"I formerly looked upon God as an omnipotent Creator, and as an arbitrary governor; I knew his power to be irresistible, I therefore thought his decrees must be submitted to, because they could not be withstood. Now my whole view is changed: the Abbé de La Trappé has taught me to consider this great God as my father, and to view myself as adopted into his family. I now can look upon myself as become his son, through the merits of my Saviour, applied to my heart by his holy Spirit. I am now convinced, not only that we ought to receive misfortunes with patience, because they are inevitable, but I also feel assured that death, which rends the veil from all things, will probably discover to us many new secrets of love and mercy in the economy of God's providence, as in that of his grace. God, who gave up his only Son to an accursed death for us, must surely have ordered all inferior things by the same spirit of love."[20] Such were King James's sentiments respecting M. de Rance. The Abbé, on the other hand, entertained as high an opinion of him. The following passage, concerning the unfortunate king of England, occurs in one of M. de La Trappé's Letters to a Friend:-- "I will now speak to you concerning the king of England. I never saw any thing more striking than the whole of his conduct; nor have I ever seen any person more elevated above the transitory objects of time and sense. His tranquillity and submission to the divine will are truly marvellous. He really equals some of the most holy men of old, if indeed he may not be rather said to surpass them. "He has suffered the loss of three kingdoms; yet his equanimity and peace of mind are undisturbed. He speaks of his bitterest enemies without warmth; nor does he ever indulge in those insinuations which even good men are too apt to fall into when speaking of their enemies. He knows the meaning of two texts of Scripture which are too much neglected: 'It is given you to suffer,' and, 'Despise not the gift of God.' He therefore praises God for every persecution and humiliation which he endures. He could not be in a more equable state of mind even if he were in the meridian of temporal prosperity. [Footnote 20: A Tour to Alet and La Grand Chartreuse, vol. II. pp. 335-6.] "His time is always judiciously and regularly appropriated. His day is filled up in so exact a manner, that nothing can be well either added or retrenched from his occupations. "All his pursuits tend to the love of God and man. He appears uniformly to feel the divine presence. This is, perhaps, the first and most important step in the divine life.--It is the foundation of all which follow. "The queen is in every respect influenced by the same holy desires. "The union of these two excellent persons is founded on the love of God. "It may be truly termed an holy and a sacred one."