him, he may perish in the depths of vice: and therefore, in order to succeed, we need, above all other things, perseverance; .for as the Apostle says: ' Not he who has begun, but he who perseveres unto the end, shall receive the crown.' When a tree first springs from the earth, it does not immediately grow to its full size; and when it is full grown, it does not on that account immediately bear fruit; and when the fruit comes, not all of it turns out useful to the owner; for much of the fruit drops to the ground and decays, and is not eaten, except by the animals; but the fruit that remains constantly on the tree, until the end of the season, is, for the most part, gathered by the owner thereof."
And again. Brother Giles said: " What would it profit me to enjoy for a hundred years the glory of heaven, if I should not persevere, and so should not make a good end?" And yet again he said: "I consider the two greatest gifts and graces of God, which can be attained in this life, to be loving perseverance in the service of God, and to ever beware lest one fall into sin."
On True Religion.
Brother Giles said, speaking of himself: "I would rather have a little of the grace of God, being a Religious, than very much of God's grace, being a secular and living in the world; because, in the world there are more perils and obstacles, and fewer remedies and means of sanctity, than in Religion." And again Brother Giles said: "It seems to me, that the sinful man fears his own good, more than his own injury, and worst evil. For he is afraid to enter into the Religious state and do penance, but he is not afraid of offending God and of losing his soul by remaining hard-hearted and obstinate in the world awaiting his final and eternal damnation in the filthy mire of his sins."
A man of the world once asked Brother Giles: " Father, which dost thou counsel me to do, to enter Religion, or to remain in the world doing good works?" And Brother Giles answered: " My Brother, most sure it is, if a poor man knew of a great treasure hidden in an open field, that he would ask counsel of no one to assure himself whether it were well to dig it up, and to carry it home; how much more should a man endeavor, with all haste and diligence, to dig for that heavenly treasure, which is to be found in the holy state of Religion, and in spiritual congregations, without asking so much advice of others!" And the same man hearing this answer, immediately gave all he had to the poor, and thus deprived of all things, forthwith embraced the Religious state.
Brother Giles said also: " Many enter the state of Religion and afterwards do not practice what the perfection of the Religious state requires; but such resemble the ploughboy who arrayed himself in the armour of Orlando, and knew not how to fight or to fence in it. Not every one is able to ride a restive and vicious horse; and if, nevertheless, he will ride him, he shall not be able to keep himself from falling, when the horse runs away with him or becomes restive."
Brother Giles said moreover: " I do not esteem it a great thing that a man should know how to retain any favor conferred upon him by the king: but the great thing is, that he should know how to live and to converse in the court of the king, persevering with all discretion therein. The court of the great Heavenly King is the Religious state, wherein it is net hard to enter, and to receive many gifts and graces from God: but the great thing is that a man should know how to live and converse rightly and discreetly therein, persevering in the same, even until death."
And again Brother Giles said: " I would rather be in the secular state, continually hoping and devoutly desiring to enter the state of Religion, than be clothed with the holy habit of Religion, remaining in idleness and negligence and without practicing works of virtue. And therefore the Religious man should continually constrain himself to live well and virtuously, knowing that he cannot live in any other state but that of his profession."
Brother Giles once said also: " To me it seems that the Order of the Friars Minor was verily ordained of God for the great edification of the people; but woe to us Friars, if we should not be such men as we ought to be! Most surely there should not be found in this life more blessed men than we; for he is holy who follows the holy, he is good who follows in the way of the good, and he is rich who walks in the footsteps of the rich; and the Order of
