escapes my lips, I wish it softened, and brought into harmony with
perfect truth and charity.

It is very difficult, when a man is giving an account of his life, to be
strictly just and impartial. Perhaps it is impossible. It is very
difficult, when he is telling of his trials, to keep from all
expressions of strong and unpleasant feeling towards those whom he
regards as the causes of his trials. Perhaps this also is impossible. My
readers must consider this, and make allowances both for me and my
brethren.

And both my readers and I must try to bear in mind, that men are not the
sole actors in the pitiable blunders and melancholy tragedies of their
lives. God had to do with the descent of Joseph into Egypt. His brethren
were the visible actors, but a Great Invisible Actor directed and
controlled their doings. Our ignorance and our vices are our own, but
the form they take in action, and the effects they produce, are God's.
Shimei's wickedness was his own, but it was God that caused it to show
itself in throwing stones at David. All our trials are, in truth, from
God, and it would be well for us to regard them in that light. And we
ought no more to be malignantly resentful towards the men whom God makes
use of to try us, than we ought to murmur against God. We should try to
go through all with the meek and quiet spirit with which Jesus went
through the still greater trials that lay in His path. And in speaking
of our trials, we should try to exhibit the sweet forgiving temper that
shines out so gloriously in the life and death of the Redeemer. And if
we can go a step farther, and rejoice in tribulation, and smile in
peaceful tranquility at the erring but divinely guided actors in our
trials, so much the better. And if we can believe that all things work
together for good not only to them that love God, but even to those who
for a time are unwittingly separated from God, why should we not
'rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks?' My gracious God, I
know that there are expressions in this book that might have been
better,--that feelings sometimes show themselves that are not the
perfection of Christian love and meekness; and I ask Thee in Thy mercy
to forgive them all: And I pray Thee so to influence my soul for the
time to come, and to enable me so to use my tongue and pen, that all I
say and write may savor of Jesus, be in agreement with my Christian
profession, and tend to the instruction and spiritual impr