ately
receive it, yet do not therefore
doubt, because thou hast not
presently received the petition
of thy soul.

7 For it may be thou shalt not
presently receive it for thy trial,
or else for some sin which thou
knowest not. But do not thou
leave off to ask, and then thou
shalt receive. Else if thou shalt
cease to ask, thou must complain
of thyself, and not of God, that he
has not given unto thee what thou
didst desire.

8 Consider therefore this doubting
how cruel and pernicious it is;
and how it utterly roots out many
from the faith, who were very
faithful and firm. For this doubting
is the daughter of the Devil, and
deals very wickedly with the
servants of God.

9 Despise it therefore, and thou
shalt rule over it on every occasion.
Put on a firm and powerful faith:
for faith promises all things
and perfects all things. But
doubting will not believe that it
shall obtain any thing by all that
it can do.

10. Thou seest therefore, says
he, how faith cometh from above
from God; and hath great power.
But doubting is an earthly spirit,
and proceedeth from the Devil,
and has no strength.

11 Do thou therefore keep the
virtue of faith, and depart from
doubting, in which is no virtue,
and thou shalt live unto God. And
all shall live unto God, as many
as do these things.

COMMAND X.

Of the sadness of the heart; and that
we must take, heed not to grieve the
spirit of God that is in us.

PUT all sadness far from thee;
for it is the sister of doubting
and of anger. How, sir, said I
is it the sister of these? For
sadness, and anger, and doubting,
seem to me to be very different
from one another.

2 And he answered: Art thou
without sense that thou dost not
understand it? For sadness is the
most mischievous of all spirits,
and the worst to the servants of
God: It destroys the spirits of all
men, and torments the Holy Spirit,
and it saves again.

3 Sir, said I, I am very foolish,
and understand not these things.
I cannot apprehend how it can
torment, and yet save. Hear, said
he, and understand. They who
never sought out the truth, nor
inquired concerning the majesty
of God, but only believed, are
involved in the affairs of the
heathen.

4 And there is another lying
prophet that destroys the minds
of the servants of God; that is
of those that are doubtful, not of
those that fully trust in the Lord.
Now those doubtful persons come
to him, as to a divine