e who was present; that he was very much edified by her; that
he was far from finding the like in me; that I operated nothing but
death upon his soul." At first I rejoiced at his having met with such a
holy soul. It ever gives me the highest joy to see my God glorified. As
I was returning, the Lord showed me clearly the state of that soul, as
only a beginning of devotion mixed with affection and a little silence,
filled with a new sensation. This and more, as it was set before me, I
was obliged to write to him. On his first reading of my letter he
discovered the stamp of truth in it; but soon after, letting in again
his old reflections, he viewed all I wrote in the light of pride. He
still had in his mind the ordinary rules of humility conceived and
comprised after our manner. As to me, I let myself be led as a child,
who says and does, without distinction, whatever it is made to say and
do. I left myself to be led wheresoever my heavenly Father pleased,
high or low; all was alike good to me.

He wrote to me, that, at his first reading of my letter there appeared
in it something of truth; but that on reading it over again, he found
it to be full of pride, and of preference of my own discernments to
that of others. Some time after he was more enlightened in regard to
the state I was in. He then said, "continue to believe as you have
done; I encourage and exhort you to do it." Some time after he
sufficiently discovered, by that person's manner of acting, that she
was very far from what he had thought. I give this as only one
instance. I might give many others, but this may suffice.

CHAPTER 14

One night in a dream our Lord showed me, that He would also purify the
maid whom He had given me, make her truly enter into death to herself.
I freely resolved to suffer for her, as I did for Father La Combe. As
she resisted God much more than he, and was much more under the power
of self-love, she had more to be purified from. What I could not
tolerate in her was her regard for herself. I saw clearly that the
devil cannot hurt us only so far as we retain some fondness for this
corrupt self. This sight was from God. He gave me the discerning of
spirits, which would ever accept what was from Him, or reject what was
not; that not from any common methods of judging, not from any outward
information, but by an inward principle which is His gift alone.

It is needful to mention here that souls which are yet in themselves,
wh