53. Wherefore this do ye, virgins of God, this do ye: follow ye the Lamb, whithersoever He shall have gone. But first come unto Him, Whom ye are to follow, and learn, in that He is meek and lowly of heart. Come ye in lowly wise unto the Lowly, if ye love: and depart not from Him, lest ye fall. For whoso fears to depart from Him asks and says, “Let there not come to me foot of pride.”190    Ps. xxxvi. 11 Go on in the way of loftiness with the foot of lowliness; Himself lifteth up such as follow in lowly wise, Who thought it not a trouble to come down unto such as lay low. Commit ye His gifts unto Him to keep, “guard ye your strength unto Him.”191    Ps. lix. 9. [See R.V.] Whatever of evil through His guardianship ye commit not, account as forgiven unto you by Him: lest, thinking that you have little forgiven unto you, ye love little, and with ruinous boasting despise the publicans beating their breasts. Concealing that strength of yours which hath been tried beware, that ye be not puffed up, because ye have been able to bear something: but concerning that which hath been untried pray, that ye be not tempted above that ye are able to bear. Think that some are superior to you in secret, than whom ye are openly better. When the good things of others, haply unknown to you, are kindly believed by you, your own that are known to you are not lessened by comparison, but strengthened by love: and what haply as yet are wanting, are by so much the more easily given, by how much they are the more humbly desired. Let such among your number as persevere, afford to you an example: but let such as fall increase your fear. Love the one that ye may imitate it; mourn over the other, that ye be not puffed up. Do not ye establish your own righteousness; submit yourselves unto God Who justifies you. Pardon the sins of others, pray for your own: future sins shun by watching, past sins blot out by confessing.

CAPUT LII.

53. Humilitas virginibus qua ratione exercenda. Quapropter hoc agite, virgines Dei, hoc 0427 agite: sequimini Agnum quocumque ierit. Sed prius ad eum quem sequamini, venite, et discite quoniam mitis est et humilis corde Humiliter ad humilem venite, si amatis; et ne discedatis ab illo, ne cadatis. Qui enim timet ab illo discedere, rogat et dicit: Non mihi veniat pes superbiae (Psal. XXXV, 12). Pergite viam sublimitatis, pede humilitatis. Ipse exaltat humiliter sequentes, quem descendere non piguit ad jacentes. Dona ejus illi servanda committite, fortitudinem vestram ad illum custodite (Psal. LVIII, 10). Quidquid mali ipso custodiente non committitis, tanquam remissum ab illo deputate: ne modicum vobis existimantes dimissum, modicum diligatis, et tundentes pectora publicanos ruinosa jactantia contemnatis. De viribus vestris expertis cavete, ne quia ferre aliquid potuistis inflemini: de inexpertis autem orate, ne supra quam potestis ferre tentemini. Existimate aliquos in occulto superiores, quibus estis in manifesto meliores. Cum aliorum bona, forte ignota vobis, benigne creduntur a vobis, vestra vobis nota non comparatione minuuntur, sed dilectione firmantur: et quae forte adhuc desunt, tanto dantur facilius, quanto desiderantur humilius. Perseverantes in numero vestro praebeant vobis exemplum; cadentes autem augeant timorem vestrum. Illud amate, ut imitemini; hoc lugete, ne inflemini. Justitiam vestram nolite statuere, Deo vos justificanti subdite. Veniam peccatis donate alienis, orate pro vestris: futura vigilando vitate, praeterita confitendo delete.