ers a soul so dependent upon, and dedicated to Him, to be
deceived.

Most men appear to me very unjust, when they readily resign themselves
to another man, and look upon that as prudence. They confide in men who
are nothing, and boldly say, "Such a person cannot be deceived." But if
one speaks of a soul wholly resigned to God, which follows him
faithfully, they cry aloud, "That person is deceived with his
resignation." Oh, divine Love! Dost thou want either strength,
fidelity, love, or wisdom, to conduct those who trust in thee and who
are thy dearest children? I have seen men bold enough to say, "Follow
me, and you shall not be misled." How sadly are those men misled
themselves by their presumption! How much sooner should I go to him who
would be afraid of misleading me; who trusting neither to his learning
nor experience, would rely upon God only!

Our Lord showed me, in a dream, two ways by which souls steer their
course, under the figure of two drops of water. The one appeared to me
of an unparalleled beauty, brightness and purity; the other to have
also a brightness, yet full of little streaks; both good to quench
thirst; the former altogether pleasant, but the latter not so perfectly
agreeable. By the former is represented the way of pure and naked
faith, which pleases the Spouse much, it is so pure, so clear from all
self-love. The way of emotions or gifts is not so; yet it is that in
which many enlightened souls walk, and into which they had drawn Father
La Combe. But God showed me, that He had given him to me, to draw him
into one more pure and perfect. I spoke before the sisters, he being
present, of the way of faith, how much more glorious it was to God, and
advantageous for the soul, than all those gifts, emotions and
assurances, which ever cause us to live to self. This discouraged them
at first and him also. I saw they were pained, as they have confessed
to me since. I said no more of it at that time. But, as he is a person
of great humility, he bid me unfold what I had wanted to say to him. I
told him a part of my dream of the two drops of water; yet, he did not
then enter into what I said, the time for it being not yet come. When
he came to Gex, it was to make the retreats. I told him the
circumstances of a certain time past; he recollected that it was the
time of so extraordinary a touch with which the Lord favored him, that
he was quite overwhelmed with contrition. This gave him such an
interior reno