and believe that it is hid with me, he himself cannot keep
silence concerning it, but straightway betrayeth me and himself, and
goeth his way. Protect me, O Lord, from such mischief-making and
reckless men; let me not fall into their hands, nor ever do such
things myself. Put a true and steadfast word into my mouth, and
remove a deceitful tongue far from me. What I would not suffer, I
ought by all means to beware of doing.
5. Oh, how good and peacemaking a thing it is to
be silent concerning others, and not carelessly to believe all
reports, nor to hand them on further; how good also to lay one's self
open to few, to seek ever to have Thee as the beholder of the heart;
not to be carried about with every wind of words, but to desire that
all things inward and outward be done according to the good pleasure
of Thy will! How safe for the preserving of heavenly grace to fly
from human approval, and not to long after the things which seem to
win admiration abroad, but to follow with all earnestness those things
which bring amendment of life and heavenly fervour! How many have
been injured by their virtue being made known and too hastily
praised. How truly profitable hath been grace preserved in silence in
this frail life, which, as we are told, is all temptation and warfare. |