in particular, in such a
manner as surprised me. One of them intimated that I must there bear
the cross and be persecuted; and another of them that I should be eyes
to the blind, feet to the lame, and arms to the maimed.

The ecclesiastic, or chaplain, of our house was much afraid lest I was
under a delusion. What at that time greatly confirmed me was Father
Claude Martin, whom I mentioned above, wrote to me that, after many
prayers, the Lord had given him to know that He required me at Geneva,
and to make a free sacrifice of everything to Him. I answered him,
"that perhaps the Lord required of me nothing more than a sum of money
to assist in founding an institution which was going to be established
there." He replied, that the Lord had made him know that He wanted not
my worldly substance but myself. At the very same time with this letter
I received one from Father La Combe, who wrote to me that the Lord had
given him a certainty, as he had done to several of his good and
faithful servants and handmaids, that he wanted me at Geneva. The
writers of these two letters lived above a hundred and fifty leagues
from each other; yet both wrote the same thing. I could not but be
somewhat surprised to receive at the same time two letters exactly
alike, from two persons living so far distant from each other.

As soon as I became fully convinced of its being the will of the Lord,
and saw nothing on earth capable of detaining me, my senses had some
pain about leaving my children. And upon reflecting thereon a doubt
seized my mind. O my Lord! Had I rested on myself, or on the creatures,
I would have revolted; "leaned on a broken reed, which would have
pierced my hand." But relying on Thee alone, what needed I to fear? I
resolved then to go, regardless of the censures of such as understand
not what it is to be a servant of the Lord, and to receive and obey His
orders. I firmly believe that He, by His Providence, would furnish the
means necessary for the education of my children. I put everything by
degrees in order, the Lord alone being my guide.

CHAPTER 29

While providence, on the one hand, appointed my forsaking all things,
it seemed on the other to make my chains the stronger, and my
separation the more blameable. None could receive stronger marks of
affection from one's own mother than those which I received at this
time from my mother-in-law. Even the least sickness which befell me
made her very uneasy. She said,