it
had
found
thee
at
first
;
from
how
much
weariness
it
might
have
been
delivered
if
it
had
known
how
to
let
God
work
!
But,
alas
!
itien
are
not
willing
to
abandon
themselves,
and
to
trust
only
in
God.
Even
those
who
appear
to
do
it,
and
who
think
themselves
well
established
in
it,
are
only
abandoned
in
imagina-tion,
and
not
in
reality.
They
are
willing
to
abandon
themselves
in
one
thing
and
not
in
another;
they
wish
to
compromise
with
God,
and
to
place
a
limit
to
what
they
will
permit
Him
to
do.
They
want
to
give
themselves
up,
but
on
such
and
such
conditions.
No
;
this
is
not
abandonment.
An
entire
and
total
abandonment
excepts
nothing,
keeps
back
nothing,
neither
death,
nor
life,
nor
perfection,
nor
salvation,
nor
heaven,
nor
hell.
O
poor
souls
!
give
yourselves
up
utterly
in
this
abandonment
;
you
will
get
only
happi-ness
and
blessing
from
it
Walk
boldly
on
this
stormy
sea,
relying
on
the
word
of
Jesus,
who
has
promised
to
take
upon
Himself
the
care
of
all
those
who
will
lose
their
own
life,
and
abandon
themselves
to
Him.
But
if
you
sink
like
Peter,
ascribe
it
to
the
weakness
of
your
faith.
If
we
had
the
faith
calmly,
and
without
hesitation,
to
face
all
dangers,
what
good
should
we
