of men whose external
manners are so pure as to confound the manners of the heathen. If there are
hypocrites among them, but so well disguised that she does not discover
their venom, she tolerates them; for, though they are not accepted of God,
whom they cannot deceive, they are of men, whom they do deceive. And thus
she is not dishonoured by their conduct, which appears holy. But you want
the Church to judge neither of the inward, because that belongs to God
alone, nor of the outward, because God dwells only upon the inward; and
thus, taking away from her all choice of men, you retain in the Church the
most dissolute and those who dishonour her so greatly that the synagogues of
the Jews and sects of philosophers would have banished them as unworthy and
have abhorred them as impious.

906. The easiest conditions to live in according to the world are the most
difficult to live in according to God, and vice versa. Nothing is so
difficult according to the world as the religious life; nothing is easier
than to live it according to God. Nothing is easier, according to the world,
than to live in high office and great wealth; nothing is more difficult than
to live in them according to God, and without acquiring an interest in them
and a liking for them.

907. The casuists submit the decision to the corrupt reason, and the choice
of decisions to the corrupt will, in order that all that is corrupt in the
nature of man may contribute to his conduct.

908. But is it probable that probability gives assurance?

Difference between rest and security of conscience. Nothing gives certainty
but truth; nothing gives rest but the sincere search for truth.

909. The whole society itself of their casuists cannot give assurance to a
conscience in error, and that is why it is important to choose good guides.

Thus they will be doubly culpable, both in having followed ways which they
should not have followed, and in having liste

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to their
liableness to early and unexpected death: but how is it in fact? Eccles.
2:16. "How dieth the wise man? even as the fool."

All wicked men's pains and contrivance which they use to escape hell,
while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, do not
secure them from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of
hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself
for his own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what
he is now doing, or what he intends to do. Every one lays out matters in
his own mind how he shall avoid damnation, and flatters himself that he
contrives well for himself, and that his schemes will not fail. They
hear indeed that there are but few saved, and that the greater part of
men that have died heretofore are gone to hell; but each one imagines
that he lays out matters better for his own escape than others have
done. He does not intend to come to that place of torment; he says
within himself, that he intends to take effectual care, and to order
matters so for himself as not to fail. But the foolish children of men
miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in confidence in
their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow.

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and ready to
sink with gracious affection; but yet the truth was, that she had more
grace, and greater discoveries of God and Christ, than the present frail
state did well consist with. She wanted to be where strong grace might
have more liberty, and be without the clog of a weak body; there she
longed to be, and there she doubtless now is. She was looked upon
amongst us, as a very eminent instance of Christian experience; but this
is but a very broken and imperfect account I have given of her: her
eminency would much more appear, if her experiences were fully related,
as she was wont to express and manifest them, while living. I once read
this account to some of her pious neighbors, who were acquainted with
her, who said, to this purpose, that the picture fell much short of the
life; and particularly that it much failed of duly representing her
humility, and that admirable lowliness of heart, that all times appeared
in her. But there are, blessed be God! many living instances, of much
the like nature, and in some things no less extraordinary.

But I now proceed to the other instance, that of the little child before
mentioned. Her name is Phebe Bartlet, [She was living in March, 1789,
and maintained the character of a true convert.] daughter of William
Bartlet. I shall give the account as I took it from the mouth of her
parents, whose veracity none who k

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shows man the greatness of his misery by the greatness of the remedy which
he required.

527. The knowledge of God without that of man's misery causes pride. The
knowledge of man's misery without that of God causes despair. The knowledge
of Jesus Christ constitutes the middle course, because in Him we find both
God and our misery.

528. Jesus Christ is a God whom we approach without pride and before whom we
humble ourselves without despair.

529.... Not a degradation which renders us incapable of good, nor a holiness
exempt from evil.

530. A person told me one day that on coming from confession he felt great
joy and confidence. Another told me that he remained in fear. Whereupon I
thought that these two together would make one good man, and that each was
wanting in that he had not the feeling of the other. The same often happens
in other things.

531. He who knows the will of his master will be beaten with more blows,
because of the power he has by his knowledge. Qui justus est, justificetur
adhuc,88 because of the power he has by justice. From him who has received
most, will the greatest reckoning be demanded, because of the power he has
by this help.

532. Scripture has provided pa

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