Chap. XLVI Of Having Confidence in God, When Words Arise Against Us
1. Son, stand firm, and trust in me; for what are words but words? they fly through the air, but hurt not a stone.
If thou art guilty, think that thou wilt willingly amend thyself.
If thy conscience accuse thee not, think that thou wilt willingly suffer this for God’s sake.
It is a small matter that thou shouldst sometimes bear with words, if thou hast not as yet the courage to endure hard stripes.
And why do such small things go to thy heart; but because thou art yet carnal, and regardest man more than thou oughtest?
For because thou art afraid of being despised, thou art not willing to be reprehended for thy faults, and seekest to shelter thyself in excuses.
2. But look better into thyself, and thou shalt find that the world is still living in thee, and a vain desire of pleasing men:
For when thou art unwilling to be humbled and confounded for thy defects, it is plain indeed that thou art not truly humble, nor truly dead to the world, nor the world crucified to thee.
But give ear to my word, and thou shalt not value ten thousand words of men.
Behold, if all should be said against thee, which the malice of men can invent, what hurt could it do thee, if thou wouldst let it pass, and make no reckoning of it? Could it even so much as pluck one hair away from thee?
3. But he who has not his heart within, nor God before his eyes, is easily moved with a word of dispraise:
Whereas he that trusts in me, and desires not to stand by his own judgment, will be free from the fear of men.
For I am the judge and discerner of all secrets; I know how the matter passed; I know both him that offers the injury, and him that suffers it.
From me this word went forth; by my permission it happened, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed. Luke ii.
I shall judge the guilty and the innocent; but by a secret judgment I would beforehand try them both.
4. The testimony of men oftentimes deceives: my judgment is true, it shall stand and not be overthrown.
It is hidden for the most part, and to few laid open in every thing; yet it never errs, nor can it err, though to the eyes of fools it seems not right.
To me therefore must thou run in every judgment, and not depend upon thy own will.
For the just man will not be troubled whatever happens to him from God. Proverbs xii.
And if any thing be wrongfully pronounced against him, he will not much care; neither will he vainly rejoice, if by others he be reasonably excused; for he considers that I am he that searcheth the heart and the reins, (Apoc. ii.) who judge not according to the face, nor according to human appearance;
[USCCB: Revelation 3:23, “…I am the searcher of hearts and minds…”.]
For oftentimes that is found blameworthy in my eyes, which in the judgment of men is esteemed commendable.
5. O Lord God, the best judge, strong and patient, who knowest the frailty and perverseness of men, be thou my strength, and all my confidence, for my own conscience sufficeth me not.
Thou knowest that which I know not; and therefore in every reprehension I ought to humble myself, and bear it with meekness.
Pardon me, I beseech thee in thy mercy, as often as I have not done thus, and give me again the grace to suffer still more.
For better to me is thy great mercy, for the obtaining of pardon, than the justice which I imagine in myself for the defence of my hidden conscience.
Although my conscience accuse me not, yet I cannot hereby justify myself; for setting thy mercy aside, no man living shall be justified in thy sight. Psalms cxlii.
[USCCB: Psalms cxliii.]