drowned themselves. If thou procure not the salvation of thine own soul, how wilt thou procure that of thy neighbor? And if thou look not well to thine own affairs, how wilt thou look to the affairs of others? For it is not to be believed that thou dost love the soul of another better than thine own. The preachers of the Word of God should be standards, lights, and mirrors to the people. Blessed is the man who so guideth the souls of others in the way of salvation, that he himself ceaseth not to go in the same way! Blessed is the man who in such wise inviteth others to run the race that he ceaseth not to run himself!
"More blessed is he, who, in the same manner, shall make others rich, that he himself shall not remain behind them. I believe that good preachers admonish and preach to themselves more than they do to any other. It seemeth to me that he who could convert and draw the souls of sinners into the way of God should ever be in fear, lest he should be perverted by them, and drawn aside into the way of vice, and of the devil and hell."
On Speaking Well and Speaking Ill.
The man who speaks good and useful words to the souls of others is verily the mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit: even as he who speaks evil and useless words is certainly the mouthpiece of the devil. When good and spiritual men are assembled to confer together, they should ever speak of the beauty of virtue, because the more virtue is pleasing to them, the more they will delight in practicing it; and the more we are pleased with virtue and delight in it, the more we shall exercise ourselves in it; and the more we exercise ourselves in it, the greater will grow our love for it; and by this love and by continually exercising ourselves and taking pleasure in virtue, we shall grow continually in more fervent love of God, and ascend to a higher state of perfection; for which cause also, there shall be granted to us from the Lord greater gifts and graces.
When a man is the most tempted, so much the more need he has to speak of holy virtue; because often, through talking of sins, a man is easily drawn into sinful acts; and thus also, through conversing about virtue, a man is easily led and disposed towards the holy operations of virtue. But what shall we say then of the good which proceedeth from virtue? It is so great, that we cannot worthily speak of its excellence, which is admirable and infinite. And yet again, what shall we say of evil, and of the eternal pains which follow sin? It is an abyss so profound that it is incomprehensible to us, so that it is impossible for us to conceive it, or to speak about it.
I do not consider it a lesser virtue to know well how to be silent, than to know well how to speak; and therefore it appears to me, that it would be well for a man were his neck as long as a crane's, so that, when he would speak, his words would have to pass through many joints before reaching his mouth; that is to say, that when a man would speak, he has need to consider, and reconsider, and examine and discern right well the how and the wherefore, and the time and the manner, and the condition of his audience, and his own motive and intention.
On Holy Perseverance.
What profiteth a man to fast and to pray much, and to give alms, and afflict himself, and have sublime thoughts of heavenly things, if he attain not to the blessed and desired haven of eternal salvation, namely, final and holy perseverance? Oftentimes we have seen a fair ship appear upon the sea, immense and strong and new, and laden with much treasure; and yet, overwhelmed by a storm, or else by the fault of the captain, it perishes, and is submerged, and miserably wrecked, and never attains the port for which it set out. What profit is there then, in its beauty and strength and treasure, since it has perished so miserably in the depths of the sea? And yet again, many a time we have seen on the sea a little ship, old, and carrying but little merchandise, but, having a good and skillful captain, it escaped every danger of the sea, and arrived at the desired haven; and thus also it often happens to us in the tempestuous sea of this world.
And, therefore, Brother Giles said: "A man should always fear; for although he may be in great prosperity or in great dignity, or have attained to a state of great perfection, yet if he have not a good captain, viz., skillful guidance to rule
