will be of enduring value to us? Is it the education which teaches us
the grammars of foreign languages, scientific facts, the dates when
wars were won, when kings ascended their thrones, princes died,
artists painted their masterpieces, that will bring us to our finest
opportunities of success? To the soul there is little greater or less
chance of success offered by the degree of "polish" in the education
we have the money to procure: the peasant who cannot read or write
may achieve the purpose of life before the savant: we know it
without caring to acknowledge it to ourselves: the education that we
really require is the education of daily conduct, the education of
character, the education by which we say to Self-will, to Pride, and
to Lusts, "Lie down!"--and they do it!

* * *

When a soul knows herself, has repented and become redeemed, she
knows all other souls, good or bad: there are no longer any secrets
for her, no one can hide himself from her: she sees all these open
and living books, reads them, and avoids judging and bitterness in
spite of the selfishness, stupidity, and frailty revealed on every page:
she finds the same faults in herself; selfishness, stupidity, and
weakness are engraven upon herself; the redeemed and enlightened
soul with tears perpetually corrects these faults: the unenlightened
soul does not--this is the difference between them.

VI

For some time after coming to Union with God we remain
convinced that all now being so well with the soul all will be well
with the body also, and the health does improve and become more
stable; but the day comes when we learn that God is not concerned
with saving flesh, and that the body must share the usual fate--we
shall continue to suffer through it. But we also discover that there
can be a marvellous amelioration to this suffering. By raising the
consciousness to its highest--that is to say, by living with the highest
part of the soul _and waiting upon God_--we can experience such
very great Grace that the poignancy, the distress, of pain disappears.
For instance, the following is from my experience. Trouble has
come, trouble of several kinds: the death of one very dear; severe
illness to another; for my brother a serious operation; for myself a
slight one, but a very painful one--in fine, a variety of trials all
coming together as they have a way of doing. I feel terribly nervous
and fearful of the pain of my own operation and my brother's also: