was right,
he had the assurance that his ways pleased God, and his faith was not
dependent upon knowledge. He was content, nay, glad to trust where he
could not see, confident in the belief that "nothing could hurt a
sanctified soul." His disciples could not always follow him so far.
Some of them, when they saw their master suffering--as he did suffer
severely in his last days--thought that God might have led His beloved
Home by a less painful road. One of them once gave expression to his
feelings thus:--

"Ah, my brother, pray to the Lord that He may treat you more gently.
Truly, He ought to let His hand weigh less heavily upon you."

Hurt to the quick, as well as indignant, Francis cried:--

"What is that you are saying? If I did not know your simplicity I
should henceforth hold you in horror! What! you have the audacity to
blame God's dealings with me!" Then, throwing himself on his knees, he
prayed:--

"Oh, my Lord God! I give Thee thanks for all these pains I endure. I
pray Thee to send me a hundredfold more if such be Thy good pleasure!
I willingly accept all afflictions. Thy holy name is my superabundant
joy!"

Nothing could ever make Francis say that anything in his lot was "very
hard." His love was too loyal, his trust too complete.

[Sidenote: _Rejoice Always._]

Joy was one of his cardinal articles of faith. "Rejoice always!" was a
divine command, and one not to be overlooked. As a young man, he had
been of a bright, joyous nature, but easily plunged into depths of
sadness and melancholy. God taught him upon what to base his joy, and,
when he had torn down all earthly external devices, led him to derive
his all from the true source. He held joy to be the normal state of
those whom God loves--the fruit of Christian life, without which
everything languishes and dies.

"The devil," Francis always said, "carries dust with him, and whenever
he can, he throws it into the openings of the soul in order to cloud
the clearness of its thoughts and the purity of its actions. If joy
knows how to defend itself and subsist, then he has had his spite for
nothing; but if the servant of Christ becomes sad, bitter or unhappy,
he is sure to triumph. Sooner or later, that soul will be overwhelmed
by its sadness, or will seek for false joys or consolations. The
servant of God who is troubled for any reason" (Francis always allowed
that causes for trouble in this world are innumerable) "must
immediately have recourse to