My God, I believe so firmly that Thou watchest over all who hope in Thee, and that we can want for nothing when we rely upon Thee in all things, that I am resolved for the future to have no anxieties, and to cast all my cares upon Thee. “_In peace in the self-same I will sleep and I will rest; for Thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope._” Men may deprive me of worldly goods and of honors; sickness may take from me my strength and the means of serving Thee; I may even lose Thy grace by sin: but my trust shall never leave me; I will preserve it to the last moment of my life, and the powers of hell shall seek in vain to wrest it from me. “_In peace in the self-same I will sleep and I will rest._” Let others seek happiness in their wealth, in their talents; let them trust to the purity of their lives, the severity of their mortifications, to the number of their good works, the fervor of their prayers; as for me, O my God, in my very confidence lies all my hope. “_For Thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope._” This confidence can never be vain. “_No one has hoped in the Lord and has been confounded._” I am assured, therefore, of my eternal happiness, for I firmly hope for it, and all my hope is in Thee. “_In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped; let me never be confounded._” I know, alas! I know but too well that I am weak and unstable; I know the power of temptation against the strongest virtue. I have seen stars fall from heaven, and pillars of the firmament totter; but these things alarm me not. While I hope in Thee I am sheltered from all misfortune, and I am sure that my trust shall endure, for I rely upon Thee to sustain this unfailing hope. Finally, I know that my confidence cannot exceed Thy bounty, and that I shall never receive less than I have hoped for from Thee. Therefore I hope that Thou wilt sustain me against my evil inclinations; that Thou wilt protect me against the most furious assaults of the evil one, and that Thou wilt cause my weakness to triumph over my most powerful enemies. I hope that Thou wilt never cease to love me, and that I shall love Thee unceasingly. * * * * * Transcriber’s Notes Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged. The reference to the Quietests in the Preface has been corrected to Quietists. Italics are represented thus _italic_. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Abandonment, by J. P. de Caussade