e hand of God, and knowing
that He will bring it out into the light one day or another, in His own
good time.

Again: persons may try to threaten or frighten you into doing something
wrong, but you must not mind that, you must be firm.

In many, very many ways you may be called upon to bear the ill-usage of
the world, or to withstand its attempts to draw you from God; but you
must be firm, and you must not be surprised that they should be made.
You must consider that it is your very calling to bear and to
withstand. This is what you offer to God as a sort of return for His
great mercies to you. Did not Christ go through much more for you than
you can possibly be called upon to undergo for Him? Did He bear the
bitter cross who was sinless, and do you, who are at best so sinful,
scruple to bear such poor trials and petty inconveniences?

In conclusion, I will but call your attention to two points, to which
what I have said leads me.

First; Do not be too eager to suppose you are ill-treated for your
religion's sake. Make as light of matters as you can. And beware of
being severe on those who lead careless lives, or whom you think or
know to be ill-treating you. Do not dwell on such matters. Turn your
mind away from them. Avoid all gloominess. Be kind and gentle to
those who are perverse, and you will very often, please God, gain them
over. You should pray for those who lead careless lives, and
especially if they are unkind to you. Who knows but God may hear your
prayers, and turn their hearts, and bring them over to you? Do every
thing for them but imitate them and yield to them. This is the true
Christian spirit, to be meek and gentle under ill-usage, cheerful under
slander, forgiving towards enemies, and silent in the midst of angry
tongues.

Secondly, I would say, recollect you cannot do any one thing of all the
duties I have been speaking of, without God's help. Any one who
attempts to resist the world, or to do other good things by his own
strength, will be sure to fall. We _can_ do good things, but it is
when God gives us power to do them. Therefore we must pray to Him for
the power. When we are brought into temptation of any kind, we should
lift up our hearts to God. We should say to Him, "Good Lord, deliver
us." Our Lord, when He was going away, promised to His disciples a
Comforter instead of Himself; that was God the Holy Ghost, who is still
among us (though we see Him not), as Christ wa